(Calahan Cowboys 08) The Cowboy Soldier's Sons (17 page)

“Thanks, Sheriff.”

The lawman let out a long breath. “Don’t thank me. I don’t know how long I’m going to buy your story.”

“At least until I can get Tempest to go to my family’s home in Hell’s Colony,” Shaman said.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow,” the sheriff said. “And good luck with that. Zola Cupertino always made her own decisions.”

Shaman knew that. He loved that about her. But this was the way it had to be.

Chapter Fourteen

“Uncle Shaman,” Cat said ruefully, looking through the bars of the Tempest jail. “What are you doing in prison? Dad says you’re the rebel in the family. All brains, all glory. Is that why you’re here?”

Shaman grimaced and stuck a hand through the bar to ruffle Cat’s hair. “I’m not really in jail. I’m...thinking deep thoughts. This is where I do it. It’s quiet.”

“Yeah, right.” Cat grinned. “Dad said a bad word when Kendall called to say you needed to be sprung. She helicoptered in a couple lawyers so you’d be represented properly. It’s pretty wild in the courthouse right now. Dad says that’ll teach you not to be tossing Molotov cocktails and pulling military stunts in small towns, which is what he figured you did, because you never do anything halfway.”

“That’s so nice,” Shaman said. “I appreciate my brother’s support.”

“Aunt Kendall said she’d be here, too, except that Uncle Xav woke up and she’s not leaving his side. He’s going to be fine.” Cat’s pixie face perked up with delight. “He said to tell you he wished he was here with you to raise hell, and that really made Aunt Kendall mad. She says there’s something in the H
₂
O in Tempest that’s made all her brothers certifiable.”

He tried to peer out the window toward the courthouse as Cat rambled through her laundry list of family gossip. “Do you know where Cupertino is? Where my sons are?”

“I heard her down the hall trying to sweet-talk Deputy Keene into letting her have the key to your cell.”

Shaman turned back to Cat. “The key? Why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. She told me to go take a look at my numskull uncle.” Cat smiled at him. “I think that means she’s not happy with you.”

“I’ve been in the doghouse with her a long time.” Shaman wished it wasn’t true, but he didn’t think anything was likely to change very soon.

Tempest appeared next to Cat, looking like a sweet dream. She wore blue jeans and loafers and a T-shirt that read I Love NY. Her hair was in a knot on her head, she had on no makeup, and she was the sexiest lady he’d ever seen.

“Hi,” she said, unlocking the cell. She stared at him a long moment before seating herself on the wooden bench beside him. “Idiot. What were you thinking?”

“Hello to you too, gorgeous. Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.”

Cat seated herself next to Tempest.

“Oh, honey, I don’t know if your daddy wants you in a jail cell,” Tempest said.

“I know,” Cat said. “He’s probably going to say that Shaman’s dragging the family down. He said he always did have to dig Uncle Shaman out of trouble.”

“That is not how the story goes, niece. I’ll straighten your father’s faulty memory out later. Where are my sons?” he asked Tempest.

“With Shinny and Blanche. They said this is not a healthy environment for them.” She looked at Shaman. “Why did you tell Sheriff Nance that you did it?”

“Because I was going to,” he admitted. “It’s just coincidence that the house went up before I could.”

“This is so dumb,” Tempest said. “You’re sitting in jail and Bobby the rat is free.”

“I’m thinking I’m going to build you a new house for a wedding present,” Shaman said. “That adobe bungalow you live in is too small for my sons. I figure they’re going to be big boys. They’ll need a basketball court and a soccer field and some horses. An upstairs for their own hangout, and cabinets for their rodeo buckles.”

Tempest sighed. “Let’s not talk about anything except how we’re going to get you out of this.”

“It’s going to be all right, Aunt Tempest,” Cat said. “Aunt Kendall said she’d sent in the Marines to get Uncle Shaman out of the mess he made. She said these lawyers are the best in the business.”

Tempest giggled. “You do not fully appreciate your sister’s strength.”

“Yeah. I do. Believe me, Kendall is stronger than all of us.” Shaman sighed, about to protest about the two of them sitting in the cell with him when Fiona Callahan appeared. She was dressed in pink from head to toe, complete with a straw hat decorated with pink flowers. Just looking at her made Shaman grin. “Howdy, stranger.”

“If ever cookies were needed, I’d say now is the time.” Fiona looked at Cat with some concern. “Honey, does your daddy know where you are?”

“Yes,” she said with a grave shake of her head. “I’m supposed to check on him while Dad’s at the courthouse.”

Fiona looked at Shaman. “Jonas brought Sam because he said you needed a crack lawyer. Kendall sent her team, and Gage said the place was crawling with so many lawyers it put his teeth on edge. He said you were so lawyered up no one would ever suspect you were just a poor cowboy. I hitched a ride so I could bring you and Tempest a baby gift.” She seated herself on the long bench, and smiled as Cat took a pink-sprinkled cookie.

“Good thing I’m a model child,” Cat said.

Fiona laughed. “True.” She handed a small blue-polka-dotted bag to Tempest. “These are for the babies.”

She smiled back. “Thank you so much.”

Fiona looked at Shaman. “You’ll recognize this, I feel certain.”

Tempest pulled two pairs of tiny knitted sky-blue baby booties from the bag, and then two knitted baby blankets in beautiful blue-and-white mixed yarns. “Fiona, they’re lovely! Did you knit these yourself?”

“I did.” She smiled with delight at Shaman. “I did a much better job after your husband showed me where I was going wrong with my knitting.”

Tempest looked at him. “Knitting?”

He shrugged. “It’s peaceful. Isn’t it, Fiona?”

She laughed. “When I’m not dropping stitches.”

He took a baby blanket from Tempest, examining it carefully. “Thank you, Fiona. The boys are going to love your gifts.”

Shaman looked up as an elderly, square-set woman walked into the cell. “Welcome,” he said. “Join the knitting club.”

“I’m Ellen Dowdy,” she replied. “Quite a ruckus you’re causing out there,” she told Shaman.

“Ms. Dowdy,” Tempest said, “I’d like to introduce you to my husband, Shaman, my niece, Cat Phillips, and Fiona Callahan of Rancho Diablo in Diablo.”

Ellen nodded. “Good to meet everyone. Heard your house burned, Zola. I should say I’m real sorry to hear it, but I’m not. Unlike other folks in this town who wanted to make a shrine of it, I thought it was a roach motel that should have been knocked over years ago. I hope you’re not sad about it.”

“No, ma’am, I can’t say that I am,” she said, and Shaman took her hand in his.

“Well, I hope you’ll be staying in Tempest, anyway.” Ellen looked at the knitted booties and blankets in Tempest’s lap. “We have knitting and sewing circles here, and we have a position open at the library for a storyteller if you’re still of a mind to read to our kids.” She squared her jaw at everyone in the room. “There’s also need for a drama teacher at the elementary school, which I am certain you have the appropriate résumé and experience to handle.”

“Really?” Tempest said. “I would love that!”

Ellen nodded. “I hope you’ll plan on staying here. Goodbye,” she said politely to the cell at large, then disappeared, her soft-soled shoes making no noise on the concrete floor.

“Wow, Aunt Tempest,” Cat said. “You’re going to be famous in Tempest.”

She smiled. “I wonder what made her change her mind?”

“Oh, folks with that much age and spice in them generally come to the right decision in due time,” Fiona said, and Shaman chuckled.

“Congratulations.” He squeezed Tempest’s fingers.

“You guys can’t stay in here forever,” Deputy Keene said. “Sheriff Nance’ll be annoyed that this place is becoming a regular meet-n-greet.” He glanced at the plate of cookies in Fiona’s lap, which she offered to him. After a moment, he snatched two, muttering, “Ten more minutes can’t hurt anything,” and trundled back down the hall.

“I suppose I should go,” Fiona said. “Cat, let’s you and I go see if Uncle Sam has managed to spring Shaman from his misdeeds.” She shook her head at him. “One would think a house that decrepit would have fallen down with a good puff of wind. Sorry, Tempest, no insult to your home.”

“None taken,” she said quickly. “Goodbye, Fiona. Thank you for the cookies and the lovely gifts.”

Fiona flopped a hand at them and disappeared. Cat followed after flinging her arms around both of them for a hug, then hurried to follow her nana.

Tempest leaned her head against Shaman’s shoulder and sighed. “Why are you protecting me?”

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her against him. It felt like home. Everything about Tempest felt like the home he’d always been searching for. “I always will,” he said. “I promised to love, honor and protect you, and you promised to love, honor and obey me. I believe you emphasized obedience.”

“Nice try, but I don’t think so.”

“Okay,” Shaman said, smiling. “I can compromise on the obeying part. But I’m always going to protect you, and my children.”

“You may be in jail a long time,” Tempest said. “I guess the boys and I can bring you meals on occasion.”

“I ate MREs for years. I can handle Sheriff Nance’s grub.”

She looked at him. “I’m going to tell Sheriff Nance the truth, Shaman. I’m going to tell him you didn’t do it.”

“He won’t believe you,” Shaman said. “You just take care of my sons.”

“But you didn’t do it.”

“That’s true,” Shaman said, “but I can’t have the mother of my children in jail. I’d say it’d be pretty hard to feed those hungry boys of mine if you’re in here.”

She sat up, staring at him. “Wait a minute. Are you saying you think I set the fire?”

He looked at her. “The sheriff seemed to think so. You’d left the bungalow, so—”

She shook her head. “Shaman, I went to the house. I walked down memory lane. But I didn’t burn it down.”

He considered that. “Bobby told the sheriff he saw your car at the house. He said you went inside.”

“Because I did. But I promise I didn’t commit arson.”

Shaman studied her for a long moment, seeing truth in her blue eyes. Then it hit him. “Holy crap, Tempest. You’ve been set up. Bobby wants you to go to jail because he wants to see you suffer.”

“Yeah. He had a great plan. But you took the fall.” She shook her head at him. “You’re my hero, but you’re going to have to figure out that I really can take care of myself.”

She put her hand in his and Shaman felt hope flare to life inside him. “I know you can. Believe me, I know it.” He let out a long, deep breath. “Bobby’s got us in a heckuva bind. I confessed, and if I rescind my confession, you’re going to jail because we can’t prove that Bobby did it. And he did, or he wouldn’t have covered his tracks by telling the sheriff he saw you out there.”

“He was in the house when I was there,” Tempest said, with sudden realization. “I noticed a pack of cigarettes on the counter.”

Shaman remembered getting broadsided with the pipe, remembered what Xav looked like in ICU. Tight, fierce anger washed over him as he thought of what could have happened to Tempest if Bobby had decided to take his fury out on her.

“You just stay close to me until this is over,” he said. “I’m gonna crush Bobby like a bug if I ever see him.”

“I’ll help you.”

She didn’t say anything else, but she snuggled a little closer to him. And it filled his heart with hope.

* * *

“A
LL RIGHT
,
HERO
. You’re free to go.” Sheriff Nance opened the cell, shaking his head at Shaman. “You know you didn’t save anybody.”

Shaman looked around for Tempest. He’d fallen asleep because it had felt so darn good to have her lying against his shoulder. At some point she’d left, which was pretty typical of their relationship.

She was going to have to stop leaving and start staying.

“I’m not trying to be a hero. Why are you letting me miss the Thursday night edition of ‘Jailhouse Rock’?”

“Very funny, soldier. Go before I change my mind.” He shut the cell behind Shaman. “By the way, I didn’t make a report that you confessed. I know you were lying. The question is why. I’d really appreciate you breaking the unfortunate habit of lying to people in uniform.”

“You were the first.” Shaman didn’t move down the hall the way he knew the sheriff wanted him to. “Where is my wife?”

“She’s not here. I think she went to feed the babies. She can’t babysit you all the time.” Nance grinned at his joke. “If I were you, I’d get over to the courthouse. Your people have made a stink the like of which we’ve never seen in this town, and I suspect we’ll be talking about it for years. We don’t usually get this much excitement, although with you and Zola around, things are looking up.”

“I don’t have ‘people.’”

“You have an army of lawyers and about four or five family members. If everyone leaves, I’ll be able to get on with my job.”

Shaman stayed right where he was, not about to take a step down the hall until he knew that Tempest wasn’t going to be hauled in to jail. “If you’re letting me go, who do you think burned down Tempest’s house?”

“I have my suspicions,” Sheriff Nance said, “but right now we’re just going to call it a plain old unfortunate accident in a house that should have been razed long ago. These things happen in abandoned places. Old wiring gets chewed through by mice, and so forth.”

Shaman nodded. “Pesky little buggers.”

“Exactly. So go before I lock you up again just for annoying me. Or loitering. That’s always good for about twenty-four hours in the slammer.”

Shaman hesitated. “So Tempest and I are in the clear?”

Sheriff Nance shrugged. “As long as you don’t go making any more heroic confessions to save your wife, you’re probably fine.”

“Thanks.” He headed down the hall and out into the late-afternoon sun. The town square looked as if a festival of some kind was being celebrated there. He doubted there’d ever been this much traffic in Tempest.