Lonestar Angel

by Colleen Coble

  “Is gone,” Rick said.

  Eden stuffed some pillows behind his back. “You look like you’re going to live.”

  “We still need to get that bite treated,” Rick said, withdrawing another vial from his pocket. “I keep antivenom in the fridge.”

  “Where were you bitten?” Eden asked.

  “My left ankle.” Clay moved his foot out from where it had been entangled in the sheet. He closed his eyes. “It hurts.”

  She winced at the puncture wounds crusted over with blood. And even worse at the bruise beginning to travel up his leg. All thought left her. He couldn’t die!

  “Honey, you’re crushing my hand,” he said, lifting one lid.

  She loosened her grip on him. “Where’s the nearest hospital?” she asked Rick.

  “Allie called the doctor. He’ll come to us.”

  Eden injected the antivenom into Clay’s other thigh. “IV is the best administration, but this will help for now. And the wound needs to be cleaned. I’ll do it if you can get me some soap and water. Alcohol too.”

  Rick nodded and went to fetch the items.

  Wheels crunched on gravel outside. “I think the doctor’s here,” she said to Clay, nearly giddy with relief.

  Footsteps hurried toward the door, and Buzz ushered in an older man with hair that stood on end as if he’d gone from the bed straight to the car. He carried an IV bag and pushed a metal stand.

  “This must be the patient,” he said. Eden climbed out of the way while he got to work on Clay. She was suddenly self-conscious of her skimpy nightwear in the presence of these men, so she grabbed one of Clay’s shirts from the closet and slipped into it while the doctor examined the wound. “One side looks dry. I don’t think you got a full dose of venom, young man. You’re very fortunate.”

  Rick touched her arm and motioned her back toward the door. “There’s something weird about all this,” he said.

  She walked with him out of Clay’s earshot.“Weird? We’re in the desert. Snakes get inside sometimes, don’t they?”

  “Not all that often. I’ve never had a rattler in the house.” He put his hand in his shirt pocket and withdrew a piece of paper. “This was on the door.”

  She took it from his hand and stared at the letter. “‘You shouldn’t have brought her.’” Wrinkling her forehead, she glanced up at Rick. “What does that mean?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “The kids are too little to do something like this.”

  He nodded. “Obviously.”

  “Did any of your other employees want this position?”

  “Most of the cowboys have been with me for years, but I just hired Sam a couple of months ago. And I hired an assistant for the cook two weeks ago. There weren’t any other applicants for counselor, if you want the truth. No one wants to live this far away from civilization.”

  The kidnapper. Had he wanted only Clay to come? As far as the kidnapper knew, she and Clay had divorced. “We have to tell Clay about the note.”

  “I will. But not until the morning, when he’s got a clear head.”

  “Some kind of prank by a teenager from town, maybe?” She knew better, but maybe it would derail Rick’s line of thinking. He was eyeing her with a speculative glint in his eyes.

  Rick shrugged. “Maybe. It’s a weird situation. I don’t know what to make of it. Maybe the sheriff will have an idea.”

  “I hope so.” But she mostly hoped Clay could call in some help from his special ops buddy, Brendan. If she had to go to bed every night and wonder what creepy crawlies would slither out to meet her, she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep.

  And if this had anything to do with Brianna’s disappearance, could the children be in danger? She rushed down the hall to check on them.

  Clay felt as if he’d been hit by a truck. He blinked until his vision cleared. His leg felt encased in hot tar. When a cool hand touched his forehead, he turned his head toward Eden.

  So beautiful. How had he ever let her go? He wanted to reach up and touch her cheek. It would be as soft as Brianna’s skin had been.

  “How do you feel?” she asked.

  “Thirsty,” he croaked. She helped him sit up and he practically inhaled the cool water that she offered him. “Where is everyone?” A vague memory of Rick and Allie as well as an older gentleman floated through his brain.

  She backed away. “Looking around outside. The doctor had another emergency and had to leave once he was sure you were out of danger.”

  Her evasive manner sharpened his senses. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  She bit her lip. “They’re looking for whoever put the snake in here.”

  “Put the snake in here? What do you mean?”

  “There was a note on the door. It said, ‘You shouldn’t have brought her here.’”

  His fatigue fell away. He set down the water glass. “It was deliberate?”

  She nodded. “I’d bet he was trying to scare me away. I doubt he thought we’d be bitten. How did that happen anyway? A rattlesnake gives a warning.”

  “Its rattler didn’t work.” The room felt small and sinister to him now. “What does he want? There hasn’t been another demand for money.” She didn’t have the answers for him, but it helped him to ruminate out loud. “Did anyone check for more snakes?”

  “Rick did. The place was clean.”

  The bed moved as she sat on it. He resisted the urge to inhale deeply of the clean scent of the soap she’d used to bathe the girls. “Why would he care if you came with me? Seems odd.”

  “I wondered about that too.” Her eyes glistened and she blinked rapidly. “I was thinking about what you said about revenge.”

  “We have no idea what he’s planning. Whatever it is, it won’t be pleasant.”

  “Maybe it’s all a prank.”

  He held her gaze. “I wouldn’t have interrupted your life for a trick.”

  The corners of her lips curved. “That leaves me with hope. You consider everything before you jump.”

  “Except when it came to you,” he said, then winced. Had he actually said that? So much for protecting himself.

  She looked away. “I always thought you examined what needed to be done and did your duty.”

  “My feelings for you had nothing to do with duty.” Enough of this. He yanked the IV from his arm and swung his legs over the bed.

  She grabbed at his arm. “You can’t do that! Look at you, you’re bleeding.”

  “The bag is empty. The bleeding will stop. Besides, the doc didn’t think I got a full load of venom.” He pressed his fingers to his arm. “Got a Band-Aid?”

  She sighed but opened the first-aid box beside the bed and withdrew one. Her fingers were warm when she pressed them against his skin. She’d been cold a few minutes ago. He wished he could believe being around him had altered her temperature even one degree.

  He jerked on his boots, though every muscle still hurt and his leg throbbed. “Did you check on the girls?”

  “Yes, they’re sleeping.” She followed him into the hall.

  He went to the door of the big dorm room and peeked in. The light from the hallway fell on their sleeping faces. He drank in the peaceful scene. Arms curled around dolls and stuffed animals. The air was scented with little girl. He stared until he saw each small chest rise and fall. Reassured, he turned and walked right into Eden.

  She grabbed his shirt, and he steadied her. This close, the scent of soap was even stronger. He resisted the impulse to rest his chin on the top of her head. What would she do if he pulled her closer? Probably hit him. His hands dropped away.

  “They’re all okay.”

  Her gaze wandered past his shoulder, and she stepped back. “They’re so beautiful.”

  He nodded. “I’m going to go outside with Rick. You keep watch over the girls.”

  “Do you think whoever tried to hurt us would hurt them?”

  “Someone took Brianna once. We have no idea of his agenda.”

  She
clenched her fists. “He won’t touch these girls! Do you have a gun?”

  “You won’t need one. I’ll be right outside.” He pocketed his hands so he wouldn’t touch her again.

  Nausea roiled in his stomach. Probably a reaction to the venom. He steadied himself. This stunt wasn’t going to keep him from protecting Eden and their daughter. Or the other girls.

  7

  A CHILL STILL HOVERED IN THE MORNING AIR WHEN EDEN WALKED ACROSS THE SPARSE YARD to the kitchen with five little girls in tow. The scent of maple syrup and pancakes made her steps quicken, and she smiled at the girls to see if they’d noticed. They giggled and skipped along beside her. She hadn’t seen Clay the rest of the night, but she’d gotten little sleep. Coffee would wake her up.

  India ran ahead of her and pushed open the screen door into the kitchen. “Rita, I’m here,” she announced. “I saw some hummingbirds. Do you know they beat their wings fifty times a second?”

  An attractive young woman turned with a smile on her face. “My goodness, so fast?” Her blond hair was in braids, as if she’d stepped from the pages of Heidi. She wore jeans and a blue blouse that matched the color of her eyes. When she spoke, her voice had a Southern accent that didn’t match her appearance. The makeup she wore made her look like a Dresden doll.

  “You must be Eden,” she said. “Here’s your coffee, strong and laced with lots of real cream, just as you like it.”

  Eden accepted the mug filled to the brim. “Who told you that?”

  “Clay.”

  “He’s here?”

  “Was,” the woman corrected. “He and Rick took off for town. Rick wanted the doctor to take another look at the snake wound.”

  Eden took a gulp of coffee. It was perfect. “Clay seemed okay? He and Rick were out all night looking for the intruder.” She glanced around and made sure the girls were occupied.

  “The sheriff came too.” Rita turned back to the stove, a mammoth affair that had eight burners. Four of them held skillets with pancakes sizzling in them.

  “You’re the cook?”

  The young woman nodded. “Rita Mitchell. I feed this wild bunch.” She ruffled Lacie’s hair, and the child hung on to her leg and looked up with clear adoration.

  Eden could tell she and Rita were going to be friends. Was everyone in this area so welcoming? “Is Allie gone too?”

  Rita nodded. “She had a planning meeting for a missions conference at church. The ladies are coming here for lunch, so you’ll get a chance to meet everyone before Sunday.”

  Eden guided the girls to the table, then returned to seize plates of pancakes. “Is that real maple syrup?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t feed my girls anything but the best.” The young woman carried more plates to the table. “Eat up, honey. We need to get some meat on your bones. You a model or something?”

  Eden’s cheeks heated. “I’m a nurse.”

  Madeline touched Rita’s braid when the young woman sat beside her. “Could you braid my hair like that? Then we would be twins.”

  “I sure can, honey. Or maybe Mrs. Larson can. She’s probably better at it than me.”

  Eden smiled. “I’m not very good at braids. Maybe you could teach me as well.”

  “Where are you from, Mrs. Larson?”

  “Please call me Eden. I’m from Indiana. A little town called Wabash.”

  “First electrically lighted city in the world.”

  “How’d you know that?”

  Rita shrugged. “My cousin lives in Peru, just down the road a piece.”

  “Usually no one has ever heard of Wabash.”

  “The Wabash-Erie Canal. Wabash Cannonball. Lots of interesting things in the area.”

  Eden took a bite of pancake dripping with syrup. It was magnificent. “You’re quite the history buff.”

  “I’m working on a historical romance set in Indiana. I’ve been reading up on the area.”

  “You’re an author?”

  “Well, not yet. Someday I’ll be just as famous as Nora Roberts. Most folks think I’m just a dreamer, but they’ll see when my first book is on the shelves.”

  Eden grinned. “Somehow I believe you can do anything you set your mind to do.”

  Rita’s smile was brighter than the sunbeams gleaming on the stainless sink. “We’re going to get along swell, Eden. I’m glad you’re here.”

  “So am I,” Eden said, realizing she meant it. This place was so different from Indiana. The harsh landscape of red rocks and cacti. The sharp scent of creosote and sage in the air. The blue bowl of sky that went on forever. It was a little scary and exhilarating at the same time.

  The girls finished breakfast and went off to watch their morning allotment of Dora the Explorer on TV. Eden helped Rita and her assistant, Tepin, a Hispanic woman of about thirty, clear the table.

  “What do you know of the girls?” Eden asked Rita.

  “They’re sweethearts, aren’t they?”

  “They’re wonderful. I love them already.” Eden smiled. “Any of their families come to visit since they’ve been here?”

  Rita turned on the hot water and dumped Dawn detergent into the sink. “Nope. We don’t let them come until the kids have been here at least a week, preferably two. Visits too soon only make them more homesick.”

  Eden handed her a stack of dishes. “What did you think of that snake showing up last night?”

  Rita dumped them into the soapy water. “I think it was blown out of proportion. Snakes get in all the time. One of the hazards of living in the desert.” She shrugged. “I saw one in the bushes outside my window just two days ago.”

  Maybe no one had told her about the note. Eden opened her mouth to tell her, then closed it again. “Any new employees on the ranch right now?”

  “Got several new ones. Tepin here. Sam’s a new hand. You. I guess not everyone wants to live in the desert.”

  Before Eden could ask more questions, she saw Clay’s truck pull up outside. “Clay’s back. I think I’ll go see how he’s feeling,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”

  He should have spent the night in bed, not roaming the rocky hilltops. Clay rubbed his bleary eyes and parked the truck. His leg ached, but he’d popped ibuprofen all night, and the pain was somewhat better this morning. He’d let Rick out down by the barn.

  When Clay exited the truck, he turned toward the house and saw Eden running toward him. The sight of her brought him a surge of energy. The morning sun turned her auburn hair to fire. He had to grin at her pumps, so out of place with the jagged rocks of the landscape.

  She stopped three feet from him and tucked her hair behind her ears to reveal gleaming diamond earrings. “Find anything?”

  “Not much. Just some tire tracks behind the barn, but Rick had no idea how long they might have been there.”

  “You’re pale. You should be in bed.”

  “I’m fine, really. How are the girls?”

  “Watching cartoons. Then we’re supposed to take them on a hike.” She made a face. “But if you’re not up to it . . .” Her eyes were hopeful.

  He grinned. “I think we need to teach you to ride first. But you’d need to change into jeans and boots.”

  She lifted her chin. “Not going to happen.”

  “You look great in anything, you know.”

  She flushed. “Want some breakfast? I think there are pancakes left.”

  “Don’t change the subject. What’s it going to take to get past that wall, Eden? When you left me, I didn’t know you much better than the day we met.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She turned toward the house, but he caught her arm. “I’d really like to know the woman past the pretty face and gorgeous hair. What do you want out of life? Who are you, really?”

  Her green eyes flashed. “I’m exactly who I seem. It’s not my fault if you wanted some kind of wife who hiked the mountains with you. I never pretended to be GI Jane.”

  “I
don’t want to change you, but I just want to know you. You were always this perfect woman at the pinnacle of her career. Intelligent and beautiful, but remote. Never rattled for a moment.”

  “Well, once we find Brianna, you never have to be disappointed in me,” she said.

  Did her voice quiver? He’d like to think that just once he’d gotten past her defenses. “I was never disappointed in you.”

  She met his gaze. “Our relationship is over, Clay. All I want is to find my daughter.”

  “When Brianna was born, I thought your guard was finally starting to slip,” he said, tightening his grip on her arm when she tried to pull free. “You were crazy about her.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I hadn’t given up on her.”

  “You’re too hard on yourself. No one is perfect.”

  “Except you.” Her tears vanished. “The protector and defender of the free world.”

  “You say that like it’s an insult.”

  “You like being the tough guy who never sheds a tear.”

  Only because he had wanted to be strong for her. “You think I have no feelings?”

  “Do you? You went off quite happily to South America when duty called.”

  If only she’d seen his internal struggle. But he hadn’t allowed it. “The search here in the States was at a dead end.” And he’d hoped to find some clue to their daughter’s fate.

  “I asked you not to go.”

  She’d done more than that. She’d said if he left, their marriage would be over. And she’d followed through. He received the divorce papers a month after he left. Why had he left? Without Brianna to hold them together, he wasn’t sure how to make the marriage work. But was it because he couldn’t bear to see her leave him? Just the way his mother had done when she left with her lover, without a backward glance at her kids.

  He shied away at the thought of his mother. “I had to go, Angel.”

  She succeeded in pulling her arm free. “I hate that nickname!”

  “It suits you.” He lifted a brow rather than tell her what it meant to him. “I dare you to change into jeans and boots.”

  She brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on her shirt. “You know perfectly well I don’t own any boots. Or jeans.”