“They were just packages,” she said. “As far as I know.” Then her eyes widened. “I can’t believe I forgot.”
“What’s that?” Deputy Marks asked.
“I think two men tried to break into my SUV.”
“What?” Wyatt said. “Break into your vehicle?”
Marks held up his hand again. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
She explained how she’d gone into the convenience store and when she came out she saw the men messing with her SUV. “They saw me and took off,” she added.
“Do you think the men followed you?”
“I don’t know.” Sabrina started to shake her head again and grimaced from the pain. “I still don’t remember anything after I turned off of I-10.”
“One more thing,” Marks asked. “Where is the package you picked up for Mr. Harper?”
“In my SUV,” Sabrina said. “It was on the floorboard. Who knows where it ended up inside though.”
“I don’t know if the package is related to what happened, but we’re going to look into it,” Marks said. “I’ll see if it has been found in the wreckage.” He gave Sabrina a business card. “You remember anything, you give us a call.”
“I will,” she said.
The deputy gave her a nod. “Get some rest, Miss Holliday.”
“I will.” Sabrina felt exhaustion straight through to her bones and she suddenly had a hard time keeping her eyes open.
“I’m going to let you sleep.” Carly came to the side of the bed as the deputy left. “I can come back and give you a ride.”
“I’ll take care of Sabrina and get her back home when she’s released.” Wyatt’s hat was sitting on a table and he pushed his hand through his hair, a tired look on his face. “You go on home, Carly, and get some rest.”
“It’s pretty late.” Sabrina caught Carly’s hand. “Are you going to be okay driving at this hour?”
“I’m fine.” Carly squeezed Sabrina’s hand in return. “I’ll get some coffee and some sugar and I’ll be set.”
“Peanut butter M & M’s?” Sabrina asked with a grin.
“You know me.” Carly smiled then bent down and kissed Sabrina on the cheek. “I think I’m leaving you in good hands.”
Sabrina smiled and Wyatt said to Carly, “I’ll walk you out to make sure you get to your car all right.”
“Thanks.” Carly gave a little wave to Sabrina. “See you when you get home.”
When they left, Sabrina closed her eyes, feeling exhaustion pouring over her. No one had let her sleep yet because of the concussion and she was so tired.
In moments everything faded and she slept.
* * * * *
The hospital released Sabrina sometime before noon. Her mom had visited her again before she was released and she and Wyatt got along great. Sabrina loved the easy way that Wyatt talked with her mom and got her to laugh.
“Thank you, Wyatt.” She touched his arm as he drove his truck into Patagonia and headed for Carly’s house. “It means a lot to me that you were there.”
“You couldn’t get rid of me.” He caught her hand and put it on his chest. “Not even if you tried.”
She smiled. “I’m lucky. Just scratched, bruised, and sore.” And she had a killer headache.
The expression on Wyatt’s face darkened. “It could have been a lot worse.”
She turned her hand around in his and squeezed his fingers. “But it wasn’t. I’m fine.”
He looked from the road to her for a moment. “Thank God.”
They turned onto Carly’s street and pulled up to her house next to her red Jeep. She was on the porch, an agitated expression on her face. The moment she spotted Wyatt and Sabrina, a relieved expression came over her.
“What’s wrong, Carly?” Sabrina asked the moment she was out of the truck.
“Derrick Harper.” Carly scowled as Sabrina looked at her in surprise. “He keeps coming back, asking for his package. He doesn’t believe you were in an accident and thinks you took off with it.”
“What the hell?” Wyatt nearly growled. “He’s been harassing you?”
“You could definitely call it harassment, yes.” Carly nodded.
“He thinks I ran off with his package?” Sabrina looked at them in confusion. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know, but I aim to find out.” Wyatt looked grim. “I’m going to find Harper and have a talk with him.”
“Thanks.” Carly looked even more relieved. “I’d hate for the bastard to come around and start in on Sabrina when she’s still recovering from the accident.”
A rush of anger came over Sabrina. How dare he put her in the position he had and bother Carly? And if all of this had something to do with those packages, she was going to kill Derrick herself.
“I’ll be back.” Wyatt kissed Sabrina. “You relax.” He looked at Carly. “Just wake her once an hour if she falls asleep. It still hasn’t been twenty-four hours.”
“I’m fine. Doctors didn’t say anything about that. I need my rest so please don’t wake me.” Sabrina gave her best pouty look and then a little smile.
Carly smiled. “Okay. I will be checking on you though.”
Wyatt kissed Sabrina again, then climbed into his truck.
Carly turned to Sabrina. “Your white knight.”
Sabrina smiled as they headed up the steps of the house. “He is, isn’t he?”
It didn’t take long for Carly to make Sabrina lie down on the couch after getting her a glass of iced tea.
“You can stop fussing over me, Mother Hen,” Sabrina said as she settled on the couch.
“I only do that for people I love.” Carly said. ”I’ll be watching you.”
“Thank you.” She closed her eyes immediately drifting off…asleep before she could count to five.
It seemed like she had barely closed her eyes when there was a loud banging at the door.
“Knock it off,” Carly grumbled and Sabrina blinked her eyes open to see her friend peeking out the curtain. A look of anger molded Carly’s pretty features. “Sonofabitch. It’s Derrick.”
She jerked the door open and Sabrina sat up on the couch and swung her legs to the floor.
“Where is she?” Derrick bellowed, causing Sabrina’s headache to intensify.
“Get the hell off my property,” Carly shouted. “Or I’m calling the sheriff’s office.”
Derrick looked past Carly and saw Sabrina. He shoved past Carly who shouted again for him to get out. His expression was furious as Sabrina stood up to face him.
“Where’s my package?” His voice was menacing.
“You’ve been told,” Sabrina said. “I was in an accident and they haven’t found the package. They think someone forced me off the road and then took it.”
“Bullshit.” Derrick’s fists were clenched at his sides. “You have it.”
Carly was in the background and Sabrina heard her ask for the sheriff’s office. Derrick swung around and grabbed the phone out of her hand, threw it onto the floor, and ground it under his boot.
Fire flashed in Carly’s eyes. “You sonofabitch.”
“Give me the money.” Derrick’s eyes had a crazy light to them and she smelled alcohol on his breath. “I need that twenty-five grand you stole from me.”
“Twenty-five grand?” Sabrina’s eyes widened.
“You know what was in there,” Derrick shouted.
From the corner of her eye, Sabrina saw Carly holding a baseball bat. “There was that kind of money in that package?” Sabrina asked.
“Don’t fuck around with me, bitch.” Derrick raised a fist. He turned to look at Carly just as she swung the bat at his head.
His hand snapped up and he grabbed the bat out of her hand. He held it like he was going to swing it at her.
“I don’t have your money.” Sabrina was frantic to get Derrick’s attention off of Carly. “I didn’t even know there was cash in that package. You said what I dropped off was for your sister. Why w
ould she send back that kind of money to you through me?”
“You’re lying.” Derrick took a step forward, his fist drawn back and aimed at Sabrina. “Do you know what they’ll do to me if I don’t get them that money? Do you know? They’ll kill me.”
And then Derrick spun around. Sabrina looked in time to see a thunderous Wyatt holding Derrick by the collar. She hadn’t even seen Wyatt come in through the door.
Wyatt’s fist slammed into Derrick’s face. He stumbled backward and landed on the glass-topped table. His hat went flying. Wood and glass shattered. Blood poured from Derrick’s nose.
Before Derrick had a chance to get up, Wyatt reached down, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him again.
This time Derrick landed on one of the couches. He threw himself forward and bull rushed Wyatt who stepped out of the way.
Carly had been standing to the side and she swung the baseball bat at Derrick’s head and it glanced off his temple.
Derrick cried out from the impact and fell to the floor on his hands and knees. Wyatt jerked him up again and shoved him toward the front door and out onto the porch.
Sabrina ran to the door and watched as Wyatt marched Derrick down the steps and then shoved him toward his truck. Derrick dropped to his knees. Blood dripped from his temple, one eye was swollen shut, and his nose was bloody.
“Come near her again,” Wyatt said with fury on his face and in his voice, “and I’m not going to be so easy on you. Now get the hell out of here.”
Derrick scrambled to his feet. He started around to the driver’s side door. “I’m going to get my money from the bitch.”
“Get out of here.” Wyatt took another step toward him but Derrick was already in his truck. He started it, spun his tires as he stepped on the gas, and then shot forward down the street.
Wyatt turned and jogged up the stairs. He looked at Sabrina and then Carly who were now standing side-by-side. “Are you two all right?”
“He didn’t touch me, but he shoved Carly into that table.” Sabrina said, her arm around her friend’s shoulders.
Carly was still holding the bat. “So help me, if he comes near us again, I’m going to break his head open.”
Wyatt stepped between them and put his arms around their shoulders. “Sure you’re okay, Carly?”
She nodded. “Just pissed.”
Wyatt leaned down and kissed Sabrina on the head. “Thank God you’re both all right.”
Carly moved away from Wyatt and stomped on Derrick’s hat before picking it up and flinging it out the door.
Chapter 12
Butterflies tumbled around Sabrina’s belly as Wyatt drove to his brother’s house, which had been their family home. He’d invited her to his sister’s birthday barbeque, so she was going to meet the rest of his family today. She wasn’t sure she was ready, but as nice as Zane and Jessie had been to her, she would probably like everyone else just as much.
She glanced at Wyatt. He looked so damned good in his Wranglers, white shirt, and boots. His cowboy hat was resting on the back seat of the king cab. The tall, muscular cowboy was enough to make a woman’s mouth water. And at least for now, he was all hers. When he’d picked her up this morning, it had been all she could do not to jump out, run up to him, and wrap herself around him.
A part of her still felt hesitant, like she might get hurt emotionally if she wasn’t careful. She’d known him almost two weeks and that hesitancy was fading like her bruises were.
He glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”
“A little sore,” she said. “I’m more nervous about meeting your family than I am sore, though.”
“Nervous is the last thing you should be.” He rested his hand on her thigh. “My family is going to love you. Zane and Jessie already do. And I’m pretty sure you’ll like rest of them.”
She smiled. “I’m sure I will.”
“Good girl.” He put his hand back on the steering wheel.
She’d told him that she was perfectly fine driving the car that she’d rented while she waited for the insurance company to settle. But he’d insisted that it had only been a week since the accident and he didn’t think she should be making the fairly long drive.
It was fun spending time with Wyatt on the trip. It was always fun with him. He had an amazing sense of humor and she liked how he teased her and told her stories about his family and asked her about her own family and things going on in her life. He made her feel good in so many ways. And he made her feel loved.
Loved. She mentally shook her head. She’d only known him for a couple of weeks, but she was falling for him. Hard.
Hell, she had already fallen for him. Period.
He drove down a long dirt road to a gate with a sign high over the wide cattle guard. The sign had Bar C Ranch on it along with the brand.
“This is the place where we all grew up.” Wyatt smiled. “Danica still lives here, but she’s aching to move out now that Zane is married.”
“It’s beautiful.” Sabrina’s gaze took in the huge sycamore trees, oaks, and mesquites around the house and the beds of brightly colored flowers out front. An enclosed porch ran the length of the home and a windmill rose up from behind it. A barn with corrals to the left of it was on the far end of the huge driveway.
Her belly tightened as they pulled up beside six other vehicles.
“Looks like the whole family is here.” Wyatt got out, leaned over the seat and grabbed his hat and put it on, then closed the driver’s side door and went around to open Sabrina’s door. He caught her by the waist and swung her down, then shut the door and took her by her hand.
Laughter and voices came from behind the house. They walked beside a tree with an old-fashioned dinner bell hanging from it and an old wagon wheel up against the trunk. They passed a small waterfall that trickled merrily over rocks into a little pond with fish in it that looked like koi. Through the screen on the enclosed porch she saw a wealth of houseplants and cozy-looking outdoor furniture.
Her nervousness ratcheted up notch as they passed under sycamores and rounded a corner where six people were laughing and talking, most relaxing in lawn chairs.
“Look who’s finally here.” Jessie was the first one to spot them. The redhead hurried over from where she’d been standing beside a barbeque grill and hugged Sabrina. “How are you doing?”
“Great.” Sabrina smiled. “Thank you again for your help last week.”
“We’re just glad you’re all right.” Jessie gave Wyatt a kiss on his cheek and turned to the others. “This is Sabrina, who you’ve all heard about.”
Everyone got up from their chairs. Jessie turned to Sabrina and introduced each person.
“This is Wayne and his wife, Kaitlyn.” Jessie gestured toward a tall cowboy next to a pretty blonde with a friendly smile. They came up to Sabrina and each one of them greeted her then hugged her like she was family.
“Heard a lot about you,” Wayne said.
Kaitlyn added, “I hope you’re feeling better.”
“I’m doing great,” Sabrina said. “Thank you.”
“That’s Dillon.” Jessie indicated a cowboy with the same blue eyes as his brothers’ but he was fairer than they were.
Dillon gave Sabrina a hug. “Good to meet you, Sabrina,” he said in a low drawl.
“Same here.” She returned his hug before stepping back.
Jessie pointed toward a beautiful brunette with eyes that matched her brothers’. “And that’s our birthday girl, Danica.”
Danica smiled and said, “Welcome, Sabrina,” then hugged her.
Jessie went to her husband and he put his arm around her shoulders. “And of course you’ve met Zane.”
“Where’s Aunt Grace?” Wyatt asked.
“She said she’s feeling a little under the weather,” Danica said.
Everyone settled into their chairs again except for Zane who was turning meat on the grill with long tongs. A long picnic table was covered with stacks of paper plates, plast
ic cups, and plastic ware. Also on the table was a bowl of potato salad, pasta salad, and other things, all covered with plastic wrap.
An open chest of sodas tucked in ice was close to the chairs and Dillon offered them each a soda. Sabrina remembered that the family didn’t drink around Wayne and she admired them for that.
“What’s happening with the investigation into the accident?” Zane asked once Sabrina had opened her soda.
“Nothing really.” Sabrina crossed her legs at her knees. “They haven’t found a truck with paint the same color as what had been scraped onto my SUV, or with a damaged taillight. I still don’t remember anything that might help.”
Wyatt leaned back in his chair. “The sheriff’s department has talked with Harper and he denies that the missing package had money in it like I overheard him tell Sabrina and Carly. They haven’t been able to track down the guy that Sabrina delivered the package to. The trailer was abandoned when the deputies checked it out and the owner actually died a month ago.”
“Has Harper come back around to bother you and your friend?” Dillon asked Sabrina. “Was he arrested?”
Sabrina shook her head. “He wasn’t charged with assault because he didn’t actually hurt one of us.” She looked at Wyatt whose expression had darkened at the subject. “It was thanks to Wyatt that we weren’t physically assaulted,” she added.
Danica pushed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “Hopefully they find whoever was responsible for running you off the road.”
“So no sign of the mysterious package,” Jessie said.
“Nope.” Sabrina linked her fingers around her crossed knee. “The wreckage was thoroughly checked as was the area surrounding the accident.”
With a hard look on his face, Wyatt continued. “Harper probably had Sabrina deliver drugs and the missing money was payment.”
“He was probably given the drugs by someone in the area who came across the line,” Dillon said.
Wayne nodded. “Probably figured that Border Patrol wouldn’t think twice about letting her through the checkpoint without searching her vehicle.”
Champagne & Chaps Page 9