Legally Binding Read online

  Bart tore his eyes away. Picking up his cup, he thrust it toward her. God knows, he needed the caffeine. Though he couldn’t say if his lapse into staring had more to do with his sleepless night or the awe that something as exquisite as Lindsey Wellington was under his roof.

  “I talked to the sheriff’s office this morning about the break-in at my apartment.”

  “Let me guess, the deputy in charge of the case is Hurley Zeller.”

  “How did you guess?”

  He blew out a disgusted breath. “And did he find anything?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Don’t hold your breath.”

  She gave him a somber smile. “How early did you get up?”

  “I look that tired, huh?” He concentrated on watching her graceful hand pour steaming coffee into his cup.

  “You should have woke me. I would have helped with chores. I have plenty of experience feeding horses and mucking stalls.”

  “Pony Club, right?”

  She smiled. “How early?” she repeated, as if the answer was important.

  “Sunrise. Not any earlier than usual.” Hell, who was he trying to kid? He had gone out to the barns around sunrise, but he hadn’t fallen asleep all night. He’d spent the hours listening for Lindsey’s quiet breathing in the next room and wishing he was in that big bed alongside her, instead of hunkered down in his own room. Alone.

  “Is your father up yet?”

  “He usually sleeps late and through anything. Especially when he’s been knocking around the house in the middle of night.” He glanced down the hallway that led to his dad’s rooms. When he turned back to Lindsey, she was watching him intently. As if she could see straight through him and into his heart. He forced a chuckle. “So how are we going to keep my hide out of prison today?” He meant the comment as a joke, but the words fell like a roped-and-tied calf.

  “Cara’s taking me to visit an expert on local folklore after she and Kelly and I have lunch.”

  “Local folklore? Am I missing something?”

  She filled him in on the Shotgun Sally legends she, Cara and Kelly had discovered in Andrew’s files. But though she didn’t seem to be holding back any of the details, the way blood tinged her cheeks when she mentioned the legend about Sally as a lawyer suggested otherwise. “After we talk to her former professor, Cara will take me to the garage to pick up my car. It’s supposed to be ready today. But do you have time to drive me into town this morning?” She flinched as she asked, like the question caused her pain.

  “I’d be glad to give you a ride. Are just you and Cara going to the college?” Damn. He’d meant to make the question sound innocent, but his concerned tone left little mystery to what he was really thinking. And how worried he really was.

  She raised her chin. “I’ll be safe. Cara is one tough cookie. And I’m no pushover myself. If anyone messes with us, we’ll make him wish he was never born.”

  “I don’t doubt you will.” He forced another chuckle, though he was far from convinced. He did know one thing, though. Lindsey Wellington didn’t like him worrying about her. Not one damn bit. Too bad backing off wasn’t in his nature. “What else are you planning for today?”

  Lindsey eyed him warily. “I found out who the blonde is.”

  He crooked his brows and waited for the punch line.

  “Her name is Brandy Carmichael. Cara and Kelly said she’s a Realtor. She has a company in Dallas.”

  “A Realtor? Interesting.”

  “Interesting that Paul insists he doesn’t know her.”

  He nodded. “It also makes me wonder if Jeb was planning to sell before he died.”

  “I thought I’d ask Brandy that very question.”

  “Are you planning to do that with Kelly and Cara?”

  “Kelly is getting ready to leave on her honeymoon tomorrow morning. And Cara has work to do. I can’t take up all of her day.”

  The tension was back in his gut. “You planning to go by yourself?”

  That pretty chin raised back up a notch.

  Tough. “I’ll meet you at your office after lunch. We’ll go see Miss Brandy together.”

  Lindsey opened her mouth to protest, then closed it without uttering a word. As if she could tell arguing would do no good. Especially when Bart had only to point to the break-in at her apartment last night to make his case. Finally she nodded. “Okay. After lunch.”

  “After lunch.” Only a few short hours, but it seemed like an eternity. An eternity where anything could go wrong. At least he never promised he wouldn’t be early.

  “ARE YOU OKAY?” Blue eyes wide with concern, Kelly looked at Lindsey like she might keel over at any moment.

  “I’m fine,” Lindsey said in what she hoped was a casual tone. Resisting the urge to touch the scuff on her chin, she filled her friends in on the events of the night before, keeping her voice low so none of the other patrons at the diner could overhear. “The whole ordeal scared me more than anything.”

  “No wonder.” The news of the intruder in her apartment last night even seemed to shake Cara. “You should have called us. You could have spent the night at my place. Where did you sleep? You didn’t stay in your apartment after that attack, did you?”

  Lindsey had contemplated not telling her friends for fear of worrying them. But she’d discarded that idea before Dot had brought their drinks. Friends didn’t hold things back from one another. Not important things in their lives, such as this. And truthfully speaking, Lindsey needed to talk to someone about last night. She could discuss the intruder with Bart, but she could only talk to her friends about the rest of the night. “I called Bart Rawlins on my cell phone. He came over.”

  “And?” Cara prompted.

  “He took me back to the Four Aces. I spent the rest of the night there.”

  A grin broke over Cara’s lips. “Hot dog!”

  Kelly smiled, shaking her head. “He rescued you? How romantic.”

  Despite the conflicting feelings waging war inside her, Lindsey couldn’t keep the smile from her lips at her friends’ enthusiasm. She had to admit last night had seemed like an unreal dream. The intruder. Bart’s arms around her, keeping her safe. Going back to the ranch with him. It didn’t seem like it really happened until this moment—when she told her friends.

  Cara smiled over her drink. “I told you, Lindsey. I know about these things. You should listen to me.”

  “I hate to disappoint you two, but I slept in an extra bedroom. Nothing happened.”

  “Too bad,” Cara said. “You’ve got to be more aggressive, Lindsey. Though I doubt Bart will need much of a push. Maybe if you just wander over to his room in the middle of the night. Tell him you were looking for the bathroom.”

  “Yeah, and do it naked.”

  “Kelly!” Now Lindsey’s cheeks were burning.

  “Oh, don’t act so offended, Lindsey.” Cara was grinning ear to ear. “You want him, that’s obvious. So why don’t you go for it?”

  Cara was half right. Lindsey wanted Bart more than she’d ever believed she could want a man. But she couldn’t go for it. For many reasons. “He’s my client, for one thing.”

  “Maybe you have a bit of Shotgun Sally in you, too,” Kelly said in a singsong voice.

  Cara nodded, her eyes brightening the way they always did when she talked about one of her favorite subjects. “That’s right. In the story where Sally is a lawyer, she saves her love, Zachary Gale, from hanging.”

  “Maybe it’s fate,” Kelly added. “The Shotgun Sally legend repeating. Maybe you’re meant to be together. He keeps you safe, and you save his life. All the while, falling deeply in love.”

  Lindsey shook her head at her friends’ romanticism. Part of her might want to believe every word they were saying, but the other part was rational. And focused. “I came to Mustang Valley to prove I could make a career—a life—on my own. I’ve only been here a few weeks and I’m already depending on a man to take care of me. No matter what kind of romantic twist
you two give the situation, it’s not what I want. I might as well have stayed in Boston under my brother’s protective wings.”

  Kelly shook her head. “Your brothers and Bart Rawlins are not the same.”

  Cara nodded. “You can say that again. Nothing against your brothers, since I’ve never met them, but I don’t think Bart is protecting you out of some sense of brotherly responsibility. Or because he doesn’t think you can take care of yourself. I think he wants to jump your bones.”

  Lindsey almost groaned at the teasing, but that would give Cara too much satisfaction. Besides, she could accept the sexual attraction explanation far more readily than talk of fate and true love. So instead of protesting, she nodded her head. “And I want to jump his bones, too. But I can’t. Not unless I want to undermine everything I’ve come to Mustang Valley to build—my independence, my career. So what do I do now?”

  Both Kelly and Cara looked at her, as if this time neither had a quick quip or a piece of advice to give. Finally, Kelly spoke up. “I guess you just wait and see what happens.”

  Cara nodded. “And get Bart acquitted. No matter what happens, you can’t fall in love with him or jump his bones if he’s behind bars.”

  CARA AND LINDSEY made it to the community college right after Professor Della Santoro’s lecture ended. They caught the professor outside one of the square, institutional-looking buildings that made up the Mustang Valley Community College campus.

  “Cara. It’s so nice to see you.” Professor Santoro cradled a stack of books in one arm. She reached up with her free hand to brush back a strand of dark hair that had escaped from the neat bun at her nape.

  Cara gave the professor a fond smile. “It’s nice to see you too, Della. I’ve been meaning to ask you to lunch again. Maybe next week?”

  “I’ll check my calendar. What brings you here today?”

  Cara nodded to Lindsey. “My friend Lindsey Wellington. She has a few questions about local legends, and I told her you were the one to ask.”

  Della Santoro scrutinized Lindsey through silver-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose. “I’d certainly love to help, if I’m able. What local legends are you interested in?”

  “Shotgun Sally.”

  The professor shared smiles with Cara. “Our favorite,” the professor said. “And perhaps the most controversial legendary figure in the area.”

  This was the first time Lindsey had heard of any controversy surrounding Sally. “Controversial? How so?”

  “Because there are so many different versions of the Shotgun Sally legend, many people believe she never really lived. That she was actually a composite of many different women.”

  “But you don’t believe that.”

  “There is ample evidence that she lived. Whether she did all of the things in the legends is another question. The most important thing about Shotgun Sally is that she represented a role model for women in an age where women weren’t encouraged to do things like take part in cattle drives or own businesses.”

  “Or be lawyers,” added Lindsey.

  “Or muckraking reporters,” said Cara with a smile.

  Professor Santoro nodded. “Exactly.”

  Sally was a noble figure, indeed, real or composite. But that didn’t address the questions Lindsey had come to ask. “What I’m really interested in is how she’s tied to the area. Specifically whether she has anything to do with Jebediah Rawlins, his son Kenny, or the Four Aces Ranch.”

  The crease deepened between the professor’s thin brows. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for.”

  Lindsey gave her a quick description of Andrew’s notes about the Bar JR and the legends found among them. “Is there anything that would explain why the legends would be inside that file?”

  “As far as I know, Shotgun Sally has no direct link to the Rawlins family.”

  “Or the land?”

  Tapping manicured pink nails on the books in her arms as she walked, Professor Santoro shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

  Cara let out a sigh. “I guess Kelly was right. It must have been a misplaced file. Or it had something to do with Kenny’s penny-ante Shotgun Sally scams.”

  Frustration settled like a cold lump in Lindsey’s stomach. Everything related to this case seemed to be a dead end. And although she really didn’t have cause to hope a few legends stuck into Jeb’s files had any real significance, she had let herself hope. It just showed how desperate she was.

  They reached a low office building at the far end of campus. Della Santoro paused at the base of the steps and motioned to the glass doors with her free hand. “I have office hours now. You’re welcome to come in and continue our chat. If you have any other questions, I’d be glad to try to answer them.”

  Lindsey gave the professor a grateful smile. She’d already wasted enough time hoping a few legends were the key to Bart’s case. There was no point in wasting more. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure you’re plenty busy. Thank you so much for your time.”

  After Cara also thanked her friend, the professor continued up the stairs and through the door of the building. Lindsey and Cara walked back to Cara’s car.

  Tilting her curly red head, Cara studied her. “Sorry.”

  Lindsey forced a shrug. “If there’s no connection, there’s no connection. I knew it was a long shot.”

  “What are you going to do next? Off the record.”

  “Bart and I have an appointment to talk to Brandy Carmichael. I want to see if her connection to Jeb is merely a false lead, too.” If it was, Lindsey didn’t know what she’d do next.

  BART GUIDED HIS TRUCK into the circle cobblestone driveway and eyed the huge white stucco house perched on the tiniest scrap of land he’d ever seen. He glanced at Lindsey sitting in the passenger seat. “I don’t understand it.”

  She furrowed that beautiful brow and looked at him questioningly. “Don’t understand what?”

  “People who shell out money for a house like this. It might be big and ritzy, but if they flex their elbows, they’re in danger of poking their neighbor in the ribs.”

  She laughed, the musical sound filling the truck’s cab. She grabbed the handle of the truck’s door. “On that note, let’s go in.”

  Bart frowned at the empty horseshoe driveway. “Are you sure she’s here? I don’t see a car.”

  “Her office said she’s here. She’s supposed to be getting ready for a broker’s open house.” Lindsey nodded to the red sign in front of the house with the name Brandy Carmichael and Associates printed on it in fancy letters.

  “All right.” He dismounted from the truck and circled to Lindsey’s side. When he reached her, she was already jumping down from the runner. He had to content himself with steadying her when her heels hit the pavement.

  They walked to the door together, Bart slowing his stride so he could stay close beside her. Even in the outdoor air, he could smell the scent of roses. It wasn’t strong. Not like some women’s perfume. Lindsey’s scent was subtle, classy. Like the woman herself.

  They reached double front doors so grand he felt as small as an awkward boy standing in front of them. He looked around for a side door, but there wasn’t one to be had. Not surprising. Anyone who would live in a house with no land to call his own and no connection to the earth that spawned him had probably never used a side door in his life.

  Lindsey extended a graceful finger and pressed the bell. A gong sounded from inside. The sound was followed by the clack of heels on marble floor and the door opened.

  Brandy Carmichael peered out at them. She looked older than she had in the alley that night, but still every inch the cheerleader. Her bouncy blond hair glistened in the afternoon sun. Red lips stretched into a smile, parting slightly to show the whitest teeth Bart had ever seen. “If it isn’t Bart Rawlins and his lawyer…” She paused, waiting for Lindsey to fill in her name.

  “Lindsey Wellington.”

  “Lindsey, of course.” Brandy
stepped back and swung the door wide. “Don’t tell me, you’re looking for a house.”

  Lindsey looked the woman straight in the eye. “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

  Brandy’s smile didn’t fade as she motioned them into a white marble foyer as big as Texas Stadium. “Come inside. Please.”

  They obliged. She led them through the stadium and into a room with a view of the neighbor’s pool. She motioned to a couple of white chairs and perched on a white stool next to a bar that had probably never served something as working-class as a plain old beer. Brandy turned on her smile. “So Lindsey, how are things at Lambert & Church?”

  Lindsey lowered herself into one of the chairs and crossed smooth legs. “Are you familiar with my firm?”

  “Let’s just say there’s a history.”

  Just what they were looking for, a history. Hopefully fraudulent and including Kenny. Remaining on his feet, Bart focused on Brandy. “What kind of history?”

  “I know Don Church and his wife. And, of course, Paul Lambert.” Her voice ran huskily over Paul’s name. She shot a sly woman-to-woman look in Lindsey’s direction. “Though I can’t say I know his wife.”

  “That’s interesting. Because Paul said he doesn’t know you.”

  Brandy’s smile seemed to grow wider and more slinky. “Not surprising, considering the circumstances of our many meetings.”

  “The circumstances?” Lindsey prodded.

  “It’s a long story. A long, personal story. And one I’m sure he doesn’t want his wife to know about.”

  So Paul had had an affair with the ever-fetching Brandy. No wonder he didn’t want to own up to knowing her. Bart glanced around the house’s interior. “Might as well tell your story. It doesn’t look like the good people of Dallas are lining up to buy this monster.”

  “Some of the top real-estate agents in the area are joining me for cocktails. And don’t worry. Once they get a look at this monster, as you put it, they’ll be falling all over themselves to tell their clients about it.” She lowered one made-up eyelid in a sexy wink and didn’t volunteer more.