Page 2 of Home to the Cowboy's Arms

That positive feeling soon evaporated at the appearance of three cowboys on horseback standing just inside the double gates. She pushed the button and lowered her window, a smile ready on her face. Finally, one cowboy moved his horse closer to where she wouldn’t have to speak so loudly to announce herself. He was an older gentleman, skin like weathered leather, and dressed in pure cowboy: spurs, chaps, hat—a hat that looked like it might have seen better days a decade or so ago. She had to give him props for that grayed handlebar moustache. He was straight from central casting for the next western film.

He tipped a finger to the brim of his hat and said in a slow drawl, “Howdy, ma’am. Are you in need of directions? Maybe lost?”

“Thank you, but no. I am in search, however, of Mr. Cade Lockwood. I’m mayor of Destiny’s River, and if you would be so good as to point me in…” She didn’t get to finish. A second horse moved forward to rest beside the other cowboy, and the rider was younger. He didn’t have a welcoming smile. In fact, he didn’t have a smile of any kind.

The first cowboy retreated. That left Tori to face the man seated on a very large black animal who looked like his unwelcome demeanor might match that of his rider. Did they practice that imperious gaze together? Again, she attempted her smile, but that was as far as she got.

“Once again,Ms. Mayor—” and the way he said those words did not bode well for them becoming friends “—you ignored instructions to apply for an appointment before coming onto my land. That might be how you do things in town, but not out here.”

My land.The words caught and stuck in her brain. So, this was the almighty, powerful Caden Lockwood.Just great.And he had just made it abundantly clear that they were not destined to become friends anytime soon. Well, she had come too far and waited too long to let one moment go by before he threw her off his precious land.

Tori opened her door and stepped out, preferring to think better on her feet. Unfortunately, he seemed even taller than before for some reason. She raised her hand to help shield her eyes from the glare of the sun that was not in a most advantageous spot behind his shoulder. And it was a broad shoulder. And if she were not trying her best to hold her ground and patience, she might have taken in the fact that he was one of those cowboys women would enjoy staring at in awe as they passed by on the streets of town. But she was not here to ogle like a silly female. She was here on important business.

“No one invited you to step onto my ranch. In case you need it put any plainer, trespassing is an offense where we can employ force under our Texas laws. You need to get back inside your vehicle and head back to where you belong. My men and I have work to do.”

“And so do I,” she rounded back on him. “I have tried to obtain an appointment. I have been put off for almost a month now. I am just as busy in my office, I can assure you. But I represent Destiny’s River, and the matter I need to speak with you about can wait no longer. Since you are here and I am here, I see no reason why we can’t discuss the issue right now if need be. I won’t take up your time any more than necessary, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“You already have taken up too much of my time this morning.” He nodded at the third cowboy. He and his horse moved toward the panel next to the gate.

“I suggest you back your car out while you can. The gates are slow, but they can pack a punch. Nice chatting, Ms. Mayor. You have a good day.” With that, minus a smile, he turned his mount and the pair of them left her in the dust…literally. The second cowboy followed in his wake. The third sat with solemn face, but his hand reached for the buttons inside the panel he had opened. She got the message.

Once inside the vehicle, she reversed and then wished she had her own cloud of dust on the highway she could kick up to punctuate her departure. Never had she been dismissed in such a rude manner. Well, he had another think coming if he thought she was some weak-minded female easily scared off once a male had put her in her place. She shook her head. If he wanted to play the game that way, then so be it. But waving a white flag in surrender on something so important as the warm springs was not in her DNA.

She saw how much people in and around their community could benefit by having access to those springs for health and rehabilitation issues. She wasn’t asking for the keys to his kingdom. Just simple access to something that was merely sitting there and could mean so much to so many. Tori would regroup. Cade Lockwood hadn’t seen the last of her.

Chapter Two

“You look mightydetermined today. All done up in your suit and all,” Minnie Smith noted as she finished the last of the breakfast buffet in the dining area on the back sun porch for the guests in the four small cottages at the back of the property, which all had porches with rockers overlooking the large flower garden and fountain. Tori had coaxed her into remaining at the Primrose Inn after Tori had finally been able to make the down payment and take it over from Addie Sims. Minnie was a feisty housekeeper/major domo around the inn, and she enabled Tori to venture out into the community and eventually run for office.

And Tori had definitely jumped off the end of the short pier into deep water. Running for mayor on the slogan of “Destiny’s River…a future for everyone,” she had simply embraced the country town that had embraced her and an orphan cat long ago. It was home, and she would make sure care was taken where needed for anyone who called it theirs.

“I have some meetings today. And I do believe my ‘power’ suit is called for.” She laughed. The truth was she liked the newest purchase for her wardrobe. The navy jacket with thin white pinstripes, tailored slacks of the same material was given a flash of color by the bright scarlet silk blouse with its scarf tied casually and secured on her shoulder by a small gold ladybug pin her siblings had given to her when she began her term as mayor.

It was going to be a good start to the week. She could feel it. She gathered her scarlet shoulder bag and material for the office and with a last wave was on her way.

*

And that thoughtlasted within her mind all of fifteen minutes as she drove around the town square, found her reserved parking spot and then came to a screeching halt just in time to narrowly miss the bumper of the huge black truck that sat in her parking space…clearly marked with a sign that specified it wasReserved for the Mayor. The last time she checked, she was that mayor and that had been her parking space for the last six months, since her election. Everyone in town knew that.

Therefore, the lawbreaker must be from out of town. Spying another spot across the street, Tori pulled around and slid her small blue SUV into the parking place. Her door might have had an extra hard push as she put her hip into closing it with exasperation fueling her. Her arms full of the city maps and tax books she had taken home to study the evening before, she balanced them, her traveler’s mug of coffee, and shoulder bag as she waited for clearance at the streetlight to cross the two lanes of traffic and head up the steps leading into the side door of the courthouse. Usually she would stop and admire the newly planted pecan trees sprinkled across the lawns, or the green squares of grass that the Ladies Garden Guild had planted to beautify the town’s square, but she needed to stop into the sheriff’s office before she went upstairs to her own.

“Morning, Ms. Mayor,” came the greeting from the uniformed deputy behind the long counter as she stepped through the open doorway from the wide hall. Then he dropped his pen and hurried to come through the swinging gate that separated the reception area from the desks and other workers. “Here, let me help you out there.” His arms were already taking the maps and the heavy books from her.

“Thanks, Monty, I appreciate it. I hadn’t planned to stop here but I do have some business with the sheriff. Is he in and available?”

“That depends. Is it my sweet sister or the mayor of our fair town who is asking to see me?” The tall, uniformed figure nodded at his deputy standing with her items in his arms. “Monty, why don’t you deliver those up to the mayor’s office?”

“Yes, sir, on my way.” He left the pair.

“Thank you, Monty,” she called over her shoulder at his retreating back. “I owe you a milkshake over at Tillie’s.”

“Anytime, Ms. Mayor,” he called out from the hallway.

“He’s such a nice young man,” she commented to the man standing in front of her, his arms crossed against his chest, waiting. “He’d be perfect for Reverend Lowry’s daughter, Jennifer.”

“So, this is you stopping in and giving me an update on your latest attempts as the quasi-town-matchmaker?”

“No, brother dear. This isme, a concerned citizen of this town, making a complaint to the sheriff. There is evidently a visitor to our fair county who doesn’t know how to read signs. I almost collided with this hulking big truck parked illegally in my parking space out front. I think you need to have a deputy cite him or her.”

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