Another Chance (18 page)

They both
agreed.

“I brought a
couple of pictures of this Lambert guy, taken when he was in prison, but I
doubt if he still looks much the same.”  He pulled two color shots of a
man in prison garb and handed them each one.  Jordan took the picture but
didn’t look at it.

“I don’t think
I’ll ever be able to forget what he looks like,” she said.

Wolf took the
one offered him and studied the face.  “His hair will be the easiest thing
to change.  He’ll probably dye it.  Maybe grow a beard.”  He
looked at the sheriff.  “Don’t y’all have a computer that can make those changes
to a photo?”

John Davis
looked up quickly and then nodded. “I should have already had that done. 
I guess I’m just not up on all this high tech stuff.  I’ll get Marge on it
as soon as I get back to the office.  We’re working on getting you both
cell phones to keep with you at all times and I’ve spoken to a friend of mine
about putting a Lojack system in your truck.  We’ll do that day after
tomorrow.”  He directed the last to Jordan.

She looked
confused, but the sheriff had started down the steps.  “Wolf can explain a
Lojack.  I’ll see y’all later.”  He lifted one hand in the air over
his shoulder as he walked to his truck.

Jordan watched
him turn his truck around and drive away.  Wolf was still looking at the
picture of Lambert.

“What’s a
Lojack system,” she asked.

“It enables
law enforcement to locate and lock down any vehicle that is equipped with
it.”  He was still looking at the picture.

Jordan gave
him her full attention.  “What is so interesting about that picture?”

He then looked
at her.  “I’m just tryin’ to remember all the things that make his face
unique.  Things that he can’t change.”

“Such as?”

“Well, the
distance from the tip of his nose to his eyes, the shape of the nose, the shape
of his lips, the way his right eye lid droops just a tiny bit, and the way his
ears are a little lower than his eyes.”  He glanced at the picture
again.  “He can lose or gain weight, wear colored contact lens, dye his
hair, or cut it, or let it grow, shave his head, put on glasses, grow facial hair. 
There are lots of ways that a person can change their appearance, but there are
still a few things that will stay the same.  Those are the things it’s
important to remember.”

Jordan looked
up at him, new respect in her eyes.  “And I thought you were just a dumb,
good looking cowboy,” she grinned, laughter in her voice.

His black
brows shot up in surprise.  “Good lookin’?  You think I’m good
lookin’?”  He was quick to return her light hearted teasing.

She laughed
easily, discovering all over again that she really did like this man.  It
wasn’t just a physical attraction.  Besides, talking about Lambert would
just ruin her day.

He glanced at
the picture in his hand once more, and then slipped it into his shirt
pocket.  Then after a second thought, took it out again.  He removed
his wallet from one front pocket of his jeans and put the picture in it.

“What’s next,”
he asked.  “We’ve cleaned the barns and had a nice long ride.  Just
give me some directions, Boss Lady.”

“I’m
starving,” she answered.  “I haven’t even thought about lunch and it’s
almost time for supper.”

They ate lunch
at a bar-b-que restaurant just down the road from her farm.  It wasn’t a
huge place and was owned by a family that Jordan knew.  The girl who took
their order greeted Jordan by name, then looked from Jordan to Wolf several
times while they were giving their order as if trying to determine what their
relationship might be.

Their food was
delivered by the owner.  “Afternoon, Jordan.  It’s good to see
y’all.”  He sat their plates down and offered his hand to Wolf.  “I’m
Rich Ewen, the owner of this fine establishment.”  He looked back at
Jordan.  “Missy told me you were out here.”

Wolf took his
hand and shook it briefly.  “You can call me Wolf.”  It was obvious
that the man was on a fishing trip to find out about Jordan and him.  He
indicated a chair at their table.  “Have a seat Rich and join us. 
Jordan is showin’ me around town today.  Kinda letting me get to know the
people in her world.”

Rich pulled
the chair out and sat down comfortably.  His face was filled with
curiosity.  “Thank you, Wolf.”  He turned his head toward the kitchen
and called loudly, “Hey Missy, bring me a glass of sweet tea.”  Then he
turned his attention back to the couple at the table.  “Wolf.  That
the first name, or the last?”

“It’s what I’m
called, more of a nickname.  The last name is Cetan which is Lakota for
Hawk.”

Rich
shrugged.  “Interesting.”  He looked at Jordan then.  “How’s
business?”

She
smiled.  “It’s April.  I’m getting ready to shut down for
summer.  I’ve still got a couple of colts to finish and send home before
it gets too hot to ride, and one of my own to start working.”

She wasn’t
interested in being one of the fish that Rich caught on this trip, but it
appeared Wolf was.

 He
reached across the table and covered one of her hands with one of his. 
His action drew her attention and he smiled.  “Sugar, I’ll be right
back.  You just enjoy visitin’ with Rich.  I didn’t wash my hands
after I put our horses away.”  He pushed his chair back and stood to his
full six feet two inches.  “Excuse me, Rich.  I won’t be a minute.”

Both Jordan
and Rich watched him walk toward the bathroom.

Jordan was
smiling, knowing he was smiling because he had left her on the spot.

Rich didn’t
wait long.  “He appears to be an interesting character.”  He
observed.

Jordan felt
her face burn and kept her eyes on the disappearing man enjoying the retreating
movement of his snug jeans across his firm gluteus maximus.  “You have no
idea,” she finally said.

“Well, I’ll be
cooked.  After all this time, you have a boyfriend!”  Like everyone
else that knew Jordan, Rich was well aware that she made a point of maintaining
a distance from men.

She
shrugged.  “It kind of just happened.  It wasn’t like I went out
looking for a man.”

Rich
laughed.  “Wait ‘til the word gets around.  Half the town will be
sick, and their wives will all be thrilled.  You know that most of the
women around here have lived in fear that you might end up wanting their man.”

Jordan
frowned.  “Then they never knew me very well.  I wouldn’t have ever
gone out with a married man.”

Again Rich
laughed.  “I know.  I told my wife that, but I’m not sure she
believed it.  Coarse she never knew that I tried and got turned down like
the others.”

Wolf pulled
out his chair and sat back down.  “So, Rich, are you?”

“Am I
what?”  The restaurateur asked.

Wolf winked at
Jordan.  “Rich.”  He supplied.

It took just a
second for the fog to clear, and then Rich roared with laughter.  “Maybe
someday.”  He was finally able to answer.  Missy delivered his
chilled glass of iced tea.  He sipped from it as his two customers ate
their meal, pausing occasionally to hold up their respective ends of
conversation.  When they finished, their plates were collected and the
three of them sat for a few minutes making idle talk.

Finally Jordan
looked across at Wolf.  Feeling her eyes on him, he turned to look at
her.  One of his hands reached across the table again and covered her hand
that was closest to him.  “Are you ready?”  He asked.  She
nodded.

They stood up
and bade Rich good-bye.  As they walked toward the exit, Wolf’s hand was
against the back of Jordan’s shoulders.  She could feel the heat between
her shoulder blades beneath that single layer of cloth.  At the door, he
reached around her to pull it open, their heads almost touching.  “Good
job,” he breathed softly.

Jordan
wondered if he could tell that her heart was ready to jump out of her throat,
as she turned her head and looked into his eyes.  She could feel his
breath on her cheek.  Her eyes dropped to his lips and she stumbled over
the bottom of the door frame.  Like lightening, his hand closed around her
arm, catching her in time to keep her from falling flat on her face out the
door.

She quickly
recovered her balance, if not her composure.  “Well,” she managed to
say.  “That was graceful.”

Wolf chuckled.

She even liked
the sound of that.

Every bit the
gentleman, he opened the truck and held her arm as she stepped onto the Nerf
bar and then slipped into the seat on the passenger side.  “Don’t forget
to buckle up.”  Wolf cautioned as he pushed the door closed.  He
voice sounded soft and rough at the same time like velvet being dragged across
sandpaper.

Jordan watched
him as he walked across in front of the truck to the driver’s side.  When
he got in and buckled his seat belt, she wondered if he could be feeling any of
the attraction to her that she was feeling for him.

He started the
truck engine then threw his right arm across the back of the seat as he turned
in that direction to look out the back window as he backed out of the parking
space.

Jordan knew
his fingers were almost touching her shoulder and tried not to think about it,
but would have been willing to swear that she could feel the heat radiating out
of his hand.  She didn’t look, but then felt him looking at her.  She
pretended not to notice until she realized that the truck was stopped and he
was waiting for her attention.  She turned her head.

When her head
turned toward him, he lifted his hand off the back of the seat and just briefly
touched her cheek with his fingers as he returned his hand to the steering
wheel.  “Are you okay?”

She nodded
feeling like her cheek was glowing where he had touched it.  “Sure, why
wouldn’t I be?”

He shrugged.

Neither of
them spoke as he drove back to her farm and parked the truck in front of the
barn.  She felt his eyes on her as she closed the door behind her and
walked into the barn.

She quickly
saddled the other colt that needed riding and mounted.  She rode out to
the small training ring that she often used and put the animal through his
paces.  He wasn’t as advanced as the other colt so she had to spend more
time getting what she wanted from him and the training ring was perfect for
that.

She didn’t see
Wolf, but was aware that he was watching her from somewhere in the barn. 
After about an hour of exercise and training, she rode back to the barn and
dismounted.  She removed the bridle and replaced it with the halter and
cross tied the animal next to the tack room.  Throwing the near stirrup
across the seat of the saddle, she unfastened the girth.  Being a
meticulous rider, she walked around the horse and fastened the ring of the
girth up on the off side so it wouldn’t drag when she walked and wouldn’t end
up under the saddle the next time she put it on a horse.  When she started
back around the horse, Wolf was there, pulling the saddle off.  He turned
and carried it into the tack room.  She followed him and picked up her
grooming kit and walked back to the horse.  He had done a good job and
deserved a good rub down.

As she worked,
she felt rather than heard, Wolf behind her.  Deliberately she turned and
looked at him.  “What?”

Sometimes she
hated the baseball cap he wore.  The bib of it shaded the upper portion of
his face and cast his pale eyes in deep shadow not allowing her the chance to
see any reflection of light or thought in them.

He started to
look away, but she was standing there, waiting for some response from
him.  He shrugged his shoulders.  “I can’t imagine anyone wantin’ to
hurt you.  This Lambert must be some sick puppy.”

She thought he
was going to say something more, and then Bhrandii barked and bounded toward
the front of the barn.

“I think we
have company.”  He said softly his eyes meeting hers steadily.

Jordan finally
turned and spoke to the dog that was still standing at the front of the barn
growling.

They heard the
slamming of a vehicle door and knew that someone was coming into the
barn.  Jordan stepped around the colt and put on her greeting face as John
Davis entered the barn.  He carried a bag in one hand as he walked toward
them.

From the far
side of the colt, she heard Wolf mutter, “Again?”

“Hey, I
thought y’all might be down here.  Then I heard that dog bark and knew
that Jordan was.”  Then he spotted Wolf standing behind the colt, his arms
resting casually on the animal’s smooth back.  He held the sack out and
Jordan accepted it.  “I brought the cell phones for y’all.  I had
Marge program in the quick dial for the office.  Just press the 1. 
It’ll take you directly to her and she knows what to do.  Don’t use that
unless you need help or have seen Lambert.  Any other time you need to
call me,” his eyes shifted to Wolf, “to talk about anything else, just call my
private line.”

Jordan reached
in the bag and took out one of the phones.  “What am I going to do with two
cell phones?  You know I already have one.”  She handed the other one
across the colt to Wolf who took it, his fingers lightly brushing against hers
in the exchange.

John Davis
shrugged.  “I don’t know, but you make sure you carry this one with you at
all
times.  Got that?”  He lifted his hat and wiped his face
with a handkerchief he pulled from a back pocket.  “Gettin’ hot, today,”
he said.  “Summer’s just around the corner.”

She
nodded.  “Can I use it for calls that I might need to make, other than to
you?”

“Of
course.”  He looked across the horse at Wolf.  “You okay, boy?”

Wolf looked
back at him, and then shrugged.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Where is that
pretty little sister of yours?  We need to make some arrangements to keep
her safe.  Don’t want Lambert getting his hands on her,” the sheriff
asked.