The Last McCullen

by Rita Herron

  Her eyes brightened. “Love I could give him. I knew he was meant to be mine. I needed him and he needed me.”

  “He’s lucky to have you,” Tia said.

  Bonnie nodded. “I named him after my father, David. He was a good man.”

  “It’s a lovely name,” Tia said. “I’m sure your father would be happy.”

  “What was the lawyer’s name?” Ryder asked.

  “He’s a reputable attorney,” Bonnie said defensively.

  Ryder arched a brow. “His name?”

  “Why do you want to know?” She clutched the baby tighter. “Did you talk to my husband? If you did, he probably told you I was crazy, that I was obsessed with having another child. And I was, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be a good mother to this little guy.”

  “I’m not questioning that,” Ryder said. “But I’d like to talk to the lawyer just in case whoever abducted Tia’s baby might have done so to sell him.”

  “Sell him?” Bonnie gasped. “My God. It’s not like I bought him off a black market. What kind of person do you think I am?”

  “It’s no reflection on you, Bonnie,” Ryder said. “But in a missing child case, I have to consider every possible theory.”

  Tia wanted to reassure her everything would be all right. But if, by chance, she had adopted a child obtained illegally, that adoption would be illegal and the courts would intervene.

  That scary realization must have occurred to Bonnie.

  “You can’t take him,” Bonnie said. “I can’t lose him, too.”

  Tia stepped closer to calm her. “We’re not going to do that, Bonnie. We just need the name of that lawyer.”

  Her expression wilted, and she closed her eyes for a second as if in a silent debate. When she opened them, she clenched her jaw. “His name is Frank Frost. His office is in Cheyenne.”

  “Frost,” Tia said. “Thank you, Bonnie. We’ll let you go and rest.” She stroked the back of the baby’s head. “You sleep tight, sweetie. Bonnie loves you and will take good care of you.”

  Ryder glanced at Tia. “Let’s go.”

  Anxiety tightened her shoulders as she followed him outside. “Ryder, what’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” Ryder said as he climbed in the front seat.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw as they pulled away.

  “Are you keeping something from me?” Tia asked.

  Emotions glittered in Ryder’s eyes, but he quickly masked them. “No.”

  “Yes, you are,” Tia said earnestly. “You promised not to lie to me, Ryder. If you heard something about Jordie—”

  “I didn’t,” he said, his wide jaw hard with anger. “But I recognize that name Frost.”

  Tia pulled the baby quilt into her lap and twisted her hands in the soft fabric. “What about him?”

  Ryder heaved a weary breath. “I was adopted myself. I’ve always known it, but recently I learned who my birth family was—is. I have a twin brother, Tia. We were kidnapped as babies and our parents were told we were dead.”

  A cold chill swept over Tia. “You were kidnapped?”

  He nodded. “My twin brother has reconnected with our birth family. He came to see me the other day.”

  “Oh, my God.” Tia laid a hand on his shoulder, aching to comfort him for a change. “That must have been a shock.”

  “It was.” He hesitated, then cleared his throat. “The lawyer who handled my adoption was named Frost.”

  Tia froze. “You think it was the same man?”

  “No, his name was William. But they could be related.”

  “Are you suggesting the lawyer knew that you and your brother were stolen?”

  Ryder shrugged, but his look indicated he did.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Another thought occurred to Ryder as he drove toward Cheyenne.

  If Frost had intentionally been an accomplice in the kidnapping and selling of babies—him and Cash—was that the first instance?

  How many more had there been since?

  He’d have to talk to the McCullens—see if they’d looked into the lawyer. But the thought of meeting his brothers made his gut clench.

  He wasn’t ready for that. Not with the memory of those letters fresh in his mind.

  Worse, now he’d divulged his secrets to Tia. She’d grown silent, obviously contemplating the implications of his statement.

  He spotted a barbecue restaurant and pulled into it. “Let’s get a quick lunch. I need to call Gwen.”

  Tia nodded, worry radiating from her features as they made their way inside. They grabbed a booth and ordered, then he stepped outside to phone Gwen.

  “I checked into Kelly Ripples’s story,” Gwen said. “She’s telling the truth. She’s been in the hospital three times over the past year with injuries consistent with spousal abuse. A neighbor reported a domestic at her place six weeks ago. Found a pregnant Kelly on the floor bloody and bruised.”

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “Yeah, he’s a bad one. Good for her for getting away from him.”

  “We just have to keep him away,” Ryder said. It was a damn shame women needed help to escape the men who supposedly loved them. But better for the child to not have a father than have one who hit him.

  “I have someone else I want you to run a background check on. A lawyer named Frank Frost. He has a practice in Cheyenne. Also look for info on William Frost.”

  “What are you looking for?”

  Ryder explained his personal situation, including the history behind his own adoption, brushing over Gwen’s murmur of sympathy. “The woman in the video, Bonnie Cone, used Frank Frost for legal services in a recent adoption. I need to know if that was legitimate, if adoptions are his specialty, if there have been any complaints against him—”

  “I got it. I’ll get back to you ASAP.”

  He thanked her, then hung up and started inside. A breeze blew in, stirring dust. A ranch in the distance reminded him of the McCullens and Horseshoe Creek.

  He had to put aside his feelings and talk to the McCullens. See if they had insight on either of the Frost men. If Maddox had investigated him, it could save Ryder time.

  Stomach knotted, he punched Cash’s number.

  “Ryder?”

  “Yeah,” Ryder said. “I read the letters.”

  A tense moment stretched between them. “They wanted us.”

  “I know that now.”

  “You want to come by Horseshoe Creek and talk?”

  Did he? “Sometime. But I’m mired in this kidnapping case right now. Actually, that’s the reason I called.”

  “What do you need?”

  An odd feeling tightened his chest. He’d always worked alone. Been a loner all his life.

  Now he had brothers.

  Cash had offered to help, no questions asked.

  “I need to know if you or any of the McCullens know anything about a lawyer named William Frost.”

  A heartbeat passed. “Frost?”

  “Yeah. He’s the lawyer who handled my adoption. I wondered if he was in on our kidnapping.”

  Cash’s breathing echoed over the line. “I’ll talk to Maddox and Ray and call you back.”

  Ryder thanked him and disconnected. He had to get back to Tia. She was anxious for news.

  He wished to hell he had some.

  * * *

  TIA TRIED TO eat her pulled pork sandwich, but she could barely swallow the food. Her stomach was churning.

  Ryder had been kidnapped as a baby. Her son had also.

  And now that Ryder knew the truth, it was too late for him and his birth parents to reconcile.

  What if that happened to her and Jordie? Was she doomed to a life where she searched t
he crowd everywhere she went, hoping to see a child that was her son? As the years went on and he changed, would she even recognize him?

  She sipped her tea to wash down the sandwich. “I’ve been thinking.” She set her tea glass on the table. “If this lawyer is involved in something illegal, he’s not going to just come out and tell us.”

  Ryder’s jaw tightened. “No. I’ll need a warrant for his records.”

  “That’s not easy,” Tia said. “Not with adoption or medical records.”

  “Gwen’s seeing what she can dig up, and I called Cash to see if the McCullens know anything about Frost. They’re both going to get back to me.”

  He dug into his sandwich, and Tia toyed with an idea in her head. “You’re planning to talk to Frank Frost?”

  Ryder nodded as he chewed. “I’m hoping to find out something to use as leverage to persuade him to talk.”

  “I have an idea.” Tia tapped her nails on the table. “Why don’t we pose as a couple wanting to adopt a baby?”

  Ryder scrubbed a hand through his hair. “That’s not a bad idea, Tia, but you were on TV. He’ll recognize you.”

  Tia’s pulse jumped. She hadn’t thought of that. “Wait a minute,” she said, her mind spinning. “I’ll wear a disguise.”

  He took another bite of his sandwich and wiped his mouth with the gingham napkin. “I don’t know. He might see through it.”

  Tia’s mouth twitched. “Trust me, Ryder. I’ve done this before.” At his perplexed look, she continued, “I mean, for other women.”

  Ryder studied her as he finished his meal. “I don’t need to know details,” he said.

  Because he sensed what she’d done might have crossed the lines with the law. It had a few times. But sometimes the law failed.

  “All right. But I think it could work.”

  Ryder ordered a cup of coffee and pie. “It’s worth a shot, although if he recognizes you and realizes what we’re doing, it could be dangerous.”

  “I don’t care,” Tia said. “I don’t want Jordie to be lost to me forever like you were to your parents.”

  Her comment hit home and brought pain to his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I—”

  “You’re just speaking the truth,” Ryder said. “I admire that, Tia. I’ve been lied to enough in my life.”

  Tia laid her hand over his and stroked it. “What do you mean?”

  He glanced at their hands, and she expected him to pull away. But he didn’t. He turned his hand over beneath hers and curled his big fingers around hers.

  “My father is dead, but I talked to my mom. She claims she didn’t know I was kidnapped, but she and Dad knew I was a twin. They didn’t take my brother because he was sickly.” His tone turned gravelly with anguish. “Cash was never adopted. He bounced from one foster home to another and had a rough life.”

  Tia had heard similar stories.

  “That’s sad,” Tia said. “Is he all right now?”

  Ryder nodded, his frown softening. “He’s connected with the McCullens and is married. He even adopted two kids.”

  Tia rubbed his palm. “That’s a great ending to the story. He used what happened to make him stronger and to give back to needy children.”

  “But he could have grown up with me, had a decent upbringing—”

  “You feel guilty that you got the better deal,” Tia said, sensing guilt beneath the surface of his words.

  His troubled gaze lifted to hers, and he gave a quick nod.

  “It’s not your fault,” Tia rushed to assure him. “You were an innocent kid, a baby when you were taken. You didn’t know about him.”

  “Not until this week.” Resentment deepened his tone.

  Tia’s heart ached for him. “You’re angry at your mother because she didn’t tell you about him.”

  He nodded again. “How could she keep that from me?”

  A tense silence stretched between them.

  “I don’t know, Ryder,” Tia said honestly. “It was obviously a complicated situation. Maybe she was trying to protect you.”

  “Protect me from what?” Ryder barked. “From knowing I had a sibling?” He shook his head. “No. She was protecting herself and Dad,” Ryder said. “She said they didn’t have enough money to raise both of us.”

  “Was that true?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. But they claimed they paid to get me. That the McCullens sold me. That’s what I thought until Cash showed up and told me the truth.”

  “I don’t completely understand, Ryder,” Tia said softly. “But they must have loved you, so give it some time.”

  He didn’t look convinced, but the waitress appeared and he left cash to pay the bill. His phone buzzed just as she walked away.

  Ryder glanced at the number then back at Tia. “It’s Cash. I need to take this.”

  Tia decided to stop in the ladies’ room while he answered the call. Her emotions were all jumbled. Hearing Ryder’s story reminded her that Jordie was in someone else’s arms now.

  And that she had to get him back. She couldn’t spend a lifetime wondering where he was and if he was safe.

  * * *

  RYDER INHALED THE fresh air as he stepped outside. He shouldn’t have confided his story to Tia. But when she’d taken his hand and looked at him with those tender, compassionate eyes, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

  His phone buzzed again. He pressed Connect. He had to get his head back in the case. “Cash?”

  “Yeah. I spoke with Maddox. When he and Ray were trying to find us, they learned we were left at a church. The name Frost did come up. He was a lawyer in Sagebrush, but he died ten years ago.”

  “Did he have a son?”

  “Yeah, his son is about our age. He took over his father’s practice.” Cash paused. “Maddox questioned him about us, but he said he had no clue. Adoption records were private and sealed.”

  “I’ll work on obtaining warrants,” Ryder said. “Tia and I are going to question Frank Frost this afternoon.”

  “Keep us posted,” Cash said.

  “I will.” When this case was settled, he’d meet his other brothers, too.

  He ended the call, then phoned Gwen. “I need you to work on obtaining warrants for a lawyer named Frank Frost and for his files. Also, see if you can get one for his deceased father’s case files.”

  “That’ll take time.”

  “I think Frank Frost may be involved in the Jeffries baby kidnapping.”

  “Any evidence to support it?”

  “That’s why I need the warrants.” A double-edged sword. Judges were hesitant to force situations without probable cause.

  “Bonnie Cone said Frost handled her baby’s adoption. Since the name Frost surfaced regarding my adoption, I think there’s a connection.”

  “I’ll get on it ASAP.”

  He explained about his plan with Tia, and Gwen agreed to rush to set up a profile for the couple, complete with a background, bank information and accounts, and job history along with a cell phone he could use in dealing with the lawyer, one that couldn’t be traced back to him if Frost looked. “I had Elle contact Frost’s office for an appointment,” Tia told him. “They emailed paperwork for us to fill out, so I’ll do that before we go. I’m going to say that we’ve tried in vitro fertilization and it’s failed several times.”

  “Good idea,” Ryder said.

  “Let’s stop by Crossroads,” Tia said. “I have clothes there to create a disguise.”

  He agreed and they drove to the center. When they arrived, Tia and Elle filled out the paperwork from Frost’s office and faxed it to them, then she disappeared into a back room while Ryder checked in with the security officer he’d asked to watch the place, an ex-military guy named Blake Bowman.

 
“Any problems?” Ryder asked.

  Bowman shook his head. “No.” He lowered his voice. “The people here are something else. They’re doing good work.”

  All thanks to Tia and her generosity.

  Elle joined them, her body language exuding anxiety. “Any word about Jordie?”

  “We may be on to something,” he said. “How is Kelly?”

  “She’s settled in and seems willing to accept our help.”

  “Good.”

  Elle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You are going to find Jordie, aren’t you, Agent Banks?” She glanced toward the door. “Tia doesn’t deserve this.”

  “I’m doing everything possible.”

  The door opened, and a woman with curly blond hair, bright green eyes and wearing a Western skirt appeared. She was almost as tall as Ryder, with big bosoms, and wore a wrist brace on one arm.

  “What do you think?”

  Ryder’s eyes widened at the sound of Tia’s voice.

  He hadn’t recognized her at all.

  Hopefully Frost wouldn’t, either.

  “I didn’t know it was you,” he said gruffly.

  She smiled. “I told you I could pull it off.” She offered him a long Duster coat, hat and glasses to disguise himself, then they hurried to his SUV.

  “Let me take the lead when we see Frost,” he said.

  She slipped something from her pocket and opened her palm to him.

  Two simple gold wedding bands lay in her palm. “If we’re going to inquire about adoption, we have to pose as a married couple.”

  Ryder considered balking, but she was right.

  Still, for a single man who liked being alone, it felt odd as hell when he slid that wedding band on his third finger.

  Chapter Twenty

  Tia and Ryder practiced their story on the way to the lawyer’s office.

  Thankfully Gwen was on top of things, and Frost’s personal assistant had already emailed that they had been approved and everything was in order.

  Tia adjusted her wig as they parked in front of Frost’s office.