Page 80 of Cowboy Heat

Kissy turns, eyes wide. I can see her chest heaving up and down. She’s riding some adrenaline.

Which is good—I think we’re about to need it.

“It was the church comment, wasn’t it?” Grant asks. “About the sheriff?” His tone is humorous but not the laughing kind.

He knows we know.

Kissy answers. “The sheriff hasn’t been to church since his wife passed three years ago.”

Grant shrugs. “What can I say? I’ve never been great at cover stories.”

The man lunges at Kissy.

It’s his second mistake.

But this one is going to cost him more.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Kissy

One secondthere’s a man standing in front of me, the next he’s on the ground.

Beau stands, having been the force that leveled Grant Whoever He Is, but the liar has something quite literally hidden up his sleeve.

He pulls a knife from his jacket sleeve and slashes the air between him and Beau.

I call out to the latter and try to get up to my feet. It’s a struggle. I know I’m in a dangerous situation, but my brain flashes back to the man in my house.

With a knife.

On me.

It’s enough to freeze my good sense.

Beau, thankfully, is all motion. He avoids the slashing and puts distance between them.

Grant uses it to get to his feet. He’s sneering something awful. “The sheriff sure didn’t think you knew anything, but I, I’d disagree.”

They’re posturing opposite each other.

Beau doesn’t have a weapon, though. “Who are you?” he growls out.

Grant doesn’t seem keen on talking anymore. He throws himself forward, knife out.

I yell out for Beau and find my footing fast. It’s another reaction that does me wrong. We’re in the trees, but I can see a man walking out between the graves we’ve just left behind.

He must’ve heard me, because he’s all-out running in our direction.

And he has a gun.

Beau dodges the knife and puts a solid elbow down on Grant’s arm. He recoils but doesn’t drop it. It gives Beau some breathing room. He must’ve seen the newcomer rushing toward us.

Beau whirls around to face me and starts hustling. “Run!”

He’s given the directive, but he’s seeing it through with me. My hand is in his, and we’re barreling deeper into the trees together. I’m completely filled up on adrenaline, so the whole affair feels like I’m almost floating along the sloping ground.

Beau, maybe not so much.