by Katie Lane
“Oh, for around fifty years.”
Lincoln stared at Chester in shock. “Fifty years? Why haven’t I ever heard about her?”
“Because they’ve been feuding for the majority of that time. Gertie ticked Lucas off when she declined his marriage proposal and chose her boardinghouse over him.” Chester fished a can of chewing tobacco out of his back pocket and sat down on a hay bale. “Most men want their woman to put them first.”
Lincoln understood that perfectly. “Too bad women like that are hard to find.”
Chester squinted up at him. “Is that what happened to your marriage? Your woman didn’t put you first?”
Lincoln didn’t like to talk about his marriage. It had been a mistake from day one, and he’d just as soon forget the year and a half he spent in wedded hell. But he also couldn’t ignore Chester. He walked to the open door and looked out. The night was windy and smelled of rain. Which made him even more concerned about Lucas’s safety. “The only person Mary Lou put first was herself.”
“Selfish, was she?”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“And I guess you weren’t a bit selfish.”
“She got anything she wanted.”
“Even you?”
Lincoln turned around and looked at Chester. “I married her, didn’t I?”
“That’s not exactly what I meant. Just because you stand up in front of a preacher and promise to give yourself to the other person, doesn’t mean you do. Lots of folks say the vows and pay no attention to them. How much time did you spend with her? I’m not talking about just being there in body. I’m talking about being there in mind and heart.”
Had he been there in mind and heart? He had loved her. But if he was honest, he hadn’t given his heart one hundred percent. His work was his heart, and his mind had usually been on that. Even when he’d been with his wife. Yes, she had been self-centered, always talking about what she wanted and needed. But hadn’t he been self-centered too by using his work as an excuse to ignore those needs? Maybe if he had given her more, she would have needed less.
“I guess I made mistakes too,” he said.
Chester nodded as he always did when his boys figured something out. “Now learn from those mistakes so you don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
“There won’t be a next time. I’m thinking the bachelor life is more my style.”
“You’ve just been burned, boy, and are afraid to get near the fire. Give it time and you’ll be ready to try again.” Chester spit a stream of tobacco into an old coffee can that he used for a spittoon. “So, you still haven’t discovered anything new about where Sam Sweeney went after he left here?”
It was the opportunity Lincoln had been waiting for. “No. And I was wondering if we could go over the day you rode back to the ranch to check on Val again.”
“We’ve already gone over and over it. I rode back to check on Val and saw Sam leaving in his truck in a cloud of dust.”
“And then what?”
“Then I left.”
“Without checking to see if Val was okay?”
“I saw him standing in the open door of the barn and he looked fine to me.”
And yet Val hadn’t seen Chester. “Why didn’t you ever mention seeing Val before?”
Chester shrugged his bony shoulders. “The older you get, the fuzzier your brain gets. I’m lucky if I remember what day it is.”
Chester was getting to the age where people started to forget things, but Lincoln struggled to believe he was one of those people. The man remembered the name of every horse and bull he’d ever ridden and every detail of those rides. He was hiding something. Lincoln knew it.
“You didn’t talk to Sam again after he left the ranch?”
“Nope.”
“That’s the truth?”
“God’s honest.”
Lincoln studied Chester. He looked like he was telling the truth, but something wasn’t right. And yet, he couldn’t come out and call the old guy a liar. “If you remember anything else, you need to tell me. Me. Not Deputy Meriwether.”
Chester nodded. “I was sure surprised to hear she’s Senator Meriwether’s daughter.” No more surprised than Lincoln had been. “He’s one of the few politicians I like. He has a good head on his shoulders.”
Unlike his daughter, Lincoln thought. Dixie Leigh Meriwether had a beautiful head, but not a good one. He couldn’t help wondering how the senator’s daughter was such a ditz. And now he was responsible for that ditz. His boss had made it clear during their phone conversation that Lincoln was to make sure the senator’s daughter was kept safe and sound until she quit—which the senator was convinced would happen soon. If Lincoln could make her quit sooner rather than later, the senator would be very appreciative and would put in a good word for Lincoln with the chief of the Texas Rangers. Lincoln’s boss hadn’t come out and out and said it would get Lincoln the promotion to lieutenant he was hoping for, but it had been alluded to.
Lincoln wanted that promotion, but he didn’t like getting it this way. He understood the senator wanted to watch out for his daughter. He did not understand him wanting to control her . . . and using Lincoln to do it. Lincoln didn’t like being used. If getting rid of Deputy Meriwether wouldn’t be good for everyone in Simple, he might have ignored the senator’s request. But Lincoln wanted Sam Sweeney’s case to be closed as soon as possible. That wouldn’t happen with the senator’s daughter trying to play detective.
Thunder rumbled overhead, followed quickly by the splatter of raindrops hitting the metal roof of the barn.
Chester got to his feet and walked to the open door. “Looks like a gully washer.” He glanced at Lincoln. “Maybe you should head into town and check on Lucas.”
Dixon’s Boardinghouse was a big rambling plantation-style house on the outskirts of Simple. Since it was raining even harder, Lincoln pulled right up to the large veranda. He left the engine running as he jumped out of his truck and hurried up the steps. It was late, and as he was contemplating whether to ring the doorbell or call Val—who always stayed up late writing—Val spoke.
“Linc?”
He turned to see Val and his new bride cuddled up beneath a quilt on the porch swing. Judging by Reba’s flushed face, he was pretty sure he’d interrupted a heavy-duty make out session. Hopefully, that was all they’d been doing.
He pulled off his cowboy hat and shook the rain off it. “Sorry to interrupt. I just stopped by to pick up Lucas. I didn’t want him driving home in the storm.”
Reba glanced at Val. “I thought you were going to call Linc and tell him we would drive Lucas home.”
“I was going to, but then I got a little distracted.” Val brushed a strand of Reba’s dark red hair behind her ear and smiled. “You are very good at distraction, baby.”
Reba hooked her arms around his neck and smiled contently. “You aren’t so bad at it yourself.”
Feeling like a third wheel, Lincoln cleared his throat. “If the door’s open, I’ll just go get Lucas.”
Val got up from the swing. “He’s not here. He and Gertie went to Cotton-Eyed Joe’s.”
“The bar?”
Val shook his head. “We tried to talk them out of it, but Lucas was dead set on two-stepping with his woman. I insisted on dropping them off just in case they drank too much.” He glanced at his watch. “That was about an hour and a half ago. They should be two-stepped out by now. You want to go with me to pick them up?”
Lincoln held up a hand. “That’s okay. You stay here with Reba. I’ll pick them up and drop Miss Gertie back by.” Before Val could argue, he pulled on his hat and headed down the steps.
Cotton-Eyed Joe’s was a huge warehouse about ten minutes away from Simple. Lincoln had been to the bar a couple of times, so he had no problem finding it. Once, he had been there to celebrate Val’s impending marriage, and the time before that was when he was sixteen and he and all the Double Diamond boys had tried to sneak in. They had been tossed out b
y a burly bouncer only seconds later. Always the hothead, Logan had given the bouncer some guff and received a black eye for his trouble. He would’ve gotten more than that if Lincoln hadn’t stepped in and held the bouncer back.
The same bouncer was working the front door when Lincoln walked in, but now he had more gut than muscle. When he saw Lincoln, he immediately got up from the barstool he was sitting on and puffed out his chest.
“Ten-dollar cover.”
“I’m only picking up some friends.”
“Still a ten-dollar cover.”
Lincoln pulled out the cash in his pocket and handed the guy a ten. He waited for him to ask to see his ID, but the bouncer seemed more concerned with making money than following the law. Lincoln was about to point out that he should be carding everyone who comes in the door when a round of boisterous whistles and cheering erupted. Something was happening in the mechanical bull pit. Most of the men in the bar were clustered around the pit, waving their hats and carrying on. Which probably meant that some woman was showing off her riding skills.
The bouncer left his post to investigate, or just to get a peek, while Lincoln went in search of Lucas. He found him on the dance floor with Miss Gertie. The two old people weren’t doing such a bad job of two-stepping. They were slow, but in sync. Not wanting to interrupt the couple, Lincoln sat down at a table and ordered a beer from a pretty waitress with a welcoming smile.
“What’s going on in the bull pit?” he asked when she returned with his beer.
“Some girl is teaching her friend how to ride the bull.” The waitress laughed. “And we all know how much men like to see women ride that thing. Especially when the woman is our beauty queen deputy.”
Lincoln choked on his sip of beer.
“You okay?” the waitress asked as she patted him on the back.
No, he wasn’t okay. He wasn’t okay at all. The first day at his job watching out for Deputy Meriwether and she was going to break her fool neck.
After leaving the waitress a healthy tip, he grabbed his hat and headed to the pit. Sure enough, there was Deputy Meriwether astride the mechanical bull while a petite woman in a straw cowboy hat yelled instructions above the male catcalls and whistles.
“That’s it, Dixie, keep that hand up and those legs forward. You’ve got this, girl!”
Deputy Meriwether didn’t have it. Her form was awful, but thankfully the guy operating the bull was taking it slow. So slow the deputy was having no trouble staying on, even though she was obviously drunk. Her thick, wavy hair was mussed, her high cheekbones flushed, her green eyes heavy-lidded, and her plump lips puckered in concentration. Lincoln now knew exactly what all the whistling and hoots were about. With her breasts bouncing and her hips pumping up and down with each slow buck, Deputy Meriwether had become every man’s fantasy.
Even Lincoln’s cock grew hard at the sight, and his sexual desire had been non-existent ever since his divorce. But along with the sexual desire came a healthy dose of anger. Anger at all the men whistling like idiots. Anger at the mechanical bull operator for continuing the show. And anger at Deputy Meriwether for not having a clue about appropriate behavior for a deputy.
Lincoln pushed his way through the crowd of men to the bull operator. “Turn it off.”
Either the man ignored him or he couldn’t hear him over the whistling and hooting. So Lincoln followed the cord to the socket and pulled the plug. When the bull slowed to a stop, the operator glanced behind him.
“Hey! You can’t do that.”
Lincoln ignored him and jumped down into the pit where Deputy Meriwether was still sitting on the bull.
“Aww,” she said as she patted the fake fur between the bullhorns. “I tuckered the poor thing out.”
Lincoln rolled his eyes as he held out a hand. “Get down.”
Deputy Meriwether’s eyes widened. “Well, if it isn’t Lincoln Hayes, Texas Ranger. What are you doin’ here, Ossifer Hayes.” She giggled. “I mean, Ossifer.” She giggled even harder.
“Get off the bull, Deputy Meriwether,” he said.
She shook her mane of hair. “Nope. I was just getting the hang of it.”
“Your ride is over.”
“Hey!” Some guy in the crowd yelled. “If she wants to ride, let her ride.” A majority of other men chimed in at having their fantasy disrupted.
“I mean it, Deputy Meriwether,” he growled.
She stopped laughing and leaned in closer. “Now I thought we got this all worked out. It’s Dixie.”
His jaw tightened. “Get off the bull.”
One perfectly shaped eyebrow popped up. “Or what?”
Lincoln had had enough. He scooped her off the bull and flipped her over his shoulder. She didn’t fight. She just hung there like a limp flower-scented noodle as he climbed out of the pit. Unfortunately, as soon as he was out, he was surrounded by hostile-looking men. He pulled out his badge and flashed it.
“Back off. Texas Ranger.”
The men backed off and allowed him through. He headed for the door, intending to leave the deputy safely inside his truck while he came back to retrieve Lucas and Miss Gertie, but once outside, he was confronted by the petite woman who had been trying to teach Dixie how to ride a bull.
“You are one tall drink of water, cowboy,” she said with a thick Texas twang. “But I still can’t let you carry off my friend when she’s drunk as Cooter Brown.”
“I’m taking her home.”
“I’ll take her home.” She pointed a Smith & Wesson 9mm at him. “Now put her down.”
He sighed. Not only did he have to deal with one annoying woman, but now he had to deal with two. He set Dixie on her feet. As soon as he released her, she giggled and gave the petite woman a big hug.
“I want to be just like you when I grow up, Maisy Sweeney.”
Every muscle in Lincoln’s body tightened as he stared at the petite woman. “Maisy Sweeney? You’re Maisy Sweeney?”
“I’m getting more and more popular in this town.” The woman tipped back her cowboy hat and flashed him a cute gap-toothed grin. But it wasn’t her smile that held his attention. It was her brown eyes. Eyes that had starred in so many of his childhood nightmares. He couldn’t help the surge of hate that filled his gut. She must’ve read it because her smile quickly faded. “And you are?” she asked.
“Lincoln Hayes, Texas Ranger.” He held out his hand. “Give me the gun.”
She hesitated for only a second before she handed it over. He ejected the cartridge and was surprised to see it was loaded. He cocked an eyebrow at her and she shrugged.
“There’s no use threatening someone with a unloaded gun.”
“Is it registered?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, sir,” Dixie piped up. “He really likes it when you call him sir.”
Maisy saluted. “Yes, sir.”
He pocketed the cartridge before handing the gun back to her. “Next time you point it at someone make sure it’s not a lawman who could toss your ass in jail. Now how many drinks have you had tonight?”
“Not as many as Dixie, but probably too many to pass a sobriety test.”
Damn. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a car with Sam’s daughter. But he didn’t have much of a choice. “Then I guess I’ll be taking both you ladies home tonight.”
Maisy winked at Dixie. “What you think, Dixie Leigh? You up for a threesome with this tall drink of Texas tea?”
Dixie gave him a drunken smile. “Sounds good to me.”
Chapter Seven
It had been a long time since Dixie had tied one on. In fact, she hadn’t been this drunk since going out and commiserating with all the losers of the Miss Texas pageant. After the stress of fighting with her daddy and getting through the police academy, it felt good to let loose and just have some fun.
If it happened to tick off a certain Texas Ranger, all the better.
“If you continue to scowl like that, Lincoln Hayes, you’re going to have terrible
forehead wrinkles.” She reached over the console and ran two fingers along his crinkled brow. He had very hot skin. And hot everything else. Too bad he was so prickly. He caught her wrist and sent her an annoyed look before placing her arm on the console.
“Lincoln has always been a scowler,” Lucas said from the back seat, where he was sitting with Miss Gertie. “He takes things much too seriously.”
“Nothin’ wrong with being serious,” Miss Gertie said. “I was a serious child myself. I didn’t go around grinning like a damn fool unless there was something to grin about.”
“But I can make you smile, can’t I, Sweet Gert?”
“Don’t get too cocky, you Double Diamond bad boy. You ain’t all that.”
Dixie laughed. During the ride to the Lucky Lane Trailer Park to drop Maisy off, Dixie’s fear of Miss Gertie had lessened. The woman reminded her of her great-grandma Hanover, God rest her soul. Granny Hanover’s bark had always been worse than her bite. It looked like Lucas could handle Miss Gertie’s bark just fine.
“Now, Love Bucket, you know I’m the apple of your eye.”
“Phsssh! A sour apple.”
“There’s nothin’ wrong with having a little tang with your sugar. Now quit grumbling and kiss me, woman.”
Dixie was too polite to look behind her, but if the silence was any indication, Miss Gertie had complied. She glanced over at Lincoln and flashed a smile. “Aren’t they the cutest things?”
He snorted. “Real cute.”
When they got to Dixon’s Boardinghouse, Lincoln got Miss Gertie’s walker from the back while Lucas helped her out of the truck. “It’s been a wonderful night, my sweet Gert.”
“Who says it’s over?” Miss Gertie said. “I figure there’s room in my bed for two.” Dixie watched through her side window as Lucas’s jaw dropped. “Well, don’t just stand there catching flies with your mouth, you ornery rodeo rascal,” Miss Gertie continued. “Are you gonna put your boots under my bed or ain’t ya?”
Lucas snapped out of his shock and turned to Lincoln. “You and Chester will have to make breakfast for yourselves. I got me a much better offer.” He followed Miss Gertie into the house like an exuberant puppy.
