The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes)

by Winters, Rebecca

  “Yup. Daddy and Aunt Pat had to go live with their aunt and uncle.”

  “And we were very fortunate,” Travis confided. “They became our parents and they were horse people. After my aunt May passed away from a lung clot, it was just the three of us. When Uncle Frank died of a heart attack, Pat and I inherited their house and lived in it.”

  Casey nodded. “And then Aunt Pat got married and moved to Salt Lake, and then Daddy met Mommy and they got married.”

  Melissa smiled at Travis’s adorable boy. “And then you came along. That was a really lucky day for your parents.”

  Sadness tinged his smile. “I didn’t want to move to Salt Lake, but now I’m glad we did. Do you ride horses?”

  After their little talk in the bedroom, she realized where this was leading. “I have done. There’s a stable in Kamas where you can go for rides, but I’m not very good. Are you thinking of getting horses again?”

  “Maybe,” Travis said. “We’re taking this one step at a time.”

  No doubt he’d ridden with his wife. After her death he’d probably lost his love for it. Certainly Casey’s recent fall wouldn’t put him in any hurry to do something about it.

  “Who’s ready for dinner?” Travis asked. “Our Chinese food arrived while you two were touring the house.”

  “I don’t like that stuff,” Casey said in dismay.

  “I made you mac and cheese, bud.”

  Melissa grinned. “And I brought you more homemade brownies.”

  “Yippee!”

  * * *

  TRAVIS CAME IN the breakfast room after putting Casey to bed. While they were gone, she’d cleaned up the kitchen. He brought his laptop with him and sat down at the table. From his pocket he pulled out the three tiny micro SD cards taken from the mini cameras.

  Melissa looked at him. “Is Casey asleep?”

  “Not yet, but I think he’s on the way.”

  Suddenly, they said each other’s name, at the exact same time. “You go first,” Travis told her.

  “Casey showed me a picture of his mother. I—I can see why you were taken back when we first met.” Melissa’s voice faltered.

  “I didn’t know you then.”

  “Still—”

  “Still, nothing.” He cut her off. “Even identical twins have differences when you get to know them.”

  “All I’m trying to say is that I’m not so sure Casey has made that distinction.”

  “Does it matter?” Travis watched her fidget.

  “It might. That’s why I made up the excuse about doing the dishes instead of going in his room to read him a bedtime story. I don’t think it’s wise that I get any closer to him.”

  “Are you sure you’re not talking about me instead of my son?”

  “Travis, please listen to me. After talking about his mother, he told me he wished I lived with you all the time.”

  “That shouldn’t surprise you.” It had become Casey’s mantra.

  “No, but it troubles me. When you told me about his immediate turnaround after coming to the clinic, I only halfway believed your explanation. Not because I thought you were lying, but because it sounded so unlikley.”

  “But now you know it’s true. So what if it is? Why are you so worried about it?”

  She eyed him in confusion. “Because he has unrealistic expectations. One day, when I don’t meet them, he’s going to be let down.”

  “I haven’t seen any sign of it.”

  “You’re not hearing what I’m saying.”

  “I am hearing you. We both know he’s transferred his feelings for his mom to you.”

  “Yes, but I’m not his mom, and when he eventually realizes it, his disappointment could present problems.”

  Travis had known the day would come when Melissa saw Valerie’s picture. Now that she had, she’d started doubting him, fearing he couldn’t separate his feelings about the two of them any more than Casey could. In fact, she was making sounds about wanting to distance herself from him as well.

  Travis refused to allow that to happen before they could explore what was going on between them. Those kisses in the forest had been earthshaking for him.

  “Then we’ll deal with them if and when that time comes, okay?”

  He stared her down. At last she gave him a small smile. “Okay,” she said.

  “Good. Right now we have a case to solve. Let’s take a look at these tapes and see what’s on them. This one is from the back door outside the cabin.” He inserted the first memory card into the adaptor so they could view it on the laptop, full screen. “The time indicated says ten fifty-five.”

  “What on earth are they doing out in the forest so late at night?”

  “I’m working on the answer.” Travis knew exactly what they were doing. Tomorrow he’d hike with Melissa over the ridge in the other direction. In all likelihood he’d find what he was looking for, otherwise these drug traffickers wouldn’t be using her family’s cabin rather than some cheap motel miles from there.

  Out of the darkness came the beam of a flashlight, moving around like a firefly. Melissa gasped as she counted one, two, three, four silhouettes coming toward the camera before they disappeared into the cabin.

  “How dare they!” she said, appalled.

  Travis picked up another memory card and put it in. “This one will be from the upstairs camera. It says ten after eleven.” Again there was movement of a flashlight beam, followed by two silhouettes climbing the staircase.

  Melissa shook her head. “How convenient! A bedroom for each of them.”

  “They probably had another one on watch outside the cabin, in case they had to get out in a hurry, but the camera didn’t catch him. That might explain the number of cigarette butts.”

  He removed the card and put in the next. “Ten fifty-six.” The tape caught the backs of four men in long-sleeved jackets entering the kitchen, one still wielding a flashlight. The man holding it put it on the picnic table, while they all crowded around the sink for a drink from the tap. They didn’t use glasses from the cupboard. In another minute they assembled on the benches in the kitchen.

  Melissa glanced at Travis. “Judging by the look of them, they’re all Hispanic. That certainly explains why we heard Spanish on the listening device.”

  He nodded. “When Jose translated the audio, he picked up four voices, all of them native speakers.” That was as much as he was willing to tell her.

  “What were they talking about?”

  “How hungry and thirsty they were. One had a toothache.”

  “But nothing about what they were doing in the mountains?”

  “Not yet. But when we go up to the cabin tomorrow, I’ll put in yet another listening device, and hope we pick up more chatter.”

  “Tomorrow’s Friday. They might not come, since it’ll be the weekend.”

  “We’ll just have to wait and see. I plan to come by for you at eight-thirty in the morning. We’ll spend the day up there. I’ll ask Deana to pick Casey up from school, so it will give us a little more time to hike.”

  All of a sudden there was movement on the tape. The kitchen became shrouded in darkness as one of the men took the flashlight and got up from the table. Another left with him, presumably to go upstairs. Which meant the other two were left in the dark. When there was nothing more to see, Travis pulled out the memory card.

  Melissa shot up from the table. “I can’t wait till they’re caught. They sicken me. About a
month ago I was watching an old Hollywood war movie where the enemy shot everyone inside this gorgeous French château before they took it over. It was winter. They chopped up the furniture and parquet floors for firewood.

  “Some of the soldiers used the fabulous Sèvres china urns for chamber pots. They showed no mercy or regard for anything. I know it was just a movie, but it was based on a thousand true stories. I remembered thinking, what if that were my family? Our château? Now I have an inkling what it feels like for an enemy to invade your home as if it’s their divine right.”

  Travis reached for her and wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t resist. “I’m so close to catching them, I can taste it.” He kissed her cheek and hair. “Bear with me a little longer and I promise you’ll soon be rid of them for good.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” she cried into his neck. “What if Casey hadn’t told me you were a P.I.? It’s a miracle you’ve already unearthed so much. Who else but a Texas Ranger could do what you’ve done?”

  The warmth of her body proved to be an aphrodisiac that drove everything else from Travis’s mind. He kissed his way to her mouth and began devouring her. His hunger for her had been building. Whatever reservations she had about him seemed to have dissolved, because she was soon kissing him back with a fervency that matched his own.

  He had no idea how long they stood there, locked in a feverish embrace. But when Dexter’s bark registered, Travis realized they were no longer alone. Melissa had heard it, too, and eased out of his arms. He noticed her flushed face and swollen lips before he turned to discover Casey standing nearby. His son’s blue eyes stared at them with a soberness that was puzzling, and he didn’t say anything.

  “What are you still doing up, bud?”

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  Travis sighed. “Maybe it’s just as well. I was going to ask your aunt to walk across the street and keep you company while I followed Melissa home. Now you can come with me. Stay in your pj’s, but put some shoes on. Then we’ll leave.”

  “I’ll be right back!” Casey took off with Dexter at his heels.

  Knowing this wasn’t the time for a postmortem with Melissa, Travis escorted her through the house and out the front door to her car. After helping her inside, he leaned down for another taste of her divine mouth.

  “Travis…Casey can see us.” She tore her lips from his, but not before he’d felt her respond. It gratified him to know her emotions were spilling over, too.

  He kissed her nose. “We’ll be right behind you.”

  When Travis unlocked the truck, Casey and Dexter climbed in the back. On the way over to Melissa’s the boy was still unusually quiet. Travis eyed him through the rearview mirror. “What’s on your mind?”

  “I don’t think Melissa likes me.”

  That was a surprise. “Where did you get an idea like that? I seem to recall she’s given you lots of presents, and she made more brownies for you tonight.”

  “I know.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  A haunting sigh escaped before he murmured, “I told her I wished she lived with us all the time.”

  Travis rubbed his jaw. “What did she say?”

  Silence greeted his question. They were almost to Melissa’s town house, so Travis prodded, “Casey?”

  “She didn’t say anything,” he answered in a quiet voice.

  Travis’s earlier conversation with Melissa had come back to bite him. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t like you. You have to remember Melissa isn’t your mother. She’s never been a mother,” he said in a burst of inspiration, wanting to help his son get past this hurt.

  “You mean she doesn’t know how?” Casey sounded as if he couldn’t imagine such a thing. It made Travis smile despite the pang in his heart.

  “Yeah, that’s what I mean. And guess what? I didn’t know how to be a father until after I got married and you were born. Your mom and I learned how together.”

  He could hear the wheels turning in Casey’s head.

  “Do you think if you married Melissa, you could teach her and she’d learn how?”

  Travis didn’t reply.

  * * *

  MELISSA WAS PACKING hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter sandwiches in her backpack when her phone rang. Maybe it was Travis calling to tell her he was going to be late picking her up. Instead it was her sister.

  “Linda?”

  “Hi! I know, it’s been at least two weeks since I last talked to you. Dad said you’ve taken the week off and we shouldn’t go up to the cabin until the P.I. figures out what’s going on. I want to hear all about what’s happening up there, but first I need a favor.”

  “What?”

  “My babysitter can’t come at eleven, and I have an appointment with my ob-gyn for my annual pap smear. I was wondering if you might be able to help me out. I know it’s late notice.”

  “You know I would in a second, but the guy heading the investigation is coming by for me in a few minutes. We have to go up the canyon again. I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey, it’s all right. I’ll call Mom. I hate to ask her, but sometimes there isn’t anything else to do. If that fails, I’ll cancel the appointment. So how’s it going? Do you trust this P.I. to know what he’s doing?”

  Heat swept through Melissa. The memory of the way Travis had kissed her in his kitchen last night had kept her awake for hours. “He’s brilliant.”

  “Really. Is he young? Old?”

  “Mid-thirties.”

  “Married?”

  “Linda…not you, too! Mom and Dad do enough of that.”

  “I’m getting warmer, aren’t I? You’ve been so quiet lately, something tells me he’s a person of interest.”

  “He hopes to have the case solved soon. That’s the only thing of interest to me.”

  “Liar. But I’m glad to hear you have such confidence in him. One of these days I want the inside skinny on him. In the meantime I’m sure you can’t wait to get the cabin back. I know you’d live up there if you could.”

  “You know me too well.” Except that since Melissa had met Travis, she couldn’t imagine being up there without him.

  “Well, I’d better try phoning Mom. We’ll talk later. Have a good day!”

  “You, too.”

  After they hung up, Melissa put her keys in her pocket and left the condo carrying her backpack. Travis was out in front, right on time. She felt an adrenaline rush, something that happened every time she saw him. As she deposited her backpack in the rear and climbed into the truck, she sensed his mind was somewhere else. Whether it was personal or work-related, she couldn’t tell.

  Probably he was thinking about those men they’d seen on the video, who had to be close to the cabin. Maybe today would be the day she and Travis would catch sight of them, though they’d be hiking in a rugged area she hadn’t been in since she was a kid. Still, two pairs of eyes were better than one.

  She put on her best smile and said, “Good morning.”

  When he turned to her, his gaze traveled over her and centered on her mouth. “It is now. But I’m having second thoughts about taking you with me.”

  And here she’d hoped he might kiss her. What was she thinking? “Why?”

  “I’ve decided you’ll be safer here.”

  She frowned. “I thought you had backup for us.”

  “I do, but even with the best-laid plans, things can go wrong. I’d prefer not to take any chances.”


  “Why don’t you tell me what’s really wrong? You think I’ll slow you down?”

  “You know better than that.”

  “So how about telling me the truth?”

  His jaw tensed. “This has to do with Casey.”

  She bit her lip. “Is he all right?”

  “He won’t be if anything happens to you.”

  Melissa stared at Travis, trying hard to read between the lines. “What you’re not saying is that this case has escalated into something highly explosive. Am I right?”

  “I’m afraid so. On the way over here, Jose called me from the cabin. The men were there again last night, and he overheard conversation on the listening device that has required us to step up the operation. Now the police are involved.”

  “So that means the Texas Ranger is once again walking into a situation that could take lives.”

  “Not if I can help it.” His voice was hard.

  Melissa felt real fear. “I wish I’d never told my father about the Lufka firm.”

  “Thank heaven you did,” Travis retorted.

  “Why?” she cried.

  He grimaced. “Never mind.”

  Now she was terrified. “Travis, if anything happened to you, Casey would never be able to handle the loss, and I’d never be able to forgive myself.” I’d never get over it.

  “If you’re home safe and sound at least I’ll be able to concentrate on the job I’ve got to do. Promise me you’ll stay put today. I’ll call you before the day is out. I swear it.”

  Melissa’s heart pounded so hard she felt ill. “What about Casey?”

  “Deana will pick him up from school. If I can’t get home tonight, my sister’s going to take care of him.”

  This was a crisis, but Travis wasn’t asking for Melissa’s help.

  Was that because she’d told him she didn’t dare get too close to Casey?

  Or had he decided it was best to maintain distance because he’d finally separated her from his wife and she didn’t stand up to the comparison?

  Whatever the answer, he didn’t want her around. Melissa got the message. “Sorry for holding you up.” She jumped out of the truck and reached in back for her pack.