Operation Cowboy Daddy

by Carla Cassidy

  “Doesn’t sound that bad to me,” Tony replied.

  “I’m not finished,” Dillon replied. “Moreland is suspected to be a fairly powerful drug lord in Oklahoma City. He’s also a prime suspect in three murders over the past year, but so far the authorities haven’t been able to get enough evidence to make an arrest.”

  Mary’s heart felt as if it stopped beating. A drug lord? A murderer? Dear God, what had Amy gotten involved in? What had she gotten them involved in? A deep chill shuddered through her as she gazed at the innocent little boy in Halena’s arms.

  “You’re positive that’s the man?” Dillon asked her.

  She stared down at the photo in front of her and then looked up at him. “I’m a hundred-percent positive.”

  “Then I’ll contact the Oklahoma City authorities and let them know what’s going on here,” Dillon continued. “If we get lucky, they might be able to arrest him at his home before the night is over.”

  “You’ll keep us informed?” Tony asked.

  “Absolutely,” Dillon replied.

  Mary stared down at the picture once again. Protect him from evil. That was what Amy had said to Tony. There was no question in Mary’s mind that Ash Moreland was the evil Amy had feared.

  Was it possible Ash was Tony’s biological father? God help Joey if that was the case. And where was Amy? Was she someplace in hiding, or had Ash done something to her?

  “There’s nothing more to be done now,” Tony said, pulling her from her terrible thoughts. “Let’s get home.”

  Home...where Tony would now be staying. Some of her fear slowly ebbed away. He would make certain they all stayed safe. He would keep them all from evil.

  They left the station with Dillon’s promise that he would let them know what went down in Oklahoma City. It was only as they pulled into the driveway that Mary really processed the fact that for the next couple of weeks Tony would be with her every minute of every day.

  This thought created a new kind of tension inside her. The last thing she wanted was for him to get any deeper into her heart.

  He pulled his gun when they got out of the car and he hurried them inside. “Wait here,” he said as they stepped just inside the front door.

  He disappeared into the kitchen and then headed down the hallway. When he returned, the grim set of his lips had relaxed. “Okay, there’s nobody here. I’m just going to get my things from the truck.”

  As he disappeared back outside, Halena moved into the living room and sat on the sofa with Joey’s car seat at her feet. The baby slept peacefully, unaware of the drama that swirled around him.

  “He’s a good man, Mary,” Halena said. “He looks at you with both tenderness and desire. You could do far worse.”

  “That’s not the tune you were humming about him a week ago,” Mary replied.

  “Things are clearer now in my head.”

  “It doesn’t matter. This isn’t about me and Tony,” Mary scoffed. “This is about that baby and keeping him safe from that man and that’s all there is to it.”

  Halena gave her a sly smile. “I see the way you look at Tony. You care about him.”

  A warm flush swept into Mary’s cheeks. “Enough, Grandmother. You know I’m damaged goods.”

  Halena’s smile vanished. “You are only damaged in your own mind, Granddaughter, and you can change the way you think about yourself.”

  At that moment Tony came into the house with a duffel bag. He dropped it on the floor and gazed at them both, obviously sensing the tension that crackled in the air. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine,” Mary replied and shot a warning look at Halena. The conversation they’d shared was a familiar one, a conversation that set Mary’s teeth on edge.

  As if there wasn’t enough going on, the last thing she needed at this moment was for her grandmother to lecture her about her body image. Her grandmother hadn’t had her breasts cut off. She couldn’t put herself in Mary’s shoes.

  “I’m going to work on a blog about shielded hearts and foolish women,” Halena said and stood. “You don’t have to worry about anyone coming in through my bedroom window. I’ll sleep with my shotgun and I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “I’ll bunk here.” Tony pointed to the sofa.

  “Perfect,” Mary said briskly. “I’ll just go get some bedding for you.” She walked down the hall to the linen closet. Had he thought she would invite him to sleep in her bed? No way, no how.

  While the idea of falling asleep in Tony’s strong arms was heavenly, there was no way she would allow any opportunity for intimacy to happen. They were simply two people trying to keep a baby safe and nothing more.

  “You’re welcome to put your toiletries in the hall bathroom,” she said when she returned to the living room with two sheets and a blanket for him. “And you can also use the closet in the spare bedroom for any clothes you need to hang. I’m just going to go ahead and get Joey into his bed.”

  She bent down and picked up Joey, conscious of Tony’s gaze lingering on her. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Tenderness and desire.

  Wasn’t that what any woman would want to see in a man’s eyes? She shook her head to dispel her grandmother’s words.

  She didn’t bother putting Joey into pajamas. Instead she changed his diaper and then placed him in the playpen and covered him with a blanket. He didn’t even wake up.

  She remained standing over him for several long moments, breathing in his sweet baby scent and smiling as he blew a little spit bubble in his sleep.

  Her heart already ached with his absence despite the fact that he was still with her. She had to prepare herself to say goodbye to Joey, but hopefully not until any danger to him had passed.

  When she returned to the living room, Tony had made out his bed on the couch and now stood in front of the window and stared outside.

  His back was so broad and his hips so lean, and the ponytail that fell down beneath his shoulders looked rich and soft.

  He turned to face her and without saying a word he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. She stiffened against him.

  “Just let me hold you for a minute, Mary,” he whispered softly into her ear. “I don’t want anything else from you right now, but I’ve wanted... I’ve needed to do this since the moment I saw you with such terror in your eyes.”

  As the memory of Ash Moreland and his gun filled her head, she slowly relaxed into Tony’s embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned her head into the crook of his neck. She savored his familiar scent, a scent that made her feel safe for the first time since she’d looked into Ash Moreland’s eyes.

  “I was so afraid,” she admitted. “I’ve never been so terrified in my life. I didn’t know what he was going to do. I was so afraid he was going to shoot me and steal Joey away.”

  “I won’t let him get close to you again.” There was a firm conviction in his voice. “I won’t let him get close to you or Joey.”

  She felt the kiss he wanted to give her. She knew with a woman’s instinct that when she raised her head he would be ready to take her lips with his.

  She couldn’t allow it. She wanted him so badly, but she had to deny herself, she had to deny him. Abruptly she dropped her arms to her sides and stepped back from him so fast there was no time for a kiss.

  “It’s been a long day. I need to get some sleep. We all need to be up early in the morning to go back to the craft fair. Good night, Tony.”

  She practically ran from the living room and into her bedroom. She told herself that her pounding heart was due to the attempted kidnapping that afternoon and not because of being in Tony’s arms.

  She undressed in the dark and grabbed her nightgown from a drawer. Hopefully when she awakened in the morning Tony would have h
eard from Dillon that Ash was in jail. The danger would be over and everyone could get on with their lives.

  A drug lord and a murderer. If the suspicions about Ash Moreland were true, then he probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill to get what he wanted.

  She pulled her nightgown on and then walked over to her window and peered outside. Bright moonlight spilled down on the back lawn and painted it with silvery illumination. In the distance the trees were black silhouettes against the starry night sky.

  The night was still, as if the wind held its breath in anticipation of something happening. Someplace out there was a man who scared her. Was he out there now? Watching the house and just waiting for another opportunity to get to Joey?

  She left the window and got into bed. She closed her eyes and thought about being held in Tony’s arms. He’d said he needed to hold her and she admitted to herself that she’d needed to be held by him. She released a deep sigh.

  Outside was a man who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her to get Joey, and inside was a man who was slowly killing her with sweet promises of what could never be.

  * * *

  Ash cursed when he saw the police presence at his house. He was almost a block away and decided to turn his car around and drive in the opposite direction.

  Somehow he’d apparently been identified. They had to be at his house because of the botched attempt to get his kid back at the fair. Dammit.

  He’d done his homework and had asked around about Mary. When he’d learned that she would be at the fair, he’d chosen not to make another attempt at her house. He’d decided to be patient, thinking that the fair would be the perfect opportunity to get Joey back.

  He should have killed the bitch and grabbed the kid. Instead he’d choked, afraid that if he did what he wanted he’d earn himself a bullet in the back from some do-gooder cowboy.

  Okay, so he couldn’t go home. Not a problem. Ash had plenty of places where he could hole up. He had people who feared him, people who would take him in, feed him, give him their vehicle to use and not turn him in to the authorities.

  If Mary Redwing and her cowboy lover thought they could keep Joey away from him, then they were fools. And fools deserved to die.

  Chapter 8

  “I appreciate your help,” Tony said to Sawyer the next morning.

  “No problem,” Sawyer replied. “I’d much rather act as a bodyguard today instead of mucking out horse stalls or shining up saddles.”

  The two men stood just outside the tent where Halena and Mary were ready for another day of business. Tony had called Sawyer to come and spend the day with them as additional backup. He wasn’t taking any chances with their safety.

  “Clay said he’ll be here after work to hang out with us,” Sawyer added. “And Brody and Mac said all you need to do is call them if you need more men.”

  The bond Tony had with his fellow cowboys filled his chest with a burst of warmth. “I just know we’re going to have a big crowd today and I want somebody armed to be with Joey all the time.”

  “Not a problem, brother.” Sawyer clapped him on the back. “We’ve got it covered. It’s just too bad the police couldn’t get this bad actor in handcuffs last night.”

  “According to Dillon the police sat on Ash’s house all night long and he never showed up. They have no idea where he might be. He must have somehow gotten a heads-up that the police were looking for him.” Tony glanced into the tent, where Mary was straightening a rack of clothing and Halena held Joey.

  He’d had a restless night on the sofa. As if his concern for them wasn’t enough, the entire house smelled of Mary’s fragrance, and the knowledge that she was only a few steps away in the bed where they’d made love had kept him tossing and turning all night.

  The morning had been a bit frantic as they’d eaten a quick breakfast and headed to the fair, where they’d unloaded the truck and set up the sale items again.

  Tony had been on guard. He now knew what the enemy looked like and there was no way Ash Moreland would get anywhere near any of them.

  Within minutes the fair would be officially open once again and the exceptionally nice weather on a Saturday assured that plenty of people would be attending.

  Would Ash come back today? Would he try to make another attempt? The crowd would be thick with people. Would he try to hide his dark hair beneath a hat? Attempt to sneak into the tent with a group of others? Tony had to be ready for anything.

  Mary appeared ready to face the day. She was stunning in a pair of black jeans and a red T-shirt with black beading around the neckline. Once again her hair was in long twin braids that fell forward over her breasts.

  She finished straightening the clothing and then moved over to the basket display and made final adjustments there. Her gaze caught his and she offered him a small smile that shot straight to his heart.

  He’d sensed her strength in the few hours he’d spent with her when he’d come to her home to visit with Amy. But in the last twenty-four hours, he’d seen an inner core of strength in her that awed him.

  She could have easily surrendered Joey to an armed man the day before. Instead she had risked her own life by refusing to comply with his command and had instead taken a risk and had screamed.

  She also could have told him to take his son and go. He’d even offered to do that, but she’d insisted that together they would be better at protecting Joey. Together...he liked the way that sounded.

  “I’ll hang out here at the tent entrance,” Sawyer said, bringing Tony back to the here and now. He leaned closer to Tony. “Just try to keep Mary’s grandmother away from me. She’s pinched my butt twice since I got here.”

  Tony couldn’t help the smile that stretched his lips. Halena and her often outrageous actions and words definitely kept things interesting.

  “I’ll do my best to protect you from the big, bad grandma,” he replied. “You just keep an eye out for Ash Moreland.”

  “You can count on me,” Sawyer replied.

  The Holiday cowboys had always counted on each other, and that was why Tony would never believe that one of them had committed the murders that had taken place so long ago.

  Just as he had expected, the morning was busy and sales were brisk. Sawyer remained next to the entrance. He gazed at each man that approached with narrowed eyes and his hand on the butt of his gun.

  As Mary and Halena took care of customers, Tony sat in the back of the tent with Joey. The little boy was sleeping less and interacting more with everyone with each day that passed.

  At noon, Sawyer went for their lunch of the hot dogs and funnel cake they hadn’t eaten the night before while Tony stayed on guard.

  “Funnel cake is a gift from the gods,” Halena said as she ate the last of the sweet treat.

  “Personally I’m fond of apple pie,” Tony replied.

  “I like my apples in cider with a nice kick of booze,” Halena replied.

  “Speaking of cider, Cassie is planning a barn dance sometime around Halloween,” Tony said. “You and Mary will have to come.” He smiled inwardly as he thought about holding Mary in his arms as the Croakin’ Frogs band played a slow song.

  “I don’t believe you’re thinking of apples anymore, Tony Nakni, not with that loony smile on your lips,” Halena observed.

  Tony laughed. “I’m going to go spell Sawyer at the front. He’s been standing for quite a while and could probably use a little sit-down time.”

  “You can send that hunky man right back here to me,” Halena replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

  It was just after they’d eaten that Dillon stopped by the tent. He greeted them pleasantly, but with the bad news that Ash still wasn’t under arrest.

  “He’s apparently gone underground,” Dillon said. “And his network is big enough that there isn’t enough police manpower to
try to hunt him down.”

  “And so we just wait for him to make another move,” Tony said grimly. “And you know he will make another move.”

  Dillon gazed at Sawyer, and at Clay, who had arrived minutes before Dillon. He then looked back at Tony. “Looks like you’ve called in the troops.”

  “Just a little extra security while we’re out here in public,” Tony replied.

  “And still no word from Amy?”

  Tony shook his head, the fear he hadn’t spoken aloud now rising up inside him. “I think she might be dead, Dillon. It’s been almost two weeks ago that she dropped Joey off with me and nobody has seen or heard from her since that night.”

  Dillon sighed. “I’ll check with all the hospitals in the area and the morgue in Oklahoma City, but two weeks isn’t that long for a woman to be gone, especially one who might be doing drugs.”

  “I hope I’m wrong,” Tony replied. “I hope she is just holed up someplace and will quickly get her act together and get back here.”

  Dillon’s radio crackled and he grabbed it from his belt. He stepped back from Tony and listened to the voice at the other end. “I’ve got to go,” he said to Tony. “Apparently, there’s some sort of a fight going on near one of the booths.”

  Tony watched Dillon leave and his head was still filled with thoughts of Amy and what might have happened to her. Had she been running from Ash? Was that the trouble she’d been in? And if so, had the man found her and killed her? Or was it possible she’d holed up in some seedy motel room and OD’d?

  No, he didn’t want to think such dark thoughts. She might have run from Ash, but she was probably at a friend’s place or in some motel partying.

  “Everything okay?” Mary asked, a line of worry creasing her forehead as she stepped up next to him.

  Tony looked into the tent, where Halena was helping a customer and Clay held Joey on his lap. “As okay as it can be,” he replied. “Why do you ask?”

  “When you were speaking to Dillon, you got such a troubled look on your face. I know you were thinking bad thoughts.”