Her Alpha Cowboys Page 4

  “I thought you were going to help sweep?” Becca gave a pointed look toward the broom in my hand. “Or maybe they didn’t teach you that in the military?”

  I snorted and Dade laughed outright. “They taught me a lot of things in the military,” I answered, laughing in spite of myself. “But one of the most important things I learned was not to get on a woman’s bad side.”

  Dade groaned. “Looks like you might need a refresher on that lesson, buddy.”

  Now it was Becca’s turn to laugh quietly as she studied me and Dade. “I just don’t know what to think about the two of you,” she said under her breath.

  Dade and I looked at each other and grinned.

  Yeah, the feeling was mutual.

  Chapter 5

  Becca

  I was sitting cross-legged on the bed in Janessa’s guest room, a notebook open in front of me with all the bits and pieces of information I’d managed to collect about the recent crimes that had been committed in and around Bliss since Daisy Lynn and I had been here.

  It was a pretty impressive—and frightening—list.

  Not that I was involved in any of the official investigations going on or anything, but I’d started taking notes and making my list to fill some of the quieter hours I’d spent at the Triple J Ranch.

  Janessa and her Uncle Justin had opened their home to all of us—me, Daisy Lynn, Cade, Boone… and now Dade and Cordell as well. And even though I couldn’t speak for any of the others, it really had started feeling like home to me.

  Of course, I would still leave sometime—probably sometime soon, in fact—but not until I knew for sure that Janessa and her family—and Daisy Lynn and her guys, too—were out of danger. And that would only happen once some of the more serious crimes on my list had been solved.

  Plus, even though I had complete faith in Prescott and Cole to solve the various cases they were investigating, they were still just two people at the end of the day. And even amazingly competent, principled, hard-working police officers could use a little outside perspective every now and then, right?

  That was what I’d been telling myself, at least, as I recorded the facts and then tried to make some sense out of them.

  So far, the only connection I’d been able to make was that most of the crimes had been committed against the five largest ranching families in the area, and that was common knowledge anyway.

  What nobody seemed to know was why those families had been targeted. I wasn’t from Bliss, so I didn’t know a lot of the town’s history. From what I’d been able to gather, though, the five big families had been major figures in the town ever since its founding.

  But what was the connection?

  Why would someone be after them? For money? Land? None of the families seemed to be particularly rich with cash, and cattle land was probably the most plentiful commodity in Montana aside from the cattle themselves.

  So… what, then?

  I just didn’t know. And no amount of guessing was going to get me any closer to the truth.

  What I needed was someone who knew the history of the town and also didn’t mind gossiping a little. Those qualifications counted out pretty much everyone I knew in Bliss. Janessa and her uncle, Daisy Lynn and her guys, even Cordell and Dade… they all worked too hard to spend time gossiping and speculating about what anyone else was doing.

  No, I needed to find some people with time on their hands.

  People like the ones I’d seen down at the diner in town—ready to sit around and talk to whoever might listen. People who didn’t mind chatting with a curious stranger.

  I smiled to myself. Was I overthinking this? Was I starting to take my little mini-investigation a little too seriously?

  Yeah, I probably was.

  But I truly wanted to help. I wanted to do my part, especially if it meant I could put an end to the horrible things that had been happening around town and here on Janessa’s ranch.

  Plus, honestly?

  I was bored.

  My friends had all fallen in love and had not just one but two men to keep them company.

  That sort of thing was just not in the cards for me. It just wasn’t going to happen. I was destined to be a virgin forever, apparently. Which was… fine. No problem. I didn’t mind. I honestly didn’t even think about it most days.

  Much.

  But seriously… what else was I going to do?

  The same thing any bored, sexually frustrated woman my age would do, of course.

  Get dressed.

  Go to town.

  And solve some crimes.

  Thirty minutes after deciding I needed to go into town, I found myself seriously questioning my own judgment as I sat in the front of a pickup truck right between Dade and Cordell.

  Because of course they had been getting ready to drive into town at the same time. And of course it had made more sense—in Justin Thoreson’s mind, at least—for me to ride with them than for me to borrow one of the trucks from the ranch.

  It probably hadn’t helped that the last time Justin had loaned out a farm truck, Daisy Lynn had wrecked it and had very nearly died.

  “So, where are we going first?” Dade asked, turning to me with a friendly smile.

  “We?” I shook my head. “I thought you guys had other stuff to do in town? You can just drop me off at the diner and I’ll have Janessa or Daisy Lynn come and pick me back up when I’m done there.”

  “Nah.” Cordell frowned. “We don’t want to just drop you off somewhere. Plus, I’m pretty hungry. I wouldn’t mind hanging out at the diner for a while and grabbing a bite to eat.” He glanced over at me as we approached the only stop light in town. “We won’t be in your way, though. You don’t even have to sit by us if you don’t want to.”

  “But we wouldn’t mind if you did,” Dade added, flashing another quick grin. “No reason for us to sit at separate tables, is there? We’re all going to be eating anyway, right?”

  I sighed. I really didn’t need anyone’s help and didn’t necessarily want to get into the real reason for my trip to the diner—at least, not with Cordell and Dade. They would just ask more questions or probably tell me I should leave the investigating to the police.

  And they would definitely be a distraction as long as they were there, regardless of anything else.

  “I’m not just going to be sitting there eating,” I confessed, deciding it would be easier to get it out of the way while we were all still in the truck. The last thing I needed was to have either of them question what I was doing once we’d gone inside the diner. “I want to ask a few questions about the things that have been happening around town lately, and I think the diner is a good place to start.”

  I’d expected them to laugh or maybe even try to talk me out of my little self-appointed mission, but they didn’t.

  “Okay.” Dade shrugged. “Just let us know if there’s anything we can help with.”

  “Yeah,” Cordell agreed. “And we’ll be right there if you need any backup.”

  “Okay.” I looked from one guy to the other, honestly surprised and almost speechless. “Thank you. I’ll… I’ll let you both know if I need anything.”

  Not that I could really imagine needing much more than a ride back to the Triple J Ranch, but I appreciated the offer.

  At least I knew they wouldn’t get in my way. That was the most important part. The kind of investigating I was planning on doing might not be official or even very professional, but it was still a priority for me.

  As long as there was some lunatic out there starting fires and poisoning animals, none of us were safe.

  The diner was busier than I’d expected, and the only available seats were along the front counter where three older guys were having a conversation about the unseasonably dry weather.

  “Do you mind if we sit down on the other side of you?” Cordell whispered as I chose a bar stool right next to the three strangers.

  I looked around. There really wasn’t anywhere else for Dade a
nd Cordell to sit, even if I did mind.

  With a shrug, I gestured for them to sit down as I smiled and waited for an opportunity to ask the three strangers some questions.

  “Crazy what’s been happening around here,” Cordell said, his deep voice carrying even though he was supposedly just talking to Dade. “It can’t all just be coincidence, can it?”

  I looked over at him and was going to ask him to keep it down a little when I saw Dade grin and shake his head.

  “No way it’s just a coincidence.” Dade’s voice was equally loud. “First those poisonings, then the fire… I heard a guy even got killed.”

  I sighed.

  It was obvious what they were doing. And even though a part of me appreciated their help breaking the ice, their acting chops left a lot to be desired. These guys might know their way around a horse, but subtlety was definitely not one of Dade’s or Cordell’s strengths.

  “Did you guys hear about that latest thing?” The old man to my right leaned in and nodded to Cordell. “That fire at the Tate ranch?”

  “I heard they lost everything,” one of the other guys added.

  “A damn shame.” The third guy shook his head. “Those boys are hard workers.”

  I couldn’t believe it. Dade and Cordell had actually helped me. They’d gotten these old guys to start talking. I looked over at them, unable to contain a small smile. Dade just tossed me a wink. Cordell leaned over and whispered, “Now it’s your turn. We were just your opening act.”

  “Some people think…” I paused and cleared my throat to make sure I had the attention of all three strangers. “Some people think that fire might have been started on purpose. Maybe someone was trying to send a message.”

  The guy closest to me nodded. “That’s what I think, too. Someone has an ax to grind, and they’re taking it out on all the big land owners around here. Makes me glad I’ve always kept my operation small and out of the way.”

  “I just don’t see how that fire has anything to do with the other stuff,” the middle guy said and shrugged. “Everyone is just jumpy now because of the poisoning and the vandalism. Hell, those things might not even be related. Or it could just be some high-school kids out having a laugh.”

  “Damn kids,” the third guy grumbled. “They need to respect other people’s property. They shouldn’t go around tearing things up just for fun.”

  The first guy grunted. “We were all kids once—and I seem to remember you getting into your share of trouble back then.”

  “And yet, you can’t remember what you did yesterday,” the third guy shot back. “I just wish they’d catch whoever is behind all of this foolishness. Bliss is starting to feel more and more like the big city with all these problems. We might as well all go live in Helena.”

  I had to bite back a laugh, but the middle guy wasn’t so considerate. “I don’t think Bliss is in danger of becoming like Helena anytime soon.”

  “No.” The guy next to me shook his head. “Not by a long shot. Still, it is troubling. And I don’t care what anyone else says, I still think there’s a connection.”

  The third guy grumbled, “You sound just like Abe. He was saying the same damn thing yesterday when I was down at the tavern.”

  “Abe?” I asked, perking up after silently laughing through most of the friendly bickering.

  “Abe Gruman,” the middle guy said. “He owns the tavern down the street. And he’s got a theory about everything.”

  “That’s because he’s been serving drinks to everyone in town for the past fifty years,” the man next to me added. “He’s been around so long that he’s practically the town’s historian.”

  Cordell gave me a gentle nudge. “I’m suddenly feeling a little thirsty, Becca. How about you?”

  I turned to him with a knowing smile. “Sounds like we’d better visit the tavern, hm?”

  Chapter 6

  Becca

  “Closed.” I sighed, peering in through the door to the darkened tavern. “It doesn’t look like any of the lights are even on. I don’t think he’s here yet.”

  Cordell frowned. “I was really hoping we’d get a chance to talk to him before the place got too busy. I don’t know whether we’ll be able to get much information out of him later when he’ll have other customers to take care of.”

  He was right. This really would have been our best opportunity to ask Abe a few questions about some of the land-owning families around town. I moved to a different window and looked inside again but still couldn’t see anything.

  “What should we do?” I asked. “It’s not like we can just sit here and wait around until whenever this place opens. That could be hours.”

  “Is there anything else you need to do while we’re here in town?” Dade asked. “Errands? Shopping?”

  I laughed. “Daisy Lynn and I already cleaned out the bait and tackle store of all their cute clothes—God, that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say—but anyway, no. There really isn’t anything else I need to do here.”

  I had only come on a whim in the first place, then had let myself get a little carried away with excitement when it seemed like we might be on the verge of uncovering some helpful information.

  And now… well, now it sort of felt like we’d just wasted a couple of hours.

  “Only one thing we can do, then, I guess.” Dade shrugged and started to smile.

  “What’s that?” Cordell and I turned to him, waiting for whatever idea had him grinning from ear to ear.

  “Looks like we all need to come back for some drinks and dancing tonight.” Dade paused, then added, “All for the sake of gathering some information, of course.”

  “Of course,” Cordell groaned. He looked over at me. “How do you feel about dancing? I’ve got two left feet, but I’ve seen Dade two-step. He makes it look pretty easy.”

  Dade laughed. “That’s because it is easy for anyone who isn’t as aggressively off the beat as you.” He nudged me as we started walking back to the truck. “So… what do you say? Can we take you out dancing tonight?” He tossed me a wink. “Maybe even buy you a soda.”

  I laughed. “And you’ll let me ride in the front of the truck, too?”

  “I mean… we probably shouldn’t make it a habit…” Dean and Cordell were both laughing along with me. “But sure, I guess we can do that.”

  “Wow, do you sweet-talk all the girls like this?” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling all over again. “Or am I just the lucky one today?”

  “Are you kidding?” Dade shook his head. “Just ask Cordell. I don’t even offer other girls a ride in the truck.”

  “He couldn’t talk most girls into going anywhere with him in the first place,” Cordell muttered, but it was clear that they were both getting a kick out of the good-natured teasing.

  I could only laugh as the three of us climbed back into the pickup. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have even considered an offer to go dancing with a couple of guys I barely even knew. Two days ago, I wouldn’t have agreed to ride to the end of the driveway with these two guys in particular.

  But now?

  Maybe I’d been too quick to judge. Maybe a night out would actually be fun—today had certainly gone better than I’d ever imagined it could have.

  And who knew? Maybe Dade and Cordell were actually my good luck charms. They’d certainly been helpful in getting some information out of those old guys at the diner. If they could do the same with Abe at the tavern, well… maybe it would be worth a shot.

  “Okay,” I said, finally. “I’ll go with you guys tonight, but I do have one condition.”

  “Name it,” Cordell replied without hesitating.

  “This isn’t a date, just so we’re clear. And… no slow-dancing.”

  “Fine with me.” Cordell nodded, and we both turned to Dade.

  “Those were technically two conditions,” he said. “But okay. They’re conditions I can live with.”

  So that was it. We were going out together—
but definitely not as anything more than friends.

  Acquaintances, really.

  Strictly platonic, no matter what we called it.

  I just hoped I could remember to stick to my own rules.

  Cordell and Dade dropped me off at Janessa’s big front porch before driving around to the other side of the property where their travel trailer was parked.

  I waved and couldn’t help watching for a few seconds as they drove away. I’d had a surprisingly nice time with them while we were in town, and even though I was probably crazy for agreeing to go back with them later that night, I was still looking forward to it.

  Janessa and Daisy Lynn were both sitting in the living room when I stepped into the house, and they both gave me nearly identical expectant looks.

  “What?” I tried to sound nonchalant as I moved toward the stairs.

  “Is there anything you’d like to share with us?” Daisy Lynn asked with a mischievous grin.

  Janessa cut right to the chase. “We saw you get out of the truck with Cordell and Dade,” she said in a sing-song voice. “Where were you?”

  “And did you have fun?” Daisy Lynn added. “I know that look…”

  “What look?” I tried to school my features but ended up smiling wider instead. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just went to town for a while. I had some lunch. I came back here. That’s all.”

  Which wasn’t a lie. I really had done all of those things. Just… not all by myself.

  And they obviously already knew who I’d been with, but I didn’t really feel the need to go over every little detail and make it into something it wasn’t.

  “It’s okay,” Janessa sighed. “You don’t have to tell us anything if you don’t want to. But… I know that look, too.”

  “What look?” I rolled my eyes, still trying and failing to wipe the smile off my face. “You guys, there isn’t a look. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”