Texas Lawman (2 page)

“Tate Connelly?” She moved closer to the rail and squinted. “Tell him I can’t see him. He needs to get into better light.”

Tate complied with her direction, and as he passed Jodie, he collected her by the arm and brought her along. “

“Look who I ran into, Miss Parker,” he drawled.

“Who’s that?” Mae said, still peering into the gloom.

“The prodigal niece.” Jodie could tell from the way he said it that he was enjoying himself. Enjoying the fact that not even her own family had recognized her. Enjoying the prospect of what would happen once they did.

Jodie shook her arm free of his grasp and glared at him. “It’s me, Aunt Mae–Jodie,” she said, hurrying up the two short steps to give her great-aunt a hug.

For a moment Mae Parker was perfectly still, then, pulling back, she looked hard at the younger woman. “Jodie?” she repeated. It took only seconds for the other shoe to drop. “Jodie! What in heaven’s name have you done to yourself?. Gib. Gib! Get over here!” she hollered. “Come see what your daughter’s done to herself!” Then back to Jodie, “I knew it was wrong for you to be at such loose ends for so long. Idle hands always find trouble. You should’ve taken that job with

Mimi Henderson in Houston like I wanted you to. Then you wouldn’t have had time to . to”

“You don’t know that, Aant Mae,” Jodie broke into her aunt’s uncharacteristic sputtering. “Td’ve probably done the same thing. Ira”

“Jodie.t” Her father rushed onto the porch, grabbed her and held her close. “I’ve missed you, gal. Missed you like the dickenS! What are you doin’ here so early? I thought you weren’t getting’ in till tomorrow. If I’d known, I’d’ve…”

With her face pressed into her father’s comfortably worn cotton shirt, it was impossible for Jodie to continue her protest. Instead, her nose twitched at the nostalgic scents of turpentine and oil paints. Her father might frustrate her frequently with his ineffectual ness particularly in his dealings with Mae, but she loved him. Loved him dearly.

Pulling back, Jodie smiled through a haze of tears. “You know me, Dad. I never do anything that’s expected.”

He’d changed little since the last time she’d seen him. A few more sprinkles of salt in his salt-and-pepper hair. A few more wrinkles to befit his sixty-three years. He beamed with happiness at her return, not seeming to care one whit about what she’d done with her hair.

Her cousins joined them on the porch. “Hey, little girl,” Rare said, plucking her away from her father to twirl her around. “I didn’t recognize you!”

LeRoy stole her away from Rafe and continued the twirl. “You gonna find it hard to stay on the farm now that you’ve seen Paree?” he teased.

Jodie giggled at their antics—until Mae broke into the fun.

“What kind of trouble did you get yourself into on the way here.” she demanded. “Tate’s a busy man. Got a whole county to look after. I’m sure he has more to do than round up strays.”

Jodie glanced at Tate, who’d remained standing a short distance from the porch, his badge gleaming on his tan uniform. She wondered how he’d react if she fudged the truth.

Instead of abandoning her to her own devices, though, he said easily, “It’s never any trouble to see a pretty young lady home, Miss Parker. It’s one of the perks of the job. Now if you’ll excuse me, I better be on my way.”

His level brown gaze met Jodie’s, and when it did, something inside her stirred.

“You sure you don’t want to come inside, Tate?” Rafe invited.

Tate shook his head. “Better not.”

Shannon pushed her way through the group on the porch. “Jodie? It is you!” she exclaimed. “Let me see what you did to yourself. Oh … your hair!” A slight pause. “It looks great. Such a change!”

“Looks like she’s tryin’ to be someone else,” Mae grumbled.

“I’m still me, Aunt Mae,” Jodie said.

As the others started to file into Mae’s house, LeRoy said, “I’ll go wake Harriet. She’ll kill me if I let her miss this.”

“The boys are asleeP, too,” Shannon confided to Jodie, “but believe me, we don’t want to wake them.

They’re like bears when they’re disturbed. Typical Parker men. “

Jodie joined in the general laughter, but something made her look back at Tate. He was already at his patrol car pulling open the door. That same something made her break away to join him.

if Tate was surprised, he didn’t show it. “Back in the bosom of the family,” he taunted softly. “All safe and sound.”

It had always been like that between them, him treating her like a spoiled brat! It wasn’t her fault she’d been born into one of the oldest and most influential families in the area. She’d never traded on her name–expecting favors or asking for them. But he didn’t seem to see it that way.

“Thanks to you,” she returned with just as much mockery. “You never know what kind of pervert might be hiding behind a creosote bush.”

“No, you don’t,” he agreed solemnlyl

Jodie ran a finger along the rim of the car door. She had something to say and she needed to say it quickly before she got cold feet. “Thank you for not telling Aunt Mae you stopped me for speeding.”

“You looked in enough trouble already. I didn’t need to add more.”

“Still … thanks.”

His gaze flickered to her altered hair. “If you’d wanted to set the cat among the canaries, you couldn’t have made a better choice.”

“I didn’t do it to cause trouble.”

“You didn’t?” he scoffed. Then before she could reply, he continued quietly, “It’s good to have you

home again, Jodie. The place hasn’t been the same without you. “

The slight huskiness in his voice did odd things to Jodie’s equilibrium. She took refuge in prickliness. “Why?” she challenged, “Because no one else keeps things stirred up?”

He smiled slightly. “You could say that.”

His gaze remained steadily on her, and Jodie found she couldn’t look away. It took a call from the police radio to break them apart.

As he slid into the driver’s seat and reached for the hand mike, Jodie took an uncertain step backward. She listened as he made a clipped comment, then broke off. When he looked at her again, his expression was grim.

“There’s been a knife fight over at Mike Newman’s. One of his cowboys is hurt pretty bad. I have to get over there.” He’d started the engine while still talking, but before pulling away he swept her with another look. “Guess I’ll see you around again sometime soon, hmm?”

Jodie nodded. Her insides were still all quivery. Why? She’d gotten over her schoolgirl crush on him years ago. Years and years ago!

“Jodie!” Mae hailed her from the porch. “What are you doing out there? Everyone’s wantin’ to talk to you{“

“I’ll be right there, Aunt Mae,” Jodie called back, then with a tentative smile at Tate, she hurried inside.

loom LUXURIATED lying in bed the next morning, listening to the sounds she’d awakened to for most of her life. The distant harmony of men’s voices, lowing cat-He and, occasionally, cars and machinery starting up and moving off. A warm June breeze ruffled the window curtains, bringing with it the sweet smells of grasses and flowers and earth. With all the places she’d visited this past year, none had inspired this same swell of feeling. Which surprised her, because she’d seen some pretty amazing things.

There was a tap on her door, and her father came in carrying a tray. “I wasn’t sure you’d be awake, but I took the chance. You still like a good strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning?”

lo die struggled to sit up as he placed the tray on her bedside table. When she saw he’d included not only coffee but a piece of toast spread with her favorite blackberry jam, she protested, “You didn’t have to do this, Dad.”

“I know.”

Jodie caught his hand. “I thought of you often, especially in Italy. So many wonderful art museums and so much beautiful scenery. It’s completely different

from here. I could just see you scrambling around, trying to paint everything. “

“Here’s not so bad,” her father said mildly.

“I know, that

“Aunt Mae was real fired up when you turned down that job. She’d had to pull a lot of strings.”

“I didn’t ask her to pull any.”

He smiled. “Then you took off, which was probably the smartest thing you could’ve done. What time does she want to see you this morning?”

“Eleven.” Jodie frowned. “How’s she doing, Dad?”

“Compared to what? A whirlwind?”

“I don’t know,” Jodie said, shrugging. “It just seemed, last night, as if she’s suddenly … older.”

“She/s older! But she’s the same Mae as ever. Cantankerous, determined, with a temper hotter’n a pistol when you don’t do something’ the way she wants.” He looked at Jodie, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he teased, “You’ll be able to see for yourself at eleven.”

Jodie groaned. “Maybe I should have stayed in Europe!”

Her father raffled her short hair. “She sure didn’t like this very much, either. Every time she looked at you last night she ground her teeth. I swear, I thought she’d picked up termites in her house until I found out what that noise was.” His fingers stilled. “Your hair used to be the same color as your mother’s, the same bright copper that burns like a flame when the sun hits it.”

Jodie moved her head away. Her mother was a subject they’d always avoided.

“Is it permanent?” her father asked.

“It’s a rinse. It’ll wash out in three or four shampoos I did it in London because I felt like it.”

“To get a rise out of us? Out of Mae?”

Jodie frowned. “Why does everyone automatically assume that?” First Tate, now her father. Couldn’t a person just do something and not have everyone make a big deal of it? But then, on the Parker Ranch everything was a big deal if it went against the common thought. Against Mac’s thought.

Her father patted her shoulder. “Drink your coffee before it gets cold. Aunt Mae wants to see me before she sees you. I think she has an errand for me to do in town, so if I’m not around when you come out— Say, how’d you like me to return your rental car, since I’ll probably be goin’ that way?”

“That would be great! But I’d rather she let you have the day off. I mean, it has been a year since we’ve seen each other.”

He moved to the door. “I imagine she expects we’ll have lots of time to catch up.”

“What if I plan to leave again soon?” Jodie countered, irritated with her great-aunt for making assumptions.

Her father stopped dead in his tracks. “You plannin’

on leavin’ soon? “

Jodie shook her head. “No, no. I’m here for a couple of months at least.”

He found his smile again. “Well, all right. For a minute there I thought…” His smile broadened. “I’m just glad to have you home again, honey. Real glad. We all are.”

Her father’s words rang in her ears as Jodie sipped her coffee and nibbled on her toast. Everyone was glad to see her. They’d welcomed her back into the family circle withoua moment’s pause. Harriet had even burst into tears.

A special family dinner was planned for tonight and, later in the week, on Friday night, a huge barbecue with friends and neighbors invited. Jodie had protested, saying she’d rather keep things low-key. But her wishes had been swept aside.

“Buck up, Jodie,” Shannon had whispered when she’d noticed her tight expression. “Mae’s been counting the days until you came back. Let her have her fun, then you can make a stand.”

The trouble was, Mae had been riding herd on the family for so long that making a stand was nearly impossible. Her great-aunt thought it was her right to direct everyone’s life.

Jodie sighed, checked the bedside clock, then hurried off to bathe and dress. The dreaded hour was fast approaching.

MARm, MAE’S HOUSEKEEPER, passed on Mae’s instructions that Jodie was to report directly to her private office. Before allowing Jodie to proceed to her fate, though, she confided that if she’d had the same opportunity to travel when she was young; she’d have done it no matter what.

“I think what you did was wonderful. And so would she” — Made gestured toward Mae’s office “–if she’d thought of it first. And your hair—I like it!”

Jodie’s lips twitched. Marie and her camp-cook husband, Axel, having no children of their own, had formed a strong attachment to each of the Parker children living on the ranch. Jodie’s early abandonment by her mother had especially pulled at their heartstrings. As she’d grown up, Jodie had spent many an hour in Marie’s kitchen under the guise of helping her, while in reality they’d chattered endlessly about any and everything. “Thanks,” she said softly, and kissed the housekeeper’s cheek.

Then, carrying herself with dignity, she walked down the hall. She’d taken special care with her appearance, using a minimum of makeup and wearing her most conservative dress ma navy blue knit, buttoned fully to the neck. Nothing had been left to chance, from her tiny gold earrings to the delicate shell cameo that was pinned at her throat.

Last night’s butterflies again took wing as she paused outside the office door. Then she opened it.

The room was exactly as it always had been: book-lined walls, a sitting area to one side and her aunt’s highly polished rosewood desk positioned perfectly to assert dominance over anyone who entered.

Her aunt was seated behind the desk writing in a journal. She seemed unaware of Jodie’s presence until Jodie murmured, “Aunt Mae.”

The white head, hair caught on top in a smooth knot, snapped up. “You’re late,” she said tartly.

Jodie checked her watch. “Only a minute.” Then, before her aunt could launch into further criticism, Jo-die continued, “Aunt Mae, I want to apologize. I never did thank you for arranging that position for me with

Mimi Henderson. I thanked her when I turned it down, but I never”

Mae cut her off. “What good are apologies after so much time had passed?”

“It’s better than nothing surely.” “Not in my book.” “Aunt Mae”

Mae slapped the journal shut. “It’s one thing to turn Mimi down. It’s another thing entirely to disappear for a year!”

“I didn’t disappear!”

“W!at would you call it, then? We barely heard from you!”