Shotgun Justice

A good-looking family friend could mean only one person. Jesse Ryder. Avery was forced to listen. She couldn’t interrupt Julie on a two-way radio. Besides, what else did she have to do?

As Julie kept being her natural chatty self, Avery tuned her out and wondered what had gone wrong. What or who would force Lieutenant Jesse Ryder to come barging into her life? Barging all the way up here to the Texas Panhandle?

It wasn’t fair. She’d left Austin and Waco behind because she’d been upset for being passed over. But it was also because everywhere she looked there was a memory of her with the man. Memories she no longer wanted to think about. If he was coming to see her...there would be images of him at the café to haunt her mind every time she ate there.

Then at the Main Street Motel—where he would definitely spend the night, because he wasn’t staying with her. Each time she passed it, she would imagine seeing his car return for another visit.

“No way he’s staying with me.” She released the talk button and sank in her seat, knowing that Julie had heard her.

“What was that, Avery? Actually, he said he was on his way to find you. Isn’t that excitin’? He couldn’t wait until the morning when your shift ends.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Julie. Over and out.”

Jesse was on his way? To her? Right here at her favorite spot? Well, she wouldn’t be here. Her future would not be parking here night after night and picturing him sitting on the hood of her patrol car.

Nope. No way. No how.

She’d arrest him. Throw him in jail. He’d had her boss do it to her three months ago when Garrison got in trouble. Now, that was a good place she could picture Jesse...behind bars.

The second favorite place to park and wait for speeders was a little over two miles down the road. If she hurried, she could be waiting on Jesse as he sped past. This was going to be a blast.

A few minutes later she parked and took out the radar gun, pointing it toward town. It wouldn’t take him long if he’d left right before Julie checked in with her. But she waited and kept waiting. Maybe he’d changed his mind.

No headlights. It was more likely that he’d stopped at the motel first. And less likely that Jesse would get caught in her speed trap.

Disappointment. Plain and simple disappointment. Maybe she could give him a ticket for jaywalking tomorrow. Or maybe vagrancy. Something obscure where he’d never agree to pay the fine. Then off to jail he’d go.

Before Avery cut the engine, she lowered the window, letting the fresh summer air into the car. She leaned her head back after readying the radar gun on the dash. The stars were sparkling on a blanket of black. Her plan about limiting where Jesse created memories was completely shot now.

She’d remember him here because she thought about him here. In the jail, in the back of her patrol car and the same places she always thought of him. Just about everywhere.

“What I need more than anything else is to learn how to live with Jesse around. As long as he’s Garrison’s best friend, he’s going to be in my life.” She closed her eyes and let out a long soulful sigh, continuing her lonely conversation. “This is my life. I’ve worked hard to become independent, but I refuse to live in isolation any longer, because I’m petulant. I can be an adult about this.”

On a clear night like this, she could see a vehicle miles away. Out of nowhere, headlights were on the highway from the opposite direction. A local heading to town for an emergency?

She pointed the radar, placed her foot on the brake and shifted the car into Drive—ready to perform her duty. Ninety-two flashed in red. High school kids on a dare or a rancher in serious need of an escort to Keen Hospital in town. Either way required her deputy services.

The car lurched forward, the radar gun dropped to the seat and she flipped the lights on in one smooth motion as she raced after the speeder. She followed less than a minute when the car pulled onto the shoulder. The tags were obscured by mud.

It might not be Jesse, but it was a little bit of work. Anything was better than being bored.

Chapter Three (#ulink_fc62bb25-63d1-5102-ae24-240de6376697)

The car pulled over well onto the grass at the side of the road. Plenty of blacktop was to their left as her vehicle lit up the area in red, white and blue. Avery ran the tag number, found it was a rental and got out of her truck.

What were the odds of two visitors in separate cars showing up in Dalhart within the same hour? Extremely high. If something had happened to Garrison, Jesse would come to take her home. But two cars?

The tiny hairs on the back of her neck were prickling. Avery unsnapped the thumb break on her sidearm holster. The door opened and a man swung one leg and then the other from the vehicle.

How pathetic of her...she recognized his boots. Relaxing a little during the seconds it took Jesse Ryder to unfold his tall body from the sports car, she snapped the thumb break back into place. Why hadn’t he phoned? It still irritated her that she didn’t know why he’d come in person.

Irritated or scared. The feelings caused similar nerves to gurgle in her stomach. Or maybe anticipation because...

Lord have mercy, he looks good. Bo and Derek were attractive young men. But they had nothing on Jesse. Six foot two, dark walnut hair that was neat and close to his head. She’d looked into those mischievous brown eyes before. Looking again wasn’t going to resolve any problem. He was lean, with shoulders wide enough to make her feel small. And she wasn’t.

At six feet minus an inch—as her mother referred to her—she was not small by any means. Not as tall as her brother, but she’d learned to be as strong as possible. Jesse got partial credit for that. They’d always gone toe-to-toe in wrestling or racing or even at the shooting range.

“Do you know how fast you were going?”

He wrinkled his brow, looking concerned. His eyes were searching the landscape. Didn’t he know there was nothing around? Maybe a couple of cows or deer, but no threats.

“I think it was close to eighty or eighty-five. What are you doing out here without backup, Avery?”

The ice around her heart melted a little at the sound of her name. It was so good to see him. And so embarrassing. “That’s well over the speed limit.” She took a defensive stance, stabilizing her shaking knees. “What are you doing here?”

Her heart shook a little at the possibilities. He didn’t look as though he was bearing bad news. But if he wasn’t, then why had he come?

“Can’t a guy visit a friend?”

He was lying. She’d known him too long not to hear the warble in his voice. The one she’d recognized as he said being with her was great.

“We’re not friends anymore. I haven’t returned any of your calls. A Texas Ranger like yourself would be able to pick up on that clue. So why are you here?”

“Vacation?”

“Are you asking me if you’re on vacation? Like I’d ever believe that. You’ve never taken a vacation. And your first wouldn’t be to Dallam County.”

“Okay, you got me.” The smile left his face and his demeanor changed. “Enough kidding around. You seriously don’t have backup? We need to get you secured.”

“Secured? What’s happened?”

“I’d rather talk about it at the sheriff’s office. Let’s go.” He extended his hand her direction and she flinched. He looked shocked. She didn’t have a memory of that expression on his face before.

Had she really never surprised him by following her own mind? Wow, I really was desperate if I never disagreed with him about anything.

“I asked you a question, Mr. Ryder. What business do you have in Dalhart?”

His handsomely chiseled face searched the road both directions. “I’d rather talk to you in private back at county.”

“In case you didn’t notice...” She expanded her arms into the darkness lit by only her patrol lights. “This is pretty private. If you refuse to cooperate, I’m going to have to take you in.”

Okay, she knew it was a stretch and she really didn’t have any reason to haul his backside to jail. But he deserved it. She remembered the three days of no privacy behind bars. Three days of trying to occupy the time by pretending to read a book. But most of all, the three days of being worried sick about her twin.

The moonlight made her rarely used handcuffs sparkle when she pulled them from their pouch. “Turn around and put your hands on the car.”

“You’re not arresting me.” He laughed, throwing back his head. Then he focused on her and squinted when she took a step forward. “Wait a minute... You are arresting me?” He took a step back, something on his belt clinking when it hit the rental. “What did I do? I’m here in an official capacity, Avery. You know I am.”

Avery hadn’t heard Jesse’s voice this high-pitched since it changed in the seventh grade. She covered the laugh, trying to escape by clearing her throat as she pulled his left hand down and snapped the handcuffs around his wrist. “You’re refusing to cooperate. I don’t see that you’ve given me any choice.”