Free Cowboy Jackpot: Valentine's Day by Randi Alexander Page B

shower.
We'll go together."
    She tugged her wrist out of his grip. "Dallas. You're
acting like you don't trust me."
    His jaw tightened and his lips thinned. "Is there a
reason I shouldn't trust you?"
    "No."
    After staring into her eyes for a few seconds, he looked
away. "Will you just wait for me? I'll hurry."
    Her heart dropped like a rock off a cliff. He didn’t trust
her. Not only did he not trust her, but he didn't have the emotional depth to
confront her with his suspicions. She needed time to consider this. Needed to
figure out what to do next.
    "Of course I'll wait." She set down her purse.
"Take your time showering. I'll call and see where Stormie is."
Halfway to Oklahoma by now, but Dallas didn't have to know that.
    He pushed her suitcase aside.
    She walked to the windows and dialed Stormie's number.
    A few minutes later, the shower started in the bathroom.
    "Hi Kira."
    Stormie sounded perky, as usual.
    "Hi. Where are you?"
    As Kira turned to have a seat, she spotted Dallas watching
her from the bedroom. Damn. He really didn't trust her. The knowledge was like
a bullet to the gut.
    "We're still crossing Arizona. We'll probably spend the
night in Albuquerque." Strange sounds came through the phone.
"Kira…" Her voice was soft. "About what Jayden said, it could
have been just the beer talking."
    "I'm not worried, Stormie. I'll figure it out on my
own." She leaned over and saw Dallas in the shower. "How did it go
with you and Jayden?"
    Stormie let out a small squeal. "You won't believe
it." She said something to someone in the car. "I'll call you later
and we can talk."
    "Okay. Your parents are listening, right?"
    "Oh yes, always." She sounded disgusted.
"Talk to you later!"
    "I can't wait." She hung up. What could have
happened to make her cousin so excited? She laughed. What didn't make
Stormie excited?
    Dallas stepped out of the shower, grabbed a towel and walked
to the bedroom door.
    Checking to see if she was still there? Probably.
    "Where's Stormie?"
    "She's on her way home. So we have time to grab
something to eat before we meet the manager."
    "Time?" He ruffled a towel over his hair, his body
naked and gorgeous. "I thought we could be there any time today?"
    She swallowed. Caught in a lie. "I called and arranged
our meeting with him at eleven." She shrugged. "I'm kind of an
organizational freak."
    With a nod, he went back into the bedroom and dressed.
    Their meal was delicious. He had the Cowpoke's Breakfast, a
platter full of fattening delights. She chose a chef's salad with salmon. They
both picked at each other's plates. As if everything was just fine. As if he
trusted her, and she didn't know he didn't.
    When they walked into the casino manager's office, the
junior partner of her family's attorney's office stood.
    "Hi Barret. Thanks for coming." She shook his
hand.
    "Who's this?" Dallas's face turned red under his
tan.
    "Dallas Burns, this is my attorney, Barret Weis.
Barret, this is the man with whom I won the jackpot."
    Barret held out his hand.
    Dallas glared at Kira. "Why is he here?"
     

Chapter Eight
     
    "Uh…" Barret Weis, Kira's family attorney, glanced
at the three others in the casino manager's office then dropped his hand. He
looked directly at Dallas as he answered the cowboy's question. "Ms.
Morrow called our office yesterday and asked me to handle the situation here at
the casino for her."
    The casino manager sat. "It's all settled, Ms.
Morrow." He set a stack of papers on the desk. "You just need to sign
here." He pointed with a pen.
    Dallas growled. "You're taking the entire
jackpot."
    Barret gave a small laugh. "She's giving the
entire jackpot. To you."
    Dallas jerked as if hit by a lightning bolt. "What was
that again?"
    The casino manger stood, probably since no one else had
taken a seat. "We have regulations about releasing funds only to the
rightful winner, but we have, in the past, come to legal agreements, providing
all necessary tax burden questions are addressed, to provide