AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cooper huffed. “She probably already has a lawyer.”
“Go find out. If she does, then you’re off the hook.”
“Zane, you make me crazy, and as compelling as your attitude is”—he gestured to the saloon around them—“I can’t leave the bar.”
“I took care of that for you already.” He reached for the bottle and poured a fourth shot.
Nathan Talbot walked in at that exact moment and nodded in their direction. “Hey, Zane. Cooper. I’m here to take over. Am I late?”
Zane said, “Nope. You’re right on time. Thanks, Nathan.”
Nathan, the Old West Town’s only blacksmith, stepped behind the bar and came up alongside Cooper with a resigned look in his face. He was the only other person Cooper trusted to run the saloon. Fuck. “I can close up for you, too, if needed. Zane said it was important.”
A customer down the bar ordered another beer, and Nathan immediately went to take care of it as if he’d been tending bar all his life. Even though he hadn’t.
Cooper exhaled slowly. “You got Nathan to bartend for me?” He was suddenly resigned to help, because asking another person for a favor was over the top for Zane.
“Please go help her, Cooper. You’re the only one that I know who has any kind of chance.”
“What are you going to do?”
Zane downed the fourth shot of whiskey, swallowed hard, smacked the shot glass on the bar, and slid off the bar stool. “I’m going to go with you, of course.”
“No shit? To the sheriff’s station?”
“Damn Skippy. Duke will be surprised, but maybe it will shock him into telling us what we want to know.” He looked a bit unbalanced, but after several shots it was to be expected. “But you’ll have to drive, Cooper, because I’ve been drinking.” He grinned as if the booze was having the desired effect.
“So we’ll go have a chat, and if I can get her released after her arraignment tomorrow in Miser, then do you plan to bring her back here so you can further woo her into bed?”
Zane shrugged. “While wooing her into bed is not an unappealing plan, mostly I’d like to know why she thinks I’m a scumbag, criminal thief who ruined her life. But yeah, after that, I’d like to at least kiss her again, if she’s interested. And then I’d like to entice and persuade her into doing more with us. In bed or out or up against this bar. Really anywhere would be fine with me.” He stroked the edge of the wooden counter separating them like he was contemplating a future sex romp here.
Cooper rolled his eyes, and looked up at the ceiling. He had to admit that he was completely intrigued to meet the woman Zane was so besotted with. Decision made, he quickly bolstered his resolve with a deep breath. “Fine. We’ll go and I’ll see what I can do for tonight. Keep in mind she may not want my help or yours.”
Zane nodded. “I get it. Just do the best you can. And thanks for going with me.”
Cooper nodded but didn’t look forward to the chore he’d promised to do. He loved the law but hated being a lawyer. He’d given it up and swore privately never to darken the door of any potential client again, especially not at a police station. But here he was, headed to help some damsel in distress. The truth was, he wouldn’t do this for anyone else but Zane.
The curiosity of seeing the woman who had his best friend in such a tailspin of confused emotion was his primary motivation. Otherwise, nothing short of his own arrest would have put him anywhere near the local Enclave police station tonight.
Chapter Four
Abby rocked back and forth slightly on the bench in the new jail cell. It wasn’t as frightening as she’d expected. Partly due to the sheriff being so nice to her during the whole ordeal. He seemed very understanding of her plight, but had a job to do. He’d even provided a sandwich and a bottle of water upon her arrival. She’d eaten it solely to have something to do.
She was thankfully alone for now, but the space had room for several inmates and she suspected given the day she’d had, there would be other incarcerated people here soon if only to personally annoy her.
Her sense of time was all messed up. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been here, and there were no windows nearby to judge the time of day. This time alone gave her a chance to ponder the road she’d taken to get to jail.
