Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the goal remains the same.

Lost

The joy of motherhood. Skylar Diamond was a successful fashion designer now, but the regret she harbored at the long-ago decision to give up her baby haunted her still.

Found

A grown-up daughter and an overprotective father. Sheriff Noah Beaufort didn’t appreciate a high-society type nosing around his town, watching his daughter, Lauren. Then Lauren took a fancy to the woman, and in spite of himself, so did Noah. But he was too good a lawman to trust her motives. Something was definitely suspicious....

“You’re free to go, Ms. Diamond, but stay away from Lauren.

“My daughter is engaged to be married this summer. The last thing she needs or wants is a career in modeling.”

Her composure slipped when he mentioned the engagement. He saw an instant of shock before she rallied, blanking her expression completely. The phone rang again as she came to her feet. “Isn’t that for her to decide, Sheriff?”

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” But she definitely had spunk, he’d give her that.

“This isn’t the Middle Ages, you know. Women do have choices.”

He grabbed his hat, answering his assistant’s emergency call, and closed the distance between him and the woman. Flecks of blue and green shimmered in her eyes as excitement warred with apprehension. While she flinched slightly, she didn’t back up or lower her gaze.

“Go back to New York, Ms. Diamond. You’ve overstayed your welcome in Darwin Crossing. If I find you around town again, I’ll arrest you for loitering.”

“And I thought New Yorkers were cold.” She shot the words after him.

Noah sprinted for the gas station and his leaky truck. So she thought he was cold, did she? Well, cold was the one way Skylar Diamond definitely didn’t leave him.

Dear Reader,

I was excited to be asked to participate in the Trueblood, Texas series with such a talented group of authors. Bigger than life, these bold men and women of the series are ready to tame and be tamed—by the right mates.

Noah and Sky’s story presented a unique opportunity to delve into the complexities of more than simply a man and woman’s relationship. How would it feel to discover that the infant you had to give up at birth was about to marry? What would it be like to fall in love, only to learn the woman you love is the mother of your adopted daughter? And what would happen if you discovered that someone you liked and respected was actually your birth mother?

Writing this story was a challenging undertaking. But watching them struggle to become a family unit and overcome their problems was a voyage of discovery for all of us.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading The Sheriff Gets His Lady. And be sure to watch for the next installment from Trueblood, Texas. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Happy reading!

Dani Sinclair

The Sheriff Gets His Lady
Dani Sinclair

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dani Sinclair is acknowledged as the author of this work.

This one is for you, Roger—my helpmate, lover and best friend.

Special thanks to Mary McGowan and Jacki Frank for help beyond the call of friendship.

And for Chip, Dan and Barb as always

THE TRUEBLOOD LEGACY

THE YEAR WAS 1918, and the Great War in Europe still raged, but Esau Porter was heading home to Texas.

The young sergeant arrived at his parents’ ranch northwest of San Antonio on a Sunday night, only the celebration didn’t go off as planned. Most of the townsfolk of Carmelita had come out to welcome Esau home, but when they saw the sorry condition of the boy, they gave their respects quickly and left.

The fever got so bad so fast that Mrs. Porter hardly knew what to do. By Monday night, before the doctor from San Antonio made it into town, Esau was dead.

The Porter family grieved. How could their son have survived the German peril, only to burn up and die in his own bed? It wasn’t much of a surprise when Mrs. Porter took to her bed on Wednesday. But it was a hell of a shock when half the residents of Carmelita came down with the horrible illness. House after house was hit by death, and all the townspeople could do was pray for salvation.

None came. By the end of the year, over one hundred souls had perished. The influenza virus took those in the prime of life, leaving behind an unprece-dented number of orphans. And the virus knew no boundaries. By the time the threat had passed, more than thirty-seven million people had succumbed worldwide.

But in one house, there was still hope.

Isabella Trueblood had come to Carmelita in the late 1800s with her father, blacksmith Saul Trueblood, and her mother, Teresa Collier Trueblood. The family had traveled from Indiana, leaving their Quaker roots behind.

Young Isabella grew up to be an intelligent woman who had a gift for healing and storytelling. Her dreams centered on the boy next door, Foster Carter, the son of Chester and Grace.

Just before the bad times came in 1918, Foster asked Isabella to be his wife, and the future of the Carter spread was secured. It was a happy union, and the future looked bright for the young couple.

Two years later, not one of their relatives was alive. How the young couple had survived was a miracle. And during the epidemic, Isabella and Foster had taken in more than twenty-two orphaned children from all over the county. They fed them, clothed them, taught them as if they were blood kin.

Then Isabella became pregnant, but there were complications. Love for her handsome son, Josiah, born in 1920, wasn’t enough to stop her from grow-ing weaker by the day. Knowing she couldn’t leave her husband to tend to all the children if she died, she set out to find families for each one of her orphaned charges.

And so the Trueblood Foundation was born. Named in memory of Isabella’s parents, it would become famous all over Texas. Some of the orphaned children went to strangers, but many were reunited with their

families. After reading notices in newspapers and church bulletins, aunts, uncles, cousins and grand-parents rushed to Carmelita to find the young ones they’d given up for dead.

Toward the end of Isabella’s life, she’d brought together more than thirty families, and not just her orphans. Many others, old and young, made their way to her doorstep, and Isabella turned no one away.

At her death, the town’s name was changed to Trueblood, in her honor. For years to come, her simple grave was adorned with flowers on the anniversary of her death, grateful tokens of appreciation from the families she had brought together.

Isabella’s son, Josiah, grew into a fine rancher and married Rebecca Montgomery in 1938. They had a daughter, Elizabeth Trueblood Carter, in 1940. Elizabeth married her neighbor William Garrett in 1965, and gave birth to twins Lily and Dylan in 1971, and daughter Ashley a few years later. Home was the Double G ranch, about ten miles from Trueblood proper, and the Garrett children grew up listening to stories of their famous great-grandmother, Isabella. Because they were Truebloods, they knew that they, too, had a sacred duty to carry on the tradition passed down to them: finding lost souls and reuniting loved ones.

Contents

PROLOGUE

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

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EXCERPT

PROLOGUE

NOAH BEAUFORT CLIMBED into his truck and started the engine while the warden’s warning played in his head.

Francis Hartman was released this morning, Noah. You need to be aware that the last thing he told his cellmate was how much he was looking forward to seeing you again.

Francis Hartman had graduated from armed robbery to paid muscle for a drug distributor in Dallas. Noah’s last undercover assignment with the Dallas P.D. had netted him, along with a number of other people. Unfortunately, Hartman had enough money for a good attorney. Noah wasn’t surprised he was out already.

Threats were something every lawman faced. Noah wasn’t overly concerned, but with his daughter living at home this semester, he couldn’t dismiss the threat completely.

He was thinking about that when he started backing up—right into another car. Braking sharply, Noah cursed his inattention. Putting the truck in park, he stepped out to check the damage. The austere concrete structure of the prison loomed ominously over the parking lot, casting deep shadows despite the afternoon sun.

The man unfolding himself from the sleek, dark-blue Lexus was six-two, maybe two hundred pounds, with jet-black hair worn straight back in a ponytail. He was dressed in a fancy Western-style suit, his expression hidden behind silver-framed glasses with dark-tinted lenses.

A high-priced lawyer type, Noah decided. Just what he needed. “Sorry,” he said, joining the man who stood beside his car’s front bumper. “I never saw you.”

The man regarded his bumper without a trace of expression. The Lexus didn’t appear scratched. There was a small scrape on Noah’s truck but that was all. He took in Noah’s sheriff’s uniform and nodded curtly.

“No harm done.”

“Would you like my insurance information?”

The man gave a quick shake of his head. “That won’t be necessary.”

He turned, ponytail swinging, and returned to his car. Noah frowned. At a guess, the man had a Mexican background that he went to great lengths to hide. Noah wondered if he was effective in front of a jury. There was something cold, almost menacing, about his arrogance.

Noah returned to his truck, fastened his seat belt, and finished backing out. The stranger waited, taking the vacated parking place. In the rearview mirror, Noah watched him step from his car, place a Stetson firmly on his head, and stride purposefully toward the prison entrance.

With a frown, Noah dismissed the man and glanced at the clock. He had several errands to run, but if he hurried he could still make it home in time for his daughter’s phone call. He was anxious to hear how a sheriff’s daughter was making out in the high-society world of her fiancé’s family.

Noah liked Doug Rossiter. The strapping young man with his dark good looks was serious, levelheaded, and unpretentious. More important, he adored Lauren and balanced her enthusiasm for life with a practical side that kept her grounded. Noah was pleased by their engagement, even if his daughter was awfully young.

Maybe he was simply getting old—or feeling a tad overprotective. He dismissed the thought wryly. He didn’t feel old, and if he was overprotective, well, he’d been that way from the moment he and Beth had brought Lauren home. He’d taken one look at that tiny, sweet face staring up at him with large, unfocused eyes and had known he’d move mountains to protect that little baby.

Besides, they’d only had each other since his wife died when Lauren was five years old. Things hadn’t been easy at first, but he hadn’t done so badly. Lauren had grown, becoming a beautiful, intelligent young woman—even if he did say so himself! And he planned to enjoy what was left of their father-daughter time together.

* * *

“WHAT ARE YOU doing here?” J. B. Crowe barked.

Luke Silva let his boss’s annoyance bounce off him. If there was one thing he’d learned over the years, it was how to handle the notorious gangster.

He flicked a bit of nonexistent lint from the fancy trim on his Western jacket and surveyed the prison’s sterile environment. Guards were positioned strategically around the room. None paid him any more attention than they did the other friends and loved ones sitting in front of the glass wall that separated guests from inmates in the open, narrow room.

“It’s Cooper,” he said softly into the phone. “He’s out of control, J.B. He’s decided with you in here, maybe he should be the one running things. He sure doesn’t intend taking orders.”

And that rankled. How it rankled. With J.B. in prison, keeping things running was Luke’s job. Everyone knew it. Everyone except Sebastian Cooper. Luke didn’t intend to tolerate upstarts in his ranks. He wanted to nip this power play now. Permanently.

He’d tempered his urge until he spoke to J.B. It paid to move carefully. J.B. might have some future role in mind for Cooper Consulting Inc. He would be most unhappy if Luke screwed that up.

Though J.B. was in prison, he was still the titular head of the association of Texas “businessmen” they worked with and through. As long as so many of its members remained loyal, Luke wasn’t about to make big waves. Oh, he intended to change the situation, but he knew how to bide his time. Right now it was wisest to move carefully—with J.B.’s sanction.

Prison hadn’t altered the older man’s glare one bit.

“We may want to use him later. Send him a warning,” he barked.

“A warning?” Luke asked softly.

“One he can’t misinterpret,” J.B. said coldly.

Satisfaction rippled through Luke. “I can do that.”

Luke forced himself to remain still, though he was anxious to be away now that he had what he wanted.

J.B. eyed him for a moment, then inclined his head. He set his phone down and stood abruptly, signaling the end of their session.

Luke rose as well, replacing his dark sunglasses. He was happy to be leaving the uncomfortable confines of the prison. Already, he was mentally planning the sort of warning that would get Sebastian Cooper’s full attention.

Killing Cooper outright would have been preferable, but it was messy and there were certain risks involved. A warning lowered the risks.

Luke’s lips edged upward. Perhaps a lesson would serve his purpose better after all. The message would have to be showy and effective in case there were others having visions of grandeur.

He paused by the bumper of his car and checked again to be certain there was no sign of the earlier, minor collision. An idea began to form. Cooper was a wheeler-dealer. He was very fond of money and things. Among the things he favored most was a customized green Jaguar.

Slowly, Luke began to smile. He wouldn’t use one of the regulars on this. He couldn’t afford anything being traced back to him if the job went wrong. Norman Smith was the answer. The mercenary always gave satisfaction and he was good with explosives. He was also totally anonymous. Smith worked through intermediaries. He wouldn’t know who hired him—or care.

He was expensive, and he demanded cash up front, but that was okay. He never screwed up and he never left witnesses. Luke hoped the man was still working out of New York. Importing the talent made things that much safer.

Luke flipped back his ponytail, set his Stetson on the passenger seat, and settled behind the wheel, planning the message he would send Mr. Sebastian Cooper.

CHAPTER ONE

AFTER TWENTY YEARS it felt strange to be standing in the outskirts of the city she’d left behind. San Antonio, Texas didn’t feel like home. Skylar Diamond was pretty sure it never had. She’d moved to New York City when she was only twenty and she’d never looked back. She’d embraced the New York high-fashion lifestyle completely, doing her best to erase any trace of her indigent Texas background.

Yet she’d never escaped the knowledge that here in this city she’d given away a vital part of herself.

Sky coolly surveyed the bustling airport. For weeks she’d been trying to convince herself that the past should stay that way. It wasn’t too late. She could still turn back.

But she knew she wouldn’t.

After all these years of wondering, she was about to find out what had become of the infant she’d given up at birth. Her breath caught as her heart rate speeded up. The concept was as frightening as it was exciting.

Gratefully, she handed her heavy laptop computer case to a skycap. He immediately offered to take her briefcase.

“No, thank you.” She clutched the case a little tighter. “I’ll hang on to this myself.”

Inside were her working files for the new line. She’d already had one set of files disappear. Stolen most likely. Sky wasn’t about to lose any more.

As she waited for the skycap to collect her bags, she noticed a man who’d been in coach on her flight eyeing her archly. Nice enough looking, but she recognized the type. A ladies’ man, probably married with children. He’d be in search of a little action to fill the evening hours before taking care of whatever had brought him to San Antonio. His winter suit was good quality, but off the rack and more suited to New York than Texas. She turned him off with a look Ted had claimed froze a man right down to the marrow.

The male of the species currently ranked right below cockroaches and fly larvae in her estimation. Too bad she hadn’t used that look to intimidate her former lover when she first met him. She could have saved herself some trouble.

The stranger blinked and set his jaw. Obviously, he wasn’t used to rejection. Too bad. She wasn’t interested in anything he had to offer. The only thing of interest to her right now was the quest that had brought her back to Texas.

His lips tightened in a thin line and his eyes narrowed. He pivoted and headed for the men’s room a short distance away. Good.

Sky glanced at the skycap. He reached out to snag yet another of the bags she’d indicated from the conveyor belt. She tried to relax, while mentally urging the luggage to hurry. A rising impatience beat at her soul as it had been doing since she got off the telephone with the woman from the Finders Keepers detective agency yesterday evening. It was still hard to believe that Lily Garrett Bishop had actually discovered what had become of her daughter in such a short time. The agency was as good as it was reputed to be.

Her daughter.

A shiver skimmed down her spine. She was actually going to see her only child. Excitement was tempered by anxiety and her emotions continued their roller-coaster ride. She wanted to shout at these people to hurry along so she could get going.

Sky found herself tapping her foot and stopped, annoyed by her outward sign of impatience. She needed to calm down. Nothing would happen tonight anyhow, beyond checking into a hotel. She hadn’t expected to catch a plane to Texas this quickly. She’d thought she would need a couple of days to get things organized. Had she known how smoothly everything would fall into place, she would have arranged to meet Lily this week instead of next.

Sky told herself it didn’t matter. While she didn’t have any details, Lily had given her the essential information. Once Sky knew where her daughter now lived with her widowed father, she hadn’t been able to rest until she finally located Darwin Crossing, Texas. The search had taken perseverance. Darwin Crossing appeared to be a one-street town in the middle of nowhere. The place wasn’t even on most maps. The nearest marked town was a small place called Bitterwater, and even that didn’t have a hotel. What it had was a rooming house. Sky promptly made a reservation.

Tomorrow morning she would drive into Bitterwater, check into the rooming house, and search out Darwin Crossing. If the town was as small as it looked, she should have no problem locating her daughter.

Sky ignored the bustle of people around her while she waited for her bags to be collected. Dressed as always in New-York-style chic, she knew she stood out in the crowd. Her transformation over the years had been so successful that no one gave her a second look in New York—unless it was admiring.

With a sigh she kept an eye on her laptop computer case as people jostled and shoved, vying for luggage on the spinning carousels. Her matched set was distinctive, but there was quite a bit of it. Five bags, to be precise—not including her computer and the briefcase. Since she didn’t know how long she’d be staying, she’d packed nearly everything she owned when she walked out of her pricey co-op in Manhattan.

Vaguely, she wondered if she would ever return. She would finish the winter line, of course, but she was burned out and stressed to the max, as Ted was fond of saying. Her entire life hinged on the outcome of the step she was about to take.

She was in a strange mood, she admitted. Even for her. Maybe finding Ted in her bed with their next-door neighbor’s twenty-three-year-old daughter had caused her brain to short-circuit. It had certainly made her angry enough to finally kick him out of her home and her life for good. She should have done it a long time ago. Habit had kept them together. Habit, and the fact that he was a perfect social escort whenever she needed one. No doubt he viewed her much the same way. He could hardly escort the little Lolita to his business functions.

Sky frowned. Other than making her feel annoyed, Ted’s behavior didn’t really matter to her anymore. Maybe her mood was due to the uncertainty of her quest. Finding the daughter she’d given up at birth twenty years ago was stressful enough to put a person in a strange mood.

Sky had no idea what she would do or say once she met her daughter face-to-face. And for someone as disciplined as she was, this uncertainty was a weakness that made her uneasy. Would her daughter hate her—or welcome her?

She looked around for a new place to direct her thoughts as a ruggedly handsome man in a sheriff’s uniform strolled past. Diverted, Sky found herself staring. Now, that was a man worth paying attention to. He carried himself with unconscious grace, radiating self-confidence and easy assurance—a man who was comfortable with himself and the world around him.

Then she caught a brief glimpse of the vivacious young blonde on his arm. His large, well-formed body blocked the girl’s features completely, but that hardly mattered, since he was the one who compelled her attention. He grinned down at his companion affectionately. Sky turned away.

What was it with older men and blond girls young enough to be their daughters? She found her perfectly manicured nails digging into the leather strap on her briefcase and forced her fingers to relax.

Another jerk. An extremely compelling-looking jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

Unless the girl was his daughter. Sky froze at the thought.

Good news, Ms. Diamond, the woman from Finders Keepers had said. We located your daughter in a tiny town called Darwin Crossing. She lives there with her father, the town sheriff.

An eerie expectancy settled over her, leaving her momentarily deaf and unable to draw a breath. It couldn’t be. Sky took a grip on her vacillating emotions and strained for a clear view, but too many people stood between her and the young woman.

Blood thundered in her head. She was shaking. Visibly shaking! This would never do. It couldn’t be her daughter. Sky would look like an absolute fool if she went charging over there.

But what if it was? What if that was her daughter standing there only a few yards away?

Sky stepped forward, trying to follow their progress through the crowds. She felt hot and cold at the same time. If it was her daughter, what would she do? Oh, God, she wasn’t ready for this. Her gaze flew to the man’s features. Smile lines crinkled the corners of his eyes and bracketed his mouth. They softened the strong planes of his face as he leaned into the young woman, intent on what she was saying.

He really was an extremely good-looking man. More important, he didn’t touch the girl like a lover, but rather the way she thought a caring father would do. Not that she had any experience of her own to base that judgment on. Still, her daughter had a man she called her father. This could be them.

But what if her daughter didn’t know she’d been adopted?

Sky’s heart continued its erratic thumping as she moved again, trying for a view of the girl’s face, silently urging her to turn around.

But the girl turned in the opposite direction to speak to another young woman standing there. Sky watched the sheriff as he hoisted a heavy-looking bag without effort from the carousel. Unlike her former lover Ted, of the sagging middle and soon-to-be flabby forearms, this man had a lean, sleek grace and easy strength that hadn’t come from any gym. He moved with the suppleness of someone who used his body in physical ways.

What would he do if she approached them? What if he denied her claim? What if this wasn’t her daughter?

A large family group walked in front of Sky and came to a halt. Quickly, Sky moved around them, walking closer to where the couple stood. But other than the mass of long, shimmery blond hair, she still didn’t have a view of the girl’s face.

Sky’s body felt brittle from the tension of not knowing.

A little boy broke away from his sister’s hand and darted in front of Sky. The stroller he’d been pushing would have hit her if she hadn’t jumped back in time. The boy’s older sister screamed at him. The child screamed back. An adult stepped into the fray, scolding both children.

Sky tried to move around the group and found her path blocked momentarily. When she looked toward the sheriff and the girl, they were heading down the concourse, away from her. Sky nearly cried out in protest. The girl still had her back to Sky. She flipped her long straight hair over her shoulder and kept up a steady monologue of chatter.

“Ma’am? I think I got them all.”

“What?” She stared blankly at the skycap who’d tapped her shoulder.

“Your suitcases. Is this all of them?”

Reluctantly, impatience beating at her soul, she glanced over the contents of the skycap’s long, flat cart. Her computer case now rested precariously on top and she mentally ticked off the seven bags.

“Yes. That’s all of them.”

The girl and the sheriff were well down the concourse, moving briskly. The family was also on the move. The sister gave her little brother a smack when she thought no one would see. The tyke let out a wail and the group came to a halt again.

Sky exhaled a shaky breath of disappointment and turned away. Maybe it was just as well. This crowded, noisy airport was hardly the best place to meet her daughter for the very first time. Besides, it probably hadn’t been her daughter. The coincidence would be far too incredible.

“You must be plannin’ to stay awhile.”

Looking at the skycap’s pleasant face, she forced a smile in return. “Perhaps.”

She followed him outside, breathing deeply of the temperate weather while she tried to calm her jangled nerves. If only she’d gotten a decent look at the girl’s face.

“Imagine our weather is a nice change after that cold, rainy slush they’ve been saying you New Yorkers are having.”

“What? Oh. Yes.” She tried to focus on her companion instead of the rushing thoughts filling her head. “They are predicting snow for New York City this week.”

He shook his head. “I’ll take Texas weather any day. Taxi, ma’am?”

His warm Texas drawl was a pleasant change from the frequent nasal snarls of busy New Yorkers. Her own voice held almost no hint of the twang she’d grown up with.

“Yes, thank you.”

The car company had suggested she check with them again once she landed, but even if they did have a luxury car available now, she wasn’t up to dealing with driving at the moment. They could just deliver the car as promised in the morning.

“The Grand Hotel, overlooking the River Walk,” she told the cabbie who leaped forward to claim her as a passenger.

The sidewalk was jammed with people and someone jostled her with force. She hit the cart full of suitcases, which were already shifting. Turning indignantly, Sky glared at the offender.

For an instant, her gaze locked with pale-blue eyes spaced too close together. The handsome man from the plane swept her with a chilling stare. Without a word of apology, he strode past clutching a black laptop computer case.

A ghost of unease made her watch as he hurried away. From out of the crowd, a uniformed security person followed quickly in his wake. The two were swallowed by a throng of people intent on their own goals.

Was security chasing the man from her plane? Come to think of it, she didn’t remember him holding a computer case earlier when he’d offered her that come-on smile. Of course, she hadn’t really paid him that much attention but...no, she was pretty sure his hands had been empty. Suddenly, edgy, she turned back toward her own computer case, only to see the black bag being lifted by the driver.

“Did you want this up front with you, ma’am?”

Sky forced herself to relax and shook her head. “No. You can put it in with the other luggage.” She wouldn’t be working tonight.

She turned back to the skycap, tipping him generously. She allowed him to open the taxi door for her and slipped inside. The unpleasant scent of stale food lingered in the air. Obviously the driver had eaten in here recently. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she was hungry, too. Well, the hotel boasted a five-star restaurant so she wouldn’t have far to go once she checked in.

As she settled back into the seat, attempting to maintain the cool facade she’d perfected over the years, she decided what she needed was a long soak in the room’s Jacuzzi tub to unwind and see if she could get her nerves to calm down. Maybe then she would enjoy room service overlooking the River Walk.

Very soon now, she’d learn what her actions all those years ago had wrought. She needed to stay calm and in control before meeting her daughter for the first time. It would never do to give in to the rising excitement bubbling inside her.

Staying calm and in control soon became her mantra because the hotel was a worse mob scene than the airport had been. The timing of her arrival couldn’t have been worse. Some sort of large business conference was in the process of registering. The place literally swarmed with frenzied people. Sky waited at the curb with false patience for a bellman with a cart to load her baggage and write her a receipt.

“Is it always like this?” she asked him.

“No, ma’am. This is nuts right now. If you need your luggage right away, you’ll have to call down to the bell captain’s desk after you get your room assignment. Give them this number and we’ll send the luggage right up, but we’d appreciate your patience. As you can see, we’re going to be running a little behind.”

Sky tipped the man and nodded, then walked into the lobby to check in. The front desk was efficient, but understaffed for this sort of a rush. Sky waited her turn, accepted the key card, and went straight to her room.

She got through to the bell desk with no problem. They promised her luggage would be sent up as soon as possible. Resigned, she headed for the bathroom, only to discover the toilet hopelessly stopped up. When her call to housekeeping rang unanswered, her calm disintegrated.

Living in New York had taught her many things—including how to get what she needed. Sky took the elevator back down and strode across the lobby, cutting past people still waiting to check in. Politely, but firmly, she expressed her displeasure.

“I’m Skylar Diamond in room 1217. The toilet is unusable and housekeeping isn’t answering their phone.”

The harried clerk grimaced.

“I’m terribly sorry, Ms. Diamond. I’ll call maintenance to your room right away.”

“I would appreciate that.”

As she turned from the desk, her stomach knotted. Despite the crowd, she spotted him at once. The good-looking man from the plane stood to one side, openly watching her. He no longer clutched the computer case, and gone was the male perusal. This was a far different expression altogether. Cold. Hard. Calculating.

Before she could move or speak, he spun and strode across the lobby toward the main entrance. A shudder traveled up her spine. She felt as if she’d just had a close call with danger. Was he stalking her? Sky was certain she’d never seen the man before today. Was it mere coincidence that he’d chosen this hotel, or was he part of this conference checking in?

Feeling paranoid, she considered that he could have overheard her destination when she’d given it to the taxi driver outside the airport. Her apprehension escalated as she realized it was also possible that he’d heard both her name and her room number just now.

Apprehension changed to budding fear. The Grand was by far the most exclusive hotel in downtown San Antonio. The man had flown tourist. While it didn’t automatically mean he couldn’t be staying here, Sky had a bad feeling. Hadn’t security been chasing him at the airport? She was wearing quite a bit of gold and precious stones on her wrist and at her neck and ears. Jewelry was a new passion of hers. Perhaps she should report the man to hotel security.

“And tell them what?” she muttered to herself. “All he’s done so far is glare at me.”

Still trying to decide what to do, she rode back up to her floor. The telephone was ringing when she stepped inside her room.

Genuine alarm flashed through her. No one knew where she was staying. She hadn’t even told her office yet. She’d made all the arrangements herself at the very last moment after speaking with Lily Garrett Bishop yesterday.

Probably the hotel desk was phoning about the toilet. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the receiver. Her hand was steady enough, though her heart thudded more quickly than normal. “Hello?”

A second of staticky silence filled her ear. There was a decisive click as someone hung up.

Sky held the telephone for several long minutes before replacing the instrument on the nightstand. There was no reason to believe the call had come from the stranger downstairs, but she couldn’t stop the apprehension from slithering up her spine.

A loud knock on her door made her jump, her hand hovering over the telephone.

“Who is it?”

“Bellman.”

Unnerved, she crossed to the door and peered through the peephole. She was only slightly reassured by the sight of the smiling young face on the other side.

Taking a calming breath, she opened the door.

“Hold on a second, there!”

A portly man in a maintenance uniform rushed forward before the bellman could step inside.

“Don’t unload the lady’s bags until I have a look. We’ve been having problems with the commode in this room for days. I suspect we’re going to need to move her to another room.”

“Should I take her things back downstairs?”

“Give me a minute first.”

The maintenance man apologized profusely on behalf of the hotel, surveyed her bathroom, tsked once or twice and asked permission to use her telephone.

Sky waited, oddly comforted by the presence of the two men.

He hung up and turned around, shaking his head. “Nobody ever listens. We’re going to be moving Ms. Diamond to another room. Take her stuff back downstairs until they reassign her. I’m real sorry for the inconvenience, Ms. Diamond. I told them there was a problem in here, but someone didn’t relay the information to reservations. We’ll have you resituated immediately.”

Sky sighed. There wasn’t much point in berating either of these two men. And if they switched her room, the man from the plane would no longer know her room number.

The crowd had thinned substantially by the time they got to the main lobby, but luggage was stacked on carts all over. Hers rejoined the others sitting to one side while she waited for the hotel to process a new room.

Sky clutched her briefcase, her gaze constantly roving over the crowd. There was no sign of the man from the plane. In minutes she’d been upgraded, at no additional cost, to a far more luxurious suite on the floor above the original one, with profuse apologies ringing in her ears.

Still, Sky didn’t relax until the bellman stacked her bags inside, set the computer case on the desk, and departed with a smile and a good tip. With a profound sigh of relief, she settled into the spacious new accommodations. She’d requested privacy this time so her dilemma had been solved. The man with the menacing eyes would have no way of tracking her down.

She’d be leaving the hotel before most people were up and about in the morning. Since she planned to have dinner in her room, odds were, she would never see the stranger again.

* * *

IT WAS THE stupid little things that could ruin a perfect reputation after years of work. A guilty conscience made a man foolish.

The man sometimes known as Norman Smith had been so certain that airport security guard was stalking him that he’d switched the computer case with the blonde’s. And all for nothing. The weaselly bastard had been going after a mundane pickpocket, not him.

He needed better control. Much better control. Maybe he was getting too old for this business. Maybe it was time to think about retiring. He had a tidy sum resting in an offshore bank. Not enough to buy him an island perhaps, but there was a location in Hawaii that looked promising, plenty of space and white sandy beaches. He could share an island paradise like that.

Maybe after he completed this assignment, he’d hop a plane to the Islands and have another look around. He could rent a place for a year or so to see how he liked living there. He could still do the odd job or two—unless he was suddenly going to start jumping every time someone looked at him funny.

Business had been brisk of late and he’d grown unaccountably tense. The last two jobs hadn’t gone well. In fact, the last hit had nearly gotten him caught despite all his careful planning. He definitely needed a vacation. Today was a prime example. He shouldn’t have let himself be sidetracked by that blonde. Normally he had better control.

But God, she was something. She carried herself like a movie star. He’d always been drawn to the classy type. They didn’t usually come with such a cold put-down, either.

Anger churned in his gut. Who did she think she was? He could buy and sell her a million times over.

The thought made him smile. The smile turned into a chuckle. Then he scowled, emerging from the stairwell where he’d donned the stolen, protective camouflage. He started down the hall, his senses alert while his mind probed her reaction to him at the airport.

Cold, snobbish piece of tail. She’d looked at him like he was dirt. Well, he’d teach her some manners. Too bad it was the last lesson she’d ever learn.

He chuckled again, then he quickly looked around to see if anyone had heard him. No, he was still alone in the hallway. The maintenance uniform was a loose fit on his lean frame, but it would serve the purpose. She would see only the uniform and let him in.

He nodded to a couple leaving their room and they nodded back. Emboldened, he lengthened his stride. No one would question his right to be walking around in this outfit. Hadn’t he learned it was all a matter of acting as if you belonged? People always saw what they expected.

He started paying attention to the room numbers: 1213, 1215, 1217. Perfect. He knocked once and called out.

“Maintenance.”

Nothing happened. There was no stir of sound from inside. She’d probably gone out to eat. Or maybe she’d fallen asleep on the bed. That would be even better. He pulled on a pair of thin latex gloves. Removing a set of tools from his pocket, he set to work on the lock.

Inside the darkened room a minute later, he hit the light switch. His gaze swept the place. Instead of the jumble of luggage he’d expected to see, the room was completely empty.

Gone. She was gone!

Fear and fury mingled. Where had she gone? She’d been here when he’d called her room a short while ago.

There was only one reason for her to take off like that. She must have opened the computer case!

Fury all but choked him. Damn her! She’d taken off with his money. She must have thought she’d struck it rich. He’d teach her. He’d teach her good. Snooty Ms. Diamond would pay and pay for this inconvenience. Because that was all he would let it be. He’d get the money back and the C4 explosive as well.

He cursed viciously. Stupid! One stupid moment of panic and his reputation hung in the balance. His fingerprints were all over that case. If she’d taken it to the police—

He calmed his momentary panic. Even if she had, they couldn’t touch him. They wouldn’t have a name to go with those prints, nor would they know where to look. And his career wasn’t ruined yet. Fortunately, he’d removed the client’s instructions in the rest room when he’d picked up the case from the unseen courier.

He patted his hip pocket, satisfied by the crinkle of paper. Unfortunately, now he would have to purchase or steal some explosives himself. Risky. He could make a couple of bombs from scratch of course, but they wouldn’t be as professional as the C4. And this job needed to go right. He pounded his fist in his hand. He had some time. Maybe he could find the bitch and get his case back again. Damn her!

He lifted the lamp from the dresser, yanking the cord from the socket. The lamp shattered satisfactorily against the wall over the king-size bed where he hurled it. Where had she gone? When he’d searched her computer case at the airport, all he’d found was her business address inside. Would she go back to New York once she realized what she had?

Not likely. She’d had too much luggage with her. Hell, with his recent luck she was relocating here in Texas. How was he going to find her? Texas was one big mother of a state. She could have gone anywhere. If he started asking questions, people would remember him. There had to be a way to figure out where she went.

A noise at the door sent him spinning around. There was no time to move out of sight and nowhere to hide. Another man in a maintenance uniform stepped inside, a rack of tools in his hand. His friendly face registered startled shock, then moved to puzzled surprise.

The man sometimes known as Norman Smith smiled at the newcomer coldly.

“Uh, who are you?” Dark features pleated in puzzlement, not yet alarmed. “I was told we’ve got a problem here.”

He waited for the man to close the door to the hall. His fingers wormed their way inside his pocket to the comforting hard steel of the knife that rested there.

He liked knives. They were much quieter than guns.

“It’s unfortunate, but it looks like I’m the man who’s going to make all your problems disappear.”

CHAPTER TWO

THE SUN WASN’T even up when Sky finished dressing, checked her watch, and decided she had time to send her assistant a quick e-mail before she hit the road. The computer case still sat on the desk where the bellman had set it the night before. Spinning it around to open it, she stopped, her heart pounding loud enough to be audible.

“This isn’t my case!”

While similar, the case was too light and had some sort of fancy lock on the front. Anger and panic warred within her even as she reached for her briefcase to check on her files. The machine’s files weren’t irreplaceable, the ones in her briefcase were. She breathed again when she found everything where it should be. Then she reached for the telephone.

“I suspect this is a simple mix-up,” the hotel security man told her a short time later. “There’s no identification on the outside, but this is an expensive lock. Someone is going to want this case back.”

“Can’t you open it?”

“No, ma’am. Not with this lock on it.”

“Mr. Ellenshaw, I need my computer. Can’t you break the lock and find out who this case belongs to?”

The earnest young man shook his head. “Sorry, Ms. Diamond, I can’t do that. Believe me, whoever got your computer is going to be as upset as you are over this mistake.”

“I doubt it.”

Especially if that person was from a rival designer’s house. This wouldn’t be the first time another designer had gone to extreme lengths to steal an upcoming series of designs. Sky had been a recent target so she knew firsthand. There was big money in the world of fashion. Theft happened more often than people realized. And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.

“I’m certain we’ll hear from the owner this morning,” he assured her earnestly.

“That’s all very well, but my car is being delivered in fifteen minutes. I have to leave. What am I supposed to do?”

“As soon as your computer is located we’ll have it delivered to you. In the meantime, I have some forms for you to fill out.”

“Of course you do.”

Arguing was pointless. If the competition had her computer, they already had everything on it. Recriminations were useless. She could only hope Mr. Ellenshaw was correct, that in all the confusion yesterday, the bags had been switched by mistake.

“And if no one does complain about having the wrong computer?” she asked as she finished filling out the requisite paperwork to get her laptop computer returned in the event they recovered it.

“Er, then you’ll have to file a claim through the insurance company.”

“Naturally. And what happens to this one?”

“Oh, we’ll hold on to it. It’s possible a guest who checked out might not discover the switch for several days.” At her raised eyebrows he hastened to add, “But I really don’t think that’s going to be an issue here, Ms. Diamond.”

The door flew open. A young woman in a security uniform stood there, a peculiar expression on her face. “Ray, I need to talk to you right away.”

“I’ll be with you in a min—”

“Now! This won’t wait!”

“Excuse me a moment, Ms. Diamond.”

He walked to the door and stepped into the corridor with the agitated woman. The door didn’t close all the way and the woman’s frantically whispered words floated into the room.

“One of the maids just found a maintenance worker downstairs in an empty room. He’s dead. She says his throat was slit. There’s blood all over the place.”

The security man uttered an oath. “Follow procedure. I’ll be right there.”

Sky wasn’t surprised when she was hustled to the front desk. A bellman was summoned to collect her bags and bring them downstairs. By the time she finished filling out the paperwork for the car that was delivered, a surprising number of uniformed police officers were trooping through the lobby. At 5:33 a.m. it seemed highly unlikely the early risers were going to believe the police were here for a conference.

Not her problem. Sky tipped the deliveryman and walked outside, her briefcase firmly under her arm. This time she checked each piece of luggage carefully as it was being loaded into the trunk of the luxury car. Two men she’d bet were plainclothes policemen strode past the unfazed doorman.

“All set, ma’am. Come back and see us.”

Not if she could help it. In her opinion, the Grand’s reputation was highly overrated.

Only after she was inside the car with the engine running did she shrug off the morning’s frustration and allow anticipation to hum through her body. There was nothing she could do about the computer right now. The loss couldn’t override her main reason for being here in Texas.

Somewhere down the road her daughter was waiting, even if the girl wasn’t aware of that fact. In her mind, Sky had held countless conversations with the faceless young woman. She’d rehearsed all sorts of opening gambits. Yet she still didn’t know what she was going to say when the time finally came. More and more she wondered if she was doing the right thing at all. She had no rights here. But even if she didn’t tell her daughter who she was, Sky needed to see her, maybe watch her and hear her speak. It was that simple and that complicated.

She opened her map, took a quick look at the printed directions she’d made for herself, and set out into the early-morning traffic.

Finally, after all these years, maybe—just maybe—she could convince herself that she’d done the right thing after all.

* * *

DINNER WAS nearly ready. His daughter would be home from work soon, Noah thought in satisfaction. Having Lauren around always brought the tiny ranch to life. The place was going to feel so empty once she moved away for good. Lauren had a way of comfortably filling even the silences with her good-natured presence. It had been bad enough this past year and a half with her away at school most of the time, but at least there had been vacations and semester breaks to look forward to. Soon it would be periodic visits instead.

Letting go might be part of the parenting process, but he didn’t have to like it.

The telephone rang, pulling Noah from his introspection. He rinsed his hands and reached for the instrument.

“Hello?”

“Noah? Zach Logan.”

The name from his past raised his eyebrows. Zach Logan had been his boss when he worked for the Dallas Police Department fifteen years ago. He hadn’t seen the man since last April when one of Zach’s cases had reached into this part of Texas and Noah lost a deputy.

“Hey, Zach, what’s new?” Noah cupped the phone under his chin and finished drying his hands on the dish towel as he checked the water boiling on the stove.

“I called to give you a heads-up.”

Noah turned down the heat as he slid the pasta into the boiling water. “On Francis Hartman?”

“You heard they released him?”

“I dropped a prisoner off last week. The warden told me.”

“Then do you know Hartman disappeared from view yesterday?”

Noah’s muscles tensed then relaxed. “Francis Hartman is a brainless thug.”

“Who apparently carries a mean grudge.”

Noah swore.

“Yeah. While I agree he doesn’t have the brains God gave rodent dung, it’s a good idea to watch your back all the same. The brainless ones are often more dangerous than we expect.”

“Point taken. Thanks for the warning, Zach. I’ll alert my people. Any wants or warrants?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, I’m not overly worried. Hartman will stand out if he makes the mistake of showing up here in Darwin Crossing. I think he’s just barely smart enough to recognize that.”

“Good point. You aren’t exactly a bustling metropolis out there, are you?”

“We like it that way.”

“Uh-huh. Guess that means coming back to work for me again is out of the question, huh?”

For one tiny second, Noah hesitated before rejecting the offer. Once Lauren was happily married, his initial reason for leaving Dallas was gone. He’d loved the undercover work he’d done for the Dallas P.D. On the other hand, he was older now. Old enough to know it was a young man’s game.

“Thanks anyhow, Zach.”

“Just remember, the offer stands anytime you want. How’s your daughter doing? I hear she’s engaged.”

Noah smiled. “She picked herself a nice guy. He’s about to graduate from veterinary school.”

“Isn’t that what Lauren is studying?”

“Yeah. She intends to go into partnership with him. They’ve already talked to the vet over in Trueblood about buying into his practice in a couple of years. He’s getting ready to retire.”

“That’s terrific. So Lauren’s away at school right now?”

“No, actually, she’s doing this semester via some new computer courses. She’s determined to save money before the wedding and this lets her work part-time as a veterinary assistant for our vet here in Bitterwater.”

“Independent as ever, huh?”

Noah’s grin widened. “That’s Lauren.”

“Still bringing home strays?”

“Afraid so.” He eyed the three dogs and one battered old cat sprawled on the kitchen floor. Each one had been a rescue that had ended up costing him a fortune in vet bills. Lauren was always bringing home strays of one sort or another. Long ago, he’d accepted the defeat of that particular battle.

Zach chuckled. “Glad to hear she’s doing so well. Just to be on the safe side, you should probably warn her to be careful. Listen, Noah, there was another reason I called.”

“Figured as much.”

“Could I use your office to set up a meeting? We’ve got an undercover operation that I don’t want to see compromised. I figure you’re far enough from anywhere that we can make sure no one sees the meet.”

Noah ran a knuckle across his jaw, remembering what had happened the last time he’d gotten involved in one of Zach’s operations. His deputy had been a year from retirement when a pair of thugs from a baby ring ran him down. It hadn’t been Zach’s fault, but Noah still felt the loss.

“I guess I can arrange that.”

“Good. I’ll let you know the particulars as soon as I do.”

“All right.” The dogs suddenly scrambled to their feet and dashed down the hall. Lauren was home. “I’ve gotta run before I burn dinner, but thanks for the call. It was good to talk with you again.”

Joyous barks greeted the arrival of his daughter. Noah smiled in satisfaction as he hung up. He grabbed the salad from the refrigerator and set it on the table, then he pulled out the colander. The clicking of paws preceded his daughter into the kitchen.

“Hi, Dad! Dinner smells great. I’m starving.”

The animals collapsed in a boneless pile inside the door, watching Lauren with canine adoration as she gave him a quick hug and headed for the stove to check on the garlic bread he had warming.

“Yum.”

“Go wash up. Dinner in five.”

When Lauren returned from the bathroom, they fell into their usual dinnertime routine. The dogs waited hopefully for something to fall in their direction, but were quickly distracted by their own food bowls so he and Lauren could eat in peace. The cat disappeared with a haughty flick of her tail. As he ate, Noah listened to Lauren describe her day with her usual cheerful enthusiasm.

“Oh, and Doug’s coming to spend this weekend if that’s okay, Dad.”

“Anytime.” He swallowed a mouthful of pasta and regarded his daughter. “He’s not going to drive, is he?”

“No. He’s flying into San Antonio and renting a car.”

Noah raised his eyebrows. “Pretty expensive for a weekend.”

“I know, but he can afford it. And he says I’m worth it.”

He shared her grin. “He’s right. Listen, there’s something we need to discuss. You know that snub-nosed .38 I gave you?”

Her eyes went from blue to gray as she studied him seriously. “Uh-huh.”

“Start carrying it for a while.”

“Uh-oh. What’s happened?”

His daughter never failed to amaze him. He thanked God every day for the miracle of Lauren. If only Beth had lived to see what a strong, beautiful, levelheaded woman they had raised. He took a bite of salad, chewed, swallowed past the lump in his throat and proceeded to explain about Francis Hartman.

“Okay, Dad, I’ll stay alert.”

“The odds of Hartman actually coming here are pretty small,” he assured her. “If he holds to his usual routine, he’ll be back in jail in a matter of days.”

For Noah and Lauren the following day was life as normal with some heightened caution and awareness. In the afternoon, Noah spent several frustrating hours trying to track down an oil leak in his truck before he gave up and drove into town. He groaned at the sight of Alma Underwood pumping gas into her sports utility, but there was no avoiding the woman unless he drove all the way over to Bitterwater. He brought his truck to a halt and looked around for Marvin Gates. Old Man Lacy had the hapless mechanic cornered inside the garage, garrulously complaining about something under the hood of his ancient pickup.

“Noah! I was just heading home to give you a call,” Alma said. “You have to do something.”

Too late to hide, he thought ruefully, and strode over to Alma. “Afternoon, Alma. What do I have to do something about? I’m not even on duty right now.”

She finished filling her gas tank and began screwing the cap back in place while Noah rested a foot against her front fender.

“Ha! You’re the county sheriff, you’re always on duty. Besides, you know young Terry’s still wet behind the ears. This woman would chew him into little pieces.”

The idea of anyone chewing his six-foot-three inch, 220-pound muscled deputy into little pieces made Noah smile. Terry Gooding might be young and inexperienced, but he wasn’t stupid or Noah wouldn’t have hired him.

“What woman, Alma?”

“The one over in my café. She’s been hanging around Darwin Crossing for two days now. She doesn’t belong here.” Alma’s seamed face creased even further.

“Where does she belong, Alma?” Over her shoulder, Noah saw that rescue wasn’t imminent. Marvin was still busy.

The older woman sniffed. “City woman. Now, I ask you, what business could she possibly have here in Darwin Crossing? As the sheriff, you should talk to her. Find out what she’s up to.”

He tried to keep amusement out of his voice as he tipped back the brim of his Stetson and tilted his head.

“You mean you haven’t pumped her for information already?” There was no better source of information in town than Alma Underwood. The woman lived for gossip.

“Humph. Not that one. You can’t pump her with a twelve-gauge. She’s real cool-like. Cuts you dead with a look. Good-lookin’ broad, I’ll give her that, but only if you like the snooty type. She comes into my place and just sits there watching.”

“Sitting’s not illegal, Alma. Neither is watching. And you do own the only café in town.”

The older woman scowled. “She doesn’t come there to eat. She orders perfectly good food and then sits there playing with it while she looks out the window or scribbles away on this pad she carries.”

Alma took her food seriously. Noah kept his grin inside and glanced over at his pickup to be sure it wasn’t blocking anyone. Marvin was still occupied.

“I guess city women are picky eaters, but I’m afraid that isn’t illegal, either.”

Alma set her jaw and eyed him from beneath thick round glasses. “Okay, I didn’t want to say this right out, Noah, but if you’re gonna take that attitude, now I will. She seems to be watchin’ your Lauren.”

“What?”

Amusement vanished at the mention of his daughter’s name. Noah came away from the fender of her SUV. Tension took a two-fisted grip on the base of his stomach.

For an instant, he thought about Francis Hartman, then discarded the idea of a connection. But a much older fear reared its ugly head.

“Thought that might get your attention.”

Beth had laughed at him, told him his worry was foolish. But while she was a cop’s wife, she didn’t see and hear all the things he did. From the day they adopted Lauren, he’d always secretly feared that one day Lauren’s birth mother would come and try to take their little girl away.

“Are you sure about this, Alma?”

“Course I’m sure.”

Who would be watching his daughter?

“A woman,” he said almost to himself. The adoption had been perfectly legal and nearly twenty years ago. Still, Beth’s death had strengthened the fear. What if Lauren’s biological parents learned that Beth was dead? What if they decided they’d made a terrible mistake? He’d never understood how anyone could give up a precious baby like Lauren in the first place. His fear had not abated after Beth’s funeral. It had even played a small role in his moving out here in the middle of nowhere after he found himself a widower. Strangers were always noticed here in Darwin Crossing.

“Course she’s a woman, didn’t I say as much?”

“Who is she?” he demanded.

“That’s what you need to find out,” Alma said, sounding exasperated. “The woman has a file in that briefcase she carries around and your Lauren’s name is scrawled on the face of it.”

The tension building inside him coiled itself into a tight knot.

Alma bobbed her head as if she knew the impact her words were having. “If someone is checking on your daughter, maybe it’s time to make sitting and watching illegal here in Darwin Crossing.”

“Where is this woman now?”

“In my café,” Alma said with satisfaction.

Noah battled his spreading tension.

“You know, it occurred to me to wonder if that high-society boyfriend of your daughter’s might have gone and hired himself a fancy private investigator to keep an eye on his fiancée,” she added.

Alma’s suggestion stopped him cold, changing the direction of Noah’s thoughts. Douglas Rossiter came from a wealthy background. In fact, the Rossiter family was well-known amid the Dallas elite. While Doug didn’t strike him as the jealous type, it was barely possible that he was having some sort of check run on Lauren. Lauren had just returned from a visit with the Rossiter family, relating amusing tales about their lifestyle, which was so different from her own. Did they think she hadn’t fit in?

“You can’t trust them society people,” Alma insisted. “They’re always lookin’ down on hardworking folk like us. I told you it was a bad idea to let your Lauren marry outside her class.”

Noah brushed that aside, but he couldn’t dismiss the assumption that this new stranger was a private investigator. It was within the realm of possibility that someone in the Rossiter family was checking on Lauren. That made more sense than a relative suddenly trying to make contact after all these years.

The investigator would find absolutely nothing, of course, but the idea of the whole thing made Noah angry. If this woman started probing around in Lauren’s background, she could stir her unknown birth mother into taking some sort of action. After all, Lauren was marrying into a wealthy family.

“I called Terry,” Alma continued, “but he says he can’t do anything unless she breaks the law.”

True enough. “I’ll go over and have a talk with the woman.”

Alma’s eyes lit victoriously.

“You do that,” she called to his retreating back. “That woman’s up to no good.”

Noah waved to Marvin as he left his truck where he’d parked it and started down the street. The mechanic could look for the oil leak later. Noah strolled toward the café with deceptive speed. The stranger’s sleek silver luxury car was parked out in front, looking mildly intimidated by the much larger vehicles that surrounded it. A rental out of San Antonio, Noah noted.

His stomach tightened another notch as he realized where he’d seen the car before. Yesterday, it had been parked in Bitterwater not far from the vet’s office where Lauren was working.

Noah hadn’t paid the car any attention when he’d driven past, other than to note how out of place it looked. He hadn’t seen anyone inside and assumed the driver was with the vet. Now the tension inside him began to unfurl. Thank God for Alma’s warning.

While he doubted a private investigator would spring for an expensive luxury car to drive around in, one never knew. As soon as he was close enough, he made a mental note of the plate number. Then he walked up beside the car and peered inside.

“May I help you with something?”

Her sultry voice did a slow crawl up his spine. He lifted his head and drank in the view of the woman standing behind him. She was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. There was no mistaking her for a resident even if he hadn’t known everyone by name in a hundred-mile radius. The woman looked more out of place than her car. Five-seven, he’d estimate, slender, but not without some nicely placed curves. Grace Kelly came to mind with those cheekbones and that glowing skin. The woman’s hair was cut to her chin in a style that looked expensively chic, yet artfully simple. The style suited her.

“Just looking,” he told her as he adjusted the brim of his hat and watched in puzzlement as her body seemed to tighten in recognition. He’d swear she was a total stranger, yet her body language said otherwise.

The shaft of unexpected and unwanted desire caught him unprepared. He wondered if she felt the pull of this sudden chemistry, as well. Dressed in a navy pantsuit that fit as if it had been designed just for her, she managed to look completely feminine, yet at the same time conveyed a sense of professionalism. His gaze was drawn to the V of her open-necked, white silk shirt, which stopped just short of the nicely rounded curves of her breasts.

“Like it?” she asked coolly.

Her voice was soft velvet wrapped around spikes of steel. The voice made him think of other soft things he’d like to wrap around steel. Uncomfortably embarrassed to be caught staring, he tried for a smile. “What’s not to like?”

Spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “I meant the car.”

He tipped his head to one side and let his smile widen. “So did I.”

For a moment, she seemed disconcerted, but her cool mask quickly settled back into place. No wonder Alma didn’t like her. Few women would. And most men would feel intimidated—the ones who didn’t see her as prey. He had to rein in a pretty strong predatory feeling of his own. The woman was class, yet she gave off an aura of sensuality that reached inside him and grabbed him where he lived. And all with no effort on her part.

Behind the dark lenses of her glasses, he sensed her assessing his faded work jeans, matching jacket, boots and plaid shirt. Fingering the brim of his hat, Noah figured he failed her fashion test hands-down. He’d spent the past few hours under the hood of his truck. Fashion hadn’t come into his choice of clothing, and it didn’t worry him now.

“We don’t see many cars like this one around here,” he said.

Her head inclined toward the line of pickup trucks dwarfing the car. “I’ve noticed.”

“We don’t see many strangers in town, either,” he said, inviting her to share her reasons for being here.

“Don’t tell me you’re the welcoming committee.”

Strands of soft blond hair shimmered in the sunlight as she tossed her head. He found himself watching with interest as each lock fell smoothly back into place as though well trained.

“Nope, but I admit I’m curious. There isn’t much to lure visitors to Darwin Crossing.”

“You might be surprised.” Her words seemed to startle her. She started forward briskly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me...”

He blocked her by the simple expedient of turning around directly into her path. She bumped his shoulder and jumped back as if scalded.

“Is there a problem here, Sheriff?”

As a law enforcement official, he’d met this sort of defensiveness before. Lots of people didn’t like cops for all sorts of reasons. Problem was, she shouldn’t know his occupation. He wasn’t wearing his uniform.

“Now, how could you know I’m the sheriff?”

He watched with interest as the color faded from her cheeks. He fought down an urge to remove those dark sunglasses so he could see the eyes beneath. What color would they be? And what would they reveal?

“I saw you in uniform the other day.”

The keen anticipation that had been building inside him shut down instantly at those words. He hadn’t been in uniform since he picked Lauren up at the airport a couple of days ago. At least a full day before Alma said the stranger had come to town. He leaned back against the door to her car. “Is that right? Which day would that be, exactly?”

“I’m not... Does it matter?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Why?”

“Alma tells me you’ve been hanging around the past couple of days.”

“Alma being...?”

“The woman who runs the café.”

“Ah. That Alma.”

She’d regained her composure, and this time her look was designed to reduce a man to the level of cow manure.

“So what seems to be the problem, Sheriff? Tips not generous enough?”

“I wouldn’t know.” He came off the car and closed the distance between them, deliberately using his body to intimidate her. “But I would like to know why you’re here in town and how you know who I am,” he said with deceptive softness.

He was unaccountably pleased that she held her ground. This was not a woman who would be easily intimidated. His reflection stared back at him from the mirrored sunglasses. He had a feeling he’d be seeing sparks flashing if he could see her eyes.

If she was a private investigator for the Rossiters, they were obviously hiring unusual new talent. No surprise there. They had plenty of money.

Noah put her age somewhere near thirty. Up close, her skin was flawless, her makeup so carefully applied as to appear nonexistent. And as the breeze shifted direction, the air carried a subtle hint of fragrance—something delicately feminine. Soft. Unobtrusive. Almost elusively compelling.

Just like the woman herself.

He found himself relaxing despite his instincts to the contrary. He didn’t want to like her, even if he admired her spunk. And he sure didn’t want to be attracted to her, yet it was hard to prevent. Noah chided himself for being mildly distracted by the rise and fall of her chest. She’d gone back to looking unruffled, but he could almost hear her thoughts whirling.

“If you must know, Sheriff, I’m here sketching.”

He’d give her points for originality, but she’d lose on the delivery. He didn’t have to see her eyes to know they’d be shifting away on that answer.

“Not much scenery here in town,” he said mildly.

“You’d be surprised.”

Her tone was dry, but her meaning unmistakable. He was the scenery she was talking about.

He knew women found him attractive. His daughter had once come home after a dance to gleefully inform him that he was considered the catch of the county. Now that same sense of embarrassment crawled over his skin at her deliberate stare.

She lifted her chin and her expression became serious. “I’m not sketching scenery, Sheriff,” she said. “I’m a clothing designer. I came here to soak up some atmosphere for a new winter line.”

Noah didn’t have to ponder that one. “This is February.”

Sky found herself on the verge of smiling. She caught herself in the nick of time. This strangely compelling attraction she felt was dangerous. The sheriff was the sort of man a woman spun fantasies about, the kind of man they put on billboards to convince men—and the women in their lives—that some product could make them look like him.

It was a delicious fantasy. He was a delicious fantasy.

Too bad he was her daughter’s adoptive father.

CHAPTER THREE

SKY TRIED to steady the erratic beat of her heart.

When she’d asked the man at the gas station about Lauren, he’d casually pointed her out. Sky hadn’t seen her daughter up close yet, but she’d been following her, trying to learn all she could while remaining unobtrusive. She hadn’t yet decided on an approach.

The moment she saw the sheriff looking over her car, she recognized him from the airport. There was no mistaking the sexy stranger in uniform or not. To think she’d come so close to meeting her daughter within minutes of landing here in Texas. This had to be some sort of fate at work. For a second she was tempted to tell this incredibly handsome man who she really was. Fortunately, caution prevailed.

“Designers have to work well ahead of the calendar year, Sheriff,” Sky said, stalling as she tried to decide the best tactic to take. “The designs I’m sketching right now are for next winter,” she explained.

The sheriff had a devastating smile that invited a person to smile back. Sky ordered her pulse to behave. She wasn’t here to have a flirtation, and based on her observations, Lauren would drive past any minute now. Sky had hoped to arrange an “accidental” meeting of some sort today, but she could hardly do that under the watchful eyes of Lauren’s adoptive father. Sky had to get rid of the man somehow.

“I don’t suppose you would have some identification I could see,” she asked, trying to reassert control of the situation.

His eyes glinted.

“I think that’s supposed to be my line.”

“You aren’t in uniform,” she pointed out.

“But you’re the one who called me sheriff.”

“I might have made a mistake.” A big one. She had no business baiting the one man who could ruin everything.

He surprised them both by chuckling. The deep sound rippled over her nerve endings, bringing an inadvertent smile to her lips. But when he slid his fingers deep into the front pocket at his hip, her mouth went dry. She followed his fingers, drawn to the fit of his jeans over that nicely muscled form.

Good grief, what was wrong with her? She never stared at a man like this. She was too old to be gawking at him like some virginal schoolgirl even if he was as tempting as sin itself.

He smiled with chocolatey rich brown eyes and she knew he’d noticed her watching him. Warmth bathed her cheeks and she forced herself to look away. A woman could lose all coherent thought staring into eyes like those.

He withdrew a folder and flipped it open. Sky barely glanced at the badge inside. She already knew what it said and she was busy being irked by the chemical rush feeding her hormones.

“Now that I showed you mine,” he said softly, “how about a peek at yours?”

She could actually feel her blush growing brighter. Not for the first time she cursed her porcelain skin, which made blushing an uncontrollable fact of life. That was bad enough, but for some stupid reason she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. The lines beside his mouth and eyes deepened. Another smile edged up the corners of his lips as he slipped the folder back inside his front pocket.

She should be striving to convey her annoyance. Instead, his expression made her feel vividly alive and totally female. The heady rush made it impossible to dislike the man. Still, she’d better get the upper hand fast.

“A quick peek like that hardly merits a full display on my part,” she said tartly. “I haven’t broken any laws.”

“None that I know about, anyhow.”

God, but he had a killer smile. The perfect accompaniment for that deep sexy voice and those seriously dangerous bedroom eyes. Madison Avenue would kill to have him.

“You really are the local sheriff?” she asked, stalling.

He tipped back the brim of his hat, watching her steadily. “Duly elected and everything.”

She’d bet every female in the county had voted for him just to catch a glimpse of that smile.

The abrupt sound of a car horn made them both jump. Sky’s mouth turned into a desert when she realized she was about to have her “accidental” meeting after all. Her daughter was right on schedule and Sky still wasn’t prepared.

Her knees threatened to buckle. She wanted to wipe away the sudden dampness from hands that were visibly trembling. Instead, she clutched her bag more firmly, drawing it against her like a shield. This was her daughter, a piece of her very being that no one and nothing could deny. And not a sound issued past her dry, parted lips.

The sheriff had spun to face the vehicle behind him. The functioning portion of Sky’s mind told her he was cursing under his breath as he hurried forward. He wasn’t going to want to learn why she was here. Her worst-case scenario would come true if she didn’t handle this perfectly.

But that was her daughter sitting there!

“Hey, Dad!” Lauren called through the open window on the passenger’s side of her car. “Marvin wants to know what you want done with the truck. He said you just walked off and left it there. I told him that oil leak must have gotten the best of you.”

“Lauren, I’m busy right now.”

Instantly, her eyes darkened in concern. Sky wanted to protest. She wanted to come forward. Yet she stood mute as stone, emotion obstructing the words clogging her throat.

This was her daughter. That small, precious life she’d carried inside her body for nine long months, the infant she had never seen, was now a grown woman staring back at her with eyes so like her own. Sky felt numb.

“Sorry, Dad.”

The sheriff’s shoulders relaxed, but he kept his back turned to Sky, deliberately not introducing them.

“That’s okay. I’ll talk to Marvin when I’m through here.”

“Need a lift home?”

He shook his head and his tone gentled. “No, thanks. The truck got me here, it will get me back. I’ve got chili in the slow cooker. You can do the salad, but don’t let Limpet con you into any more green pepper. It gives him gas.”

She grinned impishly. Sky’s heart turned over as she recognized the look. Her own mother had often given it to Sky many times over the years.

“I won’t, Dad.”

“I should be home in an hour.”

“Okay.” With a curious glance at Sky, she pulled away.

Sky drew in a jagged breath, breaking the stasis that had held her so silent. In that brief exchange, she had learned everything she’d wanted to know about her daughter’s relationship with her adoptive father. Their loving bond was almost a tangible thing.

The jagged pain that razored its way through her had its roots sunk deep in jealousy. She stared after Lauren with a longing that brought the sting of tears to her eyes once more.

Noah turned to find the woman watching Lauren drive away with an expression he couldn’t define, but one that instantly raised new alarms. He no longer felt indulgent, nor would he allow the chemistry between them to interfere any further.

“I’ll see your identification now,” he said briskly.

He sensed a moment of apprehension, then her hand slid quickly inside her briefcase. Belatedly, his training kicked in. He reached back toward his weapon.

“Hold it!”

She raised her face, the hair parting smoothly away from creamy smooth skin. “What?”

“Bring your hand back out real slow.”

Her mouth opened in an O of surprise. With a jerky nod, she slowly withdrew her hand. Her fingers clutched a black leather wallet.

“Set the briefcase on the hood of your car.”

She complied without a word, but she was trembling. He ignored a momentary desire to reassure her.

“Now take your driver’s license from the wallet.”

Her fingers shook just the tiniest bit as she fumbled to remove the license. A business card fell to the ground at his feet. With a darting movement, she scooped it quickly, but he glimpsed the gilt lettering on the front and made out the word investigator. His chest felt hollow as she stuffed the card back inside the wallet, looking guilty as sin.

“Here, Sheriff.”

She was careful not to touch him as she handed him her driver’s license. Noah scanned the plastic card while keeping part of his attention on her. He wished he had his radio. He had no way to run her license. And he was definitely going to run it.

“Skylar Diamond?” he asked suspiciously. The picture wasn’t flattering, but it was her. The name sounded as phony as her story about being a fashion designer.

“My mother thought it had a dramatic ring to it.”

“What did your father think?”

Her shoulders lifted and fell. “I have no idea. He didn’t stick around long enough for me to meet him.”

Chagrined, he couldn’t think of an answer to that. He wished she’d take off those glasses. You could tell a lot about a person from their eyes. Noah studied the New York address. He wasn’t familiar with the city, but he thought the location sounded uptown. The high-rent district would certainly go with her outfit, which was as out of place here in Darwin Crossing as the woman herself.

“Is this your current residence?”

“Yes.”

But he’d caught her momentary hesitation. Was she lying? Or did she simply not want to answer his questions?

“Where are you staying here in Texas?”

“A rooming house in Bitterwater.”

“Why?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Why what?”

“What are you doing in this part of Texas, Ms. Diamond?”

“I told you. I’m here to—”

“Get inspiration for a winter line of clothing? I don’t think so.”

“It’s the truth,” she insisted stubbornly.

“Then what do you want with my daughter?”

She sucked in a startled breath. “I...don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His jaw firmed. She was lying. That made it real easy for him to overlook her beauty and any attraction he felt toward her.

“According to my sources, you’ve been hanging around town for two days now, watching Lauren. I want to know why.”

Instantly, she bristled. “I don’t know who told you that....”

Her voice trailed off as her head turned. Alma stood against the nearby building watching them, hands crossed over her chest while she rocked back and forth on the heels of her boots.

“Ah. The town watchdog, I suppose.”

Noah didn’t respond. He could almost see the woman’s mind at work. He’d give a lot to be able to read the individual thoughts.

“All right, Sheriff. I was watching your daughter. But I didn’t know she was your daughter.”

Another lie? He couldn’t be sure.

“I saw her in town the other day and wondered if she’d be interested in doing some modeling.”

His gut tensed. The story was plausible given the way she dressed and acted, yet her body language was all wrong. One hand flexed nervously against her side. The other gripped her wallet tightly.

“Modeling,” he said softly, as if he’d never heard the term before.

Her fingers stilled. She drew in a breath. “Yes, modeling. You know, where a person wears designer clothing for the purpose of displaying said clothing to others.”

He’d give her points for a quick rally.

“Your daughter would be perfect for the line I have in mind.”

“I thought you designed the clothing. Don’t tell me you also hire your own models.”

“I do when I see a young woman who would do justice to them,” she argued. “She’s tall, willowy, blond, the perfect image of a young, upcoming executive. She’d make an excellent model.”

“Over my dead body.”

Noah heard a murmur of assent. He glanced around and saw that Alma had been joined by two of her cronies. Great. They were starting to draw a small crowd.

“I’m going to ask you to step over to my office, Ms. Diamond. The red brick building across the street.”

She tensed. “Am I under arrest?”

“Not yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I want to run your identification through the computer. I’m asking for your cooperation.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll have to insist.”

Her lips tightened. She tossed her head in the direction of the onlookers. Alma looked smugly satisfied.

“Very well, Sheriff.” She reached for her briefcase.

“I’ll get that,” he told her quickly. “Head for that red brick building across the street.”

“The one that says Sheriff on the window?”

Without waiting for a response, she strode across the street, head high, her spindly high heels clicking against the pavement. He picked up her briefcase and followed, refusing to be distracted by the subtle sway of her hips. Skylar Diamond moved like a queen.

Well, she should have stayed in her own little kingdom. Darwin Crossing was his town.

The slim briefcase had no betraying bulge and not enough weight for a gun. He didn’t really think she was dangerous in a physical sense—unless he counted the sensual tug she created inside him without even trying.

Noah shook his head. The briefcase was unlatched. He hesitated only a second before lifting the flap. Papers, disks, files, notebooks. A manila file with some handwritten directions sticking out. Finders Keepers was written in a bold scrawl across one of them. Now, why did that have a familiar ring to it? He didn’t have time to read more because she reached the office door and stood waiting expectantly.

His lips curved wryly. He held the door open for her and allowed her to precede him into the office. The dispatcher, Marissa Hurtado, looked up questioningly. Noah gave her an imperceptible nod.

“Go straight back to that first desk and have a seat, Ms. Diamond,” he directed.

She paused to let her glance quickly scan the room, no doubt categorizing and dismissing the badly scarred furniture and the messy papers spread everywhere. He’d decided the papers bred in secret overnight just to frustrate him. Paperwork was the bane of his life. He set his hat on top of the newest stack and walked around his desk.

“You might want to take off your sunglasses,” he suggested as she perched stiffly on the edge of the visitor’s chair.

“Why would I want to do that?”

He indicated the overhead fluorescent lights. “No sun?”

After a moment’s hesitation, her hand reached for the glasses and slipped them off. Silvery-gray eyes met and held his gaze. “Happy?”

He tried not to smile at her sarcasm. “Ecstatic.”

“I’m so glad.”

Noah thought again that she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Thick, dark lashes framed glittering eyes that held just the faintest trace of apprehension. But if she was nervous, it wasn’t enough to stop her sassy mouth.

“So, now what?”

“Now I’ll run your license and see if there are any wants or warrants.”

She fidgeted and quickly stilled beneath his inquiring gaze.

“Is that a problem?”

“No. Of course not.”

Her fingers tapped the edge of the armchair. She bit down on her lower lip in contemplation, drawing his attention to their fullness and the soft curve of her mouth.

“I’m fairly sure I paid that overdue parking ticket,” she muttered.

Noah didn’t want to like her. Especially since he wasn’t sure what sort of a threat she presented. But Ms. Skylar Diamond had a disarming way of draining the tension right out of him.

“I’ll let you know if you did in just a minute.”

She fidgeted some more as he waited for the connection. “Nope. No parking tickets. But you aren’t much for stop signs or speed limits, are you?” he asked when her information finally came up on screen.

She settled back in the hard wooden chair and regarded him coolly. The telephone rang and he heard Marissa answer.

“It’s a matter of perception,” she told him. “The New York police department can be very rigid about some things.” She sounded mildly aggrieved. “And I know I paid all those fines.”

“So you did,” he agreed. Behind her, Marissa was dispatching his deputy clear out near Butte Point. Noah frowned before returning his attention to Skylar Diamond. “No wants or warrants came up.”

“You sound surprised.”

“You never know.”

Part of him wished something had come up so he’d have an excuse to hold her until he knew what was really behind her sudden appearance here in Darwin Crossing. Alma’s suggestion coupled with the business card in her wallet brought back his earlier fears.

“So I can go now?”

The telephone rang again. He paid no attention. “In a bit. Mind showing me that card you dropped earlier?”

Her silvery eyes darkened to gray-green while her nails bit into the wooden arm of the chair.

“Yes.”

“Why is that?”

She held his gaze without flinching. “Because unless I’m under arrest, I’m going to leave now.”

“Noah,” Marissa interrupted. “I’m sorry, but Henry’s bull just took down the fence again. Jackson called it in. He says he’s going after the bull with a shotgun this time. I just sent Terry on another call out near Butte Point.”

Noah cursed. Knowing Jackson’s temper as he did, his darn fool neighbor wasn’t making idle threats. The man had no patience left when it came to Henry’s bull. If Noah didn’t want the Hatfields and McCoys reenacted in his own backyard, he was going to have to do something about that blasted animal.

“Call Jackson back. Tell him to stay put until I get there. If he fires that shotgun I’ll arrest him for disturbing the peace. I’m on my way.”

He didn’t want to let Skylar Diamond go, but he had no valid reason to hold her.

“You’re free to go, Ms. Diamond, but stay away from Lauren. My daughter is engaged to be married this summer. The last thing she needs or wants is a career in modeling.”

Her composure slipped when he mentioned the engagement. He saw an instant of shock before she rallied, blanking her expression completely. Now why should she care one way or another? The phone rang again as she came to her feet. Noah rose, as well.

“Isn’t that for her to decide, Sheriff?”

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” But she definitely had spunk, he’d give her that.

“This isn’t the middle ages, you know. Women do have choices.”

“Noah,” Marissa called out, “that was Henry’s wife. Henry went after the bull and Jackson. She said he took his rifle with him.”

“Damn!” He didn’t have time for this, but it looked like he’d have to make time. “I’m on my way.”

He grabbed his hat, closing the distance between him and the woman. Flecks of blue and green shimmered in her eyes as excitement warred with apprehension. While she flinched slightly, she didn’t back up or lower her gaze.

“Go back to New York, Ms. Diamond. You’ve overstayed your welcome in Darwin Crossing. If I find you around town again I’ll arrest you for loitering.”

Her lips parted. For just an instant, he had the strongest impulse to taste those lips. Then sanity reasserted itself and he put his hat on and strode out the door. He heard her address Marissa before the door swung shut.

“And I thought New Yorkers had a reputation for being cold.”

Noah sprinted for the gas station and his leaky truck. So she thought he was cold, did she? Well, cold was the one way Skylar Diamond definitely didn’t leave him.

* * *

THE MAN sometimes known as Norman Smith worked the locks, cursing under his breath until he got past the last one. He had a feeling this wild-goose chase wasn’t going to be any more productive than his search of her office had been. Coming to New York had been a mistake. She’d covered her tracks well.

He’d called her office, looking for her, but her well-trained staff refused to give him any information. He’d hoped she’d left a record of her plans somewhere in her office. Unfortunately, that hadn’t proved to be the case. Getting inside the well-protected building had taken time and ingenuity, but all he’d learned for his efforts was her home address.

He’d let the rising tide of his anger get the best of him. Probably, he shouldn’t have given vent to his frustration by tearing up her office. When she found out, it would just send her deeper into whatever hole she’d found for herself. But she had to know he’d be coming after her. Surely she wasn’t so stupid she’d think he didn’t want his money back.

She had good locks, he admitted as the last one gave. And the security in her building was pretty good, as well. Not as good as he was, of course, but she was going to pay for this inconvenience. He was going to hurt her—badly. He’d already started planning all the ways he would make her pay.

He slipped silently inside her dark apartment, listening hard. There was no sound. He used his tiny pen flash to lead him to her pristine, empty bedroom. Damn it! He wanted that computer case! He needed that computer case! If she thought she was going to take his money and walk away without consequence...

He slipped the knife from its sheath and scored the fancy white bedspread viciously. Not bothering with stealth any longer, he flipped on the bedroom light and opened her closet. Too many empty hangers. Looked to him like she’d split for good. Remembering all that luggage she’d had with her, he wondered. Maybe she hadn’t taken off with his money after all. Maybe she’d been planning from the start not to come back again. If she was on the run for some reason, she could be anywhere at all by now. He needed an address, a phone number. Something that would tell him where she’d gone.

Norman Smith was nothing if not thorough. He destroyed or damaged every inch of the apartment, pausing by the telephone and the blinking answering machine.

He listened and discarded the five messages from her friends and co-workers and concentrated on the memo pad beside the telephone. She’d written several messages on the top sheet of paper, but then she’d drawn stupid doodles over half of them. He couldn’t make out all the words. The hotel name was clear enough, but he already knew she wasn’t there any longer.

Bitterwater. What the hell was Bitterwater? At least it looked like Bitter something. A place? Or had she been drinking water that tasted bitter? He cursed again. Bitterwater could be one of those small Texas towns. There was a phone number below it with a Texas area code. Unfortunately, the phone number wasn’t legible beyond the first few digits.

There was a dollar amount. A hotel fee?

He’d find out. He was very good at puzzles. Haughty Ms. Diamond was about to learn that fact. And then she’d discover some of the other things he was good at.

Especially murder.

CHAPTER FOUR

SKY FACED the morning with a heavy heart. Rain beat a sympathetic tattoo against the windows. She had barely slept all night and it showed. Even a shower and makeup didn’t help. What little sleep she’d managed to get had been haunted by conflicting emotions. And Sheriff Beaufort was at the center of the storm.

The handsome sheriff had to be the most intriguing man she’d ever met. Why did he have to be her daughter’s adoptive father? She considered it luck that he hadn’t recognized her name. Even though adoption records were supposed to be sealed, there was always the chance that someone in his position had learned the truth somehow.

She cringed when she remembered the ridiculous story she’d made up for being in Darwin Crossing and her interest in Lauren. He hadn’t believed her, obviously. She should have told him the truth.

Only she hadn’t wanted to see the condemnation in those chocolate eyes when he learned she’d given up her only child at birth.

Watching Lauren and the sheriff interact yesterday, Sky had felt a pang of envy for their easy camaraderie. It reminded Sky of her relationship with her mother. Lauren had grown up happy and loved—without the poverty. Wasn’t that why Sky had come all this way? She’d wanted to know if she’d made the right choice all those years ago. She had.

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