Gambling On a Heart (23 page)

“I’ve noticed something else.” Dawn looked in the direction of the Estradas’ home and barn off in the distance. “Whoever did this must have been watching the Estradas. Otherwise, how would they have known they’d be gone, and Billy, too? As serious as these guys are, I can’t imagine them risking being heard. Driving those horses through that pasture would’ve made some noise.”

He considered what she’d said for a moment. “I’ve also seen a pattern. They’re taking livestock that has only recently been purchased or haven’t been branded.” Damn, he’d had plenty of time in the past month to freeze-brand his horses. He’d simply procrastinated too long, and now, he was branded a fool.

“That’s probably the real reason they didn’t take Estrada’s horses. Or the fortune my cousin and I have grazing over by the cliffs off Gambler’s Folly.” He and Lance had three hundred head of Santa Gertrudis breeding stock in a pasture near the county road bordering the entire front of the ranch. The rustlers could have easily pulled up near the fence, cut it and herded them in. However, those cattle were registered, branded and had been owned by them for over a year.

“Good point. But the cattle taken off Oak Springs weren’t newly purchased.”

“No, but those steers have changed hands. They went from belonging to Leon Ferguson to being jointly owned by Dylan and Charli Quinn under their new brand–Butterfly Springs Cattle Company. It might be to our benefit to stake out some of the locals who have bought livestock within the past six months. Put Kennedy in charge of getting a team together. If they follow their pattern, they won’t strike again until later in the week. And let Herb know what we’ve discovered.”

She acknowledged the order and looked over his neighbor’s pasture. “Have you contacted the Quinns about their cattle yet?”

“No. Tracy and her parents asked me not to, and since they haven’t had any other cattle stolen, I decided to let it ride until they return.”

Dawn frowned and wouldn’t look at him.

“What is it?”

She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “If you get involved with Tracy again, you’re crazy. She ripped you apart.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that’s my damned business, then, isn’t it?” What the hell was wrong with everyone butting into his life? Halfway to his horse, he turned. “Call in the Rangers, Deputy Madison. I want my horses back.” Zack pushed his hat back and swung up into the saddle, gave the big Appaloosa stallion some rein, and took off at a run.

Chapter 11

Zack entered the reception area of Tracy’s salon late Monday morning. At the tinkling of the bell over the door, Tracy’s voice chimed from a room on the right. “I’ll be right there.”

He removed his hat. “Okay.”

Turning around, he looked over the fussy room. Prints of Victorian ladies, most of them seated before mirrors, hung in a grouping on one wall. Gilt framed mirrors hung on another. Frilly curtains dressed the windows. Cabinets held knick-knacks and styling supplies. Even the tops were covered with fake ivy with white Christmas lights strung through it. One of those obnoxious smelling jar candles burned on the edge of the antique desk she used as a reception counter. He wrinkled his nose at the cloying scent.

Damn, the place reminded him an old-time bordello. A scene flashed through his mind of him ambling in like some gun-slinging sheriff of the Wild West. Tracy, dressed in a black and red corset, garter belt and silk stockings, lounged on the old desk. All long legs and wanton invitation. Her hair was done up in big curls and held high on her head, just waiting to be set free to tumble down around her shoulders.

Laughter from the inner room scattered the vision like a bullet to a mirror, leaving Zack grasping for reality.

Shacking off the last shards of the fantasy, he twisted his hat in his hand in front of him, glad he had it. The only place to sit was a fancy couch with big pink roses on the delicate-looking fabric. He sat and heard another voice in the inner room. “Thanks so much, my dear.”

“I’m glad you like it, Mrs. Pratt,” Tracy replied. “And thank you for the contact at the college. I’ll give them a call.”

Zack groaned. Aida Mae Pratt was as notorious a gossip as his aunt. He glanced at the door. Could he sneak out before she knew he was here?

“You do it, dear. That little apartment upstairs would be perfect for college students,” the old widow and boarding house proprietor said. “Well, I’ll be going. I think that was the sheriff I heard out there.”

Too late.

When the women came out of the room, which Zack figured must be where Tracy worked her magic on the hair of the county’s women, he stood and pasted on a smile. Unable to bear the hopefulness Tracy couldn’t quite mask, he tipped his head to the older woman. Her too-blonde hair was piled high on her head. “Mrs. Pratt, how’re you doing?”

“I’m fine, Sheriff. Thanks for asking. I heard about those rustlers taking your horses.”

Good to see the Grapevine was working just fine. He glanced at Tracy, who was busy ringing up the service on an antique cash register. “Yes, well, the department has it under control.” He looked at Tracy again. “In fact, that’s why I stopped by. I wanted to make sure everything was secure out on Butterfly and Oak Springs.”

He watched the hopeful glint brighten in her eyes. If he was a smart man, he wouldn’t touch her ever again. He’d never used a woman. He’d had his share of flings and one-night stands, but those women hadn’t been looking for hearts and flowers out of the encounters either. It didn’t take a brilliant strategist to determine Tracy was shooting for much more out of this, whatever the hell
this
was, than he could give her. But just what did she want? The question was like an echo off the limestone cliffs that cut across the eastern edge of Lance’s half of the ranch. Over and over again it kept bouncing back at him.

Tracy finished cashing in Mrs. Pratt’s twenty. “Yes, I think Tom and the boys have everything under control.”

Mrs. Pratt watched them intently enough to make Zack tighten the grip on his hat. “I was tickled pink when Charli and Dylan got together. Amazing how things worked out.”

Zack’s brow shot up, and he cocked a lopsided grin when he noticed the furrowing of Tracy’s brow as she narrowed her eyes on her customer. Aida Mae made it no secret that she disliked Dylan Quinn.

“Well,” Aida went on as she put her change away into one of those fanny packs attached to the leather belt of her tight jeans, “I’ve got to get going and get the noon meal on. Go ahead and schedule me with Melissa for the next time. I always thought Buck got the bastard’s end in his divorce to that gold-digger he married. Glad to see at least one of his girls hasn’t forgotten their daddy in his hour of need.”

“I’m glad you’re giving Melissa a chance. Will one o’clock on Thursday be okay?”

“Yep, works for me.” Smiling broadly, she looked from Zack to Tracy again and waved as she headed out the door. “Y’all have a great afternoon.”

Tracy wrote the appointment in her book and called a farewell. She crossed her arms over her chest, then uncrossed them. After clearing her throat, she asked, “How many horses did they take?”

“Twenty. Those thoroughbred mares I told you about. They drove them over Luis Estrada’s place to get to them to their trucks.”

“I’m so sorry. You were planning on breeding them, weren’t you?” She bit her lower lip and her eyes took on a silvery color.

He nodded, moved around the end of the desk, and tossed the hat on the top beside the register. Her breathing caught and then sped up as he invaded her space.

“Do you have any more customers?”

* * * *

Tracy’s body reacted to the possibility of him coming on to her the moment she’d heard his husky voice. She swallowed hard and shook her head. “I don’t. Melissa will be in at one. I usually take Monday afternoons off to do my books.”

“I was hoping you could keep me company this afternoon.” He skimmed his fingers over her cheek.

Her insides, heating up like lava under the surface of the earth, pooled in her low belly. Her lips parted.

Against her lips, he whispered, “Tracy, I want you.”

She had thought of little else since he’d left her standing on her porch Friday night. He was asking her to enter into a sexual relationship without any hope of a future–without love.

But she was already in love with Zack.

Both of their kids would benefit from them being together. Hadn’t that been what she’d decided while she tossed and turned in her big, empty bed?

With her gaze locked on his, she murmured, “I want you, too, but I have a stipulation.”

He leaned back. “What is it?”

“I’m no one’s fuck-buddy, Zack. I know what my reputation is in this town, but it’s all wrong.” She swallowed her rapidly thumping heart back into place. “I’ll only go through with this, if you promise to treat me as a serious girlfriend. That means we date, we visit with our families and we share our kids.” When his expression hardened, she quickly added, “Mandy likes me. And I adore her. I’d like to bring her here, to the shop, for a few hours and play. And take her shopping. I know your mom tries, but she’s busy with her foundations and charities she does for the Junior League.”

The breath she sucked in was full of Zack’s scent of sage and leather. “Meanwhile, you can teach Bobby how to ride and maybe take him to the sheriff’s department and show him around. Jake won’t like it, but I’ll deal with him.” Having laid her demands out on the proverbial table, she held her breath, waiting for him to tell her what she could do with herself. After all, a man of Zack’s caliber could have any damned woman he wanted. Tracy was just handy, and according to the gossip of her ex-husband and mother-in-law, she was easy.

He studied her for a few moments. “That’s more than one stipulation.”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Tracy, it won’t change what I told you Friday night. I’m never getting married again.”

His words stung as much now as they had the other night, but she didn’t show him how much. She kept her face determined, as if she were haggling over one of his horses, rather than her body and soul.

“Fine. But I’m not a floozy. Yes, I’ve made mistakes. But I have my son to consider. And I’d hope you’d feel the same about Mandy. They’re bound to see us together. What do you plan on telling your six-year-old daughter when she asks about me? That I’m your friend with benefits? I know that
isn’t
what I want to be teaching my son.” Moreover, she didn’t want to give credence to Jake’s claim that she had no sexual morals.

“Okay,” he said at last. “We’ll play the game your way.” He pressed her against him. “Luck would have it I’m off this afternoon, too. I’ve already put in sixteen hours.”

When his lips captured hers, she knew she’d made a pact with the devil, but she couldn’t stop the elation surging through her. There was something he wanted from her. Sex was a big portion of it, but something else kept Zack from walking away and hooking up with any one of the many available women in town.

He tilted her head with his hands on either side of her face, and she opened completely to him. He plunged into her mouth, drank in her will to fight along with her breath, and left her trembling and weak-kneed.

Breathing harshly, he pulled back. “When do you have to get Bobby to his practice?”

“Five-thirty.” She somehow managed to breathe out.

The sexy grin sent a quake through the heat building pressure in her lower regions. He caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. “Let’s go out to the ranch. Mandy goes to the daycare after school, and I don’t need to pick her up until five. I can drive you back to get your car.”

“I’ll follow you.”

She was too far gone not to go through with this, but she wanted her own car so she could leave when she wanted to.

He kissed her nose and chuckled. “Alright.”

“Zack, there’s something you...” She paused to search his eyes and bit hard on her lower lip.

“Tracy, if you don’t want to do this now, I’ll understand.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that. I’m not taking anything. Birth control, I mean.”

The furrow of his brow told her he was surprised. He heaved in a long breath. “Well, I guess I’d better stop for condoms then. I’ll run over to Hamilton, because I can’t get them in this county without everyone knowing about it before you even have your first orgasm.”

Heat burned her cheeks at the picture he presented.