Chapter 6
Colt leaned up against the wood counter in Hannigan’s Feed Store as he talked with Bill Hannigan.
“I saw you with Marlee Fox at Mickey’s,” Bill was saying. “Didn’t you two have a thing back in high school?”
Colt nodded as his thoughts turned toward those days. “My senior year.” His gaze drifted as he looked through the window at people walking along the sidewalk. He let out a slow breath. He sure wanted to see Marlee again in the worst way. “Hadn’t gone out with her since then, until this week.”
“Marlee’s a sweetheart.” Bill grinned, no doubt able to read Colt’s possessiveness. “Don’t worry. I don’t have a mind to find out just how sweet she is. At least not yet.”
Colt’s features morphed into a scowl. “Not ever.”
The doorbells jangled and Colt’s youngest brother came through. The heavy door fell shut behind Brady with a thump and more jingling. “How you doin’?” he asked Bill when he strode up beside Colt.
“Mighty fine.” Bill braced his forearms on the old counter, polished with age. “Sun’s a shining and I have a date with Vicki McGill tomorrow night.”
“I’ve always like Vicki. She’s sure cute.” Brady hooked his thumbs in his belt loops as he looked Colt up and down. “Where’d you get that shiner?”
Colt shrugged. “Ben Campbell sucker-punched me last night.”
Brady’s brow furrowed, and Bill looked surprised.
“Maybe you’d better explain,” Brady said.
“Campbell showed up at Marlee’s house last night,” Colt said.
Brady cocked his head to the side. “You were at Marlee’s all night?”
“I didn’t say all night.” Colt rocked back on his heels. “We handed out candy to the kids then she made an interesting dinner.” Colt thought about the crazy dishes as he pushed up the brim of his western hat with his forefinger. “Then that ass showed up, roaring drunk and upset at Marlee because she didn’t want to date him after they’d gone out a couple of times. I told him to go on home and he demanded to see Marlee. I didn’t want to let the man get near her.”
“So, he punched you,” Brady said.
Colt rubbed his jaw. “He refused to back down and went at me again. I put a stop to it, but not before he did his best to take me down. Marlee called the police, and after they showed up, they took Ben to let him dry out in the drunk tank.”
“Are you pressing charges?” Bill asked.
Colt shook his head. “I think he’ll behave after last night. As long as he stays away from Marlee, he’ll live.”
Brady chuckled. “I’d bet you put the fear of God in him.”
With a shrug, Colt leaned back against the counter again. “Didn’t do too much but keep him off his feet until Mike Bailey showed up.”
“Never would have thought a juvenile delinquent like Mike Bailey would end up in law enforcement.” Bill grinned. “Wasn’t he voted ‘Most Likely to End up in Jail’ by the senior class?”
Brady snickered, and Colt chuckled. “He’s always been a stand-up guy, even as he did his best to get into trouble.”
Bill’s grin widened. “Cherry bombs in the school faculty toilets was brilliant.”
Brady leaned in close. “What you didn’t know is that Colt was in on most of Mike’s mischief. He just managed to not get caught.”
“I ran faster than Mike.” Colt smiled at the memories. “Every time he’d take the fall. He wasn’t about to let me take any blame. He didn’t have such a great relationship with his dad, and he insisted on not upsetting our parents.” Colt shook his head. “I shouldn’t have listened to him and should have taken the blame instead.”
“Dad would have tanned your hide,” Brady said with a grin. “I think Mike saved your life.”
Colt’s thoughts turned back to those days. “If Dad was the type to take a willow switch to any of us, he probably would have.”
“You mentioned Marlee made an interesting dinner.” Brady cocked his head. “How interesting?”
“She dressed as a witch and played the part.” Colt couldn’t help a big grin. “Tarantula stew, chopped intestines, cracked bones and fingers. That kind of thing.”
Brady cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t say I’ve ever had the honor of dining with a witch.”
Colt smirked. “Not counting Sarah.”
Brady laughed. “No, indeed.”
“I’ll tell you the scariest thing Marlee served.” Colt winced at the thought. “Hairy skeleton balls.”
Bill and Brady winced, too. “You’re kidding,” Brady said.
“I wish I was.” Colt shifted his position against the counter. “Marlee said the hairy skeleton balls were actually Italian honey balls rolled in coconut.”
Brady shook his head. “Still, not cool.”
Bill nodded. “Agreed.”
“Speaking of the witch.” Brady looked at Colt. “And I don’t mean Sally.” He pointed to the street. “There’s Marlee.”
Colt looked out at the street, and his heart pounded a little faster at the sight of his beautiful woman.
He loved the sound of that. My woman.
Colt couldn’t take his gaze off her as she paused and looked in a storefront window. Rae was at her side, and it looked like they were window shopping. He wanted to go see Marlee right now, but at the same time he didn’t want to monopolize her. She was with her cousin and needed to be able to spend time with friends and family without him jumping in the middle of things.
Brady snapped his fingers, jerking Colt out of his trance. “Are you in there, bro?”
Colt gave a wry grin. “Any one up for a game of poker this evening? My place, seven.”
“I’ll be there with a twelve-pack of Coors.” Bill turned his attention to a couple who came through the front door, bells jangling.
“You can count on me,” Brady said. “I’ll bring Lay’s. Who else are you gonna call?”
“I was thinking Mike Bailey. Really haven’t had a chance to socialize with him for a good long while.” Cody thought about it. “Let’s keep to the single guys.”
“Men only.” Brady pushed his Stetson up and scratched his head. “I’m all for that. Who needs women anyway?”
Colt turned his gaze back to the street, only to see that Marlee and Rae were gone. I don’t know about that. Colt thought about the beautiful woman who had come back into his life in a big way. I think maybe I do.
Out of the corner of his eye, Colt thought he saw someone watching him from a few doors down, but when he looked in that direction, no one was there.
With Brady’s help, Colt loaded his truck with sacks of “wet” cob—corn, oats, and barley with molasses—and picked up his fifty-three-foot trailer of alfalfa hay that Hannigans Feed had loaded for him yesterday. When he was on the road back to his ranch, trailer in tow, he called Marlee over the truck’s Bluetooth speakers.
After a few rings, Marlee answered with a breathless, “Hi, Colt.”
“Hello, beautiful.” Colt smiled as he pictured Marlee with her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen from his kisses last night. “Got a moment?”
“I just walked in the door.” The door thumping behind her echoed over the line. “I can spare a moment.” A smile was in her voice.
“Earlier this morning I saw you and Rae walking down Main Street.” Colt guided the truck onto the highway. “I was at Hannigan’s talking with Brady and Bill.”
“We had breakfast and did a little window shopping,” Marlee said. “I’m doing my best to stay on a spending diet.”
Colt looked in his rearview mirror and then through the front windshield. The highway was clear coming and going. “What’s the fun in that?”
“None at all.” Marlee laughed. “But I just bought a new bedroom set for my guestroom, so that’s my big expense for the month. Later next month it’ll be another project. Haven’t decided which one yet.”
“I enjoyed last night, Marlee.” He wasn’t about to mention the party crasher, Ben Campbell. “Did you get your window fixed?”
“Someone’s coming later this afternoon,” she said. “So, it’ll be all taken care of.”
“That was one spooky dinner.” He couldn’t help a grin.
Marlee had a grin in her voice, too. “Rae helped me come up with the ideas. A mish-mash of recipes.”
“Got any plans for the weekend?” he asked.
A pause, like she was running through her mental schedule. “I can’t think of anything. I do believe I’m totally free.”
“Flagstaff got snow early this year.” Colt put on his truck’s blinker as he slowed to make the turn onto the dirt road leading to his ranch. “What do you think about heading up north to enjoy the white stuff?”
“I’d love to play in the snow.” Marlee’s voice held enthusiasm. “Saturday or Sunday? When do we leave?”
“Depends on if we’re going up for one day or making it a weekend trip.” He couldn’t help but hope she’d want to make it an overnighter.
This time her hesitation was longer. “I don’t think we should push things that fast.”
“I get it,” he said. “How about separate rooms?”
She laughed. “Do you really think it would end up that way?”
The steering wheel vibrated in his hands as he drove down the dirt road, but he kept his voice steady. “I won’t cross any lines, Marlee. I hope you can trust me.”
“I do trust you.” She paused. “Maybe it’s myself I can’t trust.”
“I’ll be strong for both of us.” He couldn’t help but want as much of her as he could have, but she was right not to push it. And he would never make her feel that way. “This weekend is just for fun up north and spending time with each other. Sound good to you?”
“Deal.” The smile was back in her voice. “Back to my original question. When do we leave?”
Colt pulled his truck up to the barn. “I’ll pick you up around eight Saturday morning.”
“I’ll pack snacks and a couple of picnic lunches,” Marlee said.
“I’ll take you to my favorite Flagstaff restaurant Saturday night and we’ll have Sunday breakfast in the hotel.”
They spent several minutes making plans. By the time they were finished, Colt felt like he was flying high.
“I’d better go,” Marlee said when they finished. “I’ve got a bear of a manuscript that I need to finish editing.”
Colt signed off and caught his foreman’s attention, who in turn ordered the men to unload the feed and hay.
Only in his dreams had he ended up with Marlee back in his arms. And here he was with her firmly in his life again.
He whistled as he unloaded the hay and feed with the men. He had the hardest time keeping his mind on the job and not on his woman.
Mike Bailey came through Colt’s front door, a six-pack of Coke in glass bottles in one hand, gripping a jar of salsa in his other, and a huge bag of corn chips in the crook of his arm. He wore jeans and a University of Arizona T-shirt, athletic shoes, and a felt western hat.
Ranger greeted him like he had the others, a big doggie smile and nudging the man’s hand with his nose.
“Hello there, Ranger.” Mike scratched Ranger behind the ears.
“Glad you could make it.” Colt took the chips and salsa and started for the kitchen, Mike joining him.
“Thanks for the invite.” Mike flashed a grin. “Not often I get to catch up with longtime friends.”
“Glad you didn’t say old friends. Not ready for that.” Colt gestured to the Cokes in Mike’s hand. “Are you on duty later tonight?”
“Yep.” Mike nodded. “My shift starts at eleven, which was about the time Marlee called in on Halloween. I’d just climbed into my patrol vehicle.” He gave Colt a pointed look. “You back with Marlee?”
They reached the kitchen and set the chips, salsa, and Cokes on the island.
Colt gave a firm nod. “I sure am.” He had no doubt in his mind that this time she was staying permanently in place in his life.
“She’s a good woman.”
Colt handed Mike a church key. “You’ve got that right.”
Mike popped the lid off a Coke bottle and flipped it into the garbage. He gave a nod to Brady as he walked into the kitchen. “Sour cream and onion.” Mike took a bag of Lay’s from Brady. “My favorite.”
“I’ve got ranch dip, too.” Brady pulled a container out of a grocery bag. He looked over his shoulder as Bill Hannigan made his way into the kitchen. “Glad to see you show up, Bill,” Brady said. “You’ve got the Coors.”
Bill thumped down on the counter the twelve-pack of beer in stubby bottles. He greeted Brady, Mike, and Colt. “Anyone else coming?”
“It’s the four of us tonight.” Colt set out a package of Oreos and a package of chocolate chip cookies. “I hope you ate dinner, ’cause this is it.”
Bill grinned. “Coors, Oreos, chips, and salsa. The perfect dinner.”
“As gourmet as it gets.” Colt inclined his head to a door leading from the kitchen. “We’re set up in the game room.”
Chips and a Coors in hand, Brady led the way to the room, which was just off the family room. He set the chips on a sideboard where Colt had put paper plates, napkins, and a church key. The men deposited their contributions there before filling their plates with the snacks. Ranger curled up on the floor under the table.
They pulled up chairs to the large, round, polished oak game table, which was a few feet from the billiards table. The room was one of Colt’s favorite places in the house.
Colt busted out cigars, and each man was puffing on one in minutes. Rings of smoke drifted throughout the room. Cigar smells reminded Colt of his grandpa and dad who smoked them only while playing card games or pool since Colt and his brothers were young. No one in their family had ever smoked cigarettes and Grandpa and Dad had rarely smoked cigars, but it was a memory from their childhood. Colt had one about once in a blue moon, and this seemed like a good night for it.
The men bought into the game and Brady handed out the red, white, and blue poker chips.
Mike shuffled the cards and announced the game, “Omaha.” He dealt the cards and game play started in earnest.
The night progressed and by nine Colt realized he’d had a beer too many, but he wasn’t letting that stop him. He didn’t have much left for winnings and needed to start bringing in the chips rather than losing every pot.
Colt frowned in concentration as he studied his cards. One more decent card and he’d have something good. He had a pretty good poker face and he needed that now—especially after the last card he brought into his hand.
Holy Moses. He had a straight flush. Only one hand could beat his, a royal flush. The odds against another player having that in his hand were pretty high so there was a good chance he could take this pot.
The stakes kept going up until they were too high for him with what he had left. He knew he could win this one.
“You’re out of chips.” Brady looked smug as he pushed all his own chips to the pot. “I’m all in.”
Colt scowled. Sibling rivalry never quite died. “What can you throw into the pot?” Brady asked.
Colt blew out his breath. The pot was the biggest of the night.
Bill shifted in his chair. “What about that horse you love so much. Rocky?”
“You’re kidding, right?” Colt shook his head. “No hand in the world would be worth putting up Rocky.”
“That rules out a royal flush,” Bill said, the lines around his eyes crinkling as he grinned.
Colt grunted. He knew he could win with this hand, but what could he put up? His gaze drifted around the room. He had valuable western sculptures and paintings. He landed his sights on a Remington-style sculpture by an artist in Prescott with the last name of McBride. It was a rodeo sculpture, a cowboy in an endless eight-second ride.
Colt pointed to the sculpture. “Eight Seconds.”
Mike folded. “Now you’ve done it. Too rich for me.”
Brady called and Colt spread his hand on the table. “Straight flush.”
“I had four eights.” Brady threw his cards down. “Not good enough.”
Bill looked at Colt. “That’s a good hand.” He spread his own hand out on the table. “But not good enough. Royal flush.”
Colt groaned. “Son of a bitch.” He looked at Eight Seconds. Damn. He loved that sculpture. “Sorry about that fella,” he said to the sculpture.
Bill was all grins. “I’ll pick that up tomorrow. I’ll give you a call.”
“No rush.” Colt got up to cash out everyone’s chips.
Bill gathered the pot and pulled it toward him. “Don’t think I’m gonna forget.”
Mike turned in his chips and pocketed his cash. “I’ve got to get to work.” He patted Bill on the shoulder. “Need a ride home?”
“Nah.” Bill shook his head. “I only had two drinks and the last one was over an hour ago. I’m good.”
Mike pulled on his Stetson. “I’ll see you boys soon.” He turned his gaze on Colt. “Count me in on the next game.”
“I’ll let you know.” Colt pushed back his chair. “I’ll need the opportunity to win back my sculpture.”
“It’s my sculpture now.” Bill grinned. “I’m gonna want to keep it.”
Colt held back a scowl. It was his own damned fault for putting up one of his favorite pieces.
Bill and Mike said their goodbyes and walked out together, closing the front door behind them.
“Bad luck, bro.” Brady patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll do better next time.”
“Just what I need,” Colt grumbled. “A pep talk.”
Brady laughed as he helped Colt gather up the empty chip bags, Oreo package, and beer bottles. “That’s what little brothers are for.”