Colter Gamblers: Gambling On A Heart Part 28

"Jake, you can't get away," Zack said from beside Wyatt as he lay p.r.o.ne on the cracked, hot macadam. "Half of all the law in Texas is looking for you. The Border Patrol have been alerted to your plans to cross into Mexico."

"Shut up! Just shut the f.u.c.k up!" Jake raged. "You have five seconds or Rosalita here meets her maker."

Wyatt glanced at Zack and the deputies before voicing the order. "Stand down."

The deputies reluctantly obeyed the Texas Ranger, but Zack continued to aim his Glock at a man he'd once considered his best friend.

"Zack?" Wyatt spoke with determined authority. "Don't make me regret bringing you along."

Zack eased back and crawled behind the front fender of the Guadalupe Sheriff's department Crown Victoria with the other three men. Wyatt pulled out his iPhone and called in the situation to his boss, who would notify everyone else involved in the manhunt.

Jake stood with the frightened woman, staring out at Zack with a hatred he didn't understand.

"Johnny, his mother and his son Matt were caught trying to get over the border. They're in custody in San Antonio." Wyatt slipped his phone back into the holder on his belt. "The captain has a hostage negotiator and backup on their way. He wants me to find out what he wants."

Zack slowly nodded, then called across the pavement, "Jake, what do you want?"

"You can't give me what I want, Cartwright."

"Try me."

"f.u.c.k you!"

"Zack, don't agitate him," Wyatt said. With a snort of derision, he added, "I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with all the Blackwells. First Leon and now Jake."

Zack didn't respond, just stood up.

"Zack, what the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

Zack ignored his friend and the cautions of the deputies as he held his hands high. "Let the hostages go, Jake. It's not them you want to hurt. It's me. You blame me for taking away your chance at playing football. And for it you've made me pay dearly. You took away the woman I loved."

"Yeah, I got the b.i.t.c.h away from you, but then you went off and got richer riding rodeo, then married a d.a.m.ned beauty queen. I was stuck in f.u.c.kin' Colton with nothing."

"My life was far from glamorous. I may have married, but I never stopped loving Tracy. I spent a total of six years fighting in the war, Jake. I watched men I called friends injured and killed. I watched the man who saved my life take a bullet in the chest that should've been mine." Zack swallowed hard. Framed within the broken window of the door, Jake still held the gun at the sobbing woman's head. "I came home and suffered depression and watched my marriage fall apart. Then my wife died. I've suffered plenty for my part in the injury that prevented you from getting a football scholars.h.i.+p, Jake. Don't you think it's time to stop?"

"You haven't suffered anywhere near enough." Jake spat, and his tone became high pitched and wild, proving to Zack that he was clearly unstable. "I don't want my son anywhere near you. I'll kill him before I let you turn him against me, Cartwright. You hear me?"

Brent stood back and listened to Zack's admission and the vow made by his brother. He had to act, despite his own fear of Jake and his lack of weapon. Bobby clung to his side and turned his face into Brent's belly as he shook with the violence of his silent sobs.

He'd never been the brave sort. h.e.l.l, this whole rustling operation had scared him s.h.i.+tless from the beginning. But as he had his entire life, Brent followed Jake's orders and took his abuse.

He was done being Jake's sheep.

Brent took hold of Bobby's shoulders and held him away from his side. He tried to offer the boy a smile, but he knew it was pitiful at best. One of the customers stood beside him. It was obvious she was scared, but seemed to have it somewhat together. Dressed in jeans and a green b.u.t.ton s.h.i.+rt, she was pretty, with blond hair, big blue eyes, and a nice round a.s.s and enough t.i.ts to get lost in. Brent let himself wonder what she did for a living. She was exactly the kind of woman he'd have liked to settle down with someday. She met his regard with narrowed eyes. Of course, she was afraid of him. He was this madman's brother, after all.

Brent looked back down at his nephew, a boy he loved with a heart only an uncle could have. He forced a slippery smile again. "Whatever happens, T-Rex, remember that I'm not like your dad."

He pushed Bobby into the pretty blonde beside him, who reached for the boy and held him, steadying herself as she was knocked off balance. Brent immediately took off on a jog and came up behind his brother.

Jake must have heard him coming and turned, with his gun swinging around. He let go of Rosalita, and she fell to the floor with a scream when the gun went off. Brent held his breath as the bullet hit him in the chest, but he didn't stop. He hit Jake with enough momentum to knock him through the door of the restaurant.

Jake tried to shove him off. When the second gunshot sounded, Brent wasn't sure if it hit him or if the bullet aimed for Jake, but bang was the last sound he would ever hear.

Bobby clung to the woman as she held his face against her heaving chest. Too many sounds swirled around him. Gunshots. A scream, sirens, shouts of men, running feet. The woman's rapid breathing and heartbeat.

"Bobby, are you okay?"

He turned and looked into Zack's face. He crouched next to him and held out his arms. Bobby immediately fell into them and held him close as Zack wrapped him up.

"I was so afraid, Zack. Dad started talkin' crazy. He pulled the gun on Uncle Brent and made everyone stand in the corner." He pulled away and met Zack's gaze. "Uncle Brent, is he okay? How about Dad?"

Zack pulled him close again and said near his ear, "I'm sorry, buddy. Brent... Brent didn't make it."

"He's dead?" His voice cracked. He couldn't believe his next question, but he had to know for sure. "He killed...Uncle Brent?"

Zack swallowed and nodded.

Bobby couldn't hold in the sob, then croaked, "Dad?"

"He's being taken to the hospital."

Another sob ripped through him. How could Dad kill his own brother? He hiccoughed. "Diddid you...?"

Zack's voice was deep and husky at his ear. "I had no choice, Bobby. After he shot Brent, he might've hurt someone else or you. I couldn't let that happen. You mean too much to your mommaand to me."

Chapter 20.

Tracy ran off the porch as soon as she heard a vehicle come up the long driveway. Her family followed close behind. Dylan, Charli and Annie had landed in Dallas just that morning. When they arrived home, Tracy called them to alert them to Bobby's kidnapping and they came to Oak Springs immediately. Her parents had been called and hoped to be home that night. Logan hadn't left her alone since last night and was by her side now, with Mandy in his arms.

Thank G.o.d he was here. The phonecalls from concerned neighbors, friends, far-flung family and the mediahadn't stopped ringing since the Amber Alert had been posted.

She caught her lip between her teeth as the Tahoe came to a stop in front of the house. Her heart raced like a captured bird beating its wings against its cage. Zack had called, and she knew her baby was alright, but she had to see him. She wouldn't believe it until she held him to her.

By the time she reached the side of the SUV, Bobby scampered out with Zack and Wyatt right behind him.

"Momma!" Bobby lurched himself into her arms as she fell to her knees on the pavement.

"Oh, my baby," Tracy sobbed and clung to him. She placed kisses all over his face, and he even kissed her back. She dried his tears with her lips.

"Momma, I was so afraid. I thought I'd never see you again." He buried his face into the side of her neck. His body shook with the force of his sobbing relief.

Tracy looked up and met Zack's gaze. With Mandy in his arms, he smiled and kneeled beside her and Bobby. She tried to swallow past her swollen throat and whispered, "Thank you."

Mandy let go of her dad to hug Bobby while Zack encircled all of them within his arms and held on with a force that set the caged bird in her chest free.

Two days after Bobby's return, Zack decided it was time to get on with the rest of his life. He stood before the mantle and stared at the photos of Lisa. He'd pack them away soon, to give to Mandy when she got older.

He picked up the middle picture of his dead wife and rubbed his thumb over her lips. "I'm sorry, Lisa. I'm sorry I never was able to give you my whole heart. You deserved so much more than I could give, but I can't go on living in the past or blaming myself for what happened." He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the lips of the photograph. When he replaced the frame, he laid it upside down and turned away.

The horses were saddled and the picnic supper of fried chicken and peach cobbler packed in a saddlebag. He'd changed one of the items from that first time he'd packed a picnic lunch for today's purpose. Instead of a bottle of homemade wine from his grandfather's cellar, he sprang for a bottle of Dom Perignon. Now, all he needed was to get Tracy.

He'd called ahead, and she waited on the porch. She jumped into his truck and smiled. "Where're we going?"

Zack shrugged and put the Dodge into gear. "I thought we'd go riding out to our special spot and go camping. I've already talked to your Mom and Dad. They'll take care of Bobby.

"I hate leaving him alone." She fidgeted with her seatbelt. "He's still afraid his dad's going to come and take him away."

"Understandable, but this can't wait any longer." He pointed the truck up the driveway. "I talked to Bobby. He's okay with us going camping."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?"

Twenty minutes later, they'd mounted their horses and headed toward the interior of the CW. He rode his stallion, Wild Aces, while Tracy sat upon an Appaloosa mare he'd recently purchased from a business a.s.sociate.

They dismounted in the grove of trees next to the lake. She loosened the cinch on the saddle and slid it from the mare's back. "She's a beautiful horse. You never told me her name."

He set his saddle under one of the live oaks and turned to remove the bridle. "She is a fine horse. I haven't given her a barn name yet. I figured since she's yours, you'd like to do the honors."

Tracy turned on him and gasped. "Mine? I can't"

"You said so yourself you didn't have a horse of your own. Well, now you do. There's only one thing I'd like in return."

"Anything?"

Zack smiled and raised a brow. "You let me mate her with Wild Aces here." He petted the stallion's long black and white splotched face.

Tracy stared at him with her mouth slightly open before closing it and nodding. "Okay. I'll have to think of a name I guess."

"Yep. C'mon." He set her saddle beside his and picked up the saddlebags. She retrieved the sleeping bag and the quilt she'd untied from behind her saddle and followed him to the water's edge.

Zack spread the patchwork quilt over the ground and then went about setting out the picnic supper. As they ate the chicken and salad, he kept the conversation light and focused on their kids, although he was aware of the questions in Tracy's eyes. They hadn't had a chance to have the talk he'd promised her Sunday night. She was more than ready now.

They finished their supper, he opened the champagne, and gave her one of the plastic cups.

She smiled. "What's the occasion?"

"I think it's time we consider where we go from here."

"Oh."

"But before we get too serious, I thought we'd have a toast." He held his cup up and she followed suit.

"What are we toasting?"

"Love. And forgiveness."

She smiled and tapped her cup on his. "To love and forgiveness. I love you, Zack."

After taking a gulp of the fizzy wine, he set his cup down and took her hand. She set her champagne aside, settled herself next to him and waited for him to speak.

He cleared his throat and squeezed her hand. "Tracy, I love you. I told you the other night I had my own confessions." He looked over the calm water of the lake. Cattails and other water-loving plants competed for what sunlight the trees allowed filter through along the water's edge.

He met her soft gray eyes again and swallowed so hard it hurt. "Here it goes. I don't deserve you. I never have, but I can't live without you anymore. I've never stopped loving you. Lisa and I..."

She sighed and reached up to lay her hand over his cheek. "Oh, Zack, I don't have to hear this if it hurts you this much to say it."

He nodded and covered her hand with his free one. "Yeah, you do, and I need to get it out. When I heard you had a baby with Jake, something died in me. I had hoped that after you lost the first pregnancy you'd leave him, but only a year later you got pregnant again."

"I should have left him after I lost the baby, but he kept telling me how much he loved me, and that he wanted a family with me." She shook her head and looked down at their clasped hands. "I was such a fool."

He tightened his hold on her hand, and she looked up again. "No, you weren't."

"I broke up with Jake after youyou found us in the barn. And when I started school, I had every intention of transferring that spring to University of Texas. But Jake started coming around. He'd meet me after cla.s.ses, and we started going out again. I hadn't known then it was all a plan to keep me away from you. I learned later that he was afraid I'd go off to find you. So, he started up his lies. He swept me off my feetagainwith words of love and how much he couldn't live without me." She made a sound of disgust in her throat and shook her head. "I'd stopped taking the Pill when I started school." She smiled ruefully. "I had no reason to continue taking itI wasn't dating anyone. And I started getting headaches and my doctor thought it was from the birth control pills. Instead of switching brands, I stopped taking them. Then Jake seduced me. I still don't know how exactly I got pregnant. We always used condoms." She shrugged. "But I did. I've often wondered after I learned the truth if he'd done something to make it happen." Again she shrugged and looked away. "The rest is sad history."

He sighed, pulled her into his lap, and held her against him. "I met Lisa and it was instant l.u.s.t. I know this is probably hard for you to hear, but I think you should know."

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Zack, I know you loved her."

"No, Tracy, I never loved Lisanot enough anyway. I never loved her as I've always loved you."

She turned in his embrace. "What?"

"I was in l.u.s.t with her. I was jealous of you." He couldn't meet her gaze. "I took her virginity, and she told me she loved me the third time we were together. Despite her t.i.tle as a pageant queen, she was so naive. I asked her to marry me just two weeks after meeting her. I liked her and we" He cut himself off, Tracy didn't need to know their s.e.x was great. "When I was with her, I could forget you. At least, for a little while. I hoped I'd learn to love her." He snorted. "You know the history of our families as well as I do. Everyone knows the first Cole Cartwright didn't love his wife when they married, but he grew to love her. I figured if it worked for my great-great-great granddad, it would work for me. Maybe if I hadn't spent so much time away from her, I would have. But each time I'd come home from a deployment, I'd find something else I just didn't like. Her laugh started to annoy me. Her nagging about me not going places with her. Her bossiness. I began regretting letting her talk me out of my rodeo career. I hated the way she'd talk for me when we visited her friends or people we'd just met, as if I was some b.u.mpkin because I didn't have a college education."

The warm September breeze fluttered through her hair and he smoothed the silk back behind her ear. "If she hadn't gotten pregnant, I seriously considered asking for a divorce. Then she had Amanda and I couldn't leave her, so I reenlisted, although it made her furious. I was almost relieved when I was sent off to Afghanistan that last time."

Her eyes widened and she opened her lips as if to speak. He smiled and caressed her bottom lip with his thumb, stilling whatever she had to say.

"When I woke up from the coma, I called your name, Tracy. Lisa had realized years before I was still in love with you. When we came back to Cheyenne, she and I fought all the time. Not all of it was a result of my PTSD. I felt I was being suffocated. I had no drive to be a big city cop. All I ever wanted to do was raise cattle here. When I'd heard you divorced Jake, I started wondering what it would be like if"

He cut himself off and swallowed. "She was leaving me the night she died, and I was glad it was finally over."

"You blame yourself for her death."

"I think I always will. But punis.h.i.+ng myself isn't bringing her back or necessarily good for my daughteror for me. Mandy loves you. I love youand I love Bobby."

"Zack, I love you with all my heart." She swallowed, and her pewter eyes s.h.i.+mmered. "And Mandy, too. She's a wonderful little girl, and I'm thankful you had her with Lisa. The world would be a darker place without her."