Ryelee's Cowboy (21 page)

“She means…” Ryelee
started.

“No translation necessary. I speak
kid-speak.”

Ryelee laughed. “Let’s wash up and get
started.”

* * * *

Jimmy had been right—Ryelee looked
awful. She really had popped, which was a good sign for the baby,
but the dark circles and an overall look of weariness concerned
him. A pregnant woman should be glowing. Ryelee was too
pale.

Clint hoped Rheenie was all right. He
couldn’t seem to get the two of them out of his mind. He tried to
push thoughts of Ryelee away, but they persisted. He couldn’t trust
her, and that was that. Mostly he wished none of it had happened
and she was safe in his bed every night. He looked at his watch. He
still had some work he could do, but he’d better go relieve Ryelee.
She needed her rest.

Clint walked into the old ranch house
without knocking. No one ever knocked—the men just came and went.
He heard laughter in the kitchen, and when he got there, he felt
pole axed. Music blared out of the radio, and Rheenie was smiling
and clapping. The next thing Clint noticed was Ryelee in McKeegan’s
arms, dancing the Texas two-step. Hell, he’d never even danced with
her.

Rheenie spotted him first. She ran up
to him expecting him to lift her up, which he did. “Look, Daddy!
Momma is dancing with Jimmy!”

It barely registered to Clint that
Rheenie was talking again. All he could see was Ryelee in Jimmy’s
embrace. “Well, isn’t this cozy,” he said as he stared Jimmy
down.

“We were just having a bit of fun,”
Ryelee said quietly.

“Well, it isn’t fun for me to see my
wife with another man. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. I knew
McKeegan had his eye on you!” He immediately felt like a heel for
yelling when Ryelee turn pale.

Rheenie chastised him. “Daddy, be nice
to Momma.”

Ellie rounded the corner. “Hey, what’s
going on here?” She hurried to Ryelee’s side. “Good Lord, Ryelee,
sit down before you faint.”

* * * *

Ryelee obeyed her and sat at the
kitchen table. So emotionally played-out, she couldn’t make sense
of what was going on.

“Does that mean you’re taking her
home?” Jimmy asked, his voice firm and challenging.

Clint snorted. “It’s obvious that she
has you.” He turned and walked out with Rheenie in his arms,
leaving Ryelee stunned. She sat very still, afraid that if she
moved or thought, she would break down. Val barked at the back door
and Jimmy let her in. She charged right to Ryelee’s side and put
her head in her lap. Ryelee petted Val’s golden head absently. She
didn't want to think.

She looked up and saw Ellie and Jimmy
both staring at her with compassionate frowns on their faces. She
gave them a half smile to reassure them. “I’m fine.”

“I shouldn’t have baited him like
that. I’m sorry.” Jimmy put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a
squeeze.

“It’s not your fault. He came in with
both guns blazing.”

“Well, he must still care. He seemed
jealous that we were dancing.”

Ryelee nodded and stood up. “At least
I got to see my daughter. I’m going to lie down for a
while.”

“Do you need anything?” Ellie
asked.

“Thanks, guys, but I’m
fine.”

Ryelee lay on her bed, her hands on
her stomach, feeling the baby move. She wondered if the divorce
would happen before or after her baby was born. Hers, not theirs,
not anymore. As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered what was to
become of her and her child.

Ryelee must have slept straight
through until morning. The sun was up, shining into her room making
it cheerful. Ryelee, however, felt anything but cheerful. She heard
people outside her room and wondered who it was.

She washed, dressed, and opened her
bedroom door. She sighed heavily when she saw Chief Bodin sitting
in the family room, drinking coffee with Jimmy.

“Hello, Chief.” She smiled at him. He
had always been so good to her. Her smile quickly faded when Chief
Bodin faced her. “What is it?”

“We caught Cletus last night, and he
had quite a story to tell about you. Sounds like a big whopper to
me, but I have to check it out. I hate to do this, sweetheart, but
I need to take you down to the station for questioning.”

Ryelee nodded. She could see how
painful it was for the Chief to have to take her away.

Jimmy stood up and turned toward her.
“I’ll do what I can.”

Ryelee stood straighter. “I can take
care of myself, Jimmy.” She softly touched his arm. “Thanks just
the same.”

Ellie entered the room, her face
splotchy from crying. “Oh, Ryelee, I just don’t know what to do.
I’m so upset about all this.” She turned to Chief Bodin. “You
should be ashamed of yourself. She’s pregnant, for crying out
loud!”

“I know, believe me, I know. Ryelee
and I go back a long ways. I’ll see that she gets fair treatment,”
he assured her.

Suddenly seized by fear, Ryelee asked,
“Will I be back here by tonight, or will I have to go to
jail?”

“I can’t make any promises. Let’s go
and get this over with.”

Ryelee tried to smile at everyone but,
on the verge of crying, she failed miserably. Val even came over
and nuzzled her. Slowly Ryelee followed Chief Bodin out of the
house. She got into the back seat of the squad car and looked out
the window glumly, wondering if she would ever be back.

Chief Bodin had been kind and
courteous to her, but she could tell by his eyes that he worried
for her. She must really be in trouble this time. Had her father
sold her out once again? No matter how much she tried to distance
herself from him, he still managed to cause her pain.

She was surprised to see Bubba
escorting Cletus into the interrogation room. No one mentioned her
father. Now she had an idea what had been said about her
involvement. Ryelee remained calm as she stared Cletus
down.

“We have enough evidence to put your
ass behind bars.” Bubba smirked at her. “Yes, we do. Do we ever. I
knew it. I knew it all along, and now you’re going down. That’s
right, down the river. Going to the pokey.”

“Bubba,” his uncle said with a note of
warning in his voice. “Give it a rest. We don’t know anything for
sure, and I haven’t interviewed Mrs. Maloney yet.” His scowl grew
bigger as he studied his nephew. “You are always going off
half-cocked.”

“Cletus here has told me the whole
story,” he shot back. “I have a good witness that says that Ryelee
Maloney masterminded not one but two thefts, and that equals a lot
of time in jail.”

Ryelee turned white. She figured Bubba
had made Cletus some kind of deal, and her disgust toward the
deputy grew ten-fold. Why he was so hyped-up to put her away, she
didn't know. She couldn’t understand why he would take the word of
her father and Cletus. It just didn't make sense.

“I’ll only talk to Chief Bodin,” she
insisted.

“You don’t make the rules around here,
thief.” Bubba seemed happy to inform her.

Ryelee looked at Chief Bodin.
Something didn't seem right, and from the Chief’s expression, she
realized he thought so too.

“Bubba, take Cletus and put him back
in the cell,” the Chief said.

Bubba grabbed Cletus by the elbow and
led him out into the corridor. Cletus could be heard saying, “You
promised.”

Chief Bodin closed the door and opened
his arms. Ryelee flew into them crying. “What’s going to happen to
me? Am I going to have my baby behind bars?”

He rubbed her back as he gently rocked
her back and forth. “Nothing like that is going to happen. I just
need you to tell me what you know.”

Ryelee pulled away and accepted the
Chief’s handkerchief. “I’ll cooperate in any way I can.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, holding the
chair out for her.

Ryelee gave him a watery smile. “I
wished more than once that I was your girl.”

He sat down across from her and held
her hand. “Me too, sweetheart, me too. Now tell me everything from
the beginning.”

Ryelee took a deep breath. She trusted
Billy Bodin. She told him the whole sordid tale, the threats from
her father, the way he blackmailed her into spying, and all of her
involvement. When she finally finished, he came over to her side of
the table, reached down for her, and gathered her to
him.

“Don’t you worry about a thing,
sweetheart. You’re in the clear. Do you want me to call
Clint?”

Ryelee shook her head sadly. “He threw
me out after Cletus approached him. That’s why I’m staying with
Ellie and the hands at the old ranch house. I keep thinking that
Burke and Annie will show up and throw me off the ranch. I betrayed
them, and I’m just sick about it.”

“I don’t see that happening, but my
house is always open. Sit tight for a minute, and I’ll arrange a
ride home for you.”

Ryelee gave him a grateful smile. She
put her elbows on the cold metal table and buried her face in her
hands, so exhausted that she couldn’t even think anymore. She did
feel as though the burden on her shoulders had lightened
considerably.

When the door opened a while later,
instead of Chief Bodin, Clint’s annoyed face appeared. “I didn't
expect to see you,” she said quietly.

“I didn't expect to be here. Come
on.”

Ryelee gaped at his scowling face. She
wasn’t glad to see him like this. “You can drop me off at the old
ranch house,” she said as she struggled to get into a standing
position.

“Not part of the plan.” He helped her
to stand. “Come on. I don’t have all night,” he bit off.

Ryelee didn't have the energy to talk
to him. She nodded and walked out the door in front of him. She
reached up and gave Chief Bodin a big hug and kiss, then she turned
and looked at Bubba with disgust. She continued walking, not even
looking back to see if Clint followed. When she got to his truck,
she could see him still talking to the Chief. The cool, sweet
smelling night air refreshed her, after being in that cold bare
room. Reaching up, she opened the truck door, but she felt unwieldy
as she tried to get in and almost fell out on her back. Her center
of gravity was so different with the baby inside her. Then Clint’s
hands gripped her hips, guiding her onto the seat.

He got in the truck and drove as
Ryelee stared out the window at the dark scenery passing by. There
was nothing left to say. He didn’t want her. He hadn’t even wanted
to come get her. Each slight, each hurt left her raw.

Clint parked the truck in front of the
house, her used-to-be house. To her dismay, all the lights were on.
She didn't want to face anyone, not tonight. He helped her down,
barely looking at her.

Rheenie came bounding out, and Ryelee
had to lean against the truck in order to remain standing. She
smiled and hugged her daughter. Clint picked Rheenie up, and Ryelee
noticed Annie and Burke standing on the front porch. She wanted to
crawl into a corner and cry. How could she face them?

Annie made it easy. She hurried down
the stairs and kissed Ryelee on the cheek. She put her arm around
her almost non-existent waist and guided her toward the
stairs.

Burke hurried down the steps and
lifted Ryelee into his powerful arms. He kissed her on the cheek,
carried her inside, and didn't put her down until he got to the
couch. Then he turned her facing him and hugged her. “Honey, we
don’t blame you in any way, shape, or form. We’re just glad you’re
home.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to be home too,”
she said softly.

“Well, we’ll take off. See you
tomorrow,” Burke said as he and Annie left.

“Mama, Mama. Are you really here to
stay?” Rheenie asked in a hopeful voice

Ryelee held her, but she didn't know
what to say. She looked at Clint, but his thunderous expression
didn't encourage her. Finally, he gave her a curt nod and went into
the study, closing the door.

“Yes, I’m here to stay. Let’s go to
bed.”

“Are you sleeping in daddy’s
bed?”

“No, honey, the baby might get hurt if
you father rolls on me by mistake.”

“Ohhhh,” Rheenie replied as though it
all made sense.

After getting Rheenie to bed, Ryelee
was tempted to go down to the study and talk to Clint. He probably
needed time, she thought as she got in her bed and fell fast
asleep.

* * * *

The next few weeks were awkward. Clint
barely said hello, and he almost never looked at her. It hurt, as
though her heart was in a vise most of the time. But she kept busy
with Rheenie. She had ordered workbooks for preschoolers. Rheenie
would be starting kindergarten in the fall, and Ryelee didn't want
her to be behind the other students.

It came as no surprise to Ryelee that
Rheenie was bright. She learned each lesson effortlessly. The only
time Clint smiled was when Rheenie showed him her work. He couldn’t
help being the proud daddy. Maybe he couldn’t help being the cold,
aloof husband.