Chapter 2 #2
A dark haired man leaned against the bar for a long moment, calling out his order to the bar staff who waved at him. A well cut leather jacket sat across his shoulders. “Joe Brunel.” He settled on his stool, reaching across to shake my hand with one hand and held his whiskey in the other.
I waited for him to say more, but apparently that was all he was going to say.
“Rhys Archer.” I gripped his hand firmly, and received the same back.
Dark eyes surveyed me with a hint of humor as he released my hand. “I know.”
“I don’t recall the name.” A Ranger doesn’t forget, especially not this one.
Brunel nodded, taking a sip of his whiskey and winced. “That’s enough.” He placed the glass back on the bar. “Yes, and no. I heard you were coming back. I’m doing some work on the land your lady owns. I’m sure I’ll see more of you.”
“I hope she tells good stories.” I sipped my beer, though all I wanted was to get back in my truck.
“I’d say only the best, but we don’t really talk much.” Joe grinned, holding my gaze.
What the hell has happened to this place that all the assholes have rolled into town with Christmas cheer?
It was the inciting question I knew he wanted me to ask, but I wasn’t ready to bite.
Food slid across the counter to me, Suzy beaming on the other side.
I stared down at the plate cluttered with food.
A steak sat between a pile of onion rings and two small rolls stuffed with coleslaw.
Despite my need to get up to Red Hart, the sight of the food alone reminded me yet again that I needed to eat.
“This looks amazing, Suzy,” I said as she came around to my side of the bar. I surprised her with a kiss on the cheek and ignored Joe completely. “Thank you. Now I’ve got questions of my own for you.”
“Oh, you do, do you?” she asked, a flush rising in her cheeks. “Well, you be all Mister Texas Ranger on me and do your interrogation thing.”
I held back a wince with a carefully blank face at the mention of my job, checking over my shoulder, but Joe’s bar stool stood empty.
Maybe it had been a mistake to ignore the man after all.
Inhaling a sharp breath through my nose, I turned back to Suzy.
“I remember the story Eve told me about how this place got named wrong. Beanies instead of Bernie’s.
I used to work with a Bernie. Sam. He wouldn’t happen to be a relation now, would he? ”
Suzy mulled it over, tapping her fingers on the bar. “Not that I can think of. Have you got a photo? There’s a hell of a lot of Bernies about. Can’t think of any I know down your way, though.”
I scrolled through my photos until I found a picture of Sam, the one I had chosen for his obituary. Maybe it was a wild hope that there was someone else who remembered him the way I did, but grief does odd things to people.
My phone creaked in my grip as I passed my phone across to her. I filled the gap by hoeing into my food.
Suzy fell silent for a moment. “No. Can’t say I knew him. Good looking, though. Must be family.” Suzy beamed at me as she passed my phone back.
I grinned, shaking my head. “You said Eve called for some supplies, mail? I’m happy to take them back.”
“She did.” Suzy’s smile dropped, and she closed her mouth.
I placed my cutlery on the bar. “What’s going on up there, Suzy? Is my– Is she in some kind of trouble?” I corrected myself too late, but of all people I knew Suzy wouldn't judge me for the slip.
Hell, don’t tell me Eve’s doing any of this alone. Please tell me she’s safe—
“She’s—” Suzy stared, closed her mouth and blew out a breath.
“It’s been hard on her, losing both parents.
And Travis isn’t the same, despite having found his own happiness.
He’s not around as much, now that he and Rachel are married.
They live at her place, most times I hear.
Not having her twin around is wreaking havoc on her.
She’ll be glad of your company, to fill that spot. ”
“Will she?” I filled my mouth before I said anything else stupid.
“Rhys Archer. Are you doubting that lady? Cause it sure sounds like you are.” Suzy’s hands went to her hips and she glared at me.
I hoped it was at least half in jest.
“Not at all.” I choked and took a too-big swallow of beer to wash the steak down, resembling a seagull with too much food in its beak. Suzy helpfully thumped my back. “It’s me I’m doubting. Not her. I wish I had been back a lot earlier.”
Suzy watched me finish my food for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. “She told you everything was fine, didn’t she.” Her flat tone made her words a statement, not a question. “Did that man leave his whiskey? That’s my finest Yellowstone.” She sniffed it experimentally.
“He didn’t seem to like it,” I said softly, watching her, though my mind went back to the man who had introduced himself and disappeared.
“Well, that’s just peachy.” Suzy huffed. “And sounds like Miss Eve needs a talking to.” The thought of Suzy, who must have been in her sixties, dressing down a woman less than half her age who was one hell of a firecracker lifted my mood. Suzy rolled her eyes.
“Until last night, I thought she was doing okay. As usual, she hides it all well.” I finished my steak and started on the onion rings.
“Always has done. I’ll get your packages and you can take them up to the ranch. And tell her to come down and see me once in a while.” Suzy dove into the throng that filled her coffee shop and disappeared before my thoughts straightened themselves out.
“How long has it been since she left Red Hart?” I called out to her back, but Suzy was long gone, disappearing between her rabid customers vying for her Christmas flavored lattes.
I ignored the feeling of being watched in the overcrowded space, and managed to finish my steak in peace.
Half an hour later, my truck was laden with boxes and food for the ranch. Eve’s mail sat on the passenger seat. Suzy had waved me away when I tried to thank her, and she was too busy to answer any more of my questions, though I was also reasonably certain she engineered it that way.
“Merry Christmas, Ranger,” the young man who had helped pack my truck nodded to me with a smile. He retreated back into Suzy’s shop while I stared after him.
Apparently my name was all over the place. Small town talk had never been something that interested me, but it followed me all the same.
My phone buzzed against my thigh. Fishing it out, I watched Ethan’s name flash up.
I wanted to ignore my deputy, but if he was calling already, then either the boys were out drunk already or they had a problem.
Either way, I couldn't not pick up. I connected the call in my truck, hoisting myself into the cab and pulled away from the curb, heading out of White Cap and up the range to Red Hart.
“Are you surviving up there? Lost any fingers or toes yet?” Ethan’s familiar voice filled my truck as I left the small town behind.
“Not yet. Mountains only just really started. The drive is taking longer than I expected.”
“Is that you telling me to leave you alone?” Ethan asked with a laugh.
There was still over two hours between Eve and I, and I hadn’t planned on entertaining my staff.
“Probably.” The single word broke off in my mouth, brittle and sharp. I sighed. “Sorry, man. It’s been a long few days,” I said carefully.
“Montana already getting to you? You can come back to Texas, you know. We’ll take you in.”
“You said something about leaving me alone.” I grinned despite myself. Ethan’s ability to keep a conversation light but get to the crux of a matter was one of the key reasons we worked so well together.
“We’re all good here. Andy’s tidying up Brodie’s last case nicely. There were a few loose ends, and he reorganized everything nice and easy.” Ethan repressed a snort on the other end of the line.
“It’s what I like to hear.” The thought of the office working smoothly in my absence gave me a pang.
Christmas was a busy time for any law enforcement agency.
Either there were too many small crimes and not enough staff, or a tragedy hit that wiped the hope out of everything.
Which meant it was the worst time for me to walk away, too.
“We’ll be fine. Nothing bad this year, boss.”
“I’m not—”
“Yeah, yeah. Get to your girl. Have a great Christmas.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I rolled my eyes.
“Go get yourself get laid, Archer. You’re a total ass when you don’t have a girl.”
“I’ve been bad for that long?” I asked, trying not to let Ethan’s comment rile me.
He snorted down the line. “Fuck, Archer. You were born that way. Tell your girl to have a merry Christmas.”
Ethan hung up before I could reply to his smartassery, but as my truck climbed into the mountains, I realized I was smiling.
Asshole.