Her Cowboy Distraction(13)

Lizzy's cheeks burned as she remembered those moments of being held in  his arms, of his hard masculine body so close to hers. She'd wanted to  stand in his strong, warm embrace forever.

"I'll admit that I have a crazy attraction to him," Lizzy replied.

"He didn't exactly look completely immune to you, either," Courtney  replied. She tucked a strand of her long dark brown hair behind one ear.  "I think everyone was shocked to see him with you today. He's been  totally shut off from everything and everyone for a long time."

"It's just a friendship kind of thing," Lizzy replied, although the jump  in her heart whenever she thought of him or said his name aloud told  her otherwise. "Besides, it doesn't matter that he was there for me  today. I'm leaving town soon, and he's still hung up on his wife. That's  a festering wound, and who knows if it will ever heal."

"Even so, it's nice to see him coming alive again. He's never been the  same since the car accident." Once again Courtney's gaze went to  Garrett. "Nothing has been the same since then."

"I know Garrett's dad isn't in your life, but is he in the area? A  homegrown boy?" Lizzy desperately wanted to talk about something other  than murder, and she didn't want to think about Daniel because thoughts  of him pulled forth a deep yearning inside her that was almost scary.

"He's a homegrown guy," Courtney replied after a long moment of  hesitation. "But, he doesn't know about Garrett. He left town before he  even knew I was pregnant."

"So, he doesn't know he's a daddy? Don't you know where he is? Can't you  get in contact with him to let him know?" Lizzy knew that Courtney was  estranged from her parents. The young woman had nobody to help her,  either financially or emotionally.

Courtney's pretty features hardened. "Even if I could call him to tell  him right now, I don't think I would." She sighed and her eyes filled  with pain. "Daniel's life wasn't the only one that changed with that  damned car accident. Garrett's father is Nick Benson, but you have to  promise you won't tell anyone that. Nobody knows this."

Lizzy looked at her in surprise. "Nobody knew you and Nick had something going on?"

Courtney shook her head. "It's a long story and I don't want to go into  it now, but no, nobody knew Nick and I were dating, and then he left  town on the day of Cherry's funeral and I've never heard from him  since."                       
       
           



       

There was no disguising the bitterness that laced Courtney's voice as  she said his name. "And he broke your heart," Lizzy said softly.

Courtney nodded and then lifted her chin. "But, I'm so over it. I'm so over him. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

An hour later Lizzy was still awake in the darkened room. She could hear  the sound of Courtney's breathing, soft and rhythmic in sleep, but no  matter how hard Lizzy tried to fall asleep, it just wasn't happening.

Her mind was still too filled with the day's events, with thoughts of  Candy and murder, and Mary trying to hold everyone together. She stared  up at the dark ceiling as she thought of what Courtney had told her  about Garrett's father.

It was amazing how a single incident in a life could have such a  rippling effect for so many people. The accident that had claimed  Daniel's wife and her best friend had not only broken Daniel but had  also apparently affected Courtney, as well. And it would continue on  with Garrett, who might never know his father unless something happened  to change that.

Every action had a reaction and people touched other people's lives in  unexpected and unforeseen ways. When she left Grady Gulch she would take  a piece of the handsome, sad cowboy named Daniel with her, and she  wondered if her brief sojourn into his life would leave them better or  worse than they'd been before she'd arrived in town.

It was almost ten when Lizzy awoke the next morning, surprised to find  herself alone in the cabin. A note next to her on the bed let her know  that Courtney had gotten up early and she and her son had gone to their  own cabin and she'd be back later to get the playpen when she was sure  Lizzy was awake.

Lizzy got out of the sofa bed and headed for the bathroom, eager to get  showered and dressed and head into the café. She wanted to know the  latest on Candy's murder. Hopefully the news was that the murderer was  behind bars.

Half an hour later as she made the walk from the cabin to the back door  of the café, she wondered if she'd see Daniel today. There was really no  reason to believe that she would. The only reason he'd come in the day  before was because he hadn't known who the victim had been. There was no  reason to believe she'd see him before tomorrow night when he made his  usual Friday night trip.

As she walked into the kitchen she saw Rusty Albright manning the grill.  He cast her a quick, sympathetic glance. "Morning, Lizzy."

"Good morning, Rusty. What's the news?" Lizzy asked.

"There isn't much," he replied. He flipped a couple of pancakes over and  then turned to look at her. "Sheriff hasn't been in this morning,  although I heard from the grapevine that the only suspect on his list at  the moment is Candy's boyfriend." His blue eyes grew dark. "I just wish  I would have heard something, could have somehow helped Candy. I was  right there in that cabin and slept through that poor girl's death." He  shook his head and turned back to face the grill.

It was the longest conversation Lizzy had ever had with the man, but she  knew exactly how he felt. She felt the same way. "I'll talk to you  later, Rusty," she said just before she left the kitchen and stepped  into the dining area.

She slid onto a stool at the counter and smiled at her boss, who set a  cup in front of Lizzy and then filled it with coffee. "Thanks," Lizzy  said. "Any news?"

Mary shook her head. "Nothing worth reporting." Mary looked around the  buzzing café. "We've been busier than usual this morning and there's  been a lot of rumors flying around, but that's all they are."

"You need me to suit up now instead of waiting until two?" Lizzy asked. "I don't have any plans for the day."

Mary gave her a grateful smile. "If you don't mind, that would be great, and then maybe I can let you off early this evening."

As Lizzy went back to her cabin to change into her Cowboy Café T-shirt  to work, she told herself that the only reason she was sticking around  for a while longer in Grady Gulch was because Mary needed her. It had  nothing to do with Daniel Jefferson, nothing to do with him at all.

For the next several hours Lizzy had no time to think of anything or  anyone but serving the customers who came in for the lunch rush.

It was just after four in the afternoon when the Benson brothers came in  and slid into a booth in the section where Lizzy was working.

"Hi, Sam … Adam." She greeted the two handsome men with a smile and tried  not to think about the fact that the brothers had a little nephew they  didn't even know existed.                       
       
           



       

"Hey, Lizzy," Sam replied with a smile. "I hope you're doing better today than yesterday."

"A little," she replied. "Although I'd be doing better if I knew somebody was in jail for Candy's murder."

"We'd all feel better if that was the case," Adam said.

"What can I get for the two of you?" Lizzy asked.

She'd just finished taking their orders when she looked up and saw that  Daniel had entered the café. Instantly Lizzy's heart stepped up its  rhythm.

She placed the order at the pass window and then walked back to where  Daniel had slid into one of the booths in her section. "You're making  this place quite a habit," she said in greeting.

He smiled at her. "I could have worse habits."

The warmth that his smile sent through her gave her both a thrill and a  warning. She couldn't get mired in the warmth of that smile, in the very  charm of him and the growing feelings she had for him. "What can I get  for you?"

"Pot roast the special tonight?" he asked. "And do you have time to take a break and eat some with me?"

Currently there was a small lull in the café traffic, and Lizzy had a  feeling if she was going to get a break in before the dinner rush it had  better be soon. "I'll check with Mary. Anything to drink?"

"Iced tea."

Fifteen minutes later, with the rest of her customers momentarily taken  care of and with two pot roast specials in her hands, she went back to  his booth. She served him and then slid into the booth, across from him.