Texas Reckless

by Gerry Bartlett

“I thought I’d let you know we’re on the road home.” Sierra couldn’t resist looking behind them again. The road was deserted. That was good and bad. If they did run into trouble, there would be no help for them.

  “Yes, I got a call from the highway patrol. You two okay? I swear I’m checking out any lead that comes my way. If Darrel Lockhart would wake up, I think I could squeeze him, make him talk. Running like that, he’s guilty. No doubt in my mind.”

  “Rhett and I stopped by intensive care.” Sierra blinked back sudden tears. “I’m afraid he’s not going to make it.”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me.” Myra could hardly be heard over the squawk of her radio. “Listen, I’ve got a call coming in. You just got away from the hospital now?”

  “Yes, we did. We don’t think anyone is following us this time, but if there’s a patrol car in the area, you might alert them to watch for us.”

  “Will do. How did your talk with Marty come out? Anything I need to know?”

  Sierra cleared her throat. “She suggested I confront Sally Ann about my accident. We tracked her down at a hotel in Austin and had it out.” She could feel Rhett’s eyes on her, urging her to unload on the sheriff. She shook her head and looked out at the passing scenery. “We talked and cleared up what happened when I fell off my horse.”

  “Fell off your horse? Accident? Honey, how could you just clear that up?” Myra shouted at someone with her. “Damn it, I want to hear what happened but we just got a call I need to handle.”

  “Then you’d better take off. I’m not going to dig into what happened again. Talking to Sally Ann made me realize that it was just an accident. I let my imagination turn it into something more. Sorry I bothered you with it, Sheriff. I want to let it go. Please do the same.” Sierra hung up and dropped her phone in her lap.

  “Will she?” Rhett reached for her hand.

  “I hope so. I’m not going to tell her squat about what we said in that hotel room and I’m sure Sally Ann won’t. If you recorded it, please delete it.” Sierra finally looked at him. “I can tell you aren’t happy about my decision.”

  “You’re damn right I’m not. She threatened to shoot both of us. We have her damned gun to prove it.” Rhett squeezed her fingers. “She admitted she put a bad saddle on your horse. You could have been killed, Sierra.”

  “Sally Ann did something stupid to win a race when she was sixteen and pregnant. Yes, the accident, and it was one, left me with permanent issues, but I wouldn’t trade my life for hers. No way in hell.”

  “It’s one thing to feel sorry for her, another for her to be allowed to get away with attempted murder.” Rhett dropped her hand. “But you warned me this was your problem, your decision. So I’ll learn to live with it. Maybe I should give her gun to her husband when I take this car in for bodywork.”

  “And tell him what?” Sierra hoped he didn’t think stirring up Will would be a good punishment for Sally Ann.

  “Relax. I’m not going to tell Jackson something that will send him after Sally Ann in a jealous rage. I’ll make up something. I do tell stories for a living.” He nodded at lights ahead of them. “Still in the mood for kolaches?”

  “Not this time. We can come back when I’m not so bone tired.” Sierra rubbed Rhett’s leg. “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.” Rhett smiled.

  “Thanks. I’m going to put Sally Ann and her confession behind me for now. We still have plenty of things to deal with—insurance claim, the meeting with Joey, and of course my brother. He’s coming back with whatever he found on Oxcart and a mysterious plan he has cooking. If I know Dylan, it’s going to be very interesting. He’ll be here before noon. I need to arrange my cattle sale too.”

  “All right then. Tomorrow will be soon enough to work on that to-do list you just produced. Do you always make lists?”

  “Of course. Don’t you?” Just one more thing Sierra didn’t know about this man.

  “Nope. I’m not a structured kind of guy. But I admire people who are that organized.” He reacted when her phone rang. “Now who’s calling you?”

  “Sheriff again.” Sierra’s stomach twisted. “What now?”

  “Sierra, that call I got was from the highway patrol. They found the truck that must have tried to run you two off the road earlier. Dark blue pickup with dark bumpers and damage that matched what Rhett described to the patrolman.”

  “Really? Where did they find it?” Sierra put the phone on speaker.

  “It was left sitting in front of the service bay at Will Jackson’s Chevy dealership. He’d reported a stolen pickup with that description last night. Whoever took it joyriding or whatever, brought it back with damage. Of course Will’s hot under the collar.”

  “I imagine. Any fingerprints? Can you figure out who did it?” Sierra held the phone toward Rhett in case he had any other questions.

  “It appears to have been wiped clean. But the boys from the highway patrol want to go over it more thoroughly in the morning.” The sheriff shouted at someone with her. “Will has surveillance cameras but the perp wore a ball cap and kept his head aimed away from them. No clear view of his face.”

  “So he might be familiar with the dealership.” Rhett said that into the phone.

  “Everyone in town is familiar with Will’s dealership, Hall. But I’ll make a note of that and pass it on. The attack on you two was across county lines so we’re cooperating with the highway patrol on this. Since no one was hurt it’s not high on their priority list, but this is the third vehicle stolen from the dealership here in the last month. First one to be brought back, though.” She chuckled. “Oh, shut up, Will. I know it’s serious.” She lowered her voice. “Someone was in a bad mood when he got here. He has insurance. I mean, what’s it to him?”

  “Thanks for the update. I hope whoever tried to run us off the road is done with that.” Sierra realized Myra had ended the call. She dropped the phone in her lap.

  “Interesting. I’d say whoever did pursue us in that truck has Muellerville ties. Why else give the truck back to the dealership?” Rhett glanced at Sierra.

  “And we think the motivation is obvious. Scare me into selling my land.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m about ready to do it, if you want to know the truth. They’ve worn me down. I want to be able to just relax and live in peace.”

  “Now, Sierra. That doesn’t sound like the strong woman I’ve come to know.” Rhett patted her leg. “Try to sleep and I’ll get us home in no time. The rain has stopped and there’s hardly any traffic on the road. I’m taking it as a good sign that since the bad actor turned in the truck, he’s through chasing us.”

  “At least in that vehicle.” Sierra said it but didn’t open her eyes. She was just too damned tired. She should have been on edge after all that had happened to them. Instead, she fell into a bottomless pit.

  * * * *

  The next morning the smell of coffee woke them both up early. Rhett turned to Sierra and pulled her to him. He was beginning to think waking up with this woman was a habit he didn’t want to break. He’d had trouble unwinding when they finally arrived at the ranch. Sierra had been so deeply asleep that he’d carried her inside and put her to bed without waking her. She’d needed the rest. He took care of the dog, set the alarm and finally crawled in naked beside her. The emotion that had filled him at the sight of her sleeping had taken him off guard.

  God, standing by while she’d gone at it with Sally Ann Jackson had been almost more than he could take. But he’d known he couldn’t interfere. This had been a long time coming. The look on Sierra’s face when she’d admitted how that accident had crippled her… If Rhett had held a gun just then, he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have pulled the trigger himself to make Sally Ann pay.

  What kind of person just walked away after a confrontation like that? Sierra had. He knew she thought it was because she didn’t want to keep relivi
ng the accident over and over again. But he knew better. She was protecting Rachel. That was the kind of woman Sierra was—strong, forgiving. Not only that, she put others first. Hell, she was still worried about that loser Darrel Lockhart, and Rhett didn’t doubt the ranch hand had started the barn fire.

  He reached out to brush her hair back from her face, and her eyes opened.

  “Good morning.” She smiled and touched his cheek. “You need a shave before you do more than kiss me. I hate beard burn.”

  “Oh, is that an invitation?”

  “Sure is.” She stretched, and he saw she must have gotten up in the middle of the night and undressed. Oh, yeah, definitely an invitation when her pink-tipped breasts peeked above the sheet.

  He threw back the sheet. “Shave and tooth brushing, coming up.”

  “Hurry.” She smiled. “I brushed my teeth about five.”

  “Planning ahead. Is there a list?” He stood in the bathroom doorway, water running in the sink.

  “Of course. But I know you like surprises, so I’ll keep it to myself.” She inhaled. “I could go get us coffee.”

  “Don’t you dare. Rachel must be here. That might delay the start of what promises to be an exceptional beginning to my day.” Rhett grabbed his razor and shave cream then did a quick job of smoothing his face. A speedy tooth brushing and he hit the bed at a run. Yes, he was still careful of her, but he was always going to be. She had damage. Not that she wanted to be coddled, but it was only fair that she be treated with care, damn it.

  “Now let’s see if I can guess the first thing on your list.” He ripped away the sheet and settled on top of her. “Good morning.” He kissed her until he had to come up for air. “How was that?”

  “Perfect.” She wiggled under him. “Now work your way down.”

  “I can do that.” He was circling a nipple with his tongue when there was a loud and persistent knocking on the door.

  “Obviously you don’t keep ranch hours anymore, sis, but we need to talk. If that Yankee is in there with you, kick him out. Breakfast in five minutes. Rachel made my favorite waffles.”

  “Go away, Dylan!” Sierra shouted.

  “You’ve had plenty of time alone. This is business and it’s important. We need to move fast. You can go back to pleasure when I’m not here.” Dylan smacked the door this time. “For God’s sake, make sure I can’t hear.”

  “I’m sure you love your brother, but he’s something of an asshole.” Rhett rolled off her.

  “At a time like this, I agree. He obviously has important news, though. He must have taken a really early flight from Dallas to get here in time for breakfast. Let’s humor him and put this on hold.” She leaned over him, her soft breasts pressing against his chest. “I promise. We’ll get back to this later.”

  “Oh, yes, we will.” Rhett held her close for a moment, his hand drifting down to smooth over her rounded butt. “Did I tell you how much I admire the way you handled Sally Ann last night?”

  “I thought you were disappointed I wouldn’t turn her over to the sheriff.” Sierra stayed where she was, a softly feminine pleasure.

  “You were wonderful. You slapped the shit out of her. Even when she aimed a gun at you, you didn’t fall down in a heap.” He kissed her again. “I have never known a woman like you. I am in over my head on this one, lady.”

  “I know what you mean. This has moved fast.” She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “Intense. Maybe some of it is because of the dangerous things that have happened. I don’t know.” She sat up and looked down at him. “What I do know is that I’m not done with you, Rhett Hall. No matter what happens with this Oxcart thing.”

  “Good. Because I’m not done with you either, Sierra MacKenzie.” Rhett smiled and shoved her out of bed. “Get dressed. I wouldn’t put it past your brother to barge in here if we keep him waiting much longer.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “So what do you think?” Dylan pushed the pile of papers at her, but Sierra was a little too overwhelmed to even look at them. Rachel had tactfully gone out to tend her chickens as soon as they’d finished breakfast. Then Dylan had explained his plans. For half an hour.

  “Let me get this straight. You’re proposing that the MacKenzie family go into the senior living business.” She glanced at Rhett. He took the papers and started going through the stack since it was obvious she wasn’t even going to touch them.

  “That’s right. Mama and Harvey are all for it. She’s always wanted a place for them here.” Dylan focused on Rhett. “What do you think?”

  “I’d like to get in on this, if there’s room for another investor. The minute Sierra explained about the advantages of the location, I was intrigued. I have parents who aren’t all that far from retirement. They would enjoy wintering here. You can keep your summers.” He nudged Sierra with an elbow. “I haven’t lived through one yet, but I’ve heard it can get up to a hundred in the shade around here.”

  “Yes, yes it can. But don’t distract me.” She glared at her brother. “You called Mama in London about this? Without talking to me first?”

  “We’re on a time crunch. Oxcart has been pressuring you because they have promissory notes coming due. It’s all about to hit the fan for them. We can take this project over at a bargain price. And you heard my plan. We can cut that road through, use a section for Mama and Harvey as a kind of buffer zone near your pond, and you won’t be inconvenienced at all.” Dylan pulled out a map. “Look at this.”

  “Hold up.” Sierra threw her hands in the air. “Mama will always be welcome here. Doesn’t she understand that?”

  “Of course she does. But she’s married to Harvey now and wants them to have a separate place. If you want, you could give her a plot of land to build on.” Dylan poked a finger at the map. “Right there would be a good spot.”

  “I would, I totally would.” Sierra knew all eyes were on her. This was just like the pressure she’d been under from Oxcart. Sell the land, Sierra. Let strangers come in and settle all around you. Mama and Harvey weren’t strangers, but that was the bottom line here.

  “Sierra, take a breath.” Rhett put his arm around her. “Look at the map. Can you see the riding trails? You already decided to get out of the cattle business. Wouldn’t it be great to rent horses to people for the day? Or you could offer boarding for the people living in the community who have their own horses. It would be a moneymaker. You can hire help to take care of the animals. And, look, there’s still plenty of pasture left for you.” Rhett stabbed the map with his finger. “Dylan’s got the houses for the seniors and their amenities way over on the property Oxcart had already starting acquiring with those down payments.”

  “I don’t have extra money to invest for my part of this.” Sierra hated to admit that. Of course she liked the idea of her horses being ridden regularly, and of having a steady income. But she’d have to build a new, better barn than the one she’d had before if she went for this. She was already sweating trying to figure out how she was going to manage to replace her barn. She had that giant deductible, and the insurance claim could take forever to pay out.

  “You could use the value of your land as your investment. Brubaker told me what they’ve been offering you for your property. It’s more than enough to make you a serious investor.” Dylan eyed Rhett’s arm around her.

  “It’ll take millions to build the houses and provide the infrastructure. You’ll need roads, electricity, water and gas. Plus you’ll have marketing and those fancy amenities to build.” Sierra finally picked up the prospectus that Dylan had managed to print in what was an amazingly short amount of time. The fact that it was so complete meant he was seriously motivated to do this.

  Rhett was back to studying that map. “Yes, those impressed me, Dylan. The pool, tennis courts, even a health club. My dad is a serious tennis player. If he decides to buy into this, he’ll talk his d
oubles partner into it too. Since it looks like my sister is settling in Texas now, I’m sure my parents will be coming here regularly. You could market the hell out of this in the Boston, New York area. There are great direct flights into any one of the three major cities nearby.”

  “There you go. The more options we provide, the wider our market. But I’m pretty sure we could fill up just from our tri-city area. You have any idea how many seniors are in Houston alone?” Dylan grinned. “This is a potential gold mine. Sierra, you know how the oil business has been, up and down. Mason liked this too. We all need to diversify our holdings and senior living is the next big thing.”

  Sierra wanted to hit someone. “Spare me. I’ve heard all this from Oxcart. Remember, I’ve been called, inundated with paper, even texted about it for months.” Now even her family was pressuring her.

  “You slamming the door on this?” Dylan didn’t bother to hide his disappointment.

  “No, of course not. I can see you’re carried away with the whole idea.” She hated to stop the rising tide of enthusiasm, but there was something they hadn’t talked about yet.

  “Sorry. What’s on your mind?” Dylan settled back and crossed his arms over his chest. His body language said it all. He dared her to throw a wet blanket on his plans.

  “Are you kidding me? Have you forgotten that my barn was burned down, I almost took a header into a booby trap and just yesterday Rhett and I were nearly run off the road?” Sierra jumped out of her chair. It fell back and hit the tile floor with a crash. Tramp ran into the room and started barking. “Not only that, but my ranch hand may still die. What are we going to do about that, Dylan?”

  Both men were on their feet. Dylan grabbed one of her arms, Rhett the other. If she’d been a wishbone, she wasn’t sure which one of them would have managed to get the bigger side of her. Didn’t matter. She threw off both of them and stomped into the den.

  “Wait! I’m sorry. I got carried away. I didn’t forget what you’ve been going through, sis. I swear it. Look.” Dylan grabbed more papers out of his briefcase before pursuing her into the den. “I did get the details on those investors. Sit. Let’s figure out who is targeting you.”