Loe raamatut: «Texas Grit»

Chapter One

Carrie Palmer planted her shoulder against the back door of her cold-treats shop and, with a grunt, gave it a good shove. The latch could be tricky and required a certain touch. Humidity always caused the solid wood door to swell. It was August in south-central Texas, with the threat of rain hanging in the air. She twisted the key and listened for the snick of the lock.

The heat combined with a successful annual week-long festival had brought another day of fantastic sales to Carrie’s Cold Treats. Aside from an annoying festival worker who seemed bent on dating her, this year’s AquaPlay Festival and Cattle Run had gone off without a hitch. People were laughing again, and everyone in Cattle Barge needed the distraction. The town could use a sense of normalcy after being turned upside down for the past couple of weeks following the murder of a prominent family’s patriarch, Mike Butler, a.k.a. Maverick Mike.

The man who was notorious for living large and on his own terms had made national news after being found gunned down on his beloved ranch.

Every time she thought about his son, Dade, her heart squeezed. She’d heard that he’d been discharged from the military recently and had only been in town a few weeks. She could only imagine what her childhood friend was going through. Not only had his father been killed in a bizarre manner that had caused a media frenzy and an attempt had been made on his sister’s life, but an adult child no one had known about had been summoned to town, bringing with her a murderous ex-boyfriend. Carrie shuddered, because after her recent breakup with Brett Strawn had blown up, he’d made terrible threats—threats she knew in her heart he couldn’t mean. Before she would’ve chalked them up to him being emotional, a temporary reaction to the disappointment of a relationship ending. Now, she worried.

With Brett, it probably was just the heat of the moment that had him saying words she knew he’d regret when he had some time to think about them. And yet her problem was nothing in comparison to Dade’s. Her heart went out to him as she watched his worst nightmares play out in the news, wishing she had some way to contact him. Even at nine years old, he’d had the most serious blue eyes beneath thick, curly, sandy-blond hair.

Theirs had been an unlikely friendship. His family was one of the most prominent in Texas, while she had no parents, moving from group home to a distant relative’s house and then back into foster care through the early part of her life. Funny how little kids never noticed how much or how little money another kid’s family had. Interesting how much that changed later in life. By the time she’d returned to the same high school after being relocated and bounced in and out of another home, everything had changed. Dade had grown into his athletic frame. He’d become popular and, outside of a few glances in her direction, she was sure he didn’t even remember her name.

It was dark outside. She normally closed at dusk, but the AquaPlay Festival broke down at sunset and she’d agreed to stay open late to accommodate all the children not quite ready to wind down on a summer night. At least her business was working for her, even though it seemed like everything else in her life was standing on shaky ground. She’d hoped to find a home in returning to Cattle Barge to open her store. But she felt just as much an outsider here as she had everywhere else she’d lived since college.

The overwhelming feeling that someone was watching caught Carrie off guard. This feeling was a little too familiar since her relationship with Brett had ended a couple of weeks ago, and she often thought she could feel him watching her.

She tried to shake it off, figuring her heightened emotions had to do with the breakup, the words that had been spoken out of anger. And the dozens of apology texts that she had yet to read all the way through, let alone answer.

“Beautiful night,” a male voice boomed from behind, startling her. He was close, and she hadn’t heard him walk up.

“What are you doing back here, Nash?” A chill raced through her and her fingers tightened around her key ring as she pulled the key out of the lock. She whirled around and had to back up against the wooden door to put some space between her and the tall, thick-around-the-middle festival worker. He brought his hand up against the door, trapping her on one side. His long hair was soaked with sweat after breaking down and loading up the rides. He wore a stained tank top underneath a button-up denim shirt that had half the sleeves cut off. Threads frayed over thick forearms used to lifting heavy equipment.

“Festival’s over. Thought you might like to spend some time together before I leave town.” The smell of alcohol on his breath assaulted her as he leaned closer. She held her breath. He’d stopped by three times over the course of the weekend to ask her out. Each time she’d declined. She’d been crystal clear. There was no doubt in her mind that he hadn’t somehow misinterpreted her rejections, and standing there any longer would cause her to pass out. “Or, maybe I’ll find someone worth sticking around for and get a local job.”

“It’s late. I have to get home and let my dog out.” Carrie ducked under his arm and tried to sidestep him, blowing out a breath in the process. He moved with her, blocking her, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Nash was big. Too big. Fighting him off would be a challenge. She palmed the small can of pepper spray attached to her key ring and flicked the leather cover open using her thumb, hoping she wouldn’t need to use it. As long as she was wishing, she might as well go for it and wish she was already in her car.

The back parking lot was lit by a single light in the far corner. Out of habit, she’d parked in her usual spot behind the building. Regret stabbed her that she hadn’t realized how dark it would be after extending her hours. Or how vulnerable she’d be walking to her car alone after she sent her employees home early, reassuring them she could close up by herself with no problem. The festival had ended two hours ago and everything was quiet—everything but the sounds of her pounding heart rushing in her ears.

“What about a movie first?” The cinema was at the end of the strip shopping center, and as much as Carrie liked the idea of being around people right now—lots of people—she didn’t want to give false encouragement to a man who gave her the creeps.

She strained to hear voices, anything that might signal life was near, but was met with silence save for the sounds of Nash’s heavy alcohol-infused breaths. If she got lucky, a movie would end and people would exit the cinema. She really hoped so, because she might need the help. As it was she doubted anyone would hear if she screamed, and Nash seemed to realize it, too, as a show of yellow teeth stared back at her.

“I’ve been working extra hours and haven’t been home since lunch. Like I said, my dog needs to go out or I’m afraid she’ll have an accident.” Carrie looked up and didn’t like what she saw in Nash’s eyes. She flicked the safety off the pepper spray. Experience had taught her that she’d get some in her eyes, too, and hers started watering just thinking about the burn. Her lungs would seize and her chest would ache. But it would give her the edge she needed to get to her car, where she could lock herself inside.

Even at night, the August temperatures in Cattle Barge were in the high nineties. Sweat beaded on Carrie’s forehead, a mix of fear, adrenaline rush and sweltering heat. Experience had also taught her not to show her emotions when facing down a bully, no matter how shaky she was on the inside.

Carrie looked straight into the man’s eyes, and her heart skipped a beat at what she saw behind them. She resigned herself to a fight and fisted her free hand.

He slicked his tongue across his bottom lip and made a move to grab her.

She screamed as she brought the pepper spray toward his face.

“Everything okay here, Carrie?” The sound of Samuel’s voice was a welcome reprieve, like a soaking rain in the desert on a hot day.

Nash took a step back and turned his attention to her neighbor, sizing him up. “We’re just talking.”

Carrie used the distraction to dart toward her savior. He was a quiet guy in his late twenties, or maybe early thirties, who’d moved in with his elderly aunt in the same cul-de-sac as Carrie last fall. She presumed he’d moved to Cattle Barge to help his aging aunt, but she wasn’t sure because she’d been busy with the shop and only interacted with a few people in town on a personal level. Personal level? Carrie would laugh if anything about that or this situation was actually funny.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She grabbed his arm, noticed he was shaking, and an icy chill raced down her spine. She withdrew her hand, chalking up the reaction to overwrought emotions. Nash seemed to realize immediately what she already knew. Samuel was no match. He was close to her height and had no muscle mass, but he’d distracted the worker and that was good enough for her to make an escape. Between the two of them, she had a chance of getting out of this unscathed. She wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Walk me to my car,” she said to Samuel, dodging Nash’s attempt to catch her arm.

Her neighbor shot the worker a look that was probably meant to scare him.

“Keep walking,” Carrie told Samuel in a low voice.

“The lady and me were trying to have a conversation,” Nash said. Based on the nearness of his voice, he wasn’t more than a step or two behind them.

Could they make it to her car without an altercation?

“It’s okay. Just keep our heads down and feet moving.” She didn’t want to provoke Nash any more.

Ten more feet and she’d be home free.

A callused hand gripped her shoulder, pinching hard, and she suppressed a yelp.

Samuel spun to his left to face off with Nash.

“She’s with me,” Samuel squeaked out, his voice shrill. He was trying to be a hero and was clearly not cut out for the job, because she could feel him trembling next to her. His skin had gone sheet white, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Like a shark zeroing in on a vibration of fear, Nash took a threatening step toward Samuel.

“Back off, little man,” Nash demanded, his rough hand clamping around Carrie’s arm.

She jerked it free and brought up the pepper spray. Nash caught her arm in time to stop her from aiming at his eyes.

“Carrie, is that you?” A dark rumble of a voice boomed from the end of the alley, and all three of them froze. She recognized who it belonged to immediately. Dade Butler’s voice made her heart thump a little faster, and for very different reasons than being scared. The inappropriateness of her reaction to him caught her off guard, especially after all this time.

“Dade,” she said, her voice sounding as desperate as she felt.

“Everything okay here?” Dade had to be at least six foot four, with a body built for athletics. Ripples of solid muscles were apparent underneath his white T-shirt and low-slung jeans. He seemed to size up the scene accurately, based on the deep wrinkle on his forehead and the fact that he was frowning.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Nash threw his hands up in surrender. “I was just leaving.”

Samuel stepped between Carrie and Dade as though sizing up a new threat.

“It’s definitely better now that you’re here,” she said to Dade to calm some of Samuel’s tension. The message? Dade was a friend. Samuel just got the muscle he needed to avoid getting his face bashed in. He should be grateful instead of tense.

Nash seemed to take the hint, backing away before heading toward the cinema with a few choice words mumbled just loud enough to hear.

“How long has it been since the last time I saw you?” Dade asked Carrie, his eyes intent on Nash.

She stepped away from Samuel and toward the sound of Dade’s voice as a sensual shiver rocketed through her.

“Too long.” She hadn’t seen him since the news of his father broke and hadn’t talked to him in years. She could never forget that voice, and even though dark circles cradled his still-too-serious crystal-blue eyes, he looked damn good. She turned to Samuel, whose body language was even tenser now. “Thank you so much for stepping in when you did. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t shown up. I’m good from here, though, so you don’t have to stick around.”

The quiet neighbor didn’t respond as he eyed Dade up and down. A glint of metal in his hand reflected in the light as he turned to face her. For the first time, she noticed that Samuel was hiding a knife. She appreciated that he was trying to help her and, sadly, they might’ve needed the weapon to fight off Nash. Between Samuel’s knife and her pepper spray, they might’ve had a prayer. But the festival worker seemed to know better than to try to take on Dade.

“Everything all right?” Dade’s brow arched as he seemed to process Samuel’s resistance to leave.

Samuel still seemed to be looking at everyone as a potential threat.

“It’s okay. I’m fine now. Dade’s a friend of mine,” Carrie said to Samuel. These were probably the most words she and Samuel had exchanged, and she was grateful he’d appeared when he did. It was probably adrenaline that had him still tense and ready to defend. He was somewhat awkward, and she figured he’d most likely dealt with his fair share of bullies in his lifetime, being on the scrawny side. The thought made her feel sorry for him. She knew what it was like to be pushed around and unable to defend herself. An angry riptide pulled at her thinking about it, about a past that had left her helpless. She dismissed thoughts that brought her back to that place where she was an innocent girl, fighting off someone who was supposed to be protecting her.

She shook off the reverie, focusing on Samuel. He nodded and seemed like he wanted to say something, but whatever it was died on his tongue. He settled on, “Good night, Carrie.”

He seemed so sad, and she wanted to do something to thank him. From the way he carried himself, she doubted he’d stood up for himself or anyone else for most of his life and it had taken a lot of courage for him to do what he’d done. “Stop by the shop tomorrow for an ice cream on the house, okay?”

“Thanks.” He smiled and she noticed his lip twitching—a nervous tic? Poor guy. He really was distressed, and she was even more grateful he’d tried to help. She’d send him home with a gallon of her signature ice cream blend for his aunt, too.

“’Bye, Samuel.” She stepped into a friendly hug with Dade, ignoring the shivers racing through her body with contact.

“What was up with him?” Dade pulled Carrie against his chest, and she felt how truly muscled he was. His sandy-blond hair and serious blue eyes made for one seriously hot package. And those were all things former friends weren’t supposed to think about each other. Notice, maybe, but not have a visceral reaction to.

“I really appreciate what you did after all these...” She diverted her gaze. In his arms, it was a little too easy to forget the awkwardness she’d felt toward him since high school. She pulled back, because thinking clearly while being barraged with his clean and spicy male scent made her pulse erratic.

Carrie was tall—not Dade tall, but tall—with midnight-black hair and tight curls that had minds of their own on humid days. She’d tamed them today with a straightening iron and had no idea why she was thinking about what her hair looked like after what had just happened. Stress caused her thoughts to bounce around, she reasoned.

“Are you shaking?” Dade asked.

“I guess so. That whole situation was stressful, but I’m fine now,” she said a little too quickly. She wasn’t okay. Recent events with Brett had her off-balance, and Nash had really done a number on her insides. “Nash has been hanging around the shop and tonight he had alcohol on his breath.”

Dade’s hand found hers, like they were still kids and running across the playground—which was as much as the action probably meant to him. It caused her heart to beat wildly against her chest. She chalked her out-of-control reaction up to the stressful encounter with Nash; his eyes had told her everything she needed to know about his intentions.

“What was going down a few minutes ago?” With Dade next to her, she should be able to relax, and she could in some ways, because he’d just saved her from what could’ve turned out to be a very bad situation. One that brought a few harsh memories threatening to crash down around her and reduce her to tears.

She couldn’t help but shudder when she thought about how close she’d been to history repeating itself. Well, now she was twenty-seven, not fourteen.

Dodging those heavy thoughts, she looked at Dade instead.

“That festival worker cornered me, and it got awkward. He’s been asking me out all week, but I refused, so I guess he decided to take matters into his own hands before he left town.” Hearing the words brought on another wave of anger.

A grunt tore from Dade’s throat, but he didn’t immediately speak, even though his jaw muscle ticked. “Tell me everything that happened.”

“He surprised me in the parking lot when I was closing up the shop. Things got a little weird and, luckily, one of my neighbors happened to be near. Samuel must’ve heard my voice or something, because he showed up just in time to distract Nash. I’m so glad the festival’s over so I won’t have to deal with that guy again. He’ll be long gone by morning.”

A dark look crossed Dade’s features and for a split second she thought she’d imagined it. “If I’d known, I would’ve been less friendly.”

That was him being friendly? She’d hate to see someone on his bad side. “I’m just relieved it’s over.”

His eyes darkened anyway, and that jaw muscle bulged again. “Only because I showed up. What if I hadn’t?”

She almost pointed out that Samuel had, too, but she knew he couldn’t have held Nash off for long.

“It’s my fault. I should’ve parked out front. Out of habit, I parked in back. I don’t usually close up the store after dark.” Thinking just how close the call had been caused her to shudder again.

“Don’t blame yourself for being harassed by a jerk.” Dade’s free hand fisted. Tension radiated from him in waves. “Did he physically threaten you?”

“He had me trapped against the wall before Samuel arrived.” The whole experience had tipped her off-balance, and she wasn’t thinking straight. She should be angry, not scared. Too many memories haunted her, bringing her back to that defenseless fourteen-year-old girl she’d been when her foster father had abused her. Well, she was a woman now and could stand up for herself, and she sure as hell didn’t need to make excuses for Nash or blame herself.

“I think it’s best if I take you to the sheriff’s office to give a statement,” he said with calmness to his tone and something else... Possessiveness?

She really was imagining things now.

Shock was wearing off, and the adrenaline rush was making her hands shake. “I appreciate the offer.”

“I don’t trust Nash.” Dade’s jaw clenched as he scanned the area.

He was right. She glanced around. Nash could be anywhere, hiding, biding his time in order to make another move.

* * *

DADE RAKED HIS hand through his hair. He’d seen the look in the festival worker’s eyes, and he hadn’t liked it. Thankfully, Carrie’s neighbor had been there to serve as a distraction until Dade could get things under control. The neighbor registered as a little odd, but Dade was grateful Samuel had been there to slow Nash down. Dade and Carrie went way back, and the thought of anything happening to her sat like a hot poker in his gut.

Seeing her shell-shocked and pale was like a physical punch, and his past shame roared to the surface. He hadn’t helped her in high school like he should’ve, but there was nothing stopping him now. Besides, she wasn’t thinking straight or she would’ve already come up with the idea of filing a complaint. Another reason leaving her alone wasn’t a good idea.

“My truck is parked this way.” He motioned toward the end of the alley.

She glanced at her sedan and then at him. “I don’t know, Dade. I’m tired. Part of me thinks I should just go home and try to forget this night ever happened.”

“This guy could harass a woman in the next town he’s in. We don’t know anything about his background or if the festival vetted him out before he was hired. He could have a record and he might escalate if we don’t nip this in the bud.”

Carrie stayed quiet, standing in the back alley. The thought of a man forcing himself on her hit Dade in a very dark place.

Finally, she nodded and took in a sharp breath. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Dade ignored the fact that holding her hand felt different now. Of course it would—they weren’t nine-year-olds playing tag at school. Her hand was softer and more delicate, especially in comparison to his. He spent most of his time outdoors, first in the military and now on the family ranch, where he’d always been hands-on. His showed the long hours he spent in the elements. She didn’t seem to mind.

Electricity pulsed through him at the point of contact, but it couldn’t be more misplaced. She needed a friend, and the last thing he needed was another complication in his life. Besides, how many times had he vowed to explain himself to Carrie if he got the chance? Years had gone by and he hadn’t seen her. He’d been back for a few weeks now, and he’d come up with a million excuses for not telling her what he’d really want to say to her all those years ago when he’d been a jerk instead.

There were some wounds that ran so deep not even time could heal.