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Authors: Callie Hutton
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signed for his bank deposit box a few weeks ago. We’re trying from our end to nudge them into doing a search warrant for the box, but it’s moving slow because he hasn’t broken any laws.”
“What about the parole violation? That’s breaking the law in my books.”
“Yeah, to me and you. We’re trying, but you know big cities. One, we have no authority there. Second, without a dead body, or at least the threat of one, the system moves slow. The ADA over there is swamped. Besides, if he accessed his deposit box, chances are he emptied it.”
Lucas gave an impatient shrug. “I feel like I’m sitting on a keg of dynamite here.”
“You might be looking under the bed for monsters that aren’t there.” Brandon chuckled softly, but Lucas didn’t share his humor. Not where Dean Phillips and Tessa were concerned.
“Maybe. I hope you’re right.” He sighed. “Thanks, I’ll be in touch.”
He flipped the cell closed as he pulled into the store’s parking lot. The lights glowed through the windows. Good girl.
Tessa focused intently on a large book, her face screwed up in concentration. He tapped lightly so as not to startle her. The frown morphed into an easy smile when she looked up at him through the window panel of the door. She hurried around the counter and flipped the lock to admit him. As soon as the door opened, Lucas pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest.
With one hand cupping her cheek, he smiled down at her. “Hi.”
“Well, hi yourself. That was quite an enthusiastic greeting.” She grinned and removed her glasses. “Come take a look at my car.”
They walked hand in hand to the parking lot. Tessa handed him the keys and he slid behind the wheel. He pumped the gas pedal and turned the key. Nothing. And no sound from the ignition. “I think you should call the shop and have it towed.”
She rested her hands on her hips and sighed. “Damn. I was hoping it was something easy, sort of a male thing, where you would say, ‘This is what’s wrong; here, I’ll fix it.’”
“Sorry, darlin’. Knowledge of cars is not high on my list of accomplishments. But I can offer a damsel in distress a ride. In fact, I’ll feed the damsel first.”
“But do you have plans I’m interrupting? I’m sorry about this.”
Despite her words, her voice carried not a smidgen of regret. A sudden burst of excitement, something at his age he figured he’d never experience, ripped through him. Tessa wanted to be with him.
Lucas got out of the car, locked it and handed her the keys. “No plans. Even if I did, nothing is more important than you.” He took her hand and escorted her to the jeep. “Come on, you can call the shop from my car.”
“Oh wait. I forgot the journal.” She jumped out and raced back to the store. Within minutes she was back, hugging the large book to her chest.
“Isn’t that the journal from my attic?” Lucas swung the Jeep into the traffic, eased over and made a left turn.
“Yes. It’s very interesting. And very old. There are no dates, but from the author’s descriptions of things it seems to be from around the mid-1800s. As a history buff, this is a gold mine to me.”
Though he concentrated on traffic and didn’t dare meet her gaze, he heard the smile and excitement in her voice. He reached over and twined their fingers together. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
****
The place could only be called a honky-tonk. But they served food. In fact, to Lucas’ way of thinking, Bubba’s Barn served the best ribs in Oklahoma.
Tessa glanced out the window as he parked the car. “Um, Lucas?”
He turned off the ignition and faced her. “What?”
“What am I supposed to eat here?” She hitched her thumb in the direction of the weathered wooden building with wagon wheels propped against a decorative wood fence. Two cowboys, arms slung over the shoulders of a woman in tight jeans and a midriff top, stumbled past the Jeep.
“No problem. They have all
“What about the parole violation? That’s breaking the law in my books.”
“Yeah, to me and you. We’re trying, but you know big cities. One, we have no authority there. Second, without a dead body, or at least the threat of one, the system moves slow. The ADA over there is swamped. Besides, if he accessed his deposit box, chances are he emptied it.”
Lucas gave an impatient shrug. “I feel like I’m sitting on a keg of dynamite here.”
“You might be looking under the bed for monsters that aren’t there.” Brandon chuckled softly, but Lucas didn’t share his humor. Not where Dean Phillips and Tessa were concerned.
“Maybe. I hope you’re right.” He sighed. “Thanks, I’ll be in touch.”
He flipped the cell closed as he pulled into the store’s parking lot. The lights glowed through the windows. Good girl.
Tessa focused intently on a large book, her face screwed up in concentration. He tapped lightly so as not to startle her. The frown morphed into an easy smile when she looked up at him through the window panel of the door. She hurried around the counter and flipped the lock to admit him. As soon as the door opened, Lucas pulled her into his arms, crushing her to his chest.
With one hand cupping her cheek, he smiled down at her. “Hi.”
“Well, hi yourself. That was quite an enthusiastic greeting.” She grinned and removed her glasses. “Come take a look at my car.”
They walked hand in hand to the parking lot. Tessa handed him the keys and he slid behind the wheel. He pumped the gas pedal and turned the key. Nothing. And no sound from the ignition. “I think you should call the shop and have it towed.”
She rested her hands on her hips and sighed. “Damn. I was hoping it was something easy, sort of a male thing, where you would say, ‘This is what’s wrong; here, I’ll fix it.’”
“Sorry, darlin’. Knowledge of cars is not high on my list of accomplishments. But I can offer a damsel in distress a ride. In fact, I’ll feed the damsel first.”
“But do you have plans I’m interrupting? I’m sorry about this.”
Despite her words, her voice carried not a smidgen of regret. A sudden burst of excitement, something at his age he figured he’d never experience, ripped through him. Tessa wanted to be with him.
Lucas got out of the car, locked it and handed her the keys. “No plans. Even if I did, nothing is more important than you.” He took her hand and escorted her to the jeep. “Come on, you can call the shop from my car.”
“Oh wait. I forgot the journal.” She jumped out and raced back to the store. Within minutes she was back, hugging the large book to her chest.
“Isn’t that the journal from my attic?” Lucas swung the Jeep into the traffic, eased over and made a left turn.
“Yes. It’s very interesting. And very old. There are no dates, but from the author’s descriptions of things it seems to be from around the mid-1800s. As a history buff, this is a gold mine to me.”
Though he concentrated on traffic and didn’t dare meet her gaze, he heard the smile and excitement in her voice. He reached over and twined their fingers together. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
****
The place could only be called a honky-tonk. But they served food. In fact, to Lucas’ way of thinking, Bubba’s Barn served the best ribs in Oklahoma.
Tessa glanced out the window as he parked the car. “Um, Lucas?”
He turned off the ignition and faced her. “What?”
“What am I supposed to eat here?” She hitched her thumb in the direction of the weathered wooden building with wagon wheels propped against a decorative wood fence. Two cowboys, arms slung over the shoulders of a woman in tight jeans and a midriff top, stumbled past the Jeep.
“No problem. They have all
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