All Fired Up (Stardust) (9 page)

“The only thing strong about you is your mouth. If it was connected to your brain, you’d be dangerous.” Slo eyed his frisky transport with trepidation – bracing himself like a swimmer about to dive into icy water – then drew a deep breath, grabbed the pinto’s mane, and sprang into the saddle, bypassing any use of the stirrup.

“Not bad,” Cody complimented him. “I could make a rider out of you yet, if you’d ever stick around long enough to give me the chance.”

Slo shot him a warning look. “Don’t start.” He glanced about the open scrubland, absently patting the pinto’s neck. A sudden suspicion prickled his backhairs. “Where’s your horse?”

“Right here.” With a smug little smirk, Cody swung himself up behind Roxanne. “Roxy hasn’t learned how to ride yet, so we figured if she was gonna double with anyone, it better be me. I told her you got enough trouble keeping yourself in the saddle.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Wanna race?”

“No.” Slo wanted to get back to town, get cleaned up, and get his arms around a fire angel. How, precisely, he was going to accomplish the latter, he didn’t know. Yet. But he was nothing if not determined.

“Suit yourself.” Reining toward Star, Cody waited for Slo to do likewise, then took the lead as they nudged their mounts from a walk to a trot to an easy rolling canter.

“Ready?” Cody called.

“For what? I told you I’m
not
racing.”

“I know. We’re just goin’
home
!” Cody punctuated the holler with a sharp kick, and both horses broke into a gallop, his and Roxanne’s shooting forward – while Slo’s wheeled about in the opposite direction.

Shit.

The key word there had been “home,” Slo realized as rugged range whizzed past him. Joker Cody had given him a
homing pinto
. The horse was headed cross-country straight for the Carstons’ ranch.

It’s not easy to turn a twelve-hundred-pound animal in one direction when it wants to go in the other. Slo didn’t even try. He just hung on and pondered whether he should kill Cody quickly, or drag it out as long and painfully as possible.

-------

Roxanne strained around for a puzzled glance at Slo’s fast disappearing figure. “Where is he going?”

“Beats me,” Cody said, skillfully slowing his own double-burdened pinto down to a walk so as not to tire it. “Guess he decided on a little trail ride. Don’t worry, if he ain’t back by Christmas, we’ll send out a search party.”

Chapter 7

Bong…
A single tone, the half-hour mark. “Eleven-thirty and all’s well,” the church chimes seemed to say.

Ina Lorene hung up the phone. She’d taken a lunch break, then decided to call Lydia Jones and tell her the news. It was too good not to share, and Lydia was the obvious one to share it with, of course, seeing as how they’d soon be related by more than neighborliness.

“I don’t think it’ll take ’em too long to wake up and smell the coffee,” Ina Lorene had said.

Lydia had agreed. “I saw it in their eyes last night. Just like Romeo and Juliet! They fell in love at first sight, too, you know.”

Actually, Ina Lorene didn’t. She’d left school early to help on her parents’ farm, and had only a vague notion who Romeo and Juliet were, but she was willing to accept Lydia’s word on that point.

There remained only one question.

“Do you suppose he’ll ask her to move to Houston?” Lydia had worried aloud. “That could ruin everything. She’ll want to stay here, I’m sure, but I doubt he will.”

Hmm, now that’s where Lydia was wrong. Ina Lorene might never have read the classics, but she knew plenty about people in general, and one person in particular – knew him better than he knew himself. The boy wasn’t nearly so tough as he tried to pretend. He had a tender heart and a loyal nature, and was more country than he cared to admit. He just bored easy was all. But Ina Lorene had always known the right girl would fix that. A girl who could capture his imagination as well as his eye, who could spark his interest on all levels and keep him fired up.

Ina Lorene wasn’t worried at all.

* * * *

The horse’s name, Evangeline had informed Slo, was Homer – big surprise – although “Lightning” would have been equally apt. Homer had made it to the Carstons’ ranch in record time. Slo made it back to Star in Evangeline’s old Cadillac even faster, intent on heading someone off at the pass. With a little luck…

Yep, there they were, just entering the main street of town. Slo scanned the area for oncoming traffic, but this being Star, there wasn’t any. So he tapped the accelerator and sped forward, then turned the wheel sharply and slammed on the brakes. The Caddy skidded to a sideways stop, barricading the route.

“Well, hey there, Winslow. Fancy meetin’ you here.” Cody reined to a halt, a big sunny smile shining out from under the brim of his Stetson. He lounged back in the saddle, holding Roxanne in front of him with a brotherly arm around her waist.

But not that brotherly.

Baring fangs in a snarl of a grin, Slo climbed out of the car.

Cody got the chance to demonstrate his expert horsemanship by preventing the pinto beneath him from shying at the sudden shriek of a siren.

Deputies Mike Thompson and Juan Martinez had finally cornered their man. Their feathers severely ruffled from all the chasing around they must have been doing, they burst out of their vehicle, red faced and sweaty, and snapped cuffs on the culprit.

“Hey, if there’s a reward for him, I get it,” Cody declared brightly. “I blocked his escape for you.”

“Uncuff me for ten seconds, and I’ll block his mouth for you,” Slo said to Mike.

Mike looked tempted, but Juan shook his head. “Sorry, Slo, I wish we didn’t have to do this, but Randy and Andy haven’t dropped charges.” Sounding awkward and embarrassed about it, he began reading Slo his rights.

“Wait a minute!” Roxanne swung her leg over the horse’s neck and slipped off onto her feet. “Does this have anything to do with last night? What are the Bullfinches charging him with?” Like Joan of Arc confronting the British, she advanced on the deputies, driving them both a clumsy step backward.

Slo’s heart warmed at the sight of her so puffed up with indignation on his behalf – well, okay, he warmed at the sight of her, period – but his stomach knotted at the thought she was making trouble for herself. Again. She seemed
always
to be getting herself into trouble. And he just couldn’t stop himself from trying to get her out.

“Roxy, back off. They’re only doing their job.” Slo’s aggravation with the situation made him sound aggravated with her.

Which made her aggravated with him. Roxanne narrowed her eyes. What was his problem? Male ego? He didn’t want help from a woman? Or maybe he just didn’t consider
this
woman capable of helping. Well, too bad. She could and she would.

“Shut up and let me handle this,” she told him. This was Russell Sinclair’s daughter speaking. If there was one thing Roxanne had learned from her father it was how to crack the whip and give orders. Not that she liked to do it, or had ever had much chance to practice, but the ability was probably inbred. She wouldn’t have been a Sinclair if she couldn’t summon up a little imperiousness now and then in a pinch.

Caught off guard by her tone, Slo shut up. Joan of Arc had become Catherine the Great – and who ever argued with her?

Roxanne planted her hands on her hips and stared down her nose at Mike and Juan. “I asked you a question.
What
are the charges?”

Answers were hastily mumbled.

“I see,” she said – coldly – an amazing state for her, but she didn’t notice it. She was too busy thinking how stupid this whole thing was. “In that case,
I
want to press charges, too. Against Randy and Andy Bullfinch. For attempted rape! You contact them right now and tell them if they don’t drop their asinine charges immediately, I’m going to have
them
arrested. Got it?”

Juan did. He pulled out his cell phone.

The necessary calls were made.

Several minutes later the Caddy sat parked by the curb, out of the way of traffic – not that there was any – and the patrol car rolled back down the street, without its intended passenger.

Chuckling to himself, Cody followed it, heading for the open range again. He would have preferred to stay for the fireworks show. You could smell it coming – Slo and Roxanne stood on the sidewalk, glaring at each other, oblivious to all else. But Cody had spotted some stray cattle with his brand on them during the ride to Star. He needed to herd them back behind his fence line before they wandered too far. A rancher’s work was never done.

“See y’all later,” he called. Nobody answered, but then Cody hadn’t expected anyone to.

“What’s happening ‘later’?” Slo asked Roxanne. If he sounded suspicious it was only because he was. One couldn’t help noticing how comfortable Roxanne had acted with Cody – and not with himself. “Are you dating him?”

“Of course not.” She appeared to find it a ridiculous question.

Slo took heart. “Would you date me?”

“Hell, no!” Her eyes widened in horror. “Do you want me to torch this town? I can’t date
anyone
.”

“Because you think you start fires?” This was not a good turn of the conversation.

It turned Roxanne away from him to stare down the street. “I
know
it. And so do you. You’ve seen the evidence. What do you think started that fire outside the tent?”

“Lightning.” He gently gripped her shoulders and turned her back around to face him. “Lots of range fires start from strikes.”

“Not that one.” She shrugged him off. “Don’t touch me. Ever. It’s
dangerous
.”

It also made no sense.

“I can’t, but Cody can? You were squashed together in the same saddle. That’s not
touching
?”

“That’s
friendship
. Cody’s safe because he doesn’t” – she blushed – “make me feel excited.”

“And I do?” He hoped. “Roxy, you make me feel the same way. Why is that such a bad thing?”

“Because it’s like pouring gasoline on flames! How many times do I have to explain it? I have an evil curse, and I can’t control it. I’m a menace!
Why
won’t you believe me?”

It didn’t matter what he believed. Roxanne believed her crazy claims, and it was killing her. Killing him. She looked ready to run, suddenly desperate and hurting, looked so hungry for a hug it took all Slo’s willpower to not oblige. He wanted to comfort her, calm her, not scare her and drive her away.

He tried a new tact. Diplomacy.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Lets say I do believe you.” Just for the sake of argument. “Is this, um, pyro thing the only reason you want me to stay clear?”

“Yes.”

“So if that wasn’t a problem, you
would
date me?” If he could get her to at least consider that possibility, maybe they could make some progress from there.

“No. I love my home and my family and I don’t want to leave them. So even if I could, I wouldn’t get involved with someone who won’t be around here long. Which you won’t” – she gave him a furtive glance, a strange blend of fear and hope – “will you?”

“I might,” Slo said, shocking himself. He couldn’t
really
be thinking of staying in Star. Could he? There was nothing for him here. Except his grandmother (who wouldn’t be here if he dragged her with him to Houston). And a lot of people who had jumped to his aid today.

That was the one thing about this dusty town Slo had hated the worst and loved the best. The people. They could drive you to distraction, but they were always right there to help when needed. Always. People like Earl Goodman…and Evangeline and her new husband…and Cody, pain in the ass though he was.

And Roxanne.

Especially Roxanne. She was here, and that alone seemed an excellent reason to stick around.

“What if I moved back home? We could be neighbors. Would you date the boy next door?”

Seriously, the more Slo thought about it, the better he liked the idea. He’d make less money here, but the cost of living was less, too, so the finances would even out. And with fewer fancy cars to paint, maybe he could even pick up an old dream – portrait painting. Hell, why not? Sam lived in Star, and he was fast becoming a world-renowned artist. If Samson Jones could do it, so could Slo Larkin. God knew there were some great portrait subjects in Star. One of them stood just a short pace away – the best of the best – but not wearing an expression Slo wanted to capture on canvas. She didn’t say anything he wanted to hear either.

“I think that would be a
very
bad move,” Roxanne answered him in a voice throaty and thick with suppressed sobs. “You’re running risks you don’t understand, but since you refuse to believe me, there’s nothing left to say. I’m sorry, Slo, but I can’t listen to you anymore.”