Cowboy Defender

by Carla Cassidy

  “I can’t imagine,” she replied, looking utterly bewildered.

  Clay was grateful to see some color returning to her cheeks. “What about those bone-headed kids we ran into?”

  “What kids?” Dillon asked.

  “We ran into Robby Davies, Glen Thompson and Jason Rogers,” she said. “They were showing off and being disrespectful. I think they’d imbibed in some liquid courage.”

  “I told Robby that someday somebody was going to give him a good ass-whooping.” A wave of horrifying guilt swept through him. “Oh, God, I hope I’m not responsible for the attack.”

  “Don’t even think that way,” Miranda instantly replied. “I can’t believe those boys would be responsible for something like this. They can be rowdy and sometimes a little mean, but this, it’s just too...too evil.”

  “I’ve had a few run-ins with Robby.” Dillon’s eyes were dark and thoughtful. “But mostly I’m called out to deal with him over a teenage fight. Certainly nothing as serious as this.”

  “And Hank wasn’t real happy to see me with Miranda,” Clay added.

  “Hank would never do something like this,” Miranda said firmly. “He might be the town drunk, but he isn’t capable of doing something like this to me.”

  “And neither of you remember anyone specific being around you when the acid was thrown?” Dillon asked again as a frown cut across his forehead.

  Both Miranda and Clay shook their heads. Dammit, he should have been more aware of things...of the people surrounding them. But how could he have anticipated that somebody would throw acid on Miranda? He still found it hard to believe...and horrifying that it had happened at all.

  What he wanted to do at this very moment was wrap his arms tightly around her and carry her off someplace where he knew she would be safe.

  “Have you had any fights or arguments with any parents at the school?” Dillon’s question pulled Clay from his thoughts. “Or maybe a coworker?”

  “No, nothing like that.” Miranda’s cheeks paled once again. “So you think this was a specific attack on me and not just some random thing?”

  Dillon’s frown deepened. “Right now I’m not sure what to think. I’m sending your sweater to the lab, but it will take a while to get back results. Before we left the carnival grounds I talked to dozens of people, but nobody confessed to seeing anything.”

  He stood. “I’ll question the boys and continue to investigate, but in the meantime the only advice I can give you is that you might watch your back and let me know immediately if anything else disturbing happens.”

  Miranda was shaken by the lawman’s words. Clay could tell by the darkening of her eyes and the way she half-stumbled out of the chair.

  He jumped up and grabbed her by the upper arm to steady her. Hell, he was also badly shaken by Dillon’s words. He thanked the lawman and led Miranda out of the building and back to his truck.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” she said breathlessly as he started the engine.

  “I still say it was some kind of a crazy random act,” he replied in an effort to ease her fear a little. “You are very well liked and respected in this town.”

  “But what kind of a person does something like this? Who even thinks about throwing acid on another person? It’s the worst kind of evil. It’s like something out of a horror movie. I can’t even imagine that I know anyone capable of it.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if suddenly chilled. “I’m sorry. I’m rambling.”

  “Ramble away. Most women would be completely hysterical by now.”

  “I’ve really never been the hysterical type,” she replied. “But, I reserve the right to be hysterical if something like this happens again.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” God, he didn’t even want to think about something like this happening again to her. He pulled up into her driveway.

  She stared at her dark house for a long moment and then turned to look at him. “Uh, would you like to come in to visit for a little while? I’m afraid all I can offer you for a drink is either coffee or cherry Kool-Aid.”

  He knew if the night had ended without incident she probably wouldn’t have invited him inside. But she was scared and he was scared for her. “I’ve always been a sucker for a good cherry Kool-Aid.”

  She flashed him a quick, stressed smile. They got out of the truck together and walked up the wobbly porch stairs. “You could definitely use some new stairs and railings,” he said as she unlocked the front door.

  “Hank has promised to fix them for months. He even showed up here last week in the middle of the night to fix them. He was stinking drunk and I sent him home. I’m beginning to think it’s about time to hire somebody else to fix them.” She opened the front door and ushered him inside.

  He entered a small foyer and followed her into the living room. It was a space that befitted his impression of her. The sofa was dark blue and overstuffed, with big floral throw pillows that immediately offered a welcome to sit and visit for a spell. A bookcase held a television as well as movies, games and storybooks.

  There was a faint scent of cinnamon in the air, as if something wonderful had recently been baked. The room held the warmth of family and Clay instantly felt at home.

  “Do you really want a glass of Kool-Aid or would you rather have a cup of coffee?”

  “The first thing I’d like is a tour of your house.” He didn’t really care about what the rest of the house looked like, but after the night they’d had he wanted to make sure they were the only two people on the premises.

  She looked at him in surprise. “Oh, okay.” She led him up the stairs and into the first bedroom on the right. It was an explosion of pink...pink bedspread, pink curtains and a fuzzy pink throw rug on the floor.

  “It’s a great room for a little girl,” he said. He walked over to the closet and opened it. “And good closet space.” He turned back to face Miranda.

  She stared at him and he was dismayed to see fear darkening her eyes once again. “You aren’t just interested in seeing my decorating style or the layout of the house.”

  He released a small sigh. He’d hoped to be smooth enough that she wouldn’t know what he was doing, but he’d obviously failed. “You’re right. I want to make sure nobody is here who shouldn’t be here.”

  “Thank you,” she said in a small voice.

  Fifteen minutes later they were seated at the kitchen table with cups of coffee. He had checked every single room in the house and all the closets. He had also been pleased to see that her doors had both good locks and dead bolts. All the windows on the lower level were also equipped with solid new locks.

  “You sure know how to give a man an exciting first date,” he said.

  “It wasn’t a date,” she protested.

  “Oh, that’s right. You don’t date. Why not?” A woman like her should love and be loved. She was not only beautiful, she was also bright and had a musical laugh that would make the birds sing in the trees.

  “The main reason is that I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m not interested in marrying again so there’s really no point in dating.” She took a sip of her coffee and eyed him as she set down the cup. “So, why do you date so much? You must know that your nickname around town is Romeo Madison.”

  He winced. “I can’t figure out this dating thing. If I’m Romeo then all I’m doing is looking for my Juliet. How else do you find that special someone if you don’t date?”

  “According to rumor, you’ve definitely been cutting a wide swath through the female population,” she said dryly.

  “It’s not like I’m sleeping with every woman in town,” he protested. “It’s just that I go out with a woman a couple of times and realize she’s not the forever one for me, so I stop seeing her.”

  “Well, I hope you find that special someone,” she replied.

&nb
sp; “I’m working on it.” He certainly wasn’t going to tell her that he was working on it right now and trying to figure out how he could get a second date with her.

  “It’s getting late,” she said after a long moment of awkward silence. “And to be honest, I’m completely exhausted.”

  It was an obvious dismissal. He drained his coffee cup and stood. “Walk me to the front door?”

  She nodded and also got up from the table. Together they walked to the door and once there he turned to face her. “Try not to worry about what happened tonight. I can’t help but believe it was a random attack and had nothing to do with you personally.”

  “I desperately want that to be true.”

  She looked so small and so achingly vulnerable. Knowing he risked a major rebuff, he followed through on his desire and pulled her into his arms.

  She stiffened, and then relaxed against him. She fit as if she belonged in his arms. She was warm and he could feel the thrust of her breasts against his chest.

  His sole reason for embracing her was to comfort her, but as he continued to hold her for several long moments a wave of desire swept through him.

  She sighed and raised her face to look at him. Her lips parted slightly and he took advantage of the moment and covered them with his own.

  So soft and so wonderfully warm, her lips stirred him and heightened the desire that had been sizzling through him all evening long. He touched the tip of her tongue with his and that’s when she halted the kiss.

  She reared back and he instantly dropped his arms from around her. Her eyes simmered with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify. “That shouldn’t have happened.” She reached up and touched her lips, then dropped her hand to her side. “I shouldn’t have allowed that to happen since we aren’t even dating.”

  “Consider it a kiss from a friend,” he replied, wanting nothing more than to repeat the kiss. “Can’t we be friends, Miranda?”

  Those beautiful eyes of hers narrowed slightly. “We’ll see. Good night, Clay, and thank you for everything.”

  “Night, Miranda.” He stepped out of her house and walked down the porch steps to his truck. He got inside, but didn’t start the engine right away.

  He’d tried to keep things light when he’d been inside her house, but there was definitely a darkness brewing inside him when he thought about the acid attack.

  He really wanted to believe it had just been a random act by some sicko, but the way she’d described being pushed aside, as if to isolate her from the others, a second before the acid had been thrown whispered otherwise to him.

  Dillon had told her to watch her back. Miranda didn’t know it, but Clay intended to watch her back, as well. After all, that’s what friends were for.

  Damn. Damn! It had been such a bad throw. The acid hadn’t hit her face like it was supposed to. The hope had been that it would eat away Miranda’s beautiful features. The hope had been that she’d be horribly scarred and become an object of intense pity to everyone in Bitterroot. No man would ever want her and they would all look at her with revulsion.

  But the attack tonight had been a complete failure. With the crowd at the carnival it had been a perfect opportunity and an opportunity like tonight probably wouldn’t happen again anytime soon. So it was time to think about a Plan B. And in that plan Miranda Silver just had to die.

  * * *

  Miranda pulled herself out of bed after a night of almost no sleep. Each time the old house had grunted or groaned, she’d shot straight up in bed, her heart beating wildly. She’d gotten up several times to check that each door and all the windows remained locked up tight.

  And if the worry about somebody being after her wasn’t enough, her thoughts had been consumed with being held in Clay’s strong arms and the kiss they had shared.

  She now sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and thought about that kiss, that damnable kiss that had kept her tossing and turning all night long with a need for...for something more.

  Clay Madison definitely knew how to kiss. His mouth had plied hers with heat, and even though his lips had been soft, they had also held a subtle sense of command that had been downright intoxicating. His kiss had definitely made her tingle from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Drat the man, anyway.

  The carnival had been such fun, and a lot of that fun had come from the fact that he was with her and the kids. He was so charming and so easy to be around, but she’d also seen a hard edge to him when the teenage boys had harassed them.

  She had a feeling he was a man who took no crap from anyone. He wouldn’t start a fight, but he wouldn’t walk away from one, either.

  There had been something quite appealing in his defending her honor and forcing an apology out of Robby. Of course, the apology hadn’t meant anything. Odd, she’d never seen that kind of behavior from the dark-headed boy. It had to have been due to whatever he and his friends had drunk.

  Had those three boys gone off somewhere and gotten some acid and thrown it at her in retaliation? Had Robby been so angry at her he’d wanted to scar her for life?

  Or was it somebody else? Did somebody else in this town hate her that much and had that person been the attacker? But who? She couldn’t imagine anyone would harbor such ill feelings toward her.

  Thankfully at that moment her doorbell rang, pulling her from her troubling thoughts. It was her mother with the kids. She directed Henry and Jenny upstairs to pack their bags for their overnight with Hank and then ushered her mother into the kitchen.

  When the two were seated at the table Katherine reached across the wood surface and grabbed Miranda’s hand. Her blue eyes simmered with loving concern. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Thank God that acid didn’t get on your skin or in your eyes. How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Tired...still a little bit afraid,” Miranda admitted. “Sleep was a little difficult last night.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone in this entire town who has an issue with you.”

  “To be honest, neither can I,” Miranda replied. “I racked my brain all night long trying to think of anyone who, for some reason, might have a grudge against me and I couldn’t come up with a single person.”

  “This all has to be some sort of a horrible mistake.” Katherine squeezed her hand and then released it and leaned back in her chair. “So, what does Dillon have to say about all this?”

  “I haven’t heard from him yet this morning, but last night he was going back to the carnival to question more people. In the meantime he told me to watch my back.” She fought off a shiver as she spoke those words aloud.

  Katherine frowned. “The locks on your doors are good ones?”

  Miranda nodded. “Hank saw to that right after the divorce. He wanted to make sure me and the kids were safe and sound.”

  “At least the man got one thing right,” Katherine replied dryly.

  “I just can’t imagine why somebody would have acid at a carnival, let alone toss it at me.”

  “Whoever it is, he is a sick, sick person,” Katherine replied vehemently.

  “I’m sorry about you unexpectedly being saddled with the kids last night,” Miranda said in an effort to change the subject.

  “You know I didn’t mind a bit. All they talked about was how much fun they had at the carnival with you and Clay. They seem quite taken with him.” Her mother lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow. “And how do you feel about him?”

  Instantly the memory of his kiss leaped into her head and she felt the warmth of a blush sweep into her cheeks. “He’s just a friend. There is absolutely, positively nothing romantic between us. You know how I feel about getting involved with another man.”

  “That’s nonsense. You are a beautiful, smart woman who deserves to have a special man in your life. Besides, you’re young enough that you could still give me a couple more grandbabies.”


  “Mom, there aren’t going to be any more grandbabies,” Miranda protested.

  “Never say never and one can always hope.” Katherine got up from the table. “And now I’m leaving so I’m not here when your ex-husband shows up. I’m in no mood to play nice with him today.”

  “You’re in no mood to play nice with him on any day,” Miranda said with a laugh.

  “You have that right,” Katherine replied.

  Miranda walked her mother to the door and when they reached it she pulled Miranda into an unexpected hug. “Stay safe, my baby girl. Make sure you’re keeping your doors locked at all times.”

  “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m going to be just fine,” Miranda assured her. “Besides, it’s still a possibility that it was just a random act and has nothing to do with me personally.”

  “I still want you to be careful,” Katherine replied. “What would I do without my best friend?”

  Miranda smiled. She was so grateful to have Katherine in her life, not just as a mother but also as her best friend.

  Fifteen minutes after Katherine left, Hank showed up, his haggard features drawn with worry. “Miranda, I’m so glad you’re all right. After I heard what happened to you last night I called Dillon and told him we needed to get some answers as soon as possible.”

  “I’m sure Dillon will contact me if and when he has something to tell me.” There was no reason for Hank to get involved with this at all. It really didn’t have anything to do with him and the last thing she wanted was a drunken Hank haranguing Dillon at all hours of the day and night. “Kids...your dad is here,” she called up the stairs.

  The two ran down the stairs and within minutes they were gone. Normally she looked forward to having the day to herself, but today the silence pressed around her like a dark shroud.

  She thought about going to the community center to see if there was anything there she could help with. She also thought about calling up a fellow teacher to meet her for lunch, but the truth of the matter was she was more than a little bit afraid to venture out of the house.