Texas True by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page A

“Come on in, Erin,” he said in a voice that scarcely rose above a whisper. “Quietly, now.”
    Erin knew how to behave around mares with new foals. She walked softly into the stall, making no sudden moves. Only when she was close enough did Sky step aside, giving her a full view of the foal. “Oh!” she gasped. “Oh, he’s so beautiful!”
    â€œCome and touch him,” Sky said. “Since he’s to be yours, you’ll want him and his mother to know your smell.” Beckoning her close, he took her hand and rubbed it along the foal’s back. “That’s it. Now put your arms around him. Lean over his back and give him a hug. You’ll want your scent all over him. And you’ll want him to know that scent means something good.”
    Almost sobbing with excitement, Erin did as she was told. As she embraced her foal, a quiver passed through the small body. Lupita raised her head and nickered.
    Sky touched Erin’s arm. “That’s enough for now. I think this little fellow’s ready for a meal.”
    Released, the foal tottered under his mother, butted instinctively for a teat, and began to suck. His creamy little tail twitched with pleasure as he drank.
    Beau glanced down at Natalie. Her cheeks were wet with tears. As if sensing his eyes on her, she looked up at him. “Sorry,” she muttered. “For a vet, I’m way too emotional. It’s late. Time for me to go.”
    â€œI’ll walk you to your car,” Beau said.
    â€œNo.” Her eyes flashed him a warning look before she turned to gather up her gear. A moment later she said good night to the others and strode out of the barn.
    Beau watched her leave, aware she was right not to trust being alone with him. Every time she was around, he had trouble keeping his eyes off her, let alone his hands. As much as he might wish otherwise, she wasn’t his girl anymore. She was another man’s wife. The sooner he accepted that, the better off both of them would be.

CHAPTER 3
    I t was almost 10:00 p.m. when Lute walked through the front door of the Blue Coyote. He’d hitched a ride to town with a cowboy named Ralph who had a ’93 Chevy pickup and a girlfriend who worked the late shift at Burger Shack. One of these days he’d have his own car, Lute vowed as the pickup pulled away. And it wouldn’t be a twenty-year-old piece of crap like Ralph drove, either.
    Inside, the antiquated sound system was playing Hank Williams, which fit the retro theme of the place. There were autographed photos of old-time rodeo stars on the walls. A set of massive, mounted longhorns, wider than the span of a big man’s arms, hung over the big-screen TV above the bar.
    Stella, the busty, middle-aged redhead who owned the place, knew all her customers by name. Tonight she was dressed in a black silk shirt embroidered with roses and a tight denim skirt. “Howdy, Lute,” she greeted him. “Have a seat and tell Nigel here what you’re drinkin’ tonight.”
    Nigel, who served as bartender and bouncer, seemed out of place in the Western-style bar. With tattooed arms, a wrestler’s build, and a shaved head, he looked more like a biker than a cowboy. But he knew his job, and if anybody messed with him, they didn’t do it a second time.
    Lute ordered the cheapest beer on the menu, paid for it with the last of his pocket change, and nursed it while he scanned the crowded bar. Just his damned luck, Slade Haskell wasn’t here. But since Ralph wouldn’t be by to pick him up for a couple of hours, he had time to kill.
    Jess, the only waitress in sight, bustled past him with a tray full of drinks. Lute watched her walk away, liking the tight fit of her jeans, her black T-shirt, and the perky little pink boots on her feet. She was young and thin, with limp brown hair and a tired expression on her pretty face. Lute wouldn’t have minded getting to know her. As