Hot Target Cowboy

by June Faver

  Leah’s brow puckered in a frown. “But what about Joe? The killer is still out there. As I understand it, the sheriff doesn’t have a lead on the person who shot him.”

  “Trust me, Joe’s death is on my mind all the time.” Misty’s lips trembled before she pressed them together in a firm line. “I—I don’t know anything about that either. I mean…” Her voice dropped to a lower register. “Mark and I weren’t in the loop. Joe didn’t share his thoughts or his activities with us.”

  Colton swallowed hard, his food going down like a load of concrete. “Yes, but whoever shot him might not know that. I don’t think you’ll be safe there.”

  Her large, dark eyes appraised him, as though wondering at his motives, causing him to wonder what his own motives were. “Well, we can’t keep imposing on Garrett family hospitality forever. We need to get back home and try to pick up the pieces.”

  Colton stabbed a piece of meat and poked it into his mouth, thus ending his commentary.

  Later, he asked Misty to take a walk with him.

  She hesitated but took the hand he offered.

  It wasn’t fully dark outside, but the sky was streaked with purple and crimson from the setting sun. Crickets chirped, and the smell of damp earth and grass wafted on the light breeze.

  Colton tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and laid his hand on top of hers. It always felt so small and soft when compared to his.

  “What did you want to talk about?” she asked.

  He sucked in a breath and blew it out in a huff. “I’m concerned about you and Mark moving back to your home so soon after all the violence. I wish you would give the sheriff a chance to find out who’s behind the murders of your brother and Mr. Hamilton.”

  Misty hung her head but stayed in step with him as they made a wide circle of the house and outbuildings. “I feel like such a moocher staying here. I appreciate you for taking us in when we were about to be thrown out. I appreciate you even more for all the sweet things you do without even thinking about it.”

  He stopped, turning to face her, and lifted her chin. “Misty, honey—you’ve got to know how I feel about you.”

  She gazed up at him solemnly. “No, I can honestly say I don’t have a clue. I think you like me, but maybe you need to spell your feelings out for me.” The silence that followed was like a black vortex sucking him inside.

  Colton’s chest tightened as though a steel band was constricting his lungs. He swallowed hard. “Well, I guess you could say I love you.”

  She raised her brows, “Guess you could say? What the hell does that mean?”

  He grinned. “Damn, you’re a tough woman. I love you. There! Are you satisfied?”

  “Well, I don’t know. Why was that so hard to say?”

  “Because I’ve never said those words to any other woman before. It’s you. You’re the one I love.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers.

  She broke into a wide grin of her own. “Now I’m satisfied.” She slipped both arms around his waist and delivered a fierce hug.

  Colt wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. Now she knows. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, rocking her slightly.

  “Oh, Colt. I’ve been hoping you felt that way about me.”

  He snorted indelicately. “Well, if you didn’t know, you were the only one. I’ve been taking heat from Beau and Leah…and my dad.”

  She gasped, raising her head. “Your dad?”

  “Yeah, everyone knew but you.”

  She ducked her head again, but she was grinning. He thought she was blushing, but the diminishing light hid her embarrassment. “So, now what?”

  “So now I ask you again, as the man who loves you, please don’t move back to your house until the sheriff has caught whoever murdered your brother and Fred Hamilton.”

  “Well, since you’re the man who loves me, I’ll take your concerns very seriously.” She blew out a breath. “Do you suppose we could go talk to the sheriff tomorrow and see if he has anything new to tell us?”

  He kissed her forehead and then her nose. “Sure thing. As long as you promise to give him a little time to solve the murders.”

  She broke loose with an impudent smile. “Why, Colton Garrett, I do believe you like having me around.”

  “More than you know.” He gave her a little squeeze. “Now promise to let the sheriff get to the bottom of the violence before you go moving back to your ranch.”

  “It depends on what he has to say.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Misty was pretty sure she could fly. At least that’s what it felt like. The floaty feeling in her gut kept her off balance. She kept breaking out in a grin for no good reason other than the fact that Colton Garrett had finally declared his love.

  It was a good thing she was alone in the law office. Otherwise, Breck would be thinking he’d hired a crazy woman.

  She attempted to clear her head and focus on the filing she had to do. No sense stuffing the papers in the wrong place just because she was distracted.

  Colton’s handsome face remained seared into her brain. She replayed his deep, resonant voice telling her he loved her over and over again in her mind. That seemed like a miracle in itself.

  It seemed remarkable that Colton Garrett had not been snagged by some lucky woman before now. Someone with far more to offer than herself.

  There were tons of photos of him in almost every room in the Garrett house. Pictures of Colt receiving academic awards decorated the walls and tabletops, as did pictures of him participating in various athletic events. He looked awesome decked out in the team uniforms, but not as good as he looked every day in the Western shirts that accented his broad shoulders and the Wranglers that emphasized his muscular thighs and backside.

  Heaving a happy sigh, she reflected on their conversation the night before. He’d confessed she was the only woman to whom he had ever uttered the words “I love you.” That in itself seemed remarkable. And she had no idea why he had found her worthy of his love. To her way of thinking, she was a completely ordinary woman. No particular talents. Not especially attractive. Certainly no possessions to give her added value.

  “Hello, Misty!” Breck opened the door, clanking the bell against the glass. “Anything happening?”

  Misty turned, still grinning like an idiot and blushed as though he had caught her in a misdeed. “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “I’ve been busy with the ranch,” he said as he crossed the width of the room to approach his office.

  “I’ve almost reached the bottom of the stack of things you left for me.”

  Breck cast a sideways glance at her, grinning. “Good. I’ll have to come up with some more tasks for you. I don’t want you to get bored.” He entered his private office but left the door open, which was a little more companionable than he usually was.

  “Is there anything in particular you would like me to do right now?” she asked.

  “Just keep an eye out for Levi Blair. He’s coming in to sign the new will you typed up.” Breck made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. “He’s given up on his son ever returning to Langston. Boy disappeared when he was just a teen. Young Nate.” Breck shook his head. “Ran around with a bunch of other wild boys, your brother Joe included.”

  “So you’re saying Joe was one of the wild ones?” Misty stood in the doorway to Breck’s office and braced herself against the woodwork.

  “Come sit down.” He gestured toward a chair in front of his desk. “I think all those particular boys have been in trouble at one time or another.” Breck narrowed his gaze. “Except for Nate and your brother. I never got called to get either one out of jail.”

  Misty sighed and sat down. “You can blame that on my mama’s constant prayers and my strict papa.”

  “Not a bad combination at all.�
�

  “I don’t really remember much about Nate,” Misty said. “But I recall Joe mentioning him…and then I heard about the disappearance.”

  Breck raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “Bad business. I’m pretty sure the boy met with foul play, but old Levi has kept his hopes up all these years. I think now that he’s decided to name his good-for-nothing nephew as his sole heir, it’s a pretty sure sign he’s given up. If Nate were out there, with everyone on the internet, some sign of him would have turned up by now.”

  Misty bit her lip. “Breck, I found some pictures among Joe’s things. I’d like to keep them, of course. But I think Nate Blair is in some of the photos.”

  “Really?” Breck was suddenly interested. “Digital images?”

  Misty shook her head. “No, this was from Joe’s old camera. The kind you loaded film in, so they had to be developed in a photo lab. They have a date stamp on them.” She shrugged. “Maybe Mr. Blair would like to have a set.”

  “I’m sure he would. Why don’t you bring them in, and we can scan them. That way you can keep the originals and Levi can have them printed, if he’s of a mind.”

  Misty nodded. “I’ll bring them tomorrow.”

  She went back to her desk and started on the next task in the pile.

  About an hour later, Levi Blair entered the building. He appeared to have aged since the time Misty had first seen him. Indeed, his craggy face seemed to be even more morose than before.

  “Hello, Mr. Blair. Mr. Ryan is expecting you.” Misty stood and started to go to Breck’s door to announce his client when Levi Blair raised his hand.

  His eyes narrowed. “You the Dalton girl, ain’t ya?”

  Misty swallowed hard. “Yes, Mr. Blair.”

  He rocked back on his heels, surveying her. “Too bad about your dad. I don’t suppose you’re interested in selling off your property, are you? I could take it over and give you a little more than what you owe on it.”

  She struggled to draw a breath. “I—I have a partner in the ranch now, Mr. Blair.”

  A muscle twitched in Levi’s cheek. “You do? Well, ain’t that nice.” He drew out the word “nice,” ending it in a hiss.

  Misty cleared her throat. “I’ll just tell Mr. Ryan that you’re here.” She went to tap on Breck’s door. “Mr. Blair has arrived.”

  Breck looked up. “Thank you, Misty. Please show him in.”

  Levi Blair gave her a nod of acknowledgment and swept his hat off as he stepped into Breck’s private office, and closed the door.

  After about ten minutes, Breck called Misty in to witness Levi’s will.

  “Misty found some photos that might include your son Nate,” Breck said.

  Levi looked up, his eyes darting from Breck to Misty and back. “Photos of my boy?”

  “Yes, sir,” Misty said. “They were taken a long time ago. My brother Joe died recently, and I was cleaning out his room.”

  Levi’s face clouded even more. His fierce brows knit together. “Yes, I did hear something about that. Sorry for your loss, young lady.”

  Misty released a pent-up breath. “Thank you, Mr. Blair. I found some photos of Joe and his friends. There were a couple with your son, Nate. I thought you might like to have a set. Mr. Ryan said he would scan them for me.”

  Levi’s expression softened. “That’s mighty kind of you. I think it’s worse not knowing what happened to my son than if I had some idea of where he might be or if he’s even alive.” His eyes teared up, and he stood abruptly. “I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon to get those photos.”

  “You don’t need to make a special trip,” Breck said. “I’ll scan them and send them to your email account. That way you can just download them directly without any delay.”

  Levi cocked an eyebrow at Breck. “That so?”

  Breck nodded. “If you want to have them printed, you can forward them to the drugstore. They’ll print a set right up for you.”

  He offered his hand to Breck and then turned to Misty. “Thank you for your kindness.”

  When Levi left, both Misty and Breck heaved a huge sigh of relief.

  “It feels like he sucked all the air out of the room when he left.” Breck straightened the papers on his desk. “Well, I’m outta here. I’ll be in the office tomorrow afternoon to scan those pictures for you and send them to Levi’s email.” He left the office. Immediately after Breck departed, the phone rang.

  It was Sara Beth. “Are you free for lunch?”

  Misty giggled. “Free as a bird and twice as flighty.”

  “Well, come on down, girl,” Sara Beth said.

  Misty pushed her chair up close to the desk and turned off her desk light. She grabbed her purse and placed the CLOSED sign so that it showed in the beveled glass door insert. She made it to Sara Beth’s store in record time and pushed open the door. The cowbell clanked against the glass to announce her arrival. “Hello?” she called out, not seeing Sara Beth immediately.

  “Get in here, Misty. I have something to show you.” Sara Beth popped up from behind the counter and ran to wrap both arms around her.

  Misty returned the embrace. “What’s up? You look like you’re bursting with excitement.”

  “That I am.” She extended her left hand, showing off a sparkling diamond engagement ring. “Frank officially proposed, down on one knee and everything. I about died.”

  Misty stared at the ring, thrilled for her friend. “That’s so beautiful.”

  Sara Beth gazed rapturously at her extended fingers. “I told Frank I didn’t need an engagement ring. I would be happy with just a plain gold band, but he surprised me.”

  “When is the wedding?”

  Sara Beth grabbed her by the shoulders. “Two months, and I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  Misty felt a flush of pride. She had never had a friend this close. “Me? That’s awesome. I’m so honored.”

  “I’m going to ask Leah to be my matron of honor, so I’ll have my two best friends in the whole wide world to walk down the aisle with me.”

  The two women hugged again. “Thanks so much for thinking of me.”

  “Thanks for standing up with me.” Sara Beth made a “follow me” gesture and led the way back to the counter at the rear of the store. She had containers of food spread out on top of the scarred glass case. “I made fried chicken last night and brought some cold for us to gnaw on. There’s potato salad too.”

  “Oh, what a treat. Thanks for inviting me.” Misty seated herself and watched as Sara Beth arranged two portions on paper plates. “What about your father? Is he coming to give you away?”

  Sara Beth’s shoulders sagged. “My dad hasn’t spoken to me since I married Nick Jessup and moved to Texas. He blames me for breaking my mother’s heart.”

  Misty frowned. “Well, he needs to get over that. He has a beautiful and sweet daughter and an adorable granddaughter. Your dad is missing out on all the good things happening in both of your lives.”

  Sara Beth blinked and looked down. “I wish he would realize that, but I’m tired of being stonewalled.” She met Misty’s gaze. “If he doesn’t want to love us, it’s his loss. I’ve had my share of rejection.”

  A wave of remorse swept through Misty’s gut. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to open up old wounds.” She reached out to give Sara Beth’s hand a pat. “I’m truly sorry.”

  Sara Beth sucked in a breath. “It’s okay. You expected my father to be a normal dad with normal feelings, but he’s not. He cut me off entirely.” She shrugged and pasted on a smile. “It’s really okay. I found my own family right here in Langston. It’s my baby girl and Frank.” Her smile became more genuine. “And Leah…and you.”

  Misty squeezed Sara Beth’s hand. “I’m honored.”

  When Misty returned to the law office, she found Colton waiting for her in his truck. Grinning, he
swung out of the cab of his pickup and stepped up onto the sidewalk.

  “I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” she said.

  “Not long.” His voice was deep and rich in timbre, sending a tremor of excitement along her flesh.

  “I—I had lunch with Sara Beth. She invited me.”

  “Nice,” he said encouragingly.

  “She’s getting married.” Misty felt her cheeks flushing. “She asked me to be her maid of honor.” She knew she was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “Sara Beth is really excited. I met her fiancé, Frank, the other day, and he is so nice.”

  Colton grinned even wider. “Getting married, huh? That sounds like a good thing.”

  A thrill surged through her stomach. “She’s very happy.” She pulled the office keys out of her purse and immediately busied herself with opening the lock. Anything so she didn’t have to bear the brunt of those all-too-knowing blue eyes. Her hands were shaking, and she couldn’t seem to get the key to fit.

  “Let me help you.” Colton took the keys from her fingers, inserted the right one in the lock, and gave it a twist. The lock opened with a click, and he pushed the door open for her to enter.

  She felt a rush of color flood her cheeks. What an idiot. Just mentioning Sara Beth’s upcoming wedding in front of Colton gave her the jitters.

  “I asked the sheriff to meet us here,” Colton said. “I thought it would be easier for you.”

  “Thanks,” she squeaked out, her voice barely above a whisper. She had intended to take a seat behind her desk but found herself folded in Colton’s embrace.

  He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. “Is there something wrong? Something I should know about?”

  Misty made a negative grunt and shook her head. “I guess I was just thinking about Sara Beth’s wedding and forgot about all my own problems.”

  Colton grazed a kiss against her lips and gave her a squeeze. “Every problem has a solution.”

  “I know, you’re right. I was just feeling a little down.” She tried on a smile that felt fake even from her standpoint. “That’s why I want to move back to our own place and try to sort things out. There’s so much I don’t know.”