Page 62 of Reckoning with the Cowboy
“There was a sighting in Idaho, but to answer your question, no.”
“Tell me he isn’t going to show up tonight at the hotel.”
“Josie, unlike you, I can’t see past the nose on my face what is going to happen.”
“I can’t see much, either, but I have this bad feeling that whatever it is, it will happen tonight.”
“Rance and I will be at the opening,” Max said. “If Shane shows up, we’ll handle it.”
“Thank you.” She disconnected, feeling a little better. All she could do was warn Max. Still she had no idea what was coming. It might not even be Shane she had to worry about.
Josie glanced at the time. She’d promised Cordell she wouldn’t be late. She reached for her wrap and headed for the door. She wanted this night to be everything he’d dreamed possible. He deserved this. She hated that something might spoil it for him.
The hotel was aglow, the light shining through the large front windows to paint the sidewalk in gold. Music spilled into the streets as the front door opened and closed, guests moving into the large lobby. Dry Gulch hadn’t seen anything like this in years.
Josie felt the excitement and tried to relax as she heard laughter. She let herself in the back way. Goldie was catering the event. She wanted to say hello and make sure that her friend wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen all night. She’d offered to help but Goldie wouldn’t hear of it.
But as Josie walked into the huge commercial kitchen, she was surprised to find it empty. She saw trays of food on the counters, but no one was around. Maybe they were already out in the lobby offering the guests appetizers, she told herself.
Leaving the kitchen, she went through the large restaurant area with its white tablecloths and beautiful dishes. She was in awe of the job Cordell had done.
But before she could reach the doors that opened out onto a hallway to the lobby, she heard a sound behind her. She turned, expecting to see Goldie or one of her helpers.
Shane was on her before she could run, let alone scream. Not that anyone would have heard anyway with the noise and music coming from the lobby. His hand clamped over her mouth as he lifted her off her feet. “You should have stayed out of my business,” he whispered in her ear as he carried her toward the back stairs.
She struggled, kicking and clawing at him, but he only chuckled as he dragged her up the stairs. The music wasn’t as loud in the stairwell. Not that she could have screamed loud enough even if he wasn’t covering her mouth.
“Time to make your spectacular entrance into the party,” he whispered as he pushed open the first-floor door and Josie found herself on the balcony overlooking the lobby. The room roared with voices and laughter and music. No one looked up as he carried her over to the railing. With his arm still around her waist, he swung her legs over the railing so she was dangling from the second floor facing the party. He took his hand off her mouth to pull the gun from his jacket pocket.
The first shot fired at the ceiling had little effect. The second caused some people to look around. The third report of the gun stopped the party as people began to gaze up to see Josie being dangled over the railing. There were screams and shouts. The music died and Josie saw Cordell headed for the stairs.
“Looks like your boyfriend wants to join the party,” Shane said. “And your sister, too. Hey, Amy Sue, didn’t really appreciate being stood up at the altar in Vegas.”
Josie saw Max and Rance, both trying to work their way through the crowd, their weapons drawn. If they shot Shane, he would drop her. That’s if he didn’t shoot her—after he shot her sister.
“Shane!” Cordell called as he started up the staircase. “You don’t want to do that.”
“Oh, you have no idea how badly I want to drop her. I’d like to drop her sister, as well. You need to stay back, Cordell. I can barely hold on to her now.”
“Do what he says, Cordell. Please,” she called to him.
But he hardly seemed to hear her. “It doesn’t have to end like this,” he said, still moving toward them.
She saw Amy Sue come running up the stairs, but Cordell held her back with an arm.
“Nice party, sorry to ruin it,” Shane said, and Josie felt his hold on her loosen. Below her, Max and Rance had men moving the table and chairs that had been set up in the lobby out of the way. Shane wouldn’t be able to see what they were doing, but they were making a place for her to fall, she thought with a wave of terror. She heard dishes crash to the floor as they pulled several tablecloths from the tables, and now a half-dozen men were holding them directly under her.
Josie could feel Shane about to let her go so he could turn the gun on Cordell and her sister. She saw it as clearly as she’d ever seen anything. Her sister lying on the floor bleeding with Shane standing over her.
She nodded to Max and sank her fingernails into Shane’s hand around her waist. He let go immediately and she felt herself falling as gunshots rang out over the screams.
Then the back of her head connected with the balcony floor’s edge and everything went black.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Cordell knelt down beside Josie on the hotel’s lobby floor. He was still in shock. When Shane had let go of Josie and she’d fallen, Cordell had rushed the man. But Max and Rance had already opened fire on Shane, killing him before he could get another shot off—or Cordell could reach the man.
“Josie?” He could hear his brother and the deputy clearing the guests out of the hotel, but all he cared about was Josie being all right. “Open your eyes, Josie. Tell me you’re still with me.” Her fall had been broken by the men below holding tablecloths. Still, she’d hit her head on the way down, Cordell had been told.
