Page 14 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

Her heart pounded just looking at him. He easily overshadowed every other man in the room in his tailored gray suit and sapphire-blue tie.

No doubt he’d surpass every other man here without the suit, too.

She’d seen him wearing only a skimpy towel, giving her a close-up view of that taut washboard stomach.

Those thick biceps. The surprising breadth of his shoulders.

“Honey?”

She blinked, Will’s deep voice breaking into her reverie. “What?”

He stared down at the hardwood floor. “I think you dropped something.”

“Oh, that’s the bracelet I bought in Bodine today.” She bent to pick it up.

“Do you want help to put it on?”

“Please.”

Why did her voice suddenly sound all husky? Inviting. Maybe even a little wanton. Embarrassed by how her body was betraying her emotions, she moved closer to him and self-consciously held out her left arm.

Was it her imagination, or had he noticed? He bent over her wrist. Judging by the way his fingers lingered against her skin, she guessed he had.

“There,” he said, securely hooking the clasp, then straightening. “It looks… perfect.”

His gaze raised to meet her eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, then thought better of it.

It didn’t matter. They seemed to communicate in a language that didn’t require words.

He looked perfect, especially up close. The hint of dark whiskers on his jawline drew her attention away from his lips that were, at once, both firm and soft.

Her gaze traveled upward to the way his thick eyelashes curled slightly at the tip and to the small scar below his left eye that told a story she wanted to hear.

Too late, Honey realized she was staring.

He was staring right back at her. They were in the middle of the reception hall, surrounded by people, yet they were only aware of each other.

Honey squared her shoulders, determined to regain her equilibrium. “I’m ready for a drink now.”

Boy, was she ever.

She wasn’t the only one affected by their proximity. It took him a moment to shake free of the spell that had settled over them.

“Good. Um… yeah.” He pushed a hand through his dark hair as if to clear away the fog. “Let’s head to the bar.”

Before she could respond, a familiar voice sounded behind her. “Is this the man you’ve been hiding from us, Honey?”

She turned around to find her parents and brother standing right behind her. In her distraction, she hadn’t heard them approach.

“This is a surprise. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“We just got back from a cattle sale in Waco, and we stopped in to wish the happy couple well.”

Honey blinked. Was her mother referring to her and Will? Had the Calamity rumor mill turned their supposed living arrangements into an impending marriage?

Her mother smiled across the room at the newlyweds who were making their way through the crowd, as if to answer her unspoken question.

Honey breathed a sigh of relief and made the introductions. “Will, these are my parents, Brent and Kate. And you already know Theo, of course.”

Theo scowled at him, obviously still not over his outrage at finding an almost-naked Will in her apartment.

“How is Aunt Cynthia doing?” she asked.

“Surprisingly well,” her mother said. “She’s still anxious about Ronnie, of course. But this is the first time in decades she’s had the house to herself.”

“I think my sister’s enjoying the peace and quiet,” her dad said bluntly. “Ronnie’s becoming a man, and it’s time for him to go out and make his own life. And his own mistakes. Something tells me he’s probably out doing that right now.”

"The bride left for California when she was Ronnie's age, but things worked out for her," her mother whispered.

“Did it?”

“Oh, yes. She spent four years there earning a college degree and working a job, then came back and married the man of her dreams.” Mom smiled at the newlyweds who had by now made their way to the dais. “They’re just the sweetest couple.”

Her father turned to Will. “Speaking of happy couples, how long have you and Honey been seeing each other? Why hasn’t she brought you around yet?”

Honey reached over to give her father a side hug. “We’ll try to find time to come out to the ranch soon, Dad. And then you can ask Will all the questions you want.”

Sometimes, a problem deferred was a problem avoided.

“Okay, Honey.” Dad patted her arm. “I do want to just ask him one question tonight.”

“Yes, sir?” Will said.

“Are you still doing any bull-riding?”

Will chuckled, then shook his head. “No, sir. I gave up bull-riding for boxing. I’m not sure which sport gives you more bruises, though.”

Honey’s mother cleared her throat. “Is that how you got those marks on your face?”

With a surreptitious touch of his elbow to his wife’s arm, perhaps as a hint to save the interrogation for later, her dad interjected, “Just keep practicing. That’s how you get better. Now, if you have any questions about Honey, we’ll be glad to answer them.”

“Actually,” Will said and threw a sly wink at Honey. “I wouldn’t mind knowing the story behind her mysterious middle name. All I know is that it starts with a B .”

Honey winced, realizing too late that she should have stopped him.

The mood between her parents suddenly cooled. Then her father cleared his throat. “Honey’s middle name is a matter of opinion in our house. One opinion is right, and one opinion is dead wrong, but somebody’s too stubborn to see it.”

Her mom’s eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t put it that way, dear. I would say one opinion is smart and the other opinion is full of…”

“Mom!” Theo quickly interjected. “You can’t say that word in a house of worship.”

Her mother pointed to the hayloft above them. “This isn’t a house of worship, it’s an old dairy barn. There’s been more cows in here than people.”

Theo shook his head. “Since we’re here to celebrate a wedding, I disagree.”

“I love you, Theo,” her mom said. “But sometimes you’re as stubborn as your father. I hope that you’re better at choosing baby names than your father when the time comes.”

“I don’t want to hear this fight again,” Theo said. “It’s been twenty-nine years of the same argument. It’s time to let it go.”

Honey looked over at Will, who seemed to be both fascinated and amused by their conversation. And more curious now than ever about Honey’s middle name.

She grabbed his arm and gave a little tug. “Let’s get a drink.”

They walked toward the bar at the other end of the barn, but then she glimpsed Amber in the crowd. “You go ahead. I see someone I want to talk to.”

“Okay,” he said. “What would you like?”

“I’ll take a glass of red wine, please.”

“You got it,” he said, then moved toward the bar line.

She turned and headed in Amber’s direction.

The number of people here didn’t surprise her.

A group of Calamity’s finest were holding court at the far side of the room, including Deputy Trey Booker, who had served as a groomsman.

Both the bride and groom had been born and raised here, which meant they knew just about everyone in town.

Upon seeing the lawman, a distressing thought occurred to her, and a sense of foreboding swept over her like icy fingers crawling up her spine and into her scalp.

The Destroyer could be here too.

Honey rushed to the long tables where Amber and Betty Jean Hart were chatting. Betty claimed to have introduced the bride and groom.

Honey waited until Betty Jean went off to take a photo with the newlyweds before she approached the table.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Amber said. “This is like the best high school reunion ever!” Then she glanced at her watch. “But I’m Betty Jean’s designated driver, so we’ll have to be leaving soon.”

“Before you go…” Honey took the empty seat beside Amber. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Amber laughed. “Of course not. That’s what reporters do best.”

Honey looked both left and right, then moved closer and lowered her voice. “Have there been any threats made to the mayor or anyone at city hall? It could be verbal or by fax or text. Any method of communication, really.”

Amber blanched. “Wow, that’s not what I was expecting you to ask. I guess people do get pretty mad about their taxes. I know they do a lot yelling at town hall meetings. But that’s the worst I’ve heard. I could ask around city hall for you, though, if it would be helpful for your story.”

“Thanks,” Honey said. “I appreciate that.”

A moment later, Betty Jean returned from the bar, and that was her cue to find Will. But she found her brother first.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked Theo, who stood reading a large sign on the wall.

“I’m learning the history of this dairy barn. It’s impressive.”

“Do you know what would be even more impressive? Asking Maria to dance with you.”

That got his attention. Theo turned to face her. “What?”

“You’ve been mooning over her for too long, and you won’t allow me to ask her if she’s interested in you.”

“That’s because we’re not in junior high anymore.”

“Then go do it,” she said. “Ask her to dance. At least, if she says no, you’ll finally be able to move on.”

“Maybe I don’t want to move on.” Theo’s gaze slid to Maria, who sat on the other side of the dance floor with the groom’s sister-in-law.

Honey took a step closer to her brother. “I’ve seen you ride big, scary bulls and live to talk about it. I think you can survive this, too.”

She gave him a gentle push in Maria’s direction.

An hour later, she and Will were ready go. As they headed for the barn doors, she glanced over her shoulder to see Theo and Maria still swaying together on the dance floor. She smiled to herself. “Mission accomplished.”

But she wasn’t smiling a few minutes later when she and Will neared her car and saw something odd on the windshield.

“What is that?” she asked him.

Will reached the car first. “It looks like an old T-shirt with stains on it. Probably a rag somebody tossed out.”

The dim lighting of the gravel parking lot obscured her view, so she pulled out her cell phone and turned on the flashlight. She pointed it at the shirt, spread inside out on the car.

Honey gasped. “Is that blood?”

Will moved quickly to her side. “It looks like it.”

She aimed the flashlight toward the collar of the shirt. “Do you see the tag?”

Honey waited while he studied the handwritten initials scrawled on the scrap of fabric.

R.B.

She looked meaningfully at Will. “Those are Ronnie’s initials.”