Lawman's Redemption. Marilyn Pappano

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      “I don’t even have an extra bedroom.”

      “Well, I’m not sleeping on the floor. Better make some arrangements.”

      Was he actually considering taking her into his home? he wondered, more than a little panicked, then answered himself immediately. What choice did he have? He was the only person in the entire state of Oklahoma with any sort of ties to her. It would only be until he could get hold of her mother or her stepfather and make arrangements to return her to Texas. Besides, if she was his daughter….

      That muscle in his jaw clenched again. “How can I get in touch with Sandra?”

      “You can’t. I told you, she’s on her annual keep-me-beautiful spa retreat.”

      “Spas have telephones.”

      She smiled her mother’s smug smile. “Not this one. No telephones, no televisions, no e-mail or faxes. Just days of pampering.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Look, it’s hot, I’m hungry, and I’d like to get cleaned up. Traveling by bus sucks big time. Let’s get outta here.”

      He removed his hat and dragged his fingers through his hair, then glanced at the courthouse. Four faces hastily ducked out of sight at the sheriff’s department windows. He couldn’t even get angry with them for being curious. “I’m meeting someone for lunch. After we eat, I’ll…uh…”

      He didn’t want to leave her alone for the afternoon in his house. He didn’t have much that was really private there, and the most important of those items was locked up in the gun cabinet in his bedroom. Still, he didn’t know this kid. He didn’t have a clue how much of a problem child she really was. He could come home and find the place cleaned out, trashed or burned to the ground.

      The answer to this problem—possibly—came out of A Moment in Thyme across the street, stopped at the Mercedes, then crossed into the park. She smiled when she saw him, then the smile slowly faded as she noticed Les.

      “Hi, Brady,” she greeted him when she reached them. “Am I interrupting something?”

      “No, not at all. Hallie Madison, this is Les…Marshall.”

      Les gave Hallie a bored look, then grunted a greeting. Hallie looked at her, then back at him. “And Les is your…?”

      He figured she was hoping he would say sister, niece or cousin. He wished he could, but truth was, he couldn’t say anything.

      After a moment of awkward silence, Les sarcastically said, “He has trouble saying the word—which isn’t surprising since he hasn’t been around for fourteen years to practice. I’m his daughter, and I’ve come for a visit.”

      That surprised Hallie. Her hazel eyes widened, and her delicately arched brows arched even higher. Brady had no doubt she was remembering that just twenty-four hours ago, he’d told her he didn’t have any kids. And now here one stood, in the all-too-bizarre flesh.

      But almost immediately Hallie smiled, a bright practiced smile that could have fooled any one of her sisters but not him, and she offered her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Les.”

      Grudgingly, the kid shook her hand, then pulled back right away.

      “This is quite a surprise,” Hallie went on. “If you need to cancel lunch, Brady, I understand—”

      “No. Les is hungry, too. There’s a place a block away called the SteakOut. We can go there.”

      “A cop eating at a place called the SteakOut?” Les rolled her eyes dramatically. “How…small-town.”

      Brady scowled at her, then pointed north. “It’s that way, if you don’t mind walking.”

      As they started toward the intersection, he glanced at the department windows again, and saw even more faces pressed up against them. First they found out he apparently had a daughter no one knew about from a marriage no one knew about, and now he was meeting the sheriff’s new sister-in-law for lunch. He was going to be the subject of gossip so intense it would probably get back to Reese and Neely all the way down in the Caribbean.

      He really did have the damnedest luck.

      Chapter 4

      The SteakOut was the perfect ranch-country steakhouse, Hallie thought as they followed the hostess to a table. The walls were paneled with what looked like old barn siding, and the chandeliers were made from wagon wheels. Various brands hung on the walls, along with other cowboy stuff—lassos, horseshoes and blankets, a few rodeo champion belt buckles. The food smelled wonderful, making her realize how hungry she was, but apparently it wasn’t enough to distract the other diners from them.

      “Damn, all these hicks look like they’ve never seen a kid before,” Les muttered.

      “More likely, they’ve never seen a kid with him—” Hallie nodded toward Brady, who looked as if he’d rather be staked to an anthill under the desert sun “—who wasn’t in handcuffs.”

      And they probably hadn’t seen him in here with a woman before, either. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if this was the first time he’d been in the place.

      “Yeah, well, if they don’t quit staring, I’m gonna—”

      “What?” Hallie asked. “Give ’em something to stare at?”

      Les looked at her belligerently for a time before letting a smile slowly form. “This isn’t the worst I can get, you know.”

      “I know. I was your age once, too.”

      “Yeah, but that was a long time ago.”

      Hallie returned the smile. “Not so long that I couldn’t wrestle you to the ground and tickle you till you pee your pants.”

      On her left, sitting at the head of the table, Brady cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. Hallie exchanged looks with Les, then said, “I believe your father wants us to be quiet.”

      “You be quiet. I gotta go to the bathroom.” Les pushed her chair back, then headed back toward the entrance.

      As soon as she was gone, Hallie’s smile faded. Now that the surprise was wearing off, she knew it was silly, but she felt betrayed. She’d thought she and Brady were building some sort of friendship—thought they had some kind of connection that they lacked with most other people. He’d shared his secrets with her, for heaven’s sake.

      They probably hadn’t been secrets at all. Probably everyone in town knew everything about him, and he’d just lied to her.

      Lied.

      The man who’d told her he was as honest as the day was long, and she’d believed him.

      “Listen, Hallie…”

      Jaw clamped shut, she glanced at him. She wouldn’t make it easy for him by asking questions or responding in any way. Let him get the explanation out all on his own.

      “This is as big a surprise to me as anyone else.”

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