"So, I have to be about this close to use
it?" She asked with a little fear in her tone.
"Yep...but if that scares you I have bigger
handguns I could show you how to use. The problem is concealing and
carrying them...not to mention they kick like a mule, which affects
your accuracy."
"If I aim at someone, I want to hit
them...so I'll stick with this one."
Luke got behind her and showed her how to
hold the gun and how to balance her weight to help her accuracy.
Next, he showed her how to sight it, and then backed away and told
her to shoot one of the tins he'd set up.
The shot went wide and she stomped her foot
then lined up again and squeezed off another round. That one hit
the bottom edge of the pie plate. He walked back over and put his
arms around her to line up the shot and give her a few pointers on
doing it herself. He used his leg to shift her right leg a little
farther back than her left and told her to square up her
shoulders.
This time she hit the center of the plate,
and she squealed and pointed the weapon at the ground while she
bounced up and down. "That was fun."
Luke smiled at her, she was still the little
tomboy he remembered from way back when, the one who did her
damndest to outshoot, outride, and out fish every boy in town.
She'd done a damned good job of it too. "Good job, cupcake," he
told her then said, "Try to shoot that pie plate with two bullets
in a row."
He watched her adjust her stance a little so
she was still balanced and was holding the gun properly. She lined
up her shot and then squeezed the trigger twice. Those shots hit
the pie plate a little below center and she looked over her
shoulder and gave him a wide smile.
"Perfect, sugar," he encouraged her then
took the revolver and reloaded it before handing it back and
telling her to move to her right and take five shots in a row at
that pie plate. She took her stance and squeezed off five shots
Three hit the lower edge of the plate, and the rest missed.
There's one more thing you need to know
about this kind of gun, sugar. It typically shoots low, so you
should aim a little higher than where you want it to hit. He
reloaded the gun for her one more time and told her to try
again.
This time Cassie put four bullets into the
plate just a smidge above center.
"Not bad for your first time," he said and
took the gun from her and put on the safety explaining the
mechanism to her.
He handed it back to her and then he walked
to the fence and lined up cans he'd picked up from the trash for
his turn. He walked off a much farther distance for his round then
told her to come stand behind him. Once she was safely behind him,
he grinned then turned and pulled his Sig and popped off seven
shots taking out every can with a single shot to the center in
rapid succession.
No, he hadn't lost it, he thought pleased.
When he turned back to her with a smile, he saw her bottom lip was
poking out and her arms were folded across her chest. "Show off,"
she said then her lips wobbled into a smile and she hooted. "Damn,
Luke...that was amazing."
"I went through the police academy sugar,
and I've had seven years of practice since then. I thought I'd be
rusty though, it's been a while."
"Well if that's rusty, I don't wanna see
sharp," she said and then asked him to reset the targets up so she
could try again.
Imelda was probably going to be pissed at
him for using all of her pie tins, he thought. Regardless of that,
he went and put up fresh targets for Cassie, reloaded the .38 and
gave it to her.
He'd buy more pie plates for Imelda, Cassie
needed the practice. "Try leaning into your target, see if that
helps." Luke showed her what he meant then stepped aside. "Start
with the gun at your side this time, then take your shots."
She lowered the gun down to side, then
lifted it taking five shots at the pie dish, four of them were
pretty close to dead center the other was just barely inside the
circle. "My arms are tired," she laughed then shrugged. "Guess I'm
a wimp."
"No, you're just not used to holding your
arms like that for so long, or the weight of the gun while you're
doing it, even though it's a light one. That's why we're
practicing, so you get used to it. You did good, honey."
Luke told her he was going to take a couple
more rounds at the targets and she stood back and watched him
intently. He knew she was watching what he was doing and taking
pointers from him. Cassie was a smart woman, a quick study, and
exceptionally determined when she wanted to master something. And
he was glad she wanted to master shooting the handgun he'd given
her. Knowing she wouldn't be defenseless if he wasn't around made
him feel better.
***
Tommy Tucker delivered Titan and the mares
on Saturday, and Cassie had been babying and loving them since they
got there. She'd made him ride Titan for her and then she worked
with him on some ground training. They all tried to bury themselves
in getting the new horses settled, and the final wedding
preparations made, so they didn't have to think about what was
hanging over their heads. James Barton was still on the loose.
As the week progressed though, and the
chores with the horses dwindled, and all the wedding plans were in
place, everyone at the Double B was edgier than rabbits in a
foxhole.
Cole had gotten the restraining order
against Barton, not that a piece of paper would stop a bullet, but
at least it let the world know that he was a threat to Cassie. And
it gave Luke more justification if he had to wind up shooting
him.
They'd talked to Sabrina off and on all week
and she was frustrated because she didn't have any leads on James
yet, and Cole was frustrated because Sabrina wasn't in Bowie yet.
Her flight was scheduled to arrive tomorrow at noon in Dallas, and
Cole was going to pick her up at the airport.
Luke laughed thinking of how strung out Cole
was over Sabrina. It was great to sit back and watch his friend go
through the same torture he'd endured with Cassie. Cole had given
him hell over Cassie, and payback was a bitch.
"Hey, darlin', hand me another biscuit,
please," Luke asked staring over at Cassie who was pushing her eggs
around in her plate, but not really eating them. She looked up and
handed him the plate of biscuits, a worried frown pinching between
her eyes.
Luke grabbed one from the plate and put it
on his plate, then wiped his hands on the napkin in his lap.
"What's wrong, sugar?"
"I'm just worried that weasel is gonna ruin
our wedding..." she told him and then looked back down at her
plate.
"Honey there will be so much firepower at
that wedding, I find it unlikely he has the balls to try it." Luke
had arranged for seven armed uniformed deputies on security, as
well as a few fed friends he'd made during his term as Sheriff, not
to mention he planned to wear his own his own 9mm. But he wasn't
going to tell his lovely bride that.
"I just hate that it has to be that way.
We're supposed to be happy and carefree, not on edge and armed to
the teeth."
Luke shrugged, "This is Texas, darlin'
weddings always call for shotguns," he grinned at her. "I'm sure
your daddy will have his handy."
She threw back her head and laughed, and the
sound eased some of his tension. God, he loved hearing her laugh.
He planned to make sure she had plenty to laugh about for the next
fifty or sixty years.
"I'm sure he will...wants to make sure you
don't run out on his pregnant daughter," she told him and laughed
again.
"Darlin', the only place I'll be running is
down that aisle to meet you and our baby."
Cassie smiled and pushed back her chair then
came around to sit on his lap and wrap her arms around his neck.
She tasted his mouth, licked a crumb from the corner, then traced
that talented tongue of hers across the seam before she sealed her
mouth to his and kissed the stuffing out of him. Pulling back from
him, she whispered near his lips, "I love you, Luke Matthews. Thank
you for making me laugh."
Luke squeezed her to him, thanking God that
she was going to be his after all these years. In two days, she'd
be his wife, after ten years of waiting. All the wrong women he
dated since she left Bowie had just been distractions, a way to
bide his time until she came back to Bowie, and back to him. As mad
as Luke had been at her, his heart knew what it wanted, and it had
wanted only Cassie Bellamy--
and always would
.
***
Cassie sat on the porch swing, waiting
impatiently for the dust cloud on the driveway to clear so she
could see how close Cole's SUV was to the house. Luke sat beside
her with his arm slung negligently over the back of the swing
behind her. It irritated Cassie that she was a ball of nerves
today, and Cole was cool as a cucumber. He still had his gun
strapped to his shoulder, but he acted like it was just another
accessory, like the leather belt he wore daily. Her accessory was
worry that James would somehow mess up the most important day of
her life.
Although the weapon and holster actually
looked kind of hot on Luke, Cassie was more concerned with the
reason he was wearing it than how it made him look. James Barton
still had not been apprehended and her wedding was tomorrow.
Sabrina had handed off the job of
apprehending him and had caught the plane from Phoenix to Dallas
early this morning, so she could be in the wedding. Cassie was
grateful, but secretly wished she'd stayed in Phoenix and kept
looking.
Cole pulled up to the house and shut off the
car, then Sabrina slid out of SUV and saw Cassie. Cassie stood up
then ran down the steps and across the yard with her arms open and
Sabrina flew into them and they danced around in circles, finally
stopping to look at each other. Luke eventually sauntered up to
stand right behind her. "I'm so glad you finally made it," Cassie
grinned widely. "I have so much to tell you."
"I wish I had more to tell you," Sabrina
said then frowned.
"It's not your fault, Bri...you did the best
you could. If he shows up here, Luke will take care of him." She
tossed a thumb over her shoulder at Luke pointing to his very
visible holster and gun.
Sabrina's eyes lit up and she leaned around
Cassie to take a better look, "P228--nice!" she said and grinned at
him.
"Good eye detective," Luke said and gave her
a wink and a big sexy grin.
Cole grumbled under his breath, then walked
up beside Sabrina and dropped an arm on her shoulders. "Don't you
ladies have somewhere to be?" he asked gruffly and gave Luke a
stare.
"Oh yeah, we need to get to the bridal shop
for our fitting. Let me go get my hat and boots, I'll be right
back," Cassie said then took off running for the house. She ran up
the stairs and grabbed the boxes and her purse, then at the last
minute stopped to put the .38 sitting on the dresser in her purse.
Luke wasn't going with them to the fitting, so she thought it was a
good idea.
She ran back outside and smiled at Luke,
"Give me the keys, sugar," she said and held out her hand.
He immediately shook his head, "Nope, I'm
driving ya'll there."
Anger surged up inside of Cassie and she
stomped her foot. "No, you sure
are not
! It's bad luck for
you to see me in the dress before the wedding."
His face reddened and he moved a little
closer to her then said, "It would also be bad luck for the bride
to get shot before the wedding. I'm going, end of story."
Cassie looked at Sabrina and Cole for
support, but neither of them stepped in. "Cole can drive us. He and
Sabrina are armed, and I brought the .38," Cassie told him and gave
him an I'm not budging stance.
"I have to get back to the station for a
little while," Cole said apologetically.
"My weapon is in my suitcase. I had to check
it, so I'll get it out," Sabrina said then walked to the back door
of the SUV and opened it to lean inside. When she came back to
them, she had a shoulder holster on like Luke's over her tight
white scoop neck t-shirt. "We can take the truck, Luke. It'll be
okay," she told him and set her suitcase on the ground beside
her.
He stared at her for a moment, then stared
at Cassie, before he finally reached inside his pocket and tossed
Cassie the keys. "You better be careful, cupcake," he told her in a
low worried tone.
"God, you'd think I was the only pregnant
woman in the entire world," Cassie said and then walked up to him
to stand on her tip toes and kiss his unsmiling mouth. "I'll be
careful."
"Park next to the store, and go right in,
don't loiter outside," he ordered and jerked her roughly against
him. "If you see someone following you, come back here or go to the
Police station, don't stop. The truck is full of gas, so you don't
even have to stop for that. Go there and come right home."
"Jesus, Luke, you need to write all that
down," she laughed then tweaked his nose. "We'll be fine, darlin'
don't worry."
"You got an extra magazine for your weapon,
Bri?" He asked seriously then looked over at her friend.