Chapter Thirty-Two

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

T HE DAY H OLDEN ' S lawyer called to say that Elaine was being released after Holden had posted bond, his ranch manager, Deacon Yates, asked if he could pick her up.

"I'd appreciate if you'd let me do it," Deacon said, turning the brim of what appeared to be a new Stetson in his fingers and staring at the floor.

Holden looked at the man in surprise. Deacon, who was close to Elaine's age, was dressed in his Sunday-best jeans, sporting a corduroy jacket and an agate bolo tie. His sandy-blond hair had been reined in, and his boots were freshly polished.

For a moment, Holden was at a loss for words. He studied him, seeing himself in the man. He'd been that bashful young man around Charlotte when they were teens, so smitten that he couldn't rope two words together.

"Sure," Holden managed to say. "Doctor told me to take it easy." It wasn't true, and he figured Deacon knew it, because he nodded as he raised his gaze.

"Thought she might be hungry. Might want to go to the café. But after that, I'll bring her straightaway."

"No hurry. Let her enjoy being free for a while," Holden said. His lawyer had told him that Elaine probably wouldn't do any time. Charlotte either. With luck, they would get a hefty fine and community service since this was their first brush with the law.

"Dixon said he knew things about Charlotte and was going to talk unless he was paid off," Holden's attorney told him. "When Elaine had tried to throw him out of the house, he'd decided he wasn't going without something for his troubles."

That Elaine had fought the man off didn't surprise Holden. What hurt was that, like the kidnapping, this was something else he'd brought on the people he loved. It all came back to him.

He'd sworn then that he'd do everything he could to make sure Elaine didn't get any jail time. Same with Charlotte, if she would let him. He would use his money and his power—just as he always had. But this time for good, he told himself. From now on, only for good.

Apparently, Birdie Malone, the deceased man's daughter, had asked for leniency for both women.

"Thanks," his ranch manager said with a grin and left, a hop in his step, leaving Holden smiling and at the same time a little sad. He missed that old sensation that Deacon was feeling and wasn't sure he could ever get it back again.

E LAINE EMERGED FROM the back of the sheriff's department, stopping to squint in the bright sunlight. She'd expected to see one of the McKenna Ranch vehicles, probably Holden's SUV. Instead, there was one of the ranch pickups, and it wasn't Holden leaning against it.

She glanced around for a moment, wondering why Holden had sent his ranch manager. Her gaze returned to the ranch pickup and the cowboy standing next to it. She saw something cross Deacon Yates's face. Disappointment, embarrassment? Some of both. Her heart clenched. She would never want this man to feel either of those.

Smiling, she headed toward him. As she did, the ranch manager removed his hat and slowly raised his eyes to hers. Surprised to see him, she didn't even have a moment to consider what he was doing here or what he might say when she reached him.

"I came to see if I could be of help," he said in his soft-spoken way. She'd known the man since the day he was hired back when they were both in their teens. He'd always been respectful but shy. A man who would have walked on hot coals for Holden. Like her, he loved the McKenna Ranch.

She couldn't help but smile at the sincerity in his expression. "Deacon, that is very nice of you, but I'm not sure there is anything that can be done."

She was touched the ranch manager wanted to help, but at a loss to see how.

"If it's money you need—"

"No," she said quickly. "Holden..." She didn't continue. You didn't tell one man that another man had already taken care of it. "You came to pick me up. Thank you."

"I thought after being in jail that you might be hungry. The café special today is a barbecued pork sandwich. Didn't know how you felt about that."

Her smile widened. "I would love one, thank you."

He nodded, smiling too, as he hurried around to open the passenger-side door of the pickup. She climbed in and watched him run around to slide behind the wheel. She'd never seen him nervous before. He knew his job on the ranch, was good with the horses as well as the livestock and worked hard, confident in his abilities.

As he started up the engine, she took him in, seeing how he was dressed. She caught the scent of his aftershave and had to smile to herself. This hadn't been Holden's idea, she realized. This was a...date?

She couldn't remember the last time she went on one. It had been years. She'd told herself that she was too busy at the ranch, that she had everything she needed in her friendship with Holden. But looking at Deacon, she was touched.

They talked about the ranch and the people they knew in common during their lunch. Deacon relaxed, and so did Elaine. The ranch manager could be charming, funny, too. She couldn't remember a lunch she'd enjoyed better and said as much to him on the way to the ranch.

"I wish I could help you more," he said. "I know Holden got the best attorney money could buy for you. I did have something else in mind." He cleared his throat and glanced over at her. "You could tell the sheriff that I was the one who killed Dixon. That you were covering for me."

She stared at him, stunned. That he would take the blame for murder for her... "Deacon—"

"Elaine, you're always doing for others. I'd do anything for you."

She reached over and touched his arm. "I can't tell you how much that means to me. Thank you, but no. It's going to be all right no matter what happens."

He grew silent for a few minutes. "I know I'm not your first choice."

Her heart ached. "Deacon, you're any woman's first choice if she got to know you. Promise me that when all of this is over, we'll spend some time together," she said. He glanced over at her in surprise. She nodded, smiling. "I'd love to go on another date with you."

He blushed to the roots of his hair but said nothing as he drove. After a few minutes, he said, "I'd like that. I've wanted to ask you out for years, but..." He shrugged and glanced at her, then back at his driving. "I thought you might be in love with Holden."

"We're just friends. You know he's never really loved anyone but Charlotte. I've been trying to get them back together for years."

He was surprised to hear that, and it showed in his expression. He seemed less nervous, more like the capable ranch manager he was. "So maybe...you and I..."

"I don't see why not."

"I'd wait for you to get out of jail."

She thought of Deacon being there when she was released. "I'm not going to hold you to that, but I would love it if yours was the first face I saw."

He grinned over at her. "Count on it."

"In the meantime, while I'm out on bail, maybe we could go for a horseback ride together."

"'Speck we could," he said.

"All this time we've known each other, I realize we don't know much about each other," she said.

"Not much interesting to tell on my end."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," Elaine said. "It's too bad we're just now getting to know each other. I could probably use a few letters while I'm locked up."

"I could do that, though I wouldn't say much for my penmanship."

"Don't worry. Bet I won't have any trouble reading your letters."

He looked over at her. Their gazes locked for a moment.

"You have beautiful brown eyes, Mr. Yates."

H OLLY J O WAS glad to run into Gus one day in Powder Crossing. He was outside the feed store, kicking rocks in the alley, no doubt waiting on his father. She was waiting on Elaine, who was running errands.

"Hey," she said as she approached him.

He brightened at once, then dipped his head shyly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Being kidnapped was nothing." She definitely didn't want to talk about it. "So, how about you?"

Gus looked up and shrugged. "I was afraid Tana had taken you."

She shook her head. "I would have gotten away from her without any trouble," she boasted, hating that her kidnapping was going to be the subject everyone wanted to talk about. "You should ask your dad if you can come over to the ranch and ride horses with me sometime."

"Sure," he said, although he didn't look like it was anything that was going to happen. He was peering at her now. She could feel the intensity of his gaze. "You seem different."

"Different how?" she asked, sincerely curious.

"You always were crazy brave, but now...it's like after what happened, you're not afraid of anything."

She wished that was true.

"No one is going to bully you ever again." He kicked another rock. It skittered across the alley and came to rest next to the supply store. "Maybe I need to get kidnapped."

She knew he was kidding, but she hated to hear him say it. "You're great just like you are," she told him. She didn't think he believed her.

She wasn't the only one who'd changed. Gus was getting taller. He looked stronger. She suspected he'd been working hard this summer at the ranch his dad managed. Soon he would be taller than his father.

On the way back to where Elaine had parked her SUV, Holly Jo spotted Tana and her group of friends coming up the sidewalk. For a moment, she panicked. She didn't want to see them, not now, maybe not ever. But they'd already seen her, and she wasn't about to let them think she was afraid of them.

Tana slowed as she approached, almost looking afraid to pass her on the street, even though her friends were with her. Holly Jo waited, unsure what was going to happen, feeling anxious, but almost curious.

To her surprise, the girl stopped and said, "Hi. Glad you're okay." Some of the others echoed her words in mumbles. "I like your short hair. It's cute on you."

Her hand went to her hair. She was still trying to get used to it. She realized it was the nicest thing Tana had ever said to her. "Thanks."

"Guess we'll see you in school. Summer is going way too fast. Sucks." More agreement from her friends.

Holly Jo nodded. "Sucks."

"Well, see ya around," Tana said, and with a little wave, she and her group walked away.

She watched them go, feeling thrown off balance. She'd understood the old Tana. This one confused her. When Elaine came out of the post office, she asked, "Those girls weren't giving you trouble, were they?"

"Nope." With that, she climbed into the SUV, leaned back and just breathed. Gus was right. She was different. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, but then realized she felt okay. The thought made her smile.

Elaine climbed behind the wheel, studied her for a moment, and then started the engine and headed out of town.