Taming a Texas Devil (Bad Boy Ranch Book 5) Page 9

  Dixie now understood why everyone bought Ten Commandment bracelets from Luanne and let her turn them into streetwalkers. She had a heart of gold.

  “That would be so sweet of you,” Dixie said. “I’ll spread the word as well. But let’s make sure it doesn’t seem like charity. I get the feeling Cal Daily isn’t one who would take—”

  Devlin, who had disappeared earlier with the empty pitcher, came back into the room looking upset. “Has anyone seen Boomer? I can’t find him anywhere.”

  Evie tried to get up off the couch. Since she was quite pregnant, she needed assistance from her sister. “Maybe he slipped out the door when everyone was arriving.”

  “I hope not,” Devlin said. “He chases after rabbits and gophers and I’m afraid he’ll get lost.”

  “I’m sure he’s fine,” Luanne said. “Bud’s hound dogs run off all the time. And while I wish a few of them would stay gone for good, they always find their way back home.”

  Devlin didn’t look convinced. She looked close to tears. “But what if he doesn’t come back?” She looked at Dixie. “Should I fill out a missing dog report?”

  “You wouldn’t be the first one.” Dixie said. “But I agree with Luanne. My daddy has owned hound dogs ever since I was little and not a one ever got lost. They’re trackin’ dogs. It’s in their blood. I’m sure he’ll be back in no time.”

  “Of course he will,” Luanne said. “Now come on and sit down, Devlin. I was just getting ready to pluck everyone’s eyebrows. It’s not something Mary Kay expects their consultants to do at parties. But since y’all are my close friends and I’m so good at it, I’ll be happy to make your eyebrows look exactly like mine.”

  Dixie stared at Luanne’s sparse over-plucked eyebrows and almost choked on the sip of lemonade she’d just taken. She quickly recovered and jumped to her feet. “On second thought, as your deputy, it’s my duty to look for missing people . . . and missing dogs. Boomer, did you say?”

  Before Devlin could answer, the rest of the women rose to their feet and volunteered to help look for poor Boomer. Obviously, no matter how big her heart was, no one wanted eyebrows like Luanne’s.

  Everyone took an area to search. Devlin would look around her house. Evie around hers. And Penny and Sadie would go back to the Gardener Ranch and search. The townswomen would head back to town and get the word out there. Dixie chose to drive around between the two ranches.

  She’d heard gossip that Lucas and Chester had willed each Double Diamond boy a piece of their land. Logan and Holden had built houses on theirs. Cru intended to ranch his along with the Gardener Ranch. Val was thinking about starting a kids’ summer camp. As she drove over the bumpy dirt roads, Dixie couldn’t help wondering what Lincoln would do with his. She couldn’t see him ever quitting his job and becoming a rancher. He was a lawman through and through. A sexy, drool-worthy lawman who she couldn’t stop thinking about.

  She had a plethora of Texas Ranger fantasies ranging from lusty make-out sessions to extremely naughty sex scenes that included handcuffs and some role playing. And every single fantasy had one thing in common: Lincoln losing control and becoming all hot and wild. All hot and wild for her.

  Except that wasn’t going to happen. She knew he desired her. She saw it in his eyes and felt it in the tense tightening of his muscles when she touched him. But she also knew he was never going to give in to that desire. He was too much of a rule follower. He would never step over that line.

  Oh, but she wanted him to. She wanted him to in a bad way.

  She drove for a good hour before she spotted something on the side of the road. As she drew closer, she could make out the long floppy ears and pointed nose of a hound dog. She slowed even more so as not to scare the dog and pulled over a few yards away. She got out and crouched down, using the same voice she used with Queenie when she wanted the cat to come to her. It worked about as well.

  “Hey, Boomer. How are you, cute boy?”

  The dog stopped chewing on the bone he had in his mouth and stared at her.

  “What do you have there? It looks like a pretty big soup bone. I’m not going to take it. I just want to get you home to your mama.” She rose and opened the back door of the SUV. “Come on, Boomer! Come on, boy!”

  The dog hesitated for a second before he rose to his gangly legs and took off across a meadow of bluebonnets toward a copse of trees. Dixie jumped back in her SUV and went after him. Fortunately, there was a small road that led to the trees. She parked, grabbed the cat treats she kept in the console for Queenie—something she should’ve thought of sooner—and got out.

  Not wanting to spook the dog again, she moved slowly and quietly through the thick mesquite and oak, glancing in both directions for any sign of the dog. When she reached a clearing, she was surprised to find a beautiful spring glittering in the late afternoon sun. A huge oak stood next to the spring with a rope dangling off one of its limbs. It was a hot day for early March and the thought of a dip in the cool water was tempting.

  But first, she had a dog to find. She pulled out the bag of treats and was about to call Boomer’s name when a splash had her glancing at the spring. A dark-haired head popped above the water, followed quickly by tanned muscular shoulders that had her breath hitching and her heart quickening. She knew who it was immediately. No man in Simple had shoulders that broad.

  She stepped back into the shadow of a mesquite tree and watched as Lincoln ducked under again. A few seconds later, he popped back up and started swimming, his powerful arms propelling him through the glistening water. She didn’t count how many times he swam from one end to the other, but it was a lot. When he was finished, he did a breaststroke to the shore. She held her breath as his feet hit the bottom and he started to walk out, revealing inch after inch of hard pecs and defined abs and dark pubic hair and . . .

  Before she could see the best part, Lincoln hesitated.

  “Who’s there?” His dark gaze scanned the area and finally zeroed in right where she was standing. For a second, she thought about making a run for it. But her mama had taught her that running from a man was like running from a dog. They could easily chase you down and catch you. It was better to face them head on and bring them to heel.

  She stepped out from the shadows. “How’s the water?”

  His face looked like he’d just taken a big bite of a sour lemon. She wished she felt the same. But all she wanted to do at the moment was strip off all her clothes and join him in that cool water, and then lick off every one of those glistening droplets that trickled down his hard body to where the water lapped against his sculpted hipbones.

  He must’ve read her thoughts because he took a few steps back until he was covered to the waist. And he was still a sight for sore eyes. Or maybe horny eyes. Because she was sure feeling horny.

  “What are you doing here, Deputy Meriwether?” he asked.

  She moved closer and tried to see what lay just beneath the surface of the water. “I’m lookin’ for a dog.”

  “A dog?”

  “Yep.” She lifted her gaze. “Boomer Lancaster to be exact. The hound dog ran off during a party at Devlin’s house. I found him walking on the road about a half-mile away. When I tried to get him in my squad car, he ran toward these trees.”

  Lincoln studied her as if trying to figure out if she’d made the entire story up. Which was annoying, but not as annoying as his next words. “Fine. I’ll find the dog. You can go back to the office and do your nails.”

  She gritted her teeth and forced a smile. It was getting harder and harder to smile around the man. “That’s okay. I wouldn’t want to take you away from your important ranger business.” She opened her hand with the cat treats and started searching for the dog. “Boomer! Here, Boomer! I have treats for you.” A rustling sound came from her left and she turned in that direction and moved through the underbrush.

  “Stop, Deputy Meriwether,” Lincoln ordered.

  But she’d had about enough of his orders, so she ignore
d him. She pushed back some mesquite branches and moved closer to the sound. But it wasn’t Boomer. It was a cute little gopher frozen in place and staring at something. The same something that was making the rustling sound.

  Or not rustling as much as rattling.

  Dixie froze and slowly turned to see a coiled rattlesnake not more than a few feet away. Before she could remember how far a rattlesnake could strike, it struck. Not at the gopher, but at her. Its mouth opened wide, its fangs sharp and deadly. But before it could sink those fangs into her, its head was blown off. When her ears stopped ringing from the gunshot, she heard Lincoln cussing.

  “Dammit to hell! When I give you an order, Deputy Meriwether, I expect you to follow it. Do you understand me?”

  She wanted to answer, but as she stared at the decapitated rattlesnake lying on the ground, her throat clogged up with fear and she started to shake. Not a little tremor, but a full out quake that she couldn’t seem to control. Behind her, she heard Lincoln sigh. A second later, she was turned and pulled into his arms.

  “Take some deep breaths.” He rubbed her back. “There’s no need to be scared. You’re safe now.”

  “But I c-c-could’ve died.”

  “That’s doubtful. If treated, western rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal.”

  That piece of information made her feel a little better. Or maybe what was making her feel better was being in Lincoln’s arms. His skin should be chilled from the cold water, but it wasn’t. It was toasty warm. The warmth seemed to seep right inside her and take away the shakes. When they were gone, a tingle of awareness took their place. Awareness that she was being held by a naked man. A hard, naked man. And not just the chest she rested against, but every part of Lincoln was hard.

  Including the hard length that pressed into the zipper of her jeans.

  She should’ve felt victory at his obvious desire for her, but all she felt was need. A need to feel that part of him deep inside her. She slid her hands from his waist down to the firm muscles of his butt. His breath hissed out from between his teeth and he started to push her away, but she held him firmly in place as she pressed her lips to one hard pectoral muscle.

  “You want me,” she breathed against his hot skin. “Don’t try to deny it.”

  He burrowed his fingers into her hair and pulled her mouth from him. “No, I don’t.”

  She looked into his brown eyes that were dark with desire. “Yes, you do.”

  He paused for one breath before his hands fisted in her hair and he jerked her up to meet his lips. He kissed her like she knew he would kiss, rough and thorough. His lips took what they wanted and his tongue went where it would. Dixie was completely obliterated beneath the onslaught. All she could do was stand there in his arms and hope he never stopped.

  Unfortunately, that was when a drooling hound dog decided it was time to make his appearance. With welcoming barks, Boomer raced out of nowhere and jumped up on Lincoln, pushing him away from Dixie. Lincoln looked as dazed as Dixie felt as Boomer bounced around his legs in tag-wagging excitement. But after only a moment, he snapped out of it and had the audacity to thank the dog.

  “Good boy, Boomer.” He scratched the dog’s ears. “Good boy.” Then he took his collar and led him back to the clearing.

  Dixie remained behind, mentally cussing out fate for interrupting the best kiss she’d ever had. When she finally got over her little temper tantrum and walked into the clearing, Lincoln was dressed and holding Boomer’s bone.

  “Saved by a dog,” she said.

  Instead of replying, he held out the large bone. “Where did Boomer get this?”

  “I don’t know. He had it when I saw him on the road.” She hadn’t paid that much attention to the bone earlier. She had just thought it was some antelope or cow bone the dog had dug up. But as she took a closer look, she realized the bone was too long to be either. In fact, it looked just like a bone she had studied in a forensic anthropology class she’d taken in college.

  “Oh, my God!” she said. “That’s a human femur bone.”

  Chapter Ten

  “You still sit a saddle good, boy.” Chester glanced over at Lincoln with a look of pride in his eyes. “I thought after spending all your time being a lawman, you’d have lost the cowboy in you.”

  Lincoln adjusted the reins in his hands and patted Doris on the withers. “I guess it’s like riding a bike. Once you learn, you never forget.” He stared out at the land that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Land that had been a refuge to him for one entire summer. Now somewhere on this land were the remains of a body.

  According to forensics, the bone Boomer had found was human. While the femur bone could turn out to belong to some pioneer, Native American, or cowboy who had died over a hundred years ago, Lincoln had a gut feeling that wouldn’t be the case. It looked like he was never going to get rid of Sam Sweeney. The man would continue to follow him—even from the grave.

  Before he’d sent the bone to forensics, he’d called Major Macky and asked to be put on the case since he was already in Simple. He couldn’t leave it to someone else. Not when Sam’s body was possibly on Double Diamond land and Chester and Lucas—or even one of the boys—could be under suspicion.

  And if Lincoln’s past ever came out, he’d be top on that list.

  “So you want tell me what has you looking so worried?” Chester asked. “It wouldn’t have something to do with that pretty little deputy, would it? Gossip around town is that you two have something going. Which surprises me. I got the feeling when she stopped by the ranch that you didn’t much care for Deputy Meriwether.”

  He didn’t much care for her, but damned if he didn’t want her. The kiss at Mesquite Springs proved it. But that had been a mistake. One he wasn’t going to repeat. No matter how good she had felt in his arms. Or how sweet she had tasted. Or how much he’d wanted to lay her down in the high grass and sink deep inside of her.

  “She’s trouble,” he said.

  Chester laughed. “Aren’t all women? But there’s nothing wrong with a little trouble. Especially if it comes wrapped up in a package like that. If I was forty years younger, I’d be chasing after that woman like a coyote after a rabbit, trouble or not.”

  “Beauty isn’t everything.”

  “True, but I think the deputy has proven she’s not just a pretty face. From what I hear, she’s doing a damn good job while Sheriff Willaby is out. She’s showing up in town every day and has taken a real interest in people’s well-being. She gets after folks when they need it, but doesn’t hand out tickets right and left like that idiot Willaby. And she found Boomer after he ran off.”

  She was doing a good job. Lincoln couldn’t help wondering why. It couldn’t have been his lecture. She had proven she liked doing the opposite of what he wanted. But something had caused her to start taking her job seriously. Now he was worried she was going to take it too seriously. After she identified the bone as human, she had become almost ecstatic. Like she had discovered a diamond ring on a beach with a metal detector. He didn’t need the deputy butting her cute little nose into his investigation. It was his job. He would do it. Which meant he needed to stop beating around the bush and worrying about hurting Chester’s feelings.

  He took a deep breath and got straight to the point. “The day you came back to check on Val, you talked to Sam, didn’t you?”

  Chester spit a stream of tobacco onto the ground. “We’ve been over this, boy.”

  “I know. I need to go over it again.”

  “Why? I thought you’d given up on finding Sam Sweeney.”

  “I was hoping to, but now I can’t. Boomer had a bone when the deputy found him.” He paused. “A human bone.”

  Chester showed no surprise. He just stared ahead and kept riding. “And you think it’s Sam’s?”

  “Yes. I also think there’s something you’re not telling me about Sam. And I need to know what it is, Chester. This might not be a missing person we’re dealing with anymore. It could be a mur
der.”

  Chester glanced over at him. “And am I a suspect? Do you think I would kill a man for pulling some mean-spirited pranks, boy?”

  “You threatened to fill him full of holes if he ever came back to the ranch. And he came back.”

  “That was just my temper talking. I was angry about what he’d done to you boys . . . and angry at myself for not seeing what kind of man he was sooner.”

  “But something happened that day between you and Sam, didn’t it? And I need to know what it is, Chester, in case the bone does turn out to be Sam’s.”

  They rode in silence for several minutes before Chester finally spoke. “No wonder you’re a damn fine Texas Ranger. You’ve got good instincts, boy.” Lincoln had always loved getting praise from Chester, but not now. Now he wished he’d been wrong.

  “Why did you lie to me and say you only saw Sam from a distance?”

  “Because I did only see him from a distance. Like I said, he was leaving when I got there and there was no way I could’ve caught him before he left the ranch.” Chester shit another stream of tobacco. “It was only after he left the ranch that I caught up with him. And it took some mighty fast riding to do that.”

  “You rode after him?”

  “Damn right I did. I told him to stay away and he didn’t listen. So I rode hard and cut him off before he reached the highway.”

  “But you swore you didn’t speak to Sam.”

  “I didn’t. I just shot a few holes in his truck to teach him not to mess with the Double Diamond boys.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Lincoln covered his face with his hand and massaged his temples.

  “Now don’t be gettin’ your panties in a bunch. I didn’t hit him. Back then, I wasn’t half blind like I am now and I hit exactly what I aimed for. I aimed for the truck. Not him.”

  “But the bullets could have ricocheted.”

  “They could’ve, but they didn’t. Sam was just fine when he drove off like the hounds of hell were after him.” Chester chuckled.