Page 1 of Cowboy Peril

Chapter One

It had beena really bad year.

Parker Wells smoothed the sleek black pants over her hips and put on some rosy-colored lipstick. Stepping back, she smiled. It had been a while since she’d gone out with friends for some fun.

Her smile faded. Six months in fact. Fun hadn’t seemed possible after the suspicious death of her parents. Before that, at their insistence, she’d complied with their wishes and told the man she couldn’t marry him, breaking her heart into pieces. That was the last time she’d seen or heard from Colt, although rumor had it he was working on a horse ranch in the northern part of the state.

A horn honked outside, spurring her to move faster. She grabbed her purse, locked the apartment, and dashed down the stairs and out the door. A man on the porch jumped out of her way, muttering something under his breath. “Sorry.” She kept moving, then slid into the front seat of Tanya’s car. Through the front windshield, she gave the man a pert smile and a wave. Take that, whoever you are.

“Ready to have some fun?” Tanya backed from the building.

“I’ll try. I’m not really into the whole nightclub, bar scene.”

“So, don’t drink. Order some sparkling water. Dance a little. You’ve done nothing but work and stay to yourself since your parents died.”

“They were killed.”

Tanya sighed. “The police found no evidence of that, Parker.”

“There is no way my father would’ve lost control on a road he’s driven a million times.” She refused to believe it. “He’d beenvery worried about something or someone. I heard him talking to my mother about…something. Although I couldn’t hear their words, I could tell from his tone.”

“Okay. Whatever you say.”

At the club, they flashed their IDs at the doorman. “He with you?” The doorman jerked his chin past them.

Parker glanced back, noticing the man she’d almost barreled into her on the porch. “No.” She gripped her friend’s arm and pulled her into the club that was already pulsating with music. “Let’s find a table.”

“No, let’s head to the bar. I want to be seen. I want to dance.” Tanya pulled free and scurried toward two empty bar stools. “You’d better dance, too. After all, you broke up with Colt months ago. It’s time to find someone new. With that inky hair and blue eyes, you’re hard to miss.”

What if she didn’t want anyone else? She perched on the stool and ordered sparkling water. Her parents hadn’t wanted her to marry a practically penniless cowboy, and she’d caved under the pressure. Now, they were dead, and Parker had no one.

“That man keeps staring at you.” Tanya elbowed her.

Parker cut a sideways glimpse at a table in a dark corner. “I saw that man outside my apartment. He was wearing a hat that covered his eyes and had his head turned, but that’s him.”

“So?” Her friend shrugged. “Maybe he lives there, or maybe you just think it’s the same guy.”

“I’ve never seen him before. Something about him gives me the creeps.”

“Go talk to him.”

“No.” She pulled her gaze away. A few minutes later, another side-eyed peek showed he still was staring in her direction. Why? There were plenty of other women in the club. Why keep his attention on someone who clearly wasn’tinterested? She should’ve stayed home and watched TV or read a book. “Excuse me.”

Tanya nodded, then slid off her stool and asked a man to dance.

Parker pushed open the door to the women’s restroom, taking refuge in the semi-quiet. The noise of the music had diminished. Only one other woman occupied a stall, and she left before Parker entered the adjacent one.

Heavy footsteps sounded, then paused outside her stall. Dirty work boots, the kind with steel toes.

“This is the women’s restroom, sir.” Her heartbeat quickened.

For several long, tense seconds, the man stood there, before turning and leaving.

Parker’s breath escaped in a rush. Her hands shook. If he’d mistakenly entered the wrong room, he’d have apologized. The man hadn’t said anything—except for the sound of heavy breathing.

She inched open the stall door and peered out. Empty. She quickly washed her hands, then peeked through the door leading back to the club before opening it. No sight of the man with dirty boots. She hunted Tanya down on the dance floor. “I’m going to call for a ride.”

“What? Why?” Her friend sent her dance partner an apologetic smile.

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