Hard Ride to Dry Gulch. Joanna Wayne

one of the off-duty strippers. No reason for him to have given her another thought.

      Play this cool, leave at the first opportunity, and the cop would never guess they’d ever met.

      * * *

      “SURELY YOU’RE NOT thinking of sneaking out without a dance with the best man?”

      The husky male voice startled Faith. Poor timing. She’d already stepped out of the tent and was about to start down the path to the parked cars.

      Except for a brief conversation when Leif had introduced them after the ceremony, she’d managed to avoid Travis all evening.

      She flashed what she hoped was an innocent-looking smile. “I’m not sneaking anywhere. I’ve said my goodbyes to the happy couple.”

      “It’s still early. The party is in full swing.”

      “Yes, but it’s a long drive back to Dallas.”

      “So why drive it? The guest rooms in the newlyweds’ ranch bungalow aren’t fully finished yet, but I’m sure R.J. can put you up for the night. From what I’ve seen of his house, there are plenty of spare bedrooms.”

      “So I’ve heard. Joni invited me to stay over,” Faith admitted. “But I really need to get home tonight.”

      The band returned from their break. A guitar strummed. The lead female singer in the country-and-western band that had kept the portable dance floor occupied all night belted out the first words to an old Patsy Cline hit.

      Travis fitted a hand to the small of Faith’s back. “One dance before you call it a night?”

      Her brain issued a warning, but the music, the night and even the tiny lights that twinkled above them like stars overpowered her caution. Besides, Travis showed no sign of recognizing her. What could one dance hurt?

      They walked back to the dance floor together. His arms slid around her, pulling her close as their bodies began to sway to the haunting ballad. His cheek brushed hers. An unfamiliar heat shimmered deep inside her. She dissolved into the sensual sensations for mere seconds before her brain kicked in again.

      She hadn’t felt a man’s arms around her for years. No wonder her body had reacted to the contact.

      She pulled away, putting an inch of space between her breasts and his chest and points lower. The warmth didn’t fully dissipate, but her breathing came easier.

      By the time they finished the dance, she was almost fully in control. “I really do have to go now,” she said, leading the way as they left the dance floor.

      “If you must.”

      “I must. And really, there’s no reason for you to walk me to my car.”

      “A promise is a promise.”

      The man was persistent. If the cops handling Cornell’s missing-person case had been half as determined, they likely would have located him by now.

      “No reason for you to leave the reception,” she said. “I’m sure I can find my way to my car on my own.”

      “But what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you?”

      “A sensible one.”

      “Not my strong suit.”

      “I got here late and had to park in the pasture across the road. You’ll get those gorgeous boots of yours dirty,” she said.

      “I’ll risk it.”

      Further protests would sound ungrateful or just plain pigheaded. Besides, it would be a lot darker once they left the twinkling lights. Her car could be difficult to locate among all the other vehicles. Travis might just come in handy.

      Reaching into the petite jeweled evening bag that swung from her shoulder, she took out the keys to her aging Honda and started walking. Their shoulders brushed. A zing of awareness shot through her.

      Disgusted with herself for letting Travis affect her, she picked up her pace. Bad call. Maneuvering the grass and uneven ground in her six-inch stilettos proved to be a dangerous balancing act.

      The second time she almost tripped, she was forced to accept the arm Travis offered for support. A traitorous flutter appeared in her stomach.

      It had to be just her nerves, or the fact that Travis was several cuts above the perverts she’d been spending her time with. Not every night the way she had in the beginning, but every weekend.

      A breeze stirred. Faith looked up and was struck by the brilliance of the stars now that they’d left the artificial illumination.

      “Amazing, aren’t they?” Travis said, apparently noticing her fascination with the heavens.

      “Yes. Hard to believe those are the same stars that appear over Dallas. They look so much closer here.”

      “Nothing like getting out in the wide-open spaces to appreciate the splendor of nature,” Travis agreed.

      “Do you spend much time out here?”

      “At the Dry Gulch? No way.”

      “I guess that will change now that Leif will be living out here.”

      “It won’t change anytime soon.”

      “Because of your relationship with your father?”

      “You got it. And you apparently know a lot more about me, Faith Ashburn, than I do about you.”

      “Joni told me a bit about why you and Leif have issues with R.J. But Leif changed his mind about his father. Perhaps you will, too.”

      “Sure, and Texas might vote to outlaw beef.”

      “Stranger things have happened.”

      “Not in my lifetime,” Travis countered. “But it was a beautiful wedding.”

      “I’ve never seen Joni so radiant.”

      “Have you and Joni been friends long?”

      “Eight years. We met in a psychology class at Oklahoma University. We clicked immediately and became fast friends even though I was divorced and had a young son.”

      They made small talk until she spotted her car and unlocked it with her remote device. The lights blinked. “That’s my Honda,” she said, grateful for an excuse to end the conversation before he started asking personal questions again.

      She let go of Travis’s arm and hurried toward her car.

      Travis kept pace, then stepped in front of her at the last minute, blocking the driver’s side door. “You know, Faith, you look a lot better without all that makeup you were wearing the first time we met.”

      Her mouth grew dry, her chest tight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen you before tonight.”

      “Actually, we met a few months ago. You’re not the kind of woman a man could forget.”

      Faith wondered at what point during the night he’d figured that out. She shrugged. “Sorry. You must have me confused with someone else.”

      “Not a chance.” He propped his left hand against the car roof and leaned in closer. “Let me refresh your memory. The Passion Pit. Four months ago. You were cruising the bar when one of your admirers got out of hand.”

      She rolled her eyes. “Cruising the bar?”

      “Don’t go all naive on me, Faith. A lady doesn’t just drop into the Passion Pit unescorted because she’s thirsty. You were wearing a black dress that left little to the imagination and a pair of nosebleed heels that screamed to be noticed. We talked. I asked you to wait so that I could see you safely home. You didn’t.”

      “You definitely have me confused with someone else.”

      “Not unless you have an identical