The Cowboy's Claim

by Carla Cassidy

  She let Garrett play for another half an hour in the sandbox and then with the sun starting to get hot, she loaded up the toys, slung both the tote and the diaper bag over her elbow and helped Garrett to his feet.

  “Bye-bye?” he asked as he grabbed firmly to her hand.

  “Yes, we’re going bye-bye. We’re going home and you’re taking a nice bath.”

  He let out a string of words that Courtney didn’t understand, but she smiled. “That’s right,” she agreed. Whatever he’d said, her answer must have been correct for he returned her smile and they began to slowly make their way back toward her car.

  They were halfway there when she felt it, a sharp prickling in the center of her back, a sense that she and Garrett weren’t alone in the park. But the parking lot was empty other than her car, and she’d seen no other children or adults anywhere in the area.

  Still, the uneasiness she felt nearly overwhelmed her, made her feel half-sick to her stomach. Whether it was instinct or paranoia, the strong feeling raised the hairs on the nape of her neck.

  She turned her head and glanced behind them. The picnic table was empty, and there was nobody in sight. Her gaze shifted to the thick stand of trees.

  Was somebody there? Watching her? Watching them? Was it the same somebody who had been outside her motel room last night?

  She stopped walking despite Garrett pulling impatiently on her hand. She stared at the trees, seeking a source of the bad feeling that crashed through her, yet seeing nothing.

  As crazy as it seemed, she felt a presence there, a malevolent energy emanating from the thick wooded area in the near distance.

  As if tuning in to the same thing, Garrett began to cry. With sudden panic, Courtney picked him up in her arms, held him tight against her chest and ran toward her car, her heart pounding with an inexplicable fear.

  She didn’t feel safe until they were locked in the car and headed back to her motel, and even then the sense of safety was fragile.

  The knowledge that somebody had killed two waitresses who worked at the Cowboy Café was never far from her mind. Had the killer been in the woods watching them? Watching her?

  Was it really possible that she’d been targeted as the next victim?

  Chapter 6

  Before heading back to the ranch, Nick decided to stop at the Cowboy Café for an early lunch. His intention had been to stay longer at the park, to play with Garrett, but after hashing things through with Courtney he’d felt the need to get some distance from her, to think and absorb and plan what happened next.

  He wasn’t sure what exactly would happen next, but despite Courtney’s doubts, despite her desire to the contrary, he was in this for the long run.

  He walked into the café, hung his hat on the wall and then took a stool at the counter next to Sheriff Cameron Evans, who looked like a dead man walking as he picked listlessly at the handful of French fries left on his plate.

  “Hey, Sheriff.” Nick greeted the handsome man, who looked as if a bone-weary exhaustion had claimed every ounce of his energy.

  “Nick, good to see you again,” Cameron replied with a faint smile. “I’d heard through the grapevine that you were back in town.”

  Nick was grateful he didn’t mention the family issues that had ultimately brought Nick home. None of it needed to be said. “I can tell by looking at you that your investigation into the murders isn’t going so well.”

  Cameron frowned. “I feel like I’m chasing a damned ghost. Twice he’s managed to get into women’s places of residence and kill them without leaving behind a single hair, a fiber or a witness. We’re all still trying to sniff out a trail to follow, but so far there’s none.”

  “You think the other waitresses who are working here are in some kind of danger?” Nick asked, thinking of Courtney.

  A deep sigh released from Cameron. “To be honest, I don’t know what to think anymore. However, I have warned everyone who works here to make sure their doors and windows are locked tight when they are at home. In Candy’s case, the door on the cabin was either unlocked or she invited the killer into her place. In Shirley’s case, the killer apparently entered through an open window in her living room. Easy access.” He shook his head.

  Nick digested this information as he thought about the motel room that Courtney was currently calling home. There was only one door in the unit and the front windows, and he assumed there was probably a window in the bathroom.

  But surely living in a motel where there were people staying on each side of her unit, where there was some kind of traffic at any given time, would keep her safe. A killer would be foolish to pick a place where people came and went at all hours of the day and night.

  At that moment Mary stepped up behind the counter in front of the two men. “Hi, Nick. How are things going?”

  “I’m a dad.” He blurted out the words before he had time to think.

  He wasn’t sure who looked more shocked, the sheriff or Mary. “Then I guess congratulations are in order,” Mary said. “Did this happen while you were down in Texas?”

  “No, actually it happened before I left for Texas. Garrett is my son.”

  Once again, stunned surprise crossed Mary’s pretty features. “Courtney’s Garrett? He’s your son?”

  Nick nodded, a lump rising in his throat as the full impact of fatherhood hit him square in the chest. From now on each and every action he took, every decision he made would reflect on him not just as a man, but also as a father.

  “Well, what a surprise,” Mary exclaimed.

  “Yeah, it was kind of a major surprise for me, too.”

  “Now that you mention it, I see the resemblance between you and the boy,” Cameron replied as he slid off his stool. “He’s definitely got your chin. And now I’ve got to get back to work.”

  He nodded to Nick and then gave a gentle smile to Mary. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Mary returned the smile, a light in her eyes that made Nick wonder if there wasn’t something brewing between the two of them.

  When Cameron had left the café, Mary turned her attention back to Nick. “So, what do you plan to do about all this?”

  “My original plan when I got into town was to try to straighten out things with Adam and the ranch and then return to Texas as soon as possible,” he said.

  “And now?”

  “And now, of course everything has changed,” he replied, once again a feeling of awe swelling in his chest as he thought of Garrett. “I’m here to stay and be a father to that little boy. In fact, I just met with Courtney at the park to set up some kind of initial visits with Garrett. Eventually I want joint custody.”

  “Is there any chance of you and Courtney making a go of it again?” Mary asked, displaying her penchant for matchmaking.

  “None,” Nick replied flatly. “We’ve both moved on from where we were before I left Grady Gulch two years ago. It’s all about Garrett now. We just have to figure out a way to work together in parenting him, but other than that there’s nothing between us and never will be again.”

  “At least it’s nice that you intend to step up. So many men don’t, and every little boy needs his daddy in his life. Now, what can I get you to eat?”

  Nick placed his order and waved at Junior Lempke, who gave him a shy smile and ducked his head as he peeked out of the kitchen.

  Every little boy needs his daddy in his life. Mary’s words resonated deep inside him. Even though there had been a father in Nick’s life, he’d never had a daddy. Tom Benson had been a quiet man who worked the ranch during the day and ignored his family in the evenings.

  Even Nick’s mother had been a distant figure, fawning over the man of the house at the expense of her children. Cherry had been the mother figure in Nick’s life, and for all intents and purposes there had been no father.

  Nick intended to be the father his own had never been. He wanted to be present and available any time of day or night for Garrett. He was determined to be the best father any boy could
ever have.

  The tinkle of the bell over the front door turned Nick in his stool. He stiffened as he saw Daniel Jefferson and a woman he assumed was Lizzy Wiles come through the door. They went to a booth by the window as Nick turned back around.

  Lizzy Wiles. The woman Nick’s brother had tried to kill. Since the moment Nick had heard about Sam’s crime, he’d tried not to think about it, not to process it.

  Sam had always been the strong one in the family, taking care of the ranch business and making sure his younger siblings were all right.

  Even though he hadn’t been particularly close to his eldest brother, he’d depended on him to be the rock in the family, the glue that held them all together after their parents’ unexpected death.

  For the first time since he’d heard of his brother’s incarceration, he felt a little of what Adam must be feeling... A sense of intense betrayal and a deeper sense of shame.

  He turned around once again and met Daniel’s gaze, relief washing over him as Daniel gave him a friendly nod. That was all it took to move Nick off his stool and toward the booth.

  There had been a time when Daniel and all of the Benson brothers had been good friends. They lived on neighboring ranches and had all grown up together.

  “Hi, Nick. Nice to see you back in town,” Daniel said. There was no trace of tension in his tone.

  “Thanks, it’s good to be back.” Nick turned his gaze to the woman with the light brown hair and amber eyes. “And you must be Lizzy.” She nodded and Nick continued, “I just want to say...”

  She held up a hand to stop him midsentence. “Not necessary,” she replied, as if knowing he’d intended to deliver an apology. “We’ve all suffered since Daniel’s wife’s and your sister’s deaths. I don’t have any issues with you. It’s nice to meet you, Nick.” She offered him a bright smile that somehow managed to assuage any guilt he might feel.

  “I just wanted to come over and say hello,” he said, now feeling slightly awkward.

  “Hello back,” she replied, a humorous twinkle in her eye. “We’re good, Nick. The past is done and I’m over it.”

  Daniel gazed at Lizzy with a lazy amusement coupled with an obvious love, and as Nick moved back to his seat he remembered the time that he’d felt not just wild, crazy passion for Courtney, but also a deep, abiding love.

  Initially when they’d begun to date, he’d found the idea of seeing her in secret exciting and fun. He’d call or text her and they’d rendezvous in the old barn, where they’d spend hours talking with the faint scent of hay and horse surrounding them. But after a couple of months, the novelty had worn off and he began to press her for a more public relationship.

  She’d balked, terrified of what her parents would think if they found out she was dating a cowboy. Nick had been surprised at the amount of power her parents still held in her life. But since he’d been without parents for so long, he’d given her the benefit of the doubt.

  Still, in the weeks just before Cherry’s death, he’d pressed her even harder to meet her parents, to go to dinner together, to be seen together as a couple. He was unable to see how he and Courtney could possibly have a future together if they couldn’t even be seen in public.

  Then Cherry’s death had happened, and Nick’s world had been turned upside down. On the day of her funeral, Nick had sunk into the darkest place he’d ever known. The sister he’d adored was gone, and in that dark place he recognized that there was no future for him with a woman who was too afraid to be seen in public with him even in his greatest time of need.

  When the funeral was over, Nick had packed his bags and left town, certain that in the long run he was doing what was best for both him and for Courtney. She could find a man she wasn’t ashamed of, a man she could take home to meet her parents.

  Funny, he’d gotten out of her life so she could continue to maintain being the daughter her parents needed her to be, but ultimately he’d been the reason that she’d been kicked to the curb.

  He couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through, and there was a part of his heart that ached because he hadn’t been here to support her, to take care of her. She’d gone through the abandonment from her parents all alone. She’d gone through her pregnancy and the birth process equally alone.

  Or maybe Grant had been there for her, holding her hand as she pushed to give birth to Nick’s son. This thought made him slightly sick to his stomach. While he wouldn’t have wanted her to be alone, he wished he would have been the man who’d been there for her.

  As Mary placed his burger in front of him, he shoved away thoughts of the past. What was important was that he was here now, and even though he knew his and Courtney’s time had passed, he intended to be a father to the son he already loved.

  * * *

  The afternoon passed quickly for Courtney. She gave Garrett a long bath. He was like a fish in the tub, splashing and playing with boats and toy frogs. He always fussed when she finally managed to pull him out of the water. By that time he was ready for his nap.

  As Garrett napped, Courtney took her shower and picked out her clothes to wear to dinner that night, then, clad in a light-weight, short bathrobe, she sat at the table with a cup of tea and tried to process the emotions that roiled inside her head.

  Nick still made her feel things that no other man had ever made her feel. One look from his brilliant blue eyes and her heart fluttered uncontrollably in her chest, her body heat rose more than just a little bit and she not only thought of their love-making, but also their laughter and the feeling of belonging she’d always had with him.

  She didn’t want him back. She would never be able to trust him again, would never be able to swallow the bitterness and sense of betrayal he’d left behind, the resentment that still lingered inside her.

  But the old feelings he’d stirred inside her made her realize she’d rather be alone than accept the tepid relationship she had going with Grant.

  If she looked deep within her soul, she knew what she felt for Grant was a warm friendship, but the thought of being intimate with him actually made her feel a little bit ill.

  She knew Grant was expecting their relationship to eventually advance to an intimate level, and she also knew that to keep seeing him would be unfair. She didn’t want to marry Grant. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to marry anyone.

  As she finished her cup of tea, she knew that tonight she had to finish her budding relationship with Grant. He was a nice man and someday he would meet a nice woman who would make him an equally nice wife, but that woman wasn’t going to be Courtney.

  It was just after six when Grant arrived to pick them up. The plans were to drive to Rockville, a nearby town where they had a pizza place that catered to children.

  Initially she’d thought to have the breakup discussion with Grant before they even left her motel room, but he was so excited about taking Garrett to the restaurant, she didn’t have the heart to do it then.

  The ride to Rockville was a little over twenty minutes and Garrett kept them entertained, jabbering like a magpie from his car seat in the back.

  Grant was good at meaningless conversation. He spoke about the weather and the upcoming town festival, uncontroversial chitchat that would have set her at ease if she didn’t know that before the night was over she intended to tell him she wasn’t going to see him again.

  By the time they arrived at Kids’ Pizza Palace, Courtney’s stomach was in a bundle of knots as she tried to think of the best time, the best words to choose to let Grant know she didn’t intend to date him anymore. She didn’t want to hurt him, but if she was going to she’d rather do it now than a week or a month from now.

  As Grant carried Garrett into the establishment, Garrett’s eyes were huge as they were greeted by the flashing lights of games and colorful characters walking around in costume. The noise level was definitely not conducive to conversation.

  As they seated themselves at a booth, with Garrett in a high chair at the end, a waitress hurried o
ver to greet them. “Welcome to Kids’. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  It was difficult to hear her over the raucous noise of arcade games and squealing children, but they managed to place their order for both their drinks and a supreme pizza. Courtney ordered mac and cheese off the kids menu for Garrett and figured she could feed him some of the toppings off the pizza, as well.

  The dinner was interminable for Courtney, whose head began to ache within five minutes of being seated. With conversation nearly impossible, she found herself looking around and noting the families that were enjoying the place.

  Fathers and sons played video games together, and mothers stood by cheering each of them. A family of six sat at a large table nearby, their laughter drifting to Courtney’s ears.

  She tried to imagine herself here in a year from now...two years from now. Garrett would be old enough to enjoy some of the playground equipment, perhaps play some of the more elementary games. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t place Grant in that picture, and she certainly couldn’t place Nick there.

  By the time they’d finished eating, her head banged with a nauseating intensity, and she didn’t know if the headache was from the noise, the food or the fact that once they got back to her place she was going to tell a nice, respectable man that she didn’t want to date him anymore.

  It took only ten minutes in the car heading home for Garrett to fall asleep.

  “I guess maybe Kids’ was kind of a bad idea,” Grant said, breaking the silence that had filled the car.

  Courtney smiled at him. “Garrett is still a little young for that kind of thing, but I appreciate the thought.”

  “When a friend told me about it he didn’t mention that the noise level made it impossible to talk and the pizza was substandard.”

  “Really, it’s okay,” Courtney assured him. “Garrett loved the mac and cheese, and the pizza was just fine and it was fun to watch all the other children and their parents enjoying the games.”