The Mobster And The Cowboy (A Cowboy Romance) (20 page)

Robyn was Melanie’s friend, or so Melanie thought, from junior high school, along with Ralphie. She always dreamed of living the life of a gangster’s girlfriend. Higher aspirations she had not.

Ralphie was always one of the cool kids from
sixth grade on and Robyn knew he had a thing for Melanie. Unfortunately or fortunately for Robyn, Melanie didn’t feel anything but friendship for Ralphie. As a result, Melanie never felt like she had to be someone else around him. She was herself and that, she didn’t know, was the reason Ralphie wanted her. He knew it was futile and he settled with just being her friend. They always did things together, and in the group they hung out with. There wasn’t anything Ralphie wouldn’t do for Melanie and she knew it, but she never ever abused that knowledge, and he knew it.

She genuinely liked him. She wished it could have been more, but she just didn’t feel that spark.

Years later, Ralphie hooked up with Robyn for a few months. That was until he had enough of her. She was a bitch. She never passed up an opportunity to trash talk Melanie. And when Melanie took up with Michael, Ralphie saw claws come out of her. He dumped her, but didn’t tell Melanie how jealous Robyn was of her. He knew it would break her heart. He just couldn’t help the need to protect her.  He let Robyn hang around him and his crew if only to keep an eye on her.

“Call Melanie and ask her where she is and when she’s coming home,” Michael said to Robyn while he pounded her.

And while she was coming, she said yes. When he pulled out, however, she said no.

Michael got in her face. He was about to strike her, but held off. He really needed her to call Melanie and find out where she was.

“I’m invited to a swanky party at the Grace Hotel tonight. Do you want to be my date?”

Robyn’s heart soared at the thought of being on his arm at a high profile party.

“Yes, of course.”

“Good. Make the call and I’ll take you.”

Robyn was ready to throw a hissy fit
, but stopped when Michael’s fingers worked her clit.

Just as she started to rock into his hand, he removed it and said, “Make the call.”

“Fine,” she said with an attitude.

“Don’t let on I’m here or asking.”

”But-”

“DON’T
!” he screamed which scared her and she backed up a step.

She nodded her head. “Ok
ay.”

****

Melanie had been
lounging in the yard by the pool with a cup of coffee when her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was her friend Robyn. She hadn’t spoken with her since leaving abruptly.

“Hi
, Robyn!” she said, happy to hear from her.

Michael, who had just stuffed his cock back in his pants, pulled out a small vial of white powder and a tiny spoon.

He was bringing the spoon full of cocaine up to his nose when he heard Melanie’s voice. He got so excited just hearing her voice he wanted to rip the phone out of Robyn’s hand. He willed himself to calm down. He was so close to finding her. He sniffed the contents of the spoon instead as he listened to the girls talk.

“Hi
, Mel. How are you? I miss you and was thinking about you,” Robyn said, sounding excited yet looked anything but.

“I’m good. I’ve been thinking about you
, too.”

“Your sister said you left town. My God
, is everything all right?”

Melanie hesitated. “Yes……no, it’s not,” she said. She couldn’t find it in her heart to lie to her friend. “I caught Michael cheating on me again and I just needed to get away.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear.” She was smiling while sounding sympathetic.
I should get an award for my acting,
she thought as she picked up her hand and studied her neat manicure.

“Where are you? Are you
okay?”

“I’m fine
. Yeah. I’m good,” Melanie said as she conjured up an image of Logan in her mind.

“Where are you,” Robyn repeated.

Melanie blew out a breath. She didn’t want to tell her none of your business because, well, this was her friend. She missed having a girlfriend to talk to and laugh with. What harm could it do?

“Robyn, please don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s me, Mel. Who am I gonna tell?”

“I’m in Texas.”

“Texas?” she said loud enough so Michael would know that she succeeded with getting the information. She was pretty proud of herself.

As he finished snorting in the other nostril, Michael looked up in surprise and mouthed the wo
rd ‘Texas’. “Where?” he whispered. “Find out where in Texas.”

Robyn
motioned for him to give her a spoon full of the blow but he ignored her. She got annoyed. She got the information. Why did he want to know where in Texas?

Michael gave her a threatening look.

“Yeah, Texas. You know, I always wanted to visit here-”

Robyn cut her off. “Where in Texas?”

“Um,” Melanie hesitated. She didn’t want to give the exact location. “San Marcos,” she said instead of Wimberley.

“Oh, San Marcos. Well how nice,” she said
, talking into the phone, but looking at Michael.

He was smiling from ear to ear. He turned
around and headed for the door.

Robyn panicked.
“I gotta go Mel. Talk to you later,” and with that, she hung up on Melanie.

Melanie stared into the phone at the sound of the click and then hung up thinking how odd that was.

“Michael, where are you going?”

“I got work to do.”

“What about the party?”

“Oh, yeah. Wear a bathing suit if you want, it’s at poolside. I’ll have
Vinnie pick you up and bring you there.”

“I thought I was going with you?”

“No. I’ll meet you there.” And with that he walked out.

Michael whipped out his cell phone, “I found Melanie,” he said to Frankie Fose as he waited by the elevator in the hallway of Robyn’s building. “She’s in Texas.”

“Texas? What the fuck’s
she doing in Texas?”

“
I don’t know. I want you and Ralphie down there to keep an eye on her. I can’t get away for a while. I got shit brewing up here. Check in with me in a few days.”

“Yes, boss.”

“And if anybody touches her. Keep note. I’ll want em dead. Blow a fucking hole in em.”

“Yes
, boss.”

Melanie
spent the next few days hunkered down to catch up on work.

Logan tried to persuade her to go out but she was adamant.
He even popped over her house and she dragged him in for a quickie then threw him out so she could concentrate. He understood. He went home a happy man, but while he was home he found he was missing her.

Melanie went to Heath’s last game of the season. They lost, but not by much. Then she went with him and Logan to dinner.

After, Logan dropped her off at her house and she said her goodby
es and told Heath to enjoy camp. Logan was taking him home to his house then driving him to camp early the next morning.

Heat
h gave her a hug and a kiss and she just melted.

Logan
had been bronc riding, bareback, in the small corral. Cody and Trevor were there in case he needed help.

Melanie
and Gabe walked up to the fence, climbed it and sat on top. They watched Logan take command of the horse. And yep, he was wearing his chaps, black with black fringes, Melanie noticed, first thing.

Cody called time and Logan quickly removed his hand from the cinch on the horse and jumped down with a graceful land
ing.

Melanie had a silly grin on her
face when he caught sight of them.

He jog
ged over and put his hands up on Melanie’s bare thighs and lifted his head as she brought hers down for a kiss.

“That was amazing
, Logan.” She knew he was practicing for the fundraiser coming up in a few days. He had told her about it the week before and she was excited about going, especially to see him compete in a rodeo.

“Yeah?
I don’t always dismount that well. I’m glad you didn’t see how I hit the dirt sometimes. Not pretty,” he said, smiling.

“I can’t imagine.”

“Oh, I’ve nursed many a bruises for this guy,” Gabe said.

“Hi
, Grandpa,” Logan said and he gave him a handshake and a quick hug. He turned back to Melanie.

“What are you doing here?
I thought you had a lot of work.”

“I caught up some and I needed a break.
I talked Gabe into going riding with me. Is that okay?”

“Absolutely.
Trevor, go get Zeus and Comanche saddled up,” he said and Trevor walked over to the barn.

He
brought out the two horses. Comanche was an American Cream Draft, gelding. Melanie jumped down from the fence.

“Can
you ride with us?” she asked Logan as she pet Comanche. She noticed Zeus trying to nuzzle her. She quickly began petting him and laughed at his jealousy.

“No
, darlin’, I wish I could, but I have a lot of work left.”

“Ok
ay.”

“Geli called me before, she
’s going to the Salty Dog tonight. You want to get some dinner then go there?” he asked her.

“Sure, that sounds good.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up around 6:30.

“Ok
ay.”

Logan pulled her to him and she leaned up against his hard body.

“You ever think about wearing nothing else but those chaps?” Melanie whispered, close to his mouth.

Logan raised the corners of his lips up and grinned before claiming her lips for a deep kiss.
When he released her lips, he said, “Tonight.”

She smiled devilishly as she licked her lips.

“Oh, yeah. You can put that tongue to work later, baby,” he whispered, smiling as he placed her hand in his and helped her up on Zeus. He said bye to his grandfather and walked away singing, “when I first saw that bikini top…..”

“He likes you, you know,” Gabe said to Melanie, in his raspy voice, after they slowed from a run. They trotted along the river.

“
I like him too,” she said, her gaze on the clear blue horizon that she’d come to love since being here. No buildings to get in the way, just big beautiful sky.

“Charlie will be home in another month.
Do you know what you’ll be doing at that point?”

“No.”

“Ever think about staying and settling here?”

“Yes.
I’ve been thinking about it.”

“My grandson can be stubborn, pigheaded and arrogant, but he’d make a great provider.”

“Why, Gabe, are you proposing marriage to your grandson?” she asked teasingly.

“Yes, because
he may be too stupid to let you go.”

“You are so sweet
, Gabe.”

They traveled a little more, and then
Gabe slowed to a stop.

Melanie turned around to see him looking around.
She tilted her head to the side and he brought a finger up to his mouth and quietly shushed her.

She looked around, not sure of what she should be seeing.

Gabe slowly guided Comanche to her. “I think we’re being followed,” he whispered.

“I don’t hear any-” she began in
a normal speaking voice.

“Shhh
,” he said.

Melanie saw him reach behind his back
and under his plaid shirt. She gasped, wide eyed when he pulled out a handgun, cocked it and motioned for her to get off the horse. They both dismounted and she followed his lead of putting the horse in front of him for cover.

They stayed that way for what Melanie thought was an eternity
, even though it was about ten minutes, whereupon, she re-thought her desire to live in the wild wild west.

He uncocked the gun and slid it back in its place at his back.
In a gruff voice he said, “They’re gone.”

“Who?”
she croaked. Her voice just wouldn’t work.

“I don’t know.
But someone was out there, following us for the last few miles. Come on, let’s head back.”

Melanie was beginning to believe that Gabe wasn’t as sane as she thought he was.
After all, he was in his early 70’s. She had made a mental note to bring it up to Logan later.