“Right now I can’t remember a time when I spent a day with not a worry in the world,” Slade said.

The weariness in his voice beckoned Elizabeth forward. “It’s been a while for me, too.” Even as a child she’d never felt totally free to be herself, to enjoy life without a concern. The thought made loneliness creep into her heart.

He rotated his chair around. His gaze snagged hers, intensity in his gray eyes, and something else—vulnerability—that reached out to her. Linking them. Her pulse reacted by speeding through her. She didn’t want anything to happen to him or Abbey.

“I guess that’s a price we pay when we grow up.” He cocked a corner of his mouth in a half grin that faded almost instantly. “But my daughter shouldn’t have to worry about it quite yet.”

The appeal in those startling eyes, storm filled at the moment, touched a place in her heart that she kept firmly closed—had for years.

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for more than twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

Christmas Bodyguard
Margaret Daley

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer;

thou shalt cry, and He shall say: Here I am.

—Isaiah 58:9

To Marcella—thank you for all your support

through the years

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

LETTER TO READER

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

“Watch out!” Slade Caulder said through clenched teeth, gripping the door handle on his SUV. Why had he allowed a sixteen-year-old with a permit to drive? Only a few more miles to the ranch—thankfully.

“Dad, I saw him coming out. I’ve got everything under control.”

When he noticed Abbey sliding a glance toward him, his heart rate shot up even further. “Keep your eyes on the road.”

“I’m gonna ask Gram to take me driving next time.”

“No.” Although he wished he could let his mother-in-law take over teaching his daughter to drive around Dallas, he wouldn’t. It was his job.

The car gained speed. “Don’t go over sixty.”

“I’m not. I have to practice going highway speed. Quit worrying about me.”

Yeah, sure. She might as well ask him to quit breathing. It wasn’t going to happen. Abbey was all he had. At least this was an almost-deserted stretch of road.

Thud! Bam!

A blowout?

Suddenly the car swerved to the right toward the ditch along the highway. He lurched around and glimpsed the color leaching from Abbey’s face. Her knuckles whitened as she fought the shimmying steering wheel.

“Daddy!” she screamed above the thumping sound followed by a whomp. “I can’t control…”

“Take your foot off the gas. Put the brakes on. Get off the road.” He schooled his voice into the calmest level he could manage. He desperately wanted to change places with his daughter, but knew he couldn’t.

The rougher terrain along the shoulder alerted him right before the car plunged into the ditch, heading toward a tree growing in it. Slade twisted toward Abbey, but the seatbelt retracted, immobilizing him like a prisoner. The air bags exploded outward, slamming into him. His breath whooshed from his lungs.

Blackness swirled before him. He fought to stay conscious, but his eyelids slid closed as the darkness rushed at him…

Pain jolted Slade back from the void. He opened his eyes to a fine powder dancing in the air about him, choking him. He coughed but his body protested the sudden movement—a deep, throbbing ache spread out from his chest. As he raised his hand to his head, a hissing filled the air, vying with the sound of the engine running. Pushing the deflated air bag back, he tried to straighten but couldn’t. The seat belt trapped him. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Suddenly, a thought drove the daze from his mind. “Abbey!” he called out, but she didn’t answer.

Adrenaline pumped through him. He jerked his head toward his daughter. The action sent the world before him spinning and forced him to close his eyes for a few seconds. But the need to make sure his daughter was all right overrode everything. Alert, totally focused on Abbey, he squashed his own pain.

A tree limb, having smashed through her side window, pinned her against her seat. Her head tilted to the side, blood streaming down her face from multiple cuts. Panic battled to take over Slade. He tried to thrust the limb out the hole in the window so he could get to his daughter better. The branch refused to dislodge.

Think! He couldn’t lose his daughter, too.

His hand shaking, he reached across and felt for her pulse at the side of her neck. Strong. But she hadn’t moved. He quickly dug into his pocket for his cell and called 911. Once he knew help was on the way, he allowed a second of relief to flutter through him.

The vibration and sound of the motor grabbed his attention. He snaked his hand through the limb’s small branches and managed to turn his SUV off. Then he rummaged in the compartment between the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat for the first aid kit, tore into it and unwound some gauze. He needed to get closer to her to bandage her head. When he tried to unclasp his seatbelt, it wouldn’t budge. Panic attacked him from all sides. He clawed at the strap as though he could pry loose the metal clamp that held him captive.

He looked over at his daughter, her eyes still closed, her blood soaking her. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered.

Taking in a deep breath, he composed himself. He couldn’t lose control. Another fortifying gulp of air, then he pulled on the strap and finally disconnected it. Able to move more freely, he braced himself with one foot against the door and the other under the dashboard to compensate for the way the car leaned forward in the ditch. He angled toward his daughter and wrapped the gauze around the worst of her cuts to stem the blood flow. But when he drew his fingers away they were sticky and covered in Abbey’s blood. The sight sent terror straight to his heart.

Abbey moaned and stirred. Her eyes popped open, wide with fear as they linked with his. “Daddy?” She licked her lips, her face screwing up into a panicky look as her tongue ran over some blood. “I’m bleeding.”

“Help is coming, honey.”

He wanted to go around to her side to take a closer look at her injuries. When he shoved at the door, it creaked open, water gushing inside from the ditch. An earthy stench accosted him.

“Don’t leave me, Daddy.” Hysteria coated each word.

He twisted back toward his daughter, the cold water swirling about his feet. A shudder shivered up his body. “I won’t.” In the distance, the sound of the sirens blared. “It won’t be long now,” he said as calmly as possible, while inside the same helplessness he’d experienced when his wife had died five years ago washed over him. Suddenly, a sense of foreboding dominated all senses. Sweat popped out on his forehead. His hands shook.

Why did he feel like someone was watching?

Elizabeth Walker parked her red Trans Am in a space next to the Dallas office building where Guardians, Inc. was located. She’d hoped her boss, Kyra Morgan, wouldn’t have anything for her yet. Although Elizabeth had been home almost a week since her last assignment, she could use another few days for rest and relaxation. Her last job in Phoenix had been a long one—ten weeks. But the call that morning asking her to come in to the office could only mean one thing.

She loved working as a bodyguard with the all-female agency, but some assignments required longer to bounce back from. The job demanded a lot of mental energy, and sometimes physical energy, too. The stress from always being on guard, always scanning the perimeter for trouble and never getting to enjoy the beauty of the moment heightened the importance of her downtime between missions. Kyra knew that well. So the fact that her boss called her in a little early meant this job was important—not something she would want to turn down.

Entering the suite on the second floor, Elizabeth greeted Kyra’s secretary with a smile. “Is she in there?” Elizabeth tossed her head toward the closed door.

Carrie, her expression solemn, nodded. “She has a client with her, but she wanted you to go on in when you arrived.”

“Who’s the new client?”

“I gather someone Kyra knows.”

That might explain why she was here earlier than usual after a taxing assignment. Her specialty was guarding children. She couldn’t see Kyra turning down a friend, and from what her boss had said a couple of days ago, the other four employees who specialized in children were all still on assignments.

She pushed open the door to her employer’s office and stepped into the room. A large man, over six feet, was pacing before Kyra’s desk. As Elizabeth entered, he came to a stop and swiveled toward her. The most piercing gray gaze she’d ever seen homed in on her. For a second she glimpsed surprise in his expression from the slight widening of his eyes to the flare of his nostrils.

“This is Elizabeth Walker.” Kyra came around from behind her desk and gestured toward a seating arrangement consisting of a couch and two wing chairs. “Elizabeth, this is Slade Caulder.” Kyra, long legged and nearly six feet in height, moved toward the seats and took a chair.

Slade tipped his head toward Elizabeth and fit his tall frame into the other wing chair, leaving Elizabeth to take the couch. The intensity pouring off the man charged the air. The hair on her arms stood up.

Poised and professional, Kyra set a pad on her lap and wrote something down on it. “Slade has a problem that needs your expertise. His sixteen-year-old daughter has been threatened, and he needs the services of a bodyguard to protect her. I’ll let him tell you what he’s looking for.”

His body held rigidly, he gripped the arms of the chair and turned his assessing gaze on her. Silence ruled for a long moment as Elizabeth felt catalogued and evaluated. A flicker in his eyes gave her the impression that she fell short. She lifted her chin a notch and focused her attention totally on him. Some people took her petite stature to mean she wasn’t capable of defending someone. They were mistaken.

That sharp gaze switched to her employer. “Kyra, she can’t be more than a few years or so out of high school herself. How can she guard my daughter effectively?”

Elizabeth stiffened and, before Kyra could answer said, “I’m flattered you think I look so young, but I’m nearly thirty.” She bit back the words. “And I can show you my birth certificate if you need proof.”

This time he didn’t try to disguise his surprise as his look locked on hers.

“I assure you, Slade, Elizabeth is highly qualified and has been working for me for three years. She usually handles cases where a child is involved and has been successful in all her assignments. You wanted someone who could blend in with your daughter and her friends, especially at school. As you can see, she’ll be able to.”

“What kind of skills do you have?”

Elizabeth relaxed back on the couch, smoothing her straight black skirt as she crossed her legs. Slade’s glance flicked to her four-inch heels, and she could imagine what he was thinking. She only indulged in wearing heels when she wasn’t working and when she met prospective clients. It added to her height, giving the illusion she was taller than five feet three inches.

“I have a third-degree black belt in tae kwon do. I’m capable of shooting all kinds of guns, but my weapon of choice is a Glock Model 23. My last score on a PPC was 580 out of a possible 600.”

“PPC?”

“Police Pistol Competition. I have taken down a man your size holding a gun on more than one occasion. Do you want me to show you how?”

One dark eyebrow rose. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Why do you think your daughter is in danger?” Elizabeth kept her gaze glued to his, determined not to be the first one to look away.

“It started three days ago when we were in an accident. My daughter was driving when we had a blowout going sixty miles an hour. She’s still learning to drive and couldn’t handle the car. We ended up in a ditch. Next time I teach someone to drive, the first thing on my list will be what to do during a blowout.”

Elizabeth sat forward, clasping her hands loosely together, and asked, “Someone caused your blowout?”

“I didn’t know it at the time, but when my mechanic was going over my car after the wreck, he discovered what he thought looked like a bullet hole by the whitewall. He notified the sheriff and me. Sheriff McCain agrees the blowout was caused by a bullet.”

“Where was this wreck?”

“Not far from my ranch, near Silver Chase toward the end of Highway 156.”

“Could it have been a hunter?” Elizabeth asked, although unease settled across her shoulders.

“At first I thought, maybe. None of us who live out that way allow hunting on our ranches but occasionally someone will try anyway. The sheriff told me it’s hard to shoot a tire out. It would have to be either a lucky shot or someone very skilled.”

“Like a sniper?”

He nodded.

The uneasy sensation spread down her spine. “What made you decide that it wasn’t a hunter?”

Slade slanted his glance toward Kyra for a few seconds before returning the intense look to Elizabeth. The power behind his expression jiggled her nerves. This man was used to getting exactly what he wanted. Did he have a lot of enemies out there? Someone who would want to harm him through his child?

“This morning I went into my office. I hadn’t been into work since the accident. Abbey had to stay overnight at the hospital for observation and had a rough day or two, but today she insisted on going back to school. I took her and went to work. In my mail, I received a photo of Abbey cut into pieces.”

“Do you have it?”

“The police have it. I phoned Captain Ted Dickerson immediately after I informed the school of the threat. The principal called in extra guards until I could get something in place.”

Kyra stood. “I want to contact Captain Dickerson and let him know you have hired us to watch Abbey.” Her employer headed toward the exit and left Elizabeth alone with Slade.

“Where does Abbey go to school?” Elizabeth asked when the door clicked closed.

“Dawson Academy. It’s a private school with more than adequate security. When I called, they said she was fine. After that, I came here. There’s only so much the police or sheriff can do. I aim to protect my daughter no matter how much it costs.”

“What kind of photo of her was destroyed? A school one? A recent one?”

Slade clamped his jaw together so tightly that a nerve twitched. “Recent. It was a picture of her cheering at a basketball game. The person who took it was probably only a couple of yards away.” He leaned forward and his neutral expression became fierce, his eyes hard like smoky ice. “Which means the person was close to my daughter.”

“While I can’t prevent people from taking pictures, I can keep an eye out for anyone who is suspicious and stop them from gaining access to Abbey.” She held his look. If someone wanted a person harmed, it was usually possible. But there were things that could be done to lessen the chance. She intended to take those precautions. “I am very good at my job. How will Abbey feel about having me follow her around?”

He blew a harsh breath out. “That’s the problem. She’s headstrong and independent. I think she would more likely accept you rather than a man guarding her, but I’m not going to kid you. She still won’t like it, even though you’re a woman and young-looking.” His glance strayed over her, resting for a few extra seconds on her heels.

“Does she know she’s in danger?”

“Until an hour ago I didn’t know, myself. I haven’t told her yet. I will this afternoon after school, when I introduce you.”

“So what exactly do you want me to do?”

“Not let my daughter out of your sight. I want you to stay in the room next to hers at the ranch, escort her to school and back home until the person is caught.” He plowed his hand through his medium-length black hair. “I’m curtailing her activities, which won’t sit well with her, but with the security at Dawson Academy and you there, she’ll be okay and more likely to accept the other restrictions.”

“Who would have a grudge against your daughter?”

“I don’t know. She’s sixteen and popular at school. She’s a cheerleader and has lots of friends.”

“Have you considered that the person is really after you?”

That nerve in his jawline jerked again. “Yes. I think it’s possible that someone wants to get to me through my daughter, and I’m looking into that. But first and foremost I have to know my daughter will be safe.”

“That will be my top priority.”

“It will be your only one.”

His intense stare might have made a lesser person back off, but she’d learned painfully she had to stand her ground, especially in her profession. “You said you live on a ranch near Silver Chase. Which one?”

“The Rocking Horse, two miles before the end of the road on the left. Abbey gave it that name when we moved out there. She was five years old then.” For just a split second a faraway look entered his eyes as though he was remembering how it had been when his daughter was five.

“What time do you want me at the ranch, Mr. Caulder?”

“Call me Slade. We’ll be living in the same house.” When she nodded, he continued. “I’ll pick Abbey up from school at three and be home by three forty-five. I’ll let my mother-in-law know you’ll be there by two. Mary can show you around before Abbey and I get there.” He rose in one fluid motion.

She came to her feet, too. “One more question. How secure is your ranch?”

“Not very. It’s a working ranch so people come and go. I have ten full-time cowhands. Jake Coleman, my foreman, has a house on my property, and five of the other men live in a bunkhouse near the barn. The rest live in town. They have all been with me for at least two years, and several of them are very good shots, but they would never hurt Abbey. More likely, they’d protect her with their skills. I have a fence around my property and a gate with a security code. There is a camera on the entrance at the gate, a security system in the home and some security lights around the property, motion sensitive.” He paused, drew in a deep breath and added, “I’m having an expert look at it today. If it needs something more, then I’ll get it. Whatever it takes.”

Obviously money wasn’t a problem for Mr. Slade Caulder. She’d heard the name before but couldn’t place where. Maybe from the news. Or maybe Kyra mentioned him. But as soon as he left, she intended to find out more about her new client. It always paid to know as much as she could about who hired her—as well as any opponent she might be up against.

“I’ll be there by two.” Elizabeth held out her hand to shake his.

When his palm touched hers, warmth radiated up her arm. She nearly snatched her hand away. His firm grip indicated a self-assured man who liked to be in control. A man who wouldn’t take no for an answer. An image of her father danced through her thoughts for a few seconds, driving all warmth from her. A quiver snaked down her spine, and she stepped back, pulling her hand away.

“Until then.” His long strides ate up the distance to the door.

As he left the office, Kyra returned and made her way to her desk. “I’m sure you have a few questions.”

“I’ve heard his name before. Who is he?”

“He’s the founder of Digital Drive, Inc.”

Elizabeth nodded. No wonder she recognized the name—his company was a huge, world-wide organization. “You seem to know him pretty well.”

Kyra waved her hand toward the chair in front of her. “I knew Slade’s wife years ago. She died five years ago, right about the time I left the Dallas police force. She had a long, hard battle with ovarian cancer. After she died, I kept in touch with Slade. A few times he has sent friends my way.”

“Given his position, it’s more likely he has the enemy, not his daughter.”

“Probably. I’ve given him a few suggestions on how to protect himself. One being that he work from the ranch to minimize his exposure. Another being Joshua.”

“For the security assessment?”

“Yes, but I also suggested Joshua guard Slade. You and Joshua would work well together.”

“Uncle Joshua is the best.”

“I know.” Kyra’s eyes twinkled. “I worked for him for many years.”

Her uncle had been a police captain on the Dallas force until his retirement a year ago, at the age of fifty-five. He was the one who had recommended her to Kyra as a bodyguard. If it hadn’t been for her uncle/mentor, she didn’t know where she would be today. He’d helped her pick up the pieces of her life when she’d hit rock bottom five years ago after her husband left her for another woman.

“What kind of man is Slade Caulder?” Elizabeth finally asked when she found her employer staring at her with a question in her gaze. She didn’t journey back into the past often. The memories hadn’t been pleasant ones.

“He works too much, more so since Catherine died. He loved her very much, and I suspect it was his way of dealing with her death.”

Avoidance? She’d become good at that, too. For a moment she felt a connection to her client. “What about Abbey?”

“She’s precocious. Looks just like her mother and has Catherine’s soft heart. But you’ll have your hands full keeping tabs on her.”

“What kind of relationship does Abbey have with her father?”

“It used to be a close one when Catherine was alive, but I haven’t been around them together much in the past few years. She’s a teenager, not an easy time to curtail a person’s life when they don’t want much to do with adults.”

“He mentioned his mother-in-law. Did he say her name is Mary? Does she live with them?”

“Yes, Mary Bradley. And yes, she came to help when Catherine was sick and stayed on after her daughter’s death. Slade has mentioned to me how indebted he is to Mary for staying.”

“What’s she like?”

“Prim, proper, kind. I used to attend the same church as she did until she moved to the ranch. She is deeply faithful, like Catherine was.”

Elizabeth was glad to hear that. It was Kyra and Joshua who had shown her the way of the Lord. Now she didn’t know how she’d lived without her faith. But then, her first twenty-five years hadn’t been what she called living. She’d just existed.

Elizabeth pushed to her feet. “I’d better head home and pack.”

“As usual, call if you need any assistance. This assignment is special to me.”

She smiled. “They all are to me.”

An hour later, after contacting Joshua Walker, Slade sat at his desk at DDI, trying to clear it of everything of importance. He intended to work from home until this was resolved. Yes, he had a bodyguard for Abbey, but it was hard for him to turn something like his daughter’s safety totally over to another. He needed to be around, to help protect her.

His secretary, Ramona, entered with a stack of folders and set them in front of him. “These are the files from personnel you requested. Anything else you want me to do?”

“I’ll have a videoconference tomorrow at eleven o’clock with the department managers. Let them know. Also, scan the Wilson contracts when they come in and send them to me. I’ll go over them from home.”

“I’m taking my lunch break unless you want me to skip it and stay.”

“No. Go. I’ll be here when you get back. I’m not leaving until two-forty.”

His secretary started to turn away but stopped. “If you need me to come to the ranch and work, I will.”

“I might. Hopefully I won’t be there long.”

Once Ramona shut his door, Slade lounged back in his chair and swiveled it around to look at the tall buildings surrounding his headquarters in North Dallas. Ever since the wreck, his life had been whirling out of control. It was a lot like how he’d felt when Catherine died. He didn’t want to go back to that time. He’d almost totally lost it. The only things that had kept him going ahead were his work and his daughter.

He shut his eyes, taking a few minutes to compose himself. The coming weeks would be hard, especially with the extra people in his house. They were only a few weeks from Christmas, which was supposed to be about family. Having strangers around would be awkward. He was a private person who didn’t relish the intrusion.

A picture of the woman he’d hired to guard his daughter teased him. He still couldn’t believe she was a bodyguard. The vision of long auburn hair hooked behind her ears, eyes the color of a pine forest, delicate features and a petite frame mocked that. She should be protected, not the other way around.

The ringing of his private line yanked him from his thoughts. He snapped his eyes open and snatched up the line, hoping it wasn’t something wrong at the ranch. “Slade here.”

A long pause, then a mechanical-sounding voice came over the line. “Do you know where your daughter is?”

TWO

Slade clenched the receiver. “You’ll regret ever having messed with me and my family.”

Click.

His gut churned. Leave my daughter alone. Come after me instead, coward. The words—ones he’d wanted to tell the person on the other end of the line—shouted through his mind.

He slammed down the phone, then almost immediately grabbed it back up and punched the number for his security chief. After telling him about the call, Slade said, “See if that number can be traced. I need information. Now.”

When he finished talking with him, Slade dialed the numbers for Dawson Academy. Four rings later—an eternity—a woman in the main office answered. “This is Slade Caulder. I need my daughter located and brought to the office. There has been another threat. I’m coming to pick her up.”

“Yes, sir.”

He surged to his feet as he replaced the receiver in its cradle. Scooping up the files and some other papers he needed, he shoved them into his briefcase and strode toward the door. To keep his free hand from shaking, Slade squeezed it into a tight fist and stabbed the down button on the elevator with his knuckle. When he got his hands on the person behind this, he would regret ever threatening his daughter.

The scent of coffee wafted to Elizabeth as she entered her uncle’s house, the place she called home when she stayed in Dallas. Bosco, her terrier mix, raced from the kitchen, jumping up on her, his tail wagging. His greeting never changed whether she was gone hours or weeks. She scooped him up and cradled him against her, barely able to confine his wiggling body.

Ah, it was good to be home—even if she was turning around and leaving today.

Again, she drew in the coffee aroma, savoring the smell that lured her toward the kitchen, where she knew Uncle Joshua always had a pot on the stove. Coffee was a mainstay for them both, especially when she was working. Right now, she needed a lot. Kyra had called her into the office before she’d had her usual four cups in the morning.

Uncle Joshua sat at the table with his mug and a Sudoku puzzle in front of him. He glanced up when she crossed to the coffeepot and poured herself some of the dark brew. “I was hoping I could talk to you before I had to leave, Beth.”

Joshua was the only one who called her that. Every time she heard him say Beth she was reminded of how important she was to her uncle—and how important he was to her. He’d saved her life and pulled her back from the edge of despair. After her ex-husband had left, she’d had to grow up fast. And then when she’d been mugged, it had been a wake-up call, forcing her to see that she needed to take control of her life. Joshua had shown her how to do that. It was Joshua who showed her how to stand on her own two feet, and she hadn’t depended on another person since then.

“I heard from Kyra you’re working for Slade Caulder, too.” After setting Bosco on the tile floor, Elizabeth poured some coffee in her mug and cradled it between her palms.

“Yeah, I just got off the phone with him about half an hour ago. I’ve agreed to be his bodyguard and do a security assessment. I’m due out at the ranch in an hour. He said his daughter might be in danger, too. Are you going to be her bodyguard?”

Elizabeth plopped into the chair across from her uncle and took a long sip of the hot drink while Bosco leaped into her lap and curled into a ball. “Yes. It looks like we’ll be working together for the first time.”

“Is that gonna bother you?” Her uncle’s hazel eyes bore into her over the rim of his mug.

“No, why should it?”

He shrugged. “I thought my presence might make you nervous. If that’s the case, I’ll bow out and refer Mr. Caulder to someone else. It’s not like I’m wanting for work.”

Chuckling, she scratched her dog behind his ears. “You’re busier now that you’re retired than when you were a police captain.”

He grinned. “Must be my charm.”

“More like your connections and skills. If you can make Slade’s house a fortress, it’ll sure make my job easier. I’ll feel like I’m on vacation.”

“Already on first name basis with the man?” A gleam appeared in his eyes.

“The man asked me to call him Slade. That’s all.”

Her uncle held up his hand. “Hold on there, little one. You’re mighty touchy this morning.”

“One cup of coffee this morning wasn’t enough.”

“Oh, then that explains it, since it’s almost noon. Drink up and I’ll fix you a sandwich. I imagine you have to be at the ranch today, too.”

“At two.” She swallowed several more sips of the best coffee in Texas.

Joshua withdrew some turkey, Swiss cheese and lettuce from his refrigerator. “I think this will be a hard case. A ranch isn’t the easiest place to secure, especially with people coming and going. That’ll keep us on our toes. Might be a 24/7 job.”

She grinned, giving him a wink. “I’m tough. I can take it.”

Joshua studied her for a long moment. “Yes, you can now. You’ve come a long way.”

“Thanks to you.”

“That’s what family is for, to help.” Her uncle slapped together two turkey sandwiches.

“It is?”

His long strides covered the distance to the table quickly. He sat his large frame in the chair opposite hers and slid her plate across to her, then bowed his head and blessed the food.

His mouth twisted in a frown as he stared at her. “I should have realized Walt would mess up being a father. I should have been there for you.” Elizabeth knew Joshua still felt guilty for the years of estrangement from his brother that had kept him from building a relationship with his niece sooner.

“You were when it meant the most to me.” Elizabeth pinched off a small bite of turkey and gave it to Bosco before putting him on the floor.

“I have a lot to make up for.”

“No, you don’t. My dad was a lousy father, but I made it. I’m fine now. That’s what counts.” After another swallow of the caffeine-laden brew, she added, “I thought we decided long ago not to talk about the past. It’s over with, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Joshua picked up his sandwich. “When you were in Phoenix, did you see him?”

“No. That’s the way he wants it.” So did she. Her father’s dominance all through her childhood had smothered her. She’d never been able to please him, and he’d made it clear she was a disappointment to him. He’d put her down so much that when Bryan started doing the same thing, she’d struggled to retain a sense of herself.

“Ever since your mother died, Walt has gotten worse.”

“I don’t need my father. I don’t need anyone.”

“Everyone needs someone. God didn’t make us to go through life alone.” After taking a bite of his food, he washed it down with some coffee.

She wasn’t really alone. She had Joshua and, more important, the Lord, because Joshua had led her to Him. Another thing she was grateful to her uncle for. “I’m starved. I missed your cooking when I was gone,” she said, wanting to change the subject of conversation. Her father was in her past. She only looked forward now.

“I get the hint.”

She savored her sandwich. The past ten weeks on assignment protecting a woman who was always on some weird diet had caused her to drop five pounds—five she didn’t need to lose. She was glad her usual clients were children.

She’d nearly finished her lunch when her cell rang. Bosco barked at the sound, sitting nearby and staring at her bag. Leaping to her feet, she retrieved her phone and answered it.

“This is Slade. I’m heading to Dawson Academy because I received another threat to Abbey at the office. A call on my private line. The school just phoned to tell me that they can’t locate Abbey. It’s lunchtime, and the students are scattered all over campus outside. I know she could be there somewhere, but I called Captain Dickerson to update him on the situation. He’s sending someone to meet me at the school.” Worry drenched his every word.

The beat of her heart slowed to a thud. “I’m not far away. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

As she slipped the cell into her pocket, she picked up her purse and started toward the front of the house.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua followed with her dog at his heels.

“Abbey’s missing at school.”

“I’d better come, too.”

At the door she pivoted and petted Bosco goodbye. “No, get to the ranch and make it safe. I’m hoping it’s nothing. It’s lunchtime and a beautiful day. When I went to school, we spread out all over campus for lunch. I gather from what Slade said that Dawson Academy is the same way.” She began to turn away but paused. “Oh, and will you pack a bag for me? Once we locate Abbey, I’ll be glued to her like she’s my new best friend.”

“Will do.”

Elizabeth hurried toward her car. Lord, don’t let anything happen to Slade’s daughter. Please protect her.

Slade pulled up to the school behind a patrol car and hopped out. He jogged to catch up with the two officers heading up the steps to the front entrance.

At the double doors into the school he said, “I’m Abbey Caulder’s father, Slade Caulder. Thanks for coming.”

“The captain filled us in on what has been going on with the threats,” the older police officer said. “I’m Sergeant Gibson.”

Slade entered the school behind the sergeant with the other policeman taking up the rear. After explaining who he was to the security guard and getting a laminated visitor badge, Slade quickly made his way toward the office to the right. The first thing he noticed when he came into the room was all the activity. The principal, Mr. Hartley, was on his cell, a frown on his face, nodding.

Slade headed for the man, whose expression indicated that Abbey hadn’t been found yet. Slade’s heart pounded so hard he felt breathless. When the man clicked off, he asked, “Have you found Abbey?” Fear caused a raspy edge in his voice.

The principal glanced at the officers, then directed his attention to Slade. “No. The security guards and some of the teachers are searching the grounds and having the students come inside early. They should be heading to their next class. The teachers have been informed and have returned to their classrooms.”

“Have you made an announcement over the PA system?”

“No. Most of the students aren’t in the building yet. They were spread out because of lunch.”

Anger and frustration surged through Slade. He gritted his teeth and started to count to ten. He made it to three. “Make an announcement for Abbey to come to the office. Maybe she’s in the building by now.”

The man paled. “I’ll do that, then make another one in five minutes.” He moved toward the counter to the left.

“Slade, have they found Abbey?”

He spun around and saw Elizabeth threading her way toward him through the crowd in the office. The sight of her brought a momentary wave of relief. “No.”

The announcement instructing Abbey Caulder to report to the main office blasted through the building.

When Mr. Hartley returned, Slade said, “I would like to search, too, with Ms. Walker here.” He gestured toward Elizabeth, who stood next to him.

“Fine. Our assistant principal can accompany you.” Mr. Hartley waved toward a middle-aged woman who joined them. “Mr. Caulder and Ms. Walker will join the search for Abbey. Please accommodate them any way you can.”

Sergeant Gibson stepped forward. “In the meantime, I want to talk to the head of your security, Abbey’s last-hour teacher and any of her friends you can locate.”

Slade followed the assistant principal out of the office, aware of Elizabeth a few feet behind him. If anything happened to Abbey… The thought chilled him. Exigency spurred him to quicken his pace as swarms of students began entering the building, jamming the hallway.

“Let’s check her next class first,” the assistant principal said and headed down a corridor to the left.

Slade scanned the faces of the kids. A sense of urgency charged the air. Slade kept surveying the people as he passed them. No Abbey. Each passing girl that wasn’t his daughter made his heart pound a shade faster, hammering him with a fear he’d never experienced before: of losing his child. He forced air into his oxygen-starved lungs.

The assistant principal stopped at a classroom and spoke to a teacher standing at the door as students filed inside.

The instructor shook her head, then peered at him. “Abbey hasn’t come inside yet. I’ve asked a few of her friends if they have seen her, and no one has.”

“Thanks.” He barely got the word out between parched lips.

Sweat beaded his brow. The press of people all around him prodded the fear forward to dominate all physical responses. He surveyed the students near him. His gaze latched on to Abbey’s best friend zigzagging through the crowd.

“Lily, I need to talk to you,” he shouted over the noise of the teens in the hallway.

The sixteen-year-old looked wide-eyed from him to Elizabeth, then to the assistant principal. “Mr. C, why are they looking for Abbey?”

“I came to pick up Abbey. Do you know where she is?”

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Is something wrong? The security guards are looking for her, and now we’re having to come in early.”

“She’s needed at home right now.” And maybe for the rest of her life. I don’t want to let her out of my sight. His heart continued to throb against his chest.

“We were supposed to meet for lunch in our usual place, but she didn’t show up. Has something happened at home?”

For a few seconds, words clogged his throat. He swallowed several times before he could speak again. “When was the last time you spoke with her?” he asked, ignoring Lily’s question because he didn’t really have a good answer.

“Right before our last class. I have algebra. She has English.”

“Was she okay?”

“She didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was tired.”

“Thanks.” He gave Lily a smile and began to turn away.

“Did something happen to Mrs. Bradley? Mr. C, what’s going on?”

That was a good question—another one he didn’t have an answer for. “Mrs. Bradley is fine. But I’ve decided that Abbey shouldn’t have come back to school so soon after the accident.”

He didn’t give Lily a chance to ask any more questions. He dove through the mass of teens and approached Abbey’s fourth-hour teacher. Taking a card out of his pocket, he scribbled down his cell number. “I’m going to keep looking for my daughter. If she shows up, please let me and the office know.”

“Of course, Mr. Caulder. I hope everything is all right.” The teacher’s own apprehension seeped into her voice.

“So do I,” he said, then turned toward the assistant principal. “Did anyone check with the school nurse? Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. This was her first day back since the wreck.”

“I’m sure the nurse heard the announcement and was alerted when the teachers were, but I’ll call right now and check with her.” The woman stepped away and took out her cell phone.

“If she isn’t at the nurse’s office, where else might she go?” The calmness that coated Elizabeth’s voice spoke of a person who dealt in intense situations and kept her composure throughout.

He could use some of that calmness right now. He thought of all the times he should have spent with his daughter—not working to drive away the memories of Catherine’s death. “Abbey is involved in cheerleading, basketball and drama.”

“Why don’t we check those places next?” Elizabeth asked as the assistant principal returned.

“Abbey isn’t at the nurse’s office.”

Slade’s gaze coupled with Elizabeth’s. “Then let’s go to the gym.”

It took them ten minutes to scour the gym and locker rooms. No sign of Abbey. Slade left the gym complex, trying to hold on to hope that Abbey was all right, that somehow she hadn’t heard the announcement. He clutched his cell as though having it in his hand would make it ring with news that his daughter was safe.

“Let’s check the drama wing and then go back to Abbey’s next class,” Slade said to the assistant principal.

The woman escorted them down the long hall that led to the drama classroom and the area behind the stage. Most of the students were inside their classrooms by now, with only a few stragglers. Teachers were encouraging them to go to class immediately. Concern marked the faces of the people he passed.

Elizabeth fell into step beside him. Why didn’t he get a bodyguard right after the wreck? Why did he think it was a hunter? If Abbey was kidnapped it would be his fault. How could he live with that? “If Abbey isn’t here, I’m going to have the police bring in more officers. Nothing can happen to her.”

“When we find her, I’ll do my best to protect her.” Although Elizabeth’s words were spoken with a hard edge, her expression softened as she looked up at him.

A tough exterior meshed with a kind heart. He saw it in her eyes as he held the door to the drama room open for Elizabeth. She exuded confidence by the way she carried herself. To look at her a person would never think she was a bodyguard, and yet since he’d been around her, he’d gotten the distinct impression she could take care of herself in many tough situations.

Students were seated in the large drama classroom. The assistant principal walked over to the teacher to speak with her while Slade let his gaze travel around the room, fastening on each teenager there. Slade held his breath and finally released it in a rush when he saw the teacher frown and shake her head.

“She’s not here,” he murmured to Elizabeth, who scanned the area, checking out every nook and cranny. She shook her head at his words.

“We should still look everywhere. Backstage is a huge place—or at least, it was when I was in school.”

“Backstage? Why would Abbey be there?”

“Does Abbey have a boyfriend?”

Slade went cold. “What are you implying?”

“She’s a teenage girl. I have to think of all possibilities.”

“No, she doesn’t have a boyfriend that I know about.” But what if she’d kept one secret? It wouldn’t have been difficult to hide. The past few months he’d lived at the office, finalizing the unveiling of a new product. He should have been home discovering what was going on in his daughter’s life.

“One of my jobs is to ask tough questions. Ones you might not want to hear.”

The assistant principal approached. “She’s not here. Let’s go back to her fourth-hour class before we head to the office.”

His gaze connected to Elizabeth’s, Slade said, “First let’s go backstage and make sure she isn’t there.”

“But she—”

The glare he sent the older woman halted her words. “Humor me.”

“Fine.” The assistant principal led the way through a long corridor that ran behind the stage and opened a door.

“What’s back here?” Elizabeth asked as the woman switched on additional lights.

“There’s a room where costumes are stored. Props and pieces of furniture are housed over there.” The assistant principal flipped her hand to the right.

Some of the furniture overflowed the storage room and was stacked along the wall. “I’ll look in there,” Slade said.

“And I’ll check the costume room.” Elizabeth started toward the left.

“Dad, what are you doing here?”

Slade froze for a few seconds before he pivoted toward the voice. He closed the space between them in three long strides and clasped Abbey’s arms. Pulling her into his embrace, he hugged her tightly to him. She was okay.

“Dad, I can’t breathe.” Wiggling out of his arms, she backed away a few paces and tilted up her face to peer at him.

“Abbey, where have you been?”

Confusion marked her expression, but something more, too. Her brown eyes held a lackluster look. A pallid weariness highlighted her features. “I was tired. I thought a nap at lunch would help. I set my alarm on my watch to wake me before my next class.”

“Why didn’t you just come home? I’d have picked you up if you weren’t feeling well.”

“I didn’t want to go home. I don’t want to miss the last play practice before Thanksgiving weekend.” She dropped her head. “And I wanted to see my friends. Go to the game tonight.”

“We’ll talk when we get home.”

“Home? But I want to stay.”

“That’s not an option, Abbey. I came to school to get you. There are some things I must talk to you about.” A conversation he didn’t want to have at all and especially not in front of the assistant principal.

Abbey glanced at Elizabeth and frowned. “What’s going on?”

“This isn’t the place to discuss it.”

“Is Gram all right?” His daughter’s voice rose, fear pushing the confusion and exhaustion away.

“She’s fine. Let’s go to the office and check you out.”

“I’ll let everyone know Abbey has been found.” The assistant principal withdrew her cell again and placed a call as they headed to the main office.

“Who is she?” Abbey asked, tossing her head toward Elizabeth.

“Abbey, this is Elizabeth Walker, a friend of Kyra Morgan.”

Abbey’s features pinched into a deeper frown as though that didn’t explain anything. “Kyra? I haven’t seen her in a while. Why—”

“Hon, I’ll explain everything later. Let’s go home.”

Abbey came to a halt just outside the main office and faced him. “What’s going on? Why are the police here?” She pointed at the two officers visible through the large plate-glass window, talking with the principal.

The ringing of his cell gave him an excuse not to answer. Instead, he faced the empty hallway they had just come down and answered the call from the ranch, glad for the interruption. “Slade here.”

His housekeeper’s frantic voice came over the connection loud and clear. “Mr. Caulder, there’s been a break-in.”

THREE

“What?” Slade hunched his shoulders and lowered his voice, keeping his back to his daughter. “A break-in?”

“I got home a few minutes ago from town and the front door was wide open. The alarm wasn’t on. Mrs. Bradley is gone. Do you think anything happened to her?”

“Mary’s at church. I called her there an hour ago. Is anything taken?”

“I don’t know. I decided I’d better stay out on the porch until the sheriff comes. I phoned him and gave him the gate code.” Hilda had dropped the level of her voice a few notches, but the frantic ring still sounded in her words.

“I’ll be right home. Mary should be there before me. Don’t go into the house.” He snapped the phone closed and turned toward his daughter and Elizabeth.

“Is something wrong?” Abbey asked, her eyes narrowing.

“We need to get going. Do you have the books you need?”

“Dad—”

“We’ll talk in the car on the way to the ranch. I promise.”

“Fine. I’ve got everything I need.” Abbey clutched the straps on her backpack and stalked toward the exit.

Elizabeth moved close, her scent of vanilla swirling about him. “What happened?”

“The house was open when Hilda, my housekeeper, came home from running errands.”

“I understand your mother-in-law lives with you. Was she home?” Elizabeth started after his daughter.

“No. You’ve been doing your homework.”

“I asked Kyra. I like to know everything I can going into a situation.” She paused near his car and watched Abbey climb into the front passenger seat. “I’ll follow you to the ranch.”

He cracked a grin. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”

Although her expression was somber, a gleam lit her green eyes. “I’ll be right behind you. You should be all right.”

“It’s obvious you don’t know much about my daughter. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear her clear into your car when I tell her she has a bodyguard and why.”

“Have fun.”

The smile that graced her lips transformed her whole face. He watched her walk to her Trans Am and slip behind the steering wheel. When she waved at him, he suddenly realized he was staring at her. He quickly twisted toward his car door and wrenched it open.

The second he climbed into his Lexus, Abbey angled toward him. The corners of her mouth dipped in a frown. “What’s going on?”

He switched on the engine and pulled away from the curb. Although the ranch was only half an hour away, it would be a long trip. “It began with the wreck.”

She sat up straight, her eyes wide. “Am I in trouble? Am I getting a ticket?”

He shook his head. “I wish that were it.”

“Dad, you’re scaring me.”

Good. She needed to be scared, so she’d follow the safety measures he was putting in place. But his daughter thought she was invincible, taking risks when she shouldn’t.

“Hon, there’s no easy way to tell you this. Our car crash wasn’t an accident. Someone shot the tire out, and that’s why there was a blowout.”

Abbey collapsed back against the seat. “What’s that mean?”

“Someone has targeted—” he inhaled a stabilizing breath “—you.”

“Me!” She flattened herself against the passenger door, totally facing him. “Why? What have I done?”

“I don’t think you’ve done anything. I think they’re angry with me and using you to get to me.”

“Why? What have you done?”

A layer of sweat coated his palms, and one hand slipped down the steering wheel. He gripped it tighter. “I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong, either.” He wasn’t even sure he was the real target, but he wasn’t going to let his daughter think someone was angry enough with her to want to harm her. Not unless he was sure. Logically, he was the one the person was after.

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m a wealthy man. It may be someone after money. It may be more than that. I don’t know.” I don’t understand, either. He was rich, and yet all his money hadn’t been able to save Catherine five years ago. What if he lost someone he loved again? The feeling of having no control swamped him.

“A ransom? Someone wants to kidnap me?”

“That’s a possibility.”

“So that’s why you freaked out at school.”

“Yeah. Someone called with a threat against you. Then when no one could locate you…” His voice faded into the silence as he relived the fear he’d experienced when he couldn’t find Abbey. The beating of his heart accelerated and sweat popped out on his forehead as though he were back in that school hallway at his daughter’s classroom with no Abbey in it.

She glanced behind the car. “Why is that lady following us home?”

Another fortifying breath. “That lady is your bodyguard.”

She bolted up. “What? A bodyguard?”

“Yes.”

“She’s gonna follow me around?”

“She will be with you at all times.”

“When I go to school? The mall? To my friends’?”

“Yes.” His throat dry, he swallowed hard and continued in a firm voice. “To school, but there won’t be any mall trips. Your activities will be curtailed.”

Abbey shook her head. “I’m grounded? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

At a stoplight he pinned her with a look that he hoped conveyed the seriousness of the situation. “This isn’t about right and wrong. This is about your safety. You will do what Elizabeth Walker says. She’ll be there to protect you.”

“Protect me? I’m taller than she is. How’s she gonna do that?”

“She works for Kyra, and Kyra highly recommends her. That’s good enough for me.” It had to be. He was putting his daughter’s life into Elizabeth’s hands, and he hadn’t trusted another person that way since Catherine.

“I’m not gonna have any privacy?”

“At home, to a certain degree. Whenever you’re out, no.”

“I don’t have a say in this?”

“No,” he bit out between gritted teeth, slanting a look at his daughter.

Her mouth was set in a stubborn line. She swung her full attention out the window and crossed her arms over her chest.

The rest of the fifteen-minute drive was done in silence. A silence Slade relished because any conversation he and Abbey had would end up in an argument.

When he arrived at the estate, he pushed his opener and waited for the gates to slowly swing open. As a boy, he’d wanted to be a cowboy, ride his horse and camp outside. That was why he’d bought the property. Yet this period of house arrest until the stalker was found would be the most waking hours he’d spent on the ranch in years.

Instead, he worked. If he worked hard enough, he didn’t remember what he was missing or what he couldn’t change—most of the time. But every once in a while he thought about his wife. Losing her had been devastating. How much more would he have to lose?

“Dad, the gate’s open.”

Blinking, he straightened and focused on the task at hand—drive the car to his house and meet with the sheriff. Try to make some kind of sense of all that was happening to him and his daughter. Try to figure out who was behind this. Because when he found the person responsible, that guy would regret ever coming after his family.

As he passed through the gates and navigated the road to his house, he peered at the red Trans Am behind his vehicle. He wasn’t alone. He had help. Would it be enough?

Through the trees, the sight of his two-story white house with six columns across the front came into view—along with the sheriff’s car and a black SUV. Standing on the large porch that ran the length of the front of the antebellum home were Hilda, Mary, the sheriff and an older gentleman who must be Joshua Walker. When Slade pulled up in the circular drive and parked behind the sheriff’s vehicle, he slid his hands from the wheel and rubbed them on his pants. He couldn’t deny the fear that blanketed him at the moment, but he wouldn’t let others see it.

Abbey flounced out of the Lexus, and the slam of his passenger door prodded him to move. As he climbed from his car, Elizabeth parked her Trans Am behind his vehicle.

“You’ve got a nice little reception.” She nodded toward the porch as Abbey charged toward her grandmother, said something to her, then stomped to the black wicker settee a few yards away from the cluster of people in front of the open door. She plopped her book bag down by her feet.

“Yeah. You know, up until recently my life has been dull.”

“I think that’s about to change.”

“Let’s find out what happened here first. This might not be tied to the threats.” He hoped this was the case, although he doubted it. “I’m afraid I waited too long to upgrade the security system.”

Sheriff McCain ambled toward him and shook Slade’s hand. “I just got here. I haven’t had time to check the house out. I have a deputy checking the exterior, talking to your men. Hilda said she came home and found the front door wide open. Leaves had blown into the foyer. She walked inside and called out for Mary. When she didn’t respond, Hilda got out of the house and placed a call to me.”

“So you don’t know if anything was taken?”

“She didn’t see anything but didn’t go very far in. Mary filled me in about the photo you found this morning at your office.”

“I also received a threatening call against Abbey later at the office on my private line. I informed Captain Ted Dickerson of the Dallas police.”

“I’ll call him and let him know I have an interest in the case. We can coordinate our investigations.”

“As you no doubt know,” Slade said, gesturing toward Joshua then Elizabeth, “I’ve hired help. Ms. Walker will be Abbey’s bodyguard while Mr. Walker will be guarding me. He’s going to do a security assessment of my house today. Whatever it takes, I’ll make this place a fortress.”

“Good. You can never be too careful. I’m going inside and look around. You can come in when I think there isn’t any danger.”

“Okay.” When he and the sheriff joined Hilda, Mary, Elizabeth and Joshua, Slade said to the group, “Sheriff McCain is going inside to make sure it’s all right for us to go in.” As the law enforcement officer moved toward the entrance, his hand on his holster, Slade glanced around.

“Where’s Jake?” Slade’s foreman had been with him from the beginning, and he’d come to depend on him where the ranch was concerned. Jake would need to be kept informed because he knew this place better than most.

“I didn’t get hold of him. No one answered at the barn, and I thought I shouldn’t leave since the sheriff was on his way.”

Slade nodded. “He said something about working on the fence in the north pasture. I’ll let him know later what’s going on if the deputy doesn’t talk to him. I haven’t had a chance to apprise him of the threats. As soon as we get the all clear, Joshua, I want you to start your assessment. It’s obvious I could use more security.” As his first security measure, he needed to make sure Jake had his cell on him at all times.

“Will do.”

Slade peered at Abbey, who sat on the settee with her legs clasped to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. A pallor to her face, she looked shell-shocked. He made his way to his daughter and eased down beside her. “Okay?”

“Sure. What girl doesn’t want a maniac after her and a twenty-four-hour bodyguard?”

He settled his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, honey.”

She shrugged away and turned toward him. Tears misted her eyes. “I’ve done nothing wrong, and yet I’m the one who’s gonna feel like a prisoner. I just don’t understand all this.”

His heart twisted at the anguish in Abbey’s voice, her expression. One tear slipped down her cheek. He brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. Abbey fell into his arms and hugged him.

He flashed back to the last few minutes before Catherine passed away. Tears had leaked from her closed eyes to course down her face—the same face as his daughter’s. A stab of pain sliced through his defenses. His gaze linked with Elizabeth’s, full of concern, and for a few seconds the hurt melted away.

The sheriff poked his head out the doorway. “All clear. It looks like everything is in its proper place, but Slade and Mary, you’ll need to have a look around. At least for now, check the obvious things a thief would steal.”

If the person after him and his daughter had been in his house, Slade felt exposed just sitting on the porch. He scanned the terrain, noting the horses grazing in the open field to the left, but a stand of trees directly in front would be a good place to hide. He’d prefer everyone inside. “Can we all come in?”

Sheriff McCain nodded and stood back from the entrance. “I need to check with my deputy and see if he found anything outside or if any of your men saw anyone.”

Slade moved first into the house with Joshua on his heels. Abbey, Mary and Hilda followed with Elizabeth taking up the rear. Leaves littered the marble floor. A breeze from the door lifted several and swirled them around to land finally in the living room. He scanned the walls, making sure his couple of pieces of art were still hanging. The Manet over the mantel and the Degas between the two floor-to-ceiling windows were untouched. That fact relaxed the tense set of his shoulders and eased the roiling in his stomach. He’d bought the masterpieces for Catherine that last year she was so sick to cheer her up. She’d loved the impressionist period of art.

Maybe somehow the door wasn’t latched properly and the wind had blown it open. Yeah, right, and maybe no one shot out your tire.

As he tramped through his house with Joshua, checking the safe and other places he had valuables, he couldn’t shake the sensation his life would never be the same. He’d learned in business to be wary. Now that feeling would overflow into his personal life.

Back in the foyer, Slade paused near the front door as the sheriff came back into the house. Any adrenaline that had surged through him had subsided, leaving him tired and in need of some caffeine. “I don’t see anything missing,” he said. “I’ll check some more, but if nothing is missing, maybe no one was in here.”

Joshua stepped next to him. “There are other reasons why someone would be in here. I’m going to do a sweep for bugs. I’ll check your phones for any, too. I have my equipment out in the car.”

Elizabeth joined them in the foyer while Mary and Abbey remained in the living room, sitting on the couch. “Your daughter wants to go up to her room.”

“That’s fine. Would you go with her and check it first? I looked in and didn’t see anything, but a more thorough search would be better.” Slade peered toward his daughter who sat with her shoulders hunched, her chin resting on her chest. “Then I’d like to meet with you and Joshua in my office.”

Elizabeth stepped into Abbey’s bathroom and surveyed the luxurious room done in beige marble with accents of forest green. Making the rounds, she opened and closed each cabinet and drawer, then headed back into the large bedroom. She checked for likely places someone would put a listening device, even though Joshua would do a more thorough scan of the whole house later.

Abbey stood in the middle with her arms folded over her chest and a glare on her face. “Don’t forget under the bed.”

“I won’t.” Elizabeth inspected the walk-in closet, twice as big as her bathroom at Joshua’s.

“Oh, and I have a balcony.”

Elizabeth left the closet, shutting the door. “That’s a great suggestion,” she said in the calmest voice she could muster. Teenage kids could be the most difficult to guard. They didn’t like their privacy being invaded even for a good reason. She’d dealt with teens before, and she would deal with Abbey. The best way was to try to win her over, which might not be easy if her pout was any indication.

Before reaching the balcony, Elizabeth opened each drawer in her dresser, felt around, then shut it. The top one held a journal. Her fingers brushed over the bound book with horses on the front.

Abbey rushed toward her and snatched the journal out of the drawer. “That’s private. Don’t touch it.” She glared at Elizabeth and hugged the book to her chest.

“I wouldn’t look in it.” She could remember the diary she’d kept as a teenager—many pages of angst. “Do you see anything missing or moved?”

Skimming her look over her possessions, Abbey backed away. She returned her razor-sharp attention to Elizabeth. “No.”

Elizabeth swung open the French doors that led to the balcony and moved out into the December air, a stiff wind blowing the strands of her hair. Ten by ten with no easy access. Still, she would have Joshua wire the doors with sensors and secure them better.

True to her word, when she was back in the room she knelt on plush white carpet next to the king-size, dark-oak canopy bed with a hot-pink satin coverlet and looked under it. Nothing there but a single tennis shoe and one red sock.

When she rose, she peered at Abbey—the girl’s posture was defensive, one hand quivering when she raised it to sweep her long brown hair behind her shoulders. The dark circles under the teen’s eyes attested to the toll the past few days had taken on her. Something softened in Elizabeth. For a few seconds she recalled her own past fear, the feeling that the circumstances around her controlled her life. “All clear,” she said to reassure Abbey.

“Oh, good, I’m relieved to know there are no monsters under it. I quit looking for them when I was eight.”

“I know this can’t be easy, but I’m here to help you.”

“Don’t pretend you know what this feels like. I’m a prisoner.”

Elizabeth panned the room that lacked nothing, from a big-screen TV to a state-of-the art computer and sound system. “Not too bad a cell.”

Abbey snorted. “Are you satisfied everything is okay? I’d like to be alone, if that’s all right. Surely I can be alone in my own cell—I mean, bedroom.”

“I’ll be downstairs in your dad’s office.”

“Oh, good. That’s right below me. I’ll stomp on the floor if I need you.”

As Elizabeth made her way down to Slade’s office, she clung to the image of Abbey out on the porch. A young girl on the verge of falling apart and trying desperately not to—even using anger to keep herself together. Elizabeth did know what that felt like. But at least Abbey’s father had been right there for her. The love and worry in his expression reached out to Elizabeth and gripped her heart. How many times had she prayed to see something like that on her own father’s face?

She rapped on the office door. When she heard Slade say, “Enter,” she went inside. He sat in a chair behind his desk, swiveled around to face a large window that framed two horses frolicking in the pasture.

“Right now I can’t remember a time when I spent a day just playing, with not a worry in the world.”

The weariness in his voice beckoned her forward. “It’s been a while for me, too.” Even as a child she’d never felt totally free to be herself, to enjoy life without a concern. The thought made loneliness creep into her heart.

He rotated his chair around. His gaze snagged hers, intensity in his gray eyes and something else—vulnerability—that reached out to her, linking them. Her pulse reacted by speeding through her.

“I guess that’s a price we pay when we grow up.” He cocked a corner of his mouth in a half grin that faded almost instantly. “But my daughter shouldn’t have to worry about it quite yet.”

The appeal in those startling eyes, storm-filled at the moment, touched a place in her heart that she’d kept firmly closed for years. She wrenched her look away and swept around in a full circle. “Nice office.” Which was putting it mildly. From a huge mahogany desk with a large-screen computer to the sumptuous brown leather grouping along one side of the room to the floor-to-ceiling bookcases on the other wall, the office was luxurious to the extreme.

He rose. “Let’s have a seat over there where it’s comfortable. Joshua’s doing a walk-through with Mary. How was Abbey?”

“Not a happy camper.”

“I figured that. When she gets scared, she gets angry. The first year after her mother died, I thought my home was a war zone. Thankfully, she began to accept her mother’s death, and I nearly had my daughter back. Then she hit puberty. Everything changed. Did I tell you I don’t like change?”

“I’ll tell you a secret. Neither do I.”

“How do you do what you do?”

“One assignment at a time. It’s important for me to keep my focus on the present.” And she had to remember that. No more journeys into her past.

He took one end of the couch and beckoned her to sit at the other end. “I’m glad it’s Tuesday. I have the Thanksgiving holidays before Abbey goes back to school to get things worked out. It’ll give you two some time to get to know each other. To get her used to you being around.”

“We’ll get into a routine. That should help.”

At that moment Uncle Joshua entered with Slade’s mother-in-law, a woman in her early sixties with short silver hair and dark brown eyes. She came to right above Joshua’s shoulders, and he was well over six feet tall.

Dressed in stylish tan slacks and a matching jacket and a white tailored blouse, Mary grasped the back of one of the chairs in the grouping while Joshua folded his long length into the opposite one. “Hilda is still shaken up in the kitchen,” she said. “I’ll be in there if you need me.”

“I appreciate the tour, Mary.” Joshua grinned, his look fastened onto the older woman.

Mary’s cheeks colored a pink shade as she scurried from the room.

Joshua chuckled. “I don’t think she’s too comfortable with everything.”

“She hasn’t had much time to assimilate what’s going on. I only called her a few hours ago to tell her my plans. Until then, all she thought was that we’d had a blowout on Saturday. She’s lived a pretty sheltered life, especially here at the ranch.” Slade shifted on the couch as though he couldn’t get settled. “I thought we should talk about some kind of game plan.”

Joshua tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair, something he did when he was impatient to get to work. “As I told you before, I want to check for listening devices, then talk to the people who put in your security system.”

“I want to get a feel for the house and the surrounding area. Meet the people who work for you besides Hilda.” Elizabeth captured Slade’s attention. “Everyone.”

“That’s fine. I can introduce—”

A scream from above ripped through the house, followed by a thud.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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