Czytaj książkę: «Stockyard Snatching»

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

It was a bitterly cold early October morning. The temperature gauge on Dallas O’Brien’s dashboard read 17 degrees, beneath a gray sky thick with clouds.

As it turned out, the Lone Star State had a temper and its tantrums came in the form of cold snaps that made him miss having a winter beard. Dallas hated cold.

Yesterday, the sun had been out and he had been in short sleeves. Texas weather—like life—could turn on a dime.

Another frigid breeze blasted through Dallas, piercing his coat as he slid out of the driver’s seat and then closed the door of his pickup. He flipped up the corners of his collar. Since there was no traffic, he’d made it to the supply store in record time. Normally the place would be open, but Jessie had been running late ever since his wife gave birth to twins early last month.

A car tooled around the back of the building and across the parking lot. Was that Kate Williams, the proud owner of the soup kitchen, The Food Project? Dallas hadn’t had a chance to meet her yet, with everything going on at the ranch after his parents’ deaths.

A female came out of the driver’s side, rounded the car and moved to the rear passenger door. From this distance, Dallas estimated she wasn’t an inch more than five and a half feet tall. He couldn’t see much of her figure through her thick, buttoned-to-the-collar, navy blue peacoat. Her cable-knit scarf looked more like an afghan wrapped around her neck. He suppressed a laugh. Apparently, she didn’t do cold any better than Dallas.

From what little he could see of her legs, she had on blue jeans. Furry brown boots rose above her calves. She wore expensive clothing for someone who owned a soup kitchen. And apparently—Dallas glanced at his watch—that process began at five thirty in the morning.

This had to be her, he reasoned, as she pulled a baby out of the backseat, bundled from head to toe in what looked like a fitted blue quilt. Blue.

A boy?

Didn’t that twist up Dallas’s insides?

First, his ex Susan Hanover had dropped the bomb that he was going to be a father. Then she’d pulled a disappearing act. And even the best private investigator money could buy hadn’t been able to locate her or the baby since.

Knowing Susan, she’d been lying to trap him into a wedding ring. Dallas’s finger itched thinking about it.

With her and the baby gone, all he had left were questions—questions that kept him tossing and turning most nights.

What if she’d been lying? What if she hadn’t? What if Dallas had a child out there somewhere? What if his child needed him?

Dallas would never be able to rest until he had answers.

Walking away from a child wasn’t something an O’Brien could ever do. Dallas had already lost his parents, and family meant everything to him.

As Ms. Williams closed the door to her vehicle, shivering in the cold, a male figure emerged from around the side of her building. The guy had on a hoodie and his face was angled toward the ground. His clothes were dirty, dark and layered. He was either homeless or trying to look the part.

The guy glanced around nervously as he approached Ms. Williams.

Didn’t that get Dallas’s radar jacked up to full alert? He strained to get a better view. Come on. Look up.

All this guy would have to do would be ask Ms. Williams a question to distract her—say, what time the place opened. She would answer; he would rob her and then run. There were plenty of places to disappear downtown or in the neighborhood near the stockyard.

It would be a perfect crime, because not only was she holding a baby, but her thick clothing would weigh her down, making it impossible for her to catch him.

Well, a perfect crime if Dallas wasn’t right there watching.

Then again, this really could be a man in need of a meal. Experience had taught Dallas not to jump the gun when it came to people. There was no shortage of homeless, even in a small town like Bluff, Texas.

The times he had driven by this location early in the morning and found the line of needy individuals stretched around the block were too many to count. He was pretty certain Ms. Williams’s neighbors on Main Street didn’t appreciate her clientele. None of them would be wandering through the stores after a meal to buy handmade jewelry or quaint Texas souvenirs. These businesses were important to the local economy.

Just then, the hooded figure lifted his head and made a grab for the baby.

This wasn’t a robbery; it was a kidnapping.

Dallas spewed curse words as he ran full throttle toward them. “Stop right there!” he shouted.

Ms. Williams fought back and her attacker shifted position, ensuring she was between him and Dallas.

The baby cried, which seemed to agitate the attacker. Ms. Williams kicked the guy where no man wanted the tip of a boot. He coughed, then cursed as he seemed to catch sight of Dallas out of the corner of his eye.

The man shouted as he struggled to take the baby out of Ms. Williams’s arms. “Don’t come any closer!” His voice was agitated and Dallas didn’t recognize it. Must not be someone local. The guy forced the woman back a few steps with him, a knife to her throat. “I didn’t want to do it like this, but now she’s coming with me.”

The baby wailed and Dallas came to a stop.

This situation had gone sour in a heartbeat.

To make matters worse, all Dallas could see clearly of Ms. Williams was a set of terrified blue eyes staring at him. She had that desperate-mother look that said she’d do anything to save her son. Dallas’s heart squeezed as she held tight to her baby with the determination only a loving mom could possess.

He hoped like hell she wouldn’t do anything stupid.

Tires squealed from behind the building and Dallas instantly wished it would be his best friend, Sheriff Tommy Johnson. No way would Tommy be dumb enough to come roaring up, however. His friend was smarter than that and a better lawman.

A vehicle rounded the corner and lurched to a stop nearby. The white minivan’s sliding door opened.

The attacker broke eye contact to look. If Dallas had a shot at taking the guy down, he’d grab it.

“Toss your keys to me,” the kidnapper shouted to him.

Dallas dug a set from his pocket and pitched them forward.

If he didn’t make a move soon, this jerk would disappear into that van with mother and baby. She’d most likely be killed and her body dumped before they left the county. Dallas had read about vicious illegal adoption rings in the area and stories of mothers being killed for their infants.

Between the hoodie pulled over the thug’s forehead and the turtleneck covering his jaw, Dallas couldn’t get a good look at his face. The guy glanced away again, as if calculating the odds of getting inside the vehicle before Dallas could catch him. Then he bent to grab the keys.

It was now or never.

Dallas lunged toward his target and knocked the guy’s arm away from Kate’s throat. The sheer amount of fabric she had wrapped around her neck made certain the blade wouldn’t get anywhere near her skin. For the first time in his life, Dallas thanked the cold weather.

Breaking free, Ms. Williams bolted toward her car, while trying to soothe the crying infant.

In the bustle, the attacker broke out of Dallas’s grip and darted toward the vehicle. Damn. No plates.

“The sheriff is on his way,” Dallas said in desperation, knowing full well his target was about to hop into that van and disappear.

Just as expected, the guy hurled himself in the open door and, without waiting for it to close, shouted at the driver to go. On cue, the van swerved, then sped away.

Dallas muttered a curse. Pulling out his cell, he told Ms. Williams to stay put. Even though his pickup wasn’t far, he couldn’t leave her to give chase. No way would he risk this guy circling back or sending others to finish the job. Dallas would have to stay with her to ensure her safety.

At least this morning wasn’t a total bust. The baby was safe in his mother’s arms. Dallas could call his friend the sheriff, who would track down the minivan while Dallas guarded Ms. Williams.

“Where are you?” he asked as soon as Tommy picked up.

“A couple of blocks from Main Street,” the lawman replied. “Why? You okay?”

“I’m in the back parking lot of the soup kitchen and a man just tried to abduct Ms. Williams’s baby. There’s a white Mazda minivan heading in your direction. He hopped inside it before I could get to him. No tags in front,” Dallas reported, noticing for the first time that he was practically panting from adrenaline. He took a deep breath and then finished relaying the details of what had just gone down.

“Is there a high point you can get to for a visual on the minivan?” Tommy asked.

Dallas kept an eye on Ms. Williams as he climbed on top of the closed Dumpster to see if he could spot the vehicle. She had managed to settle the baby. Dallas was certain her hands would be shaking from her own adrenaline, and he was grateful for the few extra minutes he’d get while she fumbled with securing her son in the car seat. The panicked look on her face said she’d get as far away as possible the second she could.

“No. I don’t see him,” Dallas said.

“I’m on Main now. A couple of blocks from your location, but I don’t see anyone on the street.” Tommy asked Dallas to stand by while he gave his deputies a description of the vehicle. “I’m sending someone over to you just in case the guy is on his way back or sends someone else.”

“Call me back when you know anything. I have to check on Ms. Williams and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid,” Dallas said, knowing full well that her eyes would haunt him if he didn’t ensure she was okay. It would be a long time before he shook off the image of those frightened sky blues, and he had to admit to being a little interested to see what the rest of her face looked like. He told himself it was protective instinct mixed with curiosity and nothing more.

Besides, she’d been as blindsided by all this as he had. He hopped down and jogged toward her sedan. “Ma’am.”

She spun around with a gasp. “Kate. It’s Kate.”

He brought his hand up, palm out, to help communicate the idea that he wasn’t there to hurt her.

“I’m Dallas O’Brien.” He offered a handshake. She was most likely still in shock, and from the look of her wild eyes, she was in full get-the-heck-out-of-Dodge mode. “The sheriff is sending someone over to talk to us.”

She stood there, frozen, for several seconds, as if her mind might be clicking through options. She didn’t seem to realize there was only one: talk to Dallas.

“Do you know who that was?” he asked, figuring he already knew the answer. But he wanted to get her talking.

“No. I’ve never seen him before in my life.” Her breath was visible in the cold air as she spoke, and even though she had on a thick layer of clothes, she was shivering. That, too, was most likely caused by residual adrenaline.

“First of all, I want to make sure you and your baby are safe. Can we go inside the building?” Dallas’s own adrenaline surge was wearing off and he was starting to feel the biting wind again. He’d stay with her until law enforcement arrived and then he’d get supplies and head back to the ranch.

“Okay. Yes. Sure. I was going in anyway before—” She stopped midsentence, as if she couldn’t bring herself to finish.

Then another round of panic seemed to set in.

“No. Never mind. We have to go somewhere else,” she insisted, her gaze darting from left to right.

“He’s gone. They won’t be back, especially not while I’m here,” Dallas stated.

“You can’t know that for certain,” she said quickly.

“Kate, I can assure you—”

“No. You can’t. We can talk, but we have to do it somewhere else.” She glanced about, her terror and desperation mounting.

Dallas’s cell phone buzzed. He fished it from his coat pocket and checked the screen. “This call is from the sheriff. I need to answer.”

She nodded.

“Give me some good news,” Dallas said into the phone.

“Wish I could. Seems your white Mazda minivan is just as slippery as your suspect. There’s no sign of either anywhere. We have no plans to give up searching. You’ll be the first to know when we locate him,” Tommy said with a frustrated sigh.

Dallas thanked his friend for the update and then ended the call, cursing under his breath.

An expectant victim stared at him, needing reassurance.

He shook his head.

“I have to get out of here before they come back,” she said, making a move toward the driver’s side of her sedan.

“Hold on,” Dallas cautioned. “What makes you so sure he’ll try again?”

Chapter Two

“I feel too exposed here. Can we go somewhere besides my soup kitchen? I need to get away from this place,” Kate blurted out. It was then she realized that she’d been holding her breath. She exhaled, trying to calm her rapid pulse.

“A deputy is on his way,” the handsome cowboy said, and his name finally sank in. Dallas O’Brien. She knew that name from somewhere. But where?

Her mind raced. She was still shocked that anyone would try to rip her baby from her arms in the middle of town. She’d waited so long for him, had been through hell and back. What kind of horrible person would try to take him away?

Tears threatened, but Kate forced herself to hold them at bay.

“My son will need to eat soon and I’d rather not feed him in the parking lot, whether a deputy is coming or not,” she said, glancing from Dallas to Jackson.

The cowboy looked around and then checked his watch. “Fine. We’re going to the sheriff’s office to give statements, then,” he said.

Jackson would be safe there, so she nodded.

“I don’t have a child safety seat in my truck, so we’ll have to take your car,” he added, his voice sturdy as steel.

As calming as his presence was, her body still shook from fear of that man coming back and the horror of him trying to pry Jackson out of her arms.

“You gave him your keys,” she reminded Dallas, wasting no time slipping into the driver’s seat, while he took the passenger side of her sedan.

“Those? That’ll get him into my old post office box,” he said with a wry grin. It was the first time she really noticed Dallas’s good looks. He had a strong, square jaw and intelligent dark eyes.

“I’d like to go home,” Kate said as she turned the ignition. “Can the deputy meet us there?”

“Too risky,” Dallas said.

It took a second for her to realize that he meant the men might know where she lived.

Could they?

Being single and living alone, she’d taken great pains to ensure her personal information remained private. Then again, with the internet these days, it seemed there was no real privacy left, and most people in the small town knew each other anyway. All a determined bad guy would have to do was ask around and he’d be able to figure out where she lived.

“All of Jackson’s supplies are there, except what’s inside the diaper bag in the backseat,” she said as she pulled onto Main from the alley.

Dallas surveyed the area and she realized that with her driving, he would be able to keep watch for the minivan in case it returned. She racked her brain, trying to figure out how she knew him.

“We can pick up new diapers if need be. I don’t want to go to your place until we know it’s safe. For now, take a right at the next stoplight,” Dallas said. He sent a text and she assumed he was telling the sheriff about their change in plans.

Normally, being told what to do was like fingernails on a chalkboard to Kate. In this case, she decided it was better to do as Dallas said. At least he was strong and capable. She already knew he could handle himself in a fight, and he had just saved her and Jackson, so she knew she could trust him.

“Three blocks ahead, take another right, then a left at the stop sign,” he instructed.

She did. The horror of what had just happened was finally sinking in and it dawned on her how lucky she’d been that someone was there to help.

“I owe you an apology for being rude to you. Thank you for stepping in to save my son,” she said. “You didn’t have to get involved.”

“You’re welcome,” Dallas replied. “I’m just glad I was there to help. I don’t normally go to the supply store on Wednesdays.”

“Your change of plans probably just saved Jackson’s life.” She shivered at the thought of what might’ve happened if this cowboy hadn’t been there to intervene. “I know it saved mine.”

Reality was setting in, which also made her realize there was no one to open the kitchen this morning. She needed to call her assistant director or dozens of people would go hungry.

“I have to make sure the kitchen opens on time. Is it okay if I make a quick call before we go inside?” She parked in the lot of the sheriff’s office and gripped the steering wheel. “A lot of people are counting on me for a meal.”

Dallas nodded, while staring at the screen of his cell. “Make an excuse as to why you can’t do it yourself, and put the call on speaker. I don’t want you to give away what happened yet. Got it?”

She shot him a sideways glance. “Why?”

“That was a planned attack. Those men knew exactly when and where you’d be alone. The sheriff will want to know if someone close to you gave them that information, and we have to assume it could’ve been anyone, even people you trust.”

An icy chill ran down her spine. “You think one of my employees might’ve supplied that?” she asked, not bothering to mask her shock. Who would want to hurt Jackson or her? He was just a baby. Her mind could scarcely wrap around the fact that someone had tried to take him in the first place. Panic flooded her at the memory. “Who would plan something like this?”

“The sheriff will help find the answer to that question,” Dallas said, his voice a study in composure, whereas she was falling apart.

“None of this seems real,” she said, bile rising, burning her throat. “I think I might be sick.”

“Take a few deep breaths.” His voice was like calm, soothing water pouring over her.

She did as he suggested.

“Better?” he asked.

“Yes.” She apologized again.

“Don’t be sorry for wanting to protect your child,” Dallas said. And there was an underlying note in his tone she couldn’t easily identify. Was he a father?

“You have every right to be upset,” he said.

“It’s just that I moved here for a safe environment.” And now it felt as if everything in her life was unraveling. Again.

“Who are you going to call to open the kitchen?” Dallas asked.

Oh, right. She’d gotten distracted once more. Her mind was spinning in a thousand directions. “Allen Lentz. He’s my second in command and my right hand.”

Her phone weighed almost nothing and yet shook as she held it. She paused. “You don’t think...?”

“Get him on speaker.” There was a low rumble to Dallas O’Brien’s voice now, a deep baritone that sent a different kind of shiver racing down her spine—one that was unwelcome and inappropriate given the circumstances.

Her rescuer’s name seemed so familiar and she couldn’t figure out why. Wait a minute. Didn’t his family own the Cattlemen Crime Club? She’d received an invitation to a Halloween Bash in a few weeks, which was a charity fund-raiser, and realized that she’d seen his family name on the invite.

In fact, her kitchen was one of the beneficiaries of his family’s generosity. She hadn’t met any of the O’Briens yet. She’d read that they’d lost their parents in an accident a few weeks ago.

So far, she’d dealt with office staff, even though she’d been told that the O’Briens personally visited every one of the charities they supported.

She hadn’t expected Dallas O’Brien to be this intense, down-to-earth or staggeringly handsome. Not that she could think of a good reason why not. Maybe since he’d grown up with money she’d expected someone entitled or spoiled.

And yet now wasn’t the time to think about how off her perception had been or that her pulse kicked up a few notches when he was close. She chalked her adrenaline rush up to the morning’s events and closed the door on that topic.

Lack of sleep was beginning to distort her brain. No one had prepared her for the fact that she’d worry so much or rest so little once the baby arrived. No way would she admit defeat to her parents, either. They’d been clear about how much disdain they had for her decision to have a baby alone. Her mother had been mortified when she found out Kate was getting a divorce, so adopting a baby by herself was right up there on the list of ways she’d let her mother down.

Kate had expected her mom to come around once she met Jackson, but was still waiting for that day to happen.

This battle was hers to fight alone.

And none of that mattered when she held her little guy in her arms. No matter how tired she might be or how distanced she was from her family, she wouldn’t trade the world for the baby of her heart.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Allen asked, sounding surprisingly alert for five fifty in the morning. The phone must’ve startled him.

“I need your help. Can you open the kitchen for me?” she asked, trying to think up a reasonable excuse to sell him. Then she went with the tried-and-true. “Jackson kept me up all night again.”

“Oh, poor baby. And I’m talking about you,” Allen said with a laugh. He yawned, and she heard the sound clearly through the phone. “His days and nights still confused?”

“Yes, and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it,” she said, hating that she had to lie to cover what had really happened. Allen had been nothing but a good employee and friend, and she hated deception.

“No problem. I’ll throw on some clothes and head over,” he said.

“You’re a lifesaver, Allen.”

“Don’t I know it,” he quipped. There was a rustling noise as if he was tossing off his covers and getting out of bed.

“I’ll owe you big-time for this one,” Kate said.

“Good. Then get a babysitter for Friday night and let me take you out to dinner.” He didn’t miss a beat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Dallas’s jaw muscle clench. She couldn’t tell if his reaction was good or bad.

“I don’t know if I’ll be in today,” Kate said awkwardly. She quickly glanced at Dallas, realizing that she needed to redirect the conversation with Allen. “The Patsy family’s donation should hit the bank today. Would you mind watching for it and letting me know when it arrives?”

“Got it,” he said. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you changed the subject.”

“We’ve already gone over this, Allen. He’s too little to leave with a sitter,” Kate said quietly into the phone. Her cheeks heated as she talked about her lack of a life in front of a complete stranger, and especially one as good-looking as Dallas.

“That excuse doesn’t fly with me and you know it,” Allen said flatly.

Kate had no response.

“Fine. At least take me as your date to the Hackney party next weekend,” he offered.

“I’m skipping that one, too. Can we talk about it later? I’m too tired to think beyond today,” she said, then managed to end the call without any more embarrassing revelations about her life. The truth was her perspective had changed the instant Jackson had been placed in her arms. There was no man worth leaving her baby for, even for a night.

“Is he usually so...friendly?” Dallas asked.

“I stay out of my employees’ personal lives,” she said, hating the suspicion in Dallas’s voice. “There’s no way Allen would do anything to hurt me or Jackson.”

“I take it there’s no Mr. Williams to notify?” Dallas asked.

Clearly, he’d picked up on the fact that she was single. She’d listened intently for condemnation in his tone and was surprised she didn’t find a hint. She’d expected to and more after cashing out her interests in the tech company she and her brother had started together and moving to a small town. If her own family couldn’t get behind her choices, how could strangers?

“No. There isn’t. Is that a problem?” she asked a little too sharply. Missing sleep didn’t bring out the best in her, and she’d been only half lying about not sleeping last night due to Jackson’s schedule or lack thereof. At his age, he took a bottle every four hours, day and night.

“Not for me personally. The sheriff will want to know, and I’m taking notes to speed along the process once we go inside.” Dallas motioned toward the small notepad he’d taken out of his pocket.

“Oh. Right.” As soon as Jackson was old enough to take care of himself—like, age eighteen—Kate planned to stay in bed an entire weekend. Maybe then she’d think clearly again. Heck, give her a hotel and room service and she’d stay there a whole week.

“Where’s the father?” Dallas asked, still with no hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Out of the picture.”

There was a beat of silence. “Ready to go inside and talk?” he asked at last, his brow arched.

“Yes. I’ll just get Jackson from the backseat,” she said defensively. There was no reason to be on guard, she reminded herself. Besides, what would she care if a stranger judged her?

Dallas stood next to her, holding the car door open. She thanked him as she pulled Jackson close to her chest. Just the thought of anything happening to her son...

She couldn’t even go there.

“Can I help with the diaper bag?” Dallas held out his hand, still no hint of condemnation in his tone.

“You must have children.” Kate managed to ease it off her shoulder without disturbing the baby, who was thankfully asleep again. Her nerves were settling down enough for her hands to finally stop shaking.

“Not me,” he said, sounding a little defensive. What was that all about?

Kate figured the man’s family status was none of her business. She was just grateful that Jackson was still asleep.

Thank the stars for car rides. They were the only way she could get her son down for a nap some days. It probably didn’t hurt that he’d been awake most of the night. He’d been born with his days and nights mixed up.

Family man or not, Kate’s life would be very different right now if Dallas hadn’t been there. Tears threatened to release along with all the emotions she’d been holding in.

Or maybe it was the fact that she felt safe with Dallas, which was a curious thought given that he was a stranger.

This wasn’t the time or place to worry about either. Kate needed to pull on all the strength she had for Jackson. He needed his mother to keep it together.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, knowing that she wouldn’t be holding her baby right now if not for this man. “Not just for carrying a diaper bag, but for everything you did for us this morning.”

Dallas nodded. He was tall, easily more than six foot. Maybe six foot two? He had enough muscles for her to know he put in serious time at the gym or on the ranch owned by him and his family. His hair was blacker than the sky on any clear night she’d seen. There was an intensity to him, too, and she had no doubt the man was good at whatever he put his mind to.