Cowboy lawmen make the best protectors

A McKade Law novel

Fleeing from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, on-the-run single mother Nicole Dyer takes refuge in a cabin—and is discovered by the ranch owner, Deputy Matt McKade. It’s easy to fall for the handsome lawman and his kind family, but staying at the ranch endangers them all. When everything Nicole loves comes under direct fire, can Matt keep her—and her heart—safe?

SUSAN SLEEMAN is a bestselling author of inspirational and clean-read romantic suspense books and mysteries. She received an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award for Thread of Suspicion. No Way Out and The Christmas Witness were finalists for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence. She’s had the pleasure of living in nine states and currently lives in Oregon. To learn more about Susan, visit her website at susansleeman.com.

Also By Susan Sleeman

McKade Law

Holiday Secrets

Rodeo Standoff

Christmas Hideout

First Responders

Silent Night Standoff

Explosive Alliance

High-Caliber Holiday

Emergency Response

Silent Sabotage

Christmas Conspiracy

The Justice Agency

Double Exposure

Dead Wrong

No Way Out

Thread of Suspicion

Dark Tide

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Christmas Hideout

Susan Sleeman

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08651-6

CHRISTMAS HIDEOUT

© 2018 Susan Sleeman

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

® and ™ are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

MILLS & BOON

Before you start reading, why not sign up?

Thank you for downloading this Mills & Boon book. If you want to hear about exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions, sign up to our email newsletter today!

SIGN ME UP!

Or simply visit

signup.millsandboon.co.uk

Mills & Boon emails are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send you.

“Do you really think we’ll still be at the ranch on Christmas?” Nicole asked, and realized she wished they would be there.

Matt’s eyes narrowed, and she wanted to reach up and press out the wrinkle above his nose, but she refrained from doing so.

“Even when this is all resolved, I don’t want you to leave Lost Creek, but I don’t really have anything to offer you.” He ran a hand over the dark stubble on his jaw. “My life for the next few years is mapped out, and I can’t change that.”

Right. That again. She knew he didn’t want a relationship, so why did hearing him say it cut her to the core?

She held up the key, eager to change the subject. “So...we should get going, right?”

He nodded but didn’t look all that convinced. He gestured for her to precede him, and she took one last look at the Christmas tree before starting for the door.

It was suddenly kicked in.

Nicole screamed and lurched back as two men holding rifles burst inside.

“On the floor now!”

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading Christmas Hideout. I have loved every moment of writing about the McKade family, and I hope you have enjoyed getting to know them in the first three books of the miniseries. In this story, both Nicole and Matt struggle with trusting God with their futures. They worry about the unseen and need to realize that God can see into the future, that they can take heart, that though their future may not be what they expected or planned for, He always promises to work things for our good. If you struggle with the same thing, I hope reading about how Nicole and Matt overcome their issues helps you cope with your own.

If you’d like to learn more about the McKade Law miniseries or my other books, please stop by my website at www.susansleeman.com. I also love hearing from readers, so please contact me via email, susan@susansleeman.com, on my Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/susansleemanbooks, or write to me c/o Love Inspired, HarperCollins, 24th Floor, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.

Susan Sleeman

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart...

—Psalms 34:18

A special thank-you to Susan Snodgrass for naming Walt’s horse, Thunderbolt; Julie Gilbert for naming Jed’s horse, Bullet; Lora Doncea for naming Nicole’s horse, Sunrise; and Debora Wilder for naming Winnie’s horse, Starlight.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

Extract

About the Publisher

ONE

The low, keening wail reverberated from the walls of Nicole Dyer’s apartment as fear skittered through her body.

She listened. Hard. Trying to figure out where the sound originated.

Her. It was coming from her. She was the one crying out.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, stilling the noise before she woke her precious three-year-old daughter. Nicole stared at the warning message. Someone had laid a photo of her on the butcher-block countertop and plunged a large hunting knife into it.

The threat was clear. Someone wanted her dead. And that someone had to be the man she’d recently broken up with. Grady Harmon.

He’d finally lost it. Taken his obsession with her too far. They’d dated for months and all was good, but then he’d turned angry and controlling, and she’d dumped him before he could hurt her or sweet Emilie. But that didn’t matter to him.

Not one bit.

Nicole had been receiving texts for a month from various phones and nothing could be tracked back to Grady, but she knew it had to be him. He’d constantly tried to keep her from doing anything without him, hounding her and insisting he know her every move. So she’d ended things with him, and he was angry about the breakup. The messages started right after that, but soon changed to threats on her life.

But this? This physical threat? The hunting knife? This was too much.

How had he even gotten into her apartment?

Wait. Could he still be here?

She spun. Scanned the room, her heart racing.

Emilie. She had to protect Emilie.

Nicole grabbed the knife. Held it tight and raised it. Armed now and prepared to save her child, she charged down the hallway, fear stealing her breath. She shoved open Emilie’s door. Her sweet child lay in her bed. Curled on her side. Her thumb firmly planted in her mouth.

Nicole sighed out her relief but didn’t relax. She jerked open the closet door. He wasn’t there. She knelt to look under the bed. Nothing.

She bolted for the door and checked her own bedroom. The closet. Under the bed. No intruder. She raced to the hallway bathroom. Knife raised, she slid open the shower curtain.

No Grady. No one.

A sigh of relief came to her lips, but she stifled it. She couldn’t relax. Not for a second. Not when he’d stalked her. She saw him everywhere. At the grocery store. Outside the school where she taught third grade. At her church. He texted her. Demanded to get back together. Then started threatening her life. Daily. Sometimes hourly.

She’d reported everything to the police, but he used an unregistered phone and they couldn’t trace it. She’d considered moving out of Austin to get away from him, but she’d have to quit her job. Her husband had been a great provider before he died, but he’d spent every penny he’d earned and left her with nothing. She had to work, and if she abandoned her job, how would she take care of Emilie?

And what would the point of moving be, anyway? Grady was a police officer, and he had ways to locate her anywhere. Especially here in Texas.

He’d even gotten into her apartment. He could come back at any time. Now. Tonight. Tomorrow. When she didn’t know. Couldn’t predict.

Panic raced along her nerves. She gulped for air. Couldn’t find a breath. Panted. Tried harder. Looked for answers. For what to do.

She suddenly realized she was still clutching the knife and dropped it on the counter. The solid metal landed with a clang, ratcheting up her fear.

She needed help. Her sister. Piper. She’d call Piper. She was a voice of reason and could help Nicole think logically.

She grabbed her phone and dialed. “He’s been here. Grady...in the apartment.”

“Are you in danger?” Piper’s urgent and worried question was nearly Nicole’s undoing.

She took a breath and blew it out. Took another. “We’re fine at the moment. He’s gone, but he could come back.”

“You need to call the police. Now!”

“What good will that do?”

“He violated his restraining order. They can lock him up, and all of this will be over.”

Nicole snorted. “Like that’s made a difference. I’ve called 911 on him so many times, and he’s long gone before anyone arrives, so they think I’m crying wolf.” Piper had to realize by now that as a cop, Grady knew how to play the game. To disappear as fast as he’d appeared. “I’ll report him, but I can’t rely on the cops to make sure he’s punished for violating the order.”

“Why did I ever date him?” An ache settled in Nicole’s chest. “Him of all people to be the first guy to go out with since Troy died.”

She hadn’t dated in the three years since her husband had been killed in a motorcycle crash. She’d shut down for months, needing Piper just to get through her daily activities. But Nicole soon realized as a pregnant woman she had to find her footing again for the baby. To honor Troy and give their child the best chance in life. She started dating Grady after he came to her classroom to talk to her students. He was so compelling. So sweet with the kids, and she’d never been able to resist a guy who loved kids this way.

“You’ve got to quit beating yourself up about that,” Piper said. “I still think you should call the police.”

Nicole shot a look around her tiny apartment. “Grady wouldn’t have touched anything without wearing gloves, and there’s no sign of a forced entry.”

“Then how did he get in?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the windows.” She ran to check the locks, window by window. “No, they’re locked, and there’s no sign he forced them open.”

“What about the door?”

She raced to the front door. “No scratches or gouges from prying it open. He had to have a key.”

“Did you give him one?”

“No. He insisted I have a key to his place, but I never gave him one for my apartment.”

“Then how?”

“Maybe he used his status as a police officer to get the building manager to let him in. Yeah, that has to be it.”

Piper sighed. “No matter what, you’re not safe there. Come stay with me.”

“No. No way. He’d find us at your place. I need to leave. To run.” Nicole didn’t need to think twice about her decision when Grady threatened to kill her, leaving Emilie an orphan.

Running was the answer.

The only answer.

But how and where?

She’d just have to play it by ear.

“I’ll call you once we’re safe.” A thought burrowed into her brain. “No, wait. I can’t take my phone. He can track it. I’ll have to leave it here. I’ll buy a prepaid phone the minute we’re safe and call you.”

She couldn’t believe she was even thinking about running? Was it the right thing to do? Would they be safe?

“Honey, don’t go,” Piper pleaded, breaking Nicole’s heart even more and raising her doubts. “Not like this. Not alone. I’ll come—”

“I can’t ask you to come along. I’ll go to that cute bed-and-breakfast in the Texas Hill Country I stayed at with Troy. I’ll call you the minute I get a new phone. I love you, sis.” Nicole disconnected before she caved in.

She left the phone on the counter and raced to her room to jerk a tote bag from the closet. She needed clothes, sure, but she had to take items that were important to her, too. That gave her comfort. She didn’t know when she would be back, if she would be back, and the journey would be tough. Nicole would ask Piper to pack the rest of their things and put them in storage.

She grabbed her mother’s necklace. Her wedding ring. Her father’s watch. Put them in the bag. She located Emilie’s baby book and added it, too.

What next?

Should she even be doing this? Could she do it?

She looked at Emilie. Yes, for her, Nicole had to be strong.

She scanned the room. Pictures. She wanted to have family pictures with her. Piper’s and their parents’, who lived in Minnesota. This was the only way they could be with her to offer strength. She placed the frames into the bag. Next went her laptop and cords. Clothes followed. As many as she could fit in the bag.

She located a large backpack from her college days and hurried to Emilie’s room to pack her belongings. She didn’t want to risk Emilie dropping Mr. Monkey. Freeing him from her daughter’s arms, she put him, then her favorite blanket and several changes of clothing, in the bag.

Bag zipped, Nicole surveyed Emilie’s room. They’d just finished decorating the space with playful monkeys in bright colors that Emilie had chosen. She’d named each monkey and said good-night to them every night. Now she would have to leave them behind.

Tears pricked Nicole’s eyes. She swiped them away. No time for tears when their safety was at risk. She slipped on the backpack and slung the tote bag over her shoulder.

Perfect. Nicole set off for the front door, passing the Christmas tree with Emilie’s presents below. Only a week away, and Nicole was ready for the usual celebration with Piper. Now Emilie wouldn’t have a family Christmas.

Tears flooded Nicole’s eyes. Sobs followed, her body convulsing.

No. Stop. You have to keep it together for Emilie. Go! Now!

She breathed deeply, willed her tears away to pack food and her own personal items. She shrugged the bags over her shoulder and returned to pick Emilie up. She held her daughter close, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo. In the foyer, Nicole snatched her keys from the table where she’d left them when she’d come home from an extended day at work to find the knife. Home. Not home any longer. Not since she’d spotted the knife.

She fumbled through the key ring to grasp the fob for her car. She held it at the ready. The moment she got in range of her car, she would press the button and unlock the doors. She wouldn’t lock the dead bolt. No time for that. She’d have Piper take care of that, too.

At the door, Nicole pressed her ear against the cool metal and listened. She’d wait to step out until she heard people outside. Grady wouldn’t likely approach when others were around and could act as witnesses to his visit. Sure, he would still try to follow her, but if he did, she had to hope she could lose him.

The moment she heard voices, she opened the door. Took a deep breath and mentally prepared to run for her car.

She pressed the button on the key fob. Heard the resulting beeps.

“This is it, baby,” Nicole whispered to her still-sleeping child.

She took off. Moving at top speed through the freezing night air. She reached her car. Jerked open the back door and settled Emilie. Nicole hated having her back exposed, but she had no choice. She couldn’t take off without Emilie safely buckled in her car seat.

Trembling hands made Nicole clumsy with the straps. “C’mon. C’mon. C’mon. Faster.”

She clicked the last one. Ripped the tote from her shoulder. Tossed it inside the car. Did the same with the backpacks and hopped into the front seat. She locked the door and got the car started.

She looked around. Searching. Scanning. Trying to find Grady.

She didn’t spot him. His truck. It made sense that he thought she’d call the police about the knife, and he’d already taken off.

She backed the car out and headed for the exit. She merged onto the street and pointed the car toward the freeway.

Yes! They were going to make it. Going to get away.

First stop would be the ATM for cash.

Wait. Cash.

No, oh, no.

She’d left her purse behind. She’d dropped it on the floor when they’d come home, and she’d carried Emilie to her bed. Nicole had no wallet. No ID. No ATM card. No credit card. Not that she’d use one of those, as Grady could track the purchases, but she had to get cash somehow.

She would have to go back. Take Emilie from the car. Race in and grab the purse and race out again. It would be okay. She hadn’t seen Grady in the lot, and it should be safe.

She made a U-turn. Entered the parking lot again. Glanced around. Her gaze locked on a pickup truck. A gray one. Like Grady’s.

She searched the cab.

A man sat there.

He turned.

Smiled.

Locked gazes.

Grady.

No, oh, no. Why did it have to be him?

She shifted into Reverse and tore out of the lot, hoping with every fiber of her being that she could lose him before he found a way to stop them and inflict any harm.

An intruder?

Deputy Matt McKade parked his patrol car out of view of the cabin, his warning senses tingling. The cabin was located on his family’s dude ranch in the Texas Hill Country. He’d grown up at Trails End but now lived in an apartment in Lost Creek, just a few miles away, as did all of his siblings. But his parents and grandparents still lived in the main house. Matt and his three siblings also spent a lot of time there.

His parents and grandparents were out of town, and he’d promised to check in on the cabins while they were gone. Just two days, and they’d taken a break from renting cabins during the holidays and had no guests. He simply had to make a morning and evening inspection to be sure things were fine. No biggie, right?

Yeah, right. Until now. He’d just arrived for his evening inspection and found lights glowing in one of the cabins.

Could be a vagrant squatting again. They’d had problems with that in the past, hence the morning and evening checks. But it could be more than that, too. Vagrant or not, as a deputy, there was no way he would approach without taking precautions. Starting with killing his headlights and parking out of sight.

He climbed out of his vehicle and closed his door with a quiet click that seemed to reverberate through the frosty December night. He lifted his sidearm and approached the small building, the last cabin in a neat row of six. Located nearest to the main road, it was the building that vagrants seemed to favor when it was vacant.

He moved ahead, his breath whispering out in tiny white clouds. He passed the dude ranch’s large fire pit. The horseshoe pit. The tall, bald cypress with a tire swing, all items favored by their guests. One step, then another. Making sure to move slowly to keep his feet from crunching on fallen leaves and alerting the intruder inside.

He approached the side window, the light growing brighter as he walked. He glanced inside. Spotted someone sitting on the sofa, the small lamp illuminating their head tilted at an angle. He watched. They didn’t move. Not a fraction of an inch. Asleep or dead, he didn’t know.

Warning bells clanged in his brain.

If the person was asleep, his best bet was to make a surprise entry. He took out his master key and went to the door. A quick turn of the lock and knob, then a push, and he had the door open. He flipped on the overhead light.

“Police,” he shouted, using the universal name that all law enforcement used regardless of their agency affiliations when approaching a potentially dangerous person. “Don’t move.”

The person startled. Sat forward.

What in the world?

A young woman holding a child stared at him, her eyes wide, terror etched in the depths.

“I’m sorry.” She blinked against the bright light. “I know I shouldn’t be here. My car. It broke down. We were so tired and cold. I didn’t have blankets for my daughter. She’d freeze. I got the window open, and we came in. I...I’m sorry. Please don’t arrest me, Officer...”

“Deputy McKade. Matt McKade.” He blew out his adrenaline on a long wave of air, his mind trying to calm down and figure out how to handle this intruder. He’d start by identifying her. “What’s your name?”

“Nicole. Nicole Dyer.” She peered down on the child. “This’s my daughter, Emilie. We live in Austin. I’m a widow and my ex-boyfriend has been stalking me. At first, I thought he was just trying to intimidate me into getting back together with him. But he’s gotten progressively angrier and threatening. Tonight, he left a knife in my kitchen. He’s threatened to kill me. So I ran, but I left my purse at home and don’t have any money. I’d only driven an hour or so when my car broke down and I had nowhere to go.” Her words rolled over each other like tumbleweeds in a dust storm on the open Texas range.

Matt didn’t like hearing of a stalker. Didn’t like it one bit. Stalkers were often all talk and no action, but this guy, if she could be believed, sounded like the deadly type, and she was right to fear for her life.

But could she be believed? His first instinct was to trust her. She seemed too upset to be making this up. Didn’t matter. He was a sworn officer of the law, and he couldn’t just take her word for it. “Do you have any identification?”

She shook her head and bit her full bottom lip. It was then that he allowed himself to take a good look at her. She had big icy-blue eyes still wide with fear. High cheeks. Wavy blond hair pulled back into a bun, but strands had fallen free and lay softly against her creamy skin. In a word, beautiful, and something about her got to him in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Before he communicated his attraction, he forced his gaze from her face and it landed on the child all snuggled up to her mother. She had blond curls and an angelic face that people must fawn over.

“Are you arresting me?” Nicole met his gaze and locked on.

Her vulnerability pulled at him, triggering something deep inside. She broke into the cabin, had a story to tell and he what? He simply believed her story because she was pretty?

Right. He could just hear his sheriff father lecturing him about this kind of behavior. Matt had a job to do here. To figure out if she was telling the truth. But he clearly didn’t need to keep his weapon out.

He holstered it. “Do you know your car’s license plate number?”

“Yes! Yes! Perfect. You can check that out, can’t you?” She flashed a quick smile—her way of saying thanks, he supposed—and rattled off the numbers. “It’s a Honda Accord. White. 1996.”

“Registered in Texas?”

She nodded.

“And what’s your date of birth?” he asked, now easily sliding into his deputy role.

She quickly provided the information, and he didn’t even have to calculate her age. They were born the same year, making her thirty-two.

He inserted the earbud for his radio in his ear. In his mic, he repeated the information she’d provided and requested a DMV lookup, along with information from the associated driver’s license and details of the restraining order. If he was in his car, he could handle all of this himself, including seeing her photo on her driver’s license, but he wouldn’t leave her here and go back to his car.

While he waited for dispatch to retrieve the information, he turned his attention back to Nicole. “Tell me about the warning you received tonight.”

She took a deep breath and shifted to face him. “He left a big knife—a foot long and like the ones I know he uses for hunting. He stabbed it into a picture of me on my countertop made of butcher block. No written message. Just that horrible, horrible terrifying visual message while Emilie was sleeping in the next room. I panicked. Packed our bags, grabbed Emilie and fled.” She flashed her gaze filled with shock and disbelief up to his.

Whatever had happened had affected her deeply. Despite his desire to remain impartial, his protective instinct rose up. He tried to tamp it down. It was awful early in their conversation to believe she needed protection of any sort, but even a hint of a woman in physical danger riled him to no end, and he couldn’t just push it away.

“Did you call the police?” he asked.

She shook her head and lifted her chin in a defiant tilt. “What good would it do? I called so many times in the past, and they didn’t help. His name is Grady Harmon. He’s a police officer, and by the time his fellow cops show up, he’s long gone, and they don’t believe me.”

Say what? The guy was a law enforcement officer? That put a different spin on things.

Matt didn’t automatically assume all cops were good people. They weren’t, just like anyone in any other profession, but whether or not he was good, officers initially took the side of one of their brothers until facts proved otherwise. Might not be the right response, but they needed to depend on their fellow officers having their backs. Sometimes they took it too far, though, and protected their own when they didn’t deserve it.

She sighed. “You’d think they’d realize I had to have proof of his actions to get the restraining order, but they don’t seem to take that into account.”

“I’m not saying you don’t have proof, but I do know that judges these days will most always side with the victim. Officers know this and can be skeptical.”

“You, too, I see.” Her eyes darkened to the shade of a new pair of Wranglers, and she glared at him.

Even with her tense expression, she touched something inside him, and he wanted to help her. “I’m not saying they’re right or wrong. I’m just saying the burden of proof for a restraining order is lighter than most legal proceedings.”

“He really has been stalking me.” She raised her shoulders into a hard line. “I don’t lie. It goes against my Christian beliefs.”

She was a Christian. Of course, anyone could claim to be a believer. And believers lied at times, too. Matt knew that from his job. People lied to officers all the time. People he saw in church on Sunday.

Sure, he wanted to take her word at face value—wanted to believe her, but even if he wanted to, he couldn’t. He was a deputy, and that meant checking facts and living by those facts. Not the word of a woman who piqued his interest. Actually, just the opposite.

Because he was attracted to her, he would do even more digging before buying into her story. Still, she could be assured if there was any hint of danger, he’d step up and make sure they were safe. No way he’d leave them to the mercies of a dangerous stalker. No way.

TWO

Nicole had never grilled a steak, but she felt like a burnt and crispy slab of meat after this deputy’s many questions. He stood there staring at her. Matt McKade, he’d said. One hand on a trim waist. One resting on the butt of his gun. A power play? Maybe. Or was he used to relaxing his hand that way? Grady had often done that.

Still, when Matt glanced at Emilie, she caught a hint of compassion in eyes that had burrowed right through her. To be fair to him, she had broken the law, but she had no choice. Okay fine, she might have stayed in the car, but it was just too cold for Emilie, and Nicole wasn’t prepared with warm blankets. She’d searched for nearby houses with lights on, but she’d seen nothing. Then she spotted the Trails End dude ranch sign and the line of empty rental cabins. For her daughter’s sake, she’d wiggled the window hard until the catch gave way and she could creep inside. As she told the deputy, she felt bad for doing so and never would have broken in if Emilie’s life wasn’t in jeopardy. She wouldn’t apologize or defend herself again. Either this guy believed her, or he didn’t. She’d just have to wait for his verdict.

He jerked his head away and shook it. Why, she had no idea.

“Back to when you reported violations of the restraining order,” he suddenly said. “Are you getting a lack of cooperation from everyone in the department?”

She took a breath and warned herself to be patient and not snap at him when he was just doing his job. “I’ve only interacted with the responding officers. I have no idea who else in his department even knows about this.”

Emilie stirred in Nicole’s arms. Guilt was eating at Nicole for putting her child in this precarious situation, so she started rocking to keep her daughter from waking. How could she have done this to Emilie? Tears burned the back of Nicole’s eyes, but she fought hard against them. Emilie needed her to stay strong and fix this, not blubber like a baby.

She met Matt’s gaze, and even when his eyes held a challenge, she didn’t look away. “One thing I do know is I can’t count on the police. I have to take care of myself and Emilie. I’ve heard stories about women dying at the hands of their stalkers. I won’t let that happen to me or my child.”

He ground his teeth for a moment. “You’re right, it does happen. Catching a stalker can often take a long time. That’s even truer of an officer. Like you said, he knows how the system works and can game it.”

“Exactly.” Hope blossomed that he might believe her.

He glanced at Emilie. “How old is your daughter?”

“She just turned three. I was eight months pregnant with her when my husband, Troy, died. His motorcycle was hit by a car.”

The deputy suddenly pressed his finger against his earbud and tipped his head as if listening. “I’m away from my computer and need a physical description from the DL.”

Nicole assumed he meant “driver’s license,” as that was the only thing the police would have with her physical description.

He ran his gaze over her from head to toe, lingering for a long time on her face, before he stared over her shoulder.

Was he checking to see if she matched that description? Likely. She didn’t like that he wouldn’t take her word on her ID, but she also knew from her time with Grady that people frequently lied to law enforcement officers, and with their very lives at stake all the time, they couldn’t be too cautious.

“And the RO in effect?” He listened to the answer, his forehead narrowing. “Any crimes involved causing an action to be taken on behalf of the RO?”

He might be speaking law enforcement lingo, but she got that he was asking if Grady had violated the restraining order. The deputy wouldn’t ask if he believed her, but so what? They would tell him about the number of times she’d called, and he’d know she was telling the truth.

“Pull up Harmon’s DMV details and email them to me.” He released his finger, and his narrowed gaze landed on her again.

“Are you convinced of my identity?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “And I’ve also confirmed the restraining order, but there’s no record of Harmon violating it or the police response.”

“What?” she shouted, and Emilie stirred. Nicole rocked harder to keep her daughter from waking. “He’s violated it tons of times, and the police responded each time. I kept a record of it, but it’s at my apartment.”

“Relax.” He held up a hand. “Because they didn’t arrest Harmon, the official reports won’t show their response.”

“They didn’t keep a record? How can that be?”

“They have a record. It’s just recorded on their blotter instead of in the official arrest system. Blotter records will show that they responded to your residence and the results of their response. Unfortunately, though, these aren’t readily available to outside agencies.”

“But you will request them, right? So you know I’m telling the truth.”

He gave a clipped nod. “Do you have any reason to believe Harmon would know your whereabouts right now?”

“Would he?” Panic flared. “No...no...he didn’t follow us. I made sure of that. He couldn’t, right?”

“He is a police officer and would know how to tail you without you being aware of it.”

“Oh, no...yes, he could. He was in the parking lot and saw me leave.”

“What about your phone? Is it turned on?”

“No...no. I was worried he could trace it, so I left it in the apartment. With the car breaking down, I’m not sure that was a good decision. I planned to buy a new phone, but I don’t have money. I can call my sister in the morning. She’ll bring my wallet to me, and I can get that phone and also pay for the cabin.”

“No.” He fired her a sharp warning look. “That’s not a good idea.”

Her heartbeat shot up. “Why not?”

“If what you say about Harmon is true, he could be watching your apartment, and she could lead him here.”

“Yes, right. Yes. I can totally see him doing that. But what do I do? I need money to fix my car. To pay for this cabin.” Her heart sank. “What have I done taking off like that? I shouldn’t have been so hasty. But Emilie... I had to protect her. I just had to.”

The deputy took a step closer. “We can work all of that out in the morning. For now, let’s solve the immediate problem of where you’ll spend the night. You can’t stay here. I—”

“I know,” she interrupted. “We’re trespassing. The owners will be angry. I’ll get our things, and we’ll leave.” She started to rise.

He held up his hand, his eyes narrowing into a hard look that gave her a moment’s pause, and she didn’t dare move another muscle.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said.

Oh, right! She’d misunderstood, but now she got it. “You’re going to arrest me...aren’t you?” Thoughts zinged through her brain. “What about Emilie? What will happen to her? I don’t...no...I...”

“No, wait. Let me explain.” He flashed up his hand again. “I’m not arresting you, and I’m not tossing you out into the cold. My family owns this ranch, and they’re out of town, so I’m housesitting for them. I won’t leave you in the cabin. Not alone. Harmon could have followed you, and you aren’t safe. I’d like you to stay up at the main house.”

“With you?”

“I’m not a threat.”

“No offense, but I didn’t think Grady was a threat, either, and look where I am now.” If her arms had been free, she would cross them to tell him she meant business.

He looked like he wanted to sigh but didn’t. “You and Emilie can stay on the second floor, and I’ll sleep on the first floor. The house was built in the 1800s. The stairs creak something fierce, and you’ll hear anyone who tries to come up the staircase.”

“I don’t—”

That sigh he’d been fighting finally came pouring out. “The way I see it, you only have two other options—sleep in your car while I park my vehicle next to you, or I stay in this small cabin with you. Whatever your decision, I won’t leave you to fend for yourself when you could be in danger.” His tone had taken on a life of its own, fierce and to the point, but instead of scaring her, she believed it meant if danger lurked he’d be right there fighting it back. Grady had often tried to manage her the same way, but this deputy’s caring tone said he had her best interest at heart, where Grady had just seemed to want his own way.

“We’ll stay at the house,” she said and got up with Emilie.

She only hoped this man—this big, towering deputy, a fierce defender of the downtrodden if she could believe him—was the man he claimed to be, and she wasn’t making a big mistake that could cost her or Emilie dearly. After all, she’d trusted Grady and that didn’t work out well for them. Not well at all.

The next morning, something tickled Matt’s nose, and he shifted on the couch to brush it off. A giggle came from beside him as he attempted to go back to sleep. He flashed his eyes open and met the very big blue eyes of Nicole’s daughter gazing at him, an impish grin on her face as she brushed the tail of a stuffed monkey against his nose. Morning sun streamed through the ranch house’s picture window behind her, giving her feathery blond hair a soft halo.

“Hi,” she said, her voice squeaky and high.

“Hi.” He blinked hard to try to come fully alert after being awake most of the night worrying about this munchkin and her mother. He didn’t much like the fact that he’d been sleeping hard enough not to hear this tiny imp come down the stairs. He had to do a better job of staying alert for this little family.

He smiled at her. “I’m Matt, and you must be Emilie.”

“Uh-huh.” She gave him a shy smile.

“Where’s your mother?”

“In bed.”

“Does she know you’re down here?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Do you think we should tell her?”

“She’s sleeping. Don’t want to wake her up.” She bit her lower lip for a moment. “I’m hungry.”

Matt glanced at the large grandfather clock. It had been in his family for generations, sitting on the mantel. Wow, it was eight already. The only time he slept this late was when he worked the graveyard shift, but after he’d gotten Nicole and Emilie settled in a guest room upstairs, he’d tossed and turned on the sofa until the wee hours of the morning. The stern face of Grady Harmon as seen on his driver’s license kept invading Matt’s thoughts. Matt had done a basic background check on Harmon before he’d gone to sleep last night. The guy had so many advantages as a police officer and knew how to work the system. He also knew how criminals thought and could emulate them when it came to stalking Nicole.

The very thought left Matt unsettled and worried. He still felt that way and would follow up on that blotter information for Harmon’s restraining order to discover if Nicole’s story was true.

He swung his feet to the floor. “Do you like chocolate chip pancakes?”

“Yummy.”

“Then follow me to the kitchen, and I’ll make a batch.” He stood and stepped into the foyer.

Emilie stopped near a ten-foot Christmas tree covered in family heirloom ornaments. The pine scent filled the space.

She stared up at it. “I like your Christmas tree.”

“Me, too. My mom and nana decorate it every year. Some of these ornaments are as old as my granddad.”

Her eyes widened in appreciation.

Matt pointed at a varnished dough snowman. “My nana made each of us a snowman with our names and birthdates. This one is mine.”

“I want one with my name, too.”

“I’m sure if you asked Nana when she gets home today she’ll make one for you.”

“Goody.” She danced with joy and her blond curls sprang into action.

“Let’s get those pancakes.” He led the way to the farm-style kitchen.

On the near side of the room sat a big breakfast table where he’d joined his family more times than he could begin to count. He pulled a chair out for Emilie. She climbed up. The chair seemed monster-sized when her tiny body settled in the middle of the worn wooden seat. She’d never be able to eat by sitting in the chair. What in the world did he do to solve that? Hopefully her mother would’ve gotten up by then. She’d know what to do.

He grabbed orange juice, eggs and milk from the well-stocked refrigerator. His nana did all the cooking for the family, and since he and his three siblings showed up for lunch or dinner on a regular basis, she always kept it filled with food.

He faced Emilie. “Would you like some orange juice?”

“Yes, please.” She smiled up at him. Such sweetness and innocence.

His heart melted into a big old puddle. Smiling, he dug in the cupboard and found a red plastic Kool-Aid cup with a big smile etched on the side that he’d had as a kid and poured her a glass. He placed the cup on the table in front of her.

“Thank you,” she said.

She was a polite little thing. He had to give her mother props for that.

She traced her finger over the Kool-Aid man’s face and giggled. “He’s smiling.”

Matt chuckled with her and got lost in the sound of her pure joy. Law enforcement officers could develop jaded opinions. He was no exception, he supposed. To see pure happiness over such a simple thing was refreshing.

She took a long drink, and he turned back to the cupboards to retrieve pancake ingredients, plus a bowl and whisk, and started mixing. That he knew how to do. Taking care of a three-year-old? Not so much. Sure, he’d had training for his job on how to handle people of all ages but caring for a child like this was another thing all together.

He always imagined he would have his own kids someday and would learn as he went along, but he’d never dated anyone he wanted to settle down with. But this was a crash course in figuring it out, and his confidence was nearly absent. Left him unsettled.

His phone rang. Seeing it was from his sister Kendall, also a Lake County deputy, he quickly accepted the call.

“Sis,” he said.

“I followed up on the Austin PD blotter like you asked me last night.”

“And?” he asked, not liking her reserved tone.

“The desk sergeant said he’d work on gathering the information when he had time.”

“You told him this was urgent, right?”

“Of course.” She sounded like she didn’t appreciate him following up on her. “But he said he’d get to it when he got to it.”

“Translated, it will take a while.”

“And if the sarge is Harmon’s buddy, it’ll take longer.”

Matt heard Emilie’s bare feet padding across the room to the low window, and he turned to look at her.

“You’ve got to keep after them,” he said, putting as much force into his tone as possible. “Lives could depend on us getting the information.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it.”

Right, don’t worry. How could he not? He shoved his phone into his pocket. The adorable child and her mother could be in danger, and he needed information and needed it now.

“Horsies! You have horsies!” Emilie swung around to face him. Her eyes, alive with delight, reminded him of her mother’s.

“Can I ride a horsey?” Emilie shoved her monkey under one arm and tucked it by her side.

“Sure,” Matt quickly replied but instantly thought better of his hasty response. “If your mother says it’s okay, that is.”

Emilie’s forehead furrowed, and her lips puckered in an adorable pout that he thought would make it nearly impossible to say no to anything she asked for. How could such a bitty child have such power over an adult? He’d never experienced anything like it.

“Mommy doesn’t like horses,” she said. “She’s scared of them.”

“Is that so?” Maybe while Nicole was staying at the ranch, he could help her get over that fear. After all, he wouldn’t mind spending time with such a beautiful woman, but forming an attachment to either of them was out of the question. He needed to keep his focus on his work only and personal relationships were off-limits for him.

“She’ll say no.” Emilie’s pout grew more exaggerated.

“I’ll talk to her about it. Maybe I can convince her it’s safe.”

“Goody.” She clapped her hands and turned her attention back to the window.

He started on the pancakes, and while they were cooking, he laid three place settings at the table in case Nicole woke up.

When he’d plated the last pancake, he took them to the table along with a bottle of rich maple syrup. “Pancakes are ready.”

“Yippee.” Emilie skipped across the room, but when she reached the chair her lips dipped in a monster-sized frown. “I need my booster seat.”

That she did, and he still didn’t know how to help her. Here he was a deputy who could face just about anything, and he was thrown by handling a tiny little girl with a smile that melted his heart and a pout that made him want to fix everything on the spot. Most importantly, it made him want to do everything he could to protect her from their stalker. After he confirmed Harmon had indeed been stalking them.

“Mommy lets me sit on her lap when we don’t have my booster.”

Right. Lap. “Would you like to sit on my lap?”

“Yes, please.”

“What about your monkey? We don’t want him to get all sticky, do we?”

She frowned and crossed her arms. “I want to sit with Mr. Monkey.”

“But your mom wouldn’t appreciate a sticky monkey,” he said, grasping at straws for an answer.

Her expression didn’t change.

Panic assailed him, and he never panicked. What did he say to a child who hadn’t developed reasoning skills yet?

“If you want to eat, you can’t hold on to Mr. Monkey.” There, he’d stated it plainly but still held his breath as he waited for her response.

“Mr. Monkey can sit in his own chair.” She placed him on a nearby chair and pushed it in. “He likes pancakes, too.”

Matt sat, and she slipped up onto his lap. She didn’t sit still for even a second but wiggled around until she was comfortable. “You haveta cut my pancakes.”

Matt used his fork to slice them into small bites, but she kept squirming, and he had to constantly shift around her. How could a simple act of cutting up food be so difficult?

“I like syrup.” She picked up the fork, and it looked as big as a pitchfork in her miniature hand.

He poured the syrup, and she attacked the pancakes as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. He reached for his own bite and she bumped the fork on his hand. He licked the sticky syrup off, but his attention soon shifted to the dripping bite she dropped on his jeans.

Were kids always this messy? If so how did he handle it? Ignore it and deal with the mess at the end, maybe?

Yeah, he’d keep his thoughts on the blotter information, and then when she was finished eating, he might have to hose them both off.

So what did he do about the information Kendall just relayed? With Harmon being an officer, Matt had to be smart about it. He could call one of his contacts higher up on the Austin police force to get the ball rolling. No, if he did that, word was more likely to get back to Harmon that someone in Lost Creek was inquiring about the RO.

He wouldn’t make that call just yet. He’d give the department until the end of the day to provide the report. If they didn’t, he’d have Kendall reach out. A casual follow-up by her shouldn’t alert the desk sergeant into thinking the request was a big deal.

After all, the last thing Matt wanted to do was have this sergeant run to Harmon about the request and give away Nicole and Emilie’s location to the potentially deadly stalker.

THREE

Hearing Emilie’s giggle coming from the kitchen, the deputy’s—Matt as he’d told her to call him last night—chuckle deep and rumbly, Nicole sagged against the door and sighed out her fear. When she’d woken up to find Emilie missing, she’d been certain Grady had somehow found them and gotten to her daughter to take her as a bargaining chip. He’d never threatened Emilie, but after seeing the knife last night, Nicole had no idea what horrific things Grady was capable of doing.

Their laughter died off. A long silence followed.

“What’s wrong?” Matt asked, his voice laced with concern.

“I miss Mommy. But she needs to keep sleeping. She’s tired because we had to go away from Grady. He wants to hurt Mommy.”

“Did she tell you that?” Matt’s tone held surprise.

“Nuh-uh. I heard her talking to Aunt Piper.”

Oh, Emilie. I thought you were sleeping. Baby, I’m so sorry.

Nicole had been so careful not to let Emilie know what was going on with Grady, and until this, she’d succeeded because Emilie still had thought Grady was a good guy and wondered why he didn’t visit them anymore.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Matt replied, his tone restrained. “I’m a deputy. Do you know what that is?”

“Police.”

“Sheriff’s department, and I won’t let anything bad happen to your mommy. Not today. Not ever.” The vehemence in his tone cut clear through Nicole, and she could hardly believe she’d happened upon a cabin with a deputy who cared enough to come to their rescue.

He seemed like such a good guy on the surface, and she wanted to believe he meant what he said. But at first Grady had doted on Emilie, and he’d promised to care for them, too. Look what happened with him. And now, thanks to Nicole letting him in their life, she would need to have a difficult discussion with her three-year-old, who was way too young to hear about bad people like Grady in the world.

Oh, God, why? How could You let this happen?

Okay, fine. God wasn’t responsible. She was.

Here she was, blaming Him when she needed His guidance. She’d known what she was doing when she’d said yes to Grady. Sure, just because he wasn’t a man of faith it didn’t in any way mean he’d turn out to be a stalker, but she’d known about God’s warning in the Bible not to yoke herself to an unbeliever. She’d ignored that and followed her attraction to Grady. She’d made her own trouble and needed to work it out on her own. Only then could she feel good about resuming her relationship with God.

For now, she’d stay strong. For herself. For Emilie. And not trust in another man, even a man like Matt, who seemed like a good guy.

She drew in a breath of air and stepped into the kitchen, where bright aqua cabinets greeted her like sunshine on a cloudy day. The countertops were well-worn and held a big white farm sink. Gingham curtains hung on a large window. The room looked like a kitchen from the past, when times were simpler and families gathered every day around worn farm tables like this one.

Emilie sat on Matt’s lap, stabbing a fork into chocolate chip pancakes. So the guy could cook, and he took the time to make breakfast for Emilie. That one thoughtful act drew her to his side, and she knew she had to guard against that. And guard against how she was responding to the picture the two of them made.

Emilie looked so small next to his broad shoulders and muscular arm wrapped around her waist. A surprising sense of peace flooded Nicole, and she swallowed hard to keep from forgetting her vow of a moment ago not to let this man sway her good sense.

Emilie looked up and smiled, and Matt’s lips tipped in a wide grin, too. He really seemed to be enjoying his time with Emilie. The scene was so precious to Nicole. A scene she’d often imagined after Troy passed away. He was such a caring and compassionate man and would have been a good father. A wonderful one, in fact.

What kind of father would Matt be? If this scene was any indication, a good one.

See, those are the kinds of thoughts you need to stop thinking.

“Hi, Mommy,” Emilie said but didn’t hop down for a hug the way she normally would.

Her daughter was very outgoing and precocious. Nicole wasn’t at all surprised that she’d come downstairs and seemed to be having a good time with Matt but she didn’t much like that Emilie had been so trusting.

“Matt made pancakes,” she gushed as if it was the most awesome thing in the world. “And he said we could ride horsies if you said it was okay. Is it okay, Mommy? Is it?”

Nicole didn’t appreciate being the one who had to say no.

“I’m sorry,” he said as if reading her mind. “She said you were afraid of horses, and I didn’t want your fear to keep her from riding.”

Great. So he thought she was putting her desires first, and she was a bad mother on top of everything else. That would make it far easier to ignore her attraction to him.

She stepped over to the table and dropped onto a chair to look at Emilie. “We won’t be here long enough for you to ride.”

“You’re not planning to leave, are you?” Matt asked. “Not with...you know.”

“We’ll be going once my car is fixed, and I figure out a way to pay for it and the cabin for last night. Hopefully that can happen today.”

He frowned. “If what you told me last night is true, I don’t like the thought of you two driving off unprotected.”

Right. If what she said was true. He still didn’t believe her.

Was it because Grady was a cop, or because Matt just wouldn’t believe anyone until checking them out? Though she’d learned that law enforcement officers had suspicious personalities, she’d foolishly hoped Matt would’ve thought about this overnight and would’ve realized she was sincere. Not that it mattered if she was leaving today, but she still didn’t want him to think she was a liar.

“What’s unprotected mean?” Emilie asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

“Never mind, honey.” When Emilie turned her attention back to her pancakes, Nicole slashed a hand across her throat to tell Matt any additional discussion of Grady was forbidden.

His frown deepened but then cleared, as if he had iron will to change his emotions in a moment. The same way Grady could change, too. Like a chameleon. She lifted her shoulders and prepared for a different personality to appear.

“The first thing we should do is get your car towed into the local garage,” Matt said. “If it would help, I’m glad to call them while you eat breakfast.”

Okay, so the same guy. Kind and considerate. Could she trust that? Did she want to trust it when it could be the first step in buying into a facade to gain her cooperation?

Seriously, she was such a hypocrite. She wanted him to trust her, but she wasn’t willing to trust him. But she had Emilie to think about. She opened her mouth to say she could make the arrangements, but a local deputy would likely have some pull with the garage and might get her car looked at today.

She forced out a smile. “I’d appreciate you calling the garage. And I appreciate you making breakfast for Emilie. That was very kind of you.”

“No biggie. Gave me an excuse to have one of the favorite breakfasts my nana used to make. Though I have to say, I didn’t make them heart-shaped like hers.” A wide, sincere smile crossed his face, and her heart picked up speed.

She’d been too worried and afraid last night to get more than an initial impression of him, but in the light of day, there was no avoiding the fact that he was not only a good-looking guy, but also heart-stoppingly handsome. His face was angular, all etched and chiseled. His hair was almost as dark brown as his eyes had been last night, but now as he smiled, his eyes were liquid like melted chocolate. And his smile. Wow. He had a way of making her feel like it was just for her, and he’d never share it with anyone else.

Powerful. So powerful. Drawing emotions out that Grady never raised, and she’d thought she’d buried with Troy.

The sound of the front door opening broke through her thoughts.

Grady.

She spun in her chair, her heart racing. She soon heard voices.

“That’ll be my parents and grandparents,” Matt said.

Nicole almost sagged in relief.

“What’s that I smell coming from the kitchen?” a male voice boomed. “You make pancakes, Matt?”

“Matt never cooks,” a woman said. “You’re likely smelling some leftovers he heated in the microwave.”

Footsteps coming toward the kitchen followed the comments. Nicole ran a hand through her hair in preparation of meeting Matt’s family. She’d raced out of the bedroom in search of Emilie and was still wearing her pajamas. Once she’d discovered that Emilie was fine, she should have thought to go up and change, but she’d been too shocked by hearing Emilie announce that she knew about Grady to remember her pajamas.

“Well, well, well,” an older gentleman with a thick head of gray—almost white—hair said. “What do we have here?”

A woman—his wife, Nicole presumed—stepped up behind him and peered at Nicole. “What’s going on?”

Another man and woman entered the room. Matt was a spitting image of the second man, only younger. Trim, the second man wore a Western shirt and jeans with a thick belt. The woman, whom Nicole guessed to be in her fifties or early sixties, was tall and slender with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail.

“Everyone, this is Nicole and her daughter, Emilie,” Matt said.

“Hi.” Nicole could only come up with one word as the others studied her with extreme interest.

“Walt McKade, Matt’s father.” The younger man held out his hand.

As they shook hands, Walt introduced his wife, Winnie; mother, Betty; and father, Jed. The others smiled their welcome, but the smiles were reserved and tight.

“What’s going on, Matt?” Winnie asked.

“Why don’t we leave Nicole and Emilie to finish their breakfasts, and I’ll update you in the family room?” Matt didn’t wait for a response but settled Emilie on Nicole’s lap and shooed his family toward the door.

Was he embarrassed to be seen with them? Caught with her in her pajamas? Of course he was. She’d invaded his life, and now his family was taken aback. She just kept doing the wrong thing since she’d met him. Even more reason to get that car fixed and take off.

When Matt reached the doorway, Nicole grabbed his wrist to stop him and peered up at him. “I’m so sorry for intruding this way.”

“Hey.” He smiled, that sweet one that made her heart yearn for more. “You’re welcome here at the ranch for as long as you need to stay. Once I explain the situation, my family will agree.”

She nodded but was reluctant to let go of his wrist. What was up with that? Was she clinging to him out of fear or was it something else?

She dropped her hand. “Still, I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Sounds like you’re blaming yourself for this, but it’s not your fault, you know. Not at all. There’s only one person to blame. If he’s guilty of his actions, I aim to bring him to justice.”

His rock-hard tone reminded her of Grady after he’d turned into a domineering guy, giving her a moment’s pause. Grady had gone from sweet to tough in a flash like this, and she’d feared he would hit her. Thankfully, he hadn’t, and he’d never called her names or otherwise verbally abused her.

“Sorry,” Matt said. “I know that sounded harsh, but I can’t handle when a man... Well, you know.”

She nodded.

“Mommy, I need more syrup,” Emilie said.

“Enjoy the pancakes.” Matt gave her a lingering look and stepped from the room.

She poured the syrup, her mind racing. So many things to consider right now, and she didn’t know what to focus on.

“I love you, Mommy,” Emilie said out of the blue.

Perfect. Her daughter reminded her of the most important thing, and even with the loss of Troy, Nicole felt so blessed to be the mother of this precious child.

Nicole needed to banish all emotions and remember her every action had to be about keeping Emilie safe. That meant ignoring that she found Matt McKade attractive and evading Grady at all costs.

She would stay ahead of him. She had to. She couldn’t fail, or the consequences would be dire not only for herself but for her baby girl, too.

“Have you checked out her story?” Matt’s father asked from his recliner. His feet were planted firmly on the floor and his body rigid. Matt had expected both the posture and the question from his sheriff father, who questioned everything, at times trying Matt’s patience.

Matt leaned against the wall, acting like it was no big deal, so his dad would relax, when this was a big deal for Matt. Huge deal. Especially after spending time with Emilie, raising thoughts of having a family of his own someday. He needed to be sure no one hurt her. Her mother, too, though she seemed a bit prickly about his help.

“I don’t have all the details yet,” he said to his dad and explained what he’d learned from dispatch. “But you should also know, this guy’s an Austin police officer.”

“Of all the...” Matt’s granddad shot to his feet and ran a hand through hair still as thick now as when he’d been the Lake County sheriff. Many generations of McKades had filled that position, going back to the 1800s. “It’s bad enough that this is happening to a woman, but by one of our own? That’s not something I can abide.”

“You’re awful fast to believe her.” Matt’s father eyed his dad.

Matt’s granddad planted his feet wide. “Don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”

“The one that says I’ve been out of law enforcement too long and don’t know what I’m talking about.” Matt’s granddad crossed his arms. “I can read people as well as I used to, and there’s something about that young lady that rings true.”

“You only saw her for like a minute,” Matt’s father said.

He tightened his arms. “That’s all it took.”

Matt’s father turned his attention to Matt. “What’s your gut feel on this? Do you buy her story?”

“The background check I ran on her last night leaves me leaning toward believing her, but I don’t know her well enough to be sure.” Matt pushed off the wall. “Still, with a child in the picture, we need to err on the side of caution. I’d like her to stay here until the car’s ready. Not only because Nicole doesn’t have her wallet to pay for a motel, but also if a cop is stalking her, she won’t fare very well on her own.”

His mother sighed. “I don’t like this. Not one bit. If this guy is after her, it doesn’t seem very wise for her to take off before you look into this stalker. Especially when she can stay here with you all to look out for her.”

“Problem is, Mom, she doesn’t trust law enforcement. Means she doesn’t trust me.”

She gritted her teeth. “I wish I could tell her what a fine man you are. That you’re an upstanding deputy and would give your life for her if needed.”

Someone cleared their voice in the foyer, and he turned to find Nicole standing there, her assessing gaze fixed on him.

“Sorry to intrude.” She held his gaze. “But I wondered if I might use your telephone to call my sister in Austin. I promised to check in with her by now, and she’s likely worried. Thankfully, I’m a teacher and we’re on Christmas break, so I don’t need to call into work, too.”

“You’re welcome to use the phone,” his mother said before Matt could get a word out to warn against it.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” he said. “As a police officer, Harmon could track the call.”

Nicole chewed on her lip for a moment. “Piper’s at work by now, and she’s employed by a huge company. Wouldn’t the call just show as coming in on the main company line? Nothing direct to Piper.”

“Depends on the system,” Matt said. “It could also show a linked call to her extension. But still, I think the odds of Harmon getting access to the company phone logs is minimal. Just don’t call her at home.”

“Then thank you for the offer of the phone.” The words came out on a sigh of relief, and Matt hated that she was having to go through this. “Maybe Piper can come up with an idea of how to get my wallet to me, too. I’d ask the bank to send a new card or have Piper send me the money, but that would take days, maybe weeks.”

“Why doesn’t Matt go get your wallet?” his granddad suggested.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Matt said. It would also allow him to verify her story about the hunting knife and picture if Harmon hadn’t gone back to remove it.

She arched a delicate eyebrow. “You wouldn’t mind?”

He shook his head. “I’m off today and was just going to work on campaign stuff.”

“That can wait,” his father said. “The election is almost a year away, and a day off now shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Dad’s the sheriff, and he’s retiring,” Matt told Nicole. “I’m running for his office. Granddad was the sheriff before him.”

“Oh.” Her tone was flat and didn’t give away even a hint of what she thought about his statement.

He honestly hoped it would help sway her opinion of him, but he knew that she needed to see his actions not just hear his statements to earn her trust. “I’ll head out after I arrange for your car to be towed.”

She nodded. “You’ll be careful, won’t you? I mean, I’d hate for you to be hurt.”

“I can tag along so someone has your back,” his granddad said.

“Another good idea.” Matt smiled at his grandfather, who would do just about anything to stay involved in law enforcement work. Matt didn’t think there would be any trouble, but he’d love to have the company. “We’ll take the farm truck instead of the squad car to keep from drawing attention to ourselves.”

His granddad got a grin on his face. “But we’ll be carrying.”

Matt nodded. “That goes without saying.”

“And you’ll be careful that Grady doesn’t follow you back here, right?” Nicole bit down on her lower lip.

“Now, little lady, don’t you worry.” Granddad puffed up his chest. “Matt’s a fine deputy in a long line of fine deputies. He won’t let this fella tail him. That you can be sure of. You need someone on your side, and the McKades are here for you. You can trust us.”

Nicole nodded, but ongoing skepticism lingered in her expression. He hated seeing it. Not only as a deputy, and if he was honest, even more as a man who found himself interested in her. Not that he had time to court a woman or raise a family. He worked full-time as a deputy, often working overtime as it was, and then there was his campaign. He couldn’t get distracted and lose the office his father and granddad had held for so many years and let them down.

So much pressure, but even if they had wanted this for him, he wanted the job for himself ever since he was a kid and looked up to his dad and granddad. He’d given up serious relationships to attain this goal, and once he was the best sheriff he could be, then he would look to his personal life.

So he needed to keep his mind on the job here. Only on the job. “If you’ll give me your keys, I’ll drop them at the garage before Granddad and I take off for Austin. Is there anything I can tell the mechanic about what happened before the car died?”

“Um, well...” She tilted her head, resembling Emilie when she’d peered up at him with her question about the horses.

“There was one thing,” she said. “The headlights flickered a few times.”

“Sounds like the alternator,” his granddad said.

“If so, will that take long to repair?” she asked.

Granddad shook his head. “An hour or so if Clem has the part.”

Matt expected that hearing she could leave town today would lighten Nicole’s distress, but her eyes narrowed. “Where might I call my sister?”

Matt’s mother stood. “Every bedroom has a phone, and I’m glad to keep an eye on Emilie while you make that call.”

Nicole smiled. “She should be done eating by now, so that would be wonderful, thank you.”

“Do you have other family in the area that you might need to call?” his mother asked.

Nicole shook her head. “Our parents live in Minnesota, and I don’t want to worry them with this.”

“Of course,” his mother said.

They departed together, and Matt faced his father. “You’ll be around to keep an eye out for Nicole while I’m gone?”

His father nodded. “But be careful, son.”

Matt resented his father’s warning. Matt was a good deputy and didn’t need his father to tell him how to do his job. Matt had skills his father had never had at his age, but he’d never disrespect his dad by telling him that. “I’m always careful.”

“I’m not talking about the job.”

Oh?

His dad stood, planted his feet wide in the same stance most law enforcement officers used when confronting a problem, and Matt knew he wouldn’t like what his dad had to say. “You’re looking at the woman like a man on a desert island who hasn’t seen a female in years. It could cloud your judgment.”

“I’m not—”

“No point in denying it,” his granddad interrupted. “Your dad is right. It’s not hard to see. However, I don’t happen to think that’s a bad thing, because it’s high time you started living life instead of living for your job. Seeing you interested in a woman for a change gives me hope.”

Matt could hardly believe his granddad had said that when he had such high expectations of Matt as the next sheriff.

“A valid point.” His father spun to peer at Granddad. “Just not one that applies to a woman in potential danger.”

“Leave the boy be, Walt.” Granddad crossed his arms. “He’s got a good head on his shoulders, and you’ve trained him well.”

Matt knew he needed to step in before this discussion turned into an argument. He changed his focus to his granddad. “Soon as I get everything settled with Nicole’s car and run home to take a quick shower, I’ll stop back for you, and we can make that road trip.”

Excitement burned on his grandfather’s face, and he clapped Matt on the back.

Matt gave him a smile of thanks and headed for the entryway. Nicole came down the steps, her keys jingling.

“My apartment key is on this ring, too.” She handed the keys and a slip of paper to him. “I know you got my address last night, but I jotted it down for you.”

He took the items, careful not to touch her hand. He hated to admit it, but his dad was right. She got to him, and he could only imagine what even one touch might do. “My family will be here while I’m gone. You need anything, you ask them, okay? They’re on your side.”

“Thank you.” A tentative smile crossed her face.

He longed to solve her problem and put a wide smile like Emilie’s there instead. And that was precisely why he stepped onto the porch to call Clem at the garage.

After he finished arranging to have Nicole’s car picked up, he ran for his family’s old truck. He fought against the brisk wind whipping from the north. This wind could signal a drop in temperature, not an unusual occurrence for December in the Texas Hill Country.

He took the truck to his apartment on the outskirts of Lost Creek, where he showered and changed into a comfy pair of jeans, his favorite boots, a button-down shirt and a heavy denim jacket. Back in the vehicle, he tuned in the local radio station to make sure there wasn’t any snow forecasted for their area. With their elevation, it wasn’t unusual to get a light dusting of snow at this time of year. The forecast came on just as he arrived at Clem’s place on the other side of town. Snow flurries were possible, and the cold temperatures were forecast to continue for some time, but nothing to delay his trip.

He parked in a small area to the side of the ancient whitewashed building with a rusty metal awning. An old wrecker pulled into the lot hauling a white Honda Accord, the plates confirming it was Nicole’s car. Matt hopped down and met Clem as he parked and got out of his truck. He was dressed in clean coveralls, the fabric straining over a large belly. His face sported heavy jowls and a roadmap of wrinkles from his many years in the Texas sun.

Matt handed over the keys. “The owner’s phone is out of commission for the time being, so give me a call the minute you know anything, okay?”

“Sure thing,” Clem said.

Matt shook hands with Clem before climbing back into the old pickup. His phone rang, and he checked the caller ID to see a call from Kendall. Hoping she’d gotten Austin PD to send the blotter records, he eagerly answered.

“I know you’re off today,” she said. “But you’re gonna want to hear this. We had a shooting at the Wagon Wheel Motel. No injuries, but the guest staying in the room has cleared out. Was registered to an Otto Cutler.”

Matt had never heard of the guy, but then that didn’t surprise him, as a motel guest would most likely be from out of town. “You think it was an accidental discharge, and Cutler bailed to avoid being slapped with a misdemeanor?”

“Looks like more than that.”

“Okay, so tell me.”

“On a whim, I showed Grady Harmon’s picture to Zeke.” Zeke had owned and operated the motel for going on thirty years.

“And?” Matt asked, his interest piqued now.

“And he says Harmon was the guest registered as Cutler.”

Matt’s heart plummeted. “Harmon’s here? In Lost Creek?”

“Looks like it, and that’s not all. Tessa discovered something on a notepad in the room.” Their other sister was Lake County’s lead crime scene investigator. “Harmon removed the top page, but he’d left impressions on the page below. He’d written Nicole’s name over and over like some crazed stalker.”

Matt’s gut tightened at the information. “And no sign of Harmon? His car, nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“Let me know if you find anything else.”

“You don’t want to come over here?”

“Want to, yes. Going to, no. If Harmon’s in town, he could know Nicole and Emilie are at the ranch. I need to make sure they’re safe.” Matt hung up and cranked the engine while calling his father’s cell phone.

It went straight to voice mail. He had to be on another call.

Matt dialed the house.

One ring. Two. Three.

“C’mon. C’mon. C’mon.”

The answering machine kicked in, which almost never happened. Someone usually answered.

Had Harmon gotten to them?

Matt could easily imagine the crazed stalker standing there, his gun on Matt’s family, Nicole and Emilie.

The knot in Matt’s gut tightened. He shifted into gear and spun out of the lot, praying as the tires rolled over asphalt that he would get to his family and the vulnerable pair before it was too late.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.