by Becky McGraw
"Come back with me, Karlie...you've only missed one competition. We can pull it back together," Kate pleaded.
"I can't," Karlie told her then looked away toward the dance floor. "And please don't tell Jake where I am...it would cause problems."
"I haven't told Jake a damned thing, and I don't plan to, but you need to get your head out of your ass and think about us...about how we earn a living. The money we make is a lot to give up, Karlie."
"I don't have any money, Katie...Jake made sure of that..." Karlie took off her hat then smoothed her hair and put it back on. "I have a new job here, and I'm staying...so just go back to Dallas and leave me alone."
Gabe noticed that Karlie's eyes had filled with tears and wondered why. He dropped his arm from around Katie's shoulders and grabbed her to ask, "What's wrong, Karlie?" She just shook her head and turned away from them and walked over to a cowboy she'd danced with earlier, and went back to the dance floor.
Turning back toward Kate, Gabe shoved a hand through his hair then told her, "I'll try to find out what's wrong with her, Kate...for her to leave you, her job and the rodeo, which she seems to love, out of the blue, doesn't make much sense unless something happened."
Kate nodded and told him, "That's what I was thinking too, and it's why I came here. I thought I could find out what's wrong and talk some sense into her."
Gabe put his hand at the small of her back and led her back to their table. After they sat down, he asked her, "Tell me about this Jake guy...could he be the reason she left?"
"Could be, but I wouldn't know," she said then took a sip of the beer she'd left on the table. "He didn't let her talk to me outside of the arena, he didn't let her talk to anyone really, and she didn't talk about him, or their relationship, to me. All I do know is that he's a bull rider, and they were living together in his travel trailer for the last six months...they'd only talked for about three months before she moved in with him."
"Did he ever hurt her?" Gabe asked and gritted his teeth waiting for the answer.
"Not that I know of, but his old girlfriend, who's a barrel racer, said he'd roughed her up some. I never saw any bruises on Karlie, though."
"Where is he now?"
"In Dallas...we pull out tomorrow for Houston, that's why I came tonight to try and talk to her. I brought JoJo to her too...he's at the Double B," Katie said then took another sip of her beer. "This was obviously a wasted trip though, because I know when my sister gets in the mood she's in now, she ain't talking to me til she gets damned good and ready. She's stubborn as a mule."
A thought suddenly occurred to Gabe when he replayed what Kate had said to her sister in his mind, "Why is Jake so pissed about her taking her dog with her?"
"It's not her dog, Sarge is his dog."
Fuck, Gabe thought, she'd pulled another Karlie...she'd stolen the man's dog. Hopefully, the guy didn't file a police report, or she could wind up in the pokey again. The good thing was that damned ugly dog couldn't be worth much, so it was probably a misdemeanor, if she got charged. The odds were, though, that she wasn't giving him back.
Gabe took a sip of his beer then said, "Well, he's probably going to have to get over it, because I don't think she's going to give him up." Hell, she'd hog-tied him on the side of the road for trying to separate her from the mutt.
Kate shook her head again, and laughed, "I never could figure out what Karlie saw in Jake or in that ugly dog...but she was attached for sure."
Gabe didn't want to ask, but it fell out of his mouth anyway, "To Jake or the dog?"
"Both," she said and Gabe flinched, almost envying the infamous Jake. Katie leaned over and kissed his cheek then said, "Well, I'm heading back to Dallas, before it gets too late. I can't rope in the next event, but I can barrel race...It was nice meeting you, Gabe."
"Nice meeting you too, sugar. Give me you cell number and I'll call you if I make any headway with Karlie," He put her number into his phone, then took her phone and put his in there, so they could stay in contact. "I have to warn you, there's a lot of dead space around here where cell phones are concerned. If you need to call Karlie, you'll probably have to call the Double B."
"Yeah, I've been trying to call for a couple of days, and she didn't answer...that must be why. Or, she just didn't want to talk to me..."
He saw Kate's eyes darken with sadness, and he leaned in to kiss her cheek, then reassured her, "I don't think it's you, honey...something else is going on, and I'll do my best to find out what it is, I promise."
She nodded then slid off the stool and picked up her purse. "Thanks, Gabe...you're a sweetie," she told him then gave him that thousand watt grin and wiggled her fingers, before she turned and walked toward the front door.
His eyes moved back to the dance floor where he saw Karlie in the middle of the floor dancing to a slow song with yet another man. He gritted his teeth when he saw the cowboy pull her tighter against him and she slid her arms slid around his neck. Gabe had seen enough. He took the last swig of his hot beer and then stood up, and looked in her direction one final time. She dragged her eyes away from the guy she was dancing with and looked at him and he quickly turned his gaze toward the door, then headed that way.
One of the night duty deputies would probably bring him back to the Double B, or he'd call Luke. He wasn't going to be able to drive home tonight, and he sure wasn't going to make the deputy drive to Cole and Sabrina's tonight, it was too far. As much as he hated to, he was just going to have to stay at the Double B and go home early in the morning. He was sure there was an extra bed out in the bunkhouse...if he had to he'd sleep in his damned car.
Pushing through the front door into the night, Gabe's ears were ringing from all the noise he'd just left for the sudden silence. He breathed in the night air and let it out slowly to clear his lungs of all the smoke and pollution inside of the bar. He trekked across the street and across the parking lot, then walked inside the station. It was a lot different at night than it was during the day, he thought, it was almost too quiet after the hustle and bustle in the building during the day.
There were only two deputies on duty tonight, and one was working the dispatch desk. He walked over to the deputy at the desk and smiled, "Hi, I'm Gabe Kelly...you must be Logan?" he said then stuck out his hand.
"Yeah, that's me..." he said then shook Gabe's hand before saying, "Gabe Kelly...why does that name ring a bell?" then scratching his head. The man looked a little bit slow, but his eyes finally lit up with recognition and he said, "Oh! You're Cole's new Chief Deputy!"
"Yeah, that's right. Started last week...so, is there any way you can give me a ride out to the Double B ranch? I rode with someone and they're staying in town a while...my cruiser is out there."
The man shook his head and his smile dropped, "I would if I could, but Junior is out on a loose cattle call, and I can't leave. Only two of us are on duty at night, and I have to watch the phone...sorry."
"I'll just hang around a little while then and wait on Junior, if you don't mind that is," Gabe told him dreading having to wait. He was tired and aggravated and just wanted some sleep. He hadn't slept much last night thinking about a certain redhead, who he wasn't going to be thinking about anymore. If she wanted to tease a hundred cowboys a night, that was her business...but he wasn't going to be one of them.
"That's fine, I'll radio him and let him know you're waiting. Maybe he'll hurry up," Logan said then keyed the mic and called him.
"Thanks," Gabe said as he walked to the line of plastic chairs against the wall and plopped down in one near the corner. Maybe he could catch a cat nap, while he waited on the other deputy, he though and slouched down crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes.
A minute later they popped open when someone came through the door of the station and stomped over to the duty desk. "Where's Gabe?" Karlie demanded and put her hand on her hip. She hadn't even seen hi
m when she walked in the door.
"Gabe who?" Logan asked her then shook his head and said, "Gabe Kelley?"
"I don't know what his last name is, but he's the only damned Chief Deputy you have, seems like you'd know him," she sassed and he saw the deputy's face redden.
"Look, Miss...he's only been here a week or so, and he works days..." Logan informed her then looked at her through narrowed eyes, "Have you been drinking?" He stood up and
groaned, knowing if he didn't do something, she was gonna let her mouth put her in one of the cells for the night.
Rushing over there, he cringed when she slammed her hands on the desk and leaned toward the deputy to say, "I've had less than one beer about three hours ago, so I'd say no, I haven't been drinking. So, if you'd just tell me where the hell he is, you can get back to your crossword puzzle," she spat then eyeballed the half done puzzle book on the desk by the phone, before looking back up at Logan.
Grabbing her shoulder, Gabe spun her around to face him, and grated through his teeth, "Karlie, you need to apologize to Logan and get the hell out of here."
She huffed out a breath then said, "Why the hell didn't you tell me you were sitting there and I wouldn't have anything to apologize for! You rode with me you big dumb lunk, I figured you needed a ride home."
Gritting his teeth, Gabe told her, "I don't need a damned thing from you. Now, get out of here and go back to your cowboy, I have a ride."
Karlie snorted then pointed her finger at him, "So that's what this is about...you're mad, because I was dancing," she said then poked his chest. "Well let me tell you something, bucko, my sister and I might be twins, but we aren't interchangeable, or a matched set. You go catch a ride with her! Ya'll seemed cozy enough to me!"
Gabe glanced over her shoulder and saw Logan standing behind his desk paying rapt attention to their conversation, with a smile on his face. He grabbed Karlie's arm and pulled her toward the door, then through it to stand on the stoop above the steps.
She jerked her arm out of his grasp, then rubbed it and took a few steps back from him with wariness in her eyes. "Don't touch me again," she said in a trembling voice, then went down the stairs, walking swiftly to her car."
He knew she couldn't go anywhere, he had her keys, so he walked leisurely down the steps and over beside her, and told her, "I'm sorry if I hurt your arm, I didn't mean to."
Gabe had seen the fear flash in her eyes a minute ago, and felt damned bad about it. That guy Jake was an asshole, and he'd definitely hurt her, whether she'd told her sister about it or not. Women didn't act that way unless they'd been victims. That was something he'd seen enough of working for the Phoenix P.D.
"It's no big deal, I'm fine...I just don't want you to touch me anymore," she said and folded her arms under her breasts defensively, then said, "Just give me my keys."
"What did Jake do to you Karlie?" he asked her gently, but didn't touch her again.
Her lips pinched tightly together and she shrugged, then told him, "Nothing I didn't ask for...my mouth gets away from me sometimes, as you know."
Gently, he laid his hand on her shoulder then turned her to face him. Anger at Jake the asshole surged through him, and then sadness that the man had hurt her spirit, as much as he'd hurt her physically. The jackass had even evidently convinced her that his abuse was her fault. "What did he do to you, Karlie?" he asked her again a little more forcefully this time.
There was silence between them for a good minute, then she said quietly, "He hit me a couple of times...choked me once...that really scared me, that's why I left. Well, that and he kicked Sarge. He'd left him in the trailer all day by himself, and Sarge peed on the floor."
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair, "I'm so sorry, baby. That asshole belongs in jail...did you ever call the cops on him?"
She snorted, then mumbled against his chest, "What and really give him a reason to beat the shit out of me? No way."
"Well, if he decides to come here, I'll beat the shit out of him...you don't have to worry anymore. You're safe here," he promised and squeezed her to him.
"I'm not safe anywhere, if he's looking for me...the only reason he would come looking though would be because of Sarge," she told him then shook her head, "But I'm not giving him back, and Luke said he'd take care of him if he showed up at the Double B."
"I'm glad to hear you told him..." Gabe said then asked, "If he kicked Sarge, why would he care enough about him to come to Bowie to get him?"
"The money," she said, without further explanation.
Gabe tilted his head and tried to process what she meant, but failed. "What money?"
"He gets five thousand dollars a month from his crazy grandpa's estate to take care of Sarge. The lawyers do periodic welfare checks on Sarge, to meet the terms of the will. If Sarge isn't there, he won't get the money anymore."
"Holy Shit! That's about the craziest thing I've ever heard," Gabe said in amazement, then pushed her back from him to look in her face and see if she was joking. She wasn't, her eyes glittered with tears and her lip trembled.
"It's crazy shit all right, but it's how his grandpa set up his will, and Jake took the dog to get the money."
Gabe reached into his pocket for her keys, then handed them to her. "Thanks for telling me," he said then leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Drive safe," he told her and then turned to walk back into the station.
"Wait!" she yelled behind him and he turned back around. "Ride home with me? I'm sorry if I pissed you off...I was just letting my hair down. Those guys don't mean shit to me. Jake never took me out, or let me go out, so it's been a long time, since I did that."
Relief pulsed through Gabe with her words, then anger at the asshole who'd tried to snuff out this crazy, but wild and beautiful, woman's inner spirit. Men like needed to be in a jail cell somewhere, so they could experience what bullying was really like, on the other side of the fence. Karlie and her issues weren't his issues, and she wasn't his woman, but he would damned sure do his best to protect her if that bull-riding bozo showed up in town.
Gabe walked back over to her and said, "And I'm sorry you ever got hooked up with that jerk. I'm also sorry you thought I was hitting on your sister, I wasn't. I was talking to her about you. She's a nice enough girl, but she does nothing for me," he told her and she grinned then took a step toward him, then another and before he knew it she had her arms around his neck and was kissing him senseless.
Not one to let a prime opportunity pass, Gabe took the hot kiss deeper and pulled her in closer to his body, feasting on her sweet lips.
CHAPTER FOUR
Karlie was in love...head over heels, no going back, forever love. With a man so fine he took her breath away every time she saw him. And the best thing about him? He did exactly what she wanted him to do, and didn't talk back.
Too bad her best man was a horse, but maybe that was the best kind of man for her. Titan bent his head down and sniffed her pocket as she led him to the cross-ties to tack him up. He knew she had a treat for him in there, and he wanted it, now, but she was going to make him wait...at least until she had him in the crossties. Working at the Double B these last two weeks had been amazing. Karlie wasn't sad she'd quit the rodeo, she was having the time of her life, and felt so much better inside...where it counted.
Cassie had really outdone herself with not only the facilities here, but the horses she'd bought too. It was obvious to Karlie that Cassie Bellamy Matthews aimed to make a name for herself in the quarter horse industry. And like Karlie, she didn't do things halfway.
She was brushing Titan down good when Cassie walked into the barn smiling from ear to ear. The tall lithe blond was getting bigger every day as the most likely large baby inside of her grew. Her husband, Luke, wasn't a small man either, so it stood to reason their child wouldn't be either. Karlie smiled a greeting at her friend, and dropped the brus
h into the grooming kit.
"Morning, Sunshine!" Cassie greeted her cheerfully then walked over to Titan and scratched him then kissed his nose. "How's my big man this morning?" she asked the horse. Karlie stood back to watch the interaction and could have sworn the horse was giving Cassie googly eyes when he rubbed his muzzle against her cheek.
"I was just about to exercise him..." Karlie told her then walked toward the tack room to get her saddle. When she came back with it over her shoulder, Cassie wasn't alone. Gabe stood there beside her in his uniform, looking good enough to eat, but he didn't look very happy.
"Morning..." Karlie greeted him, then sucked in a breath when his blue eyes met hers, and she saw the anger and regret there. Karlie dropped her saddle on the ground and put her hands on her hips, "Okay, spill...what's up?"
"I got a call from your sister this morning, since I have cell service at the station. She said to tell you that Jake knows where you are...and to be careful, because pretty angry. He threatened her, but then denied it when she called the police on him."
