Colter Gamblers: Gambling On A Heart Part 20

"That sounds great." Tracy smiled and stepped closer to him, slipping her arms around his neck. Unable to resist her closeness, he pulled her to him. Her kiss was soft and tender, but it tingled clear to his toes. "Now, go home and get some sleep."

Despite it only being four-thirty in the afternoon, Angelo's Pizzeria was busy. Zack held onto Amanda's hand on one side, and Tracy had entwined the fingers of his other hand. Bobby led the way into the pizza joint in the Mills Plaza Mall along Highway 6 not far from the ball field the Colton Cowboys would take on the Valley Mills Bulldogs in an hour.

A teenage girl, wearing her uniform of red polo s.h.i.+rt and black jeans much too tightly, flashed them a cheerful smile and led them to a booth in the corner. Once they were seated and she rattled off the specialty pizza special of the evening, she took their drink orders.

"So, what do y'all think you want?" Tracy asked as soon as the waitress scampered away.

"Extra cheese and pepperoni!"

Zack glanced up from his menu, amazed at the perfect chorus from the kids.

"You like the same pizza I do." Mandy looked up with near wors.h.i.+p in her big blue eyes at Bobby. Zack's heart twisted at the thought of how hard the end to the farce with Tracy would be on Mandy.

"Yeah." Bobby glanced at Mandy, then looked around the restaurant.

"Well, then I guess we're gonna have extra cheese and pepperoni." Tracy closed her menu. The waitress returned with their drinks and took the order for a large, extra cheese and pepperoni pizza.

"I wish everyone wasn't looking at us," Bobby said with a deep furrow in his forehead.

Mandy lifted her child-sized drink with both hands and giggled. "That's because you're the only Colton Cowboy in here."

"I know. I wish we ate in Colton."

"This place has better pizza than we can get back home." Tracy sipped her sweet tea.

"I don't care." Bobby continued to frown at the other boys peering at their table. "I don't like being stared at."

Zack s.h.i.+fted in his seat. Tracy's thigh pressed against his. Was she sitting so close simply because she knew how it affected him? "Ignore them. They're only trying to intimidate you."

Bobby turned his narrowed hazel eyes on Zack. "What does that mean?"

Zack shrugged and picked up his c.o.keand nearly dropped it when Tracy's hand landed on his thigh only a few inches from his groin. He snapped his gaze on her, but she seemed focused on her son. When he reached down to remove her hand, she entwined her fingers through his. Fighting the sudden knot of desire that seared though him, he cleared his throat.

"When I rode rodeo, other cowboys loved to do the same things before someone went out. At first, it would affect me. When a horse is doing its crazy best to buck you off, concentration is essential."

"So, they're trying to psych me out so I can't play as good?"

"Yep." Zack leaned back as the server paced the pizza on the table. After she served each of them a slice, Zack thanked her and picked up his piece. "The best thing you can do is to ignore them. That way they'll think you aren't bothered by them." He winked at the kid as he reached for the shaker of red pepper at the end of the table. "And that will psych them out."

Tracy looked over at Zack, amazed by his advice to Bobby. She remembered the time shortly after she and Jake had started dating when they'd gone to a football game in Crawford. Brent had been a high school linebacker for the Colton Mavericks. The Crawford Pirates had always been Colton's biggest rival. After the game, Jake and she had run into some of the opposing team's players. One of them had made a smart comment about Jake, and she'd begged him to ignore them, but he wouldn't. He'd brushed her off and ended up in a fight. Jake never backed down from something he considered a challenge. She could imagine if Jake were here instead of Zack, he'd have made a scene by now.

Bobby sat a little straighter and squared his shoulders under his jersey, which mimicked that of the Dallas Cowboys. His number was tenthe same as Jake's in high schooland his name was printed on the back. He ate his pizza and drank his chocolate milk with as much pride as she imagined he could muster.

"You really rode broncos?" Bobby asked between bites.

Zack wiped his mouth on a paper napkin and nodded, but it was Mandy who answered. "Yep. My Daddy has tons of silver buckles from all of the rodeos he's won. He has a couple from the National Finals Rodeo, too."

Bobby's eyes widened. "Wow! I like to watch rodeo, but Dad hates it. He doesn't like horses." He took a bite of his pizza, and his brow lowered pensively as he chewed. "Were you ever hurt by a horse?"

Zack sipped his drink, and his expression turned somber. "I was hurt a few times. Nothing too serious though."

Mandy wiped her face on a napkin, smearing more pizza sauce than she removed. "Daddy was hurt really bad the last time, though. That's why he quit. Momma wouldn't let him do it anymore."

"You quit for a girl?"

Zack shrugged and glanced at Tracy.

How would he answer Bobby's question?

"It was time to give it up and settle down. I'd always said I'd only ride for a few years."

"My dad said that he was thrown off a horse and hurt his knee real bad, and that's why he couldn't play football anymore. He said you made him ride the horse."

"Bobby." Tracy knew the story. Zack and Jake had gone riding, and when Jake's horse had thrown him, his foot caught in the stirrup, causing major injury to Jake's knee. She also knew Zack had blamed himself for the accident for a long time afterward because Jake had been unable to play football their senior year and lost his scholars.h.i.+p.

"I asked him if he'd like to go riding that morning. He could have said no. I knew he didn't like horses, but he often went riding with me. I'm not sure what happened, but I think his horse saw either a rattlesnake or something else spooked it. I felt really bad about what happened to your dad, Bobby. Still do."

Bobby furrowed his brow again as he picked at the crust of his pizza slice. What had Jake said to him about that morning the two weeks before the start of their last year of high school? She'd bet it wasn't the same as what Zack had told him.

The pizza devoured, Zack looked at his watch. "We'd better get going."

Zack scooted out of the booth and wiped Mandy's mouth. Tracy watched the gentle way he took care of his daughter. The task finished, Mandy stood on the seat and wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her to him and kissed her forehead, before setting her on her feet beside him. Tracy didn't miss that Bobby watched the exchange with something akin to longing in his eyes. Not that he'd wanted the same treatment from Zack, but Bobby had never had it from his own father when he was younger and would have appreciated the rea.s.surance of being cherished.

They reached the cas.h.i.+er, and Zack pulled out his credit card. Tracy still wasn't happy he insisted on paying for the tab. He claimed it was his way of paying her back for the meal last Friday night.

Once they arrived at the community park, Tracy, Zack and the kids made their way to the area where the rest of the team gathered on the side of the field. Jake was barking instructions as he normally did before the game. Bobby joined the edge of the circle of boys, and Jake turned. When he saw she was with Zack, his expression became wary. Zack's hand tightened on hers, before he dropped it and slid it around her waist. Mandy's fingers clasped around Tracy's, and Zack laid his free hand on Bobby's shoulder.

The picture perfect family, Tracy thought wryly.

Jake strode toward them, his arms folded over his wide chest. "About time you showed up. I was wondering where my quarterback was."

"Sorry, Dad." Bobby shuffled his feet and fiddled with his helmet. "We stopped for pizza."

"Jake." Zack's grip around Tracy's waist tightened, pulling her into his side. Jake stiffened and scowled at them, but what delighted her more was when Zack ruffled Bobby's hair and said, "Good luck, buddy. We'll see you later."

Bobby smiled up at Zack and nodded. "See ya later. We're still going for ice cream, right?"

"You bet." Zack winked at him.

"C'mon, we have a game to win." Jake laid his hand on Bobby's shoulder, turning him away from Zack and Tracy.

After they found an area to spread her blanket, Tracy, Zack and Mandy settled down. She expected Zack to put some distance between them by pulling Mandy down between them, but she s.h.i.+fted to the other side of Tracy. He had no option but to sit next to her. She suspected he'd only held her earlier to send a message to Jake. Maybe he hadn't even been aware of his actions. Or maybe he was like a stud staking claim to his mare. She didn't know what to make of it, but she knew she aroused him and that encouraged her.

He loved me once. She hoped everyone was right, and he could love her again.

Chapter 14.

The Cowboys trailed by a touchdown, and his dad paced the sideline. He wouldn't be happy if the Cowboys lost.

Bobby stood on the sideline, gripped his helmet under his arm, and bit his bottom lip when the Bulldog's quarterback tucked the ball in and ran for the goal line. The Valley Mills crowd went wild. Bobby sniffed and his gut rolled. He should have played better. He knew that; he wasn't looking forward to his dad pointing out his mistakes in front of the team.

Maybe if he 'fessed up to his mistakes, Dad would go a little easier on him. He dragged his feet over to where his dad stood by the end of the bench watching the rest of the team come off the field.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I know I screwed up big time when I threw that interception. I'll do better the next game."

His dad looked down at him. "Yeah, you better win next time."

Bobby flinched at the ugly scowl and the harshness of his dad's voice. He kept his head down because he didn't want to see the rest of the guys watching him. "I will, Dad."

"Hey, T-Rex."

Surprised by the change in his father's tone, Bobby looked up at him, but his dad was looking over his head. A muscle jumped in his jaw. Bobby glanced over his shoulder. Mandy ran toward him, and his mom and the sheriff were holding hands following her.

He still wasn't sure what he thought of the sheriff. He seemed nice enough at the restaurant. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Do you think you can tell me if you hear the sheriff tell your mom anything about me?"

Bobby frowned and shrugged. "I guess."

"That's good. I'll see you Friday." Dad patted his shoulder. "After the court hearing, you'll be moving in permanently." Dad walked away and past the rest of the guys. He rounded the end of the bleachers to the parking lot.

"Yeah," he murmured even though Dad wouldn't hear it. He never took losing a game this easily. Something had to be wrong. His dad usually yelled at the team, trying to get them to figure out why they'd lost the game, and when that was done, would blame the loss on Bobby.

"Bobby!" Mandy's call drew his attention back to his mom and Zack. Mandy hugged him around the waist. "I'm sorry you lost."

He looked down into her face and shrugged, aware the guys were all watching him. "Stop hugging me. That's for babies."

She stepped back. "No it's not. My daddy hugs me all the time. I just thought you'd be feeling real bad right now."

"Well, I'm not."

His mom came up and patted his shoulder. "You did well, Bobby. I hope your dad didn't say too much about the loss."

He shrugged again and looked around. Other parents were picking up the other guys and leaving toward the parking lot. His dad's pick-up sped past the ball field. "I think he had something else on his mind." He turned back to the sheriff. "I'd like to go home. I guess we aren't stopping for ice cream now."

Zack smiled and ruffled his hair. "Of course we're stopping. You can't always win, but it doesn't mean you still didn't do a good job."

Lucinda Tritt looked up from the photographs. "Yeah, that's the guy who came into the store last Sat.u.r.day morning."

"Are you positive?" Zack let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and fisted his hands under his desk across from the convenience store clerk.

Lucinda nodded and looked from him to Wyatt McPherson and Dawn Madison standing behind him. "Yeah. I'm positive. This is the guy in the truck. Is there anything else, Sheriff?"

"No, we'll be in touch, Miss Tritt. Thank you for coming in this morning." He stood when she did. She met all three gazes again before nodding and leaving Zack's office.

Once she was gone, Zack said, "I think it's time we question the Parker boys."

"Brent's working out at Johnny Blackwell's place," Dawn provided. "I'll take Kennedy and head over there."

Zack nodded as he shuffled his notes and the photos he'd shown the clerk into a pile on his desk. "Jake's at the courthouse today. He's trying to get custody of his boy from Tracy."

Wyatt, who was a second cousin to Tracy, chuckled. "So, he wants a cut of her money, now."

"Yeah, something like that." Zack remembered the previous night at the football game and stopping for ice cream afterward. He'd promised to teach the boy how to ride when he got the chance. Regardless of the outcome of the custody case today, Jake would have Bobby for the coming week.

He'd taken a real liking to Tracy's son. Zack had no idea what Jake had told the boy about him, but he sensed Jake must have said something to cause Bobby not to fully trust him. "Let's go and get that b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Logan waited for Tracy outside the Forest County courthouse. She looked up at the old limestone building that never failed to intimidate her. In 1895, the original two-room building was built on the site where Cole Cartwright, Elijah Blackwell and her great-great-great grandfather Dylan Ferguson played judge, jury and executioner of a gang of cattle rustlers who had stolen longhorns from their herd. The ma.s.sive oak tree they'd hanged the thieves from still grew strong and tall in front of the court of law.

Those rustlers hadn't been the only criminals hanged from the tree in the wild days. Cole Cartwright's wife had been saved from a long drop on a short rope by marrying her prosecutor.

"You ready for this?" Logan asked when Tracy reached the top of the stairs.

She smiled and nodded. "I think so. How do you feel about this? I still can't believe you got ready so soon."

Logan held one of the thick wooden doors open for her. "I told you your case will be a breeze to win."

"I would have preferred a little more time to prepare."

Dressed in a designer suit, Logan looked every bit the perfect picture of the successful lawyer. He grinned and put his free arm around her shoulders. "Stop worrying. That's my job, and I'm not, so you shouldn't be either."

"Easier said than done."

As they made their way to the front of the courtroom, he asked, "How're things going with Zack?"

"I guess okay. We had a great evening last night."

"Good." He laid his briefcase on a table. "Keep it up. Have you slept with him yet?"

"Logan! I can't believe you'd"

He laughed and shook his head. "I think I know the answer just by the look on your face."

She closed her mouth, swallowed hard. Hoping the heat in her cheeks hadn't turned them bright red, she looked away. "I can't believe you'd ask me such a thing."