Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2 by Tina Leonard Read Free Book Online Page B

Mary looked up to her. Trouble was brewing, and he could only hope Stormy would finish conducting her business and head out. Otherwise, he had the feeling he might be suffering a lot of sleepless nights like this one.
     
     
    Strong, hard banging on the side of his truck shot Cody upright in his seat. His hat fell into his lap. Stormy peered in at him. Their eyes locked, hers lit with saucy laughter, then she sauntered off.
    “You’re falling asleep on the job, Cowboy!” she called over her shoulder.
    He gulped a deep breath to ease the hammering in his chest. “Damn female,” he muttered, hearing Mary giggle as she approached the truck.
    “Are you all right, Uncle Cody?”
    “Never been better. You ready to go home?” he asked hopefully.
    “You said eight o’clock, and I’m staying till then. Good night.” She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which he scowled at, though he didn’t mean it. His niece was in big trouble, and she was with Trouble, and this whole mission he was on was a big pain in the ass. He watched Mary scamper off, then glanced at the dashboard clock. Four o’clock in the morning.
    It was turning out to be the longest night of his life.
     
     
    In the end, his revenge was too obvious. Gleefully, Cody banged on Stormy’s hotel room door.
    “Room Service!” he hollered.
    Rustling on the other side of the door told him that there were two sleepyheads inside.
    “We didn’t order room service,” Mary called.
    “Open up, Mary. It’s Cody.”
    She did a second later. He happily observed Stormy still partially asleep and looking somewhat disoriented in the queen-size bed. Setting down the tray he was carrying, completely without mercy, he jerked the bedspread off her.
    He was proud of his restraint. He’d really wanted to jerk all the covers away to see what was underneath.
    She sat up with a yelp, snatching the sheets to her chin. “What are you doing?”
    Her gray eyes demanded an answer. He grinned at her disheveled appearance and decided to give her one. “Bringing you ladies a picker-upper. Got orange juice, some toast, and for the lady who doesn’t eat red meat, a vegetable omelet.”
    “Thanks, Uncle Cody. I’m hungry.”
    Mary sat down and took one of the plates for herself. He was glad to see she was decently attired in a big sleepshirt that said “Life’s a beach”. But at least she was covered. He’d wondered what Stormy had that was appropriate for a young girl to wear to bed. The first thing that had come to mind was nothing, but that had been a scalding thought, one that conjured up visions of Stormy’s perky little butt and bosom with no covering on them. He’d dismissed that thought as fast as he could, deciding that even a woman as outlandish as her would bring something to wear to bed in a strange city.
    “Nice of you to loan my niece a T-shirt,” he told Stormy, “even if I’m not sure I like what it says.” Her easy Los Angeles personality and that beach attitude wasn’t something he wanted rubbing off on his niece.
    Stormy shrugged and reached for a glass of orange juice. “It isn’t mine. She brought it with her when she came.”
    Cody’s heart shrank two sizes. He felt a pain in his chest, as if he’d been working too long baling hay and had pulled a muscle. “You packed a sleepshirt, Mary?” he demanded.
    “Yes, Uncle Cody.” She gestured toward a bag in the corner. He recognized her school backpack, which bulged with clothes.
    “You really were running away!”
    Both women looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.
    “Did you not take her seriously, Cody?” Stormy gestured at him to turn around so she could get out of bed. “I sure didn’t think she was taking a midnight stroll for nothing.”
    He turned to stare at Mary, not seeing Stormy as she fled from his view. “Why?” Pain spread through him that he hadn’t felt since his brother had died. This child he adored, this flesh and blood of his brother’s, was unhappy