Page 50 of Caught By A Cowboy

“Did she now?” I start the engine and pull onto the street.

“I was just–”

“I ain’t got anything to do with him being missing if that’s what you’re asking, not this time anyway.” I don’t want to talk about Billy McGee on a happy day like today. I’m still reeling from the fact that I’m clueless as to who ended him.

“Not this time?” She looks at me with concern.

“Ya heard right.” I twist my hands on the wheel, knowing that it’s better to be honest but not liking it, one bit. “When you first came to town, I was kinda holding him.” I try to play it down as I drive toward home.

“I don’t like the way that sounds, Jace.” She’s looking as fearful as she is angry.

“Yeah, well, we resolved our differences so whatever has happened to him this time, ain’t on me.”

“How can you just brush that off as being normal?” She’s still stunned. “The whole town is worrying about him, if you have any idea where he could be you need to speak to that sheriff.”

“I don’t have a clue where he could be. Like I said, we resolved our differences.”

“Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?” She tilts her head suspiciously and instead of answering her question, I focus on driving.

I can tell she’s upset. These days, she’s either jumping my bones or being pissed at me, not that I mind. Her being pissed always leads to the jumping my bones part and I ain’tevergonna complain about that.

When we get back to the yard she announces that she’s going inside for a nap and the way she slams the door, as I step up onto the porch, makes it very clear that I ain’t invited.

“What ya do this time?” Tyler asks with a grin on his face. I’m endlessly getting ripped into by the boys because of the way she’s changed me, and I ain't in the mood for their shit today. Ignoring his question, I head over to the woodshed to stock up on wood.If my girl’s gonna be mad at me, she can at least do it while she’s warm.

“I hear congratulations are in order.” My uncle’s sitting on the porch chair when I return from checking the herd. I’ve spent the whole afternoon giving Maddison her space, and a visit from him is the last thing I need.

“Little slow ain’t ya? The town has been talking about that for weeks.” The fact my uncle hasn’t been seen since Eli found Billy’s body has me suspicious and if I’m being honest, I feel a little uncomfortable with him being here.

“I had work, it was a big ca?—”

“Save that shit for someone who’ll believe it.” I tie Buck to the corral and check no one’s around before I step up to him.

“You killed Billy and I wanna know why.” I stand nose to nose with the man I always thought I could trust.

“Jace, I swear it wasn’t me. I had no idea about what had happened till Eli called me and asked for a cleanup.”

“So who? Who would want Billy dead?” I scrub my hands over my face and rack my brains again.

“Your father would be proud, he always loved kids. Was good with ‘em too” Uncle Jamie looks as if he’s ready for a deep and meaningful as he retakes his chair, and I wonder if this is genuine or if it’s a distraction.

“It’s a shame he won’t be around for it. Him and Mom would have loved a grandkid to spoil.” I get sucked in regardless of his intentions. No one ever speaks about Mom or Dad, anymore.

“It was sloppy to let her trap ya like that.” His words make that warmth in my chest turn cold. “You should have knownbetter.” He lights himself a cigarette and chuckles while I stare at him and talk myself outta snapping his neck.

“She didn’t trap me, if anything, I trapped her,” I admit, sitting my ass beside him and letting the guilt of that sink in. I’ve spent the past few weeks being far too happy to let myself be reminded of how selfish I’m being.

“Why?” My uncle doesn’t look disappointed in me like I expected him to, he looks curious, instead.

“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. I just saw her and knew that she was the reason.”

“Reason for what?” His eyes narrow as if he’s testing me.

“For all the bad shit I’ve done to keep this town clean. For every sick fucker whose life I took. I never understood why I liked it so much, now I realize that I was making the world a better place for her.”

“You got it bad, kid.” He laughs at me, again.

“Real bad,” I admit without shame. “You were right to get into law. This place barely makes a dime but it’s mine. It was his.” I smile when I think about how my dad would sit right here in this very spot, looking over the yard and feeling proud of what he’d achieved. “It’s long days and hard work, but it's ours and I want it all to be his too.”

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