Gaylynn (Seven Sisters Book 3) Read online

  “That’s so sweet. My sister just married a man from Idaho, and he dotes on her. I need to find a love like hers. Or yours. I’d settle for either!” Gaylynn grinned. “My sister Jessica just found a nice man as well. It feels like everyone around me is getting married!”

  “Well, I noticed that Officer Jones was giving you some significant looks today. He wanted to get to know you better. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

  Gaylynn frowned. “No, he wasn’t. He was just working with me to try to get you and Joy settled and happy until Roger gets home.” She paused for a moment. “How worried are you about what Roger will do to Mr. Cooper if he’s not in jail?”

  “Very.” Tanya shook her head. “He’s a big guy. Six-foot six, and his muscles have muscles. He’ll chew Mr. Cooper up and spit him out, and then he’ll use what’s left of him to pick his teeth. I don’t want him to go to prison over some lowlife.”

  “We’ll do what we can to keep that from happening. I promise you.”

  “Good. I don’t mind going to the police station alone tomorrow. Not after how much you helped me today. I feel safer.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. I’m going to be working from ten ’til about five. You are welcome to be here.” Gaylynn led Tanya to a small cabinet. “There’s a key to this at the top of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Not inside it, but over it. Reach up there and grab it. I keep a handgun in here. Please feel free to get it out if you feel threatened in any way.”

  “I don’t know if I could do that.”

  “You could to protect your daughter. I saw it on your face this afternoon. I certainly hope it won’t come to that, but Joy is worth defending.”

  Tanya took a deep breath. “You’re right. I know how to shoot, but I’ve never pointed a gun at another human being. My dad thought every girl should know how to shoot.”

  “Good. My dad felt the same. Some of my sisters refused to learn, but I was happy to know how to defend myself. I always keep a gun in my home. I actually have one in my desk as well, in a locked drawer.”

  “I think that’s really smart. It’s weird that I didn’t feel as threatened when I was a single woman as I do now as a stay-at-home mom. People just really do strange things, don’t they?”

  “Yes! They do!” Gaylynn’s phone rang, and she hurried to answer it. “Hello?”

  “Is this Miss McClain?” It was a deep voice, and it sent a chill down Gaylynn’s spine.

  “Yes, it is. Who’s this?”

  “This is Officer Jones. We met earlier at Mrs. Walker’s apartment. Is she there with you?”

  “Yes, she is. Would you like to speak with her?”

  “No, thank you. Just remind her to go to the police station tomorrow to get the restraining order taken care of.”

  “Of course, Officer. I will.”

  “And I have a couple of questions for you.”

  “Anything you want to know.”

  “Do you like Mexican food?”

  Gaylynn blinked. “Mexican food? Of course, I like Mexican food. I’d be thrown out of Texas if I didn’t.”

  A soft laugh came from the other end of the line. “Then may I take you out for Mexican food during your lunch break tomorrow? You do get a lunch break, don’t you?”

  “Isn’t that a conflict of interest for you?” she asked.

  “Not really. You’re not a person of interest in a case, nor are you someone who has reported something to us. You’re just the friend of someone who needed help. So what do you say? Lunch tomorrow?”

  Gaylynn bit her lip, wondering if it was the right thing to do for just a moment. “Yes, that would be fine. Do you want to pick me up at my office? Or should I meet you somewhere?”

  “I’ll pick you up. I work the evening shift, so I have time. When is good?”

  “Say one? And I’ll be at my office.” She rattled off the address of her office, her eyes meeting Tanya’s.

  Tanya gave her a thumbs up. She’d obviously understood exactly what was going on from just the one side of the conversation.

  “Sounds good. I look forward to seeing you, Miss McClain.”

  “It’s Gaylynn. If you’re taking me for Mexican food, you definitely have to call me Gaylynn.”

  “Then call me Zach. Sleep sweet, Gaylynn.” With those words, the line went dead.

  “Umm . . .”

  “Officer Yummy just asked you out, didn’t he?” Tanya clapped her hands together. “He’s the nicest man. He’s always the one who comes when I call, and he takes the lead. His partner just kind of stands there, but Officer Jones is amazing.”

  “Yes, he asked me out. We’re going out for Mexican for lunch tomorrow, but I’m not sure you can even call a lunch date going out. It’s more of a meeting for business purposes. You know?”

  “No, I don’t know. A lunch date is a date the same as a dinner date. With him working the evening shift, he’s taking you out at the first opportunity and not waiting until the weekend. I think that’s very romantic.”

  “I don’t see myself dating a cop. Maybe I should tell him no when he comes to pick me up. The stress it must cause when you never know if your boyfriend is going to come home has got to be ridiculous.”

  “Sure, he’ll always come home. If he has you to come home to.”

  Gaylynn grinned at Tanya’s words. She wished she could believe they were true. Tanya was definitely a romantic, though, and who could blame her? Her Roger sounded amazing.

  The evening flew by with the three of them watching TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes together. Joy giggled and giggled, and when eight rolled around and it was time for her to take a bath and go to bed, she hugged Gaylynn. “Thank you for letting us stay here where we can feel safe.”

  Gaylynn felt tears prick her eyes at the little girl’s words, and she hugged her close. “Be good for your mama now. I’ll see you in the morning.” She got up and did the dishes while Tanya oversaw Joy’s bath.

  When she’d finished, she went in her room to lay out clothes for the next day. Usually she wore one of her business suits to work, but she wanted to feel a bit less structured for her lunch date. There was something pretty special about Zach Jones, and she was willing to dress up for him.

  She found a floral print dress with a full skirt that flared slightly when she spun around, and a pair of heels. She’d wear the back of her hair in a French braid, and the front would be feathered and worn high. She knew it would look good!

  Then she found a book and laid it on the bed. Usually she read psychology books before bed, but she was going to read a romance novel. Her sister, Marti, had given her a few, and she needed to get her head out of her work for a little bit. A romance novel was just what the doctor ordered for that.

  The phone rang, and she reached for the phone on her nightstand. “Hello?”

  “I’m looking for my wife. This is Roger Walker.”

  “Yes, of course. I’ll get her.” Gaylynn called out for Tanya. “It’s Roger.”

  “I’ll take it in the living room.” Tanya hurried into the other room, and Gaylynn hung up as soon as she realized Tanya had the phone.

  Tanya came to her bedroom door after she got off the phone a few minutes later. “I want to thank you again for all you’ve done for us. I thought I was going to your office just to talk to you about how hard things have been, and I ended up finding a new friend. It means a lot to me.”

  Gaylynn smiled. “It means a lot to me, too. I have six sisters, and each one of them makes friends easier than I do. They’re all my friends, but it’s uncommon for me to make a friend of someone who isn’t already friends with one of them.” She frowned for a moment. “You’re not friends with any of my sisters, are you?”

  Tanya laughed. “I really don’t think so, but I guess it’s always possible.”

  “Do you want to play a game before bed? I have cribbage, or we can play any other card game, I guess. Any interest?”

  “Sure. I love cribbage.”

  Gaylynn got the boa
rd and a deck of cards, and the two of them sat together, playing for a while. As they played, they talked. Tanya told her about her near-perfect marriage. “It would be perfect if Roger had a job doing short-hauls. But he’s on the road for three weeks at a time, and it gets lonely.”

  “I can see that. Has he always been a truck driver?”

  Tanya nodded. “It was what he was doing when I met him, and I’ve always respected him for it. He’s a hard worker, my Roger.”

  “I’m glad this is his weekend to come home. It sounds like you need him right about now.”

  “Yes. He’ll be home for a full week, but then he’ll be back out on the road. If Mr. Cooper isn’t in jail before Roger gets here, I’m really afraid he’ll be dead before Roger leaves again.”

  Gaylynn didn’t say what was going through her mind. As a counselor, she always had to be cognizant that her opinions carried a lot of weight. “I’m hoping they can find cause to arrest him. I’ll work on Zach about that at lunch tomorrow.”

  “No, you will not! You’re going out with Zach as a woman who was attracted to a police officer, not as my friend. You go out with him, and you have fun. I don’t even want to be mentioned.”

  “I’ll do my best.” Gaylynn wasn’t sure what else to say. At that point, the only things she and Zach had in common were Tanya, Joy, and Mexican food. She didn’t think they could converse for too terribly long on Mexican food.

  “I’ll go to the police station right after I drop Joy off at school. You live three blocks from her elementary school, but I’m not letting her walk. I can’t trust that she’ll be safe.”

  “How long have you lived in Bagley?”

  Tanya sighed. “Six months. We moved here right before school started because the school district is supposed to be so good. We wanted to make sure that Joy had the best start she could get.”

  “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve never seen anything like this happen. I know you’re scared now, and you have every right to be, but I hope after he’s behind bars, you’ll see what a wonderful little town this is.”

  Tanya smiled. “I’m sure I will. I’ve already found someone that I think could end up being a life-long friend.”

  “I like the sound of that. Life-long friends don’t come along every day.”

  “No, they really don’t.”

  They continued to chat and play until well after eleven. Finally, Gaylynn yawned. “I’m going to be worthless to my clients tomorrow if I’m not rested. I will see you in the morning.”

  “Sounds good. And I want every single detail of your date with Officer Jones. I need to know if he’s the kind of guy who pulls out chairs and holds doors, or if he’s a dud.”

  Gaylynn laughed as she picked up the game to put it away. “I really hope he’s not a dud. My dad would never approve of me marrying a dud, even if he does carry a gun and can protect me.”

  “I need to meet your family. A man who teaches his daughters to shoot—but only if they want to learn—sounds like an amazing father.”

  “Oh, he is. He’s an Atari game designer.”

  “Well, of course he’s awesome then. I can kick your butt in Space Invaders.”

  Gaylynn laughed. “We’ll see about that tomorrow night!”

  Chapter Three

  Gaylynn took special care with her appearance the next morning, wanting to look her best for Zach. It seemed strange to call a policeman by his first name, but it was even stranger to call the man she was dating Officer Jones. No, Zach was what she needed to call him.

  When she walked into her office, her receptionist grinned at her and let out a low whistle. “Hot lunch date?” Lisa asked.

  Gaylynn blushed, trying not to be obvious, but how could she help it? She and Lisa had known each other since high school.

  “Maybe.” She walked into her office and took her seat behind her desk, wanting everything in just the right place when her first client showed up for the day.

  Lisa chased her in, carrying the files for her five clients she’d see that day. “Maybe? Are you kidding me? You’re telling me more than that, or I’m going to have an aneurysm. Do you want my death on your conscience?”

  Gaylynn laughed softly. “Yes, I have a lunch date. He’s picking me up here at the office, so you can meet him.”

  “Does he live here in town? Who is it?” Lisa’s eyes were wide. She’d married her high school sweetheart and started having babies as soon after graduation as she could manage. She talked a lot about living vicariously through Gaylynn. Of course, they both knew that Lisa actually dated more than Gaylynn. She had a monthly date with her husband, so they could take a break from the kids.

  “I honestly don’t know if he lives in town, but he does work in town. I met him yesterday. His name is Zachary Jones.”

  Lisa squealed softly. “Zach is my neighbor. He does live in town! He bought the old Wilder place. And the way he looks in his uniform . . .” She fanned her face as if to indicate that Zach made her feel very hot and bothered.

  Gaylynn eyed her friend and employee for a moment. “Does he have women around a lot?”

  “I don’t know that he’s dated since he moved here. He’s a super-quiet neighbor. We’ve had him over once or twice for supper, and I really like him. I think he and Steve will end up being great friends.”

  “That’s good to know.” Gaylynn wanted to ask more, but what was the point? She could ask Zach anything she wanted, and she’d see the truth when he answered her. Maybe that was the point of her new power. People wouldn’t ever be able to lie to her. “It’s time for my first appointment. You’d better go woman the front desk.”

  Lisa got to her feet. “I want every detail about this lunch date when you get back. If I give you a miniature tape recorder, will you tape the whole thing for me?”

  Gaylynn rolled her eyes and made a shooing motion with her hands. She couldn’t quite prevent the slight giggle that escaped her lips. Despite how hard yesterday had been with Tanya and Joy, she was walking on air today. She couldn’t wait until lunchtime.

  After her last appointment before lunch, Gaylynn ducked into the tiny bathroom in the office and checked her hair. It was a little flatter than it should be, so she pulled a small can of hairspray from her purse and went to work on it, making sure it looked just as it should.

  When she stepped out into the waiting area, Zach was calmly leaning against a wall, talking to Lisa. He straightened up as she walked into the room, his eyes meeting hers. “You look beautiful.”

  Gaylynn blushed. “Thank you. I have two hours for lunch today.”

  Lisa shook her head. “You just had a cancellation. You have three.”

  Gaylynn faltered for a moment. She wouldn’t have told Zach that, but she understood that Lisa wanted her to have just as much time for this first date as possible. “I do have some work to do, so you’re not required to keep me out for the full three hours.”

  “What if I want to?” Zach asked.

  She shrugged. “I guess that would be all right.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He nodded to Lisa. “I’ll see you around.” Walking to the door, he held it for her, wondering if she would call him on it. It was hard to know if women wanted you to open doors for them because it was polite, or if they wanted to open their own because it was a feminist thing. Eighties women were confusing.

  Gaylynn thanked him politely as she preceded him out the door. “Which car?” she asked softly.

  He led her to a two-door Toyota and opened her door for her. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  She grinned at him. “Women who say they’re not hungry before a meal have either already eaten or are lying to you. Trust me. Women love food just as much as men do. They just like to pretend they don’t.”

  He grinned. “I’ve noticed that, but I never say anything. I’m afraid to!”

  Gaylynn laughed softly. “You should be! Women feel really strongly about hiding the fact that they have an appetite. We’re all supposed to be the siz
e of a Barbie doll for some absurd reason.” She wasn’t sure why she was talking about women and their appetites, but it was better than talking about some other things, she supposed. Her sister Rebekah would probably have been talking about people bleeding out. She was obsessed with nursing, and now that she’d decided to go to med school, it was even worse.

  Zach pulled up in front of the Mexican restaurant, simply named Comida, which meant food in Spanish. He’d discovered it the day he moved to Bagley, and it was his mission to eat there at least four times per week. “This place has got to be my favorite Mexican place I’ve ever eaten at.”

  She grinned. “We had open campus in high school, and I’d come here with a couple of friends almost every day. The waitresses know me.”

  “So you’ve always lived in Bagley?” he asked. “Does that mean you’re related to the people who own the McClain Boys’ Ranch?”

  “Yeah, my aunt and uncle run it. My cousin Peter will take over next month after he gets married.”

  “I bet it’s hard on a new marriage to take over such a huge business and responsibility for all those boys.” Zach put his hand on the small of her back as he followed her into the restaurant.

  Gaylynn shrugged. “You know, it’s the way it’s always been done. He’ll be the fourth generation McClain man to run the Boys’ Ranch.”

  “The way things have always been done is not necessarily the best way to do things,” he said softly.

  “I agree. That doesn’t mean my cousin does. It’s something he’s always known would happen.” She wasn’t about to get into how strange the McClains were and had been for generations on the first date. That sort of conversation needed to wait for the fifth or sixth. Why scare them off so soon?

  Celeste smiled at them both. “Our two best customers are here together. This makes my heart happy!” She led them to a quiet table off in a corner of the restaurant. “Root beer and Dr. Pepper. I will be back with both.”

  Gaylynn grinned at him. “I’m not a fan of Dr. Pepper.”