Stripped Naked (Naked Cowboys) Read Online Free Page B

anything.”
    “Good enough. I’ll tell Neil and Greg to get these lookie loos moving on their way out of here. I’ll be in the office when you get back.”
    Then, with emotions that were definitely mixed, he walked across the road to Jinx Malone’s car to give her the promised interview. He just hoped his cock would get the message his brain was sending it.

Chapter Two
    Jinx tossed a handful of copies of The Hill Country Herald in her car. She’d managed by the skin of her teeth to change the front page of the newspaper before the print run. Now her story and Lew’s photograph—such as it was—took up the entire front page above the fold. It wasn’t The New York Times but it looked pretty damn good, if she did say so herself.
    The phone had started ringing in her office on Friday afternoon as soon as the paper hit the stores that carried it and went live on the website. By Saturday when people fished it out of their mailboxes she was sure she’d heard from every single resident of Rowan County.
    No, she had no idea who the victim was.
    No, the sheriff didn’t have any additional information yet.
    Yes, he was trying to identify the body. Did they think he was an idiot?
    Yes, she hoped to have more to report by next week’s newspaper.
    With all the questions and emails, Jinx wondered if maybe she should start an update site online for the Herald. Lew, who she discovered loved all things electronic, would probably jump at the chance to manage it. She pulled out her cell phone and made a note on her Reminder list to talk to their web designer about it.
    For the first time since the discovery of the body, she felt she could draw a full breath. She’d known it would be like that. The residents of Rowan County were chewing over the murder like vultures over the carcass of a dead animal.
    Says a lot for the excitement level around here.
    This afternoon she’d finally made time to stop in at Wally’s Western Wear and treat herself to a new pair of boots—with definite heels, thank you—and jeans that weren’t left over from high school. Now she was more than ready to kick back for the evening and enjoy some great Texas beef. She wondered if Amy would make some of her world-class margaritas? The two of them had certainly drowned their share of sorrows in them. But even if it was just barbecue and beer Jinx was definitely up to it.
    She was proud of the way she’d handled getting the paper out, proud of the way she’d managed to take hold of things, and happy with the way she looked when she left the house. She found the local country rock station on her radio and punched up the volume. As she ate up the miles on the county highway, she let the music roll over her, even singing along with some familiar lyrics. For the first time since she’d crawled back from New York to lick her emotional wounds, she felt good. Even lighthearted. Maybe even on the way to happy.
    She turned into the entrance of the Montgomery ranch and followed the winding gravel driveway to the cedar and limestone house, a warm-looking building with a welcoming wraparound porch. Two super-cab pickup trucks with the Montgomery Ranch logo on the door were parked in a gravel area just to the left of the house along with one that had Stark Ranch on it. There was a fourth one, no name on it, and Jinx wondered if Amy had invited someone else for dinner. Maybe someone they’d gone to school with.
    Conversation drifted out from the backyard but she couldn’t identify voices. Oh, well. Whoever it was, she was determined to enjoy her evening. She lifted the double chocolate cake from the back seat of her car, stuck the newspapers under her arm and headed toward the sounds of the conversation. She had just rounded the corner to the patio when she caught sight of a familiar figure and nearly dropped the cake.
    Fortunately, Amy spotted her and hurried to take the dessert from her with a big grin.
    “Ooh! Chocolate cake. Yummy.” She set it down on a table.