Page 20 of The Texas Cowboy's Lady

“I see. Theyoungercrowd. Guess us older crowd need to form knitting circles next. You have room on the other side of the book area for us, Tally?”

Tally finished pouring the coffee and placed the pot on the warmer at the end of the counter. She slid into the booth next to Lacy and across from Laurel. “Sure. I’ll just knock out another wall on the other side of the bakery counter. Whatever my patrons request, I do my best to provide.” They all laughed.

“You are just a shrewd businesswoman. Let’s hope some of that rubs off on me and my project.”

“Spill it. I have tried to pry information out of your sister, but she clams up. And I even resorted to trying to barter baked goods if Jaxson would fess up, but he is worse than Sammi Jo. What is going on out there on the Aces High? Construction crews are moving in trailers and all sorts of equipment comes pulling through town.”

“There’s going to be an announcement at the town council this afternoon. You can be front and center and learn all about it. But I hope you and the rest of Burkitt will see what a boon this will end up being for all of you too.”

“Whatever it is that brought you home again is okay by me. I know Sammi Jo and this one here,” Tally responded, nodding at Lacy beside her. “They are over the moon at having you back in the fold. And I think our very own celebrity dropping into Coffee and a Chat now and then will bring in the crowd. I’d say I’d hire a security guy for the front door, but I think Jaxson and his scowls will keep the wrong sort out of here and away from you.”

That brought Laurel’s attention to the direction of Tally’s nod, and she met Jaxson’s gaze across the room. The dark glasses were in place, but she could feel the silent glare. With a barely perceptible movement, he left her and went back to listening to the conversation that the other trio of ranchers were having at the table.

“I’m surprised he has time to spare to sit in a coffee shop and shoot the breeze.” Okay, so maybe she couldn’t resist the catty remark that came out of her. Laurel took a quick sip of coffee to keep any other words from coming forth. She might be a bit peevish since she didn’t get much sleep last night. Her mind kept going along the dark path that led to the stables where Jaxson and CeeCee had disappeared when they left the pantry. Sean had not returned from following them by the time she had fallen asleep the first time. She had toyed with the idea of going into his side of the suite and waking him to find out what had happened, but that would give credence to his silly idea that she was crushing on the cowboy. She slept fitfully, blaming Jaxson for whatever he might have done.

“I saw him heading into town this morning at six. He’s been doing that a lot these past few days,” Lacy contributed. Then she, too, fell silent, intent on her glass of juice and banana nut muffin.

“Even that’s a bit early for schoolteachers, isn’t it? But then again, it’s an hour’s drive from here over to where the beautiful Miss Arabella works, so maybe he has breakfast there.” Tally shot Laurel a shrewd look. “I see him heading by here while I’m opening in the mornings. He takes the cutoff toward the main highway, so guess he does like breakfast in Abilene.”

Laurel gave a slight shrug. “That’s his business. And now Lacy and I need to get a move on. We need to visit a little patient over at the vet. Be sure and be over at the meeting at three today, and you’ll know what the mystery is all about.”

“I suggest you go out by the back door,” Tally said, standing quickly, her gaze on the front glass door. “Twit is headed this way with her notebook in hand. She’s looking for her next gossip column.”

Laurel didn’t have to be told twice. She and Lacy were going through the kitchen door as the bells chimed over the front door. It was a narrow escape.

A few minutes later, the SUV was on its way out of Burkitt. Laurel cast a glance over to her companion in the passenger’s seat. Before she could voice the question filling her brain, her phone beeped, and she accepted the call on her earbuds.

“It’s me, Tally. Miss Melba Tweet was not happy in missing you this morning. She was definitely sniffing around for gossip.”

“I owe you. Good thing you saw her in time and we could escape. She’s called the ranch a couple of times this week, and you’d think she’d get the message that there is ‘no comment’ on anything she might ask. But she should have plenty to report on this afternoon. Thanks again for enabling our getaway.”

“That’s what friends are for! See you later.”

Laurel smiled. It was good to be home where people looked out for each other.

“So,” she said to Lacy, “I sort of got the feeling that you know more about these six-in-the-morning trips of Jaxson’s than you were letting on earlier in the diner. Is there a mystery you care to share with your favorite aunt?” She used a nonchalant, I-don’t-really-care tone... or so she hoped.

“I thought you said that washisbusiness? We shouldn’t be talking about it, right?” Lacy gave her a totally innocent-but-not-really, caught-you smile right back.

“You know, you are really more like me than I care to admit.” Laurel dropped the subject.

However, it came right back up again once they had arrived at the vet’s office and they were waiting to see the little pup who was still hanging on after the bout with the coyote.

“Here he is,” Doc Andrews announced, the lab-coated assistant behind him, positioning the bundle of blue material in the center of the exam table. The little pink nose, whiskers twitching as it smelled the air around him, made Laurel feel so much better. She rubbed the furry head with a finger.

“He’s getting better.” She grinned. Then looked up at the vet for a nod of affirmation. There was a sigh of relief when he gave that nod.

“Slowly, but surely. This one is a tough little nut. But a good patient. He takes his meds, eats, and drinks, and then gives us urine and stools... then lets us poke him with sharp things he doesn’t care for but seems to know that he needs in order to break free of this place.”

“I knew he just needed a chance to make it. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’re doing for him. As I said that day we brought him in, he’s my responsibility. I’m paying his bill, and whatever you think he needs, then he should have it.”

“Well, he’s going to make it, and that’s the biggest thanks. But you and Jaxson have a big part of it. The way you two have managed to drive over here and visit him means a lot to a patient, be it human or animal. It helps in their recovery.”

Laurel must have misheard the man. “Jaxson? He’s come by since we dropped him off the first day?”

“Yes, indeed,” the vet responded, “much to my surprise. I’ve never known Jaxson to be a small animal type of person, much less to take time from the Aces High to concern himself with tending to sick animals. But each morning, he’s here bright and early as the morning crew is changing over and they let him in for a few minutes. Then off he goes back to the ranch. That’s a bit of a drive, but he’s done it. Except, there is one thing that I might have done wrong here.”

“Wrong?”

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