Page 76 of Cowboy's Last Stand
She ended the call with Jason and drove home carefully.He was waiting for her in the driveway, a red shop rag twisted in his hands.She sent Marcus inside and stood by as Jason inspected her tire.
“Someone let the air out.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” he said, sounding irritated.“The stem cap can fall off, but it won’t deflate your tire.You have to stick a screwdriver or something in there to release the pressure.This was no accident.Whoever did it broke the valve.”
She shivered at the thought.
“Did you see anyone?”
“No.”
“You should call Wade.”
She wrote him a text with shaking fingers.When he responded a moment later, she read the text out loud to Jason: “I’m in the middle of processing an arrest, so I’ll be a few hours.I’ll stop by as soon as I’m finished.”
After she put away her phone, she considered the note in her glove compartment.Tension filled her as she went to retrieve the crumpled paper.She handed it to Jason.
His face became thunderous.“When did you get this?”
“Yesterday.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shifted with discomfort.
“Did you tell Wade?”
“No.”
He started pacing her front yard, cursing under his breath.“Where does Billy live?”he asked, his eyes narrow.
She tried to take the note back, but he wouldn’t let her.He put it in his pocket.
“Where does he live?”
Her temper flared.“I don’t know, but he probably wants you to go there.If he shoots you on his property, he won’t even go to jail!”
“I warned him not to bother you again.I told him he wouldn’t walk away next time.”
“You have to let Wade handle it.”
“No,” he said coldly.“I don’t.”
She grasped his forearm in an attempt to calm him.“Be reasonable.Please.”
He jerked away from her and circled her vehicle like a prowling panther.Then he walked to the garage and searched its contents.She didn’t know what he was looking for—weapons, maybe.He rifled through drawers, tossing tools around.He came back empty-handed.“I have to buy a valve repair kit.”
“Fine.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“I need to get ready for work.”
A muscle in his jaw flexed at the mention of the job he disliked.To his credit, he managed to stay quiet.
She tried to reason with him again.“He wrote a stupid note and let air out of a tire.It’s not worth getting upset over.”
