The Cowboy's Sweetheart Read online

  “It will all be okay.” He pulled his hand back as they came to a particularly rough patch of terrain.

  She sat up straighter as she recognized where they’d been just a few days ago. Would she remember where she’d buried it?

  They pulled up as close as he could get to the stand of trees, and everyone piled out of the two trucks.

  Chase walked toward them, and tipped his hat back on his head. “Does this look familiar,” he asked.

  Missy hesitated. “Uh, no. Not really,” she told him.

  “This is definitely the place,” Rory said. He walked a few yards to where they’d sat. “Look, you can still see the marks where the picnic rug was.”

  He heard Chase’s sigh of relief. Little did he realize they still had a big task ahead of them.

  * * *

  They’d been out in the hot sun for a couple of hours now, searching for any spot that might have been disturbed recently, or looked as though it had been patted down.

  They didn’t find anything. Finally, Rory had an idea. “Come over here,” he called to Missy. “This is exactly where we sat on the picnic rug.” As she walked toward him, Rory added, “We’re going to try and retrace your movements.”

  Her grim expression turned into a smile. She looped her arm into his, and they set out. “I saw you go toward the middle of the stand of trees, but after that, I have no idea.”

  “Yeah, sure. That’s exactly what I did.” They walked over toward the Green Ash, and disappeared behind it.

  Once they were on the other side, Missy looked around. She looked confused.

  Rory had another idea. Whether it would work or not was another thing. “Close your eyes.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Missy said. “I won’t be able to see anything then.”

  He sighed. Was she even willing to give it a try? “Trust me.”

  She nodded and closed her eyes. “Okay. Ready.”

  Rory got close to her ear and spoke softly. “Keep your eyes closed and try to remember that day. Once you got past the Green Ash, which direction did you go?” He touched her arm gently and waited.

  He could see her concentrating hard. “Don’t think about it, just let your mind go blank.” Would this even work?

  After what seemed like forever, Missy’s arm suddenly lifted. She pointed slightly to the left where there was another stand of trees, as well as an abundance of shrubs. Rory sighed. This was not going to be easy.

  “I’m not sure if I’m right,” she said, “But it feels right. Ya know?”

  They started in the new direction and Chase and his deputies followed, shovels in hand.

  Arms still looped, Missy headed for a clump of shrubs. “Do they look familiar to you,” Rory asked.

  “Not really, but that means nothing,” Missy said. “I had no intention of ever looking for it again, so I didn’t take any notice what I did with it.”

  It was Chase’s turn to sigh. Rory could see frustration written all over his face. The deputies began searching around the area, pulling shrubs aside, and checking for disturbed patches of dirt.

  “Found something!” One of the deputies called across to Chase. “The dirt here has been disturbed recently,” he said.

  “Go on then,” Chase told him. “Dig it up.”

  “It doesn’t look right,” Missy said. I wouldn’t have gone where it was so dense. I wouldn’t be able to see if there were any snakes in there.” She shuddered.

  “We’re looking for something more open, Fellas,” Rory told them. “Somewhere snakes can’t hide.” He knew he was grinning, but couldn’t help it. It was such a girl thing.

  Missy punched his arm lightly. She seemed to guess what he was thinking.

  The deputies wandered around, looking for what might have been a hiding spot. Missy joined in. She kicked a few shrubs aside, went around the other side of the trees, and even leaned against a tree for a few minutes.

  “Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!” Rory came running. What was wrong? “I think I remembered,” she said, jumping up and down. “Over here. Try over here.”

  Rory looked down. The dirt had definitely been disturbed there, but was it from Missy, or an animal? He grabbed a shovel from one of the deputies and began to dig. And dig. And dig. How far did she dig, for heaven’s sake?

  Eventually he hit something.

  He could see a small piece of burlap showing through the dirt. He leaned down and dug a little more, this time with his hands. Eventually, almost the entire backpack was visible and he could pull it out.

  He turned to Missy, and kissed her forehead.

  “Great work, darlin’ – time to go home.”

  Chapter Six

  Chase had grilled her again the next day, and found out more of the gory details.

  About how her so-called fiancée had killed another rodeo rider because he’d tried to get cozy with Missy. Josh had become infuriated, and killed the man despite Missy being right there in the room.

  Then, somehow in his twisted mind, he decided she was a co-conspirator, so she too had to die.

  It was sick. Totally sick, and it made her ill to her stomach just to think about it.

  It was around that time Rory found out she was a rodeo stunt rider. “I knew it! You were way too good in the saddle to be a regular rider,” he said. “But I’m confused how you fell off Mishka.” He scratched his head as he spoke.

  “Total lack of concentration. Could happen to anyone,” she said. “Besides, I’m used to a stunt saddle, not a Western saddle. And like I already told you, I’ve fallen off my horse dozens of times.” She licked her lips and looked into her lap. “But usually it wasn’t because I was too busy admiring the scenery.” She knew she was babbling, but couldn’t help it. It was the stress.

  She turned to Chase. “We finished here? I have a show tonight.”

  The two men turned to each other, stunned. “Uh, uh. No way,” Rory said.

  Chase stood. “Nope, not happening.”

  “He’s still out there,” Rory added. “And he wants to kill you.”

  As she stood, Missy pointed her finger at Rory’s chest. “I’ve got news for both of you. I will be performing tonight.” She stood her ground, as she always did.

  She called out over her shoulder as she left the Sheriff’s Office. “Just because you two gang up on me does not mean I will listen.” And with that, she slammed the door behind her.

  Rory looked to his brother for guidance.

  “She can’t perform tonight, right?” It was a statement more than a question.

  Chase tipped his hat back on his head. “No, she can’t. It’s way too dangerous. This monster, this killer, is still roaming around and we have to find him and lock him up.”

  Rory rubbed his hand across his five o’clock shadow. With everything going on, he hadn’t shaved for two days.

  “I can tell you for certain, she will perform. It’s in her nature – she won’t let him win. So, we need to find a way around it.”

  Chase pulled off his hat and scratched his head. “You sure picked a good one, bro.” He grinned, and Rory immediately knew he approved.

  His mind was ticking over, trying to find an acceptable solution. Acceptable to Chase, and to Missy. Rory had seen this too many times before, not to know the signs.

  “What if we…” Chase shook his head. “Nope, won’t work.”

  He put his hat back on, then immediately took it off again. “I have it! I know how we’ll catch this mongrel.”

  Chase was smiling, but he wasn’t sharing. “Go. Go catch your girl. We don’t want her in danger.” Rory knew he was frowning. He wanted to know what Chase had planned, but his brother was not divulging any information.

  As he left the Sheriff’s Office, he found Missy in the waiting area. She was not silly, and he loved her even more for that.

  * * *

  Missy stood on the stage, as she did every other night, and performed her little heart out.

  Rory adored her courage but deplored the fact
she had put herself in danger yet again.

  He knew she was singing to him. She’d chosen this song especially for him, he was sure.

  The crowd applauded as the song ended, and Missy bowed, her eyes darting all over the place. She knew how much danger she was in, but was trying not to let it faze her.

  The next song was more cheerful, and Rory was glad of it. Some of the songs she’d been singing were putting him on edge. She had a full repertoire, and because some people were coming back time after time to hear her sing, she was trying to do a different song list each time she performed.

  Beautiful. Fabulous. Heartbreaking. Every word she sang touched him in some way. Rory couldn’t get enough.

  The audience gave her a standing ovation. She was stunning. Her performance was flawless, and she knew it. Even under intense pressure she still managed to keep to the script.

  His admiration of her grew every time they were together. “Time for a short break, folks. I’ll be back shortly.”

  She left the stage and made her way to Rory’s table. “That was intense,” she told him. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  He knew his experience was nothing compared to what she was going through. “Sure was.” He reached over and took her hand in his. “You’re doing great.” She sipped her lemonade, and looked over the glass at him.

  “Do you really think he’ll be so bold as to come in here and risk being caught?” She gazed at him with sad eyes.

  “He seems to be an arrogant mongrel, so I’d say yes, but you know him better than anyone. What do you think?” He hoped he was wrong. He prayed he was wrong for her sake.

  She straightened up on her chair, and flicked her hair back off her face. “I say he will. I’ve never seen him shrink away from anyway. Even trying to kill me seemed to be easy for him.”

  He squeezed her hand tightly and gazed into her eyes. A tear trickled down her face.

  “You’re gonna mess up your make-up,” he told her, giving her a tiny smile. He didn’t want to make light of the subject, but needed her to buck up and not give up.

  The music got louder and she got up to leave. “Love you,” Rory told her, and he knew it was true. With all his heart he loved this woman, and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She just needed to stay alive long enough for that to happen.

  People began to applaud as she returned to the stage. They couldn’t get enough of this incredibly talented woman. His woman. His love.

  As she sang and slowly danced across the stage, Rory saw her suddenly look to the back of the room. Her eyes darted around, then she nodded. It was quite discreet, and he barely saw it. Nearly didn’t see it. But because he’d seen each and every performance since they’d met, he was aware of every dance step, every way she moved her hands, and every movement of her head.

  This was not part of the performance. He quickly stood, and turned to run to the back of the room. But he was too late.

  From every nook and cranny, a cowboy appeared and surrounded the interloper. The audience realized something was wrong, and took their attention away from Missy, and instead watched what was playing out at the back of the room.

  But she continued to sing. She was the ultimate professional.

  Six cowboys against one man. Before anyone knew what was happening, he was on the ground and handcuffed. Rory looked back toward Missy and watched her sigh of relief.

  As Chase and the disguised deputies led the man away, Missy continued to sing, and once she’d finished that song, made an announcement.

  “I appreciate everyone being here,” she said into the microphone. “Just having another short break, and I’ll be back. Don’t go away y’all.”

  Instead of using the steps to get off the stage, she jumped down into Rory’s arms, where he held her tight. The relief was palpable, but he knew it wasn’t over.

  This was just the beginning.

  * * *

  After the confusion of the past few days, it was nice just to sit and relax.

  Chase had finished up his investigation, and had charged Josh Hayden with murder and attempted murder. The fingerprints on the gun Missy was hiding confirmed he’d been the shooter.

  It broke Rory’s heart that she’d felt she had no one to trust, that she couldn’t tell him, or indeed anyone, about the gun she’d managed to rustle away from the killer. How she’d done that without being shot would be anyone’s guess, but thankfully, she’d done it.

  All that was left now was the trial, which Chase told him was an open and shut case now that the gun with very clear fingerprints had been located.

  Missy had been cleared of any wrong doing, and given a stern talking to about trusting the police in future.

  “Well since you’re going to be her brother-in-law, I guess she will trust you now,” Rory told his brother.

  Missy stood and turned on Rory. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” she said, hands on hips. She gazed deep into his eyes.

  “I sure am, Darlin’ – will you be my bride?” He knew he was grinning from ear to ear, but he couldn’t help it.

  “I even bought you an engagement ring.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. “I hope you like it, but if you don’t, we can change it to something you do like.”

  She let out the breath she was holding. “Oh my goodness, Rory. It’s beautiful! I would have always loved it, simply because it came from you, but it’s totally gorgeous.” He slipped it on her finger, then pulled her to him.

  “Who’d a thought my brother could be tamed?” Chase grinned, and Rory playfully punched his brother’s shoulder.

  “Congratulations you two,” he said.

  Missy turned toward him. “Hang on. I didn’t say yes. I might not marry your stubborn, foolhardy brother.”

  Rory didn’t know whether she was joking or not. He’d never seen her joke. She’d always been so serious, but with good reason as it turned out.

  “I, um,” Suddenly Rory was tongue-tied. “Will you? Marry me, I mean?” He held his breath. He didn’t know what he’d do if she didn’t agree. He never wanted to lose this amazing woman.

  She stood with her hands on her hips. “Of course, silly!” She ran toward him and reached up to put her arms around his neck, then kissed him. “You didn’t think I’d let you get away, did you?”

  Rory heard Chase walk toward the front door. “That’s my cue to leave. Catch you both later. If you ever come up for air that is.”

  Left alone, Rory picked her up and headed for the bedroom.

  * * *

  It was a small ceremony, held on Rory’s property.

  Missy loved it there, and they both felt it was perfect for their wedding.

  Everyone was there. Missy’s family, who she hadn’t seen for months, and Rory’s family, who were all as wonderful as her soon-to-be husband.

  The Callahan family weren’t that big in numbers, but the brothers were all huge, like Rory. She felt safe and loved with these people. Which is exactly how it should be.

  Rory asked his brothers to be his groomsmen. Missy had met two of them already, but was yet to meet Jordan, the local vet.

  She didn’t have any sisters, or any siblings for that matter, so instead, she’d asked three of her cousins to be her bridesmaids. The wedding party suddenly became a family affair, as it should be.

  Her close cousins Olivia, Tara, and Isabella all looked gorgeous in their bridesmaid’s dresses.

  As she sat in the master bedroom, her bridesmaids fawning over her, getting her hair and make-up just right, Missy mused over how lucky she’d been to come to River Valley to hide out, but had instead found her soulmate.

  She checked her watch. “Oh, it’s almost time,” she said nervously.

  She stood and straightened her dress. It was a beautiful pale blue lacy dress that hugged her body nicely. It flared out just above her knee, and was oh so elegant. Olivia handed her a small posy of matching blue flowers, and Tara did one last check of her outfit.
<
br />   “Shoes!” Tara said. “You forgot your shoes.”

  Missy heard the wedding march begin to play, and knew that was her cue. Isabella peaked around the door to look down to where the wedding was being held.

  “Oooh,” she said, “Those brothers are easy on the eye.”

  The End

  Enjoy this story?

  For a full list of the Callahan Brothers Series, click here.

  Check out the Callahan Brothers great-great grandmother Bessie’s story:

  Bessie

  About the Author

  Multi-published, award-winning author, Cheryl Wright, former secretary, debt collector, account manager, writing coach, and shopping tour hostess, loves reading.

  She writes both contemporary and historical western romance, as well as romantic suspense.

  She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and is married with two adult children and has six grandchildren.

  When she’s not writing, she can be found in her craft room making greeting cards.

  Check out Cheryl’s Amazon page for a full list of her other books.

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