Once a Cowboy Read online

  She looked at him over her cup. “I bet you get a lot of action with that response.”

  He placed a hand on either side of her. “Are you a taker?”

  She twisted slightly to set her cup on the counter, then trailed a finger down his nose. “You have enough on your plate without adding another complication.”

  “Sex is never a complication.”

  “Oh, yeah.” A bubbly laugh left her throat. “That’s a man’s point of view.”

  “Mmm.” He caught her lips in a slow kiss. When she opened her mouth, he kissed her until he couldn’t think. Only feel. And he was feeling her in ways…

  “Whoa, cowboy.” She rested her face in his neck. “We’re getting sidetracked and you have a lot to do this morning.”

  “Yeah.” He kissed her forehead. “Maybe later.”

  She drew back. “Maybe.” She walked into the den and found her purse. “I’ll see you at the service.”

  In a flash she was gone. Suddenly the gloom and doom of this day returned in full force. He took a moment and hurried to his bedroom.

  A LEX WAS RUNNING LATE . Naddy and Buck had questions about where she was all night. Buck knew she wasn’t working. For years she’d come and gone as she pleased, now all of a sudden she had two watchdogs on her case. She had to start looking for that apartment and soon.

  She wanted to look nice so it took time choosing an outfit. She only had one black dress and debated whether to wear something else. In the end she wore the basic sleeveless, V-neck black dress with sandaled heels.

  When she arrived, the small chapel was filling up with friends of the Hayes family. She saw Brodie in the front row with Tripp and a woman, whom she knew was his wife. Another couple sat beside them, which had to be Colter and his wife. Brodie’s aunt was on his right.

  While signing the guest book, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. She whirled around to face the Braxton family.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m sorry, Alex,” Helen said. “But we want to see him.”

  “I want to see my son,” George added in a stubborn voice.

  “This is not the time.”

  “I tried to tell them that, but they won’t listen.” Alex could see that Maggie had reached the end of her patience.

  “Let him grieve for the woman who raised him,” Alex said.

  “You can’t tell me what to do,” George replied.

  “Oh, yes, I can.” Alex stood her ground. “If you confront him today, you will lose him for the rest of your life. Are you willing to chance that?”

  “He’s my son.” George wiped away a tear and Alex felt a tug on her heart again at what these people had been through.

  “I know, Mr. Braxton, but today is not the day to meet him.”

  “That’s him, isn’t it?” Helen was looking through the open doorway to the front row.

  “Yes. That’s Brodie Hayes.”

  Brodie stood to shake someone’s hand. “He’s so handsome.”

  “Go home, please. I’ll be in touch.”

  Maggie took her father’s arm. “Let’s go, Dad.”

  He took one last look at Brodie and turned to leave.

  “Mom,” Maggie called.

  Helen tore her eyes away and followed.

  Alex let out a long breath and quickly took a seat in the back. The service had already started. The minister depicted a life of a general’s wife who was devoted to her husband, her son and her numerous charities. The eulogy was nice and correct, no reference to the secret that the man in the front row would now have to face.

  The service over, people stood to offer their condolences to Brodie and his aunt. She hesitated at the back, unsure whether to intrude on this private moment.

  As the last person walked away, Brodie noticed her and motioned for her to come forward. She made her way to the front thinking how great he looked in the dark navy suit.

  Brodie quickly made the introductions of his friends and aunt. “Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking hands.

  They smiled and responded in kind, putting her at ease. Marisa was as fair as Camila was dark and both were very friendly. Since she’d heard their stories, she felt as if she knew them.

  A man from the funeral home came up to Brodie and whispered something to him.

  “They’ll be ready to leave for the airport in ten minutes.”

  “I’ll bring the car around,” Colter said, grabbing his hat from the pew.

  “We’ll all go, so we’ll be in the vehicle ready to follow the hearse.” Tripp reached for his hat.

  Marisa and Camila said goodbye and Brodie and Alex stood alone.

  “How are you?” she asked. The blue eyes were sad and her heart contracted.

  He touched her cheek and it felt as warm as the August heat. “You ask me that all the time.”

  “I’m worried about you.”

  “Mmm.” He nodded. “I don’t believe anyone has worried about me so much before.”

  They stared at each other, lost in the new feelings developing between them.

  The funeral director spoke to Brodie and he had to speak twice before Brodie heard him.

  “I’ve got to go,” Brodie said, bending down for his hat. “After the burial at Arlington, we’re flying back tonight. It’ll be late, but…”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  He settled his hat on his head. “Later.”

  As he walked away, she watched him for a moment then made her way to the back of the funeral home. She crawled into her Jeep and waited as the hearse pulled away with a Suburban behind it. She was glad his friends were going with him.

  S HE WENT HOME , changed and headed for the police station. Mike had the bracelet waiting for her. She made a quick stop by her office to get the directions to the Braxton ranch.

  As she was going through the Braxton file, Buck walked in. “You finally showed up for work.”

  “Not really. I’m only here for a minute.”

  “Now listen, girl. We have a lot of work to do. And I took on a new case. Danny Davis is serving time for a crime his mother says he didn’t commit. I’ll need your help digging though all the court transcripts and documents.”

  “Sure.” She pulled out the directions Helen had given her. “But not for a couple of days.”

  “What! Why not?”

  “I’m busy on something else.”

  He shook his head. “You just never learn.”

  She got to her feet. “Buck…”

  “Let the cowboy handle his own affairs. You’re getting too involved.”

  “I tore his world apart and now I have to be there for him…and the Braxtons.”

  “Are you even aware of a P.I.’s job description?” His voice rose and she refrained from gritting her teeth. “Collect the facts, deliver them, get paid and get the hell out.”

  She reached for her purse. “That’s the difference between you and me. I can’t turn my back when someone is hurting.”

  “Holy Moses. Joan branded you for life.”

  “And you’re never going to change that in me. I’m more like my mother than you, so deal with it.” She slung her purse over her shoulder, finally realizing and accepting that that trait in her personality was never going to change. That’s who she was. “Catch you later.”

  T HE DRIVE TO Weatherford was long and tedious on the freeway. The town of about twenty thousand people was located sixty miles west of Dallas and was mostly a farming and ranching community. Weatherford was known as the cutting horse capital of the world. Horse ranches dot
ted the landscape. Since it was summer, the pastures had a parched looked. Those that had irrigation were greener.

  She turned off I-30 and followed the directions. Soon she saw the county road listed and made another turn. The Braxton ranch came into sight—Lazy B Horse Farm.

  Beneath an oak tree a couple of horses munched on grass. The white limestone ranch house had a long front porch and a chain-link fence enclosed the yard. Barns and pens were in the distance. There was a feeling of neglect about the place. The fences had barbed wire broken or missing and weeds grew wild around the barn and in the pastures.

  As she got out she noticed everything was quiet and she wondered if anyone was home. Or maybe that’s just the way it was in the country. She’d called Helen to let her know she was coming so they should be here.

  A reddish-brown cocker spaniel jumped from the porch and crawled beneath the fence to greet her. After a couple of barks, the front door opened and Helen came out.

  “Come in, Alex,” Helen called.

  She opened the gate and walked up the paved walk, the dog following her.

  “Don’t mind Daisy. She’s not much of a guard dog.”

  On the porch, they stood face-to-face and Alex could see the pain in Helen’s eyes. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

  “No, dear. What’s this about?”

  “I’d like to speak with you about Brodie.”

  Helen sighed. “Alex, we can’t take much more. I’m sorry about this morning, but we had to see him.”

  “I know. But my visit is about something else.”

  Maggie came to the door. “Come in, Alex. It’s too hot to be standing out there.”

  Alex walked into a country-style home with overstuffed tweed furniture, two recliners, oak paneling and a braided rug covering hardwood floors. George sat in one of the recliners.

  “What do you want?” he asked, his voice unfriendly.

  “I know this is hard…”

  “Please have a seat,” Maggie said.

  She sat on the sofa, hoping to explain, or at least take away some of their pain. “I’d like to tell you what’s happened in the last few days.”

  “Would you like a glass of tea?” Maggie asked.

  “No. Thank you.”

  Helen took a seat beside her. “What’s happened?”

  She told them the story of digging up the Hayes baby.

  “So she buried her dead baby?” Helen asked.

  “Yes.”

  “And stole mine?”

  “Yes.”

  “The police already called us, but it doesn’t concern us. That’s not our baby. He’s still alive.”

  “Yes, he is, but you don’t know the effect this is having on Brodie. It’s almost too much for him to take, and he’s a strong man. He wanted the baby to be with his mother so the baby is also being buried at Arlington National Cemetery.”

  “Why are you telling us this?” George wanted to know.

  “So you’ll understand his reticence and not be hurt by it. And I thought you might want this.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the bracelet. “It was found wrapped with the remains.” She handed the plastic bag to Helen.

  She stared down at it and tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Oh, my. Oh, my.”

  “What is it?” George asked.

  Helen got up and showed the decaying bracelet to him. His hand shook as he touched it.

  “Mrs. Hayes switched the ID bracelets. Travis Braxton became Brodie Hayes that night.” Alex paused. “He still is Brodie Hayes and probably always will be.”

  “No, he isn’t,” George shouted.

  Alex exhaled a deep breath. “Mr. Braxton, you can’t turn back the clock. I wish I could. There has to be some give-and-take for this to work out. You can’t expect Brodie to be Travis Braxton just like that.” She snapped her fingers. “And Brodie can’t expect you to forget about him. Somewhere there has to be a compromise.”

  There was complete silence.

  “What do you want us to do?” Helen finally asked.

  “Let me continue to talk to him. Once he puts Mrs. Hayes’s death behind him, I think he’ll be more open to discuss the future.”

  “Okay. That’s what we’ll do,” Helen said. “I’ve already seen him so I can wait a little longer.”

  Maggie walked Alex to the door. “Thank you for being so patient with them.”

  “I know they’re hurting and I’m so hoping that this has a happy ending.”

  “Me, too.” Maggie gave a slight smile. “My twelve-year-old son, Cody, can’t believe Brodie Hayes is his uncle. He wants to tell everyone in school, but I told him we had to wait.”

  “That’s probably wise.”

  Alex drove away feeling good about the visit. Brodie would have some time to think and get his life into perspective before the Braxtons confronted him. She was hoping he’d make the right decision.

  T HE TRIP WAS about an hour, but the traffic was heavy so it took longer. She finally pulled into her driveway, turned on the sprinklers and ran inside.

  Naddy grabbed her as soon as she came through the back door, and swung her around. “Hallelujah. I just hit the jackpot.”

  Alex caught her forearms. “Calm down. What are you talking about?”

  Naddy held a hand to her chest and collapsed into a chair. “Heavens. I’m too old to be going in circles. My head’s spinning.”

  “What’s all the excitement about?”

  Naddy’s gray eyes grew big. “You’re not going to believe this. The dead girl in Vegas is the girl that went missing fourteen years ago.”

  “Wow. That’s great work.”

  “You bet it is, honeychild. There was a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward for any information that might lead to finding her. Didn’t even know that, but I got a call a little while ago from a detective and he said the family’s attorney would be in touch. Man, I’ve hit the jackpot. Ethel and me are going to Atlantic City.” Naddy charged toward her bedroom.

  “Wait a minute.” Alex caught up with her. “You’re not going to Atlantic City and you’re not blowing twenty-five grand.”

  “Says who?”

  “Me. You owe me a chunk of it and we’ll budget the rest, so much a month.”

  Naddy shook her head. “You’re such a spoilsport but I know you can’t help it. You’re Buck’s daughter.”

  They heard the back door open and knew it was Buck. Naddy quickly regaled her son with her story. Buck responded the same way that Alex had.

  He pointed a finger at Naddy. “You’re not spending every dime of that.”

  “Bucky boy, I could be dead tomorrow so I’m living while I can.”

  Alex headed for the stairs, letting them fight it out. But she was beginning to think that Naddy might have the right idea—live life to the fullest because tomorrow was always a gamble.

  W HEN SHE CAME DOWNSTAIRS , Buck was alone in the kitchen. Naddy’s door was closed.

  “Crazy old woman,” Buck muttered.

  Alex got a Popsicle out of the freezer. “Yeah. But it’s her money. I’m sure the family is relieved knowing what happened to their daughter. Maybe now they can put her to rest.” Alex picked up her purse, thinking about the case that had caused her to leave the police force. Those parents had put their daughter to rest. Alex wouldn’t change anything she’d done on that case. She’d put her heart into it and she would again. That was just her.

  “Where’re you going?” Buck asked.

  “Out.”

  “To see the cowboy?”

  “Maybe.”
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br />   “Girl, why can’t you let this go?”

  She peeled the paper off the Popsicle and thought she’d be honest with Buck…and herself.

  “I think I’m in love with him.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Alex left Buck with his mouth open—for once he had nothing to say. Just as well. She wasn’t sure she would have wanted to hear his reaction. Nevertheless, she’d wanted to share her feelings with her father. Maybe she needed to hear the words out loud. This was a wonderful feeling she’d discovered, and Alex felt like shouting it from the rooftops.

  She drove through the hot night, headed for Brodie’s ranch. He wouldn’t be home yet, but she wanted to be there when he returned. The drive gave her time to think about love and how, when it was right, a woman knew. From the first moment Brodie stepped out of his truck something happened inside her. Her pulse leaped, her palms were sweaty, and her heart knew that Brodie Hayes was special.

  Through the weeks that followed the way she felt hadn’t changed, except now she recognized her emotions for what they were. Brodie was the part of her she’d been searching for—the missing part that made her complete.

  Buck might laugh at that, but Alex believed in love, and she believed in happily ever after. It didn’t matter what Buck thought. Only Brodie mattered. She wasn’t sure he felt the same about her, but she would be there for him, though—no matter what.

  She parked and got out. Away from Dallas the night air wasn’t so stifling. The dogs appeared out of nowhere and she sat on the step, petting them. Leaning back against the door, Alex waited.

  B RODIE COULDN’T WAIT for the plane to touch down. This day would always be etched in his memory—the day he said goodbye to the woman who’d raised him. The woman who wasn’t his mother. So why did it still feel as if she had been?

  With no luggage to wait for it didn’t take them long to get through the airport. Colter drove them to the funeral home to pick up Brodie’s truck. They said goodbye and he knew Colter and Tripp were worried about him. Hell, he was worried about himself. Right now it didn’t feel as if he’d ever recover from this ordeal.

  He took Cleo to his mother’s house. Flipping on a light, he asked, “Are you going to be okay?”