Angi Morgan - Gunslinger

“Ouch. What was that for?”

“The least you could have done is left your gun at home. I’m surprised you’re not wearing a white hat since you’re trying to come to my rescue.” She wiggled on the old vinyl seat, trying to gain space between their hips.

“Now, Kylie, darlin’, I’m going to downshift in a few. Scoot back over to our new volunteer.” Fred kept his eyes straight ahead, one elbow out the window and one hand on the wheel.

One look at his upturned lips and anyone could tell he thought he was helping two lovebirds take flight. Fred hadn’t been exaggerating about shifting soon. They turned taking a road that was more dust than dirt.

Their driver rolled up his window and Bryce took the hint. It was better to sweat and be able to breathe.

“Want to take off your extra shirt?” he asked close to Kylie’s ear.

She shook her head and pulled the long-sleeve shirt closed at the neck. In the past two weeks he hadn’t seen her in short sleeves. Battle scars. She’d been shot four times in that drive-by.

They reached their destination and Bryce would have a hard time if he had to drive back by himself. His shirt was sticking to his skin. He winced when Kylie lightly patted him between his shoulders.

“Thanks for coming to help,” she said loudly.

Fred acknowledged and gave a wave to follow. Other cars and trucks were close by. A few young people milled around the corner of the house, coming to attention when Fred approached.

“I thought you worked with a couple of kids cleaning barns.”

“Today is special. A tornado came through the property in the spring and we need to clear it out. The Childers family has donated the wood to the teen group. They plan to sell it for firewood.”

“Know how to use a chain saw, son?” Fred asked from where three were being gassed up.

“Yes, sir. Grew up around them.”

“Grab a pair of gloves from behind the seat and come get a refresher. We don’t allow anyone who hasn’t graduated to use one.” He pointedly turned to the kid at his elbow and shook his head.

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Kylie threw her bag over her shoulder and pulled her gloves on.

She acted like running away was the furthest thing from her mind. No one would have guessed that she wasn’t moving through her life like normal. Her biggest worry at the moment seemed to be how they’d get all the wood back to town.

Xander Tenoreno was out there. No one was watching him. He could be meeting with a hired gun, sending one of his men or planning—yeah, he could be planning to take care of his ex-wife himself. Bryce had seen some of the gruesome results the Texas Mafia families had left in their wake. How could he convince her to come with him?

“Kylie, why don’t you take Bryce, Calvert and Martin on your team. Everybody clear on the rules?” Fred asked.

“What rules?” He nudged Kylie before she could walk too far away.

“The team that stacks the most wood wins a bunch of donations from the town. Daydreaming isn’t allowed...we want to win. Right, guys?”

“Whatever,” they both answered, clearly not excited.

“Martin, do you mind lugging this thing and taking Bryce to the worksite? I need to say hi to Mrs. Childers.”

“No prob.”

Bryce was torn. He needed to keep Kylie in sight. Whatever her plan, she wasn’t leaving without her shoulder bag. “Why don’t I carry this for you?”

“That’s all right. No need.”

“I insist.” He took it off her arm, playing a little tug-of-war until she let go.

“Fine.” She ran up the hill to the house joining a woman on the porch.

As much as he wanted to hear that conversation, he felt it was necessary to maintain his cover story with Kylie’s friends. If she announced he was a Texas Ranger...who would show up on her doorstep?

Then again, what if that was what the conversation was right at this moment?

* * *

“YOU’RE CERTAIN IT will be okay?” Kylie asked.

“Of course I am. I’ll explain everything to Richard later. He’ll take the grandkids in the four wheeler and catch Little Bit tomorrow. No big deal. They’ll have a blast.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Lisa.”

“On the other hand, maybe you should tell me what’s wrong. You aren’t afraid of the tall and good-looking one over there. Are you? Is that what this is all about?”

“No. I don’t want to involve him.” She watched the last of the teams disappear into the trees.

“Well, maybe you should. He looks like someone who could fix a couple of problems.”

“Remember, we just talked about ordering pizza for the kids and getting water down the hill.”

“I’ll have Little Bit saddled and ready to go at four, but I don’t understand why you’re all set to visit the Turners. I could run you over in the car a lot faster.”

“I’ve been looking forward to my ride on Little Bit all week and I don’t want Fred to miss out on his pizza. So I’ll hop the fence and walk. I love to walk. Jan said she didn’t mind bringing me home.”

Kylie took a couple of steps away and realized this might be the last time she’d see Lisa. She ran back to the bottom step and threw her arms around the older woman’s neck. She never hugged, but the people in Hico had helped her in so many ways.

“I’m a better person for knowing you and all my friends here. You guys have been so good to me. Thanks.”

Lisa didn’t let go. “You’ve got me a little scared now, Kylie. What have you gotten yourself into?”

She’d practiced this laugh in the mirror a thousand times when she’d been modeling. Her carefree, nothing-in-the-world-matters laugh that she’d perfected came off beautifully. Five years and she could fake it with the best of them.

“Seriously, nothing’s wrong. I’m watching movies with Jan.”

“If something happens to you... Well, I’ll just never forgive myself.”

“Nothing will. Promise.” She skipped down the hill, horrified at the lies she’d told.

One of the things she hadn’t missed from her old life was liars and users. People who had hung around her, claiming to be her friends, but who just wanted a free ride. They told her whatever lies were convenient. She’d let them and didn’t care.

Not until four of them had died. One saving her life. Everything changed then.

Sissy really had died that night. She’d been a character invented out of necessity. Kylie was her real name. During those long days in the hospital, she had talked to herself in the mirror. Forcing her mind to reconnect to that real person.

Unable to attend the funerals of her friends... Scared that Xander would send someone to finish the job... Speaking only to her lawyer... She planned and prepared to run and hide. Leaving everything had been because of Xander. But leaving...that was all her idea.

She’d done it once when she’d signed on to become a model at the age of thirteen. Leaving the disaster of a life back then had been easy. Emancipation had been easy. Turning twenty-one and wheeling away from the hospital wasn’t hard. It had saved her life. She was sure of it.

But today would be the hardest thing she’d ever done.

It didn’t take long to catch up with the kids. “Hey slowpokes. I thought you’d be racing to get started. Once we finish this project, Bryce promised us all pizza.”

“I what?”

“Pizza. Remember?” She caught up with him, looped her arm through his and the bag hanging over his shoulder. “You don’t mind springing for pizza after all this hard work, do you? Or should I tell them that Rangers don’t make enough money to buy three or four pies?”

“Pizza it is.”

She broke apart from him, snagging her bag in the process. But she laughed and faked her way to the twisted trees. She plunged into the work, refusing to think of what was in store over the next few days.