Hard Ride to Dry Gulch

And familiar.

She struggled to figure out where she’d seen him before as she took her place on the other side of Leif’s daughter. Faith had missed the rehearsal celebration last night and arrived at the ranch only minutes before the ceremony tonight.

But she’d definitely seen him somewhere.

The tempo of the music changed and a second later the bridal march filled the air. Sounds of shuffling feet and whispered oohs and aahs filled the air as the guests rose to their feet for their first sight of Joni in her white satin-and-lace gown.

Adorable twin girls, their curly red hair topped with pink bows, skipped and danced down the aisle in front of Joni, scattering rose petals. Lila and Lacy, Leif’s three-year-old half nieces, whom Joni bragged about continuously. Faith wouldn’t be surprised if Leif and Joni didn’t start a family of their own within the year.

Faith stole another quick glance at the best man. Her heart pounded.

All of a sudden she knew exactly where she’d seen him before. In a Dallas strip club. He was the sexy cop who’d come to her rescue a few months back. The cop whose orders she’d disobeyed when she’d cleared out before he could ask too many questions.

He wouldn’t be nearly as easy to dodge tonight.

Talk about spoiling a wedding. One word from the groom’s brother about where he’d met the slutty maid of honor and Joni would figure out exactly why Faith had turned down every Saturday-night invitation to meet her and Leif for dinner.

Joni would worry about Faith’s safety. Worse, if she couldn’t persuade Faith to give up her visits to the criminal underbelly of Dallas, she’d insist on getting involved. No way could Faith drag Joni into that.

Steady, girl. Don’t panic.

There was a good chance the hunky, nosy cop wouldn’t connect her to the woman he’d met in a strip club months ago. For one thing, she had on tons less makeup. For another, she wasn’t braless. She was just Joni’s maid of honor.

Besides, he’d originally figured her for just another woman on the make, or perhaps even one of the off-duty strippers. No reason for him to have given her another thought.

Play this cool, leave at the first opportunity, and the cop would never guess they’d ever met.

* * *

“SURELY YOU’RE NOT thinking of sneaking out without a dance with the best man?”

The husky male voice startled Faith. Poor timing. She’d already stepped out of the tent and was about to start down the path to the parked cars.

Except for a brief conversation when Leif had introduced them after the ceremony, she’d managed to avoid Travis all evening.

She flashed what she hoped was an innocent-looking smile. “I’m not sneaking anywhere. I’ve said my goodbyes to the happy couple.”

“It’s still early. The party is in full swing.”

“Yes, but it’s a long drive back to Dallas.”

“So why drive it? The guest rooms in the newlyweds’ ranch bungalow aren’t fully finished yet, but I’m sure R.J. can put you up for the night. From what I’ve seen of his house, there are plenty of spare bedrooms.”

“So I’ve heard. Joni invited me to stay over,” Faith admitted. “But I really need to get home tonight.”

The band returned from their break. A guitar strummed. The lead female singer in the country-and-western band that had kept the portable dance floor occupied all night belted out the first words to an old Patsy Cline hit.

Travis fitted a hand to the small of Faith’s back. “One dance before you call it a night?”

Her brain issued a warning, but the music, the night and even the tiny lights that twinkled above them like stars overpowered her caution. Besides, Travis showed no sign of recognizing her. What could one dance hurt?

They walked back to the dance floor together. His arms slid around her, pulling her close as their bodies began to sway to the haunting ballad. His cheek brushed hers. An unfamiliar heat shimmered deep inside her. She dissolved into the sensual sensations for mere seconds before her brain kicked in again.

She hadn’t felt a man’s arms around her for years. No wonder her body had reacted to the contact.

She pulled away, putting an inch of space between her breasts and his chest and points lower. The warmth didn’t fully dissipate, but her breathing came easier.

By the time they finished the dance, she was almost fully in control. “I really do have to go now,” she said, leading the way as they left the dance floor.

“If you must.”

“I must. And really, there’s no reason for you to walk me to my car.”

“A promise is a promise.”

The man was persistent. If the cops handling Cornell’s missing-person case had been half as determined, they likely would have located him by now.

“No reason for you to leave the reception,” she said. “I’m sure I can find my way to my car on my own.”

“But what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you?”

“A sensible one.”

“Not my strong suit.”

“I got here late and had to park in the pasture across the road. You’ll get those gorgeous boots of yours dirty,” she said.

“I’ll risk it.”

Further protests would sound ungrateful or just plain pigheaded. Besides, it would be a lot darker once they left the twinkling lights. Her car could be difficult to locate among all the other vehicles. Travis might just come in handy.

Reaching into the petite jeweled evening bag that swung from her shoulder, she took out the keys to her aging Honda and started walking. Their shoulders brushed. A zing of awareness shot through her.

Disgusted with herself for letting Travis affect her, she picked up her pace. Bad call. Maneuvering the grass and uneven ground in her six-inch stilettos proved to be a dangerous balancing act.

The second time she almost tripped, she was forced to accept the arm Travis offered for support. A traitorous flutter appeared in her stomach.

It had to be just her nerves, or the fact that Travis was several cuts above the perverts she’d been spending her time with. Not every night the way she had in the beginning, but every weekend.

A breeze stirred. Faith looked up and was struck by the brilliance of the stars now that they’d left the artificial illumination.

“Amazing, aren’t they?” Travis said, apparently noticing her fascination with the heavens.

“Yes. Hard to believe those are the same stars that appear over Dallas. They look so much closer here.”

“Nothing like getting out in the wide-open spaces to appreciate the splendor of nature,” Travis agreed.

“Do you spend much time out here?”