Wild Stallion

by Delores Fossen

  “You can’t do this,” Evan insisted. “She could be a scam artist.”

  “Then the test will prove that.”

  Still stunned about Jackson’s possible cooperation, Bailey continued to follow the men so she could listen.

  “But it could prove…other things,” Evan said, lowering his voice to a near whisper. Bailey heard him anyway.

  Yes, it could prove the adoption was illegal. Jackson could lose custody of the baby he was trying to adopt.

  Jackson had been practically iron-jawed during this conversation, and for that matter, the crazy events of the day, but she saw the flash of pain on his face. Pain she understood. He wasn’t just Caden’s soon-to-be adoptive father, he obviously loved the child, and ironically, if Caden was her son, Jackson had spent more time with the baby than she had.

  Bailey hadn’t even gotten to hold him.

  “Do the background checks on the adoption attorney and the two women from the hospital,” Jackson continued, talking to Evan. The pain was gone, and the iron-dragon persona was back in place. “Get that DNA test here today.”

  Evan’s chin came up, and there was fire in his eyes. “And if I object?”

  “You won’t,” Jackson simply answered, and he walked away.

  Obviously fuming now, Evan started to leave, but then he turned to her. He pointed his finger in her face. “So help me, if you do anything to hurt Jackson or the baby, I’ll make sure you’re locked up for the rest of your life.”

  That was yet another surprise. Here, Jackson had just butted heads with the man, and yet Evan was protecting his boss. And his boss’s son. Part of her appreciated that, because Bailey was worried that all of them might need protection before this was over.

  “Your business manager obviously doesn’t want me here,” Bailey mumbled as Evan walked away.

  “Neither do I,” Jackson mumbled back. He looked over his shoulder at her, his gaze searing right into her.

  That seemed to be her cue to leave. But Bailey didn’t want to do that until she had tried one more time. “May I see Caden?”

  Jackson turned so quickly that it startled her. Bailey jumped back, overbalancing herself, just as he caught her. Unlike before though when he had stopped her from falling, the grip he had on her arms felt punishing.

  “No,” he answered, though she had no idea how he could speak with his jaw clench that tight.

  It seemed as if he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head and tightened his grip even more.

  She winced, made a small sound of pain, and just like that, he jerked back. He stared at his hands a moment and then gently pushed up her sleeve.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  Bailey looked down at her forearm. “You didn’t bruise me,” she let him know.

  “But I came damn close.” He groaned and rolled his eyes toward the ornate ceiling. “There was a time in my life when I would have intimidated you into leaving.”

  She nodded. “There was a time in my life when I would have been intimidated. Not now, though. Not with the possibility of finding my baby at stake.”

  Bailey inched closer and reached out. Mercy, she was afraid to touch him. Not because she didn’t want to do exactly that, but because she knew that touching was the last thing they needed. Their minds were both racing with the possibilities of her and Caden’s DNA.

  And racing with other things, too.

  For some reason, being around Jackson reminded her that it had been well over a year since a man had touched her in any kind of way. Over a year since she had been in a man’s arms. A year since she’d felt that trickle of heat in her body.

  Jackson was the wrong man to make her feel any kind of trickle. But she couldn’t seem to convince herself of that.

  She put her hand on his arm, in about the same spot where he had gripped her. But instead of pouring her frustration and anger into that grip, she traced her finger slightly down his arm. Hopefully, a gesture to soothe him.

  He probably thought she was sucking up to him, but Bailey didn’t care. She didn’t want to make an enemy of this man.

  Even if they felt like enemies.

  After all, he could have her son, and he could be keeping the baby from her.

  “So what do we do?” she asked.

  He blew out a long breath and checked his watch. “I need to bring Caden out of the panic room. He’s probably up from his nap now, and I don’t want him frightened by the strange surroundings.”

  Again, her heart latched right on to that as a possible opening. Even though it didn’t make sense, Bailey thought if she saw the baby that she would immediately know if he was hers or not.

  “No,” Jackson said, and he realized he was staring at her. “I can’t let you see him because, quite frankly, I don’t trust you.”

  She nodded, accepting that. Bailey didn’t fully trust him, either. “You won’t try to hide Caden so I can’t get to him?”

  Jackson’s hesitation didn’t help the tightness in her chest. “I agreed to the DNA test, and I’ll have it done. But that’s only because I don’t believe he’s yours. Think this through,” he said, pulling away from her. “Someone stole your child. So why would that person risk placing the baby up for adoption?”

  Bailey had an answer, only because this had constantly been on her mind. “Two possible reasons—as long as the woman has the baby with her, he, and therefore she, could be linked to the hostage situation. Plus, she kidnapped my son. Her intentions might have been good at the time. She might truly have wanted to save my baby’s life. But when she didn’t return him, she became a kidnapper and therefore a felon.”

  He continued to study her. “And the second reason?”

  “Money. I read this was a private adoption. Money no doubt changed hands.”

  “It did. But I paid it through an attorney to Caden’s birth mother, who was a college student.”

  Bailey gave that some thought. It could have been the college student in that hospital room with her. Bailey had no idea who had walked out with her baby that day. “Does this student have any DNA proof that the child is hers?”

  “No. But then neither do you.” Jackson tossed his comment right back at her.

  “Not yet anyway.”

  She instantly regretted that snap, because it put some fire in his eyes. Fire that she didn’t want there.

  “You can wait in the guesthouse until Evan returns with the DNA kit.” His voice was cool now. Detached. With just that arrogance and suspicion she’d encountered when he first walked down the stairs and confronted her. “I’ll have one of the servants show you the way.”

  Jackson reached for the phone on an end table, but he didn’t get a chance to pick it up. His own cell rang, and after glancing at the caller ID screen, he answered it right away.

  “Sheriff,” he greeted. “Please tell me you learned the identity of the intruder.”

  Bailey moved closer, hoping to hear the sheriff’s response. This could be big. If she knew the man’s name, then maybe she could learn who had hired him.

  “What?” Jackson asked. Not exactly the tone of a question. More like stunned anger. “How the hell did that happen?”

  Alarmed, Bailey went even closer, but she still couldn’t hear what the lawman was saying. My God, what had gone wrong now? Had the man managed to escape? If so, he might double back and try to break into the estate again.

  He might endanger Caden.

  Even if the baby wasn’t hers, she didn’t want him in danger. It had been a horrible mistake coming here, she admitted to herself, again.

  Jackson slapped his phone shut, but he didn’t say anything right away, despite the fact he obviously knew Bailey was anxious to hear what the sheriff had just told him.

  “Well?” she prompted. “The intruder got away?”

  Jackson shook his head. “Worse.”

  Chapter Five

  Jackson listened to Sheriff Gentry’s latest account of his investigation, but it was hard to conc
entrate with Caden staring up at him with those big blue eyes.

  It was morning. Caden’s favorite time of the day, when he seemed to be full of energy and new discoveries. His son had just squealed with delight—though Jackson didn’t know why—and now Caden seemed to be waiting for him to respond to that baby outburst. Jackson did. He gave the boy an exaggerated grin that caused Caden to grin back.

  “You do know what this means?” the sheriff asked, his somber voice pouring through the speakerphone on Jackson’s desk.

  Jackson did know. The day before, he’d listened to every word of Sheriff Gentry’s account of what had happened when the ambulance arrived at the hospital with the intruder. The minute the medics had taken the man out to usher him into the ER, someone fired shots.

  Now Jackson was listening to the latest update: the shots had been fired from a long-range high-powered rifle. The intruder had been killed instantly. There were no signs of the killer or the weapon he used.

  “This means it was probably a professional hit,” the sheriff continued.

  Yeah. Jackson had come to the same conclusion. “And still no ID on the intruder?”

  “No, because the man had no fingerprints. I don’t mean none were on file. The man had no prints, period. They’d been burnt off with acid or something. It looked like a sloppy job, but an amateur isn’t likely to go that far to conceal his identity. Of course, we’ll still try to do a DNA match from our database.”

  They might get lucky. Might. But Jackson had to accept that the intruder was a dead end, literally. Besides, those missing prints were the sign of yet another pro. A hired gun in his own right.

  So why had he trespassed onto the estate?

  “You want me to send a deputy out to your place?” the sheriff asked.

  “No. I have enough security.” He hoped. And while he was hoping, Jackson added that he hoped he could get all of this cleared up fast. The situation with the latest threatening letter. With the intruder.

  And especially with Bailey.

  He wanted to enjoy every moment of Caden’s first Christmas; but here he was, worried to the bone that instead of a celebration, his son could be in danger.

  “What about your houseguest?” the sheriff asked, as if reading Jackson’s mind.

  Of course, it wasn’t anything as miraculous as mind-reading. In a small town like Copper Creek, secrets didn’t stay secrets very long, and the sheriff or his deputies had interviewed some of Jackson’s staff. Sheriff Gentry knew that Bailey had spent the night at the estate.

  “I’m not sure about Bailey Hodges yet,” Jackson settled for saying. “Have you made any connection between the intruder and her?”

  “Zero. The dead man had a prepaid cell in his pocket, with only one number called, and it wasn’t to Miss Hodges. It was to a woman, Shannon Wright.”

  Jackson froze for a moment. “Shannon Wright? The nurse who was at the San Antonio Maternity Hospital during the hostage situation?”

  “Yeah. How’d you know that?” the sheriff asked.

  “It wasn’t a lucky guess. Bailey thinks this Shannon Wright is a possible suspect in her baby’s disappearance.”

  “Interesting. I’ll look into it.” The sheriff paused. “Where exactly is Miss Hodges right now?”

  “In the guest quarters, away from the main house.” Jackson paused to reach for the stuffed toy horse that Caden was offering him. Of course, the moment he took it Caden wanted it back. This was a game that Jackson knew all too well, and it made him smile.

  “Good,” the sheriff concluded.

  That grabbed Jackson’s attention. “Good? Why?” Because he certainly didn’t consider it a good thing. He wanted her away from the estate, and that would happen as soon as he got the results of the DNA swabs he’d taken from her the day before. Then he would get Bailey on her way, if the results were what he wanted.

  And what Jackson wanted was proof that she wasn’t Caden’s biological mother.

  If she was, well, that was a kettle of fish he’d deal with later. One thing was for certain, no matter what the results were, he wasn’t just going to hand over the baby to her—or anyone else.

  Caden was his.

  “San Antonio PD wants to question Bailey again,” Sheriff Gentry explained. “You do know she hasn’t been cooperative with them since shortly after the hostage incident four months ago?”

  “Yes. Because she claims someone tried to kill her while she was in protective custody.”

  “Someone did try, just a day after the hostage situation ended. SAPD thinks the attempts were made by the now-dead gunmen, but they aren’t sure. No proof. Personally, it sounds as if she should be back in San Antonio, trying to work with the cops who are running that investigation. She doesn’t need to be out here in Copper Creek.”

  The sheriff obviously didn’t know that Bailey was looking into the matter of Caden’s DNA. Of course, that left Jackson with something he couldn’t explain.

  Knowing what Bailey thought about Caden, why had he let her stay?

  He mentally cursed. It was this damn camaraderie over the near-death experience they’d survived. Plus, the baby angle. He now understood all about a parent’s love for a child, and he could see that Bailey was desperate for answers about her lost baby.

  There was also the damn attraction. Jackson only hoped that it wasn’t playing into this. On most days he didn’t think below the belt, but for reasons he didn’t want to explore, that seemed to be happening with Bailey. But his camaraderie and stupid testosterone weren’t going to run wild here.

  “My plan is to have her gone as soon as possible,” Jackson assured Sheriff Gentry. As soon as he had those test results. “Let me know if you get anything else on the intruder or his killer.”

  The sheriff assured him that he would, and Jackson ended the call.

  Despite everything that was now weighing heavily on his mind, Jackson pushed it all aside and got down on the thick quilt that he kept on his office floor. It was Caden’s favorite spot, and when he placed the baby on his stomach, Caden immediately began to move his arms and legs, causing his denim overalls to slide against the quilt. Caden couldn’t crawl, but he seemed to love attempting it.

  The phone rang, but when he glanced at the caller ID he saw it was a client. A client who could wait. Jackson let it go to voicemail and continued his daddy time with Caden.

  It was amazing how much he loved his son. Amazing even more that he was already thinking of adding another addition to his family. Maybe a daughter. Heck, he might even give up his investment company and adopt a whole houseful of kids. His thirst to add more and more millions to his billion dollar portfolio just wasn’t there anymore.

  There was a knock at the door and Jackson decided to ignore it as well. But then it opened, and he had no choice but to look up from Caden.

  It was Bailey.

  Jackson silently cursed. He’d instructed his staff to tell him if Bailey left the guest quarters.

  He got to his feet, leaving Caden to play on the floor, and he did that not just because his son was having fun. Jackson also did it because his desk blocked Bailey from seeing the baby. That wasn’t being petty, he assured himself. It was simply sheltering Caden from a woman who could potentially be a threat.

  The intercom on his desk buzzed, and a moment later he heard his house manager’s voice. “I’m sorry, sir,” Steven Perez told him. “I just got the word that Miss Hodges is on the way to your office.”

  “She’s here,” Jackson let him know. “Instruct the staff to give me a faster heads-up if this happens again. I know we’re not accustomed to these security measures, but I want everyone to do a better job.”

  “Of course, sir. Do you need me there?” In other words, did Jackson want Perez to have Bailey removed?

  “I’ll take care of it,” Jackson insisted, and he pressed the button to end the transmission. He put his hands on his hips and stared at her, waiting.

  Bailey certainly didn’t look like a threat, standi
ng there. She looked lost and scared. Hell. Jackson felt that need to console her again, but he resisted.

  What he couldn’t resist was noticing what she was wearing. The loose, casual red dress skimmed over her body and created an interesting contrast with her milky-white skin. It was a loaner dress no doubt, and probably belonged to someone on his staff, since Bailey hadn’t arrived with a change of clothes, or even any toiletries.

  “I’m sorry,” Bailey said. “I just thought maybe you had an update on the dead intruder.”

  He did, but he didn’t intend to discuss anything with her while Caden was in the room. Jackson hit the button on the intercom that would no doubt send the nanny hurrying to his office.

  Caden squealed, the sound of happiness amplifying through the room.

  Bailey gasped and put her hand to her heart. She hurried toward his desk, toward the sound, but Jackson blocked her from racing behind it. Still, she came up on her toes and looked over his shoulder.

  The sound she made would have melted a heart of stone. It was a painful mix of shock, joy and loss all rolled into one. Jackson looked deep into her eyes, to see if all that emotional mix would give him clues as to what she thinking. But she was only staring in awe at Caden.

  “He’s beautiful,” she muttered, her voice as filled with emotion as her eyes suddenly were.

  Did that mean she believed this was her son?

  Jackson didn’t ask her, and she didn’t have time to volunteer. Tracy Collier, the nanny, came into the room. She stopped just in the doorway, probably trying to figure out what the heck was going on, but Jackson gave her a nod. That nod sent Tracy behind his desk, where she scooped up Caden into her arms.

  “Tell Daddy bye-bye,” Tracy prompted, kissing Caden on the cheek.

  “D-d-d-d,” Caden echoed.

  It was Caden’s new sound, something he’d been saying for several days, but each time Jackson heard it, he was reminded of just how much he loved his little boy.

  “He’s already trying to say ‘daddy,’” Bailey mumbled. “That’s early. All the books I read said that normally happens at six months, or sometimes even later.” She kept her attention fastened to Caden until the nanny and he were out of sight. She likely would have followed them if Jackson hadn’t caught hold of her.