Badge and a Saddle (Heroes in the Saddle Book 2) (5 page)

Rex woke when a
truck pulled up outside. Bennet stood on the porch, one hand on his walker, the
other on a double-barrel shotgun. The older man nodded to Treven as he got out
of his vehicle.

Bennet came
inside. “Brought his wife with.”

Rex nodded. “The
two of them are inseparable.” Since their wedding six months before, they’d
holed up at their ranch whenever she wasn’t traveling with her job. Rex hadn’t
even considered asking his buddy to leave his better half at home. He stood as
they walked in the door.

Treven hung his
cowboy hat on a peg, and Delta, Treven’s wife, had a smile and a hug for Rex.
She looked at Rex with her awesome eyes—one blue, one green, and brushed her
long, brown bangs off her forehead. “We haven’t seen enough of you lately.”

Rex nodded toward
Treven. “He treating you okay?”

Treven strolled up
and shook Rex’s hand, and the men leaned forward for a guy-hug, pat on the
back.

“Anyone want
coffee? A beer?” Bennet wheeled around in the kitchen and surprised Rex by
setting a platter of sandwiches covered in plastic wrap on the table.

The three of them
wandered into the kitchen and helped Bennet set out coffee, beer, and brownies
in a plastic container with the name of a local woman written carefully on one
side.

“So, Miss Lilly’s
makin’ you sweets now, huh?” Treven winked one of his deep green eyes and
reached for a brownie. His auburn hair had grown longer than Rex had ever seen
it. Must be Delta’s doing. Loosening up the headstrong cowboy.

Bennet gave that
wide grin of his. “Half the ladies in the county bring me things. You’d think
me bein’ all crippled would keep ‘em away, but nope.” He winked at Delta.
“Seems they’re only interested in my mind.” The old sheriff liked to tease her.
A whole lot.

Her eyes opened
wide and a blush stained her cheeks. “That’s probably true, but a woman knows
when a man is capable of giving her…” She winked back at Bennet. “What she
needs.”

Bennet’s mouth
dropped open, and Rex and Treven let loose with big laughs. Delta could hold
her own against any man.

Footsteps sounded
behind them. “Hi.” Mina’s sweet voice came softly to his ears. That kiss, lawd
on high, he didn’t even want to look at her. If he did, he couldn’t be
responsible for his body’s reaction. He’d been sleeping when she’d crawled in
bed with him, sure, but his response to her was rocketfire, and like nothing
he’d experienced before. Ever. How would he last three days here with her…and
keep his hands off her?

Bennet and Treven
stood, Rex followed suit, and Mina walked up to the empty chair Bennet pulled
away from the table for her.

“Well, if
Detective Rex isn’t going to do the honors…” Bennet scowled at him. “Doctor
Mina Cooper, let me introduce you to Mrs. Delta
Pennington
Arnett.”

Delta held out her
hand and Mina took it. “You look familiar. Have we met?”

Bennet snorted.
“Delta
Pennington.
Her face is all over the television.”

Mina cocked her
head. “You’re…an actress?”

Delta shook her
head. “Don’t listen to this crazy man. I’m a racecar driver, and I do ads on TV
for motor oil and I have a foundation for injured firefighters.”

“That’s amazing.”
Mina sounded excited. “I’d love to hear more about all of that.”

Treven cleared his
throat. “I’m Mr. Pennington…uh…I mean, Delta’s husband, Treven.”

Mina shook his
hand. “Mr. Arnett, I’m impressed by how well you’ve adjusted to your wife’s celebrity.”

Treven wrapped his
arm around Delta. “She’s worth all the extra work.”

Delta elbowed him
softly. “I’m no work at all, don’t listen to him.” She gestured to a duffle bag
in the corner of the kitchen. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought you a few things
that I thought you could use, since, well, you can’t exactly run to town for a
change of clothes.”

“Thank you.” Mina
blinked a few times. “You’re so kind.” She looked at Treven and Bennet. “All of
you. To help me this way, I’m grateful.” She avoided Rex’s gaze completely.

“Hup. Company.”
Bennet looked at Rex and pointed out the door. The man had ears like a rabbit.

Rex ran and
grabbed the shotgun then peered out through the screen door. The familiar red lift-kit
truck rolled down the driveway. “Looks like Clint.” He didn’t relax until the
truck came to a stop and he saw his friend, with his short, spiky, white hair, walking
toward the house wearing dark aviator glasses.

“Hey.” Clint
opened the screen door and walked in.

“Thanks for
coming.” Rex shook his hand and set down the gun as Clint took off his glasses.

“Hey.” The man
nodded, then strode toward Mina. He held out his hand. “You must be the
fugitive.” He grinned, and gave her a look with his light-blue eyes, one that
Rex had seen melt many women’s resolve. “Rex didn’t mention how beautiful you
were.”

Mina held back a
smile. “You must be the paramedic.” She glanced out the door. “Rex didn’t
mention your…big truck.”

Bennet and Treven
laughed, and Delta looked like she wanted to give Mina a fist bump.

Clint released her
hand, not looking as cocky as he had a few seconds ago.

“Have a seat.” Rex
went to the refrigerator. “Beer?”

Clint hung his
sunglasses from the back collar of his T-shirt, and sat. “Yeah, I could use one
after that conversation.”

A gush of relief
had flowed through Rex when Mina had cut Clint off at the knees. What had he
been feeling before that, when Clint was holding her hand? Couldn’t have been
jealousy, could it? He shook off that thought and got down to business.

“We’re going to set
up a schedule to cover the hours when the people looking for Doctor Cooper
would most likely come to the ranch.” He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.
“Between dusk and dawn.” He drew lines. “We’ll have two people outside, one
inside. During the day, Bennet and I will be able to handle it.”

Mina’s brow
crinkled. “Is this necessary?”

“Yes.” Treven and
Bennet chorused.

“Best to be safe.”
Clint pulled out his phone and typed.

“I think it’s a
good idea.” Delta leaned close to her husband. “I can come with you to help
protect Mina here inside the—”

“No.” Treven
reached out and laced her fingers with his. “You’ll be at home. The fewer
people we have to worry about, the better.”

Rex noticed Mina’s
gaze shift to the burn scars on Treven’s hand, then quickly look away. Her gaze
locked with Rex’s. Heat flooded his body, centering in his groin. There
couldn’t be a repeat of this afternoon’s episode in the bedroom.

“I’ll take tonight
and tomorrow night.” Clint pointed to Rex’s paper. “I’m on call with the fire
department the next night.”

Rex set up the
schedule and everyone snacked on sandwiches and brownies while talking about
anything and everything, except the thing most on their minds. Mina’s safety.

****

Half an hour
later, Mina stood at the screen door, watching Rex and his buddies walking
around the house, discussing possible blind spots and directions from where
trouble could come.

Delta came back
from the bathroom. “Feels like I’m in there all the time, now.”

Mina nodded, catching
Delta’s vague reference, but concentrating on trying to hear what the guys were
saying. Bennet had gone into his room, and loud snores now sounded from that
part of the house.

With an elbow
nudge, Delta gestured to the porch. “Let’s go sit. Enjoy the afternoon sun.”

They headed outside
and sat on two of the old rocking chairs. “It’s so unspoiled here.” Mina didn’t
often wish for a different life than the one she had, but after the last few
days, she could use an extended vacation. She heard Treven calling to Rex.

Mina watched Delta
listen to her husband speak. The woman had a small smile on her lips. “How did
you and Treven meet?”

Delta tucked her
shoulder-length shag-cut hair behind her ears. “He saved my life.”

Mina crinkled her
nose. “Honest?”

“Yep.” Delta held
out her hand, palm down. “Did you notice the burns on his hands? I was racing,
my car burst into flames, and he pulled me out, but he wasn’t wearing safety
equipment.” Wrapping her arms around her middle, she rocked her chair. “He’s a
true hero. And so is Rex.”

Mina didn’t know
where she was going with that, but she nodded. “I agree.” He’d saved her.

“He’s
exceptionally serious.” Delta stared off into the distance. “But he’s faced a
lot in his life.”

“Many people who
choose crime fighting as a livelihood, do.” He and Bennet had made some
references, but she hadn’t wanted to ask personal questions. “He’s been
exceptionally decisive and surprisingly kind.” Not nice, really, but
understanding of her desperate maneuvers, which was more than she had expected.

Delta looked at
Mina out of the corner of her eye. “You like him?”

She wasn’t going
to participate in girl talk. “He’s a likeable person, but there’s no room in
our situation for enjoying each other’s personality.” Mina sounded stiff, even
to her own ears. It was odd, she usually only talked like a professor when she
had something to hide. And what had happened upstairs earlier…that was probably
something she’d like to keep hidden.

“Yet, your cheeks
are bright red.” Delta grinned like a devious toddler.

Bright red, probably
due more to guilt than infatuation. Guilt from crawling into bed with the
detective and boldly kissing him. She sighed. That kiss. It had shaken her
pretty darn good. But how did she feel about him? “I guess I could
grow
to like him.” Hopefully they’d all live long enough for that to be a
possibility. As the sun eased toward the western horizon, her anxiety level
increased. What would happen tonight?

Delta reached over
and squeezed Mina’s hand once, quickly. “It’ll be okay. These guys know what
they’re doing.” The race car driver sat back and breathed deeply, her face
going pale.

“Are you okay?”
Mina wasn’t sure what to do. “Are you ill?”

Delta shook her
head slowly, then a slow, mysterious smile curved her lips. “Not sick.” She
glanced Mina’s way and set the palm of her hand on her lower belly. “I haven’t
told him yet.”

Mina’s heart
thudded. “Congratulations.” Delta and Treven were obviously in love. Deeply.
And this baby would be a lovely blessing for them. “I’m so happy for you.” The
vision of a very-pregnant Delta behind the wheel of a racecar flashed into
Mina’s mind. “How long can you drive your—”

The men came
around the side of the porch and Mina pressed her lips shut.

Delta leaned
closer. “We’ll talk later.”

Mina nodded,
hoping—praying—there would be a
later
for her.

Clint, with his
loose-limbed swagger, leapt up the three steps onto the porch and sat on the
chair next to Mina’s. “Looks like I’ll be your company tonight, Miss Mina.”

Treven snorted.
“That’s
Doctor
Mina, redneck.” He held out his hand toward Delta. “Come
on, wife. Let’s get you home so I can finish the chores before comin’ back for
my graveyard shift.” His eyes went wide. “That didn’t come out too good, did
it?”

Delta strolled
over to him and down the steps. “You have such a clever way with words.”

They laughed, but
Mina caught Rex’s stare. It could be a graveyard for all of them if just one
slipup occurred. One overheard conversation at the police station. One person
trusting the wrong coworker. She blinked and looked away. She was putting all
these people in jeopardy.

“Why the frown,
hun?” Clint set his booted ankle on his knee and rocked back in his chair. “You’ve
got me here to protect you, and while I’m at it, I’ll keep an eye on Rex and
Ben too.” He laughed at his own joke.

“Don’t need that,
son.” Bennet’s voice came from behind them. “But, thanks.”

Mina jerked around
and spotted him just inside the screen door. Sneaky fellow. Had he heard her
and Delta talking about Rex?

“Stay safe.” Delta
and Treven left, and Rex came up the steps.

“I’m gonna lay out
the ammo.” Rex walked into the house.

Clint stood,
blessedly serious, finally. “I’ll bring in my arsenal.”

What would Rex say
if she asked him to show her how to shoot a gun?

****

Hours later, Rex patted
his full stomach. Mina was good in the kitchen. Really good. Clint had gone out
of his way to compliment her, but Rex could see that the doctor wasn’t falling
for the other man’s bad boy charm.

Rex had spent the
afternoon cleaning, loading, and positioning weapons at points around the house,
with spare ammo close by. Clint and Bennet helped, but spent more time arguing
over the best manufacturer of pistols, rifles, and shotguns than working on
them.

Mina asked if she
could try shooting a gun, but Bennet and Rex had talked her out of it. They
were well covered with Rex and Bennet’s lawman skills, and Clint was a deadeye
trap shooter. After that, she had paced until Bennet politely suggested she get
her mind off things by cooking up something for supper.

The white kitchen
walls turned a soft orange as the sun hugged the horizon.

“Miss Mina.” Clint
stood. “Would you care to go for a stroll?”

“No.” The word
shot out of Rex like hot lead out of a forty-five.

Everyone looked at
him, frozen in place.

“Too dangerous.”
He grabbed his plate and Mina’s and walked to the dishwasher.

“Probably right.”
Bennet worked a toothpick through his teeth. “Maybe you two should go on into
the parlor and work on that jigsaw puzzle that’s been half-finished for a
month.”

A fork slipped out
of Rex’s hand and hit the floor. He picked it up, frustrated with himself for
catering to his emotions instead of adhering to the cold details of this case.