“Where’s she? When she back?”
These questions were often directed to Lincoln, but also to Jackson, Hank, and really anyone who would listen. She’d looked for their mother everywhere. In every bedroom. The kitchen. Barn. Pastures.
“She’ll be back, baby, soon,” Mima said, rocking Daisy to sleep every night.
He pictured that little face now, dried tears streaked down her pink cheeks. The unbridled resentment Lincoln felt for his mother rose to the surface. Even some animals did not abandon their young. At that time, he’d simply been angry because she’d left so suddenly and without explanation. He figured when she came back, he’d let her have it. He’d unleash all the pent-up anger, maybe he’d call her an ugly name or two, and get sent to bed without dinner. Totally worth it. He’d tell her what she’d done to her baby girl. How she’d cried every night. He’d remind her to never leave like that again.
But he didn’t imagine she’d never be back.
He hoped that for the sake of Jimmy Ray, if nothing else, Derek would show his ugly mug in town again.
“Could he really have walked this far?” Sadie said now, as Lincoln pulled off the road.
He’d clocked half a mile, and yeah, it was unlikely, but possible. Why he would have walked this far was the real mystery. Maybe he’d thought he could walk home. But again, why, exactly? Some classmate might have made fun of him. Maybe he was upset with his mother. It could be anything.
“We’ve got to look everywhere. And this is how we start. We have a plan.”
“It’s almost like you guys have done this before.”
Not true, but yet many of them were in the military at one time, such as Riggs, Wade, and Lincoln. They understood how to fall in line, how to execute a plan, pull together, and both take and give orders.
“We’ve all had a horse or cow get loose in these hills at one time or another. We’ll find him.”
“If he walked this far, he’d probably feel lost. This road seems to go on forever and there are no more landmarks for miles.”
Lincoln grabbed his jacket, as the temperatures were falling, and took his extra flashlight from the glove compartment.
Sadie accepted it. “This one’s for me?”
“Yes. But I need you to stay here by the truck.”
“What? Why did I come if I’m not going to help you look?”
One hand on the nape of her neck, he pulled her close. “Because I spent all day by the grill feeding folks and didn’t get to see you. And also, you’ll help me when I find him.”
“I like the way you said when not if.”
“Oh, I’ll find him if he’s out there but I’m not good with crying kids.”
“You think I am?”
“Hopin’ like hell you’re better than I am.”
Lincoln gave Sadie a quick chaste kiss and climbed out of the truck. No one reported back on the walkie-talkies, meaning no success in finding the kid yet. With a flashlight, bottle of water, handset, and the gun he didn’t tell Sadie about tucked under his jacket, he set off into the tree line. There were coyotes in the brushy areas that sometimes roamed farther into town, especially after nightfall, hunting for food. On the ranch he used his rifle but kept a handgun in his truck. He’d never used it, hoped to God he never would, but it was there just the same.
He turned back one last time. Sadie stood outside the truck, her flashlight pointed toward him and the trees.
“Jimmy Ray!” she called. “Jimmy Ray!”
He joined her and did the same, calling the kid’s name out as he went. An owl hooted nearby, and the crickets rang out into the now cold night. Pretty soon the dropping temperatures could make this a dicey situation. It wasn’t that a kid couldn’t survive out here overnight, but conditions weren’t optimal. He’d be dehydrated before long. And Lincoln hoped for no worse than that.
“Anything?” A voice came through the handset, sounding like Riggs.
“Just got here, heading out.”
The sound of Sadie’s calls grew distant as he walked farther into the tree line, making a pattern. He marked each tree as he passed it, further insuring he’d cover new ground. Twigs snapped under his boots and leaves crunched. His flashlight caught nothing but dead vegetation and plenty of critters who ran for cover when the light caught them. Before long, he’d walked the acreage assigned to him and still no sign of the kid. He’d have to head back now and check in.
“I’m headed back,” Lincoln said into the handset. “Nothing here.”
“Nothing here, either,” Riggs said gruffly.
Ah hell, a few more feet couldn’t hurt.
“Jimmy Ray!” he called out after a few minutes of walking, frustration bubbling. “Damn kid, where the hell are ya?”
Crunch. Snap. And then the lone howl of a coyote.
“Shit fire.” Lincoln touched the handle of his gun and shouted into the dark night. “Jimmy Ray! If you’re out here, son, now’s a great time to say something. Game over.”
“Game over?” came a little voice straight ahead.
Shining the bright light in the direction of the sound, Lincoln found Jimmy Ray at the base of a knotted tree. He appeared to have just woken from a nap.
Lincoln jogged over to him and squatted in front of him, handing him the bottle of water.
“Your mother is lookin’ for you. What do you think you’re doin’ out here?”
He rubbed his eyes. “I got lost.”
“No kiddin’.” Lincoln held his hand out and pulled Jimmy Ray up. “Where were you headed?”
“I was goin’ to find my dad.”
The kid’s voice took on a challenging tone, that of a little boy trying to call up some false bravado for his misguided plan. Lincoln found it far too familiar, but he also didn’t miss the dried tears on the boy’s cheeks.
“I beat his score on Mario Brothers. I need to find him and tell him.”
Of all the reasons Lincoln might have suspected, this would be dead last. “Did you think of letting your mom know you were off on this journey?”
“She would just say no. I can’t see my dad.”
“Listen to your mother.” Lincoln talked into the handset. “Got the kid.”
“Seriously?” Riggs’s voice crackled. “I’ll be damned.”
“Who’s that?” Jimmy Ray asked.
“Just one of the men that are out lookin’ for you. You set off a search party.”
“I did?”
“Yeah, well, we don’t like to see a cryin’ mama.”
“My mama’s cryin’?”
“What do you think?” Hearing the howl of the coyote again, this time decidedly closer, Lincoln turned the kid in the direction he’d come. “We need to head back now.”
“Is that a c-coyote?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m right behind you. He’ll get to me before he ever gets you.”
“But I don’t want him to get you,” Jimmy Ray whined.
“He won’t.” Lincoln laid a hand on the kid’s shoulder and shone the flashlight to light a path and lead him. “Just keep walking toward the light.”
After a few minutes of silence, Jimmy Ray piped up. “My mama cries all the time now anyway.”
Lincoln winced. Kids noticed everything with zero filter. “Yeah, but you don’t need to give her another reason. Do ya?”
Halfway back, Lincoln realized the boy might actually be tired. He’d walked all the way here in the first place. He should be exhausted.
“Stop,” Lincoln said, placing a hand on Jimmy Ray’s shoulder.
Once the flashlight confirmed no coyote in their vicinity, Lincoln bent and hauled the kid up to his shoulders. “Hang on tight, buddy.”
He hiked the rest of the way back and soon enough he heard Sadie’s calls coming closer.
“Jimmy Ray!” She sounded a bit hoarse now.
Hell, he sounded that way, too.
“That’s Miss Sadie,” Jimmy Ray said. “What’s she doin’ here?”
“
You didn’t think your teacher would want to find you?”
“Did she cry, too?”
“Not really,” Lincoln lied, thinking that Sadie came close.
But it was one thing to make your mama cry, another to be the reason for your first crush’s tears.
“Put me down,” Jimmy Ray said. “I can walk now.”
Lincoln lowered him to the ground, and Jimmy Ray did everything but smooth his hair back. Lincoln smiled because he understood. Sadie did the same sort of thing to him. Made him want to straighten up, tuck his shirt in, check his hair, and simply be a better man.
Sadie’s flashlight shined on them and she ran to meet them.
“Jimmy Ray!” She went to her knees and grabbed him in a bear hug. “You’re okay. Thank God!”
“I’m okay, Miss Sadie,” Jimmy Ray said. “I just got a little lost.”
“Your mama sure is worried about you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You found him.” Sadie met Lincoln’s gaze, making him feel every bit the superhero he wasn’t. “You said you would.”
“I got lucky.”
They settled Jimmy Ray into the back seat, buckled him, and were on their way back within seconds. Pamela Ann met his truck before he even pulled into the parking lot, running up to it. She yanked on the rear-passenger door before Lincoln came to a full stop.
“My baby!” Pamela Ann climbed in the back seat with him. “Let me look at you. Are you okay?”
“He’s okay.” Sadie turned in her seat to watch the emotional display. “Just a little dirty.”
Lincoln flashed a smile in Sadie’s direction and caught her hand in his, threading his fingers through hers. He didn’t know why this moment made him want to touch Sadie, but any moment that he touched Sadie was a good one. Behind Pamela Ann came a group of residents who’d stayed. Others probably left the minute they heard the boy was found. He didn’t blame them. It was one long day for him and would be an early morning as usual.
Jolette Marie was in the group of those who’d stayed, and she slid him a confused look, quirking a brow meaningfully. He’d have that talk with her sooner rather than later. They’d never had anything close to a commitment. But their relationship, while of a temporary nature, had probably lasted on and off a bit too long. It was a two-way street from the get-go, but guilt coursed through him because recently, he hadn’t been honest with her. He should have told her the night he’d run into her at the Shady Grind that whatever they’d had was over, not that he’d take a “rain check.” Because it would never rain that hard again.
No surprise, the doctor stayed behind, and when Pamela Ann took Jimmy Ray out of the truck, he knelt to examine him. Well, at least he was good for something. While the crowd dispersed and Sadie talked with Pamela Ann, Lincoln put his gun away and cleaned up the bed of his truck.
“We need to talk,” Jolette Marie said, at his elbow.
“Yeah. We will. Just not now.” He shut the tailgate.
“Why not now?”
“Because it’s late, I’m tired, and I’m takin’ Sadie home.”
She went hand on hip. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” He met her gaze, hoping she’d see the firm resolution in his eyes.
“Yeah. I guess we will talk later, or maybe not at all.” She stomped off.
If only it could be that easy. But nothing ever was for Lincoln when it came to women. His “lucky” nickname sure didn’t follow him into his love life. Every time he thought he’d been close to something real the feeling slipped away. Maybe falling in love just wouldn’t happen for him, but Sadie made him want to try again.
He found Sadie and stood next to her for a few minutes while she said goodnight to everybody in the world.
Or this town. Either way.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes.” She walked hand in hand with him to his truck.
He opened the passenger door and held out a hand. “I thought maybe you’d missed saying goodnight to someone. Couldn’t have that.”
“No.” She grinned. “Couldn’t have that.”
He hauled her against him and bent low to kiss her. He didn’t care who saw them, but he hoped that the doctor did. He’d been on Lincoln’s last nerve today, following Sadie around all day like a puppy dog.
Lincoln drove to Lupine Lake, but of course, Sadie had questions. He’d expected that. Where he’d found Jimmy Ray, what did he say when he found Jimmy Ray, was Jimmy Ray crying? He answered the volley of questions he eventually expected to answer for Pamela Ann, too.
“When you found him, did he tell you where he’d been headed?”
He cleared his throat. “To find his daddy.”
“Oh.” Sadie’s hand went to her chest, as if it physically hurt to hear those words. “Poor kid.”
“Yeah, apparently he reached a new level in the Mario Brothers game and just wanted to let him know.”
Sadie bit her lower lip. “I should tell Pamela Ann just in case he doesn’t.”
“Might be a good idea.”
“What are they going to do if Derek never shows up again?”
“Won’t be easy, but they’ll survive. Maybe even be better off. We’ll all be there for Jimmy Ray. Help him grow up to be a good man.”
She went silent for such a long moment that he took his eyes off the road to glance at her. And found her studying him.
She squeezed his forearm. “I’m sorry. I forgot about your mother. Tonight made me think of that.”
“It’s okay.”
“It must have hurt so much to feel abandoned.”
“We didn’t just feel abandoned. We were.” He pulled up to her cabin and turned off the truck. “Anyway, it was a long time ago.”
“How could any parent…I don’t understand.” She shook her head.
“That’s because you’re Sadie Stephens. You wouldn’t abandon a difficult student, much less your own child.”
She unbuckled, drew closer, and cupped his jaw. Then he was kissing her again, because she was his truest addiction. Other people needed beer, gin, and weed. He wanted Sadie’s kisses. She tasted like sweet tea and honey and he couldn’t drink in enough of her.
When he broke the kiss, they were both a little breathless.
“Come inside,” she said, hand on his chest.
He couldn’t say yes fast enough.
Chapter 12
Sadie’s hands trembled as she unlocked the front door. The last time Lincoln was in her cabin, she’d left on a date with another man. And the time before that, they’d spent the night together, and he’d kissed her for the second time without much explanation. She felt even closer to him after tonight, but there was still so much he didn’t know about her. There were still things she felt compelled to share with him, right or wrong.
Because when she gave her body to a man, when she let him have that sacred part of herself, she wanted to know his heart. And even if she’d known Lincoln for half her life, she didn’t know the most intimate details about him. He’d already shared some of his pain, and now it was her turn.
Open up a vein and bleed.
Her stomach burned and she gnawed at her lower lip. “You want a beer?”
“Sure.” He followed her to the kitchen. “If you’re having one with me.”
She untwisted the cap of her beer and they clinked bottles together. “To reunions.”
“Reunions,” Lincoln said and took a pull of beer. “That was a little dicey tonight. I’m glad we found him before he wound up spending the night out there alone.”
“I can’t even imagine.”
“Did you hear the coyote?”
“I’m kind of embarrassed to say I jumped back in the truck for a few minutes.”
“Don’t be.” Lincoln chuckled. “Smart girl. Knew I didn’t have to worry about you.”
“All this happening tonight made me wonder. Do you think…would you ever want to see your mother again? Like if she showed up in town someday.”
Lincoln didn’t even hesitate. “I would. Certainly loved her enough. And, I’m not angry anymore. Enough time has passed that I think I’d be able to listen now. Not that it would make much difference.”
“That’s generous of you.”
“We all make mistakes. Hers was pretty epic but I figure I’m no one to judge her.”
“If anyone has the right to judge, it’s you. She left you to feel…responsible.”
He shrugged. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”
The man before her was strong but compassionate and everything he’d been through formed him. Sadie set her beer down and went into his arms, which opened wide for her. Strong hands slid down to her waist, holding her close. He gave the best hugs on earth.
“It took me a long time to get to this place. I was angry and bitter for a long time. I’m no angel.”
She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his warm scent. “That’s okay. I’m not as sweet as everyone thinks that I am.”
“People who don’t know any better. I’ve known you’re a force to be reckoned with since the moment you stood up for Eve.” He chuckled. “I still remember you standing outside the General Store, holding a paper bag, wagging a finger, telling everyone who would listen that they could stop hatin’ on Eve because they didn’t have the whole story.”
“I’m a loyal friend.”
“Even though I was mighty pissed at Eve, I never managed to be as angry with you. We were both in the same position, hurting for the people we loved.”
“But you need to know, I tried to stop her. Please know that. You have to understand, I was terrified, too. A whole church full of people were waitin’ for her. But Eve didn’t see it that way. You know how proud she’s always been and when she gets an idea in her head no one can stop her. I know she loved Jackson, probably still does. She was just scared they were too young. That Jackson should go to Nashville or he’d wind up hatin’ her. When I drove her home, I thought Jackson would come after her, and there would be a wedding after they talked.”
“But he never did.”
“It’s not that I blame him…I just thought—”
“They’d work it out somehow.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “We all did. C’mon, they were Eve and Jackson. Together forever.”
Lucky Cowboy Page 13
