Her Cowboy Distraction

by Carla Cassidy

  Courtney nodded and then lifted her chin. “But, I’m so over it. I’m so over him. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”

  An hour later Lizzy was still awake in the darkened room. She could hear the sound of Courtney’s breathing, soft and rhythmic in sleep, but no matter how hard Lizzy tried to fall asleep, it just wasn’t happening.

  Her mind was still too filled with the day’s events, with thoughts of Candy and murder, and Mary trying to hold everyone together. She stared up at the dark ceiling as she thought of what Courtney had told her about Garrett’s father.

  It was amazing how a single incident in a life could have such a rippling effect for so many people. The accident that had claimed Daniel’s wife and her best friend had not only broken Daniel but had also apparently affected Courtney, as well. And it would continue on with Garrett, who might never know his father unless something happened to change that.

  Every action had a reaction and people touched other people’s lives in unexpected and unforeseen ways. When she left Grady Gulch she would take a piece of the handsome, sad cowboy named Daniel with her, and she wondered if her brief sojourn into his life would leave them better or worse than they’d been before she’d arrived in town.

  It was almost ten when Lizzy awoke the next morning, surprised to find herself alone in the cabin. A note next to her on the bed let her know that Courtney had gotten up early and she and her son had gone to their own cabin and she’d be back later to get the playpen when she was sure Lizzy was awake.

  Lizzy got out of the sofa bed and headed for the bathroom, eager to get showered and dressed and head into the café. She wanted to know the latest on Candy’s murder. Hopefully the news was that the murderer was behind bars.

  Half an hour later as she made the walk from the cabin to the back door of the café, she wondered if she’d see Daniel today. There was really no reason to believe that she would. The only reason he’d come in the day before was because he hadn’t known who the victim had been. There was no reason to believe she’d see him before tomorrow night when he made his usual Friday night trip.

  As she walked into the kitchen she saw Rusty Albright manning the grill. He cast her a quick, sympathetic glance. “Morning, Lizzy.”

  “Good morning, Rusty. What’s the news?” Lizzy asked.

  “There isn’t much,” he replied. He flipped a couple of pancakes over and then turned to look at her. “Sheriff hasn’t been in this morning, although I heard from the grapevine that the only suspect on his list at the moment is Candy’s boyfriend.” His blue eyes grew dark. “I just wish I would have heard something, could have somehow helped Candy. I was right there in that cabin and slept through that poor girl’s death.” He shook his head and turned back to face the grill.

  It was the longest conversation Lizzy had ever had with the man, but she knew exactly how he felt. She felt the same way. “I’ll talk to you later, Rusty,” she said just before she left the kitchen and stepped into the dining area.

  She slid onto a stool at the counter and smiled at her boss, who set a cup in front of Lizzy and then filled it with coffee. “Thanks,” Lizzy said. “Any news?”

  Mary shook her head. “Nothing worth reporting.” Mary looked around the buzzing café. “We’ve been busier than usual this morning and there’s been a lot of rumors flying around, but that’s all they are.”

  “You need me to suit up now instead of waiting until two?” Lizzy asked. “I don’t have any plans for the day.”

  Mary gave her a grateful smile. “If you don’t mind, that would be great, and then maybe I can let you off early this evening.”

  As Lizzy went back to her cabin to change into her Cowboy Café T-shirt to work, she told herself that the only reason she was sticking around for a while longer in Grady Gulch was because Mary needed her. It had nothing to do with Daniel Jefferson, nothing to do with him at all.

  For the next several hours Lizzy had no time to think of anything or anyone but serving the customers who came in for the lunch rush.

  It was just after four in the afternoon when the Benson brothers came in and slid into a booth in the section where Lizzy was working.

  “Hi, Sam…Adam.” She greeted the two handsome men with a smile and tried not to think about the fact that the brothers had a little nephew they didn’t even know existed.

  “Hey, Lizzy,” Sam replied with a smile. “I hope you’re doing better today than yesterday.”

  “A little,” she replied. “Although I’d be doing better if I knew somebody was in jail for Candy’s murder.”

  “We’d all feel better if that was the case,” Adam said.

  “What can I get for the two of you?” Lizzy asked.

  She’d just finished taking their orders when she looked up and saw that Daniel had entered the café. Instantly Lizzy’s heart stepped up its rhythm.

  She placed the order at the pass window and then walked back to where Daniel had slid into one of the booths in her section. “You’re making this place quite a habit,” she said in greeting.

  He smiled at her. “I could have worse habits.”

  The warmth that his smile sent through her gave her both a thrill and a warning. She couldn’t get mired in the warmth of that smile, in the very charm of him and the growing feelings she had for him. “What can I get for you?”

  “Pot roast the special tonight?” he asked. “And do you have time to take a break and eat some with me?”

  Currently there was a small lull in the café traffic, and Lizzy had a feeling if she was going to get a break in before the dinner rush it had better be soon. “I’ll check with Mary. Anything to drink?”

  “Iced tea.”

  Fifteen minutes later, with the rest of her customers momentarily taken care of and with two pot roast specials in her hands, she went back to his booth. She served him and then slid into the booth, across from him.

  “How did you sleep?” he asked. “You look tired,” he added before giving her an opportunity to reply. His gaze was intent on her face, creating a hot pool of desire in her stomach as she threatened to fall into the beautiful gray depths of his eyes.

  Her mind exploded with the memory of being in his arms the day before, of feeling his heart beating strong and steady against her own, the very scent of him both an intoxicant and a soothing balm.

  Before he’d shown up the day before and she’d thrown herself in his arms, she’d felt hauntingly alone, with only the visions of Candy to keep her company. His presence had banished the horrid visions and his embrace had warmed all the cold areas inside her.

  “Lizzy?”

  Heat filled her cheeks as she snapped back to the here and now. “Oh, I slept fine,” she said after remembering what he’d just asked her. “Courtney and her baby stayed in my cabin with me. If I look tired it’s because I’ve been here working since a little before eleven today.”

  “Is Courtney staying with you again tonight?”

  Lizzy shook her head and picked up her fork. “No. Last night we were both a little freaked out by everything, but we’re both feeling better…stronger today.” She cut into the tender roast. “Talk to me about normal things, Daniel. Tell me about things at the ranch.” She’d heard about nothing but murder all day and was hungry for something else, something of Daniel’s world.

  “Molly told me to tell you hello,” he said as he picked up his fork.

  Lizzy gave him a rueful smile. “It seems like it’s been months since I took that ride with you, and it’s only been three days.” She shook her head and popped a piece of carrot into her mouth. “Tell me more.”

  “The sunrise was nice this morning. I drank my coffee on the back deck and watched it rise. It was peaceful.” He looked at her as if surprised. “It was the first time I’ve felt peaceful in a long time.” He leaned back in the booth and averted his gaze out the window. “Anyway, it wasn’t long and the chickens were squawking and morning had arrived and there were chores to be done.”

 
Lizzy gazed at him, noting the strength that radiated in his features, a solid capability that rode his broad shoulders. “I had a terrible time getting to sleep last night,” she said. His gaze swung back to meet hers. “And the one thing that finally made me fall asleep was thinking about that beautiful clearing you took me to. Thank you for that.”

  “You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat, and for the next few minutes they focused on their meals. As they ate they compared notes about the rumors each of them had heard throughout the day.

  “I’ve heard everything from a crazed psychotic drifter to her parents hired a hit man who was responsible for Candy’s death because she moved here,” Lizzy said.

  Daniel raised a dark eyebrow. “I hadn’t heard the parent theory.”

  “I’m hoping that particular rumor has a swift death,” Lizzy replied. “Can you imagine being a grieving parent and hearing nonsense like that?” She shook her head and looked up as a tall, beautiful blonde woman and a broad-shouldered, dark-eyed cowboy came toward their booth. Immediately Daniel’s shoulder stiffened and he sat up straighter in the seat.

  “Daniel.” The blonde nearly sneered his name. “Unusual to see you here on a Thursday evening,” she said.

  “The food is good here no matter what day of the week you eat it,” he replied.

  The woman’s gaze flicked over Lizzy as if she were a piece of lint that marred the beauty of an expensive black dress. She returned her gaze to Daniel. “I’d say it’s nice to see you, but you know better than that.” She turned to her tall male companion. “Come on, Denver. Let’s get out of here.” The couple headed toward the front door.

  “Wow, who was that?” Lizzy asked after the two had disappeared from sight.

  “The woman is Maddy Billings and her friend is Denver Walton.”

  “She doesn’t appear to be much of a fan of yours.” Lizzy saw the tension slowly releasing from his shoulders.

  “She isn’t. Maddy was close friends with Janice and Cherry,” he replied.

  Lizzy frowned. “So, why is she so mad at you?”

  He released a small sigh. “It’s a long story.”

  “You’re the second person to tell me that in the last twenty-four hours,” Lizzy said, thinking that Courtney had told her the same thing when talking about Nick Benson. “Doesn’t anyone have a short story to explain things?” she added in frustration.

  “The short story is that Maddy never wanted Janice to marry me and she blames me for Janice’s and Cherry’s deaths.” He shoved his plate aside, finished with the food and apparently finished with that particular conversation. “Since you came in early today, is Mary letting you off early?”

  As the bell over the door tinkled to announce new arrivals, Lizzy looked around the place and then shook her head. “It’s doubtful. Everyone in town seems to be making their way here to find out if anyone else has heard anything about the murder. I think the dinner rush is going to be massive, and we’ll probably stay busy until closing time.”

  “Maybe what you need in the morning is to get out of here and take another ride with me at my place. I could pick you up around nine and have you back here for your two o’clock shift.”

  She shouldn’t accept the offer. He was getting too far under her skin, too deep into her heart, and it would only make it more difficult when she left here, when she left him.

  “That sounds wonderful,” she said, despite all her misgivings to the contrary. She told herself that she didn’t have to worry about getting in too deep with Daniel. After all, it took two to tango, and Daniel was still emotionally dancing with his dead wife.

  He wasn’t offering her anything more than a horseback ride and friendship. The fact that she felt all kinds of crazy emotions and desires for him was her problem, and surely she could control herself where he was concerned until the time she left town.

  “Good, then I’ll pick you up around nine,” he replied. “Maybe we’ll have a picnic lunch in the clearing.”

  “That would be terrific.”

  The meal was finished and Lizzy knew it was time for her to get back to work, but she was reluctant to leave him. Get a grip, Lizzy, she thought to herself. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t going to see him again. She’d see him first thing in the morning.

  With a burst of adrenaline, she slid out of the booth and reminded herself she had a bucket list to complete and this was just a stop along the way. “Then I’ll see you in the morning,” she said briskly as she gathered their empty plates in her hands.

  By the time she’d taken the dishes into the kitchen and returned, Daniel was gone, and for the next two hours Lizzy worked a dinner rush busier than ever before.

  Lizzy saw several unfamiliar faces, men and women who probably rarely dined out or had never been in the café before. She figured they were probably there to get the latest facts about Candy’s murder. But, there were no facts to disseminate. Neither Cameron nor any of his deputies had made any appearances in the café all day long.

  It was just after nine when Cameron finally came through the door, the wear and tear of the day evident in the tired lines that creased his face.

  He flashed Lizzy a weary smile as he made his way to the counter, where Mary poured him a cup of coffee. Lizzy moved to join them, obviously eager to hear what the official news was from the lawman.

  “After everyone pounding the sidewalks all day long, interviewing everyone in this one-horse town, I still just have one potential suspect…Kevin,” Cameron said with obvious frustration.

  “Then why don’t you just arrest Kevin?” Lizzy asked.

  Cameron turned to look at her with tired eyes. “Because right now I don’t have any concrete evidence to do so. It’s all circumstantial at the moment. He has an alibi, and I don’t even have the murder weapon.”

  “So, what happens now?” Mary asked.

  “We keep digging. Sooner or later if Kevin is guilty, he’ll tell somebody what he did, or we’ll find the weapon or we’ll be able to destroy his alibi. It’s just a matter of time before we get a real break in the case.”

  “You look exhausted,” Mary said, and Lizzy saw the softness of her boss’s eyes as she gazed at him. Lizzy moved away from the counter, giving the two people time to speak alone.

  By nine-thirty the café had begun to clear out. Exhaustion weighed heavily on Lizzy’s shoulders, and for the first time since she’d been working at the café her feet hurt. For nearly eleven hours she’d been dashing to serve and clean up after the diners. It had definitely been a long day.

  Mary had offered to let her off an hour before, but Lizzy had insisted Mary send Courtney home early, knowing that Courtney still had to drive to her babysitter’s house to pick up her son before settling down for the night.

  The fear and the horror connected to Candy’s death had become more distant today. It was tragic. It was horrifying, but Lizzy truly believed the culprit was Kevin and it was just a matter of time before Cameron had the young man behind bars.

  It was just after ten when Lizzy finally stepped out of the back door of the café to head to her little cabin. The light she’d left on earlier served as a beacon to welcome her back to the comfort of her bed, and at the moment that’s all she was looking forward to—sleep.

  There were also lights in Courtney’s and Rusty’s cabins. Only Candy’s was dark, and Lizzy felt that sad, piercing darkness deep inside her soul.

  Even the night around her seemed darker than usual as she began the walk to her cabin. Candy had been so young. Death should never have been anywhere near her.

  Lizzy was halfway to her own cabin when she thought she heard something behind her, a faint pad of a footstep, a sense of movement that was out of place.

  Before she could turn around to check it out, an arm wrapped tight around her neck and she felt herself being pulled back against a hard, firm body.

  She had no chance to scream, no opportunity at all to even squeak in protest. The arm smashed against her windpipe, making it impo
ssible for her to release a scream or draw any air in.

  Panicked, she kicked backward to try to hit her attacker, tried to somehow twist away from the killing grip he had around her neck, a grip that was stealing the very last of her oxygen from her brain, causing a weakness to possess her.

  Who was doing this? her mind screamed. Why were they hurting her? As she thought of Candy’s murder, the terror inside her spiked to hysterical levels.

  “Leave town, bitch,” he whispered against her ear.

  She wanted to scream to him that leaving Grady Gulch was exactly what she intended to do. She needed to break his grip around her neck and explain that she had a bucket list to complete.

  But, there was nothing she could do… . Her body had taken on a bonelessness as dark shadows began to edge in around her thoughts. Oh, God, he was choking her to death, she thought wildly. She was going to die here. She’d be dead, just like Candy.

  The sound of a sharp female scream split the night, and for a brief moment Lizzy thought that she was making the noise, that she had finally found a breath of air to sound an alarm.

  But, as a scream came again, she realized it was Courtney. The pressure around Lizzy’s neck eased. “This is your warning. Get out of town, Lizzy,” the attacker snarled in her ear, and then suddenly he released his hold on her and shoved her forward.

  Lizzy crashed to the ground, her knees and arms taking the brunt of the fall. She was vaguely aware of footsteps running away from her, feet running toward her, but she remained unable to move except for drawing in deep gulps of sweet, desperately needed air.

  “He attacked her.” Courtney’s voice was hysterical. “I saw it. He had her around the neck.”

  “Lizzy, you all right?” It was Cameron’s deep voice that spoke. She managed to move her head in an affirmative way without opening her eyes. “Which way did he go, Courtney?”

  “He ran that way,” Courtney replied.

  There were more running footsteps, and then Mary crouched down next to Lizzy and placed a hand in the small of her back. Although Lizzy still had her eyes closed, she knew it was Mary by the soft scent of her familiar lilac-scented perfume.