Josh's Justice, Cowboy Romance (Bad in Boots, Book 4) Read online

  Bad in Boots

  Josh’s Justice

  by

  Patrice Michelle

  Kindle Edition

  Copyright 2013 by Patrice Michelle

  All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook cannot be re-sold or given away to others. No parts of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter One

  “Miss? Um, Miss?”

  Sabrina turned and realized the girl at the rental car counter was calling her.

  Pulling her suitcase behind her, she approached the rental car clerk. “Oh, sorry. I was just checking out the great scenery Texas has to offer,” she said, smiling.

  Following her line of sight to the tall dark-haired guy leaning against the conveyor belt column with his phone pressed to his ear, the girl nodded in agreement. “How can I help you?”

  “I wanted to pick up my rental car.” She glanced to the side as the man she’d been checking out walked over to the counter near her and asked another rental agent for a pen.

  “The name?” the girl asked.

  “Sabrina Gentry,” she answered as the guy scrawled something on a piece of crumpled up paper, then shoved his cell phone in his back pocket.

  The clerk tapped on her keyboard, then looked up, brow furrowed. “I don’t have a Sabrina Gentry listed.”

  “But, I made a reservation—” Sabrina sighed heavily. “Can you just set me up in a rental now, please?”

  The girl shook her head. “I wish I could, but we just had a large group come through and they took all the available cars we have. I can have a car for you by tomorrow.”

  “How am I supposed to get to the Lonestar ranch?” she asked, irritated at the inconvenience.

  “Robbie could take you,” she suggested, “but you’d have to wait until it slowed down a bit. Probably a couple of hours.”

  A couple of hours? Sabrina’s good mood slowly began to evaporate.

  “Or we could call you a cab?”

  “Ma’am?” a man said behind her.

  “Yes?” Sabrina turned, surprised to see it was the guy she’d been ogling earlier.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear your dilemma. I’m on my way to Boone if you need a ride.”

  With dark wavy hair, high cheekbones and a full bottom lip, he looked even better up close. There had to be some Hispanic heritage in his very exceptional genes. Why’d her parents have to burn the safety rule “don’t ever hitch a ride with a stranger” permanently inside her head?

  She met his chocolate brown gaze with an appreciative smile. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll just call my friend Elise.”

  “You mentioned the Lonestar. You’re talking about Elise Tanner, right?”

  Sabrina stared at him in puzzlement. “Oh, sorry. Her married name threw me for a sec. I’ve known her as Elise Hamilton since college.”

  Nodding, he extended his hand. “Dirk Chavez.”

  She clasped his hand and smiled. “Sabrina Gentry. Nice to meet you.” Friend by association, and therefore no longer a stranger. “I’d be grateful for the ride. If you’re sure it won’t be too much trouble.”

  He shifted his black duffle bag to his other shoulder, then reached down and grabbed the handle of her bag. “Not at all, Ms. Gentry.” Glancing at the girl behind the counter, he said, “Call the Lonestar ranch when you’ve located a car for Ms. Gentry.”

  “That’s Miss Gentry,” Sabrina corrected.

  A wide smile spread across his lips. “I mean, Miss Gentry.”

  “Will do,” the clerk said.

  While Dirk stowed his bag in the back of his black pickup truck, Sabrina stood on the passenger side and called across the truck bed, “I can’t thank you enough for the lift.”

  “No problem, ma’am. I live to rescue stranded women,” he replied, then frowned. “Um, that came out wrong.”

  Sabrina laughed. “I knew what you meant. Call me Sabrina,” she said, loving the respectful way Texan men treated their women. She had friends who’d be offended if someone called them ma’am—saying, “It makes me feel like an old woman.” But when the “ma’am” came accompanied with that sexy drawl, she just melted.

  “Only if you call me Dirk.” His biceps flexed underneath the short sleeves of his red t-shirt as he lifted her suitcase into the truck’s cab. Sabrina couldn’t help but smile. This vacation is already starting to look up.

  Dirk pulled out of the parking lot and slid his gaze her way. “Ever been to Texas before?”

  Sabrina shook her head. “And I feel a little bad on the timing, to be honest.”

  When he gave her a curious look, she continued, “I totally forgot how newly married Elise and Colt were until after I’d called her to see if I could come for a visit.” She rolled down the window to let the warm wind blow against her skin. Holding her long black hair down, she continued, “The last thing I want to do is intrude.”

  Dirk’s eyes lit with understanding. “Colt’s a down-to-earth, straight forward guy. You’ll feel right at home around them. Of course Mace will be there.” He turned the car onto the interstate and snorted. “I’m sure he’ll keep you entertained.”

  He sounded amused, piquing her curiosity. “Mace?”

  “Yeah, Colt’s youngest brother…the consummate ladies’ man.”

  Sabrina snickered. “Ah, now I see.”

  Maybe someone like Mace is exactly what I’m looking for. No strings attached, she thought even as she checked out Dirk’s muscular forearms and the defined veins running down them. But this Dirk guy…

  “The Chief called a mandatory meeting. All firefighters, get your asses down to the firehouse,” the CB on the dashboard crackled, interrupting her thoughts.

  While Dirk picked up the handset to respond, she sighed, her high spirits plummeting. Why did he have to be a firefighter? Why couldn’t he have been a border patrol officer or an ambulance driver? Anything but a firefighter? Thoughts of her dad floated to the surface, but she inhaled deeply and pushed them to the back of her mind.

  Placing the handset back on the CB holder, Dirk said, “Sorry, ‘bout that. Duty calls, but no worries. The Lonestar’s on my way.”

  Ten minutes later, Dirk pulled up the long drive to the Lonestar and stopped in front of the ranch house. Sabrina had jumped out of the passenger side to grab her bag, but Dirk was already there, smiling as he pulled down her suitcase and turned the handle toward her. “Delivered safe and sound.” When she smiled her thanks and moved to take the handle from him, he held fast, his smile broadening. “If you do start to feel like a third wheel while you’re here, feel free to call me. I’ll be happy to show you around Boone.”

  Disappointment ran through her that she’d have to turn him down after he’d been so nice to her. “Chavez? You there?” The radio kicked off again, saving her from responding.

  Taking her suitcase, she glanced at the CB. “Thanks for the lift, Dirk. I don’t want to keep you from your meeting.”

  Dirk nodded, then rounded the truck to get back inside. As he drove off, he waved from his open window. “Take care, gorgeous.”

  * * *

  Sabrina waved goodbye to Dirk, then turned to take in the Lonestar ranch. Green shutters and a long front porch accented a r
ambling white house that graced the end of the long driveway. Ten feet away from the ranch house sat a smaller version of the large house. A barn and stables led into gated open pastures that seemed to go on forever.

  “There you are!” Elise called from the open screen door at the main house before she skipped down the porch steps. “I was getting worried about you.” Hugging her friend, she glanced around. “Where’s your car? I heard one pull up.”

  Sabrina sighed. “Speedy Rental didn’t have a car available for me yet, so I hitched a ride here with Dirk Chavez.”

  “I told you not to bother with a rental. So, Dirk, eh?” Elise grinned. “How’d you manage that?”

  “Dumb luck? He’d just arrived at the airport and overheard where I was going when Speedy Rental fell through.”

  Elise pouted dramatically. “And here I thought it was something more interesting, like you tripped him to get his attention, or dazzled him with your brilliant smile and gorgeous body.”

  Sabrina glanced down at her low-riding jean shorts and casual green tank top, before meeting her friend’s teasing gaze with a wry smile. “I don’t think the outfit had anything to do with it. I believe it was his fireman’s ‘rescuer’ nature that made him offer me a ride.”

  “Ah.” Elise hooked her arm with Sabrina’s and led her toward the house.

  When Sabrina sighed and turned to stare at the beautiful rolling pastures surrounding the ranch, Elise asked, “You’re thinking about your dad, aren’t you?”

  She met Elise’s green gaze. “It’s been almost ten years, but it still hurts. The CB call in Dirk’s truck brought it all back.”

  Elise took her suitcase from her and set it on the porch. Wrapping her arm around Sabrina’s shoulders, she started toward the stables, leading Sabrina along. “Your dad wouldn’t want you to be sad, Bri. He loved you with all his heart. Did I ever tell you he told me that?”

  Stopping mid-stride, Sabrina glanced at her friend. “He said that to you?” She knew he loved her, but her father rarely discussed his emotions.

  Elise nodded. “He told me while we were sitting in the dorm room your first day at college. You and your mom had gone shopping to stock the fridge. Maybe it was easier for him to talk to someone he didn’t know very well. I think he was feeling sad that he was losing you to the next stage in your life and he didn’t know how to express that to you, so he told me.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Sabrina couldn’t believe Elise had never told her this.

  Elise squeezed her shoulder and continued walking them toward the stables. “Because you lost your dad that very next day. I thought I’d wait until you were over his death, but as time went on, it seemed you just became very sad whenever you thought of him. If his name came up you’d be depressed for days. I didn’t want to contribute to that.”

  “Why tell me now?”

  “Because I’m older and hopefully wiser, and I realize that you need to hear just how much your dad loved you. He wanted you to be happy. Told me that’s what he lived for…to make sure his little girl was the happiest she could be in life.”

  Tears gathered and Sabrina swiped them away. Her dad’s death in that downtown building fire had gutted her. She’d lost him too soon. The fact she didn’t get the chance to say goodbye had left her in a kind of heavy-hearted limbo. She used to dream about him…about waiting to say goodbye, but she rarely had that dream any more. Even though she still missed him terribly, Elise’s words smoothed over her frazzled emotions.

  Wrapping her arm around Elise’s trim waist, she hugged her back. “Thanks for letting me come for a visit and for finally sharing what my dad said to you. It does help a little.”

  Elise squeezed her shoulder. “That’s what friends are for, to pick you up and cheer you on.”

  As they entered the stables, Elise called out to a man who’d just ridden in from the pastures. “Hi, honey. Come meet my college roommate, Sabrina.”

  A rugged-looking, dark-haired man with deep blue eyes dismounted from his horse. His scuffed, dusty boots stirred the dirt floor as he walked over, pulled off his cowboy hat and put out his hand. “Colt Tanner. Nice to meet you, Sabrina. Welcome to the Lonestar.”

  When Sabrina smiled and took his hand, he put his hat back on and glanced between the two women, amazement dawning in his eyes. “Other than a slight difference in height, it’s uncanny how much you two look alike.”

  Elise nodded and let go of Sabrina to step into her husband’s embrace. “Yeah, while we were in college, even though Sabrina’s complexion is a bit darker than mine, people mistook us for sisters all the time, and if they were drunk, twins.”

  Colt kissed his wife on the forehead, saying in a gruff tone, “Darlin’, I could spot you from behind in a crowd of three-hundred.”

  Sabrina grinned at the love and sheer “knowing” that reflected in his gaze when he looked at Elise. “Oh, to be a newlywed,” she teased.

  “That could be easily remedied,” Elise shot back. “Dirk’s available.”

  Sabrina stiffened. “I’m nowhere near ready to settle down yet.”

  As she spoke, another man on horseback trotted into the stables, his brown cowboy hat pulled low over his face.

  “Well, then, do I have the man for you.” Elise swept her arm in the man’s direction as he approached. “Sabrina, meet Mace Tanner.”

  Mace walked his horse close and pulled off his hat. Looking down at her, he said, “Welcome to the Lonestar, Sabrina.” His tousled, light brown hair, square jaw, and beautiful green eyes would snag any woman’s attention. Leaning on his saddle horn, Mace held her gaze, his full of devilish mischief. When she blinked first, he winked and grinned. “I promised Elise I’d take you on a tour when you were ready. How about now?”

  Sabrina cast Elise a nervous glance. “I’ve never ridden a horse before.”

  “This is your welcome.” Mace put his hand out. When she put hers in his, expecting him to shake it, he held fast and looked at Colt. “Give her a boost, bro.”

  Before Sabrina could decline, Colt had grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up on the horse in front of Mace. “Enjoy your tour,” he said, then shot his brother a meaningful stare. “Behave.”

  Mace gave a deep laugh and turned the horse around. As they walked out of the stables, the unfamiliar, swaying movement made Sabrina tense. Gripping the saddle horn for support, she tried not to let her anxiety show.

  Once they’d reached the open fields, Mace wrapped an arm around her waist. “Relax, Sabrina,” he said, amused. “It’s half the battle in learning to ride a horse.”

  As Mace urged his horse into a trot and then a full gallop, taking off across the green pasture, Sabrina forced her mind not to think about falling and being trampled by hooves.

  After a while, Mace slowed his horse to an easy pace and pointed out different sections of the Lonestar ranch where the cattle and horses grazed.

  The moment he started to pull his arm away from her waist, Sabrina clasped his hand and held it in place. She did not want to fall off this horse.

  Mace wrapped his arm around her waist once more, pulling her against his chest. “Better?” he asked in a soft tone.

  Sabrina nodded. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t mind a bit?”

  “’Cause I don’t, darlin’. Not at all.”

  “So I’ve heard. Your reputation proceeds you, Mace Tanner.”

  “Ah, someone’s been talking about me.” His tone dropped to a seductive whisper. “I hope it was all good.”

  “Considering my source was a man, er…I hope not,” she teased.

  “No worries there.” He adopted a smug smile. “Must’ve been jealous.”

  “Are you always so sure of yourself?” she asked, both intrigued and entertained by his sexy confidence.

  “Why not?” His shoulders moved behind her in a shrug. “I have nothing to lose.”

  Sabrina shot a huge smile over her shoulder. “I like your attitude.”

  Mace eyed her, the
n chuckled. “I think we’re going to get along just fine, Sabrina. Elise tells me you’re here for a week.”

  “Yeah, I’m taking some time away from work to relax and um…find my inner self.” She adopted a serious look while mentally snickering. What would Elise think of her plan?

  Mace drew his own conclusions as to her meaning. Spreading his hand across her rib cage, he said, “Just let me know if you’re up for it. I’ll be glad to help find out exactly what makes you purr.”

  His comment made her heart beat faster, but underneath that irresistible sexy confidence, her instincts told her Mace always held a part of himself back. She recognized that attribute well, since she’d perfected it.

  She smirked. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Mace nodded and returned to his tour guide duties. “Ever been on a ranch before?”

  She shook her head.

  Turning his horse toward a different pasture, he said, “Let’s go meet some of the Lonestar ranch hands. They’d love to tell a beautiful woman all about what they do on a daily basis.”

  “And what do you do? Well, besides flirt outrageously with your female guests.”

  “You mean there’s more to life?” A shocked look crossed his face before he sobered. “I help run the ranch, but I spend most of my time marketing the rodeo side of the Lonestar. What about you? What do you do when you’re not flirting with men you’ve just met?”

  “Touché.” Sabrina loved that Mace gave as good as he got. “When I’m not taking a long overdue summer vacation, I help run an advertising agency in Arizona.”

  “Darlin’, we should definitely exchange notes,” he commented, his tone more than a little suggestive as his grip on her waist tightened briefly.

  “You are too much,” she snickered.

  “I’m a man. You’re a gorgeous woman. I’d be a fool not to try.” He shrugged, completely unrepentant.

  She tilted her head and smiled. “I imagine it’d be so easy to fall under your spell.” Mace’s compliment really boosted her spirits. She’d taken this vacation to get away. Her confidence had really taken a beating with Jeremy’s rejection. He’d broken up with her, claiming that she was too rigid, and that she tried too hard to control every aspect of her life, even him.