The Cowboy Lawman

“Mia, I...”

“Tina, what?” Mia’s back tingled and she waited, holding her breath. “Are you and the kids okay?”

“Of course. Yes, we’re fine.”

Mia stood there for a long moment. She watched Slade get out of his truck and walk to the car where Caleb still waited, jumping out when he saw his dad. She watched Myrna explain what had happened. Slade looked her way, his eyes narrowing, his mouth tightening in a firm line. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his short, dark hair.

The tightness in her chest eased and she breathed a little easier. Because Slade was there? She shook it off and returned to Tina and the conversation that had lagged.

“Tina, maybe you should come visit me.”

“No, I don’t think so, Mia. I’m fine. Really I am.”

“I’ll stop by and see you in a few days.” Mia waited and knew that Tina would protest.

“You really don’t have to do that.”

“I know I don’t, but I have a doctor’s appointment and I’ll be in Tulsa. I think it would be great if we could have lunch, maybe take the kids out.”

“That would be good. We’ll talk then.”

Slade had put his son and her grandmother back in the patrol car. He stood in front of her, hands behind his back, handsome cowboy face a mask of concern. Her eyes connected with his. She wanted to look away because if anyone could read her, it was Slade. She looked away as she finished the conversation.

“We’ll talk, Tina. And call if you need anything. Anything at all.” She hung up, but made a mental note to call her boss in Tulsa.

“What’s going on?” Slade asked the minute she slipped the phone into her pocket.

“How’s your mom? You should be with her.” Mia watched as the officers went back into her house.

“My mom had a heart attack. Mild, but she’s going to need to rest. My sister is with her now.” His gaze shifted, taking in his son. Mia knew this would be hard. Slade’s mom had been the person filling in since Vicki’s death.

“I can watch him for you.” The words were out, no taking them back.

Slade turned, looking at her. “What?”

“Caleb.” Mia hesitated as she looked at the child sitting next to her grandmother. “If your mom needs to rest, she isn’t going to be able to do that with a five-year-old child in the house. I can watch him for you.”

“I don’t know.” He glanced at her arm but she thought that was just an excuse.

“I can handle a kid in my house.” She looked up into his silver-gray eyes.

Friendship. Easy. Uncomplicated. No problem.

The officers approached, both looking more relaxed now that they’d been through her house and found it safe. She could have told them it was safe. She was injured—that didn’t mean she’d forgotten how to do her job.

“We bagged some evidence.” The trooper shrugged. “But it isn’t much. We got a partial print.”

“I told you...”

Slade touched her arm, stopping her.

“Mia, they’re doing their job.”

“Any idea who or why?” the deputy asked.

Mia shook her head, but she did have ideas. And she had a really sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that it had something to do with Tina.

But who did she trust with that information? Her eyes sought Slade’s. He was watching her, suspicious, curious, concerned. Maybe all three.

She knew she could trust Slade.

* * *

Slade watched the patrol cars leave and then he walked with Mia, Myrna Cooper and Caleb to the house. Myrna fanned herself with a church bulletin she pulled out of her purse.

“Well, that’s more excitement than an old gal needs in one day. Slade, how’s your mama doing?”

“She’ll be released tomorrow, but they want her to rest. Not that she’s going to be okay with resting.”

“Well, I’ll take a casserole over there tomorrow afternoon. You tell her not to worry about a thing.”

Caleb’s face scrunched and he looked at his dad. “Is grandma okay?”

“She’s fine, Caleb. Her heart is a little sick but the doctors will help it get better.”

He hoped that was the truth. It had to be. He had prayed long and hard on the way to the hospital. The prayers had taken him back to the night Vicki died. He’d prayed that he would get to the accident and it would be a mistake, that it wouldn’t be her. The old wound opened, and he had to reach down for his son’s hand to jolt himself back to the present.

Caleb smiled up at him, squeezing his hand back. For years, it had been the two of them against the world. And Slade’s mom had helped him hold it all together.

Caleb pulled on his hand, forcing him to follow Mia into the house. She walked through the living room that had been turned upside down to the kitchen door and then stood, lost in her own thoughts. He watched her, and she caught his look and held it before smiling at his son.

“We should eat lunch. Caleb and I were going to have grilled PB&J.” She made it sound normal, like nothing had happened. Mia had experience dealing with what life threw at her.

He looked at his son, surprised by the choice. “Did you let her talk you into that?”

Caleb grinned big. “Granny Myrna says it’s better than it sounds.”

“If she says so, it probably is.” He caught a look from Myrna and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He definitely didn’t think it had anything to do with grilled peanut butter and jelly. That was just a guess on his part.

“It’s always good to trust my judgment, Slade McKennon. I’ve lived a long time and I have a few things figured out.”

“Like grilled PB&J?”

“Exactly.” Myrna looked at her watch. “Well, my goodness, I didn’t realize it had gotten so late. I’m going to have to run. Slade, do you think you could help Mia out?”

Before he could answer, Mia rushed into the conversation. “Gran, I can take care of things. You go and I’ll be fine.”

“Slade is here. He won’t mind helping you.” Granny Myrna winked at Slade. “Isn’t that right?”