by B. J Daniels
Instead, he’d left it all to Colt—lock, stock and barrel, making the place feel like a noose around his neck.
“It’s yours,” the probate attorney had said. “Do whatever you want with the ranch.”
“You mean I can sell it?”
“After three months. That’s all your father stipulated. That you live on the ranch for three months full-time, and then if you still don’t want to ranch, you can liquidate all of your father’s holdings.”
Colt took a deep breath and let it out. “Sorry, Dad. If you think even three years on this land is going to change anything, you are dead wrong.” He’d put in his three months and more waiting for an offer on the place.
When his leave was up, he was heading back to the Army and his real job. At least that had been the plan before he’d found Lola standing on his doorstep. Now he didn’t know what to think. All he knew was that he had to fly. He didn’t want to ranch. Once the place sold, there would be nothing holding him here.
He thought about Lola asleep back in the house. If this baby was his, he’d take responsibility, but he couldn’t make any promises—not when he didn’t even know where he would be living when he came home on leave.
Up by the road, he could see the for-sale sign by the gate into the ranch. With luck, the ranch would sell soon. In the meantime, he had to get Lola’s baby back for her. His baby.
He pushed open the door and headed for his bedroom. Everything was going to work out. Once Lola understood what he needed to do, what he had to do...
He lay down on the bed fully clothed again and closed his eyes, knowing there was no chance of sleep. But hours later, he woke with a start, surprised to find sunlight streaming in through the window. As he rose, still dressed, he worried that he would find Lola gone, just as she had been that morning in Billings.
The thought had his heart pounding as he padded down to the guest room. The door was partially ajar. What if none of it had been true? What if she’d realized he would see through all of it and had taken off?
He pressed his fingertips against the warm wood and pushed gently until he could see into the dim light of the room. She lay wrapped in one of his mother’s quilts, her long blond hair splayed across the pillow. He eased the door closed, surprised how relieved he was. Maybe he wasn’t a good judge of character when it came in women—Julia a case in point—but he wanted to believe Lola was different. It surprised him how much he wanted to believe it.
* * *
LOLA WOKE TO the smell of frying bacon. Her stomach growled. She sat up with a start, momentarily confused as to where she was. Not on the hard cot at the compound. Not locked in the claustrophobia-inducing tiny cabin with little heat. And certainly not waking to the wonderful scent of frying bacon at that awful prison.
Her memory of the events came back to her in a rush. What surprised her the most was that she’d slept. It had been so long that she hadn’t been allowed to sleep through the night without being awakened as part of the brainwashing treatment. Or when the sisters had come to take her breast milk for the baby. She knew the only reason, other than exhaustion, she’d slept last night was knowing that she was safe. If Colt hadn’t been there, though...
She refused to think about that as she got up. Her escape had cost her. She hurt all over. The scratches on her face and the sore muscles were painful. But far worse was the ache in her heart. She’d had to leave Grace behind.
Still dressed in the sweatshirt and sweatpants and barefoot, she followed the smell of frying bacon to the kitchen. Colt had music playing and was singing softly to a country music song. She had to smile, remembering how much he’d liked to dance.
That memory brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. She’d told herself that she hadn’t been in her right mind that night, but seeing Colt again, she knew that was a lie. He’d liberated that woman from the darkness she’d been living in. He’d brought out a part of her she hadn’t known existed.
He seemed to sense her in the doorway and turned, instantly smiling. “I hope you don’t mind pancakes again. There was batter left over. I haven’t been to the store. But I did find some bacon in the freezer.”
“It’s making my stomach growl. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Nope, just bring your appetite.” He motioned for her to take a seat. “I made a lot. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”
She sat down at the table and watched him expertly flip pancakes and load up a plate with bacon.
As he set everything on the table and took a chair, he met her gaze. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. I slept well.” For that he couldn’t imagine how thankful she was. “On the compound, they would wake me every few hours to chant over me.”
“Sounds like brainwashing,” Colt said, his jaw tightening.
“Jonas calls it rehabilitation.”
He pushed the bacon and pancakes toward her. “Eat while it’s hot. We’ll deal with everything else once we’ve eaten.”
She looked into his handsome face, remembered being in his arms and felt a flood of guilt. If there was any other way of saving Grace, she wouldn’t have involved him in this. But he had been involved since that night in Billings when she’d asked for his help and he hadn’t hesitated. He just hadn’t known then that what he was getting involved in was more than dangerous.
Once Jonas knew that Colt was the father of her baby... She shuddered at the thought of what she was about to do to this wonderful man.
Chapter Four
Colt picked at his food. He’d lied about being hungry. Just the smell of it turned his stomach. But he watched Lola wolf down hers as if she hadn’t eaten in months. He suspected she hadn’t eaten much. She was definitely thinner than she’d been that night in Billings a year ago.
But if anything, she was even more striking, with her pale skin and those incredible eyes. He was glad to see her hair down. It fell in a waterfall of gold down her back. He was reminded again how she’d looked the first time he’d seen her—and when he’d opened the door last night.
“I’ve been thinking about what we should do first,” Colt said as he moved his food around the plate. “We need to start by getting you some clothing that fits,” he said as if all they had to worry about was a shopping trip. “Then I think we should go by the sheriff’s office.”
“There is somewhere we have to go first,” she said, looking up from cutting off a bite of pancake dripping with the red syrup. “I know you don’t trust me. It’s all right. I wouldn’t trust me, either. But don’t worry, you will.” She smiled. She had a slight gap between her two front teeth that made her smile adorable. That and the innocence in her lightly freckled face had sucked him in from the first.
He’d been vulnerable that night. He’d been a broken man and Lola had been more than a temptation. The fact that she’d sworn he was saving her that night hadn’t hurt, either.
He thought about the way she’d looked last night when he’d found her on his doorstep. She still had a scratch across one cheek and a cut under her right eye. It made her look like a tomboy.
“You have to admit, the story you told me last night was a little hard to believe.”
“I know. That’s why you have to let me prove it to you.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “And how do you plan to do that?”
“Do you know a doctor in town who can examine me?”
His pulse jumped. “I thought you said—”
“Not for that. Or for my mental proficiency.” Her gaze locked with his. “I need you to know that I had a baby three months ago. A doctor should be able to tell.” He started to argue, but she stopped him. “This is where we need to start before we go to the sheriff.”
He wanted to argue that this wasn’t necessary, but they both knew it was. If a doctor said she’d never given birth and none of this was real, then it would be
over. No harm done. Except the idea of him and Lola having a baby together would always linger, he realized.
“I used to go to a family doctor here in town. If he’s still practicing...”
* * *
DR. HUBERT GRAY was a large man with a drooping gray mustache and matching bushy eyebrows over piercing blue eyes.
Colt explained what they wanted.
Dr. Gray narrowed his gaze for a moment, taking them both in. “Well, then, why don’t you step into the examination room with my nurse, Sara. She’ll get you ready while I visit with Colt here.”
The moment Lola and Sara left the room, the doctor leaned back in his office chair. “Let me get this straight. You aren’t even sure there is a child?”
“Lola says there is. Unfortunately, the baby isn’t here.”
The doctor nodded. “You realize this won’t prove that the child is yours—just that she has given birth before.”
Colt nodded. “I know this is unusual.”
“Nothing surprises me. By the way, I was sorry to hear about your father. Damn cancer. Only thing that could stop him from ranching.”
“Yes, he loved it.”
“Tell me about flying helicopters. You know I have my pilot’s license, but I’ve never flown a chopper.”
Colt told him what he loved about it. “There is nothing like being able to hover in the air, being able to put it down in places—” he shook his head “—that seem impossible.”
“I can tell that you love what you do, but did I hear you’re ranching again?”
“Temporarily.”
A buzz sounded and Dr. Gray rose. “This shouldn’t take long. Sit tight.”
True to his word, the doctor returned minutes later. Colt looked up expectantly. “Well?” he asked as Dr. Gray took his seat again behind his desk. Colt realized that his emotions were all over the place. He didn’t know what he was hoping to hear.
Did he really want to believe that Lola had given birth to their child to have it stolen by some crazy cult leader? Wouldn’t it be better if Lola had lied for whatever reason after becoming obsessed with him following their one-night stand?
“You wanted to know if she has recently given birth?” the doctor asked.
“Has she?” He held his breath, telling himself even if she had, it didn’t mean that any of the rest of it was true.
“Since she gave me permission to provide you with this information, I’d say she gave birth in the past three months.”
Just as she’d said. He glanced at the floor, not sure if he was relieved or not. He felt like a heel for having even a glimmer of doubt. But Lola was right. He’d had to know before he went any further with this. It wasn’t like he really knew this woman. He’d simply shared one night of intimacy all those months ago.
There was a tap at the door. The nurse stuck her head in to say that the doctor had another patient waiting. Behind the nurse, he saw Lola in the hallway. She looked as if she’d been crying. He quickly rose. “Thank you, Doc,” he said over his shoulder as he hurried to Lola, taking both of her hands in his. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You didn’t have to do this.”
Her smile was sad but sweet as she shook her head. “I just got upset because Dr. Gray is so kind. I wish he’d delivered Grace instead of...” She shook her head. “Not that any of that matters now.”
“It’s time we went to the sheriff,” he said as he led her out of the building. She seemed to hesitate, though, as they reached his pickup. “What?”
“Just that the sheriff isn’t going to be able to do anything—and that’s if he believes you.”
“He’ll believe me. I know him,” he said as he opened the pickup door for her. “I went to school with his sister Lillie and her twin brother, Darby. Darby’s a good friend. Both Lillie and Darby are new parents. As for the sheriff—Flint Cahill is as down-to-earth as anyone I know and I’m sure he’s familiar with The Society of Lasting Serenity. Sheriff Cahill is also the only way we can get on church property—and off—without any trouble.”
She still looked worried. “You don’t know Jonas. He’ll be furious that I went to the law. He’ll also deny everything.”
“We’ll see about that.” He went around the truck and slid behind the wheel. As he started the engine, he looked over at her and saw how anxious she was. “Lola, the man has taken our daughter, right?” She nodded. “Then I don’t give a damn how furious he is, okay?”
“You don’t know how he is.”
“No, but I’m going to find out. Don’t worry. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, one way or the other.”
She looked scared, but said, “I trust you with my life. And Grace’s.”
Grace. Their child. He still couldn’t imagine them having a baby together—let alone that some cult leader had her and refused to give her up to her own mother.
Common sense told him there had to be more to the story—and that’s what worried him as he drove to the sheriff’s department. Sheriff Cahill would sort it out, he told himself. As he’d said, he liked and trusted Flint. Going up to the compound with the levelheaded sheriff made the most sense.
Because if what Lola was telling him was true, they weren’t leaving there without Grace.
* * *
SHERIFF FLINT CAHILL was a nice-looking man with thick dark hair and gray eyes. He ushered them right into his office, offered them a chair and something to drink. They took chairs, but declined a beverage.
“So what is this about?” the sheriff asked after they were all seated, the office door closed behind them.
Colt could see that Lola liked the sheriff from the moment she met him. There was something about him that exuded confidence, as well as honesty and integrity. She told him everything she had Colt. When she finished, though, Colt couldn’t tell from Flint’s expression what he was thinking.
The sheriff looked at him, his gray eyes narrowing. “I’m assuming you wouldn’t have brought Ms. Dayton here if you didn’t believe her story.”
“I know this is unusual.” He glanced over at her. Her scrapes and scratches were healing, and she looked good in the clothes they’d bought her. Still, he saw that she kept rubbing her hand on her thighs as if not believing she was back in denim.
At the store, he’d wanted to buy her more clothing, but she’d insisted she didn’t need more than a couple pairs of jeans, two shirts, several undergarments and hiking shoes and socks. She’d promised to pay him back once she could get to her own money. Jonas had taken her purse with her cash and credit cards. Her money was in a California bank account. Once she had Grace, she said she would see about getting money wired up to her so she could pay him back.
Colt wasn’t about to take her money, but he hadn’t argued. The one thing he’d learned quickly about Lola was that she didn’t expect or want anything from him—except help getting her baby from Jonas. That, she’d said, would be more than enough since it could get them both killed.
At the time, he’d thought she was exaggerating. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“I believe her,” Colt told the sheriff. “What do you know about The Society of Lasting Serenity?”
“Just that they were California based but moved up here about five years ago. They keep to themselves. I believe their numbers have dropped some. Probably our Montana winters.”
“You’re having trouble believing that Jonas Emanuel would steal Lola’s child,” Colt said.
Flint sighed. “No offense but, yes, I am.” He turned to Lola. “You say your only connection to the group was through your parents before their deaths and your return to the States?”
“Yes, they became involved after I left for college. I thought it was a passing phase, a sign of them not being able to accept their only child had left the nest.”
“You never visited them at the California compound?” the sheriff asked.
Flint frowned. “You didn’t visit your parents before you left?”
Lola looked away. “By then we were...estranged. I didn’t agree with some of the things they were being taught in what I felt was a fringe cult.”
“So why would your parents promise you to Jonas Emanuel?” the sheriff asked.
She let out a bitter laugh. “To save me. My mother believed that I needed Jonas’s teaching. Otherwise, I was doomed to live a wasted life chasing foolish dreams and, of course, ending up with the wrong man.”
“They wanted you to marry Jonas.” Flint frowned. “Isn’t he a little old for you?”
“He’s fifty-two. I’m thirty-two. So it’s not unheard-of.”
The sheriff looked over at Colt, who was going to be thirty-three soon. Young for a major in the Army, he knew.
“I doubt my parents took age into consideration,” Lola said. “One of the teachings at the SLS is that everyone is ageless. My parents, like the other members, were brainwashed.”
“So you went to the compound after you were notified that your parents had died,” the sheriff said.
“I questioned them both dying especially since earlier I’d received a letter from my father saying he wanted out but was having a hard time convincing my mother to leave SLS,” she said. “Also I wanted to have them buried together in California, next to my older sister, who was stillborn. My parents were both in their forties when they had me. By then, they didn’t believe they would ever conceive again.”
“So you had their bodies—”
“Jonas refused to release them. He said they would be buried as they had wished—on the side of the mountain at the compound. I went up there determined to find out how it was that they had died within hours of each other. I also wanted to make him understand that I would get a lawyer if I had to—or go to the authorities.”
“That’s when you learned that you’d been promised to him?” the sheriff asked.