The sheriff looked as if he wanted to argue with her, but the clock was on her side. “You have a new lead to follow,” she said. “Quit wasting time here.”
“Can I let Gil come in to see you?”
She shook her head, her chest tight. “No, thank you. I’m going to take a nap. Please let me know when you have any news.”
The door shut behind him, and finally she could release the tears that had been building.
* * *
If Gil had learned nothing else in this crisis, it was that he didn’t like twiddling his thumbs. A man needed action to feel that he was making progress. Hurry up and wait was a special kind of torture.
One of the deputies brought him a cup of coffee. “There’s a cot in the back room, Mr. Addison. It may be a while before we hear anything. Maybe you could sleep for an hour or so.”
Gil managed a smile. “Thank you. I’m fine.” He’d lost track of the number of hours he had been awake. Sleep had been nothing more than moments of lost consciousness every now and then. His eyes were gritty. His body ached. And a great yawning emptiness filled the space where his heart had been.
He had truly thought Bailey would be part of his life. But now he wasn’t sure. Had she picked up on his ambivalence? His guilt over wanting her when Cade was missing? God, he felt as if he were being stretched on a rack. In dark moments when the fear for his son threatened to make him go mad, he escaped into his memories, seeing pictures of Bailey in his bed.
The images sustained him and gave him hope. But now he had lost Bailey, too. If he had to, he would give his life for either one of them, his son or his lover. But what if he didn’t get that chance? What if his life was reduced to nothing but emptiness? Would he ever recover?
Nate answered a phone call, his demeanor intense. He looked almost as tired as Gil. But a weary smile lit his face when he hung up. “They have the full license number. And the vehicle it’s associated with belongs to your wife’s parents. We’ve sent the information out statewide, and across the border, as well. It shouldn’t be long now.”
“Unless they’ve ditched the car and are hiding out.”
“They must have been keeping tabs on you for a long time. When they realized you were getting close to Bailey, they started tracking her, as well. I’m betting they planned every possible scenario. A deserted road would have seemed like their golden opportunity.”
Gil leaned against the wall, his body suddenly limp with fatigue. “Tell me we’ll find him, Nate.”
“We will,” the other man replied, the two words allowing no room for doubt. “We will.”
* * *
The next time Bailey awoke, the sky outside her window was dark, and Nate had returned.
She scanned his face. “Any news?”
He shook his head. “No. But we’re cautiously optimistic. Your theory about the grandparents was right on target. What we don’t know is whether they took Cade immediately across the border or if they’ve hidden out somewhere here in the states to avoid detection. The Mexican authorities are assisting every way they can.”
“I see.” It was a tiny comfort to know that she had been able to provide some help, after all. But it wasn’t enough. The larger question loomed. Was Cade safe? Dear God, let it be so.
Nate yawned, and she glanced at the clock on the wall. “Please go home if you can,” she said. “I’m feeling much better, and the night staff nurses are wonderful. I’d appreciate it if you would keep me updated.”
He stood and stretched. “Of course.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Gil is my friend. And you’re a very nice woman. It’s what we do here in Royal.”
After he left, she pondered his words. It was true. She had seen it time and again since she had been assigned here. The community was tight-knit. And they would go out of their way for one of their own. What must it be like to have that kind of security? That depth of loyalty?
Her friends back in Dallas were all great people. But they were spread out across the city. Bailey didn’t live with the kind of neighborly closeness that thrived here in Royal.
She was lucky that for the moment they were including her in the circle. It was a warm feeling. And one she wouldn’t mind replicating.
The nurse came in to check her vital signs and also to give her a pain pill. Bailey had insisted on reducing the dosage. She didn’t like being so drugged, and the throbbing in her head had subsided somewhat, at least enough that she could sleep. She punched her pillow into a more comfortable shape and tucked her hand under her cheek. When she turned out the light, she felt entirely alone.
Seventeen
Gil loitered at the end of the hallway until he was sure his presence would go unnoticed. Bailey’s room was dark. He slipped inside and quietly pulled a chair close to the bed. Gently, he touched her head.
Stroking her hair lightly so as not to wake her, he whispered the words he had wanted to say long before now. “I love you, Bailey.”
Though he had barely made a sound, she moved restlessly in the bed and opened her eyes. “Gil? How did you get in here?”
A tiny light on the panel above the bed was the only illumination in the room, but it was enough for him to see the wariness in her expression.
He shrugged, unrepentant. “I sneaked in when no one was looking.” He took her hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better. I think they’re going to release me in the morning.”
“Why did you shut me out, sweetheart?
She withdrew visibly. “I want you to go.” Her voice quivered.
“Please, honey. Tell me the truth.”
Her big eyes were tragic. “I can’t bear to see the look on your face. I know you blame me. And you have every right.”
If he had ever felt more like scum in his life, he couldn’t remember it. Shame made him drop his head, his forehead resting on her arm. She was so brave and so strong, and he had hurt her by not reassuring her from the outset that he didn’t hold her responsible.
“Oh, Bailey. I don’t deserve you. What a jackass I am, my love. I’ve been angry at the world and scared out of my mind and weaving on my feet with fatigue. But I should have realized you would feel this way. You’re so very conscientious. I don’t blame you. I would never blame you. I know you would protect Cade with your life.”
She stroked his hair, a tentative, tender caress that was evidence of her generous spirit. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
He sat up and stared at her sternly. “The kidnapping could have happened if he had been with me. Now stop worrying.”
“I won’t stop worrying until we have some good news.”
“Is it good news to hear that I love you?”
She paled. “You’re delirious.”
“Not in the slightest. Tired, yes. And frightened for you and my son, yes. But completely in my right mind. I was all set to propose when things went south.”
She stared at him, mute.
“I didn’t think it would be such a shock,” he said. “Surely you knew we were headed in this direction.”
She shook her head. “No. I thought we were breaking up.”
He grinned despite his exhaustion. “Well, think again. I want you in my life. I need you and Cade needs you.”
“I don’t think I can talk about this yet. It feels wrong.”
He sobered. “I understand. But don’t make me stay away from you. I can’t bear that on top of everything else.”
Her bottom lip quivered as she reached out to grip his hand with hers. “He’s coming back to us. We have to believe that.”
Gil’s cell ph
one vibrated in his pocket, startling him. He answered it, his heart in his throat. Two minutes later, he hung up, his eyes damp. Inhaling a harsh breath, he leaned over and kissed Bailey...hard. “Nate’s team has found Cade,” he said, his voice gruff.
Her lips opened and closed. Tears trickled from her beautiful eyes. “He’s okay?”
“Completely.” He shuddered, swamped by a wave of relief so strong it made him dizzy. “My in-laws were hiding out with him in Del Rio, hoping to slip across the border into Mexico when the furor died down.”
“Poor little man. He must be so confused.”
“We’ll make sure he sees a counselor. And we’ll smother him with love.” He nudged her hip. “Move over, gorgeous.” He raised the head of the bed and leaned back against the pillows, gathering her in his right arm, tucking her against his chest. “Nate is driving him back to Royal early in the morning. I want you to be there with me at the Straight Arrow, Bailey, to welcome him home. If the doctor thinks you’re well enough to be released.”
She nestled into his embrace. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
* * *
Eight hours later, Bailey sat on Gil’s front porch wrapped in a quilt, waiting for Nate’s squad car to come into sight. When it did, she stood up, the tears flowing again. She hated feeling so weak and emotional, but her relief and joy were profound.
Gil put a hand on her shoulder. “Save your strength, honey. I’ll bring him to you.”
The car pulled to a stop at the foot of the steps, and a door flew open. “Daddy!” Cade ran toward his father, the two males meeting halfway in a boisterous hug that was beautiful to watch. Seeing Gil reunited with his son healed a deep crack in Bailey’s heart. She may not have solved the case of Alex’s kidnapping, but that failure paled in comparison to this victory.
Moments later she saw Gil whisper something in Cade’s ear. The child looked up and saw Bailey. His mouth rounded in an O of surprise and his little face crumpled. “Miss Bailey,” he wailed, running up the remainder of the steps. “You’re okay.” He threw himself at her, and Bailey winced as she tried to catch him without jarring her injury.
Hugging Cade tightly, she rested her cheek against his dark hair. “I’m pretty tough,” she said. “And you were awfully brave.”
Gil eased his son away. “We have to be careful with Miss Bailey, Cade. Her head is still getting well.”
After that, Cade insisted on seeing her bandages, and of course, they all had to thank Nate profusely. It was almost an hour later before she was finally alone with Gil. Cade had run to his room to play with his toys. His father scooped Bailey into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. She could hear the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek.
“You smell good,” she said, burrowing her nose in the crisply starched fabric of his white cotton shirt. In honor of Cade’s homecoming, he had worn his best Stetson and his fanciest pair of cowboy boots.
Gil flipped back the quilt and the top sheet and laid her gently on the soft mattress. “Don’t flirt with me,” he begged. “I’m trying to remind myself that your recovery has a long way to go.”
“I want to sleep with you tonight,” she whispered.
A dark flush tinged his cheekbones. “Sleep only. I won’t be responsible for putting you back in the hospital.”
She tugged his hand. “Lie down beside me.”
He kicked off his boots, removed his belt, and stretched out on his back, careful not to jostle her head. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “I feel so damn good, I may just float up to the ceiling.”
Linking her fingers with his, she smiled up at the surface in question. “I’d miss you,” she said.
After a long silence, he spoke again, this time with no humor at all in his voice. “I’ve been waiting to hear you say something very important, Bailey.”
She froze, the words stuck in her throat. It was a huge commitment. Turning her life upside down. Giving up everything she knew. “You’re asking if I love you?”
“Yes.”
Why was it that she could face down an armed assailant without flinching, but taking this leap petrified her? She’d been on her own for a long time. Self-reliant. Depending on no one. Her emotionally unavailable father had taught her that.
But Gil Addison was an entirely different kind of parent. And an entirely different kind of man. He cared. And he wasn’t afraid to show it.
The question was, could she be as brave? She turned on her side and put a hand on his chest, covering his heart. “I do care about you, Gil. How could I not?”
Her wording was not lost on him, because he grimaced. “Thank God. For a while there, I thought you only wanted me for sex.”
She laughed softly. “Well, that is a definite plus.”
He lifted up on his elbow, head propped on his hand. His crooked smile was the kind of thing that made good girls get in trouble. “As flattering as that is to hear, I want more than your luscious body. I know we have problems to sort out, but we’ll manage it. I love you, sweetheart, heart and soul and everything in between. I want to make a family with you and Cade. I realize you probably didn’t bargain for getting hitched to a guy with a kid. But he’s a pretty great kid, and he adores you.”
“I adore him, but are you absolutely sure about this marriage idea?”
“One hundred percent. I know you’re very good at your job, but maybe Nate could use you here in Royal. Alex still doesn’t remember anything, and del Toro is throwing his weight around with no real success. Even in an unofficial capacity, your skills would be important. You’d be the one doing the sacrificing. I get that. And I know it’s not fair. But the Straight Arrow is Cade’s birthright.”
Even though her head throbbed and she felt weak, her heart soared. “I wouldn’t mind learning how to be Cade’s mom. That would keep me plenty busy for a while.”
“Is that a yes?” His hand toyed with the buttons on her blouse, his thumb brushing her nipple through the fabric.
A sweet trickle of arousal swam in her veins, making her light-headed and giddy. “All the single women in town will be gunning for me if I lasso Royal’s most eligible bachelor,” she teased.
“You can take them,” he said. “I have faith in you.”
She searched his face, wanting desperately to believe she had found her happy ending. “You won’t change your mind? It might be the endorphins talking.”
He nudged her to her back again and laid his head on her flat belly, his fingers stroking the center seam of her soft khaki pants. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Would you mind terribly if we made a few babies together?”
She smiled, though he couldn’t see. “It might take a lot of effort on your part.” His intimate touch made her shiver.
“I think I can handle it. But we have one more hurdle, Bailey. One glaring omission. When a man lays his heart on the line, it seems like he’s entitled to a little sweet talk in return.”
“I see.”
“But only if you mean it.” He sat up, one knee raised, and stared at her with some anxiety. “I know I’m pushing you...taking advantage of you in a vulnerable condition. But I...”
She put a hand over his mouth, her gaze intent. “I do love you, Gil Addison. For now and forever. Come here and kiss me.”
As kisses went, it was a doozy. Deep and wet and hungry. They were both breathless when it ended, and a certain part of Gil’s anatomy was hard as stone.
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He stared down at her, dark eyes flashing. “How long until those stitches come out?”
“Seven more days, give or take.”
“Can you plan a wedding in seven days?”
“People will think we have to get married,” she said, daring to tease him when he was primed for action.
He lifted her hand to his lips, his handsome face solemn. “We do have to get married,” he said softly. “Because I’m not willing to live another minute without you in my life and in my bed.”
Bailey blinked, totally undone by the sight of this rough and tough cowboy baring his soul to her. “Then I believe my answer is yes, dear Gil. Because I feel the same way. There’s just one more thing...”
One wicked eyebrow lifted. “Yes, my love?”
“On our wedding night, I want you to wear the Stetson to bed...”
* * *
And as it happens...he did.
* * * * *
TEXAS CATTLEMAN'S CLUB: THE MISSING MOGUL
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IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT by Kathie DeNosky
BENEATH THE STETSON by Janice Maynard
WHAT A RANCHER WANTS by Sarah M. Anderson
THE TEXAS RENEGADE RETURNS by Charlene Sands
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE NANNY’S SECRET by Elizabeth Lane.
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Beneath the Stetson Page 16
