Confessing to the Cowboy by Carla Cassidy Read Free Book Online Page A

that already the killer had left a lasting mark on Cameron’s hometown.
    “You want some breakfast?” Mary asked.
    “Absolutely, give me the Cowboy special with the eggs sunny-side up.” He watched as she walked away to place the order with the kitchen, unable to help but notice the sway of her shapely hips in the tight jeans.
    He whirled around on the stool. He was here on business, not to appreciate the sexy shape of Mary Mathis. He’d already spent almost eight years lusting after Mary.
    Several of the diners nodded in greeting as their gazes met his. Familiar faces, friendly faces, and yet one of them might be the killer. The thought brought a knot of anxiety into the pit of his stomach, making the idea of breakfast far less appealing.
    Mary returned to where he sat, as usual the countertop between them. “So, I’m guessing there’s nothing new.”
    “The mayor got me out of bed this morning with a call for action,” he said, grimacing as he remembered the early-morning phone call. “Dorothy’s sister is flying into Oklahoma City late this afternoon and is renting a car and meeting me at the office around six. I’ve got everyone on the team working different angles, but there’s really nothing new. I still have three dead women and no real leads.”
    “It will all come together, Cameron. You’re an intelligent man and have a great team. I know you’re going to catch this guy.” Her voice rang with an optimism he couldn’t quite find in himself at the moment.
    “Hopefully sooner than later,” he replied. “Hey, you want a dog?”
    She frowned. “A dog?”
    “I’m not sure how it happened but I seem to have gained temporary custody of Dorothy’s dog.”
    She stared at him for a long moment and then laughed. “You have Twinkie?” She laughed again, the sound warming him despite the fact that he had a feeling he was the object of her amusement.
    “Sorry,” she said, finally getting herself under control. “It’s just that Dorothy used to carry that dog everywhere with her. She always had her dressed to the nines and looking more like a fashion accessory than a real dog.”
    He scowled. “She’s in a leopard-print dress today. I was afraid my place was so drafty she’d get cold. I need to find her a good home.”
    Mary grinned again, as if imagining the dog traipsing around his house in her leopard finery. “Sorry, no dog for us. I don’t have time for a dog, but I’ll ask around for you. I know how sweet Twinkie is so you shouldn’t have a problem finding somebody to take her off your hands.”
    “Thanks, I’d appreciate it. A dog named Twinkie just doesn’t seem right for me. If I was going to get myself a dog it would be a big one named Bruiser.”
    A light of laughter lingered in her eyes. “Ah, that male ego, it gets in the way all the time.”
    “Order up,” Rusty yelled from the pass window.
    “That’s probably your breakfast,” she said as she hurried away. She returned in a jiffy with a large platter and set it in front of him.
    “Later I want to pick your brain about some of the regulars who come in here, especially anyone who has started coming in on a regular basis over the last year or so.” He reached for his fork, although his appetite had fled the moment he’d thought about what lay ahead of him.
    What he’d like to do was sit and eat his breakfast and fantasize about the woman who’d served him. He’d like to believe that someday Mary would let him into her life, into her heart. But he didn’t have time for silly fantasies.
    He knew a lot of cowboys came in here and flirted with her and he suspected there were times she flirted back, but she’d always made it clear that she had no interest in any romantic relationship.
    Apparently the death of her husband in a car accident had tainted her for seeking any other relationship with another man. Her husband must have been something special.
    As he began to eat his breakfast, his thoughts shot in other