The Cattleman (16 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Nick greeted as many guests as he could. He wanted to look each of them in the eyes. If one of them couldn’t meet his stare straight on, they’d move to the top of his suspect list.

But the crowd got thick real fast. Soon, he was grabbing trays and doing the bidding of his mother, unable to greet visitors at the door. He’d grown up with his mom and dad hosting a ton of get-togethers, but not since his father had first been diagnosed. Everyone in the county seemed to have shown up. Mainly to see the gal Nick Burke had “finally landed,” as most of them put it.

People were shoulder to shoulder in every main room of the house. There was a poker game in full swing in the bunkhouse—something he’d be part of if he and Beth weren’t on a mission.

In spite of the cool evening, the porch was full and people stood around his mom’s dormant garden, now full of Christmas lights and decorations he’d been tricked into displaying a week earlier than usual. His mom had lied, saying she was ready to get the season started.

The hands had gathered some brush and were about to light a bonfire. That would get a lot of the folks outside under a blanket of stars. He glanced up, tipped his hat to the back of his head. Every time he thought of all those pinpricks of twinkling lights, he remembered the night on his blanket with Beth.

“Did you know they were doing this?” she asked, coming up behind him.

“Not a clue. If I had, I would have made them postpone until after the holidays when we’d have information back on their online friends.”

“That would have been convenient.” She handed him a plate of barbecue. “You should take a breather.”

He nodded as he bit into a rib. “Whose idea was it to see that movie this afternoon? My mom’s? Did she give you the tickets?”

“Alan did. I can’t believe how sneaky they’ve been. Or how they pulled all this off so quickly. We just told them a few days ago.” She sat on the bench, right at home where his mom had watched sunrise after sunrise. “There sure are a lot of people here.”

“Next line is...I didn’t know there were that many people living around here.”

As she laughed a late arrival’s headlights lit her brilliant smile. He wanted to bury his hands in her silken hair and feel it drift across his chest. He wanted to kiss her. Kiss her like he had in that small cave. Make her wonder why he didn’t kiss her like that every time they saw each other. Come to think of it, why didn’t he?

“You know that the informant is probably here. And if they aren’t, it will narrow down the list considerably.”

That was why. She wasn’t hanging around the Rocking B for him. She was there to catch the informant and possibly get her career back on track.

“How do we narrow down the list? What do you need—”

“No. They’re here.” Beth covered her horror-stricken face with her hands.

Before he could ask what was wrong, she sprung off the bench, replaced her cute behind with his plate. She squeezed his bicep and jerked him to face his parents, who were escorting a couple he didn’t know.

“Oh, my gosh!” she squealed with fake excitement. At least fake to him since he’d witnessed the real thing first hand. “I can’t believe you did this, Juliet. How did you get my parents here? This is such a surprise. Sweetheart, meet my parents.”

Nick swallowed as fast as he could with four disapproving faces approaching. No matter how cheerful Beth tried to sound, fright made her voice quiver. Future in-laws—fake or otherwise—should have made him jumpier than a jack rabbit. He was actually more worried about the barbecue sauce he was about to rub on his shirttail so he could shake hands with Beth’s father.

It was soon apparent their disapproving faces were because they’d been caught off guard. Until his mom’s phone call, Carroll and Elizabeth Conrad hadn’t any clue who Nick Burke was. Beth had never mentioned him, their fake engagement or current living arrangements.

What chance did he have of convincing her to stay, if she hadn’t told her parents there was a possibility?

* * *

I
T
WAS
CLEAR
Carroll and Elizabeth were upset about Beth’s surprise engagement to a man they didn’t know. Couple that along with the fact their only daughter hadn’t told them she was on assignment in West Texas...

Being her gracious self, Juliet whisked Beth’s parents back inside before anything could be verbalized.

“They had no clue. Total surprise and contempt.”

Nick was right. She wouldn’t argue. At least not with him. The looks on her parents’ faces had been easy to read. But they’d come. It was finals week at Northwestern, and they’d jumped on a plane to be here anyway. She had to explain. And thank them. Oh, man, they were going to be mad when she admitted it wasn’t a real relationship.

But wasn’t it?

Nick’s hat was in one hand and his other was pushing frustratingly through his teak-streaked hair. And he paced. Three steps one direction, then a pivot and back again. “
Nada.
Nothing. I get it. Completely fake engagements don’t need to be mentioned to your parents. Just mine. And the entire Jeff Davis County of friends we have. What the hell was I thinking?”

“Oh, that’s totally and completely unfair. You’re acting like this is all my fault. Why should I have mentioned our arrangement to my parents? I didn’t know about a party. So how was I supposed to know your mother would invite them here? Or that they’d come?”

“You didn’t mention me at all. Did you, Beth?”

He was hurt. She heard it in the soft baritone of his voice and saw the pain in his brown eyes. How could she explain that talking to her parents about anything was like starting World War Three? But she had to try. She wanted to.

“Nick, dear,” Juliet said through the screen door. “We have another tub of beer iced down in the bunkhouse. Could you bring it in?”

“Sure, Mom.”

“Beth, do you mind helping me a minute?”

Before he could take more than a couple of steps, Beth caught his arm. He didn’t turn back to her, just inched away, pausing when their hands met then slid apart.

Tears blurred her vision. She’d never meant to hurt him. Her emotions were getting the best of her tonight, tossing her every which way. Worse than a Chicago wind that hit head-on no matter which way you faced.

Under the gruff, stubborn cowboy was a gentle soul. She loved them both. She wiped the corner of her eyes and ran into the kitchen. Her mother, still wearing a black pants suit and heels, had a frilly apron tied around her waist and was helping Juliet dish up a fresh batch of peach cobbler. She was smiling like she hadn’t smiled in years.

It was absurd that her mother would be happy. She wasn’t domestic in the least. The news of an engagement—especially to a West Texas cattleman—should have been enough shock to send her in a tizzy. From the looks of things here, it hadn’t.

Her mother looked happy. Then it hit her. Beth was happy, too. Not because of a job. She didn’t have one. Not because she’d fulfilled her parents’ dreams. Far from it. Nick made her happy. They could be practicing defensive moves, falling in the hay, tangled in each other’s arms, or captured and being held in the enemy’s hellhole. It didn’t matter. She was happier than she’d ever been before.

The idea that she loved Nick—as in 100 percent, with all her being, no-turning-back loved him—was so exciting that she giggled. It bubbled right out of her before she could catch it and hold it inside. “Why, Elizabeth Carroll Conrad, you’re blushing,” her mother said.

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

Elizabeth dropped her spoon and wrapped her arms around Beth. “We’ll talk about it later. Juliet explained a little. It’s good to know you’re so happy.” With a kiss on her cheek, her mom left her stunned in the middle of the kitchen.

What had happened? Where was the lecture? Her mother had kissed her in a room full of people. Her queenly manner had been replaced by a mom’s affection. A real mom. She heard her father’s serious conversation in the living room. His booming professor’s voice agreed with something the sheriff said. Then Andrea disagreed. Oh, Lord, not a debate.

The crowd slowed passing through the swinging door to the dining room. To give herself a minute, she carefully propped it open so no one would get a smashed nose. The debate carried on with laughter. Her father didn’t seem to mind being on the losing side.

“What would you like me to do?” she finally asked Juliet.

“Enjoy yourself, dear. It’s your engagement party,” Juliet answered with a wink. “They should be getting that bonfire started any minute. And then the boys are going to play some mariachi music. Maybe you can get that son of mine to dance a little.”

“I’m not sure Beth remembers how to dance. It’s been a while for you, darling. Hasn’t it?” her mom asked without sarcasm. “Does Nick dance?”

Both moms carried cobbler and conversation to the dining room, leaving Beth by the sink. She began washing, but stared out the window. Dancing? Yes, she remembered how. It had been a while, but Beth remembered. She nodded, then suddenly felt the need to ask Nick to teach her. Perhaps she should just kiss him and dance the night away...

No, they had something else to do tonight. Find the informant. Her parents’ arrival had really thrown her for a loop. She did an about-face and headed to face Nick who should return any minute.

She saw Kate and Cord whispering just outside the porch window. Then Kate darted inside, leaving her husband on the porch. Kate hung back, hiding behind the counter with her back to Beth.

The sound of boots hitting the wooden steps drew her attention to the porch. Cord stood in front of Nick, who had his hands full with a metal tub filled with beer and soda. “Need a hand?”

“I got it.” Nick tried to pass, but the Ranger didn’t budge.

“Is this for real?” Cord asked.

“Real beer. Real engagement party. Real what’s it to ya?” Nick answered.

“I know we’ve never been buddies, Nick—”

“Buddies? Nope, I don’t think that applies to us.”

The town had gossiped over the years about Nick not marrying because Kate had married Cord. Juliet had tried to assure her that wasn’t the case. According to her, Nick had never met the right woman.

The iced beer must have been heavy and putting unnecessary strain on Nick’s cracked ribs. Beth could see the muscles straining in his arms. “Did Kate send you over for the engagement details?”

Kate had done a lot of meddling in his affairs recently. In fact, she was the one who’d sent Beth to the ranch to stay. The look on Cord’s face clearly indicated that Kate had sent him. And he knew that Nick knew it.

“We have concerns that an engagement might be taking the undercover thing a bit far.”

“For some reason, Kate doesn’t feel like she can ask me herself. Right? I get it. She’s kept her distance since the shooting and runs off every time someone brings it up.” He took a long look around. “She’s too scared to face me so she sent her errand boy.”

“Watch it, man.”

Hold it together, Nick.
He seemed fine. He could handle it. Then he shoved the tub at Cord.

“If Kate wants to know why I’m getting married, she can ask me herself.”

Kate backed up. So did Beth. It didn’t seem as if either man knew they were there. Music from the portable system on the porch came to life with Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” She couldn’t turn away. She didn’t want to listen to the conversation, but couldn’t get her feet to move.

Cord looped his fingers through the screen handle and finally pulled it open. “This isn’t about Kate. You should know that Beth is on disciplinary leave.”

“Do you need to hear me say that my love life isn’t your concern, Cord?”

This was it. The truth. Somehow it seemed like the argument was about Kate instead of their engagement. She was so scared the dishes she held were shaking in her hands. She set them on the counter before she could drop them.

Kate looked startled and worried as she turned toward Beth. And, even more apparent, the woman’s eyes held pity. She’d seen a lot of pity in Chicago. A whole department of pity. She knew what it looked like and hated it.

Nick shoved his way through the narrow doorway, keeping his face toward the porch. The icy water sloshed over the edge of the tub.

Cord’s swearing could have been about dousing his boots and jeans. But his eyes met Beth’s and she could tell he knew she’d overheard the entire exchange.

Nick laughed, his back still to the two women. “Do you really think that matters? Everyone’s going to know I have a DEA agent living here. Maybe that will do the job you can’t and keep some of the smugglers off my land.”

* * *

L
OOKING
AT
THE
corral there’d been nothing. Maybe a twinge, but nothing major. He hadn’t come close to almost passing out. Good. About damn time. He felt strong, even with his muscles aching from the heavy tub. He set it in the corner, pulled a bottle and twisted the cap.

“Maybe you’re afraid to let Kate talk to me. Maybe you know she still has a thing for me.”

“Are you drunk?” Cord asked, taking an aggressive step inside.

“Uh, no, but I could be soon.” Nick laughed and tipped the bottle.

Maybe getting drunk was a good idea. Hell, he didn’t know what he was thinking or saying. He knew there’d never be a possibility of him and Kate getting together. There never had been a possibility. Cord’s wife was only a friend. She’d always been a friend, since they were children and he’d first moved here. He could see their relationship clearly, especially now that Beth was in his life.

But old habits died hard and pushing the Texas Ranger’s buttons was something he’d been doing for quite some time. It was hard to stop and too much fun getting under the other man’s skin. Until he saw the look on Cord’s face and heard the footsteps behind him.

Beth.

She ran past him, her purple rhinestone boots sliding across the water he’d sloshed on the floor. She slammed through the screen, her footsteps hurrying down the steps. Yelling he could deal with, but not tears.

“Great. Just great.” He followed Cord’s dumb stare and shrug. Kate’s hand was over her open mouth. “Damn it, girl. You haven’t said two words to me in the past year, but you sure have a habit of messing up my life.”