Cowboy Christmas Jubilee

by Dylann Crush

  As she pulled the plastic-wrapped bundle out of her bag, her heart skipped a few beats, then picked up the pace.

  Wade’s gift cards.

  Shit, shit, shit. How in the hell had those gotten in there? And what was she going to do about it? She locked herself in a stall and unwrapped the plastic with trembling hands. There must be thousands of dollars’ worth of cards—enough to keep his thugs and runners paid for a couple of months, easy.

  Think, Jinx, think. Geri had borrowed her backpack a couple of days ago. Maybe Wade had sent her on one of his special errands and she’d forgotten to put the cards in the safe. That was the only logical explanation. But what could she do with them now? There was no way she could keep them—she’d taken what he owed her, and that was it. She didn’t want anything more from the bastard. But it seemed such a waste to just throw them away.

  A vision of Mona sitting on the floor flitted through her mind. Wade might be a complete and utter ass, but at least something good could come out of the time she’d spent with him. She pulled a huge handful of cards out of the stack and tucked the rest away at the bottom of her bag. Hundreds of miles separated her from New Orleans. She may as well save the rest of the cards in case she had a chance to dole them out along the route. Once she got there, she could make an anonymous donation to a women’s shelter or something with whatever she had left.

  “Here.” Jinx handed Mona the gift cards on her way out. “Get away from whoever did that to you.”

  Mona reached for them, but Jinx held fast.

  “Promise?” She wanted to shake the woman, tell her that no man was worth letting her body be used for a punching bag.

  A glimmer sparked in Mona’s eyes. “Yes.”

  “Good.” Jinx released the cards, silently sending a wish to whomever or whatever might be listening that Mona would find her way.

  Satisfied she’d done what she could, Jinx consulted the map on the wall. She’d been on the road for days. If she pushed it, she ought to make San Antonio before dark. She could splurge on a cheap hotel with a shower and let Hendrix run around a bit.

  She climbed back on the bike, but it wouldn’t shift into gear. Please, not now. When she got to New Orleans, she’d find a garage to take a look at it. Until then, she just needed to get as far as she could. She wrestled the bike back into gear and opted for a side road. No sense in overdoing it on the highway.

  Thirty miles later, she must have taken a wrong turn, since the setting sun ended up behind her. She needed to be going south, not due east. The bike gave one final surge, then died underneath her. Dammit. Jinx climbed off the bike and circled it, looking for obvious signs. She’d done some basic maintenance on it in the past, but a standard oil change fell far short of diagnosing a possible transmission problem.

  If she’d sold the motorcycle back in LA, it could have added a cool ten grand or more to her pathetic bank account. She could have spent the cash on a cheap compact car and avoided the inevitable breakdown in the middle of freaking nowhere, but she’d chosen to be sentimental instead of practical for once in her freaking life.

  Now what was she going to do? The burner phone she’d picked up before leaving California offered no solution. Service out here in the sticks was limited. She rolled the bike off the road into a scrubby stand of bushes, hopefully hiding it from anyone who might pass by.

  What to do with the gift cards though? She didn’t want to have them in her bag in case something happened. How would she explain thousands of dollars in gift cards? Not that she paid much attention to Wade’s side dealings, but even she’d heard him bitching about a recent bust in Arizona where the feds had recovered hundreds of gift cards along with a sizable stash of heroin.

  But she didn’t want to leave them on the bike either, on the off chance someone found them. Scanning the side of the road for a potential hiding place, her gaze caught a hollowed-out log about twenty feet away. She wrapped the plastic tight around the cards and pushed them deep into the decaying wood. That ought to work until she came back for her bike. She’d crossed a four-lane road a few miles back. If she could get to the highway, she could hitch into the nearest town and see about finding a garage. She tucked Hendrix into her backpack and pulled her coat around her, her heavy black boots crunching onto the gravel shoulder.

  Just another minor setback. She’d been down before. It would take a hell of a lot more than a fickle engine to knock her out for good.

  * * *

  Cash held Kenzie’s tiny hoof in one hand and the pillowcase containing her massive haul of Halloween candy in the other. Trick-or-treating sure wasn’t this easy when he was a kid. Back then, he and his brothers would ride their bikes from ranch to ranch almost all night long. They probably pedaled fifty miles by the time they hit up the few neighboring houses close enough to reach on two wheels. For all that effort, they were lucky if they got a fourth of what Kenzie had managed to shake down in less than forty-five minutes at the annual Tot Trick-Or-Treat at the Rambling Rose. Back when Sully owned the historic honky-tonk, he didn’t cater to the half-pint crowd. But ever since Cash’s sister and her new husband—Sully’s grandson—had taken over, they held all kinds of events and activities for the kids.

  “Go say good night to Aunt Charlie, Uncle Beck, and Nana, Tadpole.” Cash prodded Kenzie toward his sister and mom. She sashayed away, her glittery unicorn tail swishing with each step. Leave it to his brilliant sister to suggest Kenzie stuff a pillow in her costume and dress up as a unicorn with a tummy full of candy for Halloween. Charlie thought she’d reached a compromise with Kenzie, but he’d overheard his daughter telling people she was a pregnant unicorn. Best of both worlds for her, but he’d pretty much lost on both counts on that one. At this rate, he’d be doomed by the time she reached puberty.

  Kenzie doled out hugs and kisses, then scampered back to his side. “Can I have some more of my candy, Daddy?”

  “One more piece, okay? You’ve got to get to bed. There’s school tomorrow.”

  She held out a king-size bag of Skittles. “This one?”

  “I said one piece, not one giant bag. Who gave you that, anyway?” He peered across the crowded dance hall, trying to find the most likely source of the abundance of sugar. Had to be someone without kids.

  “Uncle Presley.” Kenzie dug through the pillowcase and withdrew another giant bag of candy, this one M&Ms. “He gave me this too.”

  Presley, of course. Probably better than him handing out single shots of his new favorite whiskey to all his nieces and nephews. Cash had spent years wishing and hoping for his younger brother to get tamed by some two-stepping Texas beauty. Presley wasn’t just the black sheep of the family; he caused enough trouble for a whole damn flock.

  “Why don’t you pick something else tonight, and you can start in on those Skittles tomorrow?” He dropped the candy back into the pillowcase and pulled out a single Starburst. “Yellow, your favorite.”

  “I love yellow.” Took her less than a second to unwrap the candy and pop it in her mouth.

  He led her out of the building and crossed the parking lot to the truck. Once she got settled in her seat, he pulled out onto the road for the short drive home. As he navigated around a bend, he squinted at the dark shape standing on the side of the road up ahead.

  “What the hell?”

  “Bad word! Gotta put a quarter in the curse-word jar when we get home.”

  Stinker. He’d probably be able to pay for her first car with the amount he owed the curse-word jar. Her toothy grin filled the rearview mirror. But seriously, what the heck was that? The headlights bounced off what appeared to be a person. They got closer, and he could make out a black jacket, black pants, and a mass of bright hair. The figure turned to face the truck, thrusting a thumb out to solicit a ride. Cash wouldn’t pick up a hitchhiker around Austin or San Antonio, but on the backroads surrounding Holiday, he didn’t run across many strangers.
Probably some kid on her way to a Halloween party in town. He slowed the truck to pull off the road.

  The girl grabbed the backpack at her feet, slung the strap over her shoulder, and approached the passenger side. Cash lowered the window before leaning across the front of the cab.

  “Hey, where you headed?” His gaze raked over her teal hair, shaved to the scalp on one side, exposing an ear full of metal piercings. At least she didn’t have any of that crap on her lips or eyebrows. He couldn’t understand the kids who poked holes all over their faces. Made booking them a pain in the ass too, since he couldn’t rely on the sensitive metal detectors.

  “Thanks for stopping. Is there a garage somewhere around here? My bike broke down.”

  “What, did you slip a chain? Tire go flat? We can throw it in the back, and I can run you home.” Easy fix. His hand wrapped around the door handle, ready to exit the vehicle and give her a hand.

  “Sorry, it’s a motorcycle, not a bike.”

  Cash turned his head back toward the window. She moved into the light coming from the overhead dome. Hmm, she wasn’t as young as he thought. Had to be early twenties.

  “Where did you leave it? We can still toss it in back. I’ll drop you off at Dwight’s, and he can take a look.”

  “You got a ramp?” She patted the doorframe. “It’s kind of heavy.”

  “Is she gonna ride with us?” Kenzie unbuckled and leaned into the front seat. At the sight of the stranger’s bright-teal hair, her eyes widened. “Are you a mermaid?”

  Great, now his daughter would be begging for a trip to the salon for her first dye job. “No, babe. She’s probably just dressed up for a Halloween party. What are you supposed to be, anyway? A punk rocker? Some sort of survivor of the zombie apocalypse?”

  A hint of pink tinged the woman’s cheeks. “I’m not going to a party. Look, can you just give me a lift into town? I can come back later with a trailer to get my bike, okay?”

  The color drained from Cash’s face. “I’m so sorry. I just thought, with that getup, I mean…”

  “It’s fine, really. I’m used to it.” Her gaze flitted around the cab. “About that ride?”

  Nothing like opening his mouth and inserting both boots at once. He needed to shut up before he buried himself completely. “I’d be happy to give you a ride. Do you live close by?” Cash gestured to Kenzie to buckle up again as the gal climbed into the cab.

  She pulled the door closed behind her. “Not exactly.”

  He didn’t recognize her as anyone he’d seen around town. “Where you from?”

  “Um, how far is the garage?” She sandwiched her backpack between heavy black motorcycle boots and pressed herself against the door.

  “Not far. You just passing through then?” She didn’t strike him as threatening, but something about the crazy-ass hair and vintage black leather jacket put him on edge. Or was it the way she looked like she wanted to crawl right out of her skin every time he asked a question?

  “Something like that. Is there a hotel in town? Somewhere I can lay up for the night?”

  “There’s a bed-and-breakfast just off the main road. Otherwise, the typical chain places are a few miles away along the interstate. Plenty of options closer to Austin.”

  Kenzie’s hand reached over the seat back to pat the woman’s hair.

  Cash shot a glance toward his daughter. “Kenzie, keep your hands to yourself, hon.”

  “But it’s so pretty. Can I have my hair like that?”

  “We’ll talk about that when you’re eighteen.”

  The woman let out a soft laugh. It seemed to surprise her, since she covered her mouth with her hand.

  “What’s your name? Do you like cats? What’s your favorite color?” Kenzie must have taken that tiny break in the woman’s outer armor as an invitation to pepper her with her own questions.

  The woman turned to face the back seat. “My name’s Jinx. I like your costume.”

  “Thanks. My aunt Charlie is going to have a baby.”

  “Oh. Um, congratulations. How old are you, Kenzie?”

  “Seven. My birthday is in August. When’s yours? Do you have any pets?”

  “Just one.” She reached into her backpack. Cash instinctively stiffened in the seat next to her. She must have noticed. “Relax. I’ve got a dog in my bag.”

  Kenzie squealed as Jinx pulled a small ratlike creature out and held it up.

  “His name is Hendrix.”

  “That’s an interesting choice of name,” Cash commented.

  Jinx shrugged. “My dad was a huge fan of Jimi.”

  “He’s so cute!” Kenzie’s grabby hands reached for the animal.

  “Kenz, you need to ask if you can hold it.” He cast a quick look at the animal. “Does it bite?”

  “No, he’s super gentle. Here, you can hold him. He likes it when you scratch him behind the ears.” She passed the scrawny thing to Kenzie, who nestled it against her chest.

  “Daddy says I can’t have a dog.”

  “Dogs are a lot of work.” Cash felt an unfamiliar need to defend himself. “You’ve already got a cat.”

  “Yeah, but Chucky doesn’t live inside. I want a dog like this.” She ran her fingers over the dog’s back.

  Jinx gave him the side-eye. “You’ve got a cat named Chucky?”

  “He’s got some anger issues. It’s a long story.” Great, just great. With Christmas coming up, Kenzie would probably tell Santa she wanted a dog. He’d have to figure out a better excuse to head her off before she made the request. His schedule was barely sane keeping up with Kenzie. Adding a dog to the mix wouldn’t be fair to the dog or his parents, who took in Kenzie when he had to work nights.

  While Kenzie fired question after question, he kept one eye on the road and the other on Jinx. Cash let Kenzie do the dirty work; his daughter would make a fabulous interrogator someday. Jinx didn’t appear to be threatening, but she definitely had her guard up.

  Who could blame her? With the crazy hair, pounds of metal piercing her body, and hardcore attire, she didn’t exactly fit in with the small-town vibe Holiday was known for. But as his mama always said, what really matters is invisible to the eye. He’d always struggled a little bit with that one, especially in his line of work, where things often were exactly as they seemed.

  Kenzie didn’t let up. “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”

  Jinx had shifted in her seat to face his daughter. “You ask a lot of questions.”

  “Daddy says I’m inquibative, right, Daddy?”

  “Inquisitive,” Cash corrected.

  “He says it’s a nice way of saying I’m nosy.”

  Jinx made brief eye contact with Cash. A tentative smile teased the corners of her mouth upward. “Your daddy sounds like a funny guy.”

  “Sometimes he’s funny. He makes good jokes. Tell her the one about the skeleton.”

  “Aw, Tadpole, Jinx doesn’t want to hear my jokes.” His gaze darted to his right.

  The light from the dash illuminated another smile from Jinx. “Sure I would.”

  Cash shook his head. “Just remember, you asked for it.”

  She raised her eyebrows, encouraging him to continue.

  “All right. Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?”

  Kenzie bounced up and down in her booster seat. “He didn’t have any guts!” She erupted into a fit of giggles in the back seat, her sparkly, glittered sneakers battering the back of the center console.

  Jinx’s shoulders gave a little shake. “That’s a good one. Do you know why the skeleton didn’t want to go to school?”

  Kenzie stopped laughing and furrowed her little brow, trying to come up with an answer. “No, why?”

  “His heart wasn’t in it.” Jinx flashed his daughter a smile, turning toward him with the tail end of a grin still gracing he
r face.

  “Can you come to our house, Jinx?” Kenzie reached out to pet the blue hair again.

  The last thing Cash needed was for his daughter to form an instant attachment to an out-of-place punk chick. For all he knew, she might even be running from the law in some capacity.

  Could be she was just passing through and her bike broke down. But then why was she so evasive about where she was from and where she was headed? He’d get her to Dwight’s and let him help her with the bike. He had enough going on and couldn’t afford to expend any energy worrying about the comings and goings of every single person who passed through Holiday on their way to somewhere else.

  By the time they got to Dwight’s garage, he’d learned more than he’d ever cared to know about hair dye and pierced ears. Kenzie passed the dog back to Jinx, who tucked it into her bag. Cash climbed out of the truck, leaving the motor running. He met up with Jinx as she hopped down, her boots thudding onto the pavement. Under the buzz of crappy overhead gas station lights, he got a better look at her. Ripped black leggings, fingers full of rings, eyes lined in black—she looked like a full-size version of one of those Monster High dolls Kenzie got for Christmas last year.

  “Dwight ought to be able to help you out from here.” He nodded toward the small convenience store where Dwight stood staring out the window, then slid a business card out of his wallet. “Let me know if you need anything while you’re in town.”

  She flipped it over in her fingers. “Deputy sheriff, huh?” She bristled, then visibly made her shoulders relax.

  “Yeah. I just tell bad jokes when I’m not busting bad guys.”

  Her gaze met his as she slid the card into her pocket. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “You bet. Good luck, Jinx.”

  He waited while she moved toward the door. Definitely hiding something. He’d circle back with Dwight tomorrow and follow up to see if he could get any additional info about the woman with the blue hair. Right now, he had bigger issues—like how to get a sugar-loaded unicorn to bed.