My Kind of Trouble

by Becky McGraw

When they reached the three-sided mirror at the pedestal up front, Cassie carefully stepped up, and tugged at the neckline of her dress. The woman fluffed her skirt again and Cassie tugged up the neckline of her dress once more. "Do you have straps I can put on this after ceremony, so I don't wind up giving our guests a show? I plan on gettin' down at he reception."

  The woman chuckled, "You're a true cowgirl aren't you, sweetie?"

  "With all this bling I have on, you have to ask that?" Cassie hooted and then turned her hips left and right to admire the dress again. A gasp behind her had her turning to see Sabrina coming out of the dressing room with her hand over her mouth.

  "Oh. My. God. Cassie you look like a country princess."

  Just what she'd been going for. Cassie smiled from ear to ear then twirled with her arms out to the side. "Think Luke's gonna like it?"

  "If he doesn't he's a blind man," Sabrina hooted.

  Cassie ran her eyes over the elegant red dress with the a sweetheart neckline like her own, but unlike Cassie's her dress had straps. The dress hugged the petite brunette's curves to right past her hips then belled out with a kick train in the back. It was perfect.

  "That red dress is amazing on you, Bri," she told her maid of honor, "I think we might have to throw Cole in the horse trough to cool him off."

  Sabrina chuckled then her eyes turned serious, "You know Cole and I are just friends, right?"

  "I think that's what you think, but not what he thinks, that's what I think," Cassie said then shook her head. "Or maybe not what he wants."

  "I'm not sure I'm ready for anything else right now. Cole is a nice man and damned good looking, but he's a lawman, and I swore when Kenny got killed I would never date another cop."

  "Maybe you should talk to him," Cassie suggested gently.

  "Maybe I will. I'm just enjoying his company so much...it's been a long time, since I've let a man close enough to do that."

  "Well, then just be his friend, Bri...and see where things go."

  "That's what I'll do, thanks Cassie."

  Worry filled Cassie that Cole was already half in love with Sabrina and she was going to break his heart, but she pushed it to the back of her mind to think about later. Today, was her day, and tomorrow would be the big day. That's what she needed to focus on.

  "Okay help me get out of this dress so I can take a deep breath," she laughed and stepped down off the pedestal to follow the short round woman back to the dressing room.

  Cassie and Sabrina were smiling and laughing when they exited the shop, and walked to the truck with their dresses over their arms, and packages stacked so high in their arms they couldn't even see the truck. Cassie stopped and pushed the unlock button on the key fob for the truck and then shifted her packages to open the door.

  Prickles of unease skittered along the back of her neck and caused her hair to stand on end. It felt like someone was watching her. Cassie swallowed thickly then threw her packages in the truck, not caring if they got wrinkled or dirty. She unzipped the purse on her shoulder and stuck her hand inside feeling the comforting steel of the .38 slide into her hand.

  She used her thumb to flick off the safety, then moved around the door to look up and down the street. She saw a man's back walking past a shop a couple of doors down and followed him with her eyes until he rounded a corner into an alley. That back looked familiar dressed in a distinctive polo shirt and khaki pants.

  Although the man's hair was black, not blonde, she thought he looked an awful lot like James Barton. A shiver passed through her and she thumbed the safety back on the gun then hopped up in the cab and slammed the door, quickly hitting the door lock.

  Sabrina's door was still open as she arranged her packages over the seat. "Sabrina get in quick," Cassie said with panic settling in her chest. Her heart was beating ninety-to-nothing inside her chest, and her breathing was fast and shallow.

  Her friend looked up at her face, then paled and pulled the gun out of her holster. "What's wrong, Cassie? What did you see?"

  "I might be seeing ghosts, but I swear I just saw James. His hair was black, but I'd know that no ass back of his anywhere."

  Sabrina took a stance she'd seen Luke using when they were target practicing as she moved her eyes from store to store, then started walking down the street, her gun ready, but pointed downward. "Lock the doors, Cassie and call Cole," she said forcefully.

  Cassie leaned over the seat and pulled the door closed then locked it. She cranked the truck in case she had to make a quick getaway, before she pulled out her cell phone and called Cole.

  He picked up on the first ring, "Is everything okay?" his asked with anxious concern.

  "No--we're in front of the bridal shop in Bowie, and I think I saw James. The hair on my neck stood up like someone was watching me then I saw a man's back turn the corner, and I swear it was him, even though his hair was black."

  "Where's Bri?"

  "She went after him," she told Cole with dread in her voice. "I'm in the truck with it cranked and the doors locked in case I have to take off."

  "If you see him again haul your ass out of there, I'll be there in a second." Cole hung up and a minute or so later she heard sirens wailing in the air a few streets over, then a police cruiser pulled up to the curb by her truck. A policeman got out and came over to stand by her door, with his gun out, while he was talked into a microphone at his shoulder.

  Cassie swallowed down the fear that tried to overwhelm her again, then grabbed her purse off the floorboard and unzipped it in case she needed her gun fast. It didn't look like the cop protecting her was going anywhere, but she wasn't taking chances...not with herself, and not with her baby.

  A few minutes later she saw Cole come out of an alley down the street with Sabrina, both had their guns in their hands, and Sabrina was gesturing wildly with her other hand. Evidently she was giving him a piece of her mind. He was yelling back at her, and his face was red and his shoulders stiff.

  Even though she was scared witless, Cassie wanted to laugh. It looked like they were having their first fight, and Sabrina was giving Cole hell. When Sabrina got back to the truck, Cassie unlocked her doors and she flung the heavy door back like it weighed nothing, then vaulted up inside like an Olympic gymnast.

  Obviously in adrenaline overload, Sabrina was breathing heavily, and her cheeks were flushed, as she shoved her weapon back in her shoulder holster roughly, then reached over and slammed the truck door. "That man is a male chauvinist pig," Sabrina grated out between her teeth.

  "Welcome to Texas, honey," Cassie told her and chuckled.

  "He had the audacity to yell at me for going after James," she huffed out then took the rubber band out of her ponytail to smooth her hair, then refasten it again. "The nerve of the man. James is my fugitive, and I have every right to go after him."

  "You sure do...what did he say?"

  "He said I should have stayed in the truck and called him," Sabrina said then got some neck action going when she mimicked him, "I'm the Sheriff in this town and you have no jurisdiction, not to mention he could have shot you," she said in a low comical voice then stuck out her tongue. "He sounded like something out of a bad western movie."

  "What did you tell him?" Cassie asked pinching her lips to stop the laughter bubbling inside of her from escaping.

  "I told Mr. Big Bad Lawman to go fuck himself," Sabrina hissed through her teeth.

  Cassie roared, she couldn't help it, she leaned over the steering wheel, and howled in laughter, picturing this petite woman telling Cole that. She probably put her finger in his chest too. Her laughter was so intense, Cassie had to grip her sides. She heard Sabrina chuckle beside her then guffaw, and before long she was laughing as hard as Cassie was.

  The truck door on her side was wrenched open and then Cole was standing there, his face mottled with rage. "Cassie you need to quit all the goofing off and get your ass home, before Luke has a stroke. I called him and he was fit to be tied," he told her then slammed the door.
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br />   Cassie's humor fled and she sucked in a shuddery breath then put her seatbelt on, and put the truck in drive. Damn, Cole...he had to go and worry Luke. Now she could only imagine what she'd have to deal with when they got back to the ranch. She groaned then looked over at Sabrina, "Wanna run away together?"

  Sabrina chuckled, "I have a feeling where Luke's concerned, you can run, but you can't hide. He'd find you."

  "Yeah you're probably right...." She was only kidding about running away, but she had no doubt if she did run away, Luke would track her down to the ends of the earth...she was carrying his baby.

  They drove the rest of the way to the ranch in silence, and Cassie had barely stopped the engine when Luke flew across the yard and jerked her door open and pulled her into his arms. "Oh, my god, Cassie...are you alright?"

  "Yes, Luke...I just thought I saw James in town. But I'm so edgy, I was probably seeing things."

  "And Sabrina, what the fuck, you went after him?"

  Cassie whispered by his ear, "Don't go there darlin' or your gonna be in the same fix as Cole."

  Luke pinned her an angry glare, but he let it drop and helped her down from the truck, before slamming the door. He took her by the arm to half-walk, half-drag her inside the house. Sabrina followed behind them, and just barely missed having the front door of the house slammed in her face.

  "Luke stop being so rude!" Cassie yelled and dug in her heels to stop their forward motion.

  "Rude, rude?!" he huffed incredulously his face mottled with rage, "Honey, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

  Luke let go of her arm and turned around to face her and then shoved a hand through his hair. "I told you to be careful, and what do you do? You and Sabrina go chasing after someone who looks like James in town. All you had to do was get in the truck, crank it and haul ass home like I told you to do, but you didn't do that did you, Cassie?"

  "Luke, you're not my daddy. I don't have to follow your instructions to a T, and you can't tell me what I can and can't do," Cassie told him stiffening her shoulders.

  "I'm not your daddy, but I'm gonna be your husband and you need to show a little respect...and think about my baby you're carrying."

  Anger coursed up Cassie's body from the soles of her feet. "Respect? Is that what you're showing me? Doesn't sound like that to me, darlin'," She spat then walked closer to him and put her finger in his chest, "And don't be counting your chickens before their hatched. At the rate you're going right now there might not be a wedding tomorrow."

  Cassie's breathing had ratcheted up and there was a buzzing in her ears. Spots danced before her eyes as she spun away from him and took off for the stairs. Her knees buckled at the foot of the stairs and the dots closed in to form a black curtain. She could hear Luke and Sabrina calling her name, but couldn't make out anything else. She felt herself being lifted and heard Luke let out a loud guttural moan near her ear, then her body was jolted as he ran with her in his arms up the stairs.

  "Sabrina get me a wet rag...hurry," he said and she felt the soft quilt touch her back, although she still couldn't see anything. Cassie felt hot all over and could actually hear her blood pounding in her ears. She felt Luke place a cold rag on her forehead and wanted to sigh, but couldn't. She fought against the blackness trying open her eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate.

  He patted her cheeks and whispered near her ear in a desperate choked voice, "Cassie wake up baby, I'm so sorry...please wake up." A cool rag was placed on her forehead, but she felt water dropping on her cheeks.

  She heard Luke tell Sabrina to go call the doctor's number by the phone. More water droplets landed on her face, before another cold rag was put on her throat. She managed to swallow and the blood rushing in her ears slowed down a little, as her breathing settled, then she managed to open her eyes. Luke pulled her up to him and she felt him shiver then felt more droplets of water on her shoulder.

  "Just be still, sugar. Sabrina's calling the doctor," he sobbed into her hair and hugged her tighter. What little breath she was able to drag in was trapped in her lungs because he was holding her so tight.

  "Luke, let me go, I can't breathe," she whispered then managed to loosen his arms and lay back on the bed and close her eyes for a second, trying to regulate her breathing.

  He grabbed her shoulders in a fierce grip and wailed, "Wake up, Cassie--dammit!"

  Cassie opened one eye and saw his handsome face was ragged, his eyes were swollen and red, and tears tracked down his face. She opened both eyes then put her hand to his cheek, "I'm okay, Luke...calm down," she told him weakly then moved her thumb to wipe at the tear tracks on his square jaw.

  "I'm so damned sorry, darlin'...I didn't mean to upset you," he told her and placed tiny kisses all over her face then he said, "I was just frantic when Cole called me. Worried that bastard had gotten to you, and I wasn't there."

  "Sabrina had it covered, Luke...I'm not even sure it was him. I just got this feeling at the back of neck....and then saw his back."

  "I know that feeling...I'm sure Sabrina does too, which is why she ran after him."

  "Exactly," Sabrina said as she came back in the room. Relief moved over her friend's face when she saw that Cassie was awake and alert. "The doctor said if you think it's serious, you'd need to bring her to the hospital to be seen...he doesn't make house calls."

  Luke immediately slid his arm under and shoulders and then her knees and went to lift her up. "I'm not going to the hospital Luke. I just fainted because I was hot and upset."

  "You're going..." he said then lifted her against his chest and stood.

  "No, I'm not. There's no need...now put me back down." Luke growled in frustration, but he laid her back on the bed. "Thanks, darlin'," she said then reassured him, "I just need some rest...it's been a long day."

  "You're overdoing it, cupcake...you need to slow down."

  "I will, after tomorrow," she smiled up at him then patted his cheek, "I promise."

  "I'm thinking we should postpone our honeymoon until after the baby is born..."

  "No way--we're gonna have a real wedding, honeymoon included. I'm not waiting eight months to drag the secret out of you."

  Luke chuckled and bent down to kiss her lips tenderly, "You are so impatient, Cassie Bee."

  "Yep, I imagine by the time I get to two weeks before the baby is born, you might want to move in with Cole for the duration."

  "Ain't happening, sugar...after tomorrow you're stuck with me," he told her, his eyes sparkling with love.

  Sabrina cleared her throat and said, "I think I'll go get my stuff put away...which room should I take?"

  Cassie pushed up to her elbows and was about to get up and show Sabrina her room, but Luke pushed her back down, "You rest, I'll get Sabrina settled." She huffed out a sigh and laid back against the pillow.

  "Can you get my stuff out the truck Sabrina? I don't want Luke nosing around."

  "Sure..." she said then walked out of the bedroom.

  "What happened with her and Cole?" Luke asked sitting back beside her on the bed.

  "I'll tell you about it later..." Cassie wasn't sure she wanted to tell Luke about it at all, because he might tell Cole. Especially the part about them just being friends. She wanted Sabrina to have the opportunity to tell him herself. If she gave him that opportunity after the way he'd acted today. Hopefully Luke would just forget about it, and not ask again. "Go help her bring her suitcase up the stairs."

  "She carries a gun, and chases bad guys, I think she can handle her suitcase," he told her and then flinched when Cassie punched him in the arm playfully.

  "Okay, okay...I'll go help," he said then got up and left her alone.