Page 56 of Tempting Fate
“By setting him up on the night of the murder?”
She nodded. “My father told me to send a text from Lucky’s phone to my dad’s to make it sound as if the shooting was Lucky’s idea. Ray said Lucky wouldn’t get in trouble, that Gus was a cattle rustler and the whole town would back Lucky and my dad. So I did it. But when Ray wanted to show the police the text to help him with his defense, I threatened to tell the truth. Then, later…I let him use it against Lucky.”
“Why?” Gabe asked.
“Because Lucky picked Tawny over me.” She put her fork down and turned away, gazing out the window into the distance. “Lucky could’ve been charged with a capital crime because of what I did. I never would’ve let it get that far, but the damage was already done.”
Gabe shouldn’t have sympathized with her. What she’d done to Lucky was an incredible betrayal. But Gabe, too, had caused irreparable damage to someone he’d cared for. And what did the good book say?
Do not judge, or you too will be judged.For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Amen to that.
* * * *
Raylene would never forget the night Lucky confronted her. She’d met him at the rodeo arena at Nugget High School, thinking he’d asked her there to reconcile. But a part of her had always known the truth: she didn’t deserve someone as good as Lucky, because at the root of everything, she would always be her father’s daughter. Bad to the bone.
She’d slid into his truck in a black leather dress, hoping to seduce him into loving her again. But he was angry. Angrier than she’d ever seen him.
“I know you sent the text, Raylene.”
“Is this why you called me out here in the middle of the night?” She started to get out of the truck, but he stopped her.
“Why’d you do it, Raylene? Why’d you set me up?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She refused to look at him, but she didn’t leave, because deep down inside she knew she had to come clean.
“The phone was in the kitchen when the text was sent. It’s time stamped, and I have an alibi. One of my ranch hands was out by the corrals when I got there. I didn’t have my phone on me, so I asked to borrow his…to check on Katie. He’s ready to go to the police. So cut the shit, Raylene, and tell me why you did it.”
“You’re crazy, you know that?” Raylene spat out the words, but her heart was folding in half. How could she have done this to him?
“Get out of my truck.” He reached over and pushed open the door. “You heard me, get out. I’m going to the police. Planting evidence…you’ll go to prison, Raylene.”
“He made me do it,” she blurted, and her eyes filled with tears.
“Who made you do it?”
“My dad. He said you wouldn’t get in trouble. That Gus was a cattle rustler and that Clay McCreedy would back you and my dad. He wanted to show the police the text right away, to help him with his defense, but I threatened to tell the truth. Then, later…I told him he could.”
“Why?” Lucky asked, his eyes searching her for answers.
“Because you didn’t love me anymore.” She started weeping uncontrollably, and Lucky found a stack of napkins in the glove box and shoved them at her. “You picked Tawny over me.”
“Raylene, do you hear what you’re saying? Murder-for-hire is a capital crime. You’d see me executed for something I didn’t do because I’m with someone else?”
“No.” She blew her nose. “I wouldn’t have let it get that far. I just wanted you to feel the pain I was feeling.”
“Jesus.” Lucky hit his hands on the steering wheel. “When you married Butch, I went on a month-long bender. I was getting up on bulls when I couldn’t even see straight. But I never would’ve hurt you. Ever.”
“I know,” she said, and choked on a sob. “That’s why it hurt so bad. Because no one ever loved me like you did. Not my mother. Not my father. Not Butch. No one.” She swiped at her eyes, smearing her mascara. Lucky pushed more napkins into her hand. “I’ll go to the police, Lucky. I’ll tell them the truth.”
“You shouldn’t have let it get this far. What? Did Ray panic after he shot Gus and ask you to steal my phone and send the text?”
She started crying all over again. “He sent me over to your house to do it. He was angry at you for calling him an abusive father and husband. And livid about Gus taking his cattle. All day he paced and shouted how no one messed with Ray Rosser, yelling, ‘Not Gus. And not that bastard Lucky Rodriguez.’ Then you made it easy by leaving me and your phone alone in the kitchen.”
Lucky took a while to process that, then very softly said, “You were a vision, sitting there on the hood of your truck that night. Looking as beautiful as I’d ever seen you. I knew we were over—we had nothing to say to each other anymore—but even then I loved you.” Lucky tilted his head against the backrest and shut his eyes. “Get out of my truck.”
“Lucky, please—”
