Not anymore.
“Forget it,” he said. “I’ve changed my mind. Go on and move if that’s what you want.”
She stared at him, the bluster draining from her like air escaping a punctured inner tube.
“I won’t stop you,” he continued. “Kaylee will be heartbroken, of course, but you need to do what you need to do.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m not abandoning Mel and our baby. If you’re unable to accept that, or can’t bear the thought of it, then I’ll respect your wish to leave. You’re always welcome to visit and stay as long as you like.”
“What will you do with Kaylee? Who will watch her?”
“I’ll figure something out. Hire a babysitter. Enroll her in day care.”
Nancy slowly lowered herself into her seat.
After a moment, Aaron said with a smile, “That’s better.”
“I’m not sure what you’re insinuating.”
“Nancy, you’re part of this family. An important, irreplaceable part. And not just because you watch Kaylee while I’m at work. You’re her grandmother. Her one real connection, besides me, to her mother. Don’t let your anger at me rob Kaylee of your love and guidance.”
“What happens to me if you do...find someone new? Or, decide you want to marry Mel Hartman? Another woman isn’t going to want her husband’s former mother-in-law living with them.”
This, Aaron suspected, was the real reason Nancy clung to the past and insisted he did, too. She was scared that, with Robin gone, and without Aaron and Kaylee, she’d lose her place in the world and never find it again.
His anger and frustration at her vanished. “If whoever this woman turns out to be can’t accept you, then maybe she’s not the right person for me.”
“You say that now.”
“There may come a day when you move out and have your own home. Not just because it’s more comfortable for me. But because you’re ready. I really hope that home is near Kaylee and me.”
Blinking away a tear, she rose. “I’d better get your dinner on the table. You must be hungry.”
This time, Aaron didn’t stop her.
Nancy wasn’t the demonstrative type. She didn’t hug. She didn’t make emotional declarations. In her subtle way, she was accepting what Aaron said and apologizing to him. It was, perhaps, her first step in facing a future that didn’t revolve entirely around him and Kaylee.
If only he and Mel had been able to resolve their problems so easily. How different their last evening at the motel would have gone. He might be sitting across from her instead of Nancy, talking about a puppy for their brand new family.
He wasn’t done trying with Mel, not after what Ray had said in the feed store. The problem was she’d yet to give any indication the wall she’d erected to keep him at bay could be breached. Until then, Aaron didn’t stand a chance.
His personal cell phone went off, startling him. The ringtone identified the caller as Mel, giving him an even greater start. Pushing back from the table, he dived for the phone on the counter.
“Hi.” He strove to sound casual. “What’s going on?”
“I’m at The Small Change,” she blurted. “With the orphan foal. Something’s going on here. I think the horse thieves are back. I noticed a strange truck and trailer cutting across the back of the outbuildings toward the gate.”
“Where does the gate lead?”
“To the cattle-grazing sections. But the mustang sanctuary is there, too.”
Aaron glanced at the kitchen clock. It was past seven thirty and well into dusk. Night would be falling soon. Mel didn’t need to be at the stables in the dark and with potentially dangerous individuals in the vicinity.
“You get out of there, you hear me?” Aaron all but shouted into the phone.
“I can’t. The foal’s sick. He must’ve ingested some moldy hay or pellets. I’m really worried about him.”
“His life isn’t worth yours, Mel. If the thieves are there and they think you’ve spotted them, you could be in real trouble.”
“Aaron—”
He cut her off. “Get in your truck, lock the doors and crouch down. Don’t go anywhere. If they see your lights, they’ll figure out they’ve been spotted. Do it now, Mel,” he insisted before she could object.
“All right.”
“That’s my girl.”
Aaron briefly wondered how the truck had driven past the ranch house without being observed. They must have entered the ranch from a side road.
“I’ll call you on my way there.” His voice cracked, and he quickly cleared his throat to cover it. “Keep your phone with you at all times.”
He hoped she’d say something about missing him or wanting him to stay safe before hanging up. She didn’t.
“Where are you off to?” Nancy called after him as he headed for the door. “Your dinner’s ready.”
“There’s a possible horse theft in progress at The Small Change.”
He said no more. Nancy wouldn’t have heard him anyway for he was halfway out the door.
Protocol may or may not have warranted him turning on the siren and breaking every speed law on the way to the ranch. After radioing the station and requesting backup, he dialed Shonda and Eduardo. Despite being off duty, they both promised to be ready within minutes. Because Eduardo was more familiar with the townsfolk, Aaron ordered him to track down Theo McGraw, the owner of The Small Change, or Theo’s daughter. And of course, Cara Dempsey, manager of the mustang sanctuary. He told Eduardo to have her meet him at the gate leading to the pastures in order to unlock it.
Lastly, he instructed Eduardo to very clearly warn Josh Dempsey, Cara’s notoriously hotheaded husband, to stay away. This was police business; they didn’t need civilians interfering. Well-intentioned or not.
When he finished, he called Mel again. She didn’t answer and after five rings, her voice-mail greeting sounded. Swearing, and accelerating on the open road, he tried again. Still no answer. He’d have thrown the phone onto the floor in frustration, but he needed it handy in case she called him back.
Was her battery dead or had something happened to her? Pounding a fist on the steering wheel, he turned sharply onto the dirt road leading to The Small Change. The SUV’s wheels sprayed a shower of dirt into the air.
What a fool he’d been to let her go. He should have run after her at the inn, refusing to take no for an answer. Convince her he truly wanted to marry her, not just fulfill an obligation. Swept her off her feet. Treated her the way she deserved to be treated. Wooed her and charmed her and demonstrated through words and actions that they were meant to be together. That she was the one he’d been waiting for. The one who mattered more than anyone else.
Would she have believed him? Aaron vowed he’d move heaven and earth to show her when this was all over and prayed he had the chance.
Flying past the ranch house, he silenced his siren and drove to the horse stables. Mel’s truck was there. Dark. Still. Empty. As badly as he wanted to catch the horse thieves, he wouldn’t move onward without making sure she was safe. His SUV idling, he hopped out and jogged toward her truck.
Mel’s head popped up before he reached the driver’s door, and she lowered her window. “I’m okay.”
He stood there long enough to catch his breath and whisper a soft, “Thank you.”
She opened the door.
“You’re not coming with me,” he barked, correctly reading her intent.
“I could—”
“No way.”
“Then hurry, Aaron. Catch the bad guys.”
He turned to go. At the last second, he changed his mind. Caressing her cheek through the open window, he said, “Wait for me. I’ll be back.”
“Be careful,” was all she said.
* * *
MAYBE AARON SHOULD ha
ve brought Mel along after all. No sooner was he driving behind the outbuildings than he realized he had no clue where the gate to the pastures was located. Almost immediately, a pair of zigzagging headlights came toward him. Suspecting it was Cara Dempsey, he slowed to a stop.
She motioned for him to follow, and Aaron noticed she had a passenger. Her husband, Josh. They apparently hadn’t heeded Eduardo’s warning for Josh to stay away.
At the end of the corral, Cara stopped. She and Josh both exited the Jeep. By the time Aaron neared, Josh was inserting a key into the padlock.
“Don’t think you’re going after them by yourself,” the tall, lanky man said.
Aaron figured there was no sense fighting him. “Cara stays behind. If not, I’ll arrest you both for interfering with an investigation.”
“Got it.”
The padlock released, and the chain securing the gate fell away. Josh swung open the gate just as Cara came around to grab it, her long black hair swinging in the breeze. Josh had probably tasked her with shutting the gate behind them.
“If you don’t hear from us in the next twenty minutes,” Aaron told her, “call the sheriff’s office in Rio Verde.” He passed her a card.
“Will do.” She looked worried and not at all happy her husband was going with Aaron.
The two men jumped into Aaron’s SUV and took off. Josh gave directions, his voice clipped. By now, darkness had fallen. Aaron phoned Eduardo and Shonda for updates as he navigated the narrow, winding dirt road. Eduardo reported that Theo McGraw was in the hospital after a bad fall, and his family was at his side.
“These guys are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid,” Josh said. “Attempting a second theft at the same ranch they hit last time.”
“They probably learned the McGraws weren’t home.” Another reason to believe the thieves had access to inside information.
Landscape, illuminated by moonlight, flew by as they traveled the two miles to the sanctuary. Aaron grew impatient when their progress was impeded by having to stop and unlock two more gates separating the cattle grazing sections from the sanctuary. Josh indicated a knocked-over post and tangled barbed wire while unlocking the third gate. “They cut the fences. There’s going to be chaos tomorrow.”
Escaping cattle was a problem. It was also the least of Aaron’s concerns.
Over the next rise, the sanctuary appeared.
Aaron instantly spotted the barely visible outline of a truck and trailer parked along the fence. He’d cut his headlights a mile back to avoid detection. Now, he slowed his speed, hoping the thieves didn’t see them until it was too late.
Luck, unfortunately, wasn’t on their side. All at once, the thieves executed a one-eighty and pulled away, the truck tires spinning. They, too, had cut their headlights.
“Dammit,” Aaron grumbled and went after them, hitting the gas and going as fast as he dared.
To Josh he said, “Did they get any horses?”
“I can’t tell.”
Hauling the trailer, even empty, slowed the thieves enough that Aaron was able to catch up. According to the last transmission on the radio, Eduardo, Shonda and three backup units from the Scottsdale Police Department were en route with an ETA of five minutes.
“Don’t let them get away,” Josh said, pounding his closed fist on the dash.
“I’m trying.”
The driver of the truck was obviously no stranger to these hills.
“Where does this road lead?” Aaron asked.
“To the north, it connects with a county maintenance road,” Josh said. He’d been making phone calls to Theo McGraw’s family and Ray Hartman, putting them on the alert about the loose cattle. “To the south, it dead-ends at the base of the mountain.”
Aaron radioed in the information, stating that he and his approaching backup should attempt to force the thieves toward the mountain. He then flipped on his siren and flashing lights.
In the distance, he spotted a fast-moving storm of white, red and blue lights from what had to be at least five emergency vehicles. A helicopter suddenly materialized from behind the mountain, its spotlight cutting a path across ground below.
The cavalry had officially arrived.
Attempting to escape, the truck and trailer veered off the dirt road, bouncing wildly over the rough terrain. Aaron and the emergency vehicles changed course.
Big mistake on the thieves’ part. Traveling too fast, they hit a ditch and lost control.
The truck tilted high on its two right wheels and hung suspended in midair for several precarious heartbeats. Only the weight of the trailer prevented it from rolling. Coming down hard, the truck made a loud crashing sound, then sat, heaving and groaning like a wounded animal.
Within seconds, the thieves were surrounded on all sides by six vehicles, including Aaron’s, and above by the helicopter. Two more emergency vehicles could be seen in the distance, one of them Shonda’s.
Aaron grabbed his transmitter and activated the loudspeaker. “This is the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department. Remain where you are.” He then reached for where his rifle was stored. No telling if these men were armed or what they might do.
He stared hard at Josh, rifle in hand. “Do not get out of this vehicle under any circumstances.”
The other man’s jaw visibly clenched, but he stayed put.
Taking the suspects into custody was almost anticlimactic. The pair emerged from their vehicle, arms in the air, averting their gazes from the blinding glare of numerous flashlights and headlights. The helicopter’s spotlight was trained on them as well.
Aaron and Eduardo quickly subdued and cuffed them. Both were belligerent when Aaron recited their rights. Both refused to give any information, with the taller one swearing profusely and telling the shorter one to, “Shut your mouth,” as they were separated and loaded into the backs of police vehicles for the drive to Scottsdale.
It was only then that Aaron recognized the taller man. He’d seen him in the feed store not two hours earlier, standing at the counter, chatting up the assistant manager.
Bells went off in Aaron’s head. The feed store! It was a place where horse folk gathered and conversed, where announcements were posted on the bulletin board and where supplies were purchased and questions asked of the staff.
It was a place where someone intent on stealing horses might obtain all the information necessary to carry out their thefts. Especially if they had an accomplice, either a knowing or unknowing one.
By now, the two remaining vehicles had showed up. A half dozen uniformed law-enforcement officers surrounded the truck. Two more were searching the empty trailer. The sound of voices combined with radio transmissions and the choppy hum of the exiting helicopter to create a noisy din. Whatever horses had been in the area were long gone, retreating to an out of sight corner of the sanctuary.
“Eduardo.” Aaron hailed his fellow deputy. “I’m leaving. You’re in charge.”
“Where are you going?”
“Following up a lead. And I need to hurry before word of this spreads.”
“Got it.”
Cara was still waiting at the first gate when Aaron dropped off Josh. Fully intending to track down the assistant manager, he took a few minutes to stop at the horse stables.
Mel wasn’t in her truck where he’d told her to remain. Figured. He found her in the horse stall with the foal, bent over her small patient. Also figured.
“You aren’t good at following orders.”
She glanced up at him. “I saw the helicopter leaving and assumed the coast was clear.”
“He doing any better?” Aaron moved toward the stall.
“Not at all.” Sadness filled her voice. “It’s been one thing after another with this poor little guy. I’m completely out of options. It’s up to him now. He either decides to fight and live, or he gives up.”
Aaron didn’t have to be an expert to see the foal was at death’s door. His eyes were listless, his coat dull, his ribs protruded and he hung his head low as if it were too heavy for his neck.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I take it you caught the bad guys?” Mel asked.
“They’re being transported now and should spend at least one night in jail, courtesy of the county, before being arraigned.”
“I’m glad.”
She looked up from the foal and for the first time that night, smiled. “You did good, Aaron.”
He stared at her, struck utterly speechless. Her worry over the foal accentuated her features and gave her a soft, glowing beauty. Aaron was enamored. Captivated. Charmed. In love.
The realization stunned him. He was in love with Mel and had been for some time.
She met his gaze, and the spark he often sensed between them crackled. She must feel the same. What else could account for the longing in her eyes?
The radio attached to his collar went off, reminding him that duty called. “I have to leave.” Tear himself away was more accurate. “I’m following up on a lead.”
“Okay. Be careful.” When he didn’t move, she asked, “Something wrong?”
Nothing he could tell her. Not right now. Later, if all went well.
“Do you happen to know the name of the assistant manager at the feed store?”
“It’s Gail. Why?”
“She may have a connection to the horse thefts.”
Mel gasped softly. “I don’t believe it. She’s always been so nice and helpful to me.”
“I’m not saying she’s involved, Only that she may know something useful to the investigation. I saw her and one of the thieves talking at the store earlier.” Aaron took out the small pad and pen he always carried. “What’s her last name?”
“Saunders. Her uncle owns the store. I have his number if you need it.”
“That would help. Yes.”
“I also know where she lives. It’s not far from my house.”
“Can you give me the address?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll show you.”
A Baby for the Deputy Page 18