His heart slammed against his ribs when he saw Melissa strung out between two trees, her head down. A man armed with a rifle emerged from the pines behind her. Travis got down on the ground behind a log. Using it as a prop for his rifle, he took aim at the man’s shoulder and pulled the trigger.
The wounded man fell not two feet from Melissa. His rifle landed just out of his reach. He howled from where he lay, spewing venom as Travis ran toward Melissa.
In the next instant he was cutting the ropes off her and gently laying her unconscious form on the ground. He removed the tape from across her mouth, careful not to take any skin with it. He felt for her pulse and rejoiced when he found one. It was weak, but it was there.
Then he pulled out his cell to call Roman. “The kidnapper has been incapacitated. I’ve got Melissa, but she’s unconscious and needs medical attention. Send a helicopter to the clearing where the marijuana was burned. Here are the coordinates. Tell Jose and Lon.”
Still hunkered down beside Melissa, Travis pulled a bottle of water from his pocket and talked to her while he sprinkled droplets on her face in an effort to revive her. “Come on, sweetheart, be alive for me and Casey.”
He could hear the chopper now. Suddenly Lon and Jose were on the scene, followed by police. In another minute a medical team was running forward with a stretcher.
Once she was safely strapped on, Travis followed and climbed into the helicopter with her. The blades were still rotating. Within seconds, the craft took off and the team began the process of hooking her up to an IV. After taking her vital signs, they put an oxygen mask over her face.
“Do you think she will be okay?” Travis asked.
“Give her time. She’s been through a rough ordeal. We heard she’d been spread-eagled. With her arms extended that tight, and above her heart, she’s had a hard time breathing. The oxygen will help her. Don’t worry. We’ll be at University Hospital in a few minutes.”
One of the medics told Travis he looked pale, and suggested he sit down, but he couldn’t leave her. He looked at her wrists and ankles. The ropes had made angry-looking red rings around them.
It was because of him that Melissa was on the verge of losing her life. He should have made certain they’d caught every illegal operating up there. Maybe since Valerie’s death, he’d lost his edge and should get out of law enforcement altogether. He had to be slipping if one of those Colombians had eluded capture. All week the trash had probably stayed at her cabin at night, waiting for her to show up.
By the time they reached the hospital, she still hadn’t gained consciousness. Travis’s pain was unbearable as he watched them wheel her into Emergency.
Roman met him as he walked through the doors behind the stretcher. “She might not make it,” Travis rasped.
“She was alive when you found her. Don’t lose hope now.”
“I’m no good anymore, Roman. This is my fault. I wasn’t thorough enough during the sting. One got away, and now Melissa’s life is on the line because of my mistake.”
Roman grabbed his shoulders. “What are you talking about? Don’t you know it was Danny McClusky who kidnapped her?”
“What?” Travis’s mind reeled.
Chaz spoke up behind him. “He tracked you here, but received the surprise of his life when you got him with your rifle.”
“It’s true,” Mitch interjected. “Your wife’s death has been avenged in a miraculous way. As I see it, you have smooth sailing from here on out.”
Travis grimaced. “Not if Melissa doesn’t make it. She must wish she’d never met me.”
“You know better than that. Let’s go see how she’s doing.”
The four of them walked toward the cubicle, but were told to wait until the doctors had finished their examination. Travis buried his face in his hands. The waiting felt like an eternity.
“Travis?”
He looked up to see Jose and Lon, who’d just come in on the other helicopter. Lon was carrying her bloodied sketch pad. “We thought you might like to see what’s inside.” He flipped it open and Travis found himself looking at his own image. He was staggered by Melissa’s talent. And the words at the bottom said it all.
Roman’s eyes gleamed. “It’s a very good likeness of you, comrade. I think we should hang it in the office.”
“Notice the date.” Chaz was smiling.
It had been this morning.
Tears prickled Travis’s eyelids. “If it hadn’t been for you guys urging me to talk to her…”
“You’d have gone to find her, anyway. You were a mess without her,” Mitch said.
Chaz nodded. “You were.”
Suddenly, a doctor stepped from behind the curtain. “Is one of you Travis? The patient’s asking for him.”
Travis felt half a dozen slaps on his back before he rushed into the cubicle.
She was bruised and banged up. They’d cleaned her forehead and had put a butterfly tape over the cut. She was hooked up to oxygen, as well as an IV, but it didn’t matter because her eyes were open. And she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Her poor mouth was covered in blisters, and he lowered his head and kissed her cheek. When he met her gaze, his eyes filled with tears.
“I prayed you’d c-come,” Melissa said, her voice weak. “Then I prayed you w-wouldn’t because he was waiting for you. He threatened to kill C-Casey.” Tears gushed from her eyes and down her temples to the sheet. “Is Casey all right? Does he know anything?”
“He’s fine,” Travis whispered “And no, he knows nothing about this.”
“Don’t ever let him know. I want him to always love the cabin.”
“It will be our secret.”
The doctor pulled the curtain aside. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but we’re taking her upstairs to a private room. She’s been given a sedative. You can come, but she needs to rest now.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t l-leave me, Travis.”
“I won’t, I swear.”
As he left the cubicle, an older couple rushed forward. “I’m Melissa’s mother. We’re so grateful to you for saving our daughter’s life, you’ll never know.” She hugged him with surprising strength.
Over her head Melissa’s father was smiling through tears.
“They’re taking her up to a private room,” Travis said. “I promised I wouldn’t leave her, but I need to call my son. Then I’ll join you.”
“Go right ahead. We’ll see you upstairs.”
When he walked outside the emergency room doors to make the call, he announced to his waiting friends, “She’s going to be fine.”
“That’s all we wanted to hear.”
Lon handed him the art pad. “I think you’ll want to hold on to this. I’ve got the rest of your stuff and will bring it to the office. A couple of police officers are bringing the truck and Jeep down from the cabin. I told them to drive both to Melissa’s house so your son won’t be alarmed.”
“You think of everything.”
Lon smiled. “I’m a father, too.”
After everyone left in Roman’s big van, Travis phoned Pat.
“Casey’s been hoping you’d call,” his sister said. “Here he is.”
“Dad?”
“Hi, bud. How was school today?”
“It was okay. When are you coming home?”
“Well, I have a date with Melissa tonight.”
“You do?” he half squealed in joy.
; “Yeah. The problem is, I might get home late.”
“Is that ’cuz you’re going to kiss and stuff?”
“What makes you think that?” Travis teased.
“I saw you kissing, and Zack told me that’s what his parents do all the time.”
Travis chuckled. “Will it be okay if you don’t see me until tomorrow morning?”
“Yeah. Do you think Melissa will come with you?”
“We’ll see.”
“You always say that!”
“I know. I love you, Casey.” His voice shook. “See you in the morning.”
Chapter Eleven
Melissa awakened when the nurse came into her room at 7:00 a.m. on her rounds. That’s when she saw Travis seated on a chair next to her bed, studying one of the drawings in her art pad. He looked drained and exhausted. And never more attractive.
The nurse took her vitals and checked the IV. “At this rate you’ll be able to go home today.” She took the IV out of her arm. “Are you hungry for more than juice?”
“Yes. I’d love some toast.”
“I’ll bring you some. After breakfast you can get up and shower.”
“That sounds heavenly.” The nurse’s visit reminded Melissa she must look awful.
“The doctor will be in later to check on you.”
“Thank you.”
Melissa was feeling well enough not to like the way the pretty nurse smiled at Travis before she left the room. Melissa wanted Travis out of the line of fire from all the females working here.
Finally they were alone.
“Hi,” she said to this incredible man who’d saved her life.
His warm gaze traveled over her. “How are you feeling?”
“I can’t wait to get out of here.”
“Ah. If that’s true, then it means you’re well enough to kiss.”
Her pulse raced when he got up and moved close. “You might not like the taste of the salve they put on my lips.”
“Don’t you know by now that won’t stop me?”
“Oh, Travis…” He leaned over and kissed her gently. She didn’t want gentle, and flung her arms around his neck to pull him closer. “I love you, I love you. If you don’t feel the same way, it doesn’t matter.”
“But I do feel the same way. If you weren’t still in the hospital, I’d show you just how much I love you, darlin’. Only you and nobody else.”
Though her lips were still tender, she kissed him with all she had. “Yesterday I was afraid I’d never see you again,” she said long moments later. “I was a fool to end things with you. It wasn’t what I wanted. All week I wanted to call you and tell you I was wrong.”
“You don’t even want to know about the week I had without you.” He kissed her neck and throat.
“I’m to blame. You see, I’m a very spoiled girl. But I’ve repented for wishing to be the first and only love in your life. When I was tied with those ropes, I realized how lucky I was to be the current woman in your life.”
Travis raised his head. Even in the dim light, his eyes blazed with fire. “Not only current, but the only one for the rest of our lives.”
Her eyes filled. “You mean…”
“I’m asking you to marry me. But before you answer me, I need to ask you something else, and you have to be honest with me.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! I fell in love with a Texas Ranger. That’s what you’ll always be to me, and I wouldn’t want you any other way. As your oh-so-wise sister said to me recently, there are no guarantees in this life. Let’s agree to love each other and stop worrying about what might happen. Frankly, I’m sick of it.”
A chuckle escaped his throat before he worked an arm beneath her head so he could give her the deep kind of kiss she was aching for. When he finally relinquished her mouth, she whispered, “I’ll marry you whenever it can be arranged, but before this conversation goes any further, I need an answer to a very important question.”
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with children, would it? Because if it does, you need to know I want more than one. Valerie was afraid to have more for fear—”
Melissa put a finger to his lips. “Say no more. I’ve always wanted a family of three or four children, as long as it was with the right man. We’ve already got our first with Casey. Besides you, he’s the light of my life. But there’s a cabin up in Kamas with enough bedrooms to house a new generation.”
The two of them were laughing when the doctor popped in. “That’s a happy sound I hear.” He eyed Travis. “If you’ll step out for a minute.”
“Of course.”
When Melissa was alone with the doctor, she said, “If my heart rate is up, it’s because of him. He just asked me to marry him.”
The doctor finished checking her over. “I take it you said yes?”
“Oh, yes.”
The man smiled. “Under the circumstances, I’ll sign you out to go home, but go easy for a few days. Have your regular doctor check the cut on your forehead in a week. If that bandage did its job, there shouldn’t be a scar. If there is, you can check with a plastic surgeon. Stay hydrated.”
“I will. Thank you.”
Melissa couldn’t wait to see Casey’s reaction to their news.
* * *
“IT’S ELEVEN O’CLOCK, Dad. How come it took you so long to pick me up?”
Travis glanced in the rearview mirror at his son and Dexter before he started the truck. “Melissa bumped her forehead getting out of the Jeep. I had to take her to the doctor to get a bandage put on it.”
His eyes rounded. “Did she need stitches?”
“Nope. She just has a little headache.”
“Oh.”
That was the story they felt would go down best with Casey. After going to Melissa’s town house in a taxi, he’d picked up his truck and driven back to the hospital to take her home.
“Where are we going?”
“To the grocery store.”
“Can Melissa come to our house after?”
“I thought we’d go over to her condo.”
“I’ve never been in it before.”
“That’s because I’ve been doing a job for her at the cabin, Casey. When I’m working for a client, I don’t generally go to their houses. But now that the case has been solved, she has invited us over, even Dexter.”
“I bet she doesn’t want me to come.”
Travis hadn’t been expecting a statement like that. “Of course she does. In fact, she asked me to bring you.” He waited for a burst of excitement that didn’t happen. “Hey, bud, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“I thought you loved her. I know she loves you.”
“She just says that to be nice.”
“She is nice, but I don’t think she tells that to her other patients. Do you?”
“I don’t know.” The little boy sighed and looked out the window.
Travis couldn’t get any more out of him during their trip to the store. When they pulled up in front of the town house, Casey got out of the backseat with Dexter and headed for her front door. Suddenly it opened.
“Hi, Casey!” That bright voice reminded Travis of those first moments at the clinic. “I’m so glad you’re here. Come in!” Melissa stood there in jeans and a creamy, long-sleeved sweater that hid the rope burns on her wrists and ankles.
Amazing what makeup could do. She’d covered up the bruise on the side of her cheek where McClusky had shoved
her to the ground. Somehow the lipstick she was wearing disguised the tender spots. Her hair had been freshly washed and left loose to swing against the sides of her neck. On the whole, she didn’t look as if she’d been through the ordeal he’d witnessed yesterday.
But one thing was missing. He could tell she was waiting for Casey’s hug. When it didn’t happen, she darted Travis an anxious glance as he put the groceries on the kitchen counter at the other end of the living room.
An exuberant Dexter danced around her, but Travis couldn’t say the same for his son who stared at the bandage. “Does your head hurt?”
“I took a painkiller and now I feel fine. Thanks for asking. You’ve never been in my house before, have you? It’s really little. Would you like to take a tour?”
“Okay.”
Melissa worked with children all the time. She was a master at not showing her surprise over his uncharacteristic behavior, and pretended he was delighted to be here.
While they walked around, Travis followed. On the living room walls she’d hung a grouping of large framed prints of Picasso and Matisse. Her contemporary furniture added the rest of the color. The place exuded warmth.
They went down the hall. She’d turned the smaller bedroom into an art studio. He could tell Casey was impressed, but the boy remained sober.
In her bedroom, small framed photographs of her family sat on the dresser. Casey studied everything, and was ready to walk out again when he blurted, “Hey, Dad, look!”
“Where?”
“Over the bed. Melissa painted me!”
In a twinkling, his whole demeanor changed.
Travis put his arm around Casey’s shoulder and they moved closer to examine the good-size framed painting hanging over her bed. He could have sworn this hadn’t been on the wall when he’d helped her into the house after leaving the hospital.
The picture filled him with wonder. It was Casey, but an older version, the way he might look around age twelve. Melissa had painted him riding an animal with three horns, a creative figment of her imagination. She’d shown him emerging from a prehistoric forest.
The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) Page 17
