My Kind of Trouble

by Becky McGraw

  She hadn't had a broken bone in her life, and now she'd fallen off a horse and almost broken her neck, and then tripped on a tree root and broken her damned ankle...all within a couple of weeks.

  When she reached the kitchen, she turned on the light and made her way to the pantry then flung it open. There was one can of hot dog chili and a box of strawberry toaster pastries. Other than that, the cupboard was bare. No wonder Luke was taking so long grocery shopping. She grabbed a silver wrapped package from the box of pastries and then decided to check the refrigerator.

  The phone in her pocket chimed and vibrated at the same time, sending strange tingles through her chest. She giggled and pulled it out then pressed talk. "Hello."

  "Cassie?" Cole's voice sounded tired and agitated.

  "Yeah, it's me, Hopalong Bellamy." She heard him snort on the other end of the line, and chuckled. "What's up?"

  He groaned and then told her, "Luke's in jail, and James is still in town."

  Her legs turned to rubber, she wobbled then almost fell down, and would have if she didn't drop the Pop Tart and grab hold of the counter. "You threw Luke in jail?!" she screamed incredulously into the phone.

  "I had to. He did something really stupid in front of a lot of witnesses."

  "What did he do?"

  "James saw him at the Piggly Wiggly and gave him a hard time. Supposedly, he told Luke he'd followed you to the lake and that he'd been out to the ranch and Luke went off on him."

  "Going off on him isn't a crime."

  "No, but jerking him up by the throat against the potato bin is."

  "Oh, crap..." Cassie groaned but hysterical laughter bubbled up inside her as a mental picture of the scene formed in her brain. Then she sobered and asked, "So James is stalking me?"

  "Looks that way. You wanna press charges?"

  "Damned right I do." She wasn't letting that asshole press charges against the man she loved and not return the favor.

  "Good, I'll be there in twenty minutes to pick you up." Cole sounded excited and relieved for some reason. "Think your daddy might want to press charges for trespassing?"

  "Yup, I know he will. He hates James."

  Cole chuckled then said, "We'll stop by the Double B then on the way back to the station."

  Cassie let out a whoop then told him, "That sucker isn't getting away with this. He ain't seen Texas justice yet, but he's about to get a taste of it! I'm surprised my daddy didn't fill him up with squirrel shot when he went over there."

  "Me too, darlin'...glad he saved him for me. I'm going to enjoy throwing that asshole in jail."

  Cassie laughed and said, "See you in a few." She hung up the phone, tossed it back in her pocket, then reached down to pick up her dinner.

  ***

  Luke shoved a hand through his hair and made another circuit in the jail cell mumbling as he cursed himself for getting locked up, cursed James for goading him into doing what made him get arrested, and finally he cursed Cole for throwing him in here and refusing to protect Cassie.

  Cole hadn't even called the judge so he could set bail, and Luke could get out. He was just being a dick because he was pissed at Luke. His ex-best friend would probably let him simmer in here all night.

  Luke had no idea what time it was, but he figured it had to be close to midnight. When Cole had finally taken statements from James and several other witnesses, and booked him, it was around seven, and that was hours ago. It felt like an eternity, and evidently it could be another before he was released. He didn't care about himself, but he was worried about Cassie.

  Hearing keys clank against the main door to the holding pen, Luke ran to the bars to see if it was Cole or someone who could help him get out of here. He took a shocked step back when he saw Cole leading James down the corridor in handcuffs. He had a split lip, and bloody nose, and Luke wondered who'd finally had the honor of punching the bastard in the face. He should have done it at the grocery, instead of just grabbing him.

  Cole gave him a meaningful stare and then his lips quirked up at the corner smugly, when they passed by. Luke smiled at their backs knowing that his best friend had been the one to pick up his slack. Like always. He shouldn't have doubted him.

  After he shoved a very quiet James in a cell, and locked the door, Cole strutted back up the corridor and stopped at Luke's cell. "Called Judge. He said to release you on your own recognizance for now, and he refused the charges until we see what happens. I told him the situation." He nodded his head back toward James cell.

  Luke gave him a tight smile of thanks and grabbed his shoulder through the bars. Cole nodded then put the key in the door and let him out. "Cassie's waiting for you up front," he told him with a pat on the back. Luke stumbled out of the cell then walked quickly toward the gate down the corridor.

  When he finally walked into the outer booking area, he saw Cassie sitting in one of the hard plastic visitor chairs, slouched over, her chin resting on her chest as she snored softly. His heart twisted in his chest and love for her poured through every part of his soul. He walked over and sat beside her and gently nudged her shoulder then rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

  "I went and got her medicine from the pharmacy before they closed. She took a pain pill, so she's pretty out of it," Cole said standing beside his chair.

  Luke's voice was choked when he turned to Cole and said, "I can't thank you enough, man."

  "No thanks needed...I've got to go. Call me if you need me, and tell Cassie I said goodnight." Cole turned to leave then looked back once more. "Oh, and your truck is out front, I had someone drive it over here from Piggly Wiggly. I put the suitcase she packed while we were at the ranch in the back." Cole reached into his pocket and tossed him the keys.

  "Jesus, Cole...you're my knight in brown khaki. I think I'm in love." Luke chuckled and winked at his friend.

  "Yeah, yeah...you're in love alright, but not with me," Cole's eyes wandered to Cassie then back to Luke's. "Take care man, and stay out of trouble!" He gave Luke one more meaningful stare then turned and walked away.

  Watching his friend's retreating back, Luke reached over beside him and pulled Cassie over onto his lap and held her against his chest. He noticed she'd changed from the green scrubs into cut-off shorts and a pink tank top. She must've done that while she was at the ranch with Cole, he thought. He was glad she had a chance to pack some stuff. Those green scrubs she'd left the hospital in were the only thing she'd had with her and they weren't going to last the week they were going to stay at the cabin.

  The beautiful, blue-eyed angel in his arms looked up at him with a sleepy smile. "Luuuuke," she said as if they'd been apart for years this time and not hours, then put her arms around him and snuggled into his neck, placing light kisses there. "I missed you."

  It kinda sounded like she meant all those years they'd been apart. He smiled. Maybe he was finally getting the welcome he'd wanted that first day he saw her again.

  "I missed you too, sugar...a lot," he said and gave her a squeeze. "And I'm sorry you had to get dragged out here for this mess when you should be resting." He stood up with her in his arms. "Let's get you back to bed."

  "Mmm...." she purred and snuggled into him again. "Only if you're there with me this time."

  "Oh, I plan to be, darlin'," he drawled. "Just as soon as I can scrub this jailhouse stench off of me."

  Cassie stuck her nose up against his neck and he heard her inhale deeply. "You smell pretty good to me, darlin'," she said then he felt her small but deadly tongue lick up his neck to his ear. "Taste pretty damned good too."

  He shivered and then missed a step on his way across the parking lot to his truck, his jeans feeling suddenly too tight. She giggled near his ear. Leaning his head down, he gave her a loud kiss on the lips and then whispered over them, "Stop that sugar, or I'm gonna drop you on your ass."

  "No you won't," she told him then looked up into his eyes seriously, "I trust you." Her eyelids flickered then she closed them and s
nored softly against his chest His heart did a little dance in his chest then settled.

  Luke had waited a long time to hear those words, and wished like hell they weren't given now, while she was under the influence of narcotics. When she said them to him sober, he'd believe her, and believe he was one step closer to having her respect. Their key to forever. He shook his head and opened the door of his truck to gently deposit her limp, sleeping body on the front seat and buckle her in.

  They had a long road ahead of them to get there, but Luke was hopeful again. Spending this week alone with her should be a good start for their new beginning, as long as what she'd said to him about wanting to try to work things out was true, and as long as he didn't lose his job and his freedom over his latest screw up.

  If he did, it didn't look like he was going down alone. He chuckled thinking of how sullen and bruised James Barton had looked when Cole had incarcerated him. He knew he'd been released because she and her daddy had pressed charges against James.

  The state motto of his home state flitted though his mind, "Don't mess with Texas...", and then he added his own twist looking over at Cassie, "Women." They'll chew you up and spit you out like a plug of cheap tobacco.

  On the drive back to the cabin, Cole saw an all night convenience store and pulled in. He was starving, because he and Cassie hadn't eaten lunch or dinner...that he knew of anyway. Cole might have picked her up something while they were out, but his friend hadn't given Luke the same consideration. He'd meant for Luke to suffer, while he was in the pokey, and he had done a good job of making him miserable.

  Luke didn't want to wake Cassie, so he eased out of the truck and softly shut the door then walked inside and picked up a couple of pre-made sandwiches from the cooler, a couple of bags of chips, and some items for their breakfast tomorrow. He'd make his second attempt at a grocery shopping trip tomorrow morning after they ate. Hopefully, it'd go better than his last one. Luke chuckled, paid the cashier and walked back to the truck. He saw Cassie sitting up stretching.

  Opening the door he hefted the two full bags onto the seat between them, and then jumped inside. "You hungry, sleepyhead?" Luke asked her digging around in the bags for the sandwiches and chips.

  She yawned and nodded taking the sandwich he offered her, and grabbing a bag of nacho chips she saw sticking out the top of the other bag. "Thanks. Are we almost back to the lake?"

  "Yep. Not too far," he said and started unwrapping his sandwich.

  He glanced over at her and saw she was looking out the window staring upward. "The sky is beautiful tonight. Lots of stars out..." she told him.

  "Yeah, a full moon too." He'd noticed that earlier when they'd left the station. It probably explained all the crazy shit that happened to him today. It felt like there had been two solid weeks of full moons.

  He felt her eyes on him and looked at her again. "What?" he asked her raising an eyebrow.

  "Are you tired?"

  "Tired, but too keyed up to sleep probably." No probably about it. What Luke had been through today had him wound tighter than a two dollar watch. "Your head hurting? Ankle?"

  "Nah, the pain pill took the edge off, I'm good now." She smiled at him, a small secretive smile that had him wondering what she was thinking about. He didn't have to wonder long. "If we go to our spot for a picnic, you think you can carry me down to the water?"

  "Hell, yeah." Luke would carry her fifteen miles if it meant they could spend time stargazing like they used to. It would also give him a chance to clear his head, so he had some hope of falling asleep tonight. It was around one o'clock in the morning, but a couple hours of relaxing would probably do them both good. "Great idea, darlin'."

  She gave him a wide smile and rewrapped her sandwich then asked, "Got a blanket?"

  "Yep always carry one for emergencies behind my seat. Does this qualify?" He rewrapped his too and put it in the bag.

  "Damned straight it does. Let's get going."

  Luke didn't have to be told twice. He shoved the keys into the ignition and peeled out of the parking lot. When they reached the secluded spot, he parked at the road and then reached behind the seat to pull out the blanket then unfolded it to put their food in there. He handed her a soft drink then put one in the blanket for him and tied it hobo-style and put his arm through the loop.

  He slid out of the truck and walked around to her door and opened it. Excitement poured off of her as she scooted to the edge of the seat and put her arms around his neck. He slid his arm under her knees, lifted her into his arms then kicked the door shut. "We're gonna have to go slow. It'll be darker in the woods, and I don't want to trip over a tree root," he said sarcastically and winked at her.

  She slugged him in the shoulder and he laughed. Luke walked down the path and into the woods, darkened by the thick canopy of trees that blocked the moonlight. Night creatures sang their songs, their music sweet to his ears. It was a tune he hadn't heard at this particular place for ten years. When they reached the decline down to the rocks, he went sideways carefully picking his way to the bottom. The scene when he exited the woods into the night was breathtaking.

  The moon was a huge glowing orb bathing everything around them in soft iridescent yellow light. It shone off the water lapping gently at the shoreline below, creating one of the most romantic settings Luke had ever seen. He hadn't been back here in the moonlight in ten years, and he knew why. This was his and Cassie's special place...the place where they'd fallen in love...and he hadn't wanted to share it with anyone else, or relive those memories. Until now.

  Luke swallowed hard against the emotions churning inside of him, then walked over beside a huge flat rock that hung over the edge of the cliff and sat her down there. "You doing okay, darlin'?"

  "Perfect." she said and gazed at him dreamily with her moonlit eyes. He unwound the blanket and set the food beside her on the rock, then shook out the blanket spreading it on the ground, before placing the food in the middle.

  He picked her up in his arms again and set her down on one corner of the blanket then dropped down beside her. "Your buffet is served, ma'am," he said and handed her sandwich to her.

  He watched her dig in hungrily, and he did the same and was just about done with his chips too, when she took a long sip of her Coke then asked out of the blue, "Were you really going to ask me to marry you, Luke?"

  The chip he'd just popped into his mouth lodged in his throat and he coughed and pounded his chest to break it loose. When it finally dislodged and traveled on down, he took a drink of his soda too then looked her directly in the eyes, "Yes, I really was...the night you left."

  Her only response to his pronouncement was a jerky nod. Still holding his eyes, she lifted her drink to her mouth again and took another long sip. His eyes traveled along the smooth contour of her throat as she swallowed. The urge to kiss her neck was strong inside of him. He wanted to feel that soft skin on his lips and the quick little pulse that he noticed jumping there.

  Luke licked the salt from the chips off his lips and asked a question of his own, "Did you see me at the dock with Becca Harvey that night?"

  He watched as the moonlight caught on tears that welled up in her eyes. "Yeah..."

  Luke wanted to clear the air between them more than anything, but not now. The night was too beautiful, and so was she, and he didn't want to waste it on what he felt would probably turn into an argument. He needed to unwind, not ramp up the tension inside of him. There was peace between them now, and he wanted to pretend the heavy baggage hanging over there heads didn't exist, just for tonight.

  "Let's not talk about all that right now, sugar. Let's just enjoy ourselves," he told her and scooted closer, then laid on his back and extended his arm. "Come here."