Taming A Texas Heartbreaker (Bad Boy Ranch Book 4) Read online

  As if reading her thoughts, he looked down at her hand. “There’s a smudge of nail polish on your right thumb. And more on the desk calendar where your feet must’ve rested as you painted them. Couple that with the strong smell of nail polish and the goop on your face and it wasn’t difficult to figure out that you were having a spa day.”

  Great. She had gotten the Sherlock Holmes of the Texas Rangers.

  “You know a lot about spa days, do you, Officer Hayes?” she asked.

  “Only that a deputy could get fired for enjoying them while on duty—especially in the office of their immediate supervisor.”

  Most people would be scared at this point and start begging for their job. Dixie Leigh wasn’t most people. She had grown up with a hardheaded daddy and a steel magnolia mama who taught their only daughter to fight rather than give in. So she fought. “I don’t believe I read anything in the sheriff’s manual about spa days. But I did read that officers should practice good grooming at all times.”

  His other eyebrow swept up. “Does it also say it’s okay to bring your pet to work?”

  “A pet? What pet?”

  He picked up the bag of cat treats Dixie had completely forgotten to hide. “You like Kitty Heaven tuna treats, do you?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. They’re tasty and high protein.”

  “Really?” He held out the bag. “Then you won’t mind proving it.”

  A dare? Ha! He didn’t know who he was dealing with.

  She didn’t hesitate to take the bag, open it, and pop a cat treat in her mouth. It was a little too salty, but overall not so bad. He looked nonplussed for a second before he tipped back his head and laughed. Everyone always said Dixie had the sweetest nature this side of the Mississippi. But if there was one thing that could dissolve her sweet nature in a hurry, it was being laughed at.

  No longer concerned that she didn’t have her boots on, she moved from behind the desk and held the door. “If we’re through here, Officer Hayes, I need to get back to work.”

  He sobered. “Okay, Deputy Meriwether, I’m going to let your complete disregard for the sheriff’s department slide this time. After being Willaby’s deputy, you probably needed a little down time. But from now on, you better keep your beauty salon and your cat at home.”

  He stepped closer and she wished she’d had her pageant heels on because she had to tip her head back to keep eye contact. “Your job is to protect and serve, and it’s a job that needs to be taken seriously. Simple might not have a lot of crime, but that doesn’t mean people can police themselves. Everyone needs to be reminded of the rules, and it’s your job to do the reminding.” His dark eyes pinned her. “Have I made myself clear?”

  She nodded, but it wasn’t enough for the arrogant man.

  “Have I made myself clear, Deputy Meriwether?”

  “Yes,” she snapped.

  “Yes, sir.”

  She really wanted to tell him where he could stick his “sir.” But she knew if she did, she’d be looking for another job. He might not be her direct boss, but he was her indirect one. Texas Rangers’ jurisdiction covered the entire state. And while she had no intentions of being a deputy for much longer, she had to keep it for at least a few more months. Or until her daddy caved. If she wanted to win with her daddy and realize her dream, she needed to give into Lincoln Hayes.

  She pinned on a smile. “Yes, sir.”

  His gaze lowered to her bare feet. “Let’s hope you’re better at law enforcement, Deputy Meriwether, than you are at paintin’ toes.” An annoying smile tipped up the corners of his mouth before he glanced at the computer sitting on the desk. “Now I need to take a look at Sheriff Willaby’s files. We’ve been working on a missing person’s case together and I want to see his notes.”

  She should’ve just grabbed Queenie and left him to it, but this man had gotten her dander up. She might have to call him sir, but she wasn’t going to completely kiss his butt.

  “I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid I don’t have Sheriff Willaby’s passcode.” It was a bald-faced lie. Sheriff Willaby hated paperwork and had turned over most of it to Dixie as soon as she became his deputy. Something Officer Hayes would find out if he called the sheriff. Luckily, it turned out that he disliked dealing with the sheriff as much as everyone else did.

  His eyes narrowed on her for a long moment before he nodded his head. “Then I guess I’ll be on my way.” He pulled on his hat. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on you, Deputy Meriwether.” He turned on a boot heel and strode out of the office.

  When he was gone, Dixie mimicked him in a peevish voice. “I’ll be keeping an eye on you, Deputy Meriwether.” She slammed the door closed and gasped when she saw her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back. A blue film of dried gel covered her face. “Just great, Dixie Leigh. You certainly know how to make a first impression.” She moved to the desk and flopped down in the chair. “Not that I wanted to make a good first impression on uppity Lincoln Hayes, Texas Ranger. It’s obvious the man likes to throw his weight around like Sheriff Willaby. And my daddy.”

  Although he could’ve reported her to her superiors and gotten her fired. And yet, he hadn’t. Since he seemed like a straight-laced lawman who followed the rules to a tee, she had to wonder if there was another reason he wasn’t turning her in. Maybe he didn’t want Sheriff Willaby finding out he had stopped by to take a peek at his files.

  After getting Queenie out of her carrier, Dixie scooted the chair closer to the computer and quickly pulled up the case files. There were only three missing person’s reports filed in the last year. One was for Ernie Finnagan’s missing Labrador retriever. The dog had been found three weeks later at a ranch twenty miles away with a pregnant female basset hound. One was for Mildred Hampton’s husband. It turned out Mildred was a seventy-three-year-old woman who had never been married and was hoping to change that. The last missing person’s report was for Sam Sweeney.

  Dixie remembered this one. Sam’s daughter, Maisy Sweeney, had come in and filed the report with Sheriff Willaby. Afterwards, she’d stopped in the outer office to chat with Dixie. She was a sweet young woman who claimed she rode wide broncos for a living. Dixie couldn’t believe a woman would want to spend her time being flipped off a horse. Just like she couldn’t believe Maisy’s daddy had met with foul play in Simple, Texas.

  But that was exactly what Sheriff Willaby seemed to believe.

  Or not in Simple itself, but on a ranch just outside of the small town. The Double Diamond ranch was the last place Sam had worked. The ranch had been a boy’s ranch at the time. In his notes, Sheriff Willaby wrote about his suspicions that the delinquent teens who had spent the summer there were somehow responsible for Sam’s disappearance. He’d even listed each teen by name.

  Cru Cassidy. Logan McCord. Holden Lancaster. Valentine Sterling. Sawyer Dawson.

  Dixie’s eyes widened as she read the last name.

  And Lincoln Hayes.

  (Copyright © 2020 Taming a Texas Devil by Katie Lane)

  Also by Katie Lane

  Be sure to check out all of Katie Lane’s novels!

  www.katielanebooks.com

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  Bad Boy Ranch Series:

  Taming a Texas Bad Boy

  Taming a Texas Rebel

  Taming a Texas Charmer

  Taming a Texas Heartbreaker

  Taming a Texas Devil (coming September 2020)

  Taming a Texas Rascal (coming December 2020)

  * * *

  Brides of Bliss Texas Series:

  Spring Texas Bride

  Summer Texas Bride

  Autumn Texas Bride

  Christmas Texas Bride

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  Tender Heart Texas Series:

  Falling for Tender Heart

  Falling Head Over Boots

  Falling for a Texas Hellion

  Falling for a Cowboy’s Smile

  Falling for a Christmas Cowboy

  * * *

  Deep in
the Heart of Texas Series:

  Going Cowboy Crazy

  Make Mine a Bad Boy

  Catch Me a Cowboy

  Trouble in Texas

  Flirting with Texas

  A Match Made in Texas

  The Last Cowboy in Texas

  My Big Fat Texas Wedding

  * * *

  Overnight Billionaires Series:

  A Billionaire Between the Sheets

  A Billionaire After Dark

  Waking up with a Billionaire

  * * *

  Hunk for the Holidays Series:

  Hunk for the Holidays

  Ring in the Holidays

  Unwrapped

  About the Author

  Katie Lane is a firm believer that love conquers all and laughter is the best medicine. Which is why you'll find plenty of humor and happily-ever-afters in her contemporary and western contemporary romance novels. A USA Today Bestselling Author, she has written numerous series, including Deep in the Heart of Texas, Hunk for the Holidays, Overnight Billionaires, Tender Heart Texas, The Brides of Bliss Texas, and Bad Boy Ranch. Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when she's not writing, she enjoys reading, eating chocolate (dark, please), and snuggling with her high school sweetheart and Cairn Terrier, Roo.

  For more on her writing life or just to chat,

  check out Katie here:

  Facebook www.facebook.com/katielaneauthor

  Instagram www.instagram.com/katielanebooks.

  * * *

  And for information on upcoming releases and great giveaways, be sure to sign up for her mailing list at www.katielanebooks.com!