Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) Read online

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  As Libby had suspected, work was her savior. It had been a long time since she’d worked in the barn and she’d forgotten how much she missed simple dirty work. Hannah had always thought she was crazy whenever she said that. Well, it was no crazier than Hannah’s decision to up and join the army when Libby’s brother, John, was killed in Iraq after his truck had been hit by snipers. Losing her brother had been bad enough. Losing her best friend had been more than Libby could handle. Trying to be supportive of her friend had been hard, especially long distance. But they’d been best friends since the cradle and whatever differences of opinions they had were never enough to keep a wedge between them. The grounds outside were quiet except for the horses in the paddock. Occasionally she’d heard the sound of a cow or chicken. But as she finished saddling up Spirit, the chestnut mare she’d raised since birth, she realized she hadn’t heard Cole come back from town. Standing by the barn door, she scanned the yard and then the driveway. She didn’t see his truck. Her stomach dropped. Had he decided to leave like he said he might? After a few seconds of worry, she realized the ringing she heard wasn’t coming from her head. It was coming from the phone in the barn. She turned and ran through the barn to the other side to catch the call. “Lib?” It took Libby a second to realize it wasn’t Cole calling her from town. “Dane? This is an unexpected surprise, you calling me in the middle of the afternoon. I was working in the barn and almost ignored the phone.” “Good thing you didn’t. This isn’t a social call.” “Oh?” Libby’s stomach sank. “Is something wrong? You didn’t get word about Hannah, did you?” If something had happened to Hannah, surely they would have called her directly rather than have Dane send her word. Her heart pounded in her chest. “No. Nothing like that.” Libby breathed a sigh of relief and pushed wayward strands of hair away from her face as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, good. What is it then?” “I take it you’ve met Ranger Gentry?” “Ah, yes. He stopped by the house yesterday.” “He just brought Cole to the station.” That station would be the police station. “What? I thought all the questions about my father’s accident had been answered. What’s he fishing for?” “Don’t know. And I shouldn’t even be calling you. But I know how close you and Cole are.” “Do I need to hire a lawyer, Dane?” “That’s not for me to say. They’re just talking.” Libby bit her bottom lip and swallowed hard. “Thanks for letting me know.” She hung up the phone and turned around. Spirit was all saddled up and ready to go. She’d needed this ride as much as Spirit did to clear her mind. She walked over to Spirit and stroked her nose, lovingly. “Sorry, girl. We’re going to have to take a rain check on that ride.”

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  Damn Jackson Gentry. Libby drove the entire way to the police station, fuming about the mess this ranger was making of her life. Didn’t she already have enough to deal with? If grieving wasn’t enough, she still had a ranch to run. Without Cole on the Bucking Hills Ranch to help her pick up the extra work, everything would fall apart. As much as she longed to get back to work, to feel a sense of normalcy again, Libby knew she still didn’t have her full strength back. And that thought only reminder her there was work to be done down by the creek beyond the pasture. Three of her cattle were spotted on the roadway the other day. They were getting out somewhere, which meant there was a break in the fence. She’d have to find it and repair it herself if she didn’t succeed today. Just one more chore added to a long list of things this ranch needed. Libby parked her truck in the visitor's parking lot alongside a familiar black pickup. Jackson Gentry’s truck. She killed the engine and stepped out into the heat, digging her boots in the hard ground. She paused only to check her purse to make sure she hadn’t forgotten the envelope she’d taken from the house safe. Then she walked toward the front door of the police station, head held high, ready for battle. Cool air bathed her face immediately as she walked inside. She’d been here before with her father. Years ago a group of kids had been vandalizing fences on the far side of the property and letting the animals out to run loose. She’d been fourteen years old then, long before she worried about the implications of snitching on a classmate, who turned out to be Hannah’s boyfriend at the time. Dane. Yeah, that had turned out real well. She’d nearly lost her best friend over that one. But Hannah wasn’t here. She was still stationed overseas in the military. And Dane, well, he’d forgiven her quick enough. Especially when all the punishment he’d gotten was to work fences for the county for the summer to pay restitution. His scrawny kid frame had turned every muscle in his body hard and sculpted. Hannah had eventually thanked her for that. “Hi, Mrs. Wayland,” she said to the dispatcher sitting behind the window. Mrs. Wayland’s smile was sympathetic. “How are you holding up, dear?” “Well, you know me. Is Officer Bancroft here?” “He’s still in the back with Cole and that Texas Ranger fella’ that is investigating the accident at your ranch.” She forced the lump down her throat and took a deep breath of air. “If you could tell Dane that I’m here, I’d appreciate it.” Mrs. Wayland picked up the phone and dialed. “Miss Liberty Calvert is out front.” She put down the phone and motioned to the seats in the waiting area with her hand. “Coffee is fresh…and good. I made it myself. Nothing like that mud the others pass off as coffee. Why don’t you make yourself a cup while they finish up in there?” Libby poured herself a cup of coffee and topped it off with milk. She wanted cream, but there was none. She didn’t bother to take a sip. She just sat down in the cold metal chair and wrapped her fingers around the warm paper cup. She waited the better part of an hour before Dane finally came into the waiting room. “I thought you might have taken off,” he said. Despite the fact that Dane had been in law enforcement for several years, Libby still had a hard time getting used to him wearing a uniform. “Where else would I go if Cole is still here? He is, isn’t he? Still here?” Dane nodded. “Ranger Gentry is still talking to him.” She lifted her head high. “Okay. Then I can make bail for him now, right?” “Bail?” “Yes.” Libby dug into her purse and pulled out the envelope that held the cash she’d taken from the safe in her father’s office. “If memory serves, you need cash to bail someone out. I have cash.” Dane lifted his lips to a slow smile. “If Cole is arrested, and he hasn’t been arrested for anything, you’re going to need more than the hundred dollars you and Hannah came up with to bail me out of jail fifteen years ago.” “I have more,” she said, resolutely. How much more she’d need for whatever charges Jackson Gentry drummed up on Cole, she didn’t know. The door opened and Jackson walked out into the hallway along with Cole. “Cole!” Libby said as she ran to him. She gave him a squeeze and gave him a good look over. Jackson glared at her as if he were hurt. “Don’t worry. I didn’t beat him up.” “I wouldn’t put it past you the way you were so focused on him yesterday at the ranch. What do we do now?” Libby asked. “Is there going to be a hearing? When can I pay the bail so we can go home?” “Cole hasn’t been arrested. There is no bail.” Jackson looked at Cole hard. “We just had a talk.” “Is that true, Cole? You haven’t been arrested?” The haggard expression Cole had when he’d emerged from the interrogation room faded as he gave her the brotherly look she’d come to rely on. “I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.” “Then we can leave?” “Sure,” Jackson said. “As I told you yesterday, I just needed more details about the accident.” “Good. Then I’m sure you’ll wrap all this up and be headed out of Liberty.” Jackson shook his head. “On the contrary. I don’t plan on leaving Liberty any time soon.” “What do you mean?” “I’ve decided to stay on, I still need to write up my report. If I have any other questions, I’ll get back to you. This investigation isn’t over until the report is filed.” “It is as far as I’m concerned,” Libby shot back at him. “Well that’s too bad.” “Why?” “Because you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me while I’m in town.”

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  Chapter Three

  Jackson rolled his pen between his index finger and thumb as he stared down at the paperwork in his hands. It wasn’t his offic
e. It was a strange desk in a town he’d never been to before. But that was nothing new. He was used to traveling to different towns in Texas to investigate crime that fell under his jurisdiction.

  But it wasn’t just his job that weighed heavy on his mind. It was the woman who’d been consuming his thoughts for days now. Libby was right about one thing. This case should have been wrapped up and tied with a big ribbon weeks ago. If it were any other case, he’d have filed his report and moved on to the next town. That’s how he lived his life. He’d hid from troubles that had fractured his family over the years, starting with his father’s rages as he reared four active boys, and ending with the death of his mother, something that had shattered them all. He hadn’t always been away, he’d been hiding in his work. But every so often he met someone who showed him through action exactly what he’d been doing. Almost from the first, Jackson had seen something in Liberty Calvert that he recognized in himself. She was a survivor. He was, too. He just never realized what he’d been driven to survive. Libby wore her pride and her heart on her sleeve. She was ready to do battle to defend anyone who dared take what was precious away from her. That much was evident when she’d charged down to the police station ready to save Cole Rivers, a man Jackson was sure didn’t need anyone saving him. He had to admit to feeling more than a twinge of envy at the way Libby had stood up for Cole. When his family had fallen apart, Jackson and each of his three brothers had dealt with it differently. Beau had left home and worked his way up to being a championship bronc rodeo rider. Cody had thrown himself into the family ranch and trained cutting horses, making a name for himself with the National Cutting Horse Association. The youngest of the Gentry boys, Brock, had his music to help him heal and was now touring and promoting a new country hit. Jackson was good at his job. He prided himself on being thorough for every crime he investigated. Buck Calvert’s death hadn’t started out as a crime, and he wasn’t sure it would end up that way. But he wasn’t going to use a rubber stamp to close the case until he knew Libby’s father’s death was truly an accident. There was nothing about Cole’s story that should have given him pause, except math. Things still didn’t add up. Not in Jackson’s mind. The fact that Libby came down to the police station with bail money in hand when all he was doing was questioning Cole was another red flag. She wouldn’t have thought Cole would be arrested unless she believed he’d done something wrong. Yeah, that part nagged at him the most and was enough for him to warrant a deeper investigation into their lives. He couldn’t deny the attraction to seeing Libby again. He just hated the reason. Scratching the back of his neck, he tossed the pen on top of the papers in front of him and leaned back in his chair. The bed he slept in at the hotel was lumpy, and now his back ached. But who was he kidding? His fatigue had more to do with how long he’d laid awake in the dark thinking about Libby Calvert. Jackson shook his head to help rid himself of the feelings that had taken hold of him. For heaven’s sake, the woman had just lost her father, and all he could think about was how warm and smooth her skin would be against his naked body. What kind of man did that make him? “You hungry?” Jackson glanced up to find Dane standing in front of him. “I’m heading out to that little diner across the street to get some takeout. Thought maybe you could use a bite to eat.” The paperwork in front of him was strewn about on the desk. “I’m a long way from finishing here.” “It’ll still be there when you get back. But if you want to keep at it, I can pick you up a burger and fries.” “Heart attack city.” Dane laughed. “Janine makes a mean rodeo burger. You can’t leave town without trying it at least once.” Jackson stuffed the unfinished report in a folder and dropped it in his briefcase. “I’ve been sitting here too long anyways. A change of scene might do me some good.” If someone were hiding something that needed to be revealed, the only way to find out would be to stay in Liberty and talk to the locals. Since Jackson’s report wasn’t getting written, now was as good a time as any to make some introductions. At the very least, it would take his mind off Libby.

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  The old suitcase sitting by the door in the kitchen had Libby’s heart stopping. A blue denim jacket was draped over the suitcase. “What’s all that about, Cole?” Libby dropped the sponge in the sink full of hot sudsy water and then wiped her hands with a dishtowel. Cole walked fully into the kitchen. “The cows have been milked and the horses are fed. I didn’t get a chance to stock the feed pen yet but I’ll do that before…” “What’s going on?” “Isn’t it obvious?” “Your reasons aren’t.” “I don’t want to leave,” he said with a heavy sigh that pulled his broad shoulders down. She’d been in town with Cole on several occasions and seen the glances from pretty girls who thought he was handsome. And he was. But Libby never looked on Cole that way. He’d always been just Cole, her friend and steady rock during so many storms in her life. Twirling his cowboy hat slowly in his hand, he said, “You know this is the only home I’ve ever felt truly comfortable in. But being here is only going to get more confusing as things move forward. I don’t want to bring on trouble you don’t need.” Her heart stopped. Cole had been like a brother to her ever since her own brother had been killed in Iraq. Losing Cole, felt like losing John all over again. Her bottom lip trembled. “It’s time, Libby.” She waved him off with her hand. “Time for what? This is your home. It’s always going to be your home.” He smiled at her in that warm way he always did when he was ready to argue his point. “Are you sure about that? You wouldn’t rather be with someone else?” Her mouth dropped open. “What are you saying?” “I saw the way you looked at Jackson Gentry. You like him.” “Get real. He’s annoying. He’s a ranger. Yeah, he’s doing his job. But he’s nothing but an ornery old man who--” “Ornery?” Cole laughed. “Yeah, okay. I see the way he looks at you, too, by the way.” She started to protest, but Cole cut her off. “This day was going to come eventually. Your father gave me a good home here for a time when we both needed each other and I’ll never forget that. But I let myself get too dug in here and I stopped looking over my shoulder. That could spell trouble for you, and I won’t let that happen.” “How can you leave now?” “If I wasn’t here—” “What?” “Maybe things would be different for you. Maybe it would free the way for you to get something more for yourself.” “You mean, marry me a cowboy? Fat chance! My dad wanted me to marry a cowboy so there’d be a man at the helm of Bucking Hills Ranch. He never wanted me to run this spread. I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself.” “I didn’t say you weren’t. And it doesn’t matter what your dad wanted, Libby. Buck’s not here anymore. And when I go, it’ll be just you running this ranch by yourself. It’s time.” Libby’s eyes filled with tears. She knew Cole well enough that he would wait to leave until she was asleep so neither one of them had to feel the pain of goodbye. With resolve, she turned toward the office. “What are you doing?” Cole asked. She turned back. “Jackson Gentry is not going to run you out of Bucking Hills Ranch. If anyone is leaving Liberty, Texas, it’s him.” Cole looked down at her thoughtfully. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like him to stay?” Shock took hold of her. Cole had always had some sixth sense when reading her. And there was something there. She couldn’t deny that. Something about Jackson Gentry continued to creep into her mind when she wanted so badly to be thinking of something else. But before she could say anything, Cole added, “Don’t bother answering, Lib. I know you won’t even tell yourself the truth.” No, she didn’t want Jackson to leave Liberty. But how could he stay when Cole was here. There’d always be a threat hanging over their heads, something for Jackson to discover that would ruin the life that was holding them together. Cole grabbed his cowboy hat from the rack and propped it on his head as he walked out the door. And Libby didn’t go after him.