Texas Lawman (26 page)

She wanted to make the Parker connection!

She wanted to feel what Mae and the others did!

She was tired of trying to stand alone!

And as she mbhed it on her neck and throat, then down across the rise of her breasts, she began to laugh. Because as her heart opened on a swell of feeling, the years of determined detachment broke away and a newborn peace with who she was settled into place.

TATE LEARNED through the grapevine that Rio Walsh had packed up and left for Colorado. At first he experienced a jolt of primal pleasure. A rival, vanquished! Then he thought about how Rafe’s boot and Mac’s shotgun had no doubt been a part of the equation, and most of his pleasure disappeared. The question remained: how did Jodie feel?

He thought about going out to talk to her, to see for himself. But the duty of office kept getting in the way—an attempted robbery at a convenience store outside town, a reported livestock theft, some teenagers who drank too much the night before and were causing no end of trouble this morning in jail, and the parents who objected to their children’s incarcerations.

In between, Tate made his decision. He was going to do it! He would accept the position on Drew Winslow’s task force. It was work that interested him, would advance his career along the lines he’d originally intended and would—he laughed darkly—get him away from that infernal jail

Only two things had yet to be worked out: his replacement as sheriff and whether or not Jodie Parker was going to play a part in his life. The first needed to be seen to right away, but the second. ” well, he had at

least six weeks before he had to report for duty with Drew Winslow. He could afford to take it slow. Not press her. Not press himself. They could let things evolve naturally. /. f they were going to evolve. /. f she hadn’t already recommitted herself to Rio Walsh.

Just thinking his name made Tate’s skin crawl. What she saw in him, now or in the past, was beyond his understanding. Rio was good-looking in a brash kind of way, but he’d already proved himself unreliable. And not nearly enough of a man to stand up for him self, even in the most recent crisis.

Tate set his hat in place and left the office. He didn’t care if space aliens staged a Hollywood-type landing on Del Norte’s main street, he was going to talk to Jack. Then he was going to see Jodie.

“You’vE DECIDED, haven’t you?” Jack said almost as soon as he set eyes on Tate, his famous intuition still operating.

“Yep.”

“And?”

“You’re the first to know. I’m gonna do it. I’m accepting Drew Winslow’s offer. Which leaves me with a big problem.”

“Another one?”

“Who’s gonna take my place.” Tate leaned on the fence near the stock pen where Jack was working and listed his requirements. “It has to be someone who can hit the ground runnin’. It’d also be best if he knows the procedures, knows the personnel—that kinda thing.”

Jack nodded sagely.

“And be someone the men can respect.”

Jack nodded again.

“Someone like you.” Tate put emphasis on the last word.

Jack kept working, cleaning dirt from a shovel. “I’m retired.”

“You can un retire

Jack shook his head. “Why would I wanna do somethin’ like that?”

“Because you’re bored stiff livin’ all the way out here. Away from all the excitement. Away from all your friends in town.”

“Did your momma tell you that?” he demanded, straightening.

Tate smiled. “Her exact word was ‘antsy.” Or, if you prefer, ‘restless. ” But she didn’t have to tell me. I saw for myself the last time I was out here. It just took me a while to put together.”

“Son, I quit because I thought it was time for new blood.”

“Are you tellin’ me you aren’t bored? Look at this place! There’s not a blade of grass growin’ where it shouldn’t, there’s not a wood surface that’s not been painted. You prob’ly run around after the cows with a shovel and a plastic bag.t’

Jack glanced at the shovel he was cleaning, then back at Tate. The light of amusement brightened his dark eyes. “One of us is sure shovelin’ something all right.” ‘

“Tell the truth, Jack,” Tate said seriously, “are you happy out here?”

The old sheriff finished cleaning the shovel, then meticulously hung it from a nail on the side of an outbuilding. Finally he turned Tate. “I dreamed about havin’ a place of my own folthirty, maybe forty years. Maureen did, too. We’d stay up fill the wee hours planned how we were gonna do things. She made me promise that first thing I’d build her a wishin’ well, like one she’d saw in a book when she was a little girl. An’ I did.” The wishing well was off to one side of the house, complete with hand crank and wooden bucket. A profusion of pink flowers overflowed the sides of the bucket. “I even planted the petunias she wanted,” he added, then sighed. “But it’s not the same. She’s not here.”

Tate thought of Maureen. Her warm wonderful smile, the way she loved to work crossword puzzles, the way she shooed everyone out of the room when it was time for her favorite TV soap opera.

“So what’s your answer?” Tate asked. “Will you come back to bein’ the sheriff?. Or do you want me to tell the county supervisors they’re gonna have to look for another man to fill out my term?”

Jack cast a long look around. “I think what happened,” he said slowly, “is that I came out here too soon. Maybe in four or five years I’ll be ready. Right now?” He glanced at Tare. “You know anybody who might like to lease the place?”

Tare grinned. “You sure you don’t want to think this through some more?”

Jack shook his head emphatically. “You hit the nail almost straight on the head—this mornin’ I came a little too close to findin’ me a plastic bag!”

Tate hooted and Jack slapped him on the shoulder, then the two men started back for the house.

“When do you have to report for duty?” Jack asked. “Not for six” weeks But like I said, you’re the first to know. I haven’t even told Drew Winslow yet. He may have changed his mind and not want me anymore. “

“Little chance of that. Not when he handpicked you. I’d tell you what all he had to say about you, but I wouldn’t want to swell your head.”

Tate suffered Jack’s teasing with fond regard. “So,” Jack said as they neared the patrol car, “that means you haven’t told your momma yet, either, right?”

“Nope.”

“How’s she gonna take it?”

Tate cocked his head. “Did you know she was goin’ around with Mark Love!l?”

Jack’s grin widened. “Sure. Didn’t you?”

Tate shook his head as he settled into the driver’s seat. “No. But then, there seems to be lots of things I’m just learning about.”

“That always happens when you’re fallin’ in love. Your head’s in a cloud and all you smell is roses.”

“Now I know you’re goin’ nuts.” Tate started the car.

Jack bent down to see him better. “When you gonna ask her to marry you? Better get busy!”

“Bye, Jack,” Tate said dryly, and escaped.

TAT pounds REHEARSED in his mind what he was going to say. I know this might not be any of my business, Jodie,

but. ” whQre does it stand between you and Rio Walsh ? Is there something going on’Or is it over; And if it’s over, are you willing to see hat it is that s been happening between us? Simple, direct, yet still slow-paced enough not to cause alarm.

Only, he didn’t get to use it. He received one of the few calls guaranteed to take him back immediately to Del Norte—one of his deputies had been injured while trying to referee a domestic dispute.

Tate arrived at the hospital to find both Jimmy and Evie Evers being treated in the emergency room, as well as Deputy Bob Stewart. The injuries ranged from scrapes and bumps on various parts of the three anatomies to the deep gash in the deputy’s upper arm.

Jimmy Evers immediately started to whine excuses. He knew he was in trouble, since he was out on bail from the previous altercation with Evie and would have the bail revoked if he proved to be the instigator. Evie, of course, blamed the deputy for everything.

Tate went to stand beside Bob Stewart while the doctor sewed up the wound. “What happened?” he asked briskly.

“They were havin’ an argument, a neighbor called it in, I arrived—thought I had everything under control—then when I started to take Mr. Evers to the car, Mrs. Evers grabbed a kitchen knife and came at me. I let go of him, tried to take the knife away from her, he grabbed me, she started to scream at him, and the next thing I know, I’m cut.”

“Which one did it?” Tate asked, his eyes narrowing on what he could see of the pair in the next cubicle, where another deputy stood guard.

Bob looked embarrassed. “I don’t know. She had it last time I looked, but things kinda got confused.”

Tate nodded. He told the deputy to stop at the station to make his reiort, then go home if he needed to.

“I’m fine,” Bob said. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Tate stopped off to speak to the Everses. “Looks like you’ve gone and done it this time. This is serious business, assaulting a police officer. You can both end up doin’ time.”

“I didn’t do anythin’!” Jimmy wailed, and ever the gentlemen, blamed his wife. “She did it! She had the knife! I never”

“You took it away from me! I was cutting’ onions, that’s why I had it in my hand. I”

Tate hushed them both. “I don’t want to hear any more right now. Deputy? Bring ‘em on over when they get done here.”

“Yes, sir,” the deputy said.

Tate turned a deaf ear to their continuing pleas as he walked away. By now, if his plans had been left undisturbed, he’d have been talking to Jodie.

Stymied anticipation formed a knot in the pit of his stomach.

It could be hours before he’d get another opportunity, or with his luck, even days!

THERE WAS SOMETHING different about Jodie that everyone, herself included, noticed. And it wasn’t merely a release from the stress of the week before. The change that started when she stood up for her right to deal with Rio after his exoneration had only continued.

Severalttimes she caught Mae watching her, trying to gauge what had happene41 but remaining puzzled. Finally Mae could stand it noonger. “All right! What is it?” she demanded. “What’ve you done? What are you smilin’ about?”

“Is it a sin to smile?” Jodie asked.

Mae frowned. “It’s not the smile, It’s what’s behind it I’m worried about!”

Jodie left the side table, where she’d been filling a vase with some of Harriet’s beautiful summer flowers, to sit beside her great-aunt on one of the twin sofas. Mac’s house had cleared out as the morning wore on. Harriet and her younger children had gone to take Gwen and Wesley to the fair being held at the county park outside Del Norte, and Shannon had gone home to work some more on Jack Denton’s family history.

“There’s absolutely nothing to worry about,” Jodie said sweetly.

Mae snorted. “Now I really am worried.”

“There’s not! It’s…” Now that the time had come, Jodie found it hard to put into words without sounding trite. “I took your advice. I thought about what you said, about what everyone said, and,..I think you’re right.”

Mae narrowed her eyes. “About what?”

“About being a Parker. About me being a Parker.” She paused. “Aunt Mae, I think I’m beginning to see that I am who I am, and there’s nothing I can do about it. There’s nothing you can do about it, either. I’m my mother’s daughter as much as my father’s.” She tilted her head. “Why didn’t you tell me I look like her?”

Mae sputtered, “Who told you that? How do you know?”

“if we’re going to get through this, we have to do it by laying all the cards on the table. No holding back. I look like her. I saw a drawing Daddy did. It’s hanging in my room now. He gave it to me when I asked for it.”

Mae sat forward. “A drawing?”

Jodie smiled wryly. “It escaped the ritual burning.” Mae blinked and repeated, “Ritual?”

“Yes, when you burned every photograph of her. I heard about that years ago.”

For once Mae seemed unnerved.

Jodie asked, “I know you hated her, but did you hate her that much?”

Mae quickly conquered her disquiet, and her eyes flashed. “Yes, I hated her! For what she did to Gib–he’s always been something of a disappointment when compared to the other Parker men, but he’s good to the bone. Wouldn’t hurt a fly. He didn’t deserve what she did to him. And for what she did to you. You were such a tiny little thing. You needed her!”

“You disliked her on sight, Dad said.”

“I knew what she was.” “Her name was Ruby.”

“I know that!” Mae snapped.

“How much money did you give her?”

Mae pushed to her feet, wobbling a bit before she gained control of the cane.

Jodie suffered her own moment of disquiet, but knew they had to get through this. For both their sakes. “And

when did you offer it to bpr? Right away or just before she left? “

“Why should that matter?” Mae demand et turning around.

“I’m just curious if you influenced the breakup of the marriage.”

“Me? No! It didn’t stand a chance from the beginning. Didn’t your daddy tell you that, too? She only married him for the money. All I did was supply it.”

“If you hated her, did you hate me?”

Mae, genuinely confused, asked, “Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m Ruby’s daughter.”

When the fog of confusion parted, Mae looked at Jodie as if she’d uttered something sacrilegious. “I didn’t hate you! I never hated you! How can you…?” She groped her way to the nearest chair and Jodie rushed to kneel at her side.

“I thought you did, don’t you see? The way you sounded when you told me about her! I was too young to understand. I thought I’d done something wrong, too! That you’d found yourself saddled with me and were making the best of a bad situation.”

“Oh, Jodie.” Mac’s aged hand reached for her head and, trembling, smoothed the copper red hair. “No! if only I’d listened to Rafe. He didn’t think I should tell you the way I did or when I did. He thought I was bein’ too harsh, and now…” She took a breath. “I’m about to tell you something your daddy doesn’t know about. Not even to this day. She threatened to take you with her, and I couldn’t let her do that. All she wanted was more money, so I gave it to her. I couldn’t let her