Free Texas Lawman by Ginger Chambers Page A

going to spot you.”
    “They haven’t so far.”
    “Which could be pure luck.” She frowned. “How did you get here, anyway? Did you hitch or drive or what?”
    “I have a pickup truck.”
    “Where’s it now?”
    “Hidden away a mile or so from here. I borrowed from a friend up in Colorado. Brought my gear with me just in case. Sounds like it’s gonna come in handymsleepin’ out and all.”
    “I’m sorry the accommodations aren’t perfect,” she murmured dryly. “How about supplies?”
    “I have enough food to last a couple of days. After that…” He shrugged.
    “I’ll bring you more if this drags out.” She hesitated. “There’s something else. Last night when we talked about Crystal, I told you she’d lost the baby,
    but . her condition is more serious than you think. ” ” How bad is it? ” he asked quickly. ” Tate said ‘touch-and-go. ”” Rio groaned.
    Jodie offered impetuously, “If you want, I’ll go with you to see the sheriff up in Colorado. We’ll make sure
     
    he listens. I can even get Rafe and Aunt Mae to”– When she realized what she was saying, she stopped.
    Rio laughed. “Yeah, right. Your cousin and aunt are gonna see to that I get justice. Most likely they’ll just find a nice strong limb and hang me themselves, save everyone else the trouble. The tree in front of the bunkhouse still looks pretty sturdy.”
    They heard Axel whistling as he walked by on his way to the cook house and they instantly lowered their voices. Jodie didn’t want to be caught with Rio any more than he wanted to be caught himselfi She could just imagine what the family would say if they knew. Especially Mae.
    “What are you going to do?” she whispered, anxious to be back in her father’s house. “Wait until night to make your way to the schoolhouse?”
    “That’s what I thought. I’ll probably stay put here until then. Unless you think Axel’ll come in. He hasn’t started using this place for everyday storage, has he?”
    Jodie shrugged. “I have no idea. I just got back myself. if you’d showed up last week, you’d’ve missed me. I was in New York.”
    “Ahh … so you finally got what you wanted. To escape from the Parker Ranch.”
    Somehow when Rio said it, the notion grated. She lifted her chin. “Actually I was away for a year.”
    “How’d you get Mae to let go for that long? Or did you just run off again?”
    “Run off” was a little too close to the truth for Jodie’s liking. She straightened to her full height, which was only an inch or so shorter than Rio’s and chose not to respond. “One more thing,” she said.
     
    “Can you give me a little more information about this Joe-Bob? About the ranch he’s working on? Are you sure it’s in West Texas?” 3
    “That’s what he said. And that’s all I know.”
    “His last name?” she tried again.
    Rio shrugged. “Like I said, I don’t know that.”
    Jodie grumbled, “What you’re asking for is a miracle.”
    He smiled. Much like one of his old cocksure smiles. “If anyone can do it, you can, Jodie. You’re a Parker. And that counts for something’ out here.”
    Jodie frowned and shook her head, but she didn’t try to convince him otherwise. The effort would have been futile. And maybe he needed that kind of faith in her to hold on to at present. The magic of the Parker name. Just ask and all doors open to you.
    “I’ll try to ride out in the next day or two to see how you’re settling in,” she promised.
    He nodded and she turned away.
    As she was about to let herself outside, he said quietly, “Hey Jodiethanks.”
    And he sounded sincere.

CHAPTER SIX
    TATE’S ORIGINAL PLAN to drop by Jack’s place Saturday afternoon had to be postponed. Late in the morning, two teenagers, joyriding in a stolen car, had missed a turn and plowed straight into a parked eighteen-wheeler just outside the town limits. Both boys had been hurt, one seriously, and it had taken hours to get everything sorted out and