Lay Down the Law

by Carsen Taite

  *

  Lily stepped out of the car and hesitated just a minute before walking over to join Peyton and her mother who were standing by the barn. As she approached, the air was thick with stony silence. She glanced back at her car, suddenly uneasy. It had been almost a week since she’d spoken to Peyton. Maybe she should’ve called to make sure their date was still on.

  “Good morning,” she called out.

  Like sun through the clouds, both of their expressions morphed from serious to welcoming, and Peyton walked over to meet her. She took Peyton’s offered arm and whispered, “If you’re in the middle of something, we can do this another time.”

  Peyton’s smile erased all doubt. “Not a chance. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all week.” She gestured to Helen Davis whose welcoming expression held a hint of surprise. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Lily Gantry.”

  Lily held out her hand. “Mrs. Davis, it’s good to see you. I don’t know if you remember, but I met you at the fall luncheon,” she said, referring to one of the events leading up to the Cattle Baron’s Ball.

  “Of course I remember.” Helen looked down at her boots and laughed. She pulled Lily’s outstretched hand into her warm grasp. “It’s not every day I change into a fancy dress and do lunch. It’s good to see you again. How are your parents?”

  “They’re good, thank you for asking.” She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Peyton was watching this exchange with a curious expression, but before she could say anything, Helen chimed in with an invitation for lunch.

  Peyton spoke first. “Actually, Mom, Lily and I are going for a ride and Fernanda packed a lunch for us.”

  “Oh, did she? Well, girls, have a wonderful time. It’s a beautiful day to enjoy the ranch.” Without another word, Helen strode back to the house, her confident gait and strong bearing almost a carbon copy of Peyton’s.

  “Sorry about that.”

  Lily shook her head. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m pretty sure I interrupted something important.”

  “Please believe me when I say that spending this morning with you is the only thing I want to be doing. Now, the big question is what’s your comfort level?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Horses. I should’ve asked before how comfortable you are on the back of a horse.”

  How refreshing to meet someone who wasn’t already well-versed in everything about her. She resisted the urge to outline her personal pedigree, settling for a simple, “I’m up for whatever you have in mind.”

  “Perfect.”

  Lily followed Peyton to the stables where two beautiful horses were saddled and waiting, one a sorrel mare and the other a stunning black stallion. Peyton gestured toward the mare.

  “Lily, meet Destiny.”

  Lily reached up to stroke her new friend’s muzzle and Destiny nuzzled her hand. Destiny stood about fifteen hands high, average for a quarter horse.

  “She’s fourteen,” Peyton said. “And Ranger here is her son.”

  Lily watched Peyton stroke the taller black beauty. Ranger reared his head and spoke his pleasure. “He loves you. He must have missed you when you were in D.C.”

  Something, pain maybe, clouded Peyton’s eyes, and Lily wished she could take back the casual remark. But as quickly as the look had appeared, it was gone, replaced by an easy smile.

  “We’ve enjoyed getting reacquainted, haven’t we, Ranger?” Peyton motioned to Destiny. “I gave it my best guess, but the stirrups probably need to be adjusted. How about I help you up?”

  Lily looked at Peyton’s outstretched hand and resisted the urge to insist she could mount the horse and deal with any adjustments herself. She was so used to people in her life underestimating her, she had to be careful not to attribute her assumptions to Peyton. She took the offered hand and then watched while Peyton fit the stirrups to her boots. She might not need the help, but she had to admit she enjoyed watching Peyton’s strong, sure hands at work.

  “Feel right?”

  “Feels perfect,” Lily replied.

  “I’ll go grab our lunch if you want to take her around the ring and get a feel for how she handles.”

  Peyton vanished into the barn and Lily leaned down to whisper to her mount. “Hey, Destiny, want to show me around?” She used the reins to guide Destiny around the building and into the open corral. From there, she let Destiny lead the way as they first walked and then galloped around the outer circle. After a few quick laps, Lily pulled up on the reins and Destiny trotted to a stop. As her hoofbeats faded, Lily was greeted by applause. She met Peyton’s eyes and grinned. “She’s a sweet ride.”

  “And you’re a skilled rider.”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve spent much time in the saddle, but I guess it’s like riding a bike.”

  Peyton nodded and Lily watched as she mounted Ranger and rode over to meet them. “Ready to see the ranch?” Peyton asked.

  “Definitely.”

  Peyton led the way, her pace brisk, but easy. Every so often, she’d stop to point out a landmark. An old mill, a rushing creek, a campsite complete with benches and fire pits. At the campsite, she slowed Ranger to a walk.

  “Is it time for lunch?” Lily asked.

  Peyton pointed to a spot in the distance. “Actually, I’d like to take you to my favorite spot. It’s about a mile in that direction. Care to let the horses run?”

  Lily heard the challenge beneath the question and grinned. “Absolutely.”

  Peyton nudged Ranger and she was off, with Lily close behind. She gave it a good shot, but she had no chance against the younger, more powerful horse. Seconds later, she pulled Destiny to a halt and peered out over the ridge where Peyton had led them. She gasped. “Breathtaking.”

  “Yes.”

  Lily glanced at Peyton who seemed to be in a trance, and she settled in to enjoy the moment with her. A few moments of silence passed and then she sensed Peyton stir. She must have been transfixed as well, because Peyton was standing beside her, offering her hand. As she dismounted, they were standing close. Very close. She stared into Peyton’s eyes and saw they were no longer looking off in the distance, but were focused only on her. If she leaned forward just a few inches, she’d be close enough to kiss.

  “Are you hungry?”

  Lily smiled, resisting the urge to make a suggestive remark. As attracted as she was to this enigmatic woman, she sensed a kiss would have to be the result of a slow burn, or the flame would extinguish before they had a chance for real heat. She answered honestly. “I’m starving.”

  The red-and-white checkered spread, napkins, and delicious fried chicken drew her focus away from her desire to kiss Peyton. Partly. As they ate, she focused on conversation to calm her raging hormones. “How long has your family owned this ranch?”

  “Six generations, for the land anyway. It’s been different things throughout the years, but for the last hundred years, horses have always been at the heart of it. My great-great-grandmother bought her first horse at an auction in Dallas.”

  “Grandmother?”

  Peyton grinned. “Yep. My great-great-grandfather died in a gunfight in his thirties, leaving her with six kids, all daughters.”

  “Let me guess, that’s how the ranch got its name?”

  “Yep. The deed to Circle Six stayed in his name, but it was her family money that had made the purchase, and she used the rest of her savings to hire help to get the place up and running. As her children grew up, they all stayed and took on various jobs around the ranch. Since then, the property has been passed down from daughter to daughter. My grandmother passed a few years ago, but she’s the one who was responsible for perfecting the quarter horses we raise.”

  “Your mother’s mother?”

  “Yes. You sound surprised.”

  Lily shook her head. “I suppose I am, a little. It’s a little unusual for property to pass down to the women in the family.”

  “True. Just so happens the women in my family seem to be
the heartier sex.”

  Peyton’s eyes clouded over again. Was it pain? Was it sadness? Lily didn’t know, but she desperately wanted whatever it was to go away, to resume their friendly banter. Peyton was so completely unlike the women she lunched with yesterday. With the exception of Courtney, every one of them would defer to the men in their lives in all things business, content to spend their lives shopping and attending fancy lunches on their husbands’ dime. Peyton wouldn’t put up with their nonsense. Nonsense. The word caused Lily to think of Virginia Taylor and her admonition to steer clear of Peyton. She hadn’t taken Virginia seriously, but she was curious about what prompted yesterday’s confrontation. The question was did she really want to know more about Virginia’s connection to Peyton or did she want to enjoy the rest of the afternoon?

  She quickly decided on the latter. “My mother believes women are supposed to be the gentler sex, or at least pretend to be. She was horrified when I was a child that all I ever wanted to do was play outdoors and do all the things the neighborhood boys did.”

  “I don’t recall meeting either of your parents at Cattle Baron’s.”

  “You’d remember if you had. My dad is one of those larger-than-life men who takes over a room whenever he walks in. My mother’s name is Rose and it suits her perfectly—strong, but sometimes thorny.”

  “They raised a beautiful daughter.”

  Lily felt the heat of a blush. “You are very sweet.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Thank you. And I didn’t mean to speak ill of either of my parents. They adopted me just days after I was born and have always treated me as if I was blood.”

  “They probably love you just as much as if you were related by blood. How could they not?” Peyton handed her another one of the amazing maple pecan cookies from the basket. “Do you know anything about your birth parents?”

  “I know they were both from Mexico, but other than that, not much.” Lily looked at the cookie, but the turn in conversation was starting to make her lose her appetite. The trust waiver Nester had asked her to sign was sitting in her desk drawer at home where she’d managed to ignore it for most of the week. Soon she would need to make a decision about whether she would sign it and cut off any possibility that she might find out more about her family of origin.

  “Are you okay?” Peyton asked.

  “I’m sorry. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very grateful to have been adopted into such a wonderful family, but sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like…”

  Peyton reached over and grasped her hand. “Let’s steer this conversation to lighter things. I’m thinking favorite books, movies, you know, stuff like that.”

  Lily smiled with relief. “That would be perfect.”

  “I do have one very important question I need to ask, though.”

  Peyton’s expression became deadly serious and Lily braced herself. “Go for it.”

  “Are you going to eat that cookie? Because, if you’re not, then…”

  Lily laughed and broke the cookie in two. As Peyton reached to take her half, their fingers touched and lingered, sending warm tendrils of attraction through her entire body.

  An hour later, full of food and talk, they rode back to the stables. Lily couldn’t remember a better day. She felt vigorous and alive.

  “You look content,” Peyton said as she led the horses into the barn.

  “Content? No, it’s more than that. I feel invigorated.”

  “You should ride more often. Don’t think I didn’t notice how well you handled yourself on Destiny.”

  Lily felt a slow blush curl up her cheeks. “I used to compete. Dressage. This…this was different.”

  Peyton stepped close. Close enough to touch, close enough to feel. “Tell me.”

  Lily took a deep breath. “Running full out, racing you to the ridge. It was out of control, unpredictable. Completely at odds with all my competitive training.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  Lily looked up and met Peyton’s eyes. “Not in the least. I liked it. In fact, I liked it a lot.”

  Peyton smiled. “Good, because I’d like to see more of you.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Peyton parked her truck in the lot down the street from the Earl Cabell Federal Building in downtown Dallas and walked the short distance to her new office. Once she passed through security, she rode the elevator to the third floor and gave her name to the receptionist at the window.

  “Peyton Davis. I’m here to see Hershel Gellar.”

  The woman took her ID and pointed at a clipboard. Peyton signed her name, not bothering to explain that she was here to work. This first time, she’d have to jump through hoops, but from here on out, she’d have access without having to wade through bureaucracy. She settled into a chair and spent her time rereading the reports the office had e-mailed to her the night before.

  The vehicle identification number had been scraped clean, and the forensics team was still processing all the evidence they’d gathered in an attempt to identify the owner of the truck. None of the occupants had been identified yet.

  The clues were sparse, but the overall situation wasn’t an unfamiliar one. Uneducated, poor laborers in Mexico spent years raising enough money to hire a coyote to help them cross the border. Some made it, some didn’t. Some got here only to be sent back, poorer and less hopeful than when they arrived. But failure usually didn’t equate to winding up slaughtered before they ever had a chance to breathe the fresh air of freedom.

  “Miss Davis?”

  Peyton looked up at the woman who’d called her name. She too wore a navy blue suit, but hers was a more stylish cut with a skirt that showed a healthy amount of leg and heels that made her look like her petite frame might come tumbling down at any moment. Peyton figured she was around thirty years old, probably one of the younger assistant United States attorneys in the office. She stood and held out her hand. “That’s me.”

  The woman’s grip was strong and sure. “Great to meet you. I’m Bianca Cruz. Mr. Gellar asked me to show you around before the task force meeting at ten.” She handed Peyton a badge. “This one’s temporary. You’ll get your full credentials by the end of the week.” She started walking. “We’re getting set up for a meeting, but I’ll show you the space and give you a couple of minutes to settle in.”

  They walked to the end of the hallway. When Bianca stopped, Peyton pulled up short behind her, waiting while Bianca swung open the door and strode inside. Peyton paused in the threshold to survey the enormous room. It held a massive oak desk, leather chairs, a couch, and a seating area over in the corner. When Bianca turned around, Peyton asked, “Where’s Mr. Gellar?”

  “He’s in the conference room.”

  “And we’re in his office because?” Peyton tried to telegraph her confusion without outright saying anything.

  “Oh, wait, you thought…No, this is your office. Mr. Gellar’s office is the corner office, down the hall.” She started pointing out features. “The computer system’s up and running, but IT will be by later today to get you set up to log on to the network and give you a PACER ID. Kitchen and break room are just around the corner, and there’s a pretty decent cafeteria on the sixth floor. You can also use the sixth floor as a crossover to get to the elevator banks that lead to the courtrooms, but I’ll take you over this afternoon for arraignments so you can get a feel for the place. The secretaries stocked you up, but if you need any supplies, just let them know.” She stopped only long enough to glance at her watch. “Meeting starts in thirty minutes. I’ll come back for you in about twenty.”

  Before Peyton could respond, Bianca had whirled out of the room with the same speed at which she spoke. Amazing, considering the stilts she was wearing. “Thanks,” Peyton said to the empty doorway.

  Alone, she shut the door and took a few minutes to survey her new office. From the cramped quarters she was used to in D.C., the spacious room was a
serious upgrade. Gellar’s office must be enormous. Several familiar looking boxes were in the corner, and she recognized her handwriting. She’d arranged for everything from her D.C. office to be sent directly here. The small collection of framed certificates and mementos would barely make a dent in the large space.

  The ringing desk phone interrupted her thoughts. She picked up the handset. “Davis, here.”

  “Ms. Davis, I have a call for you on one.”

  “Thanks.” She was surprised to be getting an outside call within moments of her official start. She punched the button to take the call. “This is Peyton.”

  “I told the receptionist I want to turn myself in, and she said you were the one I needed to talk to. Is this a good time?”

  Peyton laughed at the flirty good cheer in Lily’s voice. After spending last night and this morning preparing for her first day at the new office, yesterday’s ride seemed like it had happened in the distant past. Lily’s call was a pleasant surprise.

  Surprise. She sat forward. “Not that it’s not great to hear from you, but how did you know I was here?”

  “Mad detecting skills.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Well, more a case of accidental detective. I called your mother this morning to ask her a question about your family’s donation to Cattle Baron’s and she mentioned you were starting your new job this morning. I interrogated her and she gave you up. U.S. Attorney, huh?”

  “Assistant U.S. attorney. Big difference.”

  “Didn’t sound that way to your mother. She sounded like she couldn’t be more proud.”

  “She’s my mother. Consider the source.” The words were a rote reaction. Peyton believed her mother had sounded proud because that’s what mothers were expected to be. Whether she really was or not was an entirely different story. She’d be more proud if Peyton were seated on a horse, running the fence line at the ranch.