Operation Cowboy Daddy

by Carla Cassidy

  Ready for bed, she walked over to the bedroom window and peered outside. The darkness of night cloaked everything. Were they really safe here?

  The question thundered in her heart. Was this the safe haven they needed? How long would Cassie allow them to stay here? Hopefully, with this newest threat, the officials in Oklahoma City would step up their game in an effort to find Ash and get him in jail.

  She couldn’t see an ending to this no matter how hard she tried. She didn’t even know what a happy ending would look like in this situation. She walked over to the crib and gazed down at the little boy at the heart of everything.

  Tears once again burned at her eyes. Go to bed, she commanded herself. At least for the rest of the night you’re all safe here.

  She just feared what tomorrow might bring.

  * * *

  Tony jerked awake with fight-or-flight adrenaline surging through his body. His heart pumped rapidly as he shot up and reached blindly for his gun. It took him several seconds to register that he was on Cassie’s sofa in her great room.

  He’d crashed here because he hadn’t wanted to go to his bunk room and leave the house unguarded for the night with just the women inside.

  Dawn light seeped into the windows and he drew several deep breaths to get his heartbeat back to a more normal rhythm. He’d gotten only a couple of hours of sleep, but there was no way he was going back to sleep now that he was awake.

  A lot of things had to happen today. Halena and Mary needed clothes, Joey would need more diapers and formula and something had to be done about Mary’s house.

  He intended to take care of the house. He was the reason it had been set on fire. Hopefully, he could either hire someone to do the work, or get some of his fellow cowboys to tear down what was unsalvageable and rebuild things the way they had been. He’d hire a company to clean up any smoke and water damage and he’d pay for any of the basket supplies and other items Mary had lost on the porch.

  Damn Ash Moreland. He was like an evil shadow in the night, a phantom who moved through the world without leaving any footprints behind.

  Where was he staying? Why couldn’t the police locate him? If he’d been on their radar as a suspected murderer, surely they knew some of the places he might go to hide out.

  He got up from the sofa and rubbed a hand down his face. He needed to get to his bunk room and get some clean clothes, but in the meantime he wanted coffee.

  The house was quiet and he was surprised when he padded into the kitchen and found Halena seated at the table. “Halena, I didn’t know you were awake,” he said in surprise.

  “I can move very quietly when I want to,” she replied. “Besides, you were busy sleeping with your mouth open and catching flies when I walked by you.”

  “Was I snoring?” he asked.

  “Not when I passed you.”

  “Good, now I’m going to see if I can find the coffee and get a pot going.” He moved to the cabinet above the coffeemaker. “Bingo.” He took out a can of coffee and a filter.

  It took him only minutes to get the coffee brewing and then find two cups for them to use. “Did you sleep at all?” he asked.

  “A bit,” she replied. “Enough that I dream-walked for a little while.”

  “Where did you go?” Tony leaned with his backside against the counter as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing.

  She frowned. “I don’t know. It was a strange place where the moon wept and the stars spun crazily in the sky. I think it was telling me the turmoil isn’t over yet, that there are more bad times to come.”

  “Hopefully not,” Tony replied, although he knew in his gut that Ash wasn’t finished with them yet. He turned to pour the coffee and then joined her at the table. “I’m hoping that we’ll be safe here and sooner rather than later Ash Moreland will be behind bars.”

  Halena took a sip of her coffee and her eyes twinkled over the top of the cup. “Are all the cowboys here as handsome as Clay and Sawyer?” she asked when she lowered her cup.

  “Halena, I believe you have more than a little bit of cougar in you,” he replied.

  “I just like to look...and occasionally pinch.”

  Tony couldn’t help but laugh.

  “And what’s so funny in here?” Cassie came into the kitchen clad in a blue robe that was the exact color of her eyes.

  “Nothing that should be repeated,” Halena replied with a pointed look at Tony.

  “Ah, I’m so glad you made coffee,” Cassie said as she beelined to the counter. “Occasionally Adam comes in early and has the coffee ready when I get up.”

  “Adam is the ranch foreman,” Tony explained to Halena.

  “He’s been a godsend since I inherited this place. I didn’t know anything about ranching when I first arrived.” Cassie poured herself a cup of coffee and then joined them at the table. “Now, what do we have on the agenda today and what can I do to help?”

  “You’ve helped enough just by allowing us to stay here,” Halena replied.

  “This house has been a safe haven for several women since I’ve been here,” Cassie replied.

  “Everything happened so fast last night we escaped with just the clothes on our backs. The first order of business is to get some clothes for Halena and Mary and also get some supplies for Joey.” Tony frowned.

  It was possible that the clothes in the bedrooms could be washed and be okay, but he hated the idea of taking the two women and Joey back there without some backup. He gazed at Cassie. “I’d appreciate it if a couple of the men could go to Mary’s house with us to get some things.”

  “No problem,” Cassie replied. “Take Sawyer and Flint with you. You can leave Joey here with me if you’re comfortable with that.”

  Halena stared at her for a long moment and then nodded. “We would be comfortable with that. I know you’ll take good care of the baby.”

  “Absolutely,” Cassie agreed.

  “It shouldn’t take us long,” he said.

  “What shouldn’t take us long?” Mary came into the kitchen wearing the robe she’d had on the night before. Joey was bright-eyed in her arms. Tony immediately jumped up to take the baby from her.

  Joey fussed, indicating he was ready for his morning meal. Mary poured herself a cup of coffee and Tony got a bottle from the refrigerator.

  “We were talking about going back to the house to get some clothes and whatever else you two might need for your stay here,” Tony said. Joey curled up in his arms and gazed at him with happy eyes as he chugged on his bottle.

  “We definitely need some things,” Mary said. Her eyes were dark and troubled. “Do you think it’s safe to go back there?”

  “We’ll leave Joey here with Cassie and we’ll take a couple of men with us. It should be fine,” Tony assured her. With a couple of cowboys watching their backs, Tony felt more comfortable.

  “I might be able to find something for you both to wear today,” Cassie said. “I’m sure you don’t want to run around wearing a robe and...and...” Her gaze shot to Halena. “And whatever,” she finally said.

  For the next fifteen minutes they talked about the logistics of the trip back to Mary’s house and then Cassie got up to make pancakes.

  Halena insisted she help and as the two worked together to prepare breakfast Tony and Mary remained seated at the table. The conversation continued as to the day’s plans.

  As they ate, the women visited and got to know each other better. Tony remained silent and listened to the female chatter. Thank God Cassie was like the aunt she’d been named after, he thought. She had a warm and giving heart and never turned away anyone who was in trouble.

  Surely, Ash wouldn’t make a move on them here, where they were surrounded by armed men who would protect what was theirs with their lives. And Joey and Mary and Halena would be
claimed by all of them because they meant something to Tony.

  How could Dillon even think that one of the cowboys here was a murderer? They were Tony’s brothers, the men he knew he could depend on whenever things got bad.

  He shoved this thought away as Adam Benson came in the back door. “Good morning,” he said in obvious surprise at the sight of all of them. “Looks like things have changed a lot since the time I told you good-night last night,” he said to Cassie.

  “Ash set Mary’s house on fire,” Tony said.

  As the three women cleared off the breakfast dishes, Tony filled Adam in on what had happened the night before. “So, what do you need from all of us?” Adam asked when Tony had finished.

  “In the short term Cassie said Sawyer and Flint could go with us to Mary’s home so we can pick up a few things. In the longer term I’d like everyone to look out for anyone who doesn’t belong on the property, especially around the house,” Tony replied. “This man is dangerous, Adam.”

  “He’s a shadow being from hell,” Halena insisted.

  “Then we’ll make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near here,” Adam replied firmly. “We’ll set up a couple of guards to work the nights here at the house. I’ll coordinate with the men to take care of it.”

  “Won’t the men mind having extra work?” Mary asked worriedly.

  “Not these men,” Adam assured her. “We take care of each other.”

  Arrangements were made for them to leave the house at nine. Tony walked out the back door with Adam and headed toward the cowboy motel, where he could take a quick shower and get into clean clothes.

  “I’ll just hang around here until you come back,” Adam said and sat on one of the lawn chairs near the side of the porch.

  Tony flashed him a grateful smile. Although it was hard to believe Ash might make a move so early this morning after last night’s activities, he’d rather be safe than sorry. “I won’t be long.”

  He hurried toward his bunk room. The other men would already be up and out in the pastures, or in the barn or stable taking care of the daily chores.

  He wouldn’t be completely at ease until they were all back here and really settled in. There was no way Ash would get past the men who would now be looking for any sign of him here. There was no way he’d get close enough to grab Joey or do harm with all the cowboys on guard.

  It took him only twenty minutes to shower and change clothes. He placed a call to Jim Browbeck, who agreed to meet them at Mary’s place, and then Tony headed back to the big house.

  At nine o’clock they headed toward town and the scene of the unexpected fire the night before. Mary wore a pink T-shirt and a pair of gray jogging pants that hit her midcalf. Halena was clad in a long summery dress in muted colors. It was the most normal thing Tony had ever seen the old woman wear and she expressed several times about how much she hated it.

  “Jim is meeting us at your house,” he told them. “I thought it would be a good idea to have him around in case there were still hot embers or places of potential structural danger.”

  “That’s probably a good idea. We really just need to grab a few articles of clothing. Hopefully, I can make arrangements to get the house fixed as soon as possible,” Mary replied.

  “I’ll take care of the house repairs. I don’t want you to worry about it,” Tony said firmly. “All you have to worry about for the next couple of days is taking care of each other.”

  “And keeping Grandmother away from the cowboys,” Mary said under her breath with a touch of humor.

  Tony flashed her a smile, grateful for the ease of the tension that had been an undercurrent throughout the morning.

  Jim Browbeck was already there when they got to Mary’s house, as was Officer Juan Ramiriz, who was chatting with the fire chief on the front porch.

  “Good morning,” Tony said to them both.

  “Good morning to you. I’ve already been inside and got a good look around,” Jim said after they had all greeted each other. “The fact that the fire was set on the exterior wall of the back porch was actually a good thing. The porch is destroyed, along with the back door leading into the house, but the structure is sound and things don’t look nearly as grim this morning in the light of day.”

  Mary released an audible sigh. “So, we can get some items from inside?”

  “That won’t be a problem. The main thing the house needs is a new back door and some painting and cleanup in the kitchen, dining room and living room. The bedrooms are virtually untouched. I don’t even think much smoke got to those rooms,” he replied.

  “Dillon said he’d keep a man on the house until you can get a new back door so the place can be properly locked up,” Juan said.

  “I’ll see to the door later this afternoon,” Tony replied. “You can tell Dillon it will be fixed by nightfall. Now, let’s get this done.”

  Sawyer and Flint stood near the street in front of the house, on guard for anything that might come their way. Although Tony didn’t expect trouble, he was grateful for their presence.

  Since Mary hadn’t had a chance to grab her purse the night before and didn’t have her house key, they all went around back to enter.

  “I made a little path through the rubble for you to get inside,” Jim said.

  “Thank you,” Mary replied, her voice soft and sober.

  They entered into the kitchen and then walked into the living/dining room area. There was a faint scent of smoke and the walls were going to need repainting, but thankfully it was all just cosmetic issues.

  Halena disappeared down the hallway into her bedroom. Tony turned to Mary. “Why don’t you pack up your things and I’ll load a suitcase full of Joey’s items.”

  Her face was pale and her eyes were slightly glassy, as if memories of the night before took hold of her. “Mary?” he said softly.

  Her shoulders snapped straight and her eyes focused in on him. She lifted her chin and gave him a curt nod. “Let’s get to it.”

  It took Tony only a few minutes to fill the suitcase Amy had left with Joey. He not only included clothes, but also any cans of formula and extra diapers that were in the room.

  “I’m going to carry this out to the car and then come back in for the bouncy chair and the playpen,” he said to Mary.

  She looked up from the suitcase she had opened on her bed. “Since Cassie has a crib, don’t worry about getting the playpen.”

  Halena came down the hallway with a huge suitcase and sporting a large hat with a purple feather in it. “You never know when you’ll need a purple hat,” she said to Tony.

  Tony fought desperately against an unexpected burst of laughter that threatened to bubble out of him. He had a feeling that no matter what dire things might happen, Halena would meet them with her own brand of aplomb and a fancy hat on her head.

  “I’ll take your suitcase,” he said. Halena handed it to him and then she went into Mary’s bedroom while he went out to his truck.

  As he waited for Mary to finish up, he sat on the sofa in the living room. Even though he believed they’d be safe at the ranch, he couldn’t help the worries that flittered through his brain.

  Things couldn’t get back to normal until Ash was arrested and would face charges of attempted kidnapping and perhaps arson if Dillon found any evidence that could be used against him in tying him to the fire.

  There was no way Tony believed the man was finished with them. He was obviously obsessed with getting Joey into his possession. Tony just wished he knew what Ash’s next move would be.

  Twenty minutes later they were loaded up and were saying goodbye to Juan and Jim when Dillon pulled up. Tony’s stomach muscles bunched with tension as he watched the lawman get out of his car and approach them.

  Dillon’s eyes were dark, and he offered them no smile. Mary stepped closer to To
ny, as if she, too, had a sense of deep foreboding.

  “I stopped by the ranch and Cassie told me you were here getting some things,” he said.

  “Do you have news about Ash?” Tony asked.

  Dillon shook his head. “Not Ash... Amy.”

  “What about her?” Dread pooled in the pit of Tony’s stomach.

  Dillon drew in a deep breath. “She was found in a motel room just outside of Oklahoma City late last night. She’s dead—she was stabbed to death.”

  Mary gasped and a sharp feeling of grief swept through Tony, along with a deep arctic chill. Knowing somebody was a suspected murderer was one thing, but believing that person had stabbed to death somebody you knew was absolutely horrifying.

  “Ash,” Tony said flatly.

  “The investigation is only in the early stages,” Dillon replied.

  “Ash believes Joey is his, so if he killed Amy, then he killed the mother of his three-month-old son.” Mary stared at Tony, her eyes filled with the darkness that seeped into Tony’s soul. “He’s the worst kind of monster,” she said softly. “And he’s coming after us.”

  Chapter 11

  The news of Amy’s murder ached inside Mary’s heart. The blond-haired sprite who had been such a part of Mary’s childhood was now gone forever. Amy wouldn’t appear one day on her doorstep, full of regrets about using again, swearing that she was going to do better and begging for Mary to not be mad at her.

  Memories rushed through her head. The laughter of the slumber parties they’d had rang inside her head. They’d painted each other’s fingernails and experimented with makeup. They’d talked about boys and how gross they thought it would be if a man put his tongue in their mouths while kissing.

  They had been young and so innocent, but Amy’s innocence had fled far too quickly. By the time she was sixteen she was already dabbling with drugs and sleeping with different guys.