Page 48 of Cowboy Stolen Kiss for Christmas

“It was, sir.” Her voice grew breathless. “Ames Carson and I have been close friends for about a year. Yesterday, we started dating.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir. Anyhow, his invitation to visit his ranch in Dallas was part of that, I think.”

“Part of what exactly, ma’am?”

“Getting to know him better. Seeing a Texas cowboy in his own environment, so to speak…” Her voice dwindled. “I’m not sure if you’ve heard yet, but the Carsons are moving back to Dallas soon.”

“Oh?” No, he hadn’t heard.

“Yes, which means we’re about to be in a long-distance relationship.” Her tone changed. “Sorry for rambling. I know that’s not why you called.”

“Actually, I think your relationship with Ames Carson might very much be a part of what’s going on here, ma’am.”

“What do you mean?” She sounded stressed.

“I had a chat with Mr. Brex Morrison this morning. He suffered some sort of breakdown last night after hearing you were flying with Mr. Carson to Dallas. He reportedly fell to the ground and experienced something like a seizure.”

She gasped. “That sounds a little extreme. Especially since he and I broke up more than a year ago.”

“Apparently, he still cares for you, Miss Lee.”

“Regardless, I’ve given him no reason to hope we’ll ever be getting back together,” she protested. “It’s over between us.”

“The only point I’m getting at, Miss Lee, is that Mr. Morrison doesn’t appear to want you dead.”

A bleating sound escaped her. “That makes two of us, sheriff.”

He smiled without humor. “The other point I’m getting at is that he might’ve been privy to the fact that the plane you were on was going to experience mechanical difficulties. Hence his extreme response to the news that you were unexpectedly on board.”

She blew out a breath. “That’s a lot to wrap my brain around.”

“Are you acquainted with a man by the name of Mr. Trent Burgess?”

She was silent for a moment, clearly caught off guard by his rapid change of subject. “I am. We aren’t close friends or anything, but my family is acquainted with him. He was part of the same group of craftsmen we traveled with for years. They think of themselves as modern day gypsies. We moved from town to town, selling our products at vendor fairs across the country.”

“Until your family made a name for yourselves in the toy making industry and cut ties with the old crew, eh?”

“Oh, it was nothing like cutting ties,” she assured quickly. “We’re still friends with a lot of them. But I guess you could say we finally broke free.”

He was more curious than ever. “Free from what, Miss Lee?”

“The cycle of poverty.” She sounded sad. “Though the gypsy craftsmen are like one big family, it’s a very poor family. No guaranteed income. No health insurance. No retirement. Nothing but hard work, day after day after day. Every friend you make, you leave behind. You’re always a newcomer in town and a short-termer. You have no roots. It’s a hard life, sheriff, one I don’t miss.”

“Well, it’s a family that may be missing you, as demonstrated by the way they keep popping up all over Pinetop. First Brex, then Oak, and now Trent.”

“I see what you’re saying, sir.” Laura Lee sounded uncomfortable.

“What could they possibly want from you, Miss Lee? Or from Pinetop, for that matter?”

She was silent for so long that he was worried she might be done talking.

He was wrong.

“Sheriff Skelton, I’d like to share something with you, preferably off the record.”

“I’m listening.” He was making no other promises. There were too many important things at stake.

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