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To keep her off balance? To make her so afraid of her own shadow that when he finally pounced, she’d be an easy target?
Possibly.
“What do you think?”
Fiona’s question made Abby blink. She realized she hadn’t heard a word the woman said. “I’m sorry. I was thinking … What’d you say?”
“I said I think it might be a good idea for you to stay here awhile. Unless you have someone—”
“No. Like I said, there’s no one.” No one at all. Her family had disowned her the minute her sister had taken her last breath.
Because it was her fault her sister had died. At least that’s how she felt. And so did her family.
Shuddering, she looked at Fiona, grief piercing her as she studied the large bulge under the woman’s blue maternity shirt. “When is your baby due?”
An excited smile curved Fiona’s lips. “Right after the first of the year. My due date’s January 2.”
“That’s wonderful for you. Just about three more weeks, eh?”
“Yes.” The word was more of a groan. “And it can’t come soon enough.”
As an obstetrician, Abby figured if she had a dollar for each time she’d heard those words from an expectant mother, she’d be a millionaire.
“I don’t—”
A knock on the door jarred her to a stop. Heart in her throat, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it to her chin. Like it could protect her from whoever was on the other side of that door.
Compassionate green eyes watched her, saw her fear. “It’s all right,” Fiona said. “It’s probably my mother or my brother, Cal. My husband sold two of our horses and went to deliver them to a family in Virginia. He’ll be home Monday afternoon.”
Feeling like an idiot, Abby relaxed her death grip on the blanket and nodded. Of course it couldn’t be Reese. If it was, he certainly wouldn’t announce his presence with a knock.
Fiona opened the door and a tall man with reddish-blond hair and blue eyes deep enough to swim in stepped over the threshold.
The man from the bus station.
The man whose strong arms had easily caught her when she’d dropped like a felled deer.
Abby couldn’t help the flush on her cheeks because, while he didn’t know this, she was embarrassed that she could remember what his arms felt like around her.
And flustered because she wished she could fall into the comfort of them once more.
How long had it been since she’d had someone hold her and offer—
She blinked the thought away. Right now she had to concentrate on getting well and leaving before she brought trouble to this sweet family.
Only then did his uniform register.
The gray shirt, black pants, black tie. And the gold badge placed just over his heart.
He was a cop.
Her heart thudded. She gulped and looked away.
“Hi, there, how are you feeling?”
His deep voice sent shivers all over her. Shivers that had nothing to do with a fever she no longer had. “Hi. Better, thanks.”
Fiona said, “This is Abby Harris. Abby, this is my brother, Callum McIvers.”
Cal smiled, revealing even white teeth. And twin dimples on his clean-shaven face. “But you can call me Cal. All my friends do. Nice to meet you, Ms. Abby Harris. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
He was charming. Oh, my. Abby felt she might need to grab ahold of her heart with both hands before it ruptured from her chest. First he’d rescued her, now he flattered her. “I hear I owe you a thank you.”
“Well, I never could resist a woman falling at my feet.” He winked.
Her flush burned hotter.
Fiona slapped Cal’s arm. “Stop it.”
Cal laughed and cowered from his sister in mock fear. Abby watched their exchange and felt grief pierce her heart. She and Keira used to joke around like that.
“So, Ms. Harris.” His voice turned serious. “What are you doing here in Rose Mountain?”
Pulling in a deep breath, Abby ignored the flash of guilt at using a fake name and shrugged. Hoping she came across as nonchalant, she was seriously afraid she failed. “First of all, please call me Abby. And I … um … well, I decided to take a … vacation. Unfortunately, it looks like I took a little detour instead.”
“Where are you headed?”
Anywhere that took her away from the man after her. “Nowhere specific. I was just going to find a spot that looked nice and quiet and rent a little cabin. Have some time to myself.”
“So you have no reservations somewhere?” His right brow lifted like he had trouble believing her.
Abby sighed and told the truth—at least part of it. “Look, I’ve been working very hard. There’s no mystery here. I decided to take some time off. So I got on a bus that was going in the direction I wanted to go. I’d been traveling for about four days, sightseeing, enjoying the mountains and all that touristy stuff, before I took that header in the bus station.”
“Four days?” Fiona looked shocked.
Abby forced a little laugh. “I know. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Not too crazy, she hoped. After all, it was almost the complete truth. She had decided to stop and find a cabin. She just hadn’t planned on it taking her quite so long to lose her brother-in-law. At least that’s who she thought was following her.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t gotten a very good look at the man.
However, the man in the bus station definitely looked like Reese. That is, if she hadn’t been hallucinating. And if she hadn’t been hallucinating, then all of her evasive tactics had failed.
Cal settled himself in the chair in the corner and she felt his astute gaze on her. It made her want to squirm. He asked, “Do you remember what you said to me right before you passed out?”
Her mind raced. What had she said? “No, sorry, I don’t remember.”
He steepled his fingers under his chin. “You said, ‘Don’t let him get me.’”
Abby flinched. “Are you sure I said that?”
“I’m sure.”
Abby bit her lip and looked away. How should she respond? How could she explain without lying and yet protect herself at the same time.
“Are you in trouble, Abby?”
“Not with the law,” she blurted.
Compassion flickered in his eyes and he exchanged a look with Fiona. She wondered what it meant. Then he asked, “Are you involved in a domestic violence situation?”
Abby blinked. Domestic violence? “Yes, he’s—” She broke off and took a deep breath. “Yes, I suppose you could say that, which is why I probably need to leave. I sure don’t want to repay all of your kindness by bringing trouble to your doorstep.”
Cal’s jaw tightened. “Trust me, if trouble shows up on this doorstep, I’ll be ready for it.”
Abby couldn’t read the exact emotion in his eyes, but Fiona blinked fast like she was holding back tears. Wondering at the sudden tension in the room, Abby waited to see if one of them would enlighten her.
Neither did.
Well, she supposed that was only fair. She wasn’t sharing all of her secrets, either.
“When you’re a bit better, we’ll take you into town to get checked out again by Dylan—or he can come by here,” Fiona offered softly.
“Dylan?” That was the second time his name had mentioned. The doctor? She had a vague recollection of an unfamiliar doctor’s office and a man asking her questions. But all she’d wanted to do was go back to sleep.
“Dr. Dylan Seabrook,” Cal confirmed. “He’s got a small practice at the base of the mountain. He’s the one who got you on the antibiotics and flu meds.”
“I don’t really remember much about that.” She thought about the money she’d tucked away in her little hidden pocket. “I suppose I need to pay him something.”
Cal offered a soft smile. “No worries. We’ll make all that right later when you’re feeling better.”
Abby lifted a brow. What doctor didn’t want payment as soon as possible?
As though reading her mind, Cal laughed. “Welcome to Rose Mountain.”
And what a welcome. Abby couldn’t stop the shiver that shook her. While she felt safe for the moment, she couldn’t help but wonder how long that feeling would last.
Her glance landed on the window where the darkness pressed against the pane as though trying to get in. She wondered if Reese was watching this very minute. If somehow he’d managed to follow her out to this ranch.
The thought made her sick. His words rang in her ears. “This is your fault. You’ll pay for this. I’m going to make sure you suffer every day for the rest of your life.”
It looked like he was well on his way to keeping his promise.
THREE
Saturday morning, Cal jammed the pitchfork into the pile of hay and tossed it into the nearest stall. In spite of the cold, sweat dripped from his forehead and he lifted an arm to swipe the liquid onto his sleeve.
Dropping the pitchfork to the floor of the barn, Cal slammed a fist into his palm, then turned to the punching bag hanging off to the side. He often worked out in the barn, letting off steam and trying to forget things that had a way of haunting him occasionally.
Like domestic violence victims.
Just the thought of someone trying to hurt Abby made his blood boil. He pounded the bag until the sweat started to drip into his eyes. Peeling off the heavy sheepskin coat, he draped it over the nearest stall and went back to pummeling until his hands throbbed.
“Boy, you better slow down or you’re going to pull something.”
Cal whirled to find Jesse Walker, the ranch’s resident horse expert, standing in the door, hands holding the reins to Teddy Bear.
Panting, Cal wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. “Hey, Jesse, sorry. I just needed a good workout this morning.”
“No problem.” He paused and looked behind him. “You got company coming. I’m going to go give Teddy Bear here his own workout.”
Cal nodded and Jesse left.
Something nudged his shoulder and he turned to find Snickers begging for a treat. Cal felt his blood pressure ease off at the horse’s affection. Reaching up, he rubbed the stallion’s silky nose. “I couldn’t help Brianne, Snickers, but I can help this woman.”
The horse nosed his hand and tried to nibble. Cal reached into his pocket for the apple he always brought with him. Snickers made short work of it.
“Hi.”
Cal turned to see Abby standing in the door of the barn.
The company Jesse had mentioned.
She had her red curls pulled up in a ponytail. Dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black turtleneck and a cream-colored wool sweater under a heavy black coat she’d left unbuttoned, he thought she looked a hundred-percent better than she did yesterday. “Hey, what are you doing up?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been lying in that bed so long, I needed to get up. Fiona said you were in the barn.” She smiled as she took in the horses lining the stalls. “Wow, you have a nice operation here.”
“Thanks. It’s a family thing. We board horses. We also breed and sell them.”
Cal watched Abby wander over to Snickers and rub the horse’s left ear. Snickers threw his head up, then brought it back down like he approved. Cal let his eyes take in the sight of Abby again, thinking the horse had good taste.
Planting his fists on his hips, he watched her run her hands over Snickers, admiring the strength of the animal. “You’re comfortable with horses.”
She looked at him over her shoulder and nodded. “I grew up riding. Our neighbors had horses and they let me and my sister come over and ride anytime we wanted.”
Cal wondered at the flicker of grief he’d seen flash in her eyes. Then it was gone, and he decided he’d imagined it.
“Well, there are plenty of places to ride out here.” He pointed to his left. “In that direction, there’re trees that back up to the main road. The river on this property runs right under it.” He pointed right. “That way is land for about as far as you can see, but at the end of it, you can see the highway.” Pride filled him as he let his gaze wander the land he called home. He loved it and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. “The three houses make a triangle. The main house, where mom lives, sits up on the hill overlooking the rest of the land. You can see the other two houses from it. My house is that way and you know where Fiona’s is. We all live within a mile of each other. When you feel up to it, I’ll take you for a ride over the land, show you the rest of the layout and tell you all about it.”
Life filled her green eyes for the first time since he’d met her. “That would be lovely.”
“We’ll plan on it, then.”
She smiled and he felt his heart thud an extra beat in anticipation of spending time with her. She nodded to the wall. “You collect weapons?”
He nodded. “Well, my dad did. He died from a massive heart attack last year.” Grief still filled him when he thought about the man. “He was a big collector.” Cal jabbed the pitchfork once more, then leaned it against the wall as he stared at the weapons. “I’m sure you noticed the wall in the little apartment.”
At her nod, he said, “Those were Dad’s, too. I guess one day, I’ll take them down and store them, but for now …” He shrugged.
Her sympathetic look said she understood. For a moment he just stood there, staring at her, taking in her beauty, unable to look away.
“Hi, Uncle Cal.” The little girl’s voice grabbed his attention and he swung around to see his mother standing in the door of the barn holding Tiffany’s mittened hand.
He smiled. “Well, hey there, kitten.”
“I’m not a kitty,” Tiffany protested with a giggle. “Who’s her?” She pointed to Abby.
Abby smiled and stepped forward. “I’m Abby.”
“I’m Tiffany,” the little girl said. Cal shook his head. That kid would talk to anyone. It was kind of scary in this day and age. Tiffany let go of his mother’s hand and walked to Snickers. “I wanna ride him.”
His mother laughed. “Not today. And not him. He’s too big for you.”
Tiffany planted tiny fists on her hips. “I’m big, too.”
Cal squatted to look her in the eye. “Give me some time and I’ll take you on a ride soon, I promise. If you can do that, I’ll let you feed Snickers another apple.”
She screwed up her nose and squinted at him. Then shrugged. “Okay.” She held out her hand.
Cal gave her the apple and helped her feed the delighted horse.
He heard his mother ask Abby, “How are you feeling, dear?”
“I’m better. A little weak, but that’s to be expected. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me.” Then she grimaced. “Speaking of feeling a little weak, I think I’d better go lie back down.”
Immediately, Cal went to her and grasped her hands. “What’s wrong? What hurts?”
He saw the surprise in her eyes—and a new warmth as she looked at him. “I’m all right, really. Just still trying to recover. A couple hours of sleep and I’ll feel like a new person.”
Relieved, Cal nodded. “All right. Come on, I’ll walk you back to the apartment.”
“And I’ll just take Tiffany back to the house,” his mother said. “She was antsy and needed a little outing. I thought the barn might be a good place to start.” The barn sat about midway between Fiona’s and his mother’s houses.
Cal flushed as he realized he’d forgotten all about his mother and Tiffany. His mother’s knowing look deepened the red he was sure was prominent on his cheeks.
As his mother led Tiffany back toward her house, Cal and Abby walked the gravel path back to Fiona’s. She asked him, “How many acres do you have?”
“About three thousand.”
“Wow!”
He smiled. “I know. It’s a lot of land for this little town. But we all pitch in to take care of it.”
“That’s nice that you all live near each other and get along.” Her soft voice held that wistful sadness he’d seen in her eyes earlier that made him wonder about her family and what kind of situation she was running from.
Before he could ask, hoofbeats sounded behind him. He turned to see Zane Dodson gallop up. Reining in the mare, the man tipped his cowboy hat to Abby, but focused his attention on Cal. “We got a fence down in the northwest quadrant. Fortunately, we’d already moved the horses, so we’re good in that area. Just need to fix the fence and find the yahoo who cut it. I’ve got Donny and Mike up there working on it right now. But you might want to come check it out.” The look in the man’s eyes made Cal’s nerves sit up and take notice. Only one kind of downed fence would put that expression on Zane’s face.
“You sure it was cut?”
“Yep.”
“Be right there.” Cal looked at Abby. “This is Zane, my right-hand man on the ranch. Zane, this is Abby, a guest here.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He was polite, but Cal could tell he was itching to get back to the fence.
“Where are the rest of the horses?”
“I’ve got ‘em corralled over in the south pasture.”
“We missing any?” That would be a problem.
“Nope.”
Relieved, Cal nodded. “Can you ask Jesse to saddle up Snickers for me?”
“You bet.” Zane galloped off toward the barn and Cal placed a hand on Abby’s back. “I’ll just see you back to the apartment, then go see what’s going on.”
“I’ll be fine,” Abby reassured him. “That sounds urgent. Go ahead.”
Cal looked to the barn, then back to Abby. It wouldn’t take Jesse long to have the horse ready. “All right, if you’re sure.”
She smiled, her eyes kind, encouraging him to go. “I’m sure.”
“I’ll see you in a little bit.”
He took off, worried what the cut fence might mean. Trespasser? Or possible horse thief? It didn’t happen often in Rose Mountain, and he was going to do his best to make sure it didn’t happen to the horses he was responsible for.
To be on the safe side, he’d stop by his house and grab his rifle.
* * *
Abby entered the apartment and went straight for the bed. She was still weak and the long walk after being so sick probably hadn’t been the best idea. But she’d felt smothered, claustrophobic in the small bedroom and getting out had been the best medicine she could have prescribed.
Her mind went to Cal McIvers. A tall man, compassionate, welcoming. Gorgeous blue eyes and a smile to die for.
And a cop.
She swallowed a sigh and rolled to her side as she felt sleep come over her. Thoughts of Cal would have to wait. Her body needed healing.
The baby’s wail brought her upright in the bed with a gasp. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.
How long had she been asleep?
A quick glance at the clock showed she’d rested for a little over an hour. Sitting still in the middle of the bed, she listened, ears straining.
Had she been dreaming?
And yet there it was again. The faint sound of a baby’s cry.
Had Fiona had her baby early?
By herself?
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Abby stilled her panicked thoughts and found her boots. Pulling them on, she paused when she heard a horse’s whinny outside her window.
Had Cal come back? Her heart thudded at the thought of seeing him again and she took a deep breath. The man had definitely made an impression on her. He had her interest for sure. Was it because he was incredibly good-looking or the fact that he’d caught her when she passed out? Or because he was one of a dying breed? A man who took care of his family and had compassion for strangers?
Or was it that when she was with him, she didn’t think about the trouble she had on her tail?
All of the above, probably.
She walked to the door and pulled it open. Another wail rent the air and Abby felt her knees lock. Grief pierced her and she almost doubled over to stop the pain. Every time she heard a baby cry, it felt like sandpaper scraping across her heart.
A gust of cold wind buffeted her and she shivered even though she still had on the warm wool sweater from earlier. Ignoring the grief roiling inside her, she focused on the sound.
With the door open, she stood still and listened. Another rising cry came from around the corner of the house. Heart in her throat, Abby rushed toward the sound. Had someone left a baby out in this cold?
Surely not!
“Hello? Is someone there? Do you need help?”
She rounded the corner and confusion filled her. A recorder? But why?
She looked around to see who could have left it there.
Nothing. The strategically planted trees swayed in the wind. Brown leaves rustled.
A shuffling sound came from behind her.
Before she could whirl to see who was there, a hand with a sweet-smelling cloth slapped over her mouth and nose.
FOUR
Cal crested the hill and pulled his horse to a halt. He couldn’t keep his mind on the ranch’s problems. His sister’s houseguest, Abby Harris, kept intruding.
From his position, he could see the main house, his mother’s house and the home he grew up in, directly in front of him. His house that he’d built six years ago sat to the left, Fiona’s to the right. Where Abby was.
His eyes narrowed on Fiona’s house and he decided to check in and see if Abby was feeling any better. Telling himself it was natural to be so concerned about a strange woman and that if she were sixty-five and ugly as a goat, he’d still feel the worry gnawing on his gut, he set off at a fast clip, his horse covering the ground with long, even strides.
As he approached, movement by the side of the house caught his eye.
He saw a flash of red and thought he heard a horse’s shrill whinny. Clicking to his mount, he moved closer.
What was going on? It looked like someone was fighting with Abby.
“Abby!”
Spurring his horse in the sides, he urged the animal into a full gallop. The closer he got, the clearer the picture became.
“Hey!” Someone was definitely trying to hurt Abby and her struggles seemed to be growing weaker by the second. “Stop! Police!”
Grabbing the rifle from the scabbard on his saddle, Cal raised it and fired a shot into the air.
The horse’s thundering hooves flew over the ground, eating up the space between him and the struggling duo.
Abby’s attacker threw her to the ground and raced out of sight around to the other side of the house.
Soon, the man was on the back of a powerful animal, bolting across the open field, his horse going full out toward the edge of the property. Cal saw Abby lying still, her face turned away from him.
Grabbing his satellite phone, he punched in Zane’s number. When the man answered, Cal ordered, “I’ve got a trespasser headed past Fiona’s house to the edge of the property. He attacked Abby. Chase him down and bring him back here, but be careful, he might be armed.”
“You got it.”
Zane didn’t waste any more words and hung up. A former special ops marine, Zane could take care of himself. Cal pulled his horse to a halt a few feet from Abby’s still form.
Bolting from the saddle, he knelt beside her. “Abby.” His hands ran over her, looking for any wounds. Nothing.
She moaned and he turned her on her back.
She shivered and her teeth began to chatter. Cal took a chance that nothing was broken and lifted her into his arms.
Spinning, he pushed open the door to her small apartment and stepped inside. Kicking the door shut behind him, he felt her start to struggle. “It’s me, Abby, be still.”
At his voice, she calmed.
Settling her on the bed, he took in her pale features. “Hey, what happened? Can you hear me?”
Puzzled, he looked her over again. No bruises anywhere, no blood. Then why wasn’t she responding?
Finally, her eyelids lifted. “Cal?”
“Yeah. Who was that guy?”
“I …” She licked her lips. “I don’t know. Think he had chloroform or something. I managed to avoid breathing most of it in. May have gotten a good whiff because I feel sluggish. Be all right in a little while.”
Cal heard a knock on the door, then Fiona’s voice, “Abby, are you down here?”
“She’s here,” he answered for her.
Fiona opened the door a crack. “Cal—oh, good, you’re here. I heard a gunshot. Is everything all right?”