Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Do you think Rod wanted rid of his gun because he killed my mom with it?” Charley asked.
“He’d be an idiot to try to unload it at my shop,” Sully replied.
“But he might be that stupid. Or maybe he was there hoping to confront me and find out if what I told him about the malfunctioning was accurate.” Sitting on the sofa beside him, Charley hugged herself as he said, “Or maybe he wanted to gauge if I suspected something about him.”
“I don’t know what to think,” Charley said. “But I do know one thing, Rod was really angry when I refused to—to—”
“To what?” Sully asked when she looked away from him.
“Flirt with him.” With a sigh, she asked, “When will I ever be able to go home?”
“I don’t know.” Sully pulled the beautiful, vulnerable woman into his arms. “But you have options. You have this cabin, and you can stay with me at my house.”
“But my flower shop is in Old Colorado City,” she said, her pretty brow furrowing. “My duplex is there. My livelihood is on Colorado Avenue.”
“Livelihood in the midst of death.”
“In the midst of death,” she echoed softly. “How sad.”
“Business has dropped off there anyway. Let’s take things one day at a time.”
“You’re right.” Charley eased her way out of his embrace and sat up straighter on the sofa. “I don’t mean to sound sorry for myself.”
“You don’t, and I understand.” He swept a long lock of hair away from her face to her back. “If I thought I was unsafe in my own home and business, I’d feel as discouraged and unsure of what to do next as you do.”
Charley nodded. “I have you and the Coopers. Barely more than a month ago I was all alone.”
“Come with me to work tomorrow,” Sully suggested. “Randy and I have a group of three coming in who want to ride and do some skeet shooting. I checked on Rain, and you can ride her tomorrow. It will be a gentle exercise for her. You’ll be doing us a favor.”
Charley stared at him. The fire in the hearth crackled and glistened in her royal-blue eyes.
The softest of smiles touched her full lips, and her head tilted.
She was so beautiful, and she had such a spectacular body.
He was honored to have been her first. He smiled and then inwardly balked at the probability of not being her only or her last. Hell.
As gracious as she was funny and as compassionate as she was brave, a realization crossed Sully’s mind.
He was falling in love with Charley Cooper.
Sully reared back a little at that jarring thought. Where did the idea of love come from? He’d never been in love. Never thought he would be. Never thought he needed to be. He watched a single tear roll down her soft, ivory cheek and gently thumbed it away.
“I’ll be forever grateful to you for how you stepped in from the day I met you and took charge.
You’re handsome, smart, and generous. You could be anywhere with anyone you chose,” Charley whispered.
“But you’re here with me tonight.” She twined her arms around his neck and holding him to her heart, she said with conviction, “You’re my hero, Sullivan Custis. ”
Yeah, he loved her. Not just tonight. Forever.
“All right, city slicker,” Sully began outside the stables the next day after handing the reins to the mare to her and placing her hand on the pommel of the saddle.
“Slide your left foot into the stirrup like you did when you rode behind me on Storm. Give a little hop on your right foot and swing yourself onto Rain.”
“I will.” Charley didn’t miss the stirrup on her first try this time, but her tennis shoe slid all the way through the stirrup. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks turned red. “Or not.”
“Randy, take our customers and head out to the skeet range,” Sully said. “We’re going to ride to Triple C-East and get Charley a pair of boots.”
“Okay, boss,” Randy called, and with a nudge to his horse, led three well-paying gentlemen away from the stables.
Charley said, “I’ve never seen Cash’s store or stables.”
“He’s got everything a city slicker needs to turn her into a country girl.”
“Well, hang on,” Charley said, and with a pat to Rain’s neck, she started toward his truck. “Can you open your truck for me?”
“Sure. Why?” he said and unlocked the truck with his key fob.
“My purse is under the seat of your truck. I need my credit card.”
Sully clicked the remote a second time, locking the truck just before Charley yanked on the door handle.
Her head snapped backward, her braid danced, and she turned to him with her hands on her hips.
She was so cute and sexy. He’d held those saucy hips this morning when she’d straddled him in bed, and, totally naked, she’d fed him strawberries before they’d flirted.
He hadn’t taught her how to make love cowgirl style yet. But he intended to.
“Let’s saddle up,” he said. “You can pay me back later.”
“Okay,” she said agreeably. “I will saddle up this time.”
Sully stood by to make sure she was safe, and this time, her foot didn’t slip through the stirrup.
When she was settled on Rain, Sully gave her knee a pat and saddled up on Storm.
They took the shortcut between his ranch and Triple C Ranch-South.
Ten minutes later, they passed in front of her cabin.
Everything was calm and quiet, so they ventured along the main highway.
Crossing it took them to Triple C Ranch-East. Riding down the main drive of the ranch would take them to the house.
Heading along the right side of the drive wrapped around to the dude ranch.
Sully veered to the left, which took them to Cash’s store.
Sully dismounted, and Charley did so all on her own.
After tethering the horses so they could drink from the water trough, Sully grabbed her hand.
Opening the door and letting two customers, carrying bags, leave first he and Charley then entered her cousin’s shop.
“Howdy folks,” Cash called from behind the counter. “Come on in. What’s up?”
“Hi, Cash,” Sully said, lifting his hand in a wave.
“Hi, Cash,” Charley echoed. “Apparently, I need some cowboy boots.”
“Sully brought you to the right place,” Cash said. Coming around the counter, he gave Charley a hug and then shook hands with Sully. “What size do you wear, Charley?”
“Seven.”
“Over here,” Cash said, and with a wave over his shoulder led them through the roomy shop full of saddles and every kind of riding accessory, past the Western wear for men and women, to the displays of men’s, women’s, and children’s boots. “Let me know what strikes your fancy, Charley.”
“My gosh,” Charley said, taking in the wide variety of styles and colors as she began to look. “I love all the choices.”
“I didn’t know if this would be your day in the store or out on the trails,” Sully said, knowing Cash and his employees took turns running the store.
“I’m sticking close to home these last few weeks of Tracy’s pregnancy to be on the safe side,” Cash said. “Speaking of being safe, what’s the latest on the Old Colorado City murders?”
“In addition to Charley’s mother being shot, there have been five women in Charley’s age range strangled to death,” Sully said.
“What’s your dad have to say about the killings?” Cash asked.
“We’ve considered that guy, named Vaughn, who you met the other day as the killer.”
“I can see that,” Cash replied with a frown. “I didn’t like him.”
“Me, neither. Turns out Vaughn has a gun that takes the same caliber bullet as the one that killed Charlotte Fleming.” Sully paused and said, “That’s off the record.”
“Got it,” Cash said with a nod. “Absolutely.”
“But Vaughn’s killing doesn’t fit the other murders,” Sully added.
“Right,” Cash agreed. “That’s what I was thinking.”
“What about these boots, Cash?” Charley asked, holding up a red leather boot.
“Excellent choice,” Cash said and walked toward her. “A very well-made boot with the perfect heel to keep your foot from sliding through the stirrup.”
“Yup, she needs that,” Sully said with a chuckle.
“True,” Charley said and laughed. Cash had her size in stock, and Charley, smiling happily, said they fit perfectly. “What do you think, Sully?”
Bringing his eyes from her feet up her legs, to her flat stomach, and over her full breasts to her feminine shoulders, and stopping when her blue eyes captured his, Sully said, “Beautiful.”
“Perfect,” Cash said. “Wrap ’em up or are you gonna wear ’em?”
“I’ll wear them. We’re going skeet shooting,” Charley said. As Sully pulled a money clip out of his pocket, she quickly asked, “How much are they, Cash?”
Cash didn’t answer but had noticed Sully take out his money. He nodded for Sully to follow him to the back counter to the cash register. Sully knew when Cash told him the price, it was one hell of a deal and was about to argue.
Cash held up a hand and said, “First-time family purchase sells for cost.”
“Cash, no, you don’t have to do that,” Charley protested, walking toward them.
“Already done,” Cash said as he gave Sully back the change due to him. “We can’t have you falling off—” He looked at Sully and asked, “Who’s she riding? Rain?”
“Yup, Rain,” Sully said as Cash placed Charley’s tennis shoes into the boot box and then into a bag. “Rain was bitten by a small prairie rattler the other day, but she didn’t have much reaction and is doing well.”
“Time of the year when snakes are looking for one last meal before they hibernate,” Cash commented, rounding the counter. Handing the bag to Sully, Cash looked at Charley’s boots and said, “You’re gonna be a cowgirl before you know it.”
“I hope so,” Charley said and hugged Cash. “Thank you, cousin.” Turning to Sully, she slipped her dainty hand into his and said, “Thank you, Sully.”
They spoke for a few minutes and then more customers bustled through the door. Sully also thanked Cash and they shook hands before he and Charley walked across the store to leave.
“See you at Chloe and Derek’s on Halloween,” Cash called as they reached the door.
“We’ll be there,” Sully replied. “Got my costume.”
“What are you going to be?” Charley asked him again outside the store.
“Your date.”
“So you’ve said.” She laughed as they walked to the horses. “How can that be your costume?”
“Because,” he said with a laugh, and using the handle of her bag, draped it over the pommel of Storm’s saddle. “You’re a full-time job.”
“You take that back!” she snapped with a grin as she untethered Rain.
Leading Storm and walking toward her, Sully said, “You’re a handful.”
“So are you,” Charley said. Sully stopped in front of her, and when he bent his head to kiss her, with a quick glance left and right, Charley covertly cupped her hands to the soft bulge in the crotch of his jeans. “Mmm.”
Teasing her, he said, “Charley!” And then, with a groan, he pushed against her hands.
“Wanna flirt at my house before we catch up with the skeet shooters?”
“Hell, yes. Forget the skeet shooters. Randy has them under control.” With a grin, he took hold of her and turned her toward Rain. “Saddle up, cowgirl.” He gave her a boost, and she was up on Rain. He mounted Storm, and with a wink at Charley, he said, “Let’s go flirt.”