Gambling On a Heart

by Sara Walter Ellwood

  “Finally.” The irritation in Dawn’s voice poked at Zack’s sense of responsibility. “Nice of you to call me back, Sheriff Cartwright.”

  “Somehow my phone was turned off.” He watched the flat landscape speed by. There was no somehow about it; he’d turned it off right before entering the house with newly purchased condoms in hand.

  He drove back to town like a wild man. Not exactly speeding, but he definitely pushed the envelope, just as he had with the trip to and from Hamilton. Not only had he missed Dawn’s calls, but the daycare closed in five minutes. How could he have been so carried away he’d completely lost track of time?

  Had he actually made love with Tracy three times in five hours? The last time had been hot and slick in the shower, which was why they both were now racing to town to pick up their children. Tracy’d run out first, her hair still damp and her lips swollen from his kisses.

  He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. Dear God, one look at her and everyone in town would know exactly what she’d done with her afternoon off. Maybe that wasn’t such a shocker regarding Tracy. But it wouldn’t take a genius to add up the tally. Zack Cartwright never took a day off no matter how many hours he spent at the job, and he never turned off his cell phone.

  Something about his assumption about what people thought of Tracy bothered him. She hadn’t acted like a woman who routinely had wild, steamy sex in the middle of the afternoon. She’d been shy and nervous until he’d aroused her beyond nervousness. If he hadn’t known better, he’d bet she hadn’t had sex in a very long time.

  Dawn’s voice jerked him out of his ponderings. “You may want to check your messages a little more frequently.”

  Annoyed with her as much as with himself, he tightened his hold on the phone. “What the hell is so important, Madison?”

  Huffing, she smoothed her feathers. “My team just finished combing the area, and I found some evidence, Zack. Blood on a mesquite branch, and a few drops near the first set of truck tires. I don’t know how we missed them until now. I’ve sent it off to be analyzed. The Texas Ranger may have also found a witness.”

  “That’s the best damn news I’ve heard in a while.” Zack slowed as he passed the first clump of houses leading into town where the speed limit took a drastic drop from forty-five to twenty-five. The classic small town speed trap.

  “I’ve called everyone in who’s involved with the case. Hope you don’t mind, boss,” she added a beat too late.

  He smiled and turned on the right signal. “Pat yourself on the back. You saved me from giving the order.”

  She laughed. “So, when can I expect you to show up?”

  He turned on to Main Street as the light changed from green to yellow, and cringed as a car full of teenagers, who had stopped in the opposing lane, saw him coming toward the light without slowing and watched him go through the caution signal.

  “I’m on my way to pick up Mandy. The daycare closes in...” He glanced at the clock on the dash. “In two minutes. I’ll be in as soon as I figure out what to do with her.”

  He parked along the empty curb. Damn, Mandy was the last to be picked up, which meant Beth was the only adult around. “Dawn, I gotta go. I’ll be at the office within the hour.”

  Disconnecting the call, he reached for the door handle and wondered where Mandy could stay for the evening. His parents and uncle and aunt had gone to Dallas for some charity function. He thought about calling Audrey, but quickly squashed that idea. Lance’s comment about Mandy’s care still irked him. And he never called Amy Jackson when an all-nighter was in the cards, especially on a school night.

  Not for the first time, he thought about how much easier things would be if he hired a nanny or a housekeeper. And quickly threw out that idea, too. The last thing he wanted was a nanny raising his daughter.

  So, pawning her off to whoever is available is better?

  Pulling open the door to the daycare, he gritted his teeth at the answer.

  He hated his conscience sometimes.

  “Daddy!” Mandy squealed and made a running leap toward him. He kneeled to catch her and wrapped his arms around her. “Where were you? I was getting worried. Miz Beth said you didn’t call. You always call when you’re late.”

  The very real concern in her voice tugged at something deep within him. Mandy wasn’t a baby anymore. She understood that, despite the lack of rabid crime in the county, her father’s life was in danger every time he strapped on his gun and pinned on his star. He pulled her against him for a moment, closed his eyes and murmured close to her ear, “I’m sorry, baby girl. Did you have a good day?”

  She stepped away and nodded. “Today was fun. We went on the fieldtrip to the museum in Dallas, remember?”

  “Yeah, I remember.” Vaguely. He remembered signing a permission slip among the pile of papers she’d received her first day of school. He’d forgotten the trip was today. “Well, go get your bag and let’s get going.”

  Watching her scamper off, he became aware of the woman standing before the reception desk. He looked over at her and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Beth, I should’ve called.”

  The youngest daughter of Aida Mae Pratt, Beth was twenty-nine and had been close to marriage twice, but had been dumped by the prospective grooms only days before both ceremonies. She’d moved back to Colton three years ago and opened Little People Daycare and Preschool. She lived in the remodeled carriage house behind the old house, which she’d converted into her daycare. Taking a page from her mother’s book, she’d redone the upstairs into two apartments and rented them to college kids during the school year, offsetting her loss of income when the kids went back to school. The short blonde smiled. “No problem. I heard about those rustlers hitting up your place. I’m sorry. Hope you soon catch them.”

  “We will.” He glanced back to the hall down which Mandy had disappeared.

  “I know you will.” Beth shifted and took a deep breath, pushing out her sizable chest.

  Inwardly, he groaned. She was going to ask him out again. Beth had been asking him to come with her to picnics and street fairs for the past six months. It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive; he did. But she wasn’t his type. Besides, Logan had dated her in high school. She was Logan’s type–blond, bubbly, big breasts. He and Logan had never fought over women because they had completely different tastes, and they’d never dated each other’s castoffs even when the lines between types became blurred.

  At last, she must have found her gumption and said with a bright, inviting smile, “I was wondering if you and Mandy would like to come with me to a barbeque after the roundup at my brother’s place on Saturday.”

  Her blue eyes brightened with hope, and he hated turning her down. But he despised the idea of getting tangled up with Beth Pratt even more. He pasted on a smile. “I’m sorry, Beth. I can’t.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. Maybe next time.” She clasped her hands in front of her.

  He glanced toward the back room, hoped Mandy didn’t return at that moment, and cleared his throat of the sudden lump. “I’m seeing someone.”

  “Ah, yes, I heard about you and Tracy Parker. Momma mentioned you came into her salon this morning.”

  “We had lunch together,” he lied. He knew Aida Mae would have told everyone she knew about him being at Tracy’s salon. Not exactly the way he wanted it to come out, especially since he’d been turning Beth down for six months straight. She deserved an honest answer as to why he didn’t want her.

  Why was that, anyway? If any woman would do, Beth was more than willing. Despite the daycare and the respectability she had now, Beth Pratt had been wild in her younger days. Even he didn’t buy the bullshit about her and Logan going at it like two dogs in heat way back when being the reason either. He remembered the afternoon with Tracy naked in his bed and a hot knot formed deep in the pit of his stomach.

  “Daddy, I’m ready.”

  Amanda’s voice drew him out of his contemplations.
/>   “Okay, let’s go. Tell Miz Beth thank you.” He smiled apologetically at Beth.

  Mandy took hold of his hand. “Thanks for staying late and watching me.”

  Beth’s smile appeared stiff. “That’s okay. Have a good night, y’all.”

  “You too.” He tipped his hat and turned to leave.

  He buckled them both into the truck, climbed in behind the wheel, and looked over his shoulder at Mandy, dreading the whole time what he had to say to her. “I have to work tonight, baby girl. I’m hoping Josie can take care of you.” His parents’ old housekeeper loved having Mandy around, but she was pushing seventy-five and had bad arthritis.

  Mandy’s face fell. “But you were working all day and all last night. I thought you said we’d have your special tacos for dinner and ice cream later.”

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, put the truck into gear, and moved away from the curb. “I wasn’t at the office this afternoon. I had something I needed to do. But I have to go in tonight. We might know who stole our horses.”

  “Oh. That’s good.” Mandy loved horses and had cried Saturday morning when she found out about the theft.

  When he was almost at the intersection, he pulled out his phone to call Josie, praying she could keep Mandy that night.

  “Daddy, can I stay with Miz Tracy tonight?”

  Mandy’s question stopped him from pressing the connect button.

  “Miz Josie always smells funny.” She wrinkled her nose.

  Addicted to Ben Gay, Josie loved to use the stuff on her arthritic joints. He remembered her smelling of it even when he was a boy. But letting Mandy stay with Tracy seemed unfair to Mandy. He knew she was bonding with the woman, but despite what he’d promised Tracy that morning, he had no intention of allowing Mandy with her for long periods of time. He trusted Tracy with his daughter; however, Mandy would suffer when they called it quits once the lust burned out. He had to protect his baby’s fragile heart. It was only now whole again from her mother’s death.

  “Please, Daddy. I know she’s at Bobby’s football practice. Call her.”

  “Okay,” he thrust out, drawing the word from somewhere around his ankles. “I’ll call her.”

  Five minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot of a McDonald’s by the mall where Tracy had taken Bobby for a quick dinner. Mandy’s face lit up when she noticed Tracy waiting for them on the sidewalk. Tracy had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and the wild-afternoon-sex glow had dimmed. When their eyes connected, he felt the familiar pull of the woman he vowed he’d never let get to him.

  How the hell had his life suddenly become so complicated?

  * * * *

  Bobby ran off with the rest of his team, and Tracy smiled down at the little girl beside her. “So, did you want to stay here and watch a bunch of boys beat up on each other or would you like to go over to my shop and we’ll play?”

  The big smile on Mandy’s small face touched Tracy’s heart. The love she felt blooming for the little girl was a dangerous thing. When Zack finally got tired of her, Tracy would suffer doubly.

  “Let’s go to your shop!”

  “Let me tell Coach Parker I’ll return to get Bobby after practice.”

  Mandy nodded and took Tracy’s hand. Jake watched her approach with his arms crossed over his Junior Cowboys white and blue t-shirt.

  They stopped before him, and Tracy said, “I’ll pick Bobby up after practice.”

  Jake studied Amanda, and she tucked in closer to Tracy’s side. He gave her a smile, but Tracy saw it for what it was. His eyes gleamed with resentment. “My, you are a pretty little girl. You must have gotten your looks from your momma.”

  Nice, jerk. Two for one. Hurt me and her with one seemingly innocent off-handed compliment. Tracy unlocked her teeth. “I’ll see you later.”

  Before she could turn, Jake unfolded his arms, and Tracy noticed a gauze bandage on his hand. He put the hand against his thigh. “I know you switched lawyers.”

  She narrowed her eyes on him. “I’m not talking about this now, Jake.”

  “Fine. But don’t think it will change anything. Your million-dollar lawyer isn’t changing my mind. Or are you just screwing him?”

  Before Tracy could wrap her mind around a suitable PG-rated retort, Mandy asked, “What did you do to your hand?”

  Jake jerked his attention to Mandy and fisted the hand around the bandage. “I cut it working. Unlike you Cartwrights and Quinns, some of us actually have to work.”

  He walked away, leaving Tracy fuming.

  “C’mon, Mandy, let’s go.”

  They were almost to the car when Mandy said, “He’s not really a nice man.”

  Tracy glanced down at the girl and smiled, awed by her insight. “No, he’s not. And I have a rule.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We don’t talk about grouchy people.” She opened up the backdoor of her Taurus.

  Zack had made sure Mandy’s booster seat had been installed correctly before he headed off to the sheriff’s department. She’d talked him into having a fast food dinner with her and the kids before he ran off. They hadn’t had lunch and she assumed he wouldn’t get a chance to eat supper if he didn’t eat before he walked into the office. They wolfed down their Big Macs, chicken nuggets, and french fries, then went their separate ways. The whole time, Tracy envisioned being married to Zack, them raising Bobby and Mandy, and maybe someday having a few together.

  Dreams like that were going to make it even harder when he cut her loose.

  “That’s a good rule.” Mandy climbed into her seat and buckled the belt across her. “Let’s go fix my hair.”

  Tracy pulled into her spot next the Dumpster behind the shop. She helped Mandy out of the car and unlocking the door, and they entered into the back of the building. Flipping on the lights in the hall and her office, she dropped her keys and hobo purse on the desk, and tried to figure out what she and Mandy could do for the hour of Bobby’s practice.

  She’d asked Zack at the restaurant while the kids raced each other to the trashcan if he minded her trimming Mandy’s hair.

  “You’re not going to cut it short, are you?” he asked as they followed the kids out the glass doors. “Mom threatened to cut it short a couple of times.”

  Tracy shook her head. “No, I won’t give her a dreaded bowl cut or make her look like a boy. Just a little shorter. Cut all those uneven ends off. She hasn’t had a cut in a long time.”

  Zack looked at Mandy and pursed his lips. “I can’t remember ever getting her hair cut. I guess I never gave it a thought, and I wouldn’t let Mom take her because I didn’t want her hair to be short. Mandy was bald when she was born, and it took forever for her hair to grow. I’m not sure if Lisa had ever had it trimmed either. She’d always dreamed of the day when Mandy’s hair would be long enough to do something with, as she put it.” He shrugged and added, “I think that’s why I keep it long. Because that’s what Lisa would have wanted.”

  For a long moment, she thought he was going to tell her to mind her own business and to let his daughter’s hair alone.

  “Okay.” A slow smile touched his luscious mouth. “Surprise me. Aunt Winnie calls you an artist. Show me your stuff.”

  Tracy had groaned at the reference to his imperious aunt, but inside she was thrilled. She’d seen the play of doubt on his face. Had he been wondering what Lisa would have done?

  “Miz Tracy?” Mandy’s voice jarred her out of the reverie.

  Tracy smiled at Mandy’s wide-eyed wonder as she looked around the small office. “Come on.” Tracy held out her hand. “Your daddy gave me permission to give you a trim.”

  “You mean cut my hair?” The trepidation in the little girl’s voice didn’t surprise Tracy. Most kids were afraid of their first haircuts. However, usually little girls were easier to reason with than boys, simply because they were often older than boys when they received their first ride in her chair.

  Tracy kneeled down before her,
took both of Mandy’s hands, and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll only do what you want me to, Mandy. If you’re afraid of getting your hair cut, then we won’t do it. But I think it would be a good thing to have done for school. Maybe give you some bangs.” Tracy gently pushed flyaway hairs out of Mandy’s eyes. “That way you wouldn’t always have to wear your hair in ponytails or in barrettes.”

  Her eyes brightened, and she reached out and gently touched Tracy’s bangs. “You mean like you have?”

  “Yep. In fact, that was the reason I cut my hair. I was getting annoyed at it always being in my face.”

  “Alright,” Mandy chirped after careful consideration.

  Tracy led the girl to the styling chair before a workstation and a large gilt-framed mirror. She got her settled on a booster chair, removed the elastic band holding Mandy’s long, black locks, and picked up a brush.

  As she began to gently stroke it through the silky strands, Mandy said, “I think Daddy likes you.”

  Tracy paused in her brushing and met the girl’s gaze through her reflection. “Do you think so?”

  “Yeah, he looks at your picture a lot.”

  He had a picture of her?

  “Really?” She managed to get out of her constricting throat.

  “Uh-uh. It’s a picture from before he and Momma were together.”

  Of course it was, but what was Zack doing looking at a picture of her?

  “Miz Tracy?” Mandy turned her head. “Do you like my daddy?”

  Tracy swallowed hard and began to brush the girl’s hair again. “Do you think I don’t like your daddy?”

  “No, not that.” Mandy looked into the mirror again, watching.

  Tracy sectioned off some of Mandy’s hair and clipped back the excess.

  “I wish you could be my new momma.”

  The little girl’s words almost brought Tracy to her knees.

  She stared at the deep blue eyes of the daughter of a woman she had never met, had never wanted to meet, and at times had even despised, but in that heart-wrenching moment, she wished she’d known Lisa Cartwright. If Mandy was truly similar in personality to her mother, no wonder Zack had fallen so far so fast for her.