Another up, hope you enjoy.

She woke up nestled in his arms and for a moment, forgot everything else.

C.J. smiled as she felt his body stir next to her own and his soft breath against her skin.

"Houston, you up?"

"Just about," he said, moving about while careful not to let her go.

"Thanks for last night."

"C.J…we didn't do very much," he said, "We just slept together."

"We what…because I don't remember anything," she said, "just that I fell asleep feeling really good."

They had stayed up late last night talking about anything but the idea of her losing her freedom if she were convicted of Dylan's murder. But it had proven to be so hard for her to stop thinking about all she had to lose including the man with his arms wrapped around her. Because life wasn't fair for that to happen after it had taken them so long to find each other.

So they had slept together…well not really but it had been nice anyway.

"I forgot to tell you last night," she said, "Your confrontation with Zeke had hit the rumor mill. Alexis told me she heard about it."

"It's always been a small town and not much else to do when the sun goes down."

She wiggled around to face him.

"Oh really…"

He smiled and they kissed. As he smoothed her hair back with his fingers, she closed her eyes.

"Houston…"

"Mmmm… what?"

"About last night," she said, "I'm sorry, I…I love the way you make me feel but…"

He kissed her forehead.

"You're not ready for more and that's okay C.J.," he said, "I know how hard this has been for you."

She sighed.

"I can't think ahead to the rest of my life with this hanging over me," she said, "And you're part of that future that I want so much."

"C.J…you're not going to go down for this," he said, "We're going to get these charges dropped and find the real killer."

"I know…but if someone's been framing me, they've been doing a great job," she said, "and I don't know who would want to do that."

"Nadine maybe…"

"I don't know…she was really angry at Dylan for cheating on her and for other things…but he had other people mad at him."

"If he blackmailed people," Matt said, "I didn't get anywhere with Jack. He always acts like he's running for office."

"He always is Houston," she said, "the life of a politician involves figuring out how to say in power. And this time, he wants to be the state attorney general."

"A high profile murder conviction would benefit him," Matt said, "but he must know the risks of putting his eggs in that basket."

"That's if he loses or gets embarrassed at trial and the press picks up on it," she said, "then that might derail his election prospects."

"He's definitely connected to Dylan in some way," Matt said, "He got so defensive when I brought him up."

"I suspected they were," she said, "but I need proof and that's a long way off."

She had wondered how his meeting with Jack had gone because when they had met up again, they had just wanted to forget all that for a while and spend time together. They had been outside on the veranda doing some kissing and more talking and she felt incredibly happy and secure, but the uncertain future always waited on the edges of everything else waiting to take it away. She had a lot of faith in Matt and Roy as well as Rusty to help her but she still felt the pressure she faced in the days and weeks ahead.

"You remember any contacts between them when you worked for Jack?"

C.J. furrowed her brow.

"I think I heard Dylan's voice a couple times but I didn't check to see for sure," she said, "I wouldn't think they'd necessarily want to be seen together. They certainly didn't circulate in the same crowd."

No, they hadn't, Matt thought. Jack had spent most of his time hanging with his father and his political circle learning the ropes for the purpose of following in his father's footsteps.

"So do you think Jack could have done it," C.J. asked.

"Possibly or he could have hired someone to keep his hands clean," Matt said, "I like to say he wouldn't but at this point, we can't eliminate anyone."

C.J. extricated herself from his embrace and slipped out of bed. He just looked at her.

"Where you off to," he asked.

She smiled back at him.

"I'm still dressed," she said.

"I noticed."

"And we've got to get some breakfast and go out and help Bo and Lamar with the horses."

He sat up in the bed while she gathered some things and headed to the shower. The morning would pass quickly with the work that they had to do with the ranch hands and then maybe this afternoon, they could set out to see if they could examine the lot where Dylan's remains had been found.

But he hadn't worked with horses in a while since he had moved off of his ranch to adopt the more urban lifestyle so he looked forward to it.

C.J. met him in the kitchen to fix up a mess of eggs and bacon before setting on outside. Bo and Lamar awaited them in the kitchen and Matt caught them disagreeing on which yearling would garner the highest price in the auction ring.

"Guys, I looked them over," C.J. said, "and I don't think that's an argument that can be settled in a kitchen."

Bo looked up at her.

"That 'ol Wild Cat stud sired some good looking colts," he said, "But they inherited his temperament."

This meant they could be a handful and unpredictable to boot when it came to training them. But then you always had to be careful around purebred quarter horse yearlings no matter what bloodlines ran through their veins and she had the scars to prove it. Still she enjoyed the challenge of working with such beautiful and spirited creatures and she knew Matt did too.

At least here she didn't have to worry about being the lone women in a bunch of men like she had in her younger days. Not that she hadn't been able to handle herself and most of them but at least now she didn't have to worry about that.

After they all ate a delicious breakfast, they headed towards the barn to get their horses so that they could ride out and find a small herd of yearlings to guide on back to the paddocks. C.J. tacked up a buckskin gelding that she had used the last time she had stayed here and Matt followed her with a roan mare.

A crisp morning greeted them although the sun had already begun its ascent and its assault on the valley. C.J. clucked to her horse and rode off and Matt did the same.

The yearlings, in different shades hung out near where the remaining grass grew under the shade of several trees. They rode their horses on the perimeter of their group.

"I'll take this side," C.J. said.

Matt nodded and took the other flank. The yearlings stopped nibbling in unison and just looked at them but not too warily.

"They're pretty aren't they?"

"Sure are," Matt said, "They've done a good job since Uncle Roy's been away."

The yearlings finally got a move on trotting in more or less a straight line as they headed back to the paddock areas.

"I miss horses."

Matt heard the wistfulness in her voice. He had a bunch on his ranch outside of L.A. but had sold them with the ranch.

"My uncle can sell you one at a good price."

"The city's no place for them," she said, "though maybe… I sure miss that ranch."

"I only sold it because I didn't have time to tend it and Bo and Lamar had returned to Texas."

She nodded.

"I know…but I was just thinking that maybe when I get back to L.A., I'll look at some land."

"You looking to buy some?"

"Possibly," she said, "If I get out of all this of course. I'd love to buy a spread out of the city and raise some horses, just a small band and maybe have a garden."

"You have done some thinking," he said, "It's be a great place to raise a family someday."

Her mouth widened into a smile.

"Oh it would, would it?"

"Plenty of clean air and open space to run around in," he said, "Best way to grow up."

She agreed.

"So how many kids do you think?"

He thought about it.

"Six or seven…"

Her mouth fell open and then she saw the merriment in his eyes.

"Well maybe not quite that many," he said, "but I missed having siblings growing up."

"Me too," she said, "So maybe we can start at two or three and negotiate from there.

"Fair enough, sounds like a plan."

C.J. felt some hesitation at that word because it implied thinking about the future, that she and they had one together. She could almost see it but then reality interrupted.

He smiled widely and pulled his rein short on his mare as they reached the paddocks.

Later, she and Matt got in the truck and headed out towards the vacant lot where they had discovered Dylan's body. The lot had been purchased by an out of town developer with plans to enliven Wild Fork by building a strip mall. Of course, after the discovery of a body had turned it into a crime scene, those plans had to wait. Matt saw the dirt spit of land that had been ripped up in spots by a bulldozer and he saw an area that had been cordoned off with crime scene tape.

"Must be where the body turned up," he said.

"Everyone used to play pick up baseball or football games here," C.J. said, "but someone clearly thought it would keep their secret."

"It nearly did," Matt said, "If someone hadn't come here with plans to turn this into another Abilene…"

C.J. just looked out towards the pile of dirt and rocks that sat on the ground, waiting for cleanup. Thinking that Dylan's grave hadn't been the only secret left there. He had taken others with him when he met his violent end.

A car pulled up behind and then beside them. They looked at the deputy who sat behind the wheel of the squad car. He didn't look too friendly.

"What are you doing here," he said.

"Just driving through," Matt said, "It's a public street the last time I checked."

"Well she's a prime murder suspect so she shouldn't be anywhere around here."

"Said who," C.J. asked, "My bail terms state I just can't leave the county without permission from the judge."

The deputy looked antsy but at least he didn't have his hands near his gun as far as Matt could tell.

"Look are you going to sit here and interview us or are you going to go about and do your job?"

"This is my job," he said, "MY assignment is to provide security in this area."

"From what," Matt said, "All the possible evidence has already been removed and catalogued."

"It's on order of the Sheriff and the D.A."

C.J. and Matt looked at each other.

"What exactly is going on here Deputy…Chavez?"

"Nothing…just doing my job."

Matt looked at the young man and wondered if he had ever seen him before.

"How long have you been working here?"

Chavez just frowned at them.

"Three years."

So no, Matt hadn't met the guy before, it figured.

"You never met or worked with Dylan then."

The deputy shook his head.

"Before my time," he said, "but I heard he was only part-time."

Matt got the impression that meant that Chavez didn't consider Dylan real law enforcement.

"They said he had just split," Chavez said, "But I guess we all know where he really was all this time."

"I heard his personnel record wasn't so great."

Chavez narrowed his eyes.

"He had some complaints," he said, "We all get them. Some people usually bad guys just hate the cops."

"How many hated him," Matt pressed.

The deputy paused and Matt didn't know if he would answer.

"Just some drunks he kicked out of bars and some women needing attention…"

Matt looked up.

"You mean his wife?"

Chavez shrugged.

"You mean Nadine…yeah she showed up quite a bit…complaining about him…even that he hit her a couple of occasions…but you know how women act…"

No Matt didn't know but he decided that any reproaching of the deputy would have to wait. C.J. just looked like she wanted to dropkick him.

"Other women too?"

Chavez nodded.

"Just that he hit a couple of waitresses at the Wrangler when it was time to close," Chavez said, "when he got drunk."

C.J. remembered those days and she had heard about the assaults but nothing had ever been done and at least one waitress had gotten a larger bonus at Christmas that year.

"Then there was another woman who complained that he attacked her…not much there…"

Matt furrowed his brows.

"Any more information on that incident," he said, "like a date or name of the victim?"

Chavez shook his head.

"It wasn't viewed as being credible…"

Matt wondered why and looked over at C.J. but she just looked out the window. Chavez finally said he had to be leaving and just told them to be careful where they drove. Matt just watched him drive off down the street. He glanced over at C.J. who had been awfully quiet for a while.

"You okay?"

She didn't look at him but nodded.

"It seems that Dylan had a record of violence towards women…"

"So it seems…"

Matt digested that and what he heard in her voice. He worded his next question carefully.

"Is there anything about Dylan that you haven't told me?"