Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,38
I went over there earlier. Teddie begged her not to let the man take the horse. The lawyer said the former owner would drop the whole thing if they’d have the horse put down instead.”
“What did Mrs. Blake say to that?”
“She told Teddie that it might be the best solution.”
“Damn!”
“I said that and a few other things. Right now, I’m pretty sure I’d like to go home to Montana and live on the rez and be a real Indian.”
“Baloney. You’d die of boredom in a week.”
Parker laughed, but it had a hollow sound. “I could always move to D.C. and work for that letter agency.”
“You’d die of stress in a week.” J.L. chuckled. “Stay here and break horses. It’s what you were born to do.”
Parker sighed. “I guess it might . . . what the hell is that?”
They got up from the table and went out on the front porch.
“I don’t believe it,” Parker said heavily.
It was a little girl with a flashlight, leading a horse. It was Teddie, crying and muttering to herself.
“Oh, honey,” Parker said, feeling her misery.
She handed the reins to J.L. and ran into Parker’s arms. He lifted her and hugged her, rocking her.
“She’s going to have him put down, I just know it. I can’t let her kill Bart,” Teddie wailed.
Over her head, Parker’s tormented eyes met J.L.’s.
“Nobody’s putting the horse down,” J.L. said firmly. He pulled his cell phone out of its holder and started making calls.
* * *
A horse trailer arrived, along with a redheaded woman in a luxury car, about the same time Katy Blake came driving up in front of Parker’s house.
She started toward Teddie, but Teddie, standing next to Parker, turned away.
J.L. Denton glared at Katy. “Nobody’s putting this horse down,” he said shortly. “I’m taking him home with me. Burt Dealy can get himself a damned good lawyer, because I’m going to put him behind bars and let him rot there if he doesn’t! As for that child”—he pointed at Teddie—“if you were my wife, I’d divorce you for the misery you’ve caused her tonight!”
“Now, J.L., that’s not helping,” the redheaded woman said gently. She smiled at Teddie and went to Katy. “I’m Cassie Denton, J.L.’s wife,” she said in her soft voice. “Apparently, there’s a little trouble here.”
Katy choked back tears. “I’ve been behind it all, I’m afraid,” she managed.
Cassie pulled the other woman into her arms and rocked her while she cried. Katy was stiff and unyielding, and Cassie let her go almost at once. “There, there,” she said gently. “We all have hard times. We usually live through them.”
Katy moved away, dashing tears from her eyes. “Thanks,” she said huskily. She turned toward Teddie. “Sweetheart . . .”
“I’m not going home with you,” Teddie said miserably. “You can marry that awful man and have kids that you love.”
Katy’s face contorted.
“I want to stay with Parker,” Teddie muttered. “He cares about me and Bart.”
Parker smiled at her. “That’s sweet, and I appreciate it. But it’s not practical. Brave girls don’t run away from trouble, you know. Your mother loves you.”
“Sure she does. That’s why she wants to kill my horse. Or, worse, let that horrible man take him back and beat him to death,” Teddie said angrily.
Katy wrapped her arms around herself. She felt thoroughly miserable and ashamed. J.L. Denton was absolutely glaring at her.
“I won’t let him take the horse,” she said after a minute.
“Who’ll stop him? That fancy lawyer?” Teddie asked.
“Not likely,” Parker said flatly.
“Burt Dealy buys people,” J.L. said icily. “He’s bought off public off icials for years. This isn’t the first time he’s been brought up on charges. He always walks. Apparently he thinks he can buy your lawyer friend off, too.” He smiled coldly. “He won’t buy me off. I’ll have him drawn and quartered first. My attorneys are coming out here from L.A. on Monday. They’ll handle the case. All you have to do, if you think you can manage it, is give me legal custody of Bart. I’ll do the rest.”
“She won’t do it,” Teddie said, glaring at her mother. “Her friend won’t like it.”
“Teddie, I’m sorry,” Katy said miserably. “I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have listened to him. It was wrong.”
Teddie wasn’t budging.
“Why don’t you come home with us for tonight?” Cassie suggested gently to the child. “Then we’ll take you back home in the morning.”
Teddie looked up at Parker.
“Go,” he said quietly. “J.L. has a nice big stable, much nicer than mine. You can settle Bart for