by MJ Fredrick
He stopped and turned his head to look at her. “More than I have the right to be.”
Sophia drew in a shuddering breath, then nodded, and he left.
“Mom,” Liz said when her mother turned into her arms and cried against her shoulder. “Did you really want him back? After what he did? He’s right, you know. He doesn’t deserve you, doesn’t deserve to come back in this house as a part of this family. What he’s doing for the girls, that’s one thing, but for you, that’s another.”
Sophia drew back and looked into her face. “Why can’t you forgive, mija? You don’t want to be so hard-hearted. People make mistakes all the time. You don’t want someone to turn that back on you some day? No, you don’t. Learn how to forgive, to be open to other people. You’ll be happier.”
“Are you happy right now?” She shouldn’t have said it, but her filters were off after the stress of the week.
Sophia snapped her head back as if Liz had slapped her. “I’m upset, yes, but I’m at peace with myself. I know I did the right thing in forgiving him. That his choices hurt me, that can’t be helped. But it will fade and I will know the choices I made were the right ones. And I’ll heal sooner.” She turned away. “But right now I want to be alone.”
Liz watched helplessly as her mother hobbled to her room, looking older than Liz had ever seen her.
And she knew that the choices she had made weren’t the right ones, but she didn’t know how to repair them.
*****
Liz needed to get her mother out of the house, and get her mind off of Rafael, and get her own thoughts off of Killian. She’d thought business would drop off after word got out about her and Killian, since she’d hurt him, but it hadn’t. Maybe people were happy they’d broken up, since they hadn’t thought she was right for Killian to begin with.
Even Allison had come in today, looking happier than Liz had ever seen her. Liz had thought there was something between her and the Texas Ranger, but that must have ended the minute Allison heard Killian was free.
Yes, she needed a distraction as much as her mother did.
There weren’t a lot of options for a woman Sophia’s age, but Liz remembered the fun she’d seen people having at the gambling hall. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a hundred percent legal, but if they were illegal, wouldn’t they be shut down?
And once she told Sophia, her mother brightened.
“I’ve always wanted to go,” she said as she got into Liz’s car. “I was scared to go by myself.”
“Well, we’ll go have some fun.”
By the time she pulled up in front of the tin building where she and Killian had gone a few weeks ago, Sophia was fairly vibrating in her seat. There were several cars in front of the hall, none of which she recognized.
The two women walked in and paid for their tokens. Sophia took a moment to inspect the prizes, which included a basket of coffee, with mugs and biscotti, wrapped up in cellophane, a gift card to a big box store an hour away, and a mini fridge.
“Oh, wouldn’t it be nice if I could win that for Gracie to take with her to college?”
Liz spotted two eight-liners side-by-side and guided her mother to them. She thought she might have to show her mother how to play, but Sophia took to the challenge like a pro. She went through her tokens fast, plugging in one after another, so Liz passed over some of hers. A shout sounded from a corner of the metal building, signaling a jackpot. Sophia strained in her seat, unwilling to abandon her machine, but wanting to see what someone else might have won.
“I need more tokens,” Sophia said a little while later.
Liz looked at her remaining tokens and stood with a sigh. “I’ll be right back.”
But by the time she returned, a man had taken her machine. She started to say something to her mother about not saving her seat, then she saw her mother lean over and touch the man’s arm, then laugh. He laughed, too.
“A kiss for luck,” he said, and Sophia kissed the token before he slid it into the slot.
Oh my. He worked fast. Liz sidled up to her mother and slipped her some more tokens, then made herself scarce, sitting at the concession stand she hadn’t noticed the last time she was here with Killian. She bought a soda and sat on the rickety barstool to watch her mother flirt.
Then two things happened at once. Her mother’s machine began making noise, and the front door burst open. Texas Ranger Ryan Keller walked through the door with a swagger.
“I’m shutting this place down. Everyone needs to step over to that wall. Leave everything at your machine. Understand?”
Sophia and Liz exchanged a panicked glance, then Liz looked at Ryan, whose eyes widened when he recognized her. After a moment of hesitation, he motioned her to join the others by the wall. She strode across the cement floor and wedged herself at her mother’s side as the sheriff’s deputies walked over to make sure no one—to make sure no one…what? Liz was the youngest woman in the place by at least a decade. Were these people going to run?
She watched Deputy Jordan do a double-take when he saw her, and Sheriff Treviño himself stood in front of her.
“We’re going to everyone’s information and take you down to the station.”
“We’re under arrest?” Sophia asked sharply.
Killian fingered the cream-colored linen envelope and looked at his name, written in painstaking penmanship by Brianna, sitting at her kitchen table. She must have mailed this before the fiasco earlier this week. He rubbed at his shin, where the healing bite still ached.
He hadn’t seen Liz all week, a feat for a small town. Okay, maybe not that big of a feat. He’d gone out of his way to see her when he was pursuing her. Before, he hadn’t seen her all that much. But now…he got the feeling she was making an effort not to see him.
Which he supposed was her right. But damn, he’s spent the night in the hospital bed wide awake, wondering what in hell he’d done wrong. Okay, he knew. He’d pushed too far, too fast. He had known she shied away from relationships, but they’d spent almost every evening together for the last month. He’d thought…damn it, he was in love with her, and he thought she was in love with him.
He thought she had more balls than to run away from him when he couldn’t run after her.
He’d thought long and hard about seeking her out, demanding to have her tell him to his face why she didn’t want him. But a big part of him didn’t want to know, didn’t want to hear her say it.
So yeah, maybe he was as cowardly as her.
He tapped the invitation on his desk before tossing it down and dropping into his chair. He rocked back, looked out his window first at her salon, rubbing his hand over his mouth, almost able to taste her. He craved the taste of her, the feel of her body against his. And she didn’t want him.
He swung around toward the Sagebrush. Maybe he needed something to get his mind off of her. He picked up the phone and called Trace.
*****
“Sucks that the only time we hang out is when one of us is having woman problems,” Killian commented as the two men walked into the Sagebrush.
Trace snorted, catching the door over his friend’s head. “At least you get better drinks than I did.”
“As I recall, you drank for free that night.”
Trace slid a sideways look at him. “Don’t count on it.”
At least Killian could be fairly certain that he wouldn’t see Liz here, since she and Sage weren’t friends. But he didn’t expect to see his sister and his mother at a table near the window. Ah, great. Just what a guy looking to get drunk wanted to see.
He couldn’t ignore them, though the idea was tempting. He exchanged a glance with Trace, who sighed and followed him over.
Evelyn stretched up to kiss each man on the cheek. “Trace, how are you? I haven’t seen you in ages?”
He made a noncommittal sound, much like he’d done as a teenager. “Better than I was,” he admitted when she gave him a look that told him she wouldn’t let it go.
“And your custody
hearing?”
“Next month. I think I have a good case.”
“I’ll be a character witness if you need me.”
A half-smile lifted his stiff mouth. “I appreciate that.”
Evelyn patted his shoulder. “I’ve known you practically since you were a baby. I know what kind of man you are, and I’ve seen what kind of father you are.”
“That means a lot, Mrs. Dawson.”
She gave him a warm smile, then turned to her son. “You, on the other hand, look terrible.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom.”
She reached up and touched the two days’ worth of beard. “Don’t you have the groundbreaking tomorrow for the new grocery store?”
“I do.”
“And I presume there will be press?”
“I’ll shave.” He moved out of her reach.
She frowned. “And look like death warmed over in the pictures. Maybe we should put it off. Maybe the snake bite had more of an effect than the doctors know.”
“It’s not the bite, Mom. It’s fine.”
Her frown deepened. “So it’s Liz Salazar.”
“Mom. We just came by to say hi.” He widened his eyes at his sister, hoping she’d jump in at any minute, but she just sipped her margarita and smiled.
“I warned you—”
He held up a hand. “I don’t want to discuss this. This is between her and me. I don’t want to hear she’s losing business because of this, either. It’s nobody’s business but ours.”
“I would never do that.” Evelyn drew back, shocked. “Certainly, I never would.”
“Make sure no one else does it, either. That salon is something she worked for her whole life. I’d hate to see her fail because of something that went on for a couple of months.”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. “You are more generous than I am.”
“I love her, Mom. And I’m hoping she sees that we’re good together.”
Evelyn turned to Trace. “Tell him she isn’t worth the pain she’s given him.”
“He thinks she is,” Trace said in his quiet way.
Evelyn snapped her teeth together and withdrew. “I’m just worried, is all.”
“I know you are, Mom.” Killian bent and kissed her cheek. “Talk to Maggie about her crush on Hollywood.”
Maggie widened her eyes as her mother spun on her. Killian shrugged and walked away. She hadn’t bothered to bail him out. He had no trouble throwing her under the bus.
*****
“You going to talk about it?” Trace asked three beers later.
Damn, Killian had missed beer. He’d have to run longer tomorrow to burn off the calories, but right now, it was worth it. “You didn’t.”
“Doesn’t matter. I knew you’d listen if I could bring myself to put it into words. You really liked Liz.”
“For years, you know. And for years I knew I had no chance with her. I watched her with guy after guy, and knew she was out of my league. And then that night, the way she looked at me.” He shook his head and looked into his bottle. He smiled at the power he’d felt when she’d chosen him, when she’d gone home with him. “A dream come true. And I couldn’t let it slip away.”
“So you’re letting it slip away now?”
“She doesn’t want me anymore. Doesn’t want the life I have to offer her.”
“Look, bro.” Trace folded his arms on the shiny bar and shifted forward. “You have had a pretty fucking shiny life, you know? Grew up in the perfect house on the perfect street. Got into A&M without really trying. Had Daddy pay for it. Came home, took over the job as mayor. Sure, you had the weight thing, and you did a great job working for that, but that’s not…I mean, it’s impressive, but even that seemed easy for you. But love, it’s not like that.”
Killian stared. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Trace say that many words at one time before. Trace stopped to take a drink and Killian damn near bounced on his stool, wanting to hear Trace’s definition of love. He knew in advance it wouldn’t be a positive outlook—how could it be after what he’d gone through with Mandy?
“Look, I know I’m not the guy to give advice on relationships. I let things go too far before I realized there was a problem, that she was really unhappy. At that point, I don’t think there was anything I could have done to change what was happening. But if I’d been alert, been aware, not taken her for granted, I would have done anything to change the outcome.”
“Even if she didn’t want to be there?”
“Is that really what you think? Or are you using that as an excuse?”
Killian looked at his friend a long moment, wanting to argue that she’d walked away, she’d told him she didn’t want the relationship, so why shouldn’t he believe her? But what if…what if she’d just been scared?
Ryan Keller ambled up to the bar and leaned next to Killian. “So. I arrested your girlfriend yesterday.”
“What the hell?” A number of scenarios flipped through his head—drunk and disorderly, driving under the influence, getting involved with some guy at a bar. The last made the beer slide back up his throat.
“Yeah, we raided one of the gambling halls and pulled her and her mother in.”
“You’re kidding.” Relief was sudden and intense. His beer glass slid through his fingers and hit the bar with a thud. But, “What the hell was she doing? She knows what’s going on there. Why would she go?”
“She said she was trying to get her mother’s mind off her father.”
“And you took her in?” Killian pushed himself straight and turned to the Ranger.
“Just for questioning. Nothing going on her record. Or her mother’s.”
“You didn’t think you should call me?”
“I heard the two of you had broken up.”
“That doesn’t mean—” Killian drew in a breath, squaring his shoulders, and glanced toward the door.
“She’s okay, man. She’s home, safe and sound tonight.”
Was she? But before he could talk himself into going to find out for himself, Ryan raised a hand and ordered another round.
*****
Killian was perhaps swaying a little more than he should have been when he stood at the red ribbon tied between two metal posts at the empty lot at the edge of town. He squinted at the sparse crowd that gathered for the grocery store ground-breaking. His mother was there, of course, Sage, Allison. When he’d envisioned it, he’d pictured Liz there, at least in the crowd if not by his side. But of course, she’d be working even if they were together.
He shielded his eyes from the sun and avoided his mother’s gaze. She and Sage knew why he was wincing in the sunlight. But he smiled brightly at the pretty little rep from the grocery store chain, who didn’t stumble as she made her way across the rough terrain in impossible high heels. Nonetheless, he offered his arm to her and she flashed a smile up at him that, hm, maybe was interest. She eased just a little closer and held on just a little bit tighter.
Um, yeah. Interest. And she was a cute little thing, too, with amber colored eyes that matched her hair, which she pulled back in an elegant twist, making him wonder how long it actually was. He must have looked at her longer than appropriate, because she gave him a warm look and a squeeze before she released him and took her spot at the ribbon. And when one of her assistants brought out the giant scissors, she put her hands over his to help him cut.
Sage must have noticed, too, because after the ceremony, complete with just about as many pictures as a wedding, thanks to the exuberant photographer from the Kingsville paper, she stepped forward and invited them all to celebrate at the Sagebrush.
“A little early for drinks, isn’t it?” Killian asked, his stomach rebelling at the thought.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ll bring in some food from the Coyote.”
“We could just go to the Coyote, then.”
“But I want Diana to see what else our town has to offer.” She smiled at the grocery store rep. “Come on, Killian. I’ve a
lready called our order in.”
An hour later, Diana was on her second margarita, Allison was sulking, and Killian just wanted to get the hell back to his office. Even the smell of the tequila in Diana’s drink, which was practically under his nose, was making him nauseated.
“I hate to leave good company,” he finally said, pushing to his feet and giving himself some distance from the women. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“Give me a call if you need anything,” Diana said, catching his hand before he moved out of reach.
“I will. You be careful getting home, now.” He knew he probably should have made more of an effort to make her feel welcome in Evansville, but self-preservation told him to escape while he could.
The hot July air hit him the minute he walked out the door, but he welcomed it, breathed it in before crossing to the courthouse. A few kids whipped past him on their bikes and he wished for the freedom, just for a day, to do whatever the hell he wanted. He couldn’t remember the last time he took a day off. Hell, even when he was off, he was still the mayor.
He strode into the air-conditioned building and up the stairs, halfway talking himself into taking the rest of the day off. He swung into his office and stopped cold to see Liz sitting in the waiting area.
His mouth went dry at the sight of her. She was dressed in her work clothes, her hair pulled in a neat ponytail. Ordinarily the look became her, but today her eyes were shadowed and her face was too thin. Some people would tell him he should be glad she was miserable but he couldn’t be.
“What are you doing here?” he asked before he could stop himself, fully aware of Norma’s interest in their conversation.
Liz stood slowly, none of the confidence that marked her personality apparent. “I thought maybe we should see each other before the merchant meeting tonight. And since you didn’t come into the Coyote today…”
He glanced at the clock over the door. “Shouldn’t you be at the shop?”
“I have a break between customers. Jessica’s doing really well, and Mrs. Wachowski is more popular than I gave her credit for.” She stopped her rambling and glanced toward his office door. “Do you mind if we…?” She motioned.
