Chapter Eight
Chance
“A woman, huh,” I said slowly, looking Andy up and down. “You guys sure? You sure it wasn't a teenage boy you just mistook for a woman?”
“Very sure. C'mon kid, you know how good a tracker I am. And if you don't believe me, you can go check it out yourself. But I think you'd come to the same conclusion, seeing as I taught you everything you know about trackin'.”
I chuckled, despite the severity of the situation. “Ah, Andy, I know, I know. It's just... weird... that a woman is behind this. Poisoning my Silver, y' know?”
He nodded, his face grim. “Well whoever that bitch is, we'll find her, son. We will.”
“I know. I just hope nothing else happens. We’re gonna have to be vigilant. These Circle B people don't have any reservations about gettin' dirty. And they're stepping things up. But we won't give up. No way in hell we’re gonna let 'em win.”
Andy looked me in the eye for a while and then nodded to himself.
“What's on your mind, old friend?” I asked.
He cracked a subtle smile. “You really are your father's son,” he said. “You remind me so much of the old man it's scary. He'd be real proud if he was still around. Yes sirree, he'd be real proud to see his son defending the family land like this.”
I clapped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “You're a good man, Andy, one of the best, and I'm glad you're still here. Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for my family.”
He shrugged. “Your granddad, he took me in off the streets when I was just a little kid. Without him, God knows where I would've ended up. I owe everything I am, everything I have, to your family.”
“And you've paid us back a hundred-fold with loyalty and hard work, Andy. I'm proud to have you.”
He smiled. “Ya’ll are family to me, kiddo. Always have been, always will be. And I don't let nobody mess with family. We'll take these Circle B snakes down, I promise you we will.”
“You're right about that, old friend. You're right about that.”
Andy tipped his hat and left me to ponder the situation for a while. Of all the people from Circle B who had pestered me about the land, not one had been a woman. They'd all been the same – shady lawyers in suits with briefcases. Whoever they had committing these acts of sabotage was likely an outsider they'd hired just for the job. And whoever she was, she was fast, silent, and thorough, and left almost no clues. But Andy and I, we'd find a clue, we'd find something, eventually. She'd slip up sooner or later, or we'd catch her in the act, of that I was confident. My only worry was that she'd be able to get away with more things – possibly even more heinous than the crimes she'd already committed – before we did.
I was still feeling a little groggy from the lack of sleep, and my thoughts were still a little disorganized. I checked my phone to see if there was anything important I needed to attend to, and I was pleasantly surprised – and a little nervous – to find a message from Mackenzie.
Maybe I hadn't blown it, after all. There was only one way to find out, though, so I opened the message and read through it.
I couldn't help but chuckle when she mentioned that she and her friend had run up a big bill on my card. I'd deserved it, so fair enough. She'd offered to pay me for it, but there was no way I'd take her money. It wasn't as if I was hurting for funds, and besides, it was the principle of the matter that was important. I'd acted like a bit of a jerk, so I deserved that.
What intrigued me most about the message was her request for me to prove that I wanted to see her again. Interesting. It seemed as if she was trying to keep some distance from me, and holding back. I could respect that.
I knew for sure that I wanted another date with her. Before last night's situation had erupted, I'd felt real good about chatting with her, getting to know her – not to mention just how stunningly gorgeous she was. So, the question in my mind now was, how was I going to prove to her that I really wanted to see her again?
I turned it over in my head as I got undressed and headed over to the shower to freshen up. The cold water – I mostly took cold showers, out of choice – would blast some freshness and alertness into my mind and body, and then I'd be able to figure out something good. Something that would win her over for sure. I knew that I could come up with something – it was just a matter of time and thought.
After I had got out, I did feel refreshed and energized, and my mind felt a lot clearer. Well, I guess I needed to approach this problem like I would any other: with logic and good old common sense. What meant the most to Mackenzie was her music, and I thought that the best way to demonstrate to her that I did care about her and wanted to see her again was to do something with her music.
I went to my computer room, turned it on, and looked up a few of her performances on YouTube. One of her videos with the highest view count was a cover of one of James Masters’ songs – a song that I knew well. In fact, I knew James personally – he had been a friend of my father's. I hadn't seen him for a few years, and since he was a famous singer and lead a busy life, he hadn't been around to the ranch to visit for years. Still, I had his contact information, and I knew that there was a possibility that I might be able to call in a favor with him. He did owe my family something of debt, as when he'd been a young man, prior to his singing fame, my grandfather had given him a job on the ranch when he was penniless. That's how he'd gotten to know my father, who was a teenager at the time. Years later, his music finally took off, but we'd given him a helping hand when he'd needed it, and he was a good man, so I knew that he'd return the favor.
I got out my old book of contacts – I preferred to keep 'em written down, old-school like, rather than just storing them on a phone or computer – and looked up James's number. I gave him a call, and couldn't help but smile when I heard that raspy voice greet me.
“Well, well, well, I see this call is coming from the Lawson ranch,” he said. “Is that you, young Chance?”
“It is, James. How've ya been? It's been a long time, old friend. I see you're still going strong with your music.”
“Hell yeah. Seventy-one years old, and still tourin' across the country. Did you hear my latest album?”
“Sure did! I've got a copy here that you need to come autograph!”
He chuckled.
“I sure do. I miss the ranch, I do. Spent some of the best years a' my life there. And I do miss your daddy and granddaddy. They were such good men. But I see you're continuing the family name with pride, Chance. They'd be real proud of you, son, real proud of you.”
“Thanks, James. Listen, I hate to do this, but I'd like to ask you for a favor. Just something small, and only if you can fit it into your schedule, which I know is real busy.”
“Well, I'd be happy to help a Lawson, I'll tell ya that. What is it that you need, young Chance?”
I went on to explain how he could help me, and I smiled when he responded.
“That sounds perfectly do-able, young Chance. Perfectly do-able indeed. I'll be in Nashville for three days from Friday. Can we make it work then?”
I scrolled through Mackenzie's Facebook profile, found what I needed, and then replied.
“Friday's perfect, James. Here are the details...”
***
I strolled into the bar and found it packed. There were easily seven or eight hundred people in here; it really was crammed full, wall to wall. I was happy to see this; Mackenzie would have a great audience for her show – and for the surprise that I'd set up for her. She wasn't the main act of the evening, but she was playing just before them. They were a well-known band out of Texas, doing a tour. Right now, a young local band was playing some fast Southern rock, and I couldn't help but tap my feet and nod my head to the beat as I made my way over to the bar, scanning the crowd all the while for a sign of Mackenzie.
I didn't have to look too far; as I pushed past a big, broad biker to get to the bar, I saw her right in front of me. I couldn't help but stare for a while, allowing my eyes to rove over her body. She was wearing tight jeans which accentuated the exquisite curve of her ass and her strong, curvy legs, while a form-fitting, flannel shirt showcased her narrow waist and slim shoulders. She was wearing a cowboy hat, from under which her chestnut hair, thick and wavy and silky, tumbled down over her shoulders. God, she was gorgeous.
She must have felt me staring because she turned around and looked at me. As our eyes met, I felt sparks shooting across the air between us. The connection was there, and we both knew it. We both felt it.
“Well, look who it is,” she said with a smile. “Hello for the second time, Chance Lawson.”
“Hello, Miss Shea,” I replied. “And let me start out by apologizing most sincerely for my behavior when we last saw each other.”
“Well, I have to apologize as well,” she replied. “And about that money—”
“No, we're square,” I said. “I won't accept a penny from you.”
“That doesn't mean you get to take me out again.”
“I know. You made it perfectly clear I should prove that I really did want to see you again.”
“And you think you're doing it now, by coming to one of my shows? I'm glad that you came, but it'll take a little more than that to impress me, Chance.” I smiled.
“You think I don't know that? C'mon now, don't underestimate me. I've got something planned. Something I think you'll like,” I assured her.
She smiled, and a rush of pleasure zipped through me. She really did have a gorgeous smile.
“And what might that be, Chance?” she questioned.
I shook my head. “I ain't saying a word now. It's a surprise.”
“Sometimes I don't like surprises.”
“Oh, you'll like this one. Say, what are you ordering at the bar? It's on me.”
“Just water. I never drink before a show.”
“Fair enough. I'll buy you a drink after you've played then.”
“Who says I'll allow you to do that?”
I grinned. “I think you will. I think you will.”
“We'll see about that.”
The bartender brought her a glass of water, and she took it and stepped away from the bar.
“I'll be heading backstage now. I'm up in ten minutes. Maybe I'll see you after the show... maybe.”
“Not a doubt in my mind,” I replied.
“We'll see,” she said as she walked away. “We'll see.”
I watched her go and then stepped up to take her place at the bar and ordered a beer. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself with anticipation. This was going to be some surprise – and I was pretty damn sure it was gonna work.
***
I sat at my table near the stage, totally mesmerized by Mackenzie's voice and music. She was so talented, so angelic, and so passionate up there that I couldn't help wonder how it was that she wasn't yet famous.
As the applause died down, she leaned forward and spoke into the mic.
“Thank you, thank you! All right, ya’ll, I've got one song left, and I'm gonna be playing a song I think ya’ll will know. It's an old song by James Masters, and it's a song that's real close to my heart. It's—”
At that moment a stagehand ran onto the stage and whispered something in Mackenzie's ear. I grinned and chuckled to myself. This was it – this was the moment I'd been planning. A look of sheer panic and shock passed over Mackenzie's beautiful face as some more stage hands ran out with an extra microphone and an extra chair, which they set down next to Mackenzie. And then, as James Masters himself walked onto the stage, the crowd went insane. Nobody here had expected this – especially not Mackenzie. Her jaw dropped in disbelief as she saw one of her music idols walking towards her with his guitar slung over his shoulder. They hugged briefly, and I thought I caught the sparkle of tears in her eyes. This was perfect.
A stagehand plugged in James's guitar and set his chair and mic up next to Mackenzie's. He leaned forward into his mic and addressed the crowd.
“Yee-haw!” he whooped into the mic, and everyone cheered. “This here pretty young thing has been playing a version of my song for a few years now,” he said. “And maybe ya’ll will like her version better, maybe you’ll like mine. But I'm an old man, and I ain't too good at learnin' new things, so how about we play it my way tonight?”
The crowd cheered, and he looked across at Mackenzie with a smile.
“Can you do it my way, with me?” he asked her.
Beaming an ear-to-ear grin at him, she nodded.
“Perfect. Well, let's get it on! This here song is called Thunder and Rain...”
He started strumming the opening chords, and immediately the crowd fell silent. Mackenzie played along, hitting the chords and rhythm perfectly, and when they began to sing together, I think everyone got goosebumps. It was that good. I sat, totally focused on the amazing performance happening in front of me, and when it was over, I, like everyone else, jumped up from my seat and applauded and cheered wildly. It had been perfect – just perfect.