“It’s more than learning she’s a Parker, isn’t it?” Rafe said, once Mae was gone.
Morgan nodded. “Mae had asked me to find out what I could about her, and she was thankin’ me for it when Christine opened the door and heard her.”
“And that matters?” Rafe asked.
“We heard what you said upstairs,” Shannon told him.
“Oh, hell!”
Shannon pulled away from Rafe to pat Morgan’s arm. “Just give it time,” she consoled him. “Give her time.”
“I’m afraid she’ll head for the hills, before.” He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was after five. “Damn, I have to meet Ed Davis in less than an hour.”
“And I have to get back to the muster,” Rafe said, sitting forward. “Gib came drivin’ up like a crazy man. We lost several horses we probably won’t see again until fall, if then.”
Shannon looked at both men. “And what am I supposed to do? Hold everything together?”
Rafe flicked the tip of her nose with a long finger. “You bet you are,” he said, grinning. “You’re capable.”
“Could you keep an eye on Christine?” Morgan asked. “Not let her take off anywhere?”
Shannon frowned. “It’s almost time for the school bus, isn’t it? Didn’t they let Erin off out front yesterday?”
“I remember seein’ it stop,” Morgan said.
Shannon got to her feet. “Maybe what I’ll do while you’re both still here is have a little talk with Harriet. See if Erin can stay over at her place for a while. Just until Christine pulls herself together. I doubt she’d want her daughter to see her all upset.”
“Good idea,” Rafe murmured, still eyeing his best friend.
Morgan glanced at his watch again and silently yet energetically cursed the cow thieves who were taking him away from where he most wanted to be.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE HOUSE WAS QUIET when Christine left her room, carrying her one suitcase. In it, she’d packed as much as she could of her and Erin’s things, being sure to include Golden Belle. The rest of their possessions…well, it didn’t matter. Suddenly nothing mattered but getting away from here.
She crept down the stairs, not wanting to make any noise. She had no idea what time it was, but it was dark outside. In the house, the only light came from the living room. Mae? Christine’s insides quivered.
She didn’t want to see Mae again.
She was at the front door when someone came into the entryway.
“Christine?” Shannon said, her voice alarmed.
Christine turned.
“What are you doing?” Shannon asked. “You’re not leaving. Tell me you’re not leaving. Not when—”
“I don’t want Ira’s charity. I don’t want any of your charity,” Christine stated tightly.
“It’s not charity when it’s your right by birth. If you’re a Parker—”
“If! Even with everything there still seems to be a doubt!”
“No! You didn’t let me finish. I was trying to say, if you’re a Parker you get your share of the ranch at age twenty-one. That should have been given to you, too. You have a lot of money coming, Christine. Four years’ worth!”
“I don’t want it.”
“No one still has doubts! Not even Mae! She said.” When Christine’s face froze, Shannon changed her tack. “Morgan asked me to keep you here, not to let you leave. He had to go out—Something about the rustlers. But he really cares for you, Christine. And Morgan’s not a person to advertise his motions. He—”
Christine interrupted her. “Where’s Erin?”
“She’s at Harriet’s. I didn’t think you’d want—”
“Thank you,” Christine said coolly, then, remembering how Shannon had consistently stood up for her, she repeated, far more earnestly, “I truly do thank you, Shannon. And tell Rafe…tell Rafe he should definitely appreciate you.”
Then she let herself out the door, tears falling, unheeded, down her cheeks.
Shannon followed her outside. “Christine! Morgan—just let him explain. It’s not what you think!”
Christine continued walking.
Harriet, of course, like Shannon, tried to talk her out of reacting so quickly. “Think about it,” she advised.
As she had with Shannon, Christine thanked her, but she continued to hold to her plan. She had to get away from the ranch!
Erin was totally confused. “Mommy? I don’t understand,” the little girl said in a small voice as she climbed into the car and Christine started the engine. “I thought we were going to stay here. I thought if I made friends and started school, we’d—”
For the first time in her child’s life Christine shushed Erin harshly. “Don’t talk! I can’t explain right now.” Tears hovered on her lashes. “Just believe that what I’m doing is right for us. Please, Erin. I—I’ll tell you everything later.”
Erin gave her a look that mixed fright with regret. “I like the ranch,” she said quietly.
“I know,” Christine said, her fingers working anxiously on the steering wheel as she directed the car away from the ranch.
Erin grew quiet. She’d shrunk into her seat, her chin on her chest, her hands clasping her schoolbooks.
Christine experienced a moment of disquiet. Was she doing the right thing again by leaving? But how could they stay?
They drove on and on, and as time passed and only the moon and the headlights illuminated the road ahead, she began to realize that she must have made a wrong turn again.
This time, at least, she knew she was still on the Parker Ranch, but where on the Parker Ranch? Which division? She glanced at Erin, who still sat hunched away from her.
“Honey, I think.” she started to say, when the headlights flashed on something up ahead. She instantly slowed down, rolling forward cautiously. It was a livestock trailer, off the road, backed up to what looked like a downed fence. Immediately she knew what it was. “Rustlers!” she said, alarmed.
Erin’s head popped up and she strained to see.
The next thing Christine knew, someone had jerked open the driver’s door and was dragging her outside the still-moving car. She cried out and heard Erin shout, “Mommy!”
“My little girl!” she managed, fighting the arms striving to control her.
The car veered to the opposite side of the road and came to a stop. Christine didn’t breathe freely until she saw Erin hop out, unhurt, and run toward her.
“Where the hell did you come from?” a rough voice asked in her ear while his fingers cut into her arms.
A second man ran up, intercepted Erin and brought her over. “What’s goin’ on?” he demanded gruffly. “Harry’s got those calves just about—Hey, I know her!” he said, squinting at Christine. “She’s the one I was tellin’ ya about last night. Her and that other one. They sure grow ‘em pretty out in this part of the state.” His teeth flashed as he smiled.
“Shut up and help me,” the first man growled.
“What are we gonna do with ‘em?” the younger man asked.
“Tie ‘em up’s all I can think to do right now. Here, get that rope in the back of the trailer.”
A background noise Christine now realized she’d been hearing all along became clearer. The muffled sound of hooves, of lowing cattle, and a “suc, suc, suc” call by a man on a horse, who was driving them forward.
“Better hurry,” the first man said, and roughly forced Christine to an upright fence post. He made her sit down and tied her arms to it behind her back. The same was done with Erin.
“Maybe sometime we’ll meet under other circumstances,” the young rustler said to Christine, grinning. “I’ll buy you a drink and maybe you can—”
“Get over here, Rowdy!” the first man barked, hurrying back to the trailer.
It was odd, Christine thought, but after seeing that Erin was safe she had no other qualm or fear. Possibly because she’d been through so much that afternoon. This was just one thing more.
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Erin wiggled her arms, testing the strength of the rope at her wrists, which proved to be very strong and expertly tied.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Christine said mildly. “Mine are just as tight. I think…if we just sit here, they’ll be gone soon. They don’t want us. They want the cattle.”
The back gate of the livestock trailer was open and a ramp was arranged over the downed barbed wire. The man on the horse urged the calves closer, the horse working back and forth to cut off any calves with thoughts of freedom. And with the help of the two men on foot, some of the cattle started going up the ramp into the trailer.
Suddenly from out of the night, other figures emerged, running toward the trailer.
“Hold it!” a loud voice commanded.
There were more shouted orders as about a halfdozen men, some in uniform and others not, converged on the startled rustlers. The younger man—Rowdy—tried to run, but was quickly cut off by one of the newcomers. The man on the horse wheeled around and tried to kick his mount into a gallop, but another newcomer caught the reins and dragged the man from the saddle. The third rustler, seeing what had happened to his confederates, lifted his hands in the age-old signal of submission.
The calves began to scatter and some of the ones in the trailer scrambled back out to join the other animals.
One of the newcomers hurried over to Christine and Erin and, falling to his knees, whipped a knife out of his pocket and began to cut their bonds. Morgan!
To Christine, the whole thing was like a crazy dream. That they’d gotten lost again, this time when trying to leave the ranch. That they’d happened upon the rustlers who had been causing so much trouble. That Morgan would be the one to rescue them.
He made a low sound deep in his throat and, still crouching, gathered them to him, one in each arm. “My God,” he said huskily, “when I saw the two of you—”
“Morgan! Morgan!” Erin cried, holding on to him for dear life, burying her face in his neck.
An older man came over. “All right!” he said gleefully. “We got ‘em, Morgan! Caught ‘em red-handed with their pants down!” He eyed the trio. “You, ah, know these two ladies?”
Morgan stood up, bringing Christine and Erin with him—Erin straddling his hip, Christine leaning against him. “I’m goin’ to get ‘em home now, Ed. Their statements can be taken tomorrow, right?” He glanced at another man walking by, leading away two of the rustiers, both in handcuffs. “Sheriff Denton? That okay with you?”
“Sure,” the man in uniform said. “Just so’s they don’t forget what they saw.”
A second uniformed man, younger and thinner, followed the first, with the third rustler—Rowdy—in cuffs, as well.
“You may have to wait on that drink, sweetie,” Rowdy called to Christine. “I might be out of commission for a while. Will ya wait for me?”
“Tate,” the sheriff grumbled over his shoulder, “keep that polecat quiet!”
Christine turned her face away. Emotionally she was completely empty. Erin seemed happy and relieved to be in Morgan’s arms, and Morgan seemed happy to be with them, and she herself? She felt nothing.
Morgan saw them into Christine’s car and got behind the wheel. “I won’t ask what you were doin’ way out here,” he said, starting the engine. And he was as good as his word. In fact, he didn’t say anything all the way back to the compound.
MORGAN TOOK THEM to Mae’s house, even though he wanted to bring them to Little Springs so he wouldn’t have to leave them. Erin had been afraid, but it was Christine who worried him most She seemed past the point of being merely detached. It was as if nothing was getting through to her. She was moving on automatic.
When Shannon came running out of the house to the car, with Harriet following closely behind, Christine barely blinked. When Harriet offered to help Erin get ready for bed, reasoning that a return to routine would be good for the child, Christine again barely responded.
“Should I go get the doctor?” Morgan asked Shannon worriedly after telling her everything that had happened.
“I think what she needs is rest, Morgan. She’s been through a lot today. She’s more in shock than anything. I recognize the signs.”
Morgan gazed at Christine, who continued to sit like a zombie, an untouched cup of tea in her hand.
Shannon smiled encouragement. “Come back tomorrow to talk with her,” she said. “Let her have tonight to rest and think. I know it’s hard, but—”
“If it’s what she needs, she’ll have it,” he said. Then he bent to scoop a freshly bathed and pajamaclad Erin into his arms. She clung to him.
“I was afraid, Morgan,” she said simply. “Mommy said we were leaving here.”
“Your mom was upset, honey,” he replied huskily.
“So we’re not leaving?” Erin asked.
“I hope not.”
Everyone understood now why Erin looked so much like a Parker. She was a Parker, only not in the way they’d expected. Her looks ran true to the blood, where her mother’s did not. Only, the little girl didn’t know it yet. And, Morgan acknowledged, it wasn’t his place to tell her.
He summoned a smile and swung Erin around to ride on his back. “How about if I tuck you in?” he asked. “I know you’re gettin’ to be almost grown, but since I’m here, what do you say?”
“Yes!” she said, giggling.
He took her upstairs where he saw that Harriet had already turned down her bed. “You sleepy?” he asked once he’d pulled the covers up to her chin.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She giggled again, only this time more softly. “I sounded just like Mommy. She says that sometimes.”
Morgan sat on the side of the bed. It surprised him how much he had come to care for Erin. He liked her shy sweetness and intelligent independence. In no time at all he could come to love her. In no time at all. Hell, he already did!
“Morgan?” she said, turning serious. “Those were bad men who tied us up out there, weren’t they?”
“Yes. They take things that aren’t theirs.”
“What’s going to happen to them?”
“They’ll be charged, have a trial and go to jail.”
“For how long?”
“For a long time. You don’t need to worry about them, honey.”
“Is that what you do? Catch bad people who steal cows?”
“It’s what I do.”
“Here?” she asked.
Erin and his niece and nephew must have talked. “Not here. Somewhere else.”
Her big dark eyes darkened even more. “Does that mean,” she almost whispered, “that you’re going to go away one day? When your daddy’s arm gets better?”
Morgan couldn’t lie to her. “Probably,” he said.
Erin surprised him by tearing up. “I don’t want you to go, Morgan. I want you to stay right here. With us!” And then, somewhat improbably, but perhaps logically enough, considering what she’d just been through, she added, “And I want to stay here, too!”
With her last words, her arms encircled his neck and pulled him close. He could feel her warm tears on his face. He held her for a time, as she seemed to need, then gently extracted himself. “I have to go home now, Erin. But I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
She bit her bottom lip and nodded.
CHRISTINE DIDN’T REMEMBER going to bed that night, who had helped her upstairs, what had been said. Nor did she remember stretching out between the cool sheets, whether Erin was asleep or awake, or when she herself had gone to sleep. It was as if, to protect itself, her mind had finally switched off, just like her emotions.
She awoke sometime before dawn, once again fully sentient. She remembered everything that had happened yesterday in painful detail. Starting from the time the packet had been delivered.
She was Ira Parker’s daughter. She, Christine Grant.
Or could she now call herself Christine Grant Parker?
She moaned and turned on her side to stare at the first muted rays o
f sunlight. She’d always wondered who her father was, always longed to have roots. And, considering the family she now found herself to be a part of and its history, she definitely had roots.
Oh, Ira!
Then there was Morgan. Her eyes fluttered shut. His betrayal of her hurt most of all. Every time he’d talked to her, been with her, it had been at Mae’s behest. Getting to know her, getting her to trust him, had been his assignment. Had she instinctively perceived that? Was that why she’d reacted so strongly upon learning his occupation? Unconsciously had she sensed the need to question his motives?
He was an investigator. And he had been secretly investigating her!
She moaned again and sat up, her knees raised, her head resting on them, her hair covering her face like a veil. A veil she wanted to keep between herself and the rest of the world. Particularly the Parkers-and Morgan.
She had actually started to think that she might be falling in love with him. Ha! That she could trust him. Another ha! She could trust him about as far as she could trust that rattlesnake Erin had come upon their first day at the ranch. And love him? That was a joke. A huge, terrible, unfunny joke-on her!
She threw herself back against the pillow. What should she do? Her first instinct had been right, she believed, even if it had failed. She had to get away.
Ira had been wrong to send her here. She was like a square peg trying to force itself into a round hole. She didn’t fit in. She would never fit in!
Maybe she and Erin could go to New Braunfels and stay with Mrs. Tobin and her sister for a time. She could find a job and a place for them to stay and pretend that none of this had ever happened. She could forget about Morgan and Mae and Rafe and Shannon-and all the others. She could erase from her mind the fact that she was a Parker. That Ira Parker and her mother had…
Ira Parker and her mother. It still didn’t seem real. She knew her mother had at one time entertained in some exclusive clubs in downtown Houston. She’d seen some photographs taken at the time. Her mother had been young and strikingly pretty then. Christine lifted her head. There had been men in suits clustered around her mother in the photographs. She hadn’t paid much attention to them because she’d always been so taken with the brightly colored sequins and feathers her mother had been wearing, and how happy and carefree she’d looked. But what if.
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