Once a Cowboy

“Maybe.”

“Call your friend Ruth and get back into the bridge group. You always enjoyed playing. And what about the Heart Association fund-raiser and luncheon? That’s your pet project and they need your help.”

“I’m tired, darling. I think I’ll just rest.”

For the first time he realized his mother might be going through depression and he planned to mention that to the doctor. He didn’t like seeing her this despondent.

BRODIE DECIDED to let Alex keep his comb—for now. He had more pressing matters to deal with. Later, though, he would find out why she saw a need to steal something from his home.

He spent two nights at his mother’s watching chick-flick movies. His mother talked about his childhood, his father and her life as an army wife. She talked and he listened. As a single male, he realized this was probably the lowest point in his life—spending evenings with his mother. What had happened to the charmer who had a different woman every night? He’d just hit rock bottom. He had to get his mother back into the swing of living.

THE HOUSE WAS VERY QUIET without Naddy. She’d called and said they’d arrived safely so Alex didn’t worry. But with Naddy there was always cause to worry. She tended to do the unexpected.

Alex and Buck finished the cases for the DA and Buck was pleased because in both cases the attorneys were able to secure a guilty verdict.

The DA had its own investigators, but when they needed someone to go the extra mile they knew who to call. Buck was known for getting information out of the person without them knowing it. Everything Alex had learned about investigating, she’d learned from her father.

That morning Buck said, “I’m off to the coast for a few days of fishing.”

“Oh?” She looked up from reading the paper.

“Yeah. Bert’s putting a new heating-and-cooling unit in so it’s no use hanging around here.”

“What? You never mentioned that.”

“Thought I did.”

“No. I would have remembered it.”

“Well, you might think about taking some time off, too. We have the Cryder and Wilcox cases next week and we might as well start fresh.” He poured another cup of coffee. “I’m going to hook up my boat.”

Time off. That sounded wonderful to Alex. She had a friend, Patsy, in Florida she could visit and lie on the beach with drinking piña coladas. As she jumped up to call Patsy, the phone rang.

“Alex, it’s Lou at the lab.”

This was it. He had the results of the Braxton DNA test. She braced herself.

“I’m sorry. We can’t get a clear DNA from Mr. Hayes’s hair. We’ll need blood or saliva to complete the test.”

“Thanks, Lou. I’ll get back to you.”

She hung up cursing. Damn. This could have been so easy. How was she going to get his blood or saliva? By asking, like she should have done in the first place.

Being discreet had its advantages, but the ethics of this whole situation bothered her. She’d wanted to make things easy for Helen and Brodie—that’s the only reason she’d stolen the comb. Ever since she’d done that, though, it had been niggling at her.

She’d have to do this by the book, as Buck had taught her. She’d have to tell Brodie Hayes the truth. He deserved that and it would keep her principles about her job intact. She grabbed her purse, heading for Brodie’s ranch once again.

Parking at the house, she spotted him at the corrals on a horse, herding cattle into a pen. Plumes of dust spiraled around him. His truck and trailer were backed up to a loading chute.

Without a second thought she walked to the pipe corral. He dismounted and closed the gate, his gaze swinging to her. His loose-limbed strides brought him closer and she thought again how incredibly sexy he was. Today there were no starched clothes. His chambray shirt and jeans were worn, his boots dusty and his Stetson stained with sweat.

The hat pulled low hid his eyes, but from the firm set of his jaw she knew he wasn’t happy to see her.

“You’re back,” he said, his voice unfriendly.

“May I speak with you please?”

“Lady, I’m rather busy at the moment.” Those blue eyes blazed. “And people who steal are not people I want to talk to.”

“If you’ll give me a few minutes, I can explain.”

He seemed to think about it. “You’ve got five minutes.” He meandered around cows to a gate, his dogs behind him. Within seconds, he was standing next to her and his nearness seemed to cut off her breathing.

The heat was suffocating her even more. “Could we sit somewhere?” She blinked against the sun.

He turned toward the barn and she saw a bench beneath an oak tree. She sat down, glad of the shade. He remained standing, staring at her with narrowed eyes. The bluest blue was frosty and she felt a moment of trepidation.

The dogs sniffed at her feet and she patted them. “What’s their names?”

“Buck and Butch.”

She couldn’t help it. She laughed.

“You find that funny?” He lifted a dark eyebrow.

“No. Yes…you see, we call my dad Buck.”

The little bit of conversation seemed to relieve the tension and he sank down by her. “Who are you?”

She took a moment, then said, “I’m a private investigator.”

He looked at her with a startled expression. “Are you investigating me?”

“Yes.”

Brodie was taken aback. He’d never met a detective who looked quite like her before, with soft brown eyes, high cheekbones and a bow of a mouth. A kissable, tantalizing mouth. Her blond hair was pulled back like the other day, but today she wore snug-fitting jeans and a knit top. She appeared more like a model than a detective.

He swallowed. “Why?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain.”

He thought for a minute. She took his comb, which probably had strands of his hair on it. Oh no. He jumped to his feet. “Were you trying to get my DNA?”

Her eyes grew big, as if she didn’t quite expect him to grasp that so quickly. “Yes.”

“Who is it?”

She frowned. “What?”