Gambling On A Dream. Sara Walter Ellwood

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СКАЧАТЬ “Someone supposedly saw him near the murder scene.”

      “We’ll have to question him.”

      She sat behind her desk again and sipped the strong, hot coffee. “Yeah, I know.”

      “I thought he was living out on the M bar C. How’s he doing these days?”

      “Yeah, he’s living there.” She set her favorite bright green mug on the desk and shrugged. Would he recognize it as the one he’d given to her on her thirtieth birthday? She wasn’t sure if she was happy or disappointed when he glanced at it, and his face showed no signs of recognition. “You know Talon. He’s always been a loner. He’s more so since coming home.”

      “Prison will do that to a person.”

      Talon’s life had never been easy. Their mother married Dawn’s father when Talon was only a baby. Her dad had wanted to adopt him, but Talon’s biological father wouldn’t allow it. Jock Blackwell had insisted Talon carry his name, but he never was a father to Talon, or his other three illegitimate sons for that matter. Her dad had tried his best with Talon, but he’d rebelled early and gotten himself into trouble on a regular basis. Her father always got him out of the misdemeanor stuff--except he hadn’t been able to get him out of the bogus drug charges he’d racked up two years ago in Amarillo.

      The day Talon graduated high school, he’d left home to ride the rodeo circuit, until he was thrown from a bull and nearly killed six years ago. He’d moved home to recover, and this time his father wanted to spend time with him. Dawn suspected Jock had wanted to gage his youngest son’s intentions. Of all his sons, Talon was the only one who hadn’t ever cared about getting his hands on Blackwell Ranch. After a few months, Talon and Jock seemed to form some sort of relationship. Then one day, Talon had ridden out over the pasture of his father’s ranch and discovered Jock dead. Her bother never talked of the sight, but it had to have been gruesome. Jock had died from a head injury and lain in the July heat and elements for three days.

      She shook her head at the thoughts. “You don’t honestly believe Talon would do or sell drugs, do you?”

      Wyatt sipped his black coffee from the Styrofoam cup as if considering his response. “All I know is no one truly decides to be an addict. You know that.”

      She stared at the coffee in the mug clutched between her hands. “Talon swore in his trial the coke had been planted on him to keep him from competing in the rodeo. I believe my brother, Wyatt. Talon has always been a hothead and a roughneck, but he has never been an addict, dealer--or a murderer.”

      “We still have to talk to him.”

      She let out a long breath, sagging with the exhale, and nodded. Wanting to change the subject, she asked about his younger sister. “How’s Rachel? I heard she came home the other day.”

      “Rachel’s home, but having a tough time.”

      “I’ll have to come over and visit her.” She and Rachel McPherson had been friends in school. But they’d grown apart as high school friends do. Dawn went off to the police academy in Austin, while Rachel went to the University of Texas, graduating as a registered nurse. She ended up joining the Army, being commissioned, and was deployed to Afghanistan. This last deployment had been her third time over there, and it would also be her last. She’d been shot multiple times and had lost her lower leg.

      The damned war. Post traumatic stress disorder had screwed up Zack in a big way. He’d all but been an alcoholic, and she believed if it hadn’t been for his little girl, he would’ve put a bullet in his own head after his wife died. His depression, and her fear that he’d go off the deep end, had been what convinced her to talk him into running for sheriff after her father retired, instead of running for the office herself.

      “I just wish there was something I could do.” He sipped his coffee and shook his head. “Yesterday, after I brought her home from the Waco VA hospital, Audrey showed up. I love my twin, but I wish she would stay away for a little while. Rachel seemed more depressed after Audrey left, and of course, that upset Mom.”

      “Was Lance there too?” What a mess. Lance Cartwright was the last person Rachel needed to see right now.

      She understood Rachel’s pain. Nothing worse than being thrown away by a man you loved. Dawn had taken a bullet for Wyatt, costing her their baby’s life. He left her the moment he discovered she’d been pregnant. Like she’d always feared he would, which had been exactly why she hadn’t told him.

      “No, he had the good sense to stay away.” Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck. “But my mother thinks everything will be fine and dandy if they all make up. She’s planning a huge dinner Sunday and invited Lance and Audrey over.”

      Dawn let out a breath and hugged her mug between her hands, hoping the warmth would take away her sudden chill. “Damn. I mean… This has to be brutal for Rachel. Doesn’t your mom realize how she must feel?”

      Not only was Rachel now sterile after being shot in the gut, but there was a time she loved Lance before her sister stole him away by seducing him.

      “I think Mom’s in denial. She wants all of us to get along.”

      When he looked up, the love for his sister shining in his eyes twisted her heart. He’d always been there for his sisters, but he hadn’t stuck by her when she needed him.

      “My baby sister can’t take much more, and without her friends, I’m afraid for her.”

      She nodded, but her friend’s welfare wasn’t what had her reeling; it was the man she had once loved.

      Chapter 2

      Dawn paced the length of the conference room. The tapping of her boots echoing through the room only served to grate on her nerves as much as the kooky bird sounds emitting from Wyatt’s phone. The familiar scents of burnt coffee and lemon furniture polish made the oppressive air somewhat tolerable.

      She stopped only to start up in her restless movement again as she and Wyatt waited for Chet and his brother-in-law to show up. Wyatt leaned against the large wall map of Texas at the end of the room and stared down at his iPhone.

      She ignored him, or at least tried to. But ignoring him was as easy as pretending the conference room wasn’t about a hundred degrees. Sweat gathered in her hair and between her breasts causing her skin to itch and feel over-exposed.

      “Damn it, where are they?” She looked out the glass window of the conference room door.

      “It’s only been a half hour. Gene probably had to find someone to cover at the Quick Fill.” Wyatt pushed away from the wall and sat on one of the chairs at the square table in the center of the room, but continued to play his game.

      She couldn’t help but smile. When they were kids, he and her brother had been addicted to video games. They’d spend hours during the winter sitting on her family’s couch, hogging the only TV to play on Talon’s old Nintendo.

      A cackling sounded from his phone, and he hissed a curse.

      She took a few steps toward him and chuckled. “The pigs won?”

      “This round.” He glanced up, his blue eyes bright with amusement as his lips quirked in a one-sided grin. “I love this damned game as much as I hate it.”

      She СКАЧАТЬ