“There’s something else,” Kellyanne told them. “We thought it would be a good idea to keep Brady’s identity a secret, so we’ve decided to tell people that he’s my child. Mine and Zeke’s.”
This time, Zeke’s face turned bright red, and he lowered his head and shoved his hands into his pockets, but he didn’t refute her. She’d made the decision and dragged him into it, but it was a good decision. She had to do whatever it took to keep Brady safe.
She glanced at her family for their reactions, finally landing on her mother.
After a moment of annoyance, she shrugged and took Brady from Kellyanne. “Why does my family keep bringing me children they pretend are my grandkids?”
Everyone chuckled. This wasn’t exactly the same. In that case, Miles had let them all believe Melissa was his wife and Dylan was his stepson. Kellyanne was at least telling them the truth. “It won’t be for long,” she assured her mother. “Just until this is over.”
“I assume this is what Josh wanted to talk to us about,” Paul asked.
Zeke nodded. “He should be here soon. He wants to set up a protection detail and then work on discovering who is after Kelly and Brady.”
“And Zeke is going to be staying at the house until this is over,” Kellyanne added. “We thought it would be best.”
“Of course, you’re welcome,” her dad stated. “We’ll fix up a spare room for you.”
“Thank you. Once Josh arrives and we have everything settled, I’ll head back to my place. I need to check on my animals and pack a few more things.”
Brady started fussing, and Kellyanne took him back. “I really should get him inside and feed him.”
“We have a crib set up if you want to use it,” Bree said, rubbing her belly. “We won’t need it for a while.”
“I appreciate that, but I brought his Pack ’n Play. I’ll just set that up in my bedroom.”
“I’ll carry your stuff upstairs,” Zeke offered, and Kellyanne thanked him and walked inside with her mother and sisters-in-law while the men unloaded the car.
* * *
Zeke was still unloading the trunk when Josh’s sheriff truck pulled up. He got out and motioned for his brothers and Zeke to follow him into the barn. Zeke glanced into the house and spotted Kellyanne inside with her parents, Bree and Shelby. She wouldn’t like knowing they were discussing her situation without her involvement.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when Kellyanne and Zeke arrived,” he told Lawson and Paul. “I got hung up.” He took out his cell phone, pressed a few buttons and two faces popped up—Kellyanne’s two remaining brothers, Colby and Miles. “Thanks for joining in,” Josh told them.
“No problem,” Colby responded. “What’s going on with Kelly?”
Josh glanced toward him. “Zeke, why don’t you recap what happened back in Austin.”
He filled the group in, telling them about finding Kellyanne’s neighbor dead, the subsequent attacks on Kellyanne, and Lisa’s words that she’d confronted Brady’s father.
Paul pulled a hand through his hair. “So we need to figure out who this guy is before he can target Kelly and the baby again.”
“Send me the security images of the men from the day care and the stairwell,” Colby told them. “I might be able to run them through our FBI facial-recognition system.”
Josh nodded. “Cecile and I will follow up with this Detective Shaw to see if he’s made any new discoveries and maybe get eyes on his evidence, as well. I especially want to get my hands on Lisa’s phone records and examine her social media accounts. We might find a clue there about who she was seeing at the time she became pregnant.”
“I think he’d be open to that,” Zeke stated. “I’ll text you his number.” He was glad Josh was bringing Cecile Richardson, his Chief Deputy, in on this. She was always thorough.
“Paul and I have some new cameras we ordered a while back. We’ll get them set up around the ranch just in case there’s any trouble,” Lawson stated, and Paul nodded his agreement.
“Good. Do that. Zeke is going to be staying at the house, and he’ll take point on keeping Kellyanne and the baby safe. We’ll all back him up as needed.”
Paul shot him a look that said he wanted to know more about why Zeke was hanging around, but Zeke didn’t offer up any explanation. Josh hadn’t asked for one either, but he was certain he would eventually.
The smart thing to do was to walk away and let her brothers handle this matter now, but he couldn’t do it. Just because they weren’t together anymore didn’t mean he could leave her, not while she was in danger. But the sooner this threat against her was neutralized, the sooner he could untangle himself from this relationship and move on with his life.
After the meeting broke up, everyone left except for Lawson, who locked eyes with Zeke. They had worked together at the sheriff’s office before Lawson decided to focus his attention on the ranch, but he still filled in as a deputy as needed for his brother, and Zeke considered him a friend. The intensity of his stare and the question in his expression made Zeke swallow hard.
He folded his arms and stared at Zeke. “Is there something going on between you and my sister?”
Zeke had been waiting for this question, and he could answer it honestly. “Not anymore.”
He probably owed them all more of an explanation, but it wasn’t his place to tell them how Kellyanne had hurt him or the weird and complicated aspects of their relationship. That was her secret to tell her family if she chose to.
He headed inside and stowed his bag in the spare room Mrs. Avery had readied for him. He’d always wanted to be welcomed into this house. He’d admired this family for so many years. They’d been good to him, too, and he appreciated that. Kelly had no idea what it was like to grow up alone and poor. Her family always had enough, even with six kids to feed.
His grandmother had worked and scrimped to put food on the table. A bitter taste filled his mouth. His father had ruined them all when he’d killed Zeke’s mom and taken his own life. He’d been selfish, only thinking about himself instead of how his mother and child were supposed to survive or what kind of life and scandal he was leaving behind for his only son. Zeke had struggled for so long to shed that stigma, but in a small town like Courtland, memories were long and scandal stuck.
Those resentful feelings flowed through him so easily. It took Zeke several moments and more than one deep, calming breath to push them away. He could wallow in his past or look to his future. That was what faith had given him. A future. He had to choose to cling to it though and not allow his past negativity to rule him. He didn’t have to be the poor kid of a killer any longer, not when he was the son of a King.
He cleaned up and walked downstairs to find Kellyanne and her family sitting around the table. Diane Avery was holding Brady, and she seemed to be getting attached to the little guy. He knew from experience it was easy to do. When that kid smiled at him, he tugged at his heartstrings.
“Why is this your responsibility?” her mother asked. “Isn’t it your job to place children in a home, not to move them in with you?”
“Brady isn’t just some kid, Mama. He’s my best friend’s child. I used to babysit for him. I feel a greater responsibility toward him.”
He noticed John Avery had Lisa’s legal papers in his hand and was reading through them. “According to this, she expected you to keep him and raise him.”
“I’m not ready for that,” Kellyanne protested. “I’ll keep him until I can find a good home for him.”
“Kellyanne, he’s not a puppy,” her mother scolded. “He’s a child.”
“There are a lot of people who can give him a good home.” She rubbed his head and a softness overcame her expression. She truly loved Brady. She would be the best mother for him, but she couldn’t see it. She didn’t see the beautiful, confident woman he saw in her.
She g
lanced up at him briefly before pain filled her face and she quickly looked away. “I’m not ready to be a mother.”
Zeke interrupted them. “I’m heading over to my place. Paul and Lawson are here to keep an eye on you both.”
She jumped to her feet and followed him to the door. Anxiousness was scattered over her face when he turned to her.
“You are coming back, aren’t you?” She lowered her head and gave a half-hearted shrug.
He bit back the retort that immediately came to his mind. Leaving and not returning was her thing, not his. “I said I would keep you safe, and I will. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“I can come with you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I want to go.”
“I’ll watch the baby for you,” Bree offered. “Lawson and I could use the practice.”
“Sure, you go,” Mrs. Avery suggested. “We’ll be fine.”
He was conflicted. He wanted to be with her, but he needed to keep his distance. He didn’t get a chance to say no. Kellyanne quickly made her way out of the house and hopped into the car. He had to be careful. She’d made it clear she wasn’t interested in a relationship with him, and he was already too close for his own good.
He got into the car and headed off. It wasn’t until he turned away from town that she commented. “I thought you had a place in town.”
“I did, but I moved back to my family’s land last year. When my grandma died, she left me the house and the land. I’ve been working to pay off some of the debt and moved back into the house a few months ago. It still needs a lot of work, but I plan to do it myself.”
“I’m sorry about your grandma. I know she loved you.”
“Thank you. She loved that ranch. When my dad died, a piece of her died with him. She sold off a lot of the land throughout the years, so there are only a few acres left, but I’m hoping to be able to buy it back and one day reestablish the ranch. It’s been in disrepair for years.”
“I think she would like that you want to keep the place.”
“It’s my family home. I want to restore it, turn it back into a working ranch and hopefully raise a family there one day. Maybe even start a legacy like the Silver Star.”
“We’ve sold off our share of land through the years. This place is nothing like the acreage my grandfather used to own.”
“Yeah, but it’s still yours and your brothers’. It’s still family.”
“You’re wrong about that, Zeke. It’s where I grew up, and it will always be home, but it will never truly belong to me.”
“I didn’t think you wanted it.”
She seemed uncomfortable by the direction of the conversation. “It’s my home. How could I not want it?”
He was saved from having to respond by the turnoff onto his property. He drove up to the house and parked. His friend Spencer had agreed to look after his animals—he had two horses in the barn, chickens, and a lazy dog named Howler that he’d found as a stray at the grocery store.
When the car approached the house, Howler leaped from his favorite place on the porch and ran for the car. Zeke parked and got out as the dog danced around his legs until he knelt to pet him. He looked well taken care of it, and he was certain Spencer had tended to the other animals, too, but he would double-check before he left, just in case.
Kellyanne got out of the car and glanced around. “Wow, you’ve done some work here.”
He had. This property had been all but abandoned after his parents died. His grandmother had tried to keep it up, but she’d been grief-stricken and burdened with raising a child all on her own, and Zeke hadn’t been old enough to carry the load. After several years, they’d left the ranch and moved to town. It wasn’t until after his grandmother had died and he’d inherited this land that he’d turned his attention to reviving it. No matter how hard they’d had it, his grandmother had never been able to bring herself to sell the ranch house and the land around it.
He’d spent a lot of time fixing up the house to make it livable, and he had hopes of expanding it one day to make it large enough to house a family. He’d hoped Kellyanne would want to be a part of that family, but those were the kinds of dreams he’d had to set aside. Kellyanne would never return to Courtland for good. He had to accept that and move on.
She scanned the house, the barn and the shed. His little piece of land was nothing compared to Silver Star, but he had big dreams for it. He expected to see criticism in her face, but instead he saw excitement.
“You should plant some flowers here in front of the house,” she told him. “And you could plant a garden toward the back.” She walked toward the barn. “How many horses do you have?”
He followed her, happy to see her interest in his property. “I’ve got two. Right now, that’s all I can handle. Once I get this barn rebuilt, I want to add more stalls. I also have plans to get some fences up and raise cattle.”
She admired one of the horses, a brown mare he called Sissy. “She reminds me of the horse I had growing up. Her name was Riley. I used to spend hours on her.”
He enjoyed hearing her reminisce about a good time she’d had on her family’s ranch. It gave him some strange hope that she could possibly be happy in Courtland again.
She stroked the horse’s nose and flashed him an endearing smile. “It’s a great place, Zeke. It has a lot of potential.”
He soaked in her approval. It shouldn’t matter so much to him what she thought of his place, but it did. “What other improvements would you make?”
“It’s not really my place to say.”
But it could be, if only she wanted it. “Tell me. I’d like to know.” He touched her hand, still hovering on the horse’s nose, and his breath caught as she stared into his eyes. He would make any change she deemed necessary just because she wanted it.
“A big, beautiful back porch would be nice. You could sit in a rocker and watch the sun set over the pond.”
Only if she would sit beside him.
Time seemed to stand still for a moment as he imagined having her with him, rebuilding this ranch and beginning a life together. It was everything he’d ever wanted. He reached to push a strand of her hair from her face, and the gesture sparked something inside of him, something he’d tried his hardest to push away.
He stepped back and broke their connection. Rehashing those dreams wouldn’t bring either of them anything but heartache.
“I should head inside and get my things.”
He grabbed his bag from the car and headed for the house, and Kellyanne followed him inside. “Make yourself at home,” he said as he removed the clothes from the bag he’d taken to Austin with him and tossed them into the washer and then packed fresh, clean clothes. He’d prefer to be here at home, but Kellyanne and Brady were safer with her family surrounding her, protecting her, and he intended to be there too.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” Kelly said from the kitchen. “You’ve put some work into it.”
He recalled the first time he’d stepped through the doors as an adult. His friend Spencer had seen a broken-down mess that, in his opinion, needed to be demolished, but Zeke had seen something to be saved and restored. He’d rebuilt where needed, but he wanted to preserve as much as possible. In his mind, that was what God had done for him, taken a broken-down mess and given him new life.
Kelly peeked her head through the doorway as he zipped up his suitcase. “A car is approaching the house.”
On an average day, that wouldn’t concern him, but ever since he’d met back up with Kelly, nothing had been average, and he wasn’t taking any chances.
He removed his gun from the holster, walked to the front door and peered out through the curtain to see a silver sedan he recognized stop. The door opened, and his gut clenched.
Mandy.
The woman who got out had
become a good friend to him since he’d joined Courtland City Church and rededicated his life to Christ. She was someone he’d poured his heart out to about Kelly. She would have opinions about finding Kelly here and his involvement in keeping her safe.
His new world and his old world were about to collide right in front of his eyes.
Mandy walked toward the house. He set his gun on an end table. “Wait inside,” he told Kelly and then opened the door and met Mandy at the porch step.
“I heard you were back in town. How was the conference?” Her tone was friendly, and she was smiling, but he knew her well enough to see the questions and confusion behind her expression.
He folded his arms and walked down the steps. “You talked to Joanne, didn’t you?”
She gave a sigh and nodded. “She called and said she’d seen you. She said you had a woman and a baby with you?” She stared at him and put her hand on her hip. “What’s going on with you, Zeke?”
He knew Mandy had a crush on him, and he’d even considered asking her out a few times, but Kellyanne’s pull had always kept him from moving on. He had intended to ask her out once he ended things with Kelly and returned to Courtland alone. That hadn’t happened.
“I ran into Josh’s sister in Austin.”
She frowned. “The one you used to date?”
He hated the way her forehead crinkled when he nodded. He didn’t want to hurt her.
“Are you back together?”
He didn’t know how to answer that, but he obviously hesitated just long enough.
“You know how she treated you, Zeke. Besides, what about your decision to be a better man?”
“I’m trying to be a better man. Her life is in danger, Mandy. Someone is targeting her and her baby.”
“Who’s the father, Zeke? Joanne said it was you. Is that true?”
He bristled, not caring for her demanding tone. Kelly wanted him to claim Brady was their child, but he couldn’t lie...especially not to someone he went to church with. “His mother was Kellyanne’s best friend. She was murdered. Josh asked me to convince her to return to Courtland, and she has. Now we have to keep her safe. I’m going to stay at the Silver Star until we figure out who is after her.”
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