Bobbi Smith (7 page)

“That changes everything.” Wade was thoughtful.

“You can handle it with the boys?”

“I’ll come up with something to keep them quiet.”

“Good. I knew hiring him on might stir up some trouble, but all that matters to me right now is stopping the rustling. Hawk hasn’t caused any problems, has he?”

“No, he’s been working out just fine.”

“Good. You let me know if anything else happens with the men, and if it does, I’ll handle it.”

Jack’s mood was still dark and troubled after Wade left him. Times were difficult on the ranch. The last thing he needed was his own men giving him a hard time.

Jack just hoped Spiller had been right about Hawk. The faster they caught the rustlers, the better.

Wade returned to the bunkhouse to find most of the hands finishing off the dinner Wilda had finally brought out to them. He saw no sign of Hawk, but Fred was there at his bunk, packing up his things and getting ready to leave. Wade went over to talk to him.

“That was a damned stupid thing you did today,” Wade said bluntly.

“You can go to hell!” Fred swore at him as he continued to stuff his few personal belongings into his saddlebags.

“I spoke with Jack. I tried to get him to change his mind about firing you, but he wouldn’t.”

Fred glared at Wade, his expression filled with hate. “Then I guess I’d better get out of here.”

“I’ll see you around,” Wade said mildly as he left Fred to finish up.

When Wade had gone, Tom Andrews and Steve Parker got up from the table and went to speak with Fred. They were furious about what had happened.

“He shouldn’t have fired you,” Tom said in disgust.

“What are you going to do?” Steve asked Fred.

Fred looked up at the two of them and smiled thinly. “The first thing I’m going to do is go into town and have myself a fine old time tonight.”

“You deserve it,” they said.

“You’re damned right I do,” Fred growled. “I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow, but I have a few things to settle up around here before I move on.”

Tom and Steve could tell by his cold expression and the barely controlled rage in his voice that there was going to be hell to pay somewhere down the line. Fred wasn’t a man to forgive and forget; that much was for sure.

Fred picked up his bedroll and saddlebags and started from the bunkhouse. The two men walked out with him to get his horse.

“Don’t worry, boys. You’ll be hearing from me,” Fred said once he’d mounted up.

“Good.”

Fred’s expression was grim as he rode toward the main house to pick up the last of his pay.

“It ain’t gonna be the same without Fred around,” Tom remarked, watching him go.

“I wonder what he meant when he said we’d be hearing from him?”

“I don’t know, but I bet we find out soon enough.”

Randi sat in her father’s study, listening as he told her what had transpired down at the bunkhouse.

“The fight was ugly, and I fired Fred,” he finished.

“You didn’t fire Hawk?” she asked, surprised.

“No.” His answer was terse.

“Why not?” Randi knew how strict her father was about making sure the ranch hands followed his rules.

Jack’s expression grew even more serious as he faced his daughter. “There’s something you don’t know about Hawk.”

“What?” Randi was puzzled by the strange way he was acting.

“You know Hawk was recommended to me by a friend up in Dry Springs. Well, that friend was Sheriff Spiller. I’d written to him and let him know how bad the rustling was, and he sent Hawk down here to help.”

“Hawk’s a lawman?” she asked, amazed by the news.

“No, but Hawk has worked regularly with Sheriff Spiller in the past. Whenever the sheriff needed help tracking down criminals, Hawk got the job done. At first I didn’t want anyone to know why I’d hired him on, but now that’s all changed. I had to tell Wade the truth, so he could figure out a way to keep peace in the bunkhouse. Since Wade knows, I figured I’d better tell you, too. Just don’t spread it around. The fewer people who know what Hawk’s here for, the better.”

Randi had respected Hawk before, but now she thought even more highly of him. “I won’t say a word, Pa. I promise.”

“Good.”

They heard a knock at the front door, and Randi got up to go answer it. She opened the door to find Fred standing there.

“Where the hell is your old man?” Fred demanded crudely.

After what her father had just told her, Randi wasn’t surprised by Fred’s open hostility, but she was surprised by how battered he looked. If he looked this bad after the fight, she wondered how Hawk had fared.

“My pa’s—” she started to answer him.

“Right here,” Jack said sternly as he came out of his study to confront the troublemaker. “Randi, you go on.”

Jack didn’t want her anywhere around right now; there was no telling what Fred might say—or do.

Randi wanted to go out to the stable to look in on Angel, so she went outside, leaving her father to handle the angry ranch hand.

When she’d gone, Fred faced his ex-boss, his fury evident.

“You’re making a big mistake firing me, Jack. You shouldn’t be favoring that half-breed over me.”

“You know the rules, and you knew what would happen if you broke them.”

The ranch hand was seething. “You’ll be sorry for this.” The threat in his words was plain.

Jack pinned him with an unwavering regard. “No. I won’t. Here’s your money.”

Fred didn’t hesitate. He snatched the cash from Jack’s hand.

“Now ride on out of here and stay off the Lazy S,” Jack ordered. “I don’t want to see you around anymore.”

“Go to hell, Stockton!”

Fred stalked out of the house, slamming the door behind him as he left.

Jack Stockton’s day was coming.

He was going to see to it.

Randi was on her way to the stable when she rounded the corner of the building to find Hawk washing up at the watering trough. Almost as if he sensed her presence, Hawk stopped what he was doing and glanced her way. It was then that she saw the cut above his eye and a bruise forming along his jawline.

“Are you all right?” she asked worriedly. “I heard about the fight. Do you need anything?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” he answered.

“If it’s any consolation to you, Fred looks a lot worse.”

“Good.” He managed just a slight grin at the news.

“I’m glad, too. Pa told me what happened. I’m sorry about the rattlesnake. I know the hands can get rowdy sometimes, but—”

“It’s all right. I’m used to it.”

“You are? But the snake could have struck you.”

Hawk shrugged. “It’s always been this way for me. I’ve come to expect it.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about Fred anymore. He’s gone now.”

“That’s good to know.” Hawk would have liked to believe that Randi was right, but he’d run into men like Fred before. He knew what they were capable of, so he wasn’t about to let his guard down yet. “I’d better get on back to the bunkhouse.”

Hawk started to turn away.

“Wait!” Randi closed the distance between them and took the towel he’d been using out of his hand. “You’re still bleeding.”

She pressed the towel to the cut on his forehead and held it there to stanch the bleeding. Randi gazed up at Hawk as she ministered to him. She noticed how his jaw was set, and to her that was a sure sign he was in pain. She wished there were some way she could make things better for him.

Hawk’s jaw was set, all right, but it wasn’t because of the pain. His jaw was locked because he was fighting for his self-control. The gentleness of Randi’s touch deeply disturbed him. He was far too aware of her very nearness for his own good. No other female had affected him this way since Jessie, and his reaction to her troubled him. He didn’t want to be attracted to anyone. He didn’t want to care about Randi. There could be no future for them.

Hawk deliberately forced his gaze away from her to stare off into the distance, but a moment of weakness overcame him and he looked back and let his gaze drop to the sweetness of her lips. He found himself wondering what it would be like to take her in his arms and kiss her. Heat stirred within him at the thought, putting his willpower to the test. Hawk knew he had to get away from Randi—now. Abruptly, he reached up and took the towel out of her hand.

“Thanks. It’ll be all right.”

“If you’re sure . . .”

“I’m sure.” Hawk strode quickly away from her without looking back. The feelings Randi stirred within him were far too dangerous for his peace of mind.

He had to keep his distance from her.

He was on the Lazy S to catch rustlers.

That was all.

Fred wasted no time riding into San Miguel. He headed straight for the Silver Dollar Saloon. He was planning to get good and drunk, and then he was going to figure out a way to get even with his former boss.

“Evening, Fred,” Denny Magrane, the bartender, welcomed him. “What are you doing in town? I didn’t expect to see you until the weekend, Friday being payday and all.”

Fred ignored his small talk as he went to stand at the bar. “Give me a double.”

Denny knew from the tone of Fred’s voice that something was wrong—very wrong. He quickly set a glass before him and poured him a healthy dose of whiskey.

“Thanks.” Fred lifted the glass and took a hearty drink. He sighed out loud when he finally put the empty tumbler back on the bar. “That’s better.”

“So what brings you to town?”

“Stockton fired me—the bastard,” he snarled, lifting his glass to Denny for a refill before taking another deep swig of the potent liquor.

Denny was surprised. “You’ve been working at the Lazy S for a long time. What happened?”

“A new man Jack hired on—some half-breed—picked a fight with me, and I’m the one he fired.”

Denny knew Trey Roberts, the saloon owner, would want to hear this news right away. “Well, it may not be all bad news. Maybe you got better things coming your way.”

Fred snorted in derision and emptied the glass again. He pushed it toward Denny for another refill. As the barkeep started to oblige, Fred stopped him.

“I tell you what—just give me the whole damned bottle,” he told him.

Denny passed it over. Fred took his glass and the half-full bottle with him and went to sit at one of the more isolated tables near the back of the saloon. He wanted to drown his sorrows in peace.

When he could get away from the bar without drawing any attention to himself, Denny hurried to Trey’s office to tell him what he’d learned.

“What is it?” Trey called out, responding to the knock on his closed office door.

“It’s Denny. It’s important.”

“Just a minute.”

Denny could hear some shuffling going on inside the office while he waited for Trey to bid him to enter. When his boss finally told him to come in, he opened the door to find Annie, one of the saloon girls, on her way out. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and her clothing was a bit wrinkled. Denny didn’t say a word, but it wasn’t hard for him to figure out what he’d interrupted.

“What’s so important?” Trey demanded when Annie had closed the door behind her.

Denny quickly related what he’d learned from Fred. He wasn’t surprised when Trey cursed the ranch hand soundly.

“How stupid is he?” Trey demanded angrily.

“You know how stupid he is,” Denny answered.

“You’re right,” Trey grumbled. “I do know.” Fred was a compulsive gambler. The saloon owner had extended credit to him because up until now, he had always paid his debts on time. “I think Fred and I need to have a talk.”

“I thought you might want to see him. That’s why I came to get you.”

Trey got up, ready to confront the ranch hand. He went out into the saloon and spotted Fred at the table. He was glad business was slow tonight. What he had to say to the fool wouldn’t be pretty.

Fred had been sitting in silence, drinking heavily as he mulled over what to do next. He looked up when he noticed someone walking his way. He wasn’t pleased to find it was the saloon owner, but he knew there was no way to avoid him.

“Hello, Trey.”

“What’s this I hear about you losing your job out at the Lazy S?” Trey didn’t wait to be invited; he just sat down across the table.

Fred quickly told him what had happened. “And that’s why the bastard fired me,” he finished.

“You should have realized what was going to happen before you got in the damned fight!”

“What the hell is Jack doing hiring on a half-breed?”

“Who cares? You owe me a lot of money, and I expect you to pay me back!” Trey looked him straight in the eye. “Do I make myself clear?”

A chill went down Fred’s spine at those words. It was true that he’d racked up a large debt gambling, but Trey had gone easy on him—until now. “Yeah, yeah.”

Trey leaned forward, piercing him with an even colder and more deadly look. “My money means a lot to me. I’m sure you know that. I don’t abide those who don’t pay up.”

“It’s all Stockton’s fault! I hate that bastard!” Fred’s fury erupted.

“I don’t care whose fault it is, and I don’t care if you hate him. I only care about my money. Find a way to get what you owe me. I’ll be waiting to hear from you, and it had better be soon—real soon.”

Fred knew what kind of man Trey was, and he knew better than to mess with him. “You’ll get your money.”

“See to it.” Trey got up and walked away.

Fred poured himself another stiff drink, although he doubted it would do much to improve his mood now. He had to find a way to pay Trey back—and fast.

“Looks like you and Trey were arguing pretty good,” purred the raven-haired, red-lipped, voluptuous Sindy as she drew up a chair and sat down close beside Fred at the table. She put her hand high up on his thigh and smiled as she leaned invitingly toward him. “You look worried. You got trouble?”

She pretended to be innocent of his dilemma, even though the barkeep had already told her what was going on.

“Nothing that spending a few hours with you won’t help,” he said, heat pulsing through him as she leaned in even closer to give him a better view of her ample cleavage. He’d enjoyed having her in the past and saw no reason not to indulge himself again. She would take his mind off Trey for a while, and the prospect appealed to him.