Lassoing The Last Dance (Double Dutch Ranch; Love At First Sight Book 4)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  ***

  In the morning, Roxanne loaded breakfast dishes into the dishwasher while Randy got ready for work. He came out in faded blue jeans and a tan t-shirt. She told him straightforward, “I’m going home today. You can’t keep me here. Besides, Nora and I are going to see my new prosthetist. My prosthesis needs adjustment and my regular guy in Broken Arrow highly recommends him.”

  Randy rubbed his hand over the coarse hint of whisker growth on his face. “Where the hell is his office?”

  “Look, it doesn’t matter. Not far. Afterward, I’m going home. Home to my house.”

  He took a seat at the table and rested his head against his hand. “Do you think it’s a good idea to go home?”

  Roxanne set her cup down and splayed her hands out toward him. “What do you want me to do? Depend on you for everything now? You’ll have to send me a bill for bodyguard services if you continue to babysit me.”

  His gaze lowered to her foot and slowly moved up her body. His brow furrowed as he shook his head.

  “I’m sorry. But, this is reality now. Nate is out there somewhere, and I need to find out what the hell he wants from me this time. He has to know Detective Daniels and now Sheriff Thompson are watching him. My ex isn’t stupid in everything he does. That’s why he’s never been caught.”

  He rose from the table with cup in hand, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher, slamming the door shut in the end. “You know he has a plan or he wouldn’t be around.”

  “Randy, I’m going to find out what he’s doing here.”

  “NO, you’re not! Stay away from him.”

  Zach came in the back door after smoking a cigarette, poured a cup of coffee, and sat down. One look at Randy and Roxanne, and he got up and left the room. Through the doorway, he could be heard on the phone calling the hotel. Roxanne went to him, leaving Randy brooding at the sink.

  “You don’t have to leave, Zach. I’m going back home, and you’ll have the house to yourself while Randy’s at work. You two will have the whole night to catch up.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Randy’s thrilled you’re here. Stay.” It took a few minutes for him to speak, but she waited until he did.

  He glanced at Randy through the doorway. “I have to go check out a job. Maybe Randy hadn’t told you yet, but I’m sticking around for a while. He has his life and I have mine. I’ll be getting a room until I can find something better.”

  Roxanne observed his disheveled deep-coffee brown hair, his melancholy green eyes, and his toned body. Biceps the size of his were probably envied by many. Woe lurked deep inside of his tall frame. “I’m glad to have met you, and I hope to see you again.”

  He stuck out his hand. “You will.” His gaze went to her leg, but he pulled his eyes away. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stare.”

  She shook hands with him. “It’s okay. Everyone does. Randy can fill you in if you ask. Good luck.” Roxanne went into the bedroom to collect the few items of clothing she had brought over. Randy came in and shut the door behind him. He placed his arms around her. Tension left her muscles at the mere touch of his body against hers.

  The chaos of the last five hours brought back memories of too many sleepless nights with no arms to hold her like he had when they’d gone back to bed this morning. “I’ll see you later. Maybe I’ll catch you at the Double Dutch when I bring Nora back home.”

  “Yeah.” Randy drew her closer. He brushed hair aside to kiss the side of her neck. “I’m sorry about last night.”

  “No need. It wasn’t your fault. Kim will have to accept things as they are, hon. I have to go get Nora.” She pivoted and gave him a tender kiss. She smiled and couldn’t remove her gaze from his lips, and she wanted to stay here forever to kiss them. “I do love you.” He gave the kind of smirk that made her feel cuddly inside.

  “Remember, one day you’ll be wearing high heels and dancing with me. Tell your guy today it’s one of your goals.”

  “He’ll have my records. I’m sure he will have gone over them before I get there. You make me believe I will dance again.”

  He drew her back into his arms. This time, the kiss wasn’t quick or tender. Ravenous is what she’d call it as she faded away in the bliss, while his kisses burned her on the outside.

  ***

  Earlier in the day, Zach had gone to the Double Dutch with Randy and met Tristan and his brothers. They were invited to lunch. Randy would’ve declined, but he wanted the guys to get to know his buddy. Knowing him would make it easier to mention to other ranchers that the guy needed a job.

  Zach insisted on getting a suite at the hotel. At the end of the day, Randy offered his bike until he found a vehicle. Zach had declined. A sadness seemed to have a hold on his friend. Was there something he wasn’t telling Randy? Or, he went through a bout of memories, and was having a hard time moving past them. Maybe he had a recent breakup. His relationships didn’t last long since the Army. Zach’s mood began to bring Randy down.

  By the time they finished working on the stalls in his barn, and Zach had left, he glanced at his watch. It’d be dark soon. He had wanted to work on a painting until light had left the sky, but dusk loomed over the landscape. The mood or inspiration hadn’t come over him anyway, and if he painted something now, it’d be dark and ugly. Before cleaning himself up, he drove into town to grab a carryout. On the way, his phone rang. “Hi, foxy Rox. How’d it go today?”

  “I’m happy. The new prosthetist is great.”

  “Glad to hear it worked out.”

  “Listen to this! Most prosthetic feet are made for one heel height. Like the one I have now—an all-terrain, low profile foot, but they also make multiple feet with varying heel heights. He suggested a foot with an adjustable heel height mechanism. Mike demonstrated one. Isn’t that amazing? He said I can even get a running leg! If only I were a runner.” Roxanne sighed. “Why are you laughing?”

  “You sound so upbeat today. I’ve never heard you go on about a topic you hate. Maybe you can run to get in shape for dancing again.”

  “Hmm… I never liked running. I’d rather do yoga and aerobics. I mean, the old me did.”

  “You know, Rox, how about if you looked at yourself as you are now instead of comparing the old you to the new? Positivity never hurt anyone.” He sounded like a sarcastic preacher, but he’d had enough down time today.

  Her words were hardly audible when she spoke, “Easy for you to say.”

  “That’s true, but I have a little experience at starting over. Part of you is missing, I’ll give you that.” Randy pulled into the parking lot at the rear of the Sunset Grille for a burger, fries, and their signature house salad unless something else from the menu sounded better. He got out and leaned against the side of his truck. The parking lot was crowded for a weeknight.

  “What do you want from me?” she asked after a short hesitation.

  “What do I want from you? Nothing more than for you to accept your situation and learn to live with who you are now.”

  “I can’t. That isn’t who I am inside. You of all people know how this can affect a person.”

  He was close to pushing this too far, but he had one more piece of advice to preach. “I know, hon, but, she’s the one you need to find. Once you accept who you are now, the part you’re missing will surface. I’m done.”

  “Gawd. You make so much sense, but it’s still easier said than done.”

  “You’ve proven yourself to be a fighter. No one said it’d be easy.”

  “Where are you?”

  A cue to change the subject? Maybe it would take Roxanne a little more time before she was ready. Randy glanced at the restaurant sign showing half a yellow sunset on the horizon. “I’m in the parking lot of the Sunset Grille to pick up a carryout.”

  “I’m at Nora’s. Can we meet? I haven’t eaten yet.”

  “Uh huh. I’m filthy dirty, so what do you want to eat? I’ll bring it back to my house, or yours.”

  “I can come to the ranch, but I need
to run home to get a change of clothes. The kids and Tristan and the others are at Dane’s barn after a ride. Gracelyn is watching the little ones, so I’m dropping Nora off over there later. First, she has to take care of something at home. I-I’ll come by afterward. Where did Zach end up?”

  The excitement had left and he detected a shakiness to her words. “He got a room in town. Are you all right?”

  “I’d like to talk to you, and…I don’t feel like staying at my place tonight. I know this is the opposite of what I went on about this morning—”

  “What’s wrong?” Concern overtook him at the defeated tone to her voice.

  “I saw Nate in town.”

  Great! He’d rambled on while she waited to tell him Nate was in town. Sheriff Thompson’s warning hadn’t scared him off. “Did he see you?”

  “I’m not sure. We pulled up to the light at Main and Library Street. I happened to glance over when I went around him making a left turn, and I turned right.”

  “Roxanne, your damn truck is easy to spot! I want you to get away from your place for a few days. You stay off the main road, and I’ll meet you at your house before I get the carryout.” He got behind the wheel again.

  “But he knows where you live. As far as I know, he doesn’t know where I live.”

  Randy laid his fist against the dash. He left the parking lot so fast that his tires squealed when he hit pavement. “As far as you know means nothing at this point—”

  “No, pick up the order now. You’re already there.”

  “I haven’t ordered yet. I’m on my way.”

  The line went quiet. Then the sound of her radio vanished. He continued to wait until she gave him more hell.

  “I have to pick up Nora in about a half hour before taking her to join Tristan. I’ll wait for you at home while I pack a small bag.”

  Thankfully, she agreed without any more rebuttal. “I’ll be there before you.”

  ***

  Randy pulled in behind Roxanne. “How’d you get here so quickly? You almost beat me.” She got out with a big smile on her face. “Nice to see you.”

  If anything, he was pleased to see an unexpected smile. He hopped out, and she went into his arms. Even better than the smile. “A heavy foot on the accelerator got me here.”

  Squeezing him tight around the waist, she muttered, “It’s been so long since life has been normal. Chaos is the norm now. I don’t like it.”

  “Come on, let’s get your clothes and go. If he followed you, now you’re standing here on display.”

  Roxanne clasped his hand as they neared the porch. A package sat on the step. “My order arrived. You’ll like what’s inside, sweetie.”

  “Am I safe to assume this could be something sexy? Something worth painting?”

  “Maybe,” she said with a sexy voice.” A sound behind them made them turn. Roxanne dropped the package, and gasped. “Nate!”

  Randy drew his pistol and pulled her behind him at the same time. “Don’t you think about moving as much as a breath or I’ll blow your head off. Y’all are full of surprises. I have a few myself.”

  Nate raised his hands. “I’m not here to hurt anyone. Roxanne, you have to know I didn’t do this to you,” he said pleadingly, sweeping his hand forward toward her left leg.

  Randy narrowed his eyes at Nate. “Keep your hands up before I kill you. Self-defense is sounding damn good right now. Turn around.” He didn’t observe a gun in Nate’s waistband at the back.

  “Are y’all going to shoot an unarmed man? We need to talk. If I had come here to make trouble, I could’ve left when you pulled in, idiot.”

  Randy checked Nate for a weapon. He kept his semi-automatic pointed at him. “The sheriff is the only one you need to talk to,” Randy grumbled. “You’ve been warned to leave Roxanne alone.”

  “Can we talk without making threats against each other? Look, I apologize for barging in your place the other night, dude. I had too much to drink and—”

  “Randy, don’t believe him.” Roxanne took a step forward. “Shut up, Nate! I’m like this because of you. You hired men to kill me! I’m no longer your business. You went to Randy’s house and hit him for no reason!”

  “No, Roxanne, you’re not this way because of me. How can I convince you that I didn’t…wouldn’t do something like this to you?”

  Randy had enough of this bullshit. “Roxanne, go inside to get your bag together so we can get out of here before I fire on this bastard.”

  “Here I am,” said Nate in a warning voice. “Go ahead if it’ll make all y’all feel better.” Nate flicked his gaze back and forth at them. “I had alibis you refused to listen to. Roxy, I had nothing to do with this.”

  “Don’t call me that. Don’t call me anything. I hate you! You’re nuts if you expect me to believe what you say.” Roxanne whizzed up the steps and unlocked the door, whirling when she opened it. “I don’t care if you kill him, Randy. You defended us from this psycho.” She glared at Nate and came back down the steps toward Randy and held out her hand for his pistol. “Better yet, let me do it myself.”

  Digging deep to find calm, Randy nodded toward the door. “Go get your stuff together.”

  Nate stood with his hands still in the air. “Anger is blocking the truth of what went on that night. I didn’t pay someone to have you end up like this. I could’ve done it m’self if I had wanted to, bitch.”

  “No! You’re telling me this ten months too late. You paid them to kill me and they botched the job because they got scared! Joke’s on you.” Roxanne took a step toward him, but Randy jerked her back.

  “Get your clothes. Now,” demanded Randy, “or you’re going without them.”

  She went back up the steps but refused to go inside.

  “Now go ahead and kill me if you have to, but I’m leaving. I’m here because I heard something through the county jail pipeline back home. Y’all need to hear this.”

  He strutted past Randy toward a car parked just off Roxanne’s property, as if he dared him to shoot. Sure, he could shoot the bastard and this was the perfect opportunity. “Stop!”

  Nate froze. “Go ahead, shoot me in the back. Probably not self-defense if y’all shoot me while I’m leavin’.”

  He had a good point but there were ways around that. Maybe his story did need to be looked into a bit further. “Why didn’t you tell the sheriff your news instead of coming here? Thinking Rox would be here alone, huh?”

  “So, now what?” Nate tossed back dark hair from his eyes. “Look, you have to believe me.”

  Randy held the gun toward Nate’s head. “I don’t have to believe anything. The sheriff warned you about staying the hell away from us.”

  Nate shook his head but had no reply.

  He had the opportunity to wipe this piece of trash, and his smart mouth and smug attitude, off the face of the earth. Randy narrowed his eyes at Nate. “Get the hell out of here before I call the sheriff.”

  Nate smirked. “You got nothing on me.”

  “You sure as hell weren’t invited.” Roxanne’s nostrils flared as she spoke to him.

  Any minute she could be clawing his eyes out, and Randy would let her tear him to pieces. This was a side to her he’d never seen before, but he had to get her out of here. “Roxanne, go get Nora now, and I’ll meet you where we mentioned when I’m done with this piece of crap here.”

  Hands on her hips in defiance, she said her piece. “I’m not leaving you here with him and a gun between you two.”

  What a stubborn woman.

  “I’m telling you, y’all are making a mistake. I say we work together to find out who really did this. I got news.”

  “Shut the hell up! We have nothing more to say to you.” Randy shoved Nate in the chest. “Shut up. Walk away now or the sheriff can pick your carcass up from the ground.”

  Nate glared at both Roxanne and Randy. “This isn’t over.”

  “You bet.” Randy agreed a hundred percent and waited outside until Nate drove
away.

  “Come on, Roxanne.” He checked out the interior of the house, then checked the back door, which was unlocked, and he double checked all the windows. Randy shoved his gun into his holster, pulled his shirttail over it, and he stood in front of Roxanne as she gripped the door jamb with both hands. He took a deep breath. “Is it at all possible Nate’s right about hearing something from the jail?”

  Tears fell. “I don’t know.”

  She didn’t know? His head could explode any second.

  She nodded. “I want to turn the time back ten months so this never happened.”

  Randy cupped his hand around the back of her head and brought her against his chest. “I know. We’ll figure it out. Call your detective when we get to my place to let him know about this. If someone talked in jail, Nate isn’t the only one who heard it. That scumbag they’re holding must’ve blabbed something. I’ll call Leon to tell him about Nate showing up here.”

  Roxanne sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Nora will be waiting.”

  Randy glanced out the door. “Go get your stuff while I wait on the porch to keep an eye out for that lunatic. I’ll follow you over to Nora’s to pick her up. Then I’ll trail behind you before going to pick up dinner.”

  “That’d be fine, except you go get dinner after we leave Nora’s. She and I will be fine from there to Dane’s.” Roxanne sighed. “I’m glad you were here. My intuition was right when I saw him in town tonight.” She pulled him in tight.

  “Exactly why I got here in a rush. Me being here with you isn’t a problem. You’re my priority.” She had no idea what went on in his brain right now, and how he wanted to hunt down Nate to kill him, but not in front of her. The idea of Nate doing this last escapade, and all the other abuse he’d heard about, nearly drove him insane. “Ask Tristan to point you toward my place. You’ll see it in the distance. Remember from the other night with the horse? I don’t want you on the road after I follow you to Dane’s.”

  “I think so.”