Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) (29 page)

Camy’s brows shot up and she giggled so hard a delicate snort came out of her nose. “Are you kidding? My hubby might look like an all-American guy but he’s a freak. Last night wasn’t the first time that pantry has seen some action.”

Rayne groaned and held up a dish towel over her face as if to hide from her sister. “Ugh. I do not want the details. I don’t want to know anything at all about your sex life nor do I want you to know about mine.”

“For someone who is supposed to be so free-spirited you’re a prude.” Camy shook a piece of bacon at her sister while Rayne poured herself a cup of long overdue coffee. “So was he any good? He seemed pretty drunk when he got here.”

Choking on the hot brew, Rayne carefully set the cup on the table and plucked a strip of bacon from the tray. “I’m not going to answer that question since it’s none of your business. I’m sticking to my story so drop it.”

Sitting back in her chair, Camy surveyed Rayne from head to toe, smiling the entire time. “You looked pretty happy and content, so I’m thinking he was good and maybe even very good. He looks hot with that scowl he wears all the time. Like he might think I was a bad girl and needed a spanking.”

“Camy!” Rayne exploded, slapping her bacon down on her plate. “You’re a mother, for heaven’s sake.”

Camy giggled, her bare feet dancing on the tile floor. “But I’m not dead. And he is hot you have to admit. I bet he gives a good spanking.” She sighed dramatically and waggled her eyebrows. “I just might have to tell Mike what a naughty wife I’ve been.”

Rayne didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want to have those pictures in her head but it appeared as if she was going to have to find a way to live with them, because her sister looked like she was just getting started. Dammit, if Rayne had known Camy was going to get all frisky from this she would have suggested they have sex in the garage.

“I hate it,” Rayne said through gritted teeth. “Please – I beg of you – change the subject. I’ll talk about anything else. Religion. Politics. Uncle Henry’s toupee. Pick something.”

The smile was wiped from Camy’s expression. “You know the family doesn’t talk about Uncle Henry’s toupee. Ever.”

“The let’s make our sex life another topic that doesn’t get discussed ever. It’s too personal.”

For some reason Rayne didn’t want to talk about Dare and what he meant. She’d never been a shrinking violet when it came to sex and she’d had plenty of late night, alcohol-fueled discussions with her friends about the men in their lives but…this was different. It felt different. More intense and infinitely more real.

“My, my, my, you’re awfully prissy these days. This little town is having quite the effect on you. Next thing I’ll find out you’ve given up swearing.”

“Screw that,” Rayne laughed. “Not going to happen. I have the vocabulary of a well-educated sailor. It took me years to learn all these colorful words.”

“I know you don’t think so but I know a few myself. I’m not as uptight as you think I am, sis. I’m still me.”

Rayne sipped her coffee, not sure where Camy was going with this. Her sister had changed since marrying and moving to Fairfield. There was no arguing with that fact but Rayne had never seen any regret from Camy.

“Of course you’re still you,” Rayne agreed readily. “But you have to admit that you’re not exactly the same person that you were when you moved here. You’re all grown up, married, with a kid now. You go to church and crochet blankets. You bake cookies and don’t just eat all the dough from the bowl and make yourself sick. You’re…an adult.”

Camy sighed and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, a pensive expression on her face. “It sucks being an adult. Don’t get me wrong though. I love being a wife and mom but sometimes I just want to kick up my heels and have some fun. You still have fun.”

Rayne’s mouth hung open in shock. Her sister didn’t have a clue, but then Rayne hadn’t taken much time lately to help her understand. If anything, she’d been avoiding spending time with Camy and it was clear that needed to stop. They couldn’t possibly hope to understand each other’s lives if they weren’t an integral part of them.

“Fun? You think I’m having a lot of fun?” Rayne shook her head wondering if she should laugh or cry. “Okay, I did have some fun last night. I’ll admit to that without giving any details. But most of the time I work ten to twelve hour days six days a week, and on the seventh day I spend most of it cooking, cleaning, or doing laundry. There are no big parties in my life, no wild nights of drinking and dancing. In fact, right now I have a babysitter out in the police cruiser in our driveway. I can’t even go to Starbucks without a chaperone. The party animal I was in the past has given way to a woman that likes hot baths and bedtime before ten.”

Camy wrinkled her nose. “Jeez, you’re an adult too. I can’t even live my wildest fantasies vicariously through you anymore. When did this happen? We’re officially no fun.”

“Speak for yourself. I can be a laugh a minute as long as I get enough sleep.” Rayne reached across the table and patted her sister’s knee. “How about when this is all over and I don’t have a babysitter, you and me have a wild and woolly girls-only weekend? We can go into Bozeman and go dancing, eat chocolate, and maybe some shopping too. We’ll act like we have no responsibilities for forty-eight hours. What do you think?”

Camy’s smile lit up and she hopped out of her chair and headed straight for her laptop perched on the kitchen counter. “It sounds like a plan. I’ll start checking hotels and restaurants. Maybe we can even invite Evie and Sarah from Denver to meet us there. Hey, maybe we could just go to Denver.”

I’ve created a monster.

Camy was already tapping away at her keyboard and humming a happy tune. Rayne had a feeling by nightfall “Camy the Cruise Director” would have their weekend completely planned right down to the pillow fight before bedtime.

It felt good though to be finding a way back to the closeness she and Camy had once shared. Rayne wanted to make that connection again, especially when she thought about Dare and his father and mother. That had been a dysfunctional family and their estrangement was understandable. But the tension between Rayne and Camy came simply from not trying enough to understand each other.

Time to forgive the little digs and slights and put family – and love – first.

*   *   *   *

Dare tossed the empty paper cup into the trash and turned his attention back to the drawing. It was the only lead they had now and it had to mean something. There were people after this that were willing to do some serious damage to get it. It was important and he just had to figure out why. No small task apparently, because he’d been staring at it for the last hour and so far all he had to show for it was a headache.

After he’d snuck out of Rayne’s home last night he’d had Deputy Billy drive him home where he’d managed to get a few hours’ sleep, leaving Deputy Harris to protect Rayne. This morning he’d come in extra early and sucked down massive amounts of coffee along with two bear claws while he studied the design and looked up ideas on the Internet.

Nothing. The morning had been a gigantic bust and it hadn’t put Dare in the best of moods. The deputies were giving him a wide berth and one had even closed the door to Dare’s office without so much as a by your leave.

A knock sounded and then Deputy Jay stuck his head in. The lawman was in his early thirties but showed great promise if he could keep his dick in his pants. The young man was considered handsome by most of the ladies in town with his reddish-brown hair and goatee. He dated a different woman every weekend and seemed to be enjoying the hell out of his bachelor life to the point where he often came into work exhausted in the morning from screwing his brains out all night.

Lucky bastard.

Then Dare remembered what he’d been doing last night and had to clear his throat to keep from smiling. If one of his deputies saw him happy they might have a stroke, and Dare needed all the manpower he could get.

“Hey, Sheriff. I’m heading to lunch at the bowling alley. Did you want to come?”

Dare couldn’t stare at this drawing one more second. He needed a break and some food.

“I’m coming with you.” Dare held out the clear evidence bag that contained the drawing. “Have Margaret lock this back in the evidence locker and then meet me out front. I’ll drive.”

The bowling alley wasn’t that far and within ten minutes Dare and Jay were tucked into a booth in the food area, the sounds of balls striking pins in the background.

“Thanks for inviting me. I needed the fresh air.”

Jay gave his boss a lopsided smile. “Not sure the bowling alley qualifies as fresh air but I’m happy to have the company. If I came here alone, Susie would be trying to talk to me and get back together or something. That’s never going to happen.”

Dare peeked over his menu at the pretty brunette behind the shoe rental counter. She was a lovely girl but everyone in the area knew her reputation.

“Were you the only man who didn’t know what she was like?” Dare asked. “I’ve made sure to stay away from her since I came back to town.”

Jay sighed and slumped in his seat. “She seemed really normal and nice whenever I talked to her. Real sweet, you know. Then I went out on one date with her and she’s like a psycho-bunny. Talking about marriage and kids and meeting her family. Shit, I just wanted to get laid.”

Dare hid his smile. Jay was learning a valuable lesson. “That’s how it starts. Just wanting to get laid. She’ll move on soon enough to some other poor bastard. In the meantime, why come here for lunch?”

Jay’s eyes widened in surprise. “Because they have the best cheeseburger in three counties.”

“That they do,” Dare agreed, lowering his menu. Who was he kidding? He was getting the cheeseburger and an order of their special seasoned fries. “Just don’t make eye contact with her. Look at the table or your shoes but not at her.”

Jay’s gaze immediately dropped to his hands wrapped around a water glass. “You know, I’m glad we came today even if Susie says something to me. I’m thinking that I’m getting tired of the local girls. I need to expand my horizons a little.”

Just what Jay didn’t need…to be known as a Lothario in more than this county.

“What did you have in mind? Checking out the girls in Springwood or Harper?”

The corners of Jay’s lips turned up and his cheeks took on a reddish tone. “Actually I have a girl in mind. She’s sexy as fuck too but smart. At least I assume she is. She’d have to be to run her own business and all.”

Dare could only wonder about what Jay considered smart. If they could find their car keys and tie their shoes that would probably be enough for the young lawman.

“You should ask her out then.”

Jay’s smiled widened and he stood from the table, adjusting his gun belt and gazing at something or someone behind Dare. “Don’t mind if I do, boss. I’ll be right back.”

Jay strode toward his target and Dare twisted in his chair to see what this sexy and smart woman looked liked, his heart dropping to his feet immediately.

She
was
sexy and smart. And sweet. And wonderful.

The woman Jay was going to ask out was Rayne who was sitting with her sister Camy and looking like they were going to order lunch.

The realization smacked Dare upside the head, making him rub his aching forehead. No one knew he and Rayne were dating. To the casual observer she was a free agent able to date or sleep with anyone she cared to.

Dare didn’t like that at all but he couldn’t think of one legitimate reason to stop Jay.

So he’d think up a bogus one.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“D
id you know Dare would be eating lunch here?” Rayne hissed at her sister Camy as they sat down at a table in the restaurant area of the local bowling alley. They’d both had a craving for cheeseburgers and after dropping the baby off with her grandmother, they’d driven the ten miles to Valley Station for a quick bite since Fairfield lacked a place to find a great hamburger. “I don’t like bothering him at work, sis.”

Camy settled in her chair and picked up the menu. “As a matter of fact I did not know he’d be here, but you’re hardly bothering him by sitting here and eating. Does he get pissy about little things like this? Because that might be a nasty red flag.”