A Touch of Passion (boxed set romance bundle)

by Uvi Poznansky

  “He’s m-my grandson? That precious little boy is ours? Clint’s boy?”

  Anne quickly passed her a napkin and smiled through her own waterfall. “Yes. I was pregnant when I left here. I would have returned to tell him about Max, except that I got a letter…”

  “…a letter from me, telling you that Cathy was pregnant, and they were getting married.” Rose’s face dropped into her hands and she cried her regret. “I’m so dang-blasted sorry I ever wrote that damn letter.”

  “Think, Rose. If you hadn’t, you might not have your Debbie today. She’s such a lovely little angel. I can’t imagine her not living at the ranch with you and Clint. But I do see why you’ve been worried. He needs to adopt her, and as soon as possible. You’ll have to tell him you know about Debbie, Rose. Release him from the worry of breaking your heart.”

  “Well the poor man’s gonna get a double-whammy. 'Cause now you’ll have to tell him that he is a daddy.”

  Elbows on the table, Anne cupped her cheeks in both hands and stared at the multitude of scratches on the wooden surface before she gathered the nerve to return Rose’s confused gaze.

  Even though she’d known it would come to this, a sick feeling grabbed the insides of her stomach and twisted the walls. Wretched, but accepting that there was no way past the dilemma, she gathered her scattered thoughts and jumped in at the deep end.

  “Well—we might have a bit of a problem there. You see, when I explained it all to Max, who, by the way, knows Clint is his father, I made him a promise. We decided that I could share the news with you at any time. However, I had to have his permission before I could tell Clint.”

  “And that’s a problem because…?” Rose waited.

  “Because Clint has been—shall we say—a bit unapproachable?”

  “Oh, dear!”

  “Precisely!”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Yo! Walsh here.”

  “Clint? It’s me, Max.”

  Clint straightened in his saddle, pulled his stallion, Cloud, away from where the others were working the horses and cupped the phone to his ear. “Max? Speak up. Where are you?”

  “Those guys were stealing Blackie and some of the other horses from your land, and I hid in the trailer. Didn’t Donny and Debbie tell you what happened?”

  Jesus! Annie’s kid was withthe horse thieves? What the flamin’ hell was going on? “Max, where are you now?”

  “I’m in the trailer with the horses. They took Blackie.”

  “Holy shit! “I mean, do you know where the trailer is? Can you see out the window?”

  “Yeah.”

  Clint heard a definite sniff, which tore the heart right out of his body. The pain doubled him over, and he had to dismount or fall off Cloud. “Kid, listen. I’m coming to get you, ya hear? Don’t be scared. First of all, save your battery. Watch for any signs that might help me know what highway you’re travelling on. And call me back in ten minutes. Got it?”

  “Okay. And, Clint?”

  “What, Max?”

  “I’m kinda worried about Maman. Can you be nice to her so she isn’t too mad at me?”

  “You got it, kid. I’ll be like a jolly Santy Claus. Check for signs and call back in ten.”

  The click from the other line almost had him on his knees. Aware that it was his orders that had made Max break the link, the deadly silence now preyed on his nerves. Maybe he should have kept the boy talking. But they might need that battery for a long time and running it out didn’t make much sense.

  Max had said something about Donny and Debbie. He flung himself back on Cloud, dug his heels in, and they flew like the wind toward the home he’d built for Jeff Gault and his family. He met Jeff and the two kids just as they were coming to search for him.

  Clouds of dust billowed as he dismounted before Cloud had come to a full stop. He ran to Debbie and Donny and wondered why they looked so terrified, until Jeff stepped between him and the other two.

  “Calm down, Clint. Don’t scare the kids. Just let them tell you what happened.”

  He clenched his hands to stop himself from throttling his foreman. “What the hell were they thinking? Letting a greenhorn do such a thing? He doesn’t know the lay of the land at all. Nor will he have a clue about where they might be. Goddammit, Jeff.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve already given Donny a talking to he won’t soon forget, and Debbie’s been in tears since Max left. Once she realized how much danger he was in, poor little chick’s been inconsolable. We need to get her to Anne and Rose.”

  Clint turned to see his little girl all scrunched up in her saddle, eyes so wide they threatened to pop out of their sockets and globs of tears so thick they tore at his heartstrings.

  Man, settle down! You gotta keep your temper or everyone else will fall apart. He swallowed a few times, brushed his hat over his thighs and then replaced it.Feeling somewhat less panicky, he approached Debbie and spoke calmly. “Just so you know, baby, Max called me a few minutes ago and he’s just fine. So, now, sweetheart, you have to tell me everything that happened. First you and then Donny. Okay? We’ll have to call the sheriff, and he’ll want to know the whole story.”

  By the time Clint got Max’s second call, he’d ridden back to the ranch to exchange Cloud for his SUV.

  “Clint?” The boy’s scared voice coiled his guts, and the explosive pain had him gritting his teeth. His blood flow sped up, making the pulse pound so hard in his chest, he had to lean against the door of the vehicle or fall over.

  He coughed and then answered. “Hey, kid, whatcha got for me?”

  “I’m trying to get some names but they’re going by too fast. I’m really trying.”

  “Course you are. I know that. Look, tell me about the buildings. Have you seen any McDonalds, or Jack in the Box? How about car dealerships, you know, stuff like that?”

  “Sure, at first all I saw were farms, but we went by a rodeo ground a little while ago.”

  “No city streets?”

  “Kinda small places with just a few stores and churches.”

  “Good boy, I think I know what highway you’re on. Keep watching and call me back in ten. I’m coming to get you, Max, so don’t worry. Okay?”

  “Okay. Does Maman know yet?”

  “She’s just pulling into the yard, now, after picking Rose up. She’ll talk with you next time, okay?”

  “Tell her I’m sorry.”

  “What the hell do you have to be sorry for? You’re one brave little man. I’ll give you that.”

  “But mothers don’t see things so clear, Clint. She’ll be mad. Bye.”

  Goofy kid! Clint shook his head. Why would any sane woman be angry? Worried sure, but not mad.

  Chapter Twenty

  She wasn’t at all mad. Hell, she was furious! The French tirade didn’t stop until she’d run out of breath. He thanked his lucky stars that his own language skills couldn’t possibly keep up with her speed, or, no doubt, his ears would be burning.

  “Calm down, Annie-girl. He’s fine and doing a helluva job. The kid’s got more spunk that I gave him credit for. I guess the thought of someone taking Blackie away spurred him on to making a rash decision, but you gotta give—”

  Foot tapping and hand planted on her hips, she interrupted him mid-stride. “He’s trying to prove something to you. That he’s brave…” A sob stopped the rest of her rant.

  He wrapped his arms around her tightly, overriding her forceful attempts to break away. Within a few seconds, she freed herself and stepped in closer to hang on so tight; he wondered if the imprint of her soft body would ever be erased from his own.

  “Look, he’s called me, and I think I know the highway they’re on. I’ve got the sheriff talking to his deputies, and they’re tracking him; plus they’ve alerted the law in the next county. Donny says they painted my trailer before they left, making a sign over my name, like a lasso, which will make it easy to spot. I’m on my way to where I think they’re heading. We’ll get him back, baby.
Don’t fret.”

  She pushed away from him and slapped at his reaching hands. “I’m coming with you.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “No, you don’t. So don’t start now.” Her eyes shot laser beams of warning. “I’m going because he’ll need me there if he gets hurt. You see that. Right? He’ll need his maman to be there with him.”

  Rose, who’d disappeared soon after Clint had shared the news, approached and handed him a box packed with food and a thermos of coffee. “There’s enough for you both. Now quit arguing and git!”

  Clint knew from the stubborn chins aimed in his direction that he wasn’t getting away without Annie; so he shrugged and headed to the SUV.

  “Annie, take my phone too—in case you need to use it. Clint has to keep his free for Max to call. And don’t worry. Our boy is as smart a rascal as I’ve ever seen. He’ll be fine.” Rose hugged Annie, and then pushed her to where Clint had whipped the vehicle around so the passenger door was next to them.

  Rose leaned down to look him in the eye. He hadn’t seen that kind of a look from her since he’d worn puppy-covered pajamas at night.

  She didn’t need to say anything. He got it. All he did was nod and they left, wheels spinning and dust flying. Annie waved to Jeff and Donny and blew a kiss to Debbie, before she relaxed back against the seat and levelled Clint with her, “no-nonsense,” specialty look.

  “I know you were downplaying the danger so you wouldn’t cause an uproar with the kids or send Rose into hysterics. But I need to know Max’s chances of getting hurt. Are these kill buyers desperate?”

  Clint squirmed but decided to answer truthfully. “Nah! I don’t think so. They’re all about the money. Lots of them are legit. They go around to different auctions and buy up horses sold by private sellers and breeders for the purpose of slaughtering them for meat. What’s not right is that sometimes, in order to buy, they pretend the horses are going to another rancher or farmer. You see, many of these animals have been injected with medications that are banned for usage in food. These buyers falsify documents, take their profit and don’t give a rat’s ass who they might be hurting.”

  “Except these buyers aren’t buying; they’re stealing.”

  “Yep! I’ve organized the other ranchers to form a night watch. We were starting tonight. Now, it looks as if there’s no need. My guess is they’ve been hiding the horses in that canyon past Gault’s place, where the kids went riding. After they stole my trailer last night, they’re making a run for it. Seems to me, they’ve got brass balls to be so damn bold, but what can you expect from guys who don’t like to work for a living.”

  “Did Donny or Debbie recognize either of the men?”

  “No. I asked. They just said they were young, not old like me and Jeff.” While admitting the last bit, the droll tone in his voice had a smile breaking through her worry.

  “How come you know where to go? What did Max say?”

  “He said they passed a rodeo ground and there are only a few on a highway without any other buildings. Sheriff Dan is going to check out the other places as well. We’re hoping they decide to stop for supper soon. If so, we’ll get them then. What time is it?”

  Annie’s face whitened. She checked her watch. “He’s late calling in.”

  Clint never told her that he missed Max’s last call and it was breaking him apart inside. He had to pretend. “Only by a minute or so. He’ll call.” Clint tightened his hands on the steering wheel and looked over at the woman sitting next to him. She looked so small and defenseless, sitting in the passenger seat. Her shoulders were hunched forward, as if she were protecting that part of her body from hurting so bad. Trying to lessen the pain a mother feels when her child’s in danger. He couldn’t begin to understand how she felt, but he imagined it to be devastating.

  Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat and started again. “He’s in trouble.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He floored the gas and squealed into the parking lot of a fast-food joint where, a low-life, was manhandling a young, golden-haired boy.

  Before the engine had even shut down, they’d leapt from the SUV—him from the driver’s side and Annie from the passenger’s.

  Three strides brought him to where Max struggled to get free from the son-of-a-bitch who held him, one hand entangled in his hair and the other lifting to backhand his face. A quick chop to the guy’s shoulder dissuaded him quickly. Unseen by Clint, another dude leapt from the side of the trailer and landed on his back; the weight bringing him down.

  Fighting for his life, Clint hit out with all his force and connected with a chin, only to see his Annie clinging to the back of the jumper and laying one on him; her fingers gouging and her accented, foreign cussing, was like music to his ears.

  Before they could hurt her too badly, he’d wriggled out from under his opponent and saw Max coming to his ma’s aid. Jesus! The kid had gotten a hold of a tree branch and was whipping at the guy’s legs while Annie rode his back, neither slowing for a second. “You let my maman go!” Whap! Whap! Problem was—Annie wouldn’t let loose and the thief was getting fed up.

  Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and flipped her over his head and drove his fist in her face. Young Max, insane with fury, began whapping at the assailant’s face, and didn’t look like he had any intentions of running or protecting himself.

  Enraged at the violence against his family, Clint pounded the hell out of his attacker, and then reached his big fist out, grabbed the fellow trying to get at Max and flattened him with one blow. These guys might be younger, but he was by far the stronger and better fighter. Matter of fact—these two were nothing for a man who’d learned to fight in a bar from the time he’d first snuck in.

  Screaming sirens gave the first warning that he had help arriving soon. Within minutes, the battle ended. Letting the deputies take over, Clint ran to where Annie, with Max in her arms, sat curled over the boy, rocking him back and forth, showering kisses on every inch of his face she could reach and muttering, “You’re so grounded.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “Quit arguing. You need to get that eye looked at.”

  Anne hated to admit Clint was right. “Fine!”

  “Whatever possessed you to take on that degenerate? Jumping on his back like you were riding a bronc in the rodeo.” Clint had picked her up like she weighed nothing, and sat her on the kitchen counter. Then he’d held her face and rubbed a dab of medicated cream on the small cut. After that, he’d stomped over and got a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, which he’d placed over the swelling. “You and that kid of yours should be fenced in to keep you out of trouble.”

  “Sure, go ahead and blame us. It was your damn horses my kid was trying to save.”

  He stood over her, and she could swear the look in his eye changed from concern to hot desire; before he lowered his lashes to shut her out.

  “There isn’t a horse in the world worth your lives. You should have known better.”

  She pushed his hands away and then dug her finger in his chest for emphasis. “What the hell did you expect me to do? He was hurting Max, and then he tried to help his friend beat on you. Two against one didn’t look like fair odds to me.”

  “Don’t mess with me, girl. I would have dealt with him. Christ, you were half his size.”

  Her back stiffened and she straightened her shoulders. “Between me and Max, we kept him from helping his partner who had you on the ground.” She knew her jibe hit home. But, darn it all anyway, the least the man could do was say thank you. Instead, he’d laid into her all the way home, ranting and braying about “a woman’s place.” Silly fool! He hadn’t seen the gun being pulled out before she managed to jump on the scum’s back and kick it under the trailer.

  All of a sudden, she scanned the room realizing that their arguing had cleared it. “Where’s Max?”

  “He hightailed it outta here as soon as I lit into you. Probably sensed his turn’s coming next.”

  “You don�
�t want to mess with him, Clint. Trust me on this. He’s pretty tender right now.”

  “His backside should be what’s tender.”

  Anne knew her face had paled and her gasp stopped him dead.

  “But…” He glared at her as if she should have known better. “Since I’ve never hit a woman, or a kid, he’ll have to suffer a lecture. Either you do it, or I will. He’s got to be made to understand that he can’t pull these kinds of stunts. What he did was dangerous.”

  “Max knows that, and he’s sorry.”

  “Not for you to say.”

  She leaned her forehead on his chest and felt him stiffen. His indrawn breath told her she’d shocked him. He stood still long enough to make her sorry for letting him see her worry. Then he gathered her to him and whispered. “I have to tell him, honey. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t make him see how far over the line he stepped. He could have been killed.”

  Anne forgave Clint his stubborn stance as soon as she felt the tremors he couldn’t hide. He had been terrified, and in his mind, he was her boy’s protector.

  Fair enough!

  The door leading from the dining room swung open. “Maman, Debbie says that Rose wants to see us now that we’re back.”

  Clint helped her down and didn’t say anything when she returned the peas to the freezer. “We’re coming, Max.”

  Once they were all gathered in Rose’s room, Debbie clung to her side as if she hoped her love could heal Annie’s face. “I’m sorry you were hurt. Was Daddy very mad at you?”

  “A little. I think he’s more worried than mad.”

  “I know. Every time I hurt myself, he gets really worried with me too.” She smirked, letting Anne know she was on to her, and Anne’s love for the little girl doubled.

  Rose, holding court, had taken to her bed and was now scaring the stuffing out of everyone, especially Anne. Oxygen tubing was attached to Rose’s nose, and she looked wan and tired—quite a change from the happy woman she’d been earlier at lunch. That woman’s eyes had sparkled with the light of grandmotherly love from the moment she’d heard the wonderful news that Max was truly her grandson.