Rodeo Queen

by Shannon Taylor Vannatter

  “But that’s over now. And we’re focusing on your aunt and moving forward.”

  “Right. One step at a time.”

  He followed her up the porch steps. “We put out an APB, but with a case this old, I doubt we’ll get leads. So we flooded newspapers with Stevens’s obituary. All over Texas and surrounding states. If your aunt learns he’s not a threat anymore, maybe she’ll come home.”

  “That’s brilliant.”

  “Thanks.” He tipped his hat.

  “I can’t stop thinking about Trent’s daughter.”

  “So not only do you have a cousin you just met, but a second cousin somewhere near.”

  “It’s a lot to take in.” She turned from the house and scanned the Texas sky as if the answers were there. “I don’t think I’ll tell my family about his daughter yet. They’d want to know where she is, want to see her, and it would only complicate things for Trent. I think he’s got enough complications as it is.”

  “Your call. Not a word from me.”

  She opened her parents’ ornate door and called, “Mama? Daddy?”

  “Come in, Caitie. It’s open,” her mom called.

  Deep breath. Try to calm the nerves dancing due to her aunt’s possible return and dealing with Mitch. She stepped inside.

  “Hey, sis.” Natalie met her in the foyer with a hug and let out a squeal when she noticed Mitch. “I knew it.”

  “What?”

  “Y’all are back together. That’s what the big family meeting is about. Oh, I’m so happy for you both.” Natalie turned her loose and hugged Mitch.

  “No, Natalie.” Caitlyn gave an emphatic shake of her head. “We’re not.”

  “You’re not?” Natalie let go of Mitch.

  He shot Caitlyn a mischievous grin.

  “We’re not back together.” She focused on her sister.

  “Oh. Well, this is awkward.” Natalie sucked in her cheeks. “But it’s only a matter of time. Y’all might as well stop fighting it. True love always wins.”

  Caitlyn’s face heated.

  “Same old Natalie.” Mitch shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “I hope not.” Natalie shivered.

  “I just meant—you say whatever you think.”

  “Oh, that.” Natalie waved a dismissive hand.

  “Part of her charm.” Lane joined them and pulled his wife against his side. “You always know where you stand with this one.”

  “Lane, you remember Mitch Warren, the love of Caitlyn’s life.”

  Steam would surely blow out of Caitlyn’s ears any minute. She glared at her sister.

  Natalie shot her a smile, linked arms with Caitlyn and headed toward the great room. “Mama and Daddy are waiting.”

  “Will you please let up?” Caitlyn whispered. “Before I die of embarrassment.”

  “I remember a time when I tried to avoid Lane. We were at Moms on Main and he came in. Guess who invited him to eat with us, then suddenly had to leave? Aren’t paybacks fun?” Natalie squeezed her arm. “Besides, look at Lane and me now. Maybe Mitch came back into your life for a reason.”

  “I love you, in spite of your jackhammer subtlety.”

  “Right back at you—except you’re about as subtle as they come. That’s why you need me around to jump-start things.”

  “What are y’all up to?” Lane caught up with them. “That’s an awful lot of whispering.”

  “Nothing.” The sisters’ voices blended.

  Despite Mitch’s presence, Caitlyn needed to focus. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to invite him for moral support, after all. But she hoped Mama would handle the news better coming from him with his stoic ranger calm. And maybe even find hope.

  * * *

  Mitch cleared his throat. Relax. But he couldn’t. Not in this showplace filled with antiques and expensive furniture. It was beautiful, but he was afraid to touch anything, much less sit on the fancy Queen Anne furnishings. Her parents’ stuffy home didn’t fit their down-to-earth personalities.

  How to give Caitlyn’s mom hope without getting her hopes up? “Maybe y’all should sit down.”

  The family lined up on the fancy white sofa, Caitlyn in the middle, with Lane and Natalie and her parents flanking each side of her.

  “Have a seat, Mitch.” Daniel gestured to a matching chair across from them.

  “I don’t want to muss it.”

  “Claire loves collecting antiques.” Daniel laughed. “But she firmly believes they should be enjoyed by using them.”

  Mitch sat.

  “Just spill, Mitch.” Claire clasped her trembling hands together. “You’re making me a nervous wreck. Is this about Caitie’s case? The man shot himself. It’s over, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. It’s over.” His gaze met Caitlyn’s and she shuddered. He hated bringing up Stevens again when she needed to forget he ever existed. “But there’s a new development. In the course of the investigation, some facts came to light.”

  “Facts about what?” Daniel frowned.

  “As you know, Caitlyn’s attacker was a man named Stuart Stevens. Have any of y’all ever heard that name before Caitlyn’s attack?” Mitch scanned each family member for any signs of recognition, especially Claire. Nothing.

  “No.” Their voices blended in unison.

  “Stevens was married and had a son.” Mitch leaned forward. “He physically abused his wife until she left him. Then he turned on his son.”

  “That’s terrible. But what does this have to do with Caitlyn?” Natalie shrugged.

  “This may come as a shock.” Mitch took a deep breath and locked eyes with Claire. “But Stevens’s missing wife is your missing sister.”

  Several gasps echoed through the room.

  “Are you sure?” Claire’s question came out in a tremulous whisper.

  “Show her the picture, Mitch.” Caitlyn clutched her mom’s hand.

  “Brace yourselves.” He opened his briefcase and set his laptop on the coffee table, then pulled up the file on Stevens and filled the screen with the picture Trent had given them. Slowly, he turned the computer to let Claire see.

  Claire’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s Millie.”

  “Stevens’s son, Trent, gave us the picture. Your sister never mentioned Stevens?”

  “No.” Claire shook her head. “I never knew she was seeing anyone. It was just a rumor around the arena after she disappeared.”

  “So you think this man became obsessed with Caitlyn because he thought she was Millie?” Daniel rubbed his chin.

  “Yes.”

  “He called me Camille, the night of my attack.” Caitlyn’s tone sent chills through him. “But I didn’t know Aunt Millie’s name was Camille. And I asked Nat not to tell y’all the details of the letters. I didn’t want to upset y’all any further.”

  “Do you think Millie’s alive?” Claire’s eyes filled with hope.

  “All we know is that she left Stevens twelve years ago.”

  The light in Claire’s eyes dimmed.

  “But we’re reopening her missing person’s case.”

  “Please find her.” Claire perked up again.

  “We’ll do the best we can. But I’ll be honest. It’s been thirty years. That makes it tough.”

  “So this man kidnapped Millie, forced her to marry him and have his child—” Daniel shook his head “—then beat her?”

  “We’re not sure if he took her by force or if she left willingly. She may have been young and in love. If there was a marriage before she turned eighteen, it wasn’t legal, especially if she used a fake name.”

  “No.” Claire stood and paced the room. “Millie would have never left her family by choice. Her disappearance killed our parents. Daddy grieved himself to dea
th and Mama’s heart gave out. Millie would have never put us through this. And to leave her son behind? It doesn’t sound like Millie.”

  Daniel met his wife midpace. “Violence and fear can make people do things they normally wouldn’t.”

  “He may have threatened to hurt her family.” If only Mitch could have kept all of this quiet until Camille was found. What if she was dead and he’d opened all these emotions up for nothing? “And we know he threatened to kill her if she took his son away.”

  “Mitch will find her, Mama.” Caitlyn stood and hugged her mom. “One way or another.”

  Her gaze locked with his. Her family probably thought she meant whether Camille had left by force or willingly. But Mitch knew she meant alive or dead.

  Please let Camille be alive, Lord. Stuart Stevens had put Caitlyn and her family through enough torment.

  “Wait a minute—Millie has a son.” Claire’s eyes lit up again. “My nephew... He gave you the picture, so you know where he is. I want to see him.”

  “He’s shaken by everything, but I’ll talk to him about it.”

  “You’ll keep us posted on the investigation?” Daniel asked.

  “Of course.” Mitch tipped his hat, feeling dismissed.

  “I’ll walk you out.” Caitlyn hurried past him to the front of the house and opened the door for him.

  “You think she’s okay?” His fingers settled on her elbow.

  “I hope so. You were very reassuring.”

  “I tried, but I know it was a shock. I only hope I can reunite your family.”

  “If Millie’s alive, you’ll find her. Thank you. I mean, you’ve gone above and beyond your call—keeping me safe and now reopening Millie’s case.”

  “Aw, shucks, just doing my ranger duty, ma’am.” He winked to make light of the subject.

  But she didn’t lighten up. The intensity in her eyes deepened. “Do you ever wish...?”

  We were together? “Yes.”

  She blinked. “Then why don’t you quit?”

  Obviously, she hadn’t been asking what he’d thought. “What was the question?”

  “Do you ever wish you weren’t a ranger? You know, let someone else get the bad guys while you live a normal life.”

  A knot hardened in his chest. “No. I’ve never wished I wasn’t a ranger. Can’t you see what Texas would be like without rangers?”

  “Well, yes, but I mean let other people be rangers. Instead of you.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

  “Oh.” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “Um, I guess you’d better go.”

  “I’ll be at your store at six-thirty.”

  “Sure. Thanks. And thanks for breaking the news to Mama for me.”

  “No problem.” He stepped outside and hurried down the steps toward his truck.

  Frustration balled up in his chest. The problem was, he loved Caitlyn Wentworth. He’d never stopped. But he still couldn’t have her because of the job he loved.

  And oaf that he was, he kept wrangling ways to stay in her life and torture himself.

  As he climbed in his truck, his phone rang. Timmons.

  “Warren here.”

  “Mitch, I just got news your transfer went through. Come January when Barker retires, you’ll be our new forensic artist.”

  Thank You, Lord. Something in his chest blossomed. Relief. “That’s awesome!”

  “We’ll miss you on the beat, but I know you’ll do great work.”

  “Thanks for letting me know.” He hung up and turned back toward her parents’ house. His job wouldn’t keep them apart now. Surely, with his transfer, she’d let him close to her.

  But, what if he didn’t like the job or wasn’t good at it? What then? Would she bolt?

  His steps faltered.

  No. He needed her to love him and accept him no matter what job he had. Now and in the future.

  * * *

  Rodeos, the store and the investigation took every bit of Caitlyn’s energy—plus speaking engagements and photo shoots for Natalie’s Cowtown ad campaign. But despite all the distractions, fear still reigned in the recesses of her brain.

  Except when Mitch was around.

  And he’d be here any minute to escort her across two hundred yards of brick-lined streets to Cowtown. Ridiculous. The fear keeping him in her life had become a delicious form of torture.

  She turned off the lights and stared out the glass storefront. The usual crowd milled about. No one noticed her.

  Not in the safety of her store. But the first week of November was already gone. Mitch would start working weekends in a matter of weeks. What would she do then?

  Why couldn’t she get past this? She wasn’t some whimpering ninny. She’d taken self-defense classes. When Stuart Stevens had attacked her, she’d gotten away. And she’d hurt him badly enough that he’d sought medical attention. Which had led him to his end. Stuart Stevens was dead. He couldn’t hurt her anymore.

  Besides, he hadn’t randomly chosen her to obsess over. He’d mistaken her for his wife, who happened to be her aunt. What were the odds of that ever happening again?

  I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe.

  Caitlyn took a deep breath and opened the door. Cowboys, tourists and families crowded the streets. No one noticed her. Not one besotted stalker. She could do this. Another deep breath and she turned to lock the door.

  As the lock clicked into place, a chill went up her spine. A presence behind her. She jumped, screamed and spun with her purse, ready to wallop.

  Mitch held his hands up in surrender. “It’s just me.”

  The shaking started and she couldn’t stop it.

  “Hey, you’re okay.” He gently took her in his arms.

  The shaking didn’t let up and, to top it off, she started crying.

  “Give me your keys. Let’s get you back inside.”

  “I don’t think I got it locked and I’m pretty sure I dropped my keys.”

  “Here they are.” He stooped to retrieve them, then gently turned her toward the door.

  Once inside, he locked the door behind them, led her to the stool near the register and handed her a tissue. “Sit down. Deep breaths.”

  “I can’t live like this.”

  “You’re safe.”

  “I know. My head says I am. But my heart doesn’t believe me.”

  “What were you doing outside by yourself anyway?”

  “I’m twenty-eight years old.” Her laugh came out sarcastic. “I ought to be able to go outside by myself. I thought it was time I walked over to Cowtown by myself.”

  “You’ve been through a harrowing ordeal. Just give yourself time.”

  “I used to go out for lunch.” She dabbed the tissue under her eyes. Probably looking like a raccoon about now. “I used to come back here after the rodeo and do inventory. I used to have a life.”

  “And you will again.”

  “What happens in December when you go back on weekend duty?”

  “I’ve already thought about that. Natalie and Lane—”

  She let out a derisive chuckle. “My older sister shouldn’t have to walk me to work.”

  “Okay, Bob would probably send Glen or someone else on the Cowtown payroll over.”

  “But he shouldn’t have to. I ought to be able to cross the street by myself.”

  “Listen, Caitlyn, I know you don’t realize it, but you’ve made amazing progress.” His hands settled on her shoulders. “You walked the streets of San Antonio.”

  “With you.”

  “And if it were up to me, I’d spend the rest of my life escorting you around.”

  Sweet torment.

  “But, I do have to go back
to weekend duty for the month of December. And you do need to overcome your fears, but it hasn’t quite been two months since your attack. Take it slow. You can’t take something like this on by facing it head-on.”

  “So what? Do I need a shrink?”

  “You need time. And maybe we could wean you. How about you head for Cowtown and I’ll follow at a safe distance?”

  Weaning herself from Mitch Warren. She’d already been through that once. And come December, he’d be gone. It hurt already.

  She forced a smile. “Sounds like a start.”

  “After you, ma’am.”

  “I Will Survive” played from her purse and she dug out her cell. “Hello?”

  “Caitlyn, it’s Audra. How are you, dear?”

  Her gaze flew to Mitch. “I’m fine. And you?”

  “Wonderful. Listen, I’m planning our Thanksgiving dinner. All the kids, cousins, aunts and uncles are gathering at Grandpa’s this year. I was hoping you might join us.”

  Including Mitch. She turned away from him. “That sounds great and it’s very nice of you to invite me, but I’ll be with my family for Thanksgiving.”

  “Is your family gathering on Thursday?”

  “Actually, we can’t get everyone together until Saturday.”

  “So spend Thanksgiving Day with us. Drive down on Wednesday and go to church with us that evening. Maybe even spend a few days with us there. Tara and Cody were so hoping you could come. And Mitch, of course.”

  Spend a few more days with Mitch. She swung back to face him. Her traitorous heart rocketed.

  “I can’t leave my store. Especially not on Black Friday.”

  “Caitlyn, dear, isn’t taking off when you want the point of being the owner?”

  She smiled. “It’s supposed to be.”

  “Your employees can handle Black Friday. Please join us.”

  “I have to work the rodeo Friday and Saturday nights. Cowtown never takes holidays.”

  “Then return home Friday morning.”

  The following weekend, Mitch would be working and out of her life.

  One final chance to spend time with him before they went their separate ways. One final time to say a last goodbye to his family. “I’d like that.”

  “Wonderful. We’ll plan on seeing you, then.”