Texas Ranch Justice

by Karen Whiddon

  Travis’s heart sank. “I am. Don’t tell me you’ve had a difference of opinion.”

  “No, not me.” Bubba shuffled his feet, looking slightly uncomfortable as he tugged at the neck of his shirt. “But I have to ask, if you’re still with us, why are you allowing an oil company employee to stay at Hal’s place? We know he’s been sick and it’d be just like those folks to take advantage of that fact and get him to sign something.”

  “An oil company employee?” Struggling to make sense of the other man’s words, Travis frowned. “The only new person staying at Hal’s is his daughter from Atlanta. She has nothing to do with the oil company.”

  “That’s not what I hear.” Bubba stuck his chin out stubbornly. “You need to make sure.”

  “I wouldn’t pay too much attention to gossip,” Travis pointed out. “I’d need more proof.”

  “You’re sweet on her, aren’t you?” The other man took a step back, as if Travis had suddenly developed a stench. “That’s probably part of their plan too. Working on both Hal and you. They know how much pull you have with Hal.”

  Travis stared. “That’s nonsense.”

  “Is it?” Bubba eyed the corsage box. “Because I heard you’re bringing her to the ball tonight.”

  “That’s true, but—”

  “Save it,” Bubba said, flipping his hand in dismissal. “You should know a bunch of us are planning to ask her to her face if what we’ve heard is true.”

  “You keep saying you’ve heard. Where exactly are you hearing these things?”

  Bubba shrugged. “Around town,” he said vaguely. “Here and there. You know how rumors spread.”

  “I do. Just like I know most of those same rumors are unfounded.” Frustrated, he tried to find the right words. “Believe me, when Scarlett first got here, I was suspicious too. But as I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve realized that my suspicions were unfounded. There’s no reason to confront her over such nonsense.”

  “Hmm.” Bubba didn’t appear convinced. “We’ll see,” he muttered, before he sauntered away.

  Watching him go, Travis didn’t know whether to be irritated or bemused. One thing he knew for certain, if he ever found out who was behind the gossip about Scarlett, he’d call them out on it. Because it most certainly wasn’t true.

  Or was it?

  He thought about her story, which he’d checked out. Her mother had died and they’d lived in a suburb of Atlanta, true. But as far as her job, working in a small art gallery, that he’d never verified. What if she was working with Wave Oil, like Kendra?

  The idea seemed too far-fetched. Kendra had been completely up-front about her motives, so why would Scarlett lie? And quite honestly, she didn’t seem like the type to work with a large oil company to try to convince a sick old man to go against his principles.

  Yet as he got in his truck to drive home, the small seed of doubt Bubba’s words had planted festered. He could imagine several scenarios, all of which someone wanting something might have engineered in order to get her way. Including making love to him.

  * * *

  Scarlett must have glanced at her watch thirty times as the afternoon crawled. She couldn’t wait until it was time to start getting ready for the ball.

  Her phone rang.

  “Scarlett?” Amber said, sounding harried. “I forgot to mention the boutonniere.”

  “The what?” Scarlett asked, even though she knew what a boutonniere was.”

  “It’s tradition,” Amber rushed on. “Men get their date a wrist corsage, we get men a boutonniere for their lapel. June’s Florist in town takes orders, but she always makes up a bunch extra for those who forget.” Amber paused for breath. “And I forgot to get my date one too. I’m not going to have time, what with needing to get Will to the sitter. So I wanted to ask a huge favor... Would you go into town and grab one for me? I imagine you’ll need to get one for Travis as well.”

  Scarlett checked her watch again. “Sure. I’m pretty sure I have enough time.” She took a deep breath. “Actually, I’ll welcome the distraction. I’ve been trying to figure out how to fill the afternoon until it’s time to get ready. Do you want any particular color?”

  “No.” Amber laughed. “Beggars can’t be choosers. The floral shop is on Main Street. You can’t miss it. Thank you so much. I’ll pay you back when I see you tonight, okay?”

  “No problem.” Scarlett grabbed her car keys and headed out. Once she arrived in town, she drove slowly, looking for June’s. She found a parking spot and went inside.

  As Amber had mentioned, June had set up display cases with both wrist corsages and boutonnieres. She chose two and paid, waiting while the clerk boxed them up.

  Once outside, she headed toward her car, pleased that she’d been able to find a red one for Travis.

  “Ma’am?”

  Scarlett turned. The young man wearing a tailored suit and tie looked as out of place on the Anniversary square as she’d felt the first time she’d worn her dress and heels. Today she had on jeans and boots, like almost everyone else.

  “Were you talking to me?” Puzzled, she glanced around. The few other pedestrians out and about continued on past them.

  “Yes, I’m sorry.” The stranger held out his hand. “I’m John Mellon. I wonder if I could have a moment of your time.”

  Ah, now she got it. “Whatever you’re selling, thank you but I’m not interested.” She turned to walk away.

  “I’m not selling anything,” he protested. “Honestly. I work for Wave Oil Company. I wanted to discuss with you the possibility of drilling on your father’s land.”

  She froze. “I’m sorry, but you have the wrong person. I have no authority over things like that. You’d need to talk to him personally, not me.”

  Adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses on his nose, he sighed. “Could I buy you a coffee so we can visit for a few minutes? I promise, no pressure.”

  Again she checked her watch. “I don’t think so. You might not know, since you’re not from around here, but it’s a pretty big day here in town.”

  He smiled. “So I hear. A festival and costume dance. But I’ve been told it’s going on all weekend.”

  “The festival is. But the ball is tonight. And I’ve got to go get ready.”

  “Please, I just need fifteen minutes of your time.” He grimaced. “That way I can at least let my boss know I’ve tried.”

  She still had a couple of hours before she needed to start getting ready. Considering the prospect of trying to keep busy at home, she wavered.

  Finally, she shrugged. “Sure, I guess. I don’t see the harm. As long as you understand that you can talk to me until you’re blue in the face, but nothing will change in that area. I have zero authority over what happens with the ranch.”

  With a smile and a nod, he gestured toward the coffee shop two doors down. When they reached it, he held the door open for her and asked her what she wanted. Once she’d told him, he placed the order for her cappuccino and his latte. “Pick a table,” he said. “I’ll bring the coffees as soon as they’re ready.”

  Since there were only two available tables, Scarlett chose the one by the front window. Really, while a nice hot cappuccino sounded wonderful, she didn’t understand why this John Mellon wanted to talk to her. She’d already made it clear that she couldn’t help him. Apparently he didn’t believe her.

  A few minutes later he returned. After handing over her coffee, he took a seat across from her. “They have the best coffee in town,” he said, still smiling.

  She took a sip. He was right. It was great coffee.

  “Please understand, I get where you’re coming from,” John began. “I know you’re new here and also I’ve heard your father is very ill. I’ve been told he has tons of medical bills and no way to pay them.”

  Sitting a little straighter, she eyed him. “Even if tha
t’s true I fail to see how that’s any of your business.”

  “Easy now.” He held up a well-manicured hand in mock self-defense. “I’m not trying to pry. I’m just wanting to let you know if that truly is the case, and Hal needs money for his medical expenses, allowing us to place one or two small drilling wells would take care of everything. And more. It’s something to consider, don’t you think?”

  Taking another sip of her coffee, she eyed him. “What I think is you need to discuss this with Hal. As I’ve told you.”

  “We’ve tried. But his ranch foreman won’t even allow us to make an appointment.”

  “Travis?” Maybe she’d made a huge mistake in even talking to this guy, especially since Travis had already believed she was in cahoots with them. “Travis operates under Hal’s authority. I’m sure if he won’t allow you a meeting, that’s at Hal’s direction.”

  “Maybe. And then again, maybe not. All I’m asking is for you to talk to Hal about it. If you’re right, and Travis is just doing what Hal says, then fine. It didn’t hurt to try. But if Travis is taking it upon himself to make his own decisions...” He drank deeply, settling the cup down and gazing earnestly at her. “Don’t you think you owe it to your father to at least find out?”

  He had a point. Much as she might not like getting in the middle of Hal and Travis, she knew how much Travis despised big oil, as he called them. As for Hal, he’d said very little. And he had showed her his medical bills.

  “I guess it won’t hurt for me to ask him,” she allowed, wondering why she felt as if she were doing something wrong. “No promises, no commitment to anything, you understand. But I will make sure my father truly doesn’t want to meet with you.”

  “That’s all I can ask,” he said smoothly, draining his coffee and getting to his feet. “Thank you for your time.”

  He left her sitting there, wondering if she’d somehow just been played. But she comforted herself with the knowledge that the only thing she’d agreed to do was mention the meeting to Hal. She hadn’t even said when, just that she would.

  After arriving home, Scarlett put the meeting out of her mind. Right now, she had more important things to consider.

  Chapter 14

  Despite her efforts to stay cool, calm and collected, Scarlett couldn’t help but feel a flutter of anticipation as the clock inched closer to the time when she’d need to get dressed for the costume ball.

  Delilah had left early, since she too would be attending, and Hal spent the afternoon regaling Scarlett with outrageous stories from balls of years past.

  Finally, she knew she needed to start getting ready. She took extra time with her makeup, then used a flat iron to make her thick hair perfectly straight. She put on the dress, adjusted the jaunty hat on her head and secured it with bobby pins, then stepped into her favorite pair of black stilettos, and eyed herself in the mirror.

  The dress hugged her curves and made her legs appear a mile long. Since she wasn’t fond of the machine-gun type prop that had come with the costume, she decided not to carry it.

  When she emerged into the living room, Hal took one look at her and whistled. “Wow. You clean up well,” he said.

  She laughed. “Thanks. I think Vivian did an amazing job choosing this costume.”

  “She’s good at that. But I guarantee you, whatever outfit she chose for herself will outshine you and Amber both. That’s how she is, she can’t help it. She always has to be the flashiest person in any gathering.”

  “That doesn’t bother me,” Scarlett told him. “Since I’m new here and don’t really know anyone, I’d prefer to stay in the background.”

  “I doubt that’s possible, since you’re attending with Travis. I can’t wait to see his face when he sees you.”

  She couldn’t wait either, though she didn’t admit this out loud since doing so would only give Hal reason to speculate on her feelings for his stepson.

  And she most definitely wasn’t ready to discuss them with anyone but Travis.

  She heard the sound of tires on gravel and tensed. “I think he’s here,” she said, suddenly nervous. “Are you sure I look okay for this kind of thing?”

  “You look perfect,” Hal assured her, just as the front door opened and Travis walked in. “Doesn’t she look perfect, Travis?”

  Framed in the doorway, Travis studied her. She swore she could feel the heat of his gaze just like he’d caressed her. As for her, she allowed herself to drink in the sight of him. With his trousers and red suspenders, he looked like a jaunty actor about to play a rogue. In other words, sexy as hell. She wanted to rip his clothes off and jump him.

  Instead, she looked down so he wouldn’t see the heat in her gaze.

  “You look amazing,” Travis drawled. “Though I’m not sure how an outlaw would manage to run in those heels.”

  That got her attention. Raising her gaze to his, she frowned. “Do you think I should change? I’m sure I have a pair of black flats. It wouldn’t take but a minute.”

  “Don’t you dare.” Though he laughed when he spoke, the intensity in his eyes told her he meant it. “Those shoes might not be authentic, but they’re perfect.” He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small florist box. “Your corsage,” he said.

  Heart skipping a beat, she accepted the box and opened it. A perfect red-and-white wrist corsage lay inside. She laughed as she slipped it on. “Just a second. Let me go get yours.” Hurrying to the fridge, she returned with an identical floral box. “Here you go. I can pin it to your lapel if you’d like.”

  When he opened his box, he grinned. “We have matching flowers.” He held still while she pinned the boutonniere to his suit.

  “All done,” she said, butterflies in her stomach.

  “Are you ready to go?” He gestured at the entry table. “Don’t forget your mask.”

  Grabbing the mask and a small clutch purse, she nodded. “Ready when you are.” To her dismay, she sounded as breathless as she felt. She didn’t feel uncertain often, but for whatever reason, she did now.

  He helped her up into his truck, the way his large hand lingered on the curve of her back sending a shiver up her spine. She noticed the way his gaze drifted to her legs as he settled into the driver’s seat. The resulting rush of heat had her looking away until she got herself under control. She wasn’t sure why, but something about being in costume and wearing a mask made every touch, every look, supercharged with sensuality.

  Travis turned up the radio, and they sang along to George Strait and Keith Urban, which helped with her tension and brought a smile to her face. The road was clear until they reached the outskirts of town. When Travis exited on the feeder road, they were soon in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

  “Look at the cars!” Amazed, she shook her head. “This reminds me of Atlanta. I don’t think I’ve seen traffic like this since coming to Anniversary.”

  “They’re all going to the ball,” he told her, turning down the radio.

  “Wow. When you said it was a big deal, you weren’t kidding.” Again, a bit of nerves made her swallow.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, eyeing her as they crept forward. “Are you nervous?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “And that’s unusual for me. I tend to thrive in social settings. I have no idea why I’m worried.” Maybe it was the fact that he’d asked her to pretend to be in love with him. What he didn’t know was that she wouldn’t have to pretend.

  “You’ll be fine.” He squeezed her shoulder. “It’s just the same people you see every time you go to town, except in costume. Even though the eye masks don’t really give us anonymity, it’s fun to pretend that they do.”

  “You enjoy it, don’t you?” Slightly surprised, she studied him.

  When he turned and flashed her a grin, she smiled back. “I do. It’s a chance for all of us ranchers to relax and talk. The town comes together and c
elebrates. It’s a lot of fun. You’ll see.”

  Finally, they made their way into the packed parking lot. “Overflow parking is across the street,” Travis said, as he took one of the last parking spaces, which was a good distance from the building. “Are you okay walking in those shoes?”

  His question made her chuckle. “Yep. I’ve perfected the art of stilettos. I had lots of practice in my former job at the gallery.”

  Nodding, he got out and went around to her side to open the door for her. He offered his arm and she took it. Even in her heels, the top of her head barely reached his chin. They joined a crowd of people, all making their way toward the entrance.

  “Don’t forget to put your mask on,” he said, leading her over to the side so they wouldn’t hold anyone up. He reached into his pocket and put his on. The effect—mysterious and sexy—had her mouth going dry.

  Luckily, she didn’t have to speak. She got her mask out of her purse and slipped it over her upper face.

  His gaze darkened, and he leaned in, but he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he took her hand and led her into the crowded country club ballroom.

  Elbow-to-elbow people was her first impression. But then, as someone called out Travis’s name and walked up to greet them, she began checking out the costumes. As expected, she saw a wide variety, but nothing too daring. In fact, it appeared that everyone who’d attended the ball had given serious thought to their costumes. She saw cowboys and cowgirls, medieval kings and queens, and even several versions of fae. There were Southern belles in ornate gowns, and men in Civil War uniforms.

  And Travis worked the crowd like a champ, introducing Scarlett to so many people she abandoned any attempt to remember names. He touched her often, the kind of constant, casual touches that said they were a real couple. A few times he even leaned in and kissed her neck or her cheek, making her dizzy with wanting him.

  He got them drinks, a glass of white wine for her and a beer for him, and snagged them a couple of seats at one of the white-tableclothed, decorated tables. She sank into her chair with a grateful sigh, reflecting on how long it had actually been since she’d worn heels. Clearly, judging by her aching feet, it had been too long.