Texas Tough by Janet Dailey Page A

and sat in his truck with the lights off. Twenty minutes later the parking lot had emptied and he was still waiting. He watched the blue neon sign above the door flicker off. His fingers toyed with the keys that hung from the ignition. Maybe he’d struck out.
    He was about to start the engine when a shadow peeled away from the dark shape of the building and moved across the parking lot toward him. Making sure the dome light was off, Sky opened the passenger door. Marie slid into the cab beside him, slumping low in the seat as if she didn’t want to be seen from outside.
    â€œYou haven’t changed much,” she said.
    â€œI can’t say the same for you.”
    Her fingers traced the ugly scar. “A little present from my ex-husband. He came at me with a butcher knife. I don’t have to tell you he’ll never do that again. Mind if I smoke?”
    â€œNot as long as you blow it out the window.”
    While Marie fished for a cigarette and lit it with a cheap, pink plastic lighter, Sky lifted the pocketknife out of his vest. “This belongs to you. I couldn’t help wondering if you dropped it on purpose.” He waited for her to answer. When she simply took the knife, he continued.
    â€œSomebody out there shot a fine old man, Marie. Then they went off and left him to die—it’s a miracle he survived. Before I pass judgment and decide what to do, I want to hear your side of the story.”
    Marie puffed on her cigarette. “It wasn’t me, if that’s what you’re thinking. It was Coy.”
    Coy.
    Another piece of the puzzle slid into place. Coy Fletcher, the second oldest of Marie’s brothers, was the bully of the family. Slow-witted and mean, he took pleasure in tormenting anything—or anyone—smaller and weaker than he was. After receiving some nasty bruises and a dislocated shoulder, Sky had learned to stay out of his way.
    â€œ It was an accident,” Marie said. “We were shortcutting across the ranch when we heard the ATV coming right toward us.”
    â€œThe old man wouldn’t have hurt you,” Sky said.
    â€œMaybe not. But we didn’t know that. And we didn’t want to be seen and identified. Coy’s got some warrants back in Oklahoma. If he got arrested here, even just for trespassing, he could be in a lot of trouble.
    â€œCoy grabbed the gun off the bike and we ducked behind the bushes. Afterward he told me that he’d meant to shoot over the old man’s head, just to scare him off. But right when he fired, the ATV hit a bump. The old man bounced up far enough to catch the bullet.”
    Could he believe her? Sky had always had a soft spot for his younger cousin. But the story sounded pretty far-fetched. Given the evidence, he’d be crazy to trust her.
    â€œSo after he crashed, you took his gun and left him there.” Until he spoke the words, Sky didn’t realize how angry he’d been—and was. Whether her story was true or not, there was no excuse for leaving Jasper wounded and half-drowning in the seep.
    â€œI wanted to go to him. But Coy said that he was dead and we had to get out of there before somebody else came. The dog was barking at us. Coy was going to shoot it. I promised that if he wouldn’t, I’d get the old man’s gun where it had fallen off the ATV and go with him. That was when I dropped the knife, on the chance that you’d find it. I wanted to let you know I was here, in case we needed your help.”
    Needed his help? Something went cold in the pit of Sky’s stomach. Whatever he’d stumbled into, it wasn’t good.
    â€œYou said you were shortcutting.”
    â€œWe’d picked up some supplies in town. I was driving, and Coy was sitting behind, hanging on to the stuff we’d bought. It was awkward going, so we took the shortest way there.”
    A battered Ford Ranchero pulled into the parking lot, radio blaring Mexican music. Its