Camouflage Cowboy

by Jan Hambright

  Nolan raked his hand over his head a couple of times, before looking up at them. “You’re right.” He nodded several times in agreement, but Nick could see that he was upset.

  “You’ll have to excuse me for a moment.” Nolan left the conference room and seconds later they heard his office door close in the outer loft.

  Wade cut loose a low whistle. “What was that about?”

  “Don’t know,” Nick said, “but he wasn’t happy when he got home from D.C. last time. Claims it’s too cold.”

  A hush fell on the group as each man considered the myriad of reasons for Nolan’s odd reaction.

  “I’m going to head down to the station, see if Sheriff Hale has gotten anything usable out of the kid yet.” Nick stood up. “I’ll give you a call if there’s anything we can use.” He headed out of the conference room, determined to find something, anything that would point them in the right direction. But dead ends were the most likely scenario if history repeated itself where Wes Bradley was concerned.

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single thing he could do about it.

  Nick walked through the main entrance and hustled down the stairs to the lower level of the building, wondering how Grace’s meeting with Lila Lockhart had gone. He would most likely see her tomorrow at the community Thanksgiving luncheon, since he’d promised Lindsay Kemp he’d attend.

  In the section of the structure that housed a massive garage, he couldn’t help but glance up at Bart’s extra van parked in the far corner. Bellows was a bit of a mystery, but he’d always been good to his team.

  Jumping into his pickup, he fired the engine and triggered the main exit door.

  If he were Wes Bradley, why in the hell would he kidnap Bart Bellows? Nick ruminated on the question as he shifted into Drive and pulled around, heading toward the exit. Bellows’s past was ancient history; it was hard to find a grudge in the files they’d poured over.

  He and the governor appeared to have been friends for half a century. Maybe he’d been taken to try to collect a ransom from her sizable fortune. He nixed that idea, since Bart could outspend her by a hundred to one.

  Turning the wheel, he pulled through the overhead door and slowly rolled out onto the gravel driveway.

  If they could isolate a motive, they could dial in on a suspect.

  Nick felt his pickup come off its wheels half a second before he heard the explosion.

  A fireball was the last thing he saw rolling over the hood of the truck.

  GRACE’S CELL PHONE rang just as she finished buckling Caleb into his car seat for their short trip to Holy Cross. Tuesdays and Saturdays were his treatment days, and she was counting the minutes until the transfusions were no longer necessary. Until Lila gave him the gift of a new life.

  “Hello?”

  “Grace?”

  “Stacy. Hi. How are you?”

  “I’m fine, but I just got off the phone with Harlan. There’s been an explosion outside CSaI headquarters.”

  She sucked in a quick breath as a sense of worry settled over her. “Is everyone all right?”

  The pause was telling. “Stacy? Is everyone okay?”

  “Nick hit an IED with his pickup, Grace. They’re taking him to Holy Cross right now—”

  Grace closed her phone, climbed behind the wheel and sped off for the hospital.

  “HOW MANY FINGERS am I holding up?”

  Nick tried to focus as the fuzzy image blurred then came together in front of his face.

  “Three.”

  “You’ve sustained a mild concussion, Mr. Cavanaugh. It should heal on its own, but you’ll need to take it easy for the next week or so, and I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.”

  He thumped the soft cast on his left arm that went from his elbow to his wrist. “How long do I need to wear this thing? Eight weeks?”

  “Maybe longer. We’ll reassess it in the morning after the swelling goes down, then put it in a solid cast.” The E.R. doctor stepped toward the privacy curtain. “You’ve got visitors. I’ll send them in.”

  “Thanks.” Nick leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes. Who knew he’d hit a blasted IED on U.S. soil instead of in Iraq? It had destroyed his pickup—he loved that truck—but at least it hadn’t destroyed him, thanks to the quick thinking of his CSaI brothers upstairs. They’d pulled him out to safety before the entire rig went up in flames.

  Opening his eyes, he focused on Caleb and his double as he lifted the curtain and ducked under.

  “Hey, bud.”

  “Mister Nick, you are hurt.” Caleb came up to the side of the bed and brushed his tiny hand over the cast on Nick’s arm. “Are you gonna be okay?”

  “You know it.” Blinking hard, he pulled Caleb into focus, and watched Grace slide the curtain aside and step in to join them.

  “Hey, soldier.” She eased onto the foot of the bed, reached out and rubbed her hand on his lower leg. A warm sensation spread though his body like quicksilver.

  “Nice gown,” she said. “But I don’t like the way you got it.”

  “Yeah, I can think of better things to wear, or not.”

  Their gazes met and Grace wet her lips. Maybe it was the IV pain meds dripping into his system, but he suddenly felt goofy all over.

  “Caleb has his transfusion in ten minutes. I’m so thankful you’re okay. Get some rest.”

  “I’d like that.” He studied her, wishing he could reach out and trace the side of her face with his fingertips, but he was getting sleepier with each passing second. He closed his eyes for a minute, but when he opened them again, she was gone.

  Unconsciousness was bliss, Nick decided as he stared at his team members gathered at the foot of his hospital bed.

  “You did it, buddy. You caught us the break we needed. We just scanned the security-camera footage from outside the main garage door, and caught an image of the guy burying the IED in the driveway,” Nolan said. “He matched Wes Bradley in build, and better yet, we got a brief shot of the vehicle he jumped into, a full-size pickup with a topper. The kid who crashed Bart’s van remembered seeing a similar vehicle near where he met with the man, and he described him as having the same build, even thought he spoke to him wearing a ski mask.”

  “We got the vehicle description to Sheriff Hale. He issued a statewide APB. If Bradley is still in Texas, we’re going to find him, and Bart,” Wade added.

  Nick’s head throbbed. He glanced at the window to try to gauge the time of day, then closed his eyes.

  “Get some rest, Nick. You deserve it after what just happened. We’ll be back in the morning to pick you up.” Nolan’s voice blitzed through his mind, then peace descended around him as the room cleared, leaving him to dream about the woman he so desperately wanted to hold right now.

  “I NEED A BROKEN ARM, so I can have that much pumpkin pie,” Matteo joked as he stared across the table at Nick.

  Grace laughed as she looked at the gathering of CSaI men and their loved ones around the large table on the edge of the community-center floor, where Freedom’s townsfolk enjoyed a Thanksgiving luncheon organized by Lindsay Kemp, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, hot rolls and plenty of pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

  “Great job, Faith,” Stacy said as she forked another piece of Faith’s pumpkin pie and put it in her mouth.

  “Grace helped me with most of it.”

  “Um, I rolled the crust.” She glanced over at Nick, who sat on her left.

  “Every little bit helps,” Lindsay said as she bobbed her gaze between Grace and Nick, as if she were trying to figure out just how they fit together in the relationship department.

  Grace glanced over and caught Bailey staring at her with a sweet smile on her face.

  They shared a secret the entire state of Texas would know about in a few days, when Governor Lockhart went before the cameras to tell her story. They were friends and half sisters; Grace couldn’t be happier…unless…

&nb
sp; “How’s the cleanup going at Cradles to Crayons?” she asked Bailey.

  “Good, now that the ATF has finished sifting through the remains of the storm-cellar stairs. I’ve got a crew set to replace the windows starting on Monday, then another one goes to work on the inside around the first of December. We should be able to reopen by the first of the year.”

  “Great news.”

  “You will be coming back to teach, won’t you?”

  Grace nodded. “Of course. I’ll be there.”

  “Good, because we miss you. I miss you.”

  “Thanks.” She almost said “sister,” but clamped down on the word before it could escape.

  Nolan Law began tapping his butter knife on his glass and got everyone’s attention, including the children at the kids’ table right next to theirs. He picked up his glass of juice and raised it.

  “I’d like to propose a toast of gratitude to each and every one of you, and tell you how thankful I am to know you, to work with you and to have you as my brothers. To Corps Security and Investigations, and to the safe return of our mentor, Bart.”

  Everyone raised their glass. “Cheers.”

  The toast was made, and Grace couldn’t help but notice each man’s mood. She couldn’t blame them for being down. Their boss was missing. The heart of their organization. And the circumstances couldn’t be grimmer.

  “So, how are you feeling, Nick?” Faith asked from her seat at the table directly across from them, where she gently rocked baby Kaleigh in her arms.

  “Not too bad. They put a permanent cast on this morning, and I occasionally see double, but it’s clearing up. I’ll be 110 percent in a week.”

  “That’s good news.”

  Nick’s cell phone vibrated in his shirt pocket. Anxious, he pulled it out with his right hand and stared at the number. “Sheriff Hale,” he announced to the team members as he pushed back his chair and headed for a quiet corner in the community center.

  “Cavanaugh,” he answered.

  “I heard about the IED you hit, son. I sent for the ATF to look into it, along with the bombing at Cradles to Crayons. Turns out they found some of the same components at both scenes.”

  Nick digested the information. “Any news on the truck he was driving?”

  “Negative. We’ve advanced the APB into neighboring states.”

  “Thanks, Sheriff. You ought to consider getting down here to the community center before the food’s all gone.”

  “Thank you. I just might do that. Bye now.” Hale hung up and Nick closed his phone single-handed and slipped it into his pocket.

  “Any news?” Nolan asked from behind him.

  Nick turned around and found the rest of the team there, as well. “Nothing on the vehicle, but Hale extended the APB into the surrounding states. He also called in the ATF on both of the bombs, and found out they’re linked by components.”

  “Damn,” Wade said, “this guy’s one crazy SOB.”

  “All we can do is stay alert.” Nolan added. “Protect our loved ones.”

  Nick watched Grace come to her feet, pick up her purse, loop it over her shoulder and retrieve Caleb from the kid’s table.

  “I’ve gotta run, but keep me posted if anything else comes up.”

  “You do the same,” Nolan said.

  “Hey, Nick, wait up.” Parker charged after him.

  “Tell Grace the governor has scheduled the press conference for the day after Thanksgiving, at the Twin Harts Ranch, 11:00 a.m. You might want to bring her out and look after her. It’s going to be chaotic for her and Caleb once the press sets their sights on them.”

  “Copy that, buddy. Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nick took off to catch Grace, making it to her and Caleb just before she unlocked her car.

  “Grace.”

  “Yes.” She turned to look up at him.

  “I need to talk to you. Can I follow you back to the condo?”

  She hesitated, then seemed to relent. “Yeah.”

  Reaching down, he stroked the top of Caleb’s head, then headed for the Tahoe, his ride until he bought a new pickup.

  Grace adjusted her rearview mirror and focused on Nick behind her. Her heart was beating fast, her nerves were frayed, and she was bubbling inside like an excited schoolgirl who’d just been asked out by the best-looking boy on campus.

  She loved Nick with every cell in her body, and she planned to tell him this afternoon.

  Nick glanced around the condo, taking in the taste of its new flavor. Grace had put a couple pictures on one wall in the living room, and decorative pillows on the sofa. There were even a couple family photos sitting on the shelf above the TV.

  It had a homey feel to it now, as if she were living there for the very first time.

  “Coffee’s on,” she said from the kitchen.

  He broke off staring at the pictures he was certain were of her adoptive parents and headed for the bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room. “I like what you’ve done in here.”

  “Me, too. It was about time I settled in, put down roots, if you can do that in a rental.”

  The sound of Caleb making his horse whinny at the top of his lungs from inside his bedroom caused them both to chuckle.

  “I’ve got to help him work on that,” Nick whispered as he moved closer to her. “I’ve got to work on a lot of things that are important to me.”

  She stared up at him and swallowed. Her eyes were bright in the overhead lighting, and he could almost feel anticipation and promise in the air around them.

  “I realize you’re still upset that I withheld information, but I’d do it again out of a sense of duty. You have to understand that I was caught between a rock and a hard place. My duties at CSaI had to come first…and then I met you and Caleb.” Emotion squeezed his throat closed when he thought about the little boy who’d stolen his heart, right along with his beautiful mother.

  “Come back to me, Grace. I’m a better man when you’re in my life.”

  “Yes,” she whispered, stepping forward to press her hand against his cheek. “You’re all about honor, and doing what’s right, Nick, and I love you.”

  Reaching out with his good arm, he cupped her chin in his fingers and raised her mouth to his.

  Contact. Sweet, mind-blowing contact enhanced by the emotional bond that had just been verbally established between them. It anchored him to the spot and made the kiss that much sweeter, but he couldn’t deny the fire that licked through his body as he released her chin and wrapped his arm around her. He pulled her as close as he could while he explored her willing mouth.

  An intake of breath, followed by the sound of Caleb’s boot soles on the floor next to them, broke the kiss.

  They both turned to look down at him and the funny way he puckered his lips into a perfect O shape.

  “Kissing,” he said. “Zachary-G told me ’bout that. He said his mom is kissing Mister Harlan all the time.”

  “Did he now.” Nick sobered and tried to look serious, even though he could feel Grace quaking with silent laughter. “I’m thinking you’re going to have to get used to seeing it, Caleb, because your mom and I, well, we like each other. A lot,” he added, watching Caleb wrinkle his face up as he thought about it for a moment.

  “Okay.” A huge grin spread on Caleb’s face, and he hopped a couple of times before turning and heading into the hallway. “Baby. Baby. Baby. Baby. Baby.” The words drifted off as he skipped through the doorway of his bedroom.

  “I guess you haven’t heard.” Grace looked up at him. “Stacy Giordano is expecting. Mister Harlan is going to be a daddy. Zachary is going to get a baby brother or sister next year.”

  “How great is that,” he whispered, looking at her. “Harlan McClain joins the Daddy Corps ranks for a second round. I’ll have to congratulate him the next time I see him.”

  “Yes, you will.” Grace took Nick’s right hand and pulled
him into the living room, where they sat down on the couch facing each other.

  “How’d it go with the governor the other day at the hospital?” he asked, curious to know if her expectations had been met, if she’d managed to cut through the wall of resistance that was Lila Lockhart.

  “We talked for hours. She wanted to know everything about me, about my childhood and my adult life.”

  “Everything?”

  “If you mean my past in Montana, I told her about that, too. She didn’t bat an eye. Said right is right, and there’s nothing that can stand in the way of the truth. She’s going to make a fabulous president.”

  Nick reached out and brushed his hand along her arm. “Come home with me, Grace. You and Caleb, today, right now. I don’t want to spend another night without you.”

  “I can’t. Not yet. Not until the coming firestorm settles.”

  “Parker says Lila has scheduled the press conference for the day after tomorrow, 11:00 a.m. at the Twin Harts Ranch. He advised me to drive you out there and provide protection.”

  “Is that really necessary?”

  “I think so. They want to control the news cycle. It’s a huge story, with the potential to derail her presidential bid. They’re going to put the best spin on it they can, but the press can be aggressive.”

  “Now Caleb and I are just a news story?”

  He saw a look of hurt invade her blue eyes, and he squeezed her hand. “Lila cares about you, Grace. Don’t forget that fact when she puts her political face on.”

  “I’ll try not to.”

  Nick’s cell phone went off in his shirt pocket. He fingered it out with one hand and Grace helped him flip it open.

  “Hello.”

  “Nick?”

  “Oh, hey, Nolan, what’s up?” He pushed forward on the couch, feeling the first charge of concern jolt through him.

  “I just got a call from Sheriff Hale. The APB produced a hit on an abandoned vehicle an officer flagged, ten miles west of the Oklahoma state line.”

  Nick held his breath, praying that they’d found Bart, as well, injured but alive. “Did they find him?” He felt Grace’s hand brush against his back in a gesture of support, and closed his eyes for a moment.