Free A Knight In Cowboy Boots by Suzie Quint Page A

said the bullet went clean through.” Jake sat down on the edge of the bed and got a pair of scissors from his bag.
    “She called you last night?”
    Jake nodded. “Let’s see your arm.”
    Zach held it out. Jake started snipping at the bandage Rachel had put on the night before.
    “I thought it took her a long time to come back with the first aid kit, but I told myself it just seemed that way coz I was in shock.”
    “You’d’ve been in an emergency room before you knew it if it wouldn’t have caused a big dustup. They report gunshot wounds, you know.”
    “Rach’d let me bleed to death on the floor before she’d bring that sorta trouble into her hotel.”
    “Yup.” Jake examined the hole in his brother’s arm. “So this was the hot brunette at the bar?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How far away was she when she shot you?”
    “About six feet.”
    “Hell, if she can’t shoot any better than this, you oughta marry her.”
    “She didn’t really mean to shoot me—”
    “Of course she didn’t; she’d only just met you.”
    “Thanks a lot.” Zach paused. “You ratted me out, didn’t you? You told Rach I had my eye on her.”
    Jake sighed. “I didn’t mean to. I was hoping you’d connect with her, but you know there ain’t no delay between my brain and my mouth when I been drinking. I ran into Rach on my way out. She came up to your room to make sure you weren’t fornicating in her hotel, didn’t she?”
    “No, she called my room to make sure I wasn’t fornicating in her hotel. That’s what got me shot. It must have sounded like I was arguing with a suspicious wife.”
    “How come she’s like that?”
    “Rachel? She’s scared of Mamma.”
    “Mamma? What’s Mamma got to do with it?”
    “You know Mamma’s always been suspicious of what goes on in big city hotels. Rachel don’t care what anyone else thinks, but she wants Mamma to approve of what she’s doing with her life.”
    “She’s never going to get that less’n she gets married and goes to having bambinos.”
    “She knows that. It don’t keep her from wanting Mamma’s approval. But if she can’t get it, at least she can make sure Mamma’s suspicions don’t turn into outright censure. Truth is, I kinda get where she’s coming from.”
    “You do?”
    “I’m not married, am I?” Zach said. “In Mamma’s eyes, it’s okay for a man to wait longer to marry, but sooner or later, I’m going to start feeling the pressure, too. You, you’re lucky. Eight years of schooling’s gonna buy you a truckload of extra time.”
    Jake paused in wrapping Zach’s arm. “Surely Mamma don’t think we’re gonna save ourselves for marriage?”
    Zach shrugged his free shoulder. “Maybe. Or maybe everyone just figures if Mamma don’t know about it, she can keep on believing whatever makes her happy. I do know Rachel don’t wanna take the chance Mamma’ll blame her for corruptin’ any of us.”
    “Do you think Rachel’s still a virgin?” Jake asked.
    “If you asked me that about any other girl her age, I’d say ‘hell, no.’ But Rachel?” Zach lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
    “Well, at least we can presume your hot brunette ain’t no virgin.” Jake finished securing the bandage. “That is, if you’re sure she shot you on account of Rachel’s call and not defending her honor.”
    Zach felt his lips pull into a smile. “I can pretty much guarantee that her honor was well on its way to being compromised. Not as compromised as it was about to be, but at least she’s no virgin.” Thinking about Maddie again reminded Zach about his current problem. It occurred to him that he had another option for finding out about her. “Hey, I need you to look something up for me on the internet.”
    “Whadda ya need?”
    “I need to know,” Zach picked up the application, “what state issues social security numbers that start with zero-zero-six.”
    “Is that all? Thought you was gonna give me a tough one.”
    “Little