Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) (10 page)

“Dane’s nephews? But they’re kids.”

“Hardly. The youngest one, Colton, is almost sixteen and is used to working on his farm. The oldest is twenty-two.”

“I knew Dane’s sister Mallory had kids, but I hadn’t realized the boys had gotten so big. It’s been years since I’ve seen her.”

“He said they’re hard workers and don’t expect much in the way of pay. They’ll work at the ranch for the week. Dane said he’ll be stopping by to check on them.”

She shook her head. “I have some petty cash I can use to pay them. But I can’t afford—”

“You can’t afford not to, Libby.”

She bit her bottom lip and thought a moment. “John Bennett has had his eye on one of my father’s rifles for some time. My father always said that rifle was money in the bank if we ever needed it. Maybe he’ll buy it. If Dane’s nephews are anything like Dane, they’ll be good workers and get a lot done, so it’ll be money well spent.” Libby hated the idea of selling off family items. But if it got the job done, then she’d do it. When she glanced over at Jackson, she saw nothing but sympathy.

“I know this is hard on you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. I’ve never been in this position. But I do know what it’s like to feel lost like that. When my mother died, I saw my father become something I’d never seen before. Bitter. It effected everyone. Especially Brock. It took a long time for him to come into his own and now he has. I’d like to see him in his element and I’d like to share that with you.”

Her chest squeezed tight with emotion. “Why do you have to be so sweet?”

“It’s a disguise. I’m really a big meany.”

Libby chuckled at the face he made. Time away from the ranch, even if only for the day, might do her some good and get her out of the funk she’d been in for so long. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone to San Antonio. It was probably with Hannah before she’d left for the military. Before life got so crazy that she didn’t recognize it.

“When is your brother playing?”

“Thursday night.”

“I’ll give Dane a call.”

* * *

Libby had never understood quite what the allure of her father’s rifle was to John Bennett. But she was happy that John had jumped on the chance to buy it when she’d called him. Lucky for her, she’d done some research on the Internet about the worth of that old rifle so she could negotiate a much higher price than what John had originally offered. The smile on the man’s face as he’d paid Libby told her he was not only pleased with his purchase, but that she’d given him a good run for his money, even though she’d settled lower than the value of the gun.

“It’s a win-win for both of us, Libby. Your dad would be impressed,” was the last thing John had said before she’d left.

John had no idea the impact his words had on her. She drove home wondering if her dad would approve of her decision or if he’d be angry that she’d relented in giving John Bennett something he’d hounded her father about for years. As she parked the car in front of the house, she decided it didn’t matter.

Sitting in the front seat, she recounted the cash in the white envelope. Regardless of how her father would feel about selling the gun, it gave Libby a sense of relief. Not only did she have more than enough money to pay Dane’s nephews a full week’s wage, but she had enough money to carry the expenses of the ranch for the rest of the year while she sorted out her father’s estate.

Two hours later, Dane introduced her to his nephews and they got to work. She soon learned that like Dane, they weren’t afraid of hard work and took to her instruction well. At the end of the first day, it had Libby wishing they could stay longer than the week.

She was just sitting down on the porch with a glass of lemonade when she saw Jackson’s truck rolling down the driveway toward the house.

“I wasn’t expecting you today,” she said when Jackson walked slowly up to the porch.

He seemed to struggle for words, as if weighing exactly what to say. In the end he just shook his head. “I have no reason other than to see you.” His playfulness was more than Libby could handle. She’d felt good getting things back on track today with the boys handling chore after chore. With one smile from Jackson and she suddenly felt off kilter again.

She stifled a smile. “Don’t you have a job?”

“Right now, you’re the only reason I’m in town.”

“Me? Aren’t you done with the investigation yet?”

“I wish.”

Her mood went south with the expression he gave her. “If Cole was still here I could ask him some questions. But he’s missing.”

“He’s not missing. He’s just not here. Please don’t try to make this into something it’s not.”

“Did you know your father hired a private investigator to find out information about Cole?”

She heaved a heavy sigh. “Yes.”

“Are you going to tell me why?”

“My father was helping him. He wanted to find his father.”

“Why didn’t Cole hire the private investigator himself?”

“That was between my father and Cole. You’ll have to ask him. Does that satisfy your curiosity enough?”

He opened his mouth and then closed it.

“Did your father keep all the ranch’s guns out in the open?”

“All the rifles, except for my father’s prized pieces, are kept on the gun rack in the great room. They’re available for anyone on the ranch to use if need be. The one I just sold was one my father kept in his private safe in his office.”

“Are all the guns accounted for?”

“As far as I know. Why?”

“I talked to Dane earlier about the breaks in the fences along your spread. He told me they’d found some slaughtered cattle along the highway up north.”

“What does that have to do with us?”

“No one has been here to count your head of cattle. Are you missing any?”

She shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. We live pretty close to the border of Mexico. There have been times when people have wandered onto the ranch looking for food or work.”

“Has Cole contacted you?” Jackson asked, averting her gaze, but not before she saw the flash of jealousy in his eyes.

She looked out at the ranch, at the pretty colors the sunset had painted on the sky as the day faded to night. “That’s one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in a long time. Do you want sit here with a glass of lemonade and watch it with me?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Yes, I am. You see, today was a good day. And tomorrow we’re going to San Antonio. It’s been a long time since I did something just for fun and I don’t want talk of guns or investigations to spoil it.”

“Is that homemade lemonade?”

“Any Texas gal worth her salt wouldn’t serve anything else.”

* * *

Libby slept most of the way down to San Antonio. Jackson had hoped it would give them both a chance to talk without having the investigation, her father, Cole or the hard times on the ranch become the main topic. He truly wanted to get to know Libby and discover what was driving her so hard.

And then there was the little things that curiosity had him thinking about. He wanted to know why she always covered her glass of lemonade with the palm of her hand when she held the glass. And after that first day of seeing her put on funky socks underneath her cowboy boots, he had the odd obsession of always wanting to know what kind of socks she wore. He was a grown man and he was obsessed with Libby’s socks.

But rather than get all those burning questions answered through conversation on the drive to San Antonio, Jackson let Libby sleep. Her fatigue was more pronounced than he would expect in a woman so young and so full of life. With any luck, she’d be full of energy again when they arrived at the club where Brock and his band were playing.

As he pulled the truck into the parking lot, Libby’s eyes drifted open. He parked the truck next to the band’s equipment truck, killed the engine and sat for a few seconds, giving Libby time to get her bearings.

“We’re here already?” she said, her voice groggy.

“We made good time.”

Libby wiped her eyes with her fingers and then smooth down her hair with her hand. She wasn’t wearing much make-up and her jeans were new. Jackson had noticed. But she hadn’t needed any pamperings to be beautiful. She just was.

“I can’t believe I slept the whole way. I must look like a wreck,” she said, touching the red mark on her cheek from where she’d been leaning against the seat.

“You’re beautiful.”

Glancing at her watch, she said. “Aren’t we early? I thought you said the show doesn’t start until seven-thirty.”

“Brock and the band are doing a sound check right now. We’re going to have dinner with Brock and Josie when they’re done.”

He stepped out of the truck and looked around to see where the entrance to the music hall was. A door on the side of the building was open. The sound of someone hitting a drum in a monotonous beat filtered out into the parking lot.

“I guess this is the way,” Jackson said. As they walked toward the building, the sound of the music grew louder. Jackson took Libby by the hand and led her inside of the darkened arena. They moved through the back hallway until they reached the door to the arena. A man holding a clipboard stopped giving instructions to one of the workers backstage when he saw them.

“No one is allowed back here during sound check,” the man said. “You’ll both have to come back tonight through the main door. You can purchase tickets there if they aren’t sold out.”

“Brock Gentry is my brother,” Jackson said. “We’re supposed to be meeting him here.”

“Your name?”

“Jackson Gentry. This is Liberty Calvert.”

The man looked at the list of names on the clipboard, and then nodded his head. Pulling two stage passes out of a stack he had fastened to the clipboard, he said, “Okay, you can go on through. They’re just finishing up sound check now so wait to the side.”

The man moved aside so Jackson and Libby could walk into the arena.

“I’m impressed,” Libby said, leaning into Jackson as she followed behind him. “Are you sure he’s your brother?”

Her teasing smile made Jackson’s heart melt.

“He got all the talent but I got all the good looks.”

Libby rolled her eyes as she laughed.

“One more time with the bass drum,” a woman called out from behind the sound board which was located near the middle of the arena. “I’m getting weird feedback on it out here.”

The drummer began kicking a steady rhythm on the bass drum. His expression was one of boredom.

“Okay, that’s good,” the woman called out.

Jackson knew from talking to Brock that the woman behind the sound board was Josie Tibbs, the new love of Brock’s life. By the way his brother talked, things between Brock and Josie were pretty serious. He was happy to finally be meeting her.

“Brock, let me hear a few lines through your microphone,” Josie called out.

The sound check continued for a few more minutes until Brock noticed Jackson and Libby standing on the sidelines. His brother’s bored expression immediately brightened.

“Hey, you made it!” Brock yelled into the microphone, causing feedback that made everyone wince and groan.

“We all thank you for that, Brock,” Josie said, laughing. Glancing over at Jackson and Libby, Josie waved from her position behind the sound board as Brock jumped off the stage.

Brock winked at Josie as he ran over to Jackson. It had been a long time since he’d seen his younger brother. Brock had been on the road for a while. He had been on the road even longer. It only emphasized how much distance Jackson had put between himself and his brothers since their mother died.

* * *

Libby couldn’t believe she’d slept nearly the entire way to San Antonio. She probably looked like a disaster. But Jackson hadn’t said anything even when she’d woken up and felt her hair sticking up on one side of her head from the way she been propped up as she slept.

She wasn’t normally one to get star struck over celebrity. Even though Brock Gentry wasn’t exactly a big-time celebrity, she had heard his music on the radio and she’d even bought his CD. It felt a little surreal to meet him with Jackson. Side-by-side the family resemblance was striking, something she hadn’t noticed before now. The two brothers were clearly happy to see each other. Seeing the two of them embrace suddenly made Libby miss her brother John.

“Libby this is my kid brother,” Jackson said.

Brock gave Jackson a mock dirty look. “At least I’m not an old man.”

“Who are you calling old? Besides, I’m better looking.”

“Then how come I’m the one the pretty women hang around.” He winked at Libby and draped an arm around her shoulders.

“You must be Liberty. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Same here.”

After listening to the exchange between the brothers, Josie came over and said, “Never mind the pretty women. You only need one and you already have her.”

“That’s right, I do.”

Brock stretched his arm out and Josie slipped into his embrace. She reached out a hand to shake Jackson’s.

“It’s so good to finally meet you,” Josie said. “I’m always amazed how much all the Gentry boys look alike. It’s like you’re all clones.”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Libby said.

Josie shook her head. “Brock, I think your brother has you beat.”

“How’s that?”

“You don’t have all the pretty girls.”

Libby felt heat creep up her cheeks with Josie’s compliment. “Thank you.”

“Are you all set here?”

Josie nodded. “Sound check is finished. I can tweak the sound later when the show starts.”

“Are you hungry?” Brock asked.

“Starved. But aren’t we waiting for Beau and Cody to come with us?”

Brock shook his head. “Cody called earlier. Beau and Mitch are bringing in some new horses to the ranch. It’s a last minute thing. Cody said Lyssa has had morning sickness all day and can’t figure out why they call it morning sickness.”

“Morning sickness?” Jackson gave a hoot as he chuckled. “That was fast.”

“Yeah, Lyssa and Cody are pretty happy about it.”