reins and stopped in the trail. "What happened?" Maybe Charlie could add to what Allie had told him.
"Talk around the rodeo was it was someone who was after Allie.
Hey, race you to the top." Charlie shook the reins, and Freckles leaped
forward at the jingle of tack.
Rick let Charlie beat him while he pondered the information.
Parents and a sister, all killed just like she'd said, though she'd said
the sister walked in on a burglar. Why would rumors be flying that the
killer was after Allie? She'd said nothing about that.
But it didn't matter. He saw no way out of fulfilling his promise to Jon. He'd been as surprised as Allie when he blurted out that marriage
proposal, and ever since the words left his mouth, he'd been looking
for a way to take them back.
His contacts in special ops might be able to shed some light on her
situation.
Charlie turned in the saddle to look at him, and Rick waved him
on. He pulled out his cell phone. Coverage was spotty on the ranch,
but he'd always found good reception on this hill. Reining Gunner to
a stop, Rick called up the number and waited for Brendan to answer
on the other end.
"Waddell." Brendan's curt voice came over the line.
"It's Rick. You got a minute?"
"Hey, Cowboy. It depends. I've got a situation here I need you for.
Tit for tat. I do your favor, you come back to work."
"You know I can't do that." Rick let the grin filter through the
phone to his friend. He and Brendan never had a conversation without his ex-partner grinding that old ax. By now Brendan should know
it was a lost cause.
The sound of Brendan closing a door came through the phone.
"You know you miss it."
Sometimes Rick longed for the days of never knowing what country he'd be in come nightfall, but if he showed a sliver of weakness,
Brendan would be all over him.
He forced derision into his voice. "What's to miss? Hard beds,
crappy food, a bullet around every corner."
"It's paradise, I know. I can hear your voice break." Brendan laughed,
and his voice sobered. "What can I do for you, buddy? Got cattle
rustlers bothering you? Illegal drugs being smuggled across the desert?"
"Nothing so exciting. A woman and kid showed up here, Jon Siderses widow and daughter. Her parents died in a plane crash, then
her sister was murdered. Now she's asking for my help because Jon's
parents are suing for custody of the daughter."
"Jon was a good man. I always wondered what happened to his
family." Brendan's voice fell, and the hiss of a bad connection filled the
phone line. "You going to do something about it?"
"Something like that."
"What's her name?"
"Allie. Little girl's name is Betsy." Rick debated about telling
Brendan the little girl was mute. Nah, it wasn't an important detail. The
names would be enough. "She seems to be in some kind of trouble.
Won't talk about it. Can you see what you can find out?"
"Sure. Let me check it out. I'll get back to you by tomorrow. You
sure you don't want to get in on the rescue of some hijacked tourists
in Baghdad?"
"I think you can handle it by yourself," Rick said, his grin widening. "Thanks, Brendan. I owe you." He closed his phone, then called up
directory assistance and had the woman dial the rodeo where Allie
said she worked. Rick gave his name but was careful not to say where
he was calling from. The man he talked to there told him she'd been
one of his best employees for eight years, and he hated to lose her.
He'd said she might have won the national barrel-racing competition
as well, if she hadn't taken off.
Rick put his phone away and urged his horse on up the slope. Had
he been hoping it was all a scam that she really wasn't Jon's widow?
How could he? One look at Betsy spoke a world of truth. He saw Jon
in the little girl's eyes.
He had to honor his promise, but all he wanted to do was bail.
6
ALLIE STOOD ON THE PORCH AND RUBBED LOTION SMELLING OF LAVENDER
into her chapped hands. The Chisos Mountains were called "sky
"Talk around the rodeo was it was someone who was after Allie.
Hey, race you to the top." Charlie shook the reins, and Freckles leaped
forward at the jingle of tack.
Rick let Charlie beat him while he pondered the information.
Parents and a sister, all killed just like she'd said, though she'd said
the sister walked in on a burglar. Why would rumors be flying that the
killer was after Allie? She'd said nothing about that.
But it didn't matter. He saw no way out of fulfilling his promise to Jon. He'd been as surprised as Allie when he blurted out that marriage
proposal, and ever since the words left his mouth, he'd been looking
for a way to take them back.
His contacts in special ops might be able to shed some light on her
situation.
Charlie turned in the saddle to look at him, and Rick waved him
on. He pulled out his cell phone. Coverage was spotty on the ranch,
but he'd always found good reception on this hill. Reining Gunner to
a stop, Rick called up the number and waited for Brendan to answer
on the other end.
"Waddell." Brendan's curt voice came over the line.
"It's Rick. You got a minute?"
"Hey, Cowboy. It depends. I've got a situation here I need you for.
Tit for tat. I do your favor, you come back to work."
"You know I can't do that." Rick let the grin filter through the
phone to his friend. He and Brendan never had a conversation without his ex-partner grinding that old ax. By now Brendan should know
it was a lost cause.
The sound of Brendan closing a door came through the phone.
"You know you miss it."
Sometimes Rick longed for the days of never knowing what country he'd be in come nightfall, but if he showed a sliver of weakness,
Brendan would be all over him.
He forced derision into his voice. "What's to miss? Hard beds,
crappy food, a bullet around every corner."
"It's paradise, I know. I can hear your voice break." Brendan laughed,
and his voice sobered. "What can I do for you, buddy? Got cattle
rustlers bothering you? Illegal drugs being smuggled across the desert?"
"Nothing so exciting. A woman and kid showed up here, Jon Siderses widow and daughter. Her parents died in a plane crash, then
her sister was murdered. Now she's asking for my help because Jon's
parents are suing for custody of the daughter."
"Jon was a good man. I always wondered what happened to his
family." Brendan's voice fell, and the hiss of a bad connection filled the
phone line. "You going to do something about it?"
"Something like that."
"What's her name?"
"Allie. Little girl's name is Betsy." Rick debated about telling
Brendan the little girl was mute. Nah, it wasn't an important detail. The
names would be enough. "She seems to be in some kind of trouble.
Won't talk about it. Can you see what you can find out?"
"Sure. Let me check it out. I'll get back to you by tomorrow. You
sure you don't want to get in on the rescue of some hijacked tourists
in Baghdad?"
"I think you can handle it by yourself," Rick said, his grin widening. "Thanks, Brendan. I owe you." He closed his phone, then called up
directory assistance and had the woman dial the rodeo where Allie
said she worked. Rick gave his name but was careful not to say where
he was calling from. The man he talked to there told him she'd been
one of his best employees for eight years, and he hated to lose her.
He'd said she might have won the national barrel-racing competition
as well, if she hadn't taken off.
Rick put his phone away and urged his horse on up the slope. Had
he been hoping it was all a scam that she really wasn't Jon's widow?
How could he? One look at Betsy spoke a world of truth. He saw Jon
in the little girl's eyes.
He had to honor his promise, but all he wanted to do was bail.
6
ALLIE STOOD ON THE PORCH AND RUBBED LOTION SMELLING OF LAVENDER
into her chapped hands. The Chisos Mountains were called "sky
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