Protecting Her Daughter (Wrangler's Corner) (4 page)

Lance sat back on his heels and swiped at his bleeding face. He looked up at Aaron. “Thanks,” he gasped.

“Yeah.” He stuffed the weapon in the waistband of his jeans. “Yeah.”

The sirens finally reached their ears. Aaron pulled his sweater off, leaving his long-sleeved T-shirt still on. He dropped beside Pete and pressed the material against the man’s wounds. “We have to keep him alive,” Aaron said.

“You work on him. I’m going to keep an eye out for the other two while I get back to the cave to check on Zoe and Sophia. I’ll call Clay to tell him exactly where to come.”

“Good.” He glanced around. “Hopefully, these trees will be enough cover for the time being.”

Aaron felt for a pulse and found it relatively strong. He must have missed anything vital. Relief flowed. As much as he hated what Pete was, he didn’t want to be responsible for the man’s death.

“I don’t know where the other two went, but I’m guessing if they heard the sirens, they took off.”

Aaron nodded. “They might be gone for now—” he looked up and caught Lance’s eye “—but I don’t doubt they’ll be back.”

FIVE

Z
oe settled herself in front of the fire Aaron had finished building about thirty minutes ago. Once the authorities had arrived on the scene near the cave, things had gone quickly. They’d been ushered to the local hospital, they’d given their statements, answered a zillion questions, been examined and finally released. Sophia’s sugar levels were slightly elevated, but not enough to admit her. Zoe would keep a close eye on her throughout the night.

Although it was only six o’clock in the evening, it was dark outside, the sun setting early this time of year. She stared at the dancing flames and considered the day. One day. Half a day, actually. Not even twelve hours and she felt as though she’d just lived a lifetime. She ran a hand down her cheek and decided it was probably better not to think about it. She knew things could have ended far differently, and the only thing she knew to do was be grateful it had ended the way it had—and try to figure out the
why
of it all.

Aaron came back into the den, two sodas in his hands. She looked away from the fire as he took the seat on the couch next to her. “It’s over,” he said.

She accepted the offered drink and popped the tab. “No, I don’t think it is.” She met his gaze, thinking how kind his eyes were. Deep blue and filled with an ocean of compassion, caring...and strength. To match the rest of his well-muscled physique. He really was a handsome man. She looked away and took a sip of the sugary drink. She didn’t drink colas often, but tonight she wanted one while she wrestled with the fact that she was attracted to him. Which was the last thing she needed. “And neither do you.” She wasn’t staying in Wrangler’s Corner. Being in the small town was merely a necessity right now. She would be going back to Knoxville and her life as soon as possible.

“No, I don’t.” He took her hand, and she let him in spite of her misgivings. “How’s Sophia?”

“She’s in her room cuddling with her favorite stuffed animal and watching TV, a comedy she’s seen a dozen times, but never seems to tire of.” She gave him a small smile. “She needs something to laugh about. Tickles, the cat, is sleeping at the foot of the bed, too.”

“And she’s all right staying in her room by herself?”

“For now. When it’s time to go to sleep I have a feeling she’ll be keeping me company.” She looked back at the fire. “Have you heard from the hospital?”

“Lance called while I was in the barn with the horses. Pete survived surgery.”

She squeezed his fingers. “I’m glad.”

“You are?”

“Yes. It’s true I’d feel safer if he was dead, but aside from living with the regret that I already see in your eyes, Pete is our only chance to find out why the men are after Sophia. But whatever happens, you shot him to save Lance, Aaron. To save us all. You’re a hero as far as I’m concerned. I imagine Lance feels the same way.”

He flushed and cleared his throat. “I’m no hero, Zoe.”

“Maybe not in your eyes.”

He took a swig of the soda then set the can on the coaster on the coffee table. Then his eyes lifted to the painting above the mantel. “That’s beautiful. Who did that?”

“I did.” She turned to look at the painting she’d done shortly after Sophia’s seventh birthday. “It was a lovely day at the park that afternoon. So peaceful and serene. Sophia was on the swing, and I was pushing her. Trevor took the picture, and I turned it into an oil. It’s one of my favorites. I couldn’t leave it behind when we left Knoxville.”

“Of course not.”

“I was in such a hurry when we left Knoxville that I’m surprised I remembered to grab most of what I needed to continue to work.”

“You’re very talented. Have you been painting all your life?”

“No, just since high school. I started during a very tough time in my life. My parents were going through a pretty messy divorce and I needed an...escape. I found it in painting...and some other not so productive things.” She twisted her fingers together. Now why say that? Because she wanted to confide in him? Trust him? Did her heart know something her mind didn’t? He’d put his life on the line to keep her physically safe, that was true. She wasn’t sure she was ready to trust him emotionally, though. And until she was, she’d better keep comments like that to herself.

“What are you going to do now?” he asked. His question surprised her. She figured he’d push for more information, more details. Moments from her past better forgotten for everyone.

She gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know. I’m thankful there are deputies outside that are willing to stand guard tonight, but they can’t do that every night. I guess I’ll have to run again.”

“Run? Again?”

She blinked. They’d been through so much over the past few hours she’d forgotten he didn’t even know why she was in Wrangler’s Corner. “I’m originally from Knoxville. About a month ago someone tried to kidnap Sophia while she was walking home from school.”

“What?”

She nodded. “We just lived five houses down from the school. It’s a pretty busy street, but she liked to walk so I let her because there was a crossing guard. The day of the incident I was standing on the front porch watching for her. The crossing guard made sure she got across the street, then when she was almost to our house, a gray sedan pulled up beside her and the back door opened. I immediately had a bad feeling and yelled at her to run. Thankfully, Sophia didn’t hesitate. I guess she heard the terror in my scream. The person in the vehicle was already getting out when Sophia took off, but he managed to grab her backpack. She slid out of it and ran as fast as she could toward me. The person drove away. I was so scared I didn’t even think to get a license plate.”

“What did the police say?”

“There were a lot of witnesses and confirmed it was definitely an attempted kidnapping. The police took it very seriously and looked into it. They had officers patrolling the school before and after hours for about a week and it was all over the local news, of course. But when nothing else happened, they decided whoever it was had moved on. They alerted everyone in the area to be on the lookout for the gray sedan, but truly, there are a lot of gray sedans out there. They said it was probably just a random thing and it wouldn’t happen again, but I couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder. I didn’t want to leave Sophia with anyone, didn’t want to take my eyes off her.”

“I can understand that,” he said softly. “So you came here?”

She hesitated. “Yes, but only after someone tried to run me off the road.”

He stilled. “Run you off the road?”

“It was late at night. I’d finally been able to leave Sophia with my sister-in-law, Nina, for a few hours to go to a Bible study. On my way home, I was on one of the back roads between my house and the church. I passed a side road and headlights came on. A car pulled behind me and rammed my back end. I managed to avoid a wreck and get my car under control. The person was coming back for a second hit when several vehicles came from the opposite direction. The car drove off and I drove to Nina’s house. Sophia and I just stayed there for the night. I called the police, reported it and—” She shrugged. “That’s it. I’d had enough. So I emailed Amber.” She gave him a flicker of a smile. “My old college roommate.”

“My sister?”

“Yes.”

He narrowed his eyes. “College roommate? Why don’t I remember you?”

She gave him a small grin. “There’s no reason you should. I came to the ranch with Amber a couple of times on weekends, but you and your brothers...well, you guys were never there much.”

“And we never really paid attention to who Amber brought home.”

“No, from what I recall, everyone was kind of going in their own direction. Seth was doing the rodeo thing. I remember that clearly. Clay was into law enforcement in Nashville. You were always working with an animal or away at school or something.” She shrugged. “I don’t really remember.”

He reached out and touched her hair, let a dark curl wrap around his finger like a baby’s small hand. Then he captured her gaze. “I should have paid attention.” Zoe let herself get snared in his eyes for a brief moment before she cleared her throat and looked away. Aaron’s hand dropped. “So, you ran. And now this. You’re being targeted.”

She nodded. “It looks that way.”

“But why?”

She shook her head and looked up at him again. “I truly don’t know. I make a decent living with my painting and I have some money from my husband’s life insurance policy, but it’s not enough to commit a crime for.”

“You’d be surprised,” he murmured. “What happened to your husband?”

“He was killed in a car wreck.” She swallowed and looked away. “Just about a year ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tears threatened. “I am, too. He was a good man.” And he’d deserved better than her. But she’d keep that to herself.

“I’m sure he was.”

“Regardless,” she said, “I don’t know why anyone would be after Sophia. I mean I can think of what some people would do with a kidnapped child and it makes me sick to my stomach, but truly, for someone to go to this much trouble to get her...” She bit her lip and shook her head as she looked down at her hands. “I mean, sure, I can see someone spotting a child walking home alone and thinking it’s a good opportunity to snatch her. But when that plan was thwarted, wouldn’t you think he’d move on to someone else? Why keep coming back for her? Why go to all this trouble? Something else is going on, but I just don’t know what it is—or how to go about finding out what it might be.”

“You have a good point. And one other thing.”

“What?”

“You said that the back door opened. That means there was more than one person involved in the attempted snatch.”

“Yes. The police mentioned that, as well,” she said. “And, no, I can’t think of anyone who would do something like that. Believe me, I’ve thought about it. At first, though, I figured it was just a random act. You know, someone who was cruising the school zone, watching for a child walking alone or something. They saw Sophia and didn’t realize I was looking for her.”

“But?”

“But then I realized after someone went after me that it wasn’t random. Someone was targeting us. And that terrifies me not just because I’m afraid they’re going to try again, but because I don’t know how to prepare for it, defend against it—or from which direction the next attack will come.”

“Hey.” He placed a finger under her chin and lifted it until their eyes met. “You have help now. You’re not alone in this. We’ll figure it out.”

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “We?”

“Yes. We. And Clay and Lance.” He smiled. “What’s the point in having cop friends and family if they can’t help you out once in a while? Although, I will say Lance and the others might actually be more help than Clay right now. He’s a bit distracted with his wife due to have their baby any day now.”

Her lower lip trembled. She hadn’t felt quite so...what? Cared for? Protected? Yes, to both. She hadn’t felt either in over a year. Maybe even longer. It felt strange...and wonderful all at the same time. She sighed. “Well, I hope they can find the men who did this so they can’t hurt anyone else.” Or come back to try again.

“You and me both.” He rubbed his chin and studied her. “So tell me more about yourself. Your background. I know you were married, but your husband died in a car wreck.” He glanced at the oil painting again. “I know you’re incredibly talented. And I also know you have a daughter who’s smart as a whip. And I know you’re both in danger.”

She pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yes, that about sums it up.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. “I don’t believe it. There’s got to be more.”

There was more all right. She mentally flipped through the things she could tell him that wouldn’t send him flying out the door. “I have a good church in Knoxville and some good friends that I’ve left behind. I love my job. Being able to work from home, painting portraits, that’s my dream come true. It’s a great job for a single mom.” She gave a soft laugh. “Painting is also my therapy. I really enjoy the people, the clients, that I get to work with.”

“What about Sophia?”

“Sophia has a few friends from school, but she’s not the most social kid. She and I spend a lot of time together and I like that. Our next-door neighbor has a girl about Sophia’s age and they run back and forth between the houses, but Sophia is happy on the farm with the animals and never wants to leave.”

“What about you? Are you happy on the farm?”

“Yes. I grew up on one. Even though my father worked as an accountant, he inherited the land that we lived on. I think he was considering selling but then...everything kind of blew up and my parents divorced.” She shrugged. “That’s about it.”

He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. “All surface information. I want to know
you
.”

Zoe stiffened. “What do you want to know?”

“Why did you turn to my sister for help? Why not go home to your parents? Are they still living?”

“They’re alive.”

“But?”

“We’re not close.” His eyes narrowed and she wanted to squirm, but refused. “I had a rather rocky upbringing. Like I said, my parents split up. They divorced when I was in high school. They each went their own way and aren’t interested in pretending to be a family when the holidays roll around. So we just do our own thing. I send them a card with Sophia’s picture each Christmas and call it good.”

“That’s really sad.”

She shrugged. “Yes, it is, but it’s okay, too. I’ve accepted it and moved on. I don’t let it bother me.” Much. Holidays were definitely worse than other times during the year, though.

He shook his head. “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”

“A brother. He’s older than I am and was headed to college when my parents divorced.”

“And you two don’t talk?”

She hesitated then slowly shook her head. “I don’t even know where he is.”

She could tell she’d shocked him. A man who was so tight with his family wouldn’t be able to comprehend her dysfunctional background.

“Why don’t you know where he is?”

She shook her head. How could she explain the horrendous fight she and Toby had had before he’d left. That her last words to him had been
I hate you. Get out. I never want to see you again
. How did she explain the year she’d spent in rehab, getting her life straightened out, getting her heart right with the God she’d thought had surely given up on her? How did she tell him that she was not only in physical danger, she was in the middle of a faith crisis, as well? “We had words. An argument about him going to college and leaving me to deal with the fallout of our parents’ marriage. I know he didn’t leave me because he wanted to. He had to go. He wasn’t strong, either, and couldn’t handle staying at home. He would often get in between my parents, trying to be a buffer and it wore on him. Emotionally, physically.” She shook her head. “So, he left, and we lost touch for a while and by the time I was in a position to reach out to him, I didn’t know where to reach out
to
.” She’d searched for him, though. She’d tried to find him at college only to learn he’d dropped out. She’d checked all of his friends she could think of and no one had seen him. She’d even reported him missing to the police and they’d turned up nothing. Her heart had broken and she’d just assumed he might have changed his name to get away from the reporters and their constant questions about their father’s criminal activities. “I don’t know why they went after him like they did. Maybe because no one ever expected it.” She certainly hadn’t believe it. She shrugged. “I really don’t know.”