Colter Gamblers: Gambling On A Heart Part 18

Bobby ran off with the rest of his team, and Tracy smiled down at the little girl beside her. "So, did you want to stay here and watch a bunch of boys beat up on each other or would you like to go over to my shop and we'll play?"

The big smile on Mandy's small face touched Tracy's heart. The love she felt blooming for the little girl was a dangerous thing. When Zack finally got tired of her, Tracy would suffer doubly.

"Let's go to your shop!"

"Let me tell Coach Parker I'll return to get Bobby after practice."

Mandy nodded and took Tracy's hand. Jake watched her approach with his arms crossed over his Junior Cowboys white and blue t-shirt.

They stopped before him, and Tracy said, "I'll pick Bobby up after practice."

Jake studied Amanda, and she tucked in closer to Tracy's side. He gave her a smile, but Tracy saw it for what it was. His eyes gleamed with resentment. "My, you are a pretty little girl. You must have gotten your looks from your momma."

Nice, jerk. Two for one. Hurt me and her with one seemingly innocent off-handed compliment. Tracy unlocked her teeth. "I'll see you later."

Before she could turn, Jake unfolded his arms, and Tracy noticed a gauze bandage on his hand. He put the hand against his thigh. "I know you switched lawyers."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "I'm not talking about this now, Jake."

"Fine. But don't think it will change anything. Your million-dollar lawyer isn't changing my mind. Or are you just s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g him?"

Before Tracy could wrap her mind around a suitable PG-rated retort, Mandy asked, "What did you do to your hand?"

Jake jerked his attention to Mandy and fisted the hand around the bandage. "I cut it working. Unlike you Cartwrights and Quinns, some of us actually have to work."

He walked away, leaving Tracy fuming.

"C'mon, Mandy, let's go."

They were almost to the car when Mandy said, "He's not really a nice man."

Tracy glanced down at the girl and smiled, awed by her insight. "No, he's not. And I have a rule."

"What's that?"

"We don't talk about grouchy people." She opened up the backdoor of her Taurus.

Zack had made sure Mandy's booster seat had been installed correctly before he headed off to the sheriff's department. She'd talked him into having a fast food dinner with her and the kids before he ran off. They hadn't had lunch and she a.s.sumed he wouldn't get a chance to eat supper if he didn't eat before he walked into the office. They wolfed down their Big Macs, chicken nuggets, and french fries, then went their separate ways. The whole time, Tracy envisioned being married to Zack, them raising Bobby and Mandy, and maybe someday having a few together.

Dreams like that were going to make it even harder when he cut her loose.

"That's a good rule." Mandy climbed into her seat and buckled the belt across her. "Let's go fix my hair."

Tracy pulled into her spot next the Dumpster behind the shop. She helped Mandy out of the car and unlocking the door, and they entered into the back of the building. Flipping on the lights in the hall and her office, she dropped her keys and hobo purse on the desk, and tried to figure out what she and Mandy could do for the hour of Bobby's practice.

She'd asked Zack at the restaurant while the kids raced each other to the trashcan if he minded her tr.i.m.m.i.n.g Mandy's hair.

"You're not going to cut it short, are you?" he asked as they followed the kids out the gla.s.s doors. "Mom threatened to cut it short a couple of times."

Tracy shook her head. "No, I won't give her a dreaded bowl cut or make her look like a boy. Just a little shorter. Cut all those uneven ends off. She hasn't had a cut in a long time."

Zack looked at Mandy and pursed his lips. "I can't remember ever getting her hair cut. I guess I never gave it a thought, and I wouldn't let Mom take her because I didn't want her hair to be short. Mandy was bald when she was born, and it took forever for her hair to grow. I'm not sure if Lisa had ever had it trimmed either. She'd always dreamed of the day when Mandy's hair would be long enough to do something with, as she put it." He shrugged and added, "I think that's why I keep it long. Because that's what Lisa would have wanted."

For a long moment, she thought he was going to tell her to mind her own business and to let his daughter's hair alone.

"Okay." A slow smile touched his luscious mouth. "Surprise me. Aunt Winnie calls you an artist. Show me your stuff."

Tracy had groaned at the reference to his imperious aunt, but inside she was thrilled. She'd seen the play of doubt on his face. Had he been wondering what Lisa would have done?

"Miz Tracy?" Mandy's voice jarred her out of the reverie.

Tracy smiled at Mandy's wide-eyed wonder as she looked around the small office. "Come on." Tracy held out her hand. "Your daddy gave me permission to give you a trim."

"You mean cut my hair?" The trepidation in the little girl's voice didn't surprise Tracy. Most kids were afraid of their first haircuts. However, usually little girls were easier to reason with than boys, simply because they were often older than boys when they received their first ride in her chair.

Tracy kneeled down before her, took both of Mandy's hands, and gave her a rea.s.suring smile. "I'll only do what you want me to, Mandy. If you're afraid of getting your hair cut, then we won't do it. But I think it would be a good thing to have done for school. Maybe give you some bangs." Tracy gently pushed flyaway hairs out of Mandy's eyes. "That way you wouldn't always have to wear your hair in ponytails or in barrettes."

Her eyes brightened, and she reached out and gently touched Tracy's bangs. "You mean like you have?"

"Yep. In fact, that was the reason I cut my hair. I was getting annoyed at it always being in my face."

"Alright," Mandy chirped after careful consideration.

Tracy led the girl to the styling chair before a workstation and a large gilt-framed mirror. She got her settled on a booster chair, removed the elastic band holding Mandy's long, black locks, and picked up a brush.

As she began to gently stroke it through the silky strands, Mandy said, "I think Daddy likes you."

Tracy paused in her brushing and met the girl's gaze through her reflection. "Do you think so?"

"Yeah, he looks at your picture a lot."

He had a picture of her?

"Really?" She managed to get out of her constricting throat.

"Uh-uh. It's a picture from before he and Momma were together."

Of course it was, but what was Zack doing looking at a picture of her?

"Miz Tracy?" Mandy turned her head. "Do you like my daddy?"

Tracy swallowed hard and began to brush the girl's hair again. "Do you think I don't like your daddy?"

"No, not that." Mandy looked into the mirror again, watching.

Tracy sectioned off some of Mandy's hair and clipped back the excess.

"I wish you could be my new momma."

The little girl's words almost brought Tracy to her knees.

She stared at the deep blue eyes of the daughter of a woman she had never met, had never wanted to meet, and at times had even despised, but in that heart-wrenching moment, she wished she'd known Lisa Cartwright. If Mandy was truly similar in personality to her mother, no wonder Zack had fallen so far so fast for her.

She remembered hearing the stories about his whirlwind romance with the Wyoming pageant queen-turned-nurse. At first, she hadn't believed Zack could have possibly fallen for her so fast. Logan hadn't believed it either. He'd wanted Tracy to leave Jake and go after him, but no matter how much she'd loved Zack, she couldn't have taken Jake's son away from him.

When she'd heard the news Zack had joined the Marines, she had a hard time accepting the Zack she had known and loved could have been happy giving up rodeo. She'd blamed Lisa for forcing him into doing it. Tracy wondered for years if she'd made the right decision by not going after him, especially when he'd been wounded and near death in the military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany.

Now she knew she'd done the right thing. However, in realizing her acceptance of the other woman in Zack's life, she became more determined than ever to go after him with everything she had. Not only for herself, or to give Bobby a father figure who could teach him right from wrong, but for this little girl who had unwittingly stolen her heart.

When she finally found her voice, Tracy said, "I like you, too, Mandy. As for being your new mommy, how about we just try being friends. I could be like an aunt. Would you like that?"

Mandy nodded and smiled, but Tracy saw the sparkle go out of it. "Okay. But Daddy is a little lonely. I think he could use the company."

Remembering his reference to wanting her to keep him company that afternoon, Tracy burst out laughing. Mandy watched her, then matched Tracy giggle for giggle, although Mandy had no idea why she was laughing.

Getting her composure back, Tracy patted Mandy on the head. "I say let's make you beautiful."

Mandy grinned and clapped her hands. "Yippy!"

Chapter 13.

The conference room in the sheriff's office was full to the max, not an uncommon phenomenon these days. When had Forest County, Texas, become such a hotbed of crime? Dawn stood at the front of the room, having what appeared to be a heated conversation with the Texas Ranger. Besides five other sheriff's deputies, TSCRA agent Herb Milroy was also sitting at the table.

Feeling out-of-place dressed in jeans and his usual chambray shirt instead of a uniform while working, Zack nodded toward the other men as he headed for the front of the room. "Wyatt, what are you doing here? Last I heard you were over in Midland."

Wyatt McPherson held out his hand and Zack shook it. "I just transferred to Waco. Sorry to hear about your fillies."

Zack shrugged and tucked his thumbs into his front pockets. "We'll find the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who took 'em. So, you're replacing, Mathes? What did his wife have?"

"Yep, the captain sent me, partly because I'm from Colton." Wyatt grinned. "Mathes is the proud papa of a new baby boy."

The eldest son of the town's fire chief and twin brother to Lance Cartwright's wife, Audrey, Wyatt had been Dawn's partner while they both worked for the Dallas PD. After she'd been shot in the line of duty, Wyatt had joined the Texas Rangers, and Dawn came back to Colton.

Dawn had her arms crossed over the beige uniform blouse and the naturally tan skin over her high cheekbones pulled taut. She always looked impeccable and professional with her long black hair pulled back and bound in a bun at her nape, but a few loose strands fell over her forehead, like she'd been playing with it, as she had a habit of doing when she was nervous or upset. Nothing usually ruffled her feathers, but by the way her brown eyes were narrowed, she didn't look at all happy about Wyatt being here.

Perplexed, Zack raised a brow at Dawn's obvious cold shoulder and Wyatt's attempt to act as if she wasn't affecting him. Most police officers developed close friendships with their partners that never went away. Besides, they'd all practically cut their teeth on the same brandy-dipped teething ring.

Before Zack could ponder that situation more, Wyatt ran a hand through his chestnut hair and his blue eyes sobered. "Hey, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry about the c.r.a.p my s.h.i.thead little brother put you through. I hope I'm never in the same room with the idiot. They'll be locking me up in his place because I'll wring his d.a.m.n fool neck."

"Don't worry about it. No one holds your family responsible for what he did." Zack reached out and patted the other man on the shoulder. He was well aware of the curious audience. Everyone in town had wondered if Kyle McPherson would receive some special preference after his arrest for the arson of Charli Quinn's barn and poisoning her cattle. The McPhersons were an extremely respected family in Coltonand second cousins to Tracy and Dylan Quinn.

Before Zack could begin thinking about the amazing afternoon he'd spent with Tracy, Wyatt gave a nod of his head. "Kyle's always been coddled. He was Mom's baby."

"What do you say we get started?" Zack asked to change the subject. "It's already been a long day. And promises to be an even longer night ahead of us."

A few moments later, Dawn was standing at the head of the table and debriefing the rest of the group on what she'd already told Zack over the phone.

"When do we expect to get the DNA back from Austin?" Zack asked.

"Within the next two weeks."

"If the culprit has no DNA on file, the information will be next to useless," Wyatt pointed out from where he leaned against the wall beside a large map of Texas.

Dawn shot him another glare. "Most people don't wake up one day and decide to become cattle and horse thieves. This guy has a record. I'd stake my reputation as a cop on it."

Pushing off the wall, Wyatt raised a brow and smirked. "Well, for the sake of your esteemed reputation, Deputy Madison, I sure hope you're right."

Dawn stiffened her already poker-straight back and scowled at Wyatt McPherson in a way Zack had never seen her do in all the years he'd known her. What had gone down between these two?

Several of the other deputies around the table began to snicker. Obviously, Zack wasn't the only one wondering the same thing. Zack cleared his throat and said, "Lieutenant McPherson, what do you have to report?"

Wyatt slid in beside Dawn. With a bolo tie at the neck of his white Western shirt, black jeans and polished boots, he looked more like a cowboy than a police officer. However if the cinco peso coin star pinned to his shirt didn't prove otherwise, the Colt .45 secured in a shoulder holster would do so. He bracketed his waist with his hands.

"Alright, gentlemen...and lady." Wyatt glanced at Dawn.

She turned and sat down in a vacant chair by one of the other uniformed deputies. Zack was so intent on watching Dawn he almost missed what Wyatt said next.

"Before Mathes ran out of here earlier this afternoon, he was following up on possible routes the thieves could have taken. As all of you know, livestock theft is on the rise, as are the number of shady packing plants and livestock auction houses willing to buy questionable stock and horses. Agent Milroy..." He nodded toward the TSCRA agent. "Has some leads on a few such butcher houses in Texas, Western Oklahoma and Southern Colorado. However, theft of horses is a different game. Usually they're sent to Mexico and slaughtered. When I was in Midland, the Rangers along with the sheriff's department of Gaines County were tracking a ring of horse thieves operating near Seminole. We suspected them of selling not only stolen horses, using bogus papers, to buyers from mostly back East and even overseas. We also suspected the same ring to be connected to one in New Mexico that has been rounding up wild Mustangs for the same purposes. I believe our boys are headed for this ring."

Wyatt cleared his throat and rubbed his clean-shaven chin. "Since the twenty horses stolen were not branded and were young thoroughbred mares, they're the perfect target for this ring."

Zack shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair when every eye looked his way.

With a grin, Larry Simms, the oldest of his deputies teased, "Just how much were those fillies worth again, boss?"

Zack squared his shoulders. "Enough for me to learn not to ever pasture horses again without branding them."

Everyone laughed at his expense. He supposed he deserved the ribbing. He'd known the dangers and ignored them. "Okay, how much are the horses worth on the black market?"

Shrugging, Wyatt said, "Anywhere from two to five thousand a head."

Now a few whistles accompanied the laughter. When the group finished their teasing, Deputy Kennedy asked the question Zack was sure was on everyone's mind. "Despite what the horses are worth to this ring, what makes you think our boys went that direction? We're a heck of a long way from Seminole. The Mexican border is a lot closer. Or, if it's the same guys rustling the cattle, they could've just taken them to the same slaughterhouse."

Wyatt paced the front of the room. "I hit possible pay dirt when I followed up on a lead Mathes found, and contacted a truck stop in Stephenville. At approximately four AM, Sat.u.r.day, two livestock trucks pulled into the Texaco. The driver got out of only one of the trucks and went into the convenience store." Wyatt turned to the state map and picked up the pointer from the top of a file cabinet in the corner. Using the slender piece of plastic, he pointed to Stephenville. He slid the pointer along the line representing a state road. "As you can see, State Route 108 intersects with I-20 and that leads west." He paused, and with a smirk, glanced at Dawn. "I bet my reputation as a Texas Ranger that our boys headed to Seminole."

Dawn huffed and closed her notebook. "I'll call for a warrant for the security tapes."

"I already have." Wyatt replaced the pointer on the cabinet top where he'd found it.

Zack finished writing in his notebook. "Have you talked to the clerk?"

Wyatt looked his way. "No, she apparently works the graveyard shift. I was hoping to talk to her tonight."