Modern day

"God I hate that bitch."

Slim poured C.J. a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. They had viewed the wreckage after Serena Gambacci had left the building. The two of them had walked in from the helipad to see the heiress preparing to exit after what must have been a passionate interlude with Matt.

He of course was sitting buck naked save his favorite cowboy hat in the hot tub. When he saw them, he ducked his head beneath the bubbling waters. Rather out of embarrassment or regret for giving in to Serena's song, they couldn't tell. Soon after he reached for his clothes and used them to shield certain vital bodily parts while he made his exit to the gym downstairs. Not before flashing the women a hint of his backside.

C.J. looked…of course she looked. How could she not? It didn't mean anything after all except that she had eyes and an appreciation for the male body.

But damn she hated Serena on sight. The typical spoiled rich princess who'd made her life miserable while she'd been growing up in Southern Texas. Growing up without parents and wearing hand me downs to school. The rich crowd had teased her over it until she'd punched Taffy the Queen bee of that hive in the face.

Serena never had that benefit and she would have had Matt by the nose ring if he'd been a prize bull. Damn she was so disappointed in him…for being a man.

"They must have gone at it on the sofa…after she walked in on him drinking Scotch," Slim said, eying the half empty bottle and glass on the bar.

"Guess they never made it downstairs…"

Down the winding staircase behind the waterfall where Matt stashed his love nest for the ladies. He'd said it would be a crash pad for those late nights he put in as a CEO of Houston Enterprises. Yeah right…when he hit the sheets after burning the midnight oil, it was hardly ever alone.

So he'd hooked up with Serena. C.J. didn't even want to imagine what that must have been like. A high maintenance girl like so many of the socialites who attracted Matt's attention. He knew how to please them in the sack…she knew that herself during that one night years ago. ]

Still none of them seemed to last long.

"He'll drop her," Slim said, "he's no more monogamous with women than with his fleet of cars."

"True…but seriously she's the number one suspect in her father's murder," C.J. said, "and she has the strongest motive, billions of dollars."

"She could buy a country with that dough…if there's one for sale."

C.J. snorted.

"Or an island…instead she's seducing Houston…not the world's toughest job."

Slim eyed her more closely.

"Sounds like you know."

C.J. bit her tongue. She didn't kiss and tell after all. She kept her affairs very private especially the short ones. It'd been a one nighter after all. A one-nighter and a potential complication. Still, years later she and Matt were best friends and business partners.

They'd made millions and built lives for themselves in the golden state…why mess all that up by hitting the sheets?

Matt and C.J. went to the party to scout out all the suspects. Professionally speaking, though when C.J. said she might start getting phone numbers, he got a little perturbed. The men all looked at her appreciatively as soon as she walked into the room. C.J. always did attract attention from the opposite sex.

He got hit on by Serena again but he'd rebuffed her accusing her of only impersonating a human being…but later on he'd hit the couch with her undone by her nubile body and her seductive tone. It'd been fun but when he woke up the next morning with a hangover he had no intentions of a repeat performance.

C.J. had fed him a raw egg in some of the hair that bit the dog in an attempt to get him back on his feet. He'd ordered that bucking bronco gizmo favored by urban cowboys and had it set up in his gym so he could get in some much needed practice time before winning back his money by taming Gut Buster…the ill-tempered gelding that had dropped him on his ass more times than he could count.

"Houston…you think you're any closer to figuring out who did it?"

He sighed after gulping down the concoction she'd whipped up for him and noticed she'd put in more than the usual dab of tabasco sauce.

Damn that packed a punch!

"I'm thinking everyone did it," he said, "Might just be a case of who drew their gun the fastest or who got there first. Gambacci wasn't a well-liked billionaire."

"I bet his daughter did it."

Matt winced.

"C.J. I just don't see Serena blowing him up from across the room," he said "More like she'd slit his throat in his sleep."

She chuckled.

"That's not charitable about a woman you just knocked boots with Houston."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I don't think I was wearing my boots."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Houston…well what about Karen Ann then?"

Matt sighed.

"He was blackmailing her," he said, "Threatening to blow her cover as America's sweetheart if she didn't do what he wanted."

C.J. went to pour herself a Scotch.

"You didn't…"

He frowned.

"No…she's a very lovely lady but this is just business…"

"Like Serena?"

He didn't respond to her bait wondering what had gotten into his associate. Sure she was feeling punchy after she'd fleeced him out of his money in the bronco wager and for getting more phone numbers at that wing ding than he did…but why was she hitting him so hard for his slip up with Hurricane Serena?

"Nah…I like Karen Ann…and I wish I could help her. But she's got motive to kill the man…like half of L.A."

C.J. paused.

"Well what about Wildcat Callahan?"

He heard how carefully she worded it because she knew the guy had saved his life. Matt must have had a reckless childhood with all the people he owed for saving his life from famous chefs to mercenaries.

"He's got motive too," Matt said, "There's something off about those champagne bottles only I can't put it all together."

She patted him on the shoulder.

"You will Houston…just keep at it."

She turned to leave the suite.

"Where you going C.J.?"

"Out…"

"Out where?"

"None of your damn business," she said, "I'll be there on time for Laurie's birthday party."

He nodded not really pleased but he still needed to go do some more homework for the party…and pick up that gift from his buddy Vince Novelli if it was needed.

C.J. and Slim sat on the railing while they all waited for Matt to try riding that crazy bronco again. They all bet that he couldn't stay on for 10 seconds…a sure thing as she saw it. She hated betting against her best friend but while he knew his way around a horse, his staying power…let's just say it worked better in other areas.

They both nursed a cold beer listening to city slicker Vince mumble about not knowing nothing about horses.

"Man it must have been real tough for him to find out the truth about Wildcat."

C.J. sipped from her long necked bottle.

"Real tough…he disappeared for a while afterward."

Slim nodded.

"Yeah he took his Porsche out for a drive and actually returned with it in one piece."

"Wildcat saved his life though," C.J. said, "when Laurie's real father took a shot at him again."

"What did he have against Houston anyway? It's not like he was the one who slipped her a mickey and then took blackmail photos."

"Yeah…but maybe fathers are protective about their daughters…like my daddy was before he died."

Her voice trailed off…not her favorite memory. But what she saw at the age of six, well no child should ever have to watch their father die.

"I guess so…"

They both turned to watch Matt come out chaps and all aboard Gut Buster who not only didn't buck him off he let him ride him around the correl.

"Damn it…," C.J. said, "I should have known…when he asked for double or nothing this time he had something up his sleeve."

Slim sighed.

"There goes my surfboard money," she said, "at least Cal's taking me out to some place real special. He wants me to move with him to Hawaii."

C.J.'s eyes widened.

"Wow…that serious…you just met him last week."

Slim shook her head.

"Last month…when you and Matt were buying up that hacienda in Baja…before some drug cartel blew it up."

"Tax write off…"

C.J. prepared to jump off the fence after a triumphant Matt relieved them of their money. Then the most amazing thing happened…Gut Buster remembered his rep and tossed Matt on his ass

The dust flew up when Matt landed as his friends all laughed at him. Life was back to normal after all.

"Hey C.J…"

She looked to see a rather battered Matt walk up to her.

"What is it Houston?"

"Say you wouldn't want to go out to get some barbecue about now."

She tilted her face.

"At Tex's Place?"

He nodded, brushing the dirt off his chaps. He'd always looked damn fine in them even back then. But…

"Sorry Houston…I'm heading off to Mama's. She's teaching me how to make pizza and I promised her I'd take her to a club afterwards."

"Mama wants to go clubbing?"

C.J. laughed.

"Don't sound so amazed Houston…we do it at least once a week."

"I didn't know that…"

"There's a lot about me you don't know," she said, "I'll see you tomorrow morning bright and early about the new case…"

She walked away leaving a dusty cowboy in her wake.