The Cowboy Lawman (16 page)

Before he headed home, he turned on the little street that led to Myrna Cooper’s house. He knew what she wanted to give him and he guessed he might as well tell her that this wasn’t the right time.

Chapter Sixteen

M
ia woke up Tuesday morning to the smell of bacon frying. She rolled over and moved her arm, letting it rest on the pillow next to her. The radio was playing in the kitchen and someone was singing along. Mia rolled over quickly and fumbled in the drawer of the bedside table for her weapon.

And then she remembered. Breezy.

She hurried down the hall and into the kitchen. Her sister stood in front of the stove, something wonderful and cheesy in the pan. She turned and smiled a big smile.

“Good morning. You slept late. I’ve been up since dawn, thinking that this is the most beautiful place on earth. There wasn’t a sound, just birds and cows and that horse of yours.”

Mia hugged her sister and snatched a piece of bacon from the plate next to the stove. Breezy used the spatula to move more bacon to the plate.

“I guess it is quiet after living in Los Angeles.” Mia poured herself a glass of milk. “You cook. That makes you the perfect roommate.”

“You have a house. That makes you even better.” Breezy said it with a smile but Mia had to wonder if it had been that easy, wandering, living off what they earned singing on street corners and sometimes being homeless.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.” Breezy flipped the omelet onto a plate and cut it in half. “I hope you don’t mind my taking over. I was starving.”

“No, please, take over.”

“Can we sit outside? I know it’s a little cool but I love that view.”

“Of grass and trees?”

“Yes. And your horse. Can you ride her?”

“Yes. I put a saddle on her the other day and rode her for a few minutes. She’s a sweetheart.”

The doorbell chimed. Breezy grabbed their plates and headed for the door. “You get it. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Mia hurried through the house, peeking out the living room window before opening the door. She ignored the letdown when it wasn’t Slade’s truck parked in her driveway. But, of course, it wouldn’t be Slade. Not after yesterday.

It was better this way.

Her mom stood on the front porch, looking pretty and fresh in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. Young. Angie Cooper always seemed young. Mia hugged her mom and invited her in.

“I want to meet Breezy. I’m sorry, I should have waited but I couldn’t.”

“You don’t have to wait.” Mia motioned her inside. “Do you want coffee? Breezy made a pot.”

“No, I’ve had plenty. Is that breakfast I smell?”

“Don’t look so hopeful, I’m not cooking. Breezy cooks.”

“Wonderful.”

They walked out the back door and Breezy looked up, smiling a bright, open smile. She stood and hugged Angie Cooper.

“Breezy, I’m so glad you’re here.” Angie pointed to their plates. “Sit and eat. I don’t want your breakfast to get cold.”

“Thank you.” Breezy sat back down.

Angie took the seat next to Mia, touching her arm and smiling. “This is so exciting. Slade did this?”

“Yes, he did.” Mia looked down at her plate.

“He knew that Mia was looking for me.” Breezy filled in, giving Mia a frown and then carrying on for her. “He bought my plane ticket and yesterday afternoon picked me up in Tulsa.”

“Well, isn’t he amazing.” Angie continued to study Mia.

“Yes, amazing.” Mia took another bite of omelet.

“Well, Mia, you have a lot to think about.” Angie didn’t beat around the bush. “Your sister is here. You have opportunities at work.”

Mia waited, holding her breath, praying her mom wouldn’t put Slade on the list of things she had to think about. And she didn’t.

“Yes, a lot to think about,” Mia agreed. She looked at her watch. “I just remembered, Tina has a doctor’s appointment today. If she doesn’t have the baby in the next week they’re going to induce labor.”

“Do you need me to take her to Grove?” Angie offered.

“No, I should do it. Jackson brought me their little car. It’s an automatic. No shifting.” She smiled at her little sister. “You can come with me.”

“No, I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind. I thought I’d clean house and put something on for dinner.”

“Cook? Twice in one day?” Mia loved the idea. “Sounds wonderful. There’s a freezer in the garage. There should be plenty of meat. I usually end up taking half of it to the food pantry because I can’t use everything Jackson shoves in there.”

“I’ll make good use of it.” Breezy picked up their plates. “I’m going to wash the dishes.”

“Breezy, you don’t have to do that. You can rest.”

Breezy stopped at the door. “No, Mia, I want to do this. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a home, a kitchen like this. This is a joy, not a chore.”

“Okay, but don’t feel as if you have to. And if you decide you don’t want to cook, there’s always the Mad Cow.”

“I don’t know how that could be good.”

Mia laughed. “It’s the local café.”

“Oh!” And then Breezy was gone and Mia tried not to look at her mom.

“You okay?” Angie turned her chair to face Mia. “For someone who has her sister and possibly her job back, you don’t seem happy.”

“I messed up.”

“How?”

Mia closed her eyes and shook her head. “I thought for a little while that I could be someone I’m not.”

“Someone you’re not?” Angie cleared her throat. “I happen to think you can be anything you want.”

“I know you do.” Mia smiled at the often-used encouragement. “But I’m not the person who...”

She couldn’t even say it. Angie waited. Patient. With twelve kids, she’d had more than her share of these conversations.

“I’m not mom material. I can’t cook. I have a dangerous job. I take chances.”

“Are you planning on having kids?”

Mia looked up. “No, I’m not. I just can’t fill the shoes of someone who...”

“In your opinion, the shoes of someone who walked on water?”

Ouch. “Vicki knew how to be a mom. She had the wife thing down. It was all she ever wanted.”

“So you’re going to run from what you want because you don’t think you can fill someone else’s shoes? Mia, you have your own shoes. You do just fine in them.”

“Right, but my shoes tend to take me places that aren’t always pretty.”

“Maybe it’s time for you to try on new shoes.”

Mia smiled at that. Her phone rang, interrupting the conversation. “It’s Tina. She probably thinks I’ve forgotten.”

“Mia, there’s someone outside,” Tina said. “Slade isn’t home. His mom went somewhere. I think to visit his sister.”

“Do you recognize the car? It could be someone looking for Slade.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Okay, keep the doors locked. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“I’m calling 911.” And the phone went dead.

“I have to go.” Mia explained the conversation as she ran to the door.

“Mia, call Slade.”

“I’ll call him on my way.” She hurried to her room, quickly slipping her feet into shoes she felt comfortable with and loading the weapon she kept in her bedside table.

“Mia, why don’t you wait?” Her mom followed her out the garage door.

“Because I can’t leave her out there alone, and Mom, these are the shoes I know how to wear. This is my job.”

“Right. I’ll pray.”

Mia hit the button to raise the garage door. “I know you will. Those prayers get me through a lot of hard times.”

A few minutes later she was on the road, but she knew she couldn’t go in the front way to Slade’s. She would take a back road and go through the field to get to the trailer. With any luck a county deputy would go up the drive and distract whoever was at the house.

Mia parked the car on the shoulder of the road. She left the keys but holstered her weapon. She had about ten acres to cover. She slid through the barbed wire of the fence and surveyed the land. The best way was along the fence row. There were even a few trees that would somewhat hide her from view.

As she got closer to the house she could see the Jeep parked in front of the trailer and two men. How had they found Tina’s location? Mia pulled her gun from the holster at her waist and eased along the fence. She knew the lay of the land, the outbuildings, even possible escape routes. She had the upper hand. But they had her outnumbered.

As she eased behind an equipment shed someone yelled. She heard a shot. They were at the back of the trailer, shooting the door handle. Mia stepped out from behind the shed and raised her gun to fire but one of them spotted her, and was distracted from going inside.

He raised his weapon to fire. Before she could react, a body slammed her from the side, sending her to the hard-packed ground. The shot fired over their heads.

“Slade.” She rolled over and he rolled next to her. They were both breathing hard, trying to get their air back. “How?”

“No time.” He stood, and raised his weapon. “Stop.”

The man on the porch raised a gun, leveled it at Slade. Mia pulled her weapon but she couldn’t do it. Her fingers couldn’t make the connections they needed to make.

Slade fired. The man on the back porch fell.

The other man came down off the steps, his hand on his weapon. Slade kept his weapon aimed. “Don’t do it.”

Sirens sounded in the distance and Mia could see the flashing lights. She could see the guy considering his options and then he dropped his weapon.

Mia dropped her gun at her side and watched as Slade hurried forward to cuff the men. He called for an ambulance and then he hurried up the steps and inside the house.

Mia moved more slowly, picking up her weapon and holstering it. She walked up the back steps of the house. The wounded man held his leg. A paramedic had already rounded the corner of the trailer.

Inside the trailer she found Tina on the sofa, her knees drawn up, her face pale. The kids were next to her, one on each side.

“Tina.” Mia knelt in front of her.

“My water just broke.” Tina started to shake. “I’m going to have a baby. There are men trying to kill me and I don’t know why.”

Mia reached for the kids. “Tina, we need to stay calm. Let’s talk about the baby and about what you’re going to name him. Let’s think about tomorrow and how much better life is going to be.”

She turned and looked at Slade. He didn’t smile. He didn’t say anything. Not to her.

“Tina, we have a second ambulance here. They’re going to take you to the hospital.” Slade had holstered his gun and he was smiling at Tina in a reassuring way that made even Mia feel better.

“My kids?” Tina stopped talking and her face scrunched with pain.

Slade sat down next to her. “Breathe. You have to breathe. The kids are fine. Mia and I will take them to the hospital.”

“Mia has to go in with me. I can’t do this alone.”

Mia’s eyes widened. Go into the delivery room? See a baby born? She didn’t know if she could. But then she looked at Tina. If Tina could have this baby without Butch, Mia could hold her hand through labor and delivery.

“We’ll be there, Tina.” Mia squeezed her arm gently. “It will only take us a few minutes to get there. We’ll be right behind you.”

Tina nodded and the paramedic helped her to her feet. He walked her out the door, stopping before they went down the steps. Mia watched as Tina grasped the man’s hand and held tight. After a long minute they continued.

“I need to talk to the sheriff,” Slade said as he walked to the door. “Can you get the kids some snacks and maybe toys? We’ll use my car to get to the hospital. My patrol car is in the neighbor’s field.”

That’s how he had gotten to her side so quickly. Because they’d had the same idea about approaching from behind the house.

Mia nodded and, with Tina’s frightened kids at her side, she filled a backpack with toys and then shoved snacks in on top.

“Can we have some of those?”

Jackie pointed to a jar with cookies inside. Jars posed a problem. Mia nodded but when she tried to work the lid, her hand didn’t have the strength. Slade walked through the front door, saw what she was doing and took the jar from her.

He opened it and held it down for the kids to each get a cookie.

“Ready to go?”

Mia nodded. The kids were still holding tight to her. She slipped the backpack over her shoulder and they each took a hand.

“The sheriff wants to know why you were here.” Slade spoke as they walked down the steps.

“Tina called me. I didn’t know how long it would take someone to get here, so I decided to come in from the back.”

“Good thinking that almost got you killed.”

“But it didn’t.”

“No, it didn’t.”

Because he’d had the same idea and he’d been there to save her. An answer to her mother’s prayers? Mia sighed and opened the back door of the sedan to let the kids climb in.

“Seat belts.” Because they didn’t have booster seats. Jackie pulled the belt over her brother and then buckled herself in.

Slade watched as Mia got in and reached for her own seat belt. Without asking, he reached over and took it from her, easily clicking it into place. Mia closed her eyes against the pounding frustration, the loss, the ebbing denial because she could no longer deny.

When they walked through the doors of the hospital, Jesse greeted them. “Mia, this way. She’s ready to have this baby now.”

“Now? Shouldn’t it take longer?” Mia followed him down the hall to the wing labeled Labor and Delivery. “Don’t I need to scrub or gown up, or something?”

“Wash your hands.” He pointed to a sink.

As she washed, he grabbed surgical scrubs off a shelf. “Here you go, sis. And try to smile. Birth is a beautiful thing.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful.” She thought there would be other words to describe it, but she let him go with
beautiful
because it made him smile like a crazy, in love loon.

He and his wife, Laura, were already planning to have a big family. He pulled Mia from her thoughts, telling her she had to hurry—Tina was asking for her.

Mia walked through the wide door of the room that Jesse indicated. “Going.”

Tina reached for Mia’s hand as soon as she saw her. Mia let her squeeze. She helped her breathe. She didn’t know the steps, but the nurse on the other side of the bed guided them both through the process, smiling encouragingly and telling them what to do next.