Those Texas Nights

by Delores Fossen

  Not just any ordinary important, either, but something connected to the investigation. She certainly hadn’t forgotten about what’d gone on at the company, but with everything else happening in her life, she’d put it on the mental back burner.

  While the boys finished their breakfast, she took out her phone to see if she’d missed any calls or texts. She had. There were eight texts from Mila, who was apparently checking in during her Titanic fantasy date. Sophie read through them to make sure all was well, and it was. Like the character of Rose, Mila had survived and had gotten safely home around 10:00 p.m.

  She was about to put her phone away, but she accidentally hit the note section, and her life plan popped up. It was all there for her to see.

  Her failures.

  No marriage. No baby on the way. No CEO job. She hadn’t even managed to do the traveling, learning a foreign language or zip-lining in Costa Rica.

  It was obviously time for a change, and she was about to delete it when there was a knock at the door. Brantley, of course, and he didn’t look any happier to see her than she was to see him.

  The boys, however, were pleased as punch. They scurried out of their booster seats and ran toward Brantley to give him very enthusiastic hugs. Hunter immediately started to babble about wanting a motorcycle. Hayden got in his bunny wish. Brantley listened to each of them while gathering them into his arms.

  “Clay had to go to work,” Sophie told Brantley when he looked around. She picked up her purse again, ready to leave.

  Brantley nodded. “Thanks for staying with the boys. Thanks for everything.” He paused a heartbeat. “Have you got time to talk?”

  Sophie huffed and was about to say no. But then she remembered the little ears in the room, and these little ears didn’t miss much. She certainly didn’t want them to pick up on the tension between Brantley and her.

  She went into the living room and put on a movie. One they’d watched the night before, but apparently the twins were eager to watch it again because they bolted from Brantley’s arms and plopped down in front of the TV.

  “I want to say I’m sorry for how I spoke to you at the hospital,” Brantley started. “I was wrong to accuse you of telling April about Clay’s and my conversation.”

  “Yes, you were wrong. And if this is what you want to talk about, then—”

  “No, there’s more. I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

  “Old water, old bridge.”

  He nodded again. “Yes, because now you’re in love with Clay.”

  She was about to dispute that, but Brantley just kept on talking before she could say anything.

  “That’s good because I really do love April.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I was just feeling frustrated and inadequate when I said those things to Clay. But I’d walk through fire for April and the boys. For this new baby, too.”

  Even though she hated to give him the benefit of the doubt, he sounded convincing. “Did you let April know that?”

  “I did. And that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Is there any way you can let her know that I’m in this with her for the long haul? She’s the love of my life, Sophie, and I don’t want to lose her.”

  She gave him a blank stare. “I’m your ex-fiancée, and you want me to convince your wife to stay with you?” Sophie hoped that sounded as absurd to him as it did to her.

  But apparently it didn’t because Brantley nodded. “She needs a friend, Sophie. And even if you can’t convince her to give me a second chance, talk to her because she needs someone. Someone other than her brother,” he quickly added. “Because you know from experience that brothers aren’t always the most objective when it comes to sisters.” He rubbed his jaw. “I remember Roman punching me in the face on the day we were supposed to get married.”

  Sophie blinked. “Roman punched you? He wasn’t even there.”

  “Beg to differ. He tracked me down within a half hour after I left you at the church.”

  This was the first she was hearing of it, and it meant she owed Roman an apology and a scolding. An apology because she’d griped about him not showing up on that fateful day and a scolding because she didn’t want any violence perpetrated in her name. Even if it made her smile a little to think that Roman had been looking out for her.

  “Anyway,” Brantley went on, “will you talk to April?”

  At that moment the twins giggled over something they saw in the movie, and that sound was a reminder of what this was really all about. It was about them. Maybe it did take a village to raise a child, especially since some of the village was being mean to their mother.

  “I’ll talk to her,” Sophie finally said, “but I can’t promise it’ll do any good.”

  Brantley blew out a breath a relief. “Thank you.” He went into the living room with the twins and motioned for them to get up. “Come on, boys. It’s time to go home.”

  Hayden and Hunter protested, of course, because it was one of their favorite parts in the movie. But the protest wasn’t necessary because Brantley’s phone buzzed, and he stepped back out of the living room when he saw the name on the screen.

  “I don’t recognize this number,” Brantley mumbled, and he walked even farther away from the twins to take the call. Maybe because he thought it was Clay calling to chew him out, and he didn’t want the boys to hear that.

  As with the call Clay had gotten, Sophie couldn’t hear any part of the conversation, but whatever the caller was saying to Brantley, it caused his forehead to bunch up.

  “Why me?” Brantley asked. “Isn’t there someone else you’d rather have do this?”

  Uh-oh. That definitely didn’t sound good, and Sophie found herself moving closer to him so she could figure out what was going on.

  “All right,” Brantley said a few moments later. He huffed. “If Sophie can stay with my stepsons, I’ll be right there.” He ended the call and looked at her. “You’re never going to guess who that was? Billy Lee,” Brantley answered before she could say anything.

  Good thing, too, because she wouldn’t have gotten the right answer. She shook her head. “What did he want?”

  “To hire me as his lawyer. And from the sound of it, he’ll need one. Clay just arrested him.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  THERE WERE TOO many damn people in his office, and Clay couldn’t hear himself think. And it was definitely a time when he needed to do some thinking.

  Mike, two other FBI agents and Rowdy were at his desk going over what they’d found. And what they’d found was a gold mine. Clay wasn’t disputing that. He just wished they’d pan through that gold somewhere else.

  Marcum Gentry, the Grangers’ legal advisor, was hovering near the agents, questioning every little thing they said. They were saying a lot, too, which meant between the comments and the questions, chatter was filling up the room.

  In addition to the three agents and his deputy, Vita was in the doorway doing some kind of chanting to rid him once and for all of the chicken issue. She had feathers that she’d plucked from one of the hens. Mila was behind her, no doubt ready to pluck feathers of a different kind—his—since she’d almost certainly heard about Clay’s breakup with Sophie. Hell, maybe she’d even heard about the pissed-off sex Sophie and he had had the night before.

  He could add Brantley to the growing number of people who apparently thought his office was the place to be right now. He’d arrived after Billy Lee had made his one phone call, and Brantley was already in lawyer mode. He was demanding to know the charges against his client, which Clay would give him, but he was still on the phone with the Spring Hill PD who was bringing in yet someone else who’d clutter up his office.

  Martin Crowley.

  Of course, Clay wouldn’t mind having a chat with the former accountant for Granger Western, but that would have to wait until th
e Spring Hill deputies escorted the man to Wrangler’s Creek. Since that shouldn’t take long, Clay finished his call, slammed down his phone and motioned to Vita.

  “Can you postpone the chanting?” he asked. “Or at least move it to the break room?”

  “I can, but the aura back there might throw this all off. It might cause the chickens to get even madder than they are now.” And she was dead serious.

  “I’ll risk it.” Though Clay did hope there was nothing to that possibility of escalating fowl behavior.

  Vita made a suit-yourself sound, and while still swishing around feathers and mumbling to herself, the woman walked away. Clay pointed to Mila next.

  “Is this about Sophie?” he asked. “Because if it is, it’ll have to wait.”

  She shook her head, coming closer, and she stood on her toes so she could whisper in his ear. “It’s about Jack from Titanic.”

  And judging from her expression, she was serious, too. “Are you talking about a role-playing thing?”

  Mila nodded. “I’m not sure what his real name is because he uses an alias on the fantasy site. Anyway, everything went fine with the ship’s bow re-creation and the dance so I left. This morning, though, when I went into the bookstore, I found him there asleep. I’m pretty sure he’s drunk. And he’s naked. He wasn’t like that when I left him last night.”

  Clay didn’t know if she meant the naked part, the drunk part or both. It didn’t matter. Mila obviously needed someone to check this out so Clay motioned for Rowdy to come closer.

  “If you say a word to anyone about what you’re about to see, I’ll fire your ass,” Clay warned his deputy. “Now, I want you to follow Mila to the bookstore and take care of a problem for her.”

  Rowdy’s gaze swung from Clay to Mila, and even though the deputy likely had plenty of questions, he thankfully didn’t ask them. He followed Mila out the door.

  Three down, two more to go since the FBI agents could all stay. Clay turned to Brantley next, and the man was more than ready for his turn.

  “Why did you lock up my client?” Brantley snapped. “He came here of his own free will, and you know he’s not guilty. The FBI found the person who stole the money from Granger Western.”

  Yes, they had. It was Martin Crowley, just as Billy Lee had suspected. Clay didn’t know all the details yet, but apparently the agents had indeed found the money trail that had led them in a very roundabout way to Crowley. Mike was certain he had enough evidence to bring a solid case against the accountant.

  “Billy Lee came here of his own free will only after Mike called him on the phone he’d left for Arlo, and Mike told him about what they’d found out about Crowley. Before that, Billy Lee was evading arrest. And, no, it doesn’t matter if he’s innocent of the original charges, he still should have turned himself in so he could answer questions about the investigation.”

  That was the law, but of course, Brantley being a lawyer started spouting case references to try to convince Clay to release Billy Lee. That wasn’t going to happen, and Clay let Brantley know that with his flat stare. Brantley huffed again and went to the agents to plead his case.

  Clay turned to Marcum next and was about to ask him if he’d gotten in touch with Sophie yet, but the question wasn’t necessary because Clay looked up and saw her in the doorway. She seemed a little shell-shocked, but the twins might be contributing to that. Hunter was tugging at her left hand as he was trying to reach some candy on Rowdy’s desk. Hayden was pulling at her right hand because he wanted to drink from the water fountain.

  Clay went to her to take the boys, and Marcum swooped in to scoop up Sophie. Literally. The man picked her up and spun her around. That didn’t help the shell-shocked look on her face. In fact, she looked ready to barf when Marcum stood her back on the floor.

  “I called Garrett and Roman, of course,” Marcum said. “Garrett’s on his way back from a cattle auction. Roman’s response was, well, you know Roman.”

  “Yes.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, and since the twins weren’t exactly being quiet little mice, he didn’t catch what she added to Marcum.

  “Well, are you ready to get out of here?” Marcum asked her. He glanced back at Clay. “You’ve got somebody to help with those two, right?” He didn’t let Clay answer. “Because I’ve got a mountain of paperwork for Sophie to take care of.”

  “Do you have someone to help you with them?” Sophie asked.

  Clay didn’t, not immediately, but there was no way he’d tell her that. Besides, he might be able to convince Brantley to take them somewhere if the boys started pestering their stepdad.

  “I’ll be fine,” Clay assured her. “And congrats. This is great news.”

  “You bet it is.” Marcum was grinning from ear to ear. “Sophie can move back to Austin and pick up right where she left off except this time around she’ll be the CEO. There’s a lot of sympathy for you, Sophie, and that’ll translate to big sales. You’ll see.”

  Sophie glanced back at him as Marcum whisked her away. Soon, it’d sink in that this was exactly what she’d always wanted. To be CEO of Granger Western. She could tick off one very large item of her life plan.

  Clay wanted to celebrate for her. And he would. As soon as the sickening feeling of dread eased up in his stomach.

  * * *

  SOPHIE’S BUTT HURT. So did her feet and head. In fact, so many parts of her were hurting that there was no sense identifying them all, but her eyeballs especially were clamoring for a break.

  “Only a few more papers,” Marcum assured her. The man had no concept of a few since he’d been saying that for the past hour.

  She pushed back her desk chair and got to her feet. Not easily. Along with the pain of sitting for hours, some numbness had set in, too. She hobbled her way to the floor-to-ceiling windows of her old office.

  Her office, she mentally corrected.

  In the past, there’d been Director of Marketing beneath her nameplate, but Marcum had called in some favors and had a new one whipped up before they’d arrived from Wrangler’s Creek.

  Now, it read: Sophie Granger, CEO, Granger Western.

  Roman had always called this office the Saddle Palace, and he’d added some snark to it. That’s because he’d always seen it as their father’s dream. One that he’d tried to shove down their throats. Well, Roman certainly hadn’t gone for it. And now neither had Garrett. He’d come back from his cattle-buying trip but had said he’d be by tomorrow in case there was anything he needed to sign. He hadn’t said anything about moving back to Austin.

  He wouldn’t, either.

  Sophie was sure of that. He would help her, of course, but he’d be doing that from the ranch.

  “Maybe you can groom Tate to step in when he’s old enough,” Marcum threw out there. “Another Granger to eventually take the reins.”

  Roman would smother her in her sleep if she attempted it. Or at least he’d threaten her with smothering, but if Tate did show some interest, Roman would eventually loosen his parental grip and let him run with it. But even if that happened, it would be years from now. A decade or more.

  “Your dad did the right thing making you the CEO,” Marcum went on. He joined her at the window, and while he sipped his scotch, they looked out at the Austin skyline. Incredible view as always.

  But something was missing.

  Sophie quickly figured out what. She wasn’t there. Yes, her hurting/numb butt and feet were in the city, but her heart wasn’t. Pieces of it were metaphorically scattered between here and Wrangler’s Creek.

  “And don’t worry about Billy Lee,” Marcum continued. “He’ll almost certainly get parole for those charges.”

  Marcum had said a variation of that several times already, maybe hoping for a more enthusiastic response from Sophie. And she was very happy that Billy Lee would soon
be a free man. Not just so he could get back to his old life but because he could help her go through all this paperwork.

  Her phone rang, and she nearly punched herself trying to get it from her pocket. It wasn’t Clay but rather April, and Sophie hated the disappointment that flooded through her.

  “I’ll pour me another drink while you take the call,” Marcum said, stepping away.

  “I heard the news about you getting your company back,” April greeted the moment Sophie answered. “Are you okay?”

  It was ironic that she was the only person who’d asked her that. “Fine. How about you? Did your doctor spring you from the hospital?”

  “He did this morning, and I’m right as rain—whatever the heck that means. I wanted to thank you. I don’t know what you said to Wanda Kay, but she was nice to me the whole time. Though she did keep mumbling something about her not swallowing. Any idea why she’d say that?”

  Sophie frowned. “Nope. No idea.” She’d made the blow job threat, but she hadn’t mentioned that. Maybe Wanda Kay had just assumed she would add that into the lie-rumor. “By the way, Brantley wanted me to talk to you and tell you how much he loves you. He does, you know? He really loves you.”

  “Yes, I know, and I love him. We’re working it out. So, don’t put that monkey on your back. You’ll have enough of those now that you’ve returned to Austin.” April paused. “You have returned there, haven’t you?”

  “Yes.” That felt like a lie, as well. “But it might take me a while to get into the swing of things.”

  April made a sound of agreement. “Are you going to ask about Clay?”

  Sophie considered playing dumb, but she’d reached her lie quota for the day. “How is he?”

  “Stupid. And I told him that, too. He’s stupid to let you just walk away because of your eye color and his old baggage. Heck, you’ve got baggage as well, because of Brantley, and you were willing to get past it.”

  She was, but going into the cliché mode again, it took two to tango.