“My mistake,” she teased. “I should have said the whole southwest.”
Since their simple but beautiful June wedding, which had been held on the front lawn of the Bar X with family and friends in attendance, she and Joseph had made their home in the house where Ray had lived his entire life.
Getting accustomed to Joseph’s long, irregular work hours hadn’t always been easy, but she was learning to make the most of the time they had together. And she could honestly say their marriage was growing stronger with every passing day.
As for her parents’ affair, coming to terms with their deception hadn’t been as easy. There were times Tessa deeply resented the fact that her mother had allowed all those years to pass without telling her that her father wasn’t dead but alive and living in Arizona. And her resentment didn’t stop there. Ray should’ve never deceived Monica or Dottie, or the people around him. And yet, in spite of all the mistakes they’d made, Tessa’s heart would always ache for her parents’ star-crossed love.
“Honey, what are you thinking about? Are you missing the Calhouns?”
She looked up at him and the tender devotion she saw in his brown eyes filled her with warm contentment. No matter the crooks and turns their lives would take in the future, she knew with all certainty that Joseph would always be at her side.
“No, we just saw all of the Calhouns when we drove up there to visit at Christmas. And Orin calls me practically every day. I was actually thinking about Ray and my mother. It wasn’t meant for them to be together. Not like we are.” She rested her cheek against the side of his strong arm. “Yet in spite of their deception, Joseph, I can’t judge them badly.”
“Of course you can’t. Ray’s gift to you was more than just a house, a piece of land and a bank account. It brought you here to Arizona—to me. It’s given Sam a new purpose for living. And when our first child is born and, God willing, the babies that follow, Ray’s gift will keep on giving to them.”
She sighed. “Yes, it’s given us love. And in the end I think that’s all my father really wanted to do—just give me love.”
Joseph was pressing a kiss against her temple when Blake and Holt walked up to them. In spite of the cocktail in Holt’s hand, there was a somber expression on his face. Blake’s mood didn’t appear to be any better.
“Hey, guys, what’s with the long faces?” Joseph asked then gave his wife a conspiring wink. “You heard Reeva was cooking chicken tonight instead of beef?”
Neither man appeared amused. Holt let out a heavy sigh while Blake’s head moved negligibly from side to side.
“We have something to show you,” Blake said. “Before dinner starts.”
“And before we showed it to Mom,” Holt added soberly.
Sensing the gravity of the moment, Joseph’s grin quickly disappeared. “Okay. Where is this ‘something’?” he asked.
Blake dug into the front pocket of his jeans then opened his palm to reveal a spur rowel. Larger than most, it was about two inches in diameter and rusted to a deep reddish brown color.
“I’m confused. What’s the significance of this?” Tessa asked. She glanced at Joseph to see his face had taken on an unusual pallor. “What’s wrong? Explain this to me, Joseph.”
Joseph drew her closer to his side. “When Dad was found—that day he died, we noticed one of his spur rowels was missing. All these years we’ve been searching for it.”
She glanced skeptically at her two brothers-in-law then back to Joseph. “How do you know this was Joel’s rowel? Over the years there’s surely been other ranch hands who’ve lost a spur or a rowel.”
“Good point,” Blake agreed. “But Dad’s spurs were unique. No one else on Three Rivers had a set like his.”
Joseph plucked the rusty rowel from Blake’s palm and held it so that Tessa could have a closer look. “See, it has a lot more points than a regular rowel. And its shape resembles a sunburst. Dad’s spurs were what’s called Spanish Colonial. Antiques worth quite a bit of money.”
“That’s not the reason we were hunting the lost rowel, though,” Holt quickly clarified for Tessa’s sake.
“Holt is right,” Joseph added. “The dollar value of the spurs is insignificant. We’ve always held the notion that wherever the rowel had fallen might be the spot where Dad—that some sort of altercation took place.”
No wonder the brothers were looking so grim, Tessa thought. “I understand the importance now,” she said. “It could be a huge clue.”
“Where did you find it?” Joseph asked his brothers. “Close to where Dad was discovered?”
Blake shook his head and Holt spoke up. “Not far from the number nine well pump. Down in the arroyo. We were checking on the bulls.”
“Holt needed to tighten his cinch,” Blake continued to explain. “When he got down from the saddle, he spotted the rowel lying next to a boulder.”
The faint frown on Joseph’s face told Tessa he was thinking more like a deputy now rather than as a son. “That’s close to the old road leading to the Fisher property.”
“Yeah,” Blake said flatly. “That’s what we were thinking. Holt and I believe we should wait until everyone leaves tonight before we show it to Mom.”
“I agree,” Joseph said. “Seeing this thing is going to upset her. After all, she gave the spurs to Dad as an anniversary gift.”
The three brothers were exchanging grim glances when Maureen suddenly stood and announced that dinner was ready to be served.
Joseph handed the rowel back to Blake. As they all began to shuffle out of the room, Tessa noticed her brother-in-law discreetly drop the rusty clue into his pocket and out of sight.
Working their way toward the dining room, Tessa caught Joseph by the arm and pulled him partially down the hallway and out of earshot.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
As she searched his handsome face, she realized the deep love she felt for her husband would always link her happiness to his. “I’m fine,” she assured him. “It’s you I’m concerned about. I could see your brothers’ discovery of the rowel upset you. I hope you won’t let it ruin our evening.”
His lips slanted to a gentle smile. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Tessa. The sight of the rowel did bring back painful memories. But I’m much more hopeful than upset. It’s an inkling to what happened to my father. One that we can build on.”
“That’s good. I understand how it feels to have unanswered questions gnawing at you and I keep praying that someday the truth about your father’s death will come to light. Ray’s secret didn’t stay buried forever. Neither will Joel’s.”
His brown eyes glowed down at her as he cupped his hand to the side of her face. “Before I met you, my darling Tessa, I was driven to find the answers to Dad’s death. I believed it would be impossible for me to be truly content until I solved the mystery and got the justice he deserved. But now, with you in my life and our baby on the way, I realize how wrong that thinking was. I am happy and contented. And I believe that’s the way Dad would want me to be.”
Her heart swelled with love and pride. “I’m glad. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to put the case to rest, does it?”
“Of course not. It just means I’m always going to put you and our children first. If the questions about Dad’s death are meant to be answered, then it will happen. Just like it happened with you and Ray.”
“Hmm. Sometimes I wonder if Ray carried clues about your father to his grave—more than those he shared with you. Obviously he was a man who could keep secrets.”
“And his best-kept secret is now my wife,” Joseph shrewdly replied.
Down the hallway, Vivian poked her head around the open doorway leading into the dining room. “Hey, you two! Get in here! Mother is ready to make a toast. And the prime rib is getting cold.”
“We’ll be right there,” he called to his sister.
Then, with a hand at Tessa’s back, he nudged her forward. “Prime rib? I thought we were having chicken.”
Unable to contain her laughter, Tessa looked up at him. “Oh, Joseph, you’ve grown into a wonderful husband, but I don’t think you’d better call yourself a detective just yet.”
Laughing with her, he urged her on toward the dining room. “Come on. Let’s not keep the family waiting.”
The family. Yes, the Hollisters were her family now, Tessa thought happily. Like Joseph had so lovingly stated, Ray’s gift would keep on giving for the rest of their lives.
* * * * *
Look for Stella Bagwell’s next book in the MEN OF THE WEST miniseries,
Blake Hollister’s story,
HER MAN ON THREE RIVERS RANCH
coming in April 2018!
And to learn more about Tessa’s friends in Nevada, check out previous books in the series:
HER KIND OF DOCTOR
THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS LULLABY
HIS BADGE, HER BABY...THEIR FAMILY?
Available now from Harlequin Special Edition!
Keep reading for an excerpt from JUST WHAT THE COWBOY NEEDED by Teresa Southwick.
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Just What the Cowboy Needed
by Teresa Southwick
Chapter One
Grace Flynn’s heart actually skipped a beat, and she’d always thought that happened only in romance novels.
Logan Hunt stood in the doorway of his house, and her worst fears came true. Her first impression was officially correct. He wasn’t a troll and that was not good news.
“Hello, Grace. Nice to see you again.”
“Nice to see you, too.” And that was the absolute truth, darn it.
She’d hoped her attraction to the rancher was an interview thing that would magically disappear on her first day in his employ. Well, she’d just arrived for work and her reaction was even stronger than the last time. Burying her head in the sand wasn’t an option. She had to face the fact that she would be living in his house and taking care of his five-year-old daughter for the next eight weeks. This strong response to the man meant the job would be more difficult and complicated than it should be.
On the bright side, and it could just be her stereotyping, men as handsome as this one were usually jerks. The kind who would string a woman along, hint at a future and a family while letting her pour her heart, soul and savings into him and his house, then decide he didn’t love her after all. That jerk had used her and stomped on her heart, but being the fool who fell for a pretty face was on her.
“Are you all right, Grace?”
“Yes, fine.” She didn’t sound breathless, did she? Oh, please no.
Call her pessimistic and cynical, but it wasn’t a matter of if Logan would live up to the stereotype, but when. She hoped his inner jerk would come out soon so her heart would stop hammering like a drum at a Fourth of July parade.
“Are you sure?” He was giving her a funny look while standing in the doorway.
Not so much standing as filling it, she thought. He was very tall and boyish looking with his brown hair and blue eyes. Although there was an intensity in those eyes that was all man.
“I’m fine, really. It was a long drive from Buckskin Pass.”
“I’ve been there. Pretty town.”
“I like it.”
“Please, come in.”
“Thanks.” She was clutching the handle of her wheeled suitcase and started to roll it inside.
“Let me get that for you.”
His fingers touched hers and she felt like a cartoon character whose heart beat so hard and fast you could see the outline of it jumping out of her chest. “Thank you.”
“Do you have more in the car?”
“Of course. Packing a lot of stuff is what we do. Women, I mean. I’m a woman.”
“Yeah. I noticed.” When his gaze met hers, his polite cowboy manner slipped a little. It was the way a man looks at a woman when he likes what he sees, giving her a glimpse of something earthy and primal. And exciting.
That moment of chemistry touched a core of femininity and expectation simmering inside her. Wow. From September to June she was a kindergarten teacher at Buckskin Pass Elementary School. Without a doubt she could say she had never exchanged a hot look like that with her boss, the principal. But her boss for the summer was a different story.
Grace needed to say something to... What? Break the ice? She was so hot right now, there was no way anything in her immediate perimeter could freeze.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Cassie again. Where is your adorable daughter?”
“She’s with her mom doing wedding errands. Tracy will drop her off when they’re finished.”
“Okay.”
Grace had met his ex and liked her a lot. Tracy mentioned that she and Logan had never married, but shared custody of their daughter, although he had her only on weekends. But she was tying the knot and taking an extended honeymoon, so he was keeping their little girl here at the ranch. Since he had to work and needed child care, Grace had been hired to look after her. It would be interesting to know why Logan and Tracy had never married. Why the two of them, who had created a child together and seemed to get along perfectly, hadn’t worked out romantically.
“Follow me. I’ll show you where you’ll be bunking.”
The statement was so macho cowboy, she could practically hear the creak of saddle leather and the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. Or was that just her heart again?
This was the first time she’d seen his house. They’d met in downtown Blackwater Lake at the Grizzly Bear Diner for the interview. So far she liked what she saw. They were standing in the small entryway just inside the front door. There was a living room to the right, dining on the left. Wood furniture looked like well-loved antiques, while the sofa, love seat, chair and ottoman were contemporary, compatible and homey. Somehow it all worked but wasn’t what she’d expected from the handsome rancher.
Grace followed him up the stairs. “So, Logan, I checked you out—”
“Oh?” He glanced over his shoulder, but his face gave nothing away.
She couldn’t tell whether or not that bothered him. “It’s the smart thing to do. I’ll be living in your house for eight weeks.”
“And looking after my daughter,” he reminded her.
“The thing is that yo
u had me checked out, right? I’d expect nothing less from her father.”
“Of course I did.”
“So it works both ways.” Grace was watching for signs that his inner jerk was scratching to be let out. “Can you blame me?”
“Nope.” He reached the top of the stairs, then turned right.
“Don’t you want to know what I found out?”
He glanced over his shoulder again and appeared amused about something. “As it happens, I know all about me.”
Cute, she thought. Actually, he was very cute when he let down his guard a little. She would really like to see what he looked like when he laughed.
“That was more of a conversation starter. Because I found out that this land has been in your family for four generations.”
That boggled her mind. He could easily trace his ancestry back to his great-great-grandparents. She, on the other hand, didn’t even know who her parents were. That’s what happened when shortly after birth you were wrapped in a towel and left at a fire station. Logan had an impressive family tree; she had nothing but question marks.
“I’m aware of that,” he finally said.
She was staring at his broad back and wide shoulders and swore it wasn’t her imagination that he tensed up. “Happily, nothing bad popped up in the background check I did.”
“Good to know.”
“And Cassie’s mother vouched for you when I interviewed with her.”
“What if Tracy was lying?”
“She wasn’t.”
He stopped in front of a bedroom. “How do you know?”
“I just do.”
“You’re a good judge of people?”
“Yes.” Mostly. Her biggest lapse in judgment was with Lance the Loser.
Everyone was entitled to one monster of a mistake, right? She’d been a kid in the foster care system and had to move from place to place. Growing up, she’d dreamed of having a house of her very own. She’d worked really hard and saved to do that, then lost it on Lance. That’s what happened when a girl took a man at his word but got nothing in writing to protect herself.
The Arizona Lawman Page 19