Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Desperado.”
    “You got that right,” Stormy murmured.
    But he heard her and gave her a light pinch behind her elbow.
    “Ow!”
    The game attendant looked up at her screech. “I have one last bingo square, and the little lady’s called her marker! One dollar, please!”
    Stormy gasped. “What is he talking about?”
    “When you made that unattractive noise, he thought you were buying the last number in the bingo game.”
    “I’m not!” she cried. “I’m not going in there!”
    “You don’t have to.” Cody reached out and handed the attendant a dollar on Stormy’s behalf. “All the squares are bought, and now they’ll let the cow in there. The cow drops a patty on a number, and whoever bought that number wins the jackpot.” He grinned at the comical shock on her face.
    “It’s amazing how some people entertain themselves.” Stormy watched as a young cowboy walked a cow into the roped-off game. The cow meandered contentedly, completely uninterested in the fluorescent colored numbers beneath her hooves. “I hope she knows her business,” Stormy remarked.
    “Of course she does. It’s my cow, and I told her to make a square hit.”
    She laughed at him. “You’re out of your mind.”
    He shook his head. “You’ll see.”
    “Number fifty!” the game attendant called as the cow immediately landed a patty. The onlookers burst into laughter.
    “Oh, my gosh!” Stormy shrieked in delight. “That’s my number!”
    Cody gave her his wisest look.
    “Quit! You didn’t have anything to do with that.” Stormy glanced up as the game attendant tried to hand her the jackpot. “How much is it?”
    “Two hundred dollars,” he told her.
    She looked around at all the excited faces watching her. “It’s not fair for me to take the money since I’m not from here,” she said. “Let’s allow the cow to choose another winner.”
    “Don’t go away, ladies and gents!” the attendant called out. “We’ve got a game again, thanks to Cody’s lady friend!”
    People craned to look at Stormy. She looked mighty pleased with herself, and though he didn’t want to be, Cody was proud of her quick thinking. It was smart public relations, he reminded himself, and made her look good in the townspeople’s eyes. He dragged her away from the game.
    “Cody, was it really your cow?”
    “Yes. I can be persuaded to do some things for the good of the community.” He spoke harshly to remind her that moviemaking didn’t fall under the same heading as sparing a cow for a county fair.
    “Can your cow perform again?”
    Stubborn woman was going to ignore his meaning. “She’ll do whatever she’s called upon to do.” He wouldn’t allow himself to grin when she laughed. “I should buy you an ice cream on behalf of Desperado for your spirit of fair play in cow patty bingo.”
    Her eyebrows lifted. “I should buy you an ice cream as I’m supposed to wine and dine you into letting me use your land.”
    “It ain’t gonna happen.”
    “Hmm. How can I get you to be as agreeable as your cow?”
    “You can’t.” He watched her mull that over. “Don’t try to outthink me, Hollywood. I’ve seen a lot of city slicks in my time, but none of them has ever bested me.”
    “I see,” she said thoughtfully. “What kind of ice cream do you want?”
    “Rocky road,” he replied, “like you’re gonna find if you try me.”
    “Then I’ll have the same.” Her smile was sweet. “I’ve always loved a challenge.”
     
    Tate Higgins, better known as Wrong-Way Higgins to the folks in Desperado, watched in disgust as Cody Aguillar handed the movie scout an ice-cream cone. Tate had moseyed up to Desperado, ostensibly to check out the county fair, but mostly to see if he might meet up with Stormy Nixon. It was just damn typical that Cody would have the female with him. Where there was a buck to be made, Cody Aguillar and Zach Rayez were never far away.
    Tate intended to see that the LA folks realized Desperado couldn’t