Comeback Trail

by Carolina Mac

  “Good. Print and bag the pictures. You have a good assault case for the DA.”

  Preston Courthouse.

  CLAY and I arrived at the courthouse at nine hoping to see Fiona stand in front of the judge. I hoped she wouldn’t be granted bail, but in all likelihood, she would on a simple assault charge.

  We found seats halfway to the front of the empty courtroom and waited for her case to be called. There was only one person ahead of her, then the bailiff brought her in.

  Jack found us inside and joined us. “I brought her over from the jail,” he whispered. “She yelled and hollered the whole way over here and I was glad to turn her over to the bailiff. I think she’s got a screw loose, Logy.”

  “I’m pretty sure she does.”

  Fiona had an attorney with her and he did the talking for her. She stood with her head hanging down, stared at the floor and never uttered a word.

  “How do you plead?” asked the judge.

  “My client pleads ‘not guilty’, your honor.”

  “Your plea has been entered, Doctor Lonnigan. I’ve considered the charges against you and I’ve set your bail at seven thousand dollars. Case dismissed.” He whacked the gavel down and that was the end of it.

  “Guess I don’t have to take her back to the lockup,” said Jack.

  “Not yet anyway,” I said. “I’m seeing Mr. Tomlinson right after Clay’s checkup at the hospital. If I get a restraining order, you might be arresting her again soon.”

  Jack grinned. “I’m ready and willing, Logy.”

  Preston Hospital.

  DOCTOR Knowles checked Clay’s stitches and was pleased with how the healing was coming along. He wrote a new prescription for pain meds and warned Clay about moving around too much.

  Clay swore he’d do more porch sitting. Doctor Knowles seemed satisfied and we were finished at the hospital.

  Tomlinson and Stache. Attorneys at Law. Preston.

  OUR next stop was the lawyers’ office in town. I’d never been to these lawyers before but I chose them for convenience. Save me a trip to Lubbock every time I had to sign something.

  My breath caught in my throat when I stepped through the door into the reception area. Darla was sitting behind the desk smiling at me.

  “Logan, good morning. I saw your name on the appointment list and thought it must be fate.”

  She was so beautiful and looked amazing dressed up for work in a pale blue suit. She could have been a magazine model.

  Clay sat down and I lingered a little longer at the desk. “I didn’t know you lived in Preston,” I said. “Maybe you’d like to have dinner.”

  “Are you asking me out, Logan?”

  “If you’re not seeing anyone,” I said.

  “I’d love to have dinner with you.” Her phone beeped and we were interrupted. “Mr. Tomlinson is ready for you.”

  “We’ll talk when I’m finished,” I said.

  I should have waited until my face looked better.

  I shook hands with Mr. Tomlinson and Clay and I sat down in the leather chairs in front of his desk. “Tell me all about the trouble you’re having with this stalker.”

  I told him the story and laid out all the evidence I had. He listened to what I had to say, took a good look at my recent injury—staring him in the face—and considered what needed to be done. “I’ll get a copy of the police report and apply to the court for a restraining order for you, Mr. McKenna. By the looks of your face, you need to keep this woman far away from you.”

  “Thanks so much, sir. I just came from her arraignment and they’ve granted her bail. She’s on the loose, so the quicker the better.”

  “I’ll work on it right away.” He smiled and added, “By the way, I think Darla is a big fan of yours. I’ve heard her mention your name.”

  “She is a fan and by chance we met at the rodeo on Saturday. I asked her to dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not. She’ll be thrilled.”

  Why would anybody be thrilled to have dinner with me?

  On the way out I noticed the waiting room had filled up and I didn’t want to embarrass Darla. I leaned over her desk and whispered, “Could you give me your cell number? I’ll call you later.”

  She smiled and jotted her number on a post-it.

  When we got to the truck Clay was grinning. “Damn it, Logan, that was slick. You got a date while you were getting rid of your stalker. Way cool.”

  I chuckled. “I met Darla at the rodeo on Saturday and signed her program for her. She seemed nice and I liked her.”

  “She’s gorgeous, Logy. I think you lucked out.”

  Sheriff’s Office. Preston.

  JACK returned from the courthouse and right away Bonnie Sue asked him about Clay. “He had a checkup this morning at the hospital but I haven’t heard. You should call him.”

  “I was hoping he’d call me.” She sounded a little sad.

  Jack sat down at his desk and was asking Ivan about some paperwork when Dakota came storming through the front door of the station.

  “There you are, Jack McKenna. We need to talk.”

  “Hold on Miss Dakota. We’re not talking in here.” Jack took her arm and spun her out onto the sidewalk in front of the building. “Say what you came to say. I have work to do.”

  “You dumped me at the rodeo way over in Grover County and I had to find my own way home. I’m pissed about it, Jack McKenna. It was a mean and horrible thing to do.”

  “What about you throwing yourself at Rowdy Butler and kissing him? I saw you do it and that’s when I left. We’re done, Dakota. Over and done before we ever really got started.”

  “I only kissed him because he gave me his autograph and he was so nice about it. It didn’t mean anything.”

  “It meant something to me. It meant I can’t trust you and it meant I’m not seeing you anymore.”

  “Like I care,” she hollered at him as he headed for the door. “Lot’s more better men than you out there, Jack McKenna. Hundreds that would give anything for a date with me.”

  Jack closed the door so he couldn’t hear her and headed for the break room for coffee.

  McKenna Ranch.

  HAPPY about the restraining order in process and excited about having a date with Darla, I saddled Bowie for a practice session. Maybe my life was turning around after all and maybe, just maybe, Darla was the person I needed in my life.

  Thinking about the big rodeo coming up on the weekend, I put my back into my practice session and pushed myself. I didn’t want to push Bowie too hard. Without him, I was nothing.

  If I was seriously planning a comeback, what I should be doing is training a spare horse. Good idea. I’d put Clint on that little chore. There wasn’t enough work on our ranch yet to keep both boys busy. There would be more than enough when the birthing began later in the year.

  I cooled Bowie out, made sure he was in the shade with lots of water and gave him a carrot. He was the best horse ever.

  “How’d your practice go, boss?” asked Clint.

  “Great, and I was thinking if I was really doing the comeback thing I should train another horse. Would you be interested in helping with that, Clint? I don’t have too much time to put in on it.”

  “Sure, boss. Love to do it. Have you got a horse in mind?”

  “Not sure. The three I bought from my neighbor Spinner are a little old to start rodeo training. What’s your opinion?”

  “I trained my horse between three and four years old, but that’s only what I did. I’m no expert. I’ve got a friend on the other side of Preston who’s got some dandy Quarter horses. We can go look if you want.”

  “Sure, that would be fantastic. Let’s do that, Clint.”

  I showered and toweled off my hair thinking about Darla then realized I hadn’t called to confirm our date or make a plan. I sat on the end of my bed and couldn’t find the post-it with her number on it. I called the office number listed in my phone.

  “Tomlinson and Stac
he, good afternoon.”

  “Hi, Darla, this is Logan. Sorry, I can’t find your number.”

  She laughed. “That’s okay. I’ll give it to you again. How’s your day going?”

  “Going well for a change. Would you like to give me an address where I can pick you up?”

  “Sure. I live in Preston on Butternut Circle. Number twelve.”

  “Got it. Anywhere special you’d like to go for dinner?”

  “Nope, anywhere is fine with me. I’m happy to have dinner with you. It doesn’t matter where.”

  “I’ll check some places out and be ready with a couple of suggestions when I pick you up.”

  “Thanks, Logan. Can’t wait to see you.”

  I dressed in clean clothes and went downstairs smiling.

  “What are you so happy about? Is it your date with Darla?”

  “I am happy to have a date with a girl who isn’t a drama queen. At least I don’t think she is.”

  “Give her a chance,” said Clay.

  “You guys are on your own for dinner. Maybe you and Jacky want Miss Jane to feed y’all.”

  Clay grinned. “Maybe we do. I’ll tell Bonnie Sue to meet us there. She’s been nice and I want to let her down easy.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Friends only, is what I’m thinking,” said Clay. “Go have fun on your date. Try to relax, Logy. First dates are usually brutal.”

  I smiled. “Thanks for that, Clay.”

  Preston Steak House.

  FEELING slightly nervous and a little apprehensive after my recent female encounters, I knocked on the door of twelve Butternut Circle. Darla lived in a two-storey brick house on a quiet street. An older neighborhood with big old oak trees and neatly trimmed lawns.

  She opened the door with a big smile on her face and painted a beautiful picture in snug white pants and a turquoise beaded top. “Hi, Logan. You’re right on time.”

  I took her hand, walked her to the truck and helped her into the passenger seat. “You look fantastic, Darla.”

  “Thank you, Logan. You look good too.” She giggled. “But you always do.”

  I slid behind the wheel a little embarrassed from the compliment.

  “Did you get hurt?” she asked with a worried look on her face.

  “Uh huh. A little accident on Sunday, but it’s getting better. Hope I don’t look too scary.”

  “Not at all, but your head looks sore.”

  “Uh huh. Can’t say I haven’t had a brutal headache the past couple of days.”

  The steakhouse was only five minutes away from where Darla lived. Nothing in Preston was too spread out. It was a big town—bigger than Broken Spur—but not a city.

  I parked and helped her down from the truck. She was wearing boots and not high heels like she’d worn in the office. “I haven’t eaten here before, so I can’t vouch for the food.”

  “I’ve been here a couple of times and it was good,” she said. “I don’t care about the food so much. I’m more excited that we’re going out somewhere together.”

  “The only place I usually go is the Spur. It’s close to home and my brothers like to hang there.”

  “I’ve heard about the Broken Spur. It’s a famous roadhouse with a lot of history and it’s not far away, but I’ve never been there.”

  “Something to look forward to. A close friend of mine owns it. I’ll take you there.”

  “Would you?”

  “My pleasure.”

  The dinner went well. The steaks were cooked perfectly, our server was attentive and Darla easily held up her end of the conversation. She was smart and knew a lot about the law and politics and things I’d never had an interest in, but all the same she was a pleasant person to talk to.

  “Tell me about your ranch, Logan. I’ve been doing most of the talking.”

  “My brothers and I are starting a new phase on our ranch. We’re setting up a new operation where we’ll be breeding and raising bulls for the rodeo.”

  “Ooh, that’s exciting. I adore the PBR.”

  “My Daddy passed not long ago. He was a bull rider and he left us with three of the bulls that had never been ridden and those are the ones we’re using to service our herd. Presto, Crusher and Thor. Our first births will be in the fall.”

  Darla’s blue eyes widened like she was keen to know more. “Do y’all need a special barn?”

  “Not special, but certain things have to be in place. Uh huh. We have a brand new barn. Ours burned down, so we started from scratch. The pens are ready for any problem births we might run into a few months from now.”

  “Maybe you’ll show me your ranch.”

  “Of course, I’d be happy to.”

  I was pleased with how the date had gone. Darla was relaxed and easy going. We had a good time together and I didn’t feel any stress when I was with her.

  When I drove her home, it was dark. I walked her to the door and while I was wondering if I should risk kissing her on our first date, she made the first move. I didn’t have to worry about messing things up.

  “I enjoyed our date, Logan.” She tipped her face up and brushed her lips over mine.

  I reached for her and pulled her close and I could hear my heart beating as I deepened the kiss and explored her mouth with my tongue. She wrapped her arms around me and the feel of her warm body so close to me and the smell of her perfume made me want to do things I hadn’t thought about in a long while. My pants were uncomfortably tight as I released her.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, Darla. I’d be pleased if you would think about going to Lubbock with me on the weekend.”

  “Are you inviting me to go to the rodeo with you, Logan?”

  “I am.”

  “I would love to go with you and watch you compete.”

  “I have to get a plan in place with Clay and Jack. I’ll call and give you more details.”

  As she stood under the porch light she smiled and gave me a wave. I watched her walk into the house and close the door before I started the truck and headed back to the ranch. Happier than I’d been in weeks I drove home thinking I might have a future with Darla Franklin.

  Broken Spur Roadhouse.

  JACK drove Clay to the Spur after Logan went on his date and the two of them met Bonnie Sue for drinks and dinner. After Miss Jane’s apple crumble and a cup of coffee Jack said, “We should grill Kate and Laney in the lockup and find out where to look for Swain and Carson.”

  “They won’t tell us,” said Bonnie Sue. “Micky and Carson are Laney’s parents. She’s not going to rat out her own family.”

  “Maybe Kate would,” said Clay. “She’s a wild bitch with no loyalty. She proved that already.”

  “That’s true,” said Jack. “Are you guys willing to give it a shot?”

  “I guess we could try,” said Bonnie Sue. “I don’t think we have anything better planned.”

  Clay chuckled. “I’ve done nothing for days. I’m up for a trip to the lockup.”

  Sheriff’s Office. Preston.

  JACK used his keys to let them in the back door. Ivan was on phone duty and Sheriff Tucker had gone home for the day. The door to the run of cells was closed and locked from the outside—a new measure put in place by the sheriff after Ivan’s last fiasco.

  Jack pointed. “We got a new lock on the outside now.”

  Bonnie Sue giggled. “Ivan is still going on about how the girls got away from him. He’s never going to get over it.”

  “Every time he tells me or Mrs. Graham how it happened,” said Jack, “he adds more details.”

  Bonnie Sue reached for Clay’s hand. “You can do the bracing, Jack. You’re better at it than I am.”

  “I wouldn’t say that, Bonnie Sue. You’re a long time Deputy with more experience than me.”

  “You’ve got the gift, Jack. People relate to you better than they do to me. I can’t dispute that.”

  Jack laughed as he stuck the key in the lock and opened the door. “Let’s get read
y for some fun.”

  As soon as they heard the door open, Laney and Kate began shouting. “Nobody came to take our supper trays away and we didn’t get any coffee.”

  “I’ll talk to Ivan,” said Jack, “right after you girls answer a few questions.”

  “We’re not answering any questions from anybody named McKenna. You McKenna boys ruined our lives.” Kate stood with her hands on her hips glaring at them through the bars.

  “I think that was the other way around, Kate,” said Jack. “Our ranch was a peaceful place until you girls came along and screwed us over.”

  Clay nodded his head.

  “Get out of here, Jack McKenna. You’re off duty and so is the bitch with you.”

  “Hey,” said Clay. “Watch your mouth.”

  “I’ll say anything I want, Clay McKenna. Just you try to stop me.”

  Jack stepped in front of Clay, just in case. “Where’s Carson?”

  “Think I’d tell you if I knew?” Laney’s lip was curled in a snarl, her hair was matted and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. “Even if I knew—which I don’t—I’d never tell the cops.” She turned to look at her cousin standing next to her. “We know better than to talk to cops, don’t we Kate?”

  “Sure do. That’s one of the first lessons we learned. Never talk to cops. They’ll screw you over every single time.”

  “You know what I think, girls,” said Jack. “I think Micky and Carson are gone. They’re both wanted and they blew out of Texas without giving you two girls a thought. That’s the kind of parents they are. Selfish and greedy. They don’t give a rat’s ass about either one of y’all.”

  “My Daddy would never do that,” said Laney. “He loves me and he always protects me.”

  “Yeah, well he’s wounded now and on the run. There’s not much he can do for you, Laney. You’re on your own and look where he left you. Sitting on your ass in jail.” Jack laughed. “I wouldn’t want him for my daddy.”

  “Shut up, Jack,” hollered Laney. “Don’t you bad mouth, Daddy. You don’t know what a good guy he is.”

  “And I’ll never find out because the next time I see your Daddy, I’m gonna shoot him in the head and worry about asking him questions later.”