Lone Star Diary

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She was suddenly glad she hadn’t been overly fashion-conscious when she’d changed out of her wet clothes earlier. She had been in a rush to get back downstairs so she’d grabbed loafers, a pair of stretch corduroys and a V-neck argyle sweater. Thank goodness it was a conservative outfit that said, This isn’t a date. And it certainly isn’t, she reminded herself. It’s more like an act of pity…on his part.

But what shone in Luke’s eyes now was not pity.

She avoided his gaze by smiling up at Nattie Rose Neuberger, who skated by with a tray of blue-plate specials and big eyes at Luke.

The waitress, a buddy of Robbie’s and notoriously nosy, was back in a flash. She had big, bottle-blond hair and party-bright makeup. Nattie Rose had been dark-haired in high school. Frankie wondered if a woman who was really a brunette under all that bleach still got to have more fun.

She censored herself for such catty thoughts. Was that another warning sign of bitterness? According to rumor, Nattie Rose had two beautiful daughters and a husband who was loyal as an old hound dog. Frankie had neither. Her sister Robbie liked Nattie Rose, and had found the woman a faithful ally during her recent trials. Frankie planned a big tip as penance for her petty thoughts.

“Well, hi, Frankie,” Nattie Rose chirped. “How’s things going over at the new store? I haven’t seen Robbie in a while.”

“Things are coming along really well, thanks.”

“You all have about got everything all cleaned up from the fire, then?” Nattie Rose snapped open menus and placed them in their hands. “That Robbie doesn’t let anything get her down, does she?” The waitress filled Frankie’s water glass from a sweating metal pitcher. “Did Robbie and Zack set the wedding date yet?”

“No, but it’ll be very quiet, as soon as the bluebonnets bloom.”

“Oh, I can understand that. There’s been enough gossip about those two already. Just family then?”

“I’m not sure how Robbie is going to do it. Uh…let’s see.” Frankie pretended to read the menu, not sure if her sister was going to invite Nattie Rose or not.

“The Darlin’s dee-licious tonight, o’ course.” Nattie Rose turned a hundred-watt smile on Luke as she poured water in his glass. “How do I know you, mister?”

“This is Luke Driscoll. Luke, this is Nattie Rose Neuberger. A friend of my sister’s.” Frankie offered belated intros, but was not going to play Nattie Rose’s game. If you engaged her, she’d take any scrap of information and weave a whole tapestry out of it.

“Nattie Rose Kline, actually. Frankie hasn’t seen much of me since I got married. You the Texas Ranger?” Nattie Rose’s mascara-caked eyes studied him avidly.

Luke’s eyes crinkled with a hidden smile when he caught Frankie rolling hers. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Heard about the shoot-out over there at Zack’s place.”

Frankie couldn’t imagine why they even bothered to print their pitiful little newspaper in Five Points. Here was Nattie Rose Live, ready to report. “Nattie Rose, could we have a couple of Oceans while we make up our minds?”

“Oceans?” Luke’s eyebrows raised in question.

Frankie grinned. “Iced teas big enough to drown your troubles.”

Luke shrugged. “When in Rome.” After Nattie Rose shot off he said, “She seems pleasant enough.”

“The town tattletale.”

Luke studied the waitress’s back at the tea station. “That might come in handy actually.”

Frankie thought it interesting, and admirable, the way he stayed focused on his job above all else.

“Just don’t channel anything to her that you don’t want the entire Hill Country to know.” Frankie kept her voice low.

His glance ticked sideways. “Incoming.”

Nattie Rose swooped back to the booth with two monster glasses of iced tea with lemon slices already squeezed in.

“Thank you, honey,” Frankie said, her inflection intentionally west-Texan. “I’d like the fried catfish. And this brave gentleman wants to try the Darlin’.” She handed over the menus.

But Nattie Rose didn’t take them just yet. She crossed her arms under her broad bosom and said, “This town has gone straight to hell, you know?” She shook her head sadly. “First it’s a couple of arsons and now it’s shoot-’em ups out in the hills. Is there any rhyme or reason to this crime wave?”

Luke’s eyes got that squint again. Frankie was getting used to it. Starting to like it, in fact.

“Can’t say, ma’am.”

Frankie liked the way he could speak the truth yet reveal absolutely nothing.

“But that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To figure out why those Mexicans wanted Danny Tellchick dead. I hear you work over in Austin, specializing in nasty crimes.” Nattie Rose’s curious gaze traveled over to Frankie. “Or are you in town for other reasons?”

“Right now he’s here to eat.” Frankie shot her a bright smile that said, Off with you now, sweetie.

Nattie Rose reverted to being the congenial waitress. “You’re gonna want some of Parson’s Texas cream pie for later.”

“When in Rome.” Luke really did have a very charming smile.

“I’ll save you a big old slice.” Finally, Nattie Rose snatched up the menus and left.

Frankie wasted no time in starting her questions. “Did the sheriff apprehend those men?”

“Three of them. They’re down the street in the jail.”

“But the fat one?”

“No. Texcoyo’s on the loose.”

She released a disappointed breath.

Luke reached across the table and, very naturally, covered her hand with his big warm one.

Frankie automatically curled her fingers through his. She needed the contact. For all kinds of reasons.

“You can bet the farm on this.” He squeezed her fingers. “I will get that one.”

She nodded and leaned forward. Next question. “Any idea who it was they shot out there?”

“No. And the body’s gone.”

Frankie released his hand. “Gone?”

“The Coyotes probably moved it when they went to their vehicles.”

“Well for heaven’s sake, did the sheriff’s deputies look in the caves?” Frankie could not believe she’d gotten herself mixed up in such a mess. And she couldn’t believe that she wouldn’t back out now for the world. Because of him, she was sure. The man was just too fascinating.

He removed his Stetson and tossed it on the seat beside him, as if settling in for a long talk. He swept his dark, salt-and-pepper-tinged hair back. His forehead was high, a receding hairline, which did absolutely nothing to detract from his attractiveness.

“They found plenty of blood on the rocks,” he explained, “but no trail leading into the caves. I suppose it’s plausible that the guys who got away could have loaded him into one of the vehicles. The deputies took lights and looked in as far as they could. But it will take experienced spelunkers to get down that shaft. Caves are tricky. You could hit a streamway—a hole with another vertical shaft that drops to underground water—and fall hundreds of feet before you finally hit water and drown.”

Frankie nodded. These were the same dire warnings her parents had always given about the caves.

“But my guess is it’s going to take some doing to get this local sheriff off the dime and authorize hiring cavers.”

“Why, for heaven’s sake? A crime has been committed!”

Luke calmed her with a raised palm. “He’s going to act like it’s useless to pursue the activities of Coyotes,” he said quietly.

“Is this what you meant by local law enforcement dropping the ball? What is this thing you do in Austin, this special unit?”

“It’s called the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team.”

“Unsolved crimes?”

“Murders, mostly.”

“Like the girl on the border?”

“The list seems to be growing around here.”

The image of the man being shot flashed into Frankie’s mind and she closed her eyes to shut out the horror. “I have witnessed a murder.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She gulped her tea.

“Listen, Frankie.” He leaned across the table, his hand almost touching hers again. “I’m placing you and your family under my protection. I don’t know what the connection is yet, but too many leads come back to the McBrides, or to that land out there, for me to ignore it.”

“Surely you don’t think my family is mixed up in any of this?”

“No. I’ve checked you out. Your father’s side has been farming in this area since the pioneer days. Your mother was a Hess, German immigrant stock.” He continued a litany of facts.

“You and your two sisters were raised like boys on that farm out there, singing in the church choir and babysitting for the neighbors. You, the oldest sister, married a doctor right out of nursing school.”

Frankie rolled her eyes at that one. Would that she hadn’t.

“Your middle sister, Robbie, who was widowed when her husband died in a barn fire last spring, has three boys and a new baby. Your youngest sister, Markie, gave a child up for adoption when she was seventeen, and went on to become a wildcat political consultant. Now the story gets interesting. She recently married congressman Kurt Kilgore’s son Justin, right after the two of them were reunited with their full-grown son. They’ve set up house, running that place out there.” He jerked his head in the general direction of the Light at Five Points. “And ever since they’ve had a little bad blood with Congressman Kilgore.”

“He doesn’t approve of Justin’s work,” Frankie confirmed. “He didn’t even come to their wedding.”

“Funny how the congressman keeps cropping up in this deal.”

“He’s not one to be messed with.” Frankie’s voice grew quiet.

“Neither am I.” Luke’s was quieter.

Frankie’s eyes widened. Was this guy really willing to go after Kurt Kilgore? The congressman had a reputation. A mean one.

“I like to get to the bottom of things.” Luke was still looking at her levelly. “There’s a little more about you.”

“Me?” Frankie quailed at the idea that this investigator had looked into her background. Although there was nothing to hide, unless you counted Kyle’s indiscretions, damn him.

Kyle was no longer her problem, she reminded herself. And because he’d broken their covenant, she felt free to be with the man sitting before her. A Texas Ranger. One who’d checked her out. She should have known.

Somehow she’d imagined they’d get acquainted in the normal way. That is, a little at a time, with each of them conveniently hiding the parts of their lives that were less than flattering.

“I assume you and the successful surgeon are splitting up on account of he’s a sneaky creep who’s been boinking his little nurse.”

“Oh. That.”

“Yes. And a few other useless details. You happen to be a nurse, too, but you haven’t practiced in a clinical setting in years now. You buy a new Mercedes every three years. You spend more money on your poodle than most people do on their kids.”

Frankie’s cheeks, inexplicably, burned. Maybe it was the way he’d just thrown out Kyle’s affair so casually. Or maybe it was the implication that she lived the life of a spoiled rich woman. What business was it of his how much money she spent on her pet? But she supposed it would sound really lame to explain that little Charm had health issues, that the steroids to treat the poodle’s grass allergy alone cost a fortune. What was she supposed to do? Let the poor little thing scratch her hide off? “Do go on,” Frankie allowed herself a haughty tone. Or was it defensive?

“You hire an illegal alien as a housekeeper, another to cook, another as a gardener. And you always pay them in cash.”

Now Frankie’s cheeks really burned. “How did you find out such a thing?” She hoped her tone still sounded haughty. Surely he couldn’t have delved into her medical records, the miscarriages, the counseling.

“I can find out where you go to church, the name of your country club, where—and when—you drop your dry cleaning, how many long-distance calls you make, and how you spend your nights. But relax. You are boring, lady. Nothing in your background is germane to this case.”

“Well, that’s a disappointment.” Now Frankie’s tone was sarcastic.