Page 1 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

Chapter One

Honey Hallgren didn’t normally join her trash into the dumpster, but today was different.

As soon as she spied the silver Honda Civic pull into the parking lot of her apartment building, she stepped sharply to the left. Aiming for the nearest refuge—a large, stinky dumpster.

Cringing, she lifted the thick black plastic lid and tried to ignore the stench of rotting garbage.

Just do it.

Steeling herself, she leaped over the metal side of that dumpster like the champion hurdler she’d been in high school.

Still clutching her neatly sealed trash bag to her chest, she crouched low, holding her breath and trying not to think about any creepy crawlers.

Especially any furry rodents that might consider her the latest dish in their rubbish buffet.

She tried to position herself as gracefully as possible amid the refuse.

After a long moment of mouth breathing to avoid inhaling through her nose, she peeked over the rusty rim of her hiding place and watched the Civic make a slow circle around the parking lot. “Scoop” on the car’s vanity license plate confirmed her worst fears.

Ack! It was him.

She sucked in a deep breath, realizing her mistake a second too late. The putrid stench of rotten meat, soiled diapers, and sour milk invaded her nose and throat, burning her lungs.

Honey coughed and gagged, then almost lost her balance as her right foot slid into something soft and slimy. Only the sight of her goofy cousin behind the wheel kept her from leaping out of the dumpster.

Ronnie “Scoop” Baines was following her.

Again.

At twenty-years-old, Ronnie was as skinny as a fence post, and one of her most annoying family members on the Hallgren side. According to Aunt Cynthia, Ronnie’s adoring mother, he wanted to be just like Honey, an investigative reporter who followed every lead and never stopped digging.

The problem had started eight months ago, when Honey had taught a journalism class at the local community college and Ronnie had been one of her students. After the class was over, he’d declared himself her protégé and kept trying to horn in on her stories.

His clumsy and occasionally illegal investigative methods had become an issue around town. He’d even scared off some of her sources.

But Honey wasn’t about to let that happen this time—not when her dream job was on the line. If that meant hiding in a disgusting dumpster on a warm April afternoon to avoid relentless Ronnie, that’s exactly what she’d do.

Because Honey Hallgren never walked away from a story.

“This is a sign.” She hunkered down in the trash. “A sign that I’m making the right decision—it’s time to move on.”

After spending the past ten years working as a reporter for the Calamity Chronicle newspaper, Honey was ready for a change. Her thirtieth birthday was coming up next month, and with challenging work and a little luck, she’d be celebrating it with a new job and a new life in Austin.

But only if Ronnie didn’t get in her way and ruin everything.

The thought of leaving her hometown behind did make her feel a little homesick. She’d grown up on a sprawling Texas cattle ranch found just a mile west of Calamity, along with her big brother, Theo. He’d taken over the ranch three years ago, although her parents still lived there in the main house.

Honey had told them the exciting news about her impending job offer and move to Austin.

She’d already had two interviews with the head of a prestigious news syndicate there.

Now all she had left to do was turn in the profile story she’d promised them by the deadline—which was now only two weeks away.

The possibility of losing out on that job made her stomach lurch. Or maybe that was a reaction to the decaying garbage surrounding her.

Just one reason Honey needed to get out of here as soon as possible. She looked around the dim interior of her hiding place, then glimpsed a rusty hole in the front panel of the dumpster.

Carefully adjusting her position, she peered through the hole and watched Ronnie’s car slowly circling the parking lot.

After five or six minutes, he parked his car and climbed out.

Brushing his floppy brown hair away from his eyes, Ronnie cupped both hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hey, Honey! I know you’re around here somewhere. I saw you walking out of your apartment building when I pulled into the lot.”

She swallowed a groan, remembering that last day of class when she mentioned to her students they could stop by her office at the Calamity Chronicle if they ever had any journalism questions.

Ronnie had taken her at her word, showing up every day at her office to pitch story ideas and ply her with endless questions.

Honey loved his enthusiasm, but his news instincts were lousy.

And so was his timing.

Ronnie walked around the parking lot, still searching for her. “Honey, we need to talk. I think I’ve got an interesting lead for that story you’re working on about Will Pierce. We could write it together!”

Her heart dropped to her toes. He knew . Ronnie knew about her profile story.

For a moment, she felt a little dizzy and reached out to grab a broken lamp pole to steady herself. That’s when she realized her parents must have said something to Aunt Cynthia about her plans.

And Aunt Cynthia must have told Ronnie.

She resisted the temptation to leap out of the dumpster and set him straight.

There was no way she was going to allow him to come within a hundred yards of her story or near Will Pierce.

She hadn’t even talked to the elusive Texas Ranger herself yet, so she certainly wasn’t about to let Ronnie bungle his way into her story.

But Honey knew from experience how persistent her cousin could be, so she stayed put. If he saw her, Ronnie would just tail her in his car and ruin everything. She wasn’t about to take that chance—no matter how long she had to stay out of sight.

Her back muscles began to tense from crouching in the dumpster, and her lungs ached from trying to hold her breath for so long. The noxious fumes brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back, then continued watching him through the hole in the dumpster's side.

To her relief, Ronnie climbed back into his car and started the engine. Then he drove straight toward the dumpster, parking right next to it. His car now blocked the hole, preventing her from seeing anything else.

She crouched even lower, positioning the trash bag over the top of her as she heard his car door open and the sound of paper rattling. Heavy cowboy boots scraped against the pavement and her breath hitched.

The next moment, the dumpster lid above her cracked open, letting in bright sunshine. Icy liquid splashed on top of her head and dribbled down her face.

It took every bit of her willpower not to cry out in shock. A shower of greasy chicken bones and cold French fries followed the drenching. They landed in her hair and fell inside her blouse. Then the lid of the dumpster slammed down above her, leaving her in murky darkness.

He'd just dumped his trash on her.

Before Honey could react, she heard the roar of an engine and the squeal of tires. Through the dumpster hole, she watched in soggy relief as Ronnie peeled out of the parking lot.

She rose, her clothes wet and sticky and her long legs cramped from squatting for so long. Then she hit the top of her head on the dumpster lid.

It stuck there.

Wincing, she reached up to feel a thick wad of chewing gum adhering her blond hair to the lid.

“Wonderful. As if I don’t already have enough problems.”

She had gum in her hair and a chicken wing in her bra, but it was worth it to get rid of Ronnie. Because Honey finally had a solid lead and knew exactly where to find Will Pierce tonight.

Now she just had to figure out a way to make him talk to her.

* * *

Two hours later, Honey walked up to the counter at Blue Moon coffee shop, prepared for battle. “I need the strongest drink you’ve got, Shelby.”

Shelby Tanner, who co-owned Blue Moon with her sister, offered Honey a warm smile. “That must mean you either have a big date or you’re working on a big story.”

“No date for me, big or any other kind.” Honey let out a laugh. “I am working tonight, though. And I might be out late, so I’ll need lots of caffeine. What do you recommend?”

Shelby considered the question. She wore a white blouse and black skirt under her cornflower-blue apron. Her tawny-brown hair was neatly pulled back into a high ponytail. “How about a large, cold brew with an extra shot of espresso?”

“Make it two extra shots.”

Shelby whistled low. “That’s enough to keep you up all night.”

“Perfect.” Honey knew she’d be ready to start writing her story the moment she got home from the Crossroads Bar, so she would probably be awake until dawn. “And make it an extra-large, please.”

“You always did like to live dangerously.” Chuckling, Shelby walked off to prepare the order.

Honey brushed a stray curl behind her ear and studied the wall next to her.

It was filled with impressive displays of artwork created by students at Calamity High School.

She breathed in the pleasing aromas of coffee beans and vanilla that filled the air, which was a pleasant change from that stinky dumpster.

She’d enjoyed a long, hot shower after her messy encounter with Ronnie, and then dressed carefully for the interview, fixing her hair and makeup just right.

Honey wanted to make a good impression on Will, but also fit in with the evening crowd at the Crossroads Bar, so she didn’t stand out too much.

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” said a cheerful voice behind her.

She turned around to see Amber Mitchell, the communications director from the mayor’s office.

Her dark hair was cut in a cute pixie style that framed her face.

Amber had often been Honey’s go-to person for information or newspaper interview requests from the mayor’s office.

“Hey, this is a delightful surprise. How have you been?”