Home For a Cowboy Christmas(35)

“Would you have stayed at Homeland Security had your parents not wanted to hand the ranch over?”

“Hmm. I don’t know. I was pretty burned out when my parents told me the news. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to resign and return to the ranch immediately. My father always told me to do whatever I wanted with my life. He never put the weight of the ranch on my shoulders, but in the back of my mind, I always knew I’d end up here. It’s where I was born to be.”

Emmy lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it. “You always seem to make the right decisions.”

“I’m merely pointing out the good ones. I could bore you for weeks listing all the bad ones,” he said with a laugh.

“But you’ve always followed your heart.”

He set aside his wine glass and wrapped his arms around her to give her a little squeeze. “You haven’t?”

“No.”

“There is still time to change that.”

She turned in the tub to face him. “I intend to do just that.”





Chapter 17


Joe drummed his fingers on his desk. How could his life have gone so fucking wrong so quickly? He’d had everything.

He could pinpoint exactly where things started to go sideways—Emmy. His infatuation with her had blinded him to everything else. Because of his inability to control his desire, he had lost his wife and now faced a trial that had the potential to put him away for life.

A knock on the door sounded before it opened. Tony stuck his head in. Joe smiled at his best friend.

“Got a minute?” Tony asked.

Joe motioned him inside. Tony closed the door behind him and walked to the chairs before Joe’s desk, sinking into one. Joe noted the tight lines around his friend’s mouth. “What is it?”

“I heard from Orso.”

“It’s about time. The bastard is taking too damn long,” Joe snapped.

Tony drew in a breath and slowly released it. “He lost the trail again.”

Joe slammed his hands on the desk and got to his feet as he bellowed, “Again?”

“That marshal was smart,” Tony said.

Joe straightened and stalked to the bar cart where he had the best liquors at his disposal. He poured himself a drink and downed it before pouring a second. He lifted the crystal decanter to Tony, who shook his head. Joe shrugged and put it away before downing his second drink.

He set the glass down with purpose and faced his best friend. “How many times now has Orso lost Emmy’s trail?”

“Too many.”

“And our friends in the marshals can’t help?”

Tony twisted his lips ruefully. “They’ve been unable to get ahold of Dalton. Apparently, he doesn’t trust anyone enough to do more than let them know that Emmy is safe.”

“Fuck,” Joe said with a long sigh as he stuffed his hands into his pants’ pockets. “We’ve already lost weeks.”

“We still have time,” Tony said. “The longer Emmy thinks she’s safe, the laxer she’ll become and make it easier for us to find her. And you know Orso is good at what he does. He might continue losing her trail, but he’ll eventually find it again.”

Joe cut a look to his friend. “Will it be in time to stop me from going to jail?”

“She’s their only witness. Without her, they have no case against you, and they know it.”

Joe ran a hand over his mouth and returned to his chair. “Any word from Stella or her family?”

“Not since we were alerted that Stella arrived in New Jersey with her family.”

Joe puffed his cheeks as he blew out a breath. “They’ve not answered your email about keeping the partnership?”

“No.”

“That’s not good for us.”

Tony shrugged nonchalantly. “I never liked that arrangement to begin with. I know you thought being connected to the family would elevate you, but you don’t need them. You’ve continued to build on what your family began. You have an empire here. You’ve also gotten the attention of some of the families from Vegas and California.”

Joe sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Tony always did know how to stroke his ego to calm him down. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working this time. “Part of that interest was my affiliation with New Jersey. That’s gone now.”

“Then prove you never needed them to begin with.”

“I can’t do anything until Emmy is dealt with. As long as the trial looms, I’m hindered. Every cop in the area is looking at us with a microscope. Even the ones on our payroll aren’t doing what they used to.”

Tony half-heartedly lifted a shoulder. “They’ve got to look out for themselves. Everyone does in instances like this.”

“Including you?”

“I’m with you, Joe. I always have been. You know that.”

Joe nodded, watching his friend closely. He hated that he was beginning to doubt everyone’s loyalty. “Just wanted to test you out. What about the others?”

“No one is teetering. They’re all yours. They know you, and they know the trial will never happen.”

“I want to know the minute anyone starts to doubt that,” Joe said, pointing his finger at Tony.