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“I think you already know, Tam.”

She smiled and got teary-eyed again. “Yeah, I know.”

“Well, come on,” said Travis. “Billy and I don’t know. Are you gonna tell us?”

“Not yet,” said Tammy. “Me and Harlan have to do some preliminary work on it first. Then we might tell y’all.”

Tammy had picked up a bit of a Texas twang from living with her step-mama on her ranch.

“Preliminary work,” repeated Billy. “Huh. This is gonna take some figuring out.”

“Huh,” said Travis, and gave me a look.

Dry Run Roadhouse. Coyote Creek.

After that great dinner we drove on up to the roadhouse. We had to pass it anyway on the way home and Travis always liked to stop in for a beer or two.

We’d stopped going there a bit when Savanna was living with us because the guy who owned the roadhouse was Savanna’s ex-boyfriend, and he was plenty pissed at Travis for cutting his grass.

Now that Savanna moved back to town to her own place, we could drink at the roadhouse again. Just the way things worked out.

Small towns were like that. Everybody knew everybody else’s business and you could piss somebody off without even knowing you were doing it.

Legally, me and Tammy weren’t old enough to drink in any state and we were never allowed to go out drinking on our own. Travis would never condone deliberately breaking the law, but he figured if we were legally old enough to be deputy sheriffs in his county, then we deserved to drink a beer on our birthday.

Walking in the front door, I saw Savanna sitting at the bar talking to Jack, so I turned to the left and headed into the big dance hall to find a booth for the four of us.

Travis stared at Savanna for a minute, Jack looked up at him and glared and Travis moved on. I didn’t think he had any intention of getting Savanna back, but Jack might not know that.

We settled into our booth and Tessa came running over to take our drink order. What can I get you, Sheriff?”

“I’ll have a pitcher of Miller and a pitcher of Coors, Tessa. Four glasses.”

“Coming right up, Sheriff.”

“Not too busy in here tonight,” said Billy. “Guess it never is unless the band is playing.”

“If it ain’t busy, then we don’t have to worry about busting up any fights, do we?” asked Travis. “I wouldn’t want Harlan messing up his pretty face before that Brooke girl gets to kissing on him.”

“Yeah, I saw the way she was sizing him up,” said Billy. “You couldn’t miss that look she was giving him.”

Tammy giggled.

I just shook my head and drank my beer.

Chapter Two

Monday, July 22nd.

Wild Stallion Ranch.

Tammy and I rushed through our chores in the barn this morning. We had to feed the horses and move them into the corral, get breakfast over with and get ready for our first day as co-deputies at the Coyote Creek Sheriff’s Office.

Travis had talked to people who counted in the county office and there was enough in the budget for the two of us—me and Tammy—to get paid a wage just above minimum for our services.

I worked the last two years for nothing—well, not for nothing—the county didn’t pay me, but Travis did. He gave me money every week for helping him out and it was more than I needed.

Travis looked after me in all ways like I was his own son and now I am his own son. The papers have been filed for me and for Tammy by dad’s lawyer in Great Falls. Travis legally adopted both of us and we belong to him officially.