One Texas Cowboy Too Many (Burnt Boot, Texas #3)(40)

Honey gasped. “We got bored. You know Granny will strangle you herself for even saying that Tanner is in your sights.”

Leah’s head went slowly from side to side. “He’s not even a dot on the horizon. Not anymore.” She went on to tell them the whole story.

“That’s stalking,” Honey said.

“That’s the Gallaghers trying to tear up the Brennan family from the inside. Naomi has sanctioned it if he offered to take you to Sunday dinner. She’s a sly old bitch,” Kinsey said.

Leah motioned toward the flowers. “What do I do with them?”

“I’ll set them outside the door and the cleaning lady can throw them away,” Kinsey said.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea to me,” Leah said.

“Want to keep the card?”

“Hell no!” Leah said quickly.

“You cussed again. You might be right about not being the good girl anymore.”

“I hope so. Thanks for listening to me and for taking care of those things for me,” Leah said.

“Hey, we’re blood kin. We might fight and we might bitch, but it’s our fight and our argument, so everyone else best leave us alone.” Kinsey gathered up the dozen red roses and carried them out of the room.





Chapter 12


The Gallagher side of the church was missing Naomi, Betsy, Tyrell, and Tanner the next morning. All during the sermon, members of their family kept their cell phones on their laps and their eyes glued to them, hoping for a text.

On the Brennan side, the pews were full, with only Honey, Leah, and Kinsey missing, and everyone knew they were on vacation.

The middle section was about half-full. Rhett sat with his family and friends: Sawyer, Jill, Polly, and Gladys. His cousin Finn and Finn’s family were lined up in the oak pew in front of him.

Rhett spent most of the time during the opening hymns and the sermon thinking about Leah rather than listening. He did come on back down to earth when the preacher finally wound down his sermon. He glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the back wall of the church and wondered if Leah was having a late breakfast or if she’d been up for hours and was maybe having a hot dog from a cart on the street right about then.

Expecting the preacher to ask someone to give the benediction, Rhett had already bowed his head when the preacher said, “Zachary, would you please stand up, so everyone can see who you are?”

A young man over on the Gallagher side rose to his feet and turned around to face the congregation. He smiled and waved as the preacher went on to say, “I’d like to introduce you to Zachary Milton, who is engaged to our own Burnt Boot girl Angelina Gallagher. He and Angelina will be living on Wild Horse Ranch after their wedding in October. He’s a horse breeder in addition to helping with the Lord’s work in the youth program. Y’all, make Zachary welcome here in Burnt Boot. He’ll be sending out emails about his new youth programs. And thank you to the Gallaghers for the fine donation to the church that has allowed us to offer him a three-year contract. Now, Zachary, will you please deliver the benediction?”

Rhett looked over at Mavis, and from the way her face was turning from red to crimson, he’d have been willing to bet her blood pressure had jacked up to stroke level. Evidently she wasn’t too happy about the new youth director or the fact that the Gallaghers had donated the money for his salary. He’d have to ask Leah about it when he talked to her later. He was thinking about that when he realized that he and Verdie were walking out right behind Mavis and several members of her family. Verdie was the elderly lady who’d sold her ranch to his cousin, Finn, and then wound up returning to Burnt Boot to live with Callie and Finn. She was the same age as Mavis and Naomi, and was Gladys and Polly’s dear friend.

“Granny, why would they do that to Quaid? He’s worked with the church youth for years, and he deserves that title. Besides, he’s been doing the job for free. This is a slap in the face,” Declan whispered on the way out of the church. “Do you think they know about last night?”

She shot him a dirty look. “Shhh! This didn’t happen in ten hours. It’s been coming. Naomi has been going around all smug for weeks, and I’ll bet you a million dollars this isn’t the only thing she’s got up her sleeve. That bitch is about to pay for this.”

“Now they’ve got the sheriff’s department and God both on their side. Everyone knows that Orville is nicer to them than he is to us, and now the youth director? They’ll be running the church in no time,” Declan said.

Rhett flashed his most brilliant smile. “Hello, Miz Mavis. I missed seeing Leah in church this morning.”

“You stay away from my granddaughter,” she hissed.

“Which one?” Rhett asked.

“Every damn one of them.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t like you.”

“Because I’m not a youth director?” Rhett smiled. “I used to be one, down at my church in Comfort, Texas. You can call for references if you want.”

“Did you Brennans kidnap Naomi?” Gladys touched Mavis on the shoulder. “I figured she’d want to be here for the announcement this morning.”

Mavis’s smile was pure evil. “Not me. I was playing cards with my friends, and you were one of them, Gladys Cleary.”