One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(34)

“We’re doing a bus tour of the city, going downtown to do some serious shopping in the afternoon, and then tomorrow evening, we’re taking in a Broadway play. Call me when you have a chance. It doesn’t matter where I am, I’ll answer,” she said.

“I miss you,” he whispered.

“Me too, Rhett.”

He took one more big gulp of fresh air before he went back into the smoky bar. Leah was two people in one. She was a fragile teacup made of the best china, filled to the brim with Jack Daniel’s whiskey. He could easily fall in love with both Leah and Eve.

*

Mavis Brennan passed the pitcher of sweet tea around the table, so her son and two grandsons could refill their glasses. She’d heard that Naomi had a fear that Mavis would retaliate by blowing up her septic tank to the main house on Wild Horse, so she was having it pumped out as soon as possible.

Mavis had considered it, but if a Brennan did that, there could be dead bodies when the shit settled. Mavis didn’t want Naomi dead; she wanted her to suffer humiliation.

“The wheels are set in motion, and it cost me a pretty penny to get it done. Y’all don’t need to know how or who, but I will tell you this much.” Mavis went on to tell them that, when morning came, the main house on Wild Horse would be surrounded with what came out of the septic tank.

“I’ll show her that two can play in this shit war,” Mavis said.

“Granny,” Quaid said seriously, “you’re not thinking about technology—cell phones, laptops, for that matter, the computer that they use in their office. They can call out for help the minute the smell hits their noses.”

“I didn’t think of that!” Mavis groaned. “What are we going to do? I want her to be imprisoned until after church on Sunday, so everyone will know that she has been served justice.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Quaid said. “Leave that part in my hands. Her electricity, Internet, and phones will be out of order from midnight until noon on Sunday.”

“How can you do that?” Russell asked.

“Like Granny said, I can tell you what, but not the how. And since it’s only twelve hours, it’s not likely they can trace it or throw me in jail.” Quaid smiled.

“And the whole time it’s going down, we’ll be at the bar, right?” Declan said.

“I’ll be playing canasta with Polly and Gladys that night, right here at my kitchen table.” Mavis smiled.

“And I’ll have an ironclad alibi.” Russell nodded.

“Then it’s a go,” Quaid said.

“If it’s all in place, I’m going down to the bar and seeing if that pretty girl from across the river wants to dance,” Declan said.

Quaid stood up. “Me too. I reckon the front Gallagher pew in church will be empty come Sunday morning.”

“Let’s hope to hell it is,” Mavis said.

She couldn’t tell a soul what was about to happen, but she wanted to talk to someone. She’d tried Leah earlier but she wasn’t answering her phone. Mavis picked up the house phone and called Gladys.

“Out of sight, out of mind,” she quipped.

“What?” Gladys said.

“I was talking to myself. Remember what we used to hear when we were kids about out of sight, out of mind?”

“Of course I do,” Gladys said.

“Well, it works. A week in the big city and that cowboy you’ve got on Fiddle Creek will be out of Leah’s mind.”

“But will she be out of his mind? Seems like I heard something about absence makes the heart grow fonder too. And that wild cowboy is one hardworking rancher. You’d do well to look past his hair and motorcycle. If I were sixty years younger, I’d be chasin’ him,” Gladys fussed at her.

“Dammit, woman! You are supposed to be on my side. Your kin married into the Brennans. That makes you shirttail kin.”

“I might be inclined to lean more toward you than the Gallaghers, but I’m not in anybody’s pocket,” Gladys declared. “Not even in the shit war.”

“I hate that name. If I’d known—” She stopped dead before revealing anything else.

“Hey, y’all started all this by burning down the Gallaghers’ school.”

Mavis giggled like a little girl. “I’m not saying another word without my lawyer.”

“That means we don’t talk about my hired hand, who is a damn fine man, or the shit war, right? Does that mean you’ve got something up your sleeve to get back at Naomi?”

“It means that she shouldn’t have done what she did,” Mavis answered. “We still on for a game of canasta Saturday night?”

“Yes, we are.”





Chapter 10


“Good mornin’,” Leah answered her phone. “I hear an engine. Did you get another truck?”

“No, thought I’d wait a while to do that. Gladys says I can use the work truck to go back and forth to the bar. I can’t risk getting my cycle messed up, so I’ve been leaving it locked up in one of the barns.”

“If it’s your only way to get around, I sure understand, especially with the Gallaghers and Brennans both up in arms.”

“Feud doesn’t have a lot to do with it. There’s this gorgeous woman who likes to go for rides on it. I hear a lot of noise and people in the background. Where are you?” Rhett asked.