Just Shoot Me (Cowboy Way, #1) (30 page)

“
I would do anything for my family,
son. You know that.”

And Dean would do anything to keep his family
together. Anything.

The next day Dean got the call from his
attorney around noon. He was out in the pasture, helping Cord move
the bulls. Their lowing was so loud, Dean had to trot over to the
tree line to hear the man. Dean’s heart was beating a mile a
minute, when he asked, “What happened?”

“
Her attorney called. Cindy called
him first thing this morning to tell him about what happened and
her broken ankle. She and Bobby both agree that they want to drop
the custody suit. She wants to give you full custody. No visitation
even. Damn, you’re good, boy. Better than me, even.”

“
No, Jeremy and Tina are good,”
Dean said as happiness like he hadn’t felt in three years surged
through him. He hung up the phone with the attorney he would no
longer need and let out a loud whoop that echoed across the
pasture.

The bulls split up, his father and brother
cursed. Dean threw his head back and laughed.

It was a good day. The only thing that would
make it better would be if his wife would talk to him. One problem
at a time, he thought happily, as he kicked Blaze to go help the
round up the cattle.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

One more month, Tina thought as she watched
Laney catch the bus with Jeremy at the road through the window at
the bunkhouse, then grabbed her purse and briefcase off the table
by the door. “Hope, I’m leaving,” she yelled and smoothed her hair.
“Wish me luck!” Her hand shook as she twisted the doorknob, and
excitement danced in her stomach.

“
Good luck!” Hope yelled back from
the bedroom.

She had her interview with Laramie Jeans
today. Through the grapevine at his attorney’s office, Cord had
found out that Tonya Laramie had been fired by her father, so the
position was open. Tina had the experience to get it, and she had a
feeling she would.

She swung the door open, a cool gust of spring
wind carried in delicious cologne mixed with pure Dean. He stepped
around from the side of the door to block her exit. Damn, she had
been able to dodge him for two weeks, but it looked like her luck
had just run out. That didn’t mean she was going to deal with this
right now.

In her heels, Tina was tall enough to push his
shoulder so she did, and tried to walk by him, but he grabbed her
arm. “Let go of my arm,” she grated.

“
Don’t leave,” he said and his
voice wobbled. “I’m sorry, buttercup, so damned sorry.”

“
I don’t have time for this now,
Dean,” Tina replied, hardening her heart.

“
Where are you going?” he asked
sharply.

“
Dallas. I have an appointment.”
With Laramie, then with my attorney to file for divorce.

“
Let me drive you,” he said. “I
don’t want you…um, that’s a long drive alone.”

“
No thank you. Now, let my arm go.
You’re going to make me late.” And Tina definitely didn’t want to
be late.

“
Jeremy is staying with Mama
tonight. Have dinner with me so we can talk…please.”

“
No, thank you. I have Laney, and
we really don’t have anything to discuss. Now let me go,” she said
with a jerk of her arm. He turned her loose, but he didn’t let her
pass.

His stormy blue eyes held hers. “I will
never
let you go,” Dean said through his teeth. “You want me
to chase you? I love you, and that’s not going to change. So I’ll
chase you as far as I have to, as long as I need to.”

He loved her?
Too little, too late,
cowboy
. A few weeks ago, those words would have meant
everything to her. Now? They meant less than nothing. “Dean, I have
to go. Please move.” Tina pushed his shoulder again, but he didn’t
move.

His eyes fell to her hand. “Where’s your
ring?” he asked with anger in his voice.

Tina ran her thumb over her naked ring finger
and guilt shot through her, even though she shouldn’t feel a damned
ounce of it. “I took it off.”

She wasn’t going to lie to him, and she wasn’t
going into this interview and have to explain her personal life
when she suddenly became unmarried in a few months. Dean looked up
at the ceiling of the porch, and his nostrils flared as he sucked
in a deep breath. He finally looked back at her, and his eyes were
so filled with emotion she thought he might cry. It would serve him
right if he did, he’d done enough making her cry to last a
lifetime.

His voice was raw and unsteady when he said,
“I’m not letting you divorce me. That baby you’re carrying is mine.
You’re mine.”

“
I’m not a possession for you to
use and abuse, Dean. And I certainly don’t want to
trap
you
into anything. This baby is mine. You don’t have to worry, you’re
off the hook this time. I don’t need or want your help,” Tina said
snidely.

Dean looked down at the toes of his boots,
reminding her so much of Jeremy her heart hurt. She was losing her
son too when she left, but she had to leave. Tina took the
opportunity to edge past him and head for her car.

He followed her, and she huffed out a
frustrated breath when he wouldn’t let her open the car door. “I’m
sorry, Tina. I love you, and I want our baby. I want
you.”

“
The damage is done, Dean. Sorries
won’t fix it. Nothing will,” she said with emotion choking her.
“Now move, so I can go.”

Why was Tina disappointed when he stepped back
and opened the door for her? She looked at him for a second, before
she slid into the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut. Dean
headed toward the barn with his head hung low, and Tina cranked the
car, but she didn’t pull out of the driveway until he walked
inside. Her heart was heavy in her chest, but she put the car in
reverse, backed up then turned and shot forward down the
driveway.

“
She’s going,” Dean said sadly as
he met his brother in the office in the barn. He sat in the chair
beside the desk, and pulled his hat off to toss it on the desk. He
ran his hand over his face. “What the fuck am I going to do?” he
asked, as if his brother had the answer to that
question.

Dean had fucked up the best thing that had
ever happened to him in his sorry ass life.

Sorries won’t fix it. Nothing
will.

Emotion shot up to his throat and it was all
Dean could do to hold it back. He was going to lose her, lose his
baby. Over the last two weeks, Dean had tried flowers, apologies,
even a new engagement ring to go with her wedding band. All of it
had been sent back to the house via Cord or Hope. He was running
out of time and ideas.

“
I’ll have the money soon, if you
want to buy her and the baby a house in Dallas. There should be
plenty left after we pay off the settlement Hope made with
Bridezilla.”

As usual his brother had found the pot of gold
at the end of the rainbow. Laramie was settling the lawsuit before
their name got dragged through mud so deep they’d never see the
light of day again. “She has a home here with me,” Dean
replied.

Cord sucked in a breath. “But she doesn’t want
it, Dean. The best you’re going to be able to do, man, is take care
of her and the baby.”

“
The best isn’t good enough
then.”

“
You can’t make her stay here. Hope
has talked to her, I’ve talked to her. Hell, Mama has talked to her
twice. She’s dead set on getting that job and moving back to Dallas
when school is out. I’m so damned sorry.”

You can’t make her stay
here
.

Dean would just see about that, he thought, as
he pushed up to his feet. There had to be a way to get her to
listen to him. To forgive him. He decided he needed to take a trip
out to the lake and think. “I’m out of here today. You’re on your
own.”

“
Take as much time as you need,”
Cord said as he walked out of the office.

Tina was worn out by the time she pulled into
the driveway at the ranch. Today had been one of the most trying
days of her life. Not only had the interview gone on way too long,
because the HR woman was chatty, she had to interview with three
other people up the food chain after that, all the way up to the
owner, Cecil Laramie.

They said they wanted to make sure they
practiced
due diligence
when hiring the next director of
marketing for the company. Tina didn’t let them know that she knew
what that meant. What they were really doing was making sure they
didn’t hire someone like Cecil Laramie’s daughter again, who had
abused her position every chance she got. Like she had done with
Cord. That had cost them a lot of money and credibility.

They had nothing to worry about there with
her. Tina was probably off men for good now. Or at least for a very
long time. She was going to have bigger things to worry about from
here on out. They didn’t offer her the job, but they’d come damned
close.

She was asked about her salary requirements
and availability. Cecil Laramie didn’t even blink when she threw
out a number twice the salary she made at Texas Tomboy. He also
didn’t have a problem waiting until the end of school, if they
decided to hire her. Supposedly they were going to let her know by
the end of next week. Tina knew in her heart she would be offered
the job. She aced the interview.

But she had to cancel her appointment with the
attorney. It was a little disappointing since she’d worked up a
head of steam to do it, but she was kind of glad she had more time
to think about it. She didn’t want to let Dean’s words this morning
affect her decision, but they did. The sincerity she heard there,
the abject misery in his voice, made her think maybe he had seen
just how horrible what he’d done to her had been. Maybe he truly
was sorry.

That didn’t mean she’d forgive him. But she
was thinking about at least letting him talk to her at some point
in the next month. Before she made another appointment to file for
divorce.

It was dark, so Tina pulled up under the light
at the side of the front porch of the bunkhouse and shut off her
car. She grabbed her purse and briefcase, then opened her door to
swing her legs out of the car. When she stood a dark figure dashed
from the darkened side of the bunkhouse. She dropped her purse and
briefcase, preparing to run, but before she could a sack was thrown
over her head and a rope was looped around her arms at the
elbow.

Tina sucked in a deep breath, but before she
could scream a hand clamped down over her mouth. She kicked out,
and her high heel connected with something solid. She heard a
grunt, but then she was swept off of her feet and carried. She
squirmed and fought as much as she could, but stopped when a firm
hand smacked her ass.

Hard enough to bring tears to her
eyes.

Her breath came in short gasps, and her fear
threatened to stop her heart. It was also damned hot inside the
sack. Suddenly, she was tossed onto a seat of some kind. She felt
around, and tried to push up, but a seat belt was looped around
her, and she heard it click. Tina couldn’t move now at
all.

Good god, they were out in the country. Not in
the city. What the hell was going on here? Surely some mountain man
or hillbilly wasn’t taking her up to his cabin to keep her as his
forced bride. Did that happen in Texas? She’d heard about it in
Kentucky or West Virginia. She supposed the same thing could happen
here, and became even more afraid.

A powerful engine cranked, and she was jostled
as the truck moved forward. Tina got her senses back and screamed
as loud as she could. If this was a kidnapping, someone was going
to know she was being kidnapped. Maybe Dean would hear her. God,
please let him hear me, she prayed as she continued to scream until
she was hoarse. A rush of wind blew in from the window beside her,
and took her breath away. Tina sat there breathing, praying and
hoping she would have a chance to get away from this
madman.

Bide her time. That’s what she needed to do.
Wait for an opportunity, she thought, as she stayed still and
quiet, while they drove over very bumpy ground for what seemed like
forever. Suddenly the bumping stopped, and the truck engine was
cut. A door opened and Tina’s heart raced, wondering what her
captor was going to do to her.

Who the hell was going to take care of Laney
now, she thought and tears rushed to her eyes. What about her baby?
More tears came, and rushed down her cheeks to slide down the V
neck of her suit, before trickling between her breasts. The back
door opened, and she couldn’t be quiet any longer, “Please don’t
hurt me,” she begged then sucked a gulping breath. “I’m pregnant
and have a daughter and son who need me.”

Someone leaned over her to unclick the
seatbelt, then leaned close to her ear. “I need you too,” a raspy,
sexy voice said, before she was gently picked up off of the seat
and heard the door shut. Tina sniffed again and caught a faint
woodsy scent. It wasn’t the natural woods. That was Dean’s cologne,
and Dean’s voice! Dean had kidnapped her!

Tina struggled trying to break free, and his
arms clamped around her tighter. “Be still,” he said gruffly. Tina
wasn’t going to be still. Her own husband was kidnapping
her!