A Match Made in Texas (20 page)

“What money, Minnie?”

“There’s no money.” Minnie maneuvered out of the chair and into her wheelchair. “Sunshine gets confused sometimes. Drug money was what Alejandro was looking for when he came the first time, so Sunshine thinks that’s what he’s looking for this time.”

It made sense. Beau had told her all about getting his backpack confused with a drug courier’s backpack that had been filled with money. But no one ever knew what had happened to that backpack. Still, there was something about the way Minnie had rushed the other hens off that didn’t seem right. Before she could continue her questioning, Minnie changed the subject.

“And speaking of money, I’m not real pleased with your boyfriend evacuating all the guests out of Miss Hattie’s. We had a full house through Monday. He tried to get us hens to leave, too, but I’ve lived here for over sixty years, and the only way I’m going out that door is feet first.” She rolled toward the elevator. “I’m surprised he let you come back out here.”

Bri got up and followed her. “He doesn’t know.”

After pushing the elevator button, Minnie glanced over. “Since you didn’t deny he was your boyfriend, I’ll assume that you and Dusty are an item.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that. Let’s just say that I threw myself at him and he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the gift.”

Minnie chuckled. “Nothin’ wrong with a woman going after what she wants. Of course, men do like to do the chasin’. So now that he’s tasted what you have to offer, you need to leave it up to him on whether or not he wants seconds.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Minnie smiled as the elevator doors opened. “Sheriff Hicks doesn’t look like the type of man who will be satisfied with only one servin’.”

Chapter Twenty

A
FTER LEAVING THE
J
UNGLE
R
OOM,
Bri went to her room and packed her bags. She thought about calling Twyla and breaking the news about Kenny but then decided it would be better to wait until she had more information. If Dusty didn’t call within the hour, she would call him. Or Cora Lee.

While Olive had handled all her suitcases at once, it took Bri three trips to get them up to Miss Hattie’s room. When both Beau and Brant were in residence, they always fought over the room. And any idiot would understand why. The room had been decorated for a man’s tastes. The furniture dark and massive. The color scheme deep reds and browns. The chairs in front of the fireplace cushioned and comfortable. And the four-poster bed huge and stacked with more pillows than a sultan’s tent.

On the second luggage run, it proved too much of a temptation, and Bri kicked off her heels and tested out the high mattress. She had barely stopped bouncing when she looked up and noticed the mirror on the overhead canopy. A mirror with a painting of a beautiful woman in a sexy red gown.

She laughed. No wonder her brothers fought over the room. The woman was stunning and held an expression on her face that pretty much said… “Do you want to get naughty?”

Bri wanted to get naughty. Unfortunately, the man she wanted to get naughty with was too stubborn for his own good. She knew Dusty desired her—the sex at Twyla’s salon had proven that. But just because he desired her didn’t mean he’d be back for seconds. And Bri was through doing all the chasing. If Dusty wanted her, he knew where to find her.

She got up from the bed and headed back down for her last suitcase. Figuring she could use the exercise, she took the stairs this time instead of the elevator. When she reached the bottom of the grand staircase, the faint sound of music had her turning toward the ballroom. The room had been turned into Starlet’s music room. And when Bri opened the door, she found the young girl perched on a piano bench with her guitar. She was dressed as she always was—in an outdated formal gown that was two sizes too small for her full figure.

If there was ever any doubt in her mind about Starlet being talented enough to make it in the music business, it was dispelled by the heart-wrenchingly beautiful guitar music. Bri tried to place the song, then realized it was original when Starlet started to sing. Her voice wasn’t perfect, but somehow it went perfectly with the words to the song. A song about love, betrayal, and redemption.

Unable to stop herself, Bri moved closer. Starlet didn’t notice. Her eyes were closed as if the music had transported her to another place. When she was finished, her head bowed, her fingers gently resting on the strings.

Bri applauded. Although that didn’t seem like enough to express how wonderful she thought the song was. Starlet lifted her head. She was crying. Tears coursed down her cheeks and dripped off her chin.

“Oh, Starlet.” Bri hurried over and sat down on the bench, setting the guitar aside before drawing her into her arms. “Minnie said you were upset about Kenny Gene, but I didn’t realize how much.”

“It’s all my fault,” she sobbed.

Bri patted her back. “Of course, it’s not your fault. Why would you even think that?”

“Because it is. If I hadn’t taken the money, I could’ve given it to Alejandro, and he never would’ve shot Kenny Gene.”

“Money?” She pulled back so she could look in Starlet’s face. “What—” She paused as all the pieces came together. “Minnie lied to me about having Alejandro’s drug money. It’s here, isn’t it?”

Starlet nodded. “I didn’t know until one day when I was checking out the secret passages and came across the hidden panel in the library. I pushed it open a crack and saw Minnie opening the safe.” Tears dripped down her cheeks. “I wouldn’t have taken it if it had been hen money, but it was drug money. And since drugs is what screwed up my mama, I figured it was only fair that the money go to her rehabilitation.” Her gaze dropped, and she studied her hands. “Except now I realize that Mama didn’t spend a penny on drug rehabilitation. She lied. Just like she always has.”

“So you gave all the money to your mama?”

Starlet shook her head. “There’s still a little left. But not enough to appease Alejandro. When I told him the amount, I thought he was going to shoot me right then and there. He probably would’ve if Kenny Gene hadn’t shown up.”

Bri stared at her. “You saw Alejandro? You talked with him?”

Starlet nodded. “I was in the lilac garden, pruning the bushes when he came up behind me.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. I was just scared. So scared that, when the shooting started, I ran off and hid.” Her bottom lip trembled. “Leaving poor Olive to be hauled off with the sheriff when it should be me.”

There was probably some truth to that. Starlet had no business taking the money. Of course, neither did Minnie. But what was Bri going to do about it? Turn in an innocent young girl who was only trying to help her mother? Or an old woman who had just undergone cancer surgery?

It took only a few seconds to decide what needed to be done.

“It’s going to be all right, Starlet,” Bri said. “I think I know how to fix things. Who else knows about the money?”

“Just the hens.”

“What about your mother?”

Starlet shook her head. “Since I live at Miss Hattie’s, she thinks I made it by prostitution.”

It was hard to digest the fact that a mother would be okay with her daughter prostituting herself. But so was a mother lying to her daughter to get money. Obviously, Starlet’s mother needed to get in touch with her “henness.”

“So what are you going to do?” Starlet asked. “How are you going to stop Alejandro from coming back?”

Bri got up from the piano bench. “I wouldn’t worry about Alejandro. He’s not going to show up back here when every law enforcement officer in Texas is out to get him for shooting one of their deputies. Especially when he hears the news about the hens finding the backpack of drug money and turning it over to the FBI.”

Starlet swiveled around. “But how am I going to come up with the rest of the money?”

Bri flashed her a smile. “Lucky for you, you have a wealthy friend.”

Olive showed up in time for dinner. With the guests gone, the hens ate in the dining room while they listened to Olive recount what she had told the sheriff and federal agents. Some of those federal agents had followed her back to Miss Hattie’s and were scattered around the property, waiting to see if Alejandro would return to the scene of the crime. Hopefully, they would keep Alejandro from returning until Bri could get the money out of her trust fund and set up her plan.

The one law officer who hadn’t come back to Miss Hattie’s was Dusty. He called around nine o’clock and talked with Minnie, informing her that Kenny Gene was in stable condition. After numerous attempts, Bri finally got ahold of Twyla. Bri expected hysterics, and that’s just what she got. As soon as she informed Twyla that Kenny was in the hospital, the waterworks and wailing started, and Darla had to take the phone and get the rest of the information. Bri was glad she was there with Twyla.

After the exhausting day, Bri thought she’d fall asleep easily. But once tucked into Miss Hattie’s huge bed, sleep eluded her, and she found herself staring into the fire that crackled in the fireplace and thinking about Dusty and all the intense passion he brought out of her.

She had never felt this way about another man. With other boyfriends, she felt like a porcelain doll. Something to be cherished but never played with. With Dusty, she felt like a woman—an equal. She felt empowered. Like she could do anything she wanted to do. Be anything she wanted to be.

It was too bad that she didn’t make Dusty feel the same way. Since he hadn’t even asked Minnie about her, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be back for seconds. One helping of Bri was enough.

She finally fell asleep, but awoke what seemed like only moments later to the creak of the door opening. Her first thought was of Alejandro, but before she could release a scream, a shaft of moonlight reflected off the shiny star on the man’s chest.

She sat up. “Dusty?”

His hat sailed over to the chair in the corner.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “Since the federal agents are everywhere, I’d thought you’d go back to Culver.”

He removed his gun belt and tossed it to the chair before he jerked open the snaps of his shirt.

She swallowed. “Is everything okay?”

He dropped the shirt on the floor and moved closer, moonlight striping the muscles of his chest. “How breathless?”

She blinked the sleep from her eyes. “What?”

He rested a knee on the bed, his hands pressing down the mattress on either side of her hips. “How breathless do I make you?” He brushed his lips over hers, leaving behind a heated tingle that melted everything inside her. “Do I make you as breathless as you make me?”

Bri’s eyes slid closed. “More. Much more.”

Chapter Twenty-one

“S
O EXPLAIN THE TATTOO.”
Dusty leaned over and kissed the skull and crossbones, then, since he was in the vicinity, moved down and kissed the sweet spot between Brianne’s legs. “Don’t tell me you want to be a pirate.”

“Mmm,” she hummed, as his kiss grew a little deeper. “I just liked it.”

He lifted his head. “You just like a lot of wicked things, don’t you, Miz Cates?”

She laughed her deep, throaty laugh that always made him hard. Of course, lying naked between her legs didn’t hurt.

“I guess I do.” She reached out and caressed his face with the backs of her fingers. “Especially all the wicked things you did last night.”

He moved up her body, enjoying the feel of her soft skin against his. “And I haven’t even pulled out the handcuffs yet.”

She smiled. “I’m looking forward to that.” She fingered his hair, and her gaze grew intent. “I think I missed a spot. I wonder if there’s a pair of scissors in Miss Hattie’s bathroom.”

Dusty buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply of her soft, subtle scent. “We’ll worry about that later.”

“It will only take a second.” She pushed at his shoulders, and when he lifted his head, she scooted out from under him and got to her feet. Propping his head on his hand, he watched as she walked naked into the bathroom, her hips swaying provocatively.

“Since you seem to love messing with people’s hair so much, why haven’t you gotten your haircutting license?” he called into her.

She walked back out of the bathroom. “Because I’m a Cates.”

Dusty might’ve questioned her, but it was hard to think when a naked Brianne was walking toward him. She had a perfect body. Her breasts were nice and full with just enough droop to declare their authenticity. She had a waist his hands could easily span and curvy hips that made his mouth dry. For a little bit of a thing, her legs were long and toned. But what held his attention the most was the tiny strip of dark hair between them. A strip that hid the entrance to heaven.

Unaware of the direction of his thoughts, Brianne continued to talk. “I think my parents would have a stroke if I became a beautician.” She motioned at him with a tiny pair of what looked like mustache trimmers. “Sit up.”

He moved over to the edge of the bed, making sure to bring the sheet with him. He didn’t think she needed to know how the mere sight of her affected him.