Certified Cowboy (19 page)

But the camp minivan pulled up a few minutes later. Time ticked slowly by as the kids climbed off and she searched the faces for her son. But he didn’t get off, and she ran over to the counselors.

Blair was on her cell phone, her expression strained.

Rachel caught her arm. “Where’s Kenny?”

Blair closed her phone, her eyes wide with fear. “I…don’t know what happened, Ms. Simmons. One minute he was there, and the next minute he was gone.”

Rachel’s world spun in a dizzying rush. Oh, God…Kenny was missing.

R
EX TOSSED DOWN
A SCOTCH
as he paced the hotel room. Why in the hell Rachel had chosen to live on some godforsaken nowhere ranch when he’d offered her a glitzy life on his arm was beyond him.

But the damn woman would not cut him out of her life.

No one rejected Rex Presley.

He was in charge, and dammit, he would get her back. Then he’d make her suffer for embarrassing him in front of his friends.

Yes, he’d make her suffer. Long and hard. Before he was finished, she’d cry and beg him to take her back.

He’d have her on her knees in no time.

The scotch burned a path down his throat, and he poured a second shot, then downed it, smiling as its comforting warmth spread through him and he imagined all the ways he would torture her.

Then he’d teach his son how to be a real man, not some lame cowboy.

Chapter Sixteen

Johnny’s boots hit the floor with a thud as he stood and strode to the door. He had to talk to Rachel.

And this time he’d find out why she’d played him for a fool.

Damn. If June Warner got wind of this tidbit, the publicity would destroy the ranch. All their good intentions would be lost.

Because he’d been an idiot over a woman again.

No wonder Rachel had avoided the reporter. And the sheriff. No wonder she’d been on the run.

It all made sense now. Her nervous behavior. Kenny’s frightened looks when they’d first arrived.

Had she played him from the beginning? Given him just enough tears and vulnerable looks that he’d fallen into her cunning hands?

But what about those bruises? And the fire? And the man who’d assaulted her in the barn? She hadn’t made those things up. He had rescued her and Kenny himself.

A self-disgusted groan rolled from his gut.

His cell phone buzzed, and he descended the front porch steps and climbed in his truck, checking the caller ID box as he started the engine. Rachel.

Fury simmered through his blood, and he hesitated. He didn’t intend to confront her over the phone and give her time to escape.

This time he wouldn’t fall for her act.

Forcing his voice to remain calm, he connected the call. “Hello.”

“Johnny.” Her voice sounded screechy, panicked. “Kenny’s missing!”

Despite his anger, her words sent a streak of fear through him. “What?”

“He’s missing,” Rachel cried.

Was that real terror in her voice? It sounded sincere and made his throat close. But he reined in his emotions, determined not to be played again. “What happened?”

A muffled sound echoed over the line, then her shaky breath. “Kenny’s group went to the creek to fish, but they came back early because Kenny disappeared. Blair’s already called Brody.”

Johnny felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. If Kenny had gone missing while under the counselor’s supervision, Rachel wasn’t making it up.

“Please, Johnny.” Rachel’s voice broke on another sob. “We have to find him. I can’t let Rex take him away… There’s no telling what he’d do to h-him.”

Johnny’s anger took a backseat to fear. Even if Rachel had lied to him, she loved that boy dearly.

“Don’t panic,” Johnny said. “He probably just wandered off. Maybe he was chasing a rabbit or saw something in the woods he wanted to explore.”

A gut-wrenching sob tore from her and ripped out Johnny’s heart.

He had to clear his throat to speak. “I’ll be right there.” He gunned the engine, sending dirt flying from his tires as he sped toward the stable. “We’ll find him, I promise.”

His heart pounded as he hightailed it over the hill to the stable. His phone buzzed again and he snatched it up.

“Johnny, Blair called—”

“I know, Kenny’s missing,” Johnny said. “I just talked to Rachel.”

“On foot he couldn’t have gotten very far. I’ll organize a search party.”

“Thanks. I’m on my way to meet Rachel.”

A bead of perspiration trickled down Johnny’s neck as he noticed the sun sinking lower into the sky. Even if Kenny had just wandered off on his own, there were hundreds of acres to search, and the temperature could get chilly at night. There were also coyotes and snakes and other dangers for a young boy on the land.

But what if Rachel was right? What if her ex had kidnapped Kenny?

If he was driving, he could already be off the ranch and miles away by now.

“
I
’M SO SORRY,
M
S
. S
IMMONS
,” Blair said, her voice quivering. “I just turned my head for a minute and he was gone.”

Rachel’s emotions ping-ponged between blaming the young girl and sympathy.

If Rex had Kenny, it was her fault. Her fault for marrying him. If she’d warned Blair about her ex, the girl would have kept a closer eye on him.

“Let’s just focus on finding him.” Rachel searched the boys’ faces. “Did any of you guys see what happened?”

The group of six- and seven-year-olds looked worried and confused, but none of them spoke up.

One of the boys shrugged. “Maybe he fell in the water.”

Rachel’s heart churned at that thought.

Blair fiddled with the pocket of her jean jacket. “Don’t worry, Ms. Simmons, that’s the first place we looked, and the water’s not that deep where we were.”

Rachel wanted to scream that children had drowned in bathtubs before, but bit her tongue and silently vowed to give Kenny swimming lessons once he was back safe with her.

Johnny’s pickup roared up, and he jumped out and jogged toward her.

“Johnny, we have to do something.” Rachel clenched his arms and lowered her voice to a pained whisper. “If Rex has him, I’ll never see him again.”

“Would Kenny willingly go with your ex?”

Rachel shook her head. “No, he’s terrified of him.”

Johnny’s jaw clenched. “I talked to Brody. He’s gathering the ranch hands to look for him now.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. J.” A tear rolled down Blair’s cheek. “The boys were so excited about the fishing trip that they were running around and skipping stones in the creek while Andy and I unloaded the fishing gear. When I called the group together, Kenny was gone.”

A dozen scenarios trolled through Johnny’s mind. None of them good.

“We immediately searched the creek and the area,” Blair said. “But we didn’t see him, so we came back here.”

The kids were huddled beneath a tree now, talking and playing with sticks in the dirt.

“How long did you wait before calling Brody?”

“Just a few minutes. Five, ten maybe.” Blair swiped at her tears, sounding contrite. “I should have called sooner…”

“It’s all right, Blair,” Johnny said in a gentle tone. “Brody’s organizing a search party, and I’m going to hunt for him now.” He gestured toward the boys. “Take the kids back to their cabin and stay with them.”

Blair wiped at her eyes. “But I want to help search.”

“No,” Johnny said. “One boy is already missing. We don’t want any more to wander off. That means every counselor needs to be on his toes and every camper accounted for.”

Blair nodded. “Yes, sir, of course. I’ll let the other counselors know.” She hurried and ushered her group into the minivan.

Rachel followed him into the barn. “I’m going with you.”

Johnny threw a stern look over his shoulder as he reached for a saddle and bridle. “Go back to the cabin and wait, Rachel. Maybe Kenny will show up there.”

Rachel remembered the black rose and shivered. “No…I have to do something, look for him. I’m going with you.”

Johnny began to saddle Soldier. “I said no. Now do as I said. Kenny might be at your cabin now.”

“He’s not,” Rachel whispered hoarsely. “Rex is on the ranch, Johnny. I know. He left a black rose on my bed.”

Johnny narrowed his eyes. “A black rose?”

She nodded, her heart in her throat. “When I left Rex, he used to taunt me with black roses. He’d leave them everywhere. Crushed, dead rose petals to remind me that if he found me, he’d kill me.”

R
ACHEL’S WORDS
ECHOED
in Johnny’s head.
Her ex-husband left dead rose petals to remind her that he’d kill her.

Was Rachel lying again as a ploy to gain his attention? Had her ex threatened to kill her?

If so, Kenny might be in serious danger.

He tightened the bridle on the horse and adjusted the saddle. He wanted to blast her for putting him and Brody in a bad position.

But first they had to find her son.

Time was of the essence.

Rachel grabbed a saddle and threw it over a dark brown gelding, and Johnny sighed and went to help her.

“I can do it.”

“This is not a power struggle,” Johnny said. “It’ll be dark soon and I’m faster. We can’t afford to waste a minute.”

Anger flickered on her face, but she stepped back, folded her arms and let him saddle the horse.

“You know how to ride?” Johnny asked as he helped her mount.

She nodded. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll keep up.”

Johnny considered her point, and punched Brody’s number. “Brody, I need you to have the security detail and staff ride around the ranch looking for any cars that don’t belong.”

“What are you getting at?” Brody asked. “You think someone kidnapped the boy?”

“It’s possible the boy’s father did,” Johnny said. “Have security look for a black Lincoln town car.”

Brody cleared his throat. “So this is a custody issue?”

“Maybe.”

“Is this guy dangerous?”

“Rachel claims he is,” Johnny said.

Brody huffed. “And you didn’t think I needed to know about this before now?”

Johnny clenched the phone. “I’ll explain later. Let’s just find the boy first. Rachel and I are saddling up to ride out and look around.”

For a moment, they discussed dividing up the search areas into quadrants, then Johnny hung up.

“Are you sure we don’t need to take the truck?” Rachel asked.

“The security team will handle searching the roads. Besides, a horse can go where a truck can’t,” Johnny said. “If Kenny did wander off or if he saw your ex, he might be hiding somewhere.”

They mounted the horses and rode toward the eastern pasture where the creek ran. Several barns had been built on that side to house more quarter horses as they expanded the operation but were empty now. They would be the perfect place for a little boy to hide.

Maybe Rachel’s ex had been hiding there, as well.

Johnny led the way, sending his stallion into a gallop, and Rachel followed behind, the wind whistling from the hills as they crossed the ranch. The sun had dipped below the trees now streaking the horizon in hazy red, yellow and orange lines, and the temperature was dropping, the sounds of night animals bursting to life.

An image of Kenny, so small, scared, running from his abusive father, or even lost and hungry, fending off a snake or coyote, made his skin crawl. The horses kicked dirt as their hooves skidded along the graveled path near the stream, and he and Rachel began to call out Kenny’s name.

“Kenny, it’s Mommy,” Rachel shouted. “Honey, where are you?”

Johnny cupped his hand around his mouth. “If you can hear us, let us know where you are!”

They rode along the creek, checking for Kenny, and Johnny guided his horse to a stop, tied his reins to a tree and used a flashlight to search along the bank for footprints while Rachel rode farther down and then circled back.

“Did you see anything?” she asked, her voice raw with nerves.

“No. You?”

Rachel shook her head, a tear rolling down her face. “What if we don’t find him, Johnny? What if Rex has him and I never see him again?”

Johnny’s heart tugged at the anguish in her voice. He wanted to assure her that they would find Kenny.

But if Rex had stolen the boy, he might be long gone by now.

Chapter Seventeen

Rachel shivered as night set in. What if Rex had Kenny and had already left the ranch?

No…she wouldn’t give up.

“Kenny!” She guided the horse along behind Johnny as they rode through a wooded area. “Honey, where are you?”