Sweet Talking Lawman Read Online Free PDF Page B

He became a lawyer, and I think he opened an office
in Liberty.   Thank God, she did not end up with him!”
    “So who did she marry?”
    “She married Russ
Barnett.”  He answered easily, his smile filled with pride.
    Mesa’s eyes went round, her
brows arched and her jaw dropped as she gasped in surprise.  “Your friend
Russ?  You’re kidding me!  She hated Russ.  They couldn’t be in
the same building without yelling at each other.”
    The music ended and keeping
her hand in his, they walked back to the table and sat down again.
    He shrugged.  “I guess
all that yellin’ was all the pheromones sparkin’ between them.  After
you…left, she started classes in the junior college.  Russ went into the
Navy about the time I joined the Marines, remember?  They didn’t see each
other for a couple of years.  I was able to be home for Christmas one year
and Russ was on leave, too, so he came over to pay his respects to Uci and to
see me.  We went out drinkin’ and took Jenny with us.  I got
shi…plastered, so my memory was a bit vague, but it seemed to me that they just
connected.  Seriously, and when Russ was home again, they got married and
she moved around with him until his stretch was over.  When he got out of
the Navy, they came home and he helped his old man run their place until his
father died, so now Jenny, Russ and their little boy live in that big house
with his mother.  Jenny loves it and they could film a remake of the Brady
Bunch there.  All of them as happy as a cat with a bowl of fresh cream.”
    Mesa shook her head in
disbelief.  “I gotta agree that I’m glad she didn’t hook up with
Walter.  He was such a jerk, but Jenny wouldn’t even hear that.”  She
shook her head negatively.  “But I just can’t picture her with Russ. 
I can’t get past the picture of them standing nose to nose, yelling at the top
of their lungs over any and everything.”
    “Oh, they still yell. 
When they have a disagreement almost everybody in the county knows it. 
But when night falls…well, Jenny says they never go to sleep angry at each
other.”  He smiled, thinking about the happiness that glowed on his little
sister’s face when she talked about her big strong husband.
    “I’m glad they’re
happy.  I guess I always knew that Jenny would marry a rancher.  She
loved growing up on the ranch.”  She hesitated, but then tossed her head
with an air of dismissal.  “I thought I might, too, but not where my
mother lived.  I could never have survived there.”
    Rafe squeezed her fingers
gently.  “Is she the reason you left?”
    Mesa frowned, the action
knitting a furrow across her forehead.  “Not directly.  She had a new
boyfriend that couldn’t keep his hands to himself.  He wanted to give me
something really special for my graduation.  She was passed out drunk in
her room, Uncle Rance was, of course, at his house and couldn’t help me. 
I kneed the s.o.b. in the groin and when he dropped, his head hit the edge of
the dresser.  I thought he was dead.  I took all his money, all of
Mama’s that I could find, threw a few clothes in a bag, took my dad’s old guitar
and ran.  I didn’t know I hadn’t killed him for weeks.  When I got a
job in Richmond, I went to the library and used the computer to see what I
could find out and couldn’t find anything on it, so I assumed then, that he
hadn’t died.”
    Rafe was shocked at what had
happened to her.  “I’m so sorry, Mesa.  Someone should have been
there to help you.  Why didn’t you call Jenny?  You know Uci would
have looked after you.  Hell, when I got home I probably would’ve killed
him!”
    She smiled and
shrugged.  “I was young and scared.  It’s all water under the bridge,
Rafe.  None of us can turn back the clock or change the past.  It’s
best just to move on.  Who’s to say that things didn’t work out for the
best?”
    He lifted his free hand and
one finger stroked her cheek gently.