Peril on the Ranch

by Lynette Eason

  The trust in her eyes and the care on her face nearly sent Mac’s heart over the edge. What had happened to his walls? How had he allowed his defenses to be breached?

  Because he’d wanted to? Subconsciously, maybe? Isabelle was right. He was healing here. He cleared his throat and glanced at Grant. “What’s being done to find this guy?”

  “We’re working with local authorities and the university where he and Zoe were students. They’re keeping an eye out for him to show up. We’re also tracking his phone but haven’t got a hit on it. If he’s using a cellular device, it’s one we don’t know about.”

  “Could be a burner,” Mac said.

  “Exactly. We’re also monitoring Zoe’s phone. He’s left her some pretty harsh and threatening messages.” Grant’s eye darkened and he looked at the infant giggling in Isabelle’s lap. “There’s no way we can let this guy get his hands on that baby. He said in one of his texts that he was going to take Lilly and make sure that Zoe never saw her again. His one goal is to get revenge on the girl that dumped him—and if that means hurting an innocent baby, then he doesn’t care.”

  Isabelle shuddered and Mac’s muscles clenched. Grant was right. They had to stop Drew before he finally succeeded in his lethal quest.

  FOURTEEN

  For Isabelle, the hours passed slowly. She found herself checking the time every fifteen to thirty minutes even while she entertained the baby, did four loads of laundry and cleaned the three and a half bathrooms while Lilly napped. Now the baby was wide-awake, spending her time darting about the house in her walker.

  However, no matter what might distract her for a few moments, Isabelle’s mind kept coming back to the issue at hand. She wished she could do something, anything, to help find Drew Baldwin and get the children returned, but what could she do?

  She’d also love to visit Zoe, but again, that wasn’t an option. As the sun dropped without the children’s shouts, laughter and the occasional fight, sadness gripped her.

  Her phone buzzed and she snagged it from her pocket. “Hello?”

  “Isabelle. Hi.” Regina’s voice came on. “What’s going on? How are you? How are things at the ranch? Talk to me.”

  “Bored much?” Isabelle asked.

  “You don’t even know. Seriously, how are things at your place?”

  “Quiet. For now.”

  Isabelle stood at the kitchen window, watching the tree line in the distance, straining to see any sign of light or life that would indicate Drew was going to try again. The fact that the dogs ran in the pasture and showed no signs of agitation soothed her worry somewhat.

  “Quiet is good,” Regina said. “I thought I’d come over and kind of be another set of eyes if that’s okay with you.”

  “Are you sure you feel like it?”

  “I can be in pain at home or be in pain at your place. At least you’ll be a distraction.”

  “Then, by all means, come on over.”

  “Great. See you soon.”

  Isabelle hung up and tossed one more glance outside. Please, God, keep him away. Or, if he gets close, let him get caught. This has to end. Those children don’t deserve this. The prayer whispered upward.

  Isabelle checked on Lilly, who’d figured out a new game with the walker. She churned her little legs until the walker ran into the wall and bounced her backward. Her chuckles peeled through the room, making Isabelle smile. The fact that her lips curved up in spite of everything brought her a slight measure of peace. “You’re a funny kid, Lilly,” Isabelle said.

  A knock sounded just before the door opened and she turned to see Mac step inside. He pulled off his gloves and stood on the mat in stocking feet. He must have taken his boots off outside so as to not track in dirt. That kind of consideration drew her to him even more. “I finally finished fixing that fence,” he said.

  “Wonderful. Thank you.”

  “Ben’s back. Grant went on home. Cody Ray and Ms. Sybil are heading to the café in town.” He paused. “Are they...together? Like a couple?”

  She laughed. “Yes. They’ve been friends for a long time, so the romance thing is kind of new for them. They’re just enjoying each other’s company and taking it slow.”

  “That’s really nice.” A funny look flashed across his face.

  “What is it?”

  “I guess I find it kind of amusing they’re taking it slow. I mean, at their age, you would think you’d know if it was right or not, wouldn’t you?”

  Isabelle fought a grin. “I’m not sure how it works at that age. I’m not sure how it works at our age. Josiah and I were high school sweethearts. We went to the same college, graduated on the same day, got jobs in the same town.” She shrugged. “Marriage just seemed to be the next step.” She paused. “Sounds really boring, doesn’t it?”

  “Absolutely not. It sounds...nice.”

  Nice, but not terribly exciting. “What about you? How did you and your wife meet?”

  “At the church singles group.” This time it was his turn to pause. “I guess that sounds boring, too.”

  “Well, when you think about how you and I met, I’ll take boring any day of the week.” It hit her what that sounded like and heat engulfed her cheeks. “Um, not that you and I are... I mean... I didn’t mean to make it sound like—” She drew in a breath. “I think I’m going to shut up now.”

  A small smile tugged at his lips. “We did have a pretty exciting first meeting, didn’t we?”

  “We did.” Please, change the subject so I don’t have to crawl in a hole and hide.

  Lilly chose that moment to aim her walker at Mac’s shins. He jumped out of the way at the last minute and grabbed the toy turned projectile. “Whoa, there, little girl.” Lilly chuckled and Mac turned her in the other direction. She took off like a missile.

  “Ben and I talked,” Mac said, “and he suggested I hang out inside with you and Lilly while he keeps an eye on everything outside.”

  “That sounds good. Come on in and have a seat. Or better yet, redirect Lilly before she puts a dent in the wall.”

  Mac laughed. “But she’s having so much fun.”

  Lilly squealed and rammed the wall again. She bounced back and grinned at them like she expected to be praised.

  Mac walked over to her and lifted her out of the walker. “Come on, kid, before you give yourself whiplash.”

  Lilly grabbed his nose and pulled.

  Isabelle’s heart tumbled all over the place. She could watch the two of them forever. A lump gathered in her throat. But she wouldn’t have either of them for that long. Don’t think about that. Be grateful for the time you have. She cleared her throat. “Regina’s on her way over. Said she wanted to be another set of eyes.”

  “She feels well enough to do that?”

  “Probably not.”

  “Ah. She’s one of those type A people?”

  “Hmm.”

  “Sounds like someone else I know.”

  Isabelle chuckled. “I guess it comes with being an only child.”

  “And Regina? Is she an only child?”

  “Oh, no. She wishes she was, sometimes. She has four older brothers, and the sheriff is her cousin.”

  “Oh, wow. Poor woman.”

  “No kidding.”

  Lilly gave a half cry and stuffed her fingers into her mouth. “I think someone’s getting hungry,” Mac said.

  “I’ve got her food ready to warm up.”

  “Want me to put her in the highchair?”

  Isabelle raised a brow. “Sure.”

  While Mac got the child settled in her chair, Isabelle warmed the food and watched the two of them from the corner of her eye. He played peekaboo with Lilly, distracting her momentarily from her hunger. For a moment, Isabelle let herself envision the three of them as a family, then sucked in a deep breath and shoved the image a
way. They’re not yours. They’re leaving.

  Unfortunately, they were going to take her heart with them when they did.

  * * *

  Mac spooned another scoop of something that looked like a cross between mashed potatoes and green beans into the baby’s mouth. She swallowed, kicked her feet and opened her mouth for more. He obliged. She thanked him by blowing a raspberry—and everything that he’d just put in her mouth. The combination hit him in the cheek, the eye, the forehead—and his hair.

  He jumped back with a startled “Hey!”

  Lilly froze, eyes wide, then erupted into giggles.

  Isabelle spun, met his gaze and swallowed. She bit her lip and Mac could tell she was desperately trying not to laugh. “Could I get a towel?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You can laugh.”

  “I wouldn’t think of it.” The words came out slightly choked.

  When the knock sounded on the door, signaling Regina’s arrival, Isabelle tossed him the towel and darted to the door.

  Once Regina had taken over Lilly’s feeding, Mac went to his room to get the last remaining bits of baby food out of his hair.

  In the bathroom, he pulled the washcloth over his head, then set it on the counter and closed his eyes. His chin dropped to his chest and he stood there. Thinking. Feeling. There was no more denying that his heart was invested in the people on this ranch. He wasn’t quite sure exactly how it had happened. But it had. Which meant he had decisions to make. In the time that he’d been at the ranch, he’d made a lot of improvements on the property. He’d replaced the fence, fixed the sabotaged one, helped Cody Ray repair the flooring in the barn, upgraded the security system, changed the oil in all of the ranch vehicles, moved the small herd of cows to a different grazing area—and more. Cody Ray took care of the horses and other animals, of course, so if he left, and it took Isabelle a few weeks to hire someone else, she should be all right.

  With his next paycheck, he’d have enough for a down payment on that land he’d had his eye on. Then he’d build his home.

  He looked up and stared himself in the eye.

  Build it for what? For whom?

  For the first time since he’d set out on his journey—okay, since he’d decided to run from life and the pain of his loss—he allowed himself to picture what that would look like.

  Building the house would keep him distracted for the most part, but what about when it was finished? What then?

  He envisioned himself sitting in his recliner, watching sports on the big-screen television he’d have over the fireplace. Meals would be eaten at the table big enough for eight. But who would fill the other chairs? The bleak picture sent shards of pain and regret through him.

  He spun from the mirror—and his thoughts—to step into the small living area. He wanted to pace, but the room limited him to standing in front of the fireplace.

  He walked to the window and looked over the land. The sun had set some time ago, but he could see the lights from the barn casting a soft glow around it. While he was watching, a shadow stepped around the corner and he tensed until he realized it was Ben. Glad the man was being diligent about patrolling and keeping an eye on things, Mac returned to his brooding.

  What was he going to do?

  He sighed. The first thing he was going to do was stop thinking. He returned to the living area to find Regina seated on the couch, talking on her phone, and Isabelle cleaning up the baby. She glanced up at him. “Lilly’s willing to try again if you’re game.”

  He held up a hand. “We both know how that’ll end. Thankfully, it looks like she’s all finished.” He paused. “But if she needs rocking to sleep, I’m your volunteer.”

  Isabelle stopped and studied him. “Be careful, Mac,” she said, her voice soft. “You might find it hard to leave when the time comes.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I’m just offering to rock her.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Mac ignored the heat he could feel climbing into his neck. “Well?”

  Isabelle lifted the baby out of the high chair and passed her to Mac. “She might want to play a bit first.”

  “We can do that while you and Regina visit.” Regina had hung up and was eyeing Mac with a knowing look. What was it with the deputies and their keen instincts? He hid a grimace. It was the cop in them, no doubt.

  He narrowed his eyes at Regina, who ducked her head to hide a smile. Mac ignored her and took Lilly into the den, where he settled her on the floor with toys and soft books. He read three of them to her when she wasn’t grabbing them and throwing them across the room for him to chase down.

  In the background, he could hear Regina and Isabelle discussing the upcoming weekend and the Day at the Ranch. Their voices faded as he played with Lilly until she started rubbing her eyes. He picked her up and carried her into her little room and lowered them into the rocking chair. While he rocked, she babbled and tried to stay awake, but finally, she succumbed to sleep.

  And Mac fought the emotions that once again threatened to engulf him. He needed to call his sister and apologize.

  Then he’d make arrangements to go see her and meet his new niece in person at the earliest possible opportunity. He wasn’t sure exactly when that would be, but he knew it wouldn’t be before he was absolutely certain Isabelle and the kids were safe.

  FIFTEEN

  Lilly was sleeping thanks to Mac, the baby whisperer. The other children were safe, Regina was keeping watch while Ben snagged a few hours of sleep in the bunkhouse near the barn, and Isabelle needed to get some rest herself. But after two hours of tossing and turning, she finally gave up.

  She pulled on sweatpants and a long-sleeved T-shirt over her sleep clothes, wondering if she should try warm milk for the first time in her life. She hated the idea, but she was getting desperate enough to see if there was any merit to the old wives’ tale.

  Or she could clean the kitchen. She slid her phone into the front pocket of her sweats and slipped out of her bedroom on quiet feet. Then remembered she only had one child in the house. Heaviness settled over her. Please, God, let this trouble come to an end. I want those kids back home. They need to be here.

  Keeping the lights off, Isabelle walked into the room and over to the window that gave her a view of the wooded area beyond the yard. She stood on the side to peer out. No sense in giving Drew Baldwin a clear shot should he be watching.

  “Hey.”

  The soft voice made her jump. She spun to see Regina sitting on the couch. “I thought you were keeping watch.”

  “I was, but Ben said he couldn’t sleep, so I made myself comfortable.”

  “There’s a lot of that unable-to-sleep thing going on tonight,” Isabelle murmured. From her position near the window she could see that the lights from the barn burned brighter than usual. Too bright. She frowned.

  A hazy fog, visible thanks to the barn lights, had settled over the roof and Isabelle watched it for a moment, wondering at the odd sight. Realization hit her along with the panic. “Oh, no. Oh, no. No, no, no!”

  Regina shot to her feet. “What is it?”

  “I think the barn’s on fire!” Isabelle raced to the porch. “Ben! Cody Ray!”

  “Isabelle! I see it!” Ben’s cry came from the side of the barn. “The pasture’s on fire and the flames are heading toward the barn! Call 911! I’m getting the hose!”

  The dogs raced from the bunkhouse. Cody Ray followed, with a fire extinguisher in one hand and another strapped to his back. That might buy them some time, but only for a bit. “Milo, Sugar, house!” The dogs stopped, turned and hurried back to the house as ordered. Only Sugar looked back over her shoulder and sat. Cody Ray seemed satisfied they would stay out of harm’s way and dashed to the flames licking up the field, eating their way toward the barn.

  Isabelle dug her phone from her pocket, dialed 911 and reported
the fire. She turned back to Regina, who stood in the doorway, jaw tight, eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what’s happening,” Isabelle said, “but please watch over Lilly.”

  “Don’t you need my help with the fire?”

  “You’ve got one arm right now. I need you here more, protecting Lilly.”

  “Fine, fine. I’ve got her.” She hesitated for a fraction. “I’m going to get her and keep her with me in the cruiser just in case this is some kind of distraction to get everyone away from the house.”

  “Good idea. Can you manage her with one arm?”

  “I can. I can actually use the injured one with some pain, but I’ll be fine. Get Mac and go!”

  Still, Isabelle hesitated. “You’re positive?”

  “I’ll keep her safe, Isabelle, I promise. Do what you have to do to help the men with the fire.”

  “Thank you.” Isabelle raced around to Mac’s door and pounded. “Mac!”

  The door flew open. “I heard.” He was pulling on his gloves. “I should stay here. This could be a distraction to get most everyone away from the house to get to Lilly.”

  Great minds and all that. “We’ve already got that covered.” She aimed for the barn, explaining briefly that Regina was taking care of the baby. She hurried to find Cody Ray holding one hose and spraying the barn while Ben worked with the other to douse the flames creeping toward the fence. “I’ve got to let the horses out!”

  “Right behind you,” Mac said.

  Isabelle darted into the barn to find the horses restless, pacing and pawing at their stall doors. Smoke filled the area, leaking in through the open windows. Starting at the end nearest the pasture that was away from the fire, she opened the door. “Come on, big guy. Go!” She slapped his hindquarters as he bolted out. The smoke continued to pour in. She coughed and bent at the waist, trying to get lower. She found a pocket of fresh air and dragged it in, then moved to Maverick’s stall. One by one, she got the horses out on her side of the stable while Mac worked the other side.