Sticking to Her Guns Page 3

  She’d just come out of the bank and was starting to put on her sunglasses. She was crying.

  “Bella?”

  She hurriedly wiped the tears on her cheeks and lifted her chin, defiance in her gaze, before covering those amazing more-green-than-blue-today eyes with the sunglasses. He’d known her since they were kids playing in the woods together since their family properties were adjacent to each other.

  Bella had been defiant even at a young age. Her father had forbidden her from playing with any of the Colt boys, but she’d always snuck out to meet him at the tree house they’d built together. They’d been best friends. The kind of friends that would let the other take a splinter from a finger with a pocketknife. The kind that would fight the town’s worst bully even knowing the linebacker was going to kick your behind bad. The kind of friend the other would lie to protect.

  “You all right?” he asked, thinking of the last time he’d seen her—just weeks ago. She’d been laughing, her head tilted back, the look in those eyes warm with emotion. They’d spent a few days and nights together, curled up on the couch in her suite at the hotel and watching old movies until they both fell asleep. They’d ordered room service breakfast and drank champagne promising that they would do it again soon.

  He thought about the sweet scent of her, the way her long dark hair shone like a raven’s wing, floating around her shoulders as she moved. He thought of the way she threw back her head when she laughed, exposing the tender pale flesh of her throat. And that laugh... He smiled to himself. But it was her voice he heard at night when he closed his eyes. A conspiratorial whisper next to his ear.

  He and Bella had always been best as a team. Best friends for life, he thought, touching the tiny scar on his finger that they’d cut with their pocketknives to take their blood oath. It was as if they’d both always known how it would end, the two of them falling in love and getting married. Together forever.

  Or at least that was what he’d thought, especially after their weekend in Denver. While they’d spent the time only as friends, he’d seen the promise in her eyes when she’d given him her cell phone number. “Call me. I’ve missed you, Tommy.” She’d hesitated. “If you’re going to be in Lonesome...”

  He’d been surprised that she was going to the ranch and said as much. “Dad” was all she’d said with a shrug, as if it explained everything since he knew Nolan Worthington only too well. It would have something to do with business. He was always trying to get her to join him in the partnership he had with the Mattsons.

  “Maybe I’ll see you there,” he had said, not realizing that within the next few weeks he would completely change his life for a woman he hadn’t even kissed yet.

  “I’m fine,” Bella said now, looking embarrassed and not all that glad to see him. Even as she said it, she shook her head, denying the words out of her mouth. As her hand went to her cheek to snatch away the last fallen tear, he saw the ring and felt his eyes widen, the right one widening in pain.

  “You’re engaged?” He couldn’t help his shock. He felt gutted. She hadn’t been engaged the nights they’d spent together and that was only a couple of weeks ago, or had she? “Since when?”

  “It just happened,” she said, clearly avoiding his eyes.

  He shook his head, trying to make sense of this. If there’d been someone special in her life, she would have told him the weekend they were together, wouldn’t she? He thought they told each other everything. Or at least used to. “Who?”

  She cleared her throat before she spoke. He caught the slight tremor in her lips before she said, “Fitz.”

  He laughed and said, “That’s not even funny.” Of course she was joking. They’d grown up with Edwin Fitzgerald Mattson the Third. Or the turd, as they’d called him. Fitz had been two years older and the most obnoxious kid either of them had ever met. His father was the same way. Edwin Fitzgerald senior was Bella’s father’s business partner along with his son.

  Because of the business arrangement, both Fitz and his father often came to the Worthington ranch. Whenever they did, Bella’s father always insisted that she spend time with Fitz. But he cheated at games, threw a tantrum when he lost and told lies to get Bella into trouble if she didn’t let him get his way.

  Often when she knew Fitz and his father were coming to the ranch, she and Tommy would take off into the woods. They could easily outsmart Fitz as well as outrun him. Spoiled rotten, Fitz loved nothing better than making the two of them miserable. Bella had always despised Fitz, who Tommy had heard hadn’t changed in adulthood.

  He stared at her. “You wouldn’t marry Fitz.”

  Anger flashed in her gaze. “Why not?”

  “Because he’s a jerk. Because you can’t stand him. Because you can do a hell of a lot better.”

  “What? With someone like you?” She raised an eyebrow. “Run into a doorknob, Tommy?” she asked, indicating his right eye, which was almost swollen shut now.

  “Zeke punched me, so it could be worse. Don’t try to change the subject. Were you engaged when we met up in Denver?” She shook her head. “So you got engaged in the past week or so?”

  She pushed her sunglasses up onto her long, dark hair and stared at him. “I don’t want to talk about this with you, all right?” Instead of anger, he saw the shine of tears.

  “Why would you agree to marry him?”

  “Maybe he was the only one who asked,” she snapped.

  Tommy shook his head. “Come on, you aren’t that desperate to get married or you would have asked me.”

  She bit her lower lip and looked away. He saw her swallow. “And what would you have said?”

  “Hell yes. But that’s only if you had gotten down on one knee,” he added in an attempt to get things between them back like they had been not all that long ago.

  Bella shook her head. “What are you doing in Lonesome? Don’t you have a ride down in Texas?”

  He glanced down at his boots and sighed. This certainly wasn’t going the way he’d seen it in his dreams. “After we saw each other again in Denver, I came home.” He met her gaze. “You said you were going to be here. I left the rodeo circuit.”

  “Why would you do that?” she asked, her voice breaking. She knew he’d loved being part of the family legacy. He’d been on the back of a horse from the time his father set him in a saddle while he was still in diapers and told him to hang on.

  He’d grown up looking at the old Hollywood poster of his great grandfather Ransom Del Colt, the Hollywood cowboy star; his grandfather, RD Colt Jr with his Wild West show; his own father, Del Colt. Rodeo was in his blood and if anyone knew how hard it was for him to give up, it would be Bella.

  He met her gaze. “Maybe after I saw you in Denver, I wanted more.”

  She looked away and he could see that she was fighting tears again. “You’re a fool. So now you’re jobless?”

  Her words felt like the flick of a whip and smarted just as much. “I’m working with James at the detective agency. The eye? I brought Zeke in after he skipped out on his bond. I’ve applied for my PI license. I’m staying in Lonesome.”

  She let out a mirthless laugh. “Great job. Bucking horses trying to kill you wasn’t enough? Now you’re going into the detective business? Look where it got your father.”

  He let out a low curse of disbelief. She knew how much he’d idolized his dad, who’d started Colt Investigations after his injury. Del had never made a lot of money but he’d helped a whole lot of people.

  “I can’t believe you would really go there, Bella, especially after all these years of being contemptuous of your father using money to control you.”

  “I’m supposed to be happy about you going into a business that got your father killed?” she snapped, sounding close to crying. “But it’s your life.”

  “Right, and you’re marrying Fitz, so what do you care?” Her chin rose in defiance. “What exactly is he offering you?”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” she said and shifted on her feet as she slid the sunglasses back over her eyes and looked down the street away from him.

  “Looking for your fiancé?” he asked. “I suspect Fitz wouldn’t want you anywhere near me.”

  “You’re right, Tommy. The best thing is for you to stay away from me.” Her voice broke and he saw her throat work as if she’d wished she’d swallowed her words rather than let them fly out like she had.

  “Wow, the difference a couple of weeks can make,” he said as he took a step back. “I sure misread that weekend with you. Maybe a whole lifetime spent together. Guess I didn’t know you as well as I thought. I take it back. Fitz is perfect for you.” He started to turn away.

  “Tommy?”

  He heard the tearful plea, felt her fingers brush his sleeve and he stopped to look back at her. What he saw in her expression nearly dropped him to his knees. Just then he saw Fitz appear behind her, all decked out in a three-piece suit that probably cost more than Tommy’s horse. The man didn’t look happy to see him talking to Bella, but Fitz’s displeasure was nothing compared to Tommy’s.

  “Good luck,” he said to Bella and turned away before he put his fist in Fitz’s face. He felt shock and disappointment and an unbearable sense of loss as he walked away. He and Bella had had something special. He was sure of that. Why would she agree to marry Fitz? It was inconceivable, especially after the two of them had been together just like the old days merely weeks ago. It wasn’t possible that in that period of time she’d gotten engaged. And yet he’d seen the large diamond on her finger. He’d heard the words come out of her mouth.

  So why was he still unable to believe it?

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nbsp; He slowed his steps. He kept thinking about the last look that Bella had given him in Denver. Could the woman change her mind that quickly? Especially a woman he’d known all his life. He thought of the hours they’d spent in their tree house. They’d shared their secrets, they’d shared their desires, they’d even shared their blood with their prized pocketknives. He thought of the two of them together in Denver. That lifetime connection was still there—only stronger.

  He stopped and looked back. Fitz put his arm around Bella, but she pulled away only to have him grab her hand and jerk her roughly back toward him. Lovers’ quarrel? Or something else?

  He caught a glimpse of Bella’s face. Something was wrong. He knew this woman. She wasn’t acting like a woman in love.

  Chapter Five

  Bella was still shaken when she reached her car after seeing Tommy—only to be accosted by her so-called fiancé. Fitz. She hated everything about him. The way he brushed back his blond hair with that arrogant shake of his head. She really hated that smug expression that marred an otherwise handsome face. He was strong and fit. No doubt he had a trainer who kept him that way. But he wasn’t agile. Even as a kid, he couldn’t climb a tree or jump a ditch or run fast enough to catch her.

  He’d always been a bully and that hadn’t changed. She shoved away that image of the pudgy Edwin Fitzgerald Mattson. The man she was dealing with now was much more formidable.

  Looks were everything to Fitz. Like his car, his fancy condo in the city, his gold jewelry he seemed so fond of. She’d caught the glint of a few inches of gold chain at his neck. It must have been new because he kept reaching up to touch it as if to make sure it was still there.

  But it was that self-satisfied look on his face that had made her want to attack him on the street, her hatred of him growing by the hour. The problem was she didn’t know how she was ever going to beat him at his own game. He had her neck in a half nelson and wasn’t about to let go until he got what he wanted.

  She warned herself that she had to keep her cool and pretend she was going through with this ridiculous wedding that Fitz was planning. He had invited everyone in the county. He was so sure that there was nothing she could do to get out of it.

  The only way she could keep from losing her mind was by telling herself she was merely stalling for time. She would get this sorted out. She would see that her father’s name was cleared so Fitz could no longer blackmail her—or die trying.

  Just the thought of Fitz made her stomach roil. Worse was the thought of Tommy Colt because that made her want to sit down and bawl her eyes out. He was right. She was in love with him. She’d been from as far back as she could remember. He’d been her bestie. He’d been her everything growing up.

  Her father had been immersed in his business. When Nolan was around, so was his partner and Fitz. It was no wonder that she preferred the company of wild boy Tommy Colt and his equally feral brothers. They’d been her true family.

  Now, as she drove toward the ranch, she knew that feeling sorry for herself wasn’t doing her any good. She had to figure out what to do next—and quickly. She’d never felt more alone. Or more scared. The clock was ticking, the wedding coming up fast.

  Looking down at the pretentious huge diamond ring on her finger, she wanted to rip if off and throw it out the window. But what would that accomplish? She had to help her father. Losing her temper would only make matters worse.

  * * *

  TOMMY WATCHED BELLA and Fitz part at her vehicle. Clearly angry, Fitz drove off in an obnoxious mustard-yellow sports car, the tires smoking. Bella sat in her SUV for a few minutes before leaving as well. He recalled that she’d been crying as she came out of the bank. He knew what it took to make Bella cry.

  What had happened inside the bank? Was it about Fitz? Or something else? He had to find out what was going on and felt better as he turned back to the bank, even though his right eye was now almost swollen shut. He’d finished his first job for the detective agency. Now it was time for him to start believing that he could do this work.

  Having grown up here, Tommy knew most everyone. One foot in the door of the bank and he spotted a young woman in one of the glass-wall offices. Carla Richmond had long black hair and large brown eyes. One of his brothers had dated her for a while, though he couldn’t remember which one.

  He stuck his head into her office doorway. “Have a minute?”

  After her initial surprise, he could see her trying to figure out which one he was. “It’s Tommy,” he said as he stepped in and closed the door behind him. “I could use your help.”

  It was clear that Carla thought he’d come in for a bank loan. She started to reach for an application form, but he stopped her as he took a chair in front of her desk.

  “This is awkward,” he said, leaning forward. “I wouldn’t ask but it’s important. It’s about Bella. Bella Worthington?”

  She nodded and carefully replaced the form she’d been about to hand him. “You realize that I can’t talk about—”

  “She left here crying.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Carla said carefully.

  “I don’t want specifics, okay? I just need to know what might have caused the tears.” He saw her jaw set. “Her father’s rich. I would think she would come out of a bank all smiles.” He caught that slight change in her expression. Something in those dark eyes. He felt a start.

  “Tommy, you know I can’t talk to you about bank business.” She started to stand.

  “Please, just tell me if you know why Bella was crying.” He put his hand over his heart. “She means everything to me.”

  She sat back down and shook her head, but he could feel her weakening. “How is your brother Davy?” she finally asked as if changing the subject.

  So it was Davy she was interested in. “He’s still rodeoing, but I suspect it won’t be long and he’ll be coming home. You want me to let him know that you asked after him?”

  She started to shake her head but stopped. “I suppose. If it comes up. We dated for a while in high school.”

  He smiled at her. “That’s right. Look, how about you say nothing and I just run some thoughts past you.” Before she could argue, he went on. “I doubt Bella is having any financial problems. Her business is going great guns from what she’d told me.”

  Carla’s expression confirmed it.

  “So who does that leave?” Again, that quick flicker in her eyes. He frowned. “Her father? Is he ill?” Tommy would have heard. Bella would have mentioned it. It dawned on him what Carla was not saying.

  He let out a curse. It was a bank, not a hospital. “It’s financial to do with her father.” She looked past him again, clearly nervous. He could tell by her pained expression that he’d guessed it. “He’s in financial trouble?”

  She avoided his gaze as she rose and stood with her palms pressed to the top of her desk. “As I said—”

  “I get it. You can’t tell me.” Tommy stood up. “I’ll take one of those loan forms if you don’t mind.”

  Carla looked relieved as she pulled out one and handed it to him. “I didn’t tell you anything. Not a word.”

  He nodded. “Thanks.” He held up the form. “I’ll tell Davy I saw you.”

  Was it possible that Nolan Worthington was in financial trouble? If so, it would certainly explain what Bella was doing back in Lonesome at the ranch. With a curse, he realized it could also explain why she had agreed to marry Fitz. He thanked Carla and left her office.

  He had to see Bella again.

  But first he needed his brother’s help.

  James looked up from his desk and grinned as Tommy came into the office. “Nice eye. Zeke?”

  “Good guess.” He pulled the signed, delivered form from his pocket and tossed it on his brother’s desk.

  James picked it up, saw what it was and blinked. “I thought that might be your resignation letter.”

  “I told you, I’m in this all the way. We have a new case.”

  His brother lifted a brow. “A paying case?”

  Tommy shrugged and pulled up a chair in front of his brother’s desk. “If you don’t agree it’s a case we should take, well then I’ll pay for it as your new partner.”