“He’s not,” she said. “And his name’s Joshua.”
“How do you know he’s not? They looked pretty shady to me. I think the law might be after them or something and if he’s their friend, then Johnny Law’s probably looking for him too.”
Joshua nudged her. “What is it?”
With one hand over the phone, Tina said, “It’s my cousin Charley. Two guys were over at his place on the river, asking questions and looking for their friend. They described you and he thinks you’re some kind of outlaw or something. Can I tell him you’re not?”
He shook his head and stretched his hand out for the phone. “No, let me.”
Tina surrendered it. “Okay, but put it on speaker. I need to hear this.”
“This is United States Marshal Joshua Jenkins,” he said as she listened. “If you’ve got information I need to hear, spit it out.”
“Fuck me running!” Charley said. Tina repressed a snicker, amused at his shock. “You’re a fed?”
“Yeah.”
“Damn, I would’ve pegged you for a…”
“Criminal?” Joshua’s tone emerged dry as drought. “Or maybe a dirty Injun on the run?”
Charley’s voice harshened. “Hell, no. I wouldn’t have guessed you were a federal marshal, though. I just thought you were a friend of Tina’s.”
“I am.”
Joshua’s terse words and tense manner contrasted against the sweet man she’d come to know. This, she realized, was the lawman, the tougher side of him, and although she preferred her Joshua, she liked this one too.
Her cousin repeated what he’d told Tina earlier. Joshua cocked his head, focused on the information. “So, what are you telling me?”
“Man, they’re looking for you.”
“We know that—Tina already ran across them earlier. Did they say anything specific?”
Her cousin blew air into the phone. “Not much. One of them said not to worry, they could find the old truck so I figured they meant Gramps’ old wheels, the one Tina’s driving.”
Icy fear spiraled through Tina. The 1949 Chevy was distinctive and there weren’t many around. If Curley and company wanted, they could find it easily enough. “If they find it, they find me and Joshua,” she said.
The two men spoke at the same time, their words tumbling over each other’s in a jumble. “Maybe you’d better come and stay with me for awhile,” Charley said. “I’ll come get you.”
“I can handle them and keep you safe, honey.” Joshua’s statement calmed her.
Part of her wanted to go over to Charley’s and hide but Tina needed to be with Joshua more. “Don’t come,” she told her cousin. “I’ll be all right and Joshua’s here. But I’m glad you called.”
“Teens,” he said, using the old nickname no one else ever used. “I’m concerned. Come over and stay with me. Or go back to Dallas or somewhere else. I don’t like this, not at all.”
With his hand rubbing her back in a gesture meant to comfort, Joshua spoke too. “She’ll be fine with me.”
“If you give a shit about her at all, let her go somewhere safe.”
“He might have a point,” Joshua whispered, his breath warm against her shoulder. He sat behind her on the bed. “If you want to, go. I’d rather you stay but I want you safe.”
She shook her head. “I’m staying, Joshua.”
His dark eyes met hers without flinching and he nodded. “Okay. Charley, she’s staying but keep me in the loop. If those men show up again or anything else happens, call me.”
“I don’t like this shit, but yeah I will,” Charley said. “Take care of her or you’ll answer to me.”
“I will.”
After he hung up, Joshua cupped Tina’s cheek with one hand. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
“Then so be it,” he said. “I need to make some calls, pronto.”
Tina had to ask. “Sure. But, are you ready for this? Have you recovered enough?”
His slanted grin gave the answer before he spoke. “I have to be, now.”
They both knew he hadn’t.
Chapter Ten
Call it a cop’s gut feeling or intuition, but Joshua knew the dangerous men would come. And they would arrive sooner instead of later, before he regained full strength. Having a plan was vital. So Joshua vowed he would hatch one.
He wanted to bring in the escaped prisoner and his accomplices for justice. Most of all, Joshua wanted to keep the woman beside him safe. With adrenalin pumping in response to Charley’s call, he felt little pain but a wave of tenderness swamped him. He stroked her hair, letting his fingers comb through the short curls. He’d known her a few short days but she meant more to him than he’d ever dreamed a woman could. A week ago, he scoffed at the idea of romantic love, but now he thought he might believe it existed. And if it did, if he could manage to salvage the situation without dying in the process, he needed to figure out how.
They climbed back beneath the covers after her cousin’s phone call disturbed both their rest and peace of mind. Tina snuggled close to him and he shifted position so they could spoon against each other. She trembled a little, so he asked, “Are you cold?”
“No, just a little scared.”
You should be, he thought. “If you want to change your mind and leave, it’s okay. I won’t be angry.”
“I want to stay. I’m worried, though.”
“Try not to be.”
“I am.”
Joshua sighed. Probably better not to admit it but so was he. “Let’s try to sleep, honey. God knows what will happen tomorrow.”
She stiffened in his arms. “Do you think they’ll come so soon?”
He did. “They might. Anything’s possible.”
“Love me again…please, Joshua.”
Tina’s soft breath blew warm against his cheek but he shook his head. If he’d known he’d face the enemy so soon, he wouldn’t have made love to her at all. “I can’t, darling, not now. Afterward, I’ll wear you out with loving.”
Her eyes darkened with hurt. “Why can’t you? Wasn’t it good?”
Emotional pain clenched his chest and belly tight. “Tina, oh, Tina,” he said. Joshua stroked her hair back from her face with an easy hand. “What we shared, it was fantastic, the best I’ve ever known. But I can’t, because I have to fight soon. I don’t expect you to understand. It’s a Native American thing—warriors abstain before battle. I need all my strength and power to be focused.”
“Oh.” Tina placed her hand on his chest, above his beating heart. “I do understand, Joshua. It’s part of your Cherokee heritage. So it’s all right.”
“Wado,” he said. Saying thanks in the old tongue seemed appropriate somehow. “I can hold you, though, while we sleep, or try to.”
“Okay.”
Within minutes, she slept against him, and as promised, Joshua held her tight. He doubted he would sleep, but he did in time, lulled by her warmth. He woke from a dreamless sleep, alone. For the first moments, happiness filled his heart the same way Tina’s lingering scent did in his nose. Then Joshua remembered his situation and bolted from the bed.
The aroma of coffee wafted upstairs, and as soon as he’d pulled on jeans and a shirt, Joshua headed to the kitchen. He needed caffeine almost as much as he craved Tina’s easy conversation and gentle touch.
Her smile illuminated the kitchen brighter than the sunshine slanting through the windows. “Good morning,” she said. “The coffee’s ready if you want some.”
After two cups and a Vicodin, his mind cleared and his lingering pain eased to a tolerable level. Joshua wanted nothing more than to pull Tina onto his lap, cuddle her close, and kiss her until she begged him to stop, but he had to focus. He had to step up and get ready to resolve the situation at hand.
“Do you want bacon and eggs?” Tina asked.
Joshua nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” He needed something substantial in his gut. “And I need to borrow a phone.”
While she
fried bacon, he made two calls. He spoke in short, staccato sentences, his voice harsher than she had ever heard it before. Joshua offered no explanations and she didn’t ask questions. She must realize I’m calling my boss and asking for some backup. I’m glad she’s not hysterical or pestering me for answers. Instead, Tina remained calm, like a rock, he thought and he admired her all the more.
Although they barely talked while they ate, they shared a quiet harmony. After the meal, he cleared his throat. “I need to take a look at your grandpa’s firearms if you don’t mind. I’d really rather use my weapons, ones I’m familiar with, but we’ll see.”
Thirty minutes later, he’d assessed the old man’s arsenal. Tina’s grandfather had gathered an impressive collection, everything from a Ruger .357 pistol to an antique single shot Stevens .22. Some of the shotguns might do for defense, Joshua decided, but he’d rather go against these guys with one of his own .45 pistols or his Glock in hand. He selected a Mossberg .20 gauge shotgun for Tina and a mint condition .38 special pistol. “Can you shoot either or both of these?” he asked.
Without any hesitation, she replied, “Sure.”
“Grab them and some ammo,” he told her, aware he barked orders like a Marine sergeant. He picked up the Ruger and bullets, then added a .22 rifle with a clip for good measure. “I’ll use this for now but I’d feel better if we go get my guns. How far is it to Sallisaw?”
Tina frowned. “Thirty five or forty miles, but do you really think we should make the trip?”
He’d rather have his tried and true weapons. “Yeah, honey, I do. I realize there’s a risk, but I’m a helluva lot more comfortable with my own guns. If we go this morning, we can be back before lunch.”
If the bad guys don’t show up first or somewhere along the way, Joshua thought but he didn’t voice it. “I’m coming with you.”
Although he would rather she stay put, he also realized he couldn’t defend her if they showed up during his absence. “I’m planning on it,” he said. “Are you ready?”
“Whenever you are,” she said.
On the way out to the old truck, Joshua reached out his hand. “Give me the keys.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m driving, Joshua.”
“No, I am,” he told her. When she opened her mouth to protest, he added, “Look, if anyone tails us, I need to be behind the wheel. I know how to drive fast but keep it on the road, and I know how to lose anyone in hot pursuit. I can also shoot and drive without swerving. Can you?”
For a moment, he thought she might burst into tears, but instead she nodded. “I’ve never attempted it but I bet I could.”
“Today’s not the day to find out,” he said. “I’m not a gambler and I don’t feel like taking the risk.”
Tina handed him the keys. “Okay.”
Joshua smiled. “At least I won’t need directions,” he told her.
Her lips lifted upward. “True.”
He settled into the rump sprung seat and turned the key. The engine fired on cue and ran smoother than a paved highway, relieving one of Joshua’s fears. He’d worried the old truck might prove unreliable and break down en route but he decided he could trust it. Morning sunlight flashed into his face from the rearview mirror as they headed west toward the highway, and he rolled down the window so he could enjoy the spring breeze. The cool air rushed over his face and refreshed him.
Tina scooted over to sit beside him in the time-honored couple position and he loved it. He inhaled the fresh shampoo scent from her hair and light perfume from her body. She rested her left hand on his thigh, almost but not quite possessive. “Tell me about your place,” she said.
“Why?” he asked. “It’s just a place and you’ll see it soon.”
“I’m jittery, you’re probably more nervous than you show, and it’d give us something to talk about.”
She had him. “Okay, it’s not far outside town,” Joshua said. “Although there’s a few hills around Sallisaw, it’s pretty flat out my way. On the way, we’ll pass Akins Cemetery. It’ll look a lot like any other country cemetery, with tall old cedars and a lot of headstones, but Charley Floyd is buried there.”
“You mean Pretty Boy Floyd?”
“Yeah, that’s him. He hated the name, though.”
Her smile enchanted him. “You sound almost sympathetic for a lawman talking about an outlaw.”
“Aw, Charley Floyd’s still pretty popular around here,” Joshua said. “I’ve heard a lot of stories and if they’re true, he had a good heart. Do you know who Sequoyah was? We go by his home.”
If she did, he’d be impressed. “Of course I do. He’s the Cherokee who wrote down the language for the first time,” Tina told him. “Do I get a gold star?”
“I can do better,” Joshua replied and kissed her. His hands never left the wheel and the truck didn’t’ swerve as he delivered a decent kiss to her lips.
“That’s quite a talent.”
He chuckled. “Well, we’re still on the country roads. I might not manage as well once we hit the highway.”
Tina laughed too. “So we pass the cemetery where Charley Floyd lies and drive past Sequoya’s cabin, then what?”
“About a half mile down the road, on the left, we turn into a gravel drive,” Joshua said. “There’s an old beat-up mailbox on the edge of the road and my name used to be on it, but it’s faded so much it’s hard to read. We bump over the ruts and dodge chug holes all the way down the lane. It’s lined with trees and the branches hang over the road so it’s almost like a tunnel in the summer.”
Talking about it made him homesick and he was glad they would be there soon.
“It sounds wonderful.” Her voice carried a wistful tone and he shot her a sideways glance.
“So is your place.”
She snorted. “I’m not comparing it to Gramps’ place—that’s awesome too—but I was thinking about my apartment in Dallas. It’s small, part of a giant complex, and it’s within spitting distance of the freeway. The traffic noise never stops, day or night, the blaring horns, the screaming emergency sirens, and all. The closest I get to nature are my potted plants on the tiny balcony, and I have to bring them in during the winter. I sometimes wish I lived up here.”
If she would, they’d have a fair shot at a relationship. “So why not move?”
“That’s a good question. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I came back to be with my grandpa,” Tina said. “I originally planned to go back but now I don’t know if I will. If I stay, though, I’d have to find a job and I don’t know how many nursing jobs there are around here.”
“I bet you could find one somewhere close.” Hope fluttered somewhere between his throat and belly. Once he apprehended the fugitive and brought the others to justice, Joshua craved a life—one with a woman. Not just any woman, he thought. With Tina.
“Maybe,” she said. “What about your house? What’s it like?”
“Guess.”
“Oh, Lord, I don’t know. One of those newfangled log cabins? No? Is it maybe a mobile home?”
Joshua laughed. “Naw, I’m a little scared of trailers.”
“Why?”
“He sobered. “I’ve seen too many destroyed by tornadoes and this is twister country. I know they destroy houses too, but trailers go easy.”
“True enough,” Tina said. “So tell me, what kind of house is it?”
“It’s a little ol’ shotgun house,” he drawled. “I’ve got three whole rooms, plus an added-on bathroom.”
“Sounds small but kinda’ cozy too,” she said. “I can’t wait to see it.”
The outskirts of Sallisaw loomed ahead. “Well, it won’t be long now.”
All the way, Joshua had checked the rearview mirror to see if they were being tailed but so far, so good. Some of his clenched muscles eased a fraction and he blew out air, long and slow. Maybe things weren’t as dire as he’d thought. There might be a chance Tina’s cousin over exaggerated things. He doubted it, but for the moment he coul
d hope and enjoy his first visit home in weeks.
Only time can tell what would happen, he realized, as a firm realist and believer in fate.
Chapter Eleven
Sallisaw hadn’t changed much since she had last passed through. Like many other small towns in Oklahoma, the highway became the original main thoroughfare. The scenery shifted from open country and the usual convenience stores, strip malls, and restaurants, to a traditional downtown with old brick buildings with high sidewalks. A short strip of refurbished buildings were meant to resemble a frontier town, but Tina couldn’t decide if she found the idea cute or creepy. Too aware of Joshua’s proximity to do much sightseeing, she wanted to bask in the previous night’s delight. At the same time, she worried about what might happen next.
The abrupt shift from after-sex happiness to instant fear when Charles called had upset her inner balance. As the miles rolled behind them, though, she noticed Joshua’s tension ebbed. He sat in a more relaxed pose and his hands weren’t gripping the wheel as tightly as he had earlier. On their way through town she said little, but at least the silence seemed comfortable, not awkward.
Joshua knew the way and he followed the country roads with familiar ease. As they rolled past a small cemetery, he pointed it out to her. “That’s the place where Charley Floyd lies. I’ve seen old pictures where thousands of people were here for his funeral. The gravestone isn’t the original, though.”
The only outlaws she had any interest in at the moment were those seeking them but she asked, “Why not?”
“People kept breaking pieces off as souvenirs and after awhile there wasn’t much left.”
“That’s awful.”
“Yeah,” he said with the quirky little grin she adored. “I suppose it is but people do a lot of odd shit.”
They passed Sequoia’s home without comment and as the road narrowed, Joshua turned the truck down a lane to the left. Just as he’d said, the trees grew thick and close. As he slowed his speed, branches slapped the cab of the truck. If she could stick her hand out of a window, she could touch them. “We’re almost there.”
Quite the Catch Page 7
