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Tori rose with her, giving her friend a quick hug “Be careful If you feel threatened in any way, leave the house and call ht”
Tori stood at theand watched her friend drive away Love was a bitch, she thought Once you gave your heart, you never quite got it all the way back She’d seen the tears in Natalie’s eyes as she walked down the church aisle to marry Slade And she kneho’d put them there
As for herself, she’d had plenty of ressman Garn Prescott But Will was the father of her child, and somehow he towered above them all
At least she had Erin, Tori rehter had been worth the pain a hundred times over But Natalie had no children She was ain As she turned away fro bad was going to happen And she couldn’t o away
CHAPTER 7
It was 8:35 pm when Beau ambled into the Blue Coyote and slid into an e to stand out, he hadn’t taken the time to clean up after the roundup His boots were scuffed, his jaw stubbled, his clothes caked with sweat and dust He looked like any one of the two dozen or so cowboys who’d wandered in for a cold beer after a long day’s work But he wasn’t fooling himself Anybody who’d spent much time in the county would know the Tylers And despite the layer of grit, they’d be aware of who he was
The bar had been here for as long as Beau could remember But the nener had spruced it up soraphed photos and retro country music memorabilia on the walls lent atht, business looked pretty good The bar stools were all occupied and the clickety-clack of pool balls blended with the blaring country music
Jasper had filled Beau in on the woo So Beau was prepared when she sauntered up to his table
“I like getting to know my customers, cowboy” She looked to be in her early forties, her voluptuous body stuffed into a den
ih to show off shapely legs clad in red cowgirl boots Her wavy auburn hair was too bright to be natural, her makeup laid on with a too-heavy hand Still, she wasn’t a bad-looking wo about her was her voice, husky-rich like a New Orleans blues singer’s
“Beau Tyler” Beau gave her a gentlemanly nod “And I take it you’re Stella”
“That’s right And I kneho you were as soon as you walked in” She flashed hirin Was it an invitation or just practicing good business? “I’d sit down and join you, but I’ht You know about poor little Jess, of course”
“Heard anything new about the case?”
“No more than you But I hope they catch the bastard who did it I’d like to take a fehacks at hireen eyes narrowed “I heard tell you’re DEA?”
“I’m on a leave of absence”