Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) by Lori L. Robinett Page B

“Bobby Rafferty is family.”
    She blinked but met his gaze. “I know. Not sayin’ anything against Bobby, but a deputy sheriff pulled in just as I was leaving, and I caught a new kid taking a picture of my rig.”
    Rondo rocked back in his chair and looked at the television. “You take care of the kid?”
    Lana swallowed hard. “Couldn’t.” Lana shook her head, angry at herself for feeling nervous. “That deputy pulled in and I thought it was best to get out of there.”
    He stroked his mustache a few times with stubby fingers, then said, “What’s done is done. We’ll let things cool off a bit there, but I’m not turning my back on Bobby Rafferty. You can take the next load to a different sale barn next time, but then we’ll go back to Rafferty’s place.”
    Lana pushed to her feet. It was just like Rondo to sit here like a king, giving orders and issuing edicts while she was the one out there on the front lines taking all the risks. “I’m not going back to Rafferty’s.”
    Rondo snorted. “Oh, yes, you will.”
    She’d been doing this for far too long. He might think he ran the family, but he didn’t. She was the one who took care of everyone. She was the one who scoped out the targets for their missions. She was the one who drove the truck. She was the one that knew where all their accounts were held. All that information was kept in a journal she kept under her seat in the big rig. And if he thought she was going to risk it all because he had some sense of loyalty to Bobby Rafferty, he had another thing coming.
    Besides, if she played her cards right, she might end up able to retire to a life of luxury now that Beau had a stake in that fancy schmancy horse ranch, the Diamond J.
    But before that could happen, she’d run one more load of cattle. And this time, the check would be made out to her, not Rondo.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    Toby's Birthday
     
    Gina waved the smoke away as she pulled the cake from the oven. “Damn it!” She dropped it on the hot pad and perched her fists on her hips, then glanced at the clock. Not quite 10 am. She shook her head.
    “Good thing you started early.”
    Gina turned as Midge walked through the door. “What are you doing here? You were going to watch the store for me.”
    Midge shrugged. “I left Dottie there. She’s there so much, she knows what to do. I thought you might need some help here.” Her gaze landed squarely on the dark rectangle of cake sitting on the counter, and she scrunched up her pixie nose.
    Gina pulled another mixing bowl from the cabinet while Midge rummaged for another box mix. The two worked together, Gina mixing and Midge adding ingredients. The only time they stopped talking was while the beaters hummed for two minutes. After Gina dumped the batter into the pan Midge had greased, she popped it in the oven and set the timer.
    Midge picked up a package of red and blue bandanas from the kitchen table. “You decided to go with the cowboy theme?”
    Gina nodded and pointed to a roll of baling twine. “Yeah, Toby is still into them. Thought we could drape the bandanas over this, to make a banner to hang there on the wall.”
    Midge grinned as she reached into her oversized tote. She produced a box with a family of model horses. “I got him a set of Breyers. I was going to wrap it up, but do you want to use it as a centerpiece?”
    “That’ll be great. I got a couple of little straw bales from the craft store the last time I went to the city. They’re in my bedroom on the dresser. Why don’t you go get them while I put the tablecloth on?”
    When Midge returned, she arranged the miniature bales with the model horses. “So, what did you get the little cowpoke this year?”
    “Not as much as I wanted. You know, it’s been a tight year, money-wise, but--” Gina’s eyebrows rose. “I got him a cowboy hat.”
    It was Midge’s turn to grin. “Red?”
    “You know it!”
    “I know it’s a touchy