Lone Star Justice

by Tori Scott

  Well, whatever her reason for returning to Greendale, it had nothing to do with him. And he'd be the first one to wish her luck, because the people of Greendale had long memories. They wouldn't be quick to forgive, and they'd never forget.

  She looked damned good, he had to give her that. When she'd left, she'd been a girl--a country girl--with bare feet and short shorts and wild, flaming hair. She sure wouldn't fit in around here now, even without her past to set her apart. The old timers tended to be suspicious of 'city folk' and Maddie's designer clothes, fancy SUV, and chic haircut screamed city.

  The office door opened and Linda stuck her head inside. "How does she look?"

  Rand sucked in a breath. How had she found out that fast? Seemed the grapevine got quicker every day. "How did who look?" No sense in letting her think he'd given Maddie a second thought.

  "Don't play the dumb cop with me, Rand. I changed your diapers, remember?"

  "As you so often remind me. And Maddie looks fine. Very healthy."

  Linda stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. "I wasn't inquiring after her health, and you know it. Nancy said she was a real looker. Sounded jealous as all get out."

  Rand ducked his head and pretended to read the report on his desk. "I guess she's okay. Didn't really notice. She's staying at the motel, so you'll probably get to see for yourself."

  She snorted and put her hands on her hips. "You're so full of it, boss. But I'll leave you alone, for now. Got a message for you." She dropped a pink memo on his desk. "Came in while you were eatin' dinner. Some hot shot cop in Oklahoma wants you to call him back."

  Rand picked up the slip of paper and noted the man's name. "Never heard of him. Did he say what he wanted?"

  "Nope, just said to call him the minute you got in. Sounded important." She slipped out of the office and closed the door quietly behind her.

  Rand didn't even look up. Maddie had told Nancy she was from Oklahoma. Was she in trouble with the law? Was that why she'd run home? If she thought he was going to shelter her, she was wrong. Dead wrong. Fourteen years ago, yeah, he would have given his life for her. But not now.

  He might as well find out what she'd done this time. Forewarned was forearmed and all that.

  He picked up the phone and dialed. "Detective Thacker, please."

  When the detective answered, he wasted no time on pleasantries, but instead launched into the reason for his call.

  "Are you sure about this? It wasn't just some kind of sick joke?" Rand leaned back in his chair, booted feet on his desk as he listened to the detective's story. The fact that little Maddie Cooper was now a respected judge floored him.

  The fact that she'd been threatened made him angry. But what was worse was the fact that she'd brought her problems to his town. Violence seemed to follow Maddie like a gray cloud above her head.

  He'd known she was trouble as soon as he'd seen her in the diner. Now she'd made her trouble his. And he resented the hell out of it. "Any idea who's behind this? Who I should be watching for?"

  The detective gave him a list of names and Rand wrote them down. "That many, huh? She sure has made a lot of enemies." When he hung up, he dropped his feet to the floor and spun around to face the computer on the credenza behind him. He typed in the names one by one, his jaw dropping when he saw the list of offenses his search brought up.

  Everything from murderers to rapists to child molesters. Maddie Cooper had made enemies of some of the worst criminals society offered. And one of them hated her enough to scare her, and might possibly try to kill her. Any one of them could be on his way here right now.

  Hell, he was almost angry enough to kill her himself.

  ***

  Maddie took a deep breath and willed her voice to be strong, to not show any sign of weakness. "Hello?"

  "Judge Cooper? John Thacker here. Are you okay?"

  Her breath came out in a rush. "John. How did you know I was here?"

  "I talked to the sheriff, and he told me you were staying at the Stardust. But you shouldn't have registered under your real name. What were you thinking?"

  "Everyone knows me in this town, John. If I'd registered any other way, the gossip would've spread all the way to Oklahoma. And why on earth did you call the sheriff? I wasn't quite ready to let him in on this."

  "I told him about the situation because you need someone to watch your back. And it's professional courtesy to let him know what kind of trouble could be on its way to his town. Listen, I came up with a few more names from some of your past cases. I'm sure there are plenty more, but you need to stop by the sheriff's office and fill him in on what you know about these guys."

  Maddie rubbed a hand across her forehead and bit back a curse. "Was that really necessary? I wanted a couple of days to settle in before I had to deal with that."

  "Too late, Your Honor. Deal. And watch your back. I'll be in touch."

  The phone went dead in her hand and she hung the receiver back in the cradle. "Damn." Looks like it's time to pay the piper, Maddie girl. That was the last thing her father had said to her before he left the house that fateful night, and it was the first thought that came to mind now.

  John should have told her to watch her butt, because she could feel the jaws of fate snapping at it now. So what was next? What was the worst thing that could happen? 'Cause she could darn sure bet that's what was coming.

  ***

  Maddie was pretty sure she was the main topic of conversation over most of Greendale's breakfast tables, and the café was no exception. She felt it as soon as she and Brandy stepped through the door. All conversation ceased, and every head pivoted in their direction.

  She wanted to run, but she straightened her shoulders and placed a protective hand on her daughter's back. The waitress who had served them dinner the afternoon before was back on duty, but this time her manner went beyond rude.

  She didn't ask where they wanted to sit, just ushered them to a booth at the rear of the restaurant, next to the kitchen. Once they were seated, the conversations resumed. Surreptitious glances were cast their way, but Maddie ignored them and concentrated on the menu.

  A murmur rippled through the small crowd and Maddie looked up--straight into Rand's angry eyes. Brandy stared up at him as he towered over the table. "Maddie, Brandy. May I join you?"

  Maddie shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea. The gossip is already running wild. You being here will only make it worse." Even as she spoke, Brandy scooted over to make room for him to sit down. Maddie glared at her, but Brandy ignored the pointed look.

  Rand smiled at the girl and accepted the silent invitation. "Let them talk. They'll find a new topic soon enough. This is important."

  "Suit yourself. It's your town."

  "Which brings me to the reason for my visit. What are you doing here, Maddie?"

  The waitress--Nancy, according to the name tag that graced her too-tight uniform--ignored Maddie as she stood next to Rand's elbow. Close enough to rub her hip against his shoulder, Maddie noticed. It was very obvious she was staking her claim. She could have him as far as Maddie was concerned.

  "You don't have to sit back here, Rand. I cleared a table for you by the window." The waitress looked like she wanted to drag him to the other table, by force if necessary.

  "Not now, Nancy. I need to talk to Maddie. Bring us three breakfast specials, two coffees, and a glass of orange juice, please. Then leave us alone."

  Maddie didn't miss the look of pure venom the woman shot her as she turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen. She had no doubt her meal would be as unappetizing as the woman could make it. "Why are you doing this, Rand? Coming back was hard enough."

  He toyed with the salt shaker as he looked into her eyes, searching for something. What he was looking for, she had no idea. She kept her expression as bland as she could and met his gaze without wavering.

  "You didn't answer my question. Why did you come back? Why Greendale, of all places?"

  Mad
die leaned back as the waitress slammed a cup onto the table in front of her, sloshing coffee over the top. Whatever happened to Southern hospitality? She waited until the woman left again before she answered. "I came here because I had no where else to go, and because I need your help. Because someone is after us, and I'm not sure who. Or why."

  "Come on, Maddie. You have to have some idea."

  She shook her head, suddenly exhausted, overwhelmed by the events of the past few days. "No, I don't. Not really. There was a guy who made some threats, but that was almost five years ago. All I know is that I'm afraid for Brandy's safety and I need to be among people who know me. To be someplace where a stranger would stand out."

  He gave a short nod and ran a hand across his square jaw. "Okay, I can understand that. I'm sure you know by now that I've talked to the detective who's handling the case back in Oklahoma."

  Maddie watched the movement of his hand with fascination. When she'd left home, his cheek had barely had enough blond fuzz to justify shaving once a week. Now she could see the slight shadow of beard under his clean-shaven skin. What would it feel like later in the day, when a five o'clock shadow covered his jaw?

  With a mental shake, she brought her attention back to his comment. "Yes, John told me he'd given you a list of names. I was going to come by your office later to look it over."

  He reached into this shirt pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. "I have it right here." He shoved the paper across the table.

  Maddie cast a sideways glance at Brandy, who was studying Rand's profile with unabashed interest. "Not now, Rand."

  Brandy perked up. "Don't mind me. I'm not even paying attention."

  "Yeah, right. You hear everything you're not supposed to, and nothing of what you should." Maddie could whisper from a far room about making cookies or where she'd hidden her chocolate stash, and Brandy would hear it. But if she yelled for her to take out the trash, her daughter would claim she hadn't heard a word.

  Rand watched the by-play between mother and daughter and felt left out. He couldn't think of anyone he'd ever felt that comfortable with, other than Maddie. And that had ended a long time ago.

  But she was right. This wasn't a conversation that should include a young girl. "You can have that copy. I have another one at the office. Just look it over and see if you can add any other names to it."

  Maddie nodded and folded the paper in half without looking at it. She already knew every name on it by heart. She tucked the paper in her purse and pasted a bright smile on her face. "So," she said, "tell me what's happened in Greendale since I left."

  Rand laughed. "Nice change of subject. Okay, I'll play along.

  The waitress put their plates on the table in front of them and Maddie smiled up at her, determined to not let the woman's attitude get to her. "Thank you."

  The waitress nodded, then looked at Rand. "Anything else, Sherriff?"

  "No, thanks. Just keep the coffee coming. We have a lot of catching up to do."

  ***

  Brandy tried her best to fade into the background, hoping her mom and dad would forget she was there and talk more freely. There was a lot she didn't know about her mom's old life in Greendale. And a lot she wanted to know. What was her mom like as a teenager? Was she a goody-goody like she expected Brandy to be? Or was she a hellion? The latter would explain her mom's overprotective parenting.

  The names they tossed back and forth meant nothing, but she formed opinions of the people they talked about based on their tone of voice and facial expressions. It sounded like many of the people her mom had known back then were still in town. She wondered if the whole town was frozen in time or something, or maybe they'd gone back in time when she was sleeping and didn't notice. Nah, her mom still looked the same as ever.

  God, if she didn't find a shopping mall soon, she was going to go insane. At least this mess had gotten her out of school, but she had no idea how she was going to make up the lost time. She really didn't want to waste her whole summer in summer school.

  She dug into her breakfast, which was surprisingly good. On school days, breakfast usually consisted of something they grabbed at a drive-through or peanut butter on toast. On the weekends her mom cooked eggs and sausage sometimes, or they went out for pancakes. Here in Greendale, breakfast consisted of not only eggs and sausage, but also hash brown potatoes, biscuits and gravy, fresh sliced cantaloupe, and two pancakes on the side.

  If she ate like this every morning, she'd be too fat for her cheerleading uniform in no time.

  Crap. She'd let her attention wander. What had she missed? The word school had brought her attention back to the conversation.

  ***

  "We have a great high school now," Rand said. "The band and football teams have both won state for the last three years. And so many people have moved here from the city that we've picked up some highly-qualified teachers. I don't think she'll have any problem adjusting to the new school."

  "What new school?" Brandy asked. "Mom, we're not going to be here long enough for me to have to change schools, remember? You promised.

  "I know, honey, but unless I home school you, we have no choice. The law says you have to be in school."

  "Home school me then. We can do that."

  Maddie shook her head. "No, I don't want to start that this close to the end of the school year. It's just for a few weeks. I have to go back to work by the first of July at the latest."

  Brandy opened her mouth to argue, but Maddie cut her off with a look. "I've made my decision. Rand says the school has a dedicated officer to keep everyone safe, so that's better than me dragging you around with me while we try to find this guy. We'll go get you enrolled this afternoon and you can start on Monday."

  Brandy fell into a sulk, but Maddie ignored her. Putting her into the local school solved part of her problem of how to keep her daughter occupied in a small town when she was used to having friends over and after-school activities to keep her busy. Now they had to find a place to stay.

  "We can't stay in the motel, Reed. The doors and locks are flimsy and we stand out with that car and Oklahoma plates parked right out by the highway. Can you tell me who to talk to about renting a house?"

  He thought for a moment. "I don't know of anything around here that comes furnished, so unless you're planning to move everything down here, I can't think of a thing. You could ask Alice Jones if you want to rent a house. I can't really recommend any of the apartments. We only have two complexes, and they're both hot spots for trouble."

  Maddie sighed. "I guess we'll just have to make do at the hotel then."

  Rand was silent for a moment. "I know I'm going to regret this, but…y'all can stay at the ranch. I can bunk at the office."

  Maddie stared at him. "I couldn't possibly kick you our of your home." She shook her head. "No, we'll be fine."

  "Maddie, it's the only thing that makes sense. And actually, it might be better if I stayed there too, so I can keep you safe. You know the place, so you should feel comfortable there."

  Had Rand lost his mind? Had he forgotten what had happened in that house? How both their lives had been turned upside down? She didn't know if she could set foot through the door, much less live there. "Let's both think on it for a day or two, okay? I'll call Alice and see what she has listed, and I can check around town to see if I can find anything. But I appreciate the offer."

  Rand shrugged. "You're the boss. But the offer stands."

  They fell silent for a few minutes as they finished their food.

  Brandy finished first and started peppering Rand with questions about the ranch. "Do you have horses? Cows? What else do you raise out there?"

  Rand laughed. "Yes I have horses, and cows. I also have goats, chickens, a couple of mules, and a few Alpacas. You'll have to get your mom to bring you out for a visit."

  Brandy turned to Maddie, her eyes bright. "Can we, Mom? Please?"

  Maddie knew when she was defeated. She didn't know if she could bring herse
lf to step foot inside the house, but it wouldn't hurt to let Brandy see the animals. "Sure, whenever it's convenient for Rand."

  "How about Friday? It's my day off unless something major comes up. If you can get up early enough, you can help me feed the animals."

  When Brandy looked up at Rand with adoring eyes, Maddie sighed. Her daughter had fallen for his charm as easily as she had at the same age. Knowing he was her father only elevated the adoration. She was going to have to come up with something to distract her, keep her so busy she didn't have time to think about her father. Getting her enrolled in school moved to the top of the priority pile.

  ***

  "Maddie? Oh. My. God. Maddie Cooper!"

  Maddie looked at the bleached blonde with the big hair sitting at the reception desk. Evidently she should know her, but for the life of her…"Ellie?"

  "Of course, Ellie! Don't tell me you don't recognize your BFF?" Ellie jumped up from her chair and ran around the desk, nearly knocking Maddie over when she enveloped her in a hug and a cloud of perfume. "Girl, where have you been? I thought I'd never see you again." She gripped Maddie's arms and stepped back to take a long look. "You've gone and grown up all nice and proper-like. Who woulda thought?"

  The phone rang, drawing Ellie back to the desk. "Hang on while I answer this thing. Don't y'all dare go anywhere."

  Maddie looked over at Brandy, who cocked one eyebrow in question. "I'll tell you all about her later," Maddie told her in a stage whisper.

  "Count on it," Brandy mouthed back with a grin.

  While Ellie was occupied with the phone call, Maddie took the opportunity to look around the real estate office. It was amazingly well-decorated for Greendale. She'd be willing to bet she could walk into just about any business in town and it wouldn't have changed a bit since she left.