A Match Made in Texas (27 page)

There was a pause. “Oh. Of course, that makes sense. Well, why don’t I pick up some groceries in town and meet you at the ranch? I make a mean chicken parm.”

“I don’t like Italian. And it’s not a ranch. It’s just a rundown old house that should be bulldozed. In fact, I’ll probably be moving as soon as they relocate my office.”

He wasn’t lying. His dream of turning the house into a beautiful sanctuary was stupid. Just like his dream of living happily-ever-after with a Cates.

“What’s wrong, Dusty?” Brianne asked. “Did something happen at work?”

“Nothing happened.” He kept his voice devoid of the emotions that tumbled inside him. “Look, I’m not very good at this, but what I’m trying to say is that whatever we had is over.” He didn’t wait for her to speak before he rushed on. “Don’t worry about doing any more housekeeping. Your debt is paid in full. You’re free and clear to leave west Texas whenever you want to.”

“And what if I don’t want to leave?”

He squeezed and squeezed the rubber ball. “Then stay. Your choice.”

This time, the silence that followed was deafening. And when she spoke, her voice sounded hurt and distant.

“Then I guess there’s nothing left to say except I hope things work out for you, Dusty. I hope you get more time with Emmie.”

Without replying, Dusty ended the call and sank back in the chair. He suddenly felt empty. Like a balloon that had been filled to capacity and then suddenly released to fly erratically around the room before landing on the floor all wrinkled, limp, and lifeless.

He glanced back at the picture, and in a surge of anger fired the ball across the room.

“Damn you!”

It ricocheted off the monitor just as Judge Seeley peeked his head in.

“I was kinda hopin’ that you’d gotten over being mad at me,” he said with a grin on his face.

Dusty leaned up and clicked the e-mail closed. “Just releasing a little tension, Judge. Come on in and have a chair.”

“This tension wouldn’t have to do with the Cates girl, would it?” The judge took a seat, the lures on his fishing vest jangling. “What did she do? Turn your underwear even pinker?”

Bri hadn’t screwed up his laundry. In fact, she had bleached all the pink right out of them. Similar to what she’d done to his heart.

“No. She actually did a fine job.”

The judge winked. “She’s a looker, that one.”

Dusty nodded before changing the subject. “So what brings you here on this fine fishing day?”

The judge’s smile faded, and he got the serious look he always got when he was passing down a sentence. Dusty found himself preparing for more bad news.

“I guess Sam told you that he’s thinkin’ about quittin’,” the judge said.

“I wouldn’t say he’s thinking about it. It sounded to me like he’s made up his mind.”

The judge nodded. “He’ll be missed. He was a good man who knew how to deal with the folks of Bramble without causing a ruckus.”

“I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone to take his place come elections,” Dusty said, trying to hurry him along. He needed to get out of there. Needed to find a way to relieve the emptiness in his soul and the tension in his chest. Unfortunately, the judge didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his hands over his vest and shook his head. “I don’t think it will be that easy. The people of that town won’t just vote for anyone. They’ll have to know and trust him. And Lord help us if Kenny Gene gets it in his head to run.”

“I’ve taken care of that,” Dusty said as he got up. “Kenny Gene will be working with me once he gets his badge—if he gets his badge.”

The judge’s eyes lit up. “A perfect solution. With you as his mentor, Kenny Gene might actually become a good law officer. Of course, it’s a shame he won’t be working in his own county. And whoever does get the job of sheriff probably won’t tolerate Kenny Gene. Which means that the poor boy will have to move. And once he moves, Twyla will no doubt break it off with him because there’s no way she’ll leave her hometown and business.” He shook his head as if he were seeing Kenny’s pathetic life spread out in front of him. “It’s a real shame.”

Dusty leaned on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms. “Okay, so what are you getting at, Doyle? You have someone in mind for Bramble’s new sheriff? Someone you want me to give a shove in the right direction?”

Judge Seeley looked down at the toes of his rubber boots. “You could say that.” When he looked up, he was grinning from ear to ear. “ ’Course, it’s hard to shove yourself—”

A loud crash had them both jumping to their feet. They met Cora Lee in the hallway.

“It came from the jail,” she said as she followed behind Dusty.

He opened the door to settling dust and piles of rubble.

“Good Lord,” Cora Lee said. “The entire roof has caved in. What a catastrophe.”

Judge Seeley peeked over Dusty’s shoulder and stared up at the blue sky revealed by the huge, gaping hole. “A catastrophe? Or divine intervention?”

Chapter Twenty-eight

“N
OT EXACTLY WHERE
I
FIGURED
on finding the Southern belle of Doral County.”

Bri pulled her gaze away from the sprawling vista of east Texas farmland and glanced behind her. When she saw the handsome face beneath the straw cowboy hat, she released a squeal and jumped to her bare feet.

“Beau!” She met her brother just as he finished stepping over the top rung of the ladder and flung herself into his arms. Without hesitation, he lifted her off the oak-planked floor of the hayloft and swung her around.

“If I’d known how happy you would be to see me, Cricket,” he said, “I’d have come to Dogwood much sooner.” He suddenly stopped when he realized she had tucked her face against his chest and was sobbing like a baby.

“Heeey.” He set her on her feet and pulled back. “What’s all this about?”

She sniffed and tried to get ahold of her crazy emotions. It was difficult, if not impossible. Ever since Dusty had dumped her, she’d been nothing but a weepy mess. Which was why she had returned home. Not only did her parents’ farm offer comfort and familiarity, it also was a good two hundred miles away from the last person on earth she wanted to run into.

She gave Beau a forced, quivery smile. “Maybe I’m just happy to see you.”

His tone was teasing, but his eyes serious, as his thumb brushed a tear from her cheek. “I realize that I’m your favorite brother—and you no doubt missed my sparkling wit—but for some reason I don’t think that’s what has you crying.” He tipped up her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “So what’s going on? As Miss Minnie so aptly put it, why did you run off from Miss Hattie’s like a cat with its tail on fire?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration. As soon as she had hung up with Dusty, Bri had packed her bags and given Minnie and the hens nothing more than a lame excuse about being homesick before leaving.

“ ’Course, I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” Beau continued. “Not with all the craziness going on there. I arrived at the Henhouse to some wild tales of Beckett becoming a Marine, you becoming a beautician, and Minnie almost killing Elvis. I’m more than a little worried that the hens are getting senile.”

Wiping her eyes, Bri shook her head. “Every speck of it is true. Besides Alejandro coming back for revenge, Beckett is set on becoming a Marine, Minnie shot at Reverend Josiah Jessup, who dresses like Elvis, and I helped out Twyla in her salon.”

Beau’s smile dropped. “So I guess that means the other thing they told me is true. You fell in love with Sheriff Dusty Hicks.”

After a solid week of tears, Bri couldn’t deny it. But she’d be damned if she’d confirm it. Pulling away from her brother, she walked back over to the hayloft door and sat down, her legs dangling over the edge. It didn’t take long for Beau to join her. They sat there with their shoulders touching for a few minutes, looking out on the acres and acres of green fields and billowing trees that thrived in the thick humidity. It was beautiful. Which didn’t explain why Bri missed dry wind and miles of mesquite.

“So I guess things didn’t turn out so well,” Beau said.

“No.”

He slanted a look at her. “You want me to kick his ass?”

She released the breath that she hadn’t even been aware of holding. “Brant and Billy already offered.”

He nodded, and a few more seconds ticked by. “Unlike Billy and Brant, I wouldn’t get carried away. Just a broken nose. Maybe a couple cracked ribs.”

A smile curved her lips as she shook her head.

“Well, damn it, Bri. You can’t expect me to let the guy go scot-free after hurting my baby sister.”

Something about the way he said baby sister caused her to turn to him. And the words that she should’ve said years ago spilled out like the afternoon sunshine that spilled over the floor of the hayloft.

“I’m not a baby anymore, Beau. I stopped being a baby years ago, but everyone besides Beckett has failed to notice.” He started to say something, but she stopped him. “I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault as much as it is mine. I should’ve voiced my thoughts and opinions much earlier. And who knows, maybe deep down I enjoyed being the baby. Enjoyed having four big brothers at my beck and call, fighting my battles and taking on my responsibilities.”

“We enjoy taking care of you, Bri. And where’s the harm in that?”

A strong breeze blew in the door, sweeping Bri’s hair over her eyes. As she tipped back her head to smooth it from her face, her gaze caught on the rope tied to the rafters. She looked back at Beau, who was studying her with concern.

“Do you remember when I was six years old,” she said, “and I talked you into letting me jump from the rope into the haystack beneath?”

“How could I forget?” Beau said. “You ended up breaking your arm, and I ended up getting a whipping from Daddy that I’ll never forget. Which is exactly what I deserved. As your big brother, I should’ve talked you out of jumping instead of demonstrating how it was done.”

“No.” She grabbed his arm. “No, you didn’t deserve a spanking, Beau. Not when I was the one who wanted to jump. You were just doing what any good brother would do, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and have some fun. It wasn’t your fault that I landed wrong. Or that you never played with me again.”

Beau’s eyes registered shock. “I played with you, Bri. We used to play all kinds of board and video games together.”

She smiled sadly. “But I didn’t want to play safe board games with you, Beau. I wanted you to teach me how to saddle-break horses, how to ride dirt bikes and jump the ravine, and how to do a donut in Mama’s Grand Prix. But mostly, I wanted to play King of the Hill every night with you and my other brothers, instead of being treated like a fragile piece of glass.”

He studied her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I was terrified that I was going to get hurt again. Not because I worried about the pain, but because I couldn’t stand the thought of one of my brothers getting another spanking because of me. I cried myself to sleep for an entire week thinking about Daddy paddling you.”

“Aww, Bri.” He tucked an arm around her and pulled her close. “I had no idea. I just thought you were a girlie girl who liked playing inside more than you liked playing out. I wish you had said something.”

“I wish I had, too. Then I never would’ve had to go to Miss Hattie’s. And I never would’ve met…” Bri stopped, not even trusting herself to say Dusty’s name without bursting into tears.

Giving her a minute to collect herself, Beau looked out on their parents’ land. “Don’t you think it’s time to quit keeping secrets, Bri? In fact, why don’t you start with telling me how you ended up half-naked in Mexico when you should’ve been at my wedding.”

She ducked her head into his chest. “I’m so sorry, Beau. I never should’ve missed your wedding. Or Billy’s. Or Brant’s. It’s just that weddings seemed to be the only time the family’s attention wasn’t focused on me. So it was the perfect time for me to try some of the daredevil things I never got to do as a kid.”

He dropped his arm and pulled back. “You saddle-broke a horse?”

She giggled. “No, but I bungee jumped, skydived, and cliff-jumped in Mexico.” She expected to see censure in his eyes. Instead, he looked almost proud.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said with a wide grin. “It looks like you took after your ol’ brother more than I thought.” After only a moment, his eyes squinted. “So who took the picture of you and posted it?”

“Jared. I met him the first time I went bungee jumping. He was a thrill seeker like I was so I thought we’d make a good match. When I figured out that we didn’t and broke it off, he posted the picture he took after my cliff jump. I was so amped up with adrenaline, I didn’t even know that my swimming suit top had come off.”

Pride left Beau’s eyes to be replaced with anger. “Jared who?”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “I won’t have you tossed in jail for assault. Besides, I took care of it. I’m surprised Minnie didn’t tell you about Jared showing up.”

“Minnie keeps more than a few secrets,” he said dryly. “Including what’s going to happen this weekend. Has she told you anything about Starlet’s going-away party?”