Cowboy Behind the Badge

by Delores Fossen

  They’d gotten somewhat lucky tonight. Everyone was alive, and his dad and Rosalie were all in one piece. Thankfully, none of them had tried to play hero and come storming into Cooper’s house, where Hague had been holding Laine at gunpoint. Roy and his twin sister had stayed put on Colt’s order, and instead of injuries—like Laine’s—all they would have to deal with were the horrible memories of the attack.

  That was more than enough, and was likely the reason Rosalie had gone back to the guesthouse as soon as Hague had been taken away. She’d already been through so much with the kidnapping of her own baby that this could have brought it all back to the surface. He made a mental note to check on her.

  Once he’d seen to Laine, that is.

  “I think she’ll be fine,” his dad said to him. Again. Roy could no doubt tell that this had shaken him to the core, but it was a surprise that his dad and Colt were being so, well, friendly.

  They certainly weren’t giving Laine any signals that they wanted her immediately out of there. And that was good. It was a start, anyway. Because after everything that’d gone on tonight, Tucker couldn’t see himself giving Laine the heave-ho.

  Maybe they could even date or something.

  Images of her naked flashed through his head. Okay, so they were well past the dating stage, but he had no intention of letting this go back to where it’d been a few days before. The trouble was he didn’t know how to go about making sure that she stayed in his life.

  “You’re staring at me again,” Laine mumbled, turning away from him. “I must look pretty bad for you to keep doing that.”

  “You look amazing,” Tucker blurted out, catching both his father’s and Colt’s attention despite the fact that Colt was on the phone talking to Reed, who had Hague in custody at the jail.

  The corner of Laine’s mouth lifted for just a brief moment, but it didn’t take more than a couple of seconds for her to get that haunted look again. Tears came, too, and then nothing in the world could keep Tucker from her side. He didn’t elbow the medic aside. Not exactly, anyway. But he put himself between the guy and her so he could pull Laine into his arms.

  “We can’t let that man get to the babies,” she whispered, and the tears came streaking down her bruised cheek. Tucker tried to gently kiss them away. They just kept coming. All he could do was stand there and let her get it all out.

  “We won’t,” he assured her.

  He led her to the other side of the room. It wasn’t exactly private, but it was better than the center of the foyer. The medic looked at them as if he might come over and resume whatever he’d been doing, but Tucker waved him off.

  “Egan’s a good man,” Tucker added, trying to soothe Laine. “No way would he let anyone get to the twins. Jack and Jill,” Tucker added because he thought they could use some levity.

  It worked a little. Laine tried to smile anyway.

  Roy groaned softly, shook his head. “You gotta come up with better names than that, especially since Laine said she was planning to adopt them.”

  “I am.” That helped, too, and she brought her chin a little higher. “Any ideas?”

  Now it was Tucker who groaned. If Rosalie had been in the room, at least there would have been some possibly good input, but he wasn’t expecting much from his dad and brother.

  And he didn’t get much, either.

  “Frick and Frack,” Colt suggested. “Or maybe Trouble One and Trouble Two?”

  Laine winced, but there was actually a little lightness beneath it.

  “Laine, I always thought your grandmother had a pretty name,” Roy spoke up. “Mattie. She was a fine woman. Good heart.”

  It was the first time in twenty-three years Tucker had heard anyone say a kind word about the Braddocks. But his dad was right. Tucker remembered Laine’s paternal grandmother, and even though she’d long since passed away, she deserved a namesake.

  Laine nodded. “Mattie it is.” And she swallowed hard, as if she had a sudden lump in her throat.

  Tucker didn’t dare suggest using her father’s name for the boy. Too much pain there yet, especially with the renewed memories from the upcoming trial.

  “Matt goes pretty good with Mattie,” he offered.

  Another nod, and this time she gave a little smile. “I like it. Thanks.” She mumbled the same to Roy and gave Colt a mock scolding glance, which he probably didn’t even see because he got another call from Reed. Colt stepped away to take it.

  The moment didn’t last long, and Tucker saw the fear creep back into Laine’s eyes. Before he could start another round of reassurance, or distraction, his phone rang. Not Egan, thank God, with news that they’d had a visitor at the safe house. It was another Ranger, Griffin Morris.

  “We found Steve Wilkey,” Griffin said the moment Tucker answered. “I’m pretty sure your prisoner, Hague, was telling the truth about this jerk funding the baby farm. I pulled up his rap sheet on the way to his house, and he’s corrupt all the way to the bone. He’s been disbarred for years now and always seems to be one step ahead of the law.”

  Tucker had been doing a lot of cursing lately, but he added some more. “Why didn’t Wilkey show up on the radar before now?”

  “Maybe because his only association with the baby farm was through Hague.”

  That was possible. Heck, Hague hadn’t even been on their radar until he’d shown up and tried to take the twins.

  “What’s Wilkey saying about all of this?” Tucker went on.

  “He’s not saying much of anything. We showed up at his house, and it didn’t have a pretty ending. Before we could even tell him why we were there, he turned two goons on us. They shot at us, and we had to return fire.”

  Hell. Wilkey was obviously a violent man and had been there with Laine at the sheriff’s office. Just a few feet away from her. And Tucker had been so focused on their other suspects, he hadn’t realized they had a second snake in their midst.

  “Wilkey joined the gunfight,” Griffin went on, “and he and both of his men are dead.”

  The relief was overwhelming. Wilkey and his henchmen couldn’t go after the babies now. But it would have been nice to get some answers from one of them so they could tie this up into a neat little package. Maybe he could get those answers from Colt after he finished his call with Reed.

  “While he was shooting at us, Wilkey yelled out that he was going to kill Hague for setting us on him,” the Ranger continued. “That’s why I figured any part he had in the baby farm was only between Hague and him. Wilkey didn’t name anyone else, and he was sure doing a lot of yelling.”

  “Yeah. Hague said that Wilkey had a buyer for the twins so maybe he’d already paid Hague and wanted him to deliver on the goods.”

  A sickening thought. Hague and Wilkey had treated the babies like livestock, ready to be sold to the highest bidder, and Tucker didn’t even want to go with the rest of that thought. God knew what the highest bidder actually wanted with the twins. He figured if they’d been loving parents without police records, they would have taken a more normal route to adoption.

  “I’ve already had someone call Egan to tell him the danger’s passed,” Griffin added. “The safe house is just five miles or so from you. Figured you’d want the babies brought back to you ASAP. Unless you want them to go to social services. If so, I can call Egan back.”

  “No.” Tucker didn’t even have to think about it. “I want them brought here to the ranch. The woman who’s adopting them will take custody.”

  That would be possible now that there were no other obstacles in her way. No one in Dawn’s or Laverty’s family to stop her petition to get custody of Mattie and Matt. With Laine’s position in the community, it appeared to be smooth sailing, despite her being a single mom.

  “Oh, and tell Egan to hurry,” Tucker added to Griffin. “We’re anxious to see
them.” It would help Laine to be with them and hold them.

  Heck, it’d help him, too.

  When he finished the call, he could tell that Laine had heard every word of the conversation because she smiled and nearly launched herself into his arms. The medic must have decided he didn’t want to be part of the little celebration because he packed up his things.

  “Her injuries aren’t that serious,” the medic said to no one in particular. “She should make an appointment with her doctor, though.”

  Tucker assured him that would happen. And it would. Laine would get a thorough checkup. After they’d celebrated a little, that is.

  The medic mumbled something about needing to get back to the hospital, and he let himself out.

  “They’re safe. We’re safe,” Laine said. She kissed him, and Tucker realized it helped his raw nerves and spent adrenaline hugely.

  However, they still had an audience.

  Something that Tucker didn’t remember until he heard his dad clear his throat. He broke the kiss, fully expecting Roy to give him a look or some kind of reminder that this wasn’t a good thing.

  That didn’t happen.

  Roy reached out and gave Tucker’s arm a pat. The sort of pat a man gave his son when he was proud of him.

  But he couldn’t be proud.

  Could he?

  “You won’t hear any complaints from me,” his dad offered. “Or from the rest of the family, if I have a say in it.”

  And then he did something else that surprised the heck out of Tucker. Roy leaned in and brushed a kiss on Laine’s cheek. The unbruised one. If there was any trace of that bad blood, it didn’t show now.

  Tucker was still in a bit of shock. He didn’t notice that Colt had finished his call and was staring at them as if he couldn’t figure out what to make of it.

  Then his brother shrugged. “I guess I won’t complain, either. Well, not much, anyway.”

  Laine smiled, nodded. “I’ll try not to make a nuisance of myself.”

  Tucker frowned. He sure didn’t like the sound of that, but before he could voice it, Colt pointed to his phone, reminding him that there were some darn important ends to tie up.

  “Hague’s cooperating big-time with Reed. Yakking his head off in the hopes of getting a plea deal.”

  “He’s not getting one,” Tucker argued.

  At the same moment Laine said, “Not a chance. I want him in prison for life.”

  “That’s the plan. Reed told him the same thing, but he’s talking anyway. Hague said he convinced Dawn and Rhonda that Darren was the bad guy. That’s why they were afraid of him.”

  Well, that explained some things. Not all, though.

  “But what about the recording Darren had?” Tucker asked. “Dawn used the word she. Does that mean she was afraid of Rhonda, too?”

  “Probably. Hague wouldn’t have wanted the women to be too chummy, because they might put one and one together and figure he was in charge of the baby farm. If he’d lie about Darren being bad, I don’t see why he wouldn’t lie about Rhonda, too.”

  True. And while it was good that Darren hadn’t done anything wrong, Tucker wouldn’t have minded a few minor charges thrown at him.

  Okay, that was the jealousy talking.

  He wasn’t just riled that Laine was avoiding making a nuisance of herself, but he was also irritated that she’d once been in love with that selfish rat who’d treated her like dirt. Laine wasn’t Darren’s. She was his.

  Whoa.

  That brought him skidding to a mental halt.

  Laine wasn’t his and hadn’t been since they were kids. Though he was pretty sure he wanted her to be. He was also sure he wanted a lot more than a kiss from her in his granddaddy’s kitchen.

  “Could you excuse us a moment?” he said to his dad and brother, leading Laine out onto the porch.

  Even though there were plenty of ranch hands still milling around, it was a better place from which to watch for the babies. It was also a better place for him to make a fool out of himself with what he wanted to say.

  Tucker wasn’t exactly sure of the words. They might not even have made sense, but he knew he couldn’t let Laine leave with Mattie and Matt.

  “Look, I know I’m not exactly daddy material, but I was serious about my offer to help you raise them.”

  It was a start, but judging from the way the corners of her mouth turned down, it wasn’t the exact offer she wanted to hear.

  “Or not,” he said, testing it. That didn’t test well at all, and Tucker found himself frowning. It was obvious he needed to say something, but he wasn’t quite sure what that was.

  She huffed, and her hand went on her hip. “For Pete’s sake, we’ve been through this, and you already need a reminder.”

  “Yeah, I guess I do.” He didn’t want to make an ass out of himself and assume that Laine was asking for a whole lot more than just a commitment to help with the babies.

  “When was your last real kiss?” she asked.

  Oh. Tucker knew exactly what to do with that question.

  He eased her to him and kissed her. It was long, hard and pretty darn satisfying. Well, until oxygen became an issue. “That one.”

  She made a dreamy little sound of pleasure before she pulled back her shoulders and stared at him. “Well, at least you’re better with your mouth than you are with your words. Have you ever told a woman you love her?”

  Tucker had to shake his head. He’d had women in his life, but he’d never wanted to lie to them. And saying “I love you” would definitely have been a lie.

  Until now, he realized.

  The corner of her mouth kicked up as if she knew she’d just hit pay dirt. Probably because he had a goofy look on his face. Hard to keep his cocky bad-boy look when he’d just figured out what exactly was going on in his head.

  And in his heart.

  She wadded up a handful of his shirt and pulled him back to her. “Here’s the deal,” Laine said, her mouth against his. “I’m in love with you. Always have been, always will be. Yes, I want your help raising the twins, but I want more than just that.”

  Laine paused, kissed him. “Tucker McKinnon, I want it all. I want you.”

  Well, heck. More pay dirt. Tucker figured he should just keep quiet since she was saying all the things that he wanted her to say. All the things he wanted to hear.

  “You’re in love with me?” he asked, just to make sure he hadn’t misheard her. And because he wanted to hear her say it again.

  “Yes. Of course I love you.” Her smile got even wider. He had to have a sample of it to see if it tasted as good as it looked on her.

  It did.

  Like his birthday and Christmas all rolled into one.

  She pulled back, obviously waiting, and Tucker wanted to say to her what he already knew in his heart. But before he could do that, he saw the approaching headlights of a vehicle making its way up the road.

  Because of the nightmare they’d just gone through, Tucker automatically stepped in front of Laine and reached for his gun. But it was a false alarm.

  The best kind.

  It was Egan in an SUV, and he was no doubt bringing the babies home. Tucker and Laine made it all the way down the steps before Tucker decided that this was indeed their home.

  Well, hopefully.

  He might have to convince Laine of that first.

  Tucker let her make it to the SUV ahead of him, and the nanny bodyguard stepped out. She handed one of the babies to a waiting and eager Laine. Since the baby was dressed in a blue gown, he figured it was Matt.

  He was glad they’d taken the time to come up with better names.

  Laine pressed a flurry of kisses on the baby’s sleeping face and then handed him to Tucker so she could do the same to M
attie. Heck, he hadn’t thought it possible, but they were cuter than they had been a few hours before when they’d left for the safe house.

  Since Tucker figured this kissing, oohing and aahing could go on for a while, he thanked Egan and the nanny, and while they drove away, he got Laine moving back toward the house.

  “I want to do more than just help with them,” Tucker blurted out. “I want to be with them all the time. I want to feed them. Play with them.” He paused. “Yeah, I’ll even change ’em, often, but I’ll let you know up front that’s not something I especially want to do.”

  Though it no longer seemed like the chore it had been just a few days before. In fact, spending any kind of time with the pair would be something special.

  “What exactly are you saying?” Laine asked.

  Tucker fumbled around with this thought a moment and finally plucked out words that he hoped made sense. “I think we should make this legal and all. You should marry me and move into my house. Or your house. The location’s irrelevant. Your answer, well, it isn’t.”

  She stared at him as if he’d lost his mind, and for a few heart-stopping seconds, he thought he’d gotten this all wrong. That Laine’s “I love you” hadn’t meant the whole big dream that was now playing out in his head.

  “Say yes,” he prompted.

  “Well, of course I’ll say yes.”

  The relief caused him to make a funny breathing sound. Thank goodness it still managed to sound manly.

  “Yes,” she repeated.

  Laine leaned in, kissed him. And that simple motion reminded him that once they had the babies put to bed, he wanted to strip off her clothes and make love to her again.

  Plenty of times.

  But first, he had to get something else off his chest.

  “I’m in love with you, too, Laine.”

  The words felt darn good for something that’d never slipped past his tongue before. Tucker thought he’d be saying them for a long, long time.

  Like the rest of their lives.

  Laine pulled him to her and let him know that it was exactly what she had in mind, too.

  * * * * *

  Read on for an extract from CRYBABY FALLS by Paula Graves.