Amber was worrying enough for both of them.
Luke shook his head. “Amber, according to the dispatcher, there are two deputies who are on duty, and one by the name of Ron Rexall is on his way.”
She sighed. “Good.” She didn’t take her eyes off of Tiffany.
Amber knew that Ron Rexall would help her if the EMTs didn’t arrive in time and if she couldn’t get ahold of a doctor. While she was waiting, she might as well try the doctor.
She blotted the girl’s upper lip. “Luke, call the hospital. I want to talk to the ob-gyn on duty. Wait a minute.”
“Tiffany, do you go to a doctor at the hospital?”
“I go to the free clinic there. Dr. Hill.”
“Good. Luke?”
“I’m calling the hospital now, Amber. Dr. Hill. I take it that you want the doctor to help you deliver the baby if necessary?”
“You got it. And thanks, Luke.”
Tiffany screamed and squeezed Amber’s hand so hard Amber was surprised at the girl’s strength. She looked over at Tiffany’s boyfriend. He was enjoying a burger. She’d told him not to worry, but eating was just too much.
“Hey, put that down and hold her hand,” Amber ordered.
Luke tapped a button on his cell and put it on speaker. “Amber, here’s Dr. Hill.”
“Dr. Hill, this is Amber Chapman of the Beaumont County Sheriff’s Department. I am with Tiffany McCall, and we’re sending her to you if the hearse arrives in time to transport her because the ambulance is down again. Tiffany seems ready to deliver.”
Amber sighed in relief. Donny was here with his hearse and the EMTs arrived with some volunteer firefighters. Soon Tiffany and her boyfriend were on their way to the hospital. Amber updated Dr. Hill, who stated that he would be ready and waiting for her.
Crisis averted. The diner was blissfully silent.
Amber plopped into a booth, and Luke sat down opposite her and held her hands in his.
“You did a great job,” he said.
Amber shook her head. “I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. We make a good team.”
His hands were strong and calloused. They were the hands of a working cowboy.
“We sure do. I’ve thought exactly that for a long time now,” he said.
“You have?”
In answer, he kissed her hand.
Amber thought about the baby that young Tiffany was going deliver, and a wave of sadness washed over her. She looked at their joined hands. She just knew in her heart of hearts that Luke would make a great father and a thoughtful and caring husband.
She squeezed his hand. “You’re the best, Luke. You really are.”
“I like you a lot, Amber. Do you know that?”
“I think I do. And the feeling’s mutual.”
“How many?” Luke asked.
Was he asking what she thought he was asking?
“How many what?” She held her breath.
He smiled. “How many children would you like?”
“As many as I’m blessed with, but under six.” She laughed.
“Just what I was thinking!”
* * *
THE NEXT EVENING, Amber looked at the quiet scene in front of her with her night-vision goggles. Luke’s cattle stood peacefully in the northeast pasture. From her vantage point, she could see her father’s house in the distance. All looked calm there. Lights were dim and someone had probably fallen asleep watching the TV.
“You are amazing, Amber.”
“You have to be more specific.” She laughed.
“You know what I’m talking about. You were cool and collected when it looked like Tiffany was going to deliver in the diner. You didn’t blink an eye, and now you’re here watching for rustlers. You’re like a diamond, Amber. You have a lot of facets.”
She shrugged. “Thank goodness I had a lot of help. And who knew that Donny Cushman was a maternity nurse in a past life? And Dr. Hill was at the clinic. Luckily, everything fell into place.”
“But it could’ve gone bad for Tiffany.” Luke shook his head. “We need that ambulance working. Hell, we need two new ambulances and the proper equipment.”
“We? Sounds as if you’re getting to be part of the town again, Luke.”
“You know, it’s not a bad town. Everyone comes together when needed, and you made me feel like I was needed back here, and I was.”
“It didn’t take me long to convince you to come back. Actually, you didn’t have a choice. I bossed you around like a new recruit.” She chuckled. “But, seriously, Luke, I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t there to help me with Tiffany. I mean it.”
“You would have done just fine.” He was quiet for a while. “You know, Beaumont won’t be the same without you when you leave.”
“Beaumont will be fine without me. Captain Fitz will hire a new person off the list, and he or she will do a great job.”
He shrugged. “Not like you. You can make an arrest, deliver a baby and then be here in the dirt working an investigation. In between, you’re planning the rodeo and who knows what else.”
“I’m planning breakfast right now. I’m in the mood for French toast and bacon. What about you?”
Luke smiled. “You’re changing the subject, but I’ll make breakfast. You’ve had a big day.”
“So have you. It’s not every day you help arrest your own father. I’m used to it, but it must have been a bit of a shock to you.”
Luke grunted. “Big Dan just has to learn the hard way, I guess.”
“Just talking to him the little time I had, I think that your dad is lonely. Just plain lonely. With your mother gone and you three riding with the PBR, he’s just rattling around in that big house full of memories, it’s not comforting him. I think that he equates the house with his happiness. Maybe he thinks that if the house is gone, he can be happy again.”
“I think you’re right,” Luke said. “I’ve been thinking along the same lines. I think that the upcoming rodeo will do Dad a world of good. All three of us will be home, and it’ll be like the old days when the Beaumont Ranch used to have annual rodeos and a barbecue. Dad can form new memories.”
“But speaking of family, what’s going on at the junkyard?”
She looked down from her perch on the hill. “What the hell?”
The big overhead doors were all up now and it seemed that her brothers were pressure washing something inside. What puzzled her was that the garage bays were empty when they were usually packed to overflowing with parts and whatnot. There was no sign of her father’s stock truck.
“Where is he with that truck?” she asked, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Luke looked through binoculars. “There he is over there. Driving on the side road of my northeast pasture.”
“My father is not a rustler. My father makes illegal booze. Let’s get it straight, please.” She laughed nervously.
“Afraid not. He’s branching out. He’s going to load my stock into that trailer of his. Dammit, Amber. Why did it have to be your father?”
“Oh, no, Luke. It can’t be. It just can’t be!” Amber looked through her goggles. “Don’t jump to conclusions, Luke. Although I should take my own advice.”
They waited until the driver finally got out of the truck.
“No. It’s Slim!” Luke said. “Let’s go. I want to ask Slim what I ever did to him that caused him to steal from me, from my family.”
“I know it’s a shock to you, Luke.” Amber put a hand on his arm. “But wait. Let’s see if he has an accomplice.”
No one else showed to help him, and Slim began herding cattle from the pasture into the transport truck.
“C’mon, Amber! I just can’t stand here any longer. Let’s rock.”
“I have to ask you to let me go first, and you need to let me do the talking. Or how about if you just stay here and wait for me?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Just stay behind me, then.”
“That isn’t going to happen, either,” he mumbled, but Amber could hear him clearly.
They walked toward the truck and when she got closer, she called his name. “Slim. Slim Gomez. It’s Sergeant Amber Chapman. I’d like to talk to you.”
Slim raised his hands in the air.
Amber made a motion with her hand. “You can put your hands down. You’re not under arrest—yet.”
* * *
“DAMMIT, SLIM! WHY?” Luke shouted. “If you needed money, why the hell didn’t you ask for it? Why? Answer me!”
Slim kept his hands up. “Because, Luke, you weren’t around, and I wasn’t getting a salary for all the work I was doing. Your father wasn’t paying me, and because my little Luisa is sick!”
It killed him to hear that. Luke stood as still as a statue. “What’s wrong with Luisa?”
He adored that little girl. Ever since she had been old enough to stand, she’d follow him around, hoping that he’d put her on a horse and lead her around the paddock. She had to be ten years old by now.
“Leukemia. My little girl is sick, Luke. Seriously sick. Everything costs money, and the Beaumonts weren’t paying me. I couldn’t get a loan because I wasn’t working. I didn’t know what to do.” Slim began to sob. “I only took what you owed me. I sold them at a good price and only take my regular pay for Luisa. The rest of the money, I set aside for Big Dan, but I can give it to you.”
“Dammit, Slim, I don’t care about that, but why the hell didn’t you call me or Reed or Jesse and tell us what was goin’ on?”
“I guess I got mad at you Beaumonts for ignoring us. I will not sell any more. I am sorry, Luke. I know I’m fired. I will pack up my family and will leave our house, er...your ramrod house. Please, can I have two weeks?”
“Aw...dammit, Slim. I feel like I’ve been sucker punched. You’ve worked for my family for over twenty years.”
Slim finally lowered his hands. “That is the same question that I wanted to ask you or your papa. After working for Beaumonts for twenty-three years, why did he forget Slim and his family? Why?”
“Because Big Dan can’t even take care of himself. He hasn’t wanted the ranch since my mother died.”
“I know that. But he didn’t tell me to get another job. He just forgot my family and me.”
“Slim, it seems like mistakes were made on both sides but, no, I don’t want you to move. I don’t want you to give up the ramrod house, and I am not going to fire you. I should, I really should, but I see your situation as our fault, too, so I’m going to give you another chance. We both have trust to regain.”
“Gracias.”
“There’s more. I don’t like the way you framed the Chapmans. You put their things around the area—was that to mislead Sergeant Chapman?”
“Yes. I am ashamed, and I apologize to Sergeant Chapman.”
“If Luke can forgive you, I guess I can,” she said,
“But I don’t think you realize how much anguish you caused.”
“I do. I am so very sorry.” Slim wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve.
Luke shook his head. “Slim, I want you to take care of your family and help us work on restoring the ranch and property. We are going to throw one of the biggest rodeos this county has seen in a long time, and I’m going to need you to make sure that the arena and grounds are in good shape for contestants and spectators. The position comes with an advance and a raise.”
Slim pumped Luke’s arm so fast, Amber thought that it was going to come out of its socket. “Gracias. Muchas gracias. Thank you, Luke.” Fresh tears were starting. “I will unload the cattle.”
“Whose cattle truck is that?” Amber asked.
“It belongs to the person that I’ve been selling cattle to.”
“Who’s that, Slim?” Amber asked.
“Please. They know nothing. I don’t want to give their name. They think that they are helping you by buying your stock.”
“I’ll find out eventually, Slim. You can count on it, but for now, give the truck back, and tell whomever you’ve been selling the cattle to that there aren’t any more available.”
“Sí, Luke. I will do that immediately.”
“And I’d like to visit Luisa. Is that okay with you?” Luke asked.
“Sí. She would like that.” He pulled a bandanna from his jeans’ pocket, wiped his eyes and blew his nose. “I am so sorry.”
Amber waited until Slim was out of earshot before she chuckled. “Luke, I guess you won’t be pressing charges.”
“No. No way.”
Amber was touched by Luke’s kind, generous gesture. She probably wouldn’t have been so forgiving, especially if the perpetrator happened to be her family, but she admired Luke. In fact, she wanted to kiss him right here, right now. What he did was like an aphrodisiac to all of her senses.
“I robbed you of your big case before you leave for the state police, didn’t I?” Luke asked, opening the truck door for her.
“I solved it, so that’s okay. But, better yet, I saw another side of you that I really admire. You’re a good man, Luke Beaumont. Now, let’s go to my apartment, and I’ll cook us something.”
“I’m not hungry for food, Amber. I’m hungry for you.”
Chapter Seventeen
Amber chuckled. “What a line! Does that usually work for you?”
Luke’s eyes twinkled. “It has worked like fine wine, but I only use it on very special occasions.”
“You mean on very special buckle bunnies, don’t you?”
“The buckle bunnies are usually too young for me. Besides, they go for Jesse or Reed.”
“That’s not what I observed, you stud you.”
Luke turned left onto the highway and headed for her apartment.
“What about you, Amber? I haven’t heard you speak of any special men in your life.”
“That’s because there hasn’t been anyone special in a long time. There’s been a couple of guys, but they take off sooner or later. I’ve just been waiting for that special one, I guess.”
“And I’ve been waiting for that special woman, and I think I’ve found her. She’s a cop, and she’s very bossy, but she’s incredible. I remember walking her home from the senior prom, and I’ve never really forgotten her.”
“And my special guy is a bull rider. He cares about Beaumont, although he’s never here. He’s making a name for himself on the circuit. Then maybe he’ll settle down in Beaumont.”
“But I’d be settling down by myself. My prom queen will be leaving to spread her wings in a bigger piece of Oklahoma.”
“But, Luke, we have another month together. We have until Labor Day.”
“One month? Well, then, I’d better use my charm on you.”
“It won’t take much. You had me at ‘I’m hungry for you.’”
Luke pulled into a parking space at the back of the Happy Tea Pot and they ran up the stairs. Amber had the key in her hand and she opened the door quickly.
Shoes were kicked off, clothes were scattered and two half-naked bodies hit the couch.
She was so excited that she wanted to scream to the world, “This is the guy I’ve waited for!”
Luke’s lips teased Amber’s. “Mmm, Luke. Kiss me.”
Their tongues danced and their hands couldn’t keep still.
“Mmm...Amber...finally.”
“Kiss me, Luke. Hard.” Amber was breathless, hot.
He kissed the mounds of her breasts. Amber slipped off the straps of her bra, and Luke undid
the hooks in record time.
“You’re beautiful, Amber.”
“Thanks, Luke. So are you.” She grinned. “Now let me see you get out of those jeans.”
He did a little striptease that had her laughing and lusting for him.
When he got rid of his underwear, his length stood at attention.
“Got condoms, Luke?”
“Yeah, I’m packing.”
“Come here,” she whispered.
“I thought you’d never ask. But would you rather move to your bedroom?”
“No. This couch hasn’t seen any action. When you go, I’d like to remember us making love whenever I see it.”
“Then let’s give you something to remember.”
And he did.
* * *
IN THE MORNING, Luke turned to Amber. “Do you want to take a ride with me to see Luisa Gomez, Slim’s daughter? I planned on visiting her.”
Amber had to do something to stop from thinking. In the light of day, she remembered that she planned on moving. After what might be their last night together, she’d keep the memory of it forever.
“Sure. I remember Luisa somewhat. I go to the schools to teach Stranger Danger and safety and a couple of other things, and Luisa is such a bright girl, both in knowledge and demeanor. She told me that she wants to be a cop. But I have a feeling that if you came to school to speak, she’d want to be a bull rider.”
“Bless her little heart,” Luke said with such sincerity and caring that Amber felt her knees getting weak. “I’d like to stop at a store somewhere and get her some balloons, and maybe a toy. Maybe you could tell me what kind a girl would like.”
“I’d love to. It’s been a while since I’ve been a ten-year-old girl, but I think I can pick out something she’d like.”
“Shall we go shopping?” Luke asked.
“Absolutely. Now, there’s a man after my heart!”
“If you only knew.”
She smiled. “I’ll drive us.”
“First one down wins.” She took the stairs two at a time, but Luke sat on the metal railing and slid down. He hit the ground way before she did.
They drove to the Beaumont Emporium, which sold everything from buttons to milking machines.
The Cowboy and the Cop Page 16
