For the Love of Sin(16)
Senada glanced down at the sleeveless white shirtwaist dress she’d put on. Conservative, classy, Rex Calhoun would approve. After all these years, she still struggled with the absence of his love and approval.
She barely noticed the on-and-off traffic on the road until the black Mercedes convertible pulled into the lane. A young-looking blonde woman with sunglasses drove past Sin.
Another mistress, she thought, and a hard knot formed in her stomach. A still harder resentment rose inside her. Rex might be richer, but he hadn’t changed. Shaking her head, she put her car into gear and pulled back onto the road. She just wasn’t ready to face her father yet.
She would kill him, Troy thought, if she knew he was following her. But hell, the woman didn’t give him much choice. He could get more information out of a clam. He narrowed his eyes at the Circle K sign and wondered why she’d sat there staring down the lane so long. He wondered what the significance of the ranch was. He’d ask around at the bar tonight.
Troy eyed the speedometer and shook his head. Sin had a lead foot. Now why didn’t that surprise him? Keeping one car between his rental sedan and her sports car, he followed her until she turned into a parking lot. He rounded the block, noted the building’s occupant and felt his stomach take a dip. Medical office. Could be a regular checkup, he told himself, but his gut wouldn’t let him believe it.
He waited over an hour, then trailed her to a pharmacy. Fifteen minutes later, she came out with prescription bags.
He wiped his hand over his face, thinking his sister-in-law might not be thrilled with his update, so he decided to wait until he had more information. Either way, Senada Calhoun was full of secrets, and he was closer to finding out just what they were.
“I’ll take that table,” Senada said to the busy waitress and walked over to where Chris Grant was sitting. She was curious. “What can I get for you?” she asked him.
“Beer all around, and some ’skins.” He looked her over. “Seems pretty busy. How ya doin’ tonight?”
“Busy is good,” she said with a smile. “How are things at the Circle K? Rex Calhoun driving you hard?”
“Yeah, the guy didn’t turn that property around by sitting on his duff. He keeps his hands on the business end, but he likes riding with the guys every now and then.” He grinned. “Of course, his lady takes up some of his time too.”
“New girlfriend?” she asked, barely needing to hear his response.
“Nah.” He shook his head. “His wife. She roped him about three years ago.”
Senada just stared at him. The room was spinning. “Wife?” she echoed after a long moment. “You said his wife?”
“Yeah.”
She blinked at him.
He laughed. “You look surprised. You weren’t planning on going after the old man, were you?”
“I hardly think so,” she thought, since she was the old man’s daughter.
“Yeah, you’re not really his type. He goes for—”
“Blondes,” she finished for him, because Senada was quite familiar with her father’s taste in women. “I’ll get your order.”
“Hey,” he called after her. “Just ’cause you’re not his type doesn’t mean you’re not mine.”
She was so angry, she could barely see straight. It wasn’t rational, it wasn’t logical, but the heat flaring through her bloodstream would power a geyser. Senada took a deep breath to see past the red mist rising before her eyes and stretched her lips into a flirtatious smile. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, then headed for the kitchen.
Juan stepped in front of her. “When you going to give your man a second chance?”
His words were slurred, she noticed. “How many have you had tonight?”
“I dunno,” he said with a shrug. “Been a rough week.”
Senada counted to ten, then moved around him. Troy shifted away from the bar and walked beside her. “Problems?” he asked.
“Nothing major.” She tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Need to find out who’s been serving Juan. I think he’s reached his limit.”
“Tonya,” he said, watching her try to conceal the fire in her eyes. “Want me to tell her?”
“That would be nice.”
“You look like you’re ready to chew glass,” he told her.
“Not so,” she murmured, baring her teeth in a smile that would terrify most men. “I’d just like to break something.”
A shout rang out behind them, and both Troy and Senada whipped around to see what was the matter. A middle-aged man was screaming in Spanish at Juan. The name Nita came up several times.