Texas Manhunt

by Linda Conrad

  Fiestas, presents and friends—even a wonderful, loving father didn’t make up for having no mother. Summer knew that and felt empathy for the little girl. No wonder Jenna was standoffish with strangers. Especially women. She hadn’t had the best experience with the most important woman in her life up until now.

  It didn’t take long for Rosie to leave Summer alone in the room. In minutes she’d changed into her nightgown and found herself lying in bed, looking at the ceiling, deep in thought. But it wasn’t Jenna she was thinking about. It wasn’t even baby Emma, gone these last five years, who captured her attention tonight.

  Nope. It was the arrogant man with a big-as-Texas heart and a smile in his eyes, even when he was dead serious, that kept her tossing in bed this time.

  She had a sneaking suspicion Travis would turn into either the biggest obstacle in her path or the easiest way of getting what she wanted the most: the man she’d been hunting.

  * * *

  Travis walked into the kitchen long before sunrise to grab a quick cup a coffee. But the first thing he saw stopped him cold.

  “Morning, Travis.” Summer threw him a quick smile and went back to work over the stove. “Coffee’s ready, and I’ll have eggs Benedict and waffles on the table in a few minutes.”

  He turned to Rosie, who was setting the table, with a quirked eyebrow. She glanced up and silently shook her head as if to say, “This isn’t my doing.”

  After pouring himself a mug of fresh coffee, he sauntered over to the stove. “It smells delicious, but you don’t have to cook. Especially breakfast. We usually get by on coffee and rolls until our big, noontime dinner. You should still be in bed getting your rest.”

  “I don’t need rest. I need to stay busy. And cooking is my pleasure. What’s more, a good breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a seat. It’s ready.”

  Travis gave up trying to challenge the tornado shoveling food onto the table. As he watched her, he noticed her movements seemed almost frenzied. As though, if she stopped moving, she might collapse. Or perhaps as if, when she stopped, she would be forced to face whatever was bothering her.

  “Are you going to join me?” He worked to keep his tone low, calm.

  “Yes, in a moment. Rosie, there’s plenty for you, too. Sit down and eat.”

  “Oh. Uh…I usually wait to eat with Jenna.”

  “I’ll be happy to make Jenna’s breakfast when she comes down. What does she usually like to eat in the morning?”

  “Cereal and toast. She’s a bit of a picky eater.”

  Summer tsked and frowned. “That’s not a very sound way to start the day. Would she eat scrambled eggs and waffles if I made them?”

  “Maybe. I’m not sure.”

  “Great.” Summer sat at an empty place. “We’ll give that a try when she gets up.”

  Turning to him, Summer raised her eyebrows. “Have you tasted anything yet? I hope you like the food. I thought about making huevos rancheros, but I was afraid you might not care for anything spicy this early. Nearly everyone likes my eggs Benedict, though.”

  Still reeling from the idea of having his beautiful new employee prepare food for them, he took a bite. “Good. How’d you learn to cook like this?”

  “I took gourmet classes once—in my other life. It was a fun hobby.”

  Her other life? Interesting way to put it. It made him more curious than ever about what she’d been through to arrive in Chance, Texas.

  “Well, I guess if it makes you happy, Rosie probably won’t mind if you take over her cooking duties for a while. But…”

  He interrupted his sentence when he heard the sound of heavy boot-falls coming across the hardwood floor in the living room. Turning, he expected to see either his foreman Barrett or his older brother Sam coming to talk about ranch business.

  It turned out it wasn’t either one of the two.

  “Morning, all. Geez, it smells good in here. What’s the occas…?” His younger brother, Gage, stopped walking and talking when he spotted Summer at the table.

  “Morning, brother.” Travis tilted his head toward Summer. “This is Summer Wheeler. She’ll be helping Rosie out around here for a while. At least until the wedding and we can locate someone more permanent to look after Jenna.”

  Next, Travis turned his attention to Summer. “This suddenly-struck-dumb idiot is my younger brother, Gage Chance. He’s a private investigator and has never shown up at such an early hour in his whole life. I think something must’ve affected his manners—or his brain.”

  Summer was on her feet in an instant. But she looked terrified, nervous and unsure of herself. “Nice to meet you. Can I fix you something? Waffles? Eggs Benedict?”

  Gage blinked a couple of times before speaking. “Ah, no, thanks. But I will have one of those mugs of coffee.” After pouring himself a cup, he turned one of the high-backed chairs around and straddled it, leaning his elbows across the back.

  “What are you doing out and about this early, Gage?”

  “I’m always up before the sun. I was raised on the Bar-C, same as you. Our old man was a tough taskmaster. No sleeping in when there’s work to be done, according to Cameron Chance. But I don’t usually have business on the ranch that won’t wait for daybreak.”

  “Okay. What’s so danged important this morning?”

  Gage rolled his eyes and blew across the top of his coffee. “I finally got a lead on Cami.”

  Travis straightened his spine and sat up. “When? Where?”

  “That got your attention, didn’t it? You know I’ve been finishing up a client’s case on the West Coast for the last week. Well, while I was that close, I decided to do a little more digging around in L.A. And I found a woman who was employed by the California Department of Social Services during the years when Cami was placed for adoption.”

  “So we know for sure she went through some kind of formal adoption procedure?”

  Gage set his mug down and rose. “Let’s take this into your office. I’ll show you what I learned on the internet.”

  Throwing his napkin on the table, Travis stood too and turned to Rosie and Summer. “Thanks for the breakfast. You do good work. Rosie, show her what you need done.”

  He started to follow Gage out the door, then turned back. “If she’s interested, give Summer a rundown on Cami, so she won’t be wondering what’s going on. And bring her out to the ranch office before noon, and we’ll show her the operation.”

  Rosie nodded. “Sure thing. Have a good morning. We’ll handle things here.”

  Trailing his brother to his home-office computer, Travis’s mind was torn. He was curious about what had happened with his brother’s investigation into their missing sister’s whereabouts, but also wished he could spend the day with Summer, getting to know her better. The whole Chance family had been looking for Cami for years, and every lead had turned to a dead end. He didn’t want his hopes raised too high. But for now, he would give Gage his complete attention.

  When they entered the office and shut the door behind them, Gage had something else to say first. “All right. Who is she? Where did you meet her?”

  “Summer? I ran into her at Stockard’s garage. Her car broke down, and she needs to earn the cash to have it repaired. Seems like a nice enough gal.”

  “Nice? What do you know about her background? She could be running from the law. Or she could be one of those women on the make for an unsuspecting male to sink her hooks into. You can’t just go around picking up strangers and bringing them into your home. You have a child to consider.”

  Travis felt his anger building and tried to clamp down on it. After all, his brother was only worried about his welfare. Still…

  “I’m not like you, Gage. I don’t automatically think the worst of people. And most times, I’m right.”

  Plopping down at his desk, Travis waved his brother into the other chair. “Summer told me she came from back east and that she’d had a family tragedy about five years ago that took the life
of her husband. Said it nearly killed her but she’s on the mend and looking for a change. I have no reason not to believe her.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you know?”

  “What else do I need?” The minute the words were uttered, Travis realized he did need more. That she’d been holding something back. But he wanted her to volunteer the information.

  “Mind if I do a little digging into her background? I’ll be discreet.”

  Travis suffocated a heavy sigh. “All right. But I want to know immediately if you find something rotten or illegal. No calling the cops before you talk to me. Deal?”

  Gage agreed. But Travis knew it didn’t matter what he said. There was no way to stop Gage once he’d made up his mind.

  All of a sudden his simple, good deed for the lovely widow with spectacular blue eyes was turning into something much more complicated. Dang it, anyway.

  Chapter 4

  “So, what time does Jenna come down for breakfast?” Summer stood at the sink doing dishes and thinking about what she could cook that would please a child of seven.

  “Usually she’s down within minutes of when we have to leave for school.” Rosie dried a dish and put it away. “And I have to drive her, because she’s never on time for the bus. But she’s managing to dress herself and brush her own teeth and hair these days. That’s a big improvement.”

  Summer was thinking of going upstairs to see what she could do to speed up the process, but then remembered that she hadn’t wanted to get too involved with the girl. She’d be better off sticking to cooking and cleaning.

  And while she was at it, maybe she should find out more about Travis. “Rosie, what happened to Travis and Gage’s sister?”

  Rosie raised her eyebrows and scrunched up her mouth. “In order for that to make sense, I’ll need to tell you the whole family history. It’s complicated, but I’ll try to make it as brief as possible. Jenna will be here in a minute, and we’ll have to hustle to get her to school on time.”

  “Okay. And that helps me decide what I’m fixing for Jenna to eat. Waffles with peanut butter and jelly it is. She can wolf them down on the way to school. Can I work while you talk?”

  “Go right ahead. I’ll finish the dishes.” Rosie picked up a dry dish towel. “First, you have to know that when the Chance children were fairly young—Travis was only seventeen—their mother was found murdered in her own home. The sheriff eventually arrested their father for the crime, and he went to prison.”

  “You sound like you don’t believe he did it.” Summer poured the batter into the waffle iron while she listened.

  “No one in the family believes he was guilty. But the Chance siblings were all too young to do much about proving their theories back then. And years later, all the evidence was lost or covered over. Anyway, five years after he was sentenced, their father was murdered by another inmate while in prison.”

  Rosie paused a moment to put dishes in a cupboard. “After their mother’s murder, the Chance kids decided to run the ranch on their own. The oldest was only nineteen, and they soon learned the place was loaded down with lots of debts and problems. It was everything the two oldest boys could do to hold things together and watch after the younger kids. So, when their mother’s sister volunteered to take the baby girl into her home, Travis and his older brother, Sam, jumped at the chance, to give the little girl a better life than she would’ve had with a bunch of young men, who knew nothing about what a girl needs.”

  “Weren’t there a lot of relatives nearby that could’ve pitched in?”

  “Actually, no. Their grandparents were gone by then, and their father’s only remaining sister was living in New York. Besides, the boys loved their maternal aunt and thought their mother had loved her, too. She lived right in Chance, close by, and they believed her home would be the best thing for their sister. What they didn’t know was that their aunt had a drug problem. Within weeks she disappeared, taking their four-year-old baby sister with her.”

  “Oh, my gosh. That’s terrible.” Summer felt a chill run down her arms. It took a supreme act of will to keep cooking and listening. She would rather not hear about anything so terrible. But she’d asked, so she hung in and listened.

  “Yeah, it was real hard on the boys. The sheriff called in the FBI, of course, but all their searches were useless. The authorities managed to trace the aunt’s movements to Southern California, but after that it was like she and the girl had been swallowed up by a black hole. Gone.”

  “How awful for the family. Did they ever find out anything else?” With her hands full of jars of peanut butter and jelly, Summer used her wrists to shove aside the unwanted wetness on her cheeks.

  “About five years later, the aunt’s body showed up in a San Diego morgue. Dead of an overdose. But there was never any trace of the little sister.”

  “Hey!” Jenna’s high-pitched voice suddenly reverberated off the kitchen tiles, as she bounded into the room and stared at the empty table. “Where’s my cereal?”

  Rosie laughed as she turned to the little girl. “You’re late. As usual. But Summer has made something good for you to eat on the way to school. Grab your backpack and let’s go.”

  “Do you mind if I go along?” Summer was eager to ride back into town. “I can finish the cleanup after we drop Jenna off.” She wanted to take every opportunity to search for her man.

  It would be so easy if she knew which alias he might be using. The P.I. she’d hired told her the guy had been known in prison by the name of Hoss. And the name he’d used with the mob was Bobby Packard. But he’d been known to use at least a dozen others, so those wouldn’t help her here.

  “No,” Jenna said in a huff.

  “Sure,” Rosie said at the same time, then turned to glare at Jenna. “Mind your manners, little girl. What difference does it make if Summer comes with us?”

  “Well, I get the front seat.”

  Summer had to chuckle, but she tried not to let it show. “Not a problem for me. I’ll be glad to take the backseat.” She grabbed a bunch of paper towels and the waffle sandwiches. “I spotted juice boxes in the fridge. Want to grab one for the ride?”

  Jenna scowled at the suggestion, but pulled open the refrigerator door and took out an orange juice anyway. “What’d you make me to eat?” She slammed the door and grabbed her backpack.

  “It’s a surprise. But I hope you like it.”

  “Probably not.” Jenna ran for the kitchen door. “Let’s go. If I’m late, I’ll tell Ms. Dowd it was your fault.”

  Rosie silently shook her head, picked up a set of keys from the board next to the back door, and proceeded Jenna outside.

  Summer sighed, moving to follow them on heavy feet. This little girl’s attitude was not at all like her daydreams of a seven-year-old daughter.

  Regardless of her bad attitude, Jenna had become a challenge. Deep inside, this child was in pain—hurting in just the same way as Summer. In fact, she felt continual pain at the spot where she wore a bruise in place of her heart.

  Maybe, if she could do something to help Jenna, she could also lessen her own pain. Anyway, it might be worth a shot. All of a sudden, Jenna seemed worth the trouble.

  * * *

  Grumpy and tired, Travis dropped out of the cockpit of his Cessna to the night-cooled asphalt of the Bar-C’s airstrip and headed for his truck, parked at the hangar. It had been a hell of a few days. Instead of his original plans, he’d been called to the state capital for an emergency meeting with the agriculture secretary.

  It seemed the rainstorm they’d had had done nothing to stem the severe drought in the rest of the state. The Bar-C lands were in no trouble, but ranchers in the Panhandle were suffering. Travis had agreed to pool resources to help them out.

  They’d come up with a decent emergency plan, but it had taken too long. And he’d been looking forward to showing Summer the ranch operations. The horses. The cattle and the oil fields. Perhaps he might’ve even driven her out to the wind-plant operatio
ns for a picnic.

  Now it was so late he’d missed dinner, and Jenna would probably already be in bed. The only potential light in his dreary outlook for the rest of his evening was that Summer might still be awake.

  He wasn’t sure what had come over him where she was concerned. Every time he thought of her, the tension eased in his gut. But then that low knot magically reappeared whenever he was actually in her presence. He found himself craving the sight of her after having known her for only a short while.

  She was an enigma, stirring him in many ways. Her fragile build couldn’t hide the female curves she had in all the right places. He hadn’t thought he’d noticed, but they’d haunted his dreams last night.

  And those startling blue eyes, as wide as Texas, warmed him whenever he found a way to make her smile, and saddened him when the edges tipped down in a frown. So, yes, he was hot for her in the way a man is stirred by any beautiful female. But this was also different. She was different.

  He wanted to know more about her than just that compelling body. He wanted to understand her both inside and out. All her secret places. And all her secret thoughts.

  But instinctively he knew that he couldn’t pull the information out of her. He wanted to know, but only when the time was right.

  Shaking his head, he stepped up into the truck, wondering if he was losing his mind. No woman had bothered him on this level since—ever. His ex, Callie, hadn’t gotten to him the way Summer did.

  Callie had been a challenge—yes. But she was more a challenge to his ego. She’d been the prettiest girl in school, and everybody had expected them to get together in the end. So, when his older brother went off to the army and he’d had to take charge of the Bar-C, Travis just assumed he and Callie would marry and start a family. He never gave her the chance to say no. And maybe she’d been too young to know she could.

  After their relationship crashed and burned, he’d promised himself to never again push someone that hard. It had all been his fault from the beginning. He hadn’t given Callie the opportunity to know her own heart—or what she truly wanted out of life.