Linda Goodnight - Lone Star Bachelor

A gray late-model Hyundai was parked in front of Unit Eight and a cleaning cart sat outside Unit Seven. Out on the street, a black SUV motored slowly past, tires hissing against the hot pavement.

A few doors up at Unit One, a young strawberry blonde exited her room, a chubby-cheeked baby on her hip. Her gaze caught Jade’s. She looked worried, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, brow furrowed beneath wispy bangs. She also looked like a kid, sixteen, seventeen at the most.

Watchful but concerned, too, Jade offered a smile. “Cute baby.”

Babies got to her in a big way. She’d wanted two or three. Cam hadn’t wanted any. He’d made that painfully clear.

The teenager shifted the baby on her hip. “Thanks. Say hi, Ashton.”

She lifted the baby’s little hand and waved. Jade waved back, and the friendliness must have been the encouragement the girl needed. She glanced toward the parking lot, squared her shoulders and walked the few feet to Jade’s door.

Glad she hadn’t unlocked her unit, Jade took the girl’s measure. She was an inch or two taller than Jade and too thin, her pale skin devoid of makeup. Dressed in jean shorts and a pink T-shirt, she wore cheap flip-flops and had a pink Cupid’s heart tattooed on top of her left foot. No other obvious identifying marks.

Jade relaxed. The girl presented no threat that she could detect. She was just a friendly, nervous teenager with a baby wearing only a disposable diaper.

“I was wondering.” The girl darted a worried glance at Jade but quickly looked down at her shoes. “I need a ride. Ashton’s out of diapers and...” She let the words trail away.

“You don’t have a car?”

The red-blond ponytail swished from side to side. “No.”

A dozen questions flashed through Jade’s mind. Where was this girl’s family? What was she doing in a motel? Was she alone?

She caught on the last one. “Are you staying here by yourself?”

“Me and Ashton.” The girl focused on the baby and then on Jade. She licked her lips and swallowed.

Nervous. Embarrassed.

Jade logged every movement, assessing. As a cop, she’d dealt with plenty of runaways. Was this another?

“Where do you live?”

The girl shrugged, but her face flushed crimson. “We got kicked out and moved here.”

“Kicked out of where?” Jade was being nosy but this girl had asked for a ride. No harm in requesting information in exchange.

“My mom’s place. She let me stay for a while after I had Ashton, but—well, money’s tight and she has her own problems. She said it was time for us to take care of ourselves.”

Nice family. “You have no one else? What about the baby’s father?”

The girl rolled her eyes and made a rueful sound. “He skipped out a looong time ago.”

The baby started to fuss and squirm in his mother’s arms. Sweat beaded on his upper lip. Instinctively, Jade reached out and grasped the little guy’s thrashing arm and wiggled it.

“Are you too hot, precious?” she crooned. “You sure are a handsome boy.”

The baby quieted instantly, his big brown eyes latched onto her face.

“I think he likes you,” the girl said hopefully.

Jade laughed, itching to hold him as she made a quick decision. Walking half a mile to the nearest store for diapers would be miserable for both mom and baby.

“What’s your name?”

“Bailey.”

“Okay, Bailey. I’m Jade. I need to change clothes but I won’t be long. Fifteen minutes or so, maybe. Take the baby back to your room and stay cool. I’ll knock on the door when I’m ready and I’ll drive you down to the Dollar Store.”

Relief washed over the girl like a sudden summer rain. “Thank you so much. I can’t pay you but—”

Jade waved her off. The girl probably didn’t have two extra nickels. “I’m glad to do it. Ashton is adorable.”

And you break my heart.

The key caught and Jade entered the small motel room, grateful for the blast of cool air chugging from the wall unit.

The room was clean, but that was about all she could say for it. Bed, TV, desk and cheap chair with a tiny bathroom. “All the comforts of home.”

She didn’t plan to be here long. The Red River Roost would do until she finished the investigation and returned to her nice apartment in Paris, Texas.

Resisting the urge to jump in the shower and cool off, she changed tops and jackets, opting for a white blazer and orchid button-down. Still professional, but definitely cooler.

From beneath the mattress, she withdrew her tiny laptop and booted up, taking a moment to check her email and run through some records sent by her boss, though nothing appeared pertinent to the Buchanon case. At least not yet.

As an afterthought, she pulled up Sawyer’s Facebook profile. Social media was an amazing source of information to private investigators and police officers.

She scanned through the recent posts, pausing at one with a puzzled frown. Sawyer had responded to a message with:

Praying for you, man. Hang in there.

In another, he’d posted a scripture.

No one had mentioned his religious affiliation, but Jade had experience with men who wielded scriptures like a weapon. Her father was one of them, battering her, her brothers and mother over the head with the Bible whenever the words suited his intent.

Granted, Sawyer’s scripture had been encouraging, not scathing, but religious fanatics were always suspect in her book. Closing the lid, Jade slid the laptop back into its hiding place. She exited the room, still pondering the complexities of human beings, one in particular. She wondered if Sawyer’s twin would prove as interesting.

Chapter Three

Buchanon Built Construction Company was housed in a warehouse on the edge of Gabriel’s Crossing, not far from the railroad tracks and the downtown area. Every day at least four times, a train rumbled through town, shook the earth, rattled windows and made dogs howl. Townsfolk like Sawyer barely noticed unless they were stuck at the railroad crossing. Like this morning.

When Sawyer finally arrived at the warehouse with Dawson pulling in behind him, a row of familiar pickup trucks had parked at an angle in front. UPS and a flatbed lumber truck unloaded supplies through the end double doors, the clatter of their labor enlivening the quiet, sunny morning. Summer in Gabriel’s Crossing meant construction work and plenty of it. Business for the Buchanon family was not good. Business was great.

Sawyer entered through the front door, stepping into the main offices where a U-shaped desk filled most of the room. Two of his sisters were behind the business center, already busy, and the ever-present scents of coffee and new wood welcomed him in.

“Did you bring doughnuts?” Allison asked. His petite sister could normally eat anything without gaining weight, but lately she’d put on a few pounds, mostly around the middle. She was hungry all the time.

“You’d be better off eating something healthy, Allison.” Jaylee, stick thin, was super health conscious and happily nagged the rest of them on a regular basis about their food choices. They mostly ignored her.

“I am eating healthy.” Allison patted her barely rounded belly. If he hadn’t been reminded a hundred times, Sawyer wouldn’t even know she was pregnant. “But baby Hamilton wants a doughnut with his milk this morning.”

Sawyer held up a white box. “Uncle Sawyer to the rescue.”

Allison sucked in a deep, appreciative breath. “My hero.”

“I thought Jake was your hero.”

“He is, but he’s not here and you have doughnuts.” She laughed, tossing her flippy dark hair.

“Did the poor guy already have enough of your pregnancy hormones and run away?” He knew better. Jake Hamilton was so thrilled over the expected baby he behaved as if he was the only man ever to experience fatherhood. Not that Sawyer would know a thing about that. Someday he’d like a passel of kids. It was the Buchanon way. But for now, he’d play the happy uncle and teasing brother.