But if she left the ranch, going anywhere, she had a gut feeling the Devotees would find her.
The parade of dead women the police had found, and that Nathan believed had been involved with Samuel, kept haunting her. If she left, she might easily turn into the next casualty.
But that couldn’t happen to her child. She refused to let them get their hands on Melody. She would keep thinking and praying on it. But she felt sure Melody would be much better off without her—much safer.
And next to Nathan staying safe, the safety of her little girl was all that mattered anymore.
* * *
“It’s quitting time, ma’am. Are you ready to call it a day?”
“Not quite,” Susannah told the young ranch hand. “But I’ll only be just a few more minutes.”
“If you’ll be okay, then I need to head on out to the bunkhouse and clean up.”
“I’ll be fine.” Susannah flipped her hair out of her face as she felt the sweat beading on her forehead. “Since Nathan warned those Devotees to stay away from the ranch, we haven’t seen any sign of them. They wouldn’t dare show their faces here again.”
“Yes, ma’am. They’d better not.” The ranch hand wiped the sweat off his neck with a handkerchief. “Just to be safe, why don’t you go over to the ranch office and walk back to the house with Nathan or Mr. Pierce.”
“Maybe I will. Thanks for the company this afternoon.”
He nodded and strode off, adjusting his gun belt as he walked away. She was sure she wasn’t in any danger on the ranch, but Nathan had insisted one of the men keep watch on her at all times when she wasn’t in the house.
Having protection was nice, but the whole idea of needing it made her nervous. She had to find a way to leave here soon. Every moment she stayed brought the danger closer to those she loved.
She’d almost come to the conclusion that Melody couldn’t come with her when she left. The two of them had to separate—at least for a while. It hurt to think of that, but it hurt worse to think of her baby in the Devotees’ clutches.
Perhaps tonight she would seek out Derek and ask him to help her find work in a distant city. He was so good on the internet. He’d told her he had developed several internet businesses that were doing well. The man was a genius. If anyone could figure something out for her to do with her future, it would be him.
She gave the empty stall she’d finished mucking out one last check. Yep…clean as a whistle. She didn’t mind the hard work at all. It helped her stop thinking for a few precious hours.
It was time to head back, but she was torn about seeing Nathan. Every time she saw his face, her heart broke a little more. It was crazy to fall so hard for a man who could never be hers for good.
What had she been thinking? Of course Susannah Paul could never hope to keep someone so perfect. Her whole life up to now should’ve been her first clue.
She was simply not the kind of woman who landed on her feet—never. She’d always landed smack in the horse manure, despite trying so hard to change things.
Kicking at a clod of hay in the main aisle of the barn, she slowly made her way out into what was left of the afternoon sunshine. Shadows were already overtaking the ranch with the coming dusk, but she still couldn’t force herself to hurry.
Every moment she delayed was a moment more she could linger in the beauty and majesty of the distant mountains and the idea that she had once belonged to something so special.
She breathed deep, loving the smells of animals and grasses. Turning toward the barn where the ranch offices were housed, she spotted Nathan and his father standing outside the door deep in conversation.
Just look at the man. Her feet froze to the spot while she gazed at his face and her mouth drooled.
Tall and lean, rugged and handsome…he was so special that it made her heart pound.
She couldn’t remember a time when she’d wanted anything as badly as she wanted this man. Over the years, she’d trained herself not to set her expectations too high. And Nathan was definitely out of her league.
He and his father were standing toe-to-toe having some kind of serious discussion. It was funny how much they resembled each other. It was like looking into the future and seeing how Nathan would age—pretty darn well if he turned out anything like his father.
Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed a movement out of the corner of her eye. But a sudden chill told her this was something out of the ordinary.
She turned to look and what she saw forced her backward into the shadows of the barn. Three men were coming around the corner of a distant barn. But they were crouching low and staying in the shadows as much as possible.
Devotees. She didn’t know them but would recognize the type anywhere. All three of them were beautiful. Their hair was perfectly combed. Their clothes looking like something out of a Western magazine. Their boots were polished so brightly that you could fix your makeup by checking it in the shine.
And then she noticed the guns—shotguns and handguns. Each man was loaded down with guns.
She watched them as they spotted Nathan and his father, who were still lost in their conversation. One of the Devotees signaled the others to sneak around behind the barn where she was standing and come up on the other barn from behind. Were they really planning on attacking Nathan and his father right on their own property?
Neither of the Pierces was the type of man who would give up without a fight. And because they weren’t armed, they would lose the battle today.
That couldn’t happen. She couldn’t let any such thing happen because of her.
The Devotee men began to split up. They hadn’t seen her.
But what could she do? She couldn’t just stand here and watch this unfold and not do anything.
Spinning around, she took off at a dead run out the back door of the barn, trying to head off the Devotees before they got too far. This was it. Now was her time.
No one would be hurt because of her—no one.
CHAPTER 10
As Susannah hit the sunlight, she slowed her steps. What was she doing? Whatever it was, she’d better be smart about it.
Taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and waved her arm in the air trying to get the Devotees’ attention. She was afraid to make too much noise for fear that Nathan and his father would hear and come running.
“Hey, there,” she said in as loud a stage whisper as she dared.
That did the trick. All three men turned to stare at her at once.
Her stomach rolled at the sight of their weapons—now pointed in her direction. She wasn’t used to seeing Devotees with guns. Only the police in Cold Plains carried weapons. She’d better be a brilliant liar this time. Maybe if she came up with a good enough story she might live through this encounter.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she managed in a shaky voice. “Could you give me a ride into town?”
Smile, she reminded herself. Walking toward the man who looked like he might give the orders, she forced what probably looked like a mirror image of the Cheshire cat grin he was wearing.
Fake, but beautiful—just like the caps on this guy’s teeth and the contact lenses she was sure he was wearing.
“Are you Susannah Paul? We’ve been looking for you.” The barrel tip of his shotgun lowered to point at the ground.
That made breathing a tad bit easier.
“Yes, that’s me. You’ve been looking for me? Why didn’t I know that? I’ve been stuck out here without a way to go home.”
“Didn’t you have a baby? Where’s the child?”
Breathe. “That’s a long story. Poor little thing wasn’t born perfect.” She shook her head slowly. “Shame. But I couldn’t keep her in Cold Plains. Surely you can see that?”
&nbs
p; “Where is she?”
“Gone. I shipped her off to a couple in California.”
The man speaking narrowed his eyes at her, and the barrel tip inched upward. “Jonathan isn’t going to like that.”
“Jonathan who? You don’t mean Jonathan Miller? What does my baby have to do with him?”
The guy shrugged. “None of my business. He can tell you what he wants you to know when you’re back in town. He said bring you both, but you’ll have to be enough.”
She glanced at the two silent men in the back and shuddered. “Why did it take him so long to send you for me?” That sounded a lot more reasonable than she felt.
“I don’t know anything. I just do what I’m told.” But he threw her a speculative look. “Why would he tell us to bring the weapons if we were supposed to rescue you?”
Uh-oh. She’d better come up with something fast. “I would assume it was because he was worried that the ranchers would put up a fight to keep me. But if we hurry, we can be gone before they notice.”
The gunman glanced over his shoulder and set his mouth in a hard line. “They’d better not make any trouble. Do you need to collect your things before we leave?”
Her things? All she could think about was Nathan and Melody. Come up with something. Get these characters off ranch property and away from Nathan.
“No. Nothing here means anything to me. I have plenty of clothes still hanging in the closet in my room. I can’t wait to leave this place and get back there. The sooner the better. It’s filthy here. And ugly. I want to go home.”
He nodded and grabbed her by the arm. “We’ll have to go through the woods. That’s how we came in.”
“Not a problem. That’s how I came in, too.”
* * *
The farther away from the ranch they drove, the calmer she felt—and the more miserable. She had pretty well sealed her fate by walking out on Nathan and her child.
But the two of them were safe. That thought alone calmed her down and let her brain go to work. If there was any way to survive in Cold Plains, she planned to do it.
All those dead women came to mind. Surveying her companions, the three big men in the car with her, she hoped they were really going to take her to Cold Plains and weren’t intent on dumping her body in some ditch.
Screwing up her courage, she asked, “Will you take me straight to my room in the boardinghouse, please?”
“Jonathan wanted to talk to you. He said to bring you to his office.”
“But it’s late. And look at me. I can’t see anyone until I clean up and put on my pretty clothes again.”
The driver shot her a disbelieving glance and rolled his eyes. “I’ll call him.”
Opening his cell, he pushed a couple of buttons, reaching Jonathan on the first try. He explained her request and the reasons for it.
In a couple of minutes, he hung up. “Jonathan says it’s okay. I’m not so sure, but he’s the boss. He’ll stop around to see you in a couple of hours, and the two of you can eat dinner together.”
“You didn’t tell him about the baby.”
“I’m going to let you do that. And if I were you, I’d be ready with a good story.”
The way he’d said that made her wonder if he had bought her story of giving the baby away. But if not, why hadn’t he told Jonathan? The whole thing was very odd.
The car slowed when it came to Cold Plains’ city limits. As they cruised past the lovely houses with the manicured lawns on the outskirts of town, she came to the conclusion she’d better take his advice. There wasn’t much time to start thinking up a foolproof story before she had to face Jonathan.
And speaking of that, what the heck did Jonathan Miller want with her and Melody in the first place? Everything suddenly seemed stranger and stranger. What didn’t she know?
* * *
Nathan came down the hall, heading for the kitchen and supper. He was eager to see Susannah and the baby. Now, wasn’t that a kick in the head? It had been only a few hours since he’d spoken to her for a moment after lunch, but he already missed the hell out of her.
What the devil was he going to do when she left the ranch for good? The ache he’d been trying to force aside crept back into his chest at the thought of never seeing the two of them again.
Hell.
Giving the door to his old bedroom a quick knock before he passed by, he opened it and stuck his head inside. “Susannah? Ready for supper?”
There was no answer. He checked the crib…nothing. He checked the bathroom…nothing. In fact, the shower wasn’t even wet. She couldn’t have gone straight to the kitchen without cleaning up. She wouldn’t.
A tiny niggle of worry started somewhere in the vicinity of his gut, but he dismissed it. There was no reason to worry. Maybe she’d been running late and showered in Sara’s suite.
That didn’t seem too logical, but he jumped on the idea as a possibility.
Leaving the bedroom, he picked up his steps until he entered the kitchen. But Maria and his father were the only ones there. He wasn’t all that eager to see his old man over supper tonight. They’d had another knockdown argument out by the barn this afternoon.
His father didn’t want Susannah to leave and had made his point loud and clear. Nathan had tried everything to explain that it was simply not safe enough on the ranch for her and Melody, thanks to those damned Devotees. His father had argued that the family and hands could protect the two of them just as well on the ranch.
At that, Nathan had let loose with his normal tirade about the sale of the property to Samuel Grayson being the cause of all the trouble in the first place.
Things had only gone downhill from there.
“Where’s Susannah and the baby?” his father asked as soon as he saw him.
“I dunno. I thought they’d be here.” He turned to Maria. “Have you seen them this afternoon?”
“Not me. But I imagine Susannah is still saying good-night to Sara. She just can’t seem to get enough of that little gal.”
The niggling worry grew. “I’ll go over to Sara’s rooms and encourage them to come to supper. Susannah needs to keep up her strength.” He’d made plans for her later. Well, in his head he’d made plans. And those plans required a second person who was not hungry—at least not for food.
“Yes, indeed,” Maria agreed. “Nursing mamas need a good diet.” She turned and scowled as she stared right at him. “And plenty of sleep.”
He chuckled at her words and headed off toward Sara’s. But as he went, he decided that Maria might’ve accidently come upon the answer. Maybe Susannah had been so tired from their lovemaking last night that she’d fallen asleep at Sara’s and Kathryn hadn’t wanted to disturb her for supper.
The closer he came to Sara’s rooms, the more he became convinced that was what must have happened. So by the time he opened the door to Sara’s playroom, he was calm and ready to wake Susannah up with a kiss.
When he opened the door, he spotted the baby right away. She was sleeping peacefully in the little makeshift basket he’d found for her in the attic. But her mother was nowhere in sight.
He didn’t want to wake Melody, so he quietly went in search of Kathryn and found her helping Sara out of her play clothes and getting ready for her bath.
“Well, hello, Nathan,” Kathryn said with a sweet smile. “Did you bring Susannah with you? I was wondering what had happened to her this afternoon.”
The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and his heart clenched. “You haven’t heard from her this afternoon at all?”
“No. I just thought she was running late. Don’t you know where she is?”
He wanted to run, to start shouting and searching and calling the police.
But he held his place and asked another quest
ion first. “When did you last see her?”
“We had lunch together.”
He’d seen her right after lunch and had told her about his new rule of having a ranch hand watch over her whenever she was outside the house.
“Can you keep an eye on Melody awhile longer?” He needed to find that ranch hand right away.
“Of course. I wasn’t planning on going out tonight. Uh…Nathan.” Kathryn told Sara to hold on a moment and stepped out of the little girl’s bedroom, obviously needing to talk to him privately.
“Susannah was acting kind of funny this morning.”
“Funny how?” He didn’t like the sound of that.
“She asked if I would make sure Melody was taken care of in case something happened to her.”
“So you think she knew she would be late today?”
Kathryn shook her head. “She wasn’t talking about being late. She was talking about forever. I didn’t care for her demeanor. She seemed so depressed. And now that she’s also missing…well…”
“What?”
“You don’t imagine she could take her own life, do you?”
“Of course not.” He couldn’t think of their time together last night, with her so full of life and seemingly so happy, and accept that she had turned around the day after and committed suicide. “It’s not possible.”
Someone had to have an idea of where she’d gone. She couldn’t have just disappeared.
* * *
Susannah wished she could simply disappear, that the floor would open up and she’d fall right through to the other side of the world. Jonathan Miller was at her door, and he had a bouquet of roses in his hand.
Keep smiling. “Come in, Jonathan. Are those for me?”
“They’re for you. You look gorgeous. You’ve lost all the pregnancy weight, and you’ve gotten a tan. Beautiful.”
“Thank you. The flowers are very nice. I’ll put them in water.” She didn’t own a vase, but maybe an empty milk carton would do. “Won’t you sit down?”
“If you’ll sit with me.”
Perfect Wyoming Complete Collection: Special Agent's Perfect Cover ; Rancher's Perfect Baby Rescue ; A Daughter's Perfect Secret ; Lawman's Perfect Surrender ; The Perfect Outsider ; Mercenary's Perfect Mission Page 27
