by Barb Han
The guy had been in a hurry. So, he’d bolted out the backdoor and cut east. Adam followed the trail. Prudence seemed to catch on when she joined him.
At the chain-link fence where the perp jumped over, metal glinted in the sunlight.
Prudence must have seen it around the same time because she made a beeline in the direction Adam was about to head. She dropped down and then came right back up with a cell phone in her hand.
“This is mine,” she said, pressing her thumb onto the pad to bring the device to life.
It was too late to remind her the sheriff might have been able to lift a print and he couldn’t blame her for going for it. He’d caught it himself too late to warn her.
“Is there anything out of the ordinary?” he asked as she studied the screen.
“No, but this makes me think they have my purse as well as access to my car.” She issued a sharp sigh.
“Your wallet would have ID in it. Your address would be easy enough to lift from there,” he said, grateful she was talking to him again.
“Did you find something?” Lawler came out the backdoor.
“Her cell,” Adam supplied.
“Nothing looks off. I have security on my phone, so I doubt they got anything from it,” she said.
“Most folks know we can track a cell phone down nowadays,” Lawler said.
“Common knowledge,” Adam agreed. “So, the perp was trying to bring law enforcement to Prudence’s house? Why would they do that?”
Lawler studied the back door for a long moment. His gaze unfocused, like he went inside his head to find an answer or recall information. Maybe he was trying to put himself inside the perp’s head.
He walked to the door and then did an about-face. He jogged over to the side of the house, mimicked seeing the two of them rounding the corner. Then, he raced over to the fence and faked a jump. He reached for the top of the fence and the cell tumbled out of his hand.
“Could have been an accident that he lost her phone,” Lawler said after careful consideration.
“In the heat of the moment, the perp could have realized he dropped it but knew there was no time to hop back over the fence to retrieve it,” Adam added.
“Could be.” Prudence, who had been quiet up until then, made the same walk as Lawler. “Or, he could have ditched the phone because he realized we would be onto him now.”
“Yep,” Lawler confirmed. “That is certainly the next possibility I was going to focus on.”
“Either way, it’s still not safe for you to stay here tonight.” Adam wasn’t sure why he felt the need to remind her. “The offer to come to the main house still stands.”
Whether he was ready to admit it or not, he needed her in so many more ways than one.
12
Time was getting away from Prudence. Angel would need another bottle soon and Adam needed time to get home, which was a solid hour drive from her place.
“I appreciate the offer. I’ll have to think about it,” she said. She hadn’t made up her mind about going back with him just yet.
“Where else would you go?” It looked like Adam took a physical blow at hearing her words.
“There are plenty of places. In fact, there’s a motel up next to the highway. Nothing wrong with going there for a few days until this whole mess gets sorted out.” She looked to the sheriff. “Unless you need me to come to your office for questioning or something?”
The last part of her sentence was her asking if she was going to be under arrest.
“I don’t see a reason for you to be uncomfortable at my office,” he said. “If I need to get ahold of you, I have your cell now.”
“What if the perp put some kind of tracking app on the cell?” Adam asked.
“It’s possible,” the sheriff stated. “Not likely since he tossed it in the yard. If he’d left it inside where she could easily see it, I might think otherwise.”
Prudence stared at her phone with the same fear she would if she was staring at a bomb about to detonate. Icy fingers gripped her spine at the possibility someone could have planted an app on her phone and then ditched it in hopes she’d find it.
“You both said it was common knowledge that cell phones could be tracked,” she said. “Leaving it on my table would be an even bigger giveaway.”
Lawler nodded.
“If that’s the case, I’d be more comfortable if it led them straight to you.” She handed over the phone to the sheriff. “It occurs to me that without ID or a wallet, renting a room for a couple of nights will be impossible. So, if I can’t say here, I might as well come back to the ranch.”
The thought of being in the truck with Adam for a solid hour with no one else to talk to suddenly felt like a prison sentence.
“I better get to work patching up your back door,” Adam said.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Lawler said. “I better get the tests turned into evidence.”
Adam nodded, his expression unreadable as he handed over the baby to Prudence. “Do you have any supplies?”
“Hmm, good question. I don’t have a garage to store anything in but I do have a hammer and nails,” she said, not quite ready to warm up to him again. Once they got to the main house, rules could be set. It would take both of them to care for Angel. They could set a schedule. Take opposite feeding times while the other one slept. They barely had to be in the same room, except to make a handoff.
Besides, Prudence couldn’t imagine walking away from Angel while the little girl’s future was up in the air. She would do anything for that baby, even put up with Adam.
“I probably have something in the back of the truck to work with,” he mumbled before heading toward his vehicle.
Apparently, he did. He returned with a board and a handful of supplies.
“This won’t take but a minute,” he said, going right to work.
The sheriff was long gone by that point. Adam would find out if he was a father in a matter of days when most folks had nine months to adjust to this kind of life-changing news to get ready for baby. He had a way with Angel. Prudence didn’t want to use the word natural, but it was the closest that came to mind to describe seeing him feed and hold the baby. Angel had been swabbed too. She was too little to realize the implications if she came back a match to Adam’s ex.
Again, her heart went out to the family. No matter what else happened, a woman had died.
Prudence made a mental note of everything she wanted to take with her. Definitely, her laptop. She didn’t exactly need it, but she didn’t want the perp returning and stealing it or busting it up. She walked through the bedroom, bouncing Angel and humming. Prudence couldn’t remember the words to any lullabies but she knew the melodies.
A memory of her own mother singing to her at night before turning off the light struck. The sound was so sweet, it nearly brought Prudence to tears when she thought about it. Not sad tears, but tears of remembering. She’d forgotten so much about her parents and this was one of many buried memories.
Holding this sweetie in her arms reminded her what it was like to have a mother. Warmth washed over Prudence.
The stairs creaked but she didn’t stop humming. Angel was awake, listening intently, like she was hearing a familiar sound. Did your mother sing to you too?
“I can take her whenever you’re ready.” Adam’s masculine voice washed over Prudence. Not a good idea to have him inside her bedroom while she was still mad at him. The few sizzling-hot kisses they’d shared came to mind, causing a slow burn. Lucky for her, holding a baby quashed all thoughts of anything romantic happening between them.
“Okay,” was all she managed to say through the crick in her throat. Her voice cracked on the one word.
She turned to face him and noted how his heft filled the doorframe as he leaned against the doorjamb. The man was sex on a stick gorgeous. Too bad he didn’t trust her.
Actually, it was probably for the best when she thought about it as she walked over to him and then handed A
ngel over. She immediately turned her back and stepped away. Being close to that man was like standing in the sun. She pulled a travel suitcase out from underneath her bed and started packing.
“Did you decide on your next step?” Adam asked, his voice husky.
Prudence took a moment to consider her options. Going to the main house on the ranch really was the best option.
“I didn’t mean to…” He stopped when his voice cracked. He cleared his throat before continuing, “I was a jerk earlier and that wasn’t fair to you. I’m a work-in-progress on my anger and I never meant to direct it at you.”
The sincerity in his voice touched her, but she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook.
She spun around to face him and then leaned back on the bed.
“You either trust me or you don’t,” she said. “It’s that simple.”
“I trust you,” he said without hesitation.
“Good, Adam. Because it hurt when you questioned me,” she stated. “I realize I can’t explain everything and there might be something else that comes up along with the investigation that is a shock. I may not know what happened for those three days I was taking that medication, but I do know that I would never hurt another human being, not intentionally.”
“I believe you,” he said like it was plain as the nose on his face.
“What changed your mind?” She needed to know the answer.
“I’ve seen you with Angel. There’s no reason for you to take care of her. By all accounts, you don’t want children of your own. At least, not at this point in your life. You could have handed her over and walked away. It wouldn’t have made you heartless to get on with your life. But you didn’t. You somehow ended up on our land, looking for me. The look of determination to protect that little girl at all costs is extraordinary, Prudence.” He glanced down at Angel and then his gaze found hers. “You have no ties to a child you’d give your life for. It takes a special person to be willing to put herself in harm’s way for another human being, especially one so helpless.”
Her heart stirred at hearing his words, but she couldn’t allow herself to go there with him. Clearly, he had the power to shatter her. So, she would keep a healthy emotional distance while she made sure Angel was well cared for until her father was found or Libby’s family members came forward.
“Thank you for the kind words,” she said with a small smile. “We should probably head out of here if we’re going to make it the main house before she’s ready for another feeding.”
Shame, she thought about her growing feelings for Adam. He was the first person in a very long time she had a real connection with…one that would set the tone for future expectations. And that bar was high.
Adam said his piece and meant it. The wall he felt come up between them hurt like hell, but he deserved it.
Her handwriting might be a match to the note found in the blanket, but what did it mean exactly? He was beginning to set aside his anger and think logically again. There could be a number of explanations, not the least of which was that she’d written his name down so she wouldn’t forget it.
Once they got to his place, he’d see if he could find a picture of Libby to share. He’d deleted them after she hurt him. There might be one somewhere if he searched hard enough. Maybe seeing her face would jar Prudence’s memory. The two of them together was a strange thought at best. Stranger coincidences had happened.
He also thought about Libby’s family. Why wouldn’t they know she was pregnant? Why would Libby keep a grandchild from them? A relationship with him was one thing and had been a red flag, to be honest. He’d been too love-sick to take it seriously at the time but it had hit his radar.
Unlike with Prudence where there were question marks but no red flags.
There was no use dwelling on it, though. He’d nipped that in bud before it could get off the ground with his attitude earlier. A wall had come up so high in between them there’d be no tearing it down.
Shame, he thought.
Now, that Libby’s family knew she’d had a kid, would they come after Angel? He tightened his arms around the little girl who was staring up at him with the most innocent pair of eyes. To be able to look at the world like that again, through the eyes of a child.
“Ready?” Prudence stood five feet away from him with her overnight bag in hand.
He’d been too lost in thought to notice.
With the back window boarded up, there wasn’t much else to do at Prudence’s house. “We need to stop off and pick up a few supplies.”
“I noticed she’s getting low on diapers and formula,” Prudence agreed as she led them downstairs. “I’ll just use the spare key to lock up.”
She retrieved it along with her laptop before heading to the truck and helping secure Angel in the car seat.
They were back on the road a solid ten minutes before either of them spoke a word.
“If Libby withheld Angel from her parents, she must’ve had a good reason,” he finally said. One he intended to figure out.
“You never met them?” Shock widened her eyes when she glanced over at him.
He immediately returned his gaze to the road. “No.”
“Oh,” was all she said by way of response. Then came, “Doesn’t seem like she was close to her family if she didn’t introduce them to a man she almost married.”
“Anytime the subject of her folks came up, she got quiet. I assumed she had her reasons and would tell me once we got engaged. Normally, that’s the time when families get involved, if not during the dating process,” he said.
“I always assumed Firebrands were close-knit,” she admitted.
“Some of us are. Between eight brothers and nine cousins there’s always a fight going on and plenty of others to connect with. I’m probably closest to my brother Brax, who you already met.”
“Which one of you is the oldest?” she asked.
“Me, on my side of the family. My cousin Kellan on the other side. He’s older than me by six months, but you’d think he had ten years on me by the way he thinks he’s in charge,” Adam admitted with a little more ire than intended. His anger management was a work in progress and thinking about his cousin fired him up. “I’ve been cutting him slack since his divorce, but our grandfather’s property division might stir the pot.”
Prudence sat there, looking out the window for the rest of the hour and fifteen-minute drive home. She stayed in the truck with Angel during the stop off.
Being in a vehicle knocked the kiddo out. Good to know, he thought, figuring he would need to keep tabs on all the tricks should she turn out to be his child. He needed as much in his arsenal as he could find because there’d come a time when Prudence would walk out and go back to her normal life and he’d be left to care for his child on his own.
Whoa there, Firebrand. Way to get ahead of the situation.
One hour at a time was how he would take things from now on. Trying to look ahead would make his head explode. He didn’t need to get used to the idea that Angel might be his. There was no reason to get attached and then set himself up for disappointment if paternity proved otherwise.
He pulled up to the main house and saw Brax’s truck parked out front.
Adam parked next to his brother. He moved around the front of the truck too slow to open the door for Prudence, which he considered common courtesy.
“I have an idea,” she said, snapping the car seat from its base, effectively turning it into a carrier. “We won’t have to constantly hold her and she might be more comfortable napping in here.”
Prudence had a point. The child’s whole world had been turned upside-down. He had no idea if she had an inkling of what was going on around her, but his heart broke at the only thing they knew for certain; her mother was dead.
“Hey.” Brax met the trio at the door. He immediately offered to take Prudence’s bag.
“Thank you,” she said.
Adam liked the fact his favorite brother got along with Pruden
ce. There seemed to be a mutual kinship between them that tugged at his heartstrings. Not that he needed to go down that road with Prudence, where she got along with his family.
After bags were set down and the baby was secured on a chair wedging it against the table for security purposes, Brax motioned for Adam and Prudence to move to the island. Each took a seat as Brax paced on the opposite side.
“What’s going on?” Adam asked, figuring this had to have something to do with the Marshall.
“He did it.” Brax raked a hand through his hair. “He split the ranch from the mineral rights.”
The news was the equivalent of a hot poker against Adam’s chest. The worst was most definitely yet to come and the family might never recover.
“All hell is about to break loose,” Adam agreed.
13
“Why is that such a bad thing?” Prudence’s question caught Adam off guard. He assumed it was common knowledge to everyone who lived around cattle ranches. But why would everyone know?
“Our father and uncle were given the wrong names,” Brax said under his breath. “They should have been called Cain and Abel.”
Adam would laugh if it wasn’t true. Prudence nodded.
“Do you know who got what?” Adam’s worst fear would be losing the cattle ranch to his uncle and cousins. They’d boot him off the land just to spite him even though his uncle didn’t care two cents about cattle or ranching. He was only in the family business for the money.
“Dad got the cattle and the land,” Brax stated.
“Which means they got the mineral rights,” Adam deduced. He turned to Prudence, very aware of the chemistry pinging between them while sitting so close, and explained, “The reason this is gas on a fire is that our uncle can’t drill without the land owner’s permission. And the real money in a ranch is with mineral rights.”
