When she woke up a couple of hours later, she decided it was time to put on her big girl pants and deal with this like an adult. So she went to the bathroom, wiped her face, and brushed her teeth for good measure. Going downstairs, she made a fresh pot of coffee and sat down to wait for Sean to come home.

Midway through her third cup, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Katy, how are you doing, darlin'?"

"Just fine, Sheriff. And you?"

"Doing fine, doing fine. Say, listen, Katy, I hate to call you this late at night, but I'm having a bit of a problem that I am hoping you can help me with."

"Sure, Sheriff. What can I do?"

"Say, umm, is Sean still bunking up at your place?"

"Yeah, is this about him? Is he OK?" Her panic was instantaneous.

"Oh, he's fine, but Katy, he's down at Sue's Tavern, and I ain't ever seen him like this. I was hoping that you would be able to come down here and pick him up? I’d really hate to have to haul him in."

Already grabbing her keys and purse, she replied, "No problem, Sheriff. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Katy; I’m sure he'll appreciate it come morning."

With a bitter laugh she said, "I doubt it, but I'm coming anyway."

Walking out the door, she checked the knob, making sure it was locked, and walked to her car. She could not believe the way the day had turned out. Clicking the unlock button on her key ring, she caught the reflection of something against the gravel drive by her rear tire.

Curiosity had her digging her phone from her purse and pushing a random button to light the screen so she could see what it was.

Confusion set in as she found a screwdriver. Although it dissipated quickly, as she also found her almost new tire with a hole punched in the side.

Letting out a yell of frustration, she walked the perimeter of the car, finding the remaining three tires in similar shape.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" she yelled out into the dark night.

Furious beyond comprehension, she made her way to the barn to get the ranch truck, not even thinking of any dangers lurking in the shadows. Infuriated at the audacity of whoever kept doing these things, her brain did not even process anything beyond anger. The danger of the situation wasn’t anywhere near her mind.

In a daze, she started the truck and turned her headlights on as she crossed over the cattle guard and floored it.

Before enough time had passed for it to be legally possible, she hit town and in mere minutes had pulled into the dirt parking lot.

She could hear the music through the building’s thick walls. With the windows on her truck down, she pulled into the empty parking spot next to the Sheriff’s cruiser.

Killing the truck, she walked into the bar. As the door closed behind her, the acrid smell of burning tobacco assaulted her nostrils, the music reaching almost painful decibels as it pounded her ears, as the bass vibrated through her body. The room was dark but for the lamps hanging above the pool tables and the strategically placed neon beer signs hung on the walls encompassing the breadth and width of the bar.

Stopping just inside the doorway, she searched the crowd for one face, his face.

Couples circled the dance floor, two-stepping and twirling around in time to the song playing. Loud voices rivaled the blasting speakers and beer bottles clanked as a small crowd sitting at a table against the wall drew her attention. A hand grabbed her arm.

She looked up in alarm to see the sheriff, who motioned her to the bar and ordered them a beer, while they sat down on the bar stools.

"Now, Katy, I feel like it’s my duty as a cop to point out that you had to be speeding a lot to get here this fast."

"As it's my duty as your goddaughter to point out your beer, which I know Thelma does not approve of. I know, Sheriff; I kind of got a surprise on my way out the door, and it made me so mad I didn't even realize how fast I was going."

"What kind of a surprise?" he asked with a worried look.

She looked around to make sure no one could overhear them.

"Remember the state of my house the other day?"

At his nod she continued, "When I walked out the door to get in my car, I found a screwdriver on the ground by my tire. All four of them were flat. Identical holes in the side of each one."

Immediately straightening out of his lazy slouch, his back became rigid.

"Where’s the screwdriver now?"

Thinking about it, she realized she had never picked it up.

"Well, I guess it’s still on the ground by my rear drivers’ side tire. I didn’t even think to pick it up. I was so angry I went straight to the barn to get the ranch truck."

Pulling the police radio from his belt, he raised it to his mouth, pausing to ask, "Did you see anyone?"

"No, I didn't even look for anyone."

Pressing the talk button on the radio, he said, "Dispatch, I need someone over to the Dunlap place, pronto. Someone punctured Katy's tires with a screwdriver, last seen on the ground beside her rear drivers’ side tire."

"10-4, Sheriff."

"I want confirmation as soon as the officer gets there."

"Sure thing, Sheriff."

Replacing the radio on his belt he said, "Darlin’ girl, I think we'd better get Sean into your ride and head out to your place."

"OK."

Leaving the untouched beer on the bar, she turned around to look for Sean.

"He's right over there, life of the party tonight, he is."

Walking to the table he indicated, the one she had noticed when she entered, she pushed through the crowd to find Sean in a chair, a well-known bar fly on his lap, arms around his neck.

"Sean."

He looked up through bleary eyes trying to focus on the source of her voice. Reaching up, he rubbed an absent hand across his eyes.

"Peach?"

Coming to stand next to his chair, angry more than she should be and more than just a little hurt by his behavior after the kiss they'd shared, she let jealousy overwhelm when she spoke through clenched teeth, "Unless you'd like to go to jail, I suggest you take your butt to my truck. I’m leaving right now."

Turning away, she stomped from the table, so angry that her hands were shaking.

"Just who the heck does she think she is? Ordering you around and telling you what to do? She’s got some nerve. Why don't you have another drink, darlin’, and I’ll take you home later. Guarantee I’ll be more fun to be around."

Indignant at the way the other woman had dared to speak in such a loud voice, making sure she had been heard, Katy stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she slowly retraced her steps. The people surrounding the table took a step back, people she had known her whole life who had never seen her quite so angry.

"Woo, look who's coming back. Got something to say, rich bitch?"

Sean just sat there, perhaps too drunk to understand what was going on but maybe, just maybe, waiting to see how it would pan out.

He wanted the old Katy? By God, he was going to get her.

Stopping right in front of where the other woman now stood, right in front of Sean's chair, Katy tore into her. "Look, you little two-bit bar whore, you don't know anything about me or Sean. You think you would be more than a one-night stand? He would not be caught dead with you during the daylight. How many beers did you have to feed him to get that close? As for who I think I am, I am the person who has been that jackass’s friend his whole life. And as his friend I came here in the middle of the damn night to drive him home because Sheriff says he's too drunk to drive, and obviously he doesn't think you're that great an option either."

Pointing her finger in the other girl’s face, she continued, "Don't ever let me hear you talking about me again, because I may have money now, but I was brought up on a ranch, lugging feed bags and pulling calves, and I’m pretty sure I can take you here and now or any other time."

In shock, she stood there with her mouth hanging wide as Katy looked over her shoulder at Sean, who had stood up at some point during the tirade.

"You know what, Cowboy? It was a mistake. Plain and simple. But you succeeded in one thing. The old Katy is back. Guess I should thank you for my backbone. You just stay here with your bar fly, and I’ll head on home. I hope she remembers to bail you out tomorrow, but just remember one thing; I've always been here, waiting for you. You. Not the rodeo star. She's only after your money and your reputation."

Turning, she hurried away from him for the second time in one night with him in hot pursuit, calling her name.

As she exited the bar walking dejectedly to her truck, sure that they had fed the gossip mill for a few more weeks at least, the sheriff rushed passed her, hurrying inside. Turning around, he all but ran up to her right as Sean caught up.

"I was coming inside to get y'all. Katy, the screwdriver was gone, but y'all should get back to the spread pretty quick."

Turning to Sean, he said, "Look, Sean, I'm sorry, buddy but whoever punctured Katy's tires did a number on your house."

Confused, Sean looked back and forth between the two of them trying to understand. "Someone punctured your tires?"

"Yeah, it’s a long story."

Turning to the sheriff, she asked, "What's wrong with Sean's house?"

Shaking his head in a regretful way, he said, "By the time the officer got there, it was fully engulfed in flames. He called the fire department, but by the time they got there, there was nothing left but rubble. It burnt to the ground. You are real fortunate that whoever did this didn’t hurt you, too. They had to have been around there somewhere."

"Wait, are you saying someone burnt my house down?" Sean was still struggling to connect the dots.

"I’m sorry, son, but yeah, I've got some of my boys out there right now, but so far all they've found is some tire tracks. We need to go ahead and head out there. I want you guys safe while the area is secured, and I’m posting an officer outside. We don't want this person getting any closer until we figure it out."

"OK, Sheriff, let’s go."

Hopping into the truck, they slammed the doors and followed the sheriff at top speeds to get there. The sheriff running his lights and sirens got them there quickly. Neither Sean nor Katy said a word the entire drive home.

Pulling into the driveway, they saw that his childhood home had been reduced to a pile of burning embers and a heap of charred wood, the frame of the house standing only out of sheer stubbornness.

Killing the truck, she got out and motioned for Sean and Sheriff to come inside. Walking into the kitchen, she reheated the pot of coffee and gathered some mugs. Pouring the steaming black liquid into the mugs, she made her way to the table and walked over to give Sean a hug.

"I’m so sorry, Sean. So sorry."

Kissing her forehead, he brushed the hair away from her face tenderly and asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you OK, Peach?"

She nodded.

"I’m sorry; I never should have left you here alone. You could have been hurt or something worse. I cannot lose you, Peach. I just seem to keep messing this up. You have to know that you’re—"

Sheriff came into the kitchen with two of the officers who had worked the fire, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

"We'll talk later, OK?" Sean finished his sentence.

She nodded again, then he surprised her by gently kissing her on the lips in front of everyone before he let her pull away to go fix two more cups.