She’d sure made a hell of a mess of things.
He opened the courtroom door and gallantly motioned for her to go first. His chivalrous action, however, was negated by the twist of his lips. He thought he knew the reason for her lack of response and mocked her for it. If only he really knew.
The room was empty save for Michael and a court reporter. They all sat, Colton choosing to take a seat in the row behind her.
She fought to keep her emotions at bay and wished for the umpteenth time that the trust fund didn’t exist. The money wasn’t worth the trouble she’d had to endure so far, not to mention what Noah had been through. But if she didn’t marry, Robert not only retained control of all the money, Noah’s full custody remained in his evil hands. She’d tried to explain that to Colton, but getting past his anger had been impossible.
She wanted to marry him more than anything, but not like this. God—if it weren’t for Noah, she’d hand the damn money to Robert herself!
An upward tilt of her head helped her blink away threatening tears. She thought of how she’d become a completely different person through all this. Two or three months ago, giving Robert all her money would never have crossed her mind. Besides the fact that she didn’t like her half-brother, the idea of letting that amount of money slip through her fingers was insane.
But she’d learned at the ranch that she could do what needed to be done and discovered a strength she hadn’t realized she possessed. Now she knew she could handle whatever came her way. What doesn’t kill me will make me stronger. She held back a choked, bitter laugh. If that meant marrying a man who despised her, and living with the heartbreak to keep her young brother and his future out of Robert’s murdering hands, then so be it.
She stiffened as the door opened and a robed man entered the room. A deep breath helped her stand when the courtroom was instructed to rise, and another one got her to the front of the room when the judge instructed them to approach. Colton’s expression was grim as he presented the license. After a brief perusal of the document, the judge began the ceremony.
Kendra followed his instructions in a daze…until it came time to exchange rings. Her gaze bounced from the judge, to Colton, then Michael. She hadn’t thought about rings. Were they necessary to finish the ceremony?
“Take her hand and repeat after me,” the judge intoned.
Apparently not. Colton stretched out his hand for hers. The moment she fit her fingers into his calloused palm, a jolt shot up her arm. Instinctively, she jerked, but his grip tightened, drawing her gaze.
His expression hadn’t softened, but his eyes were a vibrant green. They held her mesmerized as he spoke.
“I, Colton Jay Lawe, take you, Kendra Kay Zelner, to be my lawfully wedded wife…”
She felt his strong, sure fingers manipulate hers a second before the glide of smooth metal over her left ring finger knuckle registered. Her hand shook. She swallowed hard and dropped her gaze to see a simple diamond, flanked by small garnets on either side. It wasn’t big or flashy, and it didn’t scream money, but it was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen.
She fought tears. No. She didn’t want him to see her cry. Didn’t want him to know he had any power over her heart.
Colton finished his vows, then pressed a plain gold band into her palm. Her hand still trembled slightly as she slid it onto his finger and, in a low voice, repeated the solemn vows the judge intoned.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
I’m married, to the man I love.
In the next moment, Colton pulled her against him. His lips crushed hers, hard and demanding, full of an unexpected passion that brought back incredible memories of the night before. Overcome with emotion, she clutched his suit lapels and opened her mouth to his possession. Her heart pounded in her chest. Hope ignited.
Without warning, he set her away. Dazed, she blinked—and froze at the sarcasm radiating from his expression.
The judge asked for their witnesses to come sign, and when Kendra turned around, she saw there were a number of other people seated in the rows of the courtroom. She pressed a cool hand to her fiery cheek, shaken by the fact that she’d been unaware of anything or anyone but Colton, and the judge joining them together as husband and wife.
Though her lips still tingled, she now understood he’d kissed her solely for the benefit of their audience. Despondent resignation squeezed her heart.
Michael approached as her witness, and the court reporter signed as the second. When all was finished, Colton escorted her into the hall, then kept on walking when she stopped to speak with Michael. Casting her lawyer an apologetic glance, she hurried after Colton, catching up just before the exit.
“Colton.”
He shoved the door open so hard it bounced back, forcing him to catch it on his way through.
Kendra ran to keep up with his long stride. “Colton, please.”
He halted on the third step, spun around and braced one foot on the step above. She faced him from the top, making them eye level.
The blatant anger in his eyes caught her off guard, and she immediately sought to discharge the situation. “I—um—thank you.” The muscle in his jaw ticked again. Twisting the unfamiliar weight of the wedding ring on her finger, she added softly, “The ring is beautiful.”
That seemed to throw him. He relaxed slightly, shrugging as he shoved his hands into his pockets, but remained quiet.
“I’m sorry I didn’t think of yours.” She glanced down, watching the diamond catch the afternoon sun. “You shouldn’t have spent—”
“I’ll be a rich man soon, remember?”
The resentment in his tone made her frown in confusion. “Which is why I don’t understand why you’re so angry.”
He laughed without humor. “Of course you don’t, because the money should make this all okay, right?”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. You brought your damned lawyer to the wedding.”
Pride rose to her defense and she squared her shoulders. “I didn’t see your mother in there…oh, wait, was she the court reporter?” She jabbed her finger at him in the air. “You’re in this for the money as much as I am.”
Contempt filled his expression and his lip curled in a sneer. “What other reason is there?”
Because I love you.
But she could never tell him that now. Emotionally exhausted, she simply replied, “None…none whatsoever.”
He gave a curt nod, pushed off with his right foot and continued down the steps. Over his shoulder, he said, “By the way, happy birthday.”
Kendra stared after his retreating back and tried unsuccessfully to swallow past the lump in her throat. Here she stood on her wedding day, alone on the courthouse steps, a bride without her groom.
Michael’s comforting touch on her elbow brought her out of her heartbroken trance. She operated on auto-pilot through the next few hours as they completed paperwork at his office and he finally began the drive back to the ranch. Along the way, she removed her wedding ring and placed it on the chain with her diamond pendant. Michael didn’t say a word as she slid it under the shirt she’d changed back into. The precious metal had cooled in the transfer, but quickly warmed against her skin again.
At the ranch driveway, Michael signaled and made the turn so he could pull even with a Boulder police cruiser. As Joel had promised, the local sheriff’s department had taken Kendra’s claims seriously and regularly sent officers to check the ranch and surrounding area.
They exchanged brief pleasantries before Michael continued up the driveway to park near the guest house. His head swiveled as he scanned the property. “Looks pretty quiet around here. Do you want me to stick around for a while?”
Kendra’s own check of the yard had located Joel’s truck parked up near the barns. But Britt’s SUV was gone, so they must’ve all gone to the afternoon matinee Joel had suggested. Colton’s car was nowhere to be seen. Relief and disappointment registered equally. Sh
e refused to dwell on the emotions and opened her mouth to accept Michael’s offer so she wouldn’t be completely alone on the ranch. Robert had still not been located.
Movement in the Quarter Horse barn caught her attention and she saw a tall figure cross the aisle to the office. Joel must’ve decided to stay behind. Michael had been great, but with her big brother nearby for protection, she could take some much needed time to herself to prepare for facing Colton later. So much had happened between them in the past twenty-four hours.
She turned back to Michael. “Thanks, but Joel’s here. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?”
Kendra nodded and offered the best smile she could.
“Okay.” He blew out a breath. “I guess this is where I say goodbye. Oh, and don’t forget to let me know how things go with Kevin.”
Back at the office, he had given her a slip of paper with the phone number for his friend, Kevin Serling, a family court lawyer in New York who would handle the details of making Kendra’s legal guardianship of Noah official. “I will.”
He leaned over and gave her a brief hug. “Call me if you need anything, and don’t be a stranger once you’re settled back in the big city.”
“I’ll keep in touch,” she promised past the small lump in her throat. “I appreciate all you’ve done to help me.”
“It wasn’t that much.”
“It was more than enough.” Her sadness eased and her smile widened. Despite the turmoil with Colton, a weight suddenly lifted from her shoulders. “We did it. And now that I’ve met all the provisions of the Will, it’s finally over.”
Chapter Nineteen
Colton noted the deserted ranch yard with relief. Joel and Britt had taken the boys to a matinee movie, and Kendra was most likely with her lawyer, securing her money.
A bitter taste in his mouth made him wish for a sugar cube. Last thing he wanted to do right now was face anyone—most especially his new wife.
Wife. Not a term he ever expected to use in connection to himself.
He twisted the ring on his finger, pulled it half way off, up to his knuckle, then stared at it for a long, indecisive moment. In the end, he couldn’t quite bring himself to remove the plain gold band.
Disgusted with himself, he stepped from the car and slammed the door before heading straight inside to change. He wanted out of these wedding clothes. Should’ve come home right away, but instead, found himself driving the roads that led to the care facility where his father resided. His mother had no clue what he’d done today; his father now knew the whole story.
At one point, he thought he’d seen a flicker of awareness in his father’s green eyes—right when he admitted his foolish feelings for the woman he’d married. An answering flare in his chest brought the stunning realization that he craved his father’s blessing. Kendra didn’t want him, but he needed approval from the man who’d lost everything because of his selfish act.
Not that he’d ever get it. The spark of life in his father’s eyes was more likely from a shift of dappled sunshine through the leaves of the Aspen tree they sat beneath.
Colton fisted his hands and strode through the back door into the kitchen. He paused when he saw one of the dining table chairs overturned, blocking the doorway to the hall. An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. With a frown, he picked up the chair and set it straight. Complete silence reigned in the house. As it should, with everyone gone.
He shook off his anxiety and started for his room. A glance into the living room stopped him dead in his tracks. The front door hung open about three inches. His unease doubled on his way across the room to close it. A muted crunch beneath his foot brought him up short. Crushed into the carpet was a gold chain. He bent to scoop it up, recognizing the necklace and diamond pendant Kendra had worn that night at Beniton’s.
In the same instant he realized the chain had been broken, another glitter caught his eye on the floor. His heart gave a sickening lurch when he picked up the wedding ring he’d given her only a couple hours earlier. Instant fear overshadowed all else.
“Kendra?”
More silence. He called again and hurried to check her room, the bathroom and then rushed back into the living room. On his way through the kitchen he grabbed the phone and dialed Joel’s cell while checking Noah’s room and his own.
No Kendra.
Joel’s cell went to voicemail and Colton swore under his breath before leaving a message to verify if Kendra had returned home in time to accompany them to the movie.
Back in the kitchen, he frantically flipped through the phone book to locate the lawyer’s number. The receptionist politely informed him Mr. Kabara was out and refused to give a cell number, no matter how much he argued. He was just about to hang up on her when suddenly a stern male voice stated, “This is Michael Kabara, may I help you?”
“Is Kendra with you?”
“Colton?” The man’s voice changed from authoritative to confused.
“Is she with you?” he demanded again.
“I dropped her at the ranch about a half-hour ago.”
“You left her alone?”
“She said Joel was there. I even saw someone in one of the barns.”
He hadn’t checked in the barns, but he had a bad feeling he wouldn’t find her there, either.
His gut told him Robert had made his move.
“Joel is at the movies with the kids and Kendra is not here. Get the cops and an ambulance out here, I’m going to keep looking.”
He made one quick stop in his room for the gun Joel had given him, then began his search. The barns and main house yielded no results. On his way back from the house, a part of him was relieved not to have found her injured—or worse—and another part of him agonized over the thought that the guy could’ve taken her anywhere.
A slight disturbance in the dirt by the front porch of the guest house caught his attention. His frantic gaze swept along the ground, searching. About ten yards away, it appeared something—someone?—had been dragged for a distance.
He gulped back fear. His knees nearly buckled when he saw two distinctly different prints a few yards later. She’d been on her feet again. She’d fought the bastard, but was still walking.
Waiting for the cops was no longer an option. He scratched a large arrow in the dirt and wrote This Way.
At the edge of the woods, he found more evidence he was on the right track. It made sense. The guy wouldn’t have risked trying to enter the property in a vehicle. He’d probably been hiding out, watching, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
God, he never should’ve left her on those courthouse steps. He should’ve been a man and dealt with his emotions instead of running from them. Barring that, the least he could’ve done was brought her home and kept her safe.
With every broken branch and disturbance of leaves his admiration for Kendra’s courage grew in direct proportion to his fear. He had to find her, had to keep her from being hurt because he should’ve protected her from her bastard of a brother.
His fingers tightened on the pistol grip and growing guilt ate at him with each step.
****
Kendra went down on her knees again as Robert shoved her forward with one gloved hand. The other held his gun.
“Damn it, keep moving,” he growled.
She clawed the dirt with one hand, and reached for a tree limb to help pull herself up with the other. When the branch broke under her weight, she reached for another. It broke, too, and she hoped it would be enough. For now, it would have to be, otherwise Robert would realize what she was doing.
Would Colton see the signs? The chair? Her necklace? The ring?
What if he didn’t come home?
She forced that thought away immediately. She had to believe he’d be there to find the clues, otherwise the panic that hovered on the edge of her determination would take over.
Robert chuckled behind her. “I knew I’d get my chance,” he sneered. “The idiot cops and your stupid shado
ws can’t help you now. They never had a clue I was here all along.”
His rumpled, dirty clothes, unkempt hair and ragged beard suggested he’d been camping out for a week or so already. He reeked of desperation, too.
Kendra reached for another slim branch as she labored up the mountainside. Her calves burned and she stumbled without trying to. It felt like they’d walked forever, but her watch said it’d only been thirty-three minutes. During which time, her half-brother cursed her nonstop for dragging him to this God-forsaken wasteland.
She shivered despite the still-warm afternoon air and had to agree with him. The undisturbed, pristine beauty of the towering Rocky Mountains now seemed isolated and menacing. The possibility that she might not make it out of their shadowed desolation threatened to steal what little oxygen she managed to drag into her tight lungs.
“Over to your right,” Robert instructed suddenly.
She started to move over until she realized there was an abrupt drop only six feet away. A quick spin back to Robert left her blinded by the rays of the setting sun. She shielded her eyes with her hand, only to have her panic double when she saw he’d aimed his gun at her chest.
“Robert—”
“Shut-up,” he ordered with a jerk of the gun. “Let’s just get this over with. We’re going to make it look like a little accident, and then the money will be mine like it should’ve been when my father died. If I’d gotten it in the first place, I wouldn’t be in the mess I’m in now.”
“Our father,” she said, hoping to stir some tiny bit of compassion in him with the reminder that they were blood related.
“No, my father,” he replied. “Turns out your bitch of a mother was pregnant by another man before she married him.”
“What?”
“I found paternity papers in a safety deposit box back in April. Ninety-nine percent improbable that David Zelner is the father of female child, Kendra Zelner,” he mimicked, as if reading the results from a formal letter.
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