by Rita Herron
“Todd, the little boy that used to live here,” CeCe said matter-of-factly. “He said Mr. Mitch used to play with him and the ponies.”
Kaylie wiped a tear from CeCe’s cheek. If that was true, Mitch had lied. He had known the owner. Unless it was a neighbor’s child. “Tell me about Todd.”
CeCe pointed to the bed. “He used to sleep in my bed. He likes the way I set up the ponies.” She gulped. “Horseshoe was his horsie.”
“When did you see Todd?”
“When we moved in,” CeCe said. “He comes to play with me sometimes.”
She’d thought Todd was an imaginary friend, but CeCe made him sound real. Was a neighbor’s child sneaking into the house somehow? If he was, where did he live? The ranch was acres from anybody else. “Where is he now?”
CeCe bit her lip. “In heaven where Daddy is.”
A cold chill washed over Kaylie. What was her daughter saying? That she’d seen a little boy’s ghost?
MITCH LEANED OVER THE WOODEN RAILING OF THE PEN, PAIN rocking through him. He struggled for a breath and fought the tears that had hounded him since he’d buried his son, but lost the battle.
How had CeCe known about Todd?
Hell . . . he shouldn’t have yelled at the kid, but her words had cut him to the bone.
He scrubbed at his eyes, angry that he’d lost control and wishing he’d run Kaylie and CeCe off the moment he’d seen them get out of their damn Pathfinder.
He should tell them to leave tonight. That he never wanted to see them again.
Footsteps sounded behind them, and he jerked his head around, suddenly remembering that a killer might be after Kaylie and CeCe.
But Kaylie walked toward him, arms folded, her mouth set in a grim line.
He turned away, hands clenching the wood railing as he dug his boot into the dirt. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him fall apart.
Kaylie walked up beside him and leaned against the rail. “What was that all about? You hurt CeCe’s feelings.”
Anger hardened his insides. These two had no idea what they were doing to him. Making him remember.
Making him feel again.
He wanted the numbness back, the nights of burying his head in a bottle with no little girl or woman looking to him for help.
“I’m sorry, but she had no right to snoop around.”
“She wasn’t snooping,” Kaylie said, her tone defensive like a mother lion protecting her cub. “We found the quilt in the attic, and she found the toys under the bed.”
“They were under the bed for a reason.”
“What reason?” CeCe asked. “Who is she hurting by playing with them?”
“They don’t belong to her,” Mitch growled.
“No, but whomever they did belong to left them behind so they obviously didn’t care enough to take them.”
Anguish squeezed the air from his lungs. “How did you find out about Todd?”
Kaylie cleared her throat. “Tonight is the first I’ve heard of him. I heard her talking in the bedroom before, but I thought she’d invented an imaginary friend.”
“She knew his name.”
“Who is he?” Kaylie asked.
Mitch’s shoulders shook again as he grappled for words.
Kaylie laid a hand on his back to soothe him. “Talk to me, Mitch. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Todd was my son,” Mitch said through clenched teeth.
Kaylie’s breath whispered out. “Your son?”
Mitch angled his face toward her, his heart hammering. “Yes. He died a few months ago. Those were his toys.”
Kaylie’s eyes softened with compassion, although confusion flickered there as well. “I’m sorry, Mitch. What happened to him?”
He didn’t want to divulge the truth and see the disappointment in her eyes. She’d know then that he’d failed his family.
Then again, maybe she needed to know so she’d leave and take her daughter far, far away.
“He and my wife were murdered,” Mitch said, his voice cold with anger.
Kaylie pressed a hand to her fist to stifle a gasp. “Oh, my god, Mitch, I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his shoulder, but he tensed, and she quickly removed it.
“I don’t understand. Why were your son’s toys in the ranch house?”
It was time for both of their lies to come out. “Because he lived here, Kaylie.”
Her eyes widened in shock at the sound of her real name.
“He lived here?”
He nodded. “This ranch belongs to me.”
KAYLIE’S EARS RANG AS MITCH’S WORDS REVERBERATED IN HER head. First, he’d called her by her real name.
Meaning he knew who she was?
And second, he owned the Double M.
The truth hit her, making her feel ill inside. He not only owned the ranch, but he’d lied to her.
Why? Because he was working for Larry Buckham?
“You made me think you were just a hired hand,” Kaylie said, instantly backing away. “And how do you know my name?”
“You lied to me, too,” he said. “Now it’s time we both came clean.”
Kaylie shuddered. She’d actually trusted this man when she thought she’d never trust anyone else again.
She eased toward the house. She had to pack her things and get her and CeCe out of here. CeCe.
God.
Her daughter would be devastated. She loved the ranch, the horses. All she’d wanted was a real Christmas.
And now she had to ruin it.
Mitch caught her arm just as she reached the porch. “Going to run again, Kaylie?”
She trembled. “You don’t understand. I have to protect my daughter. And if you’re working for Buckham—”
“I’m not,” Mitch said sharply. “For God’s sake, I’m a Texas Ranger.”
Shock waves rolled through her. “What?”
He gripped her harder when she tried to pull away. “I’m a Texas Ranger. My family was killed because of my job. That’s why I’m selling the ranch.”
Kaylie’s chest constricted. “Why didn’t you tell me that when I first came here?” Humiliation heated her face. “And why did you stand by and let me fix up the house?”
“I let you stay because you looked scared,” he said, his voice cracking. “And because you lied to me. That made me curious. I wanted the truth.”
Betrayal knifed through her. “So you investigated me?”
“You were on my property under false pretenses. I had to know what I was dealing with.”
She felt like a fool. “Now you do,” she said, jerking away from him. “But don’t worry. You don’t have to deal with us. We’ll leave first thing in the morning. And I’ll put everything in the house back the way I found it.”
“You don’t have to do that. You were right. The house will show better now.”
“Fine. I’ll go pack then.”
“Where are you going to run now, Kaylie?”
Tears burned the back of her eyelids. “I don’t know, but my daughter and I aren’t your problem.”
“The hell you’re not,” he snapped. “If someone’s after you, I can’t let you go off on your own. It’s too dangerous.”
“You can’t stop me.” She rushed up the porch steps and reached for the doorknob. She had to stand on her own two feet, take her daughter some place far away from here and Bend Creek where another family had just been murdered.
“What about CeCe?” he asked in a gruff voice. “What about Santa Claus and Christmas and the kitten she wanted?”
Kaylie felt as if she’d been punched in the chest. She gripped the door handle and bowed her head, her lungs straining for air as she struggled to control her frustration.
Mitch’s footsteps echoed behind her. “I know you’re angry with me, but don’t take CeCe away. She deserves to have Santa surprise her with presents. Especially this year when she just lost her father.”
Kaylie wanted to ask him what he knew about her daughter or child
ren in general. But she’d seen the tears in his eyes when he’d confessed that he’d lost a son.
No wonder he’d been so upset when he’d seen CeCe playing with his little boy’s toys. This must be the first Christmas Mitch would have without him.
She couldn’t imagine living without CeCe.
DAMMIT, HE SHOULD LET THEM GO.
But he’d failed to keep his own family safe, and now this woman and child were in danger, and he couldn’t stand to think of them on their own facing a killer.
“That’s not fair,” Kaylie said in a haunted whisper. “The only reason I stayed here was to give CeCe Christmas.”
Mitch gently turned Kaylie to look at him. “Then don’t go. We’ll give her Christmas, and I’ll protect you both until your husband’s killer is caught.”
Even as he made the promise though, doubts dogged him. He’d promised to take care of Sally and Todd and failed them.
What if he failed Kaylie and her daughter?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
KAYLIE WANTED TO TRUST MITCH. GOD KNOWS SHE NEEDED help and everyone else had let her down.
Or they’d died trying to protect her.
She didn’t want any harm to come to Mitch. He’d obviously suffered a terrible tragedy in his own life.
“Mitch, I appreciate the offer, but the last two men who guarded me and CeCe ended up dead.”
Mitch’s expression hardened. “Don’t worry about me.”
The deep sorrow in his voice moved her more than anything else.
Mitch led her to the porch swing, and they settled inside it. “I won’t let you go out there alone, Kaylie. Tell me exactly what happened.”
Kaylie gripped his hand like a lifeline and relayed the details of the night her husband was murdered.
“You identified Larry Buckham even though you didn’t actually see his face?”
She nodded. “I recognized his voice. And those eyes. I’d never forget the cold way he looked at me and CeCe.”
“The police believed he was the serial murderer killing families around Austin? Other than your testimony, did they have evidence at the trial to support that theory?”
“The MO was the same,” Kaylie said. “And he had no alibi for the night of the other murders. He also used the same kind of weapon.”
“All circumstantial.”
“Yes, but the photos of Joe’s body and the bedroom where he was murdered were pretty convincing.”
“Then why is Buckham’s attorney making suggestions that you killed your husband?”
Kaylie’s breath caught. “You really did investigate me, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but not to hurt you, Kaylie.”
“You think I killed my husband?”
“If I believed you were guilty, I would have turned you in.”
His faith in her triggered another well of emotions. It had been so long since she’d leaned on anyone that she didn’t know how to respond.
“Were you and Joe having problems in your marriage?” Mitch asked quietly.
Kaylie shook her head. “No. Although thinking back, he was distant the last few months and took several out of town trips. But I just thought he was preoccupied with work.”
“Any financial problems?”
She released a weary sigh as if she didn’t want to discuss the past.
“Kaylie, I can’t help you if I don’t know the truth.”
“I didn’t think so, but when I looked back at some paperwork I found after he died, I discovered an account I didn’t know about.”
Mitch pushed the swing back and forth with his feet, tension stretching between them. “Is there any chance he was killed over the money in that account?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“What happened after the trial?”
Kaylie remembered the grief-stricken months. “CeCe and I tried to put our life back together. But then Buckham escaped in that prison break, and we went into protective custody.”
“Then what happened?”
“One night we were at the safe house and someone threw a pipe bomb inside. Arnold, the man guarding us, rushed us toward the back door, but it was a set up and he was shot.”
“You and CeCe escaped?”
Kaylie trembled as she remembered how terrified she and CeCe had been. “CeCe was crying and screaming, but we ran to the car, and I just drove,” Kaylie said. “I had to get us away. Later when I stopped to call Rafferty, the marshal in charge of our protective detail, I heard a shot fired on the other end of the line. He . . . was shot, too.”
Kaylie didn’t realize tears were streaming down her cheeks until Mitch pulled her into his arms. Exhausted, she collapsed against him.
Tomorrow she would be strong. But tonight, she gave in and let him hold her.
MITCH CRADLED KAYLIE TO HIM, SOOTHING HER WITH GENTLE touches and whispered words as he imagined the terror CeCe had felt.
She had not only witnessed her father’s murder, but also another man’s. And she knew that a bad man was after her mother and her.
Kaylie sighed against him, such a weary sound that his lungs strained for air. More than anything he wanted to make her feel secure.
He tilted her head up and looked into her eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Kaylie. I promise.”
Hope and desire flickered in her expression, then she parted her lips. Tension stretched between them for a heartbeat before she touched his jaw, then leaned up and kissed him.
Mitch had been consumed with pain and an emptiness that had broken him. But Kaylie’s trust and her sweet lips against his brought him back to life.
He wanted more.
Yet he had to be careful. He couldn’t take advantage of her.
She drew his face closer, and deepened the kiss, inviting his tongue to play with hers.
Hunger heated his blood, and he threaded his fingers into her hair, desperate to be closer to her. He rubbed her back, then trailed kisses down her ear and her neck, inhaling her feminine scent.
But reality interceded, and he remembered that a madman might be watching, so he slowly ended the kiss.
“You should go inside,” he said gruffly.
Kaylie’s gaze met his, the need in her eyes twisting him inside out. “Come with me, Mitch.”
“Kaylie—”
“Please. I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
Neither did he.
But he couldn’t forget they were in danger. He hurried to his truck, retrieved his shotgun, then followed her inside and locked the door.
Ignoring the warning voice in his head, he stopped at the master bedroom door while she checked on CeCe. When she emerged from the room, he expected her to change her mind.
It would be the smart thing to do.
But she gathered his hand in hers and pulled him into the bedroom. Mitch closed the door when they entered, determined to give Kaylie the opportunity to stop if she wanted.
“Mitch?”
“I’m trying to do the right thing,” he said in a low voice.
“You are. You’re taking care of me and CeCe tonight. That’s all I expect, all I need.”
He wanted it, too. Although he had a sinking feeling that tonight might not be enough. That if she planned to run tomorrow, he’d stop her.
Silencing the doubts in his mind, he gave into the need and desire her words evoked and kissed her again.
One touch of his lips on hers led to heated touches, and he slowly stripped her blouse and trailed kisses along her throat and neck. She threaded her fingers into his hair and rubbed her foot against his calf.
Desire bolted through him. His body hardened to an aching need, and he cupped her breast in his hand. She whispered his name, the soft sound tender with longing.
Knowing she wanted him with the intensity he felt for her drove him to strip her bra and gingerly tease her nipples with his thumb. She moaned his name, and he lowered his mouth, tugged one plump nipple into his mouth and suckled her.
She raked her hands
down his back, clinging to him as her body shivered against him. His sex throbbed, hardening and bulging against the fly of his jeans, but he wanted to give her pleasure more than he wanted to take it for himself.
He backed her toward the bed and lowered her onto the mattress, kissing her again as he tugged at her jeans. She pulled at his shirt, unbuttoning it frantically and shoving it over his shoulders.
Heat blazed between them, clothes flying to the floor as they caressed and loved each other. Naked body against naked body, the friction was almost more than Mitch could bear.
She reached down to cup his sex, but he pushed her hand away, laving her breasts again, then he dropped kisses down her belly to her inner thighs. Exhilarated when she whimpered his name, he parted her thighs and drove his tongue between her legs.
Her sweet feminine taste intensified his hunger, and he flicked his tongue along her clit, teasing her unmercifully until her body began to quiver with sensations.
“Mitch . . .”
He loved the way she said his name, as if she wanted him inside her.
He wanted to be there, too, to fill her and make her his.
The thought startled him, and he started to pull away. But her hands clawed at him as her body convulsed with her release. He savored the taste of her, rising on his knees as he dug a condom from his pocket, rolled it on, then guided his cock toward her center.
She lifted her hips, begging for him, and he obeyed, sliding his thick length inside her, pulling out and thrusting again. He gripped her bottom and angled her so he could reach deeper, his body gliding against hers, building a rhythm as they caressed and loved one another.
KAYLIE CLUNG TO MITCH, HER BODY QUIVERING WITH EROTIC sensations that drove her over the edge into bliss. She whispered his name in a throaty moan, gripping his hips as he pounded inside her.
Mitch was a big man, strong and powerful, fierce in his loving, but tender in the way he held her and looked into her eyes as his release claimed him.
Before he could pull out, she knew she wanted him again. That in spite of her fear and the situation, she was falling for him.