Jubal’s was a locals’ joint that served good food and cheap pitchers of beer. The place catered to both cowboys and bikers, mostly without trouble. Mostly.
As he shoved through the swinging doors, peanut shells crunched beneath his boots. Pool balls clacked on green felt tables in the back, and Garth Brooks sang “Friends in Low Places” from the digital jukebox in the corner.
He hadn’t expected to see Cole and Noah sitting at the bar or Linc’s blond wife, Carly, seated at a battered wooden table next to her high school girlfriend, Brittany Haworth, a blue-eyed brunette.
At the moment, Britt’s gaze was locked on Cole, though he didn’t seem to notice. When she realized Josh had caught her staring, her cheeks turned apple red.
He bit back a smile as he approached, leaned down, and kissed his sister-in-law on the cheek. “Hey, Carly.”
She turned. “Josh! It’s so good to see you. It seems like ages. You remember my friend Brittany, don’t you?”
“Sure.” He smiled. “Hey, Britt.”
“Hello, Josh. Why don’t you join us?”
He pulled out a chair and sat down, then turned back to Carly, who was picking at the last of an order of French fries. “So you and Linc are back at the ranch?”
“I’m staying out there. I had some stuff to do at work.” Carly was the owner of Drake Trucking. She and Linc had met when a drug lord had threatened Carly’s business. “Linc’s in New Mexico. Work’s been really crazy for him lately.”
At the bar, Noah spotted Josh and waved, and Josh waved back. “Have you met Noah Beal and Cole Wyman?” he asked, thinking of the pretty brunette who seemed so interested in Cole.
“Cole went to community college with Britt,” Carly said. “Linc introduced us to Noah in here one night. They’re friends of yours?”
“They work for me. Great guys.” Josh waved them over and both men slid off their stools and walked over to the table.
“Ladies.” Noah, always friendly, flashed a warm smile. Cole gave a curt nod of his head.
“Why don’t you two join us?” Carly suggested.
“Why not?” Noah agreed. The men pulled chairs up to the table. Josh ordered a shot of Jack Daniel’s to settle him down and a Lone Star to quench his thirst. He bought Noah and Cole each a fresh beer. The women hadn’t finished the ones they were drinking.
They talked for a while, mostly about the fire. “I heard it was arson,” Carly said. “Have they caught the guy who did it?”
“It was a kid who worked for me. I left it to his dad to handle things. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about it happening somewhere else.”
“That’s a relief,” Carly said.
They chatted a little while longer. Finally Noah rose from his chair. “I hate to have to leave such sterling company, but I’ve got a sexy wife waiting for me at home and a job that starts early in the morning. ’Night, y’all.”
Cole had barely said three words and Brittany hadn’t talked much, either. Didn’t look like that relationship had much chance of getting off the ground.
“I better be going, too,” Cole said.
“Me too,” said Brittany.
“Why don’t you walk Britt out to her car?” Josh suggested, figuring maybe he could give his friend a little push. “You never know who might be lurking out in the dark.” Though there was rarely any sort of problem at Jubal’s.
Cole nodded. “Sure.”
Brittany flushed. “You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.”
Cole’s head snapped up. “Why not? You think if trouble comes, I won’t be able to handle it?”
Britt’s dark eyes widened. “No, of course not. You’re in amazing shape. I don’t think any guy in here would be stupid enough to go against you.”
Cole blinked as if he were coming out of a fog. He cleared his throat. “Sorry. I’ll walk you out. Make sure you get to your car okay.”
Brittany beamed. “Thank you.” She was a beautiful woman, which Cole had just seemed to notice. Or maybe he’d noticed a long time ago, but after losing his legs, no longer had the self-confidence to do anything about it.
As soon as they were gone, Carly stood up from her chair. “I have to go, too.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Before he had the chance, Billie Joe Hardie stepped in his way, a tall, leggy woman in a short, tight skirt, with lots of blond hair, big cleavage, and plenty of it on display.
She flashed a sexy smile. “You aren’t leaving yet, are you, honey? I was hoping you’d buy me a drink.”
“My car’s parked right in front,” Carly said. “I’ll be fine. Have fun.”
Waving her fingers in farewell, she was gone before he could stop her, and aside from the shot of Jack, the reason he had come to Jubal’s tonight was standing right in front of him.
He hadn’t known for sure she’d be there, but he had definitely hoped so.
“What are you drinking?” he asked as she sat down in the chair across from him.
“Same as you, hun.”
The waitress walked up just then, a willowy blonde named Rita who went with one of the bartenders. “What’ll y’all have?” she asked.
“The lady wants a shot of Jack, Rita.”
“You got it.” Rita returned a few minutes later, set a shot glass down on the table, and wandered away. Billie Joe picked up the whiskey and tossed it back, set the glass sharply back down.
“I’ve got a bottle of this stuff at home,” she said. “You ready to blow this joint and have a little fun?” Billie Joe smiled and he caught a whiff of her strong perfume. She moved, giving him a look down the front of her low-cut blouse.
His gaze went over the blowsy woman in front of him. When had his tastes shifted from too much of a good thing to smaller was just enough? When had the notion of taking this woman to bed become more a chore than a pleasure?
It was crazy, but suddenly leaving the bar with Billie Joe was the last thing he wanted. He took a long draw on his beer, set it back down.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain check, Billie. I’ve got a couple of things I need to do out at the ranch.”
She gave him a seductive glance from beneath the heavy mascara on her lashes. “Well, now, that’s a real shame, cowboy.”
“Maybe next time.” But he didn’t think so.
He’d find someone else, he told himself. There had to be a woman somewhere in Iron Springs who appealed to him, someone besides a tempting little redhead who was nothing but a handful of trouble.
Finishing off his beer, he crossed the room, shoved through the swinging doors, and walked out into the humid Texas night. Along with the hard truth that Billie Joe wasn’t the woman he wanted, he didn’t like leaving Tory out at the ranch alone. Not until things settled down and he could be sure she and Ivy were safe.
He didn’t want to think about the restless night he’d be facing. For two cents, he’d turn around and walk back inside, at least get a little sexual relief.
Instead he climbed into his truck, fired up the engine, and drove back to the ranch. With any luck, by now Randy Stevens was in jail. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about an arsonist.
Only a brutal stalker and the woman and her little girl he had sworn to protect.
Chapter Twelve
Lisa curled up naked beneath a scratchy wool blanket on the mattress in the corner. Her wrists were bound in front of her with nylon ties, her ankles also bound. She had been locked in the basement since Damon had broken into her Phoenix home, tased her, and taken her to a log cabin somewhere in the Arizona mountains.
At least the gag was gone. There was no reason to scream for help when there was no one around to hear her. She had tried, yelled until her throat was raw, but it hadn’t done any good. As Damon had known it wouldn’t.
Just thinking of him brought a rush of tears and sent a shiver of revulsion over her skin. He was an animal. A monster. The night he had brought her to the cabin, he had tied her up, beaten her, and raped her. Her ribs ached and her lip was split and swollen.
She had tried to fight him, twisted her ankle trying to get away from him, but he was strong and he was brutal, and he clearly got pleasure out of her resistance.
How had he fooled her and Tory so completely?