Page 64 of Seaside Cowboy's Fairy Tale

She pulled her gun from her purse and turned around. “Put your gun on the floor. Slowly.”

“You’re going to regret this, Rachel,” he said through clenched teeth.

No more pretending. “Nope. I won't regret it one bit. And if you think I won’t put a bullet through your head—”

“I know your reputation.” He placed his gun on the floor.

“Turn around.” The next moment, she pinned his arm behind his back. “Now tell me. Is Anne Tandy inside?”

“I’m not telling you anything.”

“Is she inside and is she armed?” She twisted his arm.

“What’s that commotion?” Anne Tandy’s voice rose from Tex’s office.

Rachel made Brady step closer to the door and twisted his arm further. Her shoulder screamed at the strain, but she ignored it. “Open the door ajar to the office and tell her there are mice on the floor you’re trying to catch.”

“Listen, there’s a huge payout here. I’ll share it with you. Nobody will have to know. I heard Tex broke up with you anyway,” Brady whispered fast.

Her heart shifted at the breakup part, but she pressed forward. “Do it. Or you’ll get something besides your favorite food in your stomach, and I guarantee you won’t be able to digest it.”

Brady opened the door. “I’m sorry for the disturbance. But there are mice I’m trying to catch, and I believe one sneaked in here.”

“What? Mice?” Mrs. Tandy shrieked as she held a gun to Tex’s head.

From the corner of her eye, Rachel saw Button and his friends dash inside, which was a huge feat. Usually, mice were shy and avoided humans. At least, humans they didn’t know.

“Get them out of here! Get them out of here!” Mrs. Tandy shrieked again as she jumped onto a chair with astonishing agility for her age, then fired at the floor.

But now what?

Rachel couldn’t handle two people at the same time. She was about to neutralize Brady when Tex knocked the gun out of the woman’s hand.

She clipped the handcuffs on Brady’s hands. “Awesome job!”

“That was you all along?” Thankfully, Tex didn’t let his surprise stop him from grabbing the fancy silk tie lying on his desk and using it to bind Anne Tandy’s hands.

“Well, mostly my mice.” Adrenaline ebbing away, she called the police and reported the crime. As much as she was relieved this was over, a significant part of her was heartbroken to say goodbye to him forever. She lifted her chin. The important part was that Tex was safe and would be from now on.

“Humble, as always,” he muttered under his breath.

Once she was done and all the perps could do was sputter and glare, Tex stepped to her. “Thank you for saving my life again. Fourth time already.”

“You saved yourself this time. I do need your help, though.”

“Anything.” His eyes warmed.

She wished she could believe it. “Do you have any sweets?”

“Are you hungry? I’d love to invite you to a late dinner. Um, a very late dinner.”

Nowhe wanted to have dinner with her? She swallowed down the bitter memory of him treating her like an afterthought. The tension and danger were gone, and she should be leaving, as well. After she got her mice back and talked to the police once the latter got here, of course. “I need sweets so my mice will hopefully come back to me.”

Her heart squeezed. Button and his company were the unsung heroes in this situation, and they were her friends, as well. She couldn’t leave them behind. But they might be too shy to reappear from whatever place they’d scattered to, especially considering all the strangers in the room.

He rushed to his desk. “Would chocolate chip cookies work?”

Her stomach responded even more eagerly than her heart, but she hushed them both. “Perfect as long as we don’t let them get into the chocolate. Too much can hurt mice.”

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