Mama Rides Shotgun

“I don’t buy it,’’ Mama said firmly. “That boy is purely grieving over his daddy. As for Wyno

All of us were quiet for a bit, thinking. I played back in my mind the way Wyno

I remembered how hurt and disappointed she’d seemed when I confronted her about rubbing Trey’s chest at the ranch house. Talk about acting!

“I don’t know, y’all,’’ I finally said. “Maybe she’s a sex addict.’’

I must have said those last two words louder than I meant to, because the conversations around us suddenly stopped. I looked out the corner of my eyes, and actually saw people holding their forks in mid-air, quiet as barn mice, to see what I’d say next.

“Who’s a sex addict, Mace?’’ Sal boomed, as he returned to the campfire.

I cringed. It got so quiet around us I could hear Maddie chewing her steak.

I raised my voice, “We were just talking about something I saw on TV, Sal.’’

“Cable, huh?’’ He stole a buttered roll off Mama’s plate.

“Sal, honey, would you mind an awful lot finding me a jacket?’’ Mama asked. “I’m getting a bit chilled out here.’’

Mama watched him go then whispered, “Big pitcher and big ears.’’

I took up where we left off before she banished Sal. “I wish we knew who left me that note about Lawton being murdered. That might tell us something.’’

“And I wish we knew who came along afterwards and stole it from your Jeep,’’ Maddie added. “That’d tell us something, too.’’

My thoughts went back to Carlos, and our search for the note. When I thought of how closely he’d trailed my footsteps through the pasture, I could almost smell his familiar scent. Had that only happened this afternoon? So much had changed in the hours since then.

As if my head were attached to strings, pulled by a force beyond my control, I turned to the spot where I’d glimpsed Belle earlier. Sure enough, she wasn’t alone. Carlos the Protector was by her side. Even in the firelight, I could see she looked pale and shaken. Fragile. Carlos, his muscled arms and broad chest stretching the fabric of his denim shirt, would have to be strong enough for the two of them. He’d love that.

“Mace, we’re talking to you!’’ Maddie’s sharp voice interrupted my mental pity party.

When she noticed where I was staring, she said, “Uh-oh.’’ Mama’s and Marty’s eyes followed hers.

Carlos leaned close to Belle, his head cocked to catch her soft voice. Her hair glowed like autumn leaves in the firelight, a tumble of golden red curls. I ran a hand through my own greasy snarls, and clamped the cowboy hat in my lap back onto my head.

“I’ll tell you what you have to do, Mace . . .’’

As Maddie started in, I snapped at her.

“I don’t remember asking you what I have to do, Dr. Laura. If I wanted your advice, I’d call into your radio show to get it. Oh, wait a minute. You don’t have a radio show. You’re not Dr. Laura. You just think you are.’’

Maddie looked wounded. I didn’t feel as good as I thought I’d feel for biting her head off. Before I could say I was sorry, Mama started lecturing.

“Mace, your big sister only wants what’s best for you. You ought to listen to Maddie. She has a husband. And he loves her like the cat loves the cream jar, even after all these years.’’

“Which is a mystery to me to rival the pyramids,’’ I said sourly.

“Mace!’’

“Oh, let her pick, Mama.’’ Maddie waved the roll in her hand at me. “Mace has to take it out on someone. I’m a school principal. I think I’m tough enough to take my sister’s sniping.’’

Marty had been quiet throughout our exchange. She was watching Carlos and Belle.

“I don’t think he’s as taken with her as he’s making out to be, Mace,’’ she said.

I cursed my heart’s hopeful little flutter. “Why do you say that?’’

“Because he’s looked over here at you at least three times since he sat down next to her.’’

I fought the urge to swing my head toward Carlos. “He has not.’’

“Hush, Mace,’’ Mama said. “You know Marty’s good at reading people. She’s quiet and shy and before you know it, she knows everything she needs to know about anybody. She’s like me that way.’’

Mama? Quiet and shy? Maybe in a parallel universe. But I didn’t correct her. I needed hanging-on-to-a-man advice, and I needed it quick.

“What should I do?’’

“Where should we start?’’ Mama said.

“Not helping, Mama,’’ Marty said. “Now, listen, Mace. I know you don’t like to play games, but you need to do just a little of that right now. If you can make Carlos just a little bit jealous, make him realize he doesn’t want anyone else to have you, it might knock some sense back into his head.’’

“I tried to see if he’d get jealous over Trey. That didn’t go so well.’’

“Let’s find somebody else,’’ Maddie said. “Somebody without a drinking problem and a crazy ex-girlfriend and a questionable relationship with his dead father’s widow.’’

“I’ve got it,’’ Mama slapped her hand against her thigh, jostling a pile of fried potatoes on the plate in her lap. “It’s perfect girls: He’s strong, silent, and unattached.’’

All of our eyes followed her gaze across the fire. The trail boss was sitting off by himself, staring at the stars. He looked happy. He was probably dreaming of a day coming soon when he’d be out on the range with the cattle again, with just his horse and a cur dog for company.

“I don’t know, Mama . . .’’

“Nonsense, Mace. You don’t have to fall in love with the man,’’ she said. “You just have to flirt with him a little bit. It’s a piece of cake, honey.’’

Easy for her to say.

The Committee to Fix Mace’s Love Life voted to send Maddie along with me on my mission. Given the choice between looking at me or Marty, any man would choose Marty. And Mama, with her gimpy ankle, would have slowed me down or distracted Jack. We only had so much time.

“You can do this, Mace,’’ Maddie pep-talked into my ear as we rounded the fire. “It’s easier than wrestling gators, and you’re good at that. At least Jack Hollister doesn’t have seventy-five razor sharp teeth and a tail that could break a man’s leg.’’

“Hey, Jack,’’ I said as we got closer.

So far so good.

He lowered his eyes from the night sky and frowned at me.

Uh-oh.

“I was just wondering if you’d heard anything about Doc,’’ I asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing yet.’’ He returned his gaze skyward.

Maddie gave me a little push and an opening. “We saw you looking at the stars, Jack. My sister Mace loves astronomy. When she was a kid, she had a poster with all the constellations on the ceiling over her bed.’’

“Really?’’

“No.’’ I glared at Maddie. “But I do love looking at the sky.’’

I sat down next to him. “Look, there’s Canis Major.’’ I pointed overhead.

“The bigger of Orion’s hunting dogs,’’ he said, smiling at me. He looked up again and outlined Canis Minor. “And there’s the little dog.’’

Maddie stood out of Jack’s view, tapping her finger to her eye and pulling out the lid. I couldn’t believe she wanted me to try that old chestnut. I mouthed No way at her. She fisted her left hand and pointed to her wedding ring. She’d been with Ke

“Ouch,’’ I said, feeling like a simple fool. “I think I’ve got something in my eye.’’

“Let me take a look,’’ Jack said, putting a calloused finger to my cheek. “Probably some dust and grit from near the dairy. That was a mess out there, wasn’t it? I thought it would never stop blowing.’’

Those were the most words I’d heard him speak when he wasn’t standing on a log, addressing the assembled riders.