by Jodi Thomas
“You think Reid was mixed up in this?”
“Yeah, but he was also being blackmailed and used. I’ll do my best to get him off.”
“You’re going to represent him?”
Lucas nodded. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but he needs a good lawyer, and I did grow up with him.”
“I saw his face when the sheriff found the first body,” Blade said. “He was shocked, sick at the sight. I’d bet a month’s pay he didn’t know about it.”
Lucas nodded. “I heard he almost passed out when he heard about Coffer Coldman. All I can figure out is that Coffer must have left the ranch by a back gate and just happened to run into one of the trucks. Some of those thugs know who killed him. They’ll rat on each other fast enough.”
They pulled up to the county office and found Dice sitting on the steps, his head low, his cowboy hat on the ground. All else was quiet. All the excitement was over and in a few hours it would be nothing but yesterday’s news.
Both men jumped out of the truck and hurried to the old man.
“You all right, Dice?” Blade asked.
The old guy shook his head. “I’m pretty low, fellows. I got some bad news. That body in the barn fire wasn’t my friend LeRoy. The report came in while all of ya’ll were out rounding up bad guys.”
Dice scrubbed his chin. “It was just a drifter who must have snuck in looking for a place out of the rain and got caught between the fire and a locked door. One of the cowboys told the sheriff that Collins told him to put a lock on the barn by the road to keep the drifters out.”
Lucas patted Dice’s bony shoulder. “That’s good news. LeRoy may still be alive somewhere.”
“Oh, he is. He’s in the lobby cuddled up by Pearly’s desk. He’d caught a ride to Abilene to visit his sister. Said he was so down, it was either that or spend all his money drinking. When he heard on the news that all the trouble at the ranch was over, he hitchhiked back to pick up his truck and trailer before the ranch gates were locked. Didn’t even occur to the old fool that I might be looking for him.”
“That is good news he’s alive though, right?” Blade said.
“I guess, but it turns out he was dating Pearly now and then before he left. They were having a fling and neither one of them mentioned it to me. She thought he was gone and took up with me, but now he’s back, she can’t make up her mind which one of us she wants to fling with.”
Blade thought, of all the problems of the day, this was a minor one, but it seemed the end of the world to Dice. He tried getting the old guy’s mind off Pearly. “Is Reid still in jail?”
Dice didn’t raise his head, but he answered, “Nope, the feds came and got him a few hours ago. I tried to get them to take O’Grady too, but they didn’t want him.”
Pearly and an old cowboy who had to be LeRoy walked out onto the porch. LeRoy had the same hangdog look as Dice.
Blade decided to step back and watch. Lucas did the same. Standing five feet away they tried to act like they weren’t listening.
“I’ve been thinking,” Pearly said. “Since both of you men have slowed down some over the years there is only one thing I can do.”
They both waited for the bad news.
She straightened. “I don’t want to come between your friendship. That’s something worth keeping. So, I’ve decided to keep seeing you both if you two agree to one rule.”
“What might that be?” Dice didn’t look like he was buying into this group-dating thing.
“You two don’t talk to each other about me. LeRoy, you get the odd day of the weekend and Dice, you get the even. And I expect a real date. Going out to dinner or something, not just dropping over. I don’t want you both showing up at the same time, either. My house isn’t big enough to handle a waiting line. During the week I work and I got my shows to watch every night, so don’t bother calling me. I don’t want to talk.”
Blade had to step inside because he was losing his ability to keep from laughing. Lucas was right behind him.
“You think they’ll work it out?” Blade asked.
“I think Pearly already has.”
Lucas offered his hand. “It was nice spending time in jail with you.”
“Same here. I’ll miss our chess games.”
Lucas looked him straight in the eye as he always had. “You wouldn’t happen to have been on that high ridge at the back of your land last night. Someone covered us as we rode out from the box canyon.”
Blade smiled. “I didn’t fire a shot.”
Lucas looked like he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t argue. “Well, tell whoever it was that I’m grateful.”
Blade shook his hand. “I’ll do that. See you around, Lucas.”
“See you around,” Lucas echoed as if the two men lived in town.
Blade walked past the three senior citizens arguing on the porch and headed for his pickup. The day was over. It was time to go home.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
LUCAS FOUND LAUREN in her office finishing up articles for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Dallas Morning News.
“I want to talk to you,” he said without any other words like hello.
“Wait a minute. I just got news that one of the thugs confessed to setting the fires in the barns. He was smoking in one, while he looked for something to steal. When it caught fire, he moved to the next and set it thinking he’d blame it on the cowboys who were mad and leaving.”
Lucas leaned against the file cabinet and watched her work. He’d always thought that she was hiding out here in Crossroads, but she was happy here. She loved being part of the community and writing. Everyone he ran into in Houston from back home read her Crossroads News.
“You love writing, don’t you?”
She didn’t look up. “Almost finished.”
“I’ll wait.” He couldn’t resist moving a strand of her sunshine hair away from her face. “I’ll wait forever,” he whispered.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Her fingers flew across her laptop, then suddenly, she shouted, “Finished! This story is going to get me into papers across the country.”
Her big eyes blinked at him. “Of course, I wish it hadn’t happened, but I did cover it completely, step by step. And I’ll keep it up, the investigations, the interviews, the trials and, of course, the wrap-up of how it all affected our town.”
Lucas just smiled.
“What?”
“I don’t want to talk about the Bar W. I want to show you something.”
“Sure.” She stood up and leaned into him as if she’d done so all her life.
He moved his hands along her body. “Last night was the best night of my life. I felt like... I felt like...”
“I know,” she said as she kissed him. “I felt the same. I didn’t know I could feel that way.”
“What way?” he teased. “Like you were exploding with pure joy. Like you’d died and gone to heaven. Like you’d never feel that good again.”
She nodded.
“Don’t worry. That’s never going to happen. I’m here. I’ll take you to heaven any night you want to go as long as I can go with you.”
She buried her face against his chest and he couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.
“I said I loved you last night, and I’m never taking that back, Lauren. Never. Now we have to go. I want to show you something before the sun sets.”
She began gathering her things.
He took her hand. “You don’t need anything. Just walk with me.”
“All right.”
They left her office and walked along the sidewalk to Dakota’s tiny little real estate office. Her door was locked up for the night.
When they reached the third office, Lucas stopp
ed and stared down at her, smiling.
“That office has never been rented,” Lauren said. “It’s twice as big and has a real apartment upstairs. Dakota saw it once and said it has a big window on the side that looks out over the whole town. All I’ve got is a living room/kitchen in front and a bedroom with a tiny bath in back.”
“You want to see this one?”
“The owner lives out of town. No one has the key.”
“You do.” Lucas smiled. “It’s around your neck.”
She looked at him as if he were playing some kind of trick on her. Slowly, she pulled off the chain and tried the key. It worked.
“But?”
“I rented it the last time I came home and saw where your office was. I wanted to know that if I ever moved home, you’d be close.”
“You’re moving in here?”
“No, mi cielo, we’re moving in here. I’ll have my practice downstairs and we’ll live upstairs.”
“But.”
“No but.” He laughed. “Your pop told me we were getting married. None of this living together until we know each other better. We’ve known each other all our lives.”
“I won’t be rushed.” She straightened.
“I know. I feel the same. How does tomorrow sound?”
“I’ll think about it.” She laughed as she walked into the huge space.
A few minutes later they were standing in the open living room that spread into a kitchen. Dakota was right, a huge window faced the town.
“Every evening we can stand right here and watch the sun set over our town. How would you like that?”
“I think I’d like that very much, but I’m keeping my office and my job.”
“Good, then we won’t starve.” He hugged her. “You want to go tell Pop?”
She shook her head. “I’d like to try out the bedroom first.”
“But there’s no furniture. No bed.”
She pulled him along. “Trust me, Lucas. You won’t even notice.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
BLADE PULLED UP to Dakota’s place just as the last of the sunset faded. He was almost up the steps when he saw her sitting in one of the wicker chairs.
“You made it home before dark,” she whispered as she stood.
He circled her waist with his arm and lifted her up to kiss her. “I have to leave tomorrow, but I’ll be back as soon as I can. It seems my vacation has ended.”
She held on tight. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I know, but there are things I have to do, Elf.” He smiled, loving her tears. Loved knowing she cared enough to cry.
Without a word, they moved inside and joined Grandmother at the kitchen counter while Maria cooked. Blade told them all about what had happened at the Bar W and Grandmother swore the whole feud between the two families had been started by old man Collins because he was always wanting more land.
After supper, Blade kissed each of the women good-night. Maria stood still and let him kiss her cheek. Grandmother rubbed her kiss off, but grinned for once. Dakota walked him to the guestroom and kissed him twice.
“Don’t go,” she whispered.
“I have to, but I swear I’ll be back. Believe me.” He kissed her one last time, but she didn’t answer him.
Once in his room, he felt the pain again. Deep in his chest.
Pain he couldn’t ignore. Pain he couldn’t stop.
He tried to sleep. He walked the floor. He even made a list of all he had to do, but the pain wouldn’t go away.
She didn’t believe him. Dakota didn’t think he’d be back.
Blade thought of waking her up just to tell her one more time that he was coming back. But if she still didn’t believe him, the pain in his chest might crack his ribs.
He was staring out the window, looking at the lake, remembering the sad story Grandmother had told him, when the bedroom door opened slowly.
When he turned, just for a moment, he thought he was staring at a vision. It couldn’t be real. Dakota was standing there with her white T-shirt pulled halfway off.
“I’ve come to sleep with you, Hamilton.”
“I’m coming back.” He said the one thing he had to say again.
“I know. I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t believe that. This isn’t a one-night stand, you need to understand. This is the beginning of forever.”
He crossed the room, helped her with her T-shirt and picked her up. As he carried her to bed, he realized the pain in his chest had stopped.
“I think I’m in love with you,” he whispered as he began kissing every part of her. “I think home isn’t a place, but a person, and you’re mine.”
She put her small hands on either side of his face and met him eye to eye. “Hamilton, stop talking and make love to me.”
He grinned. “You running my life, Elf?”
“Looks like I’ve found my calling.”
They both laughed and began their one-night stand that might just last every night of their lives.
The next morning she cried as he left at dawn. “I’ll be back,” he kept saying but she didn’t stop crying. He couldn’t tell her when—a day, a week. His job was unpredictable.
“I’ll call,” he whispered as he kissed her one more time.
“No. I don’t want to talk to you until you’re here.”
He turned and walked away. Feeling sick inside. He was doing just what he said he would do. He was leaving her. Duty called and deep down he wasn’t sure she’d be waiting for him when he came back.
A few days later Maria called to tell him Lauren and Lucas were getting married, but he said he couldn’t make it home by Friday. They were in the middle of a big investigation and they had to work fast.
Jerry called later to tell him the repairs on his house were coming along. It was ready to move in soon.
No word from Dakota.
On March 15, he pulled up to the Davis house and ran to the door. For the first time the old adobe house was locked up. He tried Grandmother’s house. Locked up. Not a light on at either place.
He drove over to his land and turned on all the lights. Then he parked the new Dodge Ram he’d bought in the middle of the road. Dakota would have to pass his place to get home, and he planned to sleep in the bed of the truck to catch her.
Finally, he heard her old pickup rattling down the road. He walked out in the center of the road.
Dakota braked hard and jumped out of her truck. “Get out of the road, Hamilton. I almost ran you down.”
“Come home with me, Dakota. The house is almost finished. I want you to see it.”
“No. I can’t step foot on your land.”
“You don’t believe that old curse, do you?”
“I believe Grandmother. She says I can’t live on Hamilton land.”
Grandmother climbed out of the truck and Maria did the same. He was going to have to face all the Davis women—and to tell the truth, he loved them all. They were his family.
“I’m not giving you up, Dakota. I’m staying right here. Not moving until we work this out. I want to live the rest of my life with you, so you’d better tell me what you want because I’m not going anywhere.”
Grandmother circled him slowly as if he were a tree that sprang up in the road.
Dakota turned to her grandmother. “What do I do? He’s crazy as any Hamilton ever born, but I love him.”
Grandmother poked him in the stomach with her walking stick. “Load him in the truck and we’ll take him home. You don’t know him well enough to marry yet, so we’ll just keep him for a while.”
Blade smiled. “I’ll follow you in. If it takes a year, I’ll talk you into marrying me.”
Dakota kissed his cheek. “What if I don’t say yes in
a year?”
Blade winked. “Then I’ll marry your shichu. If I can’t be your husband, I might as well be your grandfather.”
All three women laughed.
Without another word, he gathered up his family and went to the Davis house. He’d meant what he said. Home wasn’t a place; it was a woman, and he’d be happy as long as he was with Dakota.
CHAPTER FORTY
DAN WAS FINALLY alone in his office. Everyone had gone home. Since the excitement at the Bar W, everything seemed quiet now that all was back to normal. It was a little early to call Brandi, but he needed to hear her voice.
She’d been gone much longer than they’d planned. It seemed every time they talked, she pushed the day she’d be home back. Her songs were taking off and everyone needed her in Nashville. Her two-week trip had stretched into over a month.
Only, he needed her, too.
He punched her number.
She picked up on the second ring. “Evening, Sheriff,” she said in her low voice. “How was your day?”
He didn’t want to talk about the day. “I miss you. What I wouldn’t give to hold you right now. If you’re not coming home soon, I’m flying out there.”
“How much would you do for me if I was there? Cuddle up and make love to me all night and then get up and make breakfast for me?”
Dan laughed. “I’d do that.”
“Would you run away with me for the weekend and stay with me in an expensive hotel that had room service?”
“I would.” He loved this game. She was giving him ideas about what she wanted.
“Would you walk to the county offices’ front porch and yell as loud as you could that you loved your wife?”
“I would,” he answered.
“Well, then, do it right now and I might just hear you.”
Dan didn’t walk, he ran. When he swung open the door, Brandi was standing right there at the top step of the county offices.
He picked her up and swung her around and whispered, “I love my wife.”
She smiled. “I know.”
“I love my wife,” he said louder.
She laughed. “I know, Dan.”