“Don’t dwell on it,” Cade advised. “You need to concentrate on the future, not the past. Getting your job done without making any more mistakes is the most important thing right now.”
“I never make mistakes. Ask Captain Parker.”
Cade quickly shook his head and explained, “I didn’t mean in regard to your work. I meant in your private life. You’re not to go anywhere alone. Don’t even leave your motel room without me. Promise.” It wasn’t a question. He also didn’t receive an answer. “Paige? Did you hear me?”
“Yes. And I can’t say I like the idea. I appreciate your concern but I’m used to doing things for myself—by myself.”
“And you will again, once your life gets back to normal. Right now, I need you to give your word you’ll listen to my advice.”
“I’m listening.”
Cade had a niggling feeling that she was choosing her words carefully to give an acceptable impression rather than make a promise she might later want to break.
He stepped in front of her and gently gripped her shoulders for emphasis as he spoke. “It’s this way, Ms. Bryant. You will either promise to follow my orders or I’ll be forced to barricade your door and windows at night to keep you in your room. Is that clear?”
Her eyes sparked with emerald fire. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. She glared at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” As far as Cade was concerned it was more important to guarantee her safety than to curry her favor. If she got mad at him, so be it. His duty was to protect her—even from herself. “And if I were you, I’d make this decision very carefully.”
Paige gaped. “I think you’re serious.”
“Deadly serious.”
“What happened to those famous Texas Ranger powers of persuasion?”
Cade chanced a smile in the hopes it would help temper her indignant attitude. “I’m using them right now. How am I doing?”
“Lousy,” she said, although the corners of her mouth twitched as if she were trying to suppress a grin.
“Then I guess I’ll have to try harder,” Cade told her. “In the meantime, grab your overnight stuff and your purse and let’s go. There’s nothing more you can do here and you must be exhausted.” He stifled a yawn. “I know I am.”
“In a way that’s my fault because I kept you up half the night,” Paige said, looking chagrined. “Okay. You win. This time. Just remember, I do not take orders well.”
“Then let me put it this way. Shall we go, ma’am?”
“Delighted,” she said, picking up her light burdens and snapping Max’s leash to the ring on his collar.
Cade double-checked to make sure the studio door was closed and locked, then followed Paige down the hallway to the rear exit. Everything in and around the administrative complex was well lit and the locks on the outer doors had been reprogrammed, as had Paige’s. Plus, there were Rangers and Troopers practically everywhere during daylight hours, so he wasn’t too worried. Yet.
Deep in thought, he was pondering how best to arrange their nightly accommodations to provide the most protection for Paige as he followed her outside.
“Do you have your new key card?” he asked.
“Yes. I wish I knew what’s become of my old keys. I never did find them. They probably fell out of my purse at home.”
“Well, we’re not going there to look for them,” Cade said, assuming they’d been stolen but deciding to keep that conclusion to himself. The arch of her eyebrows told him he’d better learn to phrase his orders with a bit more finesse where Paige was concerned. “I mean, surely you won’t need them with the new lock.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
What he wanted to say in addition would not have helped the situation so he kept his mouth shut. Since her truck had not been returned, he pointed to the spot where his was parked beneath a clump of cottonwoods. “You can put Max in the front seat as long as he sits by the door.”
“That means I’d be stuck in the middle again?” She made a face.
“If you don’t like that idea, then make him stay on the floor the way I did when we rode with Daniel,” Cade said, a little put out by the clear implication that she didn’t want to sit in the middle, close to him, when it hadn’t seemed to bother her to do so before.
Watching her flounce around to the passenger side of the pickup and reach for the door handle, he hesitated. Normally, he’d have circled the truck and politely held the door for her. Considering the prickly mood she was in, however, he decided it was wiser to stay where he was.
Standing next to the cottonwoods, Paige began to jerk on the door handle. “It won’t open. I told you it was too damaged.”
“Then come back around and get in on this side. There’s nothing wrong with this door,” Cade said.
He saw her pause. Look down. Apparently tug on the leash as she urged, “Come on, Max. What’s the matter with you?”
That was enough to set off Cade’s internal warning system. He peered at her over the hood of the truck. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. He’s…”
Suddenly, Paige tilted as if she were off-balance. She gasped and leaned to one side, screeching, “No! Let go!”
Cade’s heart leaped. Though he didn’t see any antagonist, he was nevertheless racing to her rescue in a split second. One boot sole slipped on the pavement. He had his gun drawn by the time he rounded the front bumper and saw Paige clearly. She was seated on the ground. The leash was wrapped around her ankles. “The dog tripped you?”
“No!” Shouting, she pointed. “Look! That guy just stole my bag.”
Cade saw two problems. One, there was no way he dared shoot within the confines of the state complex. And two, the culprit was already clear across the parking lot and still running.
He reluctantly holstered his sidearm and reached for Paige. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
She arose without help and dusted dry leaf litter off her jeans. “No. I’m fine.” She scowled at Cade. “Why would anybody want to steal my clothes?”
“I don’t think it was your clothes they were after. I think they may have thought you were taking work home with you.”
“Like the skull? Well, they’re going to be really disappointed,” she replied with a grimace. “All they got were a few T-shirts and my jammies. I didn’t even remember to pack the sketch I made of my prowler. It’s still sitting at home on my kitchen table.”
“Don’t worry. You can always draw another picture. We’ll go shopping and buy you some new clothes after you’re settled at the motel, too.” He ushered her around to the driver’s side and opened the door. “Get in and let’s roll.”
“What’s your hurry?”
Although he could tell she was far more concerned than she appeared, he chose to speak plainly. “Because that guy may not be working alone. The less time you spend out in the open, the harder it will be for anyone else to get at you.”
“I thought you were going to protect me.”
“Yeah.” Cade would have gladly kicked himself if he’d been double-jointed enough to do it. “And if this is the best I can do, it looks like you’d be better off with somebody else.”
To his surprise and chagrin she stuck up for him. “Don’t be silly. I don’t want anyone else. I want you.”
He was just about to figuratively pat himself on the back when Paige added, “Besides, one Texas Ranger underfoot every second of every day is about all I can stand.”
TEN
Cade had officially reported the theft of Paige’s overnight bag, then kept in touch by phone and radio to follow the investigation on their way to the motel. Since the thief had left behind no clues other than a vague description, there was nothing anyone could do except check the surveillance cameras around the complex and see if the techs could come up with a plate number for his getaway vehicle. If they could, it might prove to be important—especially if it happened to be attached to a black, dented SUV.
r /> “What now?” Paige was standing in the middle of her modest motel room and eyeing the open door.
“Dinner and shopping. You need clothes, remember?”
To his chagrin she stood firm, shook her head and crossed her arms. “I hate to shop.”
Eyeing her from head to toe, Cade smiled. “Then how are you going to replace your stolen stuff?”
The teasing, amused expression she displayed in reply was telling. His eyes narrowed. “Oh, no, you don’t. I am not going into a store and buying women’s clothes for you.”
“Why not? I thought Rangers were fearless.”
Cade could tell she was enjoying his discomfiture far too much. “I’d rather face a gang of armed cattle rustlers than be seen shopping for a woman.”
“Chicken.”
He thought seriously of teasing her back by making a clucking noise, then decided it would be best not to encourage her. She seemed able to come up with plenty of quips without his help and the more seriously she took their situation, the better.
“I don’t see any feathers on me,” Cade replied, still so concerned for her that it tied his gut in a knot. He reached for her hand and clasped it gently. “Look. I know this whole business is tough on you. I wish it weren’t. But there’s nothing I can do to change what’s happening except keep a close eye on you and trust God to take care of the rest.”
Paige rolled her eyes and made a silly face. “Don’t mind me. I tend to find humor in even the most dire situations. That helps me cope with the difficulties I meet every day in my job. I really am taking your warnings to heart.”
“You must have been the biggest joker in class when you were a kid.”
As he watched, her gaze darkened and a somberness flowed over her that was unlike anything he’d ever seen her display. Gone was any trace of a smile. The depth of her emotion was unfathomable. Instead of speaking, she merely shook her head and pulled her hand from his grasp, then picked up Max’s leash and headed for the door.
“Paige? What is it? What did I say wrong?”
“Nothing,” she replied flatly. “Let’s go get this over with.”
As Cade followed her to his truck, he stayed on full alert while also mulling over her reaction to his innocent mention of her childhood. That had to be the key to her personality quirks, he reasoned. Once he learned what she’d gone through in her youth he should be able to understand what made her tick. And then he’d be able to anticipate what she might or might not do in a difficult situation.
Tonight, after he got her settled and locked safely away in her room, he’d research her past as he’d intended in the first place. Anything he found out would be of less importance than the effect it was having on her as an adult. Whatever the problem had been, at least he’d have an idea how to keep from putting his boot in his mouth again.
And maybe, just maybe, he’d also be able to help her overcome the immense sadness he’d just witnessed. Above all, Cade wanted to lift that unspoken burden.
Why do you care so much? he asked himself. There was no satisfactory answer. At least not one he was willing to accept. The fact that Paige Bryant’s well-being had become so important to him in such a short time was disquieting enough.
Time dragged by for Paige. She’d never much cared for shopping, and being forced to replace her clothing on the spur of the moment was anything but pleasant. Nevertheless, she picked out a few basics and hurried outside, finding Cade and Max stationed beside the door to the small dress shop in the strip mall, waiting like two oddly matched sentries.
He squared his broad shoulders the moment he spied her. “Did you get everything?”
“Enough to make do,” she replied. “I keep a hairbrush and lipstick in my purse so all I’ll need is a toothbrush and I’ll be fine.”
“We can get one of those from the motel office,” he said, taking her arm and starting to hustle her back to his truck. “Come on.”
She twisted free. “Slow down, cowboy. What’s the rush? Did you see someone else who looked suspicious or are you always this pushy?”
“Both,” Cade answered. “It’s getting so I imagine villains in every shadow.”
Falling into step beside him, Paige added, “Or behind every tree?” She was instantly sorry she’d chided him because the look on his face became so poignant it was almost heartrending. He really did care. And she shouldn’t have made a joke about his efforts.
“Sorry,” she said with a lopsided grin. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I was just kidding around. Remember? I’m a real funny lady.”
“Yeah, I know.” As they approached the truck he hit a remote button that unlocked the doors, then helped her into the truck with her packages.
Paige did her best to scoot across the seat and get Max out of his way as Cade slid behind the wheel. As soon as he started the engine she asked, “Could we pick up a pizza to eat back at the motel?”
“Sounds fine to me,” Cade said. “You’re right about keeping a low profile. The less you’re out in public, the better. It might even be a good idea to skip church on Sunday.”
“No problem. I seldom go to church, even when nobody’s trying to scare me to death.”
“Really? Why?”
“It’s a long story,” she said with a sigh.
“I’ve got all evening.”
She could tell by his quizzical expression that he was expecting her to explain. No way was that going to happen. Not now. Not ever.
Forcing herself to smile she looked over at him and said sweetly, “Nobody has enough time or patience to listen to my long, boring life story. Believe me, you don’t want to get me started.”
“Okay. Have it your way.”
If I could have it my way, Paige thought, I’d know what had happened to my sister all those years ago.
She simply said, “Thanks,” instead of what was really on her mind. She sighed and closed her eyes for the space of a few heartbeats, picturing her long-lost sister and feeling the weight of that one, terrible mistake bearing down upon her.
A solitary tear spilled out and slid down her cheek. Paige averted her face and swiped away the telltale drop. What was wrong with her? Why were her emotions so close to the surface of late? Was it the fear? The tension?
No, she decided. She might be overtired but she’d been that way before and it hadn’t made her weep, nor had it caused her to keep recalling Amy.
A flash of insight nearly took Paige’s breath away. She stared at Cade. He made the difference. For the first time in many years she was with someone in whom she yearned to confide. What a shock. And what a surprise, although certainly not a welcome one.
She’d been doing just fine without opening up to anybody—except Max—and he was a safe confidant only because he couldn’t talk, couldn’t offer the sympathy she knew she didn’t deserve.
That was her basic problem, Paige realized. Cade was not only a Ranger, he was a member of their unsolved crimes unit. If he ever learned about her sister’s case he would be highly likely to want to look into the kidnapping, and there were others who were far more deserving than she was.
I must be crazy, Paige told herself. All this time, she’d believed she was hoping for a breakthrough, yet now that she was facing that possibility, she was terrified. Why?
Because I know Amy must be dead, she answered truthfully for the first time since childhood. That realization tore at her heart as if someone had actually stabbed her. She crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly, hoping she could maintain the stolid self-control that had gotten her through in the past.
What she wanted to do was fall into Cade’s arms again, the way she had when he’d rescued her from the side of the highway. Instead, she averted her face so the Ranger wouldn’t suspect she was silently weeping.
It didn’t take Cade long to access the UCIT cold-case files once he was alone in his room with his laptop. To his chagrin, he didn’t find anything listed that mentioned a Paige Bryant. That meant he’d have to dig d
eeper, perhaps beyond the most recent years. His instincts told him she was hiding something. All he had to do was figure out what.
If the event—or events—concerning Paige had been newsworthy and had occurred in this part of Texas, there was one man who might remember. His father, Jacob. And once he had a lead, it would be easier for Cade to track down pertinent details.
Taking a chance, he phoned the former Trooper. “Hi, Dad. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Naw. I was just watchin’ one of those cop shows that always make me mad ’cause they get the procedures all wrong. How are you?”
“Fine. I’m still on that case in Austin I told you about. Everything okay at the ranch?”
“Fine. What’s goin’ on, son?”
“I’ll fill you in when we get together for Thanksgiving, if not before. In the meantime, I was wondering if you could give me a little help? Does the name Paige Bryant ring a bell?”
“Isn’t she that artist that reconstructs faces?”
“Yes. I don’t mean what she does now, I mean in the past. I thought maybe…”
“Bryant, Bryant. Hmm. I do seem to recall a couple of little girls by that name. One of ’em went missing back when I was still a green Trooper. Sad case. We never did find a single lead to the whereabouts of that child.”
“About how long ago was that?”
“You were in junior high or high school, I think.”
Cade’s brow furrowed. “I think I do remember something about that case. You were pretty upset at the time.”
“Yeah. Cute little thing she was. Only I don’t think her sister was named Paige. Could be wrong about that. It’s been a long time.”
“Okay. Thanks. If you remember anything else, give me a call, okay?”
“Sure, son. Take care of yourself, now.”
“I will.”
Bidding his father goodbye, Cade began typing on his laptop. Not all the files from past cases had been entered into the active database so it was possible he’d have to find original paperwork if he hoped to learn more than whatever turned up in an internet search.
There was one other thing he could do first, he decided, entering his name and password to try to gain access to basic Ranger personnel files. Although unable to see every detail, in a few minutes he’d found what he was looking for. Paige was her middle name rather than her first. Dropping a name wasn’t that unusual, yet it did tend to indicate that she didn’t want to be readily identified by the casual observer.
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