Page 90 of Enforcing the Rules

He frowned, studying the place. “Why would I know about it?”

“I thought sure the club would find out about her. Come on.” I took his hand, and we went up to the house.

Edina opened the door and stared at me. “Kate?”

“May we come in?”

“Of course.” She stepped back, pushing the storm door open for us. We stepped inside, and Bethany looked over from her wheelchair in front of the television. Little Mermaid played on the flat screen.

“Utah. This is Bethany, my half-sister. Bethany, this is Utah, my boyfriend.”

She smiled, and her head wobbled. She extended a shaking arm.

Utah got down on one knee, taking her hand. “Nice to meet you, Bethany. Aren’t you a pretty thing?”

She grinned, and her body shook with excitement.

I dug in my purse and pulled the check out, holding it out to Edina. “Here. This is for you and Bethany.”

Edina stared down at it. “What’s this?”

“Let’s just say Dad won’t be around to help you or her for a long time. I want you to have that.”

“What is it?”

“The bounty money I made from turning him in.”

“You turned him in?” Her eyes welled.

“I did. He’s hurt a lot of people. Some of them want him dead. It’s the safest place for him. Don’t cry. He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

She dashed them away. “You’re right. I know you’re right. But he’s all I’ve had.”

“That’s not true. You have me.”

She hugged me tight. “You don’t know what this means to us. Thank you, Kate.”

We stayed about an hour and had coffee and a piece of lemon cake. Once we were out at the bike, Utah lifted his chin to the house.

“That was real selfless, what you did in there.”

“Kind of like what you did the other day with your daughter.”

He tugged me against him. “Remember those cabins we passed coming over the mountain? The ones overlooking that stream?”

“Yes. Why?”

“What do you say we see if they’ve got one available for tonight? It’s a long-haul home.”

“I’d love that.”

We stopped, and Utah got us a cabin with a deck overlooking the river. We bought brats and beer from the convenience store on the property and cooked them on the grill provided.

Then we watched the sky fill with a million stars.

Utah cracked open a beer and passed it to me. I waved him off.

He frowned. “You don’t like Coors?”

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