by Barb Han
Heart in her throat, she steeled her breath as the driver of the car near hers exited his vehicle. Glancing around, she cursed the fact it seemed like everyone was inside the store. Of course, the perps would plan it that way, she reasoned.
In a split second, three men were coming at her. All of the men wore baggy clothes, hoodies and sunglasses. It was impossible to get a look at their faces, considering they’d wrapped scarves around them.
Renee’s pulse jackhammered. This couldn’t be happening. Who would want to take Abby? Because Renee was certain they came for the baby, just like last night. No place felt safe. Renee knew one thing was certain, no one was taking Abby away from her.
Despite the three-to-one odds, Renee had no intention of handing over her daughter. “I don’t know what you want but you need to leave.” The words came out shakier than she’d hoped.
One of the guys shook his head. She blocked the carrier with her body and the door. As two of the men came directly at her, another one slipped out of sight. She realized a little too late that he’d come around to the passenger side. He opened the door. It would be so easy for him to slip the carrier out.
Renee needed to draw attention if she was to have any hope these men would scatter. Fighting three off at one time wouldn’t end well. At the top of her lungs, she screamed, “Fire.”
It was a trick she’d learned a long time ago from a neighbor who’d been a fireman. He’d taught her never to yell for help, always fire. People rushed toward a fire. Help, they might ignore.
“Fire.” She yelled with so much force that she startled the baby. She vowed not to let these jerks take off with Abby. Desperation mounted as one of the men got close enough for her to take a swipe at him. He ducked and pinned her using the door as leverage.
Again, she yelled the word she’d been taught. With the door trapping her against the vehicle, she reached back to grab the handle of the carrier. Pain shot through her but a shot of adrenaline kicked in. The guy wasn’t taking her baby. The two struggled for control of the carrier as she screamed over and over again.
Just when she thought she might be holding her ground, her fingers were being peeled off the handle. A wave of panic shot through her. Panic and more anger as she struggled for purchase.
One of the guys sneered at her as he pressed his body against the door, keeping her from moving or fighting back. Her last finger slipped from the carrier when she heard the sirens. Movement hurt, but she managed to use her elbow as a wedge to shove the door. The guy blew out a breath and dug his shoes into the concrete.
“Hey!” A man’s voice shouted from the direction of the store. Help was on the way. Was it going to be too late?
Chapter Six
In a matter of seconds, sirens filled the air and a few men came running. A car squealed its tires, roaring into the parking lot. Suddenly the pressure from the door was gone and Abby’s cries were right behind Renee.
Abby. Her daughter was in the back seat as the three men jumped in their respective vehicles and peeled out of the parking lot in the opposite direction. All Renee wanted to do was hold her baby. She climbed in the back seat as an older gentleman darted toward her.
“Are you okay, miss?” The middle-aged man with a slight build and jean jacket stopped at her vehicle.
“Yes, thank you.” She would be when she got Abby out of that car seat. Everything had happened so fast that she didn’t get a good look at the vehicles. “Did anyone get a picture of those creeps or their vehicles?”
“I really don’t know. I can ask.” Looking up, she saw that he wore an apron that read Green Grocers.
Before she could say anything else, a car rushed into the spot next to hers. The face of the driver sent another shock wave rippling through her. Cash O’Connor. He tore out of the driver’s seat.
“Everybody take a deep breath and an even bigger step away from the vehicle.” His voice poured over her, soothing her fried nerves.
The small crowd complied as the man wearing the apron gave a quick explanation of what he’d witnessed.
“Hold tight. I’m going to get you and Abby out of here.” Those words were the best thing she’d heard all day. She was grateful that Cash hadn’t asked how she was doing. Now that he was there and the immediate threat had passed, her hands started shaking.
“I was trying to buy a pacifier.” The words sounded a little hollow, even to her.
“It’s okay. You’re all right. Abby’s good.” There was something so calm about Cash as he stood there, taking statements and handling the nervous crowd. Except when he looked at her, she caught a storm brewing behind his steel gaze. “I’m taking you home. Colton can meet us there to take your statement.”
Cash offered a hand and she took it. He helped her out of the back seat. One look at her iron grip on the car seat handle and he seemed to think better of asking if she wanted him to carry the baby. He walked her over to his SUV where she climbed in the back with the baby. Renee secured the buckle and scooted so close to the carrier that it was practically on her lap. He locked up the other vehicle before claiming the driver’s seat.
“Tell me everything that just happened.” He started the ignition and reversed out of the lot. She couldn’t wait to put this whole experience in the rearview. Somehow, this seemed like the beginning of a nightmare.
She briefed him on the events and tried to calm her racing heart in the process as he made his way back toward his family’s ranch. “It was three to one and I thought they had her for a minute there. Thank you for showing when you did.”
“Security alerted me to the fact that you left. I heard the call come in.” There was a weariness to his voice that wasn’t there before.
“You left to check on your father. Did they find him all right?”
“He was found.” The heaviness in those three words told her the news wasn’t good.
“I’m so sorry. I mean it, Cash.” Words seemed hollow compared to what he must be feeling right now.
“Thank you. It means a lot.” He nodded and she caught his gaze through the rearview. A powerful jolt rocketed through her body the minute their eyes locked. The force was so strong, her cheeks flamed and she diverted her gaze to Abby.
The attraction between them was so powerful, Renee straightened her daughter’s pajamas to give her something else to focus on besides the current rippling through the vehicle.
Trying to apply logic to an out-of-control emotional situation made her think the strong pull to Cash O’Connor had to do with how broken he seemed. She could relate on such a deep level to the loss she’d glimpsed in him during those few seconds of eye contact. Hers was so much more than a relationship gone sour. Granted, that didn’t help matters.
The rest of the ride was spent in companionable silence. Once they were back on O’Connor property, Cash stopped at the turnoff to the guesthouse.
“I need to check on my family and I won’t be able to think straight if I’m wondering if the two of you are okay.”
“I’m sorry about—”
“That came out wrong.” He put his hand on the seat in front of her and twisted around to face her. “I care about what happens to the two of you. Leaving you alone to fend for yourself in a stranger’s house was a jerk move on my part. I apologize for putting you in a bad position. I’d like to make it up to you, if you’ll allow it. Right now, though, I need to get back to my family. I need to know what you want me to do. I can take you back to the cottage or to the main house with me.”
The thought of being alone again didn’t sit well with Renee. She had no doubt she’d get her bearings as a mother, but a lot had been thrown at her considering she couldn’t exactly go home. “The main house is fine with me, Cash. I appreciate everything you’re doing for us. I don’t want to take advantage of your hospitality, though.”
He started to argue but she put a hand up to stop him.
“I’m serious. If you need to do your job, I don’t want to be in the way.”
“You couldn’t be,” was all he said. “And for the record, it’s not putting me out to help you and your daughter. I’m a selfish jerk because I’ll admit that it feels good to impact someone else’s life. It’s the whole reason I got into law enforcement in the first place. As cliché as it sounds, I wanted to put bad people behind bars and help deserving people.”
When he put it like that, her shoulders deflated a little because a growing part of her wanted to be special in his eyes. The reminder that he was a lawman who was doing his job was just what she needed to hear in order to save her from some potential embarrassment later. To Renee, there was nothing ordinary about her feelings toward Cash. “There’s a reason clichés are what they are. They always contain a grain of truth.”
* * *
CASH PARKED HIS vehicle in the small lot at the main house. Bringing a victim into his family’s home was a little unorthodox. The way he saw it, there was no other choice. He couldn’t rightly leave Renee alone. She was still new at being a mother. Add to the fact that she’d moved to a new town and on her first night there had become a crime statistic. This wasn’t the welcome most folks received in Katy Gulch. Considering there’d been very little crime in town, residents might see her presence as an omen. People could be superstitious. He saw it as his job to make certain she and Abby were safe. He told himself the reason he cared so much was because of the lost look in her eyes and the fire that followed. A crime might have occurred, but she seemed determined not to be a victim.
Based on their conversations so far, she was intelligent. Her beauty was a given. Fiery red hair and blue eyes on a heart-shaped face made for one seriously beautiful package. She had legs that went on for days and which most runners would envy. Her creamy skin and the flush to her cheeks added to her beauty. Looks alone had never been the biggest draw for Cash. Going on a date with someone who was pretty on the outside and empty on the inside was a lot like expecting cake and getting cornbread instead. He’d gone on a handful of dates based on physical attraction alone. Most could be rated by how many times he sneaked a peek at his watch. Those were generally sixes, meaning he checked his watch six times in a two-hour span.
He’d gotten good at predicting his number within ten minutes of a date. He suspected a date with Renee would net a zero. And, since the attraction to her was inappropriate considering she was his witness, he’d stop himself right there.
“Who would come back for her?” Renee asked as she unbuckled her daughter from her carrier and then held the little girl against her chest. The fire had returned to her eyes, which was a helluva lot better than the fear he’d seen there back in the grocery lot.
“There’s a long list of people I’d like to talk to before I can answer that question.” The rock stirred underneath his breastbone.
“Starting where?”
“With your lawyer. I’ll need to coordinate the investigation with my brother, considering he’s the sheriff. But I’d like to interview everyone involved in the adoption process.”
“I thought you’d start with my ex,” she admitted.
“He’s on the list, too. And so is the contractor from work. As is anyone else you’ve come into contact with who might’ve had a bone to pick with you. Including your ex’s new girlfriend.”
Renee gasped. She held on to her daughter protectively. It would be hard to imagine anyone could pry the little girl from her hands. Cash had never thought of himself as a family man. He thought that ship had sailed a long time ago, after his last broken heart.
“I hadn’t thought of her before. What reason would she have to want to take my child away from me?”
“A few come to mind. She might’ve lost her baby. She could’ve lied about being pregnant in the first place. He might have left her because he was still in love with you.”
She blew out a breath. “I know he still has feelings for me. He’s made that clear on more than one occasion. But I’ve been very honest with him. I’ve moved on and he should, too.”
“The man’s a fool,” came out low and under his breath. Even the most intelligent person could make a bad decision when it came to someone they were attracted to. Renee had said she’d been with her ex for seven years, which meant she would’ve been in her early twenties when they’d met. “I’ll put my head together with my brother. He’ll be able to offer more perspective on the case.”
Cash had to admit his growing feelings for the mother and child would impact his judgment. As an investigator, he needed to maintain objectivity in a case. Jamison King was an idiot for losing Renee.
He quirked a smile. So much for being objective.
More immediately, he needed to prepare Renee for what she was about to walk into at his family’s home.
“As a warning, my family can be overwhelming to someone not used to us. Normally, we’re a loud and caring bunch. The caring part is still true but finding out about my father has put the mood in the house at a somber level.”
“It’s to be expected under the circumstances.” She practically pinned him with her stare. “Again, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Your kindness is appreciated when it comes to my family.” The O’Connors might not be perfect but their love for each other ran deep. No matter how big a mistake any of them made in life, the others rallied. Garrett included, despite his noticeable absence in recent years.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for me to be here while your family is going through so much?”
He tilted his head to one side. “You wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was a good idea.”
“Fair enough.”
“The timing isn’t ideal but then there’s never a good time to lose someone you love.”
The look she gave him said she completely understood the sentiment. Cash tried to tell himself that he wanted to get to know more about Renee because of the investigation. A voice in the back of his mind called him out on the lie. There was something magnetic about the beautiful redhead, that clap of thunder he hadn’t felt in far too long.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
He placed his hand on her elbow as he led her inside the main house. Her eyes widened as she stepped into the foyer of the two-story mansion his parents had called home for longer than Cash was alive.
“Wow,” she muttered and he realized how impressive the place could be. He’d honestly gotten so used to it he’d forgotten how grand it could be. Big homes and expensive cars had never really impressed him much. His family was as down-to-earth as they came.
“My grandfather had this home built. My parents moved in to help take care of him when he became sick and he asked them to stay on. Mother always said she never really needed a place this big but it seemed important to her father-in-law. He was a kind man and she saw no reason to offend him. She’d had the downstairs renovated to her taste once they inherited the home, careful to keep important original details.”
“Like?”
“A library with handcrafted bookshelves. You rarely ever see those built in homes now.”
“That’s so true. I love modern plumbing, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never even thought about having a full-fledged library in my home.” There was so much awe in Renee’s voice it was impossible not to let it affect him a little bit.
“Mother is old-school. I can’t remember a time when she turned on a TV. We had ’em. Well, one. It’s in the game room where we spent plenty of Sunday afternoons shooting pool, throwing darts and watching football when it was in season and chores were done.”
“Sounds pretty great to me.” She nodded and smiled, a first break in the tension that had been blanketing her. Football and Texans generally went hand in hand. “And it seems like I could learn quite a few parenting pointers from your mother. Your pare
nts have obviously done a wonderful job with their boys.”
“We had a sister,” he admitted. He should probably prep her for the reaction his mother might have to a six-month-old girl being in the house. “Remember the sister I mentioned? She was kidnapped when she was little.” He left it at that for the time being.
“Oh?” Shocked blue eyes blinked at him.
“My mother is strong, but I’m not sure she ever completely recovered from losing her daughter.” Because he felt the need to change the subject before she asked too many questions, he added, “I hope you’re not allergic to animals. We have quite a few critters running around the property.”
“Are you kidding? I love animals.” Her face brightened in the way only an animal lover’s would. She glanced around, hugging Abby tight to her chest.
“Do you want something to drink first?” It might be almost evening but he could do with another coffee. When security had called to alert him to the fact that Renee had left the property he’d acted on impulse, jumping into a vehicle and taking off toward town. He’d guessed she wouldn’t go back to her house. It was an assumption that had paid off. He didn’t want to think what might’ve happened to Abby if he hadn’t shown up when he did.
Timing wasn’t always this good to him. He’d take it where he could.
“Coffee sounds good. I didn’t get much in the way of sleep last night.” She glanced at the sleeping angel now. “She started crying right after you left and nothing I did helped. You seem to have some kind of magic with her.”
He didn’t point out the fact she’d probably worn herself out crying earlier. “Give it a little time. You’re doing better than you probably think.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I know how much my brother second-guessed himself when it came to his twins, especially in those first few months.”
“I can barely manage with one. How on earth does he do this with two?”
“He had his rough patches in the early days but he’s in a good rhythm now.” Cash led her into the kitchen and then fixed two cups of coffee, surprised that no one was hanging around. His mother had most likely retreated to her library with her friend and Stacy. He was pretty sure he’d seen Gayle’s car still parked out front. His brothers were probably in the barn, having a conversation with Slim and the others. “I’m afraid self-doubt seems to come with the territory for new parents.” He set a cup in front of her on the massive butcher-block island. “It’s easy to see how much you care about doing right by her. No one who cares that much could possibly fail.”