Hot Target Cowboy

by June Faver

  When he pulled up close to the bend in the creek, Misty looked happier than he had seen her since Joe’s death. Her eyes were sparkling, and her cheeks had a tinge of pink.

  “This is just beautiful,” she enthused.

  “I thought I would share one of my favorite places on the ranch with you. It’s a great fishing spot too.”

  “Really? I love to fish.” Her face clouded. “I haven’t been in a long time. My daddy used to take us.”

  “That must have been great fun. I come here often,” he said. “I’ll take you anytime you like.”

  She glanced at him shyly from under her long, dark lashes. “Colton, you’ve been so nice to me…to us. Kind, actually.” She gnawed her lower lip. “What I want to say is thank you. I don’t know how we’ll ever repay you.” She held the reins grasped in her hands on top of the saddle horn.

  “Don’t be silly. I don’t want your gratitude. I just want to help.” He reached out to place his hand on top of hers. “I know this is a tough time for you, but it will pass. Things will be better. I promise.”

  She lifted her gaze to meet his, her expression clearly stating she didn’t believe him. “I hope so.”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  She made a sound in the back of her throat. “Lots.”

  “For instance?” Colt asked encouragingly. “You can tell me anything.”

  “For instance, I don’t know what was going on with the ranch. I know Dad borrowed some money against it, but I don’t have any idea what’s going on with that. Daddy and Joe wouldn’t discuss it with me.”

  “I can take you to the bank, if you like. You have a right to know.”

  She heaved a sigh. “That would be great, if you have time. I don’t want to take you away from your work.”

  “Not a problem.” He squeezed her hand. “What else?”

  She frowned, her finely arched brows drawing together. “The last thing Joe said to me.” She swallowed hard. “I think I might have gotten him killed.”

  Colt sat up straighter. “What? How could that be?”

  Misty shuddered. “I was afraid he was going to squander the money you paid for the horses. He had been drinking pretty hard the days before the sale. So I took the check and had Dad sign it over for deposit. I got to the bank early and made sure it was safely in the ranch account.” She pressed her lips together and seemed to curl in on herself.

  Colton stroked his hand over her hair. “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing to do.”

  “Yes, but when Joe found out, he was very angry. He said he needed the money or he might be killed. I thought he was just being dramatic, but now—”

  Colton frowned. That was worrisome. Could Joe have been involved in something shady that got him killed? “I think we should make a trip into town and talk to the sheriff.”

  * * *

  Misty enjoyed the ride with Colton. It had been a while since she had gotten on a horse just for the pure pleasure of it.

  The more she got to know Colt, the more she liked him. He was kind and compassionate. He was great-looking. And he seemed to truly care for her.

  At least she hoped so, because she was growing to care for him more and more each day.

  She was still anxious about the fate of the Dalton ranch and about Mark’s future. She hoped the upcoming trip into town with Colton would reveal that her fears were groundless.

  Somehow, she had fallen into the habit of talking freely to him and enjoying the luxury of having someone respond with solid advice.

  Misty pondered her current state. Suddenly, she was without a father and older brother. Her mom had died years before. There were no close relatives to help out, and she was pretty sure she couldn’t run the ranch all by herself while waiting for Mark to grow up and take over, even if the bank did not foreclose.

  All the while a question was screaming in her brain. Who killed my brother Joe, and why? A shiver snaked its way along her spine.

  She shook it off and climbed into Colton’s big silver diesel truck.

  He gave her a smile as he started the motor and shifted into gear.

  A warm feeling washed through her, leaving her with a tightness in her chest. Just being in his company was comforting…and more. The feelings that were growing were both thrilling and frightening.

  As it stood, she was grateful to Colton for so many things, especially for the interest he was taking in Mark. Every day when the school bus delivered him and the little girl, Gracie, a routine was developing.

  First there was a snack provided by Leah, and while Gracie did her homework, Mark headed out to the stable to begin his chores, most of which revolved around giving Sam some exercise and making sure the stable was clean. He saw to it the horses were fed and watered and that clean hay was in their stalls. He was thriving under Colton’s wing.

  She especially appreciated the way Colton took the time to recognize Mark’s accomplishments and praise him for them. This was a boy who had been only six years old when he lost his mother, the parent who had been generous with affection and positive comments.

  When they reached Langston, Colton pulled in at the bank and accompanied her inside. He asked to speak to the banker, Fred Hamilton.

  “He’ll be right with you, Mr. Garrett,” the teller assured them. Misty didn’t recall any time when the Daltons had been treated to such an immediate audience.

  Colton took her hand and ushered her into Mr. Hamilton’s private office.

  The bank president was standing when they entered. He extended his hand to Colton, a wide grin in place. “What can I do for you today, Mr. Garrett?”

  Colton gestured to Misty. “I believe the bank has had some dealings with Miss Dalton’s father, and now that he has passed away, she would like to know what sort of debt you have against the ranch.”

  Hamilton’s grin turned into a grimace. A muscle in his cheek twitched. His gaze flicked to Misty and settled again on Colton. “Let’s sit down, shall we?” He gestured to the two burgundy-leather chairs situated in front of his desk. He blinked and finally looked at Misty. “Well…well, due to your father’s terminal condition, we had held off on any procedures to collect the debt.”

  “What sort of procedures?” Misty asked.

  Hamilton swallowed. “Calling in the loan. That’s the next step.”

  Colton looked grim. “Mr. Hamilton, she would like to have a copy of the paperwork pertaining to this debt and what it would take to satisfy it.”

  “Oh, um…I can have that sent to her.” Hamilton’s face reddened.

  “We can wait.” Colton’s voice was cool. He held Hamilton in place with a steady gaze.

  “Well, yes…I can do that.” He pushed a button on his intercom and asked someone on the other end to bring the file on the Dalton property.

  Misty gripped her hands together. Her stomach was seized in a similar grip.

  Shortly, a young woman entered the office with a file and slid it onto the desk in front of Hamilton. He leafed through the papers.

  “Why don’t you just copy the entire file for us?” Colton suggested.

  Hamilton blinked and handed the file back to the young woman. “Certainly. Doris, make a copy of the file for Mr. Garrett.”

  “For Miss Dalton,” Colton corrected.

  “Um, yes. For Miss Dalton,” Hamilton said. While they waited for the copies, he tried to make small talk, asking about Big Jim and Colton’s brothers.

  In a relatively short time, Doris returned with the copies. She handed both the original and the copy to Hamilton who heaved a sigh before passing it over to Colton, who handed it to Misty. He stood and extended a hand to Mr. Hamilton, who immediately stood and shook with him.

  Misty left, feeling confused and not sure what had just happened, but she did understand the words “procedures” and “calling
in the loan.”

  * * *

  A kernel of rage simmered in Colton’s gut. He didn’t like Hamilton. At least, he didn’t after the meeting they had just held. Something shifty about the man. Something secretive that Hamilton doesn’t want discovered.

  Colt helped Misty into the truck and started it up. He didn’t want to share his misgivings just yet. “Are you hungry?”

  Wordlessly, she shook her head.

  “I suggest we have lunch and look over these papers. It won’t do you any good to get run down.” He drove to Tio’s Mexican Restaurant and asked for a corner table in the back.

  When they had ordered, he asked to see the paperwork the banker had so reluctantly given up. He noted that the ranch contained two sections of land at 640 acres each. It was a fair-sized ranch. Nothing to compare with the Garrett spread, but the Daltons should have been able to make a living on it. It appeared that the loan had been made only on the land and not on any of the livestock or equipment. He explained this to Misty, who nodded.

  “I guess that was why Joe was trying to sell off the stock.” She pressed her lips together.

  “I’ll see what can be done to stave off any further actions.” He gave her hand a squeeze and returned the papers to her.

  When their orders were served, Colton encouraged her to eat, although she only seemed to pick at the food.

  At one point, she raised her eyes to meet his. “Thank you so much, Colt. Everything looks hopeless, but at least I know what’s going on now. I really hated being kept in the dark.”

  He made a scoffing noise. “You can’t get discouraged. You have to keep a positive attitude.”

  “I’ll try.” She nodded and took a bite.

  Colt felt a warming sensation in his chest when he looked at her. He wanted to take her in his arms…he wanted to do so much more. At least he hoped to ensure that the surviving Dalton siblings were treated fairly.

  He figured that Hamilton had planned to foreclose on the property as soon as Misty’s father was in the ground.

  After they had eaten, Colton took Misty to the sheriff’s office. She appeared to be even more nervous. The sheriff came out to shake hands with Colton and to offer his condolences to Misty.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice betraying her discomfort.

  He escorted them back to his office, and when they were seated, Colton asked about Joe’s death. “Do you have any suspects, Sheriff?”

  The sheriff shook his head. “Early days yet. But don’t you worry, little lady. I have every confidence that we’ll be able to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

  “I brought Miss Dalton in today because she may have something worth following up on,” Colton said.

  The sheriff leaned forward, a look of concern on his face.

  With a little prodding, Misty related the story of Joe telling her he needed the money from the sale of the horses and that not having it might cost his life.

  The sheriff frowned. “We’ll look into it. Right now, there hasn’t been any indication of what might have led to the shooting. The coroner thinks the fatal shot was fired from the passenger side of a pickup truck, judging from the angle of entry. Not a pleasant subject to discuss, but there it is.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “Might be a case of road rage.”

  Colton scowled. “Almost everyone around here drives a pickup. There might be a second car for a family, but there’s always at least one pickup.”

  The sheriff nodded. “Sounds about right. We’ll be looking for anyone who might know of some reason young Dalton needed money.”

  Colton rose and shook the sheriff’s hand. “Thank you, sir. We appreciate you keeping us in the loop.”

  “Am I to understand that Miss Dalton will be staying at the Garrett ranch?” the sheriff asked.

  Colton glanced at Misty. “Yes, at least for now. With her brother being murdered, I don’t want to put her in danger as well. When you’ve caught the killer, she will be able to return to her ranch.”

  He turned to leave, noting the strained expression on her face. This was just too hard for her to contend with. Maybe, after a little time has passed, things will be different. Maybe then she’ll be able to see what we have between us.

  * * *

  The funeral took place on Friday. The preacher said nice things about both men, and Glenda McAbee sang several moving hymns, hitting all the high notes with her clear, sweet tones.

  Misty sat in the front pew, with Colton and Mark on either side of her. She held hands with both of them.

  The entire town seemed to be crammed into the church. There was standing room only, with a group of her father’s old cronies huddled together, leaning against the wall.

  Most of Joe’s classmates were there, including a girl who had dated him for a while, but she was there with her husband. It appeared she had moved on.

  At the end of the service, when Colt escorted Misty from the church, she glanced up to notice that Joe’s three running buddies were also in attendance. Eddie, Stan, and Ron were sitting together on the last pew. They stared at her solemnly. Surprisingly, they showed up at the cemetery as well.

  A pop-up canopy had been erected at graveside with a few folding chairs underneath. Misty sat beside Rosa Hernandez, who wept quietly into a tissue, Paco standing behind her. Likewise, Colton had taken his place behind Misty, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder and Mark standing beside him. She thought it was a good sign that her little brother was taking his cues from Colton. At least he finally had a great role model to use as a pattern.

  The pastor said a few more words as she sat beside Rosa on the stiff chairs. Although Rosa’s tears continued to roll down her cheeks, it seemed that Misty was all cried out. Her eyes felt puffy and gritty. Maybe she had dried up. Perhaps worry had taken the place of grief, or at least nudged it out of the way for the moment.

  When the caskets had been lowered into the ground, Colton gathered his charges and shuttled them back to their temporary haven.

  All the church ladies brought food out to the Garrett ranch.

  People came to pay their respects to the two surviving children, but Misty detected some kind of underlying energy. She thought it might have to do with the precarious financial status of their ranch.

  She felt as though she was surrounded by scavengers and she was merely some piece of carrion. She didn’t know what they expected to gain. The bank held the lien on the ranch. Nothing she could do about that. No bones for the predators to pick.

  While the visitors were chatting among themselves, Misty sat in the kitchen, talking to Leah. She learned that before Leah married Tyler, she had held a job with the lawyer in Langston and that Leah was willing to take her in to talk to him. To Leah’s knowledge, he hadn’t replaced her yet, and she went in occasionally to help keep his filing in order.

  “Monday I’ll take you to see Mr. Ryan,” Leah promised. “He’s a very nice man, and he just needs someone with a few organizational skills and the ability to type.”

  “I—I can do that.” She considered the two years of undergraduate work under her belt. She hoped it would lead to a degree in library science. “I would appreciate it if you can help me get hired.”

  If Misty could get a job quickly, she would be able to at least provide for her little brother. Maybe they could find an apartment to rent in town. She heaved a sigh. It seemed life would go on, just in greatly reduced circumstances. They couldn’t continue to live off the charity of the Garretts, and it appeared their previous home was about to be jerked out from under the Dalton heirs.

  She hoped the new owner would allow Rosa and Paco to stay on at the ranch. Surely their help would be needed, and Paco knew every blade of grass on the land.

  A wave of sorrow racked her body. It’s just not fair. She shook it off, consciously replacing her grief with fortitude. I must be strong…for Mark…f
or me.

  She had always thought the land would be there, a part of her family, something to hand down to her future children. A mantle of sadness wrapped around her, heavy like a shroud.

  Misty gazed out the sliding glass door opening onto an enclosed patio. A profusion of purple bougainvillea and yellow esperanza flourished in the space. Chairs were collected around a large table under a gazebo-type structure. She envisioned festive Garrett family gatherings held there.

  Colton came up behind her. His big hands settled gently on her shoulders. “How are you holding up?”

  She leaned back, and he pulled her against his chest. “I’m holding up.”

  “People are leaving. Come say goodbye, and it will soon be over.”

  She nodded and followed him to the front room. Shaking hands with the guests, she tried to smile and accept their condolences without breaking into tears.

  Mark stood beside her, looking grim. How difficult this must be from his perspective.

  Colton took a stance beside her, his hand on her shoulder. He shook hands with the departing guests and managed to say the right words when hers failed.

  When they had closed the door on the last guest, Colton pulled her close and brushed a kiss against her temple. “Well, that’s done. Now you can start putting your life back together.”

  She gazed up at him. Something she saw in his eyes made her shiver. An intense hunger reached out to her.

  “Are you cold?” he asked. “I can get you a jacket.”

  “I’m okay.” She patted his hand before moving away. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for us, Colt. I just don’t feel right imposing much longer. We’ll try to get out of your way as soon as possible.”

  Big arms surrounded her. “Hush, now. You aren’t imposing.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “I love having you here.” His voice grew husky.

  “You’re very kind, but I know we’ve overstayed our welcome.” She turned to gaze up at him. “We could go back to the ranch until the foreclosure is final. I have to find a place for Paco and Rosa Hernandez. They’ve lived on the ranch since before I was born. I feel so bad for them.”