The adrenaline rush for Tag crashed after he’d eaten a couple of burgers and drank half a milk shake. The whole day had been surreal, from the time the policeman knocked on the door until that moment.
“Are you ready to talk about the day?” he asked.
“I can’t remember ever being this tired.” She yawned. “Can we take a short nap before we talk?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just promise me if you wake before I do that you won’t leave?”
“You’ve got my word,” she said.
“I’m calling Emily and then I’m getting between the sheets—that is, if you’ll loan me your phone,” she said.
He kicked off his boots and headed to the bathroom with his duffel bag in hand. “I’m taking a shower. I’m too dirty to stretch out for a nap.” He kissed her on the cheek, on his way across the floor. His reflection in the mirror above the vanity didn’t show much of a change in him. A few flecks of dust hanging to the scruff on his face, but that was all. He had expected to see that he’d aged ten years in one day, maybe even see a few gray hairs.
He dropped all of his dirty, sweaty clothing on the floor and adjusted the water in the shower. He stepped into the tub and let the warm water beat down on his back for several minutes before he even lathered up the washcloth with soap. He and Hud had made the trip to Bowie on motorcycles last spring. That trip hadn’t tired him out like this one had. Must’ve been the tension and worry the whole five hours, he thought. Or maybe he really was getting old, and it was time to reassess this business of living like he was dying and just live—period.
He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He had a change of clothing plus a pair of pajama pants and a tank top in his duffel bag. Digging deeper, he discovered underwear and Hud’s go kit that held a new toothbrush and travel-size containers of toothpaste, mouthwash, and deodorant, as well as a disposable razor. Tag smiled. He didn’t need the razor that day, but he appreciated all the other items.
He found a plastic laundry bag in the closet and stuffed all his dirty things into it. Then he stopped at the side of Nikki’s bed and watched her sleep for a few minutes. She’d gotten between the sheets and was curled up in a ball, covers pulled all the way to her chin, hair flowing out on the pillow like a halo. But she wasn’t an angel. She was a fighter. And he loved that about her.
He’d looked his fill of her, and then made sure the safety lock was engaged on the door and turned back the bedspread and top sheet on the other bed. He bit back a groan when he stretched out. The warm water had helped, but every muscle in his body was still tense. He closed his eyes and thought about the decisions he had made throughout the day. He was sure he’d made the right one in giving up his motorcycle—but there was no way he’d give up the rush of riding a bull or a bronc.
The room was dark when he awoke. The clock on the nightstand told him that it was ten thirty. Nikki was curled up against his back with one arm thrown around him and a leg hooked over his thighs. For a minute he thought he was dreaming; then she moved.
“I had a nightmare,” she whispered.
He laced his fingers in hers but didn’t move. “Tell me about it.”
“You weren’t there at that old tree across the road, and Billy Tom dragged me into that cabin. His friends were all leering at me, and Billy Tom was flashing that gun around and telling me that he’d kill me if y’all didn’t pay him ten thousand dollars. That’s when I woke up. I…needed to…,” she stammered.
“I told you I’m here for you.” He flipped over and drew her close to his body. “I might have been a scoundrel, but my word is as good as gold. If you need me to hold you every night, I’ll do it.”
“Out of duty?” she asked.
“Out of whatever this is between us,” he answered.
At first light the next morning, Nikki sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. “What is this with us?”
“I’m not sure,” Tag answered. “But I kind of like it.” He propped two pillows against the headboard and leaned back. “Now let’s talk about what happened yesterday. Tell me the whole thing, Nikki. I need to know.”
“I woke up and found your note,” she said. “Had a bowl of cereal. Heard a knock on the door. I thought maybe it was you, that you’d locked it behind you and couldn’t get in. I opened it to find Billy Tom right there in front of me. My purse with my gun was out in my car.”
“Were you scared?” Tag asked.
“More pissed than afraid—did you even hear anything on the phone when I called you?”
“Loud and clear, and then Red dragged your purse into the front yard. I think that’s what really convinced the Montague County sheriff to believe me,” he said.
“I drank eight bottles of water on the trip so I’d have to keep stopping to go to the bathroom, and I stayed as long as I could,” she said.
“You were very brave and resourceful. Don’t blame yourself for any of this, Nikki. I’m the one you should hate,” he said.
“It’s not your fault that Billy Tom found out where the cabin was and kidnapped me,” she said. “I’d have crawled out a bathroom window or screamed for help, but he said he’d shoot everyone in the store if I did. You think he would have? After the way he curled up and bawled like a baby when I hit him with that gun, I’m not sure he’d have the balls to actually kill someone.” She stretched her legs out and scooted back to share the pillows with him.
“Billy Tom has always been a loose cannon, so I don’t know about killing, but I wouldn’t put anything past him.” Tag’s tone was dead serious. “I stopped right after my twenty-first birthday. I hadn’t seen or heard from him in eight years; then a couple of weeks ago, he called me out of the blue, wanting me to go in with them on this big deal.”
“Were you even tempted?” she asked.
“No, not a bit. I might still be a rebel, but I’m not stupid.” He held her close and stroked her hair until she fell asleep again.
Sun rays flowed through the split in the window curtains later the next morning when Nikki awoke for the second time. The last thing she remembered was telling Tag about all the emotions that had run through her body on that horrible trip. Her back was against his chest and her stomach was telling her that it was time to eat.
“Hungry?” he whispered.
“Little bit,” she answered. “Let’s heat up some leftovers. Have you heard from your brother? When are they bringing my car?”
“Turned off the phone after you talked to Emily. I didn’t want it to ring and wake you.” He threw back the covers. “But we don’t have to eat leftovers. They serve breakfast here.”
“Give me a few minutes to shower and get into some clothes.” She hopped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom, then remembered that she hadn’t taken her things with her. He was talking on the phone when she returned, and from the look on his face, it was pretty serious.
She retrieved her new clothing and hung them on the hooks on the back side of the bathroom door. Then she stripped out of the orange scrubs, tossed them on the floor with no intentions of ever wearing them again, and ran a bath. She sank down into the warm water and wondered if she went under, would it be kind of like a baptism? Would she wash away all the fear and anger from the day before, like getting rid of sins and being reborn a new woman?
Sliding even farther down until only her nose was above water, she took a deep breath and lay on the bottom of the tub for a few seconds before she came back up. Water sluiced down her face and neck, but she still felt like Nikki Grady. There was no washing away the sin of wanting to shoot Billy Tom—because she would still do it in a heartbeat if she had a gun and he threatened her again.
She finally pulled the plug on the tub, got out and dried her hair, and dressed in new clothing right off the rack that she’d have washed before putting on if she’d been home. She wiped the fog from the mirror and brushed her teeth. Tag was still on the phone, but the smile on his face said this call wasn’t as serious.
“Talk to you later, Granny, and I’ll ask Nikki about supper,” he said.
“Supper?” she asked.
“I want to see my folks while I’m here, and Hud sent hugs for Mama. I understand if you don’t want to go out to the ranch, though,” he said.
“Supper at the ranch sounds fine. I owe Matthew a thank-you for helping rescue me,” she said. “But I’m more comfortable staying here. That doesn’t mean you have to spend another night protecting me.”
“Billy Tom escaped,” he said bluntly. “They think he’s headed back to Mesquite for his cycle and they’ve got authorities on the lookout between here and there.”
“Then would you please stay with me?” she asked. “And if you’ve got access to a pistol out at the ranch, would you please bring it with you after supper? But tomorrow morning, Tag, whether Billy Tom is back in custody or not, I’m going home. I have to work Friday night, and I refuse to let that son of a bitch make me afraid or upset my life.”
“Deal, but just in case they don’t catch him, will you let me sleep on your sofa or stay with me at the cabin or even at Emily’s?”
“I’ll think about it. Now let’s go get some breakfast. What are we doing until supper?”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Well, we’ve got this room, and the sheriff did say that you were my girlfriend.”
They were back on solid ground one more time. She air slapped his arm and said, “But I don’t go to bed with my boyfriend after only one date.”
“You did last night—twice,” he teased.
“With clothes on,” she reminded him. “Know what I’d like to do today?”
“Name it and I’ll do my best to make it happen,” he said.
“We’re close to the Palo Duro Canyon, aren’t we? Emily’s talked about it and I’d love to see it. The only state I’ve ever been to, outside of Texas, of course, is Oklahoma. I crossed the Red River a few times when I went to the Watermelon Festival in Terral,” she said.
“You want to sightsee?” Tag looked genuinely shocked.
“Unless you need to be at the ranch all day,” she said.
“No, ma’am.” He grinned. “We’ll leave right after we eat. Long as we’re at the ranch for cocktails at five o’clock, we’ll be fine.”
“Cocktails?” She frowned.
“Very informal,” he said. “We just like to gather up for a beer or a shot of whiskey before supper. It’s not dress-up. You’ve been there before?”
“Not for cocktails. I went with Emily once, but we weren’t there at supper time. Then at the wedding everyone was going every which way to get things done,” she said. “Truth is, it scares me just a little to be there in the middle of your family.”
He looped her arm into his. “Honey, you faced down Billy Tom. I’m surprised that anything scares you.”
She slipped her feet into pink flip-flops at the door. “He’s a wicked piece of trash. Your folks know we spent the night together. I can only imagine what they probably think of me.”
“I talked to them this morning. They know this room has two beds, and they’re happy that you let me stay with you.” He locked the door behind them. “You really want to eat buffet, or would you rather go to a little café for breakfast?”
“I’m with you. You make the decision,” she said.
“Then good hot food brought to the table, it is.” He led her to the pickup.
It was only a short drive to the café. When they were inside, it kind of reminded her of the one in Bowie where she liked to treat herself some Monday mornings after forty-eight hours of ER duty.
They chose a booth in the back corner beside a window, and the waitress brought two coffee mugs and then filled them. “Hey, did you hear Sheriff Roberts has locked up that crazy crew you used to run with? I heard they robbed some big-shot drug dealer’s shipment of ephedrine and sold it to someone else. Then the fools came back here to Tulia to that old shack they used to hang out in.”
“That’s what I heard,” Tag said.
“Did you hear that Billy Tom escaped? That piece of slime could worm his way out of hell. Now what can I get y’all this mornin’, and are you goin’ to introduce me to your lady friend, or not?”
“I’m sorry, Charlene.” Tag smiled. “This is Nikki Grady, my girlfriend. Nikki, this is Charlene. She cooked at the ranch for a while when I was a little boy, then opened this café.”
“Pleased to meet you. I was at Emily’s weddin’. You was the maid of honor, right?” Charlene said. “Y’all don’t bother with orderin’. I’ll bring you my big country breakfast, and it’s on the house.”
“Thank you, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miz Charlene.” Nikki smiled.
“You’re welcome.” Charlene headed back to the kitchen.
“Does she always give you free meals?” Nikki whispered across the table.
“No, ma’am. This is the first time. She must like you.” He took her hands in his and brought her knuckles to his lips. “I liked waking up with you all curled up around me.”
“The nightmare was so real that I woke up crying,” Nikki admitted. “If you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to close my eyes again all night.”
“It’s kind of nice to be needed and not just wanted.” Tag gently squeezed her hands and took a sip of his coffee. “I liked it when you let me comfort you last night, even though I don’t deserve it.”
“I keep telling you that it’s not your fault,” she said.
“I’m glad that you believe that, but I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.”