Chapter Thirteen

Stone shook me awake. “We’re landing in Yuma in an hour, and you need to get dressed.”

“Dressed? What’s wrong with what I’m wearing? I don’t think your cows are going to mind.”

“We’re going to the Silver Spur Rodeo,” Tex said. “You can’t wear your blood-stained camo there. You’ll freak people out.”

My eyes widened when I realized my entire squad were dressed like cowboys right down to the boots and hats. Where in the hell had the cowboy gear come from? I sat up. “Why are we going to a rodeo?”

“Hector signed us up for bull riding,” Rodriquez exclaimed happily.

Like they didn’t have enough excitement in their lives. “I don’t have anything to wear, but my blood-stained uniform.”

Johnson handed me a bag. “We had Jeb buy you a dress and some sandals before we left.”

“A dress?” I stared at the bag in horror. “I don’t wear dresses.”

“You do now,” Stone interjected. “Go put it on and use some of that makeup too.”

“But…”

Stone used his command voice, “Now, soldier.”

“Okay, fine.” I picked up the bag and grabbed my backpack. They had lost their tiny little minds. I stomped into the bathroom, slammed the door and stripped off my uniform. Instead of riding bulls, they should be concentrating on fortifying the ranch. The CIA hunters still hadn’t found Roberts or Pops yet.

I took a cautious look in the bag. Oh, how pretty. I lifted out a turquoise sundress dotted with tiny daffodils. This I wouldn’t mind wearing. I hadn’t felt like a girl in forever. I put it on and stared at myself in the mirror. Except for my cuts and bruises, I looked good.

“Don’t forget to shave your legs. There’s a razor in the bag too,” Stone bellowed.

My temper flared to life. I yanked open the door and gave him the one-finger salute. “I’ve been too busy trying to stay alive to worry about my appearance. I know how to be a girl, but it’s obvious you weren’t taught any manners.”

“I apologize.” Stone’s gaze roved over me. “Even with hairy legs, you’re a beautiful woman.”

Tex groaned. “Is that the best you’ve got Sarge?”

“I’m out of practice.”

No kidding. “Apology accepted.” I shut the door and stared down at my legs. They were kinda hairy.

“Thirty minutes until we land, Chiquita.”

“Okay.” I quickly shaved my legs and underarms, then turned my attention to applying makeup the way Sally had taught me. My hair I left in a long braid.

Hmmm. I met my evil gaze in the mirror. If they wanted to be cowboys, why couldn’t I be Annie Oakley? Reaching into my backpack, I pulled out the hand-tooled leather gunslinger’s belt, strapped it on and slid the two 1849 Colt Peacemaker revolvers into the holsters. I opened the door and stepped out.

“Let me guess, you’re Annie Oakley,” Stone said drily.

I gave him my Debbie Sunshine smile. “I am.” I dropped my pack next to Bertha.

“Buckle up, Annie. We’re landing.”

I took the seat across from Stone. “Other than bull riding, what’s the plan?”

“Watch the events, then some dinner and dancing at Cowboy’s Haven,” Stone’s voice was a low rumble.

My shoulders sagged. “I don’t know how to dance.”

“We’ll teach you,” Tex said.

“But you’re gonna have to leave the guns behind,” Johnson warned.

I smiled at him. “Okay, dancing sounds fun.” I stroked a finger over my dress. “I need to thank Jeb for the dress.”

“It looks good on you,” Rodriquez complimented.

“Thank you. Are all of you in the bull riding event?” Call me curious.

Rodriquez grinned. “We are, it’s one hell of a rush.”

“Maybe I should try it.”

The guys shouted in unison, “No!”

“But…”

“No way in hell are you getting on a two thousand pound Brahma bull. You don’t even know how to ride a horse,” Stone snapped.

“Okay, okay, I get it.”

The jet set down smoothly and taxied toward a gate in the executive terminal.

As soon as the aircraft came to a stop, Stone opened the cabin door and secured the steps. “Hector’s waiting for us.”

I knew Hector and his wife Rosa managed the ranch while Stone was away. Tex had told me about their lifelong friendship.

Stone’s face split into a wide grin when he spotted a Hispanic male in his sixties. The old guy was wearing a black cowboy hat, a red shirt, jeans and boots. “Which bull am I riding, Hector?”

“Diablo,” Hector answered, and his eyes widened when he spotted me. “Is this your woman?”

I let out a squawk. “What? No! I’m a member of his squad. Nothing more.”

Stone dropped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. “She’s a little shy.”

I jammed my elbow into his stomach and smiled at his grunt of pain. “The sergeant has been hit in the head too many times.” I hurried down the steps before Stone could retaliate and held out my hand. “Hi, I’m Tess.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Tess.” Hector shook my hand. “I see Alexander hasn’t been taking good care of you.”

“It’s not his fault. A lot of people want me dead.”

“I cannot believe that.” Hector escorted me over to a red van and opened the passenger door. “A beautiful woman is to be protected and cherished.”

Cherished? Sadness rolled over me. My own father hated me and the chances of someone cherishing me weren’t good. “I’m a soldier, Hector, who has made some dangerous enemies. I fight or I die.”

“You are not alone anymore, Tess,” Stone stated firmly.

I turned to face him. Stone was every inch a warrior and I knew he would fight to the death for me. He was also too damn good looking, and his sex appeal was off the charts. I wanted, no I needed him in my life. Oh, my God! I was in love with the bastard. How had that happened?

A knowing smile curved Stone’s mouth. “Get in the car, Tess. It’s time for some R&R.”

“We are the Alpha Dogs,” Tex shouted as he put our gear in the back of the van.

Johnson hollered, “Hoorah!”

“We are swift. We are silent. We are deadly,” I interjected, climbing into the car.

Rodriquez bellowed, “Hoorah!”

“Dios Mios, have you been drinking?” Hector threw a worried glance over his shoulder and started the engine.

“A beer or two,” Stone answered.

Hector frowned. “Franklin Doss is working the rodeo. Do not start a fight with him.”

“Can’t promise that.”

Curiosity got the better of me. “Who is Frankin Doss?”

“He’s a Yuma County Sheriff’s deputy, who thinks wearing a badge gives him the right to do whatever he wants,” Stone replied.

I grimaced. “I’ve met a few of those.”

“Stay away from him Tess, he has a thing for pint-sized blondes,” Stone instructed.

“Yes, sir.” As we drove down the street everything seemed foreign. There were no cold-eyed men in turbans, and I didn’t have to worry about incoming enemy fire. People moved freely and none of them were armed to the teeth. God, I had been in the Middle East too long.

The streets were clogged with cars heading toward the rodeo arena. Sidewalk vendors had set up tents and were selling everything from hats, to boots, to food. I eyed the tents wistfully. It has been so long since I had gone shopping.

Hector parked the van. “I signed up for bronc riding. My slot is at two.”

I stared at him in alarm. Wasn’t he kinda old to be doing shit like that?

“Does Rosa know?” Stone asked.

Hector scowled. “No, and you’re not going to tell her.”

Stone rubbed his jaw. “You know she’s gonna find out.”

“And she gets mean when she’s angry,” Johnson pointed out.

Rodriquez added, “We’ll be lucky if all she does is serve us burnt chicken for the next two weeks.”

“I might be old, but I’m still a man.” Hector got out of the car.

Tex watched him stalk off. “Who’s he riding?”

“Dunno, but I’ll find out,” Stone said.

My attention was caught by more vendor tents. I walked over and eyed the colorful shirts on display. All my clothes had burned in the barracks fire, and I needed everything.

“C’mon Tinkerbell, you can shop later.” Stone placed a white cowboy hat on my head and handed me a pair of sunglasses. “You need these to keep the sun off.” He took my hand and led me through the arena gates.

I liked the feeling of his fingers intertwined with mine.

“You are drawing a lot of attention, Chiquita.”

I looked around. Sure enough, everyone was staring at me. “This is Arizona. Everyone is allowed to carry weapons. What’s the big deal?”

“It’s like seeing Bambi with big, sharp teeth,” Johnson responded.

“Bambi? I don’t appear that harmless.”

Stone snorted. “Yeah, you do.”

“Until we look into your eyes.” Tex shivered. “And we see death looking back.”

I gave him a one-fingered salute. “Not true.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why men give you such a wide berth?” Johnson asked.

“Gee, maybe it was because I hadn’t showered in a week or two.” My nose wrinkled. Talking about icky. The smell of popcorn mixed with cow dung and horse piss was downright awful.

“You’ll get used to the stench,” Tex commented.

I wasn’t so sure about that. My head swiveled as I took in everything.

Horses, huge bulls and cattle filled the corrals. Old wooden bleachers surrounded the arena. There were only a few seats left. “Where are we going to sit?”

“Hector got us seats in the rich folk section.” Stone pointed to an area covered by an awning.

“Oh, okay.”

Stone handed me a ticket. “You have seat A3. Head on up. We need to check in with the arena director.”

“Try not to get stomped on by the bulls.”

Stone grinned. “Where’s the fun in that? If anyone gives you a problem, kick their asses.”

“Yes, sir.” I saluted him sharply.

Big grins on their faces, my squad strutted off.

Testosterone made men crazy and stupid at the same time. I took my seat and people watched. The petting zoo was full of kids having a blast. It was so weird seeing women without burkas and smiling happily. What stood out the most was the lack of fear.

An older woman took the seat next to me. She smelled like roses and her bright red hair was piled high on her head with two white feathers protruding from the top. Her ginormous breasts threatened to pop out of her low-cut green velvet dress. She reminded me of a saloon girl from the 1800’s.

“Who has been beating on you, honey? Is that why you’re carrying those pistols? Do you even know how to use them?”

I gaped at her in surprise. She was actually worried about me. I gave her a reassuring smile. “I was in a car accident, and I use the pistols in my act.”

The woman’s green eyes studied me intently. “Act?”

“I’m a quick draw artist and a sharpshooter.”

“You any good?”

I smothered a grin. The people sitting behind us were listening to our conversation. “Yes, ma’am. I’m the best, and I never, ever miss.”

“I apologize for babbling on without introducing myself. I’m Jolene Hardy and you are?”

“Tess Reynolds.”

“Nice to meet you, Tess. My husband runs the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, and we’ve been looking for an Annie Oakley act.”

“Really?”

Jolene pointed. “Here comes my husband now.”

A man in his sixties with long white hair and beard walked toward us. His beer belly strained the buttons on his red plaid shirt. The man’s fringed leather pants hung low on his hips and his gun belt was the only thing keeping them up. An 1878 Colt six-shooter hung on his right hip.

A coyote howled.

I looked at the corrals. My squad was staring at me. I gave them the okay hand signal.

“That’s a bunch of dangerous looking men, honey,” Jolene said.

“They are my… ah, family. There here to do some bull riding.”

“You don’t see women doing anything that crazy, now do you?”

I laughed. “No ma’am.”

“Who’s your new friend, darlin’?”

“This here is Tess Reynolds and she’s our new Annie Oakley act.”

“Wait! I haven’t agreed to anything. I have a full-time job.”

“We can work around that.” He thrust out his hand. “Howdy, Tess. I’m Buffalo Bill Hardy.”

I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Buffalo Bill’s gaze fixed on my guns. “Are those 1849 Colt Peacemakers?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Want to sell them?”

I shook my head. “Not a chance. I need them for my act.”

“I can’t change your mind?”

A high-pitched almost feminine voice snarled, “What are you doing here, old man? I trespassed you.”

“You can’t trespass me. I own the arena,” Buffalo Bill snapped.

Frowning, I turned my head, and my jaw dropped. I had been expecting a woman not a six-feet-four, muscled-bound male wearing a Yuma County Sheriff’s uniform. I looked at his name tag. Shit! Franklin Doss in the flesh. I took a quick peep at the corrals. There was no sign of my squad.

“I’m the law. Git or I will arrest you,” Doss sneered.

The people in the seats behind us booed loudly.

A man yelled, “You’re a damned bully, Doss.”

“Go harass someone else,” another person called.

Anger flushed Doss’s cheeks. “I’m gonna arrest all of you for disturbing the peace.”

“Try it and see what happens,” a bald man challenged.

Doss eyed them warily and pulled the portable radio off his belt. “David-Forty I need backup at the rodeo. I have a dozen people disturbing the peace.”

“Copy David-Forty,” the dispatcher responded.

Jolene pulled a bulky, brick-like cellphone out of her purse. “You are not arresting anyone. I’m calling the sheriff, and having you fired.”

“The hell you are, bitch.” Doss jerked the phone out of her hand and tossed it in a trash can.

Buffalo Bill grabbed Doss’s left arm. “Don’t talk to my wife that way.”

Doss pulled back his right arm and punched him in the face.

Buffalo Bill’s head snapped back, and he fell across the bleachers. He wiped the blood off his busted lip and tried to stand up.

Doss pulled out his cuffs. “Now you’re under arrest for assault.”

“Assault? What assault,” I asked.

“You bastard, you punched him!” Jolene hit Doss on the head with her purse.

Doss dropped like a rock.

Everyone cheered and clapped.

I stared down at him. “What’s in your purse, Jolene?”

“My derringer. Is he dead?”

I knelt and took his pulse. “No, but it might be a good idea for everyone to leave before he wakes up.”

The people in the stands shook their heads stubbornly.

A woman shouted, “Not going anywhere. It’s about time Doss gets what’s coming to him.”

“Ain’t leaving either,” a teenage boy said.

A black man built like a tank snarled, “That bastard needs a good beat down.”

“I don’t run,” Buffalo Bill snarled. “But I am getting my buffalo gun.” He stormed off.

“Wait, honey!” Jolene sprinted after him.

Crap. I tried howling like a coyote.

A little boy looked up at me. “You okay, lady?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” I howled again.

“You sure? You sound like a strangled dog.”

I threw my hands up in the air. “I’m trying to howl like a coyote.”

“Oh. Why didn’t you say so?” The kid threw his head back and howled.

Damn. He was spot on. “Where did you learn to do that?”

He shrugged. “Don’t know. Just can.”

“Do it again but louder?” I held out a ten-dollar bill.

He snatched the bill. “Yes, ma’am.” His howl echoed around the arena.

Everyone stared at us.

I gave them a friendly smile. “I’m calling in reinforcements.”

A coyote yipped.

Doss jerked upright. “Who hit me?”

“Get out of here, kid.”

The kid took one look at Doss’s furious face and bolted.

“Who hit me?” Doss demanded in his squeaky voice.

Assuming my best dumb blonde expression, I stared at him blankly. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah, you dumb bitch. Did you see who hit me?” Doss bellowed.

“Watch your mouth, Sonny,” an old woman with purple hair yelled.

Doss got to his feet and glared at me. “You hit me, didn’t you?”

“And why would I do that?” How had Doss got hired as a deputy?

He pulled his gun. “Get your hands up and take off the gun belt.”

“Which is it? Get my hands up or take off the gun belt?”

“Get your hands up,” Doss shouted.

The click of a dozen guns being cocked sent a chill down my back. Holy hell! A lot of people were packing.

“Put your gun away, Sonny, or I’m gonna shoot your balls off,” the purple hair granny warned.

One look at the expression on the old woman’s face and I believed her. I raised my hands. Crap! Armed with long rifles, Buffalo Bill, Jolene and eight men were heading our way. Things were about to get ugly.

“I’m charging you with threatening a police officer,” Doss said nervously.

Why did testosterone make men so stupid? “If you’re smart, Deputy Doss, you’ll leave while you still can.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

I rolled my eyes. “You do realize you’re outnumbered.”

“I can handle them. Drop your gun belt, I’m confiscating your weapons,” Doss commanded.

“Arizona is an open carry state. I’m permitted to wear my guns any place I want.”

“Not in my town.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let me guess. You’re related to the Sheriff, aren’t you?”

“So?”

“It’s not going to save you this time,” I answered.

Granny waved her gun at Doss. “Run, Sonny. I’m giving you a head start before I start shooting.”

Doss finally realized he was about to get shot full of holes and bolted.

The enraged townsfolk chased after him, firing wildly.

The gunfire spooked the livestock.

I watched in horror as Doss opened all the gates on the corrals and shot into the air.

The horses, cattle and bulls stampeded.

The townsfolk ran for their lives.

Huh? Arizona was as wild as the Middle East. Who knew?

The frightened livestock trampled the vendor tents and surged out into the street. Brakes squealed, horns honked, and people climbed onto parked cars as the huge bulls charged down the sidewalk.

I winced as more vendors’ tents were destroyed by the enormous bulls. I had really wanted to do some shopping today.

The thunder of hooves caught my attention. Stone, my squad and other cowboys raced after the escaping livestock.

Stone reigned in his horse. “You, okay?”

I nodded.

“Stay put.” He galloped off.

Granny let out a sigh. “That is one fine looking man.”

“Yes, he is.”

Doss charged down the bleachers.

“Hey! That skunk is going to get away.”

I smiled grimly. “No, he’s not.” I stepped in front of Doss. “Going somewhere?”

“You think you can stop me?” Doss sneered as he tried to dart around me.

I blocked him. “I do.”

“Stupid bitch!” He swung at me.

I ducked and planted my foot in his groin.

With an agonized squeak, Doss rolled down the bleachers and hit the ground hard.

“You’re such a prick.” I rammed my knee into his face when he tried to get up.

He toppled over.

“Nice moves,” Granny cackled.

I removed Doss’s weapons belt and handcuffed him. “Anyone got some rope. I don’t feel like chasing him.”

“I do, ma’am.” A cute cowboy got off his horse and expertly hogtied Doss. “Your menfolk are heading this way.”

I looked up. Yep, along with about a dozen patrol cars and a bunch of worn-out livestock. This was going to get interesting.