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“More likely Bess tracked you down.” He embraced her and kissed the woman’s cheek. “Hello, Mom.”
“So you do remember who I am.” She stepped back from their embrace, then looked in Nora’s direction. “Hello, I’m Abby Randell.”
“Sorry, Mom. This is Nora Donnelly. She’s helping me with a case I’m working on.”
Nora put on a smile. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Randell.”
The older woman took her hand. “Please, call me Abby.”
“And I’m Nora.”
“Oh, what a lovely old-fashioned name.” She looked thoughtful. “I don’t know any Donnellys. Are you new in the area?”
She nodded. “A few months.”
“Nora is a nurse at West Hills,” Brandon answered.
Abby Randell glanced between the two of them and smiled. “You probably don’t know many people around here.”
“I know a lot of people at the hospital.”
“Maybe you and your husband would like to come out to the ranch?”
Brandon sent her a stern look. “Mother.”
“I’m a widow. It’s just me and my son, Zach.”
“I’m sorry. That has to be difficult, especially for your son. How old is he?”
“Zach is seven.”
Abby smiled. “I have an idea. It’s tradition that the family has a barbecue on Sundays while the weather is warm. There are dozens of cousins, and kids whose parents work on the ranch. This weekend we’re hosting it at our place.” She gave her son a pointed look. “Actually, it’s Brandon’s ranch.”
“It belongs to the family,” he corrected.
Abby smiled. “I bet Zach would love to spend a day on a working ranch.”
Nora was caught, knowing her son would love to have some kids to play with. “I’m sure he would.”
“Then that settles it. Brandon will bring you out this coming Sunday.” Abby Randell then turned and walked out before Nora could change her mind.
Brandon sank onto the edge of the desk. “Welcome to the world of the Randells.”
CHAPTER THREE
“FOLLOW through, Zach.”
With a nod, the seven-year-old threw the baseball and Brandon managed to field the errant toss. “That’s pretty good,” he told the boy, and was rewarded with a shy smile.
Brandon knew he should be at the office, following up leads on Carlson’s family. Yet, thirty minutes ago when he brought Nora back to her apartment, he hadn’t wanted to leave. Not after he saw young Zach Donnelly in the yard, tossing a baseball up in the air trying to catch it. The kid looked lost.
“A little practice and you’ll get better in no time.”
“I don’t have anyone to play with,” Zach said, giving his mother a look. “Except Mom.”
Nora straightened at her spot on the step. “Hey, I didn’t think I was so bad.”
“I know.” The boy looked embarrassed as he murmured, “But you’re a girl.”
Brandon had noticed that. A pretty one, too. He bit back a smile. “What about at school?”
The boy glanced away. “I’m new and the kids around here don’t want me to play with them.”
Brandon felt a tightness in his chest. Zach was small for his age, and on the thin side. Worse, he was the new kid in town.
“Sometimes it just takes a little time to get to know everyone.” Brandon tossed the ball back, and the boy managed to get the new oversize glove under it. “Good job.”
Zach’s smile quickly faded. “Nobody picks me because all the other kids are better than me.”
Brandon doubted that, but the new kid often got picked on. He glanced to Nora, watching the interaction closely. “Maybe I could help you.”
The boy perked up. “Really?”
Nora had to end this. She stood and walked toward her son. “Zach, we should probably go inside. You have homework.”
“Aw, Mom.”
She remained persistent. “You also need to get something to eat.”
The boy started to argue, but Brandon stepped in. “Zach, it’s best to mind your mother. She only wants you to be healthy and strong. We can do this another day.”
“Okay,” Zach answered, but didn’t leave. “When? When are you coming back?”
Wait. Wasn’t she the parent here? “Zach, Detective Randell is busy with work. You can’t expect him just to drop everything.” She made eye contact with Brandon, daring him to challenge her. “Now, you go inside.”
Her son finally nodded, then glanced at Brandon. “Thanks for playing catch with me.”
“You’re welcome,” Brandon said and the boy took off up the steps.
Nora was trying hard to hold her temper. She didn’t like how Brandon Randell had worked his way into her private life. She had to put a stop to it. Now.
She faced him. Well, darn if he wasn’t giving her one of those cocky, how-can-you-resist-me grins. It wasn’t going to work on her.
“Look, Detective—”
“It’s Brandon, Nora,” he interrupted her. “I think we can move on to first names, don’t you?”
No! She wanted to scream. “That’s the problem, Det—Brandon. I don’t think it’s a good idea since we have no reason to even see each other again.”
He frowned. “I haven’t solved your case.”
“You don’t need me for that. And I’ve told you everything I remember of that night.”
Brandon took a step closer. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to shake some sense into her, or pull her into his arms and keep her safe. He’d never felt this protective about any woman before.
“What if he comes back?” he asked. “What if this guy discovers where you live? I have a patrol car drive by at night, but even with security, he could still get to you.”
Brandon suddenly saw a flash of fear in her eyes and regretted his harsh words. They tore at his gut. “I’m only trying to say that it won’t hurt if this guy knows of my presence here. Think of Zach.”
Her fists clenched. “My son is all I think about. That’s why I don’t want you to get involved in his life. He’s already developed a little hero-worship as it is.”
Brandon had never been anyone’s hero before. “A boy needs another guy around.” No one knew that better than he did. He’d been about Zach’s age when his mother divorced her jerk of a first husband. “I only want to be his friend, Nora. Is that so bad?”
“What happens when we move away?”
He studied her. Her statement bothered him more than it should have. “Are you planning on leaving?”
Her gaze darted away. “I’m not sure I want to settle here permanently.”
“It’s only been a few months. Give Tom Green County a chance. I’ve lived here all my life, and it’s a great place to raise a child. Get to know more people. Accept my mother’s invitation and bring Zach out to the ranch on Sunday. He can meet the Randell cousins and go horseback riding.”
“I don’t think—”
“You live on a ranch?”
They both looked up to see Zach standing at the top of the porch stairs. “Zach, I thought I told you to start your homework,” his mother said.
“I need help with my math.” He looked at Brandon. “Do you really live on a ranch with horses?”
“I don’t live there now, but my family does. You’re welcome to come out to visit.”
The boy’s eyes rounded. “Really?”
Brandon nodded. “Really.”
“Mom, can we go, please. Please? I want to go riding.”
Nora glared at Brandon as he fought a smile. “Okay, but we’ll talk about the riding later. Now, go inside. I’ll be up in a minute.”
Once Zach went through the door, Nora turned to Brandon. “Thank your mother for the invitation. If you give me the time and directions, we can get there.”
Brandon grinned. “There’s no need. I’ll pick you up about noon on Sunday.” Before she could argue, he tipped his hat and walked to the patrol car. For the first time in a long while he was looking forward to a visit to the ranch.
Sunday turned out to be a warm, sunny day. From the minute Brandon picked them up, Zach hadn’t stopped talking. He asked question after question from the backseat, and Brandon managed to answer every one of them, not once getting upset with the excited seven-year-old.
Nora spent her time looking out the window at the vast countryside. Coming from Southern California, she wasn’t used to all the open space. It was kind of nice not to worry about traffic or neighbors close by.
“Look, Mom,” Zach cried. “Horses.”
They’d turned off the highway and driven along the white split rail fence where several horses grazed in the pasture.
“Those are some of Hank’s mustangs,” Brandon pointed out.
“You mean those are wild mustangs?” the boy asked.
“Not so wild since my brother, Jay, worked hard to saddle break them. In a few weeks, Hank’s going to have an auction to give them good homes.”
They drove under an archway that read The Randell Guest Ranch Est. 1933.
“Wow, this ranch is really old,” Zach said.
“It sure is.” Brandon nodded, feeling pride in his heritage. “My great-grandfather Moreau owned it originally. There were a lot of good years, but sometimes it’s hard to make it with only running cattle. So now it’s also a guest ranch.”
“So people can come and ride a horse like me?”
Brandon drove over the gravel path past the barn. “Yeah, and they can hike around the nature trails and go bird-watching. Some even like to help round up the cattle.”
“Wow!” Her son’s eyes widened. “I want to do that, too.”
Nora was amazed at how at ease Zach was with Brandon. He’d never had a positive male role model before.
“We have to wait and see,” she said as she looked ahead to see several out-buildings come into view, along with a large barn and a fenced corral. All were well kept and painted a glossy white.
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