by Rita Herron
“Sgt. Alex Townsend with the Texas Rangers,” Mia said, not surprised at the way Joy’s face lit up. Obviously she wasn’t the only woman immune to Alex’s good looks.
“Howdy, Mrs. McCauley,” Sgt. Townsend said. “Pleasure to meet you.”
Except this wasn’t a pleasant social visit.
“Any friend of Mia’s is a friend of ours,” Joy said, waving them inside. “We just love Mia. She’s wonderful with the horses. And a real card shark at Poker. She beats me and Henry every time.”
Sgt. Townsend laughed. “She’s full of surprises.”
Mia inwardly grimaced at the lies she’d told to hide her past. When Henry had asked how she’d gotten so good at the game, she claimed that she’d learned from a college boyfriend. But the truth was that she’d picked up the game by watching her mother and her scam artist boyfriend when she was a little girl.
Joy gestured for them to follow her inside. “Come on and sit down in the kitchen. I just pulled an apple pie from the oven. Would you like a slice?”
“Not for me,” Mia said, the very idea of food turning her stomach.
“I’m fine, Mrs. McCauley,” Sgt. Townsend said. “But Mia and I need to talk to you.”
“This sounds serious,” she said, her gray eyebrows knitting.
“It is,” Sgt. Townsend said.
“Is Henry here?” Mia asked as Joy led them into the kitchen.
“Yes, he just got back from town.”
“Can you ask him to come in here,” Mia said. “I really need to speak to both of you.”
Worry knitted Joy’s expression. “Of course, dear. Just a second.” Joy wiped her hands on her apron and disappeared into the hallway off the kitchen which led to the master suite they’d added to the house. Henry had arthritis and they decided they were tired of climbing stairs.
Mia stewed over the situation while they waited, but Sgt. Townsend paced over to the kitchen window, his gaze once again drawn to the outside.
Geoff could be on his way here now. Or…he might have already found the ranch and be waiting for the chance to get her alone so he could kill her.
Alex rarely trusted anyone. Detective work had taught him that.
But he instantly liked the McCauleys, his gut instinct telling him that this kind middle-aged woman and man were not a threat to Mia.
Joy was plump with rosy cheeks and seemed to love baking while Henry was thin with graying hair, a mustache, wore overalls and boots, and bragged about how much he loved working the land. They both insisted he call them by their first names, and that he have a piece of Joy’s apple pie.
It was the best pie he’d ever tasted. No little lady who cooked like that could be anything but kind. Could she?
Alex had seen other cases where seemingly sweet old ladies or men turned out to be evil.
He’d have to check the couple’s financials. If they needed money for some reason, Geoff could have used his wealth to persuade them to help him. For cripe’s sake, the bastard was charming and had convinced all of his friends that Mia had fabricated the spousal abuse charges. He’d even argued in court that she’d paid someone to beat her up so she could have him arrested and go after his money.
But Mia had adamantly refused to take a dime from him, negating that theory in the minds of the jury.
“So what’s this about?” Henry asked after they’d chitchatted for a moment.
Mia released a weary sigh. “I should have told you this before I moved here.”
The couple exchanged concerned looks. “Told us what?” Joy asked.
Anxiety radiated from Mia in waves, making Alex want to reach out and hold her hand, to comfort her.
But he couldn’t do that. The couple would get the wrong idea. Hell, Mia might get the wrong idea.
“Two years ago I married a man named Geoff Jones,” Mia said. “He was from a prominent family and was a lawyer in Austin.”
The McCauleys simply waited, their hands joined as if bracing themselves for bad news. Which meant that they were either really good actors or that they didn’t know about Jones.
“What happened, dear?” Joy asked.
“The marriage turned out to be …a disaster,” Mia said, a note of derision in her voice. “Geoff was volatile.”
Henry dropped his fork on his plate, his eyes narrowing. “He hit you?” Henry asked.
Mia twisted her hands in her lap. “Yes. And when I tried to leave him, it got worse.”
She paused as if it pained her to continue, and Alex cleared his throat. “He put her in the hospital,” he said, anger vibrating in his voice. “Mia filed charges. Jones was arrested for assault and battery with intent to kill, and has been serving time in the State Penitentiary the past few months.”
“Has been?” Henry asked, zeroing in on Alex’s words.
Mia heaved a weary breath. “Yes. Sgt. Townsend came to tell me that Geoff escaped.”
“Oh, my heavens, he was one of those three inmates on the news,” Joy said. “They said he was dangerous.”
“He is,” Alex said. “The police are conducting a statewide manhunt for him and the other two prisoners, but until he’s caught, that means that Mia – “
“Is in danger,” Henry said, finishing Alex’s sentence.
“Exactly.”
Joy rose and pulled Mia into a hug. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. What an awful ordeal to go through.”
Mia accepted her hug, her delicate body trembling slightly with emotions that he sensed she was holding in.
“What can we do to help?” Henry asked matter-of-factly.
“We discussed a safe house, but she refused,” Alex replied. “Mia wants to stay here.”
“I was just being selfish,” Mia said as she pulled away from Joy. “I’ll go. I can’t stay here and endanger the McCauleys.”
“Nonsense,” Joy said. “This is your home, Mia. We want you here with us.”
“She’s right,” Henry said in a thick voice. “I’ve got my rifle. If this man shows up and tries to hurt our Mia, we’ll take care of him.”
Alex almost smiled at the man’s fatherly tone. It appeared that Mia had finally found a family. No wonder she didn’t want to leave.
The fact that she’d actually changed her mind and offered to go to the safe house indicated how much she loved these people.
“I’ll be staying on as her bodyguard until he’s caught,” Alex said. “Meanwhile, it would be helpful if you’d let me ride your property, install a security system in her cabin and allow me to see your employee files.”
Joy’s face turned pinched. “I’m afraid we may not be able to afford the security system.”
“Don’t worry,” Mia said. “I’ll cover it.”
Alex wondered if she had the money, but they would discuss that later.
“Why do you want to look at our employees?” Henry asked.
Alex didn’t want to alarm them, but he had to cover all the bases. “It’s routine. Geoff was a wealthy and powerful man. He might have hired someone to find Mia. He could have someone working here as a ranch hand. Or one of your workers might have seen someone suspicious. Did you run background checks on all your men?”
The couple exchanged a concerned look. “Not exactly,” Henry said. “We fell on hard times the last few years. My funds have been low, and I had to cut the budget. I just hired men who needed work and didn’t mind doing it cheap.”
So the McCauleys had experienced money problems. That would have made them vulnerable to Geoff if he’d offered them a deal.
But Alex couldn’t picture the caring couple turning on Mia. Not even for financial security.
Henry stood. “I’ll get that list from my office.”
“Thanks.” Alex followed him to the door and lowered his voice. “I’d also like your permission to question them.”
Henry looked him square in the eye. “You have my permission to do whatever you need to keep that little girl safe. Joy and I never could have kids, but when Mia came alon
g, it was like God sent her. We knew something was wrong. She looked fragile, like this little dog we once had that had been mistreated. Now we understand the reason.”
Alex nodded, agreeing with the image. “She certainly looks happy here, Henry. I want to see her stay that way.”
They shared an understanding look, then Alex trailed Henry to his office and watched as the man sat down at his ancient computer, accessed the file and hit print.
Alex skimmed the names as he took the list, zeroing in on the most recent hires.
Truitt Wilson and Emmett Royce.
He’d run an extensive background check on each of them as soon as he got back to his computer.
But at first glance, his suspicions rose. Truitt Wilson was from Austin, Geoff Jones’s hometown.
They could have some connection, and Geoff could have sent Wilson after Mia.
Mia’s nerves were on edge as Sgt. Townsend returned from Henry’s office. Joy’s kindness had made her feel even more guilty for not going to a safe house.
If anything happened to her or Henry, she’d never forgive herself.
“Henry,” Joy said as her husband walked in. “Maybe we should call a meeting of all the hands and tell them to be on the alert for strangers on the ranch.”
“Good idea,” Henry said. “Sgt. Townsend, do you have a picture of this man Jones so we can show it around?”
“Sure, I’ll bring it to the meeting,” the Ranger said. “I want to watch the men’s reactions when you tell them what’s going on.”
“Fair enough. Give me a second and I’ll call the foreman and set it up. Most of the men are out working now. We’re moving the cattle from the north pasture to the east, so it’ll be hard to reach them at the moment. How about around dinner time?”
“That’s fine,” Alex said. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
Mia hugged them both. “I’m sorry to put you in this situation.”
Joy patted Mia’s back. “We love you, Mia. We just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Mia’s heart tugged painfully. The McCauleys might not have much money, but they were wealthy with love. They were good people and had been kinder to her than anyone she’d ever known.
“If I find out he’s here, I’ll leave,” Mia said. “I won’t let him hurt you or Henry.”
Joy patted her hands. “We are family, Mia. If he hurts you, he hurts us.”
Mia’s throat closed. She hugged Joy, then she and Alex walked out together. “I’m going to investigate the men on this list before we talk to them,” he said. “But first I want to have a chat with the Joneses. Then we’ll come back and ride the property and meet with the ranch hands.”
Mia bit her lip. Maureen and Ross Jones hated her.
She was surprised they hadn’t actually hired someone to kill her themselves.
Geoff gripped the prepaid cell phone in his hand as he huddled inside the deserted building. Dammit.
Mia should never have put him in this position. He’d been well respected, a man of power and authority.
To have to hide and run like a common criminal was inexcusable.
She would pay for ruining his reputation.
He had half a mind to go after the jurors who’d convicted him – how Mia had managed to persuade them he was anything but the perfect husband still astounded him – but doing that could get him caught before he had the opportunity to find his wife.
And finding her was more important.
The private investigator he’d hired, Dennis Sars, answered on the third ring. “Sars speaking.”
“Do you have an address for my wife?”
Papers rattled in the background. Something that sounded like an out of date fax machine whirred. “Yes. She’s been living and working on the Crossties Ranch about a hundred miles from Austin.”
Geoff gritted his teeth. What was his beautiful wife doing there – mucking stalls? The very idea that she’d choose that lifestyle over being his wife brought his rage brimming to the surface.
He scribbled the address on a piece of paper, then tucked it into the pocket of his jeans. As soon as he reached his final destination, he’d throw these clothes away and wear something more suitable to his station in life.
But for now he had to blend in. And if he wanted to go undetected on this damn ranch, he’d have to dress the part. Fury railed through him at having to stoop so low, but even jeans and a flannel shirt were better than prison attire.
He would never go back there.
Never.
He assured the PI he would receive his payment promptly, determined to keep the man on good terms in case he needed him again. And he had paid him well for his confidentiality.
Everyone had a price.
Except Mia.
The bitch.
His emotions for her pingponged back and forth between unadulterated love and pure hatred.
Keeping the baseball hat low on his head, he ducked into the small saddle shop, chose a black Stetson, black western shirt, boots with silver studs and a belt buckle with a bull on it. He paid the man cash, carefully avoiding eye contact, his gaze tracking the country store for other patrons who might recognize him.
Thankfully the place was nearly deserted, and the old timer behind the counter had such thick glasses that he was probably half blind.
He carried his purchases outside, then ducked into the restroom around back and changed. When he emerged, the Stetson sitting low on his head, he looked like any other Texas cowboy. Or maybe a country and western singer.
Not the astute lawyer he was.
Mia had robbed him of that.
But new identities in another country, and soon he’d be living the pampered lifestyle he was meant to live.
He jumped in the old pick-up truck one of his fellow inmates who’d been paroled had arranged for him, knowing that would be the last vehicle Mia would expect him to be driving.
He punched in his father’s private mobile number, then started the engine and let it idle while the phone rang.
Seconds passed, and two more cars pulled into the parking lot while he waited. Finally his father answered. “Geoff, are you okay?”
Hell, no he wasn’t. He’d been stripped of his life. “Yes. Do you have the bank accounts set up?”
“Yes,” his father replied. “But I’m worried, Geoff. The police are all over the place looking for you.”
A tense second passed. “Just stay calm, and tell them you haven’t heard from me. I already have the passports and IDs. As soon as I get Mia, we’ll be out of the country.”
His father wheezed a breath. “But, Geoff, they’re saying on the news that you’re dangerous, that the police have orders to shoot to kill.”
Before he could comment on his father’s statement, his father cursed. “Dammit to hell, son, they’re here now.”
Fuck. “Who is it?”
“I’m looking out the side window. Shit. It’s that same Texas Ranger who handled the case before. And that bitch of a wife of yours is with him.”
Rage heated Geoff’s blood. “Get rid of them, Dad. And remember, stay cool. You haven’t seen or heard from me.”
“Geoff, please, you may want to rethink this. I don’t want to see you end up dead.”
“If anyone’s going to die,” he growled, “it’s going to be Mia.”
But he wouldn’t kill her right away. He would make her suffer first.
CHAPTER FOUR
Mia fidgeted in the seat as Sgt. Townsend parked in front of the Jones’s estate.
“You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to, Mia.”
She clenched the edge of the seat, fighting her emotions. Trepidation over seeing the couple who’d openly despised her at the trial warred with pride. She had worked hard to overcome the past and vowed that no one would ever make her feel inferior again. And that she’d never be in the position of letting another person lord over her – or make her run.
That not only included Geoff, but his parents. Wh
en she’d first pressed charges, they’d done everything possible to persuade her to drop the case. Everything from offering her money to intimidation tactics.
If she’d had any family, they would have probably threatened them to twist her arm.
But she had stuck to her guns, and she intended to show them that she wasn’t afraid of them.
“No, I need to do this.” She lifted her chin. “They made me out to be a conniving gold digger during the trial. They can’t do anything else to hurt me.”
He gave her an encouraging smile. “You’re strong, Mia. Brave. I’m glad you stood up to them.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice,” she said. If she’d gone back to Geoff, she’d eventually have ended up dead anyway.
“How do you plan to approach them, Sergeant?” she asked.
“With the truth,” he said bluntly. “And Mia, please call me Alex. We’re going to be spending a lot of time together. Sergeant sounds too formal.”
Her stomach fluttered. Maybe she needed that formality to keep her distance. Using his first name sounded too …intimate.
Like he might be a friend…or a lover.
She couldn’t afford to think of him that way. She needed a reminder that he was a Texas Ranger, that the only reason he was here was because of his job.
“Mia, are you all right?”
She nodded. “Let’s just get this over with.”
He gave a small lopsided smile, and her heart stuttered. Please don’t look at me like that, she pleaded silently. Not like I’m a delicate flower you want to protect.
Or hold.
Because if he tried to touch her, she might just collapse into his arms.
Thankfully oblivious to her thoughts, he opened the car door, and they walked up the brick path to the front door of the English Tudor mansion. A maid answered the doorbell, scowling when Alex introduced himself.
The older Hispanic woman recognized Mia immediately, and averted her eyes as if she didn’t know what to say to her. Mia had always wondered if the servants in the house knew about Geoff’s violent tendencies. If so, they’d probably been paid well for their silence.