A Cowgirl at Heart

by Christine Lynxwiler

  She shrugged, feeling better. “Just a guess.” She set the thermos down on the plastic table beside him. “Hot chocolate. For dessert.”

  He grinned at her. “Thanks a million. I was just trying to convince myself I could wait until supper to eat. It wasn’t working.”

  He opened the lunch box and pulled out a sandwich.

  “It’s tuna,” she said helpfully, as if he couldn’t figure that out.

  “Oh.” His grin froze in place. “Thanks.”

  “You don’t like tuna?”

  “Well ... aw...”

  She smiled. “It’s okay. The other sandwich is ham and cheese.”

  Relief was so evident on his face that she laughed.

  “I’m sorry. There aren’t many things in this world I won’t eat.”

  “But tuna salad is one of them?”

  “Yep.”

  That figured. She was glad she’d fixed a ham and cheese as an afterthought. “I’m going to go look at how the barn is coming while you eat.”

  “Okay. Thanks again.”

  She was about five steps away when he called her name. She turned. “Yes?”

  “You will come back and drink hot chocolate with me, won’t you?”

  She thought of the mug she’d left on the warmer on her stove. She could always drink it later. “Sure. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Five minutes later, she walked back around to join him. He was done with the sandwich. He grinned. “I told you I was starving. It was delicious. Thanks.”

  “Sure you don’t want this tuna?” she teased, slipping the other sandwich back in the lunch box.

  He chuckled. “You’re mean.”

  She poured them both Styrofoam cups of hot chocolate and passed him his.

  He took a sip. “That’s good.” He opened his laptop back up and carefully set the hot chocolate on the tiny plastic table beside his lawn chair. “One reason I took a break is because I had an idea while I was painting.”

  “What about?”

  “You’ve probably already done this, but I thought if we did an online search for Luis’s name, we might get a better idea of what he’s up to.”

  Elyse shook her head. She, who googled everything she wanted to know, had not looked up Luis. She used to consider trying to find information on him when she was younger, but she’d always decided against it. But now that he was back in her life, she hadn’t even thought of using the Internet to find him. “So did you do it?”

  “No, I was just searching for information on Zeke. I didn’t find anything significant. I wanted to wait until you were here to look up Luis.” He patted the chair next to his.

  She sank onto it. He scooted closer so she could see the laptop screen better. In the search engine box at the top of the screen, he typed “Luis Reynolds” and “Arkansas.” Hundreds of hits came up, and he scrolled down slowly.

  “Here’s one from a church down in Jackson County.”

  “A church?” The hot chocolate set a little less easily in her stomach.

  Andrew clicked on it. “This says Luis Reynolds is one of the teachers in their prison ministry.” He turned it so she could see the picture. It was obviously him.

  “Does it say how long?”

  He scrolled then stopped. “Yes, it has a whole story here about him. Do you want me to read it to you?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Just tell me what it says.”

  “Basically, he became a Christian in prison ten years ago and has been working in the prison ministry ever since. First from the inside and then, since his release from prison two years ago, from the outside, under the oversight of this church.”

  She snorted. “If he found Jesus in prison, it was a con. And now he’s conning all those people at that church. There’s no telling what they’re paying him.”

  “It doesn’t say it outright, but it infers that he’s volunteering.”

  Anger—at Andrew for not understanding and at Luis for not changing—welled up inside her. “It’s a con,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Okay. Maybe it is a con. But this still doesn’t explain what he’s doing here in Shady Grove.”

  She stood. “You know what? I don’t want to know any more.”

  He looked upset. “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head and picked up the lunch box. “It’s not you. I’m sorry for overreacting. This is just so hard, dredging this all up now.”

  “I understand. Sometimes we wish the past could just stay buried. But it rarely does.”

  She nodded toward the thermos. “Keep the hot chocolate.”

  He stepped toward her and put his arms around her. She leaned against him for a minute, drawing strength. “I guess this was a bad idea,” he whispered.

  She shook her head again. “No, it wasn’t. I’m just not ready to know more. You have my permission to find out whatever you can, but I can’t do it.” She looked up at him and realized how close she was to him.

  She saw the realization dawn on him at the same time, and he stepped back. Not flattering but helpful. She needed to figure out how to keep him at a distance. If only it wasn’t so hard to want to.

  CHAPTER 21

  Crystal was finalizing her curriculum for the drama classes when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the caller ID, and her heart sank. Mia ... again. Her agent had called several times over the last couple of weeks. Crystal hated not to answer it, but she could tell by the messages—“Call me immediately, darling; I have something important to talk to you about”—that Mia wasn’t RSVP’ing to the wedding. Especially now that she knew that Jeremy’s weirdness had to do with wanting her to go back to Broadway, Crystal didn’t want to talk to Mia. One of them was bad enough without them ganging up. As soon as the thought settled into her brain, she jumped straight up and threw her pen down.

  Of course. Mia had called Jeremy. That’s why he’d said, “Call your agent.” Mia had, no doubt, tried to make him feel guilty for letting Crystal give up her Broadway career. Crystal’s hands shook as she pulled up Mia’s number on her phone and hit SEND.

  “It’s about time you called me. I have wonderful news!” Mia’s voice bubbled through the phone line.

  “Did you talk to Jeremy?”

  “Just wait until you hear. Jon wants you back. Melissa is moving on to a bigger play next month, and Jon called me and specifically asked if you’d be interested in reprising your role in Sisters.”

  Crystal didn’t care at all, and in that moment, she knew for sure she’d made the right decision. Not that she’d ever really doubted it. “Mia, I’m not interested. What can I say to convince you of that?”

  “Say yes. Think about it and give me an answer next week.”

  “No. My answer is no, and it will be no next week. I’m sorry. But now I need an answer. Did you call Jeremy?”

  Mia’s voice grew three shades cooler. “No. No, I didn’t call Jeremy.”

  Crystal couldn’t believe Mia would lie to her. “Okay then. I’ll talk to you later. I’m really sorry.”

  Mia broke the connection without another word.

  Crystal cradled the phone against her chest. She’d just severed her final tie to Broadway. She should be devastated. But it meant nothing to her. Less than nothing compared to convincing Jeremy that her biggest dream right now was to be his wife.

  ***

  “Mom, can we hang around thirty minutes while Katie helps me with my algebra?”

  Elyse and Victoria looked up from where they were sorting out paperwork for the upcoming dog show.

  Victoria’s eyebrows drew together. “Okay, but it’s a school night, so no goofing off.”

  Elyse watched Dylan walk across Coffee Central to a quiet table in the corner near one of the bookshelves that surrounded the coffee shop area. “He’s a good kid.”

  Victoria smiled. “Yes, he is. Oh, I mean ... thank you.” She slid a stack of flyers into a folder. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you for what I said last week when
I came to pick up Sweetie.”

  Elyse glanced at her. “Apologize? For what?”

  “You know, when I said you’d wasted three years on 4-H meetings. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  Elyse waved her hand. “It’s fine. And in a way you might be right.”

  Victoria shook her head. “No, I’m not right. If Dylan is a good kid, it’s partly because of you. Because of all the hours you spent helping him and a lot of the other kids in the group get their dogs certified as therapy dogs and lining up places for them to go to volunteer. Taking his dog to the nursing home and the hospital changed him from a boy who cried if someone said ‘boo’ to him to a young man who helps others on a regular basis and is filled with self-confidence.”

  “Charlie was a natural for a therapy dog, and Dylan has a way with people, too.”

  “Still, if you hadn’t started the foundation and gotten these kids interested in volunteering, it never would have happened.” Victoria frowned. “I just wish you’d take the credit. Everyone in town suspects that you’re behind it, but you’re like the Howard Hughes of Shady Grove philanthropy.” She raised her eyebrows at Elyse. “Frankly, I’m tired of being your cover.”

  “You’ve done a lot yourself. All the corporate-level fund-raising, for example. And we both know that’s where most of the money comes from.”

  Victoria blushed. “It’s easy to raise money for a good cause when you’re a Worthington.”

  Elyse stared blindly at the papers in her hand. Born into the wealthiest family in town, Victoria had a family heritage she could be proud of. And since the McCords adopted Elyse, she did, too. But she couldn’t help but wonder what her friend would think of her if she knew the truth about her childhood. She turned her back and shoved all the papers into her bag. Andrew’s suggestion niggled at her, but she didn’t think she could do it.

  “Want to get decaf while Dylan’s working on homework?”

  Elyse spun around to look at Victoria. What went better with a confession than a cup of coffee? “Okay. Let me run this stuff out to the Jeep first. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll get us a table.”

  As Elyse stepped outside, she was grateful for the cool air on her warm face. If she was this flustered just thinking about telling Victoria the truth, how could she go through with it? She unlocked the Jeep and put the bag inside then locked it back up.

  Turning, she saw something at the other end of the parking lot. A little yellow truck was parked in the shadow of a tree. She was almost positive it was the same one she’d seen at Walmart. Her heart thudded against her ribs and she quickly looked away. Should she call Andrew? Was Luis following her everywhere? Why? If he was working for Zeke, filling him in on her whereabouts, wouldn’t Zeke have grabbed her already?

  She forced herself to take a deep breath. The best thing she could do right now was to go have coffee with Victoria then walk out with her and Dylan when it was time to leave. A rustling noise in the tall evergreen shrubs next to her decided it for her. Elyse jumped and ran inside without looking back.

  Victoria looked up as she approached the table. “I got you a cup of coffee, too.” She frowned. “You okay?”

  Elyse slipped into a chair across from her friend. “I will be.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’ve got something to tell you.”

  “Uh-oh. You’re quitting 4-H and the foundation because of what I said the other day.”

  Elyse laughed softly. “Don’t be silly, Vic. I promise that didn’t offend me. I know you were just trying to motivate me to do more with my life.”

  “I really was.”

  Elyse blew out her breath and tried to think of how to even start. She opened a couple of sugar packets and stirred them into her coffee. Why had it been so relatively easy to tell Andrew the whole story? Partly because she’d been forced into it, but there was something about Andrew that made Elyse react differently than she did with anyone else. And she didn’t want to delve too deeply into the reason for that. She poured some creamer in and stirred again.

  “You’re really making me nervous.” Victoria took a sip of her coffee.

  Elyse forced a smile and set the spoon down on the table. “Don’t be nervous. This is really nothing to do with you. I just promised someone that I’d to try to tell a friend about my past, and you got elected.”

  “It can’t be that hard. Just tell me.”

  “You know I’m adopted?”

  Victoria nodded, cupping her coffee mug with both hands.

  “But here’s what you don’t know.” She looked down at the table instead of at Victoria as she spelled out the whole story of being raised by con artists, ending with her mother being shot and her dad being arrested.

  A warm hand clasped hers, and she looked up.

  Victoria’s eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “You are so brave.”

  “To tell you about what an awful person I was?”

  A burst of disbelieving laughter escaped Victoria’s lips, and she shook her head. “To have coped with all of that and come out of it. And not just survived it, but you...” She waved her hand. “Look at you. You came through that terrible unfair experience, and instead of being bitter and angry, you’re the most loving, kind, caring person I know.”

  Elyse felt tears edge her own eyes. She took a drink of coffee in an attempt to distract herself. “Vic, you don’t have to be so nice. I know it can’t help but change how you feel about me. What if I’m conning you right now?”

  Victoria set her coffee mug down with a thud on the table. “Are you kidding? You really don’t know how crazy that is that you could even say that?”

  Elyse took another gulp of coffee and stared into the creamy liquid.

  “You’re right.” Victoria thrust her head forward to look up into Elyse’s face. “Knowing this does change how I feel about you.”

  Elyse stared at her, holding her breath.

  “It makes me admire you even more. And if you think you still have the ability to con someone, then you are conning yourself. If I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like you.”

  Elyse didn’t know what to say. She shook her head.

  “Not that I’m saying that I’m old enough to be your mother.” Victoria gave a shaky laugh and swiped at her eyes with her hand. “Maybe I should have said, ‘If I had a sister.’”

  Elyse laughed with her and felt her stomach unclench more than it had in a long time. “Thanks.”

  They chatted about the 4-H plans until Dylan was done with his homework. When they split up in the parking lot, Elyse hurried to the Jeep, climbed in, and relocked the door. Then she allowed herself to look.

  The yellow truck was still parked by the tree. He’d probably just run, but she’d learned tonight that sometimes facing things head-on made life much easier. She started the motor and drove slowly down to the other end of the paved area. A shadowy figure sat in the driver’s seat.

  She eased the Jeep closer to the Toyota, and her heart slammed against her ribs. No doubt Luis recognized her vehicle, but he hadn’t started the motor or turned his lights on.

  Was he going to let her catch him? She shivered in spite of her coat. Or was this a con so he could catch her?

  Her headlights shone in the cab of the truck, and she gasped. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, unmoving. She slammed on her brakes and jumped out. As soon as her feet hit the pavement, she realized what she’d done. If this was a trap, she’d fallen right into it. She stood, frozen, staring at the unmoving body.

  CHAPTER 22

  Quickly, Elyse glanced all around. No one was in sight. Her hands trembled as she pulled out her cell phone and punched in 911.

  She quickly gave the operator her location. “There’s a man in a truck, slumped over the wheel.”

  “Did you try to wake him?”

  “No. But my headlights are shining on him and he’s not moving.”

  “Okay, ma’am, stay calm. We have
an officer in the vicinity. He’ll be right there. Can you tell if the man is breathing?”

  The thought that he might not be made her sick all over again. “I can’t see. Should I go see if he’s okay?” A car pulled up behind her, and she stepped closer to the Jeep as she turned to look. “Oh. The officer is here.” She broke the connection.

  A tall dark-haired man with a crew cut climbed out of the Shady Grove police car. He nodded to her and rushed over to the door of the Toyota. It was unlocked, and he opened it. His body blocked her view of the man behind the wheel, but he yanked his radio from his belt.