The case had only one drawback…

The sizzling attraction that had hit him the first moment he’d laid eyes on Alonsa. The way she’d moved, the way she’d felt in his arms when they’d two-stepped their way through the sultry country-western ballad. The way she looked now in the chair with her legs curled up under her.

Everything about her turned him on.

But seducing her was not in the rules of engagement. It would make him less effective in finding her daughter, would complicate things until working together would be impossible. Worse, it would be taking advantage of her at her weakest and most vulnerable.

He’d just have to keep his libido under control…at least until he found out what happened to her little girl. That would require seeing Alonsa without touching her and going home to cold showers and an empty bed.

And he thought the war zone had been tough.

Bravo, Tango, Cowboy

By

Joanna Wayne

www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author

JOANNA WAYNE was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, and received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from LSU-Shreveport. She moved to New Orleans in 1984, and it was there that she attended her first writing class and joined her first professional writing organization. Her first novel, Deep in the Bayou, was published in 1994. Now, dozens of published books later, Joanna has made a name for herself on the cutting edge of romantic suspense in both series and single-title novels. She has been on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list for romance and has won many industry awards. She is a popular speaker at writing organizations and local community functions, and has taught creative writing at the University of New Orleans Metropolitan College. She currently resides in a small community forty miles north of Houston, Texas, with her husband. Though she still has many family and emotional ties to Louisiana, she loves living in the Lone Star state. You may write Joanna at PO Box 265, Montgomery, Texas 77356, USA.

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To mothers everywhere who know

what it means to love a child with all your heart.

Chapter One

The moonlit night was made for romance. Alonsa Salatoya stood alone, fighting the salty tears that wet her dark eyes and threatened to make a black sea of her mascara as the newlyweds two-stepped across the portable dance floor. Love was a beautiful thing—while it lasted.

The night’s hostess, Linney Martin, stepped to her side. “Dani and Marcus make a beautiful couple, don’t they?”

Alonsa nodded. “They do, and they seem totally in love.”

“Yep. They were meant for each other.”

“Something tells me your infamous matchmaking skills had a hand in getting them together.”

“Not this time. Their relationship sprang from a chance meeting at the Renaissance Festival. Didn’t I tell you that story?”

“Only part of it.” Alonsa had met the bride and groom on a couple of occasions but didn’t really qualify as a friend. Yet Linney had practically insisted she attend the affair to celebrate their recent wedding. Perhaps because there were so few magnificent parties such as this in the small, rural town of Dobbin, Texas.

“Their story is fascinating,” Linney said. “I’ll fill you in when we go shopping in Conroe for the fabric to recover those chairs in the guest suite. But speaking of matchmaking, there’s probably one or two nice cowboys here tonight I could introduce you to.”

That explained the invitation. “I came with a guy,” Alonsa reminded her. “A very charming man.”

“Your boss, who just happens to be gay,” Linney said.

“Gay and a magnificent dancer,” Alonsa countered. “In my book that makes him the perfect escort.”

If you wanted to be exact, she wasn’t his guest tonight. Always the businessman, Esteban had invited a new customer named Keidra Shelton in that capacity. Keidra had recently moved to the Woodlands and wanted an extreme makeover for the interior of her house, a cosmopolitan look that captured the spirit of her new state. Esteban had decided Alonsa was the perfect person to create that.

He and Keidra had picked up Alonsa and driven her to the party. The woman had talked too much and asked far too many questions about Alonsa’s personal life and how she’d come to live in a small, rural town like Dobbin. Other than that, she was nice enough and Alonsa looked forward to the challenge of creating an interior that worked for her.

Linney tossed her head, tinkling the diamond earrings that dangled from her earlobes. “Matchmaking and taking advantage of a good situation is one thing, but those women are taking it a tad too far.” She nodded toward the bar that had been set up in a corner of the sprawling white tent.

Alonsa instantly spotted the women who’d fueled Linney’s ire. The object of their lustful attentions was a man in a black tux and cowboy boots. His dark, thick hair had an unruly bent as he leaned his hard, lean body closer to the attractive redhead who was officially Esteban’s guest for the evening.

Alonsa didn’t recognize the other two ladies, but one couldn’t have been more than eighteen and the other had to be pushing sixty. Keidra was probably in her early thirties. The man had all the bases covered.

“Romeo must be new in town. I haven’t seen him around before.”

“Brand-new. Hawk is Cutter’s latest recruit for the Double M Investigation and Protection Service. He’s living in the cabin on the ranch that Marcus recently vacated.”

“Hawk? Is that a nickname or a description?”

Linney laughed. “A bit of both. He was a civilian helicopter pilot before he joined the service and became a SEAL.”

“So he’s another of Cutter’s Special Ops recruits?”

“Yes. Infamous, or so I hear. He was awarded several medals. Cutter and Marcus both swear he can not only walk on water but he can take down an enemy a half mile away while he’s doing it.”

“Yet he looks every inch the dashing cowboy.”

“There is that. Him I suggest you avoid unless you’re strictly out for a good time.”

Which was exactly what Linney had told her only days ago that she needed.

As if on cue, Hawk turned and spotted them staring at him. He smiled and tipped his glass in their direction. Alonsa’s eyes met his and her insides reacted with a surprising quiver. She looked away so fast she grew dizzy.

It was the champagne, she decided. This was only her second glass but it would be her last drink of the evening. Good time or not, a womanizer in Western boots was the last thing she needed.

“I’m really glad you came tonight,” Linney said, bringing Alonsa back into the moment. “You need to get out more.”

“So you’ve told me before, but it’s not like I’m a hermit,” Alonsa protested.

“I know. You go to work, but other than that, you pretty much stay cooped up inside that ranch house.”

“A huge ranch house, and I have a three-year-old son to keep me busy. But you’re right. I should get out more. Thanks for inviting me.”

“So here you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Cutter said, joining them and slipping an arm around Linney.

“Alonsa and I were just watching your friend Hawk in action,” Linney said. “He’s already collected a harem of admirers and this is only his second week in town.”

“As long as you’re not one of them,” Cutter said, leaning over to kiss his wife on the back of the neck.

“Not a chance. I’ve got my cowboy.”

“Good. Hold that thought. Not that I’m not grateful to have Hawk join up with me.”

“Do you need a pilot?” Alonsa asked.

“I need another good man. Hawk Taylor’s the best and the reason I, and more than a few others, are back on U.S. soil and breathing instead of being feasted on by worms on the other side of the world.”

Linney slipped her arm around her husband’s waist. “You never told me Hawk saved your life.”

“You never asked. Now, if I’m not mistaken, the band is playing our song. Will you excuse us, Alonsa, while I dance with my gorgeous wife?”

“Absolutely.”

Alonsa watched the two of them walk away, so in love that they glowed brighter than the tiny white lights that twinkled above them. For now, they had it all. Alonsa had been there once. It seemed eons ago.

IT WAS A HELL OF A post-wedding celebration. A great band, free-flowing alcohol, beautiful women and all out in the wide-open spaces of the Double M Ranch. But the best part of it all was that Hawk was not the sucker who’d just bought in to the fantasy of marital bliss.

Been there, done that, had the scars and the holes in his bank account to prove it. Give him a reconnaissance mission over a heavily armed enemy anytime. At least then you knew they’d be gunning for you. Not that the divorce hadn’t been mainly his fault. He’d only been half there and only half the time. The only people he’d ever truly committed to was his team of rowdy frogmen.

“Care to dance?”

The woman asking and looking up at him with a pair of gorgeous blue eyes was a hottie who’d been semi-stalking him all night. He’d met her at the champagne fountain earlier. She was a secretary to one of the local congressmen—or was she his daughter? Anyway there was a correlation.

The band broke into a new number, but this time instead of a nice boot-scooting beat, the tune had a Latin rhythm. “I’d love to dance with you, but I’m afraid that’s not in my repertoire,” he said. “But look me up for a two-step, and I’m all yours.”

“Promise?”

“On a stack of James Bond novels.”

Another guy came along and tugged her onto the floor with a few other brave couples. They weren’t bad. One couple were obvious graduates of a course in ballroom dancing, probably recently. The man’s mouth moved as he counted the tango beats. The woman was as stiff as MRE rations.

A debonair, slightly past middle-age man with thinning salt-and-pepper hair stepped onto the dance floor. Accompanying him was the gorgeous dark-haired woman Hawk had spotted earlier standing with Linney.

The sapphire-blue dress she was wearing curved about her like silken skin, not so tight she looked trampy, but fitted enough that there was no denying she had a dynamite body. A tempting amount of cleavage showed. Not nearly enough, in Hawk’s opinion.

The hemline cleared her thighs, but there was plenty of bare leg left to appreciate. Great calves, superb ankles and a pair of silver stiletto heels that did their best to show off the sexy features.

None of that compared to how she looked when she started to dance. Hawk had been near explosions that weren’t half as hot.

Linney stepped up beside him and linked her arm with his. “Need a napkin to wipe that drool from your lips, cowboy?”

“I might. Who’s the temptress?”

“My interior decorator.”

“Yeah, well, I’m feeling in need of a major overhaul. Is that her husband she’s dancing with?”

“No. She’s a widow with a young son.”

She looked as if she were about to say more, but didn’t.

“So is the dude she’s dancing with her lover?”

“He’s her boss. Esteban of Esteban’s Western Interiors.”

“And does the temptress have a name?”

“Alonsa Salatoya, but she’s had a really rough life the last few years, Hawk. I don’t want to see her hurt again, so let’s just say she’s off-limits to you.”

“You don’t really believe all those wild heartbreaker tales Cutter and Marcus spread about me, do you?”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“Strictly jealousy on their part,” he teased.

“What about the women swooning in your wake all night?”

“It’s the boots. Women love ’em.”

“Every guy in Texas has boots.”

“Must be my cologne, then.”

“Collect all the hearts you want, Hawk. Just not Alonsa’s. Not that I actually think you could. As far as I know she hasn’t had a date since her husband died.”

“So she’s a recent widow?”

“It’s been two years.”

The music stopped and Esteban dipped his partner so low that the two were practically parallel to the floor. Her hem inched upward. Hawk felt a tightening in his groin. Staying clear of Alonsa was probably a warning he should heed, but not for the reasons Linney had stated. He just wasn’t up to dealing with the emotional entanglements of dating a woman who’d been grieving for two years, especially a woman with a kid.

When the dancing duo righted themselves, they headed for the edge of the dance floor. Linney waved them over. “You two were magnificent,” she raved. “It was like having a filming of Dancing with the Stars right here at the Double M.”

“Alonsa makes any man look good on the dance floor,” Esteban said.

She gave a mock bow. “A woman is only as good as her partner.”

That might be true about some things, but Hawk figured Alonsa would look good dancing with a battery-operated frog. Her gaze met Hawk’s for the briefest of seconds and he was mesmerized by their dark mystic depths.

The band hit up a version of “Crazy.”

“I love this song,” Linney said, looking up at Esteban as she started to sway.

“Would you care to dance?” he asked.

“I’d love to.”

They disappeared onto the dance floor, leaving Hawk alone with Alonsa.

“I think we’ve been set up,” Alonsa said.

That wouldn’t get any complaints from him, but…“Actually, I was warned by Linney to stay clear of you.”

“I got the same warning. I suspect it was to make certain we noticed each other.”

“Ah, the old reverse psychology.”

“Afraid so. Linney’s been back in Dobbin less than a year but already her matchmaking schemes are infamous. I guess it’s understandable, though. She’s so happy with Cutter that she wants that for everyone.”

“Then I guess we should at least dance,” Hawk said. “We don’t want to disappoint our hostess.”

“I’m afraid she’s doomed to disappointment with me.”

“Why is that?”

“Nothing personal, but I’ve adjusted quite well to not having a man in my life.”

“I asked for a dance, not matching towels.”

She reddened a little. “In that case, I accept the offer.”

“Don’t expect any fancy footwork,” he cautioned. “Unlike your previous partner, I’m your basic shuffle and snuggle kind of dancer.”

“Just don’t stamp on my toes. These shoes are painful enough as it is.”

“And worth every throb.” He took her hand and led her onto the floor. Her fragrance was intoxicating, kind of like a sunny summer morning after a hard rain. He pulled her into his arms. He was tall enough that even in her nosebleed heels, she fit in his arms just right, cheek to cheek, hip to hip, thigh to thigh. Arousal coiled around his insides like a corkscrew.

She put her mouth to his ear and he felt the heat of her breath on his neck. “You are a much better dancer than you admitted,” she crooned.

“Like your boss said, you’d make any man look good.”

“I had a lot of practice,” she admitted. “I took lessons for most of my life and danced on Broadway for years.”

“From Broadway to Dobbin, Texas. That’s some detour.”

“It happens.”

She didn’t offer more and Hawk didn’t push. He didn’t intend to be manipulated into a relationship by Linney, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy having a beautiful, sensual woman in his arms.

Alonsa’s small, satin bag was buzzing against the table when they returned. She reached inside and grabbed her vibrating cell phone. He heard just enough to know that the call concerned her son.

“I have to find Esteban,” she said as soon as she broke the connection.

“What’s wrong?”

“That was my babysitter. My son fell and hit his head. She doesn’t think it’s serious, but it’s bleeding and he’s crying. He’s only three. I need to check on him.”

“No need to find Esteban. I can drive you if it’s a ride you’re looking for.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It could be. Esteban’s car may be blocked in. My truck isn’t.” He’d made sure of that just in case he decided to sneak out early. He didn’t usually last more than an hour or so at fancy shindigs like this one.

Alonsa scanned the parking area. “Surely the parking valet could get Esteban’s car out.”

“You’d save time if I drive you, but hey, it’s your kid. Your call.”

That seemed to resonate with her. “If you’re sure you don’t mind?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

“Then I just need to let Esteban know so he won’t look for me later.”

“There’s Cutter,” Hawk said, nodding toward his former SEAL buddy and new boss, who was standing nearby talking to a couple of local ranchers. “We’ll tell him. He’ll see that Esteban gets the word.”

She nodded and in minutes they were on their way to her place. It hit Hawk about five miles down the road that with the help of a bleeding kid, he had played exactly into Linney’s matchmaking scheme.

BRANDON SALATOYA’S injury turned out to be no more than a bump on the head and a slight cut across the top of his right eye. The rambunctious preschooler had reportedly been running up the stairs for his bedtime story when he’d tripped over his dog, a short-tailed, mixed-breed mutt with soulful eyes and a yappy bark.

The boy had settled down quickly when his mother arrived and was now drinking chocolate milk and marching a plastic dinosaur over a mountain of sofa cushions. He’d gotten a reprieve from bedtime until Alonsa was certain there was no aftereffect from the bump to the head.

The sitter, a rawboned rancher’s wife named Ellen, who smiled often and had graying, slightly frizzed hair, had gone home, greatly relieved that she hadn’t allowed a serious injury on her watch.

Alonsa had disappeared with the promise to be right back. The dog, Carne, short for Carnivorous as the precocious youngster had explained, was lying by the fire in the massive stone fireplace, carefully keeping at least one eye on Hawk.

Had Linney been able to spy on them, she’d no doubt be pleased at the cozy, familial scene. But looks were deceiving. The coziness went no further than the visual effects. Once Alonsa was reassured her son was fine, having Hawk around had seemed to become instantly awkward for her.

He’d half expected her to push him out the door with the babysitter. Instead she’d offered to make a pot of coffee in a tone and manner that suggested she hoped he’d turn her down.

He hadn’t, of course. Nothing intrigued him more than a woman not into him, especially one as provocative as Alonsa. When she walked, he envisioned her dancing on a Broadway stage, her body twisting and swaying into erotic choreographic movements.

Yet she was here in small-town Dobbin, Texas, living on a ranch with her young son, decorating other people’s houses and playing ice princess to available suitors. He wondered what her husband had been like and how he’d died. And if his death was the explanation for the haunting shadows that lurked in the depths of Alonsa’s dark eyes.

Brandon marched his dinosaur as close as he could to Hawk’s leg without actually touching it. “How come you came to my house?”

“I gave your mother a ride home from the party.”

“How come you’re still here?”

Good question. “I’m going to have a cup of coffee with your mother.”

“Why?”

“Because she asked me to.”

“Why?”

Fortunately Alonsa picked that minute to rejoin them. “Don’t go there with him,” she cautioned Hawk. “The whys are a black hole from which there is no escape.”

Hawk stood and took the cup of coffee she offered.

“I added a touch of Kahlúa and a dollop of whipped cream. If you’d rather have it plain, I can toss this and get you another cup.”

He tasted the brew. “No, this is great.”

“I’m sorry I rushed you away from the party. It’s not that I don’t trust Ellen. I do. She’s raised five children of her own. It’s just that I worry.”

“No reason to apologize. Once you’ve toasted the newlyweds, the party’s all downhill.”

“You didn’t look as if you were suffering,” she teased.

“I’ve learned to hide it well.” A comeback that wasn’t that far from the truth.

Alonsa was still wearing the blue dress, but she’d slipped out of the metallic stiletto sandals and into a pair of cream-colored slippers. She’d also removed her necklace. The earrings still dangled seductively from her smooth lobes. Her lipstick had almost worn off completely, leaving her lips a glistening, pale pink.

She chose a seat across from him and Brandon, kicked off her slippers and curled her legs under her. “So what do you think of my designs?”

Design was probably the one thing of hers he hadn’t been thinking about, especially since he had no clue what she was talking about. “Love them,” he said, going for low-key enthusiasm.

“I first became interested in interior decorating while remodeling this house,” she said. “I didn’t get any formal training until after I’d moved to Dobbin.”

“The house looks great.” Actually it looked like he’d expect a ranch house to look, except…homier. Yep, that was the word he was looking for. The kind of house where a man could get comfortable with a good book—or a hot woman.

“I was going for rustic, but high-tech with modern comforts,” she explained.

He gave the room a quick once-over. The walls were painted to look as if they were old stucco, with dents and nicks, in shades of a deep cream and pale tan. The chandelier looked as if it had once been used with gas. The mantel over the fireplace was thick, rough-hewn cypress, as were the high beams in the ceiling.

The wide wooden planks of the floor looked to be original to the house, but they were polished and partially covered by a woven rug that picked up the brown in the leather sofa. Two cane-covered rockers sat next to the fireplace.

“Looks like an authentic ranch house to me,” he said. “And the sofa is definitely comfortable.”

“Thanks. When my husband inherited the place, it was literally crumbling. We practically had to gut it.”

“Then this is new construction?”

“All but the shell.”

“Then you are good.” The question was why would she go to all this trouble to live in Dobbin? “Do you have family in the area?”

“No.”

“So how did you wind up here?”

Wrong question. He sensed as much as saw the instant change in her. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself, as if the room had suddenly dropped ten degrees, and then lowered her eyes to stare into her cup.

“My husband’s uncle left him the ranch,” she finally said. “Todd loved the place and always planned to retire here.”

No mention as to how she felt about the house, yet her husband was dead and she’d stayed on. Must have been crazy about the man. Probably had him on a pedestal too high for any other man to ever climb.

“Do you want to see what I’ve done with the rest of the house?”

“Sure, as long as there won’t be a test of my knowledge of the subject matter when we finish.”

“No, but I can’t promise not to bore you with details.”

“You do and I’ll start reciting the military handbook.”

“Warning taken. Do you want to show Mr. Taylor your room, Brandon?”

The kid scrunched his nose and planted his dinosaur on top of his head, tangling the toy in the dark locks of hair. “No. Want to watch cartoons.”

“Okay, but when I say it’s bedtime, you have to turn off the TV without making a fuss.”

He grinned as he hopped off the sofa and ran to retrieve a DVD from a basket on the bottom section of the built-in shelves. He inserted it into a player set between two stacks of children’s books.

Hawk had yet to spot a TV. Alonsa picked up a remote, clicked it and then waited while the oil painting over the pine bookshelves slid away to reveal a flat-screen monitor.

“Impressive.”

She smiled. It lit her face and softened all her features. “Actually, the hidden TV is a bit of overkill, but it impresses potential clients.”

“Then you work out of your home?”

“As much as I can. I don’t like to spend any more time away from Brandon than I have to.”

She went to the front door and checked the dead bolt, though he’d seen her lock it when she came in. “This way,” she said, pausing to look out the window before she led him into the hallway.

Carne followed them. The intuitive dog definitely didn’t trust Hawk with his mistress. Smart dog.

The kitchen was obviously Alonsa’s masterpiece. She reveled in the explanation of how she’d sought to create a totally modern working arena without losing any of the ranch-house charm.

She’d done a bang-up job, right down to the red-and-white gingham curtains at the window and the appliances that were disguised as knotty pine cabinets. The awkwardness between them dropped away in layers as her enthusiasm built.

The kitchen phone rang. She grabbed the antique receiver. “It’s probably Linney or Esteban making sure Brandon is okay.” She put the receiver to her ear. Her hello was tentative.

A heartbeat later, her face turned a pasty white and her fingers trembled so badly the phone slipped from them. She swayed. Hawk caught her and the phone before either of them hit the floor.

She shook off the shock and grabbed the phone from him. “Lucy? Lucy, is that you?” Her voice bordered on hysteria.

Hawk shifted so that his ear was close enough for him to hear a reply—had there been one. There was only the clanging of a receiver and the droll signal of a disconnected call.

Tears filled Alonsa’s eyes.

His reaction system went on full alert. “Who was that?”

She looked away, avoiding eye contact. “No one.”

“Like hell.”

“It’s nothing really.”

“You’re a wreck. If you tell me what’s going on, I might be able to help.”

“No one can help. Please, just go home, Hawk. Just go.”

“Who’s Lucy?”

“This isn’t your concern.” Her voice dropped to a shaky whisper.

Right. And he didn’t need a strange woman’s problems. So why wasn’t he rushing out the door?

He took both her hands in his and waited until her gaze locked with his. “Who’s Lucy?”

“My daughter. She was abducted two years ago.”

Chapter Two

Alonsa pulled away from Hawk and walked to the kitchen window, staring out into the darkness but seeing nothing. She felt as if someone were scraping away the lining of her heart. The phone calls always had that effect on her.

The sound of breathing behind her was the only sign that Hawk was still in the room. She gathered her resolve slowly, giving her mind a chance to crawl out of the black abyss into which the call had sucked her. When she turned around, Hawk was only a few steps away, staring at her with concern etched into the lines of his face.

He leaned against the counter. “What’s with the phone call?”

“A cruel hoax. It sounds like Lucy’s voice, but it’s not her.”

His brows arched. “You sound sure of that.”

“If it is her, it’s a recording made right after she was abducted. She sounds exactly the same every time.”

“How often do you get these calls?”

“It varies. In the beginning they came every week or two. Then they slowed down to every few months, but they’ve picked up again over the last two months.”

“Do you have a tracer on your phone?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t help. The calls last only a few seconds and the ones they have been able to trace only match prepaid cell phones from locations all the way from Florida to California.”

“Strange. Where did the abduction take place?”

“In Houston.” Alonsa seldom talked to anyone about the abduction anymore, though it had been all she could talk about for the first year. But tonight the memories were razor sharp and the need to put them into words was suddenly all-consuming.

“Give me a minute to check on Brandon,” she said, “and I’ll tell you about it.” She paused. “But I should warn you. I still can’t talk about it without getting upset.”

“I have a broad shoulder, great for collecting tears.”

“I’ll try not to drench you.”

Brandon was curled up in a soft knit throw, laughing at the DVD he’d seen dozens of times, apparently with no repercussions from his fall. She watched him for a moment, letting the reassurance of his safety sink into her troubled soul. She knew she was overprotective with him, but how could she not be under the circumstances?

Hawk was sitting at the table when she returned. She refilled both their coffee cups and joined him. It was more caffeine than she normally drank this late at night, but there was little chance she’d sleep anyway.

“Are you sure you want to hear this, Hawk? It’s not as if talking about it changes anything.”

“It could, if talk leads to the right action.”

He only thought that because he didn’t know the whole story. For that matter, neither did she. She thought back, trying to find a place to begin.

“It was five weeks to the day after my husband had been killed in New York. I buried him here in Dobbin and decided to stay on with the kids through the winter. I thought a change of scenery might help us all handle things better.”

“Makes sense.”

“I thought so at the time. My mistake. Everyone here was friendly and went out of their way to welcome us, but the only one I’d really connected with was Cutter’s Aunt Merlee. She’d taken me under her wing. Have you met her yet?”

“No, but I’ve heard about her. Linney adores her.”

“Everyone adores her. Anyway, that weekend she’d invited me and the children to visit her in her Houston townhouse so that I could take Lucy to some of the museums and child-oriented activities without having to make the long drive back to Dobbin at the end of the day. Brandon was only a year old and fussy that day, so Merlee had offered to watch him while Lucy and I took in the zoo.”

“So it was just the two of you?”

“Yes, mother-and-daughter time and Lucy was thrilled that she wouldn’t have to share me. Between the trauma of Todd’s death, the move and taking care of Brandon, I’d given her far too little of myself.”

“It must have been a hard time for all of you.”

It was still a hard time, all but unbearable on nights like this, with the sound of that voice on the phone echoing through her senses.

Keep talking, Alonsa. Get through this. You should be able to talk of it without falling completely apart. It’s been two years.

Her mind fixated on the events of that heartbreaking day, and she found small solace in remembering her daughter’s enthusiasm and laughter. “Lucy loved all the animals, but the sea lions were her favorite. It was nearing two when I told her we needed to go back to Merlee’s. She begged to see the sea lions one more time. I gave in, of course.”

If she hadn’t…No. Going over the ifs didn’t help. The counselor had worked for months to get her to move beyond that and the personal recriminations. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“While we were watching the sea lion antics, a large school group arrived and we were inundated by first and second graders. Someone pushed someone and a fight broke out. A little girl was shoved to the ground and started wailing. I went to help her up while the teachers stopped the fight. When I looked for Lucy, she wasn’t there.

“I wasn’t worried when I first lost sight of her, but then after minutes passed and I couldn’t locate her among the children, I started to panic.” Alonsa’s voice grew shaky.

Hawk stood and rounded the table, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Maybe tonight’s not the best time for this. Why don’t you get some rest, and I’ll come back tomorrow morning?”

“I’m okay.” His touch and sympathy were disconcerting in the quiet kitchen. “Do you have children, Hawk?”

“No. I was married for a while once, but no kids. I’m sure I can’t begin to understand what you’re going though.”

Yet he was here and a good listener. Or else the pain was just so overwhelming tonight she had to have the release of talking about it.

“I haven’t seen my daughter since that day at the zoo. All I get is the phone calls, the torment of her voice asking for me when I can’t go to her.”

“Surely the investigation uncovered some leads.”

“None that produced results.”

“Exactly what does the recorded voice say when you get the phone calls?”

“It’s a young girl’s voice. All she says is ‘Mommy’ and then there’s a click and the call disconnects. Craig doubts that it’s Lucy’s voice. He thinks it’s more likely some sick pervert who heard about the case at the time and gets his kicks torturing me.”

“Who’s Craig?”

“Craig Dalliers, the FBI agent who’s heading up the kidnapping investigation. He’s been on the case almost since the beginning.”

“Who conducted the initial search for Lucy, the local police or the FBI?”

“Both. The police started the process, but the FBI took over as soon as they got clearance. My husband Todd was an FBI agent killed in the line of duty.”

“I didn’t realize that.”

“How could you know?” Alonsa asked. “We’ve barely met.”

Yet here she was pouring out her soul to him in her kitchen. She was still wearing the blue cocktail dress she’d pulled from the back of her closet. He was in his tux. The bizarreness of the situation struck her and she wondered what she’d been thinking to invite him in when he’d driven her home. Still, she gave him the details of the search as succinctly as possible.

Hawk stepped away and started to pace. “What’s going on with the search now?”

“The FBI has assured me the case is still active.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t had an update in over three months.”

“Do they think the kidnapping was a revenge crime related to someone your husband arrested?”

“They did at first. Now Craig believes it was probably random.”

“What do you think?”

“I trust Craig’s judgment. I have no reason not to. He worked with Todd on a daily basis. Only…”

Only Craig, and the agents he’d assigned to help with the case, hadn’t found Lucy. The growing doubts she’d tried to deny crowded her mind. Craig had his faults, especially in the personal morals department, but he was a capable agent. Even Todd admitted that.

Hawk stopped pacing and straddled a chair next to hers. “I’d like to talk to the agent heading up the investigation.”

“Why?”

“Sometimes a fresh mind and viewpoint can help.”

“I wish I believed that, but there’s nothing to view.”

“No one disappears without a trace, Alonsa.”

But Lucy had. If there was a lead, the FBI would have found it. Having Hawk talk to Craig wouldn’t change anything and would likely just aggravate Craig and stop him from assigning the case to a top agent.

“I’m sorry, but the FBI is handling the case and I don’t see how your talking to them can possibly help.”

“It can’t hurt. A new person can spot mistakes a lot faster than the guy who’s made them.”

The comment provoked her. Hawk only knew the little she’d told him. He hadn’t been here through the months of anguish, hadn’t gone through the agony of building up hope with every minuscule lead only to have it blow up in her face. He didn’t have a clue how deeply involved Craig and his team had been in the case.

She tapped her fingers on the table’s edge. “Why would you assume they’ve made mistakes?”

“They haven’t found your daughter.”

“And you think you can?”

“Yeah. I do.”

This discussion had crossed a dozen lines she hadn’t seen coming. Did this man she barely knew really expect her to hire him to search for Lucy? A dull throb started at the back of her skull. Her stomach rolled.

The whole idea was ludicrous. Then again, what did she have to lose, other than her sanity, if she gathered hope again only to have it dissolve into emptiness? Or if she failed to give Brandon any kind of normal life because she was caught up in a revived investigation that would tear her apart on a daily basis.

And then there were the financial considerations. Hawk worked for Cutter and she was certain their services didn’t come cheap. A private investigation would require money she didn’t have because she’d already spent a large portion of Todd’s insurance on traveling the country that first year, putting up flyers and appearing on every TV station and talk-radio program that would let her plead for information about her missing child.

Yet if there was even a ghost of a chance…

She raised her eyes and met Hawk’s dark penetrating gaze. Something seemed to give way, as if the cords holding her together were beginning to fray.

“Exactly what are you suggesting, Hawk?”

“That I conduct my own investigation into Lucy’s disappearance. That you give me full access to any and all information you have or can get from the FBI. That you work with me and answer every question honestly. That you have a little faith in my ability.”

“And if you don’t find her?”

“You’ll be no worse off than you are now.”

And if he succeeded, she’d have Lucy home again. Unless…The possibilities swelled inside her and her breath burned as if she were inhaling pure acid. They’d found no trace of Lucy, but that had let her maintain the hope that Lucy was alive. What if she wasn’t? What if she’d died at the hands of some pervert? Could Alonsa bear knowing the certainty of that?

Hawk reached across the space between them and took her hands in his. “I realize you know nothing about me, Alonsa, that you have no reason to trust me, but you can talk to Cutter. He’ll vouch that I have a talent for smoking out facts where none seem to exist. I’m not bragging. It’s just how it is.”

Not bragging. Not arrogant. Just sure of himself. It went with the Special Ops territory, she suspected. It was his reason for being so quick to want to jump into this that she couldn’t decipher. And there was still the cost.

“Even if I want to hire you, I’m not sure I can afford you.”

“You won’t have to pay anything except reasonable expenses. An economy flight from time to time. A cheap hotel when the need arises. Frogmen aren’t used to first class.”

“You can’t work for nothing.”

“I can do what I want for now. Once I start the new assignment with Cutter my time for this will be limited, but I can move on this full speed until then. So the sooner we rev the engines, the better.”

He had answered all her questions but one. “Why, Hawk? Why would you do this for a virtual stranger?”

“I like the way you dance. And it’s the right thing to do.”

HAWK TOOK THE LONG way back to the Double M. Scenes from the past pummeled his mind as he drove the dark meandering roads through lonesome strands of pine. Flying over enemy territory searching for a fellow frogman who hadn’t returned from a mission. Swimming beneath the current with the body of a fallen buddy strapped to him like a second skin.

No man left behind.

He’d lived by that vow in the ragged mountains of Afghanistan and in Middle Eastern deserts so hot he’d felt as if his blood were boiling. Now he was back in America and out of uniform, but the vow seemed no less important. A little girl torn from her mother and dragged into who knew what. Didn’t Alonsa deserve to find her daughter or at least get some kind of closure?

A major concern right now was just how much of this was about him and what he needed. He’d been out of the service for months now and still he hadn’t found any kind of groove. That’s why he’d joined up with Cutter.

Becoming a SEAL had made him part of a team that tackled everything that was thrown at them with never a thought of failure. No one had been more surprised than he was to discover how much he missed being a part of that team and of something bigger than himself.

The only real drawback to taking on this case was the sizzling attraction that had hit the first moment he’d laid eyes on Alonsa. The way she’d moved on the dance floor. The way she’d felt in his arms when they two-stepped their way through the sultry country-western ballad. The way she’d looked in that chair, with her legs curled up under her. Even the way she’d poured him a cup of coffee.

Hell, everything about her turned him on.

But seducing her was not in the rules of engagement. It would make him less effective, might even complicate their relationship to the point where working together would become impossible. Worse, it would be taking advantage of her weakest vulnerability.

He’d just have to keep his libido under control, at least until the job was done. That would require seeing her without touching her on a regular basis and going home to cold showers and an empty bed every night.

And he’d thought the war zone was tough.

ALONSA RINSED BRANDON’S empty cereal bowl, placed it in the dishwasher and poured herself a glass of orange juice. She’d lain awake for most of the night, tossing, turning and vacillating between enthusiasm for Hawk’s offer and a dread that was pitted deep in her soul. A dread that made no sense.

She wanted her daughter back with every fiber of her being, prayed for it perpetually, had spent an entire year so consumed with finding her that she’d sinfully neglected her son. The belief that Lucy was still alive and that someday they’d be reunited was the glue that held her together.

But what if Lucy wasn’t?

“Mom, come see what I built.”

“Okay, sweetie. I’ll be right there.” She took her juice and ambled to the family room where Brandon had arranged his wooden blocks in a tower that reached his chin.

“It’s a skyscraped.”

“Skyscraper,” she corrected him. “A super-duper one.”

He laughed and knocked it over, scattering the blocks in every direction.

“All that work just to watch it fall?”

“Yeah. It’s fun.”

The hum of an engine in her drive sent a new wave of apprehension slithering along her nerve endings. She went to the front window and watched as Hawk climbed from behind the wheel and started for the house.

Amazingly he looked even more virile than he had last night. His jeans were worn, his shirt a black, collarless knit that hugged his hard frame, not the Western type so many of the local ranchers wore. But the boots and black Stetson insured that genuine, rugged cowboy look.

Yet something set him apart from the other men in the area. Maybe it was the cocky swagger or the determined set of his chin. And suddenly she knew why the apprehension had taken such hold of her.

Hawk was battlefield-hardened and success-proven. If he set out to do something, it wasn’t likely he’d stop until he succeeded. This time that determination would be directed full force at investigating her daughter’s disappearance. She’d finally get answers. She’d find out what happened to Lucy.

But what if the truth was more than her heart could bear?

Her fingers were clammy and her heart was in her throat when she opened the door and ushered him inside.

Chapter Three

Hawk had slept little last night. Nothing unusual for him. When his mind was in gear, his body seemed to refuel on adrenaline. It was that way for most of the frogmen he knew. Maybe that was what set them apart, a trait that had helped them make it through the initial BUD/S training and later take dangerous missions in stride.

In the early hours of the morning, his surge of energy had pushed him through an extensive online search for information on Todd Salatoya. The basic facts were easy enough to locate for someone who knew how to maneuver the intricate maze of informational sites. What Hawk hadn’t been able to find on his own, Cutter’s tech guy Eduardo had sniffed out for him. Actually, he’d waited until seven to call Eduardo. He figured some men slept.

Todd had had an exemplary record as an FBI agent, highly acclaimed. He’d been killed in the line of duty just as Alonsa had said, shot repeatedly by a drug dealer manning an AK-47. It had apparently been a brutal clash in a sting that Todd had masterminded. This time he’d made a few fatal misjudgments and the cartel had been waiting for him.

So Todd Salatoya went down on a bitterly cold winter night and never went home to his beautiful wife and two kids. Merely weeks later his daughter had been abducted from the Houston Zoo.

In spite of Craig’s insistence to the contrary, it was highly possible that the two were related—a payback against Todd’s family or a warning to other agents not to mess with the cartel. If so, Hawk might be about to open a load of trouble for himself and, worse, for Alonsa.

His insides tightened as he took the short walk from his truck to Alonsa’s front door. This definitely wasn’t what he’d expected when he’d driven Alonsa home last night. Then he’d been a man following his libido. Not that he’d be able to just turn off his sexual urges where she was concerned. Some men claimed they could. Hawk figured they lied.

What went on in the hormonal realm was beyond his control. What he did about that attraction was what mattered here. Hawk was a champion in the behavioral control game, which was why he wouldn’t try to jump Alonsa’s bones.

In the meantime, he had plenty to focus on. If there was even a chance that little girl was still alive, she needed to be returned to her mother. He’d play this as if she were alive and that any wrong move could work against finding her.

Alonsa opened the door before he knocked. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater the color of the Caribbean Sea. Her long dark hair was pulled into a knot at the back of her head with long silky strands left to hang loose and dance about her shoulders. She wore no apparent makeup but her full lips were soft and glossy. Her dark lashes curved above her bewitching eyes.

Reel it in, Hawk. This is strictly business.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME in a year that Alonsa had been forced to go over the details of her husband’s death, though it had never stopped haunting her. Still, she described the events to Hawk as precisely as possible.

Hawk listened without interruption until she’d run out of emotional steam and sank back in the big overstuffed chair by the window. She kicked off her leather slides and curled her left foot up in the chair with her.

“What I know about that night came from Craig. Before Todd’s death, I never knew much about what he actually did,” she admitted reluctantly.

“Is that because it was classified?”

“Partly, but we had decided early in the marriage that the less I knew about the danger he dealt with the better.”

“Makes sense.”

Actually they’d quit communicating about much of anything except the children those last few months, but no reason to go into that with Hawk.

“Were most of his assignments in the New York area?”

“No. He was frequently gone for months at a time.”

“That must have been hard on the marriage.”

“I stayed busy,” she said, avoiding a direct answer. Busy with her children. They’d spent hours at the park. Lucy had loved the park. She maneuvered the climbing apparatus better than the older kids and almost never fell. Once she…

Alonsa reined in the thoughts as pain threaded itself through the membranes of her heart.

“Maybe we should take a break,” Hawk said, obviously recognizing the signs of a woman about to crater on him.

She nodded her agreement. “I need to check on Brandon. I worry when he’s too quiet. There’s no end to what a curious three-year-old can get into.”

She stretched to her feet, but didn’t bother to slip back into her shoes. Her bright teal socks mocked her gray mood as she padded to the small play alcove just off the kitchen.

Originally the space had held a large farmhouse table surrounded by tall wooden chairs and benches. But she’d needed Brandon close to her, constantly in her sight for the first year after Lucy’s abduction. Even now, she liked having him nearby so that she heard him immediately if he called out to her.

Brandon had given up on building towers and had constructed a ranch with his blocks and plastic animals, complete with a riding arena for the toy horses Linney had bought him. Carne was gnawing on a short length of rope. The well-chewed, soggy knot was his favorite toy.

“Would you like a juice box?” she asked.

“Cherry.” Brandon sat one of his cowboys on top of a horse. “Can I have a cookie, too?”

“Sure. One cookie and some juice coming up.”

“I want to go outside and ride my tractor.”

“As soon as my guest leaves.”

“Make him go home now.”

“We still have things to talk about.”

“Talk to me, Mommy. Outside.”

He should probably be outside playing with kids his own age. Even Merlee had suggested Alonsa enroll him in the preschool program at church for at least a few days a week. Alonsa had gotten as far as registering him, but on the morning she was to drop him off, she discovered the class was going on a field trip to a local pumpkin patch.

If she could lose Lucy when they were one-on-one at the zoo, how could a teacher possibly watch Brandon close enough in a group of children? She’d taken him home and given up on the preschool idea altogether.

Brandon and Carne followed her back to the kitchen. Hawk helped himself to a refill of coffee as she handed Brandon his juice. Carne dropped the chew toy from his mouth and made a task of watching Hawk.

It hit Alonsa how strange it was to have a man making himself at home in her kitchen. It should have been more awkward than it was, but Hawk had an easy way about him that made her comfortable. And a blatant virility that had the opposite effect.

“Wanna ride my tractor,” Brandon said, directing the comment at Hawk and letting a few crumbles of cookie tumble from the corners of his mouth.

“Remember the rule,” Alonsa reminded him. “Don’t talk with your mouth full. And I told you Mr. Taylor and I have business to discuss.”

“You have a tractor?” Hawk said. “Awesome.”

“It goes fast, too.”

“I’d like to see it.” Hawk glanced at Alonsa. “If it’s okay with your mother.”

“She don’t care, huh, Mom?” He didn’t wait for an answer, but started running toward the back door.

“Get your windbreaker,” she called after him.

“Aww.” Nonetheless, he followed orders and yanked a bright red jacket from a low hook by the mudroom door.

Alonsa retrieved her cell phone from the counter next to the cookie jar and clipped it to the waistband of her jeans. “I suppose we can talk as well outside as in, as long as we stay out of Brandon’s earshot,” she said.

“I don’t see why not. I could use a little fresh air myself.”

Alonsa wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Was it her house in particular Hawk found stifling or houses in general? Not that it mattered. She detoured to the family room for her shoes then followed the both of them outside and into the bright sunshine that characterized living in this part of Texas. It was January, and at midmorning the temperature had already climbed into the high fifties.

“It’s snowing in New York,” she said, thinking out loud.

“Do you miss that?” Hawk asked.

“Not often.”

“Broadway?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “And the city in general.” Her quiet life in Texas seemed a galaxy away from the life she’d once lived.

Brandon, on the other hand, knew only this life. He didn’t remember his father or his sister. He knew only what Alonsa had shared with him and what he’d seen in the many photographs scattered about the house. His father had died while being a hero. His sister was away.

Occasionally he asked questions about Lucy, but for the most part the simple explanation that she would be home soon satisfied him. At some point she’d have to tell him the truth, but not yet.

He jumped on his battery-operated tractor, turned the key and started bouncing down the blacktop driveway. “Watch me go fast, Mr. Taylor.”

“Don’t get a speeding ticket.”

Brandon laughed and aimed for a bumpy spot in the drive with Carne running in front of him, his yappy bark colliding with the caw of a belligerent crow.

“Don’t go past the curve,” Alonsa called. “Stay where I can see you.”

“Don’t you ever let him outside alone?” Hawk asked.

“In the fenced backyard, where I can watch him from the kitchen window.”

“That’s it?”

“He’s only three, Hawk. And we’re not that far off the highway. Anyone could wander up.”

“It’s half a mile to the cattle gap. Ranching kids get used to wide-open spaces early.”

“It’s not like I have him imprisoned. He has a play set with a slide, swings, a fort and a huge sandbox to play with his construction equipment.”

She walked away, heading to an old tire swing that dangled from the low branch of an oak in the side yard. She didn’t have to explain her child-rearing habits to Hawk Taylor. Besides, Brandon wasn’t a ranching kid. They didn’t have a single cow on the land.

Hawk followed her. He leaned against the trunk of the tree while she stirred the dirt beneath the swing with the toes of her shoes. Squirrels darted among the branches over her head. A light breeze crackled the dried, fallen leaves. Brandon’s tractor rumbled in the background, punctuated by Carne’s excited barks.

Life was going on as usual, only nothing felt usual today. Tension swelled between her and Hawk, not quite anger, not quite attraction, but some weird place in the middle.

He wrapped his fingers around an overhead branch. His muscles flexed and pushed at the cotton fabric of his shirt. “You’re not convinced Lucy’s abduction was random, are you?”

She exhaled slowly. “I told you that Craig Dalliers says all the evidence points to the fact that it was. The FBI has thoroughly checked out and eliminated every possibility that it was related to Todd’s work with the agency.”

“So you’ve said. That wasn’t the question.”

So he’d read the signs, picked up on the fact that if she’d been fully convinced Lucy’s kidnapping was random, she wouldn’t be so squeamish about letting Brandon out of her sight for even a second.

“I haven’t ruled out anything,” she admitted.

“And yet you’ve remained here in Dobbin, where you were living when the abduction took place, instead of losing yourself back in the crowded city you claim to miss so much. Why is that?”

He wasn’t the first to question that, though most people hadn’t put as much thought into the situation as Hawk clearly had. Usually she brushed the question off. She’d never get away with that with Hawk.

“Lucy knew her phone number and her address. If she ever remembers, if she tries to get in touch with us, I want to be here. I know it gets more doubtful that will happen after two years, but that was my reasoning in the beginning.”

“And now?”

“I like my work and the house is paid for.”

Hawk swatted absently at a horsefly that had settled on his arm. “Have you given more thought to setting up a meeting between me and Craig Dalliers?”

“I’ll give him a call later and see what I can work out.”

“What’s wrong with now? Or give me his direct number and I’ll call him.”

“I should talk to him first.”

“So that you can try to justify why I’m getting in on the case?”

“Yes,” she admitted. “I don’t want him to think I doubt his abilities. He’s given the case his all. I don’t want to seem ungrateful.”

“No problem. Handle Craig any way you want,” Hawk said. “As long as you let him know I expect his full cooperation in supplying me with all the facts. Anything less will sabotage my investigation.”

“I’ll make sure he understands.”

“And then I’d like us to take a trip together to the zoo this afternoon. I want to see the exact spot where you were standing when Lucy disappeared.”

Back to the zoo. Back into the depths of the setting where the nightmare had started. A numbness settled in her mind. She got out of the swing. Her legs went weak.

Hawk wrapped his strong hands around her forearms, literally holding her up. “I know this will be hard on you, Alonsa, but it’s important. And I’ll be there with you every second.”

“I don’t see how it can help.”

“I need to see the paths in and away from the area so I’ll get a better understanding of how someone could lure a little girl from her mother in a crowd of people with no one noticing.”

New fears surfaced. “I don’t want to take Brandon there.”

“Don’t you trust me to keep him safe?”

“I don’t trust myself not to break down and I don’t want him there to witness that.”

“I thought you might feel that way. I talked to Linney this morning. She’s agreed to watch him.”

“Do you always think of everything?”

“Part of the SEAL creed.”

“Along with holding women together when they’re falling apart?”

“Only the hot ones. You qualify, but you won’t fall apart. Just hang tough.”

“Tough, that’s me.” She took a deep breath and struggled to will the strength he thought she had into her body and soul. “I guess I should go ahead and call Craig since you’re ready to start working the case.”

“Excellent idea. I’ll keep an eye on the boy for you.”

She heard Brandon calling to him to watch him ride the second she turned to walk away.

She felt as if she’d just signed on for a ride herself and her insides were rattling like the child-size tractor. The difference was the tractor was on familiar turf.

Alonsa was in the hands of a stranger, a cowboy warhero with enough self-assurance to take on the world—or one missing child. The test would be to see if Hawk Taylor was as good as he claimed. And if she could survive the Houston Zoo.

ALONSA MADE THE CALL to Craig. He was unavailable but she’d left a message for him to call at once. He hadn’t as yet.

They arrived at the zoo just after one in the afternoon. Alonsa’s legs felt leaden as they made their way to the saltwater pool at the edge of the main plaza. The facility wasn’t crowded and the attendance appeared to be mostly young mothers and nannies enjoying a day out in the sunshine with their preschoolers. It was probably too soon after Christmas break for an overload of school field trips.

Alonsa spotted a boy about Brandon’s age lolling behind and ignoring his mother’s pleas to keep up with her and the twins she was pushing in a double stroller. She fought the urge to stop and caution the mother about what could happen if she let her son out of her sight.

She’d done that the first year after Lucy’s disappearance, initiated herself in any situation that made her nervous. For the most part people had reacted to the intrusion with indifference or downright hostility. Eventually, she’d stopped monitoring everyone’s parenting skills.

Her heart hammered in her chest as they reached the dreaded exhibit. She stopped, her feet rooted to the earth. Two years fell away and she slid back in time to the day she’d stood here with Lucy squealing in delight at the antics of the fascinating creatures. A shudder ripped through her.

Hawk reached for her hand. Hers was clammy, but still she held on to his.

“Hang in here with me, Alonsa. This won’t take long. Just give me a recap. Where were you standing? What did you notice?”

“Okay.” Her voice felt as if it were pushing through layers of rough wool. “We were standing near the rail, there next to that sign that describes the animals. I read it to Lucy. Even at four she was starting to read and was interested in all the informational material.”

Highly intelligent. Great swimmers. Could hold their breath for extended periods of time. Bizarrely, the facts, if not the exact words, swam through the fog clouding Alonsa’s mind.

“There was a woman standing near us with her husband and several children. They were on vacation and had driven down from Ohio. We talked.”

“Did you notice anything suspicious about her?” Hawk asked. “Did she ask unusual questions or touch Lucy in a familiar manner?”

“No. They were just nice, friendly people. Craig tracked them down and talked with her during the first days of the investigation. She cooperated fully, but she hadn’t seen Lucy leave the area.”

“Do you remember anyone else in the area before the group of schoolchildren arrived?”

“There were other people around, but no one else registered in my mind. Believe me, I tried to remember everything and I answered hundreds of questions right after Lucy disappeared. There were no suspicious instances or people.”

“Did you talk to anyone else that day or notice the same people standing around at different exhibits?”

“The only person I had a real conversation with was one of the workers. We were near the panda exhibit and she was nice enough to answer all of Lucy’s questions. She was a college student working during her summer break.”

“Do you remember her name?”

“Elle Carrigan. Both Craig and I talked to her after the abduction. She didn’t see Lucy again once we’d walked away from her.”

No one knew anything, and Alonsa was starting to think working with Hawk on this was a big mistake. There would be nothing he could do but cross the same T’s and dot the identical I’s that Craig had already crossed and dotted.

Hawk squeezed her hand as if reading her misgivings. His strength seeped into her. When she looked up she was gripped by the intensity of his stare as he studied the surroundings. He was committed and doing his job. She was the liability here.

“I’ll be fine, Hawk. I’ll stand right here. You do what you need to do. Search every aspect of the area.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She stood at the railing, watching but not really seeing the sea lions. There were three now. There had been only two when she’d stood here with Lucy. Cali and Kamia, both females. Lucy had said she was going to name one of her dolls Cali. She’d never seen her dolls again.

“Mrs. Salatoya.”

Alonsa turned, startled. She recognized Elle Carrigan immediately. “Elle. I didn’t expect to see you here today.”

“I graduated in December. I’m working at the zoo full-time now.”

“That’s great.”

“I’m glad I ran into you. I’d been thinking about trying to find your phone number so I could call you to see if the photo was any help in the investigation.”

Alonsa failed to make sense of the comment. “What photo?”

“The one I sent to the FBI.”

“I haven’t heard anything about a photo. Was this recently?”

“A few months ago. It was the strangest thing. I was going through some photos that belonged to my sister when I noticed this kid that looked exactly like Lucy. I even recognized the T-shirt she’d worn the day I met her. The one with the silly turtle on it. I commented on it at the time. Remember?”

“I remember. Tell me about the photo.”

“Tonya—that’s my younger sister—was clowning around with her friends near the gate and waiting on me to finish my shift at three o’clock. Anyway, there was a lady and a little girl in the background of one of the pictures they snapped.”

“You’re sure it was Lucy?”

“Almost positive.”

“And she was with a lady?”

“Yes, the lady was turned so that you couldn’t see her face, but she was holding Lucy’s hand and leading her through the exit gate.”

Alonsa’s chest constricted. A woman leaving the zoo with Lucy. This was the first she’d heard of this. “Are you certain the FBI received the photo?”

“I sent it to Craig Dalliers and he called in person to thank me for the lead.”

“Did he say it was Lucy in the photo?”

“I asked, but he said he couldn’t comment on the authenticity.”

Lucy had walked out of the zoo with a woman. They had the suspect’s picture. Yet Craig hadn’t even called her. Did he believe the girl in the photo wasn’t Lucy? Was he following up on the lead?

“I hope they find Lucy soon,” Elle said.

Alonsa only nodded, her ability to converse swallowed up in the sensations coursing through her. She scanned the area for Hawk. When she caught his eye, she waved him over, then turned back to Elle. “There’s someone I want you to meet. He’s conducting a private investigation into Lucy’s disappearance. That’s why I’m here today.”

She’d just finished making the introductions and explaining the photo to Hawk when her cell phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. She checked the caller ID. Craig Dalliers, returning her call. The timing couldn’t have been better.

“I have to take this,” she said, stepping away from Elle and Hawk so that they wouldn’t hear her phone conversation. Her anger toward Craig spiked into jagged peaks. How dare he keep a development like this from her.

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