Indigo Lake

“I figured you’d be out here, L.” Tim held her tightly as only a lifelong friend can. “Did you have to return to the scene, like me? I figure once a year it’s okay to let the memory roll over me.”

She pulled away. “Reid came out too.”

“With you?” Tim whispered.

Lauren shook her head and Tim faced Reid. “Hello, Collins. Haven’t seen you in a while. Word is you don’t spend much more time on the ranch than your dad did. A Collins ranch without any Collinses. Maybe you should think of another name for the place.”

Reid offered his hand but his words were colder than the night air. “Good to see you, Tim. Still writing those little invisible books? Ebooks, right? Any money in fiction made of air?”

Tim turned back to Lauren as if he hadn’t seen Reid’s hand, but she could feel the tension between the two. They’d been best friends once, before the accident. High school football players, sixteen and invincible. She remembered they’d both had their football jackets on that night. Tim never played or wore the jacket again that she knew about.

“My books make more money than his invisible cattle, I’m guessing,” Tim whispered to Lauren.

Forcing down a laugh, she linked her arm around each man’s elbow and marched on toward town. The less time these two had to talk, the better.

It had been twelve years since they’d walked this road together. They’d grown up, they’d grown apart, but in many ways nothing had changed. Tim was still the dreamer, Reid was still full of himself, and she was still waiting to start her life.

As they neared town, she noticed all their cars were scattered around the parking lot of the fancy new truck stop with lights so bright Lauren was sure it could be seen from space. Years ago, the corner where two highways crossed had been only a little gas station/convenience store with a trailer park in back. Now the truck stop took over the block and never closed.

Tim’s old Jeep, the one he refused to trade off, was by the gas pumps. Reid’s Mercedes was parked on the side. Lauren’s old blue Explorer was near the front door. Next to Reid’s car was a rusty junker of a pickup with a man leaning against it, his boots propped up on Reid’s Mercedes’s fender.

“Lucas!” Reid jerked away from Lauren and stormed toward the lights of the truck stop. “I knew this was coming. Damn it, Reyes, get your boots off my car!” His order sounded hollow in the still air, with no one around to notice but the tall figure with his boots still on the Mercedes.

Lauren and Tim slowed, staying in the shadows between light circles. “What’s going on?” she whispered.

Tim laughed. “I’m not sure, but I think Lucas Reyes is about to finally beat the hell out of Reid Collins.”

“That’s impossible. Lucas is always reasonable.” She watched Reid running toward Lucas, his swearing firing in time to his footsteps. Reid was already out of control, but Lucas looked calm, driven, deadly. Something was wrong.

“You’ve got to stop this.” She tried to pull Tim along. With no one else at the station, Tim was her only hope.

“Stop it? Hell, I plan on watching the fight, then swear I didn’t see a thing. It’s about time someone straightened out a lie Reid’s been telling for twelve years. Maybe Lucas just got tired of him building on more lies. We all know he wasn’t the hero that night, L, but Reid keeps bragging like he saved us all. He even did an interview with Texas Monthly about it a few months ago.”

Lauren pulled Tim along. “No. This isn’t about the lie he told at the Gypsy House. This is something more.” Just from his stance she knew Lucas Reyes hadn’t come to talk.

Before her words died in the air, Reid stormed toward Lucas and ordered him again to get his boots off the Mercedes.

When Lucas didn’t move, Reid yelled names at him as if they were in high school and not in their late twenties.

Lucas, dressed in Western clothes and not the suit he wore into court, slowly stood and widened his stance as Reid reached him.

Reid pointed his finger at Lucas as cusswords flew in rapid fire.

Lucas raised a fist and swung.

Lauren and Tim froze, watching. The lawyer’s fist connected with the part-time rancher’s face. The sound echoed off the cloudy night as sharp as gunfire, then silence as Reid crumbled.

“Did you see that?” she whispered.

“Yep. He flattened the guy with one blow. I’m tempted to go over there and kick Reid for not putting up more of a fight.”

They were still ten feet away when Lucas pulled out, leaving one of the richest men in Crossroads—a city councilman, a playboy, a liar—spread out on the oil-spotted concrete.

Tim reached him first and shook Reid’s shoulder. “You all right, slugger?” Tim teased.

Reid groaned and rolled onto his side in the blood and dirt of the parking lot.

Tim finally offered his hand and pulled Reid to his feet.

“You two saw what that bastard just did?” Reid spit blood. “Damn it, I knocked my tooth loose when I hit the ground. I swear I’m filing charges. He may be a big-city lawyer, but he can’t assault me just because I fired his old man.”

Tim let go of him and Reid fell against his car, bloodying his nose again. Tim didn’t seem to care. “Reyes has been foreman at your ranch for years. The place would have never been a working ranch if he hadn’t been there while you and your dad were traveling all over the country.” Tim made a fist. “You fired him? That’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, Reid.”

Lauren gripped Tim’s arm, fearing Reid was about to get hit again.

Reid didn’t notice. He was still spitting blood. “That’s why we’re so far behind the times. I had to get rid of all the deadwood around the place. I’ve got plans.”

He wiped his nose on his suit jacket. “Lucas is going to be so sorry he did this to me. I’ll file charges. He’ll lose his license to practice law. I’ve got you two as witnesses.”

Tim shook his head. “Sorry, Reid, I didn’t see a thing. I was trying to kiss Lauren. I think I might have heard a popping sound but I’m not sure.”

“What?” Reid swore. “I should have known I couldn’t depend on you.” He looked at Lauren. “At least Lauren is honest.”

Lauren straightened and did something she never did. She lied. “I was fighting off Tim. He’s been trying to kiss me since we were six. I’m sorry, I didn’t see anything but you lying by your car. I figured you were drunk again. I could swear to that if you want me to. I’ve seen you drunk enough times to know.”

Reid opened his car door, ignoring the blood dripping all over his white upholstery. “You two will be sorry. I can’t believe I ever thought of you as friends. The sooner I get out of this town, the better.”

They watched him drive away, and then Tim whispered, “You sorry, L?”

“Nope. How about you?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t see a thing. I would have really liked to help Reid out,” Tim said in mock-seriousness. “He’s been such a good friend of mine.” Lies dripped out of Tim’s mouth faster than blood dripped out of Reid’s.

“Yeah, me too.” She laughed as she tugged him toward her car. “How about we go check on Lucas.”

“You have any idea where he is?”

“I have an idea.”

* * *

LAUREN APPROACHED THE grassland of the Double K Ranch by the watery light of the midnight sky. She was on Kirkland land now. This was the first ranch established in this part of the country and still the biggest spread for a hundred miles around.

Staten Kirkland knew that years ago she and Lucas used to come out here to watch the stars. He probably wouldn’t be surprised that they still did. The Collins ranch, where Lucas’s dad had been foreman, bordered Kirkland’s. Lucas had grown up near here and he’d spent his college years cowboying for the Double K on weekends. He’d ridden both spreads when he’d been growing up and knew them well.

Lauren knew that if she had a chance of finding Lucas anywhere, it would be at this lonely spot where no lights from any town or ranch house could reach.

Parking her car on the county road, she pulled on her raincoat and climbed through the fence. As she neared the windmill, she didn’t see his car but she saw the outline of the old pickup he’d been driving in town.