At the Crossroads (Buckhorn, Montana #3)(4)

“I’m thinking I might go down to Arizona,” she’d blurted out, not looking at him.

Earl Ray had laughed. “You’d hate it.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” she’d argued, finally settling her gaze on him. There was such warmth and generosity and compassion in his eyes. Maybe even love.

“You’re serious?” He’d seemed more than a little surprised.

“I’ve looked into it. I can rent a place down there on the Colorado River near Parker, Arizona. Do some fishing. Or maybe just sit by the water and daydream if I feel like it.”

His gaze had been so intense that she’d had to fight not turning away. “Do I get a vote?”

The question had taken her by surprise. “Why would you? It isn’t like...” What was their relationship? She saw Earl Ray every morning, every noon, every evening. He never missed a day that the café or bakery was open. They’d often sit and visit for long periods of time. Then he would go home to the house he had shared with Tory, and she would go to her small house. Both would be alone.

“Like we’re best friends?” he’d asked. “Like seeing you is my reason for getting up every day? Not to mention how I feel about your baking.”

“How do you feel about me, though, Earl Ray?” she’d asked, her voice breaking as she’d lowered it and leaned toward him. She’d never asked. She’d always been too afraid. At that moment as she saw his expression, she’d wished she hadn’t.

Her face burning with shame, she’d shot to her feet, but Earl Ray had caught her arm. She’d seen the battle going on in his expression. “You and I...” He shook his head. There were unshed tears in his eyes. “You can’t leave. We’ve been friends for too long.”

Bessie had shaken her head and pulled free. On the way to the restroom, she’d dabbed at her tears with the corner of her apron before anyone saw them.

When the café door jangled, she hadn’t seen the three men who’d walked in. Men who were about to change her life forever.

CULHANE SAW BESSIE come out of the ladies’ room. He could tell that she’d been crying as she picked up the fresh pot of coffee the waitress had just made and started around the room, refilling cups.

“We have a problem here,” he said under his breath to Alexis.

Her snort was like an arrow to his heart. “You could say that.”

Culhane hated that he’d left out what he now realized was some crucial information about himself. He swore that if he ever got the chance to make things right... But he couldn’t let himself go down that particular winding trail of thought right now. Now wasn’t the time. He had to get Alexis out of here before all hell broke loose.

He could see that she was angry and with good reason. But seeing him had thrown her off her game because of the history between them. That and the way he’d left things last night. He suspected all of that was what had her so determined to take him to jail that she hadn’t picked up on the tension inside the café yet.

They’d met when they were both sheriff’s deputies in Gallatin County. Then Willy Garwood had taken over as sheriff, and six months later they were both out of a job. Alexis had opted to start her own business as a bounty hunter because she was still determined to bring in the bad guys. That’s why, come hell or high water, she would take him back to stand trial for murder. But had she not been so intent, she would have sensed the danger in the air.

There was a lot he needed to tell her, but first they needed to get out of here. As he watched the three men out of the corner of his eye, he debated how to make that happen without causing the kind of disturbance that would bring out the weapons the men were clearly carrying.

He heard the older of the three say, “Take a seat,” to his companions as he moved down the hallway toward the restrooms and the door into the kitchen.

Glancing over his shoulder, Culhane saw the younger men take a booth sitting across from each other. When he turned back, the older man had stepped into the kitchen—just as he’d expected—and was now confronting the cook. Clearly, the two knew each other, and from what Culhane could see, it wasn’t congenial, as the older man grabbed Leo by the throat.

“Alexis, I can explain everything once we’re out of here,” Culhane whispered. Glancing over at her, he saw that she was watching the two men in the kitchen. They were keeping their voices down but were clearly arguing. He heard something about a vehicle and saw Leo shaking his head and talking fast as if trying to explain. On the grill, smoke was rising from Culhane’s breakfast.

“Gene, listen,” the cook kept saying, pleading in his voice as the man backed him up against the counter next to the grill. Pots and pans rattled as Gene slammed Leo against the counter hard, but no one in the café seemed to have noticed what was going on. Like most people, they had their own concerns. Unfortunately, Culhane feared their concerns were about to change.

He told himself that he and Alexis would be more help once they were outside and had called the cops. Unfortunately, the nearest law enforcement was an hour away in either direction. But at least outside they could decide how to handle this. Otherwise...

“Please just come with me without any gunplay, Alex,” Culhane whispered. He saw that she had assessed the trouble in the kitchen and, like him, expected it to escalate. But she didn’t know about the two in the booth behind them, both with weapons under their shirts. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “There are two armed men in the booth to your right as we leave.”