Justice For A Ranger

by Rita Herron

  “It’s possible. Maybe someone found out that she killed Lou Anne and she’s been paying for their silence.”

  Unease tickled Cole’s neck. How would Joey react to that news?

  “Listen, since Joey seems to trust you, maybe you could find out what she knows about the money.”

  Cole’s stomach knotted. “I don’t think she knows anything. She’s been estranged from her family for years.”

  Zane grunted. “Maybe that’s because she knows they’re guilty. Did you ever think that she might be here to sabotage the investigation? That she might be cozying up to you to keep tabs on us and our case against her parents?”

  A frisson of unease seized Cole. He had considered that possibility, but his logic had disintegrated when he looked at those mile-long legs and those irresistible eyes. Eyes that mesmerized a man and made his mind turn toward lust and fantasies of long, hot nights doing nothing but riding her.

  Damn. He had lost his objectivity.

  “Cole?”

  Zane wanted him to use Joey. He had come here to prove that he deserved to wear the Ranger badge as much as his half brothers did. Here was his chance.

  “Sure, I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  He hung up, and reached for his jeans. No way he could finish their lovemaking, though, not with the sour taste of what he had to do burning his stomach.

  Joey sat up, the sheet riding down to reveal those luscious breasts. Breasts that he had teased and loved only a few moments ago. She indicated the bed, inviting him back, her vulnerable but teasing look so enticing he almost relented and crawled on top of her.

  Joey trusted him. But he was going to break that trust.

  “Cole?”

  “It’s late,” he said in a gruff voice.

  “Who was that on the phone?”

  “Zane.”

  “What did he say?”

  Cole shrugged. “They dug the bullet from the car. It came from a .38.”

  She sighed and twisted the covers over her. “Half the state of Texas owns a .38. Heck, even I do.”

  He nodded. He ached to go to her and climb back in bed. To thrust himself inside her.

  But even though everyone in town knew him to be a bastard, he couldn’t sleep with her tonight, not knowing that she might be using him. Or that he had to use her, and that he might have to arrest her mother tomorrow.

  Chapter Eleven

  Joey’s body still quivered with the aftermath of her orgasm. For tonight, she’d wanted to forget the investigation and bury herself in Cole’s arms. Already he was the best lover she’d ever experienced. And they hadn’t completely finished…

  Emotions mingled with the elation of her physical response as she watched him pull on his jeans. His body was magnificent. Bulging defined pecs and broad shoulders. Then that washboard stomach and those muscular thighs. Even his butt was finely sculpted…and his sex. Heavens. She wanted to feel his thick, long length inside her.

  Desire heated her body while her chest swelled with another sensation. A tug of affection. Emotions that she had no business feeling for the Texas Ranger. Emotions that scared her to death.

  Governor Grange expected her to be the rational, objective one in this case. And how could she do that if her heart turned to mush over one of the McKinney men?

  She glanced at her purse and remembered the little black book that had belonged to Lou Anne and itched to check out the contents. Surely her father wouldn’t have handed it over to her if it implicated him. But it might contain damning information on Cole’s father.

  Granted, Cole pretended he didn’t care about the man, but deep down she sensed he wanted some kind of gesture from Jim to show that he cared for him. It was only human nature to crave a parent’s love.

  She certainly had. Heck, she’d realized long ago that her ambition and desire to prove herself in business, her climb to the governor’s office, had been an attempt to make her parents proud. Not that they’d ever congratulated her or noticed…

  Why had Cole decided to leave her bed? Why wasn’t he returning to finish what they’d started?

  His blue eyes turned smoky as he grabbed his shirt. Still his eyes skated over her, and hunger burned in his gaze. A tingle of anxiety stole into her euphoria. “Cole? What else did Zane say? Something upset you.”

  He moved toward her, then sat down on the side of the bed and threaded his fingers into her hair. His touch melted her into a puddle of need again, blatant hunger humming through her bloodstream. “Cole?”

  “Sloan and Sheriff Matheson discovered that Donna was buying a cashier’s check for $1,000 every month for the past few years.”

  Joey gasped.

  “She hasn’t been sending you the money?”

  Suddenly feeling cold and exposed, she covered her breasts. “No.”

  “Do you know what she’s doing with the money?”

  “I have no idea. I told you Donna and I hadn’t spoken in years.” Her stomach twisted as she realized the implication. “You think it’s blackmail money?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. But we have to find out.”

  Joey’s throat clogged with fear.

  He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. The tender gesture confused her even more.

  “Get some rest. We’ll look into it tomorrow.”

  She grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving. “But, Cole?” She rubbed a hand over his thigh, stroked him through his jeans. “I want you to be satisfied.”

  A grin inched up the corner of his mouth. “Honey, I had a great time.” He kissed her again for emphasis, and she tasted herself on his lips. Her cheeks flamed red when he pulled away.

  “Cole—”

  “Shh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Let me do the right thing here, Joey.”

  She didn’t quite know what he meant, but she had a feeling he thought sex would interfere with the case. She should thank him for being a gentleman. For stopping her before she gave herself to him completely.

  And making love to him just might tempt her to tear down the guardrail protecting her heart.

  He walked to the door, turned and seared her with one last hungry look, then closed the door.

  But his last comment worried her. Donna had been withdrawing money each month for the past few years. Was she paying off a blackmailer?

  IT TOOK EVERY OUNCE of restraint Cole possessed to leave Joey’s bedroom. Knowing that she still wanted him drove him insane with desire. Dammit, how had she gotten into his head so quickly?

  He growled in frustration. He had done the right thing by walking out. His father had allowed his libido to guide his decisions and look where he’d ended up. If Joey discovered that Zane wanted him to use her, she’d be furious.

  Just as he would be if he found out she was using him.

  He had to accept the fact that it was possible. That she might not be sharing everything she knew about her family.

  Too antsy to sleep, he phoned forensics for a progress report. A detective named Simmons answered. Cole had worked with him on prior cases and trusted him.

  “We finally got a lead on the fingerprint on the bullet retrieved in the woods. Belongs to a man named Hector Elvarez.”

  “Do you know where I can find him?”

  “He was working on a ranch in Mineral Wells. The Lucky S.”

  The Lucky S? Hmm. Mineral Wells, about thirty, forty miles from Justice. And not far from Dallas where Donna bought her cashier’s checks each month.

  “I’ll pay him a visit in the morning. See who hired him to shoot at Sheriff Matheson,” Cole said. “My guess is he’s the same guy who also shot at us.”

  An uneasy feeling snaked through him. Donna was looking more and more guilty.

  If she was covering up for murder, and had hired this guy to shoot at them, then tough girl aside, Joey would be devastated.

  JOEY YANKED on a nightshirt. The thought of her mother being a murderer and blackmailing someone to hide her guilt shatt
ered her night of euphoric bliss.

  Panic washed over, but she tamped it down, grabbed her purse and removed Lou Anne’s little black book.

  Maybe Sloan and Cole were wrong. Maybe she’d find something inside to exonerate her parents.

  She flipped on the lamp, propped her self against the mound of feather pillows and began to flip through the pages. As expected, she discovered various dates where Lou Anne had rendezvoused with Jim McKinney. The last one on the day she’d died.

  Had Leland not cheated on her mother, Joey might have felt sorry for him. But she had adopted her mother’s bitterness over his infidelities. Not only had he destroyed their family and Donna, he had taken her and Justin from the only home they’d ever known to be raised by servants.

  She flipped back to the beginning, then studied each page more thoroughly. The name, Sly Jones, drew her eye. She tried to recall who he was, then realized he had been her mother’s tax attorney. If she remembered correctly, he died a few years back. She searched through several more pages, then gasped.

  No. It couldn’t be.

  Another man’s name that she recognized. She turned several more pages and found his name again. Notations to meet at a hotel in Dallas.

  Anger mounted on top of shock as she realized that Lou Anne’s other lover had been Clayton Grange.

  The current governor of Texas.

  The man who’d sent her here to handle the media.

  She fell back against the covers in stunned silence, her stomach convulsing. Governor Grange had been a young man then, an up-and-comer in politics. A man from a prominent family. A man who helped handle the investigation of her brother’s disappearance and Lou Anne’s murder. And he had been married at the time, a newlywed. The last thing he would have wanted was a scandal.

  Lou Anne had been disgusted with Leland’s financial situation. Had she sought out the governor? Seduced him? Maybe threatened to expose their affair if he didn’t leave his wife for her? Or maybe she’d wanted money to keep quiet?

  Could Governor Grange have killed Lou Anne to save his reputation?

  And if he had, would he expect her to cover for him?

  BETWEEN HIS BODY yearning for a night with Joey, his mind replaying various scenarios about the case and his guilt over possibly using the only woman he’d been attracted to in ages, Cole suffered a sleepless night. He took a cold shower the next morning, then dressed in his jeans, white shirt, standard tie and Stetson and pinned on his badge, reminding himself that his job was all that mattered. Being a Ranger was what he lived for. He had no family, no ties, and he didn’t need them. They would interfere with his head when he needed to focus. The sooner he cracked and closed this case, the sooner he could leave town and be done with the McKinneys. They’d made it clear they didn’t want him here.

  And Cole McKinney didn’t hang around where he wasn’t wanted.

  Bracing himself for the sight of the blond beauty who’d haunted his dreams all night, he knocked on her door. She answered, already dressed. A pale blue sundress showcased her sinful legs, and her long hair swung free making him itch to sink his fingers into the silky tresses.

  “Good morning, Cole.”

  Her smile seemed a little too bright and fake. “Is it?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. But let’s go talk to my mother.”

  He nodded. He understood her trepidation. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to the confrontation, either. Which disturbed him.

  He shouldn’t care about an interview or how it might affect Joey.

  Early morning sunshine beat down on them as they walked to the diner, drilling home the fact that he was actually worried about her. The sound of hushed voices of early morning locals filtered through the strained silence as they entered the diner. Two elderly ladies sipped coffee at a table near the door and a family with four kids fought over the pancake syrup.

  The bell tinkled, announcing their arrival and Donna glanced up from the counter. A hesitant smile lit her eyes as if she was happy to see her daughter but wondered why she was with the likes of a bastard like him. Rosa flitted over to Joey and hugged her.

  “Joey, are you okay? I heard about the accident.”

  Her thick accent slowed her down, but Joey seemed unfazed. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  Rosa’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as she examined Joey for injuries. “I saw on news where you in accident.” She lapsed into several sentences of heated Spanish that Cole tried to discern. But she was so upset he couldn’t follow. “Are you hurt?”

  “No, Rosa, I’m fine.” She smiled and squeezed Rosa’s hands. “Don’t worry.”

  Rosa clucked, shaking her head from side to side. “It is too dangerous for you here askin’ questions. Please, my little bebé, leave things alone.”

  “Rosa, everything will be fine.” Joey waved off her concern and slid into a booth. “Now, we want some breakfast, then I need to speak to my mother.”

  Rosa’s eyes darkened. “Sí. I get you breakfast. Omelet or empanadas?”

  “Coffee and empanadas would be great,” Joey said. “I’ve missed your cooking.”

  Rosa smiled although tears glittered in her eyes as she scribbled Cole’s order and bustled to the kitchen.

  Donna appeared at the register to handle several customers and watched them warily as Joey and Cole ate. When they’d both finished their second cup of coffee, Joey stood. “It’s time.”

  Cole nodded, threw some money on the table, then followed her to the counter.

  “Donna, we need to talk,” Joey said matter-of-factly.

  Donna appeared calm as she finished stacking the bills by the register. “All right. Let’s go to my office.”

  Joey and Cole followed, the air between them fraught with tension. When they reached her office, Donna seated herself in her desk chair, crossed her legs and gestured for them to sit in the two adjacent chairs. “To what do I owe this honor?”

  Cole had read that Leland was a hothead under pressure and Donna the calm one. She was proving that correct. At least for now.

  “Mother, it’s come to our attention that you’ve been going to Dallas and buying a cashier’s check each month for $1,000.” Joey fisted her hands in her lap. “What is the money for?”

  Donna ran a finger along the edge of her desk, seemingly undisturbed by Joey’s bluntness. “I donate it to a children’s home, a charity,” she said in a low voice. When she looked up at Joey, a well of anguish filled her eyes. “I know it won’t bring back your brother, but I wanted to do something in honor of Justin.”

  Cole chewed the inside of his cheek, studying her while Joey’s expression softened. “That’s a nice gesture, Donna. Really.”

  Cole shuffled his boots, kicking the toe against the edge of the chair. Was Donna telling the truth? “What’s the name of the charity?”

  “It goes through a church in Dallas. St. Francis.” Donna scribbled the name and address of the Catholic church on a notepad. “There, check it out yourself.”

  Cole nodded. He intended to do just that.

  Donna excused herself to freshen up, dismissing them.

  Outside the door, Rosa cornered Joey and pulled her to the side.

  “Joey, I see your mama. She upset. Crying. Said you askin’ questions?”

  “Yes, Rosa. The sheriff found out about Donna purchasing a cashier’s check each month. They thought she might be paying off a blackmailer to keep quiet.”

  Rosa’s coffee-colored skin paled slightly. “Listen to me, little one. I help raise you, and I know you care about your mama. Please don’t keep askin’ questions. You are only hurtin’ your mama more, and endangering yourself.”

  Joey clutched Rosa’s arm. “Don’t worry about me, Rosa. I’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll even find evidence that will clear Donna once and for all.”

  Rosa shook her head. “Leave it alone, Joey, sí? Please, for Rosa.”

  Joey hugged her. “I promise I’ll be careful.”

  Cole frowned at the glint o
f worry in Rosa’s eyes. Did she know more than she’d told them? Was she covering for Donna and trying to dissuade Joey because she knew Donna was guilty?

  JOEY DESPERATELY wanted to believe Donna. And she had to talk to the governor. She’d really prefer a personal meeting, but she didn’t know how to escape Cole without making him suspicious, so she’d called and left a message. “Where to now?” she asked as they climbed in the sedan.

  “I talked to forensics last night. They traced the bullet slug I found in the woods near the inn to a man named Hector Elvarez.”

  “The bullet fired at Sheriff Matheson?”

  “Yes. Elvarez works at a ranch near Mineral Wells. I thought we’d ride out there and talk to him.”

  “Finally a real lead.” Joey’s heart raced with adrenaline. “But why would Elvarez want to kill the sheriff?”

  “He was probably a hired gun.”

  Joey nodded and stared at the landscape as they drove toward Mineral Wells. Maybe this man would give them answers. But she still had to question Governor Grange. She’d worked for him for four years now, had thought his marriage proof that happily-ever-after existed. That there was a man or two in the world who could be faithful.

  Now that notion and her image of him were crushed. She admired the governor’s political views, his fairness in dealing with issues and his staff, his concern for the state. And he’d given her a chance even though her family name preceded her.

  But had he hired her in order to keep tabs on how much she knew about the past?

  And how would the governor’s supporters feel if they knew he had committed adultery when he spouted old-time family values as part of his campaign?

  She glanced at Cole’s firmly set jaw. They had a half hour drive, and she wanted to know more about him. “What was it like for you growing up?”

  A flash of anger shadowed his blue eyes. Anger that didn’t quite mask the pain.

  “I liked ranch life,” he said simply.

  He was avoiding the real question. She sighed and rubbed his arm. “Did your father ever try to see you?”

  He scraped his hand through his hair. “No. I…never met him or my half brothers until I came to Justice.”