Czytaj książkę: «Her Baby's Protector»

ONE

Kate Forster lunged to the right then the left, loosening her muscles before her run. “Are you ready, Jamie?” She bent down and looked under the canopy on the three-wheel, jogging stroller.

Her fifteen-month-old son grinned. “Go, Mama.”

“Okay, hang on tight.” Kate gripped the handle and started down her favorite route in the large park.

In the Remington Nature Reserve, the path took her through the woods and along the lake. The beautiful dose of God’s beauty renewed her after a long day as an Oklahoma family court judge, trying to figure out what was the best decision for the parents and children who ended up before her.

She needed the reminder the Lord was in control, especially after the day she’d had. She hated having to take a child away from a parent, but in this case she’d had no other choice. Not when a little girl’s life was in danger. The wails from the mother still rang in her mind.

Kate shook the memory from her mind and focused on her son giggling and urging her with, “Fatter. Fatter.” His word for faster.

Kate nodded at a couple who passed her going the opposite way. She often saw them here.

The breeze from the south cooled her as she headed into the wooded part of the reserve. The sounds of birds chirping blended with Jamie’s laughter. Both wonderful to hear.

A large man with jet-black hair—another frequent runner at Remington—overtook her and went around them, giving her a smile and a nod. His gleaming gray eyes stood out against his tan complexion and dark hair. She’d seen him a couple of times at the courthouse too. Was he an attorney?

As she rounded a curve in the path, she slowed. A tree trunk had fallen across the trail, probably from the thunderstorm and high winds last night. She’d need to lift the stroller over it if she wanted to continue. She came to a stop and decided to let Jamie out of the stroller while she hoisted it over the downed tree. She still felt wound up after her stressful day.

She picked her son up, his dark brown eyes—the same color as hers—widening.

He began to wiggle. “Down.”

Maybe she would let him play a little here then run back toward her car. She stood him on the path then eased down onto a lower branch of the tree trunk. The second she sat, exhaustion invaded her body. “You can play for a few minutes then we’ll head back.”

“No back.”

Her mistake was to stop and take a seat. “Sorry, honey, but it’s been a long day. Mommy is tired.”

“Me not.” He picked up a stick and poked it into the ground. It broke. He looked up at her, a pout tugging at his mouth.

She heard the scrunch of footsteps coming from the other side of the tree trunk. As she rose, she turned to see who it was. Her gaze zeroed in on a thin man about six and a half feet tall, wearing a ski mask—definitely not what someone would have on in April while exercising. When he saw that she’d spotted him, he leaped off the ground and vaulted over the log at the same time Kate whirled and raced toward her son a few feet away.

She scooped Jamie up in her arms as the man landed less than a yard from them. Her gaze connected with his dark one. She shivered at the piercing stare. He grabbed for her son, grasping his legs.

A scream erupted from Kate as the assailant tugged Jamie toward him. His scent of sweat and cigarettes nauseated her, making her want to get away from him. But she couldn’t let go. Her toddler wailed while clinging to her. She kicked out and connected with the kidnapper’s leg. He stumbled back, letting go of Jamie’s legs.

“Help, help! Someone’s taking my baby,” she yelled as she clutched Jamie against her chest and scrambled as fast as she could backward.

Her son’s cries reverberated through her mind. Her attacker stalked toward her, reaching for Jamie again. Caught between the kidnapper and the fallen tree’s trunk, she spun to the side, shielding her child with her body as she tried to clamber over the wooden barrier.

The accoster clasped her shoulder, his fingers digging into her flesh while he yanked her back.

Another scream came from the depth of her being. Did anyone hear it? Would anyone come to help?

* * *

Detective Chase Walker lengthened his strides as he chewed up the distance to Remington’s lake. He’d spent all day hunting down a burglar, finally catching him and then interrogating him, and now he relished the feel of the fresh air and the pounding of his feet against the earth.

Peace. Calm. Two things he longed to have that always seemed just out of reach. After fighting in the Middle East, all he wanted to do was put those memories behind him. But each night they haunted his dreams. For three years.

A scream pierced the air.

He halted.

A cry for help followed.

He spun around and raced in the direction of the sound, going around a long curve in the trail.

Judge Forster, whom he’d passed earlier, struggled with a tall man on the other side of the fallen tree. Chase pumped his legs as fast as he could, closing the distance between them.

The assailant in a ski mask glanced at Chase, then tried to wrestle something from the judge. She held on tight.

Was it her child?

The attacker backed away, stumbled over the stroller and went down.

Chase sailed over the downed log as the tall man scrabbled to his feet and took off.

Chase’s right foot hit the ground first then the left, that leg nearly crumbling under him at the impact. He shoved away thoughts of the throbbing ache. “Okay, Judge Forster?” Slowing, he swung his attention to her on the ground by the tree, as she cuddled a crying child.

“We’re fine. Get him,” she said in a tight voice.

Chase increased his speed, the attacker at least a football-field length ahead of him. The leg he’d wounded as a US Marine overseas continued to protest. Each time he struck his left foot against the hard packed ground, needles of white-hot pain seared him. Nearing one of the small parking lots, Chase had to slow to half speed. But when he heard a car starting, he dug deep for one last burst of energy.

He came into view of the row of vehicles. At the other end he glimpsed a white sedan leaving. Too far away to catch, especially with his SUV in another parking lot, but at least he got the license plate number.

He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and started back toward the judge and her child. He speed-dialed the police station and reported the attack. The sergeant would put out a BOLO on the car. Chase told the sergeant he would take down what happened from Judge Forster.

By the time he returned, she was standing by the stroller, cradling her child against her chest and swinging him gently as she hummed a soft tune. She glanced at him briefly, her brown eyes so dark they were almost black. Once she’d noticed it was him, not her attacker, she focused on her son, dressed in blue shorts and shirt. He was still whimpering a little, but his cries had softened.

Chase waited. He had two brothers and one sister, all younger than him. While growing up, he’d babysat many times and knew when it was important to remain quiet. While he waited, he assessed the judge, who was trying to calm her child. Her long blond ponytail swished as she rocked her son. His gaze skimmed down her length and noted a couple of scratches on her legs, probably from a tree branch. Other than that, she seemed uninjured. And her expression showed that her earlier fear had faded but not the tension that pulsated from her, shouting that she would protect her child at all costs. Their gazes connected for a few seconds. He’d never met her, but he knew who she was. Her reputation as a judge was stellar—fair and compassionate but tough when needed.

He looked away to take in the crime scene. The tree trunk hadn’t been there yesterday when he’d jogged this path. Had the assailant set this up? It had looked like he was trying to take the judge’s child. A foiled kidnapping or something else?

After the judge placed her now sleeping son in the stroller, she walked toward him. “Did he get away?”

Chase nodded, noting she was about a foot shorter than her attacker. Impressive that she’d managed to fend him off until he’d arrived. “I’m Detective Chase Walker with the Cimarron City Police Department. I got the car’s license plate number and called the station. That information has gone out to the officers on duty. There’s a chance one of them will spot him before he ditches the vehicle.”

“Undoubtedly, it was stolen.”

Probably. But not always. “Tell me what happened. I’m going to record this since I don’t have anything to write on. Start with your name.” Chase punched the record button on his cell phone.

She looked back at her son, then rubbed her temple and said, “I’m Kate Forster. Oh, you already know that.” She grinned but couldn’t maintain it. “I had my son, Jamie, with me in his stroller while I went for a run. It happened so fast. I’ll do my best to tell you everything, but can we do it at my house? It’ll be dark soon, and frankly I don’t want to be here when it is.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

“That’s fine with me. I’ll take some photos then we can leave. Which lot are you parked in?”

“The second one.”

“That’s where mine is. I’ll follow you back to your house.”

“I appreciate it. I’ve seen you at the courthouse. I thought you might be an attorney.”

He started snapping pictures. “Nope. Just testifying in court.”

“Can you show me your badge?”

“Yes, it’s in my car.” He smiled. “I’m glad you asked. You can’t be too careful.”

“Sadly, I’ve discovered that in my job, and today only emphasized it.”

So had he—both as a Marine and a police officer.

When they left, the judge pushed her stroller, gripping the handle so tight her knuckles whitened. “I’ve never felt unsafe here. I come to the reserve a lot. This is one of Jamie’s favorite places.”

“If you’re going to continue coming here, don’t come alone.”

She slanted a look at him, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. “You don’t have to warn me. I might have to content myself with swimming in my pool instead.”

“Where do you live?”

She gave him her address.

“That’s a nice area of town. Isn’t that a gated community?”

She nodded and stopped at a blue luxury car. “Maybe until I open my pool, I’ll jog in my neighborhood. We have private security that patrols.”

“Or find someone to go with you besides your child. My SUV is in the next row. I’ll get my badge and be right back.”

As he made his way to his vehicle, he favored his leg. Each step flooded his mind with thoughts of his last time in battle. He still didn’t understand how he’d survived when everyone else on the recon mission had died. He should have died, but he hadn’t.

* * *

Kate pulled into her garage and carefully lifted Jamie out of his car seat. He was still asleep. She stared down at his peaceful face looking so much like her deceased husband, James, even down to the cleft in his chin. The only thing of hers in him was the shape and color of his eyes.

When her husband died in a plane crash while flying to Dallas, her life had fallen apart. Then in the midst of mourning, she’d discovered she was pregnant again and weeks further along than any of her earlier, unsuccessful pregnancies. Somehow she managed to pull herself together for Jamie, but today when she thought she might lose him, too, that feeling of devastation had swamped her momentarily. She’d hung on to Jamie in a tug-of-war with her attacker. Had he been after her or Jamie? Maybe he’d intended to hold her child for ransom? Her husband had left her a wealthy woman.

“Is everything okay?” Detective Walker’s deep, baritone voice cut into her musings.

She blinked and centered her attention on the man who had saved her and Jamie. “Just trying to figure out why that guy attacked me. Let’s go inside. I’ll have Rachel put Jamie to sleep.”

“Who is Rachel?”

“My live-in nanny. She has been a lifesaver this past year.”

“How long has she worked for you?”

“Since Jamie was born fifteen months ago. She came highly recommended, with a great résumé. If you’re thinking she had anything to do with what happened at the reserve, you can stop. She didn’t.” Rachel was more like a little sister than an employee. Kate headed for the door into the utility room.

“Do you have a dog?”

When she entered the home, her big white cat was waiting for her. “No. I only have Boss.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure I want to know why you call your cat Boss.”

“Because he thinks he runs my house. It’s easier letting him think that than fighting with him all the time.” He was ten years old and a present from her husband.

“So you don’t have a watchdog?”

“No, but I have a state-of-the-art alarm system.”

“A guard dog is one of the best protections.”

“Do you have one?” Kate lifted Jamie out of the stroller.

“Yes. But no place is one hundred percent safe.”

“That’s not very comforting.”

“I say that to stress the importance of vigilance.”

Could she have avoided the confrontation at the reserve if she had been more in tune with her surroundings? The jogger had nearly been at the downed tree before she’d heard and acknowledged his presence in her mind.

Rachel entered the kitchen, took a look at Kate and asked, “What’s wrong?” then fixed her gaze on Chase Walker.

“Detective Walker stopped a man from attacking me.”

Rachel moved across the room. “Are you and Jamie okay?” She peeked at the child, his head lying against Kate’s shoulder.

“Yes. He wore himself out. Please put him to bed while I talk with the detective.”

Rachel took Jamie from her. Her son’s eyes fluttered open but then closed again when he saw his nanny.

While Rachel left the kitchen, Kate walked to the cabinet. “Do you want something to drink? Water? Iced tea?”

“Actually, water sounds great after jogging.”

“I agree.”

Kate fixed two glasses, handed him one and then made her way into the hallway. “Let’s talk in the den.”

She lived in this room filled with photos, books and comfortable furniture. In the corner was Jamie’s toy box, which he usually made a beeline for every time he came into the den. Kate settled onto the overstuffed maroon-and-navy couch while the police detective took the chair across from her, giving her a good view of him, all six feet. His short black hair, damp with sweat, lay at odd angles. But what drew her was his silver-gray gaze, alert, intense.

Earlier she’d noticed he was favoring his left leg. “Did you hurt yourself running after the attacker?”

He kneaded his thigh. “Not really. I was injured three years ago, and occasionally it’ll flare up when I push myself.”

“I’m sorry you had to do that for me. No doubt you were off duty.”

“A police officer is never totally off duty. There’s something in our makeup. We can’t ignore a person in trouble.”

“And for that, I’m grateful.” She reclined back and relaxed for the first time since the attack. There was something about Chase Walker’s presence that was reassuring. She looked into his eyes and felt safe. “What do you need to know?”

He fished out his phone again, setting it to record. “Tell me what happened.”

Kate relived the incident, replaying it in her mind as she went through what she remembered, parts of the attack already foggy. Her heartbeat sped as words tumbled from her.

“What do you think he was after?”

“I don’t know. Other than my wedding ring, I wasn’t wearing or carrying anything of value.”

“Did he say anything to you?”

“No. He cursed when I kicked him. I wasn’t going down without a fight.”

“Do you think it was a kidnapping attempt?”

She wanted to say no but couldn’t. “Possibly. Or he was coming after me, but I was holding Jamie. Maybe he wanted to get Jamie out of the way? It is hard to say.”

“Any gut feelings?”

“Do you believe in those?” The intensity pouring off of him further soothed her fear. At this moment no one would hurt her or Jamie.

“Yes. A couple have saved my life in the past. We take in nonverbal cues, sometimes not even realizing it, and process what they mean. That’s where a gut feeling comes from. At least that’s what I think. So any hunches?”

She closed her eyes and reviewed again what she remembered in her mind. “Yes. I think this was personal. Why was the tree down over the path I usually use when I come to the reserve?”

“So a planned attack. Okay. Do you follow the same schedule every day?”

“Am I predictable?” She drew in a deep breath and thought about her routine. Usually, she got up every morning, spent some time with Jamie before she headed for the courthouse. She often had lunch in her office while she worked so she could spend more time with her son later. She frequently left for the day by four unless a court session ran longer. “Yes, especially during the weekdays. When I come home, I either jog for half an hour or longer, depending on how Jamie is. He likes to run with me. If the weather is bad, then I stay home and put music on and dance. My son loves to do that, too.”

“But if the weather permits, you run outside during the work week?”

“Yes. I’m indoors all day at the courthouse. My cases can get intense. Exercising helps relieve my stress.”

“That’s why I run, too.”

Her deceased husband would only swim, sometimes even in cool weather. He’d been talking about enclosing the pool in the backyard right before his death. Her world had ended that day, too. Her son had saved her from the abyss of sorrow she’d wallowed in right after James had died.

“So Rachel is your live-in nanny.”

It wasn’t a question, but she said, “Yes. I was going to stay home longer than six months after my son was born, but the person who was filling in while I was on maternity leave quit suddenly. Rachel was already working for me part-time, freeing me up for a few hours every day to run errands and get things done. When I needed her to switch to full-time, she was available to step right in, allowing me to get back to work. In the long run that had been a good decision.”

“Is there anyone who might have a grudge against you?” His gray eyes, the color of a thunderstorm brewing, locked with hers. “Who do you think would do this?”

Before she could answer, the detective’s cell phone rang.

He looked at the caller’s name. “Sorry. I need to take this.” He punched his answer button and put the phone to his ear. “Has the car been found?” Chase listened for a moment then disconnected.

“Do you have a lead on the attacker?”

He rose, slipping his cell phone into his pocket. “Yes, the car belongs to Zed Hammer. Do you know him?”

The name of a father who had threatened to make her pay last month for her judgment against him in court chilled her deep into her bones. Was the attack motivated by revenge?