Ambush Before Sunrise: Bonus Story (Cardwell Ranch Book12; Montana Legacy

and T.D. get up in those mountains trying to sabotage Jinx and her cattle drive, anything could happen,” Patty had insisted as she’d walked him to the door. “Accidents happen. No one even knows who did what.”
There was no mistaking what she’d asked him to do for her. Kill Jinx. As if the woman was Patty’s only problem. It astounded him that she didn’t know T.D. at all. Even if Jinx wasn’t in the picture, T.D. wasn’t going to marry her. He’d string her along until he found someone else he thought he deserved more. Then he would break her heart all over again. But this time Wyatt would be there to pick up the pieces. Unless he let Patty down now.
He saw T.D.’s pickup parked in front of the bar and their friend Travis getting out of his rig to go inside. He pulled in, honked his horn and Travis stopped to wait for him.
That he’d even given a second thought to Patty’s favor was insane. He couldn’t kill anyone, especially his best friend’s wife, he told himself as he climbed out of his truck in the glow of the neon bar sign. Why would Patty think he was capable of such a thing?
Because she knew how much he wanted her.
Patty was the only woman in town who saw him as anything but a shy, awkward cowboy who lived with his mother when he wasn’t working on some ranch or another. She was offering him something he’d only dreamed of for years. He could still taste her on his lips as he and Travis pushed into the bar.

Chapter Three
As T.D. finished his beer, he tried to understand where he’d gone wrong. Too bad his father wasn’t still around. His old man would have told him how worthless he was, happily listing every mistake he’d ever made, and the list was long.
He’d thought marrying Jinx would change him. Even his father would have been surprised that a woman like Jinx would have given two cents about him, let alone married him. But now she was divorcing him, proving that his father was right. He didn’t deserve Jinx. He really was worthless.
But Patty aside, he wanted to argue that he’d been a pretty good husband. Just not the one Jinx wanted. He ground his teeth at the thought. What the devil had she wanted anyway? A man she could boss around? Or one who would take over the ranch and run it the way he saw fit? He could run that ranch with one hand tied behind him—if she’d give him another chance. So he’d made a few mistakes when she’d let him run it. He wouldn’t make those mistakes again.
He fumed at the thought of the way Jinx had treated him at the end. He’d looked into her beautiful face and he’d seen the disgust he’d grown up with. He wasn’t good enough for her, never had been, her look said. He saw that look every night when he closed his eyes to try to sleep.
The only thing that kept him sane was drinking. If he drank enough, sometimes he’d pass out and didn’t have to see that look.
“Another beer,” he said, banging his empty bottle hard on the bar and getting a side-eye from the bartender.
“You’ve had enough,” Marty said as he came down, a bar rag in his hand. He picked up the empty bottle. “I told you I was only serving you one. Why don’t you call it a night, T.D.?”
“What don’t you—” The rest was cut off as his two friends came in on a rush of spring air. He could see how this was going to go if he stayed. He was in one of his tear-this-place-apart moods.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said to his friends, sliding off his stool before they could join him. “If they don’t want our business here, we’ll take it somewhere else. Anyway, there’s free beer at Patty’s. She’s a little mad at me, but I still have my key.” He picked up his change, leaving no tip for Marty as he pocketed the few coins. Marty acted as if he didn’t care. He seemed glad to see him go.
“Why don’t we go to my place?” Travis suggested. “I’ve got beer and there’s no one there to give us any trouble.”
T.D. laughed. “Good idea. I need to let Patty wonder where I am for a few days anyway.”
Outside, the cold spring night air took his breath away for a moment. Warm, summerlike weather was a good two months away in this part of Wyoming. He started toward his pickup when he spotted the sheriff standing across the street leaning on his cruiser. He swore under his breath. The SOB was just waiting for him to get behind the wheel. Harvey had been laying for him, hoping to catch him at something so he could throw his butt behind bars.
T.D. laughed. “Let’s walk. It’s a nice night,” he said to his friends.
“Are you kidding?” Travis squawked. “It’s freezing out.”
“Man up,” T.D. said as he gave Travis a playful shove and then the three of them were making their way down the street, leaving their vehicles parked in front of the bar. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done that before on those nights when they were too drunk to drive home.
“You’re awfully quiet,” T.D. said, throwing his arm around Wyatt’s shoulder. “I’d suspect you had woman trouble if I didn’t know you better.” He laughed at his own joke as Wyatt shrugged off his arm.
“I might surprise you someday,” Wyatt said.
“Right,” T.D. said with a chuckle. “But in all seriousness we need to talk about tomorrow. I hope you’re both ready to ride up in the mountains. We’ve got to catch up with Jinx and do a little damage.”
“What kind of damage?” Travis asked, sounding worried.
“You know,” T.D. said, feeling the alcohol he’d consumed. Sometimes it made him feel invincible. He was going to show everyone, especially Jinx. “Get ready