The Counterfeit Cowgirl (22 page)

• • •

Felicity looked up and spotted Aaron’s truck. For a moment she felt a twinge of annoyance that he hadn’t let Deborah come alone — until she remembered that Deborah and the two boys had ridden with her. Then she saw Becky Lozano, in full stage makeup and Cosmic Cowgirl outfit, come charging toward the restaurant door.

“Uh-oh,” she said, astonished. “It’s my mother. What — ?”

Becky thrust the glass door open and plowed inside. “All right, Felicity Clayton. Where is that yellow-bellied coward? And don’t try and tell me to lay off him, because this time I’m gonna skin him alive.”

For a moment, Felicity thought she meant Aaron, until she saw Deborah hurrying in the door. Outside, Aaron got slowly out of his truck, scanning the area carefully as he did so.

“What on earth do you mean, Mama? Are you talking about Gary Carlisle? I haven’t seen him. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be signing autographs at the festival.”

“That nasty piece of slime sent me a ransom letter,” Becky raged. “If he thinks he’s going to get away with this — ”

“That’s Becky Lozano, the country singer,” Tony Sachitano said, astonished. “She’s your mother? And what do you know … here comes Deb.”

“I should have realized she didn’t have a car,” Felicity said apologetically to Tony. “I drove her and the boys to the festival, so she had to get a ride. But since Mama and Aaron are here, maybe I’d better just move to another table so you can talk to Deborah in private.”

Deborah arrived at the table. Her hands were balled into fists. “How dare you take my babies, Tony Sachitano? I’ll call the sheriff. I’ll — ”

“Calm down, Deb.” Tony remained where he was and smiled up at her. “I have as much right to take our sons on an outing as you have. In fact, if you’re planning on divorcing me, you may as well know up front that I intend to sue for joint custody.”

Deborah gasped and almost reeled with shock. “You — You — ”

“Not to mention weekly visitation rights and the entire three months of summer.” He dropped a hand onto each of his sons’ shoulders in a casually possessive gesture.

“How dare you?” Deborah gasped.

The little boys looked from their mother to their father in astonishment. Felicity figured they’d probably never heard their parents argue before. Even Deborah looked a little surprised, as though she hadn’t realized she had it in her.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tony said coolly. “I guess the fact you disappeared without a word brought out the daredevil in me. I’ve thought of all sorts of things to dare.”

Deborah went still. “You know why I left. You threatened me. Then I saw you with your girlfriend.”

Tony came up out of his seat in automatic denial. “I threatened you? What the hell do you mean? I’ve never threatened you in my life. As for a girlfriend — ”

Felicity leaped to her feet in turn. “Mama, let’s you and I get that table on the other side of the room,” Felicity said. “Mr. and Mrs. Sachitano need some privacy.”

“He ain’t Gary Carlisle.” Becky glared at Tony. “How come he’s leaving ransom notes in my bus and pretendin’ to be that nasty old Gary Carlisle?”

“It wasn’t Mr. Sachitano — ,” Felicity began.

At that moment, Gary Carlisle, leaner than Felicity recalled him, and with a fugitive air she definitely hadn’t seen before, stepped out from the hallway that led to the restrooms.

“It was me,” Gary said. “I’m desperate. Please, Ms. Lozano, I’m begging you. Rescind the charges. Let me have my life back — I’ll do anything you want.”

“You rat snake, you,” Becky focused on him with a vengeance. “I’m gonna skin you myself. How dare you threaten to kidnap my baby?”

Felicity was thankful they were the only people in the little restaurant, although the waitress and cook both watched the scene from the kitchen.

Aaron pushed open the glass door, his entire attention focused on Gary. Such was the expression on his face, Felicity found herself stepping between the two men as quickly as possible.

“Gary, this is not a good time,” she said. “Mama is supposed to be signing autographs and talking to reporters at the festival.”

“There isn’t a good time if this is the scum who trashed your house,” Aaron said. “Get out of the way, honey. I’ll take care of this.”

“And I’ll help you,” Becky snarled, in her mother-tigress mode.

“Both of you cease and desist.” Felicity felt inspiration strike in an incandescent burst of light. “There’s something you need to know, Mama.” She paused for dramatic emphasis. “If it hadn’t been for Gary, I might never have found your songs. It’s all because of him that you’re singing those songs right now.”

“What?” Becky almost screamed. “
He
found my songs?”

“He turned over the bookcase so that I could find them.” Felicity stepped forward and took Aaron’s arm in hopes of holding him in place. “They were taped to the bottom. So, actually, you owe him, Mama. I might not have thought to check there.” She prayed that Aaron would say nothing.

Becky looked as if she had been struck by lightning. “
He
found my songs? Are you kiddin’ me, Felicity Clayton?”

“Yes, Mama, he did.” She willed Aaron not to contradict her. “So how about rewarding him by dropping those charges? You’ve punished him enough. He needs to get on with his life so we can get on with ours.”

Aaron remained blessedly silent, although she could feel the muscles of his arm knotted into steel beneath her fingertips.

“I can’t believe this.” Becky looked at the ceiling and waved her hand at Felicity. “What do you think, Johnny? How can I let him get away with hurtin’ our baby like that? Look at her. She’s still wearin’ all that metal in her poor little mouth.”

Gary Carlisle tossed an uneasy glance at the ceiling and sidled back a little.

Even Felicity, long used to her mother’s habit of communing with her dead father in times of severe stress, couldn’t help herself. She, too, shot a quick look at the ceiling.

Becky relaxed suddenly. “Alright. Johnny says to let him go. I’ll drop the charges tonight, just as soon as I get a chance to call my lawyer.” She exhaled heavily, looked up once more and shook her head. “But I still think he needs to suffer a little more for hurtin’ our baby like that.”

“Suffer!” Gary burst out. He glared, first at the ceiling, then at Becky. “I’ve done nothing but suffer. I can’t get a job, and my band is busted up because of this. I can’t even go back home as long as those charges are pending.”

Becky glared back at him. “Just you be thankful her daddy is so kindhearted, you chicken snake, you. Otherwise, I’d put you in prison to rot.” She glanced again at the ceiling. “It’s okay, Johnny. I said I’d drop the charges, and I will.”

“Who’s she talking to?” Tony Sachitano asked, eying the ceiling.

“Is it a ghost?” Joey asked, and edged closer to his father.

“She’s talking to my dad,” Felicity turned to give Joey a comforting smile.

“You said your daddy was dead. It
is
a ghost,” Pete exclaimed. “Maybe he’s the one following us.”

“Not my dad,” Felicity answered. “He stays with my mother.”

This was a new thought to the boys. They exchanged portentous stares, then focused once more on the ceiling.

“Look, you,” Becky said to Gary. “I’ll call my lawyer tonight and have him drop the charges. But you’d better not ever come near my baby again. Do you hear me?”

“He won’t,” Aaron said, and wrapped his arm around Felicity. “If he does, I’ll be the one to kill him.”

“Sorry, Gary,” Felicity said, grinning. “If I were you, I’d switch to rock music and play all the clubs in San Francisco or someplace like that.”

Gary frowned. “Rock music? All I’ve ever done is country.” He added plaintively, “I
hate
rock.”

“Okay, then. How about blues music? You can go down to New Orleans — ”

“Baby, he ain’t no blues musician. I got hold of some tapes of his stuff.” Becky sniffed and turned her back to Gary. “He might make it with a gospel group, but he really oughtta stay away from anything secular. If he keeps his mind on church, maybe he’ll stay straight and I won’t have to refile those charges.”

“Gospel?” Incredibly, Gary brightened. “How’d you know I used to sing for my church all the time? Do you really think I could make it on the gospel scene?”

Becky looked over her shoulder with a priceless expression of disbelief on her face. “How the heck would I know? But if you get on out of here and go find out, maybe I won’t change my mind about those charges.”

“Go on, Gary,” Felicity urged. “Go while you still can. Next time you try and jump start your career, maybe you’d better run it by your pastor first. Situations where someone can get hurt are nearly always bad ideas.”

“But I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he protested. “It was all an accident. You weren’t supposed to be hurt at all.”

“Oh, yeah?” It was too much. Becky whirled and stalked toward him. “Well, let me tell you — ”

Aaron intervened by taking Gary’s arm in his powerful grip. “It’s okay, Becky. I’ll just escort Mr. Gospel Singer of the Year outside and make sure he’s on his way out of here. If he knows what’s good for him, he won’t be back.”

Gary looked at Becky in all earnestness. “If those charges get dropped, I won’t need to come back.” He twisted in Aaron’s grip. “Who are you?”

“I’m Felicity’s fiancé, and I’m just as unhappy about her poor little mouth as her mom is.” He forcefully turned him toward the door. “In fact, if you’re not out of here in the next five seconds, I’ll get even more unhappy.”

Becky squealed and flung her arms around Felicity. “Oh, baby, I’m so happy for you. Aaron’s just the man I would have picked for you. If I thought you’d listen to me, that is.”

“What?” Felicity put her hands on her hips. “I’m not Aaron’s fiancé. Calm down, Mama. When I go to get married, believe me, you’ll be the first to know.”

“We’ll talk about that in a few minutes,” Aaron said to Felicity, grinning. “In the meanwhile, don’t get any of your stubborn ideas, honey.” He started toward the door, pushing Gary along before him.

“What stubborn ideas?” Felicity said to his backside as he went out the door. “Or is a woman’s consent no longer required?”

“Law.” Becky looked to the ceiling. “You better do something quick, Johnny.”

“Well, well.” Tony looked from Aaron to Felicity, interested. “I never thought I’d see the day when old Aaron proposed … and in public.”

“You’re not seeing it now,” Felicity said, annoyed. “Come on, Mama. You’ve got to get back to the festival. Your fans are waiting for you.”

“I’m not leaving this place until I see for myself that Aaron has sent that worthless Gary Carlisle on his way back to that little town in Louisiana he came from,” Becky said. “Before anything else, I’m a mother. My baby’s wellbeing is my first concern.”

Felicity managed not to roll her eyes. “Yes, Mama. Let’s go sit down over here so Mr. and Mrs. Sachitano can talk in private.”

Tony said, grinning, “It looks to me as if it’s all in the family, so to speak. Let’s wait until Aaron gets back so my wife won’t lose her courage. Sit down, Felicity. You, too, Deb.”

“I’m not going to lose my courage,” Deborah said in a small voice, not looking at him.

After making sure Gary was well on his way, Aaron came toward them, his gaze fixed on Felicity. She looked back at him in a challenging way. If Aaron thought he could get away with shirking a formal proposal, she had an education in store for him.

“Let’s move over here, honey,” Aaron said to her. “I want to talk to you.”

“Better let her stay,” Tony said with grim humor. “And you’d better join us, too, Aaron. Deb might crawl under a table if her support system disappears.”

“I don’t need a support system,” Deborah said, staring at the table. “I can deal with you anytime, anyplace.”

“Sure, you can,” Tony returned. “That’s why you spent six weeks refusing to so much as talk to me on the telephone. I guess it’s a good thing I wasn’t able to come before now. You might have asked Aaron to duke it out with me before I got too close.”

“I don’t need Aaron to fight my battles for me,” Deborah stated. “You don’t scare me.”

“Is that right?” Tony regarded her a moment. “In that case, why don’t you stop standing there and sit down with us?”

“I most certainly will.” Deborah pulled out a chair and sat down beside Pete. “You aren’t getting away with this, Tony Sachitano.”

“I sincerely hope not,” Tony said.

“In that case, we’ll all join you.” Aaron pulled out a chair for Becky and seated her beside Felicity. “It looks like a good day to get a lot of things settled, once and for all.”

“Law,” Becky said reverentially. “I sure hope so.”

Pete and Joey had focused their entire attention on Becky. Every time she cast her gaze to the ceiling in silent communion with her dead husband, the two little boys’ eyes followed. Felicity decided that if she didn’t do something fast, the major problem in the Sachitano household would remain unsolved.

“First things first,” she said. “Go ahead, Deborah. Tell Tony how he threatened you. In the meantime, the boys can come sit over here with me and my mother.”

“If it’s all the same to you, they’d better stay right here.” Tony studied Felicity a moment then returned his attention to his wife. “Speak up, Deb. Tell me how I threatened you.”

Deborah blushed and stared at the table top. “Well, that’s the way I took it. You were yelling … ”

“Since when does yelling constitute a threat?” Tony demanded. “The only thing I recall yelling about is your crazy idea of redecorating a perfectly good living room.”

“That’s the way I took it.” Deborah flushed again, but she remained in place in spite of her obvious desire to flee. “You were waving your arms around and — and yelling, and — and … I got scared, that’s all. Then I went grocery shopping and passed by Carlito’s. You were there; with someone.”

“With someone?” Tony stared at her, clearly at a loss. “What — ?”

“She was very pretty.” Deborah stared at the tabletop.

Tony looked stunned. “But I haven’t been — ” He stopped and his brows drew together. “Unless you’re talking about the day I had lunch with the IRS auditor.”