Lone Star Legacy (7 page)

A dark sedan idled on the street, the dim glow of its instrument panel just visible, though its headlights were turned off.

Across the street and to the north, there were only empty lots, and Canyon Street ended just a hundred feet past her house at a pasture fence. To the south, the vet clinic was closed. So why would anyone be out there at this time of night?

A minute later, the car eased away from the curb and disappeared into the darkness without ever turning its headlights on.

There was no basis for calling the cops—just a couple anonymous phone calls. An idling car that may have just held two lovers talking into the wee hours.

Beth sat at the window and kept watch until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, and then she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

I
N THE MORNING
, Beth awoke bleary-eyed but with new resolve. While Sophie slept, she found her to do list, and rewrote every one of the twenty tasks in order of revised importance for opening the café as soon as possible.

With the kitchen cupboards done, Joel had promised to tackle the plumbing problems next, followed by the installation of a small, commercial dishwasher. After that, she’d paint the kitchen a bright off-white and he could put down the vinyl flooring.

And when she wasn’t working at the vet clinic or taking care of Sophie, she’d be scrubbing, painting and wallpapering the dining area itself. But first thing today, a local rubbish hauler was scheduled to stop by with his hulking son to finally clear out the junk in the yard.

Whistling, she opened the windows so she could hear if Sophie awakened and called her, then she hurried downstairs to survey the project one more time.

She opened the front door of the café to find the man and his son leaning against their truck, scowling.

“So what did you do,” the older man growled, jingling his truck keys in one hand, “empty out the place and dump it in your yard?”

Mystified, she stepped outside onto the porch. “I know it’s a big job…”

“Lady, this wasn’t our deal.” He motioned for his son to get back in the truck.

“Wait—” She hurried down the porch stairs. He snorted and climbed behind the wheel.
“Please!”

And then she got a good look at her yard. From day one, there’d been the old VW car parts. A rusted-out car frame. Assorted junk thrown everywhere. She’d picked up most of the smaller things already, and had piled them neatly to one side.

But now, the yard was awash in garbage. Countless bulging black plastic bags filled with garbage, many of them ripped open. A brisk breeze sent old newspapers flying down the street.

The stack of refuse that she’d so carefully collected had been strewn across the yard, and in the center of her sidewalk was a pile of what could only be fresh cow manure.

Her hand at her mouth, she turned slowly…only to find the front of the café had been spray-painted with graffiti, in bright red.

The words were in Spanish, but even with her lack of fluency in the language, she knew the perpetrator had described her in the most graphic terms.

Backing up, she sank onto the porch steps, wavering between tears and anger. Her caller had given her ten days, and this just wasn’t his style at any rate. So who else would want to cause her harm?

In a town this size, someone surely must have an idea about who could’ve done it. And this time, she was calling the sheriff.

D
AN
T
ALBOT
, the new sheriff, arrived a few hours later after being held up with a multicar accident on the highway in a distant part of the county. He appeared weary, dusty and not terribly impressed by the gravity of her problem when Beth gave him a tour of her yard.

She didn’t blame him. After dealing with a fatality, this had to seem like a frivolous call.

His deputy, an older man named Randy with hard eyes and a belly that strained the buttons of his shirt, kicked through the piles of garbage and bent down now and then to survey certain pieces. “I’d say someone got this out at the landfill, boss. Lotsa different addresses on the envelopes. As for the manure, that could be from any one of a dozen ranches in the area.”

“I want you to ask around town, Randy, and check with the neighbors,” Talbot said. “Maybe someone saw something peculiar.”

“There was a dark sedan parked out front early this morning with its lights off,” Beth said. “But I couldn’t see the make and model. And anyway, a car couldn’t have held all this trash.”

He looked up from his clipboard, his pen poised. “Got any enemies in these parts? Anyone who might hold a grudge?”

“Not here. I haven’t been here that long.”

“Anyone who isn’t happy about you opening this place? Neighbors, who’ve been angry over the condition of the property?”

“If they didn’t like the mess, why would they make it worse?” She shook her head. “Walt is my closest neighbor and he’s all for seeing this place cleaned up. There really aren’t any other neighbors back here, and I haven’t met many people yet. Just Walt, his nephew and the ladies at day care. I…just don’t know anyone else.”

She looked up to find Sheriff Talbot studying her intently. “Think of someone, ma’am?”

“I—I’ve had a crank caller…twice, since I moved here. But I have no idea who it is.”

Talbot’s gaze sharpened. “Is he threatening you?”

“Sort of, but I don’t think it has anything to do with all of this.” She debated about telling him the whole sordid story about Patrick, the embezzlement and the subsequent investigation, but there was really no point. “I think it’s a guy who called a couple times when I was still in Chicago, but since the last call I don’t think he could’ve made it down here that fast. And coming all that way to trash my yard just isn’t plausible.”

“People have done crazier things, ma’am. If this guy has a real vendetta going he could even find a way to hire someone. Do you have caller ID? Have you tried recording his calls?”

“Caller ID, yes—but he’s always just used pay phones.”

Talbot nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve got a gadget in my car—you can route your phone cord through it and attach a tape recorder, just in case he calls again. Not to say that he’s the only suspect today. We’ll do some checking with some high school boys, too. Maybe some of them had a little too much to drink and thought this would be a lark. I’m afraid it’s happened a time or two before, though I thought most of the troublemakers here were grown and gone.”

Frustration and rising anger made it hard to speak. “A lark? All of this would be a lark to them?”

“Stupid, I know.” He wrote a few more notes. “If I find the responsible parties, you can bet they’ll be facing charges and paying restitution.”

If they were found, which seemed highly unlikely. “So in the meantime…”

“Loraine Gilbert doesn’t live too far out of town, and I’ll bet she has a tractor and a big hayrack you could use. I’ll call and see if she’ll have her hired man bring them into town so you can haul this stuff to the landfill.” He studied the perimeter of her yard, where sections of an old wrought-iron fence had twisted and fallen from decades of neglect. “If I were you, I’d consider getting my fence up, then I’d invest in a good dog. At least you’d have some warning next time, before things go too far.”

Next time?
The thought of facing something like this again sent a shudder down her spine. Beth mentally added fence fixing and dog shopping to her to do list. “And that’s it? That’s all you can do?”

Talbot shrugged. “If we find out who did it, we’ll arrest them for trespassing and vandalism. Maybe one of them will brag about it, or someone saw something suspicious, and word will spread. But honestly, don’t count on it.”

“That’s just depressing.”

“Most people don’t even lock their doors around here, but maybe you’ll want to look at a security system.” He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. “Someone went to a lot of trouble here. That tells me it was probably more than just a teenage prank—and ups the likelihood that they just might come back.”

T
ALBOT HELPED HER
attach a tape recorder to the café phone, and the tractor and wagon appeared by late morning, parked in front of her house. After sending Sophie to Gina’s house for her play date with Olivia, Beth donned a pair of leather gloves and got to work. When Walt arrived with a half-dozen teenagers to help, she could have kissed his feet.

“Saturday mornings are quiet around here,” he said with a benevolent smile as he watched them tackle the mess. “And jobs are hard to come by. Don’t worry, though—I promised fifty bucks to their youth group at church, and they were more than happy to help.”

“I’ll pay them, Walt. I’m just thrilled that you were able to get them here.”

He waved away her offer. “Consider it a gift. I’ve got to get over to the clinic for my Saturday morning appointments, but I think you’d best stay here and supervise.”

“Gladly.” She nearly gave in to the temptation to give him a hug of thanks. “By the way, have you seen Joel? He was going to install my dishwasher.”

“Nope.” Walt glanced at his watch. “He had to run up to Austin early this morning after some light fixtures for my office. He won’t be back until evening.”

B
Y TWO O
’
CLOCK
, the front and back yards were spotless, save for the larger car parts and the rusted VW, and the rubbish hauler agreed to pick up those things on Monday. Beth tipped the teenagers an extra twenty dollars for pizza, then collapsed on a wrought-iron bench in the front yard, exhausted.

When Gina’s red Tahoe pulled up a few minutes later, Beth hobbled out to the curb to get Sophie out of her car seat. As soon as she was free, Sophie flew into Beth’s arms, her face alight with joy. “I had fun, Momma! We played games and dolls, and we had lunch…and they have a waterslide!”

“I hope you don’t mind,” Gina said with a smile. “It’s one of those long plastic things with water jets. There’s nothing more fun than getting wet on a warm day.”

“I’m just thrilled that Sophie got to visit.” Beth bent down to peer into the empty front and back seats of the vehicle. “Did everything go all right?”

“The girls played nonstop.” Gina’s smile faded. “I had to drop Olivia off at her dad’s place on the way over here, though. He’s got her the rest of the weekend.”

“That’s got to be so tough.” What would it be like, going back to a house that echoed with loneliness for an entire weekend? “Would you like to come in for some tea?”

“I can’t. I have a meeting at church….” Her eyes widened as she took in the front yard. “Holy cow—what a difference!”

“The troops landed this morning, and they left just a few minutes ago.” Beth closed her eyes briefly. “I cannot thank those kids enough for all they did. If I hadn’t promised to go to the Lone Wolf Spring Festival tonight, I’d just sit right here and enjoy looking at my clean yard.”

“So you’ve got a hot date?” Gina teased.

Beth rolled her eyes. “More of a mercy date, really. On both counts.”

“Okay, now you
have
to tell me.”

“Nothing much to tell. I think Joel wanted a human shield, so some of the overeager, matchmaking mothers in town will back off. And…well, a widowed mom with scars and a limp isn’t much of a prize. I just figured it would be a chance to get out for a few hours.”

Gina looked appalled. “You make yourself sound old as Methuselah. What are you, child, pushing thirty?”

“Thirty-two.”

Gina propped her fists on her hips and surveyed Beth from head to toe. “And
what
scars?” She leaned closer and gently touched Beth’s cheek. “You can’t mean these faint ones here.”

“A person can hardly miss them.” Beth pushed back the sleeve of her shirt to show off the scars on her arm. “Or these. Makes the classic little black cocktail dress a challenge, don’t you think?”

“If it’s sleeveless, maybe, but not all of them are—and that isn’t what people wear to these affairs, anyway.” Gina tapped her lips with a neatly manicured forefinger. “Nice slacks and tops. Or spring dresses. Long sleeves would be fine, or you could add a pretty cashmere pashmina.”

Beth glanced down at her T-shirt and old jeans. “I’m afraid I left the country club life back in Chicago.”

“That’s
it?
Just jeans and shirts?”

“Mostly. With a few skirts and sweaters thrown in.”

“Well, babe, you are in luck today. Auntie Gina gained an unfortunate amount of weight after her divorce, and she has a whole wardrobe in the wrong size.”

J
OEL TOOK ONE LOOK
at Beth, and nearly choked on his spearmint gum.

Even in jeans and T-shirts, she’d looked trim and attractive, but in a body-hugging, rose-colored dress that didn’t begin to reach her knees and those silvery, high-heeled shoes, she looked incredible. Sexy.

And she was exactly what he’d been hoping to avoid.

The good thing was that the women who’d been flirting with him would see that he was unavailable, and he wouldn’t need to flounder for tactful, distancing conversation.

The bad thing was that somehow he needed to keep his hands off Beth and remind himself that she was simply his friend and nothing more. She’d made that clear all along, and that had suited him perfectly…until now.

What was it about those delicate sandals that made her slender legs look even more provocative? Or that fabric, which seemed to glow with a life all its own as it caressed each one of her delicate curves?

Shaking off his reverie, he looked up and found that she was watching him with an uncertain expression in her eyes.

“These aren’t my clothes,” she murmured. “If you think I’ve overdressed or not well enough, just say the word. Gina said I’d be okay, but…”

He exhaled slowly. “
Okay?
You look fantastic.”

“I wouldn’t go that far, but thanks.” She shot a teasing look at him. “Sophie said I looked almost as nice as her Princess Pony, so I’ll go with that.”

If Princess Pony looked half as good as Beth, the franchise had to be worth a mint. “Did she mind you leaving for the night?”

“Gina invited her over for the evening, so I imagine they’re watching movies and baking cookies by now.”

The sounds of an excellent oldies band wafted through the trees from where Main Street was cordoned off for a dance.

He’d planned to maintain a casual sort of distance, but he’d been outraged to learn of the damage done to Beth’s property, and with that anger had come an overwhelming surge of protectiveness. Now, it simply felt natural and right to take Beth’s hand as they walked the two blocks to downtown. And once they hit the edge of the crowd, draping his arm around her waist seemed only…
practical,
so they wouldn’t end up separated.

Beth’s eyes widened when they reached the edge of the crowd. “Where on earth did all these people come from?”

“From all over the county, probably. Small-town affairs always draw a good crowd.” He leaned down and drew her closer to be heard over a Beach Boys classic. “Want to dance?”

“Nope.”

“Please?”

“Remember our deal? If I don’t dance, no one has to be embarrassed about how truly awful I am.”

But when a slow dance came up, he held out a hand anyway. “Please? It’s been years since I did this, so
I’ll
probably embarrass you all to pieces. But I’d sure like to try just one dance, if you wouldn’t mind.”

She hesitated, a blush tinting her cheeks. “I—can’t.”

“Just here—in the shadows?” He gently pulled her into his arms, and she tentatively followed him. Stiffly at first, and then she relaxed into a slow and sensual sway to the intimate rhythm, dropping her head against his shoulder and locking her hands behind his neck.

She smelled faintly of some sort of floral shampoo and another light, flowery scent that he couldn’t quite identify. The crowd seemed to fade away as he absorbed her warmth against his chest.

He wanted the music to last forever.

Then somehow, he found himself lifting her chin with a forefinger and dropping a kiss on her mouth. A tentative kiss, and then one that was deeper. Longer. More potent. He slid a hand down to the small of her back, pulling her closer—

“Howdy, son.” Walt’s booming voice broke through the spell with the finesse of a loose bull in a flower bed. “Great to see you here!”

Beth pulled back, her expression dazed, her lips swollen.

“Um…glad to see you, too,” Joel muttered.

“Sorry I interrupted.” His eyes twinkled. “Guess I’d better head over to the barbecue tent, and let you enjoy the dance—unless you want to join me and Loraine for a mighty good supper.” He glanced at his watch. “She oughta be here soon.”

Joel
wanted
to go home and take Beth with him, so he could do a little more exploring of her exquisite mouth, but that was a bad idea. Then another slow dance started, and there was no contest between supper and a chance to draw her into his arms once again. “Maybe later, Walt.”

This time, she didn’t hesitate quite as long when he asked her to dance. “Wonderful,” he murmured. “It’s been so long since I’ve done this.”

“Heavenly.”

She followed his lead, her body perfectly molded to his, through two more songs. But when the band switched into a rollicking rock-and-roll song, she backed out of his arms with a firm shake of her head. “I don’t think I can manage that just yet. It’s time to join your uncle for that barbecue, don’t you think?”