“Morning, Tory. Thought you’d both be happy to know Damon Bridger is in jail. The little party we planned for him last night went off without a hitch.”
She looked up at Josh with those big green eyes he found so appealing. “What party was that?” she asked Linc.
“It’s a long story. A waitress named Suzy Solomon filed a civil suit against Bridger for assault and battery. He was served yesterday afternoon. Bridger wasn’t pleased.”
“I’ll bet he wasn’t,” Josh said darkly.
“Damon showed up at Suzy’s house last night and wanted to talk. Suzy let him in. Bridger started threatening her, pushing her around, getting more and more violent, but Suzy wasn’t alone.”
“You set him up,” Josh said, smiling. “You got the woman to file charges. You figured Damon would show up and when he did, you had Townsend there to protect her.”
“Townsend tracked her down and convinced her to file. He and that Phoenix detective, Jeremy Larson, were there when Bridger went haywire. Larson had him on the carpet in handcuffs before he could carry out his threats.”
“I wish I’d seen that,” Tory said.
“Everything he said was recorded. Larson arrested him for attempted assault. Since it happened Friday night, he figures Bridger won’t get bailed till Monday.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” Josh said.
Linc chuckled. “I’ve got protection set up for Ms. Solomon till things cool down. I figure Bridger’s legal troubles will keep him busy for a while and out of your hair.”
Tory smiled. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help, Linc.”
“Believe me, it was my pleasure. Guys like that deserve all the bad luck they can get.”
“Thanks, Linc,” Josh said. “I owe you.”
“Fine, you can barbecue the next time we’re out at the ranch.”
“Fair enough.” Josh smiled as he hung up the phone.
“Your brother is the best.”
Josh arched a brow. “Yeah? What about me?”
Tory grinned. “Next to you.”
Josh bent and kissed her. The moment he felt the heat, he realized it was exactly the wrong thing to do. He needed to stay away from Tory. He couldn’t let himself get in any deeper. He just wasn’t ready for more.
Turning away, he sat down at the table and polished off the pancakes and eggs she’d fixed him. Ivy came over with a new crayon drawing, this one of her working with Mrs. T. in the garden. He put it up on the fridge next to the picture she had drawn before.
She was the cutest little girl. Sweet and loving. Well behaved and smart. Trouble was, he wasn’t ready to take on the job of raising a kid. He’d just gotten out of the marines. As a sniper, he’d been responsible for the lives of dozens of men. He needed a break, time to himself, time to adjust.
His mood darkened again. He left the house and returned to the barn. He’d figure it out. He just needed a little more time.
An hour passed. Tory and Ivy were safe, at least for the time being, but Josh was still edgy. He checked on Star, then saddled Thor. Fetching his rifle out of a locked closet in the tack room where he had been keeping it, he slid it into the scabbard, pulled a lightweight rain poncho over his head, stepped into the stirrup, and swung up in the saddle.
Thunder rumbled overhead. A mist of rain cut through the humid air and the wind picked up. He had a little time before the storm hit in earnest. Tugging his hat brim low on his forehead, he gigged the buckskin and rode out of the barn toward the pasture.
It didn’t take long to reach one of the main trails cutting through the grasslands. He nudged Thor into an easy lope, rode past a small lake, and headed north, off toward the river. No cell service this far from the ranch house. No one around but an occasional deer or rabbit, a wild boar shuffling through the underbrush.
Time slipped past. He wondered if Tory would have enjoyed the ride. He’d promised to show her the ranch, promised they would take photos for the webpage along the way.
He didn’t like to think how close they’d come to being killed yesterday, that the shot that missed him could have hit Tory.
He didn’t go to church often, but after yesterday’s close call, he felt the need to give thanks. Maybe he’d take Tory and Ivy to church in Iron Springs tomorrow morning.
Then he thought how it would look like they were a family and scrapped the notion.
