“Say, Holly. Did you know Chance Masters?”
Her heart plunged to her feet. “Yes. Yes, I did.”
“He and your brother were always at the rodeo. I heard he was back in town after a dozen years or more. Can’t rightly recall how long. I always wondered what happened to him. The only time he wasn’t getting himself in trouble was when he was with Jason. I think your brother put his foot down and wouldn’t stand for any of that rabble-rousing. But you know, it might have been a lot different if his father had given two hoots about his sons. I think he was cruel to Chance and Chance finally had enough. A lot of that trouble he caused was because of his father.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I always wondered what happened to him. I know there was some good in that boy.”
“I heard he is a navy SEAL.” Holly volunteered the info, still trying to digest what Dr. Hardy had said.
“Is that right? Good for him. It’s like I thought, after his father threw him out of his house there were all kinds of directions he could have gone. He made the right choice. I’m happy to know that.”
It had been three weeks and five days since Chance had walked out of her house and out of her life forever. Thankfully Amanda didn’t mention him. Her friend knew Holly’s heart was still healing. But it was unexpected inquiries, like Dr. Hardy’s, that slipped through her defenses. Those were hard. But she was making progress. She no longer cried herself to sleep every night. And she’d begun eating regular meals, required if she was to do her job. But even she could look in the mirror and see the dark circles under her eyes and a general pallor to her skin. It couldn’t be helped. She was doing the best she could.
“I’m going to go and get one of Judy’s corn dogs. Would you care for anything, Dr. Hardy?”
“Thank you, Holly, but Martha sent me with a thermos of coffee and a bunch of lettuce and told me I’d better not set my sights on a dessert.”
Holly couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll be right back.”
With a couple of cowboys standing watch to ensure her supplies and equipment didn’t grow legs and walk off, she strolled through the crowd, looking at the various vendor booths selling everything from tack to Western-related jewelry. But her focus was on Judy Cooper’s hot dog stand.
“Hi, Doc.” Judy spotted her in the crowd. “I’ve got that corn dog and homemade lemonade almost ready for you.”
“Great.” Holly smiled. “It wouldn’t be the annual rodeo were it not for your corn dogs.”
Leaving a five-dollar bill on the counter, Holly waited for the lemonade to be freshly made.
“Well, hello, stranger. Long time no see.”
Holly cringed and turned to face Blake Lufkin.
“How have you been doing?”
“Fine. I’ve been good. How about yourself?”
How long did it take Judy to mix up one glass of lemonade?
“Is that guy you were hanging around with still around?”
“No. He had to go back to his SEAL team. But he will be back.” She didn’t know if he would or not, but the least Chance could do was be her excuse to keep this irritating man away.
“Here ya go, Holly,” Judy said, handing her one dog and a large lemonade.
“Thanks.”
“You are entirely welcome.” She then turned to Blake. “Can I help you, sir?”
Holly didn’t stick around to hear his answer. She was done being nice to the creep. Sipping her lemonade, she made her way back to her medic tent and thanked the cowboys who’d watched it for her.
“Some guy was by here looking for you,” Larry offered. “About ten minutes ago. I told him you’d gone to get something to eat and would be back.”
“Thanks, Larry.”
Great. Now she had people helping the creepy guy track her down.
Holly pulled up a chair toward the front of the tent so she could catch the evening breeze. She had just finished her corn dog and was sipping the last of her lemonade when Blake walked into her tent and pulled up the other chair next to hers as though he had every right to be there.
“Enjoy your food?” he asked. “Frankly, I don’t see how you can eat that stuff. How about let’s go into town after the rodeo and grab something decent?”
“No, thanks. After the events are over I’ll have to get home.”
“How about if I come over there? Once you get the kid to bed we could watch a movie. I love the Mission Impossible films, so we’ve got that in common.”
Holly was determined to look unimpressed. “I really don’t like those kinds of movies.”
“I thought I remembered seeing a box full of them next to the TV.”
Must belong to Amanda, she mused. Then the deeper meaning of what he’d just said hit her like a blow to the solar plexus. Blake had never been inside her house.
“So how about that dinner? Anywhere you want. Or we could go to my place and see what we can find there.” Blake stood up, facing her. He leaned forward, his hands resting on the arms of her chair. Too close. But what she saw made her eyes pop out of her head. He was wearing a pendant. When he leaned toward her it swung forward. And Holly grabbed it. It was a pendant made and given to her by a ten-year-old. It had hung in the clinic.
She saw a moment of surprise in his creepy face. If he left he would destroy the pendant and no one could ever prove he had it. It would be her word against his.
“I love this pendant,” she said, making her voice a breathless whisper. “It’s beautiful.” She looked up into his eyes as though the bastard had walked out of a dream. Heaven help her.
The cut-glass charm depicted a mare and foal in a green pasture. It was one of a kind.
“Oh, Blake.” She let her fingers touch the glass. Flipping it over, she found Toby’s initials. “I don’t suppose the store has any more?” She rose from the chair, purposely standing well within his personal space. Blake had forgotten about the token in her hand, distracted by being this close to Holly. Their faces were inches apart; his breath reeked of alcohol and tobacco, and he generally smelled of someone who hadn’t taken a bath in a very long time. She hoped she didn’t throw up.
“I’ll tell you what. You have dinner with me and I just might be persuaded to give this little medallion to you. Free.”
“Really?” she squeaked, keeping up the dumb blonde persona.
“Well, sure.” He went to hug her and she dropped her napkin accidently on purpose.
“Oh, Blake, I have to go find the ladies’ room. Oh, I’m so excited. Will you wait for me? Right here? Don’t go anywhere. I might not be able to find you.” She would probably go to hell for the look of love she plastered on her face.
A disgusting gleam filled his eyes. “Why, sure, Holly. You just take your time. I’ll be right here.”
She turned after giving him one last smile and stumbled out of the tent. Once out of sight, she ran as if a rabid dog was on her trail. She had to find a deputy, and fast. That necklace had been hanging inside her clinic when it was ransacked. Blake was the culprit.
The crowd parted and just ahead she saw John Green, the deputy who had come out the night the clinic was almost destroyed.
At a dead run she fought to catch up with him. “John. Wait!”
It took two times to make him understand what she was saying. She was panicked that the creep would get away and if that necklace disappeared, they would have no reason to hold him. There might not be any other way to prove he did it.
She made her way back to the tent with John following close behind her. See spotted Blake sitting back in her chair. Unfortunately, he spotted her at the same time. And John Green. Blake was out of the tent, running toward the parking area like the coward he was. Holly refused to let him go and she took after him. After everything he’d put her through, he was going to pay. She heard John calling her name but she wasn’t about to stop or slow down.
Blake had disappeared in the parking lot but she had predicted his course. Jumping over parking chains and around bumpers, she managed to get ahead of him, duck down behind a car and wait. Sure enough Blake jogged by, slowing down, obviously thinking he’d lost the cops. He hadn’t lost Holly. She put one foot on the bumper to give her leverage and threw herself on top of the man. He was bigger, older, meaner, but she held on. She dug her fingernails into his face and wrapped her legs around his chunky, stinky body. He was cussing, trying to get free. Holly was like an octopus and held on to him with everything she had. They went down in the loose dirt and still she refused to let go. He managed to get on top. She saw the snarl on his face and his fist lift high in the air, and she braced herself for the pain.
But it never came.
She saw strong hands grip Blake’s neck and haul the man off the ground.
It was Chance!
Blake took a swing at his captor and Chance flattened him. With one blow. The man was out cold on the ground as John arrived, two deputies in tow.
Offering his hand, Chance helped Holly to stand.
“Well, you damn sure know how to enjoy a rodeo,” Chance teased. “The bull riding is on the other side of the fence.”
She was covered in dirt from her tussle. She would probably have a couple of bruises, but she didn’t care. Chance was here and that creep would soon be behind bars.