The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes)

by Winters, Rebecca

  “Uh-oh,” Travis said. “I hope Abby doesn’t see this.”

  “She’ll freak out!” Casey exclaimed.

  “Who’s Abby?” Melissa said.

  “One of our friends, huh, Daddy? She got stung by a bee and now she’s afraid of them.”

  “Oh, dear. That’s no fun.”

  “She’s the stepdaughter of my friend Chaz Roylance, another P.I. at the firm,” Travis explained. “It might interest you to know she’s Lacey Pomeroy’s three-year-old daughter.”

  Melissa’s eyes flickered. “My favorite former host of the Stargazer Paranormal show?”

  “The very one. They got married at the beginning of the summer. That’s why she went off the air. He was hired to find the person stalking her. I’ll tell you their story sometime. When the guys and I plan the next party, you’ll meet her.”

  “I can’t wait!”

  “She’s awesome,” Casey interjected. “She believes in flying saucers.”

  “I know,” Melissa said. “So do I.”

  “You do?”

  Before there was any more talk, the TV announcer moved on to the next story.

  “Once again Utah is in the news. Due to a tip-off, federal agents have seized a marijuana plantation in the mountains above Kamas. They estimate the street value of the marijuana, known as Early Misty, is $40 million. Our helicopter news team has been on the scene since early morning as agents and police swept in to confiscate guns and equipment, and burn what these illegals have tended all summer with the hope of harvesting.

  “If you recall, there was a seizure of marijuana on Boulder Mountain several years ago. Utah seems to be becoming a prime target of cartels who are having trouble smuggling drugs across the Mexican border. They’ve chosen to grow their crop here and then ship it to the Midwest. These workers were caught red-handed and arrested on sight.

  “It’s determined they’re from Colombia. They’ve labored hard all season to produce this huge crop, but sometimes hard work is not rewarded—as they’ve found out today. In this case, the Feds also captured a Colombian who’s been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for close to two years. These mug shots identify him as Luis Manuel Carvelo, a notorious escaped convict now in custody after being wanted in Arizona for the deaths of six people.”

  Melissa’s gasp reverberated through the kitchen. Travis saw her grow pale as she stared at him in disbelief. “That’s the vile man at Grampy’s!”

  Travis walked over to turn off the TV. “He had a rap sheet as long as your arm.”

  “I can’t believe it. How did he get hired?”

  “He cut and bleached his hair. Using one of his aliases, he passed himself off as a former waiter from California, bilingual in Spanish, who moved to Kamas. He’s been living in a camper parked in the garage of those people you told me about who vacation at Lake Tahoe.”

  “That’s why you were asking me about them.”

  Travis nodded. “That camper was one of the vehicles used to transport the marijuana. He probably drove to your cabin many times. The tires on the vehicle matched the tracks outside your place. The whole thing was an elaborate setup, planned months ahead of its execution. Your cabin was closest to the area and made the perfect hangout.”

  Melissa shivered before getting to her feet. “All those awful men were living in my family’s cabin.”

  “But they’re gone now, huh, Daddy?”

  Overjoyed that the danger to her was over, Travis reached for his son and lifted him in the air. “They sure are.”

  Melissa’s eyes had filled with tears. “It’s all because of you.” Her voice shook. “You single-handedly took down a dangerous drug cartel. That criminal would still be out there, killing other people, if it weren’t for you. I don’t even know where to begin to thank you and your backup crew. My parents and I will always be indebted to you. I’ve got to call them right now!”

  “Go ahead. We’ll keep eating.”

  She dashed from the kitchen to get her phone. By the time they were finishing their lasagna, she reappeared. He could tell she’d been crying happy tears. “My parents want to talk to you.” She handed him the phone.

  For the next few minutes Travis explained to them what had transpired. They couldn’t have been more grateful.

  “When things have settled down,” her father said, “we’d like to give a party to honor you and all the people at Lufka’s who had any part in this. You’ve rid Kamas of a terrible menace. I guess you know by now this means more to us, and to our daughter, than words can say.”

  Travis did know. He had evidence of it in numerous ways. “She was a big help, Mr. Roberts. And, I might add, a very courageous woman, to keep going up there with me.”

  Her dad chuckled. “That cabin is special to her. We’ll talk to her later and find a time when it’s convenient for you to come to our house for an evening with the family, and of course, bring your son. She says he’s a delightful young man. We’re glad to hear his broken leg is all healed.”

  “Me, too.”

  “See you soon. Good night, Mr. Stillman.”

  Travis clicked off and handed the phone to Melissa who, along with Casey, was playing tug-of-war with one of the dog’s toys. “Okay, everybody. What are we going to do after we clean up the kitchen?” Travis had no intention of letting this evening end.

  “Can we go up to the cabin and have a sleepover tonight?”

  Trust his son to come up with the perfect answer. “That’s up to Melissa.” Travis’s gaze swerved to hers. “Have you had enough of the Stillman family?”

  She hugged her arms to her waist in what he’d come to recognize as a nervous gesture. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just thinking how exhausted you must be. Too tired to drive to Kamas again after all you’ve been through.”

  He put an arm around his son. “We love it up there, don’t we, bud?”

  “Yup.”

  “Well, if it’s what you’d really like to do, then of course it’s what I want more than anything.”

  Casey ran over and hugged her. “I’ll have to drive to the town house first and get some more clothes and fresh bedding,” she said, after hugging him back. “All the bedding up there needs to be thrown out. I don’t want any reminders of what happened up there.”

  “I don’t blame you. We’ll clean up here, then head for your condo and go up in my truck. On the way we’ll buy a couple of bundles of wood, so we can make a fire tonight.”

  Casey gazed up at him in excitement. “Can we roast marshmallows?”

  “In the house?” Travis replied.

  “It’ll be fine,” Melissa assured him. “Our family does it all the time. After we get up there, we’ll whittle some long sticks.”

  “Daddy has a really sharp knife.”

  “Great!” Her eyes flew to Travis. “Then we’re set. When you buy the wood, pick up marshmallows and popcorn, too.”

  His son’s shriek of happiness filled the house.

  * * *

  TWILIGHT WAS TURNING INTO darkness as they reached the cabin. Melissa had to pinch herself to believe they could drive right up to it in the truck without fear that someone was in there or was watching them from the forest.

  While she opened the front door and turned on the generator so they could have lights, Casey helped his father bring in the groceries and wood. Dexter ran around sniffing in all the corners, while Travis went outside once more for their overnight bags. Melissa carried in the bedding she�
�d brought from her condo.

  “Will you sleep with me again tonight?” Casey asked her.

  Before Melissa could answer, Travis said, “You and I, bud, are going to sleep downstairs in one of the bedrooms. We’ll let Melissa decide which one.”

  She flicked him a glance. “How about the one with the big family picture on the wall? That bed is more comfortable. While you guys get the fire going, I’ll put clean sheets and quilts on the beds we’ll use tonight.” The thought of those awful men using the bedrooms made her sick. While she was at it, she would give the bathrooms another scrubbing.

  Their various jobs kept them busy. “Robin Hood had nothing on you,” she said as Travis came in with three long, straight sticks, each with a point.

  His wide smile caused her toes to curl. “Anything for you, my lady.”

  Once she’d microwaved the popcorn and poured it into a bowl, she put it and the bag of marshmallows in Casey’s lap. He’d changed into his pajamas and was sitting in the middle of the couch, watching the flames. Dexter had jumped up and was nestled against his other side, inching his way toward the food.

  After she’d lit two lanterns and turned off the generator, she brought napkins and planted herself on the couch next to him. “This is what I call cozy.”

  Travis’s eyes when they met hers seemed to smolder, but maybe it was just a reflection of the fire. He asked Casey to hand him the marshmallows. “Don’t feed any to Dexter or he’ll get sick.”

  “I know. Can he have popcorn?”

  “Maybe a couple.”

  Melissa watched with silent laughter as Casey fed the dog one piece of popcorn at a time, half hiding it under his leg.

  Travis put a marshmallow on the end of a stick. “How do like yours cooked, Melissa?”

  “Charred.”

  “That’s funny. So do I.”

  “Yeah, black on the outside and gooey on the inside.”

  His deep chuckle seemed to rumble through her body. They’d probably have stomachaches in the morning, but she didn’t care as she popped a third one in her mouth. Tonight wasn’t like any other.

  She was in love. Madly in love with a fabulous man.

  As for his son, she loved him so much, she could almost believe she’d given birth to him.

  The night wore on and the fire started to die down. Casey grew less talkative and eventually fell asleep against her shoulder. It had been a big day. Travis got to his feet with the stealth of a panther and carefully lifted the boy from the couch.

  “Don’t go away,” he whispered to Melissa before carrying his son to the bedroom. As if she would go anywhere. His words acted like an electrical charge, igniting every part of her. Dexter jumped down and followed him.

  Travis, without Dexter, returned in minutes. The look of desire he gave her couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. She heard his sharp intake of breath before he got to the couch and followed her down with his body, pressing her against the cushions.

  “Melissa,” he cried urgently. “I need you tonight. Hold me. Kiss me.”

  He was actually trembling. In wonder, she wrapped her arms around him and let go of every inhibition, needing his kiss more than she needed air. She felt his fingers work their way into her hair. His touch brought exquisite pleasure.

  Tonight she had the feeling he wanted her. That he was kissing her, not his deceased wife. Melissa didn’t know how she knew. Maybe the talk with his sister had helped her turn a corner. All she knew was that this felt right and they were on fire for each other.

  “If anything had happened to you…” he whispered against her throat. “The thought of him touching you…”

  She cupped his face with her hands. “Him? Who are you talking about?”

  He made a self-deprecating sound. “No one.” He kissed her lips. “Forget what I said.” Once again he crushed her mouth with his, thrilling her. But she couldn’t get what he’d said out of her mind.

  “Travis, what did you mean? You know I haven’t been seeing another man.”

  A heavy sigh escaped his throat before he lifted his head. “One of the Colombians had been watching you. He talked about you. After Jose translated what was on the listening device, that was it. I couldn’t let you come up here again until they were captured.”

  She wound her arms around his neck. “It was that predator at Grampy’s, wasn’t it?”

  “It doesn’t matter. He’s been arrested. I can’t believe I spoke my fears out loud.” Travis buried his face in her hair.

  Melissa could believe it. “You’ve just come off the case. It’s only natural. Did you help with the actual arrests?”

  “Yes. One of them led me on a wild chase and almost escaped.”

  She hugged him harder. “I can’t comprehend hand-to-hand combat. You’re made of sterner stuff than most men. I can’t thank you enough for protecting me. To be that brave… As Casey always tells me, you’re awesome.” Melissa had run out of adjectives, and pressed her mouth to his, needing to show him how she felt.

  Travis’s hunger matched hers, but she was aware there was something troubling him deep down. As far as she knew, he’d still had no word of his wife’s killer. But she didn’t want to bring that up now. This had been the most heavenly night she’d ever known.

  His mouth roved over her face, her throat, and he moaned. She gave an answering moan—she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him, either. Suddenly she felt a shudder rack his powerful body. He levered himself away and got to his feet, putting distance between them. She was reeling. To be so passionately enthralled, and then for it to stop…

  “What’s wrong, Travis?”

  He stared at her so strangely. “This is wrong. Several hours ago your parents thanked me for making the cabin safe for you. So what do I do? I bring you up here and ravage you, with my son in the next room.”

  “It’s what I wanted, too. So tell me what really happened just now.”

  Travis had a habit of rubbing the back of his neck when he was trying to come up with an explanation he thought she could handle. But their relationship had gotten past that stage. “I could feel myself losing control,” he said. “When I heard you moan, I remembered what you told me about your ex-husband.”

  She blinked. “That moan you heard was sheer ecstasy, not terror.”

  “How can I believe you? The last thing I want to do is make a fatal mistake with you and have you think I’ve suddenly turned into Mr. Hyde.”

  The bleak look on his face shattered her. She got to her feet. “Travis, he was a sick man. I’ve had enough therapy and have been with enough men since my divorce to realize Russ was one of a small few. When I met you, you were so in control there’ve been times when it’s driven me crazy. You’re the heroic Texas Ranger around everyone else, but when you’re with me, I want you to be out of control.”

  “I want to believe you, but—”

  “But what?” she interrupted. “Could this be a smoke screen for what’s really going on here?”

  His eyes narrowed to dark slits. “What do you mean?”

  Sharp, stabbing pain took over. “I think you know. Ironic, isn’t it? I can’t get far enough away from the memory of my spouse. But you can’t get close enough to yours. For a little while tonight you tried to forget, but before we got past the point of no return, you couldn’t be tempted, because I wasn’t Valerie.

  “I’m not blaming you. How could I? She was the love of your life and hasn’t bee
n gone that long. It’s a fact, and no skirting around the issue is going to change it.”

  “You’re more wrong than you know.” His voice sounded as if it came from a deep cavern.

  “No. You grew up under a code of honor and couldn’t forsake it if you tried. Tonight you proved it by not using me, by not pretending to feel something you couldn’t feel. You’re a noble soul, Travis. Believe me when I tell you that you’re the finest man I’ve ever known. One day you’ll get the reward you deserve simply for being fantastic you.” She started for the wooden staircase.

  “Melissa…”

  She paused at the bottom and turned to him. “When you take me home tomorrow, I want it to be for the last time. I know it will be hard on Casey for a little while, but he’ll get over it because he has you for a father. You’ll know what to say to comfort him. Let’s end it now so Casey won’t realize what’s happening when you drop me off tomorrow. Goodbye, Travis. Thank you for everything. God bless the two of you.”

  Chapter Ten

  “How come you’re not eating?”

  Travis looked at Mitch. “I’m not hungry.”

  “That’s what you said when we met here last week,” Chaz reminded him.

  The Cowboy Grub was their favorite hangout for breakfast, but meeting with his friends this morning had been a mistake. Since the marijuana bust a week ago, Travis had taken on and solved two new cases to keep busy, but his turmoil had reached a level where he could no longer function. The guys didn’t deserve to see him like this.

  “Is Casey still in as bad a shape as you?”

  “Afraid so. He blames me and won’t talk to me unless he has to.”

  “I understand his frustration.” Mitch was a straight shooter. “Maybe you need to break down and tell us why you’re really staying away from her. If you don’t talk to somebody about this soon, you’re going to crack.”