Page 2 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

“Good!” Amber said. Busy, of course.” She motioned to the art on the wall.

“Ahh.”

“I’m actually here to select three pieces for display in the city hall. And a cup of coffee, of course.”

“Of course,” Honey echoed.

Amber’s brow furrowed. “Say, I heard something about you leaving the Chronicle . Is that true?”

“I still freelance for them, but I’m not in the newspaper office full-time anymore. With any luck, I’ll be starting a new job in Austin soon.”

“That’s exciting!”

“You’ll have to come up to the big city and hit the hot spots with me.”

Amber laughed. “Girl, I’m going to take you up on that, because I’ve had terrible luck with the dating apps.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

Shelby approached with her order.

“Gotta go,” she said, paying for her cold brew. “See you later.

Before she left, she took a quick look around the crowded coffee shop. “Hey Shelby, have you seen Maria Torres? She was supposed to meet me here.”

“Oh, she’s here.” Shelby wiped down the counter. “She already picked up her order and is out on the back patio.”

“Okay, thanks.” Honey took a long sip of her drink, and walked toward the antique arched wooden door that led to the patio.

The outdoor seating area was paved with the same red bricks that had once been used to construct the original main street of Calamity.

A boxwood hedge bordered the cozy space.

The small round tables and wrought-iron chairs were perfectly placed to provide comfortable seating below a large blue awning.

Maria waved to her from the far corner of the patio. “Hey, over here! You’re just in time.”

“In time for what?” Honey took a seat beside her friend. A few other people were seated on the patio, but no one she recognized.

“Time to help me pick a date for Saturday night.” Maria held her cell phone in one hand. “I signed up for a dating app and I’m looking through options.”

Maria had been Honey’s best friend since third grade, when the Torres family had moved to Calamity.

She had long dark hair and big brown eyes and was the smartest person Honey had ever met.

They’d gone to college together at Texas A&M, although Maria had majored in finance while Honey had chosen journalism.

At twenty-nine, Maria had already worked her way up to vice president of the local bank. As eager as she was to get that job in Austin, Honey knew she’d miss Maria and these coffee dates more than anything.

Maria held up the phone so Honey could see the screen. “What do you think of this guy?”

“That’s funny, I was just talking about dating apps.” Honey pulled the cell phone toward her and gaped the profile picture of a muscular man wearing only a small white towel draped around his waist. It had been a long time since she’d seen an almost-naked man. Longer than she wanted to admit.

“Well?” Maria prodded.

“Wow, he is leaving almost nothing to the imagination.”

Maria leaned forward in her chair. “I actually think he’d be perfect for you .”

“Me? You’re the one looking for a date.”

“I think you’re more his type.” Maria picked up her coffee cup and smiled. “You’re not dating anyone now, right?”

Honey shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t have time to date this guy or anyone else in Calamity. You know I’m busy with this profile story.”

“You’re always busy with a story. You need a personal life, too, Honey. A little romance to balance out your life.”

“It makes little sense to get involved with a guy now,” Honey said. “I’ll try to make time for romance after I move to Austin. Deal?”

“Deal.” Maria sighed, took her phone back and swiped left on the profile picture before dropping it into her purse. “Now, why am I here?”

Honey sucked in a deep breath. “I just wanted to go over my plan with you one more time to make sure there aren’t any holes in it.”

Maria’s brow furrowed. “What’s going on with you? Three days ago, I showed you those photos from Lauren McBride’s bridal shower at the Crossroads Bar.”

“Yeah?”

“That’s when you recognized Will Pierce playing bartender. But instead of racing there to interview him, you’ve been stalling.” Maria leaned forward. “What gives?”

“I’m not stalling, I just needed some time to prepare.” Honey shifted in her chair, realizing that wasn’t the whole truth.

Maria arched an eyebrow.

“Look, I’ll be honest. I’d been searching for Will Pierce for weeks before I saw him in that photo. I even called the Texas Rangers Division office in Austin asking about him, but they were incredibly unhelpful.”

“Oh?”

“They told me he was unavailable, then started grilling me on why I wanted to speak to Will. They insisted I give them my full name and address.”

“Maybe that’s just protocol.” Maria’s eyes widened. “Or maybe Will is working undercover, and they don’t want you on his trail.”

Hmm, she hadn’t thought of that.

“Isn’t that why you’re so fascinated with the guy in the first place? Because of his undercover work? Or is it because you fell in love with him at a rodeo? Wasn’t he a bull rider?”

“Yes, he was a bull rider.” Her cheeks burned. “But I did not fall in love with him.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“I was only sixteen. The only reason I was even at that rodeo was to watch my brother compete. Besides, Will lived over a hundred miles away from Calamity.”

“You couldn’t stop talking about him for weeks.”

Honey shrugged. “Okay, so I might have had a little crush on him at the time, but that was years ago.”

“But you never forgot him.”

“He is pretty unforgettable. He and Theo kept in touch for a while, though. That’s how I know Will joined the Texas Rangers. They lost touch after that.”

Maria gave a knowing smile. “But that didn’t stop you from following Will’s career.”

She shrugged. “I like to keep up with people from my past. And I read some interesting news articles about him over the years. That’s why I thought Will would make a relevant story.”

“It was more than a crush,” Maria said. “But it doesn’t explain why you’re stalling.”

“You just won’t let this go, will you?” Honey sighed, and sipped her cold brew. “I’m a professional journalist. I know what I’m doing.”

“It’s been three days. I’ve never seen you wait this long to follow up on a lead. Spill it, Honey. What’s going on?”

Honey pressed her lips together, wishing her friend would change the subject. But Maria was right.

“Okay, I have been stalling.”

“Why?”

“I simply can’t figure out why Will is working as a bartender in the middle of nowhere.”

“He needs money? Normal reason why people work.”

“I’ve spent the last three days making calls and following breadcrumbs that led nowhere. Is he working undercover? Or did he quit the Texas Rangers? Or get fired?”

“There’s only one way to find out. Go talk to him.”

“I want to talk to him. In fact, I can’t wait.” She met Maria’s gaze. “I just hate going into this interview completely blind. Because if he shuts it down, then it’s over for me. No new job and no move to Austin.”

“Couldn’t you just write about a different person for your profile story?”

“No, during my interview they clarified that once you commit to a story, you need to follow through. Which I understand because the best stories are usually the most difficult.”

“True.”

Honey squared her shoulders. “I promised them a profile story about a decorated Texas Ranger. A man who has brought down some of the biggest criminals in Texas. And that’s the story I’ll give them.”

“No doubt,” Maria said. “And I get that Will looks like a scruffy nomad in that picture and not a Texas Ranger. But even if he did get fired, that story would still be fascinating, right?”

“Absolutely. I don’t know what got into me. One minute, I was ready to pounce on Will and learn everything about him, and the next I was as nervous as my cousin Ronnie, investigating his first story.”

“So something is going on.”

“I guess I just got a case of the jitters because this new job is so important to me. I even quit my full-time position at the Chronicle and am now working freelance for them, so I’d have time to write Will’s story.”

“I know you enjoyed working at the Chronicle , but they were running you ragged. And you’re more than ready to move on to the big time.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right. You’re the best reporter in Texas.”

“Aww, thank you saying that. Untrue, but sweet of you.”

“And you’re definitely dressed right to get his attention. That sapphire-blue blouse is beautiful, and those denim jeans fit you like a glove. New cowboy boots, too?”

“Yep. I can’t remember the last time I went shopping, but I racked up quite the credit debt with this outfit.” She wanted to make a good impression and fit in with the crowd—especially since she planned to stay long past closing time to have a one-on-one conversation with the bartender.

“Smart choice.”

“No matter what happens, I’m not leaving the Crossroads Bar until he spills his life story to me.”

Maria laughed. “Now, that’s the Honey I know and love. The one who doesn’t stop until she gets exactly what she wants—especially if it’s a story.”

“I do have a nose for news.”

Maria cocked her head. “Any chance that Will might remember Theo’s little sister?”

“After almost fifteen years? Nah, no way he’ll remember me.”

Maria folded her hands together on the table. “Want to rehearse your plan again.”

“Yes, thanks. First, I’ll sauntered into the place and order a drink.”

“What sort of drink?”

“Nothing fussy. Wine or a beer.”

“Good choice. Bartenders hate getting out the blender.”

“Hopefully, there will be an empty stool at the bar so I can sit down and have a conversation with Will.”

“And if there’s not?”

Honey gnawed her bottom lip. “Guess I’ll just belly up to the bar.”

“You sound like an old west gunslinger.” Maria let out a hoot of laughter.

“Either way, I’ll get him talking and see what I can learn. In my experience, that’s the best way to start an interview. You’d be surprised how people like to talk about themselves.”

“But what if he’s not a talker? Or worse, he ’s undercover. That could be dangerous for both of you.”

“Are you kidding? I’m hoping he’s undercover.”

“You enjoy taking risks.”

“Not risks really. I just follow opportunity whenever it appears. If I could tag along on a case and give my readers a glimpse into the life of an undercover Texas Ranger. Now that’s a story I’d love to write.”

“Honey, I think all that caffeine is going to your head. There’s no way an undercover Texas Ranger would let a reporter tag along with him.”

“First things first.” Honey took a deep, calming breath. “Can you show me the photos from the bridal shower again. I want to make sure I missed nothing important.”

“Sure.” Maria picked up her cell phone. “Isn’t it strange? I never would have gone to Lauren’s bachelorette party if her family hadn’t lived next door to mine and we became besties. If you hadn’t seen that photo, you might have never found Will.”

Honey suppressed a shiver, then scrolled through Lauren’s photos from the bachelorette party, taking her time to make certain there weren’t any other clues that sparked her interest. “It looks like a great time.”

“We had a blast,” Maria said. “The wedding should be fun, too. Did you get your invitation?”

“I sure did. My parents and brother are invited too. With Lauren marrying Sheriff Kane, I’m guessing half the town will be there.”

She reached the photo with Will and caught her breath.

Which surprised her because she’d already examined it too many times to count.

He was in the photo's background, standing behind the bar.

He wore a blue chambray shirt and black belt with his blue denim jeans.

His dark beard was new to her, and the black cowboy hat he wore cast a shadow over part of his face, but every cell in her body told her it was him.

Maria leaned across the table to look at the photo. “Are you sure that’s your man? Seems a little scruffy for a Texas Ranger.”

“I’m sure, although it has been almost fifteen years since I’ve seen him. And in all my research, I haven’t found a single current photo of him.”

“I still can’t believe you’re gambling this job on a teenage crush.”

Honey smiled. “Like I said before, he’s not a crush.

But you know I’ve always had a fascination with following up on people from my past—just to see what they’re doing with their lives now.

That’s one of the reasons I became an investigative reporter—because you never know where you’re going to find a remarkable story. ”

“Well, I definitely hope you find one this time. Although, I’ll sure miss you if you get that job in Austin.”

“I’ll come back to Calamity often to see my family and my horse. And you, too, of course. And you’d better come to Austin to visit me.”

Maria lifted her coffee cup in the air. “You can count on it. Now you better get going if you want a seat at that bar. The place fills up pretty quickly on a Thursday night.”

Honey handed Maria’s phone back to her, then rose to her feet. “You’re right. Wish me luck.”

Maria grinned. “You don’t need luck—you’re Honey Hallgren. Just promise to fill me in on all the details when you get back. I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“I promise.” Honey picked up her coffee cup, then headed for the door. She wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of chasing a new story or the triple shots of espresso that were making her heart race and her breathing uneven.

It certainly couldn’t be the thought of seeing Will Pierce again after all these years.

No, of course not.