Read Ten-Gallon Tensions in Texas: A Kate on Vacation Mystery (The Kate on Vacation Mysteries Book 3) for Free Online Page A

armchair. A wooden rocking chair sat at the other end of the sofa. Joellen took the armchair. Kate and Skip perched on the edge of the sofa.
    “I’m helpin’ Sheriff Gutierrez out,” Skip said. “He asked me to find out what happened to your daddy’s .38.”
    Joellen was silent for a beat. “It was a .38 that killed Sam then?” When Skip nodded, she continued, “Ain’t seen hide nor hair of Daddy’s gun since a year or so before he died.”
    ‘What’d he do with it then?” Skip asked.
    “I haven’t a clue,” Joellen said. “Maybe he sold it or gave it to somebody.”
    Kate noticed several pictures on the fireplace mantel. She pointed to one of them. “Is that your son?”
    “Yes.” Joellen rose from her chair and took down one of the photos. She handed it to Kate. “This is my favorite, taken last fall at the Cowboy Festival.”
    The boy looked to be about twelve, in that pudgy preteen stage just before his first adolescent growth spurt. He wore a red Western shirt, leather chaps, a Stetson a tad too big for his head and a huge grin.
    Kate smiled at their hostess and opened her mouth to compliment the boy.
    The subject of the photo rounded a corner into the living room. In gray sweats, his hair sticking up and pimples on his broad face, he barely resembled his younger self of just six months ago.
    “Why y’all talkin’ so loud? You woke me up.”
    Joellen glared at him. “Samuel Francis Beauford, that was rude. You apologize right now.”
    “Sorry,” the kid mumbled and disappeared around the corner again.
    Joellen turned to them.
    Kate hoped she had sufficiently wiped the surprise from her face. The boy was Sam Beauford’s son!
    “Please excuse Sammy. His father’s death has hit him hard.”
    Skip rose. “No problem. Thanks for your time.”
    Kate also stood and handed the framed photo back to its owner. “We’re sorry for your loss.”
    Joellen gave a slight shake of her head. “I guess hearing he’d been killed shook me some last night, but I’m over it. That man was more trouble than he was worth.”
    “Still, it’s hard to lose somebody whom we’ve loved in the past,” Kate said.
    Joellen gave her a weak smile as she ushered them to the door. “Thank you for your kind thoughts.”
    When they got back to the house, both Suzanne’s car and a sheriff department’s cruiser were parked out front. Skip pulled their rental into the driveway, behind his mother’s SUV.
    They heard the raised voices even before Skip could open the kitchen door.
    “I told ya I don’t know what happened to the damn gun!”
    Skip swung the door open. Jimmy stood in the middle of the kitchen, toe to toe with José Gutierrez.
    The sheriff stepped back. “How many beers have you had this mornin’?”
    “None a yer business,” Jimmy yelled.
    Skip strode across the room and stuck an arm between them. José backed up another step. Skip prodded his brother-in-law farther away from the sheriff. “Take a deep breath and calm down.”
    Jimmy sucked in air, then blew it out. Grimacing, Skip jerked his head back.
    “One of your salesmen said he saw a bulge in your pocket,” José said, “when you left the car lot yesterday.”
    “Yeah, I had it with me then, but somewhere durin’ the afternoon, it must’ve fallen outta my pocket. I couldn’t find it when I got home.”
    José scowled at him. “So there’s a loaded gun lyin’ on the ground somewhere. That’s just great.”

CHAPTER SIX
    Once the sheriff had left, the Canfield clan hustled to get ready for the family picnic.
    “Edie, Billy, put your swimsuits on under your clothes,” their granny called out. “At some point, I’m sure the kids’ll be goin’ swimmin’ in the pond.”
    “What pond?” Kate asked Skip.
    “There’s a duck pond in the park. Kids swim there all the time.”
    She wasn’t too sure how she felt about her children swimming in a pond full of duck poop.
    “Don’t worry,” Skip said. “There’s only a few resident