Barbara. I’m spending some time alone. If you don’t mind, I’m taking
off, though.” Juliana turned and headed back to the entryway, keys in
hand. She greeted Eli and Rachel Wolf mechanically as they entered
when she exited. Her false smile felt too bright and fake as she told
them she was fine.
* * * *
198
Heather Rainier
Teresa walked in the door of The Dancing Pony, and Rachel
beckoned her over. “Have you talked to Juliana lately?”
The gut feeling Teresa had been having all day intensified. “Yes,
why?”
“Well, she left here a few minutes ago, barely even saying hello to
us. Then we spotted that when we came in,” Rachel muttered as she
pointed a finger at Ash and the four women seated with him at his
table, looking like she was ready to open a fresh can of whoop-ass on
somebody.
Eli turned to Teresa. “Did something happen we haven’t heard
about yet?”
Teresa replied, “No, but I’m going to find out. Now. This is all
very strange.”
Teresa found Barbara and asked if Juliana had said anything to her
about leaving town. Barbara gave her the details on what happened
earlier. Teresa took out her cell phone and excused herself, more and
more convinced that something terribly convoluted had happened
today. She couldn’t put her finger on it but knew someone who could
help her do that.
Rachel stood outside with her while she dialed the number.
“Allen? Hi, it’s Teresa. Thank you, I’m fine. Listen, this isn’t a
social call, so I need to get to the point. Have you talked to Juliana
this afternoon? What is going on?”
Teresa could tell that Rachel overheard his responses, and as they
put two and two together, Rachel grew visibly angrier She started to
walk back into the club, but Teresa gently grasped her wrist and
looked up at her as she listened to Allen’s agitated voice, shaking her
head negatively.
Rachel muttered softly, “One minute with that mutton-chopped
horn-dog. Give me one minute.”
Teresa smiled at Rachel’s ready defense of her friend. Looking
over Rachel’s shoulder, Teresa smiled as Angel and Joaquin walked
up, curious looks on their faces.
Spurs and Heels
199
“Thanks, Allen. Stay where you are for right now. I’ll call you
back, I promise. No, that won’t be necessary. You’re supposed to be a
peace officer, remember?” More garbled words on his end and then
she hung up.
Joaquin gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Hey, sugar. Did you
meet Ash’s sisters yet? They’re all supposed to be here by now.”
Rachel looked like she practically swallowed her tongue before
letting out a choked laugh. Teresa rolled her eyes as it dawned on
them. What a comedy of errors. Only it wasn’t so funny.
“Who?” Teresa asked, biting her lip, looking at Joaquin and
Angel.
“Ash’s sisters all rolled into town today. He was supposed to meet
them here this evening. What’s going on?”
“One of the Divine Creek ranch hands did a fair amount of
talebearing today and set some things in motion that he should have
stayed out of. We need to talk to Ash.”
200
Heather Rainier
Chapter Twenty
Ash smiled when Teresa, Joaquin, Angel, and Rachel walked over
to his table, and he stood up. After the introductions were made, he
noticed the way Rachel and Teresa scrutinized Debbie, Dana, Donna,
and Denae.
Rachel looked at Teresa and said cryptically, “She probably never
got close enough to notice.”
Teresa looked at Ash and his sisters and said, “It’s about as
obvious as it can be, isn’t it?”
He barely heard her over the music, and when he asked her to
repeat herself, Angel gestured for them all to come out into the foyer
where they could hear each other.
“Now, what were you saying?”
“There has been a tremendous misunderstanding, Ash,” Teresa
began.
Ash felt a knot form in his chest, thinking of Juliana and her news.
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“When Juliana came to you this afternoon, did you give her a
chance to explain her news before she left?”
He thought for a second. “No. I already knew what she had to say,
and I didn’t want to hear it from her lips. I told her it was okay, that
we must not have felt the same way about each other.”
At the horrified look in Teresa’s eyes, he felt the knot in his chest
swell to painful proportions.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because Randall saw her at Rudy’s with another guy. A sheriff’s
patrol or something from Tillman. He offered her a ring, and she got