Stockyard Snatching (3 page)

So far, she’d dealt with office staff, even though she’d been told that the O’Briens personally visited every one of the charities they supported.

She hadn’t expected Dallas O’Brien to be this intense, down-to-earth or staggeringly handsome. Not that she could think of a good reason why not. Maybe since he’d grown up with money she’d expected someone entitled or spoiled.

And yet now wasn’t the time to think about how off her perception had been or that her pulse kicked up a few notches when he was close. She chalked her adrenaline rush up to the morning’s events and closed the door on that topic.

Lack of sleep was beginning to distort her brain. No one had prepared her for the fact that she’d worry so much or rest so little once the baby arrived. No way would she admit defeat to her parents, either. They’d been clear about how much disdain they had for her decision to have a baby alone. Her mother had been mortified when she found out Kate was getting a divorce, so adopting a baby by herself was right up there on the list of ways she’d let her mother down.

Kate had expected her mom to come around once she met Jackson, but was still waiting for that day to happen.

This battle was hers to fight alone.

And none of that mattered when she held her little guy in her arms. No matter how tired she might be or how distanced she was from her family, she wouldn’t trade the world for the baby of her heart.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Allen asked, sounding surprisingly alert for five fifty in the morning. The phone must’ve startled him.

“I need your help. Can you open the kitchen for me?” she asked, trying to think up a reasonable excuse to sell him. Then she went with the tried-and-true. “Jackson kept me up all night again.”

“Oh, poor baby. And I’m talking about you,” Allen said with a laugh. He yawned, and she heard the sound clearly through the phone. “His days and nights still confused?”

“Yes, and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it,” she said, hating that she had to lie to cover what had really happened. Allen had been nothing but a good employee and friend, and she hated deception.

“No problem. I’ll throw on some clothes and head over,” he said.

“You’re a lifesaver, Allen.”

“Don’t I know it,” he quipped. There was a rustling noise as if he was tossing off his covers and getting out of bed.

“I’ll owe you big-time for this one,” Kate said.

“Good. Then get a babysitter for Friday night and let me take you out to dinner.” He didn’t miss a beat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Dallas’s jaw muscle clench. She couldn’t tell if his reaction was good or bad.

“I don’t know if I’ll be in today,” Kate said awkwardly. She quickly glanced at Dallas, realizing that she needed to redirect the conversation with Allen. “The Patsy family’s donation should hit the bank today. Would you mind watching for it and letting me know when it arrives?”

“Got it,” he said. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you changed the subject.”

“We’ve already gone over this, Allen. He’s too little to leave with a sitter,” Kate said quietly into the phone. Her cheeks heated as she talked about her lack of a life in front of a complete stranger, and especially one as good-looking as Dallas.

“That excuse doesn’t fly with me and you know it,” Allen said flatly.

Kate had no response.

“Fine. At least take me as your date to the Hackney party next weekend,” he offered.

“I’m skipping that one, too. Can we talk about it later? I’m too tired to think beyond today,” she said, then managed to end the call without any more embarrassing revelations about her life. The truth was her perspective had changed the instant Jackson had been placed in her arms. There was no man worth leaving her baby for, even for a night.

“Is he usually so…friendly?” Dallas asked.

“I stay out of my employees’ personal lives,” she said, hating the suspicion in Dallas’s voice. “There’s no way Allen would do anything to hurt me or Jackson.”

“I take it there’s no Mr. Williams to notify?” Dallas asked.

Clearly, he’d picked up on the fact that she was single. She’d listened intently for condemnation in his tone and was surprised she didn’t find a hint. She’d expected to and more after cashing out her interests in the tech company she and her brother had started together and moving to a small town. If her own family couldn’t get behind her choices, how could strangers?

“No. There isn’t. Is that a problem?” she asked a little too sharply. Missing sleep didn’t bring out the best in her, and she’d been only half lying about not sleeping last night due to Jackson’s schedule or lack thereof. At his age, he took a bottle every four hours, day and night.

“Not for me personally. The sheriff will want to know, and I’m taking notes to speed along the process once we go inside.” Dallas motioned toward the small notepad he’d taken out of his pocket.

“Oh. Right.” As soon as Jackson was old enough to take care of himself—like, age eighteen—Kate planned to stay in bed an entire weekend. Maybe then she’d think clearly again. Heck, give her a hotel and room service and she’d stay there a whole week.

“Where’s the father?” Dallas asked, still with no hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Out of the picture.”

There was a beat of silence. “Ready to go inside and talk?” he asked at last, his brow arched.

“Yes. I’ll just get Jackson from the backseat,” she said defensively. There was no reason to be on guard, she reminded herself. Besides, what would she care if a stranger judged her?

Dallas stood next to her, holding the car door open. She thanked him as she pulled Jackson close to her chest. Just the thought of anything happening to her son…

She couldn’t even go there.

“Can I help with the diaper bag?” Dallas held out his hand, still no hint of condemnation in his tone.

“You must have children.” Kate managed to ease it off her shoulder without disturbing the baby, who was thankfully asleep again. Her nerves were settling down enough for her hands to finally stop shaking.

“Not me,” he said, sounding a little defensive. What was that all about?

Kate figured the man’s family status was none of her business. She was just grateful that Jackson was still asleep.

Thank the stars for car rides. They were the only way she could get her son down for a nap some days. It probably didn’t hurt that he’d been awake most of the night. He’d been born with his days and nights mixed up.

Family man or not, Kate’s life would be very different right now if Dallas hadn’t been there. Tears threatened to release along with all the emotions she’d been holding in.

Or maybe it was the fact that she felt safe with Dallas, which was a curious thought given that he was a stranger.

This wasn’t the time or place to worry about either. Kate needed to pull on all the strength she had for Jackson. He needed his mother to keep it together.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, knowing that she wouldn’t be holding her baby right now if not for this man. “Not just for carrying a diaper bag, but for everything you did for us this morning.”

Dallas nodded. He was tall, easily more than six foot. Maybe six foot two? He had enough muscles for her to know he put in serious time at the gym or on the ranch owned by him and his family. His hair was blacker than the sky on any clear night she’d seen. There was an intensity to him, too, and she had no doubt the man was good at whatever he put his mind to.

She told herself that the only reason she noticed was because they’d been in danger and he’d just saved her son’s life.

* * *

D
ALLAS
WALKED
K
ATE
into the sheriff’s office and instructed her to take a seat anywhere she’d be comfortable.

Looking at the baby stirred up all kinds of feelings in him that he wasn’t ready to deal with. Not until he knew for sure one way or the other about his own parenthood status. Being in limbo was the absolute worst feeling, apart from knowing that he was in no way ready to be a father.

And yet a part of him wondered what it would be like to have a little rug rat running around the ranch. He chalked the feeling up to missing his parents. Losing them so unexpectedly had delivered a blow to the family and left a hole that couldn’t be filled. And then there was Dallas’s guilt over not being available to help them out when they’d called. He’d been halfway to New Mexico with an unexpected problem in one of his warehouses.

His gut twisted as he thought about it. If he’d turned around his truck and come back like they’d asked, they’d still be alive.

Dallas needed to redirect his thoughts or his guilt would consume him again. An update from his private investigator, Wayne Morton, was overdue. When Morton had last made contact, three days ago, he’d believed he was on a trail that might lead to Susan’s whereabouts. He’d been plenty busy at the ranch, trying to get his arms around the family business.

“Can I get anything for you or the baby?” Dallas asked Kate, needing a strong cup of coffee.

“Something warm would be nice,” she said, wedging the sleeping baby safely in a chair.

Dallas nodded before making his exit as she began peeling off her scarf and layers of outerwear.

A few minutes later he returned with two steaming cups of brew. He hesitated at the door once he got a good look at her, and his pulse thumped. Calling her five and a half feet tall earlier had been generous. The only reason she seemed that height was the heeled boots she wore. Without them, she’d be five foot three at the most. She had on fitted jeans that hugged her curves and a deep blue sweater that highlighted her eyes—eyes that would challenge even the perfect blue sky of a gorgeous spring day. Her shiny blond hair was pulled off her face into a ponytail.

“Wasn’t sure how you took yours, so I brought cream and sugar,” he said, setting both cups on the side table near where she stood. He emptied his coat pocket of cream and sugar packets, ignoring his rapid heartbeat.

She thanked him before mixing the condiments into her cup.

The baby moved as she sat down next to him and she immediately scooped him up and brought him to her chest.

The infant wound up for a good cry, unleashed one, and Kate’s stress levels appeared to hit the roof.

“He’s got a healthy set of lungs,” Dallas offered, trying to ease her tension.

“He’s probably hungry. Is there a place where I can warm a bottle?” she asked, distress written in the wrinkle across her forehead.

Abigail, Tommy’s secretary, appeared in the doorway before Dallas could answer. She’d been with the sheriff’s office long before Tommy arrived and had become invaluable to him in the five years since he’d taken the job. She threatened to retire every year, and every year he made an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I can take care of that for you,” she said. “Where’s the bottle?”

“In there,” Kate said, attempting to handle the baby and make a move for the diaper bag next to her. She couldn’t quite manage it and started to tear up as Abigail shooed her away, scooping the bag off the floor.

“Thank you,” Kate said, glancing from Abigail to Dallas.

“Don’t be silly.” The older woman just smiled. “You’ve been through a lot this morning.” She motioned toward Jackson. “It’ll get easier with him. The first few months are always the most difficult with a new baby.”

Dallas felt as out of place in the conversation as catfish bait in a tilapia pond. And then a thought struck him. If he was a father—and he wasn’t anywhere near ready to admit to the possibility just yet—he’d need to learn about diaper bags and 3:00 a.m. feedings. Kate’s employee had taken her up-all-night excuse far too easily, which meant it happened enough for her to be able to know using it wouldn’t be questioned.

Speaking of which, Allen seemed to know way too much about Kate’s personal life, which could mean that the office employees were close, and it was clear he wanted more than a professional relationship with her. The guy was a little too cozy with his boss and Dallas didn’t like it. She obviously refused his advances. A thought struck. Could that be enough for him to want to punish her by removing the only obstacle between them—her child?

He was probably reaching for a simple explanation. Even so, it was a question Dallas intended to bounce around with Tommy.

Dallas made a mental note to ask Kate more about her relationship with Allen as soon as the baby was calm again, which happened a few seconds after Abigail returned with a warmed bottle and he began feeding.

The look of panic didn’t leave Kate’s face entirely during the baby’s meal, but she gazed lovingly at her son.

Dallas had questions and needed answers, the quicker the better. However, it didn’t feel right interrupting mother and son during what looked to be a bonding moment.

But then, not being a father himself, what the hell did he know about it?

Sipping his coffee, he waited for Kate to speak first. It didn’t take long. Another few minutes and she finally said, “I want to apologize about my behavior this morning. I’m not normally so…frazzled.”

“You’re doing better than you think,” he said, offering reassurance.

“Am I?” she asked. “Because I feel like I’m all over the place emotionally.”

“Trust me. You’re doing fine.”

Her shoulders relaxed a little and that made Dallas smile.

“I do have a question for you, though,” he said.

She nodded.

“How well do you know your employees?” he asked, ignoring the most probable reason Allen’s attraction grated on him so much. Dallas liked her, too.

“Some more than others, I guess.” She shrugged. “We’re a small office, so we talk.”

The baby finished his bottle and she placed a cloth napkin over her shoulder before laying him across it and patting his back.

“What does that do?” Dallas’s curiosity about babies was getting the best of him. His stress was also growing with every passing day that Morton didn’t return his texts.

“Gets the gas out of his stomach. Believe me, you want it out. If you don’t he can cramp up and become miserable.” She frowned.

“And when he’s miserable, you’re miserable.”