by Geri Foster
He lifted his beer to his mouth and downed half the bottle. “Good luck with that.”
A waitress came by and she ordered a draft, while he raised his bottle indicating he wanted another. When they were alone again, she leaned across the table. “I won’t grovel.”
He lifted a brow. “I wouldn’t ask you to.”
“Do you think we’re at a stalemate?”
He shrugged.
The beer came, and she took a big gulp, squinted, shook her head then took another drink. If he thought she would bend a knee, he could just think again. As soon as she was finished with this beer she was out of here. While he might not like conflict, she didn’t play nice when someone over-stepped their boundaries.
She took another full mouth and grimaced as she swallowed.
“You’re drinking that beer pretty fast.”
She held the glass up. “I really don’t like beer.”
“Then why did you order it?”
“You ever tasted the wine here?”
He shook his head.
“Then you can’t possibly understand.” She sat the glass on the table. “But, besides that, when the beer is gone, so am I. The offer comes off the table.”
“What offer?”
“The one where I stay at your place for a few days and you protect me from all incoming danger.”
He averted his gaze only to immediately return it to her lips. “If you’re waiting for an apology, it’s not coming.”
“Same from this court. I said when I sat down I wouldn’t be groveling.”
“And I said, I didn’t ask you to.” He emptied the one bottle and started on the second. “Hell, I don’t think I want you to beg.”
“Good thing you feel that way because I won’t. Not now, not ever.”
He reared back, his eyes boring into her like a laser. “Whoa, that’s a long time.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t apologize, because when I’m wrong, I will. This isn’t one of those times.”
“You pretty much told me to go to hell.”
“You marched in and thought you could take over my life without my permission. Not ever going to happen. We both know, in the men department, I haven’t racked up a lot of points. One might think that makes me an easy mark. A woman desperate for male attention. That’s not me either.”
Silence filled their area of the bar, but the music blasted loud enough to burst a person’s eardrums everywhere else. She continued drinking her beer, figuring she had about five minutes before making a graceful exit. She hadn’t considered failing, just compromising. He’d be the loser for not taking her up on the offer. She knew if she walked out of this bar alone tonight, there’d never be anything between her and Jeff, and the idea hurt. But she wasn’t going to stand down when what they needed to do was meet each other halfway.
Glancing up at him, she wondered if he realized that as well. Clearing her throat, she picked up the glass and swallowed the last of the beer. Taking one last look at him, she put the empty glass on the table, shoved her chair out and stood.
Without looking in his direction, she reached for her suitcase and, once in hand, headed for the door, her chin held high. She made it halfway to the door before he walked up beside her and took the piece of luggage.
“How do we get your car home?” he asked, shoving open the door. “You want to leave it here, or me to follow?”
Inwardly smiling, so relieved that they’d made it over this hurdle, she kept her face calm. “No, why don’t we take it to your house. That way you won’t have to get up early and drive me to work.”
He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, him warmth soaking her body like a warm shower. “I don’t mind driving you to work. I’m up early anyway.”
“Yes, but this way when I need to do something I have transportation.”
He rubbed his jaw and she noticed he’d shaved. “I don’t know if you should be driving around by yourself. Who knows what can happen?”
She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the lips. Taking the kiss deeper, he hooked an arm around her and tugged her forcefully against his chest. He tasted wonderful and she wanted so much more, but not in a crowded bar.
He broke the kiss but didn’t release her. Gazing down into her eyes, he offered a soft smile. “You’re pretty feisty for a girl.”
She smirked. “I know. Always have been.”
“So what are we going to do about that?”
She pecked him on the lips. “You’re going to have to grow some patience, mister, cause this lady isn’t going to come easy.”
His brow shot up and he grinned. “Just as long as you come, that’s all that matters.”
Her mouth fell open and she blushed from her roots to her toes. “Um…”
He laughed and the sound was like music to her ears. She’d never heard him sound so carefree before. If she could make him laugh like that every day she would die a happy woman.
Sobering, he wiped a tear from his eye. “I didn’t mean it like that but, yeah, that too.”
Chuckling again, he picked up her suitcase and ushered her out to her car. “Lock the door and stay close behind me.”
She waved, backed out and pulled behind his truck. On his way to his vehicle, he suddenly stopped, rubbed the back of his neck and scanned the area. He walked toward the tree line, obviously interested in something.
She wondered if he knew the man who attacked her last night had headed in that direction afterwards. Perhaps he was just making sure no one hid out there tonight, and it was all a coincidence. Knowing Jeff, as she was beginning to, she wondered if there was any such thing as a coincidence with him.
He glanced back at her and she smiled. Going no further, he hurried to his pickup and motioned for her to stay close. She pulled out of the parking lot right behind him. So close, she hoped he didn’t suddenly put on his brakes or her little Kia would be in the bed of his pickup. They followed the speed limit and she continued to check the rearview mirror, a little paranoid being on the back road at night after all the guys had been telling her.
Suddenly, she noticed headlights coming up behind her. A little nervous, she reminded herself that lots of people traveled this road. Still, the driver had come out of nowhere and was coming up fast.
She drove as carefully as she could and stayed behind Jeff. When they turned onto the two-lane highway, he moved to the shoulder and slowed down. She followed suit. Surprisingly, the driver tailing her didn’t pass in the open left-hand lane.
“That’s strange,” she said aloud, a little confused.
Suddenly and without warning, Jeff spun the truck around and pulled in behind the car behind her. She gasped. What was he doing? She tried to see who was driving the car, but it was too dark. Did she know that person? Were they from Rainwater?
A loud noise ricocheted in her car and she gasped. “Oh, my goodness.” Jeff had just rammed the vehicle. Then it came again, along with the crunch of breaking glass.
The car between her and Jeff tapped her back bumper, jerking her forward then back. Before they could collide again, Jeff swerved onto the shoulder and turned sharply into the other car on the right side.
Before she knew it, the car passed her and spun away, his tires squealing against the pavement. Her hands shook and she didn’t know what to think. Had someone seriously tried to run them off the road?
The next thing she knew, Jeff pulled alongside her. “Are you okay?” he shouted.
She nodded, not trusting her voice.
He pulled in front of her and they took off at a higher rate of speed. Luckily, they turned into the dead-end lane leading to Jeff’s property. At the house, he opened the garage, motioning for her to go in first. She did, staying as close to the right as possible to make room for him.
When they got out of their cars, she ran into his arms just as the garage door descended.
“What just happened?”
“We were followed, and if my suspicions are c
orrect, that was Mr. Alec Jones.”
“The guy from the meeting?”
“Yes. He tried to conceal his face, but I got a pretty good look at him.”
“Knowing it’s him doesn’t tell us much.”
Rosco followed them into the house and trotted to his favorite place near the fireplace, completely oblivious to the frightening night she’d just had. Telling her to stay put while he checked the house, Jeff took her suitcase to the spare bedroom and set the alarm. She hoped her knees stopped shaking enough that she could walk across the floor without tripping by the time he came back.
She made it to the counter stool before collapsing. When Jeff entered the kitchen she nearly fell apart. That had scared her so badly. “I thought he’d run me off the road.”
“I’m sure that was the plan.”
He sat next to her and captured her hand in his. “I suspected someone was watching us from the woods. I couldn’t see anything, but I sure felt it.”
“Felt it how?”
He shrugged. “I just get this strange feeling between my shoulder blades and a sense of doom.” He looked away. “Or something like that.”
“Have you always had that early warning system?”
He shook his head. “Started happening in Iraq. I learned real quick to never ignore it.”
She leaned over and hugged him. “I’m so glad you were there tonight.”
“See, I said you needed protecting.”
She straightened. “So, you’re one of those?”
He reared back. “One of what?”
“The I told you sos.”
“That’s not what I said.”
She stood, certain she could walk, and headed for the bathroom. “That’s what you meant, Jeff Crawley,” she called over her shoulder teasingly. At the door, she spun around and cocked her hip. “Keep that up, and I can see a lot of trouble in your future.” Then she laughed and slipped into the bathroom.
* * *
Not only had Alec almost gotten caught again, but he knew, this time, that damn SEAL had seen his face. At least enough to identify him if the law ever got their hands on him. Maybe the time had come to leave while he still could. Get out of here and forget the whole damn thing before he ended up dead.
Memories of Hector paraded through his mind. One time in particular, while they were outside shooting hoops and he’d wanted to quit, Hector had told him to never quit something he started.
He couldn’t back out now. He’d see Jeff Crawley dead before the weekend was over. Then, he planned to head to Buffalo. Time to reinvent himself again. How many times had he done that so far? He counted the men he’d killed. There was a chick in with all that but she didn’t count. She’d just pissed him off one night and he offed her.
Six.
The cop he’d killed made it six. And now, Jeff Crawley would be lucky number seven. And he’d kill the Nancy girl if given the chance. Damn, he wished he’d been able to follow them, but he feared the man might have had a gun. This was Texas after all. Everyone owned a weapon of some kind.
Using the country roads, he headed back to Denton and the safety of his hotel room. While driving, he took his phone out and called the Commander to ask for more money. As long as he paid, he would collect.
It didn’t take long to convince the man that, if he wanted Crawley dead, it would cost him. He laughed at how easy it all was. He’d be picking up money at the Western Union again tomorrow. But, he’d be using a different one. He didn’t want anyone to become too familiar with his face.
Before long, he pulled into his hotel and parked at the far end of the lot. If someone recognized the car, he didn’t want to be easily accessible. Getting out, he walked around the vehicle and noted the damage.
Damn, he’d be better off stealing another one than messing with this banged up piece of crap. Crawley, aka Cowboy, had gotten a pretty good look at him and the car and might have managed to get the license number, too. If so, the police would be on the lookout. He couldn’t afford that. While the plates were from a brand new, silver Cadillac, he still didn’t want to be close by when the police moved in.
Tomorrow being Friday, everyone would be working and looking forward to the weekend. He’d come up with something. Saturday, he planned to go to Rainwater to finally kill Jeff Crawley. He promised himself the man wouldn’t live past the weekend. Besides, Lou had called from Buffalo. He had a drug deal going down Sunday night and could use some extra firepower. He promised he’d be there to help him out. If he wanted to make a new life, he had to get to it.
With his plan set, he took off the license plates and swapped them with a jeep across the lot from him. He couldn’t take any chances and he didn’t plan to come up the loser again.
* * *
Jeff found himself smiling at Nancy’s sense of humor. He truly regretted the way he’d treated her earlier, pushing too hard too fast, and he would be apologizing before long. Not this minute, but soon.
He stood, fixing a sandwich, when she came out of the bathroom. Looking up at her, he asked, “You hungry?”
“No,” she replied, staring as he stacked on the meat, cheese, sliced tomato, and pickle on two slices of bread.
He liked onions, but one glance at her pouty lips and he put it back in the fridge. No onion was worth passing on that mouth and he planned to be kissing her again before bedtime.
He grabbed a bag of chips out of the pantry, cut the sandwich in half and pulled a paper towel off the roll. Sitting them next to her, he took out a bottle of water and placed it beside her as well. Her stomach growled, making him smile. Not hungry indeed. Without asking, he shoved the sandwich between them and poured out a pile of chips. He nudged her. “Eat something. Half a sandwich won’t kill you.”
She shook her head and backed away. “Not after having a burger and fries for lunch. I wouldn’t dare.”
He pointed to the fridge. “Look in there and see if you can find anything. There isn’t much diet stuff, I can guarantee you that, but we’ll shop for some if you want.”
“Will I be here that long? I figured only a few days. I packed planning to go home Sunday.”
“That’s only two days.” He didn’t know if he could find Alec by then and, after tonight, the man could’ve been spooked and took out of town for all he knew. “I planned for you to be here a week.”
“You said a few days,” she insisted.
He nodded. “A few days, like a week.”
She threw up her hands. “Do we not speak the same language?”
“I think we do. I also speak three different Arabic dialects.” He took a bite of his sandwich. “And Spanish.”
“I only speak English. I sure would’ve like to have learned a different language if I’d gone to school longer though.”
“The military taught me the Arabic languages and working on a ranch, you just normally pick up Spanish. I’ve got a couple guys right now working for me who pretty much only speak it.”
“Are you going to be hiring more men here?”
“Yes, I let them know at the feed store to be on the lookout. I’ll have to have help come summer for sure. But I usually try to keep everyone year round.”
She propped the side of her head on her palm. “Do you like being a rancher?”
“It’s the only thing I can do other than being a soldier and I can’t really do that anymore.” He quieted for a minute, considering why that was.
“Did you like the military?” she asked tentatively, after a moment.
“I felt it was my calling because I was so good at it. I didn’t really mind being out in the field, leading my team, doing what had to be done and outsmarting Al Qaeda.”
“But you were killing people.”
He glanced at her and stopped chewing. “I never killed anyone who wouldn’t have killed me first.”
She nodded, but then asked, “Did you ever torture anyone?” The question seemed to cause her pain, like she didn’t want to think the worst of him.
&
nbsp; He shook his head. “No. I questioned several prisoners as well as assets, but I wasn’t in to all that screaming and yelling. I don’t have the stomach or the patience for that.”
“Russ said you lacked patience.”
That caught his attention. “When did you talk to him?”
“This evening. How do you think I knew you were at Frankie’s Bar? I didn’t just walk in there with my suitcase to pick up a guy for the night.”
“He knows me pretty well. Without his help I probably wouldn’t have made it after I came back.” He chuckled. “Talk about patience. The man’s like a tower made of steel.”
“I’m glad he was there for you.”
She still hadn’t eaten anything and that worried him. He simply didn’t get her thinking her weight a problem when it certainly didn’t matter to him. However, if it mattered to her, he didn’t feel right sabotaging her efforts.
With a mental note to take her shopping Saturday, he finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with the paper towel. Heading to the fridge, he scanned the contents and took out a stick of string cheese, wrapping it up in three turkey slices. Then, he found the dill pickles, sliced a tomato, a cucumber and an avocado.
He put it all on a plate and slid it across the counter to her. “Eat.”
She smiled, beaming up at him. “This is sweet. Is it your way of apologizing?”
“No,” he replied. “It’s my way of being a good host.” He handed her a Diet Coke leftover from the last time Candi was around. Her eyes widened. “That’s the ‘I’m sorry I was so rude,’ part. I should’ve known better. I’m just so used to taking charge, I didn’t consider your feelings.”
Her eating with gusto made him feel better.
“I wasn’t on my best behavior either. I think you sprung it on me too quickly.”
He shrugged. “It’s over now, and I’ll be more careful in the future.”
She placed the pickle on the side of the plate. “Jeff, I don’t want you to think you have to walk on eggshells around me. I’m usually not that sensitive.” She shoved her hair away from her forehead. “I don’t know what came over me. I just suddenly felt so out of control.”
