On Lone Star Trail (34 page)

TJ shook his head. Keeping his voice as calm as if he were trying to coax a frightened animal out of a trap, he said, “Your car will never make it. I've heard about the roads out there. They're like those wagon train ruts I saw in Wyoming. We need a high-clearance vehicle or a motorcycle. Kate and Greg have gone out in their SUV and Eric's taken the truck, so that leaves my bike. I'm sorry, Gillian, but I don't see any alternatives. If you don't ride with me, your choice is to stay here.”

And that was no choice at all. “I can't do that. I don't know what Brianna will do if she sees you. She trusts me. At least I think she does.”

His eyes serious, TJ laid his hand on Gillian's and squeezed it. “I guess the question is whether you trust me. I can't make any promises other than to do my best to keep you safe.”

There was no alternative. Gillian knew that. She stared at the helmet for a moment, then reached for it. “I trust you, TJ.” With her heart as well as her safety. “Let's go.”

A
fter her helmet straps were secured, TJ led Gillian to his motorcycle. Once she climbed onto the passenger's seat, he said, “You can lean back, or if you prefer, you can wrap your arms around my waist. You might feel more secure that way.”

She did. Feeling as if she'd somehow landed in the middle of a nightmare, Gillian hugged TJ's waist and leaned her face against his back, not wanting to see where they were going. But as TJ rode slowly out of Rainbow's End and up Ranger Hill, talking all the while, Gillian began to relax.

She'd told TJ she trusted him, and she did. He'd ridden thousands of miles without an accident before the day she'd met him, and that crash, he'd explained, had been the result of hydroplaning in the rain. There was no rain today, no reason to believe they'd have an accident. Instead, Brianna was in danger of making a serious mistake, and TJ was doing his best to help prevent that.

“Natalie'll be at the grocery store,” Gillian said as they entered Dupree. Fortunately, there were no customers waiting for checkout when Gillian and TJ entered the small store. Though
Natalie gave them a broad welcoming smile, the smile faded as Gillian explained about the note.

“I don't want to call the police yet,” she said, confirming Gillian's thoughts. “Let's see if we can find her and talk some sense into her. I'm going with you.” Natalie's face was haggard as she realized her worst fears were coming true. Brianna was repeating her mother's mistake.

Though his eyes radiated sympathy, TJ shook his head. “I'm not sure that would be a good idea. I think Brianna might respond better to Gillian.” When Natalie started to protest, TJ continued. “There are times when a neutral party is the best idea.”

Gillian looked around the store. Though no one was waiting for checkout, there were half a dozen people shopping. Natalie couldn't simply leave them, nor could she close the store without the manager's approval.

“Can you get someone to take over here? We'll call you as soon as we find Brianna,” Gillian promised. “Once we've gotten her away from Pete, you can pick her up. My guess is she'll need you then.” And she wouldn't want TJ and Gillian to listen to what her mother had to say. Gillian refused to consider the possibility that Brianna would refuse to leave the man she thought she loved. If everything went well, Brianna and her mother would be reunited within hours.

“We may have to meet you at the main road,” she told Natalie. “TJ doesn't think a sedan will make it all the way to the cabin.”

Natalie bit her lip, then glanced at the back of the store. “My boss has an SUV. He's running an errand, due back in half an hour.” Natalie gnawed her lip again. “When he hears what happened, he'll take over here and let me borrow the SUV.”

“Perfect.” TJ nodded his approval.

“What else can I do?”

TJ's answer was simple. “Pray.”

When they were back on the bike, Gillian expected TJ to
continue straight down Lone Star Trail to the highway. Instead, he turned left on Cypress. The reason for the detour was clear a few seconds later when they reached the construction site.

“I want to be sure Pete isn't here,” he explained as he dismounted. “It's unlikely, but he may have had a clearer head than Brianna and decided that eloping with a minor wasn't a good idea. He told me he had no intention of facing a felony charge.”

But there was no sign of either Pete or his truck.

“It must be Pete's day,” the foreman said when TJ asked to see him. “Everyone's looking for him. 'Fraid you missed him, though. He left early. Said his missus burned her hand real bad. He was gonna take her to the doctor.”

“His missus?” Though Gillian hadn't intended to say anything, the words tumbled out. She had had concerns about Pete's relationship with Brianna, but not once had she considered that he might be married. Did Brianna know that? Gillian doubted it.

The foreman nodded. “Never met her, but some of the other fellas say she's real nice. Got a baby due in a month or so.”

“Do you believe that?” Gillian asked as she and TJ headed back to the bike. She was still shocked by the thought of Brianna running away with a married man. A bad situation had just become worse.

“Do I believe that Pete's married and expecting a baby? I'm afraid I do.” TJ touched the back of Gillian's waist, a gesture designed more to comfort her than to help her onto the bike. It helped, but only marginally. Gillian didn't want to think about Brianna's reaction when she learned the truth about Pete.

TJ climbed onto the bike and started the engine. “I don't have a lot of trouble believing Pete's got a wife, but I don't imagine his wife called or that he went home to be with her. That sounded like an excuse to leave early with Brianna.”

Wrapping her arms around TJ's waist, Gillian leaned forward. “You don't think he married her, do you?”

“No. That was pretty farfetched from the beginning. Texas
has a three-day waiting period after you get a marriage license. From what you said, as of yesterday, Brianna was planning to attend the party tonight. That doesn't sound like she's got a marriage license in her pocket. Besides, she's underage. Natalie would have had to give her permission, and we know she didn't.”

“That's what I thought.” Though Gillian shuddered as they turned onto the highway, her shudder had nothing to do with being on a motorcycle. The fear she had of being so close to a reminder of her accident had dissipated, replaced by worries about Brianna. “Pete's planning to take advantage of Brianna's innocence.”

Gillian saw TJ nod. “I don't understand what changed, but I'm afraid so. Hang on now. We're going to go as fast as we can.”

Though she knew she'd have sore muscles tomorrow, Gillian found the ride wasn't as bad as she'd expected. It felt a lot like being on a bicycle, only much faster. The sound of the engine was somehow soothing, and the sensation of the wind on her face was pleasant. If their mission weren't so serious, Gillian realized she might have enjoyed the bike. As it was, she took comfort from being with TJ and working together to find Brianna.

The time went more quickly than she had anticipated, perhaps because TJ was paying little attention to speed limits. Once they turned off the main road, Gillian realized why he had insisted her car couldn't handle the route. Instead of smooth macadam, they were on a deeply rutted dirt road. While a high-clearance vehicle would have no trouble and a motorcycle could travel in one of the tracks, a sedan would have hung up.

The road, if it could be called that, led into a heavily wooded area, the cypresses so close together that they blocked the sun, making Gillian feel as if night had fallen. She tried not to shiver at the thought of what might be waiting for them at the end of the road. The love nest.

Gillian almost laughed at the sight of the cabin that had earned that name. Little more than a shack, it needed a good
coat of paint and more than a few roof shingles. A black truck was parked outside, and a light was on inside.

“That's Pete's,” Gillian confirmed as she saw the faded flag decal on the left rear bumper.

TJ parked the bike, then touched the truck's hood. “It's still warm,” he told Gillian as she attempted to regain her balance. Her legs were vibrating so much that she could barely stand. TJ put his arm around her. “That's a good sign. It means they haven't been here too long.”

“Thank God.” Perhaps the prayers she'd been offering as she and TJ raced down the highway had been answered. They might have arrived in time to save Brianna from a huge mistake. Gillian looked at the front door. “Do we knock? I'm not sure of the etiquette in situations like this.”

“Knocking never hurts.” But the knock TJ delivered was more like a pounding. “C'mon out, Pete,” he shouted as he gave the door another firm rap.

The door flew open, revealing a shirtless, barefoot Pete and Brianna dressed in a pale pink negligee that revealed more than it concealed. Gillian saw anger on Pete's face and shock on Brianna's.

The girl looked behind Gillian and TJ, as if expecting to see her mother. Gillian couldn't tell whether she was relieved or disappointed that there was no sign of Natalie. All she saw was Brianna gripping Pete's arm, clinging to him as if he were a lifeline.

“You got no business here,” Pete snarled. He brushed off Brianna's hand, then reached to the other side of the doorway to pull out a shotgun. Pointing the weapon at TJ, he said, “Better leave. You'll be sorry if you don't.”

“We're not leaving without Brianna.” Gillian kept her eyes on the would-be bride as she made the announcement. Though Brianna had said nothing, Gillian had seen the apprehension in her eyes when Pete grabbed the shotgun.

“She's here because she wants to be here. Right, sweetie?” Though the question was directed at Brianna, Pete's eyes remained focused on TJ.

Brianna bit her lip, nodded, then shook her head. “I'm not sure.”

That got his attention. “What do you mean you're not sure?” Pete swiveled his head to glare at Brianna. “You were mighty sure back in Dupree.”

To Gillian's surprise, TJ said nothing, nor did his posture reveal any fear, even though Pete had a weapon trained on him. He stood next to Gillian, apparently relaxed, one hand on the back of her waist, as if he knew she still needed support. Her legs no longer vibrated from the motorcycle, but her stomach felt as if it were tied in knots. Though she hadn't expected this to be a pretty scene, the shotgun turned ugly into terrifying. Gillian had read far too many accounts of injuries or worse when guns and tempers were involved. She had to get Brianna away from Pete.

“It's not too late, Brianna. You can leave now and put all this behind you.” Gillian infused her words with every bit of persuasion she possessed.

Brianna's eyes shifted from Gillian to Pete and then back to Gillian. “I don't know what I want. He promised we'd get married this afternoon, but we didn't.”

TJ took a step forward. Though there was nothing threatening about his action, Pete's grip on the gun tightened.

“It seems like both of you have been keeping secrets.” TJ's tone was conversational, as if it were normal for him to be facing a shotgun and a frightened teenager. Fixing his gaze on Pete, he said, “You probably thought this would be fun, but I don't imagine that a statutory rape charge is going to sit well with your pregnant wife.”

There was a second of silence as the words registered. Brianna reacted first. “Wife?” she squeaked, and her face turned
red. In that instant, she looked far younger than fifteen, and Gillian suspected that if Natalie were here, Brianna would have thrown herself into her mother's arms. Though Gillian longed to comfort her, Pete still blocked the doorway.

“Wait a minute.” For the first time, Pete's confidence seemed to shrink. “She said she turned eighteen yesterday.”

TJ snorted. “Then she lied. I don't know when her birthday is, but Brianna's fifteen.”

Pete slid the shotgun back on the rack, his face suddenly ashen. Gillian wouldn't be surprised to see him running to his truck in an attempt to get as far away from here as possible.

“Did he say wife?” Brianna stared at Pete, willing him to deny the accusation. “Is it true? Are you married? You're gonna have a baby?”

When Pete nodded, Brianna burst into tears and ran back into the cabin. It was time to act. Pushing her way past the burly man, Gillian entered the love nest. It looked like a cheap motel room, with a bed dominating one side and what was probably advertised as a kitchenette on the other. Though there was no stove, the kitchenette boasted a table with four chairs, a small cupboard, and a microwave-refrigerator combination.

Brianna stood in the middle of the room, staring sightlessly at the door. Trauma. Recognizing the symptoms, Gillian took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around Brianna.

“Where are your clothes?” she asked. The sooner she had Brianna properly dressed and out of here, the better. When Brianna nodded toward the bathroom but still seemed frozen in place, Gillian propelled her to the small room. “I'll be right here if you need me,” she said as the girl's trembling increased.

While Gillian stood outside the bathroom, TJ entered the cabin, forcing Pete to move aside. Though the man had not fled as Gillian had expected, he looked distinctly uncomfortable.

TJ kept his voice even as he addressed Pete. “I'm not sure whether Brianna's mother will press charges, but my advice is
to look for another job site. If you do, this may all blow over. If you don't, I'll talk to Drew Carroll and ensure that you're banned from his site and every other one within a hundred-mile radius.”

Pete clenched first one fist, then another, and for a moment Gillian feared he would hit TJ. Instead, he grabbed his shirt and headed for his truck. Seconds later, the sound of a powerful diesel engine filled the cabin.