A Rancher's Pride(5)

Jack’s brows shot up.

“Tell you later,” Sam said tersely.

He nodded. “You got it, boss.”

“And check on them in the house once in a while.”

Sam exhaled heavily. Not a good idea, leaving Becky alone with that woman. But what choice did he have? All his ranch hands were out working yet, and Jack had an arm’s-length list of chores that had to be done before sundown. No time for him to watch a little girl.

And a hospital emergency room, from late in the afternoon until who knew what time they’d get out of there, was no place for that little girl, either.

He hoped Jack hurried with his task.

Becky might believe in her aunt, but Sam didn’t have a lick of confidence in Kayla. No way would he fall for her playing the trust card.

No way would he give her the chance to run off with his daughter. Again.





Chapter Two





Kayla’s cell phone rang, startling her. As she bolted upright on the couch and grabbed her shoulder bag, the mantel clock gently chimed the hour. Ten. Becky had been asleep since eight.

Sam had been gone nearly four hours.

Fuzzy-headed, Kayla dug in her bag for the phone. She must have dropped off about twenty minutes ago.

The quiet had unnerved her. Back home, there was always some type of noise in the neighborhood, even this late. Car horns, traffic, someone’s television blaring canned laughter into the night.

In Sam’s living room, there were only the sounds of the clock ticking and a little girl’s rhythmic breathing.

And the phone.

Finally she found it and flipped it open. Even half-asleep, she recognized the Chicago number. “Hello?”

“Kayla. Matt Lawrence.”

Matt, the husband of one of the teachers she worked with, was a good friend. Even more, he was a tough-fighting attorney who would lend a hand to anyone in trouble, in a heartbeat. “Thanks for getting back to me. I’m sorry to bother you and Kerry this late.”

“No problem. She told me you said to call no matter what time. What’s up?”

“It’s bad news. And I need your help.” Briefly, she filled him in on what she had learned such a short time before.

“And Ronnie just went off and left Becky?” He sounded shocked. “When was this?”

“Yesterday. But we didn’t find out until this morning—she’d left a message on my parents’ answering machine saying she would be out of town for a while and had brought Becky to her ex.”

Her mother had come into the living room from the kitchen, stunned after hearing the message.

Though Kayla had just arrived home from her conference, she immediately turned and raced back to O’Hare and jumped on the next flight to New Mexico, her mind consumed by one thought only—finding her niece.

She glanced over to where Becky lay sleeping on the couch, one doll tucked in on either side of her, the rest sitting in her charming Old West wagon.

How could Ronnie have brought her child to Sam after all this time? And why would she? Kayla could still recall the fear in her sister’s voice when she had called five years ago, begging for help to pack up her belongings and get away from the ranch. Away from Sam.

Just as they had started down the road, he had come out of the barn. Kayla had felt compelled to risk one glance over her shoulder. She’d wished ever since that she hadn’t looked back. The expression on Sam’s face had stayed with her all this time, too.

Roughly, she pushed the memories away.

Once she tracked Ronnie down, she would find out what had possessed her to leave Becky here.

“Where are you?” Matt asked.

“In New Mexico. Here with Becky. At her…her father’s house.”

“He’s there with you? Can you talk freely?”

“No, he’s not here. We’re alone.” She recounted what had happened since her arrival at the ranch, including Sam’s threat of a meeting with the judge the next morning. Simply repeating the words aloud made her shudder. She closed her eyes, trying not to groan. “Matt, he can’t get custody. He hasn’t had contact with Becky—or Ronnie—since the day she was born. But his mother claims Ronnie verbally gave Sam custody. What if the judge backs that up? What can I do?” She fought to keep her voice from rising.

“Listen to me, Kayla,” he said calmly. “What you can’t do is anything to make the situation worse than it is already. Don’t try to take the child anywhere until we get this checked out. Especially across state lines, or you’ll be facing serious charges you won’t be able to avoid. Do you understand what I’m saying?”