like the tail of a rabbit, her petite frame wrapped in a white puffy coat that reached to the top of her fur-trimmed boots, raced toward them, arms outstretched.
“Bette!” Lacy squealed and grabbed her friend in a crushing hug. “Oh, it’s so good to see you! How have you been? Was the drive from Denver horrible? Oh, let me look at you.” She released her hold on Bette and took a step back. “You look fantastic. Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You look great yourself,” Bette said. She couldn’t stop grinning. Just being with Lacy again made her happy.
“I’ve been trying to make her feel welcome.” Cody spoke up from his spot just behind Bette.
“Thank you, Cody,” Lacy nodded to him, then turned back to Bette. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived. With the wedding less than three weeks away things are absolutely crazy. And with the road being closed and Travis working so much—I swear, I’m going to need a vacation when this is over.”
She took Bette’s arm and ushered her into the house. “I’m going to head over to the stables, if anyone needs me,” Cody said, but Bette doubted Lacy heard. She was chattering away about the wedding preparations and the snow and Travis and who knew what else. Bette glanced behind her to watch Cody exit, his duster slung over one arm.
“Leave it to you to make friends with the best-looking single man in the place.” Lacy nudged Bette. “It’s a good thing you weren’t around when I reconnected with Travis. He wouldn’t have looked twice at me.”
“I’m not interested in catching the eye of any man,” Bette said. “That’s how I got into so much trouble in the first place, remember?”
Lacy’s expression clouded. “You don’t hear from Eddie anymore, do you?”
Bette shook her head. “No. And I hope I never do.” Hooking up with Eddie Rialto had been the absolute worst decision she had ever made in her life. “I’m staying happily single from now on.”
“Oh, men aren’t all bad,” Lacy said. “You just have to meet the right one.”
“You’re in love, so you think everyone else should be, too,” Bette said. “That’s sweet, but I’m here to work—and to spend time with you and wish you well. That’s plenty to keep me occupied.”
“And I’m so glad you’re here.” Lacy took both of Bette’s hands in her own and lowered her voice, her expression serious. “Have you met Rainey yet?”
“Oh, yes, I met Rainey.”
Lacy winced. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. She can be a real grouch, but I guess she’s worked for the Walker family forever, so I try not to say anything. She wanted to cook for the wedding herself, but thank goodness Travis backed me up when I said I wanted to hire you.”
“I really appreciate your giving me this chance.” Bette squeezed Lacy’s hands, then released them. “But tell me the truth—how many people know about me? How many people know the two of us met in prison?”
“Travis knows, of course. And his parents. I had to tell them. And his brother, Gage, probably knows. I don’t think he and Travis have any secrets. But it doesn’t matter. They know you served your time and paid for your mistakes, and that you’re making a fresh start. They admire you for it, the way I do. And really, what can they say? I was in prison, after all.”
“You were innocent,” Bette said. “And Travis proved it. You never did the things you were convicted for. But I was guilty. I did help rob a bank.”
“You made a mistake and you paid for it,” Lacy repeated. “That doesn’t mean you’re a bad person.”
Bette let out a breath, trying to ease the tension in her neck. “I’m glad Travis and his parents were so understanding.” She glanced toward the door. “Not everyone would be.”
“If you’re thinking of Cody, I’m sure he doesn’t know,” Lacy said. “And Rainey doesn’t know, so don’t worry about her. Did you meet Doug?”
“We were introduced. He didn’t stick around long.”
“Just so you know, he has a record, too. He’s supposedly reformed, but frankly, he gives me the creeps. Rainey won’t hear a word against him, though, so if I were you, I’d have nothing but good things to say about her darling boy. You’ll get on her best side that way.”
“Does she have a best side?”
Both women laughed. Lacy put her arm around Bette. “We have you staying in one of the guest cabins,” she said. “It’s adorable, plus you’ll have your privacy. Come on, I’ll show you. And then I want a nice long visit, so I can hear all about what you’ve been up to.”
Cody leaned over the stall to run his hand along the rough velvet of the mare’s shoulder, and smiled as the animal nuzzled at his shirt pocket. “Sorry, girl, I don’t have any treats for you today,” he said. He’d have to remember to bring a few horse nuggets or a carrot with him next time he visited the stables.
The mare lost interest and turned away to pull hay from the rack on the wall and Cody sat on the feed bin across from the stall. He inhaled deeply of the oats-and-molasses aroma of sweet feed and the still-green scent of hay, and tried to quiet his racing mind. He’d been spending a lot of time here since coming to the ranch. The stables were a quiet place to think. Or maybe brood would be a better word. He wanted to be out there, tracking down and apprehending fugitives, getting bad guys off the streets. Instead, his supervisors had forced him into taking vacation. One screw-up and they thought the answer was time off, but they were wrong. He needed to be back out in the field, proving to them and to himself that he could still handle the job.
He hadn’t minded so much about the forced leave at first—he’d figured this would be a good chance for him and Travis to catch up before the wedding. They could go ice fishing, or maybe elk hunting. Cody could help with work on the ranch. Instead, Travis was neck-deep in the hunt for a serial killer, and Cody could do nothing to help. Sure, his friend had taken pity and let him sit in on a few briefings, but Cody had no jurisdiction and, really, no experience figuring out who committed crimes. As a US marshal, his job was to find the suspects after they had been identified.
At least he wouldn’t be the only outsider at the ranch now. Bette Fuller had been a nice surprise. Somehow, when Travis had talked about the caterer, Cody had pictured an older woman—maybe someone who looked like Julia Child. Instead, a curvy blonde with the most amazing blue eyes and a full mouth that smiled with a hint of a challenge had emerged from the snowstorm to make life on the ranch a whole lot more interesting.
She hadn’t exactly warmed up to Cody. Was Bette so cool to him because he was a cop, or a man—or both? Never mind—he liked a challenge, and they had a couple of weeks to get to know each other better. And if they did hit it off, she was from Denver, and so was he. This could be the start of a fun friendship.
He stood. Time to head back to the house. Bette and Lacy should have had enough time to swap girl talk, and maybe he could find out from Lacy what was up with Travis. As he exited the stables, the scent of tobacco smoke drifted to him. He followed the smell around the side of the
