He walked out and met up with Paul and Lawson, who were getting ready to patrol the area. With Kelly and Brady safely locked inside the house, he offered to help.
“I think it’s a better idea if you remain close to the house,” Lawson told him. “Just in case.”
He agreed and watched them ride off. He would much rather be out there doing something instead of sitting here alone.
He walked back to the front porch and slid into a rocker. He loved the quiet nights here. It was nothing like the big city where he’d lived for six months before returning to Courtland. Country life was for him, not the hustle and bustle of the city. And he loved the night sky. He felt close to God at times like these.
Lord, please help me keep them safe.
He sat for hours soaking up the night before he heard a rustling and got up and walked to the end of the porch. Something wasn’t right. He felt it in his bones. He walked off the porch and rounded the barn, stopped by the stunning sight before him.
The pasture was on fire.
* * *
Shouting pulled Kellyanne from a deep sleep. At first, she couldn’t even remember where she was, but when the shout repeated, her fuzziness cleared.
She jumped from the bed, ran to the window and peeked out. Smoke filtered into the sky above the barn. Her brothers were pulling on their boots and coats, preparing to hurry out.
A fire meant one thing—all hands were needed to battle it before it spread. She dressed quickly, pulled on her boots and went to grab Brady from the portable crib.
She rushed downstairs and saw Lawson and her father pulling on their boots and coats. She grabbed hers, too, and then grabbed Brady’s jacket.
“You can’t take him out in that, Kellyanne. I’ll stay here with him,” her mother said from where she stood in the kitchen doorway.
She didn’t like being separated from him. “He can stay in the truck. He won’t be near the fire.”
“Sweetie, it’s so late, and he needs his rest. You go help your brothers. He’ll be fine.”
Kellyanne battled with herself. She didn’t want Brady out of her sight, but her mother was right. It was late, and he needed sleep, especially after all he’d been through. Why wake him when she didn’t need to? She was being silly. She trusted her mother to watch after Brady.
She nodded, slipped on her coat and boots, and ran outside to the truck. She slid in beside Zeke as he started off toward the pasture. They were following behind her brothers when Kellyanne heard the dogs barking. She glanced behind them and realized the dogs hadn’t followed them. That, in itself, was odd.
She turned around in the seat and saw them rushing back toward the house. A feeling of dread she couldn’t explain filled her. “Stop the truck,” she told Zeke.
He looked at her. “Why?”
“I have to go back. I can’t explain it. I just need to go back to the house to make sure Brady is okay.”
His jaw clenched, but he turned the steering wheel. “We’ll both go.”
She liked that he trusted her without argument. She couldn’t give a reason for this feeling. If Brady were hers, she might call it motherly instinct.
The dogs were barking and scratching at the house when Zeke parked. He reached for the rifle at his feet, and she sensed he was now on edge too. They got out of the truck, and she headed for the house, but Zeke grabbed her elbow and pulled her back.
“Wait here.” He pushed his phone into her hands. “Call your brother. Something isn’t right.”
She dialed Josh’s number, and he answered on the first ring. “I’m on my way. Paul called me about the fire.”
“Josh, come to the house first. Something is wrong.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure yet. Just come.”
The dogs were howling, and he must have heard them, because his response was rapid. “I’ll be there in less than five minutes.”
She ended the call and hurried to follow Zeke as he approached the house. As they neared it, she heard screaming, and the front door burst open. A man plowed down the steps, Brady crying in his arms. Suddenly, a rifle fired, and Kellyanne screamed. Her mother appeared at the door, rifle in hand, firing high at the intruder, but he didn’t stop running. He ducked into the brush and vanished.
“Check on your mother,” Zeke ordered as he took off after the intruder.
She ran to her mother, realizing that her lip was bleeding, and she was limping. “What happened?”
“He broke into the house and grabbed the baby. When I tried to fight him off, he shoved me down the stairs and ran out. That’s when I went after the rifle. I fired high so I wouldn’t hit Brady. I was hoping to scare him, but he didn’t stop.”
“Zeke has gone after him.”
She helped her mother to the rocking chair before rushing inside to get a rag for her. Her thoughts were of Zeke and wondering if he would find Brady. God, please let him be okay. Don’t let that strange man hurt him. He must be so scared. The sound of his cries as the man ran off with him echoed through her mind.
She returned to her mother, who accepted the cold rag. “Kellyanne, go after Zeke. You have to find him and Brady.”
Glad for the reprieve, she reached for the rifle her mother had dropped and hurried off down the lane in the direction Zeke had taken.
She spotted a car coming up the drive and stopped when Josh slammed on the brakes and leaped out. “What happened?”
“A man broke into the house. Mama tried to fight him off, but he shoved her and took off with Brady. Zeke chased him into the brush.” She pointed in the direction the men had gone.
Several shots fired from the direction she’d just pointed, and she jumped, startled. Her heart dropped into her stomach. If something had happened to Zeke or Brady... She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t think that way.
Josh didn’t hesitate. He took the rifle from her hand. “Stay here,” he told her as he rushed into the brush toward the gunshots.
Kellyanne bit her lip. She didn’t like being relegated to waiting to see what happened, especially when it concerned Brady. It was her responsibility to care for him, her job to make certain he was safe.
Unable to wait a moment longer, she darted into the tree line and followed the sound of voices to a clearing. She crouched down when she heard shouting and crying. The man held Brady with one arm and held a gun with the other. If he fired the gun that close to Brady, it would hurt his little ears for sure. She had to do something.
Zeke and Josh stood on the other side of the clearing. Both had their weapons raised at the ready and had cornered this man. They hadn’t seen her yet, and neither had the assailant. She was so close. If only she could grab Brady and run. She could do it before he even realized she was there. The man was screaming at Zeke and Josh to put down their guns or else he would hurt Brady. Between his hollering and Brady’s wails of terror, her movements would be difficult to hear.
She inched toward him. She dared a glance at Zeke and realized he’d spotted her. He gave her an ever-so-slight shake of his head, trying to warn her off, but she couldn’t stand Brady’s crying any longer. She had to act now.
She reached out for him and pulled him from the man’s arms, hugged him to her, then turned and took off running all in one swoop. The man swore and spun to grab her. Shots fired a moment later, and then she heard Zeke and Josh yelling. She didn’t stop. She kept running until she realized no one was chasing after her.
She took a moment to soothe Brady, who was already starting to settle down as she cradled him and pressed him against her. When his wails turned to whimpers, she took a chance and walked back toward the clearing, anxious to learn what had happened.
The man was on the ground, his hands in cuffs, and a jacket pressed against a bleeding wound on his shoulder.
“Let’s get him to the car,” Josh said as he a
nd Zeke helped the man to his feet.
Zeke spotted her and left Josh with the assailant. He ran toward Kellyanne and his strong arms went around her and Brady. She soaked up his embrace.
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” he groaned. “I nearly died when I saw you.”
She felt the tension and fear in him and looked up into his face. “I had to do something. I had to get Brady away from him. And it worked.”
“Yes, it worked.” He turned back to the man Josh was leading past them. “Maybe now we’ll get some answers.”
He put his arm around her as they walked back to the house and Josh loaded the kidnapper into the back of his car.
“He probably started the fire as a distraction,” Josh stated. “He reeks of gasoline.”
She remembered the fire. “Has anyone heard any news?”
Josh pulled out his phone. “I’ll call and find out. For now, let’s head back to the house and check on Ma.”
Josh drove to the house while she and Brady walked with Zeke.
“Thank you,” she whispered as they walked.
“For what?”
“For believing me when I thought something was wrong. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d managed to get away with Brady.”
“Well, he didn’t. Besides, you were right. Something was wrong.” He stopped and stroked Brady’s cheek. “His mother was right to have you watching out for him.”
Her heart swelled with affection at him saying that, but she wasn’t alone. “He has us both, Zeke. Without you, we wouldn’t be safe.” She hoped, she prayed, that wouldn’t change.
He must have noticed the question in her eyes, because he was quick to reassure her. “I’m not going anywhere, Kelly. I’m here for you and Brady for as long as you need me.”
She leaned into him, grateful for his declaration. She’d been worried when they’d arrived at the ranch that he might keep his distance because she had her brothers around. She felt better with him here. Plus, he knew what they’d been through in Austin, and he didn’t try to make decisions for her the way her brothers did.
Sirens wailed, and she turned and spotted two police cruisers and an ambulance zoom down the lane toward the house. It sent her mind back to her mom, who had been shoved down and hurt. She handed the baby over to Zeke, who took him willingly, and then she rushed to the house after the vehicles.
Although she arrived moments after the ambulance, the paramedics were already examining her mother and recommending she go to the hospital.
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “It was just a bump, that’s all.”
Josh paced around her. “I think you should go have it looked at.”
Kellyanne sat on the step beside her mother. “I think that’s a good idea, Mom. He hit you pretty hard.”
“I won’t leave while the pasture is on fire and someone is after this child. I promised to protect him, and I let you down, Kelly.”
“You didn’t let me down. Brady is safe. See for yourself.” She motioned to Zeke approaching the house with Brady in his arms. “You did everything you could to protect him.”
“It wasn’t enough.” She reached out to Kellyanne’s face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. This incident had frightened her. “If you hadn’t come back, I don’t know what would have happened to him. Why did you come back?”
“It was all Kellyanne,” Zeke replied. “She felt like something was wrong and made me turn around.”
“Not really,” she insisted. “I was prepared to walk back.”
Her mother stared at her and smiled. “I’m glad you trusted your instincts.”
* * *
She was too. The thought of what might have happened to Brady shook her. She couldn’t explain the need to turn around to check on him, but she was happy she’d trusted that gut feeling. For once, her instincts had been right. And to have her mother realize it as well was just the topping on the cake. “Me too.”
Josh handed off the intruder to Cecile. “Get his shoulder checked out then book him. I need to get to the field to see about the fire.”
“I’ll go with you,” Zeke stated, transferring Brady to Kellyanne’s arms.
“I’ll leave Martin here until we return,” Josh stated, motioning toward one of the deputies who’d arrived with Cecile. “We won’t be long.”
Kellyanne hugged Brady to her and sat in the rocker. He was settling down, but he’d had quite a fright. She rocked him until he nodded off. She glanced at her mother, who smiled at her.
“You’re good with him.”
“I don’t feel like it. I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time.”
“That’s how all mothers feel.”
She stared, stunned by her mother’s words. “Mom, he’s not my child. I’m not a mother. Even if I were, I don’t think I would be that good at it.”
“Kelly, being a mother isn’t something that comes naturally. It’s something you learn. Brady may not be your child, but you’ve given him the gift of love and care, and that’s the first gift of motherhood. When it happens for you, and I know it will one day, you’ll be a wonderful mother.”
Tears sprang to her eyes. They were the words she’d longed for so long to hear from her mother, that her decisions were right and good, but Kellyanne was reminded that even though Brady was safe, she’d already had her chance at motherhood and ruined it.
“Kellyanne, what’s the matter? You’re in tears. Why? What’s happened?”
She quickly tried to brush them away and hide her face, but her mother’s perception was eagle-eyed. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“It’s something.” She stared off into the distance. “Is it Zeke? Did something happen between you two?”
Her mother liked Zeke. The whole family did, and she was certain her mom would be glad to learn that something was happening between them. Kellyanne had considered that, even wanted it, but she knew it would never happen, not once he learned about the miscarriage.
“No, nothing has happened with Zeke. And nothing ever will.”
“I’m no fool, Kelly. You came here with him and wanted everyone in town to believe this was his baby. Something must have happened between you.”
“Maybe once there was, but not now.”
“He’s a good man, Kellyanne, and it’s clear he’s in love with you. And I can tell you have strong feelings for him. What’s holding you back?”
She wanted so much to confide in her mom about getting pregnant and losing the baby, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell her. She couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone how much of a failure she was at motherhood. Why would anyone want her to take care of their child?
“I need to put Brady down,” she said, standing and walking into the house before her mother could ask any further questions.
No, a future with Zeke was out of the question. She felt a real connection forming between them. He might want her now, but he would never want her when he learned she’d miscarried their baby and hadn’t told him she was pregnant to begin with. Plus, she wasn’t certain she could care for one child and she was certain Zeke would want a large family. She’d lost her chance with him for good. No point in pining over something she could never have.
She placed Brady into the crib and covered him. He fell back asleep after fussing for several minutes of not being in her arms. She sat on the bed and stared at him sleeping so peacefully. He had gunmen after him and had been nearly been kidnapped, but now he was sleeping without a care in the world because he assumed he was safe with the people who loved him.
She longed to claim him, but she could never give him a good life. Motherhood was not for her, and he would never have a family of brothers and sisters with her.
She sighed and whispered a prayer of thanks for his safe return and that Zeke and Josh had captured the
man responsible. Hopefully, now they could get some answers about who was after her and how they had tracked them to Courtland.
* * *
Zeke helped the family extinguish the fire, which had turned out to be nothing but a distraction to get them all away from the house so the assailant could abduct Brady. He returned to the house with the brothers, showered, and then checked on Kellyanne and Brady, who were sleeping soundly.
Josh had left two of his deputies on guard duty at the house, so Zeke felt comfortable enough returning to the sheriff’s office while everyone else was asleep. He was anxious for more information on the man he and Josh had captured.
Cecile was interrogating the guy in the interview room, but from what he saw, the man was tight-lipped and offered up nothing. Frustration flowed off her as she exited the room and ordered the man returned to his cell.
“Did he give you anything?” Zeke asked her.
“Not much. He won’t say who hired him to kidnap the child.”
“You think someone hired him?”
“From what I can tell, he has no reason to target Brady. Child abduction hasn’t been his thing. He has no priors for sexual deviance or violence against children. His name is Thomas Stanford. He’s a petty criminal from Fort Worth. According to his prints, he’s been in and out of jail since he was a teenager. He’s a thief and a small-time gambler. Everything he does is for a payout. No doubt someone put him up to this.”
Zeke folded his arms and sighed, his brain trying to wrap itself around this. “Lisa’s message said that Brady’s father is a powerful and influential man. So what’s that? A CEO? Oil tycoon? Politician? Thomas Stanford doesn’t look like he would associate with anyone like that.”
Cecile nodded. “Men with that kind of money and power don’t do their own dirty work, Zeke. They have it done for them. And Stanford is just the type of man they might hire.” She gave his arm a reassuring nudge. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep after him. He’ll eventually tell me everything he knows.”
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