Texas Tall (The Tylers of Texas 3)

The implication made Will’s gut clench. He paced to the top of the porch steps and turned back to face his ex-wife. “Did Abner tell you the man was somebody we knew?”

Tori shook her head as if to say, How could this mess get any worse?

“It was Stella Rawlins’s brother, Nick.”

“The bartender.” It wasn’t a question. Tori’s face had gone pale. “Will, you know what that woman’s capable of. The rumor is, she’s got mob connections. And even without them, she could hurt you. Worse, she could hurt Erin.”

“Or even you—anything to make me suffer for killing her brother.” Will allowed himself a deep breath. He’d taken enough hits this morning. It was time to take charge of the situation. “For now, this is what we’re going to do. Erin will be safer here on the ranch than in town with you. We can call the teacher and arrange for her to do her schoolwork on the computer. If you’re concerned about leaving her, you can stay here, too. Beau’s old room’s available, and except when you need to be in court, you can do most of your work from the ranch office.”

She started to protest. “Blast it, Will, you can’t just dictate—”

He cut her off. “Why not? If you think Erin needs you, what’s wrong with your staying here? Are you afraid it might interfere with your love life?”

Tori’s blistering glare told Will he’d overstepped. But at least the issue was in the open now. He braced himself as she rose, quivering with fury. “You don’t own me anymore, Will Tyler,” she said. “I’ve tried to keep our relationship civil because of Erin, but my so-called love life is none of your business!”

“Erin says he’s the high school principal.” Will had nothing to lose by pushing her a little further.

“That’s right!” she snapped. “He’s attractive, smart, dece

nt, and, unlike you, he doesn’t try to run my life. That’s all I’m going to tell you. And don’t you dare grill Erin about him! I won’t have you putting her in the middle!”

“Agreed,” Will said. “But speaking of Erin, there’s one thing I need you to do. Call Abner and tell him that if he wants to talk to her, he can do it here, with both of us present.”

“Fine.” Turning away from him, she took her cell phone out of her purse and exchanged a few terse words before ending the call. “Abner will be here in an hour,” she said in her crisp, neutral lawyer voice. “He’ll want to talk with you as well.”

“No problem, I don’t have a thing to hide.” Will tried to sound more confident than he felt. “Can I have my attorney present?”

“You’re shameless.” Tori shook her head, but Will knew there was no way she wouldn’t be involved.

“How about some breakfast, you two?” Bernice, Jasper’s widowed sister, had been the Tylers’ cook and housekeeper since Will’s boyhood. With his family gone from the house, Will did for himself most mornings. But when Erin was here, or when Beau or Sky dropped by, she enjoyed whipping up a feast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and pancakes, with coffee for the grown-ups and cocoa for Erin.

From the back porch came the sound of Jasper ringing the iron triangle to call Erin from the barn. Maybe Sky would come, too, though he showed up for breakfast less often now that he was engaged and building a home for his bride on the 100 prime acres Bull had left him. The half-Comanche horse trainer was a very private man. He hadn’t known he was Bull’s son until Jasper had told him, and he still kept it quiet. He wasn’t even aware that Will had guessed the secret. Will planned to let him know when the time was right, maybe on his wedding day.

They sat around the cozy kitchen table—Jasper, Will, Tori, and Erin, with one chair saved for Bernice and another, with the place set, for anybody who happened by. Bernice was just setting the platters of food on the table when the back door opened and Beau stepped in.

“Smells good.” He was grinning, his face ruddy from the morning chill. “Hope you saved me a place.”

“Right there.” Will nodded toward the empty chair. “How’s Natalie this morning?”

“Still asleep, I hope.” Beau pulled out the chair, sat down, and began filling his plate. “She was up past midnight, tending a sick mare over at the Johnson place. With the baby on the way, she needs more rest than she’s getting.” He glanced across the table at Will. “Hey, I saw you on the news this morning, brother. It seems you’ve become a local celebrity, gunning down a drug dealer in the night. Maybe they’ll send that hot Mindi Thacker out from the TV station to interview you.”

Will groaned. It was typical of his younger brother to turn a crisis into a joke. Today it rankled him, even though he knew that whatever happened, Beau would have his back. “It’s not funny,” he growled. “Tori just filled me in on the legal implications. And Abner Sweeney’s on his way out here now to ask more questions. You’re welcome to sit in.”

“Maybe I’ll do that. Especially if Abner still sees me as a cross between James Bond and Elliot Ness.” Beau’s past career as a DEA agent had impressed the sheriff, who still called him to discuss the occasional drug case.

“I’m guessing I don’t have to tell you anything else.” Will’s subtle nod toward Erin was a signal that he didn’t want to say more in front of his daughter.

“It was on the news.” Beau speared a pancake with his fork. “Bernice, I swear your breakfasts just keep getting better. It’s lucky for us some gentleman hasn’t come courting and stolen you away from us.”

Accustomed to his banter, Bernice shook her head. “Beau Tyler, you could sweet-talk a skunk, and I’d pay to see you try it.”

Laughter drifted around the breakfast table. In the past Will had treasured mornings like this, with the people he cared about gathered in the warmth of the kitchen. It was sad how rarely it happened these days. In no time at all, with Erin growing up, Bernice and Jasper getting old, Tori making new choices, and Beau, as well as Sky, involved in starting new families, these times would be gone forever.

Where would he be by then?

If the worst happened and he ended up on trial, he could be looking at the world through prison bars.

CHAPTER 3