Last Second Chance (A Thomas Family Novel Book 2)

by Kristi Cramer

  Before he could respond to that, the band started into another song—one that definitely had a suggestive sound to it. Angelisa ran her hands down his arms. “Shall I remind you what you’ve been missing?” she asked huskily.

  Tim could only stand there, still holding the forgotten drinks, as the singer began to growl about the snake of love drowning someone, and Angelisa began to dance. When she threw her hands up and shimmied down the length of his body, his blood ran cold as he recognized a grotesque parody of Janie’s dance from the bar the other night.

  Angelisa had seen that dance? She had been watching them at the bar?

  She had been in town for days, lying in wait for him, and the thought caused him to shudder in fear and revulsion.

  She walked her hands back up his body and brought her mouth to his ear to whisper, “Some old habits are hard to break, aren’t they, lover?”

  He realized she was referencing the lyrics of the song. That, along with her brazen familiarity—as if she really thought he’d come back to her—made him want to push her away.

  Before he had the chance, he caught a glimpse of Janie heading straight for them, her face a terrifying but beautiful mask of anger.

  Grabbing her by the shoulder, Janie spun her around and drove her fist into Angelisa’s shocked face.

  “Hands off!” she snarled as Angelisa fell backwards, landing on her ass.

  Tim let go of the iced teas. They fell unheeded as he took Janie by the hand, pulling her toward him and away from Eddie, who advanced with a wicked butterfly knife in his grasp.

  Putting Janie behind him, he grabbed Eddie’s knife hand and brought it back sharply, snapping the man’s wrist back until he had to drop the knife or stab himself in the shoulder. He smashed his elbow into the other man’s throat, which dropped him to the ground, gasping for breath.

  As he turned back to Janie, he noticed Angelisa still on the ground, but he was more intent on getting Janie out of there before anyone else could join the fray.

  “C’mon,” he said, grabbing her by the hand again.

  “Who is that?” Janie asked indignantly, resisting his efforts.

  “That is my past come back to haunt me!” he said, tugging at her again. This time, she gave in and followed him. “We have to get away from here. Now!” he said, his gaze scanning the crowd for anyone who looked likely to be with Angelisa’s crew.

  “This way,” Janie said, changing course slightly. Tim followed as they fled.

  ⋘⋆⋙

  Angelisa sat on the ground, more surprised than anything else, although Tim’s little bimbo had packed a solid punch. Eddie gasped on the ground nearby, but no one appeared to have seen his knife. The concert was still going on, and only a few people even noticed the two of them.

  Most everyone had already turned back toward the stage, except one cowboy, who approached her. She thought he looked vaguely familiar, although she couldn’t think how she would know any of these yokels.

  The last thing she had expected when she set out to seduce Tim, to remind him of what they’d had together, was for blondie to get involved. Angelisa had figured she would run in shame in the face of a sexier, more confident rival. She had seen the shock of recognition in Tim’s eyes as she’d mocked blondie’s little dance from the bar. He should have known—surely did know—that he was in big trouble.

  “Wow, that was cold,” the cowboy said, offering a hand to help her up. “I’ve never seen Janie do that before.”

  “Is that her name?” Angelisa asked, taking the cowboy’s hand. Here was someone who might be able to help. “I didn’t realize Tim was here with someone.” It was a bald-faced lie, but she wanted to get this cowboy on her side.

  “Are you all right?” he asked as she climbed to her feet. Feigning more pain than she really felt, she allowed the cowboy to push through the crowd, taking her away from the stage. Once they were back in the midway where it was quieter, she let him settle her onto a bench.

  “I didn’t know I was stepping on someone’s toes,” she said, going for the spurned lover routine. “Tim dumped me a few months ago. I knew he was going to be here and I thought I could win him back.”

  “He’s been cozy with Janie for about a month, ever since he came to work at the ranch,” the cowboy said helpfully. “Stole her away from me and got me laid off from my job.”

  Angelisa doubted there had been much “stealing” going on as she sized the cowboy up. Long, greasy hair; crooked teeth; stocky, but built, frame. The man was a wannabe, as pathetic as they come. She figured he must have been stalking them just as she had been. But if this Janie had broken the cowboy’s heart, maybe he’d be amenable to helping her get to Tim—if he thought it might give him a chance to win Janie.

  At last, Angelisa realized where she had seen the cowboy before. He’d been at the bar the night she first saw Tim.

  “So you work with Tim?” she asked, patting the bench beside her.

  “Until the asshole got me laid off.” The cowboy sat down beside her, a little too close for comfort, although Angelisa wanted him engaged.

  “That blows,” she said, commiserating. “How did that happen?”

  “Janie is the boss’ sister. She got drunk the other night and they blamed it on me. Made him out to be some kind of hero.”

  She laughed bitterly. “He’s no hero. I’m Angie,” she said, holding a hand out.

  “Kenny,” he said, taking her hand as though she were made of fine China.

  “Well, Kenny, what are a couple losers like us supposed to do now?” she asked, banking on his pride to kick in.

  Just as she hoped, Kenny’s expression turned steely. “I’m no loser,” he said gravely.

  “Good,” she said. “Neither am I.”

  ⋘⋆⋙

  “Can you call Mitzi?” Tim asked as they threaded their way through the crowd toward the fair exit.

  Janie fished her phone out of her back pocket as they ducked off to the side, Tim checking behind them to see if anyone was following. Scrolling through her favorites, she found Mitzi’s number and pushed it, then handed the phone to Tim. “It’s dialing now,” she told him.

  She watched as he listened for a few moments. “Voicemail,” he said. “Mitz, it’s Tim. Angelisa is here at the fair. Call back as soon as you get this. We need to know what to do.” He paused for a second. “I guess we’ll head out to the ranch. We need to get her away from the crowds, I think.” He handed the phone back to Janie, who ended the call.

  “Do you think that’s wise?” she asked.

  Tim shook his head. “I don’t know. I mean, she just confronted me in the middle of a huge crowd. I don’t know what she’s capable of anymore. I can’t have it on my conscience if she’s crazy enough to open fire into a crowd. I do suspect she’s been here for a few days,” he confessed. “She saw us at the bar together.”

  Tim took Janie’s arm and pulled her toward the exit again, checking over his shoulder.

  “How do you figure?” she asked, surprised to see him blush.

  “That dance.... You.... She mimicked the dance you did for me that night.”

  Janie pulled up short. “I danced like that?” she asked, mortified.

  “Sort of. Not nasty like that. You were sweeter, sexier, but Angelisa was definitely letting me know she saw it.” He pulled on her arm again. “Let’s get to your truck. We need to draw her out into the open.”

  “Are you sure? Seems like we ought to stay in the crowd.”

  Tim shook his head. “My gut says if we stay here, she can shoot me—and probably you, since you hit her—and disappear in the chaos.”

  “Why didn’t she shoot you out there then?” Janie dragged her feet, wanting an answer.

  He gave her an unreadable look. “She said she wanted me to come back to her,” he said evenly. “She actually thought I’d come back to her. She’s crazy.”

  Janie thought about the way he’d stood there while she pawed all over him, and she felt anger heating her c
heeks. “You didn’t look like you thought she was crazy,” she protested, ignoring his tugs until he gave up trying to drag her along.

  “She shocked me,” Tim said, looking as though he was struggling to be patient with her, struggling to keep panic at bay. “She’s the last person on earth I thought I’d see, the last person I wanted to see. She also doesn’t travel alone. Janie, we can talk all you want in the truck, but Angelisa is dangerous. We need to leave.”

  He looked back toward the stage, and she couldn’t deny the intense concern—no, it was fear—she saw in his eyes.

  “You hit her,” he added, reminding her that she’d let raw anger take over when she marched up to confront the woman trying to poach her date. “She’s not going to let that go. Please, Janie. Let’s get out of here. I can’t protect you or myself in this crowd.”

  Janie frowned, but let him tug her toward the exit.

  Once out in the truck and on their way back to the ranch, Janie had a few minutes to cool off and realize how serious their situation was. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator and sped down the road.

  “How do you think she found you?” she asked, turning to see Tim intently looking out the back window of the truck.

  “I have no idea. But the fact she did scares the crap out of me. Janie, I know I said her coming here would never happen, but that makes it even scarier now that she has. It’s been the better part of six years since I’ve seen or spoken to her. I met a couple guys in prison who told me she’s gotten very powerful and more...serious. I guess I just underestimated what she’s capable of. And now that I’ve seen her, I’m pretty sure she was the one who had Tom killed while he was in prison.”

  “Wait. Tom is dead?” Janie had been too preoccupied with Tim to ask what had happened to his brother. She was shocked to hear that he had been killed, and more shocked to hear it was probably by Tim’s ex-girlfriend. When she had thought her future with Tim would be exciting, this was not what she’d had in mind.

  “Yes. He was killed right before we were supposed to get released. I suspected it was a hit, and now I’m pretty sure it was Angelisa.”

  “But why didn’t she kill you the same way?”

  Tim glanced at her, then focused back on the road behind them. “She told me she wants me back.”

  “Why?”

  “Who knows? She’s twisted. Maybe it’s a point of pride. I lost money and product for her when I got arrested. Maybe she wants to make me pay by working it off.” He looked at Janie again. “I doubt it’s nostalgia or some kind of soft spot in her heart for me. What we had wasn’t that good.”

  “Not for you,” Janie pointed out. “I can’t fault the girl for wanting you back.” It was true. Tim was good-looking and had, by his account, taken care of Angelisa. What red-blooded woman wouldn’t want him back?

  He was silent in the face of her off-handed compliment. “Do you have a plan?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Not really. I want to let Mitzi know what’s going on, let the law handle her. If it was just me, I might try to confront her, but there’s no way I’m going to let you get any more involved than you already are.”

  Janie’s pride wanted to protest, but she hadn’t been in a fight since high school. The punch she’d connected with Angelisa had been her first serious punch ever—her technique thanks to Mitzi teaching her some self-defense moves. She shivered when she remembered the knife the other man had brandished at Tim. She’d never had to face down weapons before.

  “Do you think Mitzi is out at the ranch? Out of cell range?”

  “It’s possible. I should try her again.”

  Once again, Janie fished her phone out and dialed Mitzi’s number from the call log before handing it over.

  “Voicemail again,” Tim said after a few moments, handing the phone back. “Do you have any other cops’ numbers?”

  She shook her head and they drove in silence for a few more moments.

  “Well, the ranch is definitely away from people,” Janie said decisively. “We’ll find Mitzi there, or we’ll lay low until we hear from her. I can’t get calls out there, but I can text. Also, we’ll be able to see them coming.” She hoped she sounded more sure of herself than she felt.

  Tim was silent, and Janie could only imagine what was going through his mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Tim’s mind raced as he tried to figure out the best course of action. He only knew for sure that he needed to get Janie away from Angelisa, and Angelisa away from any chance of hurting innocent people. This was a nightmare of epic proportions. She had found him. It didn’t matter how. He could only focus on getting out of the situation with the least collateral damage.

  He didn’t see anyone on the highway behind them as they fled the fair, and after they put several miles and more than a few low hills behind them, he turned and faced forward.

  “I hope Mitzi is still at the ranch,” Janie said. “I haven’t talked to her today, though, so I don’t know what her plans are.”

  “Me either,” he said. He mumbled a curse. “I’m so sorry, Janie. I.... This.... This isn’t how I wanted our first date to work out.”

  Janie glanced over at him with a wry smile. “I hope not,” she said, and he got the sense she was trying for a little levity. “It usually ends badly when an ex appears on a date.”

  Tim wanted to laugh, wanted to reassure her, wanted to tell her Angelisa was no more a threat than the average crazy ex-girlfriend, but he frowned instead. “She’s dangerous, Janie, and far more determined than I gave her credit for.”

  Janie apparently read his mind because she put a hand on his knee. “You can’t blame yourself, Tim. What else could you have done? You left town for the only place you could legally go. Should you have broken parole?” She shook her head. “You’re starting your life over with a clean slate. You’re one of the good guys now. And there are things the good guys shouldn’t ever do, no matter what.”

  Tim did chuckle now, but there was no humor in it. “One of the good guys?” He covered her hand with his. “What on earth did I ever do to deserve your faith in me?”

  The smile she turned on him warmed his heart. “You have only ever been one of the good guys, as far as I’m concerned. How you treat me and Roo.... It tells me a lot.”

  “Well, you make me want to live up to your expectations.”

  Before they could say any more, Janie pulled down the driveway to Mitzi and Blue’s house. There were no vehicles in front of the house, and no sign of anyone coming out to see who had driven up.

  “We’ll check down at the Homeplace,” Janie said, putting the LUV into reverse and retreating to the main driveway.

  They crested the hill that overlooked the Homeplace and quickly realized no one else was there. None of the ranch vehicles were parked up near the barn, even Mrs. Thomas’ classic VW Beetle was gone. The only vehicle left was an old truck owned by Mr. Thomas.

  “Do you think Mr. Thomas is here?”

  “Well, Daddy doesn’t like the fair. He still feels too uncomfortable around that many people. I’ll check the house for him. You check to see if Pepper is in his stall.”

  As soon as Janie stopped the truck, Tim hopped out and headed for the barn. Inside, he noticed that all of the stalls were empty, and remembered they had turned out the horses that weren’t going to the rodeo. He headed back outside and saw Janie coming out of the house.

  “Check the bunkhouse,” she called, heading across the compound to join him as they skipped the chow hall and headed straight for living quarters. As Tim had suspected, no one was there, either. He was surprised when Janie entered Deke’s cabin and came out with a rifle and a box of ammunition.

  “What are you going to do with that?” he asked.

  “Hopefully, not have to use it. But I know how, and I reckon I can disable a vehicle if I need to.” She loaded the rifle, then stuffed a few more cartridges into her pocket before dropping the empty box on the porch. Neither one said anything ab
out the potential of shooting at a human, although he suspected it was on both their minds.

  Janie took her phone out again and swiped at it with one thumb. “I’m texting Mitzi,” she explained. “I want to see if she got your voicemail.”

  Tim looked around at the Homeplace compound and got an uneasy feeling as he took in the stillness and near silence around the buildings. The only sound was the flag fluttering in the wind, its cable clanking periodically against the pole. The quarantined cattle had been released to join the herd; the horses were out; even the dogs, Cappy and Frankie, were nowhere to be seen. It was eerie to see the place virtually abandoned.

  Janie’s phone chimed, and Tim looked at her expectantly. “It’s Kylie,” Janie said.

  “Ask her to see if she can get ahold of Sheriff Jonas,” he said. “He should be able to get Mitzi.”

  Janie typed furiously, then glanced at him. “What do you think? Do we stay put?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t like it. She may already know I work out here, and we’ll be too easy to pin down here in the compound. But we put the horses out to pasture this morning.”

  “There are the ATVs,” she suggested. “We could run farther out into the prairie. Disappear.”

  “That could work. But that would be pretty loud, wouldn’t it?” Tim scanned the area again, thinking of how the sounds of the ATV would carry, even if they stayed in the hollows. He often heard his co-workers long before he saw them.

  “If they’re listening for it....”

  “Look at that!” he exclaimed, spotting four horses ambling down the slope toward the barn. As he watched, another two crested the hill.

  Janie smiled. “The greedy guts are early for feeding time. I see Carmelita and Roo. Go get your saddle and Roo’s and Carmelita’s bridles, and I’ll go round those two up. Looks like you’re going to get a trial by fire on those riding lessons I gave you.”

  Tim hurried to do as Janie asked, unable to shake the bad feeling settling on him. As he came out of the barn, he paused, listening intently. Was that the sound of a motor?