Read Lone Star Legacy Online

Authors: Roxanne Rustand

Tags: #American Light Romantic Fiction, #Romance: Modern, #Contemporary, #General, #Romance, #Romance - Contemporary, #Fiction, #Fiction - Romance, #Western, #Single mothers, #Texas, #Widows, #Romance - Western, #Ex-police officers, #Murderers, #American Western Fiction

Lone Star Legacy (10 page)

BOOK: Lone Star Legacy
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“This table okay?” Walt asked, tipping his head toward one in the corner.

“Anywhere—anywhere at all.” She took a deep breath. “And just for today, the entrees and desserts are on the house.”

CHAPTER TEN

T
HE OFFER OF FREE FOOD
produced a sea of smiles. But when Beth got everyone seated with menus in front of them, the smiles faded to expressions of consternation, and for Gina’s two nephews, a new round of blushes.

Beth hovered at the lunch counter in back, watching them, as Joel’s words marched through her thoughts.

Grits.

Corn bread.

Roadhouse barbecue.

With the exception of Walt, Joel and Gina, her patrons were rough-and-tough cowhands who’d probably never set foot in a tearoom, and until she did some décor makeovers, that’s just what the place looked like. The fancy names on the menu undoubtedly compounded the problem.

These first customers were probably accomplished people in their own right, but given their expressions, they wouldn’t know a
croque en
bouche
from a cow pie…and weren’t very eager to find out, either.

Gina met her gaze, smiled and stood up. “Okay. I promised you guys that this food is
good.
Some of the pastries might have fancy names, but it’s all good, down-home cooking at its best. I know I was baffled at Starbucks at first. I had no clue how to pronounce the names of those coffee drinks, and I was too embarrassed to try. So for those of you who came here because of me, I’m coming to your tables, and we’re going to talk.”

Bemused, Beth relinquished her order pad, and watched Gina move around the room reading some of the names on the menu, her infectious smile and laughter setting her hulking male relatives at ease.

“We’re set,” Walt called out to Beth.

She crossed over to their table and took their order. “I’m sure glad you came,” she murmured. “This morning looked pretty bleak.”

Walt handed back his menu and smiled. “A talented girl like you will have this place hopping in no time. I just hope you’ll still have time for us at the clinic.”

“No problem there—late afternoon still works great for me.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Though if things don’t pick up fast here, I’ll be more available than I want to be.”

At the twinkle in Walt’s eyes, she realized the double meaning of her words. “For work,” she amended quickly. “At the clinic.”

Walt had been dropping broad hints for weeks about her staying in town permanently, and he’d been entirely too obvious about who she ought to be dating.

She glanced at Joel, who was reading the back of the lunch menu. He’d apparently missed his uncle’s subtle implication and the heated blush that had to be obvious to everyone else in the room.

She turned on her heel, went to the kitchen and started on their order, thankful that Anna had been able to pick up Sophie and watch her for the afternoon. With no servers to tend the front of the house just yet, even a small rush of customers would mean she needed to hurry along to cover all the bases herself.

Both Walt and Joel had ordered the chicken, almond and grape salad on a croissant, with a cup of lobster bisque. Donning her plastic gloves, she quickly assembled the sandwiches on her country blue stoneware plates, and ladled the bisque into matching soup cups. She added a garnish of watercress and fresh strawberries on each plate, a sprig of parsley on the bisque, and made it out to the front of the house in—she glanced at the clock—three minutes flat.

Walt’s ever-present, benevolent smile widened with true appreciation when he looked down at his meal. “This smells
wonderful,
Beth.”

Joel nodded, and grinned up at her. “If it tastes half as good as it looks, you’re going to be overwhelmed with customers.”

Warmth spread through her at his low voice and expression of frank admiration. “Steady business would be good. Overwhelmed would be even better, believe me.”

His grin faded to a more somber expression. “When you have a minute, I’ve got a few questions. I’ll be at the clinic until five or so.”

So he could ask her more about the past? No thanks. For the past two days their last conversation had played through her thoughts, and she didn’t want to go down that road again.

The fact that Joel had delved into her past still felt like a violation of her privacy…even if she understood the reasoning behind it. But his discoveries were embarrassing nonetheless.

Especially in light of the physical attraction she could not dispel.

The irony was that she’d lived a goody-two-shoes life to the point of returning extra change when clerks made errors in her favor, and now words like
investigation
and
embezzlement
were never far from her thoughts.

The bell over the front door tinkled, and Loraine Gilbert strolled in. Dressed as always in her boots, well-worn jeans and a western shirt, she was the sun-browned image of a strong ranch woman from her assured air to her businesslike stride.

But when her gaze drifted to Joel and Walt’s table, her stride faltered. What Beth had already suspected surely had to be true—the woman had a thing for Walt, whether he knew it or not.

And maybe the two of them could use a little help.

“I’m so glad you stopped in, Ms. Gilbert.” Beth directed her to a table adjacent to Walt’s and handed her a menu. Just as Beth hoped, Walt stood and pulled back a chair for her at his own table. “The special today is a good one—anything you see, on the house.”

Loraine gave the menu a brief, decisive glance and handed it back. “The fresh fruit and crab salad plate. Brioche. Black coffee. Thanks.”

Walt laughed. “That’s my Lorrie. Never dithered a day in her life.”

“Once,” she retorted. “And that taught me a lesson I never forgot.”

Wishing she could stay and listen to their usual banter, Beth headed back in the kitchen and started Loraine’s plate.

Gina walked in a moment later with four order tickets in her hand. She blew at her bangs. “I swear, you’d think those cowboys had never stepped foot off the ranch. Took forever and a day to get this down for you.”

Over Gina’s shoulder and the top of the swinging café doors, Beth could see the men chuckling and elbowing each other. “Or they were having fun with you.”

She followed Beth’s gaze, then rolled her eyes. “Auntie Gina is not pleased if that’s the case. So, how are you going to handle serving
and
cooking?”

“Soups, stews and casserole specials will all be made ahead, of course. The sandwich selection will vary each day, but each is quick to assemble.”

“Good plan.” Gina looked at her watch. “Oops, I need to get back to school for a meeting. If you have any trouble with those bozos, be sure to let me know.” She winked. “They may all act like John Wayne, but they are marshmallows inside. Believe me.”

“But you haven’t had anything to eat.” Beth quickly assembled a pesto chicken sandwich, settled it in a clear plastic take-out box and handed it to her. “At least take this. And dessert—”

“Better not go that far. I know it would be delicious. I’d be addicted. And then I’d be here every single day.” Gina patted her hips. “But thanks a million for the sandwich.”

With a quick hug, she disappeared through the swinging doors.

A deep feeling of contentment welled up in Beth’s heart as she prepared and served her first customers.

A business of her own.

Growing friendships.

After years of frequent moves and little time or opportunity to develop relationships with other women, it all seemed so perfect….

The phone rang. And for once, the ring didn’t make her heart skip a beat. Perhaps this would be a take-out order from yet another one of Gina’s obedient relatives, or even from someone else.

She picked up the phone, and imagined the caller could hear the happiness in her voice when she said, “Crystal’s Café, can I help you?”

But it wasn’t the unfamiliar voice of a new customer on the line, and the caller didn’t waste time saying hello.

“Beth.”
Anna Garcia’s voice trembled. “I brought Sophie inside right away, and I—I called the sheriff.”

Beth drew in a sharp breath as a thousand scenarios raced through her thoughts. “Is she hurt? What happened?”

“Th-there was a car. And a man. I was outside with the kids, and I didn’t see him right away. Then one of the boys said he was
watching
us.” Anna’s voice shook. “But when I turned, I knew it wasn’t all of us. He was focused on Sophie, Beth. And he was so intent that he didn’t realize I’d noticed him. When he saw me, he got in the car and roared away.”

An icy chill swept through Beth.
Sophie.
“Th-the sheriff?”

“Not here yet. His offices are in the middle of the county. I—I know this could just be my imagination, but I swear, that man was staring at her—and if I hadn’t been outside with the kids…”

Beth leaned her forehead against the wall, fighting back the fear that had dogged her night and day during those last weeks in Chicago.

The threat had been very real there, too.

There’d been the anonymous phone calls.

The sense of being watched.

One night, someone broke into her house while she and Sophie were away, and trashed the den Patrick had used as his home office.

And then a few weeks later it happened again…with much greater repercussions.

“I’m on my way, Anna. Five minutes at the most.”

She scooped a variety of pastries and desserts on a platter, pocketed her car keys and took off her gingham apron. Backing through the swinging doors into the front of the house, she fixed a cheery smile on her face.

“Here you go, folks.” She put the tray on a table. “Help yourself to these, and to the coffeepot. I have to leave for a bit, but I’m sure glad you came!”

She ignored their startled expressions as she hurried back to the kitchen, burst through the back door and ran for her car. Viper shot past her like an ebony blur and vaulted into the car as soon as she opened the door.

Behind her, Beth heard Joel calling her name as she threw the SUV into gear. But nothing was more important than reaching Sophie and holding her tight…and any explanations would be a waste of time.

 

S
OPHIE IMPATIENTLY STRUGGLED
out of Beth’s arms. “You’re holding me too tight, Momma!”

She wanted to hold on and never, ever let go, but Beth forced herself to watch her daughter scamper across Anna’s living room to the toy farm set where Olivia was playing.

Anna watched her somberly. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. I…could be wrong.”

Beth bit her lower lip, remembering the anonymous caller’s threat at the end of April. “First instincts are usually right. Did you see the man’s face?”

“I was on the other side of the yard, and he was in the shade of that big live oak in the back. I can’t even be sure what kind of car he drove, because it was in the shade too, and partly hidden by the bushes along our fence. Then he took off like his tail was on fire.” Anna ran a hand through her hair. “He was a big man, though. Tall and heavyset. He reminded me of Hubie—” At a sharp knock on the door, she rose from the couch and hurried to the front entry.

But it wasn’t the sheriff knocking. It was Joel, and his face was taut with worry.

“Is everyone all right?” he asked, glancing between the two women and the children playing quietly on the floor.

Anna silently stepped aside to let him in and darted a glance at Beth, clearly leaving any explanations to her.

“Thanks to Anna,” Beth said quietly. “But it’s probably better if she knows what’s going on.”

Anna raised a hand, palm up. “If this is private, you really don’t need to say anything.”

“My husband may have been in some legal trouble before he died. Afterward, someone stalked me in Chicago, and threatened to follow me here.” Beth swallowed. “I’ve had some hang-up calls, and that vandalism at the café. I have no idea if it’s all related, or not.”

Joel frowned at Anna. “Have you called the sheriff?”

She nodded. “But he said it might be an hour. I can’t imagine what we’d do in a real emergency. We’re at the edge of the county, and response times are usually real slow.”

Her gaze veered toward the other children, and Beth knew she had to be worried about the safety of all of them. “I’m thinking that I should probably keep Sophie home with me for a while.”

Anna’s eyes flared wider. “I don’t want you to think—”

“I know you’d keep Sophie safe, believe me. But it’s too much to ask right now, when you’ve got other little ones to watch over.”

“I want to help you out. I really do….” But the doubt and worry on Anna’s face belied her words, and Beth didn’t blame her a bit.

“When I know things are okay, I’ll bring her back. I promise.”

Joel hunkered down and beckoned for Sophie, then swept her up in his arms. It was a reflex, born of a male instinct to protect any small and defenseless child—but the soft, trusting warmth of her nearly stopped his heart. He wanted to hold her tight. Savor the scent of her shampoo, and imagine his own daughter at this age, full of life and energy—

Shaken, he turned and abruptly handed her to Beth. “Let’s go back to the café. After Anna talks to the sheriff, she can send him over there. Is that okay?”

“Of course.” Anna directed a worried frown at Beth. “You take care now, you hear?”

Joel gave her an easy smile. “This is probably nothing at all to worry about. But, like Beth said, it’s probably better for all of you if Sophie stays home for a while. No sense borrowing trouble, right?”

Beth drew in a breath. “Oh, my—I forgot about the cash register.”

“Ole Walt is guarding it,” Joel said with a hint of laughter. “But that might not be a good thing. I think he’s pretty casual about making change.”

 

H
E

D TRIED TO CALM
their worries, and put Anna and Beth at ease. But all the way back to the café Joel’s mind had raced with the very real possibility that someone might have been on the verge of abducting Sophie. The guy had certainly displayed an unusual, eerie interest in her that didn’t bode well.

BOOK: Lone Star Legacy
5.35Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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