by Everett, Ann
Tizzy barely raised her finger, trying say something, but she couldn’t get any words out. And then she heard Rayann yelling into the phone.
“This is your fault! Tizzy told us you were going to hurt her. But we wouldn’t listen. We just wanted her to be happy. Well, you’ve gone and done it now! She’s drunk, in the tub and I can’t get her out. So, unless you want Dwayne to see her little nekked body, you’d better get over here.” Click.
* * * * *
Ten minutes later, Tizzy squinted up at Ridge and tried to raise her head, but only managed to roll it over. “I don’t want you here,” she mumbled.
“Well, that’s too bad,” Ridge said. “Here, let’s get you up.” He lifted her out, wrapped a towel around her and carried her to bed, whispering to her as he laid her down. “Margie Lou, you could have avoided this with one little word.”
Tizzy tried to open her eyes. “Why did you have to come here . . . why did you have to kiss so good . . . why did you make me love . . . ?” Her voice trailed off and she passed out.
Ridge removed the towel, opened the drawer to her bureau, took out a gown and put it on her. He returned to the living room where Bubba and Rayann were waiting. “Thanks for calling, Rayann. She probably shouldn’t be left alone, so I’ll stay with her until you can come back.”
Rayann folded her arms over her chest. “Why did you break up with her?”
He cocked his head. “Is that what she told you? That I broke up with her?”
“She wouldn’t talk about you. Today, she left her mom a note saying she wasn’t coming to work. She wouldn’t answer her phone. So as soon as things died down, Pattiecake thought I’d better check on her. Good thing I did. When I got here, she wasn’t making a lot of sense. She mumbled something about time and space and we all know that translates to I don’t wanna see you anymore.”
Ridge clenched his jaw. “For your information, Tizzy asked for time and space. Not me. I proposed.”
Rayann gasped. “You asked her to marry you?”
“Yeah, and she said no.”
Bubba hooked his fingers in his belt. “So, let me get this straight. You asked her to marry you. She said no. And now she’s drunk on her ass because she broke up with you? That don’t make a lick of sense.”
Ridge smiled. “She didn’t exactly say no. She said she thought we should take more time to get to know each other. So, I’m giving her time.”
Bubba smiled. “Oh, I get it. Tough love.”
Ridge smirked. “Exactly. And from what I’ve just seen. I’d say it’s working.”
* * * * *
Tizzy struggled to sit up and failed.
Rayann looked up from reading and flipped off her book light. “How are you feeling?”
“Like death warmed over, and I’m pretty sure my teeth have hair growing on ‘em,” she said licking her lips, unable to work up a spit. “What time is it?”
“Six o’clock. Gracie’s spending the night with your parents again.” Rayann moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. “Why don’t you tell me about what’s going on with you and Cooper?”
Tizzy placed her hand on her head and lay back. “Cooper . . . was he here or did I dream it?”
“He was here, all right. Held your hair while you puked in the trash can. Stayed with you until about four, when I came back. He left you some sticky notes. I don’t know what they mean. They’re kinda crazy.”
“Where are they?” Tizzy sat up straight.
“Here on the mirror,” Rayann said.
“Hand them to me, please.” She took the notes and read them aloud, “Green, Presbyterian, March 24, 1978.”
“What do they mean?” Rayann asked.
Tizzy took a deep breath, pressed the notes to her chest. “It’s his favorite color. His faith and his birthday.”
Rayann jumped up. “Oh my God! He’s an Aries. What did I tell you? Your horoscope was right.”
“Bring me the sticky pad, please,” Tizzy said.
* * * * *
Tizzy was sitting in the middle of his bed and heard the wall of notes rustle when he opened the back door. He appeared in the doorway, leaned against the jamb, and flipped his finger out toward where she displayed one of the notes. It, along with the hundred left on the wall, had the single word yes written on it.
“Margie Lou, you got something you wanna say to me?”
She took a deep breath. “You were right. About everything.”
He turned his head slightly and cupped his ear. “What was that?”
“I said you were right.”
“Come again.”
“Don’t push it, city boy.” She took a ragged breath. “I was falling out of love with Boone when he left. Then he died and I hated him for leaving me, for dying. Then I found out I was pregnant and I felt so guilty for hating him. I was afraid I’d never find anyone else, and I’d convinced myself I didn’t deserve to.”
She started to cry. “Then you show up and you’re . . . perfect. You’re like Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one. Gracie immediately loved you, and that scared me to death. I was terrified I’d love you and you wouldn’t love me back.” She sniffed.
“These past few days, I realized there’s only one place I’m not scared. One place where I feel perfectly safe . . . and that’s in your arms. I do love you. So, if your offer of marriage is still on the table, and I hope it is, my answer is yes.”
Ridge flashed a slow easy smile. “Well . . . that depends. Is the chicken on a June bug offer still on the table?”
A smile spread across her face. “Absolutely.”
She jumped from the bed into his arms and they held each other close, heart to heart. “I’ve missed you,” she said.
“Darlin’, I haven’t had any sunshine since I left you at your mother’s.”
“Is that what you’re calling it now . . . sunshine?”
“Shut up, Tizzy. I’m trying to be romantic here.” He stepped to the bedside table, removed the small box, and sat down next to her. “I love that you always smell like fresh baked cookies and you’re a little bit odd when it comes to dead people. But most of all, just the sight of you makes me happy. So, let’s try this one more time.”
He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her gently. “Will you marry me?”
She kissed him back, then pushed away and whispered. “Yes, and Ridge, by chance are you Democrat?”
“No, is that a deal breaker?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s just another first.”
“Another first? First what?”
You’re my first Republican.”
“Well, whattaya think?”
“I think I have seriously underestimated your party.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The brown envelope slid across the floor as Ridge opened the back door to Browning house. He picked the packet up and examined it. Curious as to where the letter came from, he stepped back outside onto the porch and scanned the area. The smell of bacon drifted through the morning air and the only sound was the chirping courtship of crickets. Pinching the clasp together, he lifted the flap and removed the contents. The heading on the first page read: Brownsboro Clinic Insulin Patients January 2008-June 2010. He replaced the pages, closed the flap, narrowed his eyes toward Tizzy’s, and walked across the lawn.
She would be leaving soon to take part in the breast cancer awareness “Walk for a Cure” campaign. When he opened the door, he yelled out, “Tizzy!”
Her answer echoed down the hall. “Did you forget something?”
When he stepped into the bedroom, his concentration was momentarily broken as he read the slogan on her shirt, Help Save Second Base, Walk for a Cure. He held up the brown envelope. “You know anything about this?”
She continued to tuck in her shirt. “I don’t think so.”
“C’mon, Tizzy, do you have any idea how much trouble you can get into for doing this?”
Tizzy sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on
her socks and shoes. “I’m sorry, Ridge, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“This is a list of insulin patients from the clinic. I found it under my door. Now, how do you think the printout got there?”
“No idea,” she said, tying her shoes.
“Tizzy?”
“Are you asking as my fiancé, or as a Texas Ranger?”
“They’re the same.”
“Nuh-huh. As my fiancé, you’re asking because you’re curious. As a law officer, you’re interrogating me because of a crime.”
“Cut the crap, Tizzy. You can get up to twenty-five years for stealing medical information.”
She smiled and wrapped a rubber band around her ponytail. “You got any proof . . . fingerprints, DNA, an eye witness?”
“Dammit, only one of us is taking this seriously.”
“Okay,” she said, facing him, resting her hands on her hips. “Let’s say I did it, not that I did. What are you gonna do, arrest me?”
He took a deep breath, focused on second base. “No.”
“Then what’s the point of this conversation?”
“Did you do it or not?”
“Oh, good grief, Ridge. People hack into computer systems all the time. Just because I volunteer at the clinic and can access records doesn’t make me guilty.”
“Tizzy . . .”
“You don’t believe me, do you? Well, let me ask you some questions. Was the envelope under the door yesterday?”
“No.”
“Did you spend the night with me?”
“Yes.”
“Then ranger me this. When was I able to put the envelope under your door?”
“Maybe you got someone else to do your dirty work,” he said, shaking his head.
“Does the list contain information that’ll help with the case?” she asked, slathering on sun screen.
“I can’t look. I would be an accessory after the fact,” he said, feeling some effect of watching her rub the lotion on her legs.
“What if something on the list proved someone lied about having access to insulin?”
“Doesn’t matter. The information hasn’t been obtained legally, so it’s a moot point.”
“Oh wow,” she said, glancing at her watch. “I’ve gotta go.” She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Remember, after the cancer thing, Rayann and I are going for a spa day. Tonight, I thought I’d grill some steaks.”
“Sounds good, but we’re not done talking about this,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a twenty dollar bill. “Here, take this. I’m a big fan of second base.”
* * * * *
Ridge pushed open the door to the station house and found Rita behind her desk about to open a pink marshmallow snowball.
“Wait! I brought you something from Sweet Thangs,” he said, passing her the bag. “Honestly, Rita, how can you eat prepackaged stuff when you’ve got homemade baked goods right down the street?”
“They’re not open when I come to work.”
“Is Bubba here?”
“Yeah, he’s in the break-room. Go on back.”
Ridge stepped to the doorway and found Bubba pouring himself a cup of coffee. He pitched the brown envelope down on the table. “I found this under my door about thirty minutes ago.”
“What is it?”
“A list of insulin patients from the clinic. You think Tizzy would be stupid enough to do this and get Rayann to help her?”
“Beats me. Did you ask her?”
“Yeah and she denied it. Wait a minute, she never actually denied the accusation, come to think of it.”
Bubba carried the envelope with him as they walked back to the front office.
“Oh Lord, Ridge, this muffin is delicious. Thank you.” Rita said.
Bubba added the brown envelope to some other papers and looked at Ridge. “I’m gonna serve a warrant. Do you wanna go with me?”
Before he could answer, Rita interrupted. “Oh my goodness, here comes Stella Easton.”
“Stella Easton? Why does that name sound familiar?” Ridge asked.
“She’s Ms. Town Talk. You’d better get ready. She fires off questions quicker than a machine gun,” Rita warned.
The door swung open and Stella stepped inside. “Hello, Rita, Bubba,” she said, then zeroed in on Ridge. “You must be Texas Ranger Ridge Cooper,” she declared, sticking out her hand.
Ridge shook and smiled. “Yes, ma’am. I enjoy your articles.”
“Thank you. Now, let me think. My goodness, you’re originally from Pennsylvania, but moved to Texas about four years ago, is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You and Tizzy are engaged, and you’re transferring to the Henderson County Office from Dallas, right?”
“Uh . . . yes, ma’am. How did you know? I only got the call about an hour ago.”
“I’m a reporter, so it’s my job. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna put anything in the paper, unless you want me to. How’s the case going? Poor Marlene. Just to think, while I was buying birdhouses from Carl, She might have been getting killed. It just blows my mind,” she said, waving her hands in the air.
“What did you say?”
“About blowing my mind?”
“No, the part about the bird houses. You were buying bird houses from Carl the night Marlene was killed?”
“Yes. My husband decided at the last minute we’d go visit my sister, Gwen, in Arkansas. She loves my birdhouses and comments about them every time she visits, so I thought my goodness, I’ll take her some,” she said, barely stopping for breath. “Even though it was late, I drove over to Carl’s to see if he was working in his shop. He does most evenings. I pulled into his drive and though you can’t see his workshop from the road, I could hear his saw buzzing, so I drove on up to the shop and sure enough, he was working away.”
“What time was that?” Ridge asked.
“Oh my goodness, it was about nine-thirty and we got so busy talking, I didn’t leave until about ten-forty-five. Anyway, Gwen loved the birdhouses. My husband put them up for her while we were visiting and she had birds already building in them before we left. Oh, goodness, I’m gonna forget why I came in. Rita, I need the arrest reports.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ve got ‘em ready for you,” she said, handing them over.
“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Cooper. I’d better run along—my goodness, I’ve got a deadline.”
When the door closed behind her, Ridge shook his head. “Damn, that was a stroke of luck. Carl and Leah lied about the time of their alibis. I guess I need to pay Leah another visit.”
Rita held her hand up. “Sorry, Ridge, I’ve got some bad news and some good news. Leah’s serving on the grand jury. They have forty-three cases to rule on. She’ll be tied up until five o’clock. The good news is, no need to worry about where she is.”
Ridge stood up. “Well, guess I’ll go with you to serve the warrant, and I’ll plan on talking to Leah and Carl first thing in the morning.”
Rita stuck her pencil behind her ear. “Hey Ridge, what’s the deal with the transfer?”
“Oh, Jess Harden, the Ranger in Athens, wanted to move to a larger city, so we’re trading places. I haven’t even told Tizzy yet. I’m gonna surprise her with the news tonight.”
Rita shifted in her chair. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what did Gracie name her kitten?”
Ridge chuckled. “Cuddles.”
“Oh that’s sweet. Sounds just like a name Gracie would choose. Cat names are important because they reflect their owner’s personality.”
Bubba hooked his thumbs under his belt. “What are the names of your cats, Rita?”
She smiled. “Manson, Bundy, Sara Lee and Little Debbie.”
“You’re right. Those names certainly reflect what you’re all about.”
“Don’t make fun, Bubba. Cats are a lot less trouble than dogs.” Then she directed her question to Ridge. “You ever had cats?”
&nbs
p; “No. Growing up, dogs were my pets of choice.”
“Well, be sure to spay and de-claw Cuddles. If you don’t, she will shred every piece of furniture and be having babies left and right. Not to mention the trophy hunting.”
“Whattaya mean, trophy hunting?”
Rita finished off her muffin and wiped her mouth. “Cats are natural hunters, but if you feed them all the time, they have no need to hunt for food. So, to win your love and approval, they’ll hunt and present the kill to you.” She wagged her head back and forth. “My mother used to scream bloody-murder when she’d open the door and find a dead bird or mouse lying there. But the worst one was a snake. She’d go completely crazy.” Rita broke into laughter. “If you get Cuddles fixed, she’ll just lie around and be content.”
“I’ll be sure and tell Tizzy. I stay in hot water with her enough. I don’t need litters and dead animals adding to the problem.”