Rancher Rescue (3 page)

She rambled a little. Not many women could hold it together under this much duress. Her strength radiated a flicker of light in the darkest shadows of Caleb. Places buried long ago, which were best left alone.

“Let’s go over the description then,” Coleman suggested.

“Black hair. Big brown eyes. Three and a half feet tall. About forty pounds. He’s beautiful. Round face. Full cheeks. Curly hair. Features of an angel.”

“And the men who took him?” he pressed.

“One of them had gray eyes and a jagged scar from the left side of his lip. He had a dark tan.”

“How big was the scar?”

“Not more than a couple of inches. It was in the shape of a crescent moon.” She sobbed, but quickly straightened her shoulders and shook it off.

The sheriff glanced away, giving her a moment of space. Caleb dropped his gaze to the floor, respecting her tenacity even more.

“He mentioned the name Kane. He said ‘Kane wouldn’t like it.’”

“We’ll run the name against the database.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not much to go on. My nephew is alone. Sick. Scared. If he gets too upset, he could have an attack. Without his inhaler or medication, he won’t be able to breathe.”

Silence sat in the air for a beat.

Coleman cleared his throat. If Caleb didn’t know any better, he’d say the sheriff had moisture in his eyes. In this small town, they didn’t deal with a lot of violent crime.

“We’ll do everything we can to bring him back to you safe and sound. That’s a promise,” Coleman said.

“Thank you.”

“What’s Noah’s last name?”

“Foster.”

“You said you haven’t had a chance to clean out his mother’s place. Where’s that?”

“Austin.”

“That where you’re from?”

She shook her head. “I live in Dallas.”

Caleb could’ve told the sheriff that. She had a polished, city look. The jeweled sandals on her feet were one of the most impractical shoes she could wear to the country aside from spiked heels.

“When’s his birthday?”

“March. The seventeenth.”

Caleb looked at her. He could see the tension in her face muscles and the stress threatening to crack, but to her credit, she kept her composure. Probably needed to be strong more than she needed air. Caleb knew the feeling for reasons he didn’t want to talk about, either.

He’d known she was different from any other woman he’d met when he’d showed up to help her and she’d thanked him with a makeshift knife to his ribs. Hell, he respected her for it now that he knew the circumstances. She’d probably believed he was working with whoever had taken Noah and that he’d showed up to finish the job. She’d bucked up for a fight.

When she pushed herself up, it took everything in him not to close the distance between them and pull her into his arms for comfort. No one should have to go through this alone.

If Katherine Harper wanted to do this her way, he wouldn’t block her path.

The sheriff asked a few more routine-sounding questions, listening intently to her answers. “You fight with anyone lately? A boyfriend?”

Caleb tried not to look as though he cared about the answer to that question. He had no right to care.

Katherine looked down. “Nope. No boyfriend.”

“What about other family?”

“None. My parents died during my freshman year of college.”

He didn’t want to think about what that would do to a person.

Coleman asked a few more questions about family. Katherine looked uncomfortable answering.

“I’ll notify my men to keep an eye out for your belongings. What were you doing out here with your nephew?”

“I wanted to take his mind off things. Get him out of the city. We planned our trip all day yesterday. He’d never seen a pumpkin patch. He loved the open space. I didn’t think much about letting him run around. We’ve been in my small apartment all week. Didn’t look to be anything or anyone else around for miles. He followed a duck out to the tree line. When I went over to take pictures, two men came from nowhere and snatched us. I panicked. Couldn’t believe what was happening. I remember thinking, ‘This can’t be.’ I fought back. That’s when I ended up tangled in the barbed wire and they took off. If only I hadn’t been so stubborn. If I hadn’t fought.”

“Don’t blame yourself for this,” Coleman said quickly.

“They told me if I came any closer or called the police, they’d kill him.”

The sheriff nodded, but Caleb caught a flash behind Coleman’s eyes. Caleb made a mental note to ask about that when they were alone.

“Ever see them before or hear their voices?” Coleman’s gaze was trained on his notepad as he scribbled.

“No. Nothing about them was familiar. They asked for a file, but I don’t have the first clue what they were talking about. Wondered if they’d confused us with someone else.”

Katherine continued, “I don’t remember tossing my purse or jacket, but I must’ve ditched them both somewhere along the way. Noah needs his medicine.”

“We’ll check between here and the Reynolds’ place.” The sheriff glanced at his watch. “Should have another half hour of daylight to work with.”

“My car’s still over there. Can’t move it until I find my keys.” She made a move to stand.

Caleb took a step toward her. The real estate between them disappeared in two strides. “You’re too weak. Matt can get your car as soon as we find your purse. For now, I’ll give the Reynolds a call. Make sure they don’t have it towed.”

Caleb phoned his neighbor and gave a quick rundown of the situation. He asked if anyone had reported anything or found a purse.

They hadn’t.

Caleb finished the call solemnly. There wasn’t much to go on, and time ticked away.

“I feel like I should be doing something besides sitting here,” Katherine said to the sheriff.

“Best thing you can do is wait it out. Let my men do their work. I’ll put out an AMBER Alert.” Sheriff Coleman shook her hand and then walked to the door. “In the meantime, sit tight right here in case I have more questions. Let me know if anything else suspicious happens or you remember anything that might be important.”

If Caleb heard things right, he’d just picked up a houseguest. Couldn’t say he was especially disappointed. “You’ll call as soon as you hear anything, right?”

“You bet.”

Caleb thanked the sheriff and walked him out the door.

Outside, Caleb folded his arms. “What do you think?”

Coleman scanned his notes. He rocked back on his heels. “Not sure. Kids are most often taken by a family member. Don’t see many kidnappings. Especially not out here.”

“Doesn’t sound good.”

The sheriff dropped his gaze for a second and shook his head.

“What are the chances of finding him alive?”

“The odds are better if he was taken by a relative. Doesn’t sound like the case here.” Coleman broke eye contact. “That’s a whole different ball game.”

The words were a sucker punch to Caleb’s chest.

“I’d appreciate hearing any news or leads you come across firsthand.” Last thing Caleb wanted was for Katherine to learn what had happened to her nephew over the internet or on the news.

“Of course. There’s always the possibility he got away and will turn up here. The first twenty-four hours are the most critical.”

The thought of a little boy wandering around lost and alone in the dark woods clenched Caleb’s gut. “Why’d they threaten to kill him if she called the police?”

“They probably want to keep this quiet. To scare her. Who knows? She’s not a celebrity or politician. Why would someone target her? We need to find her phone. In the meantime, have her make a list of enemies. Ask her if she’s gotten into a fight with anyone lately. Could someone have a problem with her or her sister? Without her cell, we don’t know if anyone’s trying to contact her to make demands.”

Caleb shook Coleman’s hand before he got in his cruiser and pulled away.

He stood on the porch for a long moment, looking out at the landscape that had kept him from getting too restless for years. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. This was home. And yet, an uneasy feeling crept over him.

Chapter Three

Matt’s black pickup roared down the drive. Caleb walked to meet his foreman. “Find anything?”

“There’s nothing around for miles. Whoever did this got away fast.”

The whole scenario seemed calculated, ruling out the slight possibility this was a case of mistaken identity. “You checked with the McGraths?”

Matt nodded. “They haven’t seen or heard anything all day. Gave us the okay to search their property and barn. I sent Jimmy and Greg over to the Reynolds’, too. Not a trace. No one saw anything, either. There’s nothing but her word to go on.” Worry showed in the tight muscles of his face. “I gotta ask. You think it’s possible she could be making this up?”

Caleb ground his back teeth. “This is real. She has the bumps and bruises to prove it.”

“It was a crappy question but needed to be asked. There’s no trail to follow. No other signs she’s telling the truth. Could the marks be from something else?”

“You didn’t see her. The terror in her eyes. The blood. I had to cut her free from the fencing. Dig barbs out of her leg.”

“Stay with me for a minute. I’m just sayin’. Where’s the proof she even has a nephew? How do we know all the mechanical stuff upstairs is oiled and the cranks are working with her?”

The point was valid. If he hadn’t been the one to find her, he might wonder if she was crazy, too. But he had been the one. Her tortured expression might haunt him for the rest of his life. She’d faced the hell in front of her with her chin up. He didn’t doubt her. “I hear you and I understand your concerns. I do. But you’re off base.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I just know.”

Matt cocked one eyebrow. “Okay...how?”

“Call it gut instinct.”

“Then I’ll take your word for it. I’ll give her a ride wherever she wants to go.” He took a step toward the house.

“Sheriff wants her to stick around.”

Matt hesitated. His doubt about the situation was written all over his face. To his credit, he seemed to know when to hold his tongue. He turned toward the barn. “Be careful. You have a tendency to get too involved with creatures that need saving. I’ll check on the boys out back.”

It would be dark before too long. The sun, a bright orange glow on the horizon, was retreating. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”

As soon as Caleb walked inside, Katherine hit him with the first question.

“What did the sheriff say?” She stroked the little yellow tabby who had made herself at home in her lap.

“How’d you manage that?” He inclined his chin toward the kitty.

She shrugged. “She hopped on the couch and curled up. She’s a sweet girl. Why?”

“Claws has been afraid of people ever since I brought her into the house.”

“How’d she lose her leg?”

“Found her like that when I was riding fences one day. She was in pretty bad shape. Vet fixed her up, and she’s been my little shadow ever since. Scratched the heck out of Matt the first time he picked her up. Usually hides when I have company.”

Claws purred as Katherine scratched under her chin. “Can’t imagine who would hurt such a sweet girl.” She paused, and then locked gazes. “You were going to tell me what the sheriff said.”

“That he’d contact me if they found anything. Do you remember what else you were doing before the men showed up?”

“We’d bought a jar of local honey. We were picking out pumpkins to take home with us.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s it. That’s all I remember.”

Caleb moved to the side table and picked up the empty soup bowl. “You drink coffee?”

“Yes.”

“Give me five minutes. In the meantime, sheriff wants a list of names. Anyone who might’ve been out to hurt your sister. Or you.”

He put down the bowl, took a pen and paper from a side table drawer and placed it next to her before moving into the kitchen.

She was making scribbles on the sheet of paper when he returned and handed her a cup. “Wasn’t sure how you took yours.”

“Black is fine.” She gripped the mug. “What’s next? How long does the sheriff expect me to sit here and do nothing?”

“Waiting’s hard. Believe me, everything that can be done is happening. The authorities have all their resources on this. My men are filling the gaps. It’s best to stay put until the sheriff calls. Give yourself a chance to heal. How’s your leg?”

“Better. Thank you.”

His bandage job looked to be holding. “What was the last thing you remembered before Noah was...” Damn. He hated saying the word
taken
out loud.

“I don’t know. After the pumpkins, we were going on a hayride. I’d gone over to tell him. He was playing with the really big ones on the edge of the patch. Near the woods. I took pictures of him climbing on them. If we can find my phone, I can supply the sheriff with a recent photo.”

“Think you might have captured the guys on your camera?”

“It’s possible.”

“I’ll notify the sheriff.”

Caleb phoned Coleman and provided an update. The hunt for her belongings intensified. They might find answers. At the very least, Matt would believe her if she could produce a picture of her nephew. Why did that seem so important?

“Think they saw you snapping shots?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Did Noah scream?”

“They covered his mouth at the same time they grabbed him around the waist. Didn’t bother once we got out of range.” Sadness, desperation, fear played out across her features. “Please tell me we’ll find him. I don’t know what they want. If I can’t produce a file, I’m afraid they’ll take it out on him.”

Caleb moved from his spot on the love seat to the couch and draped an arm around her. “We won’t allow it. We’ll figure it out.”

“I wish I’d been thinking more clearly. I panicked. Dropped everything. If I had those pics now, we might have a direction.”

Five raps on the door—Matt’s signature knock—came before the door sprang open. His foreman rushed in holding a black purse.

Claws darted under the sofa.

Katherine strained to push off the couch. “You found it.”

“The boys did.” Matt’s gaze moved from Caleb to Katherine. His brow furrowed and a muscle along his jaw twitched.

“Any luck with my phone?”

“This is all we got before we ran out of daylight. All the men in the county are involved. A few want to keep going. The rest will pick up the search tomorrow.”

Matt handed the bag to Katherine. She immediately dumped out the contents, palming Noah’s pill bottle and inhaler.

“Did you let Coleman know?” Caleb asked.

Matt nodded. “Sure did. There’s something else you should know. Thanks to that little bit of rain we got the other day, one of the boys located four-wheeler tracks on the McGrath farm on the other side of the fence near where you said you found her.”

Matt couldn’t deny she’d told the truth now.

Katherine was already digging around the large tote, tossing snack bags and juice boxes onto the sofa. “It all happened so fast. I can’t even remember where I put my phone. I just remember taking photographs one minute, then the world spinning out of control the next. I wouldn’t even believe any of this myself if it hadn’t happened to me. I keep feeling like all of this is some kind of bad dream, and I’ll wake up any second to find everything back to normal. Noah will be here with me. My sister will be alive.”

As if shaking off the heavy thoughts, Katherine jammed her hand back inside her bag. Blood soaked through one section of the gauze on her leg.

“If you won’t let me take you to the hospital, you’ll have to listen to what I say. We have to keep this elevated.” Caleb curled his fingers around her calf and lifted, watching for any signs he hurt her. Based on her grimace, her darkening eyes, she was winning the fight against the pain. When the shock and adrenaline wore off later, she’d be in for it. He didn’t like the idea of her being home alone in Dallas when it happened.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m not thinking clearly. This whole ordeal has me scattered. Waiting it out will drive me insane.”

Caleb didn’t even want to think about the possibility of not finding her nephew.

Big violet eyes stared at him. “It’s gone. I must’ve still been holding it. They have no way to contact me. What if they’ve called already? What if they’ve...”

“Sleep here tonight.” Caleb ignored Matt’s sharp intake of breath. He hadn’t planned to make the offer. It just came out.

* * *

“I’
D
GET
IN
your way. Besides, you have plenty to do to keep busy without me underfoot,” Katherine argued without conviction.

“If you stay here, I’ll be able to keep an eye on your leg and get some work done.”

Going back to her one-bedroom apartment was about as appealing as sleeping alone in a cave. Her keys were in her purse, but she doubted she could drive. Even though Noah had only been there a week, she couldn’t face going home without him. Staying at the ranch, being this near Caleb, provided a measure of strength and comfort.

His warm brown eyes darkened. “I can have Margaret turn down the bed in the guest room. Doesn’t make sense for you to go anywhere.”

“I don’t want to be rude. I just...”

Frustration, exhaustion was taking hold. It had been three long hours since the ordeal began.

“No reason to leave. This is best place to be for now.”

Caleb seemed the type of guy who took care of anyone and everyone he came across. Cowboy code or something. Still, she didn’t want to abuse his goodwill. “Thank you for everything you’ve done so far, but—”

“It’s no trouble.”

Matt ran the toe of his boot along the floor. “Think they’ll call her house?”

“I saw no need for a landline.”

The cowboy sat on the edge of the coffee table. “Then it’s settled. You stay. Agreed?”

“For tonight.”

Matt quickly excused himself and disappeared down the hall. What was that all about?

The cowboy followed.

Her heart gave a little skip at the satisfied smile on his face. She refocused on the sheet of paper. Who would want something from Leann? What file could she possibly have? A manila folder? Computer file?

Why on earth would they think Katherine had it? If they knew Leann at all, they’d realize she could keep a secret. The last thing she would do was confide in her sister.

Maybe a trip to Austin would help? She could start with Leann’s computer.

She rubbed her temples to ease the pounding between her eyes. Other than playing with the pumpkins, had Noah spoken to anyone? Had she?

There had to have been at least a dozen other people around. Were any of them in on it? A chill raced up her spine.

Caleb reappeared, holding a crutch. “I should take another look at that ankle before you put any weight on it.”

“I just remembered something. There was a man talking to me while I was in line to buy tickets for the hayride.”

His rich brown eyes lifted to meet hers and her heart faltered.

“He could’ve been there to distract you.”

Panic at reliving the memory gripped her. She buried her face in her hands. “I’m so scared. What will they do to him?”

He cupped her chin, lifting her face until her eyes met his. “You can’t think like that.”

“He has to be terrified. He’s so vulnerable and alone. I’m praying they haven’t hurt him. He’s been through so much already. I was supposed to take care of him. Protect him. Keep him safe.”

“If he’s half as strong as his aunt, he’ll be all right.” She could tell by his set jaw he meant it.

She almost laughed out loud. Little did he know how weak and miserable she felt, and her heart was fluttering with him so close, which could not be more inappropriate under the circumstances. “I promised on my sister’s grave I would look after him. Look what I did.”

The weight of those words sat heavier than a block of granite. Panic squeezed her chest. Her breath labored.

Brown eyes, rich, the color of newly turned fall leaves, set in an almost overwhelmingly attractive face stared at her. Before she could protest, his hand guided her face toward his shoulder.

“Don’t blame yourself,” he soothed. “Talk like that won’t bring him back.” His voice was a low rumble.

This close she could breathe in his scent. He smelled of fresh air and outdoors, masculine and virile. His mouth was so close to hers she could feel his cinnamon-scented breath on her skin.

She’d felt so alone, so guilty, and then suddenly this handsome cowboy was offering comfort.

Caleb pulled away too soon. Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact a room could be charged with so much tension in less than a second, and in the next she could feel so guilty for allowing herself to get caught up in it.

The sounds of boots scuffling across tiles came from the other room. He inclined his chin toward the kitchen. “Sounds like we have company.”

He stood and held out his hand.

By the time Katherine limped into the kitchen with Caleb’s help, the table was filled with men. As soon as they saw her, chatter stopped and they stood. There were half a dozen cowboys surrounding the table.

“Ma’am.” Matt tipped his hat.

She smiled, nodded.

Caleb led her to the sink to wash her hands and blot her face with a cool, wet towel.

“Take my seat,” he said, urging her toward the head of the table.

Matt leaned forward, staring, lips pinched together.

As soon as she thanked the cowboy and sat, conversation resumed.

He handed her a plate of ribs and beans. She smiled up at him to show her gratitude.

He brought her fresh iced tea before making his own fixings and seating himself at the breakfast bar.

She looked down the table at the few guys. These must be the boys he’d referred to earlier.

Yep, he took care of everyone around him, including her.

* * *

W
HEN
DINNER
WAS
over, Caleb excused himself and moved to the back porch. Remnants of Katherine’s unique smell, a mix of spring flowers and vanilla, filled his senses when he was anywhere near her. He had to detach and analyze the situation. He needed a clear head. He could think outside.