Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) Page 17

  “Is that why you did it? To prove that dumping me was for my own good? You really are a bastard.”

  She was tensing up again and he didn’t want that. They had work to do on this drawing and he needed her relaxed and receptive. He needed her to remember every word that Patrick Moulson had said about this design. Obviously there was something important about it, although what it was wasn’t as clear.

  “Acting like an asshole just comes naturally to me. I don’t have to try or plan it. It’s a superpower sort of thing. And I apparently need to say it again. You weren’t dumped. A man like me would never dump a woman like you. That would be crazy.”

  Tilting her head, Rayne’s gaze ran him up and down, appraising him like a prize bull. His cock twitched in his pants and he had to remind himself that he’d ended things minutes earlier. There would be no naked fun between the two of them no matter how much he wished it were different.

  “Does insanity run in your family?”

  “Sadly we’re sober as judges. And no fun. Isn’t that what everyone says about me? That I’m no fun?”

  Dare had long since grown accustomed to his reputation in town as a surly son of a bitch…as long as he was a bastard who got things done.

  “Actually they whisper outlandish stories about how you got the nickname Dare. I heard you were a daredevil that likes to live on the edge. They say you had a death wish when you were younger.”

  “You shouldn’t listen to the town busybodies. They embellish every little thing until it’s unrecognizable.”

  She’d never know about his past and that’s the way it would stay.

  Rayne pointed to the drawing. “So now what do we do?”

  Dare had been thinking about that and he had an idea. “This drawing has two symbols, and I know a guy who used to work for the government who might know what they mean. This could be some kind of code.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Camy slapped a bottle of wine between Rayne and herself, placing two glasses next to it as they sat at the kitchen table. Camy’s husband and baby had gone to bed and it was just the two of them in the quiet house. Pouring two generous glasses, she handed one to Rayne, giving her an encouraging smile.

  “So tell me everything. No detail is too small. Spill.”

  It was difficult at first. The story came in fits and starts but as the wine began to take effect, Rayne found the words flowing as easily as the libation.

  “So he dumped me,” Rayne sighed, taking another gulp of her drink. “Needless to say I couldn’t stay at his place anymore so here I am. We had a one-night stand—or one-morning stand is more accurate after dating for a few weeks, then he pulls the plug. I must have disgusted him or something. Maybe I’m too fat or I’m not blonde. Whatever it was, he couldn’t wait to end it. Now he’s meeting up with some ex-government guy to talk about the drawing while I fight with insurance companies and the DMV.”

  Camy frowned, her brow wrinkled. “Why are you fighting with the DMV? What do they have to do with this?”

  Rayne rolled her eyes and groaned at all the work there was still left to be done. Being the victim of a crime sucked in more ways than one. “My purse was stolen so I need a new license. Dealing with the credit card companies wasn’t too bad but the DMV has been a real pain in the ass.”

  “I’m so sorry all of this happened to you.” Camy leaned forward, wagging her finger in front of Rayne’s nose. “But you should have called me, sis. I’ve been worried sick since I heard about the break-in at your house. Then I find out all of the other things that have been happening in your life. Maybe you should have stayed in San Francisco. Valley Station hasn’t been all that kind to you and it’s all my fault. Are you mad at me?”

  Rayne wasn’t angry; she was exhausted. She wanted to crawl away and sleep for a week, forgetting about all the crap going on in her life.

  “No, I am not mad at you. And I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you earlier today. Honestly, I could only handle one thing at a time. I knew you’d be upset and I was already upset enough for both of us.”

  Camy refilled their glasses but didn’t put the bottle down, instead shifting her gaze to the front door. “Should we take some of this to Deputy Billy? I hate to think of him sitting out there all night in the cold. Did he piss off the sheriff to get this assignment?”

  Rayne plucked the bottle from her sister’s fingers and set it down on the table. “I don’t think he’s allowed to drink on duty. As for sitting out in the cold, he’s in his cruiser and it has heat. We invited him in and he said he was supposed to stay out there. Dare also said that another deputy would be coming by at midnight so he won’t be alone the whole time.”

  “So what happens now?”

  The wine wasn’t helping Rayne’s mood. If anything, she was feeling even more sorry for herself and the tears welling up in her eyes couldn’t be stopped. A few even rolled down her cheeks, and she scrubbed at them with the back of her hand while Camy patted her arm and told her everything was going to be okay.

  She was probably right but at the moment things sucked. This morning her world had looked much brighter and now it felt like the world would never be right again.

  This was what happened when she drank too much wine and wallowed in her bad luck. Getting back to work was the best medicine for this melancholy but even that brought back memories of Dare.

  “I clean up the house and buy new furniture. I get a new driver’s license and credit cards. I open the shop back up. It’s simple, really.”

  “And Dare? What about him?”

  “What about him? It’s over. Done. It’s in the past. He doesn’t want me and that’s fine. It’s his loss.”

  “It is his loss,” Camy agreed readily with a grim smile. “He couldn’t do any better than you and he ought to know that. He’s such a mean-faced, grouchy asshole. The more I think about it the more I think you’re better off without him. The man can’t even smile.”

  Rayne couldn’t suppress her own smile at the pleasant memories she had of this morning.

  “He can smile, and it’s glorious when he does.”

  Camy snorted. “I bet I know what makes him smile. It’s what makes most men smile. Then they roll over and start snoring or ask you to fix them a sandwich.”

  “Dare didn’t do either of those things.”

  Camy smacked the table, her expression militant. “Don’t you defend him. He’s a jerk and we need to find you another guy. A better guy. Someone that will make Dare Turner look like the big loser that he is.”

  Draining her wine glass, Rayne slumped forward on the table. Her head spun from the alcohol and her eyelids felt heavy with fatigue. She needed sleep more than a new boyfriend.

  “I don’t think another man is the answer. It might even be more of the same problems. Maybe I just wasn’t meant to be coupled up like other people. I’m better off on my own.”

  Spartacus hopped down onto the table, seemingly from out of nowhere. He’d been hiding since the trip from Dare’s home to Camy’s; clearly the crying baby jangled the feline’s nerves but it felt good to have her closest friend by her side. The cat head-butted her and meowed loudly as if to tell her to get off her ass and stop feeling sorry for herself.

  “You’re right, Spartacus. What I need is a good night’s sleep. Things will look better in the morning.”

  “They always do.” Camy scratched Spartacus behind the ears. “We can talk again in the morning. I’ll help you clean up your house tomorrow.”

  Rayne stood and scooped up the furball, dropping a kiss on the top of his head, much to the cat’s disgust. Overt displays of affection were not his cup of tea. Quiet dignity was more his style.

  She bid her sister goodnight and slowly climbed the stairs to the guest room. She didn’t really know if tomorrow would be a better day than today but she did know one thing…

  It was time to move on from Dare Turner.

  * * * *

  Dare hadn’t felt this miserable in a long time
. Maybe years, which was why he and friend Sheriff Evan Davis, ex-US Marshal were sitting at his kitchen table pounding whiskey and discussing the drawing. Evan hadn’t seen anything in the two symbols that he recognized but he’d scanned it in and sent it off to an old colleague in the FBI.

  With business out of the way, they were discussing women in general and Rayne in particular and getting messy drunk in the process.

  Evan refilled their glasses with the Irish whiskey. “You either like her or you don’t. That’s the only question that matters.”

  Scraping his hand down his face, Dare shook his head at his friend’s oversimplification. It wasn’t about Rayne. It never had been. This was about Dare and everything that was wrong with him.

  “Of course I like her. She’s amazing. And sexy.” He had to concentrate to keep from slurring his words. “But that doesn’t mean I can keep her happy. Shit, I don’t even know how to be happy. And it’s not the same for you, Davis. You know how to be happy, dammit.”

  Evan chuckled and took a gulp of his liquor. “Let her show you how if you don’t know. Hell, the only reason you’re a grouchy little prick is because you’re such a tight ass. Relax and let yourself be happy. I’ve never seen anyone wound as tightly as you are. You’re like a human, walking, talking Eeyore, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. And might I remind you that Eeyore didn’t have a girlfriend. Ever. It’s not an attractive quality in a mate—all that feeling sorry for yourself is a turnoff.”

  “I have issues,” Dare blurted, the alcohol loosening his tongue. “If she finds out she’ll probably dump me.”

  “So you did it for her? Smart. That way you won’t get hurt.” Evan slid the bottle across the table to Dare. “Wait, you are hurting so that shit didn’t work. Time for Plan B.”

  “I don’t have a Plan B. I’m not sure if Rayne and I should be together, to be honest.”

  Except that his heart felt like he’d ripped it out of his chest and stomped on it a few times. He missed her and it had only been a few hours since he’d last seen her. He wanted her here…in his house…in his bed.

  In his arms.

  Where he could keep her safe. Right now Deputy Billy was watching over her but Dare wanted to do it himself. She was too precious and he wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.

  Evan knocked back his whiskey and grinned. “Then sit here and drink with me. Get lousy drunk. It might make you forget, but probably not. When a woman gets under your skin, it’s hard to shake them loose.”

  Dare didn’t know much about Evan’s private life. Hadn’t really thought much about it, to tell the truth, but then it had always been business between them. Sure, they both liked to drink beer, shoot darts, and watch sports but they’d kept it superficial, friendly but nothing deeper. Pretty much how Dare dealt with everyone in his life.

  “Are you speaking from experience? Do you want to talk about it?”

  Evan’s eyes widened and then he threw back his head, laughing his ass off which only served to make Dare squirm in his chair. He was trying to be helpful, goddammit, and this was his reward.

  “Fuck no, Turner. I do not want to talk about it. But yes, I have some experience with women. I’ve broken a few hearts and had my heart broken too. This is what happens to human beings. Pain and joy are just two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. To be honest, I don’t know shit about women and I probably never will. But I do know that a good one doesn’t come along very often.”

  “You sound like Tanner,” Dare groused. “Since he married Madison he’s all happy and in love and wants everyone else to be the same. Maybe it isn’t in the cards for all of us.”

  Evan’s smile died and his expression turned a little sad. “We should all be as happy as that bastard. He has everything in the world.”

  “He’s lucky.”

  Shaking his head, Evan poured another whiskey for them both. “Correction, he’s scared. Scared because when you have it all, it can be taken away from you like that.” Evan snapped his fingers in front of Dare’s face. “You can lose everything in a second. Life changes that fast.”

  His stomach queasy with acid, Dare didn’t even want to imagine something bad happening to Tanner and Madison. They were two of the best people he knew. They’d earned their happiness.

  “How does he do it then?” Dare marveled. “How can he take that chance every day? He put his heart on the line and life can smack him down at any moment, but he just keeps going like it won’t happen. He just keeps living and loving. It’s like he’s in some crazy denial.”

  “You don’t know a fucking thing about life, do you?” Evan was looking at him like he was insane, and maybe he was. At the very least he was drunker than he’d been in a long time. “All of life is a chance. There are no guarantees. If you’re looking for one you’re out of luck, my friend. I just never realized what a pussy you were, afraid of your own shadow. That part is a surprise.”

  Dare slammed his fist down on the table but Evan only chuckled. “I’m not a pussy and I don’t need a guarantee.”

  “Don’t you? You ended things pretty fast with that girl when you thought she might do the same. Those don’t seem like the actions of a fearless man. But hey, what do I know? Want another drink?”

  Dare wanted several more.

  And a second chance.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Rayne was having the most wonderful dream. She was lying on a beach with azure waters and crystal clear skies. She could smell the lingering aroma of coconut and hibiscus mixed with the salty air as a pair of warm, masculine hands massaged sunscreen onto her shoulders. A smiling Tom Hiddleston sat behind her doing the honors and giving her that sexy grin she loved so much.

  She sighed and let herself relax under his sensual ministrations. “Tom, this is exactly what I’ve been needing. That feels so good.”

  He opened his mouth to say something to her, but whatever he said was drowned out by a pounding noise in the distance, shattering the peace and quiet. She turned and ran her hands up his arms and around his neck to tangle in the curls at his nape. He leaned forward, his lips so close to hers, and said…

  “Open the goddamn door, woman. I need to talk to you.”

  Her eyes flying open, Rayne sat straight up in the bed, her gaze darting all around as she tried to remember where she was and what was happening. Her pleasant dream was shot all to hell, that one thing was for sure. There was no beach. No suntan oil. No Tom Hiddleston.

  Damn.

  There was yelling and pounding though, and she dragged her arm across her face trying desperately to wake up. Still groggy, she realized the sound was coming from downstairs and the voice was a very loud Dare Turner who must be standing on the front lawn with a bullhorn. Or maybe that was simply his naturally bellowing voice.

  What in the hell?

  Throwing off the covers, she jumped out of bed, wavering slightly on her feet as her entire body had yet to wake up fully. Shrugging on her old ratty robe, she stumbled down the stairs to find that Camy and her husband were a few steps ahead of her. Mike had jerked open the front door and was doing some yelling of his own at the bellicose sheriff on the front lawn.

  “Rayne! I need to talk to you, baby. Will you come talk to me?”

  Incredibly, the words sounded slurred and it occurred to her that Sheriff Dare Turner might not be completely sober.

  That explained a great deal.

  Camy snorted and pulled her robe more closely around her body. “If he wakes up the baby, I’ll geld him with a Swiss Army knife. Don’t think I won’t do it, either. She’s teething and getting her to sleep has been a nightmare.”

  “He’s leaving,” Rayne retorted, the anger she’d felt earlier rearing its ugly head once again. He’d dumped her and now shown up drunk on her front step. What was this? High school? She was no prom queen and he sure wasn’t a prince. She’d go outside, slap some sense into him, and send him on his way. “Just give me a minute.”

 
; Mike was on the front porch whispering loudly but Dare didn’t lower his voice in the least, apparently too inebriated to quiet down. “I need to talk to Rayne. I won’t leave until I do.”

  Cinching the belt on her robe, Rayne stepped into a pair of boots next to the door. They were huge on her tiny feet and they probably belonged to Mike but she didn’t care. With bedhead and sheet-creased cheeks, she wasn’t going to wow Dare with her beauty anyway.

  She placed her hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Let me handle this. You and Camy go on back upstairs. I’ll get rid of him.”

  “I need to talk to you, baby. I made a mistake.”

  Deputy Billy was hovering in the background, obviously not sure what to do with his drunk boss. Rayne waved him back into his vehicle before grabbing Dare by the ear and dragging him into the house.

  “You’ve made more than one mistake, Sheriff. Now shut the hell up. If you wake the baby, I can’t promise you’ll get out of this alive. Do you understand? How did you even get here? I hope you didn’t drive.”

  “Ow. Shit. Ow. Dammit, woman, that hurts. Let go of my ear. Fuck.”

  Rayne didn’t let go until she’d pulled him through the living room, kitchen, and onto the back porch, kicking off the oversized boots on the way. Fury burned in her abdomen and she could even feel it heat her skin. Dare Turner was a gigantic pain in the ass.

  “I said shut up. You need to keep it down. It’s the middle of the damn night and people – normal people, anyway – are sleeping. Now answer my question. Did you drive here? Because that would be stupid.”

  Now free from her hold, Dare straightened and took a step back. “I took a taxi. I may be drunk but I am the sheriff around here. I haven’t completely lost my mind.”

  “Really?” she breathed, poking her finger into his broad chest. “Do you think standing on my sister’s front lawn is the action of a sane man? Because I don’t think it is. I think you’ve stepped over the edge, Sheriff. What in the hell are you thinking?”