Deadly Desperados

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I thought Mandy fantasized about your brother.”

  “She did. He was the one chasing her through the meadow.”

  Jake smirked. “I can’t see James chasing Mandy through a meadow, but stranger things have happened,” he said. “Just for the record, what did you fantasize about when you were in eighth grade – besides being chased through a meadow, that is?”

  “I fantasized about George Clooney coming to our school and seeing me in the crowd,” Ally replied, her eyes sparkling. “He whisked me away from my boring life and let me hang out on a yacht.”

  “I see. Are you disappointed George never came?”

  “No way,” Ally said. “You’re much more handsome than George … and now I’m old enough to know what to do with the man of my dreams.”

  “What were you going to do with George?”

  “Make him take me to the movies and for a malt,” Ally replied. “What? Barker Creek was a very small town. We were sheltered.”

  Jake barked out a laugh as he pulled Ally close, gracing her with a smoldering kiss. When they separated, Ally’s eyes were wide and she was struggling to catch her breath. “What was that for?”

  “I love you, Ally,” Jake murmured. “I need you to know that.”

  “I know that. I love you, too. I … what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong,” Jake countered. “I wish you wouldn’t always jump to the negative assumption, Angel. I just want you to know that I love you. I’ll always love you.”

  “You’re not dying, are you?”

  Jake shook his head. “You drive me crazy sometimes,” he muttered, pressing another soft kiss to her mouth. “Come on. I have a surprise for you that will hopefully make you realize absolutely nothing is wrong.”

  “Is it a pony?” That was one of Ally’s regular guessing game questions, but in this case, she had no idea her dream was finally going to come true.

  “It is a pony,” Jake said, loving the ways her eyes lit up as Ben led two horses out of the barn.

  “Oh, yay!” Ally clapped her hands. “I finally got the response I wanted to my pony question.”

  “Come on, Angel,” Jake said, tugging her arm. “It’s time to see what all the fuss is about.”

  “I DON’T know,” James said, studying the black horse as Mandy rubbed its snout. “Are you sure this is safe?”

  Ben rolled his eyes. “It’s a horse, son. It’s not an armadillo. I promise he won’t terrorize you.”

  James scowled. “You guys can keep making fun of me for how I reacted regarding Floyd all you want. I still maintain he looks like a little alien and … I reacted how any man would’ve in the same circumstances.”

  “By crawling up onto the counter and hiding next to his wife?” Jake taunted, his eyes flashing as he watched Ally rest her head against her horse’s flank. The chestnut mare’s hair mixed right in with Ally’s, making a beautiful sight. “Are you ready to get on?”

  “Just a second,” Ally said. “We’re making friends and coming to an understanding first.”

  “And what understanding is that?”

  “That tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I can’t have broken bones for what I have planned.”

  “Ah,” Jake said, smiling. “I happen to agree with that sentiment. Carry on.”

  “Don’t you have helmets … and knee pads … and I don’t know, a big cushion in case she falls off?” James asked, tentatively reaching out so he could touch the black horse’s broad forehead. “I’m kind of attached to my wife and I’m afraid to let her on this thing.”

  “It’s not like riding a bike,” Jake said. “All Mandy has to do is balance once she’s up there. Ben picked the two gentlest horses in his stable for them. What are you worried about?”

  “You’ve met my wife,” James retorted. “Anything bad that can possibly happen – even in innocuous settings – will happen to her if I’m not careful. I’m just trying to make sure she’s safe. I like her face the way it is.”

  “Oh, you say the sweetest things,” Mandy cooed.

  “Baby, do you really want to ride the horse?” James asked, changing tactics. “How about we do that meadow thing you wanted to do instead? We can take a blanket out there and relax while Jake and Ally ride horses.”

  Mandy pursed her lips. “I want to do both.”

  “Of course you do,” James muttered.

  “I don’t want to race the horse or anything,” Mandy said. “I just want to take a slow ride on him.”

  “I’m going to take you all on a slow ride,” Ben said. “I’ve got horses for everyone. I just want to get you and Ally settled on yours first and let you walk around the field and get used to these guys before we head out.”

  “Maybe you should do the same for James,” Mandy suggested. “I think he’s more scared of the horse than I am.”

  “I am not scared of the horse,” James clarified. “I’m scared of you falling off the horse.”

  “Is this like when you weren’t scared of the armadillo?” Jake asked.

  “You’re starting to bug me,” James warned, wagging a finger in Jake’s face. “That armadillo looked like a mutant from one of Mandy’s movies.”

  “At least it wasn’t a land shark,” Jake teased.

  “Don’t make jokes about that,” Mandy said, moving to the horse’s flank. “If you’d ever seen Snow Shark you wouldn’t ever kid about land sharks.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite,” Jake deadpanned. “What is Snow Shark?”

  “One of the worst movies ever made,” James answered, putting his hands on Mandy’s hips as she put one of her feet in a stirrup. “Okay, baby, if you want to do this I’m game. Just … you be very careful. Promise me. I need you in one piece.”

  “I promise to be careful.”

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  “THEY seem to be doing pretty well,” Jake said, standing next to James in the middle of the paddock and watching Mandy and Ally walk the horses around the enclosure. “They’re having fun.”

  The two women called out to each other as Ben taught them how to lead the horses, explaining that when they got out on the trail the horses knew where they were going and all they had to do was let the animals lead.

  James still wasn’t convinced. “They are having a good time,” he conceded. “I know you think I’m being an alarmist, but I can’t stand the idea of her being hurt. When I found her on the counter, she had a huge bruise on her thigh and I thought … I thought someone hurt her another way there for a second. That was before I saw Floyd.”

  “How did she get the bruise?” Jake asked, his heart going out to his friend. He knew what it felt like to worry about the safety of the woman he loved.

  “She knocked one of the pans in the kitchen onto her leg,” James replied. “She really is a menace when it comes to cooking.”

  Jake snorted. “You know I’m just joking with you, right? I don’t blame you for being … surprised … by Floyd. You don’t see many armadillos in Detroit.”

  “Yeah, well, I did debate running out of the cabin and leaving her there for a moment,” James admitted. “I think that was the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

  “I think Mandy likes that you were scared of Floyd,” Jake countered. “It makes her feel like less of an idiot to know you’re just as bad as she is.”

  “Thanks,” James said dryly.

  “Have you talked to Grady yet today?”

  “Yeah, he’s looking over the surveillance footage with Maverick,” James replied.

  “Did he say why Maverick didn’t get back to us yesterday?”

  “There was a Dr. Who marathon on the BBC.”

  “Oh,” Jake said, shaking his head. “It’s too bad you can’t fire him.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice,” James agreed. “Grady has run into a few problems with the background check on Mark, too. He’s still working on it, but it’s taking longer than it should.”

  “What kind of problems?”

  “Apparently
Mark Nixon has only existed for ten years.”

  “He changed his name?” Jake shifted. “That doesn’t surprise me … but you have to wonder what he’s hiding in his background that would make him want to change his name.”

  “Exactly,” James said. “Grady is following some trails to find out who Mark really is. We need that information to move forward. I told him to run Nadine, too. After what she said to you last night, there has to be more to her story.”

  “I definitely agree with that,” Jake said. “What do you want to do next?”

  “Well, I thought we would give your aunt and uncle a break from catering for us tonight and let them have a few hours to themselves,” James replied. “I love Mandy and Ally, but they’re work. Sometimes I think your uncle looks like he wants to gag them both.”

  “My uncle just isn’t used to their energy,” Jake argued. “He’s fine.”

  “I figured we could take them out to dinner,” James said. “I was hoping we might run across a few locals that know Mark and Nadine, too. I want to see if they’ve managed to piss off anyone else. Your uncle can’t possibly be the only one.”

  “Yeah, after meeting Mark, I can’t believe someone around here hasn’t shot him,” Jake said. “He’s got a terrible attitude.”

  “And a penchant for talking down to people,” James added. “I figure we can go to the diner and poke around. Mandy and Ally will like the atmosphere and we can ask questions if we find anyone receptive to answering them.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  “Then I figured we can turn in early,” James said. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I want to start my celebration tonight.”

  Jake snickered. “I thought you started your celebrating last night,” he said. “You two were awfully cuddly this morning.”

  “She was a little … needy … last night,” James clarified. “While we ultimately ended up having fun, that’s not the way it started out.”

  “Yeah, Ally was the same way. She finally started relaxing about the third time.” Jake realized what he said when it was too late to haul the words back into his mouth. “I mean … .”

  James scowled. “Are you trying to ruin my night?”

  “Is that possible given how cute Mandy looks on her horse?” Jake asked, changing tactics.

  James’ expression softened. “Probably not,” he said. “I still don’t think you should be talking like that in front of your girlfriend’s brother.”

  “I love Ally, James,” Jake said. “I’m going to be around for a long time if I have anything to say about it.”

  James balked. “I want you around,” he said. “I just don’t want you telling me about all the sex you’re having with my sister.”

  “Well maybe I don’t want you telling me about all the sex you’re having with Mandy,” Jake countered.

  “That is a public service announcement and teaching exercise,” James countered. “I … fine. I’ll stop bragging about my baby.”

  “Yes, and how are you going to hide that constant smile you have whenever you look at her?”

  “Some things are impossible,” James said. “I can’t hide my smile any more than you can hide your smile when you look at Ally.”

  “I do love her,” Jake said. “I hope you know that.”

  “I’ve known it for a long time,” James said. “I think I’ve known it longer than you have.”

  “Probably.”

  “Jake, you’re already part of our family,” James said. “That’s never going to change. I expect you to be an official part of this family at some point – although I have no inclination to pressure you and make that happen too soon. You have to move forward on that stuff when you’re ready.”

  “How did you know you were ready with Mandy?”

  “I had the ring for three months before I proposed. I don’t have an answer for you.” James cracked his neck, waving at Mandy as she lifted her hand while passing in front of him. “After the explosion, all I could think about was keeping her alive. Once I knew she was safe, something inside told me that I needed to make sure she was mine forever. So … I proposed.”

  “And you’ve never looked back,” Jake teased.

  “No. I’ve definitely never looked back,” James said. “That woman is my whole heart and soul. I always used to think people were being trite when they said another person completed them. I wasn’t whole until I got her, though.”

  “I know exactly how you feel,” Jake said, his eyes shifting to Ally. “I’m probably going to propose relatively soon. I … I just need to get my courage up.”

  “You might want to get a ring, too,” James said, unruffled by Jake’s admission.

  “Yeah, I’m definitely going to want to get her a ring,” Jake agreed. “I don’t suppose I could borrow Mandy for that, could I? I want to make sure she has the ring of her dreams.”

  “You can borrow her,” James said.

  “She wouldn’t tell Ally, would she?”

  “My wife has a huge mouth,” James said. “She can’t seem to close it when Ally is around. I would never trust her with the little things. That being said, Mandy wants Ally happy. She would never ruin a proposal surprise because she knows it’s something that can only be done once. On this, you can trust her.”

  “I’m not doing it right this second,” Jake cautioned. “I need to get a few things in order first. I want to save up a little more money … and Ally has been talking about wanting a bigger house. That’s going to take months to save for.”

  “I won’t tell Mandy what we talked about,” James promised. “When you’re ready you can tell her yourself.”

  “You know I’m going to have to go up to Barker Creek and ask your dad’s permission, right?”

  James stilled. “I never thought about that,” he said. “That’s one thing I missed out on when I proposed to Mandy. Her father was already dead.”

  “Do you think he’ll give me permission?”

  Jams snickered. “I think he’s going to give you a hard time,” he answered. “After that, though, I definitely think he’ll give you permission.”

  “It’s kind of freaky to think about,” Jake admitted.

  “It will feel that way until the first time you get to refer to her as ‘your wife,’” James said. “Once you say those words and they’re official, things will fall into place and you’ll wonder how you ever got by without saying them.”

  “You’re feeling pretty schmaltzy today,” Jake said. “Is it Valentine’s Day, or is it Mandy’s reaction to what happened when the barn exploded?”

  “It might be a combination of both,” James conceded. “Either way, I meant every word I just said to you. You’re going to be my brother-in-law one day. You’re already my brother.”

  Jake swallowed hard, a surprising lump forming in his throat. “I … thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” James said, moving toward Mandy’s horse. “Okay, get me on one of these things. I’m ready to ride my wife. I mean … er … I ready to ride with my wife.”

  “We all know what you meant,” Ally said, giggling. “Come on, Jake! I’m ready to see you on a horse. I’ve always thought you would make a marvelous cowboy.”

  “I’m coming, Angel,” Jake said. “I would never want to disappoint my favorite lady in the world.”

  Jake realized he meant those words in more ways than one, but for now he was content to let them linger in the ether. Soon he would make both of their dreams come true. The realization should’ve terrified him. Instead, it settled him. He already knew she was his future, now he just had to get everything in order so he could prove it to her.

  Seventeen

  “This place is great,” Ally enthused, walking into the diner and glancing around. “It’s like it’s from the olden days.”

  Jake smirked. “You might not want to say stuff like that so loudly, Angel,” he whispered, brushing a quick kiss against her cheek. “Some people might not take it the way you meant it.”
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  “It wasn’t an insult.”

  “I know,” Jake said, tugging on her hand and leading her toward a booth in the center of the restaurant’s coffee parlor. “Some people might see it as one, though.”

  Ally wisely zipped her mouth shut and smiled at the waitress as she approached. The name tag on her uniform read “Fern,” and the smile she flashed at the foursome as they got comfortable was almost blinding.

  “Welcome to the Lakin Diner,” she said. “Can I offer you folks a refreshment?”

  Mandy and James exchanged amused grins. Fern’s uniform literally looked like it was from the 1960s, and her hair looked like a remnant of the 1980s. There was still something charming about her.

  “I’ll have an iced tea,” Ally said.

  “Me, too,” Mandy chimed in.

  “Make that four of them,” James said, grabbing a menu. “What’s good tonight, Fern?”

  “Everything here is good, honey, especially the help,” Fern said, offering James a saucy wink.

  “I guess we’ll take a moment to decide,” James said, fighting the urge to laugh as Mandy frowned. James waited until Fern was gone to call Mandy on her jealousy. “Are you worried about me checking out the help, baby?”

  “I’m worried about you inhaling all that Aqua Net and choking to death,” Mandy snapped. “Why does every woman who ever waits on us fall for you?”

  “I think it’s my looks.”

  “We know it’s not his modesty,” Ally deadpanned, flipping the menu open. “Ooh, they have grits. I’ve always wanted to try grits.”

  “I tried some the other night,” James teased, rubbing his nose against Mandy’s cheek to soften her up. “They were magnificent.”

  “That’s not going to work,” Mandy said, jerking her head away. “I don’t like it when you flirt with waitresses.”

  James’ eyebrows flew up his forehead. “When did I flirt with the waitress?”

  “You haven’t yet, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Fern said, plopping four glasses on the table. “Are you ready to order?”

  “Um, we’ve barely looked at the menu,” Jake said.

  “I want grits,” Ally said. “What do they go with?”

  Fern’s face was blank. “They’re grits, honey. They go with everything.”