The Cowboy's Claim

by Carla Cassidy

  She made her way through the darkness to the bathroom, where she knew there was a package of new lightbulbs beneath the sink.

  As she bent down to retrieve the bulbs, the bathroom door creaked closed behind her. For just a moment her heart stopped, and then she told herself that the motel was old, the floors uneven, and she laughed at her own jumpiness...until she tried to open the door.

  It wouldn’t budge. She yanked on the doorknob hard, and still the door didn’t move. At the same time, she thought she heard movement coming from the room beyond the door, felt a malevolent energy that sent her heartbeat racing.

  “Hey,” she yelled as she dropped the lightbulb to the floor, where it bounced and rolled against the old linoleum. “Hey, who’s out there?” She pulled on the doorknob, frantic to get out.

  Panic scorched through her veins. Somebody was out there in the room with her son. No matter how hard she tried to open the door, she couldn’t.

  She screamed for help as she raced to the window and tried to pull it open, only to realize that at some point in time it had been painted closed. She grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around her arm, then slammed it against the window glass.

  Rational thought was impossible. She was in a place where the only thing she needed was to get to her son. She had no idea what was happening, couldn’t fathom why she couldn’t open the bathroom door. She knew only the need to escape, to get out of the tiny room and to Garrett.

  It took her three tries to finally smash through the bathroom window glass, and then she frantically crawled out, unmindful of the remaining shards that tore at her blouse and scratched her arms and legs as she slithered out the window and fell to the ground below.

  She didn’t waste time on the ground but sprang to her feet and raced for the side of the building. Tears blurred her vision, as she’d never known such fear as she did now. She turned the corner and ran for her motel room’s front door.

  As she opened the door, the red light from the nearby neon sign spilled into the room and shone on the empty crib. With a new scream of anguish, Courtney fell to her knees.

  Chapter 12

  Nick had thought about Courtney and Garret all day long but had decided to give Courtney a little time to digest what had happened between them the night before.

  He hadn’t meant to say anything to her, hadn’t wanted to rehash a past that was long gone, but the moment had presented itself and the emotions he’d kept suppressed for so long had finally slipped out of him.

  He could tell he’d shocked her by what he’d said. The touch of bitterness in his voice as he’d spoken had surprised even him.

  Still, he knew there was no way they could go forward in any kind of fashion until they’d somehow made peace with their past.

  And he wanted to go forward. He had no idea in what capacity he would be in her life, but they had to go forward in some way so he could be an integral part of Garrett’s life.

  Even after just a day the absence of her and Garrett had put a hole in his heart, a hole he knew only they could fill. He knew it was possible he would never have Courtney in the way he wanted, in the way he needed her.

  She’d already basically told him that he had no place in her life except as Garrett’s father. But he kept thinking if he could somehow prove himself to her, if he could be the man she depended on, the one who loved her until the end of time, then maybe someday in the future they could find themselves together again as not just friends, but also as lovers and even more.

  He’d been disappointed when he hadn’t heard from her all day. Now it was after eleven and he should be in bed, but instead he remained on the sofa thinking about how past actions could poison future relationships.

  He tamped down a touch of worry as he thought about the night of her car accident. There was no question that what she believed happened to her on that night worried him. If he’d had his way she would have never left here to go back to the motel.

  What if she really did have a medical issue? What if she had something that caused blackouts? When he spoke to her again, he’d talk her into a full medical examination with the best doctors in Oklahoma. He didn’t want to think about what might happen to her or to his son if that was the case.

  His cell phone rang and he dug it out of his pocket, wondering who would be calling this late. When he saw Cameron Evans’s name in the caller ID, his heart gave a sickening jump in his chest. “Sheriff?” he answered.

  “Nick, I need you to come to the motel,” Cameron said tersely.

  “Why? What’s going on?” Nick tried to tamp down the sudden swell of anxiety that made him feel as if his breath had been halfway knocked out of him.

  “Somebody was hiding in Courtney’s room when she got home from having dinner with Lizzy Wiles in Rockville. Whoever it was locked her in the bathroom, and she had to break the window to get out.”

  “Is she all right?” Nick was already racing to the kitchen for his truck keys, his heart crashing against his ribs as he tried to process what Cameron was telling him.

  “She’ll be fine, but there’s another problem.”

  Nick picked up the keys from the table and froze. “What other problem?”

  “When she got out of the bathroom and ran back into the room, Garrett was gone. He’s missing, Nick.”

  For a moment it was as if the world stopped spinning and the gravity had disappeared. Nick stumbled sideways, nearly falling to the floor as Cameron’s words sank in.

  “Nick...are you there?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Garrett gone? What did that mean? Nick rocketed out of the front door, got into his truck and started the engine with a roar.

  Who would have attacked her? Who would want to take his son from her?

  He gripped the steering wheel tightly, a fear he’d never known before racing through him. Where was Garrett? Where was his son?

  Questions...so many questions and no answers. He felt as if he were being eaten from the inside out with the need to know now what had happened to Courtney and exactly where his son was at the moment.

  A tight pressure threatened to cut off all the air to his lungs as he stomped on the gas to get to the motel as quickly as possible. Who would want to take Garrett? His mind raced, but no real coherent thoughts could pierce through the gut-tightening terror that possessed him.

  Maybe by the time he got there Cameron would tell him it had all been a mistake, that the bathroom door had stuck and Courtney had panicked, that Garrett had managed to crawl from his crib and had wandered outside only to be found hiding behind a nearby bush.

  He wanted that. He needed everything to be all right. The idea of his son being anywhere else but in Courtney’s or his own arms was positively unimaginable.

  But as he pulled up into the motel entrance, he knew it wasn’t a mistake and everything was dreadfully wrong. Not only was Cameron’s car in front of Courtney’s unit, but most of his deputies were also there.

  As Nick stopped his truck and got out, he saw Courtney standing next to the sheriff. She trembled from head to toe, as if she were a fragile leaf in a wild windstorm.

  When she saw him, her eyes opened wide and she ran to him, tears streaming down her cheeks as he opened his arms to catch her.

  She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed uncontrollably as he held her tight against him. “He’s gone, and I don’t know what happened to him.” She raised her head, her green eyes awash with pain...with fear.

  “Somebody must have been hiding in my room. The light went out and I went to get a bulb and then the door wouldn’t open and I crawled through the window and he was gone,” she babbled, half-coherent as she cried.

  “We’ll find him,” he assured her, although the sickness in his stomach nearly made him wretch. He looked at Cameron, hoping for a more complete story of exactly what had happened.

  “From what we’ve been able to figure out, when Courtney got home somebody was already hiding in the room. When she placed Garret
t in his crib, whoever was in the room unscrewed the lightbulb over the table and the room went black. Courtney went into the bathroom to get a new bulb, assuming it had burnt out, but when she got inside, the perp tied the bathroom door handle to the leg of the bed, making it impossible for Courtney to get out. We’ve dusted the lightbulb and around the table area, but found no fresh prints except Courtney’s. I imagine whoever it was had on gloves.”

  He turned his attention back to Courtney. “Courtney, I’ve got my deputies going door-to-door to see if anyone saw anything, but I need both of you to come inside and answer some questions for me,” Cameron said.

  The last thing Nick wanted to do was go inside the motel room and waste time with questions he couldn’t answer. What he wanted to do was rip the doors off every house in town, find the person who had his son and kill him for daring to put that look of terror in Courtney’s eyes, for daring to hurt or take what was his.

  As they entered the motel room, Nick stared in horror at the clothesline rope that had been used to lock Courtney in the bathroom.

  Cameron saw the expression on his face. “Unfortunately, the rope is common. Half the people in Grady Gulch have a clothesline in their backyard, and it’s sold everywhere.”

  He led them to the kitchen table, where the fingerprint dust had apparently been wiped off, although some of it still lingered in the cracks of the small table.

  “I’ve got my deputies doing everything they can to find Garrett,” Cameron said once they were seated. “I need to know if either of you know of anyone who would have a reason to take Garrett.”

  Courtney leaned back weakly in the chair and shook her head. “No, I can’t imagine. It doesn’t make sense. This is all so crazy.”

  “The toys,” Nick said suddenly. “You never figured out who left those toys.”

  Cameron frowned. “What toys?”

  As Courtney explained to Cameron about the box of toys she’d found outside her room, Nick’s thoughts were scattered to the wind by the fear that gripped his soul.

  Surely this couldn’t be a kidnapping for ransom. Although Nick was financially comfortable, he didn’t have millions in the bank. So, if this hadn’t been done for money, then why?

  And was this connected to the toys that had been left for his son? The potential drugging that might have taken place on the night of Courtney’s accident? Did it all tie together, or were they all just strange, isolated incidents?

  Who could be behind all this? Had somebody drugged Courtney, hoping she’d have a fatal car accident so they could get access to Garrett?

  He mentally shook his head. That didn’t make sense. Even if Courtney was killed, whoever killed her would still have to know that they would have to contend with Nick.

  “Where are these toys now?” Cameron asked when she’d finished explaining.

  “I took them to the church. I felt weird about accepting them and I didn’t want Garrett to have them.”

  Cameron made a note on his pad.

  “What about Hubert?” Nick asked. Courtney looked at him in surprise, but Nick continued. “The whole town knows he wasn’t exactly thrilled when Courtney stopped seeing him. Maybe he’s doing all this just to get back at her, to hurt her.”

  “Was he in the café the night of your accident?” Cameron asked.

  Courtney nodded. “He was, although he didn’t sit in my section.”

  “Still, he could have slipped something in her drink,” Nick said.

  “I’ll check him out right now,” Cameron replied, “but I’ve got to tell you, this doesn’t feel like Grant’s style. Still, an angry man can do things out of character.”

  Even though Cameron didn’t look at Nick, he knew the lawman was thinking about Sam, who had gone off the deep end and done something completely out of character when he’d tried to kill Lizzy Wiles.

  “I’d like you two to sit tight here while I coordinate my men and head to Grant’s place. We’ll find him, Courtney. I’ll do everything in my power to find your son. Are you sure you can’t think of anyone who might have shown an unusual interest in Garrett lately?”

  Courtney shook her head. “No, other than the box of toys for him, there’s been nothing...nobody.”

  “What about your parents?” Cameron asked.

  It was obvious the question stunned her. “My parents?” She repeated the words as if they were speaking about aliens from another planet.

  Cameron frowned. “I don’t know all the history between you and your parents, but it’s no secret that you’re estranged from them. The new toys you told me about indicate some sort of caring for the boy. Maybe your parents decided it was finally time they meet their grandson.”

  Courtney’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, as if she were having trouble drawing breath. “And so they locked me in the bathroom and took my son?” Courtney asked incredulously as she shook her head. “Besides, I can’t imagine them suddenly taking an interest in anything in my life, including my son. Still, if you think they need to be checked out, then do it.”

  “I’m definitely going to check them out,” Cameron said. “I’m not leaving any stone unturned.”

  “Do whatever you need to do,” Courtney said, a hint of steel in her voice. “Just bring me back our son.”

  “That’s my plan,” Cameron said. “I’ve called in all my men, and they’re all out working the case. We’ll find him.” With these words he left the motel room.

  Once he was gone, tears once again started to trek down Courtney’s cheeks.

  They both placed their cell phones on the table and then Nick reached out for her hand and she clutched at his as if it were her only lifeline.

  He felt the same way, that her touch kept him grounded, saved him from going completely out of his mind with fear.

  For several long minutes they didn’t speak, but squeezed hands tightly as a wail of fear remained silent but evident in the air between them.

  “I’m so sorry...” she began.

  “Stop, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about,” he replied. “You couldn’t have known that somebody somehow managed to get into your room and lock you in the bathroom to take Garrett. This isn’t your fault, Courtney.”

  She nodded. “I know, but I’m also sorry about the past. I just want you to know that you were never a dirty little secret to me, that it was fear of my parents rather than any shame of being seen with you that made me keep everything about you a secret. I’m sorry, Nick. I’m so sorry about everything that happened in the past.”

  Although her words pierced through the shell of anger that had lightly coated his heart, he couldn’t think about the past right now. All he could focus on at the moment was his missing son. Garrett. Where was Garrett?

  “We can talk about all that later,” he said. “What we need to do right now is try to figure out who is behind all this and why, and where somebody has taken our son.”

  Courtney released her grip on his hand and instead rubbed her hand across her forehead as if in an attempt to ease a headache. “I just can’t begin to imagine.”

  “Did you get checked out by a doctor?” Nick asked as he noticed the cuts and scratches on her arms.

  “I’m fine. Everything is mostly superficial,” she assured him. Her eyes once again filled with tears. “I just need my baby back.”

  She slapped a hand down onto the top of the table in sudden anger. “I should be out there looking for him, not sitting here helplessly.”

  “Cameron is good at what he does. We have to trust him and his team to do their jobs. Besides, if the toys and this kidnapping are tied together, then my hope is that whoever has Garrett has no intention to harm him,” Nick said. He just prayed he was right, for the alternative was too horrible to imagine.

  * * *

  Courtney toggled between tears and a strange numbness as her fear peaked with every minute that passed. The darkness outside was profound, and Garrett should be in his little cowboy pajamas and asleep in his crib. The w
orld wasn’t right, and it would never be right until she had Garrett back in her arms once again.

  The silence of the cell phones in the center of the table only added to her overall anxiety. Why didn’t somebody call? If it was a kidnapping for ransom, then why didn’t somebody call and make their demands? Whatever the amount, she would figure out a way to pay it. Together she and Nick would give them whatever they wanted as long as they got Garrett back safe and sound.

  Why, oh why didn’t somebody just call to tell them Garrett had been found and the world had been made right again. Her head felt as if it were about to explode as she tried to think of who could be behind this, who might want to take her baby boy.

  “Rusty.” The name exploded from her lips.

  Nick frowned at her. “Rusty Albright. Why would the cook at the Cowboy Café have anything to do with this?”

  “I just know that the other day Rusty was in a really bad mood and Mary confided in me that years ago he’d lost his wife and child in a house fire. The baby boy was about Garrett’s age when the fire happened. It was like the ten-year anniversary, and he was really upset. He always asks about Garrett...” Her voice trailed off.

  Was it possible that something had snapped inside Rusty? That somehow the past had exploded in his brain and he’d decided that Garrett was the little boy he’d lost.

  She watched as Nick grabbed his cell phone. He punched in a number. “Mary, it’s Nick. Is Rusty working tonight?” Courtney watched every muscle in Nick’s body tense. “Okay, thanks.” He slid his phone closed, his eyes dark. “Rusty isn’t working.”

  Courtney got up from the table. “Then let’s go find him.”

  Even though Cameron had told them to sit tight, she knew Nick was with her as he rose from the table and shoved his phone into his pocket.

  She grabbed hers as well, and within seconds they were in his truck and roaring out of the motel parking lot. For the first time since she’d seen the empty crib, a tiny ray of hope flittered through her heart.

  She knew Rusty. He had a reputation for being a tough loner who didn’t take any crap from anyone, but surely he wouldn’t hurt a child. If he had somehow snapped because of the trauma of his past and he’d taken Garrett in a delusional state, believing Garrett was his son, then she would be able to forgive him as long as he got some sort of psychiatric help.