“Me too,” Ava replied. “I’m not sure I’ll know how to act.” Ava chuckled.
“Okay, how about I get to your place around six-thirty? We can head to Smokey’s.”
“Oh, I know why you want to go there. You love those cowboys.”
“I cannot lie. I do.” Joella’s sigh came through the phone. “Remember what Dana Delany said inTombstonewhen she saw Kurt Russell? She said, ‘I want one’. Well, so do I.”
“Well, what better place to find one than a cowboy bar?” Ava laughed.
“I know that’s right. I’ll see you Saturday night. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty.”
“Great. See you then.”
Ava set her phone down on the cluttered desk, piles of paperwork, a half-empty mug of cooling coffee, then rubbed her temples, willing the week to speed by. She glanced at her phone again, longing for a message from Deacon.
“He just left,” she murmured.
She admitted it, she wanted to see him again. No one, before or after Deacon, had stirred her heart like that. Since Ellie was born, men vanished the moment she mentioned needing a babysitter when they asked her out on a date. What was wrong with some guys? A night out wasn’t a marriage proposal.
But Deacon… she shook her head, a warm ache spreading through her chest. His touch had been unforgettable. It had been the best night of her life, and she’d remember it if she lived to be a hundred. The instant their eyes met, she wanted him. She’d breathed a sigh of relief learning he wasn’t involved with anyone else, though he could have lied. Still, she didn’t believe it. He seemed too honest for that.
Now he was back. Despite the knot of uncertainty in her stomach about Ellie’s future, about her own heart, she was eager to rediscover him. She smiled, remembering every delicious inch of him, but craving the man behind the memory. She wanted to knowhim.
She looked at the framed photo of her father on the desk, recalling his own relentless devotion, to the land, to the missing cattle that haunted their ranch’s history. Deacon shared that same unwavering dedication. He tackled each case with fierce determination, never resting until he’d followed every lead. Even if not every case ended with a resolution, he didn’t quit. She knew, without a doubt, that if Chet Winchester was involved, Deacon would arrest him.
Ava sighed, placing her chin in her hand. She hated to think of those missing cattle, her father’s losses, and yet, that was ranch life, unpredictable, sometimes heartbreaking. Yet somewhere in that rugged certainty, she found hope. Just as she did in Deacon’s return.
****
As Deke drove his pickup truck behind Rawley and Killian on the winding road back to Clifton the following morning, the sun hung high in the sky, casting long, golden shadows across the landscape, and he shook his head. He was so tired of this trip, but they had to go back, again, to get more information on Chet Winchester. Althoughhis sons were always in trouble, that man didn’t have a record.
A soft smile crept onto Deke’s lips as he recalled Ellie’s delighted expression when she received her doll. Despite its hefty price tag, the joy that lit up her face made it worth every penny.
The screen on his dash notified him that he had a call. He pressed the button on his steering wheel, activating the hands-free system.
“Killian? What’s up?” he asked, his voice steady amid the quiet hum of the engine.
“We’re hungry. Want to stop and get something to eat?” Killian’s voice came through the speaker.
“That actually sounds good. You lead the way,” Deke replied, glancing at the road ahead, anticipation of a meal stirring in his stomach.
“Alright. We’re approaching a small town; we’ll look there,” Killian responded.
“Sounds good,” Deke agreed, pressing the button to end the call. He watched as the vehicle ahead signaled right, guiding him off the highway exit toward the promise of food.
After maneuvering into a snug parking spot in the parking lot of a quaint roadside restaurant, the men strolled to the entrance and pushed open the door, stepping inside. The place was bustling with activity, a symphony of clinking cutlery and animated chatter filling the air, yet they managed to find an empty table and settled into the worn wooden chairs. Deke picked up a laminated menu, as did Killian and Rawley.
“I’m starving,” Rawley declared.
Deke chuckled. “You’re either hungry or sleepy,” he teased.
Rawley laughed. “Add horny to that and youhave me pegged,” Rawley said making Killian and Deke laugh.
“It looks like we have the option of breakfast or lunch,” Deke said as he scanned the menu stating breakfast was served twenty-four/seven.
“The pancakes and scrambled eggs sound good,” Killian mused, his eyes scanning the list of offerings as he pressed his lips together in thought.
A woman, appearing to be in her late sixties, approached their table with a welcoming smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Hello, boys. What would you like to drink while you look at the menus?” she inquired, her voice carrying a friendly warmth.
