“No,” Cash said and placed a hand over hers, which she was wringing in her lap.
“Gerald and Donna have caused you more than enough trouble, Cash,” Tracy said as he snared her right hand. “I think we should go.”
“Wanna know what I think?” Cash asked.
“Yes,” Tracy replied. Swiveling to a half-turn in her chair, she craned her neck as far as she could in doing her best to get a glimpse of Gerald and Donna.
Cash chuckled and tugged on her hand. “Hey, you.”
“Hay is for horses,” she whispered and swiveled back to him. Letting go of his hand, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her compact. Holding the mirror as if she were powdering her nose but actually trying to spot Gerald and Donna, she quietly confided, “I can’t see them.”
“You’d make a terrible spy,” Cash said and laughed.
Tracy huffed. “I want to see how mad they look.”
“Forget them and look at your steak instead. Here it comes.”
Stella set their steaks and what she said was the house side specialty, sweet potato fries with a marshmallow-like dipping sauce, on the table. A metal bowl with sliced bites of rare steak went to Dude. Tracy’s heart melted and she asked Stella to thank Vince. Though keenly aware Gerald and Donna were somewhere behind her, Tracy was as starved as she’d claimed and began eating. The steaks were delicious and the sweet potato fries were a treat. Although Dude had already eaten, he had no trouble finishing everything Vince had put in the bowl. They enjoyed their meal without further disruption. When Stella returned, she cleared the plates and asked about dessert.
“I can’t eat another bite,” Tracy said.
“Me neither,” Cash said. “But I’ll take the check whenever you’re ready.”
Stella shook her head and told them, “Suzy said there is no check for this table.”
“Damn,” Cash said in surprise, glancing past Stella toward the side door of the restaurant. “Stella, please tell Suzy that was not necessary, but thank her for us.”
“Yes, sir, I will,” Stella said respectfully. Cash peeled off a hundred-dollar bill from his money clip and handed it to the teenager. A stunned smile lit up her face. “Gosh, for me?” she asked, and Cash nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
“This is from Dude,” Tracy said, adding to Stella’s tip by handing her ten more.
Stella smiled at Tracy and then at the dog. “Thank you, Dude. Come back soon.”
Cash winked at Tracy and took her hand. As they said goodbye to Stella, Tracy inadvertently glanced at the back of the patio. Gerald and Donna averted their eyes. Walking to the gate, Lobo met them and unlocked it. Letting them out and locking the gate behind them, Lobo clapped Cash on theback and tipped his head at Tracy. With Cash holding Dude’s leash, once they were on the sidewalk, Richard called to them from the front door asking if everything was to their liking. Stella came up beside her dad and he swung his arm around her.
“Everything was great!” Cash called and gave them a thumbs-up. “Thank you!”
Richard returned the thumbs-up. Stella showed her dad their tips and the big dog of the Sons of Steel placed a hand over his heart. Tracy waved and Stella waved back.
Once they were in the truck, Cash headed northeast. At the last gas station on the way to the ranch, he pulled in to fill up. The sound Dude made in the back seat told Tracy it was time for a potty break. While Cash attended to the truck, she and Dude jogged across the parking lot to a grassy lot. Dude did his business, and they turned back toward the gas station.
Tracy’s heart almost stopped. Gerald and Donna had followed them. With her, and more likely Dude, out of his way, Gerald had confronted Cash. Gerald began hollering while Cash finished gassing up the truck. Donna came up behind Cash and shoved him. With Cash’s right hand holding the gas pump, Gerald landed punches to his jaw and stomach. The behaviors of Gerald and Donna were so brazenly bizarre their actions had to be fueled by drugs. How long had these two been hiding their addictions? How long had they been masking the hostility that had surfaced on Triple C Ranch-East?
Upon being shoved and hit, Cash had barely moved but Dude took off on a dead run. Tracy could only keep up with the German shepherd for a few paces. There was no slowing him down and she had to let go of his leash. Dude picked up speed as Gerald drew back a fist again.
But Cash had dropped the gas pump and nailed Gerald square in the face, sending the unconscious man flying backward. Dude planted both front paws on Gerald’s chest, landing him on the ground and bouncing his head off thepavement. Teeth bared and snarling, Dude barked as Donna stumbled over Gerald and fell across him. By the time Tracy reached Cash and Dude, Cash had replaced the gas pump into its slot, held his gun in one hand, and Dude’s leash in the other. Seeing a nearly empty vodka bottle near Donna’s hand, Tracy wasn’t surprised.
An employee from the gas station ran toward Cash, shouting to him, “Sir! I called 9-1-1!” Arriving out of breath, he assured him, “Everything these two morons did was recorded.”
“Thank you,” Cash said to the gas station attendant as they stared at an unconscious Gerald and inebriated Donna on the ground. Dude barked, not sure about the attendant. Cash petted Dude’s head. “It’s okay, Dude. Thanks.” The German shepherd quieted and sat.
Tracy’s heart hurt seeing Cash’s flesh under the stubble of beard was red, but at least the skin wasn’t broken. Checking to make sure Dude was unhurt, she breathed a sigh of relief. Since they were out of the city’s jurisdiction, an El Paso County Deputy zoomed into the gas station. As Gerald came to, another deputy pulled in right after the first one. With Donna sprawled in a debilitated stupor across Gerald’s lower body, he scissored his legs, cursing her as he kicked her off him.
The first deputy called Cash by name and the second one kept Gerald and Donna in place. Cash told them what happened. With the attendant’s help, they and the first officer on the scene watched the video which verified Cash’s story exactly. When they exited the gas station, Gerald was sitting up, head hanging between his knees. The deputy who knew Cash spoke to the other officer who immediately cuffed Gerald. An ambulance appeared and loaded up a vomiting Donna. The deputy told Cash he’d be in touch. Cash thanked him and then Gerald was hauled off to the El Paso County Jail and Donna to a Colorado Springs detox facility.
Back in the truck, Cash headed onto the highway towardthe ranch. Along the way, Tracy apologized to Cash for the incident, which he said was certainly not her fault. Then she called Kirk Devereux, advised him he was on speaker, and told him the latest.
“They just went from demoted to dismissed,” Kirk Devereux said.
