Born To Be Wild by Patricia Rosemoor

Gramps, what’s up?”
    “I take it you haven’t found Lucy or you woulda called.”
    “No, we had a lead, but unfortunately it didn’t pan out.”
    “Figures.”
    Micah told his grandfather about the switched license plates. And about the strange note from Lucy. The old man grunted at the last.
    “I couldn’t just do nothing. So I got the family to agree to meet. You and Isabel have an hour to get to Soledad. We’ll be at the Gecko Saloon.”
    “You want to meet at a bar?” Micah sat and piled some potato salad on his plate. “What’s wrong with the ranch house?”
    He was picking up a fork when Gramps said, “We got to meet on neutral ground.”
    Micah pierced a chunk of potato, started, then let go of the fork. “Wait. I don’t get it. Who is we? You said family.”
    “Right. Lucy’s family. The Wilds and the Falcons. I went to the cemetery, had a talk with Hector this morning, asked for his help. And it came to me that we needed to work together to figure out who’s taken away our girl.”
    Micah had to question his grandfather’s mental faculties if he was turning to the ghost of his nemesis for help. He wondered if Hector had appeared to the old man, but was afraid to ask. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
    “The best I could do, boy. You got something else in mind?”
    “No, no. The more heads the better.” He couldn’t believe Gramps. After all these years, after all the bitterness between him and Hector, he was willing to let down his guard with the Falcons. For Lucy.
    If only it hadn’t taken something less terrible to prompt that, Lucy might be safe with them now.
    “See you in an hour…uh, nope. In fifty-three minutes.”
    “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
    Micah hung up and tossed his phone on the table.
    “We’ll be where?” Isabel asked, finally speaking up. “Soledad?”
    Micah nodded and started into his food. “Gecko Saloon. It seems Gramps called a temporary truce between the Wilds and Falcons so we can work together to find Lucy.”
    Isabel’s eyes widened. “Good Lord. I never thought I’d see the day.”
    “Me, neither. I didn’t think anything would ever be important enough to make that happen. Not even Lucy. Not until now.”
    He gazed at Isabel, hope blooming in his heart. If things went well, maybe, at long last, they’d have a fighting chance. To be together. To be a real family, as they were meant to be.
    The question was, did she even want a life together?
    Or had the time for that already passed them by…
    …
    “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing with that Falcon girl?”
    Micah whirled at his father’s demanding voice. Caught. He was in the barn saddling up Slade. It was late, after midnight, long after he was supposed to be in bed asleep. He had a passel of chores tomorrow, starting at dawn.
    Slade whinnied and Micah’s pulse jagged. “Dad, how did you find out?” He shouldn’t care what his father thought. He hated the damned meaningless feud between their families.
    “People gossip. You didn’t answer my question, boy.”
    Micah hesitated only a second. “I’m in love with Isabel Falcon.” He couldn’t hide the belligerence he was feeling. He wanted to add, “Deal with it!” but knew that would be pushing his luck too far.
    “Love, my ass! You’re too young to know anything about love!”
    “You mean like you and Eduard Falcon?” Jaw clenched, Micah turned away from his father and tightened Slade’s girth.
    “Don’t turn your back on me, boy! You don’t throw your dead mother’s memory in my face!” His father was winding himself up to one of his rages. “I loved Darlene with everything I had, and she loved me the same! Eduard Falcon didn’t deserve her. No matter how he tries to play it, she was never his to have. Now remove that saddle and let your horse back out to pasture. You’re not going anywhere tonight!”
    Micah faced his father. “You can’t tell me what to do anymore, Dad. I’m not a boy.