A Texas reunion turns old rivals into soon-to-be parents

For as long as the O’Briens have run their ranch, their rivals have been the McCabes. So when Ryder O’Brien returns home to his brothers, only one thing can screw things up: getting involved with Faith McCabe. There’s no temptation greater in Texas, and Ryder is about to pay the price for their forbidden fling.

Because just as their passion ignites, Faith up and leaves…only to return five months later, seeking Ryder’s help finding her missing brother—and pregnant with Ryder’s baby. Ryder O’Brien may have held grudges longer than he ought to, but he always does right by his kin. Especially when the woman about to change his life is in danger.

Cattlemen Crime Club

Ryder took a step toward Faith to really look into her eyes.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, knowing full well that he’d be able to tell if she faltered. She’d never been able to meet his eyes and flat-out lie. Or at least that’s what he’d believed. How much did he really get to know her in the few months they’d spent together? She’d already shocked him once by walking out. And now she’d thrown him the last news he’d expected to hear from her.

“Yes,” she said, plain as day.

“And the child is mine?”

“Yes,” she said with that same certainty.

She wasn’t lying.

“If that’s true—and I need a little time to process that fact—why are you telling me now?”

“Like I said, I need your help and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it,” she said, her gaze a study in determination.

“You know this qualifies as blackmail.”

“Does that mean you’ll help me?” The first spark of hope lit her face.

Texas-Sized Trouble

Barb Han

www.millsandboon.co.uk

USA TODAY bestselling author BARB HAN lives in north Texas with her very own hero-worthy husband, three beautiful children, a spunky golden retriever/standard poodle mix and too many books in her to-read pile. In her downtime, she plays video games and spends much of her time on or around a basketball court. She loves interacting with readers and is grateful for their support. You can reach her at www.barbhan.com.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Faith McCabe—A forbidden romance leads to pregnancy, and there’s no way her family would ever accept an O’Brien child. When her half brother turns up missing, she has nowhere to turn but to the man she walked away from, who happens to be her baby’s father. Can she deny her heart in order to protect the man and unborn child she loves?

Ryder O’Brien—This elder twin likes life on the edge. He’s competitive and enjoys having a good time, but after tragically losing his parents, he found more than comfort in a forbidden romance. He’ll set aside his anger to help the woman he can’t seem to forget, but can he risk his heart one more time?

Nicholas Bowden—The half brother Faith is risking her life to find.

Hollister McCabe—How much does he really know about the kidnapping?

Karen McCabe—This wife has endured far too much living with Hollister McCabe. Has she finally snapped?

Celeste Bowden—Nicholas’s mother doesn’t have warm feelings for Hollister McCabe. He got her pregnant fifteen years ago and turned his back on her and the baby. Would she go to any lengths to blackmail him?

The Hattie brothers—Are they behind the kidnapping or just pawns in a twisted game?

Hannah—Is she the mastermind behind the kidnapping or an innocent victim?

Tommy Johnson—The sheriff who grew up at the O’Brien ranch and considers them family.

Many thanks to Allison Lyons and Jill Marsal, the best editor and agent I could hope to have the privilege with which to work.

Brandon and Tori, the two of you make everyday life a joyful adventure. I love you both!

Babe, you are forever the love of my life. Can you believe one of our babies turns eighteen this month?

Jacob, aka Jakey Bear, February used to be a cold, short month until you were born, filling our world with sunshine and warmth. Eighteen years have gone by in a flash, and our journey has been a lot like Texas weather: exciting, full of sunshine and always an adventure! College is close, a job will follow, and no matter how far away you venture, home will always be your soft place to land. We love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Extract

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

There was a chill in the air, the promise of a cold front moving in on the last day of winter. Texas weather in early March was unpredictable. Ryder O’Brien walked toward his pickup and saw Faith McCabe leaning against his ride. He didn’t do regret. So why, all of a sudden, was he filled with it as he walked toward her? Those long legs tucked into tan fringed ankle boots. Her white off-the-shoulder dress contrasted against the long chestnut waves cascading over her shoulders, and ended slightly above midthigh. He didn’t want to notice those details about her. Ending their affair and walking away from her hadn’t exactly been a choice. She’d burned him. Thinking about how easy it had been for her to break off their relationship made him frown and stirred residual anger.

“What are you doing here?” he ground out.

“I came to see you,” she said, folding her arms like when she was secretly insecure but needed to cover.

“We have nothing to talk about.” He clenched his teeth. He could acknowledge to himself that his words were angry. It had been only a few months since their affair ended. His feelings were still raw. She looked good, though, and that frustrated the hell out of him.

“I do,” she hedged, flashing her eyes at him.

“What’s wrong? None of your other boyfriends around?” Ryder stopped. There was no need to get close enough to see the gold flecks in her honey browns. “You’re wasting your time.”

“I need a favor.” Her right shoulder dipped, another move that gave away her true insecurity at being there. She might be trying to stand tall and come off as confident, but Ryder could still read her despite the show she was putting on.

“Then you’re wasting my time,” he said. The last thing he needed was to trust that she was different from her family. He’d taken that bait once and been burned. “Let me save us both the energy. The answer is no.”

Her cool facade broke. “Please, I’m desp—”

“It’s a little late to play the innocent ‘help me’ card, don’t you think?” he shot back, anger replacing any trace of regret. He looked her up and down, not holding back the annoyance in his glare. “You broke off our...whatever we were doing...with a Post-it note. Who even uses those anymore?”

Yeah, he was letting his anger get the best of him. He couldn’t help it. His pride had taken a huge hit. When it came to Faith and the way she’d left things, he couldn’t keep cool.

“I’m sorry about the method, but I only said what we both knew. Anything more than good sex between us would be asking too much,” she said, and he knew she believed that. To say their families had deep-seated bad blood running between them was a lot like saying werewolves turned at a full moon.

“Whatever,” he said as dismissively as he could, given the fact that his pulse pounded and his body seemed keenly aware of hers. Another detail he didn’t want to overthink.

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important, Ryder.” The sound of his name on her tongue made him feel things he didn’t want to. But then everything about Faith stirred up unwanted emotions inside him. She might’ve been right about them not having a future, but they would never know now, not after the way she’d handled things. He could admit to being curious about what she thought he could help her with, though. Hold on. That was exactly the thinking that had gotten him in trouble in the first place.

Faith McCabe had always been off-limits to Ryder, and that was most likely the reason he couldn’t resist sneaking around to spend time with her a few months ago and not because of a real connection. He’d always been a renegade at heart, always bucking the system and insisting on handling his life his own way. But when his and Faith’s relationship had started getting serious and, in his view, interesting, she’d retreated and refused to see or speak to him again. He chalked his current feelings of betrayal up to a bruised ego.

When he’d stepped into the parking lot of the Dusty Trail Bar and Grill and saw her standing there, it was more than muscle memory that had him on edge. Faith still looked good, too good. Her skin was glowing and her hair shone under the lamplight. He couldn’t help but go to that place in his head—the one where she lay in his arms until morning after a long night of making love. And that was about as productive as washing down a jalapeño with gasoline.

“What is it? You miss me?” he asked, trying to goad her into the fight they should’ve had months ago. Not being able to say his piece was probably the reason he’d held on to the hurt this long.

The pinched look she shot him next said she didn’t appreciate the sarcasm.

Her gaze shifted until she was studying the toe of her boot a little too intently. Even now, he couldn’t deny a draw toward Faith, or a need to protect her. But then instincts were as hardwired as attraction.

“I have a half brother who’s gone missing,” she started without looking up, a sign that her confidence had waned.

“And you’re telling me this because?” Ryder asked, not giving an inch, maintaining the intensity of his glare. This was news to him, although with a father like Hollister McCabe anything was possible. The man and Ryder’s father couldn’t have been more opposite, and that was part of the reason they’d clashed when his father was alive. Ryder suppressed a sarcastic laugh. Clashed put their conflict lightly. When McCabe had tried to strong-arm Ryder’s father for a piece of the family land years ago, they’d almost gone toe-to-toe and had been bitter enemies ever since.

“He’s in danger, Ryder. I know he is. He lives two towns over with a mother who hustles drinks at a dive bar and leaves him alone days on end to fend for himself.” She started to walk toward Ryder and then stopped, glancing up pensively.

He didn’t need her moving any closer. Not with the way his pulse pounded already, reminding him of the strength of the attraction he’d once held. So much had changed in the past couple of months, including him. The sobering reality that came with learning his parents had been murdered had made Ryder a different man. After hearing the news, he’d taken leave from the successful transportation company he’d started and returned home to Bluff, Texas. Running tourists back and forth from the airport to various ski resorts in the Denver area was a big change from his life in Texas, and he was ready to take his rightful place alongside his brothers running the family cattle ranch and rifleman’s club, nicknamed the Cattlemen Crime Club. The best perk of running his company had been that he’d spent many days pushing his own limits on the mountain. Coming home had been the right thing to do but didn’t offer the adrenaline rushes he craved. Dating Faith on the side had most likely been an attempt to reclaim some of his renegade ways and blow off steam, he tried to convince himself again. The thought of real feelings developing between an O’Brien and a McCabe had the word avalanche written all over it. That’s exactly what it would be—out of control and devastating to everything it touched.

Hence, the thrill, a little voice in his head reminded.

“Sounds like a bad situation all around,” he said, not wanting to let anything she had to say twist his emotions. Faith had a way of getting under his skin, and he had no intention of giving her permission to use him again. “Call child welfare and report her.”

“They’ll just take him away, throw him in the system, and I’ll lose track of him. At least now I can watch over him.” She took a tentative step forward and then rubbed her arms like she was trying to stave off the chill. She needed a coat, but it wasn’t Ryder’s place to tell her.

“Whoa. Not so fast.” He held up his hands to stop her from coming any closer in case she decided to play on his weakness for her again. It wouldn’t work. Burn him once, shame on her. Burn him twice, and he deserved everything he got. Ryder knew better than to touch a hot stove twice, and he’d been taught both sayings as a kid. He’d be damned if she threw flames his way a second time. “Tell me why this concerns me, Faith.”

“It doesn’t. Not directly.” She straightened her back and folded her arms across her chest. “He’s a good kid, well, teenager, and he doesn’t deserve the life he was given.”

“Why come to me? Why not ask Trouble for help?” It was a low blow bringing up one of her exes, and Ryder felt the same sensation as a physical punch at thinking about her together with Trouble. Again, Ryder reminded himself that Faith couldn’t be trusted. She’d proved that to him and everyone else in town when she’d shown up with Timmy “Trouble” Hague a week after cutting ties with Ryder and claiming the two were in a relationship. There was nothing worse to Ryder than having his nose rubbed in a breakup. She didn’t stop with Trouble. She’d dated several others like him within a monthlong span. She hadn’t needed to convince Ryder to walk away by parading a new man in front of him every week. The Post-it had done the trick.

“Hear me out, please,” she pleaded, and he was having a difficult time ignoring the fact that her teeth were chattering. He didn’t want to care.

“Step aside. I have plans tonight,” Ryder said, unmoved. Or, at least that was the vibe he was trying to give off. Internally, he was at war. Those residual feelings had a stronghold and he couldn’t afford to let them dig their heels in further, because they were tempting him to give in and agree to help her. He tried to convince himself that being a Texan would make him hardwired to help any woman in trouble and that the pull had nothing to do with the fact that it was Faith.

“Can we go somewhere we can talk?” she asked, her gaze darting around. Was she afraid to be seen with him?

Seriously? After running around with Trouble?

“Like your bedroom?” Ryder scoffed. “Sorry, sweet cheeks. That ship has sailed.”

Her hurt look made him almost wish he hadn’t said that. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have the right to look pained. It wasn’t her heart that had been stomped all over.

Even so, guilt nipped at him for the low blow, and he half expected her to give up and walk away. He was making sticking around as hard on her as he could without being a complete jerk.

She didn’t budge. She just stood there shivering.

“Spit it out. What do you want from me?” he demanded, not wanting to drag this conversation out more than necessary. He was tired and this was taking a toll. He had plans with a soft pillow. It was late, and work on the ranch started at 5:00 a.m. sharp.

“I need your help finding Nicholas.” Her eyes pleaded.

“You need a coat,” Ryder said.

“What?” She seemed surprised.

“You look cold.” Ryder motioned toward her arms.

“Mine’s in the car,” she said. “And I’ll get it as soon as you agree to help.”

“Can’t you microchip kids these days? Or, better yet, why not just call him and wait for him to get back to you like a normal person?” He put his hand up between them. “Oh, wait, I forgot. You’re not a normal person. I should’ve known a McCabe wouldn’t have time for common sense or following the rules.”

Faith sucked in a burst of air. That comment scored a direct hit. Ryder should feel a sense of satisfaction. He didn’t.

“He’s somewhere hurt or he’s been taken and I’m worried,” she said, recovering. Her gaze locked onto his.

“Take out an ad or check his social media pages. Kids love to broadcast their locations for the world to see.” Besides, Ryder had other, more pressing things to focus on, like bringing justice to the person who’d murdered his parents.

“He’s not that kind of kid and I already checked—” her tone rose in panic before she seemed able to recover and reel it in “—or I wouldn’t be here.” She had that no-other-choice quality to her tone. Again, Ryder had to ask himself why she thought it was a good idea to come to him. He didn’t figure she’d give an honest response. So, she was genuinely concerned about her half brother. Good for her. Maybe it proved she had half a heart in that chest of hers after all. That was about as far as Ryder was willing to go.

“I’m sorry about your family being messed up, but being in the perfect one isn’t as easy as it looks. Everyone’s got problems,” Ryder snapped, needing to keep emotional distance between them. In truth, he loved his brothers. They were a close-knit bunch and about as perfect as a genuine family could be. Sure, they had issues from time to time, but they always managed to work out their differences. He and his twin brother, Joshua, were especially close. “And I’m done here.”

“I have to find him and I’m not giving up. It will put me in danger if I go alone but I don’t have a choice, Ryder. I have to do it,” she said, standing her ground yet again. The sound of his name rolling off her tongue had always stirred his chest in a way he couldn’t afford to allow. This time was no different. All his warning bells sounded.

“Sounds like you’re making a big mistake.” He shrugged. “Free country.”

“Do you really hate me that much?” she asked, and the desperation in her tone struck a chord. “You’d allow an innocent kid to be hurt just to prove a point?”

Now it was his turn to take in a sharp breath.

“No. But I can’t help you, either.” Maybe he could take a second to talk her out of being stupid. “If you’re really worried about this kid, call Tommy. The sheriff would be better at tracking down a missing teenager than me. Besides, you know the reality as much as I do. The kid’s most likely having fun with his friends. He’ll check in once he sobers up in a couple of days.”

“Tommy is friends with your family, not mine. He won’t help a McCabe and you know it,” she said defensively.

The chilly air goose-bumped her arms and Ryder had to stop himself from offering his jacket. Chivalry was ingrained in him, and he had to fight against his own cowboy code so that she wouldn’t think she was getting to him. Give her an inch and she’d stomp on him again with those fringed boots.

“Even so, he’s the law and he’ll help you,” Ryder said. “He took an oath, and he takes it seriously.”

“Braxton is a few counties over and out of his jurisdiction. That’s where Nicholas lives,” she said.

“Tommy can make a few calls, do a little digging. If it makes you feel better, I’ll ask him myself.” Ryder had no clue why he’d just volunteered himself like that. He’d have time to curse himself later. The sheriff in Braxton wasn’t exactly known for being cooperative.

An anguished sound tore from her throat. “That’s not good enough, and Tommy doesn’t care about Nicholas. I need answers now and I’m afraid something very bad has happened to him. I can’t afford to lose any more time, and someone follows me when I check on him.”

Didn’t that get all of Ryder’s neck hairs to stand on end?

“What makes you think so?” he asked.

“I drove to Nicholas’s house to check on him when he stopped responding to my texts three days ago and an SUV followed me to the county line.”

“Could’ve been random,” he said.

“I’ve been out there every night, and last night the SUV tapped my bumper,” she said, rubbing her arms as if the memory gave her chills instead of the cold night air.

Ryder didn’t like that. He’d take a minute to consider her position. He could concede that she’d had a point a few seconds ago. Tommy wasn’t likely to go above and beyond the call of duty for a McCabe. He’d arrested her brothers, who were immediately bailed out by the family lawyer too many times to have sympathy for any of them, even Faith.

Her concern for her half brother seemed genuine. Ryder could tell based on the desperation in her honey browns. If the situation were reversed and one of his brothers had gone missing, he’d do whatever it took to find him. All five of his siblings were grown now, and good men, but they’d gotten themselves into a few tricky situations as teenagers. Ryder could buy the idea that a good kid could get into trouble. He had a harder time swallowing the idea that a McCabe offspring could be anything but trouble. Bad was in their blood. He’d believed Faith to be different from her family, and look how that had worked out for him.

“How do you know he’s missing exactly?” he asked.

“We talk every day without fail. I was supposed to help him with geometry homework and he stood me up. He’s never done that. Ever.” Her wide eyes conveyed panic and worry. When he examined her features, he saw how tired and worried she looked.

“Have you spoken to his mother?” The teenager could have gotten himself in over his head or involved in drugs. Even so, none of this concerned Ryder, and Faith hadn’t given him one solid reason he should get involved. With her family’s money, she could hire an investigator.

“We’re not exactly on good terms and I have nothing to say to the woman,” Faith said, and her left shoulder shot up. He’d seen that move before. She was being indignant.

From his viewpoint, a quick phone call could most likely clear this whole thing up. If Faith was too stubborn to make that call she didn’t need to be reaching out to him to do her dirty work.

“Then I can’t help you. That was my only card. I’m folding. If you really believe he’s missing, then you should talk to someone in law enforcement. His mother might’ve reported his disappearance already.” He threw his hands up in surrender. As it was, he was having a difficult time keeping a wall between them and maintaining his neutral position. A woman in trouble wasn’t something he could normally turn his back on. He blamed his Texas upbringing and the fact that he’d had amazing parents.

“I’ll sweeten the pot,” she said quickly.

“You don’t have anything I want,” Ryder said, pushing thoughts of how soft her skin had been when he ran his finger along the curves of her stomach out of his mind. Or how much the sound of her laughter had temporarily suspended the pain of losing his parents.

“You want to know the real reason I walked away from you, Ryder O’Brien?” Now she was the one who was angry. He could see the fire in her eyes. Good. She’d get mad, spit out a few hostile words meant to offend him and then leave.

Problem solved.

“It doesn’t matter.” But his wounded pride said something else entirely—he wanted to know.

“You sure about that?” she asked in her one-last-chance tone.

“Have never been more certain of anything in my life.” If she wanted his help, making him angry was the wrong way to go about it. He didn’t like the idea of her putting herself in danger if that was the case, and he’d tried reasoning with her by telling her to bring in the law. If she didn’t have enough sense to stay out of harm’s way there wasn’t much he could do about it. “Why ask me to help in the first place? You had to know that I would refuse. You’re not exactly high on my list of people I want to see again.”

“You won’t turn me down. I know you and there’s something I’ve been keeping from you...” She paused long enough to put her hands on her belly. “Anything happens to me and your child goes with me. You’re going to be a father, Ryder. And that’s why I left you. If anyone found out this was your child, then my life, heck, your life, would be over.”

“Good one, Faith.” She wasn’t afraid to pull out all the stops on...

Hold on a damn minute. The look on her face slapped him with a new reality. Was she serious?

“That’s right, Ryder. I’m carrying your child.” Her lip quivered even though her words rolled off her tongue steady as steel.

She wasn’t lying?

He stood there for a long moment and stared at her, daring her to break the glaring contest and tell him she was joking. There was no way...

Was there?

A memory came back to him in a rush. He remembered one time when they’d been so lost and so into each other during their lovemaking neither had noticed that the condom he wore broke.

Okay, so it was possible. But that didn’t mean...

Ryder took a step toward Faith to really look into her eyes.

“You’re pregnant?” he asked, knowing full well that he’d be able to tell if she faltered. She’d never been able to look him in the eyes and flat-out lie. Or at least that’s what he’d believed. How much did he get to know the real her in the few months they’d spent time together? She’d already shocked him once by walking out. And now she’d thrown him the last news he’d expected to hear from her.

“Yes,” she said plain as day.

“And the child is mine?”

“Yes,” she said with that same certainty.

She wasn’t lying.

“If that’s true—and I need a little time to come to terms with that fact—why are you telling me now?” he asked, trying to absorb that news. He couldn’t begin to process the idea of becoming a father, and he wasn’t immediately sure how he felt about it. All he knew was that his life was about to change forever. He’d seen firsthand the effects of the baby boom on the ranch with a few of his brothers.

“Like I said, I need your help and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it,” she said, her gaze a study in determination.

“Including lie about me fathering your child?” He’d thrown that question out to see if he could knock her off balance.

She stood her ground. “We both know I’m not.”

“Then I expect you to take care of yourself. Running straight into a fire doesn’t exactly fit that bill,” he said, and he meant every word. Until they sorted this mess out and knew for sure that she was, in fact, pregnant and he was the father of her child, he expected her to treat herself like a princess.

A thought struck. Was there any chance she could be so desperate for help that she’d bluff to get him to agree to help her?

Ryder studied her expression. If she was lying, she was a pro. Then again, he hadn’t seen their breakup coming, either. He’d need time to digest the possibility of being a father, especially considering all that he’d been through in the past few months. He forced his thoughts away from the fact that she’d been his sole comfort during the most difficult time of his life and their relationship had been about more than just the sex. It was saying a lot that they could be so into each other that a condom had broken and neither one realized until it was too late. Sex with Faith had been right up there with the best of his life. If he was being honest, it topped the list. Not something he cared to admit right now or dwell on too much. Even though the sex was great, there’d been so much more. He wasn’t normally one for a lot of words but holding her in their afterglow and doing just that—talking—had been even better than the sex. And that was saying a helluva lot.

“You know this qualifies as blackmail,” he said, his brain refusing to fully comprehend the news. He’d want a DNA test to be sure. And if the results proved his paternity, then he’d do what a man should—take care of his own.

“Does that mean you’ll help me?”

* * *

“GET IN. YOU’RE DAMN right we need to talk. Not here where everyone can see us,” Ryder said, opening the passenger door of his pickup and then walking around to the driver’s side without waiting for her to climb inside.

Faith almost backed out after seeing the hurt in his eyes after dropping the pregnancy bomb. She thought better of it. Yes, he was angry at her, but she’d realized that it was the only way to secure his help, and he was the only person she could trust right now.

All plans to find the perfect time to tell him about the pregnancy and have a civil conversation had flown out the window with her desperation. What she’d said was true, though. Her life would be over if her father found out she was carrying an O’Brien child.

“Don’t take me home or into town,” Faith said as she positioned herself in the seat of his dual-cab pickup and then buckled in. She hadn’t expected to play the pregnancy card with Ryder, but she was frantic. His shocked reaction braided her stomach lining.

Seeing him again had hurt like hell and she was still trying to regain her balance. He looked even better than she remembered with those sharp jet-black eyes and dark hair. He was six feet three inches of masculine muscle. And even angry, he was gorgeous. Walking away from him after finding out she was pregnant had nearly killed her, but she’d been his temporary shelter in a storm—a storm that was about to become a hurricane. Once the storm blew over and he regained his bearings he would’ve realized the same thing she had—a McCabe and an O’Brien didn’t stand a chance.

“What? Afraid to be seen with me?” he bit out. His voice poured over her, netting a physical reaction she couldn’t afford.

“Of course not.” She did her best to shake off his bitter tone. It was a temporary reaction to having his world rocked. He needed a minute to cool off so he could start thinking rationally again. It was a good sign that he wanted to talk. Deep down, he was a good man.

Besides, Faith could relate to the emotions that had to be zipping through him right now. The pregnancy wasn’t supposed to happen. The decisions she’d made after weren’t supposed to be part of her plans. And all that was predicated on the fact that she wasn’t supposed to fall for an O’Brien, let alone the renegade twin brother. And that was probably it. Her attraction was so strong because he was exciting and a breath of fresh air. Ryder had always been so alive, when she’d felt restricted for so many years living under her parents’ roof with three older brothers watching her every move. The family’s double standard that the boys could run buck wild and she had to practically be a nun had been suffocating.

Ryder represented danger and excitement, and her foolish heart had fallen hard for him when she’d seen him wandering around the lake, looking lost after news of his parents had made headlines. Everything about the O’Briens was news. Murder had been beyond scandal.

The next few months of their relationship had been insane and incredible. Secret rendezvous at his fishing cabin. Both of them escaping reality and getting lost in each other. Talking for hours into the night. She’d almost forgotten that he was an O’Brien and she was a McCabe until she’d overheard him on his cell phone with his brother, cursing her father, questioning whether he’d had anything to do with his parents’ murders.

She could understand his distrust of her father. The man was a shrewd businessman and even she could admit that he pushed the legal boundaries beyond their limits. Worse to her, the man was a philanderer, and she’d watched her mother fade over the years as she accepted his behavior even though he could be quite charming when he wanted to be. But murder?

Her father might have loose morals and no conscience when it came to business, but he wasn’t capable of killing anyone.

And then another blow had come when Ryder’s brother asked where Ryder was and what he was doing all those times he’d been with her. He’d responded that he hadn’t been doing anything special. He’d just been getting away for fresh air and spending time alone to sort out his thoughts.

Reality had been a hard slap. Spending time with her hadn’t been as special to him as it had been to her. They’d been sneaking around like teenagers and she started to wonder if the reason was because he’d been embarrassed to be seen with her. He would always be an O’Brien and she would always be a McCabe. And he, like everyone in Bluff, would always see her in a different light because of it.

When she’d learned that she was pregnant, she panicked. A real life with Ryder was out of the question. Dating Trouble and the others had been her way of throwing everyone off the trail, including Ryder. He wouldn’t want a McCabe baby any more than her parents would ever accept an O’Brien. It would be bad enough in her parents’ eyes that she was pregnant without being married, but having an O’Brien in the family would be all-out war. Not only would her parents make her life miserable but they’d make her unborn child miserable, too.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. She feared that Ryder—who was just spending time with her, not getting serious—would want to man up and do the right thing by his child. His Texas upbringing would influence him, and he’d probably propose marriage. If hormones got the best of her—and they had made her crazy so far—she might actually accept. And then what?

Would they stay together for the sake of the child eighteen unhappy years until said kid went off to college and the two of them could finally separate? That’s exactly what her parents had done. Her own mother had been forced to come back and had never been the same. Faith’s father didn’t curb his appetite for chasing pretty much anything in a skirt. Faith had known since she was old enough to figure out what was happening. And her mother was broken. Still broken. She seemed different lately. Worse, if that was even possible.

Faith’s siblings seemed blind to it all. And they were another reason a relationship between her and Ryder could never work...if her father didn’t kill him, her brothers would. The O’Briens and McCabes were worse than oil and water. They were gasoline and forest fire.

Even so, maybe it was good that her secret was out. Working side by side, she could convince Ryder the best course of action would be to keep the secret. Surely he would come to the same conclusion she had. Besides, she had a plan.

Break the news and each guy she’d gone out with would distance himself from any suspicion of being the father of her child. And then she could tell her parents that she wanted to bring up her baby alone. She didn’t really care who the father was, even though her heart screamed at her that she did. Her father wouldn’t interfere with her plans to leave town. Heck, he’d tell her to get out after embarrassing him. And then she and her baby could live in peace. That was the only real chance her child had of growing up normal.

Righteous or not, telling Ryder complicated her plans. Had she really believed that she could’ve left town without telling him about the baby? She’d initially feared that he’d put two and two together when news of her pregnancy broke. And that’s exactly the reason she’d handled their breakup the way she had. The O’Briens were proud, honest men. And her actions had been the only way to ensure Ryder wouldn’t do anything stupid, like propose marriage for the baby’s sake and ruin both their lives. A fist tightened in her stomach. Breathe.

She’d take things one step at a time. For now, she’d secure Ryder’s help. Finding Nicholas had to be her top priority even if it meant turning her life upside down.

“Getting out anytime soon or do you plan to sit in here all night?” Ryder asked, and he sounded concerned.

Faith hadn’t realized the pickup had stopped.

“Yeah, sure.” She blinked at him.

He sat there, staring at her, making everything harder than she expected. In her heart of hearts she’d known that she couldn’t keep the pregnancy secret from him forever. Her obstetrician had said she could expect to start showing soon. This being the first pregnancy had bought her some extra time and she could easily cover what was going on so far.

Time was supposed to bring wisdom as to how she should handle sharing the news. It hadn’t. She hadn’t breathed a word to anyone. And keeping a secret like this had been more than difficult. It felt good to finally tell someone about the baby, but she needed to stay on track. None of her problems seemed as important or immediate as finding Nicholas.

The sky was pitch-black as she climbed out of the truck. The chilly air nipped at her through her dress. She wished she’d worn a coat as she shivered. Normally, the hot hormones had her wishing she could pack herself in ice. Not today.

A blanket of clouds covered the stars. It was too dark outside to see where he’d taken her, and she’d been in a daze for the ride over, not paying attention. As she gained her footing in the gravel it hit her. Ryder had taken her to the fishing cabin.

A wall of memories crashed around her. This was the place they’d met countless times, made love more than she cared to remember...and she’d lost her heart.

Doubts crept in as to whether or not she was doing the right thing being with Ryder at all with every step toward the cabin. He had the power to crush her with a few words.

“Maybe we should go somewhere else to talk.” Panic squeezed her chest as she approached the basic log cabin. A reasonable voice overrode her emotions. Ryder was the only one she could tell about Nicholas and the only one who understood how much was at stake as she made the decision to locate him.

“No one will find us here. Isn’t that what you want?” His deep voice, warm and soothing, was like pouring whiskey over crackling ice.

“Yes,” she conceded, very aware of the masculine presence behind her, guiding her with his hand on the small of her back.

Chapter Two

Faith sat on the edge of the couch in the living room, ignoring the sensual shivers climbing up her arms. She wished she could block out memories as easily. The last time she and Ryder had been at the cabin, their naked bodies had been entwined until morning.

Tall, with the muscles of a well-honed athlete, Ryder had a physical appeal that hadn’t dimmed in the least and her hormones had all of her senses heightened. His dark hair framed a squared jaw, and he had the most piercing jet-black eyes. Everything about the way he looked communicated strength, confidence and a little bit of danger. And after the news she’d broken, fierceness. All of which would be a good thing if she could harness it toward helping find Nicholas.

“Take me back to the beginning. How do you know the baby is mine?” Ryder’s question was a bullet to the heart.

“You were the only option,” she fired back, and her plan of using the other men to throw everyone off the trail seemed to dawn on him.

“Did you plan on telling me eventually?” he asked after another uneasy minute had passed.

“Yes, and we can discuss anything else you want after we find Nicholas.” She needed to direct the conversation back on task.

“Holding a pregnancy over my head is blackmail, Faith.” His normally strong, all-male persona faded with the look of confusion in his dark eyes.

She hated that this was her fault. Well, not the pregnancy. It’d taken two to dance that tango. She took the blame for the way Ryder was finding out. Seeing the hurt in his eyes knifed her. But she needed to stay strong for Nicholas’s sake and not let anything else derail her from her search. She knew in her heart that her brother was in trouble. “I’m sorry for how this has gone down, Ryder. I truly am. But I’m desperate to find Nicholas and you weren’t going to help me any other way.”

He seemed to take a minute to contemplate that thought while he assessed her, his attention on her belly.

“How much longer before the baby comes?” he asked.

“I’m almost five months along,” she said, her hand instinctively coming up to her stomach.

“Boy or girl?” His voice was steel, giving nothing away of his emotions now.

“One of those,” she said. Having her doctor tell her the sex of the baby made it that much more real. For that reason, she’d decided to wait. And then there was the fact that it seemed wrong to know without the father present.

“They don’t know?”

“I asked my doctor not to tell me,” she said.

Another few minutes of silence passed. Her need to press Ryder in order to get his agreement to help find Nicholas warred with her better judgment. She’d played her hand with Ryder and there wasn’t much more she could do to follow the trail without his help, not without the possibility of putting their baby at risk given that the SUV driver was becoming more aggressive.

Three days was a long time to be missing. Anything could be happening to her little brother right now...

Tears burst through just thinking about any harm coming to Nicholas.

“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to pull it together, “it’s just hormones giving me mood swings. They make it hard to think rationally.”

Ryder studied her.

“How do you know your half brother didn’t get fed up with his mother and run away?” he asked as she tried to force her gaze away from his lips—lips that made her body zing with awareness at the thought of how he’d once used the tip of his tongue to trail her curves. Faith admonished herself. That thought couldn’t be more inappropriate under the circumstances. Her hormones didn’t just make her emotional. They made her miss having sex even more.

“We had plans, and besides, he would’ve told me,” she said.

“You sure about that? Even people you think you know can shock the hell out of you.” Ryder’s tense, aggressive posture would strike fear in any reasonable person. She knew him well enough to know that he would never do anything to hurt her.

Faith told herself nothing mattered more than getting his agreement to help find Nicholas. And she was making gains on that front; she could tell by how bunched his face muscles looked and the tic over his left eye—all positive signs she was making headway. He was in conflict with himself and that was a good thing for her. The very fact that he’d agreed to discuss the matter privately was her first real step in the right direction. She could put up with his intense scrutiny if it meant gaining his agreement to find her brother.

“As sure as I can be. We’re close. I’ve been checking on him ever since I found out about him, so around kindergarten, and he doesn’t have any other siblings. Well, none that he knows,” she said. “My brothers would never acknowledge him if they knew, and he’s so much better than they are anyway. I would do anything I could to keep them separate and make sure they had no influence over him.”

This wasn’t the time to recount all the shortcomings of McCabe men.

“Why do you know about him but your brothers don’t?” he asked. It was a fair question.

“I spent summers working for my dad. I was being groomed for the family business and my job was learning the paperwork. I don’t have to tell you how much running a ranch is about dealing with stacks of documents. Legal papers were on my dad’s desk. I guess they got mixed up with a stack of bills. He was being sued for child support by Nicholas’s mother. You can imagine how that turned out. My dad got himself out of paying. Actually his lawyers did. So I’ve been sneaking money to Nicholas for the past ten years.”

“How do you know he’s your blood relative?” he asked.

She retrieved her cell phone from her purse and then scrolled through pictures, stopping at a recent one of her and Nicholas together. She held out her phone to Ryder so he could see.

“There’s no denying the resemblance,” he said, studying the likeness.

“He looks like a mini, younger version of Jason, only he’s nicer.” Jason was the youngest of her three brothers and her senior by four years. He’d been the toughest, too, having spent his life proving to his two older brothers, Jesse and Jimmy, that he could hold his own.

“I’ve learned not to trust the actions of any McCabe,” Ryder said flatly. He was obviously referring to her walking out and the pregnancy news.

She had that coming.

Glancing down at her stomach, she said, “I didn’t do this alone.”

Ryder made a face like he was about to say something hateful and seemed to think better of it, when he pressed his lips into a thin line instead.

“It’s probably for the best if we stick to the reason we’re here. For now,” Ryder said. Those last two words came out as a warning she knew better than to disregard.

“Fine.” She had no doubt the two of them would be doing a lot of talking about the future of their baby once the dust settled. A very large part of her had been dreading the inevitable conversation with him for months now and yet another side couldn’t deny that she wanted to involve Ryder. The first trimester had been too much about trying to keep food down to worry about what she would say to him. Who knew morning sickness actually meant throwing up all day? Her queasiness had finally let up a couple of weeks ago and she’d been trying to plan out her words ever since. She’d tried to convince herself that it would be a good idea to leave town without ever telling Ryder. She knew in her heart that she could never do that to him. No matter how strong the arguments against it waged inside her head, he had a right to know.

Ryder pulled a chair from the kitchenette, turned it around backward and straddled it opposite the coffee table. “Tell me what really has you so worried.”

“Nicholas might be a McCabe but he’s nothing like the boys in my family, despite having a worthless mother. He’s fifteen and plays on the school soccer team. His grades are good. He’s always talking about a future, getting a scholarship, going to college,” she said, probably more defensively than she’d intended. “He’s a decent kid, Ryder.”

“If that were completely true, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Ryder had a way of looking right through her. She worried he’d see her fear while she was trying to put up a brave front.

“That’s why none of this makes sense. He wouldn’t just disappear like that. He’s not that kind of kid.”

Ryder’s look of disbelief struck a bad chord.

“I know you can’t stand my family and you may never trust me again, but I know Nicholas wouldn’t up and disappear without telling me,” she said, hating the defensiveness in her tone. Ryder’s not believing her hurt more than it should.

“What else do you know about his life besides what I could read on a college application? Have you met any of his friends?” Ryder asked.

“We kept our relationship secret. So, no,” she said honestly.

“Seems you’re full of deceptions,” he shot back. “I’m guessing that’s why I never heard about him before.”

Her first instinct was to fight back. She let that zinger go for the sake of her little brother, even though it scored a direct hit. Common sense said that arguing with Ryder wouldn’t get her what she needed. Besides, a little piece of her knew that Ryder had every right to be upset with her and he was still reacting to the bomb she’d dropped on him. She should’ve gone to him with the news or given him a better reason for the breakup, instead of chickening out while she was waiting for him so they could talk and deciding to scribble her exit on the only thing she had in her purse, a Post-it.

“My father went to great lengths to cover up his relationship with Nicholas’s mother. I thought he might dish out repercussions against the two of them if he knew I was seeing my brother. That’s the reason for the deception. I couldn’t risk telling anyone. Not even you,” she said.

“He would’ve been angry with you, too. Are you sure you weren’t protecting yourself?” Ryder said in that unnerving steady tone.

“I don’t care what happens to me,” she retorted. “Or at least I didn’t until now.” She touched her belly.

“What about your mom?”

“I was fairly sure she had no idea about Nicholas. But she’s been acting stranger than usual lately. Jumpy. But that could just be a change in her anxiety medication.”

“Self-preservation seems to be a genetic survival trait in McCabe women,” he said in a low enough voice that she could still hear it.

She chose not to respond.

“What are you really afraid Nicholas got himself into?” Ryder asked.

She shot him a grateful look for the change in subject. “He wouldn’t stand me up without a good reason, and he always responds to my texts. I’m afraid for him, Ryder.”

“Could he have a recreational drinking or drug habit?”

“No.” Her shoulders slumped forward. “He has a good head on his shoulders. He’s a decent person despite bad circumstances.”

* * *

RYDER COULDN’T HELP but notice how many times Faith had mentioned that her little brother was a decent kid. Was she trying to convince him, or herself? As much as he doubted any McCabe son could be good, he would give Faith the benefit of the doubt. His trust was an entirely different story.

If he was going to help—and there was no refusing now that he knew she was possibly pregnant with his child and there was the slightest chance of foul play—he needed more information. Besides, the faster he could help her find Nicholas, the sooner he’d be able to focus on what he really wanted to know more about—the baby she was carrying.

“You haven’t spoken to his mother. There could be an easy explanation for all this, Faith,” he said, ignoring the tension sitting like a wall between them.

Faith shook her head. “I didn’t want her to know about our relationship. It would only cause more tension between the two of them and I doubt she’d welcome a McCabe anyway, considering my father hasn’t stepped up to help her in any way. She can’t be happy that he refused support, and I’m not saying that he’s right but neither is sleeping with a married man.”

“She may be able to clear this up in five minutes. We have to talk to her,” he said plainly.

“After the way my father treated her I doubt she’ll want to see anyone from his side of the family again.” Faith made a harrumph sound.

“That may well be true. Doesn’t mean we skip a step,” he said. If one uncomfortable conversation could clear this up, so be it. “Besides, she can’t be all that bad if Nicholas has turned out as well as you say.”

“Fine. But Nicholas isn’t close to his mother and he wouldn’t tell her if he was in trouble.”

“She may have filed a missing persons report. If she hasn’t, we’ll need her help since she’s his legal guardian. How long did you say he’s been gone?” he asked. Cooperation from Nicholas’s mother would go a long way with the law. In fact, she’d have to be the person to officially report him missing.

“It’s been three days,” she said with a voice so weak Ryder’s heart squeezed. He couldn’t afford to let his emotions overrule logic this time. They’d had him thinking that getting mixed up with her was a good idea in the first place.

“I’ve been on campouts without cell service longer than that,” he said, trying to offer what little reassurance he could under the circumstances.

Faith shot him a look.

“If his mother filed a report, three days would be enough time for law enforcement to take her seriously,” he said. What if the kid ran away? From what Faith said the boy came from an unstable home. “There are other logical possibilities. Maybe he got impatient. Or he and his mother could’ve gotten into a fight and he’s staying away while they both cool off. She might’ve done something that he didn’t want to tell you about since you don’t like her in the first place.”

“I have to think he would’ve called me like he always does. And he’s never missed a tutoring session.” If that was true she made a good point.

“Maybe he figures you’ll try to talk him into going home and he’s not ready.”

“It’s a thought,” she said without much enthusiasm, and he could tell she was going along with him even though her heart wasn’t in it.

“There’s another more likely possibility,” he offered.

“And that is?” She was clicking through the possibilities with him, and he could tell from her subdued expression that nothing was sparking.

“He might’ve met a girl.” He held his hand up when she started to speak. “Hold on. Hear me out. Fifteen-year-old boys are hormones on legs. It’s possible that he hit it off with someone and is staying at her house for a few days.”

Faith held up her cell phone.

“Last thing a hormonal teenager wants is the voice of reason in his ear. Believe me, I speak from experience,” Ryder said. “We had a lot of those in our house over the years between the six of us boys.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she said. “I remember you at that age. And the need for an adrenaline rush hasn’t dimmed, has it, Ryder?”

“I like to think I’m more mature now.”

“I’d like to think I’m a supermodel,” she jabbed back. That quick wit of hers still made him want to smile. This time, he resisted the urge.

He glanced at his watch. “It’s late. I’ll get coverage on the ranch tomorrow, so we can get started first thing in the morning. We’ll start with his mother.”

An emotion he couldn’t put his finger on flashed in her eyes. Disappointment? Regret?

If Faith thought this was the beginning of the two of them bonding, working together as life partners, she was sorely mistaken.

* * *

THE HOUSE WAS SMALL, a two-bedroom bungalow with cars parked on the street and, in some cases, right on the front lawn. Those were on cinder blocks. There was a couch positioned on a porch or two instead of actual patio furniture. Chain-link fences surrounded mostly barren yards with patches of yellow grass. Ryder couldn’t help but take note of the contrast to the McCabes’ expansive ranch in Bluff.

Ryder parked in front of 622 Sycamore like Faith had instructed and cut the engine. They’d made small talk on the way over, mostly about the cold front that had blown through last night and the irony of this being the first day of spring when temps were barely hovering above freezing. In Texas, anything was possible when it came to the weather.

“What’s her name?” Ryder nodded toward the house.

“Celeste Bowden,” Faith supplied.

“Okay. Let’s go talk to Celeste Bowden.” He made a move for the door handle and stopped when a disgusted grunt sounded to his right.

“Fair warning, she’s not going to be happy to see me,” she said on a sigh.

“I already gathered that from our conversation last night.” He shouldered the door of his cab open. “Does she love her son?”

“In her own way? Yes,” Faith admitted.

He glanced around the neighborhood. “She may not take care of him in the way you’d like but she won’t want anyone taking him from her. If she hasn’t heard from him by now then she’ll be worried. And that’s the only shot we have at her talking to us, so keep a low profile and let me take the lead.”

Ryder tried not to focus on the fact that he didn’t sleep a wink last night, tossing and turning over the news that he might be a father. Two cups of black coffee first thing this morning had sharpened his mind.

Following closely behind Faith, he couldn’t deny a new protectiveness he felt for her because of the child she was carrying. He still didn’t know how to deal with the news other than to be stunned. Sleeping had been a nonissue. He kept waiting for the shock to wear off so he could figure out his next steps. He’d stayed at the fishing cabin last night, forcing down thoughts of the times he and Faith had spent there. Last night was the first time he’d been back to the place where too many memories could impact his judgment.

This morning, she’d left her car there and they’d decided to take his pickup, leaving long before sunrise. Conversation was a strain now, and he missed the easy way they used to talk to each other.

Ryder hopped the pair of concrete porch steps onto the small patio, and then opened the weathered screen door. It creaked and groaned. No way could anyone slip into this house quietly. And especially because a few dogs in neighboring yards fired off rapid barks. At this rate, the whole neighborhood would be up, trying to figure out what was going on. On second thought, he might need to talk to neighbors. Maybe it was good that they’d be up.

Ryder knocked on the wood part of the door. Most of the top half was glass. White paint chipped off the rest.

No answer.

This time, Ryder pounded on the door, rattling the glass in the window. The neighborhood dogs reacted again, going crazy barking as a figure moved toward the door. The woman came into view as she neared. Her hair wild, she wore jeans and a half-unbuttoned flannel shirt, no doubt the same clothes she had on last night. Worry lines and too much hard living shadowed what might have been an attractive face at one time.

“Who are you and what do you want?” she asked, cracking the door. Her gaze bounced from Ryder to Faith. Her eyes widened as she zeroed in on Faith, no doubt picking up on the fact that she was Hollister McCabe’s daughter. “Never mind. You’re not welcome here. Get off my porch.”

Celeste tried to slam the door but Ryder stuck the toe of his boot inside to stop her. “I’m sorry to wake you, but we’re here out of concern for your son. Is there any chance we can come inside?”

“No.” Angry lines did nothing to improve the woman’s hard features. On closer appraisal, she couldn’t have been older than her midthirties.

“I know he hasn’t been home. We just want to get some information so we can figure out where he is,” Faith said.

“My son is none of your business.” Celeste stared at Faith before giving Ryder a disgusted look. “Now move so I can close the door.”

Bringing Faith might’ve been a mistake. Ryder shifted to the right a little in order to block a direct line of sight between the two of them.

“No need to do anything you’ll regret,” Ryder said quickly, trying to bring the focus back to him. “We’re here to ask a few questions and then we’ll be on our way.”

“You with the law?” Celeste asked, glancing at the pocket of his jacket, most likely looking for a badge.

Ryder shook his head.

“Then let go of my door and get the hell off my property,” Celeste ground out.

“But—” Faith started.

“Last time I checked, trespassing was against the law. If you’re not gone by the time I count to three, I’m calling the cops.” Celeste’s tone intensified with her rising anger. Her gaze was locked onto Faith and he could tell that she was struggling to get past coming face-to-face with a McCabe.

“Okay.” Ryder held his hands up in surrender and shifted his boot, allowing her to shut them out.

The woman slammed the door so hard he thought the glass might break. She took a step back, folded her arms and stared them down.

“I hope you won’t let anything happen to your son because you’re not thrilled with us. We want to work together to find him and make sure he’s okay. We all know he wouldn’t disappear like this without answering his cell,” he said through the thin glass.

An emotion crossed her features, briefly softening her hard stare. She made a move for the door handle, but hesitated.

And then she shook her head.

Damn. He was so close to getting through to her.

“Did you eat breakfast this morning?” Ryder asked Faith. He spoke loud enough for Nicholas’s mother to hear.

“What? No. Why?” Her brow knit in confusion.

“There’s a diner in town.” He turned and hopped off the porch.

“That’s it?” Her voice outlined her shock as she stood rooted. “You’re giving up just like that? And now you’re hungry?”

“Get in the truck.”

“But she might know something. I can’t walk away without figuring out a way to make her talk to us.”

“She won’t. Not like this. She needs a minute to think it over. Besides, she’s listening to us and watching every move we make.” Ryder slowed but didn’t turn; he kept right on walking.

“Then we should talk to the neighbors. Someone might’ve seen something. Don’t tell me we drove all the way out here to eat breakfast.” The desperation in her voice almost made him turn around. Almost.

“If you want her to help find Nicholas, get in the truck.”

“Fine.” Faith stomped so hard the earth should’ve cracked. The only thing that did was Ryder’s face, in a grin. She still had that same fierce determination.

As soon as she took her seat and slammed the truck door closed, she whirled on him. “I hope this means you have a plan, because you just blew the only lead we have so far.”

“I didn’t but you almost did,” he said, keeping that wry grin intact as he turned the key in the ignition. The engine fired up.

“Me?” She was so angry the word came out in a high-pitched croak. “You’re joking, right?”

“Never been more serious.” He navigated the pickup through the one-lane street. “And you should calm down. Getting upset can’t be good for...it.” He motioned toward her belly, not really sure what to call the baby yet.

“Well, then, you’re going to have to explain everything to me as if I’m a two-year-old because I don’t understand,” she said, dodging his baby comment.

Chapter Three

Downtown Braxton, Texas, had a post office, a diner, a bank and a city hall. The diner was across the street from city hall and anchored an otherwise empty strip center. Ryder parked, fed the meter and then opened Faith’s door for her.

“You still haven’t told me what we’re doing here,” she said, taking his hand.

He ignored the frisson of heat where their fingers touched. Sexual chemistry wasn’t the problem between them, never had been. Trust was, and it appeared to be an issue on both sides. As for him, there’d be no way to get around her deception and build any kind of bond. Yes, he was still angry at her, and that was why he didn’t want to think about the attraction he felt or anything else that didn’t directly impact finding Nicholas.

“She’ll come and then she’ll be ready to talk,” he said. “She needs a minute to come to terms with the fact that you care.”

“How do you know that?” Faith didn’t bother to hide her frustration; angry lines creased her forehead.

“Curiosity will get the best of her. She loves him. I could see it in her eyes. She wants to find him as much as we do, and we planted the seed that we’re concerned,” he clarified.

“I hope you’re right,” she said.

“She’s also proud. She might not take care of him the way you would but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him. He might be the only family she has and she won’t let go easily,” he clarified.

“Celeste didn’t get what she wanted from my dad. I figured she was just using him, maybe even got pregnant on purpose hoping for a free ride. But she kept Nicholas and has been bringing him up ever since even though my dad was a jerk and refused to pay support,” she said thoughtfully.

He didn’t address the irony of that idea given their current situation, and she acknowledged that she was thinking the same thing with a quick flash of her eyes toward him. It was a good sign that she’d calmed down and could think through the situation clearly. Faith was smart.

“Oh, no.” She suddenly stopped at the diner door, turned and ran toward the trash can.

“What is it?” he asked.

“This isn’t good.” She bent over and clutched her stomach. “I feel awful.”

“Is it the baby?” Her expression made him worry that something might be truly wrong. A feeling of panic struck his chest faster than stray lightning and he was caught off guard by the jolt of fear that came with thinking something serious might be wrong.

“What can I do?” he asked as she emptied her stomach. He followed her and held her hair back from her face, helpless to offer any real comfort. He could see that her cheeks were flushed. The back of her neck was hot to the touch despite the frigid temps, so he swept her hair off her neck to cool her down, offering what little support he could.

“Sorry,” she said before emptying another round into the trash can.

“Don’t apologize for being sick. What do you need?” Watching her retch over a garbage bin made him wish he could do something to make it better. Anything besides just keep her neck cool. He’d never felt so useless in his life.

When she was finished, she glanced up at him looking embarrassed.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I should’ve skipped that cup of decaf I had this morning on an empty stomach.” She leaned against a brick pillar next to the garbage can for support. “I’ll be fine in a few minutes. It’s probably just nerves.”

She looked at him and must’ve seen the panic in his eyes.

“Promise. It’ll pass. I went through worse than this in those first few months,” she said.

“Hold on.” He retrieved a bottle of water from the cab of his truck, unscrewed the lid and handed it to her. “Maybe this’ll help.”

She rinsed her mouth out before wetting a cloth and dabbing it on her face. “That’s much better, actually. Thank you.”

He shouldn’t feel such a strong sense of satisfaction. He needed to be stockpiling reserves against that dam he’d built, tossing bags of sand against it for reinforcement, because seeing the way she looked a few moments ago had threatened to put a crack in a wall he couldn’t afford to break.

An old two-door hatchback buzzed into the parking spot on the other side of Ryder’s truck with Celeste behind the wheel.

“You’re sure you’re better?” he asked Faith, relieved that her color was returning.

“Yeah. Much. The cold weather is helping.”

“Let’s get inside before she sees us out here and takes off. We have a better chance of getting her to open up if she can’t easily hop into her car if you say anything to frustrate her.”

Faith shot him a severe look.

“Hey, I’m just making sure she doesn’t slam the door in our face again,” he said, taking her arm. Holding on to her was a bad idea, especially while she seemed so vulnerable. He ignored the hammering against the fault line of the dam wall and the way his pulse picked up as he guided her inside the diner, chalking his reaction up to residual sexual chemistry. Even through her coat he felt the sizzle between them. “Table for two.”

The place had about twenty tables in a dining space to the left and a counter with bar stools for quick service on his right. There were plenty of windows at the front and only a few customers. Most of whom were spread around at tables in the back.

“Sit anywhere you like,” a waitress said from behind the counter. She was filling an old-fashioned soda glass from a spout.

Ryder motioned toward a booth in front near the half wall of windows, farthest away from anyone else in the hopes that Celeste would feel more comfortable talking. As it was, she looked ready to turn tail and run, and he couldn’t afford to lose his only lead. Faith was right earlier. They would circle back to talk to neighbors. He didn’t expect to net much since no one had come outside to check on why the dogs were barking earlier. Even if someone had peeked from behind a curtain, they wouldn’t talk. Celeste’s was a neighborhood that minded its own business.

Faith took off her coat and laid it across the booth before taking a seat. Ryder didn’t bother to remove his jacket.

The two of them had just sat down and gotten comfortable when Celeste walked inside. She made eye contact with Ryder almost immediately and he could see just how tentative her trust in either of them was. It didn’t matter. She was there. And he’d dealt with enough injured and spooked animals over the years to know it was in his and Faith’s best interest to tread lightly.

Celeste had thrown on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt underneath a long coat and furry boots. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a loose bun. She didn’t look much older than his eldest brother, Dallas, now that she was cleaned up. Fifteen years ago, she would’ve been barely been twenty years old. Faith’s father was a real jerk for taking advantage of someone so young and then leaving when she was in trouble. But then Hollister McCabe had never been known for his morals. His being a jerk was most likely for sport.

Ryder glanced at Faith’s stomach as Celeste pulled a chair up to the booth, hoping the stress of the morning wasn’t taking a toll. He also wanted to get some food inside her now that he knew she hadn’t eaten breakfast. That couldn’t be good for her or the baby.

The waitress popped over and asked for drink orders.

“Coffee for me.” He looked at Celeste, who nodded. “Make that two. Can we get some water and toast for my friend?”

A quick look at Faith showed she appreciated the gesture. Thankfully, she’d taken his earlier warning seriously and seemed to realize that it was best to leave the talking up to him.

“You need menus?” the waitress asked.

“Yes,” Ryder said. “And can we get a rush on that toast?”

The waitress disappeared, returning a minute later with drinks, menus and toast. She set everything down and then said she’d give them a minute. Celeste shifted in her seat a few times, looking ready to bolt at a loud noise.

“I wasn’t going to show but I figured you asked about the diner loud enough so I could hear it on purpose in case I changed my mind about talking,” she said, staring at the fork rolled in a paper napkin. She seemed conflicted about being there. “You seem like you want to help. And I’m starting to get real worried about my boy.”

Ryder nodded, letting her take the lead. He’d learned a long time ago that when someone was making an effort, it wasn’t smart to get in their way.

“First off, I don’t trust anyone with the last name McCabe.” She glanced toward Faith, who was nibbling on her toast.

“I don’t, either, if it makes you feel better,” Ryder said, not bothering to mask his disdain for the McCabe family.

Celeste cocked her head sideways.

“I’m here to help find your son and I still haven’t exactly figured out how I was talked into it,” he said honestly. There was no reason to lie to the woman, and he figured they’d get further if he gained Celeste’s trust.

“Since you showed up with a McCabe, I have to ask why you care about what happens to my boy.”

“Faith and I have history. She’s worried about Nicholas and couldn’t go to her father. I’m not exactly thrilled to be here, but I couldn’t walk away from someone asking for my help, either.”

“Okay then.” She must’ve picked up on the tension between him and Faith because she shot another contemptuous look toward Faith.

“We might not want it for the same reasons, but we all want the same thing. To find Nicholas and bring him home safely,” Ryder said. “It doesn’t matter why.”

Celeste nodded. Her shoulders slumped forward and she looked completely wrung out. “I didn’t sleep last night from worry. At first I thought he found a girl and ran off.”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Faith said a little too intensely.

“How would you know?” Celeste said with disdain.

Faith suddenly became interested in the tabletop. “I know my brother.”

A noise tore from Celeste’s throat. “You don’t know fifteen-year-old boys.”

“Nicholas isn’t like that,” Faith said, her defenses rattled. Her reaction was putting Celeste on edge, and that wasn’t going to get them what they wanted: her cooperation.

“I can remember a few times when I did stupid stuff at that age. Hormones and a still-developing brain don’t exactly make the best combination,” Ryder intervened with a warning look toward Faith.

Celeste angled her body toward him, effectively closing Faith out of the conversation. “My point exactly. He’s a good boy but that don’t mean nothing when it comes to teenage hormones. That’s what I thought three days ago. Now, I don’t know. It ain’t like him not to call. He’s never done that before.”

“What about his actions in the days leading up to his...” He didn’t want to say the word disappearance. “Had he been staying out later than usual?” Ryder hoped to cash in on her conspiratorial feelings.

“Not that I know of,” she said with a tentative glance toward Faith. “I work nights but he’s always there by the time I get home the next morning.”

“What time is that usually?” Ryder asked, nodding his head. Celeste was holding something back. What?

“There’s no set time,” she said.

“Bar closes at two o’clock,” Faith said, scorn in her tone. “Nicholas said she doesn’t come home until the next morning and sometimes until lunch.”

Ryder shot her one of his you’re-not-helping looks and then refocused on Celeste.

“Was he hanging out with any new people or had his behavior at school changed recently?” Ryder pressed. “Any notes or calls from the counselor?”

“None. No new people, either. At least none that I know of, but then boys don’t exactly tell their mothers every little detail,” she said after a thoughtful pause and a long hard look at Faith.

“What about his cell phone?” he asked. “I’m sure you’ve tried calling. Texting? I’m guessing there’s been no response.”

“None. And I haven’t seen or heard it since he left. Figured he took it with him. That thing goes everywhere with him, including the bathroom.”

“Did you search his bedroom for it?” Faith asked, looking determined to get her two cents in. Ryder had never been able to control her, and maybe that was the point. Maybe she was showing him that she was the one who should be in charge. Or maybe it was genuine concern for her little brother, a brother who’d been abandoned by her side of the family and who needed her help. Either way, her talking wasn’t a good thing. If he’d known her presence would cause this much of a stir with Celeste, he would’ve come alone.

He took a sip of his black coffee while Celeste shot Faith a sour look.

Celeste fished out her cell phone, entered a password onto the screen and pulled up her message history. “Look, he makes me text him every night to make sure I got in my car safe. No one’s ever done that for me before. Plus, he hasn’t tried to get a hold of me using anyone else’s phone, either.” She flashed her eyes at Faith. “I know my Nicholas is a good boy but even the nice ones get mixed up in the wrong crowd sometimes. That’s what I figured happened when he didn’t respond to my text three nights ago. It’s not like him to stay away this long, and that has me figuring he’s done something he shouldn’t. Something real ba—”

“He wouldn’t—” Faith started to say, but Ryder shushed her.

“Let her finish,” he said with a look that said this would all be over if she kept pressing her agenda. Nicholas’s mother was talking to them, and Faith needed to cool it.

Celeste pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and flattened it on the table.

“Look there. Doesn’t seem like you know Nicholas as much as you claim to.” She fired the accusation directly at Faith.

It was a note from Nicholas, saying that it was his mother’s turn to wait up for him and wonder where he was for a change.

Faith’s face went blank.

“Can I see that?” Faith asked.

Celeste didn’t immediately move.

“Please. Just for a second,” Faith said, softer this time.

The woman relented.

Faith took the paper and then studied the words as she traced her finger around the shapes.

“Nicholas didn’t write that.” She folded her arms with that indignant look on her face again. Before Ryder could remind her that she wasn’t helping, she scooted back in her seat.

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