by Becky McGraw
Walking into Cole's office, Gabe sat down in the chair in front of his desk. He didn't like the look on Cole's face either, serious and concerned. "You bring it to her?" Cole asked him.
"Yeah...she said she wasn't hungry," he told him, his hands gripping the chair handles. Dammit, why the hell was he worried about the damned red-haired hellion too? Because even though Karlie Upton had lassoed him and tied him up, she'd apologized and called help for him. And he had threatened to send her dog to the pound. That didn't make what she'd done right, but after he cooled off and thought about it, Gabe admitted he probably could have handled the situation better.
Cole looked up at him and asked, "You said she propositioned you? I'm about to call Judge and see if he'll set bail, are we adding solicitation to the assault charge?"
Gabe's lips ticked up and he said, "Well, she didn't come right out and say it...but she sure poured it on with those blue eyes and fabulous breasts." he chuckled then finished, "She actually tried to make me believe she was offering to help fix my cruiser. It had blown a hose and was overheated."
"She's a top-notch mechanic, so she could have meant exactly that," Cole informed him.
Gabe snorted, "No shit?" He couldn't imagine the leggy redhead under the hood of a car, she didn't look like the type, but then again she hadn't looked like the type to rope him either.
"No shit--she rebuilt and souped up that Lincoln herself when she was sixteen."
Gabe shook his head, then told him, "Well, I didn't know, I thought she was just trying to get out of being arrested..." With another shake of his head Gabe asked the question that had been bothering him since it happened, "How the hell did a woman who weighs a buck twenty-five tops rope and tie me so fast I didn't know what was going on?"
Cole hooted then belly laughed, "Karlie didn't mention she's a professional team roper? She and her twin sister, Katie are ranked as the number one female team in the country."
Gabe groaned and shoved a hand through his hair, "Don't tell me there are two of them!"
"To many a cowboy's delight and despair," Cole told him then grinned, "Those two were hell on wheels as teenagers. Could be because they were raised by their uncle, Jerry. He was their only family, and he didn't know a damned thing about raising two girls...but he was one of the best damned ropers I've ever seen. They grew up on the rodeo circuit, traveling from place to place with him."
Okay, now Gabe really felt guilty...he'd been wrong about the beautiful cowgirl. Well not wrong, but she could have meant she'd fix his car, when he thought she'd been propositioning him for sex. Of course, that's all that had been on his brain every time he looked at her.
He also felt damned sorry for her growing up the way she had. That couldn't have been easy for her and her sister, and could explain why she was so out-of-control. Gabe wasn't an asshole, he did have some compassion.
Before he could change his mind, Gabe told Cole, "Reduce the charge to resisting."
Cole's eyebrows lifted and he smiled, "Thanks, man...I wasn't going to ask. What she did was serious, and it's damned nice of you to do that. She owes you an apology too."
Gabe grinned, and told him, "She did apologize...right after she tied me up."
"Well, bless her heart," Cole said then guffawed.
Minutes, blended into hours, and Karlie hadn't move from her position on the cot, but she did fall asleep again, then woke up when keys jangled in the lock again. She glanced over her should and saw Cole walking in. He didn't have on his uniform now, he was in jeans and a t-shirt. This was the Cole she knew, and she sat up and looked at him.
"You need to eat your lunch, sugar. It's dinner time now..." His green eyes were filled with concern, as he came over to sit on the end of the cot.
"I'm not hungry, but thanks for getting it for me," she told him in a raw voice. All that crying had more than make her face a mess, she though as she tried to swallow.
"Doesn't matter, you'll probably be out of here shortly...Judge set your bail."
She shook her head and then asked, "When's the trial date?"
Cole looked at her curiously and said, "It's not set yet...arraignment is in the morning. You need me to get an attorney for you?"
Her lips trembled and her eyes filled again, and she admitted, "Can't afford one until I sell my horse, I have to call Kate. He's the best cutting horse on the circuit, so he should sell fast...hopefully."
"You don't want to sell your horse, darlin', that's your bread and butter."
"I don't have a choice, and I quit the rodeo, so I won't be needing him anymore," she tried to keep her chin from trembling, but failed. God, she was such a damned blubbering mess! She needed to get a hold of herself. Drawing in a deep shuddering breath, she said, "I'll just stay in here, until he sells."
"Don't you win a lot? Where the hell is all the prize money you've won?"
"Jake wiped me out...I was stupid and gave him a card on my account to pay my part of the bills. I had to draw out what was left of my savings to get here. I think he knew I was leaving and he was trying to make sure I stayed with him."
"Who the hell is Jake and what the hell do you mean you quit?" Cole asked and his brows furrowed together over his green eyes.
"A bull rider and a bully...my ex-boyfriend. He's the reason I left the rodeo, and can't go back. I left Katie in the lurch, so she may not help me sell JoJo either."
Cole's face got red and he grabbed her shoulders. "Did he hurt you?"
"Just pushed me around and tried to cut me off from everyone...even Katie, outside of the arena. Things were getting worse, and I was afraid he would hurt me. He wasn't going to let me break up with him I knew, so I left. I was ready to quit roping anyway," she told him trying to convince him and herself yet again.
Cole shoved a hand through his thick dark blond hair then told her, "Well, the good news is Gabe reduced the charge to resisting. That's not a felony, so the bail is a lot lower. I think he's tearing up the tickets he gave you too."
Shock and relief flowed through her. Why had the deputy done that, she wondered? He had no reason to show her mercy...she hadn't shown him any when she left him on the road defenseless. "Wow, that's awfully nice of him...but even if it's twenty-five dollars, I'd still be here until it goes to court."
"You're that broke, sugar?" Cole asked and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Yep, he took every nickel I had...except for what was left in my savings. I had transferred most of my savings to my checking account, because I was going to buy a new horse trailer, and he took it all. What I left in my savings was what I used to get here."
"Have you called the police on that jerk?"
"I was scared to...I didn't even tell Katie about what he was doing, because I thought he'd probably hurt her too if she said something to him," Karlie admitted then added, "So, she thinks I just flaked out on her." That was what she regretted the most about leaving the tour, she'd let her sister down, put her in an awful position.
Cole took her arm and stood, pulling her to her feet with him. "C'mon, let's get you back to the Double B," he said then walked her to the cell door.
Although Karlie appreciated his gesture, she couldn't ask Cole to let her out. She wasn't going to let him pay her bail, and she deserved to be in here because what she'd done was damned wrong. The generosity the dark-haired deputy had shown her was too much already.
Digging in her heels, Karlie pulled her arm out of his grasp and took a step away. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel sorry for me, Cole. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but your deputy has already done enough by reducing the charges. I deserve to be in here for what I did to him. It was stupid and thoughtless..."
"I agree that it was stupid, Karlie, but I'm not letting you out, because I feel sorry for you. I need your help and we'll get the charges dropped altogether...I'll talk to the judge."
"You nee
d my help?" Karlie couldn't imagine how she could help him.
"Yep, you're going to do community service...our two patrol cars need servicing and the cruiser Gabe was driving needs more than that. I know you can do that, right?"
Relief swamped her and she huffed out a breath, "Hell, yeah, I can do that," she told him with a large grin. "Might even soup them up, so you can catch a hot rod Lincoln."
"Honey, that thing runs like a scalded ape, there's no way you can make those cruisers fast enough for that."
"Watch me," she said and grinned again.
***
Gabe didn't know why he was headed out to the Double B ranch. He was off duty and didn't really have a reason to go there, but his patrol car seemed to have a mind of its own, since he'd gotten it back from Karlie Upton a week ago. The woman had possessed him and his patrol car, it seemed. Her bright blue eyes, red hair and curves had been flitting through his mind constantly the last few days.
Karlie had told Cole she was going to hop up his car, so it could catch her Lincoln, and she hadn't lied. He was enjoying the hell out of the modifications she'd made to the car.
For shits and giggles, he'd taken it out to a smooth country road and got down on it, and the thing had wings. He grinned thinking of the fun he'd have if she tried to outrun him again...he almost wished she would, so he could have a do-over stopping her.
The community service deal that Cole had worked out with her was perfectly acceptable to him. It let her off the hook, but still drove the point home that what she'd done wasn't going to be tolerated. The punishment fit the crime...and he got his patrol car fixed and then some.
That woman had some strange talents, and was damned good at them too. Roping and mechanics sure didn't go together, and neither of those talents seemed to fit the leggy cowgirl. He wondered about other hidden talents she might have, that he'd certainly enjoy discovering.
Shaking his head, Gabe turned onto the dirt driveway leading up to the house. He parked his car out front and got out, but didn't walk to the porch, instead he walked like he was in a trance toward the outdoor arena out back where he saw a woman on a horse cornering a calf. It couldn't be Cassie, because she was pregnant and couldn't ride, so he figured it must be Karlie.
Gabe walked up to the fence and put a boot up on the bottom rail and leaned on the top to watch. Her lithe body moved with the horse like they were one, and strangely it did something for him. Sexual tension charged through him, and he fought the images that seized his brain, of her riding him like that...giving him that kind of focus.
It was like a dance they were doing, the calf moved right, and the horse moved quickly to cut him off, then moved to guide him back to the other side. Karlie didn't even notice Gabe was there, she was totally focused on the horse and the calf, a lariat in her hand. The calf backed up then turned and started running and she kneed the palomino horse and took off with her loop swinging in the air.
The loop went flying through the air when she tossed it and landed perfectly over the calf's neck. She looped the rope on the saddle horn, then slid to the ground and ran over and tossed the calf as if it weighed nothing, then took a rope from between her teeth and bound the calf's legs together, before throwing her hands up and pushing back to her feet.
She untied the calf and removed the rope from the horn, then looped it over her shoulder.
Finally looking up, she noticed he was there and she frowned. Her hips swung enticingly in the tight blue jeans she wore with a checkered shirt. As she walked toward him, he couldn't help watching her appreciatively. When she reached him, she pulled off the tan gloves she'd been wearing and stuffed them in her pocket then said, "Howdy, Deputy...something wrong with your car?"
"Gabe," he told her dumbly. She thought he was here, because of a problem with his car, how the hell was he going to tell her he was there, because he had this driving need to see her again?
Her full lips cocked up into a smile then she said, "Okay, Gabe, is something wrong with your car?"
"Nope...it's amazing what that car can do now," he told her then improvised, "I just wanted to come out and tell you thank you."
"No need," she looked down and fiddled with the rope, "I owed you that and a lot more."
"You owe me enough to buy me a beer?" Gabe wasn't passing up the opportunity to ask her out without asking her out. It kind of put the odds of him not getting shot down in his favor.
Something flashed in her beautiful eyes, then she shook her head and said, "I'll have to take a raincheck..."
"Why's that?" he asked, disappointed that, regardless of the odds, he had definitely just been shot down.
Her peachy cheeks flushed and she looked away from him then gnawed her lower lip, and told him, "I don't get paid until Friday...I'm kinda short right now."
"I was just kidding about you buying, sugar...I want to buy you a beer to say thank you for the extras you did to the car."
If she was so damned good at her job though, Gabe wondered why she was broke...and why she was in Bowie, instead of running the country with the pro rodeo tour. The more he knew about Karlie Upton, the more questions he had. Gabe was good at getting answers, and he planned on doing just that with her.
She gave him a wide toothy smile then said, "I'd like that...thank you."
"You ready then?"
Her face paled and she looked down at herself and said, "Um...no, I need to go get cleaned up. It won't take me long."
"I'll wait, no problem...mind if I come in, while I wait?"
"Not at all..." she told him then walked off in front of him giving him a spectacular view of her perky backside.
They walked into the foyer and she pointed to the living room. "Just have a seat in there, and I'll be ready in a sec."
Karlie wondered what the sexy lawman was up to. There was no way he wanted to go out with her, not after what she'd done to him, she thought, then shook her head. No man, could be that forgiving. He had to be getting teased by his co-workers mercilessly, and she felt really bad for putting him in that position.
Whatever his reason though, Karlie could use a beer and some conversation. Relaxation was something she hadn't had in a long time...not since before Jake. With him, she had lived in a constant state of edginess, and they never went out. He wouldn't allow it.
Running into the bedroom Luke had given her, she hefted her duffle bag up on the bed then unzipped it and pulled out fresh underwear, then ran down the hall to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, she blow dried her hair then went back to the bedroom and dug through her duffle again and pulled out a blue jean skirt and sleeveless black western shirt. Adding her black dress boots and black hat to the pile, she got dressed then glanced in the mirror over the dresser. Her face looked really pale, so she grabbed her purse and threw on a little makeup and lip gloss.
With one final look, she put on a silver concho belt then ran downstairs. Although she'd only been gone fifteen minutes or so, when she went into the family room, Gabe was sitting on one of the overstuffed sofas sound asleep, his butt on the edge and his long legs spread out before him. Sarge was asleep with his head on Gabe's thigh, and his hand was on Sarge's head. Karlie's heart clenched at the sight, before she walked over there and bumped him with her knee. "Hey, cowboy...you pooping out on me?"
Gabe opened one sleepy blue eye and ran it down her body then back up again, before opening both eyes and repeating the motion. A slow grin spread over his full lips then he sat up and looked up at her. "Wow, you sure clean up good...don't even look like the sexy hellion I know is hiding under those clothes," he teased her with a wink.
One corner of her lips ticked up and she told him, "I'm not trying to hide anything...I am who I am, no apologies...been that way for twenty-eight years not, so it's not likely changing."
"Is your sister as wild as you? I can't see how your uncle survived if so," he asked then pushed up to sta
nd.
Her smile faded, and she wondered how he knew about Uncle Jerry...probably Cole, she thought. "He didn't survive," she told him with sadness flooding her chest. "He got tangled up in his stirrup then dragged to death about five years ago."
She saw Gabe's blue eyes darken then he told her, "I'm so sorry...didn't mean to bring up a sore subject..."
"I still miss him, but it's okay...as for Katie, she has her own personality, and she's spunky, but nearly as wild as me," she told him with a wry smile. "I've been trying to temper myself, but as you know I still have a long way to go."
Gabe snorted, "I like women with a little edge, but honey I've got to tell you, you take the cake for sure....I'll remember you forever."
"Believe it or not, that's not the first time I've heard that. People tend to remember me for bad things, instead of good," she told him and dropped her chin to her chest.