Luke was just shoving the last bite of his
hamburger into his mouth, his face a picture of bliss. "Damn,
either that was fantastic, or I was starving."
"Probably both," she laughed and walked over
to sit on the bed beside him. She handed him his tea, then set the
pharmacy bag down and opened her lunch bag. Her stomach rumbled
loudly. "I know I am."
Careful not to spill on her bed, Cassie
unwrapped her chili dog and took a bite and moaned. "Mmm...this is
good," she said around her bite, and looked up at Luke. His eyes
were heated and he licked his lips.
"Stop that!" she said laughing, she knew
that look, and it always made her insides quiver.
Giving her an innocent look he said,
"What?"
"Looks like Cole is
really
liking the
scenery here in Phoenix."
"Oh, yeah? Not surprising, he's a hound
dog," Luke grumbled putting his hand on her thigh. "As long as he
ain't looking at your scenery, I don't care."
"He didn't even notice I was in the living
room a minute ago...neither did his new friend Detective
Roberts."
Luke hooted, "What the hell?"
"She came over to bring me the papers James
stole, and he came back with lunch..."
"And?" Luke asked and stole one of her
french fries to pop it in his mouth.
"From the minute his eyes latched onto her,
he was like a bird dog on point."
"Interesting..." Luke smiled at her then
said, "She was pretty cute."
Cassie grumbled and stuffed the rest of the
hotdog into her mouth then slugged him on the shoulder. "Hey!"
"Just sayin, darlin'..." he laughed
shrugging away from her. "But she's not nearly as cute as you are."
He helped her put her trash back in the bag, then pulled her to him
for a hug. "Not anywhere close."
Cassie snuggled into his chest for a second,
enjoying being held. "I have some things to do at the office this
afternoon. I'm meeting with Betsy, a Realtor friend, to talk about
selling her what's left of my business."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Well, the good thing is it hasn't hit the
paper, and hopefully I can keep that from happening, by getting
that money back in the bank fast. Sabrina said that James hasn't
been offered the plea deal yet...the D.A. is fighting to take it to
court."
He groaned, "Awww shit, I'm sorry,
darlin'."
"I'm going to call and talk to him. You
probably could too...."
"Get me his number, and I sure will. That
bastard James isn't going to keep me from getting you back to
Bowie," he growled and hugged her again.
"I'll call my lawyer too and see if he can
put some pressure on the D.A."
"Great idea," he said then asked, "You want
me to go with you to the office?"
"
No...
you are staying right here,
Luke...I've got this."
"I know you do, darlin', but...."
"No, buts, Luke. If you want to help you can
make that call to the D.A...I'm not gonna be gone long."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
It took a week more in Phoenix to get
everything settled. Luke's call to the D.A. convinced him to go
ahead and offer a plea deal to James, but it came along with a
hefty jail term. Sabrina said James' attorney had put the screws to
him to accept it, because he faced forty years in prison instead of
twenty, if it went to court and he was convicted.
Reluctantly, James took the deal. The final
result satisfied Cassie, but Luke still wanted to kick his ass
before they left town. She assured him that James would probably
get plenty of ass-kicking once he got transferred to where he was
going.
Her meeting with Betsy had worked out well,
although her friend was sad to see her leave, or so she said.
Cassie doubted that, because she had definitely been competition to
Betsy in the local market. Without hesitation, the woman had agreed
to her terms, and had even agreed to assume her building lease.
As for James' portion of the business, she
had her attorney filing a civil suit for damages against him, in
the exact amount of his interest in her business, plus court costs.
The attorney had wanted to go for more, but she thought it was
useless. James didn't have funds of his own, he'd been leaning on
her for years. After the suit was filed, she was going to have the
attorney contact James in jail and offer to settle with him by
signing over his part of the business to her.
When she met with Betsy, she'd also given
her the listing on her home. To Cassie's surprise the market value
turned out to have appreciated almost double since she'd bought it
five years ago. That's why she'd bought in an 'up and coming'
neighborhood, she had a feeling it would be a good investment, but
she'd never expected that much in so little time. Betsy assured her
it would sell quickly, and that she would be in touch soon.
The judge had released the money James had
stolen, and she closed out all her business and personal accounts.
She was walking away with a good amount to start her new life and
new business in Bowie. More than enough, she thought, and walked up
to load the last lamp in the back of the truck. The moving people
had loaded up most of her stuff in the moving van, but she'd kept a
few things to haul in the back of Luke's truck, so she would have
at least some things to get started while she waited the week it
would take her other things to arrive in Bowie.
When he wasn't out with Sabrina Roberts,
Cole had been a huge help. He'd packed boxes with her, moved things
around, and helped her keep Luke resting. Cassie was glad he'd come
to Phoenix, she couldn't have done all she had without his
help.
She thought Cole was glad he'd come too, or
he wouldn't have met Sabrina Roberts. It seemed like Luke's friend
really liked the lady detective. His sullen mood today, because
they were leaving, pretty much said it was true.
"That's it, I think..." Cassie said smiling
at him where he stood at the side of the truck on his cell phone.
If men pouted, he was as much in that mode as he could be. Cole
ended his call then grunted and stomped off to the house. She
giggled watching the big handsome man storm into the house.
Yep, he had it bad...and he'd given Luke
such hell about her, he deserved it.
Cassie had left one chair inside the house,
so Luke could sit there while they finished loading up. Walking
back inside, she saw Cole help him up then he yanked the chair from
under him.
"Hey, easy there..." she said breathlessly
as she went to Luke's side and took his arm. He didn't look any
happier than Cole. Oh, this was going to be a lovely ride back to
Bowie, she thought, sandwiched in between two men in a snit.
She had to do something to get their mood
improved, and fast. "I know a great BBQ place near the city
limits...let's get going so we can stop there on the way out."
Like little boys, both broke out in grins,
and her heart flip-flopped at the sight. "That's better....let's
go," she said and turned Luke toward the door. Cole brought up the
rear with the chair. She stopped at the porch and got a little
choked up when she closed the door of her little house for the
final time. She swallowed hard and put her key in to throw the
deadbolt, then sucked in a deep breath.
"You okay, sugar?" Luke asked with his hand
on her shoulder.
"Yeah, it just all hit me...I'm really doing
this," she told him putting her hand up on the door and leaning on
it.
He moved up behind her and put his arms
around her waist, then kissed the top of her head. "It's going to
be great, darlin'" he told her then leaned next to her ear and said
in a fierce whisper, "I love you, Cassie Bee."
"Would you two quit with the dramatics and
get your asses in the truck?" Cole spat behind them. Turning she
saw him standing there with his hands on his jean clad hips, his
lips pinched.
"Why don't you call Sabrina and have her
meet us at the Pig-in-a-Poke on Pima Freeway?"
Cole's eyes brightened, then his shoulders
slumped. "She was supposed to come by here before we left, but she
got a call. She probably won't be able to."
"You won't know until you call her...
so
do it
!"
He gave Cassie a wry grin and pulled his
cell phone out of his pocket, then dialed a number and turned his
back to walk toward the truck. She jumped a little when he whooped
loudly after he disconnected the call. Country boys and their
whooping, she'd never get tired of it. A grin spread over her face
when he turned back around to face them with a grin of his own.
"She'll meet us there."
Cassie snorted. "Thank, god...I don't think
I could have looked at your hang dog face for a thousand miles."
Luke put his arm around her and they walked to the truck and got
inside. Cole followed her directions to get to the interstate, then
put the hammer down once they merged into traffic. He looked like
he was definitely in a hurry to get to the Poke. But she knew it
wasn't the BBQ he was hurrying for.
"Slow down, Cole, what's on fire, other than
your breeches?" She teased him and he shot her a hot look.
She laughed enjoying needling him immensely.
This was going to be fun, she thought, and Luke elbowed her. Oh,
hell no, she wasn't done with him. "Think she'll bring her
handcuffs?"
He shot her another look, then his lips
flattened and he looked back at the road.
"Maybe you could let her check out
your...
gun
." Luke chortled beside her then put his hand on
her thigh and squeezed a warning.
Cole grated between his teeth, "You done
yet?"
"Not nearly, sugar...." she told him and
chuckled.
"Cut the shit, okay?" he demanded, pinning
her with glittering green eyes.
She held his gaze and then laughter
overflowed and she doubled over with it, and Luke joined in then
grabbed his side and groaned. She sobered immediately, "Sorry,
darlin', I'll be good."
Luke snorted. "Not likely...but I like it,"
he told her with humor still sparkling in his eyes.
It took them about twenty minutes to get to
the Poke, and they were inside at a round picnic type table with
delicious sweet teas in front of them, when Sabrina walked in.
Backlit by the bright sun outside, her skin practically glowed when
she came inside, and a halo formed on the top of her shiny hair.
The door shut behind her and she pulled off her mirrored sunglasses
then squinted and searched around the restaurant for them.
When he spotted her, Cole gasped then stood
up and smiled. Sabrina's face lit up when she finally saw him
across the crowded restaurant, then she wove her way through the
tables, without breaking eye contact with him. When she reached
them, he put an arm around her waist and she leaned up on her toes
and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Glad you could make it, darlin'," he
drawled and pulled out a chair for her beside him, then sat down
again himself.
"Me too--thank goodness it was just a
B&E and we got it wrapped up pretty fast," she looked up at him
and her gaze lingered a moment, then she dragged it away.
"Lots of excitement here in Phoenix...most
of my calls are about cattle in the road," Cole chuckled and waved
at their waitress.
"Too much excitement sometimes," she
admitted then huffed out a breath. "I'd almost welcome a cattle
call," she said laughing, then she looked over at Cassie. "Get
everything packed up?"
"Yeah, the movers finished up this morning,"
she said then took a sip of her tea. "We should be back in Bowie
sometime tomorrow night."
"You have any room for a stowaway in the
back of that truck?" her voice was teasing, but Cassie saw in her
eyes she was only half-joking.
"You're welcome down at my daddy's ranch
anytime...just call me. We've got plenty of room."
"That might be darlin' but you're going to
have a lot less real soon," Luke said close to her ear and flicked
the lobe with his tongue. She shivered, then looked at him.
"Oh...we haven't talked about that yet, have we?"
"No, but we have a thousand miles to work it
out," he said, and she knew they weren't going to be living apart
once they made it back to Bowie. And that was more than fine with
her. Either way, with her daddy, which would be more convenient, or
at Luke's cabin, they weren't going to be apart anymore.
"Even with you around, there will be plenty
of room for guests, darlin'," she told him and snuggled into his
shoulder, then kissed his cheek.
Cassie looked back at Cole and Sabrina and
saw them chatting quietly. The star struck look on Cole's face, as
he listed intently to whatever she was saying was pretty darn
cute.
"You have any vacation time coming, Bri?"
Cassie asked her. Sabrina had asked her to call her the shortened
version of her name the last time they talked.
The woman dragged her gaze from Cole's then
said, "I have about three weeks accrued. I have to plan thirty days
in advance if I want to take it. Why?"