Cowboy Conspiracy. Joanna Wayne

      Wyatt looked around. True enough, there was no sign of the Honda she’d been driving earlier.

      “Don’t just stand there,” she demanded. “Do something.”

      “Looks like you have the bike subdued,” he quipped.

      “Not help with the bike. My purse is in that car. All my money’s in it. He has my computer. A box of Jaci’s favorite toys.” She threw up her hands in frustration. “And half of our clothes!” She slammed the heel of her stylish boot into the bike’s frame again.

      The hooligan in question had a good half hour head start. With no idea which direction he’d gone in, chances were slim Wyatt could chase him down in his pickup truck.

      “What in holy tarnation are you doing to my bike?” This time it was the waitress’s shrill voice that cut through the damp air.

      The woman threw up her hands. “Your bike? I thought it belonged to the man who stole my car.”

      “That creep who was in the café stole your car?”

      “Apparently.”

      “I knew he was up to no good the second he walked in. I figured he was just hanging around waiting for the power to go off so he could clean out the register.”

      Wyatt made the 911 call while the women righted the downed bike and the attacker apologized profusely for the damage her boot had inflicted.

      The kid ran over to Wyatt. “Call the police and the game warden,” she squealed. “That man stole my toys and my books.”

      Three near-hysterical females was downright scary. The light rain that was still falling did nothing to settle them down. At least the kid had sense enough to move to the cover of the aluminum canopy over the door after she put in her order for cops.

      “Ladies,” Wyatt announced when he’d finished the call. “A deputy is on the way. Let’s go back inside and calm down.”

      “Easy for you to say,” the woman snapped. “You have your truck.”

      No doubt because the thief didn’t realize Wyatt had a couple of loaded pistols inside. Wyatt stopped at the Corvette parked in the lot as the three women marched inside.

      If the guy hadn’t been riding the motorbike, he must have been driving this. Ten to one it was stolen, as well. But there was nothing he could do about it until a deputy showed up.

      Back in Atlanta, he’d have made a few calls and had local cops and the state police already on the lookout for the stolen Honda. He’d have run a license-plate check on the Corvette. He’d have assumed control instead of waiting for a deputy.

      Already he missed his life.

      KELLY TOOK A DEEP BREATH and struggled to think rationally. Instead, she plunged into the frightening abyss of “what ifs” What if the creep had been the one pumping gas when she was? What if he’d knocked her to the pavement and stolen the car with Jaci inside it? What if she’d walked out while he was hot-wiring the ignition and he’d shot Jaci or her or both of them?

      When she looked at it that way, the loss of her car and her belongings didn’t seem nearly so horrific. But still, she was fed up with being criminals’ prey. It was as if she wore a sign on her back that said victim.

      “I’ll start a fresh pot of coffee,” Edie offered. “You never know how long we’ll have to wait for a deputy in this weather.”

      Kelly and Jaci slid into one side of the narrow booth. Not unexpectedly, the cowboy slid in opposite them. Fortunately, he seemed to be taking command of the situation. Good that someone was, since she’d flown into a rage out there instead of thinking logically.

      He was quite a hunk. Not that she hadn’t noticed that earlier, but now she actually let her gaze linger on the rugged planes and angles of his face. He couldn’t be many years older than she was, if any, but he had an edge about him and an aura of self-confidence.

      She liked his hair—short but rumpled and dry—where hers was wet and dripping, thanks to the Western hat he’d just tossed to the booth behind them. His dark brown locks were streaked with coppery highlights, the artistic work of the sun.

      But his eyes were the real draw. Mesmerizing. Piercing, but not threatening. The color of the coffee she could smell dripping through the pot.

      “I think we should introduce ourselves,” he said. “I’m Wyatt Ledger.”

      “Good to meet you, Wyatt, though I would have preferred to meet under better circumstances. I’m Kelly Burger.”

      It was a relief to finally use her real name again. Maybe one day she’d even be able to get past the fears she’d lived with for nearly twelve months. She extended her hand and when his wrapped around hers, the tingle of awareness danced through her. She pulled her hand away too quickly. Subtlety was not her strong suit.

      She looked down at her daughter, thankful to break away from Wyatt’s penetrating gaze. “This is Jaci.”

      The cowboy’s lips split into a wide grin. “Hi, Jaci.”

      Attacked by one of her rare cases of shyness, Jaci twirled a finger in her hair and looked down at the table. It was well past her bedtime, and even though she’d slept some in the car, she was running out of steam.

      Jaci pulled her short legs into the seat with her and finally looked at Wyatt. “Can you take us to our new house?”

      “It’s okay, Jaci,” Kelly assured her. “The police will see that we get home tonight.”

      “Actually, I heard Jaci say earlier that you’re going to Mustang Run,” Wyatt said. “That’s also where I’m heading, so I can give you a lift if you’d like.”

      The coincidence set off a warning bell in her head. For all she knew Wyatt could be as bad as the rotten thug who’d stolen her car. Boots and a cowboy hat didn’t mean he was the real thing. “Do you own a ranch near Mustang Run?”

      “My family does. I was a homicide detective with the Atlanta Police Department until yesterday. Now I guess I’m a freeloader.”

      “You’re a cop?”

      “Was a cop. Guess it doesn’t say much for my detective intuition that I let the guy just walk out of here and steal your car. The fact that he left in the middle of a pouring rain should have tipped me off he might be up to no good, especially since I figured the motorbike was his, too.”

      “Why did you leave the force?”

      “Personal reasons.”

      That she understood, the same way there were a lot of questions about her life she wouldn’t want to go into with a stranger. Or with family for that matter. She hadn’t even fully explained the year’s disappearing act to her mother. There had been no reason to worry her. Kelly had been frightened enough for both of them.

      “If you’re a detective, you must know the routine. What happens when the deputy shows up?”

      “He’ll ask questions about the car. You’ll answer the ones you can and then he’ll fill out a police report.”

      “I know the license-plate number. Everything else, I’ll have to get from my insurance agent. That may have to wait until morning. Hopefully, I’ll have the car back before then.”

      “I wouldn’t count on that.”

      “Why not?” Her frustration spiked again. “They will look for it, won’t they? That’s their job.”

      “That’s one of their jobs. I don’t know how they prioritize around here, but car thefts are not top priority in the big city unless they involve force, weapons or kidnapping.”

      Panic swelled again. “I need that car. It has my purse with my wallet in it.”

      “How