Quick-Draw Cowboy

by Joanna Wayne

  His suspect was not James Haggard. There must be some mistake.

  “Did Cory Boxer admit to the vandalism?”

  “He’s denying it, but one of my best deputies caught the guy red-handed, breaking in to the trunk of Joe Clark’s car in broad daylight.”

  Joe Clark. She recognized the name. He and Jill owned the gift and card shop on Second Street, about two blocks from her bakery.

  “Where was the car parked?” she asked.

  “In the alleyway behind their shop. Joe carried in some boxes of merchandise he was helping Jill shelve. Wasn’t in the shop more than a few minutes when he came out and saw Boxer standing over his open trunk and peering inside.”

  “Did Joe confront him?”

  “He hollered at him. The guy took off running. Joe took off after him since he wasn’t sure if he’d taken anything. One of my deputies spotted them and he stepped in and made the arrest.”

  “But he denied breaking in to my shop?”

  “Yes, but he also argued he wasn’t up to no good when Joe saw him with his head stuck in the trunk.”

  “Was anything missing from the trunk?”

  “Nope. Luckily, Joe spotted him before he made off with his laptop which was right there in plain sight. Darn shame when a man has to lock his car downtown in broad daylight.”

  Still, checking out an unlocked truck in a deserted alley wasn’t quite the same as breaking into and vandalizing a bakery.

  “We’ll get a fingerprint check to make sure we have the right guy, but just wanted you to know you can rest easier tonight. I’ve got a prime suspect in central lockup for twenty-four hours.”

  “I appreciate your calling.”

  A stranger with no motive to wreck her business. If the sheriff was right, the DNA she’d collected was worthless to her. She was back to square one again. Except... “Did Cory Boxer have any wounds?”

  “Matter of fact, he had some ugly scratches on one arm. Said a cat got hold of him. Why do you ask?”

  “I found some blood. I think my vandal must have hurt himself in the process.”

  “Makes more sense than getting scratched by a cat. I reckon you’ve seen the last of this kind of trouble, hopefully for a good long while.”

  “Yes, hopefully,” she agreed. But even if Cory Boxer had broken into her shop, this was not the last of James Haggard.

  When the call was finished, she shared the news with Riley.

  “You don’t sound very relieved,” he said.

  Surprisingly, she wanted to spill the full truth to him. The anxiety had burgeoned with the sheriff’s arrest of a suspect other than Haggard. Or maybe she just wanted some reassurance that she was making the right decisions.

  It was too chancy to drag him into this while she was still reeling from his kisses.

  He’d go his way in a few days. If it turned out Haggard was Constance’s biological father, her battles would be just beginning.

  * * *

  THE GLOW OF twilight painted the sky with wide brushes of burnished gold. It was the time of day on a ranch when the magic came together—the time Riley felt like the luckiest man on earth, living the dream.

  A lot of cowboys he knew were poets. He’d always wished words came that easy to him, but mostly he just responded with a peaceful feeling, at home with himself and the whole beautiful country to roam.

  Tonight held a different kind of magic that had nothing to do with the pastoral splendor. It had everything to do with Dani Boatman.

  He couldn’t explain it, no more than he could explain the lure of the open range. He couldn’t deny it, either. He felt things differently with Dani.

  It wasn’t just the way she’d turned him on back in the horse barn. He’d felt that way even before they’d kissed. He couldn’t imagine ever getting enough of her. This was not how his visit to Texas was supposed to go.

  He’d figured he’d visit with his brothers and Esther, get acquainted with his niece and new sister-in-law, do some fishing and then head out to West Texas before all that togetherness started to make him feel fenced in.

  No reflection on his brothers or Esther, but it was Dani he wanted to be with. Mostly it was just enjoying her company, but the need to protect her was high on the list, too. And that was where he found himself now.

  The facts didn’t add up. Dani should have been relieved that the sheriff had arrested a suspect. Instead, she’d seemed annoyed or worried. Also, she’d never mentioned finding bloodstains to him, though he must have been nearby when she discovered them.

  There was more going on than she was admitting. Somehow he had to find a way to get her to open up to him.

  The front door opened and Dani and Constance stepped out, joining him on the porch. Constance was dragging her backpack, the head of a freckled doll in braids that looked a lot like her peeking out of the half-zipped bag.

  Dani had her handbag over her shoulder and a reusable green bag no doubt filled with eggs or something from Esther’s garden.

  “I was wondering where you’d gotten off to,” Dani said. “I was looking for you to tell you goodbye.”

  “It’s early. With all the talk and laughter surrounding that board game you were playing, I didn’t expect you to be leaving for hours.”

  “I wasn’t ready to go,” Constance assured him. “Aunt Dani said we have to.”

  “I’m the baddie,” Dani joked. “If only we didn’t need sleep.”

  “Oh, wait,” Constance called, forgetting her argument. “I left my whistle.” She went rushing back into the house.

  Dani laughed. “I should have tossed that squeaky toy while I had the chance.”

  She started down the steps. Riley walked beside her, hesitant to see her leave without him.

  He couldn’t get past the uneasiness she’d exhibited when taking to the sheriff. Nor could he brush off the impression she’d given last night and again today that she knew or at least strongly suspected the identity of the intruder.

  “I think you should invite me home with you for a slumber party,” he said, trying for a nonchalance he didn’t feel.

  “Sounds tempting, I admit, but I’m not ready to go there with Constance in the house.”

  “I’ll sleep on the sofa and I promise I won’t make a move on you tonight, even if you beg,” he teased.

  “Such a gentleman. I don’t think you’d even fit on my sofa.” She stopped by her car and looked up at him. “What’s this really about, Riley?”

  “I think you might be uneasy staying alone so soon after the break-in.”

  “I’ll be fine. Seriously. You secured the back door. You can’t be my full-time caretaker.”

  “Just until you get the alarm system fixed.”

  “I’ll call them first thing in the morning. The sheriff indicated I have nothing to worry about.”

  But he wasn’t sure she believed Cavazos, and if she didn’t, how could he?

  “If you don’t share your sofa, I’ll camp out on the street in front of the bakery,” he said. “Imagine the gossip that will cause.”

  “Do you ever take no for an answer, Riley Lawrence?”

  “All depends on the question.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Okay, but follow me back in your truck. I’ll need my car in the morning.”

  “Give me a minute to grab a few necessities like a razor and a toothbrush.”

  She’d given in too easily, which meant she was somewhat nervous about her and Constance being alone tonight even if she wasn’t admitting that to him. She might not even be admitting it to herself.

  The next challenge was finding a way to make her trust him enough to tell him the truth about what was going on. Which meant he’d have to keep his word not to come on to her tonight.

  And that might take
all the control he could muster.

  * * *

  JAMES HAGGARD HEARD the blaring sounds of a mediocre country band when he stepped out of his pickup truck in Hank’s parking lot. He wouldn’t stay long. Two beers at the most. It was when he was drunk or high that he made foolish mistakes.

  Like breaking in to Dani’s Delights.

  His brother, Lenny, had warned him to stay in the cabin and make sure he wasn’t seen around town until he went back to pick up his money on Friday.

  Lenny was always right. He took care of James. Always had. He was the only who’d never lied to James, or cheated him. The only one who didn’t take advantage of him every chance he got. The only one James trusted.

  But Lenny wasn’t the one stuck inside that cheap, ratty cabin that stank like dead fish. He had to get out for a little while or he’d go crazy. He walked through the double doors into the stench of stale smoke and the tantalizing smell of whiskey. He went straight to the bar and dropped onto a tall stool.

  “A shot of Jack. Make that a double,” he added, already backing down from his vow of sticking to two beers. He gulped down the whiskey in one swallow and swiveled so that he could see the band.

  The female singer reminded him of Amber back in the day, except that the singer wasn’t nearly the looker Amber had been. In his mind, he always remembered her as she’d looked the night they’d met. Short white shorts, a halter top, no bra and those bright red stiletto heels.

  Her auburn hair cascaded down her back in loose curls. And those lips, those full, heart-shaped lips that could drive any man crazy.

  But she’d changed. She’d treated him like dirt. Walked all over him. He motioned to the bartender. “Another double.”

  The singer might not be as pretty as Amber, but he’d bet she was the same two-timing, double-crossing, bitch Amber had become. And after all he’d done for her.

  He was Constance’s father. Half of that damn insurance money rightly belonged to him. Dani had better believe he meant business.

  A blonde strutted over and took the stool next to him. “Want to buy a girl a drink?”

  “Sure.” He looked her over. Firecracker-hot. A red dress that hugged every curve. A little drunk, but he might be there himself in a few minutes. “You got a name?”

  “Angela.” She leaned in close, giving him a good look at the breasts pushing out of a scrap of lacy black bra. “I haven’t seen you around here before.”

  “Just passing through.”

  “Too bad. We might have gotten to know each other.”

  He put a hand on her thigh. She didn’t move it away.

  “We can still get to know each other,” he ventured. “We just have to work faster.”

  She laughed, a tinkling sound that crawled right under his skin.

  The night might not be such a drag after all.

  * * *

  RILEY QUICKLY CAUGHT up with Dani’s car. He followed it to the downtown area but pulled away at the head of Main Street. Driving slowly, he took the alley that ran behind her shop.

  The area was quiet without even a cat to be seen tonight. The bakery’s back door was still boarded over just as he and Tucker had left it last night. He stopped, crawled from beneath the wheel and took the few steps to the fenced area.

  All clear, so he turned at the corner and drove back to Main Street. Ten before nine on a Sunday night and the locals were settled in for the night. The quiet isolation, the hitching posts, the century-old wooden buildings and the soft glow from the antique streetlights gave the eerie impression that he’d stepped into the Old West.

  He pulled into the diagonal parking spot next to Dani’s car. She was standing at the open back door. He didn’t see Constance until he was standing next to Dani.

  “She’s sound asleep,” Dani whispered. “Has been almost ever since we left the ranch. Little stinker would never have admitted that she was tired.”

  Dani tugged on Constance’s arm. “Wake up, baby. We’re home.”

  Constance mumbled in her sleep and curled even tighter into the fetal position.

  “We’re home, sweetheart. You have to get out of the car so we can go inside.”

  Constance opened her eyes and rubbed them with her fists. Dani helped her to a sitting position and managed to get her to the edge of the seat.

  “Let her sleep,” Riley said. “I’ll tote her upstairs. What’s the use of having your own cowboy bodyguard if you can’t get a few perks?”

  Riley reached down and picked her up, carrying her as if she was an oversize doll. “You get the door,” he said. “I’ll carry her up to her bed.”

  Constance’s arms tightened around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder. His throat grew dry, making it difficult to swallow. He wasn’t sure he’d ever carried a kid before. The most he’d done was help one in or out of a saddle. This felt too...

  He wasn’t sure what it felt. Too much like a family? Too involved? Too fatherly.

  He experienced a sudden suffocating sensation. What the hell was a man like him doing in a situation like this? His breathing came hard as he pushed back the impulse to get back in his truck and drive away.

  Instead he started walking calmly toward the bakery as the frightening truth hit full force. He was already where he really wanted to be.

  * * *

  DANI GULPED IN a deep breath as she stepped into her bakery and let the familiarity seep into her bones. The lingering odors of spices and baking bread. The empty display cases calling out to be filled. The chairs and tables awaiting customers.

  For a man like Riley, who never settled in one place long enough to put down roots, this life probably felt like fatal boredom. To her, it was a dream come true.

  Their lives would never mesh. They were a few days in a lifetime, a thrill that would live in her memories, a mountain high before the next valley. As long as she didn’t expect more than that, she’d be fine.

  She set Constance’s backpack on the floor and went back to the car for the two dozen fresh eggs Esther had insisted she bring home with her. She checked to make sure Riley’s car was locked and then opened the passenger-side door of her car to retrieve the eggs.

  She sniffed and caught the stench of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Footfalls approached from the street behind her. She jumped back from the car as panic rocked her ragged nerves.

  “Luch who sh-h-owed up.”

  Dani’s heart flew to her throat. Even with the drunken slur, there was no mistaking James Haggard’s voice.

  Chapter Eleven

  Haggard staggered forward and fell against Dani’s front bumper.

  “You’re drunk,” she said.

  “Damn r-r-right.” He stumbled nearer.

  She scanned the area. Only two cars other than hers were parked on this block. Both of them belonged to shop owners with upstairs living quarters. “How did you get here?”

  Haggard waved his arm as if dismissing her question. His hand was bandaged. She stared at it, breathing hard. It was his blood she’d collected. His DNA. Her instincts screamed that was true, but she needed proof.

  “Why did you break in to my shop last night?” she demanded. “What were you looking for?”

  His response was a string of profanity and words so slurred she couldn’t make sense of them.

  “You were here last night,” she persisted. “Admit it.”

  He mumbled a curse and then used the cuff of his shirt to wipe spittle from his lips and chin.

  “I’m not afraid of you, James Haggard. Wrecking my shop won’t help you get what you want.”

  “Wre-e-ecked it. Next time. Burn it down.”

  The slurred pronouncements were followed by another assault of foul language.

  But he had said next time, which had to mean he’d be
en here last night. The blood she’d collected was his. That was all she needed to know.

  Dani tried to push past him. Haggard grabbed her right arm. He lost his balance and fell against her, clutching her shirt with both hands in an effort not to slam to the pavement.

  Miraculously, she managed to hold both of them up.

  “What the devil...”

  Dani looked up as Riley flew out the door and stormed across the walk. Reaching down, he grabbed Haggard by his shirt collar and yanked him away from Dani.

  She grabbed Riley’s right arm as he was about to punch Haggard. “Don’t. He’s just drunk. I know him.”

  Haggard tried to shove Riley away. Riley easily pinned him against the car.

  “Your friend needs to learn some manners,” Riley said.

  “I said I know him. I didn’t say he was a friend.”

  Haggard started cursing again, spraying the air with saliva. Riley let go of him and Haggard slid slowly down the fender, landing on his butt, his shoulder pressed against the tire.

  “Call 911,” Riley said. “He can sleep it off in jail.”

  And then the law would be involved and things might spin out of control just as Haggard had warned. A custody suit. Constance used as a pawn.

  “I’d rather not bring the law into this.”

  “I seem to be missing something here. Exactly how well do you know this man?” Riley asked.

  “Not well,” she admitted.

  “If you know where he lives, I’ll drive him home.”

  “I don’t.”

  “What about the name of someone in his family we can call to come get him?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know anything about him. He’s just a customer.”

  “Then what’s your problem with letting law enforcement handle this, especially considering someone broke into and vandalized your bakery last night?”

  She hated lying to Riley and knew it was unlikely that he was buying her story. No one would. But if she gave Riley any part of the truth, he’d manage to get the whole story out of her.