“It’s not funny, Kit. If anything happened to you …”

He raised himself up on one elbow and looked searchingly at her. He reached for her arm, gripping it gently. “If anything happened to me, then what?”

She could hardly think with him touching her. “I don’t want to think about it.”

“What don’t you want to think about?” he pressed. “What are you afraid of?”

“I—I wouldn’t want you to get hurt protecting me.” Her stammer was a dead giveaway that her emotions were in turmoil.

“I wouldn’t want anything to happen to either of us. For you to get hurt on my watch is unthinkable to me. Come here. Let’s talk about it.” He pulled her forward until she fell against him on the floor. He gathered her closer and entangled their legs.

“Kit—” She half gasped his name.

“On second thought, I don’t feel much like talking.” He lowered his mouth to hers. Natalie had been wanting this for so long she was past considering the wisdom of it. Kit started kissing her with a hunger as great as her own. In an explosion of need she began kissing him back, forgetting everything as she poured out her feelings for him.

The Texas Ranger’s Family
Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favourite holiday spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com.

I’m a lucky author to have a great editor like Kathleen Scheibling, who lets me write about the kinds of heroes I love. She’s the best!

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Texas Ranger Kit Saunders took cover behind a fat pine tree and watched with his binoculars from a distance. Seven people accompanied the honey-blonde widow standing at the grave site at the Evergreen Cemetery on this hot July afternoon in Austin.

The woman was Natalie Harris, and her husband, Rodney Parker Harris, age thirty-three, was being laid to rest. As far as any of the mourners, including his widow, knew, the deceased had been an accountant with LifeSpan Pharmaceutical, a huge private corporation in Austin. A week ago he’d been found at the low-end Sleepy Hollow Hotel, dead of a gunshot wound to the temple.

Kit’s captain, T. J. Horton, had assigned him to the case only yesterday.

The police had run the victim’s DNA through the database and, according to their report, the name Rodney Harris was the latest in a string of aliases. The name on the deceased’s original birth certificate was that of escaped felon Harold Park from Colorado, who’d disappeared eight years ago.

Park was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. After serving only two years of a sixty-year sentence for murder, embezzlement, armed robbery and grand larceny, he and another prisoner, convicted killer Alonzo Morales, had escaped during a transfer from the ADX Federal Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado, to Canaan Federal Prison in Pennsylvania. Since that time both fugitives had gone by many false names that prevented the Feds from recapturing them.

The preliminary report from the detective here in Travis County suggested the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, but nothing would be official until all the forensic evidence had been reviewed. Something didn’t add up in Kit’s mind. It didn’t make sense that the felon would kill himself. A clever killer could have set it up to look like suicide.

A search of Harold-alias-Rod’s bank records revealed that $400,000 had been deposited into his checking account one day and withdrawn the next. The day after that, he’d been found dead in his hotel room. The size and date of the large deposit were inconsistent with his earnings from the pharmaceutical company, and the abrupt withdrawal was just plain suspicious. Normally that kind of money would have been put in a money market or the stock market at least.

Since Harold-alias-Rod had crossed state lines and had been an armed, dangerous killer, the police had asked for the Texas Rangers to take over. These were early days in the case. The police report also stated that Mrs. Harris had hired an attorney who’d attempted to serve him with divorce papers on the day he was shot. Since they weren’t yet divorced and he’d absconded with money she had half rights to under property laws, it appeared she could have a motive to see him dead.

But if Harris had still been living a life of crime and the money was stolen, then there may have been accomplices involved—maybe even other ex-felons from his past life—who might be potential culprits. If the widow was innocent of any wrongdoing, then she herself might be a target for interested parties still looking for the missing money.

Kit hadn’t met Natalie Harris. The only information he had on her so far was that she was a twenty-eight-year-old pharmacist and had a sixteen-month-old daughter named Amy. There was no sign of the toddler at the graveside.

He was going to have to build this case from scratch. Knowing of the service today, he’d decided to study the people who showed up and take pictures with a long-range lens. Oftentimes a murderer appeared at the funeral to gloat. Of the seven people present, two were females, but he didn’t sense they were family. He had the rap sheet on Alonzo Morales with a mug shot and would know if he saw that face again.

Before long the people assembled at the burial turned to leave and go their separate ways. Kit’s first frontal view of Mrs. Harris being helped by the mortuary staff came as a shock to his senses. She was a true beauty; maybe five foot six. He took a picture of her. The classy, tailored black suit couldn’t disguise the mold of her shapely body and legs. Everything about her appealed to him, which came as a shock. It had been a long time since he had reacted this way to a total stranger.

Kit didn’t know what he’d expected. Maybe to find a widow in tears? But from a distance he got the impression she hadn’t given in to whatever emotion she was feeling. Her lovely classic bone structure was undermined by features that showed no animation. Shock could do that to a person in mourning.

But since she’d filed for divorce, maybe she’d passed through her period of grief long before the papers had been served. Whether elated he was dead at her hands, relieved he was gone by another person’s doing, or sad or even haunted by the way he’d died, the frozen mask he saw in front of him revealed no secrets.

Was he staring at a killer? If he was close enough to look into her eyes, he might be able to get a feel for what was going on in her psyche.

His gaze followed her to a silver Toyota parked on the roadside. The clergyman helped her in before walking to the car ahead of hers. Little by little everyone drove away from the cemetery, leaving the workers to finish their jobs.

Kit would give her a half hour before he phoned to set up a time to meet, preferably before the day was out. He needed to know her background. Was she a home-grown Texan? How long had she known the man she’d married? What about her parents or siblings? The police report didn’t have many details about her background and a dozen questions filled his mind.

Tonight he planned to drive to Marble Falls to watch his younger brother, Brandon, compete in the steer wrestling event at the Charley Taylor Rodeo Arena. Brandon was headed for a world championship competition in Las Vegas this coming December and Kit was excited for him. Until he’d made the decision to go into law enforcement, Kit had competed big-time in the same sport. But when he’d made up his mind to follow in his father’s footsteps, he’d given up the rodeo and ended up losing his girlfriend Janie at the same time. She knew that the Saunders brothers had suffered over the loss of their Texas Ranger father in a shootout when they were fifteen and seventeen. Fearing the same thing would happen to Kit, she’d broken it off with him, not wanting any part of a career that could end his life right in the middle of it, leaving a grieving wife and children.

Five years ago Janie had fallen in love with Brandon’s hazer, Scott Turner, and they’d married. As of today they had one child. He was happy for her. Any residual pain from their breakup had disappeared a long time ago. When all was said and done, he was content enough with his bachelor existence. His mother and brother needed support and he could be there for them.

Kit would be thirty-one next month. He liked being single and free of emotional baggage. Out of his three best friends in the Rangers, two of them, Cy and Vic, were now married and incredibly happy. That left him and Luckey, who’d been married for a short time before his wife had decided she hated what he did for a living. Their divorce had pretty well scarred him.

Kit was thankful he’d avoided that problem before vows had been said. Janie had done both of them a huge favor. From time to time since then he’d gone out with various women, but no one female after Janie had made a lasting impression.

He made his way back to his truck and started up the engine, driving out of the cemetery to the main road and heading for his town house at Chimney Corners in Northwest Austin. Oddly enough Mrs. Harris lived in the same part of the city; no great distance from his condo. That would cut down his driving time. He’d grab a bite to eat and then make the call. If he could interview her soon, he’d leave for Marble Falls and pick up his mom en route to the arena. It would be good to spend some time with family.

* * *

NATALIE PULLED HER Toyota Corolla into the driveway and pressed the remote. She was still getting used to entering the garage devoid of Rod’s white Sentra. The police had impounded it when they’d investigated the crime scene at the hotel a week ago.

But the second the garage door lifted, she realized someone had been there since she’d left for the graveside service. The lawn mower and equipment for the yard had been moved around. Items from the shelf, including a Christmas tree stand, had been thrown on the cement floor, preventing her from driving in. What on earth?

Frightened that a burglar had broken into her house, she backed out to the street and parked along the curb a few houses away to call Detective Carr. He’d been the one who’d come to see her following Rod’s shooting in the hotel where he’d been living temporarily. The detective had told her to call him if she needed anything.

Her hand shook as she waited for him to answer. “Mrs. Harris?”

“Yes. I’m so glad you’re there. I just got home from the service to find my garage in disarray. I think someone has broken into my house. He could still be inside.”

“Where are you?”

“In my car, parked down the street.”

“What make and color?”

“A silver Corolla.”

“Stay right there. Officers will be at your home within minutes.”

“Thank y-you,” she stammered and hung up. There’d been too many shocks already and now this...

She sat there trembling as she stared at her house, watching to see if someone would come out. Before long, two police cars arrived. Three officers got out and started casing the place, and the fourth walked toward her car. She rolled down the window.

“Mrs. Harris?”

“Yes. Thank you for coming.”

“If I could have a key to your home, we’ll check inside.”

She pulled her keys out of the ignition and gave him the one that would unlock the front door. “There’s a crawlspace under the house. You have to get to it through the laundry room. Someone could be hiding in there.”

“We’ll check. Stay right where you are.”

Natalie nodded and waited. There were several cars parked on each side of the street. Any one of them could be the intruder’s. After several minutes the same officer came back outside.

“Whoever ransacked your house is gone.” He handed back her key. “Please pull into your driveway, but stay in the car until you hear from Detective Carr. He’ll follow up and give you instructions.”

“Okay. Thanks for coming so quickly.”

* * *

NO SOONER DID she watch the police drive away than her phone rang. She clicked it on. “Detective Carr?”

“Mrs. Harris?”

The deep, attractive male voice didn’t sound like anyone she knew. “Yes?”

“This is Miles Saunders with the Texas Rangers.” Natalie’s heart skipped a beat. Why was a Texas Ranger phoning her? She thought they only worked on big federal cases. “Detective Carr contacted me. I hear you’ve been burglarized while you were attending your husband’s graveside service.”

“Yes.”

“I’m about six minutes away. Leave your car in the driveway and go into the house through your garage. I’ll park on the next street over and walk through a few neighbors’ yards to knock on your back door. Use a hand towel to open it. Don’t touch anything. A forensics team will arrive right away to go through everything. They’ll come to your front door.”

“A-all right.”

She heard the click as he disconnected, still unable to believe what was happening. She knew there were unscrupulous people who read through the obituaries and chose to break into people’s homes on the day of a funeral.

Taking a deep breath, she started her car and pulled into her driveway. She got out and entered the house through the garage as instructed, passing through the small laundry room into the kitchen. Cupboards were open and foodstuffs were on the floor.

Natalie had only been gone two hours, but it looked as though a wrecking ball had been at work. As she walked through her two-bedroom rambler, she saw that drawers and closets had been ransacked. Her bedding had been thrown on the floor and her mattress lay halfway off the box spring. Numerous items lay strewed on the floor of both bathrooms. She checked the nursery and found it in shambles. Some intruder had gone through every room, causing total upheaval.

She was wild with anger. Last evening after returning from her work at the pharmacy, she’d thoroughly cleaned the rambler in case someone dropped by after the graveside service. The house would be neat, clean and filled with flowers.

She’d inherited this house from her deceased mother, and she and Rod had made it into their home. But their marriage had started to fall apart soon after Amy was born, and now he was dead and her family home was a disaster.

Half a dozen floral arrangements had arrived during the week, but several of them had been knocked over. Water had spilled on the carpet. The fireplace screen had been knocked over. Cushions were piled on the floor in the living room and den. The drawers of her computer desk had been pulled out, the contents dumped on the floor. Several framed prints had been taken off the walls and the backings torn. Whoever had gone through her house had been desperately looking for something.

While she waited for the Ranger, she reached again for her cell and placed a call to Jillian.

Her good friend lived just across the street and had been looking after Amy since Natalie had gone back to work. The little girl was good company for Jillian’s eighteen-month-old daughter, Susie, and the arrangement allowed Jillian to earn a little extra money while her husband, Bart, served another tour of duty overseas with the marines.

“Jillian? You’re not going to believe this,” Natalie said when her friend answered. “I just got home from the service and found that my house has been broken into”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wish I were. Life has been a nightmare since I got that call from the police about Rod. Can you keep Amy a little longer? I have to wait for some Ranger to come over.”

“What? Why?”

“I have no idea. And a forensics team. As soon as they’re gone, I’ll be over to get her.”

“Don’t you worry about anything. There’s no hurry.”

“Yes, there is. You’ve gone beyond the call of duty to watch her on a Saturday afternoon. That wasn’t our arrangement. I plan to pay you double.”

“Natalie—don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been through a horrible experience. What are friends for?”

“You’re the best, Jillian. I’ll be over as soon as I can.”

The second she hung up, Natalie’s landline rang, startling her. She moved to the kitchen to answer it but checked the caller ID first. It was blank. Would it be one of those hang-up calls she’d gotten twice this week already?

Natalie hated to answer without knowing who was on the other end, especially after this break-in, although it could be one of many important calls she was expecting—the police, the bank, the attorney, the mortuary, her boss at work, her coworkers, church friends, her insurance agent. But right now she was in no state to talk to anyone and let it ring until the person on the other end gave up or left a message.

She looked around but couldn’t tell if anything was missing. She’d developed a bad headache and needed a pain pill.

One look in the bathroom mirror made her realize she needed to freshen up before the Ranger arrived and she washed her face, remembering too late that she wasn’t supposed to touch anything. The burial plot in the newer section of the cemetery hadn’t been planted with shade trees yet. The heat had caused her to break out in perspiration, but she didn’t have time to change out of her lightweight linen suit.

After drying her face, Natalie refreshed her lipstick and gave her tousled, collarbone-length hair a good brushing. When she heard the knock on the back door, her brush fell to the floor. Her nerves were that bad.

She walked down the hall, past the nursery and into the kitchen. She used a dish towel to open the door leading to the backyard. Whatever picture of the Ranger she’d had in her mind didn’t come close to the sight of the tall, thirtyish, hard-muscled male in a Western shirt, jeans and cowboy boots.

Her gaze flitted over his dark brown hair only to collide with his beautiful hazel eyes appraising her through a dark fringe of lashes.

“Mrs. Harris? Miles Saunders.” She felt the stranger’s probing look pierce her before he displayed his credentials. That’s when she noticed the star on his shirt pocket.

This man is the real thing. The stuff that made the Texas Rangers legendary. She had the strange feeling that she’d seen him somewhere before, but shrugged it off. This was definitely the first time she’d ever met a Ranger.

“Come in.” Her voice faltered, mystified by this unexpected visit. She was pretty sure the Rangers didn’t investigate a home break-in.

“Thank you.” He took a few steps on those long, powerful legs. His presence dominated the kitchen. She invited him to follow her into the living room.

“Please sit down.” She indicated the upholstered chair on the other side of the coffee table while she took the matching chair. There was no place else to sit until the room was put back together.

He did as she asked. “I understand you have a daughter. Is she here?”

The man already knew quite a bit about her, she realized. “No. I left her with my sitter who lives across the street.”

He studied one of the framed photos that hadn’t been knocked off the end table, even though a drawer had been pulled out. “She looks a lot like you, especially the eyes. She’s a little beauty.”

Natalie looked quickly at the floor, stunned by the personal comment. He’d sounded sincere. So far everything about him surprised her so much she couldn’t think clearly.

He turned to focus his attention on Natalie. “You’re very composed for someone who’s been through so much. Your husband’s funeral was just this afternoon, wasn’t it?”

“I’m trying to hold it together. If you’d taken any longer to get here, you might have found a screaming lunatic on your hands.” She was nervous and talking too fast, but she couldn’t help it. “Why would the Texas Rangers want to talk to me? I already answered the detective’s questions after they found my husband’s body at the hotel. It’s hard for me to believe he took his own life, but even more difficult to believe anyone would have wanted to kill him.”

“Why do you think it wasn’t a suicide?”

Averting her eyes she said, “In my opinion he was too selfish to do it. That’s what I told the police. Now I’ve probably shocked you.”

“Not at all. Tell me something. Was your husband right-or left-handed?”

“Left.”

“The report said the gun was found in his left hand, but the angle of the bullet raises some questions. Your answer convinces me the gunshot wasn’t self-inflicted.”

She sat back in the chair. “So someone killed him? Am I a suspect?”

“If this weren’t crucial, I wouldn’t have insisted on talking to you today. I’ll explain, but we’re going to need some time, unless you want me to come back this evening.”

“No, no.” Might as well get this over with. “I’ll call my sitter and prepare her for a longer wait. Excuse me.” Natalie got up from the chair and hurried into the kitchen to call her friend on her cell phone.

“Don’t hate me for this, Jillian, but the Ranger is here now and it sounds like this is going to take a while longer.”

“You poor thing.”

“It’s all a little scary. Would you mind keeping Amy? I hate to do this to you, but he’s made it sound like it’s really important.”

“The girls are playing in the toy room and having a great time. Don’t worry about us. I’ll give them both dinner. You take your time.”

“Bless you, Jillian.”

She hung up and rushed back to the living room.

The Ranger eyed her directly. “I know you’re full of questions, so I’ll get to the point. Your husband’s death was a homicide. But that’s not the whole of it.”

She knit her hands together. “What do you mean?”

“The police stumbled onto some information that has resulted in the case being handled by the Texas Rangers. My captain has assigned it to me. That’s why the detective informed me of your phone call instead of following through himself.”

“I still don’t understand.” Something told her she wasn’t going to like what he told her.

His expression sobered. “Your husband wasn’t the man he claimed to be.”

Her adrenaline surged. “What do you mean exactly?”

“I wish there was a way to soften the blow for you. The man you knew as Rodney Parker Harris was actually born Harold Bartlett Park. He was born and raised in Denver, Colorado.”

She felt as if her lungs froze while the revelation sank in. “Surely you’re mistaken!”

“DNA doesn’t lie. His grandparents raised him after his parents were killed in a car crash when he was seven, but they couldn’t control him. In his teens he ran away and got into serious trouble. In time he used various aliases and committed crimes that put him in prison for a sixty-year sentence.”

“Sixty?” Her cry resounded in the room.

“That’s right. He’d only served two of them when he escaped eight years ago during a prisoner transfer to another facility. He eventually ended up here in Austin. There’s been an arrest warrant out on him for years.”

A gasp escaped her lips. She sprang to her feet. “You’re telling me that I was married to a felon?”

His eyes looked at her with compassion. “I’m afraid so. You’re welcome to see the DNA test results. They prove he’s the same man who’d been on his way to another prison when he made his escape with a fellow inmate. That killer is still at large.”

Fear raced through her as her thoughts leaped ahead. “Do you think he’s the one who broke in here?”

“In time I’ll find out who did this.”

She shivered as he pulled a paper from his back pocket and handed it to her. “This is what we call a rap sheet.”

Her fingers trembled as she opened it. Another cry resounded in the room as she saw the mug shot of the man she’d been married to. It was Rod, but a younger Rod with long black hair and a beard. The good-looking man she’d fallen in love with had short-cropped, dark blond hair and was clean-shaved.

Natalie looked down the list of his crimes that had earned him a sixty-year prison sentence. “Murder?” The knowledge that she’d been living with a hard-core criminal caused her to break out in a cold sweat. This was her precious Amy’s father?

Her hands went clammy.

Horrified, she dropped the paper and ran to the bathroom where she threw up. When there was nothing left, she rinsed out her mouth and brushed her teeth. To her shock she saw the Ranger waiting for her in the hall while she clung to the sink to recover.

“I wish there’d been an easier way to break this to you,” he murmured. “If you want to lie down, I understand.”

His kindness got to her. She let go of the sink. “I’d like to pretend none of this is real, but I know it is or you wouldn’t be here. No wonder the Texas Rangers are involved. Since I was in the process of divorcing him, I’m sure the police have already decided I killed him.”

She left the bathroom and walked to the living room on shaky legs.

“They have to look at a death from every angle.” His brows lifted. “Do you own a firearm?”

“No.”

“Did your husband?”

She took a steadying breath. “Not that I ever knew about.”

He eyed her speculatively through veiled eyes. “Why do you think the police would automatically assume you wanted him dead?”

“Because he’d been unfaithful to me. Now that I know the truth about him, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d been with different women throughout our marriage. This is unbelievable.” She couldn’t disguise the tremor in her voice. “When I had proof of his infidelity, I told him I was filing for divorce and asked him to leave the house.”

“How did he handle that?”

“He didn’t take me seriously until I warned him I’d call the police to put a restraining order on him. To my surprise he actually packed up and left. It almost seemed too easy, but it makes sense if he knew the FBI was hunting for him.”

The Ranger shifted his weight. “Mrs. Harris, the detective’s opinion of what happened was only speculation while he investigated your husband’s case. It was turned over to me too quickly for any conclusions to be drawn. I haven’t seen all the forensic evidence yet. Now that I’m in charge, I prefer to investigate the facts without bringing any bias from other sources. That’s why it was so important I spoke with you today. For the time being we’re going to keep any more information from being leaked to the press.”

“Thank you for that.”

“You’ve received a shock—you’re still pale. Sit down and I’ll fix you a cup of coffee.”

She pressed her lips together. “I imagine you could use some, too. Come into the kitchen. I’ll answer your questions while I make it. I need to stay busy.” Her suggestion coincided with the doorbell ringing.

“That’ll be the team. I’ll let them in.”

“They’ll need to check the garage, too.”

“I’ll tell them. I also want them to take your fingerprints. I hope that’s all right.”

He left her long enough to go to the door. Three people, two men and a woman, came in carrying equipment. They put on latex gloves and got to work. After meeting Natalie, one of the men took impressions of her fingers at the kitchen table while the other two checked the room for other prints.

When that was done they went about their business through the rest of the house, dusting surfaces and looking for evidence. The moment was surreal.

The Ranger stepped over several items on the floor to sit at the table. The high chair stood in the corner. She felt his gaze while she fixed coffee for them. “Where do you want to start?”

“Before we begin, you need to know I’ll be recording our conversation.”

Natalie nodded. “Do you take cream or sugar?”

“Both.”

So did she. She prepared two mugs and brought them to the table, sitting opposite him. After being sick to her stomach, the coffee tasted good, the sugar reviving her. He appeared to enjoy his, too, draining most of his mug before sitting back.

“Tell me about yourself first. I saw two women at the graveside service.”

“You were there?” she asked in disbelief.

“Watching from a distance. Were either of them your relatives?”

“No. I am an only child and my mother died several years ago. My parents divorced when I was twelve. My father had an affair and married the woman. They moved to his hometown in Canada. I never saw or heard from him again.”

“You’ve been through a lot of heartache in your life,” he observed with empathy. “Now, I’d like you to tell me about how you met your husband, and I’ll also need you to identify the people in these photos for me.” He handed her the camera and she blinked when she saw the display, astonished that he’d taken pictures at the cemetery. She swiped her finger across the screen, scrolling through the images before giving him back the camera.

She stared into space. “My husband and I met just over two and a half years ago. It was November. A controlled-substance delivery from LifeSpan Pharmaceutical didn’t check with the head pharmacist’s order. The shipment usually comes in a brown box with tamper-proof tape. When I saw that the wrong order had been delivered, I called the plant. Several conversations took place before a man in accounting came on the line. It was Rod.

“He said the problem would be taken care of. The next thing I knew he came to the pharmacy with the correct shipment.”

“Where do you work?”

“In the pharmacy at the Grand Central store on Spruce Street, about a mile from here.”

“How long have you been a pharmacist?”

“I received my degree seven years ago and I’ve been working there ever since. The head pharmacist, John Willard, and his wife, Marva, were two of the people at the service today.”

“Tell me about the other woman who was there. The older one.”

“Ellen Butterworth is a woman from the church who was good friends with my mother.”

“I see. All right, back to your story about Rod.”

“I thought it was unusual that someone from the accounting department would make the delivery instead of a courier, but Rod reminded me that we’d spoken on the phone once before about a separate issue. He told me he liked the sound of my voice and wondered what I was like, so he’d taken it upon himself to bring the package in person.”

“You’d never met him in person before?”

“No. But now that I know he was a criminal, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d seen me somewhere and found out about me ahead of time.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me, either. Go on.”

“Rod came by several times after that and talked me into going out to lunch with him. I was flattered. He was very kind when I told him about my mother’s battle with MS. She’d only just died before he came into my life. I found him attractive and we started dating. I learned that he’d been in the military but had been released from service when he was wounded in the lower leg.”

“Did you see any proof of his military service?”

“No. I had no reason to question it. He said that during his time in the military, his folks were killed in a car crash in Houston, where he’d been born and raised. The military had helped him find a job from their outreach program and he was interviewed by LifeSpan to work in their accounting department. In time he’d moved his way up and eventually became the director of Finance. One thing led to another and he asked me to marry him.”

Her gaze flicked to his. “After looking at that rap sheet, I can see that everything he told me was a spectacular work of fiction.” She shook her head. “His healed gunshot wound had to have come from another source that had nothing to do with fighting a war.”

“Not the war he described to you. He was injured fleeing arrest after he escaped.”

She groaned. “Here I’ve been living with a killer, thinking all along how horrible combat must have been for him. He fed me lie after lie and I believed him.”

“Harold Park was a consummate sociopath who fooled everyone, including his employers.”

The Texas Ranger was trying to make her feel better, but the fact that Harold had lied to more people than just her gave Natalie no comfort.

Chapter Two

“What is it they say? Truth is stranger than fiction?” Natalie’s voice quivered. “The lies...” She couldn’t believe it.

The Ranger nodded and she saw the concern in his eyes. “A good con artist can charm his way into just about anything he wants. He must have wanted you badly. The man worked his way into LifeSpan using fraudulent documents created by a master forger. Harold was the best at what he did.”

A shudder swept through her body. “And my mother had just passed away. I was at my most vulnerable.” Bitterness welled up inside her. “I fell into his lap like the proverbial apple dropping from the tree. He knew a good thing when he saw it...a woman all alone with her own house paid for and a good job. Exactly the right kind of person for a fugitive to marry to hide his past life of crime.”

“Don’t go there, Mrs. Harris. He was too clever to give himself away to anyone—he’d eluded the police for years. His mistake was getting caught with another woman. When did you realize it?”

She moistened her lips. “Amy had just turned a year old and I’d planned a little evening party for her with the idea that Rod could be there when he got home from work. But he didn’t make it. He called me and said he’d been detained in a meeting but he’d make it up to us. I’d been putting up with those kinds of excuses from the time she was born, but that was the moment it occurred to me my husband was slipping away from me.

“About a month later I called him at work and found out he wasn’t there and hadn’t been in all day. I knew something was going on he didn’t want me to know about.”

A grimace marred the Ranger’s rugged features. “Did you finally confront him?”

“Yes. About two and a half months ago I was having lunch with my best friend from college. She and her husband live in Arizona, but they’d flown in to attend a friend’s wedding and we got together. She happened to mention that she’d bumped into Rod at the short-term airport parking. He’d told her he was dropping off my cousin for a flight.”

Natalie shot Saunders a glance. “I don’t have a cousin. He’d told my friend a blatant lie. At that point I knew in my heart he’d been having an affair, maybe even several.”

After a silence he said, “What’s your friend’s name and phone number? I’d like to speak to her.”

“Colette Barnes. She’s in Phoenix.” Natalie opened the contacts folder in her cell phone and found him the number.

“Did your husband admit to the affair when you confronted him?”

She bit her lip. “Yes. He was amazingly forthright about it. He accused me of having lost interest in him after Amy was born. It was a lie. He accused me of going back to work to avoid him. That wasn’t a lie. I needed to get back to the job I knew because intuition told me our marriage wasn’t going to make it.” She took a deep breath. “It was my mother’s story all over again. An unfaithful husband who didn’t want to deal with his child.”

“Except that your story wasn’t your mother’s, not by a long shot. A dangerous killer used you. The circumstances aren’t comparable. When did you go back to work?”

“Two months ago.”

“When you first mentioned divorce, what did he say?”

“He looked all penitent and said he didn’t want one. Rod claimed the woman meant nothing to him. He promised never to see her again, but by then I was done. He was so cold and hadn’t shown real remorse for any of his behavior, including missing his daughter’s first birthday. I couldn’t understand it and felt like I’d never known him. Now I know why,” she reflected with a heavy heart.

“I’ve seen his type before. He’s the kind that never formed emotional attachments early in life.”

She nodded. “He’s exactly like that. Later on that night I asked him to pack up and leave the house. I told him I was going to hire an attorney and he’d need one, too. Though the house is in my name, he threatened that he was eligible for half the property and would sue me for it.

“That’s when I knew I’d married a stranger. If he wanted to fight over the house he’d never paid for without any concern for his daughter’s future, there was no hope for us. I told him we’d have to work out everything in court. But he died before that day came.” She paused for a moment. “I never wished him dead, but he’s been dead to me for a long time.”

Before the Ranger could say anything, the head of the forensics team came into the kitchen to say they were through. Saunders walked them to the front door, where they talked for a few minutes. After they filed out, he turned his attention back to Natalie.

“It turns out that whoever invaded your home must have had a key. There’s no sign of a break-in.”

“Maybe it was that other inmate you were talking about.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But either way I’d say that’s enough questions for now. I’ll help you clean up your house before I leave.”

“Oh, no. That won’t be necessary, but thank you.”

He zeroed in on her with his gaze. “I insist. Until the surveillance team arrives, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

A chill ran down her spine. “Surveillance?”

“Absolutely. I’m having you and your house guarded around the clock.”

Her heart thudded with anxiety. “So you think I’m in danger, then?”

“Rod was a career felon. He could have enemies who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you or your daughter.”

“But why?”

“Come on, let’s get your place cleaned up while we talk. If you’ll give me a towel, I’ll get the water out of the carpet.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I want to.”

She couldn’t budge him. In the end she found him a towel that had been thrown on the floor next to the linen closet. “Here you go. I’ll clean up the nursery then I’ll go for Amy. Jillian needs to be relieved—she’s been such a help. I think I’ll take her one of these floral arrangements, maybe that large one with the daisies and roses.”

“They’re beautiful. Who sent them?”

“My boss. The one from the photo. John Willard. He and his wife have proved to be terrific friends.”

The Ranger got down on one knee to perform his task and Natalie’s eyes lingered on the striking picture of virility he made. She decided he must be a man in a million to pitch in when he didn’t have to. She tore herself away and hurried to Amy’s room to put everything back in place. When she returned to the living room, she found it and the den restored and in perfect order, with nearly all traces of water gone.

She discovered her guest in the kitchen, washing his hands. When he looked over his shoulder at her, she smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d been sent from Hire-a-Husband, that company you see around town. Are you married, Ranger Saunders?”

He chuckled. “No. I haven’t had that experience yet.”

“After interviewing me, you must be thankful.”

“Not every marriage ends in pain—I’m sorry. That sounds incredibly insensitive.”

“Not at all.”

She watched him dry his hands as he turned to her. “Before any more time passes, I want you to save my cell number in your contacts. If an emergency arises, you can call me any hour of the day or night.”

“Thank you,” she answered. She retrieved her phone and entered the number he gave her. “Now, will you tell me why you’re having me watched?”

His hands went to his hips. “Did you know that LifeSpan fired your husband a month ago?”

“No,” she whispered then sank down on the nearest chair. “That would have been after we separated. He never told me.” She buried her face in her hands. “What happened?”

“LifeSpan has been losing money. One of the other accountants under your husband started checking back and discovered payments made to a company he could find no record for. They were payments your husband authorized. A full investigation has been started. They’re still tracing back to see how long it had been going on. So far they’ve found over nine-million dollars missing since the beginning of his employment with them.”

Natalie gasped. “Rod did that?” She simply couldn’t believe it.

“Yes, but the only portion of that money to show up in his personal records was four-hundred thousand.”

Her head lifted. “He always wanted to keep our bank accounts separate. It’s all making sense now. Four-hundred thousand?”

“Your husband withdrew it from his checking account the day before he was killed, and I’m guessing that whoever trashed your house wanted to get their hands on it.”

She shook her head. “We’ve never had that kind of money, not even with our combined salaries.” Her body trembled. “I’ve been living with a monster.”

“It’s evident he’s been a disturbed man most of his life. I’ll learn more when I speak to his grandmother. Though her husband died recently, I understand she’s still alive and was able to give the police a few facts about Park. I need to question her.”

Natalie’s incredulous gaze met his. “That means Amy has a great-grandmother! I can’t fathom it. They have to have been in pain for years wondering what had happened to their grandson after he escaped.”

“I’m sure that’s true. One day soon we’ll get all the answers. Will you be available to talk some more tomorrow? Since it’ll be Sunday, morning or afternoon will be fine for me.”

He was coming by again? Her pulse picked up speed for no reason. “Do you want to come over at eleven or so? Amy will be ready to go down for her nap around then.”

“Eleven it is.” He walked through to the living room and looked out the front window. “The surveillance team is parked out front in a carpet-cleaning truck. They’ll keep an eye on you around the clock to make certain you’re safe. I’ll see myself out the back door.”

She watched his tall, rock-hard physique slip out through the kitchen and disappear from view once he reached the neighbor’s yard. Natalie clung to the open door. He’d convinced her that she and Amy could be in danger, but as shocking as all the revelations had been, he’d had a calming effect and she felt confident she wasn’t alone in this horror story.

* * *

KIT PHONED THE surveillance team from his truck to give them instructions. Once he let them know he was leaving the premises, he drove to the freeway and headed for Marble Falls. He’d have to drive fast to be on time for his mother.

Needing to talk, he used voice commands to dial Cy, a fellow Ranger who was working on another case. He was gratified when he heard his friend’s voice over the speakers.

“Hey, Kit. I saw you in TJ’s office earlier. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been given a case the captain doesn’t want anyone else to know about yet, but I’d like your advice.”

“You don’t need anyone’s advice.”

Kit made a strange sound in his throat. “I think I do.”

“Where are you?”

“Headed for the rodeo in Marble Falls. Brandon’s competing tonight.”

“He’s racking up great times so far.”

“Let’s hope he can keep it up. He wants to win that championship in the worst way.”

“My bet is on him. Kellie and I are planning to join you for the Las Vegas trip in December. So, what’s going on? What did you want to ask me?”

“How did the boss take it when you told him you were going to go undercover as Kellie’s husband?”

A long silence followed. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to do the same thing with this new case?”

Kit exhaled a sigh. “You’ve just answered my question.”

“No—forget what I said. Tell me about the case.”

“The wife of the guy who was found dead in his hotel room a week ago could be in serious trouble—someone broke into her house today. But having a surveillance crew watching her could scare off the bad guys. I want to catch them in the act. I’m thinking about posing as her cousin who is taking his retreat from the parish he serves to be with her for the next week.”

“A priest?”

“Yeah. I’ll wear a collar.”

Cy made a funny choking sound. “Have you told the widow what you’ve planned?”

“Nope. I wanted to run it by you first. If you think my plan holds water, then I’ll tell the captain. If he gives his approval, then I’ll talk to her.”

“What haven’t you told me yet?”

“Get ready for an earful.”

In the next few minutes Kit had revealed everything to his friend, including the fact that the widow had a sixteen-month-old daughter. When he’d finished, a loud whistle came from the other end of the line.

“Harold Park has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for years! You mean to tell me his wife didn’t have a clue?”

“As far as I can tell, not one.”

“Maybe she’s as big a con artist as he was.”

“No. When she saw the rap sheet, she went white as a ghost. I followed her to the bathroom and watched while she lost her lunch. That kind of reaction couldn’t have been faked.

“Seriously, Cy, I would have treated this like a normal case until Detective Carr called me about the burglary.

“If you could have seen her house, you’d know that whoever is after the money isn’t going to stop. My hunch is that the money he embezzled over the years has been laundered, but he kept four-hundred thousand for quick cash. Someone knew he had it and came to the house hoping to find it stashed there. But they only had that short window of time. I’m afraid they’ll be back for a more thorough search. That puts Mrs. Harris and her daughter at risk and changes the way I planned to go about solving the case.”

“I hear you. Knowing what I know now, your priest idea sounds inspired. It makes sense that a family member would stay for a while to help her in her time of grief. The collar will stop any gossip, especially if she’s attractive.”

Kit didn’t comment.

“Is she?”

“Is she what?”

“Attractive.”

“Yes.”

Cy waited for his friend to continue. “Just yes?”

“Yes. Just yes!”

“Whoa! For you to clam up like this means she must really be a knockout. Right?”

“That’s not what’s important here.”

“The hell it isn’t! I’ve been there, remember?”

“I do remember. Vividly. That’s why I called you.” Cy had ended up marrying the woman he’d been protecting.

“You shouldn’t have any trouble with the captain. No matter how you do it, he knows Kit Saunders always gets his man. But he’ll give you the same advice he gave me. Be careful you don’t cross the line.”

Kit knew exactly what his friend meant. A strong attraction could complicate a case while you were trying to remain professional. “That won’t happen to me. This woman’s in shock.”

“So was Kellie. But it wore off. When it wears off for Mrs. Harris, that’s the time to worry.”

“Thanks for the warning, Cy,” he muttered. “Give my best to Kellie. Talk to you later.”

He ended the call and dialed TJ. Might as well run it by him. Depending on the captain’s answer, Kit would have some preparations to make before eleven in the morning when he saw her again. He’d have to keep his head down and try to concentrate on his work instead of those eyes, green as lush spring grass.

* * *

NATALIE HAD ALREADY used up a week of her ten-day paid leave for family bereavement. She was thankful for a few more days to play with her golden-haired daughter before going back to work.

She was just the sweetest little thing, Natalie thought, as Amy ambled around the house on fairly steady legs, pushing her little grocery cart. Natalie adored her and sang her favorite songs over and over again while she got her dressed and fed her breakfast.

One day Amy would have to know about her father, but that time wouldn’t come for years yet. Since he hadn’t been around at all since moving to the hotel, she rarely said “dada.” Her vocabulary consisted of about twenty words. She loved her farm animals and had cow and pig down pat. Amy particularly loved the “Eensy Weensy Spider” song and always said the word spout very loudly when the time came.

At quarter to eleven Natalie let Amy drink her milk from a sippy cup then put her down for a nap and sang nursery rhymes until the toddler’s eyelids fluttered closed. After tiptoeing from the bedroom, Natalie walked back to the kitchen to clean off the high chair and straighten up. The Ranger would be arriving in a few minutes.

She hurried into the bathroom to give her hair a brush-through and put on some lipstick. Today she’d dressed in a blue-and-white print blouse with jeans and sandals. When her cell rang, she went to her bedroom where she’d left it on the bedside table.

She knew when she saw that there was no name on the Caller ID that it had to be him. Miles. The two hang-up calls had come in on her landline. She clicked Answer. Maybe he wouldn’t be coming, after all. “Hello?”

“Mrs. Harris? Ranger Saunders here. How are you this morning?”

The vibrancy of his deep voice curled through her. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d believe you. I’ll be by in a minute. I’ll be driving a dark red Altima and I’ll come to the front door this time. You mentioned putting your little girl down for a nap—I’ll knock so I don’t disturb her.”

“That’s very considerate of you. I’ll listen for your knock.”

“All right, then.” He clicked off.

Natalie left her bedroom and paused at the nursery door. She’d played hard with Amy and figured she’d stay asleep for an hour, but probably no longer. By that time, presumably, the Ranger would have finished whatever it was he needed to do and gone.

The news had been shocking enough when she’d learned that Rod had been found shot. But whatever news the Ranger still had to share couldn’t possibly be as ghastly as what she’d learned about her husband yesterday. He’d committed murder.

Rod hadn’t even been his name... She shuddered to think that she’d been married to him all that time. They’d had a baby together. Natalie felt violated. She hadn’t slept well.

She was still deep in torturous thought when she reached the living room and heard a soft knock. As she opened the door, another shock awaited her. The Ranger who’d left her home yesterday had been so transformed she almost didn’t recognize him except for those fabulous hazel eyes and dark brown hair.

Standing in front of her was a tall, well-honed priest carrying a suitcase. He wore a traditional, short-sleeved, tab-collared clergy shirt in a vivid blue color and a pair of black pants. His white collar stood in contrast with the tan of his complexion, and even more brilliant was his smile. It took her breath.

“If you’ll invite me in, I’ll explain.”

Natalie had been staring at him. His remark caused the blood to rush to her face. She opened the door wider so he could pass.

He put the suitcase down on the floor in the small entry hall before following her into the living room. “Your daughter is asleep?”

She nodded. “Please sit down. Can I offer you coffee or a soda?”

“Nothing for me, thanks.” This time he opted for the couch while she chose the same chair as before.

“Once in a while we get a case that requires full-time watch to protect an endangered party. After talking to my captain, I see two ways to go about handling your case. We can continue to guard you with a surveillance crew outside your house 24/7 or you can have someone living with you on the inside.”

Her pulse started to race. “When you say someone, do you mean you?”

“That’s right. How would you feel if your fictitious cousin Todd Segal from Wyoming spent his retreat from his parish here, to help you through your bereavement for the next week or so? The choice is yours, of course, but I’d prefer to protect you myself.”

The gorgeous Ranger was resourceful, too. She was awed. “I have to admit you look the part.” Inwardly she was shaken by the idea of his living in her home.

“Good.” His lips twitched. “Being a priest who happens to be your only living relative, aside from your absentee father, won’t raise any eyebrows. Those who know your situation will be happy you have someone from the clergy who is family and looking after you since losing your husband. I’ll be able to protect you while I carry out the investigation.”

Natalie couldn’t sit still and got up from the chair. “You think that inmate who escaped with Rod is after the money, don’t you?”

He studied her features. “I only mentioned him in passing. After eight years, anything’s possible. We have no idea what new contacts Rod’s made in that time. I’ve barely scratched the surface of this investigation. How soon do you plan to go back to work, by the way?”

“On Wednesday.”

“That’ll have to change, I’m afraid. Until the culprit is caught, it’s not safe for your little girl to be left with your friend. This person might resort to kidnapping to get the money.”

The color drained from Natalie’s face but the Ranger quickly continued.

“Since we don’t want any harm to come to you or your daughter, it makes the most sense for you to stay home and take care of her until we know it’s safe for you to go back to work. This is an emergency situation. My boss will make the arrangements with Mr. Willard at the pharmacy so your position isn’t jeopardized while you take more time off.”

Natalie could hardly keep up. She was reeling. “Thank you for that.”

“The sooner we can get this case solved, the sooner you can get back to the life you’ve made for yourself. While you’re home, we can work more quickly.”

We? “What can I do to help?”

“I need to know your husband’s habits, his friends. I’ll be going through your personal accounts and phone records. Did he have a laptop?”

“Yes, but he took it with him.”

“It wasn’t found at the hotel, but the police impounded his car. Maybe it will have turned up there, along with his cell phone. I’ll find out when I get the forensics report. Have you gotten rid of any clothes and belongings he may have left here?”

“He only left a few things behind. I don’t want anything he owned. I don’t even want to see it. Whatever was found at the hotel can be donated or thrown out.”

“I’ll let them know. As for his things here, we can go through them together. You might recognize clues that wouldn’t make sense to anyone else. I guess the crucial question is...would you be uncomfortable with me staying here for a while? Will it make your daughter unhappy? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, then I’ll have you watched and proceed on my own.”

Everything was happening so fast she could barely process it. Natalie put her hands in the back pockets of her jeans. “I can tell you’d prefer working from here.”

“I would. I came dressed for the part, just in case.” He sensed her hesitation. “But please don’t let that sway you. We’ll get the job done either way.”

He seemed decent up front. She didn’t know why, especially given the way Rod had deceived her, but she trusted him even though they hardly knew each other. “I want this menace gone from my life as soon as possible. I have confidence in you.”

“Thank you for that. My gut tells me the person who ransacked your house isn’t finished, and if I’m here ’round the clock I may be able to speed up the process of catching him. But you have to be absolutely comfortable with the decision.”

She’d been pacing the floor but came to a standstill. With her own personal Texas Ranger guarding her and Amy day and night, what was there to be worried about? “I am comfortable with it,” she stated quietly, “but I don’t have an extra bedroom.”

“That’s not a problem. I have a bedroll out in the car. I can put it down anywhere. Hopefully, I won’t prove too much of an inconvenience.”

“If there’s any inconvenience, it will be my daughter waking you up in the middle of the night when she starts crying. It doesn’t happen very often, but I’m warning you now her lungs are in perfect working order.”

His half smile melted her insides.

“While she’s asleep I’ll go out to the car and bring in my bedroll and groceries.”

“Groceries?

“I told you I came prepared. I stopped at the store on the way here. I’ll put my things in the den, out of sight.”

He’d thought of everything, she marveled. “Let me give you the second remote for the garage so you can pull your car in. I’ve got an extra house key for you, too. I asked Rod to give them back to me when he left for good.”

“Thank you.” He followed her into the kitchen where she started searching through a drawer.

“How soon do you think the police will release his car?”

“I’ll find out tomorrow.”

“I only ask because the baby quilt I made for Amy is missing. I can’t think why it would be in his car, but it’s the only place I haven’t looked. We only ever went places as a family in my car. He said his was for business only.”

“Everything they found when it was impounded will be returned to you.”

She nodded and handed him the key chain with the remote.

“Be right back.”

* * *

SO FAR, SO GOOD.

Kit walked outside, aware the surveillance team was still parked a little ways down the street. He phoned them and told them they could leave, but he wanted them back at six-thirty in the morning.

After activating the remote, he drove into the straightened-up garage and then pulled Natalie’s car inside, next to the laundry room door. He got out and made a first trip into the house with the groceries.

While she put the items away, he went back for his tool bag and suitcase. He took his things to the den with its floor-to-ceiling bookcase on one wall. The entertainment center took up the other wall. He noticed more framed pictures on the end tables; pictures of Natalie with a woman he guessed must be her mother.

He could see where Natalie Harris got her beauty. And the barefoot little girl in a ruffled, lemon-colored top and shorts who now came into the den with one of her push toys had the look of both of them. She stopped short of bumping into Kit’s shoe and looked up at him with her grayish-green eyes.

Was she about to cry at seeing a stranger? It didn’t even matter—Kit decided she was the cutest little girl he’d ever seen.

Natalie had come into the den and leaned down to address her daughter. “Amy? This is Ranger Saunders. He’s going to stay with us for a while.”

“Ranger Saunders is too hard to say. You can call me Kit.”

Surprised, Natalie stood. “Kit? I thought you said your name was Miles.”

“It is, but most people call me Kit. It’s my nickname.” He hunkered down next to Amy. “Hi, honey. What’s your name?”

“Tell him you’re called Amy,” her mother urged. “You can say it. Ay-mee.”

“Me,” her daughter mimicked, leaving out the A.

He smiled and pointed to his chest. “I’m Kit. Kit.”

“You can tell her mind is working on it,” Natalie murmured.

“Kit,” the little girl finally pronounced.

“Yes.” He nodded, pleased she’d picked it up so quickly. “I’m Kit, and you’re Amy. Now what’s that toy you’re pushing?”

She immediately started moving it around, showing him she understood.

“That makes a fun noise,” he said, encouraging her.

Pretty soon she’d circled the room. When she looked to see his reaction and smiled, it tugged on his emotions.

“Cow,” she said and ran out of the den on her sturdy legs.

Natalie eyed him in amusement. “She’s gone for her favorite animal in her toy box.”

While they exchanged a silent glance, Amy came back clutching the brown-and-white-spotted plush cow in her hand. She toddled over to Kit, almost stumbling, and held it up. “Cow.”

“That’s right. It’s a cow.” Kit took it. “Moo.”

“Moo-oo,” she repeated with all the earnestness in her then hurried out of the den.

“Oh, Kit. I’m sorry. Now that she’s got a captive audience in you she’s going to bring you all her farm animals.”

“I’m not complaining.” He sat on the couch and put the cow on the coffee table. Before long the golden-haired cherub returned and handed him a purple pig. “What’s this?” he asked her.

“Pig!”

Her enthusiasm caused him to burst into laughter. “That’s a colorful pig. What sound does it make?”

Amy tried to imitate the oink. He couldn’t believe she was so adorable.

“Oink, oink,” he grunted. Her giggle delighted him. “You’re without a doubt the cutest, smartest little girl on the planet. That’s because you’ve got a terrific mother.” Though her father had been a criminal, he’d done one thing right in his life to have helped create this angel.

“Come on, sweetie.” Natalie swept her up in her arms. “Let’s go out to the kitchen and give you a little snack.”

Kit followed them, enjoying the interplay between mother and daughter. After Amy had been put in her high chair, Natalie fastened a bib around her neck. Then she sliced half a banana into small pieces and put them on the tray. He took a seat at the table to watch while the little girl took her time eating each mouthful of the fruit.

He glanced at Natalie. “Since you weren’t expecting a guest to stay with you, I thought I’d fix us some lunch with the groceries I bought. How does that sound?”

“I was just going to ask if you’d like a sandwich.”

“Sounds good, but I’ll do it.”

She smiled, but he didn’t know what else was on her mind because her cell phone rang, reminding him of the reason he was here.

“Go ahead and answer it, but put it on speaker.”

Her smile faded before she reached for the phone and checked the Caller ID. “It’s Jillian.”

“Good. Let her know a cousin is visiting you and you won’t be going to work for a while, so you won’t be needing her services. The less she knows, the better.”

“I agree.” Her voice trembled. She clicked on. “Jillian—”

“Hi. I just want to know if you’re okay.”

“I’m much better today.”

“That’s good. You sound better. I saw a car in your driveway earlier. If you have company, call me when you have time to talk.”

“It’s all right, I have time now. I was going to call you today, anyway. My cousin Todd is here from Wyoming for a few days, so I’m taking more time off of work and won’t be needing you to look after Amy next week.”

“Oh. Okay... I’m glad you have family with you.”

“Me, too. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Jillian. I’m hoping life can get back to normal soon.”

“I hope so, too. Take care, Natalie.”

“You, too. I’ll call you soon.”

“Okay. ’Bye.”

She’d done well. The plan was in place.

Chapter Three

Natalie disconnected and turned to Kit, who was making sandwiches. “Jillian knows there’s a lot I haven’t told her.”

“But you told her enough so she won’t be planning on babysitting for you next week. This way she and her daughter will be safe.”

“Thank heaven for that. If anything were to happen to her because of Rod...”

“It won’t. That’s why I’ve taken precautions.”

While he assembled cold cuts and cheese, she reached for a paper towel and got busy cleaning up the pieces of banana Amy had thrown on the floor. Natalie darted the Ranger a look of frustration. “A week in my house and you’ll find that half her food doesn’t make it to her mouth. If you have any little nieces or nephews, you know what I mean.”

“Not yet. My brother, Brandon, is a professional steer wrestler—he’s headed for the championship competition in Las Vegas in December, as a matter of fact. One day he’ll settle down and have a family.”

“How old is he?”

“Twenty-eight. Two years younger than I am. This will be his last year on the circuit.”

“How exciting! Are you a rodeo fan, too?”

“I used to be a steer wrestler myself. We took turns being wrestler and hazer for a long time. But I quit when I went into law enforcement.”

“From steer wrestler to Ranger. Both put your life at risk.”

He studied her features. “Have you ever been to a rodeo?”

“Many times while I was in college. Remember my friend in Phoenix? She used to be a barrel racer. We rode horses on her parents’ property and it was fantastic to watch her speed around the barrels. I tried it, but I was a complete failure. She taught me about the various events. Steer wrestling is incredibly dangerous.”

“But you liked it?”

“I loved it all!”

Kit was enjoying their conversation so much he almost forgot he should be working on her case. Talk about crossing the line. Already he was getting too close to it.

Within ten minutes they sat eating lunch while Natalie fed Amy some Cheerios. Kit chuckled to watch her tease her daughter. She’d move her hand around and Amy’s little mouth would follow, open in anticipation.

“Tell me something, Natalie. Has Amy ever ridden on a jet?”

Her eyes widened. “No.”

“What would you think if we took her for her first ride tomorrow morning to Denver? I need to talk to Rod’s grandmother in person. The detective said she’s been told her grandson passed away. Seeing Amy would do her a world of good and could jog her memory. I’m hoping she’ll be able to give me some background information about his teenage years that might help me fit some of the pieces of the puzzle together.”

Natalie’s face lit up. “If she was a loving grandmother, then I know she’d be thrilled to see her great-grandchild. I could take some pictures of them together for Amy’s baby book.”

Kit was pleased with her reaction. “I’ll make the arrangements. It’s less than a two-hour flight. We won’t have to be there long.”

“I thought about her last night...Rod’s grandmother. What’s her name?”

“Gladys Thomas Park.”

“He never said a word about a living relative. The poor thing lost a married son and a grandson. How cruel life can be...” Her voice trailed off.

“All the more reason for us to go there and surprise her. In the meantime, where will you be the most comfortable to answer some more questions?”

“The living room. Amy will bring her trove of treasures from the nursery and stay busy going back and forth for another few hours.”

He got up and cleared the table while she wiped Amy’s hands and face and got her down from her high chair. When she told him she’d finish up, Kit went to the den for his suitcase. He took it to the bathroom and swapped his clerical shirt for a casual sport shirt. Any time he needed to answer the door, he’d quickly put it back on.

When he returned to the living room, Natalie and Amy looked up from the floor where they were working on a puzzle. They made a beautiful sight. Both pairs of eyes wandered over him. “So my cousin is on vacation from the priesthood this afternoon?”

“Yup. It’s Ranger Saunders reporting for duty. If you’re ready to get started, I’ll turn on the digital recorder.” She nodded and he proceeded. “First question. Your income taxes. Where do you keep a copy?”

“Rod prepared them at work and kept everything there.”

“Then I’ll have to speak to the people at LifeSpan. Did he have the Sentra when he met you?”

“Yes. He said he’d bought it three years earlier.”

“From a dealership here in Austin?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did he continue making monthly payments on it?” Amy toddled over to give him a horse from her farm collection. “Thank you, honey.” She smiled and got busy again.

“No. Rod said he’d paid it off.”

“Do you know where he kept the title?”

“At the office with everything else. You’ve probably never met a wife so in the dark about her husband’s dealings. It never occurred to me not to trust him. I’ve been so naive, I’m embarrassed and ashamed.”

He grimaced. Harold Park had put her on a short leash. He sat forward in the chair and handed Amy a dog she’d dropped. He made a barking sound she tried to imitate before handing him a goat. “There’s no shame in trusting someone.”

Natalie looked up at him. “My mother never trusted my father and always questioned him about everything. They had a lot of fights. At twelve I was old enough to understand their marriage wasn’t happy. I swore that if I ever got married, I would never do that to my husband. If she were still alive, I’d ask her to forgive me.

“After what’s happened to me, I’m thinking my father must have done something to ruin their marriage from the beginning, but Mom tried to shield me from the worst of it. She didn’t believe in divorce. Thank heaven, she didn’t live long enough to find out I married a true, hardened criminal. Mother and daughter both lucked out, didn’t we?”

Kit took a deep breath. “Bad marriages happen to wonderful people. Tell me about the early days before Amy came along. What did you do? Did you take trips, go out a lot? Did you make friends with other couples? Did he have a favorite sport or hobby? I’m trying to get a picture of the pattern of your lives.”

The answers to those questions and many others—How much time did he spend away from home? Did he take the occasional business trip? Was he an early riser? Did he get home from work late? If so, how often? Did she go to his work once in a while? Which people at work did he associate with?—took up the rest of the day. Natalie’s observations led Kit to realize Harold Park had been the worst kind of controlling husband.

By nightfall Natalie had fed Amy dinner and now whisked her off for her bath. Kit took advantage of the time alone to prepare for the trip and make half a dozen phone calls to get his investigation started.

Their flight to Denver was booked for eight fifteen. It meant they’d have to be at the airport by six thirty. Kit hadn’t been on a trip since April when he’d flown to Billings, Montana, to watch his brother compete at the Wrangler Rodeo Competition.

Natalie peeked into the den to say good-night. Kit looked up from the desk. “We’ll need to leave the house at six.”

“We’ll be ready.”

“I’ve already taken the liberty of putting Amy’s car seat in the back of my car. When we reach the airport, it will go on the plane with us. Technically, Amy qualifies as a lap baby, but I want her secured no matter what. In Denver we’ll install it in the rental car.”

“Thank you for taking care of that. I’ve been wondering how it was all going to work. Don’t stay up too long. Good night, Kit.”

“Good night, Mrs. Harris.”

“Please call me Natalie.”

He nodded.

Once she’d vanished, he walked through the house to make sure windows and doors were locked. When he finally stretched out on the floor of the den in his sleeping bag, Kit rolled onto his side. He’d put his .357-caliber SIG Sauer halfway under his pillow, very much hoping he wouldn’t have to use it while he stayed here. Natalie was living through a horror story with her daughter and didn’t need anything else to add to her pain.

He was determined to solve this case as soon as possible because already he could tell he was emotionally involved to a greater degree than he should be.

“Be careful not to cross the line,” Cy had warned him.

Unfortunately that advice had come too late. In truth Kit found himself looking forward to tomorrow with more excitement than the occasion warranted.

* * *

AT 11:00 A.M. they entered the Cottonwood Nursing Home in downtown Denver. Amy had sat on Natalie’s lap for most of the flight, but she seemed happy enough to be held by the Ranger as they spoke to the people at the front desk. Everywhere they went, whether it was the tourists on the plane or the staff here, people stared at the fabulous-looking, dark-haired priest holding Natalie’s little golden girl.

“Father Segal? If you’ll go down the hall and around the corner on the left, you’ll find Gladys Park in room 120. She’s had bouts of pneumonia that have weakened her. This is the best time of day to visit. Once she’s had lunch, she usually sleeps and it’s difficult to wake her.”

As they walked along, Natalie got a good feeling about the clean, nicely decorated facility. If Gladys’s care was as good, that was the most important thing. When they reached her door, they found it open. The ninety-two-year-old woman was in bed with the head raised. She was listening to the radio.

Kit nodded to Natalie. “Go ahead and talk to her while I hold Amy.”

Her heart pounded extra hard as she walked over to the side of the bed. She’d already made up her mind to keep certain facts to herself to be kind. The woman’s eyes were closed. “Gladys?”

“Yes,” she responded without opening them.

“My name is Natalie. I’ve come to visit you.”

“That’s nice.”

“I used to know your grandson Harold.”

A long silence ensued before the woman turned her head toward Natalie. “You knew Harold?”

“Yes. I was married to him. We live in Austin, Texas.”

That revelation caused her eyes to open. “Come closer. My eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

Natalie leaned toward her. “Can you see me better?”

“A little. What’s your name?”

“Natalie.”

“You married Harold? When?”

“Two and a half years ago.”

“I haven’t seen him since he was sixteen. He went to prison. He must be thirty-three now.”

“He passed away last week,” she said gently. “Of complications from an infection. But we have a daughter, sixteen months old. Her name is Amy. Would you like to see her?”

Gladys tried to lift her head off the pillow but she was too frail and feeble. “You brought my great-granddaughter to see me?”

Tears filled Natalie’s eyes. “I did. My cousin, Father Segal, came with us.” She looked over her shoulder at Kit who moved toward her. She reached for Amy.

“Can you see her?”

“Bring her closer.”

Natalie leaned in close with her little girl. “Amy, this is your great-grandmother Gladys.”

The older woman lifted her hand to touch Amy’s. “Oh...my precious girl. I wish I could see better, but I have glaucoma.” In the background Kit was taking pictures of the three of them with his phone.

“She’s golden blond and has gray-green eyes.”

“Harold had gray eyes like his mother. His parents were killed in a car crash you know.”

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