Marty seemed to study her for a moment. “They stopped in this morning for...supplies for a trip. They were all in T.D.’s truck with a horse trailer and three horses in the back. I would imagine you know as well as I do where they’re headed.” Marty leaned toward her on the bar, his gaze locking with hers. “Why do you waste your time on him?”
She chuckled and looked away, embarrassed. “I need something to do while I’m waiting for you to ask me out.”
“I’m married, but I know that’s like bear bait for you.” Marty shook his head. “Patty, I’m serious. You’re better than T.D., better than any of the men I’ve seen you...date. Come on, Patty, wise up. There are some good men out there. Try one of them for a change.”
She put down her glass of cola a little too hard, splashing some out onto the bar. “We all can’t be like you, Marty,” she snapped. “In a dead-end job, with a mortgage on your double-wide and a bunch of kids.”
He sighed. “Sorry, you’re right. It’s none of my business and what do I know anyway, right? But I’m happy, Patty. Are you?” He turned to go down the bar.
“I’m sorry. Marty? Marty!” But he kept walking. What made it worse was that she knew he was right. She thought her problem was Jinx. Or that her problem was T.D. She knew it was her and always had been. She was like her mother. She always went for the lowest denomination when it came to men. But that didn’t mean she loved T.D. any less.
As she finished her cola and left Marty a tip, she felt her chest tighten as she thought about what she’d asked Wyatt to do. Too late to change anything, she told herself. Wyatt probably couldn’t do it anyway.
For a moment, though, she felt the enormity of what she might have put into motion. She’d known Wyatt’d had a crush on her for years. She’d seen it in those puppy dog eyes of his and the way he shuffled his boots, dropping his gaze to them when he was around her, as if half-afraid to meet her eyes.
Until last night. It did amaze her how easy it had been to seduce him. All it had taken was one kiss and he’d been ready to do anything for her. He hadn’t said he’d do it, though. He might chicken out. But at least she’d put the notion into his head and had given him a taste—so to speak—of the payoff if he did it.
Now, though, she felt nervous and worried. She told herself that what was done was done. Too late for second thoughts since there was nothing she could do about it. And if something did happen up there in the mountains and Jinx didn’t return... Well, T.D. would be free of Jinx—and he’d have the ranch. And he’d have Patty to thank for it.
Sheriff Harvey Bessler pushed through the door as she was leaving. “Patty,” he said. “I’m hoping I heard wrong.” She had no desire to talk to him. Also, she was running late for work. But he was blocking the door.
“Sorry?” She made a point of looking at her phone to show him that she was on her way to work—that was if he didn’t notice the waitress uniform she was wearing.
“I heard T.D. and his buddies have gone up into the mountains. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, right?”
She shook her head. “Did you ask his wife?”
Harvey gave her a sad smile. “I hope he’s smart enough not to go after Jinx and make trouble.”
Patty glanced again at her phone. “I wouldn’t know, Sheriff, but if you don’t move I’ll be late for work. I’d hate to tell Cora that I was late because of you. Who knows what she’d put in your food the next time you come into the café.”
He sighed and stepped aside. “You have a good day, Patty.”
“I’m going to try, Sheriff.” As she stepped out of the bar, she saw the dark clouds moving swiftly across the valley. She glanced toward the mountains where by now T.D. would be. The air smelled of rain and the wind had picked up, swirling dust up from the gutter to whirl around her. She shielded her eyes, Marty’s words still stinging her.
As the first drops began to splash down, she made a run for the café wondering where T.D., Wyatt and Travis were right now. She knew it was too early, but she couldn’t help wondering if maybe Wyatt might already have Jinx in his sights.
Chapter Six
Lightning splintered the sky in a blinding flash. Thunder followed on its heels, a boom that seemed to shake the earth under their feet.
Angus pulled on his slicker to ride the perimeter of the herd. He could feel the wind at the front of the storm kicking up. The pine trees swayed, creaking and moaning as dust devils whirled around him.
Clouds moved in, taking the light with them as the sky blackened. It was like someone had thrown a cloak over them, snuffing out the light, going from day to night. In a lightning strike, he saw the woods illuminated for a moment in sharp relief before going dark again.
When the rain came, it slashed down horizontally in hard, huge drops that pelted him and cascaded off the brim of his Stetson. Through the downpour, he could barely see Jinx on the other side of the herd, running point. He watched as the cattle began to shift restlessly. It wouldn’t take much for them to panic. All it would take was for a few of them to take off at a run and spook the others and soon they would all be stampeding.
The wind tore at the trees, ripping off pieces of the boughs and sending them
