Gunslinger

No doubt remained.

Kylie Scott was the woman he’d been searching for.

* * *

KYLIE OPENED THE gate and Bryce grabbed the ladder on the other side. She dropped the lock back through the slots, then removed it before he noticed—hopefully. It was silly to be so paranoid.

But paranoia had taught her to be hypervigilant with her safety. She wasn’t used to leaving the locks out of place.

Even when no one appeared to be on the street. Even when she had a very capable-looking man standing next to her, it went against her habits to leave the gate unlocked. But she managed it by sticking the padlock inside her pocket.

“I was trimming a dead limb and the saw got stuck.”

“Lucky I was around.”

“I have some iced tea. Can I get you some?”

“That would be great.”

“Okay.” She rubbed her palms together and stepped to the porch. She tried to turn her back on Bryce and walk like a normal person through her kitchen door.

It didn’t happen. She hesitated, waiting for him to lean the ladder on the tree. He just watched her act like an unsteady idiot. Bryce was practically a stranger. She’d only met him a couple of times in town.

“I hope you like it sweetened. That’s all I have.”

“Sure. I’ll get this down.”

“Thanks so much. It’s stuck up there pretty good.” Oh my gosh. She was babbling, trying to wait him out. If he’d just look away, she could dart into the kitchen.

Kylie had never been a normal teenage girl, but she was certain this was how they acted. Flushed, embarrassed, unsure of themselves—everything that she was experiencing for the first time. She’d been a full-time employee by the time she’d reached puberty. The boys she’d known back then had never been mature enough for her tastes.

Needless to say, the men who accepted her as an adult at that age hadn’t been good for her. Well, spilled milk and all that...whatever the saying was. She’d moved past it. She was in a good place and didn’t have to think about that any longer.

Throwing her shoulders back, she turned, leaving herself vulnerable to a nonexistent attack. She slid the glass door open and marched to the refrigerator for the pitcher. Two glasses sat on a pretty little tray she’d picked up at the antique shop this week. She added a freshly sliced lemon to a matching bowl and poured the tea.

Five years. She’d survived five years. Her life was changing and it was time to keep her promise to herself. If she could survive this long without being discovered, it was time to start living again.

Taking a second, she watched Bryce tug on the pole trying to free the tiny saw. He arranged the ladder soundly in place, shook it a little to see if it was steady, then climbed.

It had been a very long time since she’d allowed herself friends. Then again, being Bryce’s friend wasn’t too high on her agenda. She’d watched him out in the yard fixing up Mrs. Mackey’s rental. He’d stopped by the pie shop while she’d been at lunch.

It might be a coincidence, but Hico was a very small town. If there was a visitor here for a couple of hours, a resident was likely to encounter them a couple of times. So running into a neighbor at the store and pie shop was almost predictable.

She hadn’t been the only woman catching a second or third glimpse of his straight nose and dimpled chin. A constant five o’clock shadow had never done anything for her before getting a look at Bryce. She was full-blown giddily attracted to every muscle his tight T-shirts exploited.

The view as he climbed the ladder wasn’t helping to cool her heat.

Mrs. Mackey had praised Bryce’s ability as a handyman and suggested his skills not be wasted while he was living on their street. At face value her statement had been so innocent. Then the other ladies who had conveniently stopped by the museum had all giggled.

“If they could see you right now, they’d probably faint or have heart attacks. They definitely would if they knew what my plans for him are.” She took the dish towel and fanned her flaming cheeks. Dipping her head, she closed her eyes, embarrassed by her desires. “What are you thinking, Kylie? Yes, it’s been a while. But you can’t just ask him to bed. You deserve more than that.”

With her mind made up to slow her racing thoughts, she met her helpful neighbor at the bottom of the ladder. He stepped onto the grass, tree trimmer in hand, following her to two chairs and a small patio table—her fourth anniversary present to herself.

No matter what she kept telling her mind to do, she couldn’t avoid the manly chest turning a feminine shade of pink. He took a sip of tea, then gulped it down.

“That’s really good. Just hit the spot.”

“Thanks again for the help, Bryce. If you hadn’t been home, I’d be watching that pole saw rust.”

“I doubt that, but anytime.” He tipped his straw hat in her direction.

“That’s interesting.”

“What?”

“The hat-tipping thing. No one under the age of sixty has ever tipped their hat to me before. In fact, I’d never seen it until I moved to Hico. People wave when they pass in their cars. They acknowledge me on the sidewalk. They even open the museum door, wave and go on their way.”

“I’d say they’re just being friendly.” He finished off his tea and set the glass down.

“It’s the reason I stayed here. I hadn’t planned on it, but I’m glad I did.”

“That’s right. You work in the Billy the Kid Museum.” He took another long gulp of his tea. “I used to make my brother pretend he was Billy the Kid when we were practicing quick draw.”

That’s what she wanted...to be so relaxed and easy going. She sipped. It had been five years. Maybe it was possible? “And who would you pretend to be?”

“The sheriff.”

“Why not the outlaw? I thought kids wanted to be the cool gunslinger who shot things up?” She noticed he actually looked a little embarrassed. “Did you play cops and robbers, too?”

“I think I got in trouble one too many times for shooting birds with my BB gun. Too many lectures on how I should be a better example. Besides, the good guys always win.”

“I’ve heard that.”

Before she could think again if she was the good or the bad, she heard his cell vibrate.

He jumped to his feet and reached into his back pocket. “Excuse me a second, I have to take this.”

Kylie tried not to listen. Maybe it was a habit mixed with genuine curiosity, but she felt uncomfortable and moved out of earshot to the tree. It wasn’t difficult to discern the phone call was upsetting to Bryce. His side of the conversation was a lot of one-word responses. His body language became very stiff and formal. She sipped her tea, looking at the dead limb that still needed to be trimmed back to the trunk.

When he returned, Bryce dropped his hands to his knees, bending at the waist to lean forward.

Kylie set her glass down, approaching cautiously. No matter how much she wanted to know this man, she didn’t. That was a fact that she couldn’t push aside. “Is something wrong?”

“Everything, I’m afraid. Someone couldn’t do their job correctly and my timetable’s been advanced.” He straightened.

The sadness and concern didn’t belong on his handsome features. The urge to wipe them aside was too strong to ignore. She recognized it and held it in a secret place where she kept most of her emotions.

“I’m sorry, Bryce. I hope things work out for the best.”

“I hope so, too. There’s something you should know, Kylie.” Bryce rested his hands on his hips. “If I can find you...so can Xander Tenoreno.”

Chapter Two

Kylie could feel the blood drain from her face as fast as it had in her knees. Barely able to stand, she sort of rocked before catching herself on the tree trunk. Her ex-husband’s name hadn’t been said in front of her for almost four years. She wanted to run. Hide.

Bryce watched her reaction. He saw it all. She knew what the fright looked like and she hadn’t hidden it. The look on his face confirmed for her that he knew he’d found the right person. She couldn’t deny it. Well, she could, but it wouldn’t do her any good. He wouldn’t believe her.

“Are you a cop?”

He shook his head, squinted, then rubbed the back of his neck as if he was mad for being right. An odd reaction from someone who had completely wrecked her life.

She looked at the serving tray and the ceramic outdoor table it sat on. Neither would cross over to her new life. Whatever that ended up being. Just the things that fit inside two suitcases. Nothing more. Not even the laptop. She couldn’t borrow a car. He’d just follow.

Everything stayed here.

The escape plan was in place. The cash was in a box under the bathroom sink along with a passible ID. All she had to do was fake whatever Mr. Unbelievable standing in front of her wanted.

“If you worked for Xander, I’d already be dead. So who are you?” All the excitement of finally having the courage to face Bryce sort of evaporated along with any moisture in the heated air.

“Bryce Johnson. I’m a Texas Ranger here to help you.”

“Help me right out of my comfortable home and life you mean.” She picked up the tea glasses, along with the tray. Another wave of sadness crashed into her heart at the thought of leaving. “It was that silly picture for the online article, wasn’t it?”

He nodded. “And your eyes. You changed the color but not the vitality that’s there.”

“Strange words from a man who probably just got me killed.” She walked across the porch, the lock heavy in her pocket. The urge to run to the fence and secure the gate made her stop before opening the door. Bryce was following and paused on the steps.

“We can help you, if you allow us to.”

“I told the police, and anyone else who would listen, everything that happened that night.” The nightmare images forced her to stare at a pure drop of water sliding down the empty glass. If she shut her eyes or even blinked, she’d be transported back to the white gravel stained with blood.

“Kylie.”

Startled by the shock of his touch, she dropped the tray. One glass shattered and one rolled across the wooden porch. “Isn’t that weird? Ever wonder why sometimes they break and sometimes they don’t?”

“All the time.” He knelt beside her to pick up the broken pieces. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What did you expect when you announced that my ex could find me? Is he really looking again?”

Their eyes met and held as he asked, “Again?”

Nice eyes. Such a shame.

Kylie mentally shook it off. None of the attraction was real. He was a flippin’ Texas Ranger and not the good-looking handyman across the street. He was here with sneaky ulterior motives. She stood, confused by all the emotions making her want to cry.

Not in front of him, though. She would not cry until she was on a bus heading to the airport. No one cared if she cried on the bus.

She carefully balanced the tray on the wooden porch rail and took a step toward the door. “Who was on the call you took and what did they say?”

“Austin PD.”

Her fingers wrapped around the screen door’s handle. “My case never made it to court. They assured me there was a lack of evidence. I have no idea what you’re referring to or why you’re here. So why don’t you just cut to the part where you’ve put my life in danger.”

“Are you aware your father-in-law—”

“Ex-father-in-law.”

“Right. Look, Miss Jorgenson.”

“Wrong again. My name is Kylie Scott. Sissy Jorgenson died with the first bullet. She doesn’t exist anymore.” She took advantage of Bryce’s awkward silence. He politely backed up to allow her to get inside and wedge the screen between them.

A good hostess would open the screen farther and invite him into the kitchen. The hot July air was thick and getting hotter. A bead of sweat rolled across her skin and wedged between her breasts, squeezed together by her sports bra.

Her voice and body might appear to be calm, but she was hyperaware of every second of panic she stopped from bubbling to the surface. Knees about to buckle, she wanted to run inside and leave the handsome Texas Ranger locked out on her stoop.

Bryce took off his hat, getting closer to the screen. He raised his hand toward the handle, but changed his mind at the last minute.

“I’m not sure what I can say. It was never my intention to use scare tactics to get you to listen to me. I wanted you to trust me before I had to tell you.”

“That was never going to happen. I can’t—won’t—trust anyone like that again. You’re wasting your time. Not to mention the taxpayers’ dollars.” She let the screen shut but didn’t make a move to close the inner door. Why was she was putting off the inevitable?

Maybe she didn’t want to leave. Or shoot, it really was because his concerned look crinkled the corner of his eyes. And he looked different without his glasses. Maybe that wasn’t concern and he just couldn’t focus.

Whatever the reason, he’d taken his hat off and his hair had a cute little flip where his hat had rested. He was seriously adorable-looking—whether guys liked to be thought of that way or not. And yes, she didn’t want to shut the door in his face.

“The gentlemanly thing for you to do is leave now.” She edged the door closed a little more.

“You’re right. Leaving would be polite. But right now, I’m a Texas Ranger...not a gentleman.”

The screen popped open and her reflexes moved her backward into the kitchen. He was through the door quickly, shutting it and turning the dead bolt. Once that was done he turned to her, hat in hand, bare-chested and terribly sunburned.

“You’ll forgive me, Kylie. I’ve got my orders and I need to make sure you’re clear on a few facts.” He gestured to the small table in the corner. She joined him. “You see, someone—we assume Tenoreno—is actively looking for you. His father is in jail awaiting trial for murdering his mother.”

“I heard. Don’t you think I keep up with them?”

“What you might not know is that we think Xander doesn’t want his father cleared. He’s taking over the family business. He also knows that we’re building a case against him. You can help strengthen the state’s case.” He leaned forward on his knees, slowly spinning that silly straw hat brim through his fingers.

“No. No. No. A thousand times no. I don’t have any evidence to help you. Don’t you think I tried that before the divorce? If I could have blackmailed him for my freedom, I would have.”

“The rumors aren’t true, then.” He totally looked the part of a workingman. Somebody who fixed things for a living. He’s not, she reminded herself, staying angry. He deceived her and all the residents of Hico.

“Does Mrs. Mackey know you’re a cop?” She placed both her feet flat on the ground and sat straight in her chair. She knew all about body language and she was being as inhospitable as possible.

“Not a cop.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Technicalities mostly. Honor. A code that’s hard to understand.” He set the hat on one knee and leaned back against the vinyl chair.

She understood all too well why he winced. It was the reason she wore a special UV-protected shirt with long sleeves. “I have some aloe that will help that burn.”

“I’ll be okay. If you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about the Tenorenos—” He pulled free of the chair, gritting his teeth so hard the muscles jumped in his jaw.

“I’ll be right back.”

Summing up her options had become second nature. She hadn’t been spontaneous in five lonely years. It had taken over an hour to decide to ask Bryce to retrieve her pole saw.

Should she grab the handgun she’d hidden in the bathroom in case of a bad situation like this?

It should have already been decided. She’d weighed all the variables when she’d bought the gun and learned how to use it. If Bryce hadn’t been in the house, she’d be talking to herself, debating. But he was in the house and he’d most likely leave if she just asked.

That was the rub. She hadn’t asked.

Why? She was ready to move past living this way and had made the decision after she’d met him last week. That’s why. He was already part of an idea that would rescue her from her routine.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The gun was in a hidden compartment behind a picture. It had taken her weeks to build it herself. The result was amateurish, but it was covered by a frame and no one knew about it.

Pulling the aloe from the cupboard, she longed to be brave or a little fearless. It had been quite a while since she’d felt like life was to be lived with reckless abandon.

“Get lost?” Bryce’s deep voice penetrated her body like a shock. He stood at the edge of the kitchen. He hadn’t followed.

Her breath caught in her throat like an air bubble or hiccup. Maybe it was more like trying not to cry. Whatever it was, she was uncertain and confused. There was no reason to automatically trust this man.

No reason to help him with answers about the Tenorenos or his sunburn.

Bottle of lotion in hand, she turned to his smiling pink face confident that she’d thought out her plan a thousand times and it was the right thing to do. She shoved the lotion into his chest. He caught it with one hand while the other held on to his hat.

“As much as I want to celebrate five years of freedom, I know that I’ll never be free from the Tenoreno family. I had hopes but nothing will change that. So I’d like you to leave, Bryce. Just go away.”

* * *

BRYCE HAD BEEN asked to leave. As a Texas Ranger, he should. As a man who had delivered news that clearly upset this woman...he couldn’t.

“You have no reason to trust me, Kylie.” He watched her chest rise, inhaling air to state her defense and pushed on before she could. “I do see why trusting anyone would be almost impossible. You asked me what the difference was between a cop and a Texas Ranger. We don’t have an agenda.”

“I’d still like you to leave and I think you have to now.”

“I’m not leaving until I explain.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.” She flattened against the wall.

Was she afraid? She should be. Her ex-husband was turning out to be as bad and deceptive as his father. “Xander Tenoreno lost the police detail this morning. There’s a chance he could be headed here.”

He wondered how Kylie had ever managed to fool anyone about her fake history. With every mention of her ex’s name she paled and practically became a different person. Her entire demeanor changed. Now was no different, her eyes darted to the bath, her hand rubbed her side—probably one of the bullet-wound scars.

“You told Xander so you could get me to do your bidding. You’re all the same. Out only for your own selfish interests—”

“Kylie!” He raised his voice and reached for her wrist.

A couple of seconds later, the bottle of lotion she’d given him went flying against the wall and he was lying on his back wondering how he’d been outmaneuvered.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’ve done that in practice, but never... I didn’t mean to—oh, no.” Kylie knelt next to him alternating between a pat on his shoulder and his head.

“You’ve been taking...martial arts.” He needed a second to get his lungs working correctly.

“Aikido. It just sort of kicked in. I knew I was nervous. I guess I should have tried to calm down.” She covered her mouth. “Can you get up?”

“I think I’ll just wait here for a second.”

She smiled. It was worth being knocked to his back to see her relax enough to smile like that.

“You know, I never thought it would work. The moves are so practiced and mechanical. This is really sort of cool.”

“Tell that to my back.”

“I’m so sorry. Are you going to be okay?” Her touch was cooling to his burning skin.

“All but my pride. If that’s an auto response, I’d hate to see what you can do when you’re deliberately provoked.”

“I’d probably freeze in my tracks.” She looked comfortable. His knees would be screaming sitting bent like that.

“Is that why you have a gun stashed back there?”

“What? How did you know?”

“Your reaction.” He rose to one elbow. “The way you keep looking in that direction. You almost twitched.”

Her blond hair framed her face as she leaned forward. “I can see that I need to practice my self-control.”

“Well you sure as hell don’t need to practice throwing a man to the ground. That was more than a little embarrassing.”

“Part of aikido is to react without thinking. Defending yourself without giving away what you’re about to do. I’ve practiced during class, but there hasn’t been any reason to actually use it here in Hico.”

“Until now.” He stretched his back, confident everything was still in one piece. “I didn’t mean to make you feel threatened.”

“The only thing you did was reemphasize my reality. I was fooling myself thinking things would change.”

She was retreating again. Talking behind her hand, wrapping the other around her waist. He wasn’t going to let her demonstrate more aikido to make her feel better. He pulled himself to a sitting position and leaned against the wall.

“Can you hand me that lotion? Maybe rub some on my back and shoulders before I go?”

“Okay, guy from down the street, you’re definitely ready to leave.” She tossed the bottle to his gut.

He trapped it, squeezed some of the green goo on his palm and slapped his shoulder. “I really could use some help.”

“You managed to get burned all by yourself.”

“You’re joking, but the reason I’m burned is because I was trying to impress you.”

She scooted on her knees to be next to him, extending her hand. He swiped the lotion onto her fingers. She squirted a lot more across his shoulders, the sudden chill made him wince.

What a change a couple of minutes made. She’d been so frightened that she’d flipped him to his back with a defensive move and now she was rubbing aloe on his shoulders. She’d also gone from petrified to smiling.

“My research might have given an indication of who we were searching for, triggering someone else’s search. I trust everyone who I’m directly involved with in this case. But some parts of it are out of my control. I didn’t mean to lead your ex-husband to you.”

The light rubbing across his shoulders slowed for a second. Kylie spread the aloe, remaining silent behind him with her face and expressions hidden. He didn’t want her to be nervous again. He preferred her smiling. So did his back.

“Your aikido. That was a great move. What’s it called?”

“Aiki otoshi. It’s a blending drop. I like it because you don’t have to lift or flip your opponent.”

“I noticed that. You hit my knees together and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop the fall. You’re good. That wasn’t a beginner’s move.”

She moved away, replacing the cap to the lotion. “Keep it.”

“Even though I didn’t mean to put you in danger, I think you need to come with me, Kylie. We can keep you safe.”

They were sitting on the floor. She’d created a corner where she could see both doors, but was protected from anyone looking inside by the couch and walls. He noticed the mirrors strategically hung on the wall and one on a bookshelf.

Kylie Scott had a lot of precautions in place. She’d studied self-defense and probably was a crack shot with whatever weapon she had hidden in her bathroom. But it still wasn’t a match for a man with endless resources and contacts like her ex-husband.

“You didn’t see anything while you lived in the house? Is there any place he might keep important files?” he asked.

“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but didn’t the murders earlier this year get you inside that bleak mansion?”

“Only relating to the murders. The Tenorenos’ lawyers made certain of that.”

“Look, Bryce. I know you think you can protect me. You may really want to. But we both know it’s just not true. At some point you’ll have to walk away and I’ll be alone. I can’t worry about other people. I have to think about staying alive.”