by Sonja Gunter
“Tom rode the bulls.”
“Was he at the bar too?”
She shook her head and pressed her lips together. “No. Sam had banned Tom from the ranch and everyone made sure he never came near me. He didn’t dare show his face. Sam relented to let me go to the bar the night I found you, only when David assured him he would look out for me.”
Allan nodded. “He might be the leak.”
“What makes you say that?”
“After you left, he commented that the pictures are proof I can’t protect you all the time.” Allan cursed under his breath. “He’s a sick man. I’d bet my last dollar he’ll cause more trouble.”
“I need to check on Dawn before we leave.”
“Joe said David can’t join us till later.” Allan took hold of her hand.
“Thanks, I was worried when I didn’t see his truck.”
He kept pace with her as they walked to the side of the trailer. She opened a small window. Dawn stuck her nose out and in return, Rosalind handed her a sugar lump.
“That’s my girl. Only a few more hours,” Rosalind cooed and closed the window.
He followed her to the driver’s side door. Once she was safely inside, he climbed in the other side.
They rode in silence for miles. He played the scene with Tom over and over, searching for something he or Paul missed. Tom’s voice wasn’t familiar. Nor was his face, but nothing from Vegas was clear. Allan tapped his phone, wanting to call Tiffany and Paul.
“How much further?”
“About six hours. We’ll have one more fuel stop. Do you need something?”
“Cell service,” he said.
“A man without the use of his phone. My heart bleeds for you. We could sing a few rounds of ‘Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer.’”
“No, thank you. Never liked that song.” He held up the phone. “I need to call Paul and Tiffany about the fact Tom might be the person responsible for releasing the photos and video.”
“Thanks for being there for me. You don’t know how relieved I was to hear your voice.”
Allan placed his hand on her thigh. Her admission tore at him. “I’ll always be here for you. I love you.”
Chapter 36
The convoy exited for a final rest stop before they reached their destination, the Fairgrounds at State Fair Park. Twelve pick-up trucks pulled into the rest area one by one, filling the empty parking spaces.
A moment of panic gnawed at Rosalind as she looked out the windshield. “What if Tom’s here?”
“He wouldn’t dare show his face,” Allan said. He winked and nodded toward the backseat.
His bold statement bolstered her courage and she met his seductive eyes. “Not enough time, lover boy.”
“Are you sure?”
Excitement sparked at the prospect of a quickie. Her pulse quickened as he drew her face to his. Their lips touched lightly at first, then the kiss surged to the next level. She slid her hand between his thighs, feeling him come to life.
“Mmmm. I see what you mean. Maybe we . . .”
A tap on the window broke them apart. Rosalind looked over her shoulder, and he moved to see who was outside. Walt stood there grinning and mouthed, “Time to go.”
Rosalind lowered her head and rubbed at her lips before she opened the door and stepped out.
“Got any extra of Helen’s fried chicken? We ate all of ours,” Walt said.
“Ask Allan. He’s been munching the whole trip.”
“I have not been munching. I’d call it snacking,” Allan retorted.
Rosalind rolled her eyes and Walt snickered.
“What?” Allan threw up his hands. “We do have a piece or two left. You can have them when we get back from the restrooms.”
Walt slapped Allan on his back. “You’re not alone. Helen’s chicken is the best. I’ll check on Dawn when I swing back this way.”
“Thanks, Walt,” Rosalind said.
Allan took her hand and they walked to the building. Other members of the convoy called out greetings to Rosalind, but not to him.
“Don’t worry. They’ll get used to you in time.” She smiled as she added, “We’re a tight group, and they don’t take to newcomers.”
“I was beginning to think I stank, the way they avoided me.”
“Stank?” She questioned. “For real? Smells are not an issue. Be right back.”
“Take your time. I’ll wait here for you,” he said. She touched his hand for a brief moment.
Allan relaxed against the wall and drank from a fresh can of Coke as he waited for Rosalind. Scanning the area several times, trying to spot Tom, a touch on his shoulder had Allan stumbling backward, ready to fight.
He faced a tall man in a cowboy hat.
“Howdy. David Billy. I hope you stay sober this time.”
Allan reached out and shook David’s hand. An image flashed in his mind, of David at Gilley’s.
“Allan Smith, nice to meet you. Not one of my best first impressions—in Vegas, I mean. No need to worry about a repeat.”
“David!”
They both turned. Rosalind ran toward them. David opened his arms, and she rushed into them. “I’m glad you were able to make it. How’s the baby?”
“We had a girl, Corinne Julie Billy,” David replied proudly. “A whopping eight pounds, two ounces.”
She moved out of his hug. “I love the name.”
“Suzy’s doing fine too. She and Corinne stayed home.” David shoved his hands into his front pockets and cleared his throat. “Sorry to hear about Sam.”
Allan moved closer to Rosalind. The subject still held a lot of emotion for her when it was brought up.
“Thanks, it all happened so fast.” She choked on the words and dabbed at her eyes.
Ready to console her, Allan put his arm around her. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
“Heard you got married,” David commented.
“Yes—it was . . . yes, I did,” Rosalind stuttered.
Allan analyzed the exchange with interest, tightening his hold on her.
“It’s about damn time someone tamed you.” David roared with laughter at his own comment, finally calming and changing the subject. “I heard what Tom did back a ways. We told him to leave our group. If trouble occurs, the boys and I will be ready to help out.” David nodded to Allan. “Nice meetin’ you again.” Without further ado David strutted away.
“And here I thought I was your only knight in shining armor,” Allan said jokingly, secretly pleased to know others were willing to help.
Rosalind flung her arms around him. Allan held her close as their lips met hungrily. They kissed deep and long. Hollering and whistling interrupted their private embrace.
Allan held up his hand in a salute, gathering Rosalind to his side. Laughing, they meandered to their truck and discovered Walt there waiting for the coveted chicken.
“What do you have to bargain . . .” Allan began, then his cell phone interrupted. He checked the call. “Excuse me, I have to take this.” He moved a several steps away. “Yes, Tiffany.”
“The private-eye we hired came through. We have enough incriminating evidence to sue the asshole, Tom Clark. Paul’s contacted the police in Oklahoma. They’re waiting to arrest Tom when he arrives at the competition.”
Allan once again searched the area and glanced at Rosalind. She smiled. He held up two fingers. “Anything I should be doing on this end?”
“No. I talked to the lawyers. They’re ready and will be on call,” Tiffany said.
“I’ll keep you informed.” Allan forced the words out through a rush of anger. Recovering, he added in a more candid tone, “Great job, Tiffany.”
“Thank you. There are a lot of sick people
out there, be safe.”
“Will do, bye.” He disconnected. Searching the area for the hundredth time, he saw no sign of Tom.
“Everything okay?”
Allan turned, wiping away his concern as he faced Rosalind. “They found evidence linking Tom Clark to the release of the videos, website, and pictures.”
“That no-good son of a—”
“Don’t say it, Rosalind. He isn’t worth it.”
“I’m so infuriated. How dare he!”
Allan put his fingers to her lips. “Shhh. It looks like everyone is ready to head back on the road.”
This had the desired effect, because her temper visibly cooled. They climbed into the truck. A horn sounded and the convoy began to pull onto the interstate.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Rosalind demanded.
Shifting in the seat, Allan picked his words carefully. “The New York Police department has been working with Sheriff Hoffman and the Oklahoma Police. They will be arresting Tom on charges of blackmail and extortion. I’ve been receiving letters asking for huge amounts of money since I returned from Las Vegas. Whenever the deadlines would pass, since I wasn’t about to send money, new information was released about our wedding.”
“Shit! No wonder you thought I was blackmailing you. I’m sorry.”
He reached across the console and took her hand. “You had your own agenda. That’s what was confusing me at first and why I did some of the crappy things I did.”
“We both did things we aren’t proud of. Fate had its own chart for us,” Rosalind agreed.
“That’s an interesting view on things.” He paused as a passing truck merged into their lane. “I haven’t been able to figure out how Tom got videos of us.”
“Have you seen more of them? It’s creepy, being stalked.”
He touched her cheek in a caress. “I have. Tiffany and Paul have taken them down. With Tom’s admittance it’s beginning to make sense.”
“I’m sorry, if I hadn’t . . .”
“We would never be here right now,” was all Allan needed to say.
Chapter 37
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Rosalind wiped tears from her face. Pressing her lips together, she glanced at Allan, then at the road. He’d been so quiet for the last hour she’d thought he’d fallen asleep. “It was the song that just played. It reminded me of my parents’ deaths.”
“I have those moments too, but unlike you, I didn’t see my parents die.”
In the darkness she felt his pain even if his words didn’t reveal anything. Their lives were so much alike but yet so different. “That night haunts me to this day,” she said softly. “The screeching tires and my mom’s scream.”
“I’m sure it does. For me, it’s seeing a police car.” He cleared his throat. “We’ve never talked much about our past. A few bits and pieces, but I’ll always be here for you.”
Allan’s reassurance brought on a new bout of caring that went deeper than she thought possible. She struggled with a reply, but he broke the silence.
“I love you. Some higher power has put us together and I can only thank them. Paul and Tiffany are thankful too.”
She laughed. “Why would they care we’re together?” Yet she savored the feelings of serenity his words gave her, chasing the sadness away.
“They have been doing a happy dance privately since we got married.”
“How come? They don’t know me.” She checked the mirrors and changed lanes. The road sign displayed thirty miles to exit 121-C.
“Tiffany is a romantic at heart. She says if I hadn’t wanted to get married in the first place, I wouldn’t have. She believes it was love at first sight.”
Rosalind laughed so hard she was afraid she’d pee in her pants. “I want to meet her.”
“You won’t for a while. I owe her an extended honeymoon. She’s waited for me to succumb to Cupid’s arrow,” he confessed.
“I can’t get over how we ended up loving each other.” She tapped the steering wheel and grabbed a fast glance at him. “Now’s not the time to talk about this, but how often will you be flying to New York?”
Her question went unheard as an exit sign came into view.
“Oh my God, a Starbucks. At the next exit, May Avenue. Can we stop?” Allan stomped his feet and wriggled around in the passenger seat like a little kid. Rosalind smirked. It was the least she could do for him.
“Sure. I’ll have to radio the others we’re stopping. The Fairgrounds exit is fairly close. Everyone doesn’t have to pull into Starbucks.” She took hold of the CB mic.
“Great, I can taste the latte already.”
“Break, one-nine.”
The line crackled and hissed. “Go ahead, one-nine.”
“Stopping for brown gargle for the Gotham dude, over,” she said.
“Ten-four. Catch you at the drinking well.”
“Ten-four-over.” Before she could replace the CB mic, Allan asked, “Brown gargle?”
“Coffee.”
“Gotham dude?”
The question made her snicker. “You. A man from New York.”
“Clever. I learned something new today. I love this CB stuff. It’s like having the walkie-talkies I wish I’d owned as a kid.”
She smiled at his usage of northern slang instead of his fancy New Yorker words.
Who would’ve ever guessed a non-rodeo man would be my undoing and husband? We’re so different.
Rosalind considered the one guy who’d been able to make her feel true love. A gentle fire grew, turning to an ache of need, her pulse racing. He was so sexy in his cowboy hat and flannel shirt opened at the top. All she had to do was look at him and she wanted him. He was demonstrating possibilities of turning into a cowboy. No one would guess this was his first time around. With some work, she’d be able to turn him into a full-fledged cowboy if he wanted.
The next exit came and the other trucks honked their horns. She merged with the traffic.
“Would you like to try some real coffee?”
Rosalind grimaced. “Starbucks doesn’t serve gut-strong coffee like I drink.”
“It’ll be my treat. Come inside.”
Shaking her head, she opened her door and followed him. The smell of brewed coffee was strong and tickled her taste buds. Rosalind stared at the menu board. Cappuccino, Macchiato, Frappuccino, or Latte.
Am I in a different country?
“I usually order a vanilla latte or a cappuccino. Try a Clover brewed coffee,” Allan suggested.
“A what? Never mind, I’ll trust your judgment.”
The girl at the register smiled. “May I take your order?”
Allan dug out his wallet and handed the girl a gold card. “Yes, a—”
“Hey aren’t you the guy that’s been on the news?” The girl gasped and looked around the store. “The one who married . . .”
“Yes I am, and this is my wife,” he replied without missing a beat. “I’ll take a Grande Vanilla Latte, and she’ll take a Tall Clover brewed with the Peru special blend.”
The other Starbucks employees stared at them. The girl taking their order stood straighter. “Sorry, it’s not every day we get a celebrity in here.”
Rosalind was mortified. Allan grabbed her hand. He paid for the drinks and they moved to a waiting area. “Don’t be nervous.”
Scenes from how the town had handled the news had her looking for an escape route. “How can I not be? That girl recognized us.”
“And?” He casually leaned against the counter.
“Oh, I don’t know. What if she asks more questions?”
“I’ll give them something else to talk about.”
Suddenly she was in his arms and Allan was kissin
g her. She stiffened at first, and then surrendered, allowing his hands to stroke her butt and back. And she did the same to him.
“Excuse me. Vanilla Latte and a Clover special blend. You might want to get a room,” the barista snickered while she set the drinks down.
They ended their make-out session and chuckled.
“Right. Have a nice day,” Allan smiled and raised his cup to the onlookers.
They took their drinks and left a very quiet Starbucks. Laughing, they glanced back and everyone inside was staring at them.
“Ingenious. Now they do have something to talk about,” Rosalind said.
“Yes, they do.”
“I bet all the girls wished it was them you were kissing.”
“No, all the men wanted to do what I did to you,” Allan said.
She sipped her drink. The taste wasn’t as good as her homemade, but damn if he hadn’t been right. It was close. “This is good, but I wouldn’t pay five dollars for it.”
In the truck they chatted about the stunt. By the time they arrived at the Super Barn, Walt and Joe had them signed in and had readied Dawn’s stall. Together they unhitched the trailer. Rosalind inspected Dawn. Satisfied she was unscathed from the trip, she led the mare to her temporary home.
“No worries, Rosalind. I’ll be here with her,” Walt promised.
She halted her fourth scan of the stall. “Thank you. Be on alert for Tom Clark. Phone me if he comes around.”
“For sure. You get some rest.” Walt gently ushered her out. “Your first qualifying run is at nine.”
“You read my mind. See ya in the morning.”
Walt nodded and she went in search of Allan. It didn’t take long. She found him talking to Joe. Rosalind sauntered over to him, and he put his arm around her.
Joe excused himself.
“Ready to hit the sack?” Allan taunted and lowered his hand to rest on her hip.