Texas Lawman (19 page)

“You take care,” he said huskily when at last he pulled away. “Don’t go getting’ yourself hurt any more. Stay away from where the Hammonds can find you.,

Jodie blinked as if dazed. Then she smiled. “Something tells me it’s a good thing your mother interrupted us when she did.”

“Or?” he probed, compelled.

Her smile deepened. “Or … who knows?”

She wriggled away from him and out of the car, not without a degree of difficulty as she tried to protect her leg. Then she waved to him before disappearing through the entrance. As he watched, her limp lightened, until it was disciplined into nonexistence. She was determined that her family not learn of the incident.

ELISABETH JANE HUGHES Was born two hours later. Blond like her father and weighing a little over six pounds. There was no difficulty with her birth, either for mother or child.

Afterward the entire family crowded into the room. “She’s beautiful!” was the general consensus.

“She might have light hair, but look at that face!” Mae pronounced loftily. “That’s a Parker if ever I saw one!”

Harriet rushed back into the room from having called LeRoy at the ranch to give him the good news. “LeRoy and the boys have already started to celebrate!”

“That’s what we keep a couple of bottles of ol’ Jack Daniels’ around for,” Rare said, grinning.

Morgan stood at one side of his wife’s bed, while Erin stood at the other. It was difficult to tell who was proudest. Both were beaming broadly. Shannon and Rafe were holding on to each other, while Mae thrust out her chest. Gib, as usual, was a little off to himself,

but smiling hugely. And the paternal grandparents, lores and Dub Hughes, could barely contain themselves. A new Parker, merged with their bloodline, had been born into the clan.

Jodie shared in the joy, hugging and being

She, too, was very happy for Christine and

And for Erin. Hopefully the cloud of doubt that had continued to haunt the young girl’s life would be completely dispelled by the birth of her sister.

Shortly afterward, the crowd moved back into the waiting room to give the new family a bit of and minutes after that they left for home.

Dusk had fallen by the time they arrived at the ranch. There was a small get-together at Mae’s house to toast the new arrival.

The effort to keep her injuries secret had exhausted Jodie. By day’s end it was almost too much. When she thought no one was looking, she discreetly massaged her aching hip.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mae demanded, coming up behind her.

Jodie jumped. “Nothing,” she lied.

“I’ve been watching you: Somethin’s not right. Don’t try to fool me, Missy. I’ve known you for too long.”

“I… My hip. I stumbled. It was silly really. A stupid thing to do.”

Mae pursed her mouth. “Somethin’s not right about that, either,” she said, “but it’s been too long a day.” Her dark eyes were shadowed, and she looked almost as tired as Jodie felt. Still, she had enough energy left

to say, “You did a good job of caring for Christine. An excellent job. I’m proud of you.”

To top it all off, praise from Mae! “Thanks,” Jodie said huskily, x

Her hip ached, her knee ached, her hand still stung from the burn. She had plenty of things to get misty-eyed about. So why did a few words of approval from her great-aunt hit her with such force? Because when Mae gave praise it really meant something? Because deep down she’d do just about anything to gain her aunt’s respect? ‘

Jodie hobbled along the driveway to her house and for the first time that day found true relief when she closed herself in her room.

TAlE AVOIDED his mother when he arrived at the station the next morning. He knew she was burning with curiosity, but he wasn’t in the mood to satisfy it.

As usual there was a stack of phone messages waiting, but the one that gained his immediate attention came from the sheriff in the next county noting he’d located an individual by the name of Joe-Bob Tucker.

Tate grabbed the phone, punched in the number and within seconds was connected with the sheriff, Frank White.

“What’s this about a Joe-Bob Tucker?” he asked. “You think he’s my man?”

Frank’s gravelly voice growled, “Fits your description to a T. Fresh from a ranch in Montana, working at a small place on the far edge of the county. Brown hair, dark eyes, right age—about six-two and brawny.”

“Ifit’s not him, it’s his twin,” Tate said. “You had a chance to talk with him yet?”

“Thought you’d like t do the honors yourself.?”

“Got the number of the ranch?”

“I was just about to give it to you.”

Tare jotted the number down, thanked his friend and dialed it. Minutes later he shot up from his chair:.

“I’ll be gone for two, maybe three hours,” he told his mother and Rose Martinez as he headed out the door. “Over in Debolt County. If anybody needs me…” They knew the rest—contact him only in emergencies.

“Tare?” his mother called, stopping him.

He looked back.

“I’d like to talk with you later, all right?”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Later.” He could feel her worried gaze follow him outside:

It wasn’t that he was ‘still annoyed with her for interrupting any possible intimacy with Jodie. He was annoyed with everybody and everything! He hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, but he hadn’t really expected to. He’d stayed out as late as he could, one of the deputies who needed a few hours off. Then he’d stopped by the jail, always good for an extra hour or two. But finally he’d had to go home, where he’d felt Jodie’s presence as strongly as if she was still there, Just as he’d been afraid he would.

She was teasing him. He knew it, But why? Because she was bored? Because she actually did find him attractive? What did it all mean? Where was it going to end up? Where could it possibly end up?

Such questions had tortured him for the remainder

of the night. And when he’d dozed off toward morning, other more intimate images had jerked him awake more than once.

He wasn’t’in a much better frame of mind when he arrived at the small ranch in Debolt County, shook hands with the owner and was introduced to a large man, close to his own age, with big rough hands and a surprisingly soft voice, who carried with him a good helping of range dust,

“You ever been in Clayborne County, Colorado?” Tate asked.

“Only passin’ through.”

“How about at a ropin’ contest nearly two weeks back?”

Joe-Bob Tucker tilted his head in consideration. “Yeah.”

“You enter the contest?”

“I sure did. Didn’t win, though.”

“You do anything else?”

The cowboy smiled. “You mean legal or illegal?”

“Let’s just say some circles might frown on it.” “I played cards.” “Who with?”

“Some friends of mine.”

“Who exactly?”

“Couple of brothers I know from Colorado, a friend from Montana and another o1’ boy I’ve known off and on for years.”

“Names would be helpful.”

“Will and Matthew Daniels, ” Little Hat” McGraw and Rio Walsh.”

Bingo. t Tate thought, his solar plexus tightening. “When exactly did this cd game take place?”

“Lemme see. The contest started on Saturday, with the finals on Sunday. There were card games Friday night and Saturday night.”

“And you played cards with these people both nights?”

Joe-Bob laughed. “Well,” he said, rubbing a thick finger along his chin, “Rio practically cleaned us out the first night, so we kinda hid from him the second. I don’t even know if he was in town Saturday night. I didn’t see him.”

“This card game Friday night, how long did it last?”

“All night. Like they usually do.” “And Rio Walsh was there all night?” “Only left to pee.” “What about the others?”

“Way Rio was winnin’, you couldn’t’ve dragged any of us away! We didn’t think his luck could last! Man’s luckier than a damnedw”

Tate had heard enough. “All right, Mr. Tucker, that’s all. Except, I’ll need you to make a statement to this effect to Sheriff White, and I’ll also need the phone numbers and addresses where your other buddies can be reached.”

“Sure, yeah, I can do that. It’s easy.” He paused.

“Is Rio in some kind of trouble?”

“He could’ve been.”

“So, in a way, his luck finally did run out?”

“Yeah,” Tate agreed, “for a little while it did.”

JODm’S FIRST THOUGHT when she awoke that morning was that time had almost run out. It was Wednesday,

and Rio was going to leave at sunset if he didn’t hear from her. She had to do something. But what?

“You fall off a horse?” her father asked curiously as he watched’ her imp about the kitchen while making breakfast. She’d been too preoccupied to hide her injuries from him.

“I wish,” she sighed.

Gib energetically cut his fried egg into tiny bits, then stabbed at them with a corner of toast. Jodie didn’t feel the least like eating. Her toast was more prop than food. She sipped her coffee mechanically.

Gib captured her tender left hand. “This doesn’t look too good, either. Wanna tell me about it?”

“I can’t, Dad, not right now. I wish I could, but…”

“Tell me what you want, when you want, if you want. I never was a believer in making people talk. That could be one of my great failings, though. Sometimes people need to talk and don’t know how to start.

So . just so you know “I’m here.”

“I know,” she said tightly.

He went back to his egg. “I’ve made up my mind,” he said after a moment. “About the exhibition. I’m gonna do it! I only hope people don’t end up !aughin’ at me.”

“They won’t!”

His smile was like a little boy’s. “Somethin’ like this has been a dream of mine for years, but I never thought it’d actually happen.”

“Can I come?” Jodie asked.

“You’ll be my most important guest.”

That bit of good news brightened the rest of the meal. lo die even managed to eat her toast. But when

her father left to take Mae and Delores back to town for a nursery visit, her set, se of doom returned.

She hadn’t told Tate aleut the deadline. ShoUld she have? Was it now too late?

She stared at the telephone and debated whether to call. She thought of yesterday–-of what had almost happened at his house and later did in the patrol car. Something was definitely brewing between them. But could she count on whatever it was to be strong enough to see her through the trying times ahead? She had to. Otherwise she didn’t want to think about what would happen when Rio left and she’d be forced to admit the full truth.

She called the station and was greeted by an unfamiliar voice.

“May I speak to Tate, please?” she requested.

“I’m sorry, Sheriff Connelly isn’t in. Would you like to leave a message?”

“He isn’t in?” Jodie echoed, her voice rising. “No. He’s away on county business.”

“For how long?” Jodie asked.

The other woman responded negatively to her pressure. “For as long as it takes, if you have a problem, ma’am, we can report it to a deputy in your area. Do you have a problem?”

Jodie hung up. Did she have a problem? She had a huge problem! She’d never thought she’d be unable to talk to Tate. Where was he? What was he doing? Should she demand to be put through to him?

Maybe she could talk to his mother, get her to— She groaned. No, not after yesterday.

She took several deep breaths, struggling for composure Tate was sheriff of the whole county. He had a lot of responsibilities. It wasn’t unreasonable that he’d be away from the station from time to time. She’d call again in a’little while and this time leave a message. And if necessary do it again and again. If nothing else, he might call in for his messages and be told she desperately needed to talk to him. And then. And then the real trouble could begin. ;

TATE RETURNED to the station and went straight to his office, shutting the door behind him. He had some important calls to make. The first was to the Daniels brothers, who worked on the same ranch outside Clayborne County. The second was to “Little Hat” McGraw, currently working on a ranch in New Mexico. He wanted to see if they’d confirm Joe-Bob Tucker’s story. If they did—and he expected they would—it would blow the lid off Sheriff Preston’s case against Rio Walsh.

He saw the flurry of messages from Jodie and his first instinct was to call her, to tell her what he’d learned, but he wanted to be sure. Just in case.

It took an hour to get confirmation, and this from only two of the three men. One brother was out riding fence and wouldn’t be back until nightfall. His brother swore, though, to the truth of his own statement and vowed that his younger brother would say the same thing.

Tare was convinced.

He made one more call before dialing Jodie—to Sheriff Preston in Clayborne County. His news didn’t go over very well. The sheriff didn’t enjoy being

shown up. zBut he did agree to talk with the and get their statements, as well as contact “Little Hat” McGraw to hear what he had to say.

“Rufus sure as hell ain’t gonna like it,” Bill Preston said.

“Rufus Hammond and his boys are already skatin’ on thin ice with me. They’ve come real close to havin’ charges filed against ‘em. If I had my way, they would have. Best thing they can do is head back home.”

“He’s still not gonna like it,” the other sheriff warned. “He hates that Rio guy. Thinks he was after

Crystal’s inheritance. She wasn’t Rufus’s daughter by birth, but he loved her like she was. “

Jodie answered his call on the first ring. “Tate!” she cried. “I’d just about given up!”

Apprehension flooded through him. “Has something happened?” He’d been so intent on verifying Rio’s alibi he hadn’t taken into account anything else. “Have the Hammonds”

“No, no. Nothing like that! It’s… Tate, I have to tell you something.”

When she hesitated, he stepped in. “I’ve got some good news for you. It’s why I called.”

“What is it?” she asked quickly.

“Looks like your friend is off the hook. Got all kinds of backup witnesses who’re willing to swear he was playin’ cards with them on the night that girl was beaten. So good job, Jodie. You’ve helped keep an innocent man out of jail.”