Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(50)

No, it was crazy. He was crazy for grasping at straws.

“I can tell you’re already talking yourself out of it. I know it’s a long shot, but when did that ever stop you before?”

It was more than a long shot. It was a trip to Mars. But there was nothing to be lost by mentioning it to Maddie, he guessed. But was it right for Maddie?

Boone looked at the lowering sun and grabbed the posthole diggers in one hand. “I’ll mention it, even though it won’t do any good.”

Satisfaction lit up Jim’s grin. “It’s a start, son.”

“It’s a dead end, and you know it.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time Maddie surprised you.” Jim walked away, whistling.

Jim had no idea how much Boone wished, for once, that the older man was right and Boone was wrong.

He loaded up his gear and headed for the house.



Boone walked in the back door, both eager and nervous as he hadn’t been since his first date. Then he heard a man’s voice, along with Maddie’s.

Oh, hell. He’d forgotten about Marlowe.

He decided to head for the shower and hope Marlowe would be gone before he got out, but as he passed Sam’s office, Maddie appeared in the doorway.

“Oh—hi, Boone.” Her eyes were huge and dark, her face pale. “I didn’t realize—” She held the edge of the door like she was hiding something.

Then Marlowe opened the door wide behind her, and a furtive glance passed between them.

Boone’s hopes died with that glance.

A damn fool, he was, to have courted hope, even for the last few minutes. Marlowe was her type, lived in her world.

You could live in that world, Boone.

No, he couldn’t. Not anymore. And Maddie couldn’t live in his.

“Marlowe,” he nodded. “Maddie.”

“I haven’t fixed dinner yet,” she said. “I can—”

He cut her off ruthlessly. “I’m going out.” Not that he knew where. Just away from here.

“Oh.” Relief skipped across her features. She and Marlowe traded another glance.

Then it hit him like a sucker punch to the gut, the memory of what it had felt like to be the man deceived. To know that the woman in your life wanted to be with someone else.

Thank God he hadn’t yet told Maddie what he’d come up here thinking tonight. He hadn’t laid his heart on the ground to be trampled. His pride was intact.

Funny how it didn’t feel that great.

“Find everything you need, Marlowe?”

Marlowe’s gaze met his with slight hesitation. “Yeah. Maddie’s been helping me.”

Within Boone rose a howling beast that wanted to punch the man’s lights out. Wanted to smash him into a pulp, just for being right for Maddie when Boone was all wrong.

Ruthlessly, he crushed that beast down. “Good.” He nodded. Then his voice turned rougher than he intended. “Find my brother, Marlowe.”

He thought he saw sympathy in the man’s eyes, and the beast roared out again.

Marlowe nodded. “I’m doing everything I can.”

Oh, I can see what you’re doing. Before he did something he would regret, Boone turned away and climbed the stairs.



Boone had been gone for four days, and Jim said he might make one more livestock auction before he returned. Maddie was glad. Waiting for updates from Dev was hard enough without sneaking around Boone. More than once in the two days before Boone had left, Maddie had driven into Morning Star to call Dev, afraid of accidentally revealing the quest to Boone before she had any concrete answers.

But she missed him, more than she’d ever imagined. Never mind that he’d been only a polite stranger before he left —the house felt huge and empty without him.

She’d taken to cooking for Jim and Sonny and sending meals home. Both men’s wives had sent their thanks for the break. Velda had even told Jim that Maddie should buy The Dinner Bell and make everyone in Morning Star happy.

Maddie tried to imagine owning a place called The Dinner Bell. Tried to imagine what she would serve.

Her city friends would split their sides laughing.

But Maddie wasn’t. For a few moments of insanity, she had actually considered it seriously.

Then last night, Régine had called from Sancerre and upped the ante. She’d dangled a potential ownership interest before Maddie, a very tempting prospect.

But Régine was getting impatient. She wanted a commitment, wanted Maddie there now. Maddie had tried to explain her responsibility to Boone, but Régine couldn’t seem to understand why throwing money at the problem wouldn’t work. Surely the Caswells would take money to go away and let Boone have the place early.

Maddie wasn’t prepared to discuss a past fraught with tragedy to a woman who couldn’t care less. Nor could she truly explain why her promise to Boone was so important.