Heart of Texas Volume 1: Lonesome Cowboy

“Plenty.” Surely Frank didn’t think he’d come to him over something trivial! “Smith mentioned that he last worked for Earl Chesterton on the Triple C over in Williamsburg, so I called Earl and talked to him myself. Found out Earl fired Laredo Smith for stealing.” He spit out the last word. Even saying it left a bad taste in his mouth.

Frank’s eyebrows lifted. “Why didn’t Earl press charges?”

“I asked him that myself.” The other rancher would have saved Grady a great deal of trouble if he had. “Apparently it was one man’s word against another’s and no way to prove who was telling the truth and who wasn’t. Earl fired them both.”

“I see,” Frank murmured. “Seems to me that if Smith had something to hide, he wouldn’t have mentioned working on the Triple C.”

Grady sighed and wondered why no one else viewed the situation with the same concern he did. “I’m asking you to do a background check on Smith,” he said, and realized he was expecting a great deal of their friendship. Frank had every right to deny his request, but Grady hoped he wouldn’t.

The sheriff frowned and his chair creaked noisily as he leaned back and considered Grady’s request. “I understand you’re worried about Savannah and I can’t say I blame you. Your sister is one of the most kindhearted people I know, and if this saddle bum hurts her, he’ll have me and half the town to deal with.”

“You’ll do it, then?” Grady said with relief.

“I’ll check him out,” Frank said reluctantly.

The two exchanged handshakes and Grady left. On his way out of town, he decided to stop off at the post office and talk to Caroline. If he couldn’t get through to his sister, maybe her best friend could. Reversing direction, he headed down Maple, then sat in the parking lot, debating the wisdom of his decision. In the past year or so he’d begun to notice Caroline Daniels. She was younger than Savannah, and while they’d been friends for several years, he’d always thought of her as a kid. For some time now it’d become difficult to view Caroline as anything but an attractive woman.

However, Caroline was also opinionated and headstrong. More often than not, her views clashed with his own, and as a result, they argued frequently. Another problem existed, as well.

Maggie.

Grady enjoyed the five-year-old, but for reasons he didn’t understand, the little girl was terrified of him. Savannah babysat her on Monday nights while Caroline did volunteer work, and it had reached the point that Grady stayed out of sight rather than intimidate the little girl.

Things being what they were, it was a risk to ask for Caroline’s help, but one he was willing to take. More than anything, asking Caroline to join forces with him proved how desperate he’d grown to get Savannah to see reason.

Thankfully Caroline was alone when he approached the front counter.

“Hello, Grady,” she said, glancing up from the mail she was sorting.

“Have you had lunch yet?” he asked.

Her eyes widened—but she was no more surprised by his invitation than he was himself.

“It’s three-thirty.”

“Coffee, then,” he suggested gruffly, feeling gauche for not looking at the time. No wonder his stomach growled; he’d missed lunch entirely. Which also went to show how desperate he’d become.

“I don’t suppose it’d hurt if I took a few minutes off,” she said, and set the mail aside.

Definitely curious, Caroline invited him behind the counter. She located a clean mug for him in the back room and filled his cup and her own. “What’s on your mind?” she asked.

“Savannah.” Grady couldn’t see any need to beat around the bush. “I’m worried about her and that drifter.”

“He has a name,” Caroline said, stirring a spoonful of sugar into her coffee.

“Sure. Smith.”

“Laredo Smith.”

“All right, Laredo Smith,” he said impatiently. Grady didn’t know what it was about Caroline that attracted and irritated him at the same time. Lately he found it difficult to carry on a decent conversation with the woman, although he did actually like her.

“What’s the problem?” Caroline asked, her eyes meeting his above the rim of her mug.

“I’m afraid he’s going to abuse her generosity.” In Grady’s opinion, the wrangler was already guilty of that and more.

“Don’t you trust your sister’s judgment?”

“Of course,” he flared. “It’s just that she’s naive and vulnerable. Savannah doesn’t have a lot of experience with men, especially smooth talkers like Laredo Smith.”

“Laredo’s a smooth talker?” Caroline echoed. “I hadn’t noticed.” The mug was at her lips again, and it seemed to him she purposely held it there to hide a smile. Apparently his concern for Savannah amused her.

“Is something funny?” he challenged, disliking the way she made him the target of her humor.

“Of course not.” The amusement left her eyes, replaced by a mock seriousness that infuriated him even more.

“I can see coming here was a mistake,” he said, putting the mug down with a clatter. “I should have known you’d find this all a joke.” He turned away, but she stopped him.

“Grady.”

He hesitated.

“Listen, I doubt there’s as much to worry about as you think. Savannah’s the most levelheaded person I know.”

Grady used to believe the same thing. “She’s not herself. He’s changed her.”

“Yes, he has,” Caroline admitted.

At last they could agree on something. “Then you know what I’m saying?”

“Grady,” she said, her look gentle, “Laredo has changed Savannah, but he’s changed her for the better. Don’t you see how happy she is? You can’t be around her and not feel it. I might not be the best judge of character, but I don’t think Laredo is evil incarnate the way you seem to. Maggie was full of stories about him Monday night after I picked her up. She thought he was great. It isn’t every man who’d sit and read to a five-year-old until she fell asleep. Savannah said the three of them spent an hour in the calving barn, showing Maggie the newborn calves.”

“In other words she likes Smith,” Grady muttered. Maggie liked Smith but not him. Caroline apparently didn’t realize the insult she’d delivered.

“It’s much more than that.”

“Really?” He didn’t even try to hide his sarcasm.

“What is it you’re really afraid of?” she asked.

For the first time Caroline sounded concerned. He held her gaze a long time, then finally said, “I don’t want anyone to take advantage of her.”

“She’s old enough to know her own mind.”

“She’s too damn trusting.”

“Is that bad?”

“Yes,” he stormed. “I’m afraid he’s going to take advantage of her. I’m afraid Savannah’s going to end up alone and pregnant.”