Branded by the Sheriff

“Down the hall, last room on the right,” Beck instructed.

But Marita didn’t go. She glanced at Aubrey, then at Faith, and finally thrust Aubrey in his direction. “Would you mind holding her a minute?”

Beck was sure his mouth dropped open. But if Marita noticed his stunned response, she didn’t react. Aubrey reacted though. The little girl went right to him. Straight into his arms.

And then she did something else that stunned Beck.

Aubrey grinned and planted a warm, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

That rendered him speechless and cut his breath. Man. That baby kiss and giggle packed a punch. In that flash of a moment, he got it. He understood the whole parent thing and why men wanted to be fathers.

He got it, and he tried to push it aside.

This was the last child on earth to whom he should have an emotional response.

Aubrey babbled something he didn’t understand and cocked her head to the side as if waiting for him to reply. She kept those doe eyes on him.

“I don’t know,” Beck finally answered.

That caused her to smile again, and she aimed her tiny fingers at the Ranger vehicle parked just outside the window. “Tar,” she said as if that explained everything.

“Car?” Beck questioned, not sure what he was supposed to say.

“Tar,” she repeated. Then added, “Bye-bye.”

Another smile. Another kiss that left his cheek wet and smelling like baby’s breath. And she wound her plump arms around his neck. The child obviously wasn’t aware that he was a stranger at odds with her mother.

Beck was having a hard time remembering that, too.

Well, he was until he heard Faith storming his way. Her footsteps slapped against the hardwood floor. “Aubrey,” she said, taking the child from his arms.

While Beck understood Faith’s displeasure at having him hold her baby, Aubrey showed some displeasure, too.

“No, no, no,” Aubrey protested and reached for Beck again. She waggled her fingers at him, a gesture that Beck thought might mean “come here.”

“This won’t take but another minute,” the Ranger interjected. He obviously wasn’t finished talking to Faith.

Faith huffed. Aubrey continued to struggle to get back to Beck, and she clamped her small but persistent hand onto the front of his shirt. They were still in the middle of the little battle when the phone rang. The deputy, Corey, answered it, but immediately passed the phone to Beck.

“It’s your brother,” Corey announced.

Great. This was not a conversation Beck wanted to have tonight.

Faith practically snapped to attention, and despite Aubrey’s protest, she carried the child back across the room and resumed her conversation with the Ranger.

“Pete,” Beck greeted his brother. “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me if what I heard is true,” Pete stated. “Is Faith Matthews back in town?”

Because he was going to need it, Beck took a deep breath. “She’s here.”

With that, Faith angled her eyes in his direction. Hearing his brother’s voice and seeing Faith was a much-needed reminder of the past.

“Why did she come back?” Pete didn’t ask in anger. There was more dread in his voice than anything else.

“She’s the new assistant district attorney. I didn’t tell you sooner because I didn’t think she was coming until next month. It wasn’t my decision to hire her. It was the DA’s.”

“It’s for sure? The DA actually hired her?”

“Yeah. It’s for sure.”

“Then I’ll have a chat with him,” Pete insisted.

Beck had already had that chat, and the DA wouldn’t budge. Pete wouldn’t, either. His brother would talk and argue with the DA, too, but in the end the results would be the same—Faith would still be the new ADA.

“In the meantime, you do whatever it takes to get Faith Matthews away from here,” Pete continued. “I don’t want her upsetting Nicole.”

Nicole, Pete’s wife of nearly a dozen years. This would definitely upset her. Nicole was what his grandmother would have called high-strung. An argument would give Nicole a migraine. A fender bender would send her running to her therapist over in Austin.

This would devastate her.

“There’s a lot to be resolved,” Beck told his brother.

“What does that mean?”

Heck, he was just going to say it even though he knew Faith would overhear it. “It means Faith might change her mind about staying.”

Yeah, that earned him a glare from her. He hadn’t expected anything less. But then she glared at whatever the Ranger said, too. Her glare was followed by a look of extreme shock. Wide eyes. Drained color from her cheeks. Her mouth trembled, and he wasn’t thinking this was a fear reaction. More like anger.

“I’ll call you back in the morning,” Beck continued with his brother. “In the meantime, get some sleep.”

“Right.” With that final remark, Pete hung up.

Beck hung up, too, and braced himself for the next round of battle he was about to have with Faith. But when he saw her expression, he rethought that battle. No more shock. Something had taken the fight right out of her.

Sgt. Caldwell stopped talking to Faith and made his way back to Beck. “I got a call on the drive over here. The crime lab reviewed the surveillance disk you sent us. The one from Doolittle’s convenience store. They were able to positively identify your suspect.”

Beck let that sink in a moment. Across the room while holding a babbling happy baby, Faith was obviously doing the same.

“So Darin Matthews was in LaMesa Springs?” Beck clarified.

The Ranger nodded. “We can also place him just five miles from here. About four hours ago, he filled up at a gas station on I-35.”

Everything inside Beck went still. “Any reason he wasn’t arrested?”

“The clerk thought Darin looked familiar, but he didn’t make the connection with the wanted pictures in the newspaper until Darin had already driven away. But the store had auto security feeds to the company that monitors them, and that means we had fast access to the surveillance video. That’s how we were able to make such a quick ID.”

So Darin had come back, and he might have thrown those rocks with the threatening messages through Faith’s window. “You didn’t see Nolan Wheeler on either surveillance feed?” Beck asked.

“No. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t there. He could have been out of camera range.”

Beck snared Faith’s gaze. “Does this mean you’re leaving?”

She didn’t jump to defend herself. Her mouth tightened, she kissed the top of Aubrey’s head and looked at Sgt. Caldwell. “They want me to be bait.”

Beck repeated that, certain he’d misunderstood. “Bait?”

“An enticement,” the Ranger clarified. “We believe there’s only one person who can get Darin Matthews to surrender peacefully, and that’s his sister.”

True. But Beck could see the Texas-size holes in this so-called plan. “She’s got a kid. Being bait isn’t safe for either of them.”

Sgt. Caldwell nodded. “We’re going to minimize the risks.”

“How?” Beck demanded.

“By making her brother think he can get to her. No matter where she goes, she’ll be in danger. Her baby, too. My lieutenant thinks it’s best if we make a stand. Here. Where we know Darin is.”

Beck cursed under his breath, but he bit off the rest of the profanity when he realized Aubrey was smiling at him. “So what’s the plan to keep her and that little girl safe?”

“The lieutenant wants to set up a trap to lure Darin back. We’ll alert all the businesses in town and the surrounding area to be on the lookout for Matthews. Meanwhile, we’ll put security measures in place for Ms. Matthews’s house while she’s at the hotel tonight.”

“Her house?” Beck questioned. He didn’t like anything about this plan. “You honestly expect her to stay there after what happened tonight? Someone threw rocks through her window.”

Another nod. “She won’t actually be staying at the house. She’ll just make an appearance of sorts, but we’ll tell everyone in town that’s where she’ll be staying.”

Beck felt a little relief. “So Faith and her daughter will be going to a safe house?”

The sergeant glanced back at Faith, and it was she who continued. “Not exactly. I can’t live in a safe house for the rest of my life, and Darin won’t be able to find me if I’m hidden away. So the Rangers want to set up a secure place for Aubrey and the nanny. I’ll be there, too, while making appearances at my house to coax out Darin. Obviously, we can’t have Aubrey in harm’s way, but my brother would know something was up if Aubrey’s in one location and I’m in another. So we have to make it look as if she’s with me even though she’ll be far from danger.” She paused, moistened her lips. “I’m hoping it won’t take long for my brother to show, especially since he’s already in the area.”

So she agreed with this plan. But for someone in agreement, she certainly didn’t seem pleased about it.

“If it weren’t for Aubrey, I would have never gone along with this,” she stated.

Confused, Beck shook his head. “Excuse me?”

“She means the protective custody issue,” Sgt. Caldwell explained.

Beck sure didn’t like the sound of this. “What about it? She doesn’t want to be in the Rangers’ protective custody?”

“No.” Faith hesitated after her terse answer. “I don’t want Aubrey to be in yours.”

“Mine?” Beck felt as if someone had slugged him.

“Yours,” Caldwell verified. “The Rangers will continue to provide you assistance on the case, but with a possible suspect in your jurisdiction, this is now your investigation, Sheriff Tanner.”

“What are you saying exactly?”

The Ranger looked him straight in the eyes. “I’m saying we’ll need your help. We can’t risk it being leaked that Ms. Matthews really isn’t staying at her place. And we can’t keep her real whereabouts concealed if she’s in the hotel for any length of time. There are too many employees there who could let it slip.”

Beck’s hands went on his hips. “So where do you propose her daughter and she go?”

“First, to the hotel to give us time to set up some security. Then, when everything’s in place, they can go to your house. Her daughter will be in your protective custody.” The Ranger didn’t even hesitate.

It took Beck a moment to get his jaw unclenched so he could speak. “Let me get this straight. I’ll become a bodyguard and babysitter in my own home?”

Sgt. Caldwell gave a crisp nod. “Protecting the child will be your primary task.” The Ranger glanced at Faith again. Frowned. Then turned back to Beck. “Ms. Matthews has refused to be in your protective custody.”

Her left eyebrow lifted a fraction when Beck’s attention landed on her. “Yet you’d trust me with your daughter?” Beck asked.

“This wasn’t her idea,” Sgt. Caldwell interjected, though Faith had already opened her mouth to answer. “I had to convince her that this was the fastest and most efficient way to keep the child safe. And as for her not being in your protective custody, well, you can call it what you want, but it won’t change what you have to do.”

Beck stared at the Ranger. “And what exactly do I have to do?”

Sgt. Caldwell stared back. “Once we have this plan in place, Faith and her daughter’s safety will be your responsibility.”

Chapter Four

This was not the homecoming Faith had planned.

From the window of the third-floor “VIP suite” of the Bluebonnet Hotel, she stared down at the town’s equivalent of morning rush hour. Cars trickled along the two-lane Main Street flanked with refurbished antique streetlights. The sidewalks were busy but not exactly bustling as people walked past the rows of quaint shops and businesses. Many of the townsfolk stopped to say “Good morning.”

There were lots of smiles.

She wanted to be part of what was going on below. She wanted to dive right into her new life. But instead she was stuck inside the hotel, waiting for “orders” from Beck and the Texas Rangers, while one of Beck’s deputies guarded the door to make sure no one got in.

The three-room suite was a nice enough place with its soothing Southwest decor. Her and Aubrey’s room was small but tastefully decorated with cool aqua walls and muted coral bedding. Marita’s room was similar, just slightly smaller, and the shared sitting room had a functional, golden-pine desk and a Saltillo tile floor.

It reminded Faith of a gilded cage.

Of course, anything less than getting on with her new life would feel that way.

She forced herself to finish the now cold coffee that room service had delivered an hour earlier. She already had a pounding headache, and without the caffeine, it would only get worse. She had to be able to think clearly today.

What she really needed was a new plan.

Or a serious modification of the present one.

Aubrey was now in Beck’s protective custody and he was responsible for her safety. Right. What was wrong with this picture?

She went back to the desk, sank down onto the chair and glanced at the notes she’d made earlier. It was her list of possible courses of action. Unfortunately, the list was short.

Option one: she could immediately leave LaMesa Springs, and go into hiding. But that would be no life for Aubrey. Besides, she had to work. She couldn’t live off her savings for more than six months at most.

Faith crossed off option one.

Option two: she could arrange for a private bodyguard. Again, that would eat into her savings, but it was a short-term solution that she would definitely consider. Plus, she knew someone in the business, and while things hadn’t worked out personally between them, she hoped he could give her a good deal.

And then there was option three, and it would have to be paired with option two: try to speed up her brother’s and Nolan’s captures. The only problem was that other than making herself an even more obvious target, she wasn’t sure how to do that. Maybe she could make an appeal on the local TV or radio stations? Or maybe she could just step foot inside her house a few times.

She already felt like a target anyway.

Frustrated, she set her coffee cup aside and grabbed a pen, hoping to add to the meager list. She sat, pen poised but unmoving over the paper, and she waited for inspiration to strike. It didn’t.

The bedroom door opened, and Marita came out. Behind her toddled Aubrey, dressed in a pink eyelet lace dress, white leggings and black baby saddle oxfords. Just the sight of her instantly lightened Faith’s mood.

“’i,” Aubrey greeted her. It was her latest attempt at “hi” and she added a wave to it.

“Hi, yourself.” Faith scooped her up in her arms and kissed her on the cheek.

“She ate every bite of her oatmeal,” Marita reported. “And getting to bed so late doesn’t seem to have bothered her.” Marita patted her hand over a big yawn. “Wish I could say the same for my old bones.”

“Yes. I’m sorry about that.”

“Not your fault.” Marita went to the window and looked out. “You warned me that some folks in this town wouldn’t open their arms to you.” She paused. “Guess Sheriff Tanner is one of those folks.”

It wasn’t a question, but Faith knew the woman wanted and deserved answers. After all, Marita had essentially been part of her family since Faith had hired her fifteen months ago as Aubrey’s nanny. Faith had gotten Marita through an employment agency, but their short history together didn’t diminish her feelings and respect for Marita.

“I left town ten years ago because of a scandal,” Faith said, hoping she could get this out without emotion straining her voice. “Beck saw me coming out of a motel with his brother, Pete. His married brother. Word quickly got around, and his brother’s wife attempted suicide because she was so distraught. Beck blames me for that.”

Marita turned from the window, folded her arms over her chest and stared at Faith. “You were with the sheriff’s married brother?”

Aubrey started to fuss when she spotted the stuffed armadillo on the settee, and Faith eased her to the floor so she could go after it.

“I was with him at the hotel.” But Faith shook her head. She wasn’t explaining this to Beck, who would challenge her every word. Marita would believe her. “But I didn’t have sex with him. It didn’t help that I couldn’t tell the whole truth.” She lowered her voice so that Aubrey wouldn’t hear, even though she was much too young to understand. “It also didn’t help that there were used condoms in the motel room. And when Beck found us, Pete was groping at me.”

Marita made a sound of displeasure. “Beck was an idiot not to see what was really going on. You’re not the sort to go after a married man.” She glanced at the papers on the desk and frowned again. “Is that what I think it is?” Marita pointed to the document header, Last Will and Testament.

“I wrote it this morning.” She noted the shocked look on Marita’s face. “No, I’m not planning to die anytime soon. I just need to let someone know that he won’t inherit anything in the event of my demise.”

Faith didn’t have time to explain that further because her cell phone rang. Since she was expecting several important calls, she answered it right away.

“Zack Henley,” the caller identified himself. “I’m the driver who took you from the airport to LaMesa Springs last night. You left a message with my boss saying to call you, that it was important.”

“It is. I need to know if you told anyone that you’d taken me to my house.”

“Told anyone?” he repeated. He sounded not only surprised but cautious.

Faith rephrased it. “Is it possible that someone in LaMesa Springs learned that you had driven me to my house?”

He stayed quiet a moment. “I might have mentioned it to the guy at the convenience store.”

That grabbed her attention. “Which guy and which convenience store?”

“Doolittle’s, I think is the name of it.”

The same store where her brother had been sighted. “And who did you tell about me?”

“I didn’t tell, exactly. I mean, I didn’t go in the place to blab about you, but the guy asked me what a cab driver was doing in LaMesa Springs, and I told him I’d dropped someone off on County Line Road. He asked who, and I told him. I knew your name because you paid with your credit card, and you didn’t say anything about keeping it a secret.”

No. She hadn’t, but she also hadn’t expected to be threatened with those tossed rocks. Or with the possibility that her brother had been the one to do the threatening. “Describe the person you spoke to.”

“What’s this all about?” he asked.

“Just describe him please.” Faith used her courtroom voice, hoping it would save time.

“I don’t remember how he looked, but he was the clerk behind the counter. A young kid. Maybe nineteen or twenty. Oh, yeah, and he had a snake tattoo on his neck.”

She released the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding and jotted down the description. That wasn’t a description of her brother. But it didn’t mean this clerk hadn’t said something to anyone else. Or her brother could have even been there, listening.

“Thank you,” she told the cab driver.

Faith hung up and grabbed the Yellow Pages so she could find the number of the convenience store. She had to talk to that clerk. But before she could even locate the number, there was a knock at the door. Faith reached for her pepper spray, only to remind herself that there was a deputy outside and that a killer probably wouldn’t knock first.

“It’s me, Beck,” the visitor called out.

Faith groaned, unlocked the door and opened it. It was Beck all right. Wearing jeans, a blue button-up and a walnut-colored, leather rodeo jacket. The jacket wasn’t a fashion statement, though on him it could have been. It was as well-worn as his jeans and cowboy boots.

“My deputy needed a break,” Beck explained. He didn’t move closer until Aubrey came walking his way.

“’i,” Aubrey said, grinning from ear to ear. It was adorable. But in Faith’s opinion that cuteness was aimed at the wrong person.

Beck, however, obviously wasn’t able to resist that grin either because he smiled and stepped around Faith to come inside the suite.

“Is she ever in a bad mood?” he asked, keeping his focus on Aubrey.

“Wait ’til nap time,” Marita volunteered. Unlike Aubrey’s cheerfulness, Marita’s voice had an unfriendly edge to it.

When Aubrey began to babble and show Beck the armadillo, he knelt down so that he’d be at her eye level. “That’s a great-looking toy you got there.”

“Dee-o,” Aubrey explained, giving him her best attempt to say “armadillo.” She put the toy right in Beck’s face and didn’t pull it back until he’d kissed it.

Aubrey giggled and threw her arms around Beck’s neck as if she’d known him her entire life. The hug was brief, mere seconds, before she pulled back and pointed to the silver badge he had clipped to his belt.

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