Danger and desire collide when New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy takes us back to Holiday Ranch…

When a baby is abandoned on his doorstep, cowboy Tony Nakni is blindsided. He never wanted to be a father, but his ex-girlfriend is on the run and tells Tony he’s the only person she trusts to keep little Joey safe. Struggling with the infant, Tony turns to caring Mary Redwing for help.

Lovely Mary agrees to help care for the child, but a shared desire simmering between her and Tony soon intensifies the arrangement. As the search for Joey’s mom brings grave danger to their doorstep, Tony’s protective instincts emerge, unearthing the depth of his feelings. But can the rugged rancher save the family he’s falling for…before it’s too late?

Fire danced through his veins.

Mary’s lips were soft and warm, and they only increased Tony’s appetite for more. Her breasts pushed against his chest and the heady scent of her surrounded him. The kiss went on for several long moments, and then she broke it and stepped back from him.

The flames of his own desire shot out of her eyes, letting him know that she’d been as moved by the kiss as he had. “That wasn’t really a good idea,” she said, her voice slightly husky.

He grinned at her. “It wasn’t really a bad idea.” He reached out and tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, his fingers noting the silky softness.

“Tony, it wouldn’t be wise for us to indulge in any kind of a relationship other than what we have right now.” She took a step back from him.

“Do we always have to be wise?” he countered.

“I try to be,” she replied. Joey cried out from behind them. “Good night, Tony.”

* * *

Be sure to check out the next books

in this exciting series: Cowboys of Holiday Ranch—Where sun, earth and hard work turn men into rugged cowboys… and irresistible heroes!

Dear Reader,

Like my hero, Tony Nakni, I love autumn. I enjoy the cool evening breezes, the changing colors of the tree leaves and that crisp, clean scent that lingers in the air.

However, for Tony autumn brings big changes when his ex-girlfriend drops off a baby and tells him the child is his. Before he can ask any questions she’s gone, and the cowboy is left with the three-month-old baby. In desperation he seeks the help of Mary Redwing, a woman who has secrets of her own.

Tony and Mary not only face an unexpected danger but also a surprising passion. In order to protect the child, they will not only have to put their lives on the line, but also their hearts.

Oh, yes, I love autumn, especially when it brings a shout of danger and a whisper of desire.

I hope you enjoy reading Operation Cowboy Daddy, the newest book in the Cowboys of Holiday Ranch series.

Happy reading!

Operation Cowboy Daddy

Carla Cassidy

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CARLA CASSIDY is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author who has written more than one hundred and twenty novels for Mills & Boon. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews. Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write.

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Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

This was Tony Nakni’s favorite time, when the day slowly faded and took on the slightly purple shades of dusk as the sun sank behind the horizon.

He sat outside, in front of his bunk-room door, and drew in a deep breath of the early September evening air. Cicadas clicked and whirred their songs from nearby trees and a cow lowed from the pasture in the distance.

The twelve-unit bunkhouse was quiet for now, but Tony knew it was the calm before a brief storm. In the next half hour or so most of the other cowboys would explode out of their rooms, all of them cleaned up and ready for a Saturday night out on the town.

They’d all head to the Watering Hole. The bar was the place to go for drinking, playing pool or dancing in the small town of Bitterroot, Oklahoma.

Tony only rarely joined the other men on their weekly foray of cutting loose after a long week of work on the ranch. He preferred to unwind by watching the sunset, having a beer and, until recently, talking to Dusty Crawford, who had lived in the bunk room next to Tony’s.

But two weeks ago, Dusty had moved from the Holiday ranch into a house in town with Trisha Cahill and her three-year-old son, Cooper. Dusty had chosen a life path that Tony had no interest in following. Tony had been alone for as long as he could remember and he was most comfortable that way.

He reached down and grabbed a beer from the small cooler at his feet. He twisted off the top, tossed the lid into the cooler, took a sip and leaned back in his chair.

In the distance, lights began to glow from the windows of the big house where Cassie Peterson lived. It was hard to believe that it had been almost five months since owner Cass Holiday had been killed in a spring tornado that had ripped through the area. Everyone had been surprised to learn that she’d left the ranch to her niece, Cassie. Cassie was New York City born and raised and since she’d taken over the ranch there had been many adjustments.

The sixty-eight-year-old Cass had been the only person Tony had completely trusted on the face of the earth. All of the cowboys on the ranch had been a bit lost since her death.

He shoved thoughts of Cass out of his head and instead focused his attention on the colorful sunset currently taking place in the western sky. As far as he was concerned, Bitterroot, Oklahoma, was a little piece of heaven on earth.

He turned his attention to the right as he heard a door open and then smelled the scent of minty soap and heavy spicy cologne.

“Hey, brother.” Sawyer Quincy greeted Tony with a grin. “Why don’t you splash on some good-smelling stuff and come with us into town. Maybe you can find yourself a sexy female to warm your cold, lonely bed.”

Tony grinned back at the tall, russet-haired cowboy. “You have enough smelly stuff on for the both of us. Besides, you never come home with a female. You’re usually carried back from town by the other men.”

Sawyer’s inability to hold his liquor was legendary. It took only a couple of beers for him to be half-comatose. “Don’t remind me,” he said ruefully. “It’s embarrassing that I can ride a wild bronco and wrestle a steer to the ground in record time, but I can’t drink more than three or four beers without getting totally plastered.”

“Have you ever considered not drinking beer at all?”

Sawyer looked at him in mock horror. “What kind of a cowboy doesn’t drink beer?”

Before Tony could reply, several other ranch hands made an appearance from around the corner of the building. Adam Benson, the ranch foreman, was followed by Mac McBride, Brody Booth and Clay Madison.

“You keeping the home fires burning again tonight, Tony?” Adam asked.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to nothing more exciting than a good night’s sleep,” he replied.

“I’ll kiss a beautiful lady for you,” Clay said with his usual bravado. “Heck, maybe I’ll kiss two.”

Tony laughed. “Clay, if you actually did as much as you talked, you’d be a real legend. As it is, you’re only a legend in your own mind,” Tony teased.

The others hooted with laughter. There was a bit more ribbing of each other and then they all headed to the outbuilding, where the vehicles were parked. Minutes later headlights wove through the semidarkness in the direction toward town.

Tony finished his beer and grabbed a second one. Tomorrow was Sunday and in the rotation of the ranch work, it was a day he was off duty.

He had no real plans for the next day. He might go into town and see about getting a new pair of boots, or he might not. He tried to live in the moment, never looking to the future or dwelling on the past.

By the time he finished his second beer the dark of night had settled in. He grabbed his cooler and folding chair and carried them into his room.

All of the living quarters for the cowboys who worked the Holiday ranch were the same. A twin bed was on one side of the room and a chest of drawers was on the other. There was also a small closet and a bathroom with a shower.

Most of the men who lived here had added personal touches to make the rooms their own over the years. But other than the brown cowboy hat and gun and holster on top of the dresser, and the clothes in the closet, Tony’s room was exactly the same as it had been when he’d been a fifteen-year-old runaway and Cass Holiday had taken a chance on him.

If she hadn’t hired him on here, there was no question in his mind that he would have more than likely died on the streets of Oklahoma City. He probably would have been beaten to death—not for who he was or any action he’d taken, but rather for what he was.

He pulled out the strip of rawhide that he used to tie back his black hair during the day and then stripped down to his boxers and got into bed.

The only time any ghosts from the past ever threatened him was in the quiet minutes just before he fell asleep, in the darkened privacy of his room.

Half-breed. Your mother didn’t want you and your father was a drunk who was gone long before you were born. You don’t belong anywhere. You have no place in this world. You’re just lucky we took you in.

He consciously shoved the hurtful words away. He wasn’t a little boy anymore, wondering why his foster parents treated him so differently from their own children.

He fell asleep with the ghosts from his youth silenced. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when rapid knocking sounded at his door.

A glance at the clock let him know it was almost one. He muttered a small curse and got out of bed, fully expecting one of his fellow cowboys who wanted to share the drunken escapades of the evening with him.

He pulled open the door and stared in stunned surprise at the blond-haired, blue-eyed woman who stood before him. “Amy...what are you doing here?”

It had been a little over a year ago since Tony had last seen Amy Kincaid. He’d been just a bit crazy over her, until he realized she was more than just a little bit crazy herself. She was achingly thin and sported a yellowing bruise on the side of her face.

“Tony, I’m in trouble.” She cast a glance over her skinny shoulder and then looked at him again, her eyes huge and simmering with what appeared to be barely suppressed terror.

She’d pulled her car up just outside the bunkhouse, had driven across the lawn from where the driveway ended in the distance. The engine was still running.

“Amy, what’s going on? Come inside and talk to me,” he replied.

She shook her head. “I’ve got to go, but I need you to step up.”

Tony frowned. “Step up?”

She turned and ran to her car and opened the back door. She pulled out a medium-sized suitcase and then a car seat with a sleeping baby inside.

When she returned to his door, Tony stared at her in bewilderment. “Would you tell me what’s going on?”

“This is your son. His name is Joey.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t take care of him right now.” Once again she shot a frantic look over her shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Tony.” She grabbed his forearm, her fingers feverish and her sharp nails biting into his skin. “Please...protect him from evil.” She turned and ran for her car.

“Amy, wait!” Tony shouted after her, but she didn’t stop, didn’t even hesitate. She jumped into the driver seat and then tore off toward the ranch exit.

Two other doors flew open. Clay came out of one and Sawyer stumbled out of the other one. “Whaz goin’ on?” Sawyer mumbled with a slight slur. “Hey, what’s that doing here?” he asked as he stared down at the sleeping little boy.

“It’s not a ‘that,’ it’s a boy,” Tony replied absently. He was still trying to process what had just happened. This is your son. Protect him from evil. “Amy just dropped him off. She said he’s my son and it was time for me to step up.”

“Congrats, man,” Sawyer said. “I’ll get you a cigar with a bright blue band around it tomorrow.” He turned and went back into his room.

“Amy? Wow, did you know she was pregnant when the two of you stopped seeing each other?” Clay asked.

“No, I didn’t have a clue. I haven’t seen or heard from her in a year. She moved to Oklahoma City while we were dating...” Tony broke off and continued to stare down at the little boy with his shock of black hair and chubby cheeks.

“Are you sure he’s really yours?” Clay asked.

Tony gazed at his blond-haired fellow cowboy. “At this moment I’m not sure of anything.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Right now I guess I’m going to get him out of the chilly night air and then I’ll see what tomorrow brings.” Tony bent down and picked up the car seat while Clay grabbed the suitcase and together they went into Tony’s room.

Tony set the baby seat on the bed and Clay placed the suitcase on the floor. “Are you going to be all right with this for now?” Clay asked.

“I suppose I have to be,” Tony replied, his heart beating an unsteady rhythm. Heck, he had no idea if he was going to be all right. He didn’t know anything about babies.

“Let me know if you need anything.” Clay left the room and closed the door behind him.

Tony remained standing next to his bed and stared at the sleeping child. Tony had never wanted to be a husband and he’d certainly never wanted to be a father and Amy had known that when they’d dated. He’d made that very clear to her.

She’d looked so terrified. What was going on in her life that had prompted her to drop off her child with a man she hadn’t seen in over a year? Was he really Tony’s son? And why had she said to protect him from evil?

At that moment the little boy’s eyes fluttered open. His features screwed up and he began to cry.

* * *

He had to find the bitch.

Ash Moreland tightened his grip on his steering wheel as he turned down another Oklahoma City street, seeking Amy’s car. He had to find her and make sure she didn’t talk, that she didn’t tell anyone what she had seen.

If she’d just stayed in the bedroom like he’d told her to, then she wouldn’t have seen him slit Barker’s throat. After that, she’d gone to the bedroom and throughout the rest of the evening she’d acted like everything was okay. But Ash had known she was shaken up and sure enough at just after midnight she’d crept out of bed.

He’d stayed in bed and listened to her as she’d gone into the baby’s room, and minutes later he’d heard the closing of the front door. He could have stopped her at any moment, but he was curious. In all honesty he’d been amused by her pathetic move to leave him.

He’d followed her the almost sixty miles to Bitterroot and had watched her hand his baby over to another man. That, in and of itself, was an unforgivable betrayal.

She’d left Bitterroot and then driven back to Oklahoma City. He’d been tracking her for the past couple of hours, wondering what she was going to do, where she might go. If she’d gone anywhere near a police station, she would have never made it inside alive.

She had no friends and she had no money. Ash had seen to that during the last year that the two of them had been together. She belonged to him, just like the lucrative drug business he ran and just like the house where they lived, which was filled with fine and expensive items. Amy was his possession and Ash would decide when it was time to get rid of a possession.

He’d had her car taillights in his sights until about fifteen minutes ago, when she’d managed to give him the slip. He drove the dark streets slowly, his initial amusement long gone and rage rising with each moment that passed.

If he didn’t find her tonight, then he’d assign half a dozen of his men to hunt her down. Sooner or later she was going to run out of gas and out of options.

Sooner or later she’d probably come crawling back to him, begging him to forgive her for running away, sniveling to him for a fix that would make her well.

He’d hunt her down tonight and then tomorrow he’d go get his baby, the son who was his flesh, his blood, and who would one day take over Ash’s kingdom.

* * *

It was the longest night Tony had ever known and in his past he’d had many long nights. It wasn’t the company of Joey in his room that kept him from sleep, although certainly the tiny boy made his presence known several times.

The suitcase was filled with bottles and formula, disposable diapers and clothes. Twice in the night Tony had given Joey bottles and changed diapers, thankful that the baby had then seemed perfectly satisfied and had fallen back asleep.

Unfortunately sleep hadn’t come to Tony. He’d lain in bed with Joey between him and the wall and listened to the little boy breathe as thoughts had whirled in his head.

Was the boy really his? He supposed it was possible. He and Amy had certainly enjoyed an intense physical relationship, but she had assured him she was on birth control and he’d taken extra protection.

He didn’t even know how old the baby was, or if Amy had been seeing Tony exclusively at the time they’d been dating each other. When he’d broken things off with her, he’d certainly suspected there was somebody else in her life.

Why hadn’t she told him she was pregnant? If the little boy was his, then why hadn’t she come to him and told him? She knew where he lived. She knew where he worked. Where had she been for the last year and what had she been doing?

And what was Tony going to do until Amy returned? He wasn’t cut out for being a father. He didn’t know anything about babies other than they were hungry little pooping beasts. Hopefully, she intended to show up here before another night fell.

Those were only a few of the questions that kept him staring at the ceiling until dawn broke and Joey awakened. He gave him a bottle, changed his diaper and clothes and then placed him in his car seat to travel to the cowboy dining room, where Tony could grab some breakfast and figure out what in the heck he was going to do with Joey until Amy returned.

At least he’d managed to make it through the night and the baby didn’t seem any worse for it, he thought as he circled around the row of rooms to the large dining and rec room in the back of the building.

Sawyer was the first person who saw him walk in. The lanky cowboy’s brown eyes widened. “Jeez, Tony, I thought I had a beer-induced delusion last night, but it was real. You really have a kid.”

“I have possession of one, but I’m not sure he’s really mine,” Tony replied.

The other men in the dining room gathered around and once again Tony told everyone about Amy’s unexpected middle-of-the-night stork delivery.

“How are you going to work and take care of a baby?” Brody Booth asked.

“And what in the heck do you know about taking care of a baby?” Jerod Steen stared at Joey as if he was a species of animal the dark-haired, dark-eyed man had never seen before.

“What are you going to do if Amy never comes back?” Flint McCay asked.

All of the worries that had kept Tony up all night crashed into him again. What on earth was he going to do? “I don’t have answers to any of those questions. I’ve just got to have some time to figure things out.”

Mac McBride leaned down and grinned at Joey. “Aren’t you the cutest little buckaroo we’ve ever had in this dining room?” he said in the musical voice that, along with his guitar, often entertained the men in the evenings.

Little Joey, who had remained silent and somber until that moment, suddenly laughed. The infectious giggling filled up the entire room and all of the men stared at him in awe.

Tony steeled his heart. There was no way he was going to get attached to Joey. He refused to be moved by Joey’s smiles and antics. All he had to do was figure out exactly what he was going to do with the baby until Amy returned.

* * *

“Big changes coming,” Halena announced.

Mary Redwing turned around from the scrambled eggs she’d been preparing to eye her grandmother curiously. “And you know this how?”

“I dream-walked last night in my sleep.” Bright morning sunshine poured in through the windows to sparkle on Halena Redwing’s long, thick silver braids. She was clad in a pair of red-and-black polka-dotted sleep pants and a ruffled bright pink blouse.

“And where did you go?” Mary’s heart filled with love as she gazed at the woman who had raised her, a woman who at eighty-six years old now shared Mary’s home. Halena had always been eccentric but had grown even more so with each year that passed.

“I went to Kansas.”

“Oh.” Mary blinked in surprise. Normally Halena dream-walked to strange and foreign places she didn’t recognize. “Hang on and you can tell me more.”

She turned back to the eggs and scooped a portion out on each plate that waited with bacon and toast already on them. She carried the plates across the room and joined her grandmother at the table.

“Okay, now, what did you find in Kansas?” Mary asked.

“A tornado and a tin man.”

Mary thought back over the past week and tried to remember what movies her grandmother might have watched. A month ago she’d gotten up early one morning and had announced that robots would soon be taking over the world. That had occurred after the previous night’s Terminator marathon.

“So you dream-walked in a terrible storm and met a heartless man,” Mary replied.

Halena nodded. “The tornado is a portent of great change coming and we have to beware of the tin man who comes. Now, let’s eat.”

Mary picked up a piece of bacon and chewed thoughtfully. She didn’t have to beware of any man. Her future had no place for a man and at thirty-two years old she’d come to terms with the fact that she would live her life alone, without a husband...without a family.

She was fulfilled by her work, by the friendships she shared and with the often amusing and always wise company of her grandmother. That was enough for her. It had to be enough.

“What’s on your agenda for today?” Mary asked after they’d eaten and as they cleaned up the breakfast dishes.

“I’m going to try to finish up that turquoise skirt so I can get started on another one. I’d like to sew at least ten more before the craft show,” Halena replied.

Despite her advancing age, Halena still made beautiful skirts with beaded detail that was stunning, along with the more traditional Choctaw dresses. They always sold well at the annual Oklahoma Days Craft Fair.

“Ten skirts in two weeks, that’s a pretty tall order,” Mary replied.

“The more skirts, the more new movies I can buy,” Halena replied.

A year ago, when Halena had been recovering from a mild heart attack, a friend had given her a DVD player and a handful of movies. Since that time she was movie-obsessed.

“And I’m going to work on some baskets out on the back porch. It’s going to be such a beautiful day,” Mary replied.

Halena nodded. “It’s always good to have a plan. And now I think it’s time to get to work. I need to get these skirts done as quickly as possible.”

As Halena headed to her bedroom, Mary smiled in amusement. Her grandmother was an amusing blend of old tradition and new-world savvy. She was often a guest speaker at the Durant Indian Nation grade school, where she spoke about the history and culture of their people, and she also had a blog with tons of followers, where she talked about everything from how to properly fold a bath towel to sex and love tips.

The screened-in back porch was Mary’s work space as long as the weather allowed. When it got colder or was too rainy, she moved inside to the spare bedroom, but today was positively gorgeous.

She stepped outside to the musical sound of wind chimes dancing in the light breeze. The scent of autumn was in the air and the river cane she used to make the baskets she sold tickled her nose.

She’d built a successful business for herself, selling baskets and pottery and other items not only at craft fairs, but also through her internet site.

As she sat at the long worktable, it didn’t take her long to lose herself in the artistry of weaving. She worked here most mornings and then after lunch her grandmother often joined her. The two would work and chat until dinnertime and then move back inside for the evening. After supper, Halena worked on her blog or watched movies, while Mary checked in with the two people who helped her with her web-based business.

“It’s going to be a long winter,” Halena said as she settled into the cushy porch chair after lunch. The skirt she was hand-sewing was a beautiful spill of turquoise in her lap.

“And how do you know that?” Mary asked.

“The leaves in the trees have whispered to me that the snow will come early and stay late,” she said.

“Last year didn’t the leaves in the trees whisper to you that we’d have an unusually wet summer?” Mary asked in amusement. It had been the driest summer on record.

Halena smiled with a glint in her eyes. “Okay, I’ll admit that sometimes the leaves lie to me.”

Mary laughed, but her laughter was cut short by a loud knock on the front door. “I wonder who that could be,” she said. She got up from the table and hurried through the house to answer.

She opened the door and stared at the man on her porch in stunned surprise. “Tony,” she said in shock. The last time she’d seen the handsome cowboy had been a little over a year ago, when he and her friend Amy had come to visit several times.

He held on to a baby car seat with a bright-eyed, chubby-cheeked infant tucked beneath a blue blanket. Tony was not only clad in jeans, a white T-shirt and a brown cowboy hat, but he also wore an air of utter desperation.

“Mary, can I come in?” he asked.

“Of course.” She stepped aside and as he swept past her to enter the living room, he smelled of not only sunshine and fresh air, but also a woodsy cologne that was instantly appealing.

She hated the way her heart beat just a little faster at the mere sight of him. The very first time she’d met him her heart had reacted the same way, and it had shamed her, since he was her friend’s boyfriend.

She closed the door behind him and motioned him to sit on the sofa. What was he doing here? And why did he have a baby, who cooed softly as he set the carrier on the floor next to him?

“Have you been in touch with Amy lately?” he asked as she sat in the chair opposite the sofa. He took off his hat and placed it next to him.

“No. The last time I spoke to her was about six months ago. Why?”

“She came by the ranch last night and said she was in trouble.” He glanced down at the baby and his jaw tightened. “She told me the baby is mine and his name is Joey, then she jumped into her car and drove off. I need to find her.”

Oh, Amy, what kind of trouble have you found this time? “I’m sorry, Tony, I don’t know what to tell you. The last time I talked to her she was living in Oklahoma City with a man she met not long after the two of you went your separate ways. I tried to call her a while ago, but the phone number I had for her was no good.”

Tony’s eyes bored into hers with intensity. A woman could fall into those dark depths. “Do you remember the name of the man?”

Mary frowned thoughtfully and tried to remember the last conversation she’d had with her friend. “No, I don’t think she mentioned his name to me.”

Her gaze drifted down to the baby. He smiled and cooed to her and a wave of unexpected anguish swept through her, an anguish she’d believed she’d made peace with a long time ago.

“Did you know she was pregnant?” Tony asked.

Mary nodded. “She told me she was pregnant with your child when she first took a test.”

Tony’s strong features expressed bewilderment. “Why didn’t she tell me? Why didn’t she come to me?”

“I don’t know, Tony. I certainly encouraged her to do so at the time.” But there was no telling Amy anything when she didn’t want to listen. “Besides, she made me promise I wouldn’t tell you.”

He leaned back against the beige sofa, his disturbed energy filling the air. “Do you know for sure that he’s mine?”

Mary’s heart squeezed tight as she thought about her troubled friend. “I can only go by what she told me at the time, but I know when she did tell me she was already living with the other man.” She knew that Tony probably understood as well as she did that Amy wasn’t always a reliable source of truthfulness.

He remained silent for several long minutes, his gaze directed someplace over her shoulder. Tony Nakni obviously had Native American blood. His skin tone was a warm bronze and his straight black hair was a thing of glory, falling to the middle of his shoulders.

And those broad shoulders accentuated his slim hips and long legs. Physically he stirred something in Mary that had been dormant for a very long time.

His gaze returned to her and he leaned forward. “I need your help, Mary.”

At that moment Halena came in from the back porch and stood in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. “Grandmother, do you remember Tony Nakni? He came to visit a couple of times with Amy.”

“I don’t remember what we had for breakfast this morning,” Halena replied as she eyed Tony with a touch of suspicion. “Is that your baby?”

Tony hesitated a moment. “I don’t know,” he finally replied. “What I do know for sure is that I need help.” He looked back at Mary.

“What kind of help?” she asked.

“I’ll pay you whatever it takes if you’ll take care of Joey just until I can find Amy,” he said. She stared at him in stunned surprise and he quickly continued, “I know you’re a good woman, Mary. I wouldn’t trust him with anyone else, but I have to work during the day and I don’t live in a place that would be healthy for a baby. Besides, I don’t know what I’m doing. I know I’m asking a lot, but I don’t have anyplace else to turn. It should only be for a couple of days or so.”

Mary was speechless. In a million years she wouldn’t have been able to anticipate a visit from Tony, let alone the favor that he asked of her. He had also just spoken more words than he had during all the visits when he and Amy had been here before.

She didn’t want to get involved with this. Anything that had to do with Amy always wound up to be a big mess. Besides, he was talking about her taking on a huge responsibility.

Still, as Joey cooed and waved his hands in the air as if catching imaginary butterflies, myriad emotions surged up inside her.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” she heard herself say.

Tony jumped up off the sofa. “Thank you so much,” he said fervently. He picked up his hat. “I’ll just head into town and get some things for you that you’ll need.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t heard my terms,” Mary replied. If the baby was Tony’s, then he wasn’t going to get off so easily. She wasn’t just going to take care of little Joey without him being a part of it.

“Terms?” He looked at her warily.

“Joey can stay here with us, but when you get off work in the evenings, you need to be here with him.” All she was thinking of was what was best for the child. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was intensely attracted to Tony.

“That’s not a problem,” he replied. The darkness that had filled his eyes dissipated somewhat for the first time since he’d walked through the door. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

He began to inch toward the front door. “I’ve got a suitcase full of stuff that Amy left with him. I’ll go get that now and then I’ll pick up some more things in town and be back here later this afternoon.”

“I’ll walk out with you for the suitcase,” Mary replied.

They left the house and headed toward his black king-cab pickup parked in her driveway. “It’s possible Amy will show up in the next day or so,” he said. He pulled the suitcase out of the pickup bed and then frowned. “She didn’t look good, Mary. I think she’s back on drugs.”

Mary’s heart sank, although she wasn’t surprised. Amy had fought addiction issues for years. “Let’s just hope whatever is going on with her life, she gets it together soon and comes back for her son.”

“This arrangement isn’t going to cause issues with your boyfriend or a significant other, is it?” he asked worriedly.

“Since I don’t have a significant other or a boyfriend, there’s no problem,” she replied.

Moments later she watched as Tony’s truck disappeared in the distance. She gripped the suitcase handle tightly and wondered what she had just gotten herself into.

She should have never agreed to this. The last thing she needed was to have a baby in the house to remind her of all her inadequacies. But Tony had looked so desperate.

It’s going to be just fine, she assured herself. It was possible Amy had already returned to the Holiday ranch looking for Tony and her baby.

With this positive thought in mind she headed inside. Halena remained standing in the same place she’d been during the conversation with Tony, only now she had deep lines etched across her forehead.

“Big changes,” she said. “And a tin man... You’d better guard yourself, my Mary. The leaves are whispering to me that this is not a good thing.”

Mary released an uneasy laugh. “But, Grandmother, sometimes the leaves lie to you.”

Halena’s eyes remained dark and troubled. “And sometimes they don’t,” she replied.

Chapter 2

Tony had forgotten about Mary Redwing’s beauty. Of course, the last time he’d seen her he’d been completely besotted by Amy’s curly blond hair, bright blue eyes and infectious giggles.

He’d been relieved when he’d thought about Mary that morning. She was not only an old friend to Amy, but also a woman who had given him the impression of great stability and strength on the few times he’d seen her.

Still, he’d never really noticed the richness of her long black hair in the single braid down her back, or her beautiful doe eyes, or her full lips and high cheekbones.

She’d been clad in a pair of tight jeans that showcased her long legs and her brown T-shirt had fit perfectly across her breasts and slender waist.

He was just so glad she’d agreed to take care of the boy. Before he’d thought about Mary, Tony had spent the morning not just worried about what he was going to do, but concerned that he might do something wrong, or not do something at all that Joey needed.

The first thing he intended to do before he did any shopping was get a quick bite to eat at the Bitterroot Café. His nerves had been so shot that morning he’d barely eaten any breakfast and lunchtime had already come and gone.

His stomach gurgled in anticipation as he pulled into the café parking lot. He frowned when he saw two familiar pickups also there. The men from the Humes ranch must be having a late lunch, too.

As far as all the cowboys on the Holiday ranch were concerned, all the men who worked on the neighboring ranch were lowlifes and creeps. One of them was now in jail, looking at plenty of prison time for kidnapping Trisha Cahill, who worked here as a waitress and who was the love of Dusty’s life.

Tony got out of his truck and walked through the café door. He immediately spied Lloyd Green, Zeke Osmond and Ace Sanders from the Humes place seated in a booth. He headed for an empty stool at the long counter, pleased to see Trisha working that area.

She greeted him with a huge smile. “A little late for you today, Tony,” she said.

“I had a few other things to attend to this morning.”

“Clay and Sawyer were in a little while ago and filled me in on the latest news. Where is the baby now?”

“Do you know Mary Redwing?” he asked.

Trisha nodded. “A nice woman. Her grandmother is definitely a pip.”

“They’re going to take care of the baby until Amy shows back up again...hopefully in the next day or two. How are you and Dusty doing? I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to him the last couple of days. You still like living with that crazy cowboy?”

She flashed him a bright smile again. “He’s wonderful, we’re wonderful.”

“When are the wedding bells going to ring?”

“We’re not having a real wedding. We’re just going to sneak away one of these weekends and get married at city hall. We’re already married in our hearts.”

“He’s a lucky man, Trisha.”

“And I’m a lucky woman. And now, what can I get for you?”

He ordered a hamburger and fries and ate quickly as he mentally tried to make a list of what Mary might need.

He was almost finished eating when the men from the Humes ranch walked over to him. “Hey, Tony, I heard through the grapevine that you have a little papoose,” Lloyd Green said and then snickered.

“Are you going to teach him how to hunt with arrows?” Zeke asked.

“Or maybe how to scalp somebody?” Ace added.

Tony turned around on the stool to face the men, his blood boiling at their utter disrespect, the vile offensiveness of their words.

Flashbacks from his painful childhood raced through his head, flashbacks that had made Tony hate the very blood that flowed through his veins.

All three men balled their hands into fists. It was obvious they were spoiling for a little entertainment in the form of a fight. Tension snapped in the air.

“Ignore them, Tony,” Trisha said softly, yet urgently.

He had been taught by the tough Cass Holiday to never start a fight, but she’d also told him never to walk away from one.

He was just about to get off his stool when the chief of police, Dillon Bowie, entered the café. “Afternoon, gentlemen.” His gray eyes narrowed. “Is there a problem here?”

“No problem.” Lloyd moved the toothpick in his mouth from one side to the other as he backed away from Tony’s stool. The two younger men followed his example and stepped back.

“We were just on our way out,” Zeke mumbled. The three hurried out the door.

“They’re a bunch of jerks,” Trisha exclaimed as Dillon took the stool next to Tony’s.

The lawman’s eyes bore into Tony’s. “Don’t tell me there’s new bad blood brewing between all of you.”

“Like Trisha said, they’re just a bunch of jerks,” Tony replied as his blood slowly returned to a more normal temperature. “Anything new on the investigation?”

Tony didn’t have to say specifically what investigation—there was only one that he was interested in and only one that had been the talk of the town for months.

Dillon’s eyes darkened. “Nothing new.”

“Would you tell me if there was something new?” Tony asked.

Dillon gave him a dry grin. “Probably not.”

Tony knew that he and every other cowboy on the ranch were suspects in the fifteen-year-old murder case that had rocked not only the people on the Holiday ranch, but also the entire town of Bitterroot.

“I’ve got to get moving,” Tony said as he stood. “I’ve got things to attend to.”

“I’m sure I’ll see you later,” Dillon said.

“’Bye, Tony,” Trisha added.

Once he was back in his truck, thoughts of the murders filled Tony’s mind. It had been just after Cass’s death in the aftermath of the spring tornado that the skeletons of seven young men had been found buried under an old building that was being torn down.

The murders had been committed around the time period that Cass had brought in twelve teenagers who had been living on the streets in Oklahoma City to work on her ranch, making all of the men still working there today potential suspects.

He shoved these thoughts aside as he pulled into the parking lot of the Bitterroot General Store. Inside, a person could buy everything from a fancy evening dress to a part for a lawn mower. He hoped he could find anything that Mary might need to take care of the baby.

An hour later he finished placing the last item in the bed of his pickup and then headed back to Mary’s house. He knew this was only a temporary arrangement. He had to find Amy. He had to know if the baby was really his, or if she’d lied about who the baby’s daddy was to Mary.

One of the reasons he’d stopped seeing Amy was because of her lies. He frowned and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. What kind of trouble was she in and when would she reappear?

He couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to think of Amy’s friend, but the shock of being left with a baby had numbed his brain.

It was almost four when he pulled back into Mary’s driveway and sat for a moment as he gazed at the house before him. The ranch-style home was on a huge lot with tall cottonwood trees along the back perimeter.

It exuded a sense of welcoming, with its warm dark beige color and the last of the summer flowers spilling a colorful display into flower beds across the front of the house and in pots on the front porch.

A sense of fear whipped through him. What if in the hours he’d been gone Mary had changed her mind? He meant nothing to Mary Redwing and she certainly had no reason to take on his troubles.

If truth be told, he knew very little about her. He knew only that she’d been a kind and caring friend to Amy and that her reputation around town was stellar.

He got out of his truck and grabbed several of the bags, filled with formula and diapers, and then knocked on the front door.

Mary opened the door to allow him inside. The air smelled of something cooking and Joey was asleep on a blanket in the middle of the living room. There was no sign of Mary’s grandmother.

Mary gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen, where he placed the plastic bags on the top of the table. “There’s more in the truck,” he said.

She frowned at him. “You said this was just for a couple of days.”

“It is,” he assured her. Stress welled up inside him. What if Amy didn’t make contact within the next day or two? Then what was he going to do?

He shoved these thoughts aside. He couldn’t think about that scenario right now. “I bought a small playpen for him to sleep in and a bouncy chair thingy that Jenna McCain in the general store insisted I needed. I’ll just go grab them and be right back.”

Once again Mary met him at the door and this time indicated he follow her down a hallway and into what appeared to be a storage room. Plastic shelving rose from floor to ceiling along one side of the room, each shelf holding colorful multishaped baskets, beautiful pottery items and a variety of clothing carefully folded.

“You can set up the playpen in here.” She pointed to an empty space near the window. “I need to get back to the kitchen. You can come back in there when you’re finished in here.”

Tony watched as she left the room and disappeared down the hallway. He set the playpen box down on the carpeting and opened it.

He was just placing the pads around the sides when he sensed somebody nearby. He turned to see Halena standing in the doorway. “Hello again,” he said.

“Tony Nakni. Are you a good Choctaw warrior?” Her gaze was dark and unfathomable.

He didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t a good Choctaw anything. He knew nothing about that part of his DNA. He’d been taught from a young age that his Native American blood was something to be ashamed of.

Still, he had a feeling that the question was far more important than anything Mary had asked him and that his answer might screw up this whole arrangement.

“I try to be,” he finally replied.

Halena stared at him for another long minute. Her piercing gaze seemed to be probing into the very soul he believed he didn’t possess and then she turned and walked away.

* * *

“I knew that girl was big trouble from the time she was young,” Halena said as she came into the kitchen. “And I’m not sure that man in there is any better.”

Mary turned from the stove, where she’d been stirring a big pot of stew. “None of that matters. What’s important right now is the baby.”

Halena sat at the table. “I know you, my granddaughter. I know your heart and I don’t want you getting involved in somebody else’s problems. Your spirit is very fragile and I don’t want it to be further broken by anyone or anything.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Mary assured her. “And my spirit is just fine.” She opened the oven door and bent down to pull out a dish of thick corn bread.

Her grandmother was worried about the baby weaving a basket of love in her heart. But Mary wasn’t going to allow that to happen. She would feed and change the little fellow for the few days he’d be here, but there was no way she intended to allow him into her heart. This was just a temporary situation and she couldn’t allow herself to embrace Joey.

Still, the very heart she wanted to deny accelerated its beats as Tony walked into the kitchen. “The playpen is all set up with sheets and I put the bouncy thingy in the living room. I also bought a few little toys Jenna said would be age-appropriate. They’re also in a bag in the living room.”

“Thank you, it sounds like you got everything we might need,” Mary replied. “We’re just about to eat. You’ll join us.” She said it as a statement rather than a question. It was still early and as far as she was concerned he was officially on daddy duty for the rest of the evening.

“Uh...okay,” he replied, appearing immensely uncomfortable. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Check on your son,” Halena said as she rose from the table. “We’ll take care of the meal.”

It always made Mary nervous when her grandmother grew too quiet, and it was a silent Halena that helped her set the table and fill water glasses for the evening meal.

When the food was on the table, Mary went to the doorway that separated the kitchen from the living room. Tony sat on the edge of the sofa and stared at the sleeping baby. Bewilderment radiated from him, reminding her that he’d been thrust into this drama as unexpectedly as she had been.

“Tony,” she said softly. “Dinner is ready.”

He looked up at her and his eyes quickly shuttered. He followed her into the kitchen and she motioned him into a chair. The pot of stew was the centerpiece and the slabs of corn bread were on the side, along with butter and honey.

“This all looks and smells delicious,” he said.

“Mary knows her way around the kitchen,” Halena replied. She pulled the stew closer to her and began to ladle it into her bowl. “And you, Tony Nakni...what do you know about life?”

He looked at her grandmother in surprise. She’d asked him a question he didn’t seem to know how to answer.

“Grandmother, behave yourself,” Mary said with a small laugh.

“I’m old enough that I don’t have to behave myself anymore,” Halena replied. “I’ve earned the right with age to do and say what I want. If I wish to dance naked in a rainstorm, I will. If I decide to wear a winter hat in July, it’s okay. And that’s that.” She looked at Mary and then at Tony, as if daring either one of them to disagree with her.

“And that’s that,” Mary agreed with amusement.

Tony’s eyes lightened and his lips twitched, as if he was controlling a smile. He filled his bowl and then slathered a piece of corn bread with butter.

It was the first hint of a smile she’d seen since he’d arrived here earlier in the day. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see a real smile. She remembered when he’d come to visit with Amy those couple of times and how that expression had lit up his face and created a warmth in her...a warmth she had no right to feel. She still didn’t have that right.

“Do you have any idea where Amy might be now?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I know she was living in Oklahoma City and I’m hoping she’s still somewhere in that area,” he replied. “She doesn’t have any relatives that she ever mentioned. I know her parents are dead.”

“They were both addicts,” Mary replied. “When we were young, Amy spent most of her time at my parents’ house. She was like an adopted daughter to my mother and father and then to my grandmother.”

“She was broken as a child and she’s still broken,” Halena said. “Why would you choose to date a woman with such problems?”

Mary knew the answer. Amy was beautiful, and when she was clean and sober, she was effervescent and funny and loving. Any man would be drawn to her.

Tony set down his spoon and met Halena’s gaze. “When I first started dating her, I had no clue about the demons she was fighting. I made it clear to her from the very beginning that I wasn’t looking for marriage and I had no wish for children. She told me she was on the same page as me and we were both just enjoying each other’s company. It was only as the relationship went on that alarm bells began to ring in my head.” He frowned and looked beyond Halena’s shoulder to the window, as if he was reluctant to say anything bad.

“She started lying to you,” Mary said softly. “And she became unreliable. She didn’t show up where she was supposed to, and when pressed about where she was, she became combative.”

Tony looked at her in surprise. “Yes, exactly.”

“I love Amy like a sister, but I know the pattern. I only hope she didn’t use during her pregnancy,” she replied.

Tony’s eyes widened. “Do you think it’s possible that she did? Maybe I should make an appointment for the baby to see a doctor to make sure everything is okay.”

“That might not be a bad idea,” Mary agreed, although during the hours she’d been with Joey she hadn’t seen anything that concerned her.

“And while I’m at it, I’ll have Dr. Rivers do a paternity test.” Tony’s cheeks flushed with faint color.

That might not be a bad idea, either, Mary thought, although she didn’t say it aloud. Just because Amy had told her that Tony was the father didn’t necessarily make it true.

“You make baskets,” he said, as if eager to change the subject.

“We make traditional items to honor our heritage,” Halena replied.

“It’s what I do for a living,” Mary said. For the next twenty minutes as they ate, she told him about Mary’s Choctaw Culture Inc., the business that had paid her bills for the last ten years.

In turn he talked about his life and work on the Holiday ranch and it was obvious by his tone that he loved what he did and had a fierce allegiance to Cassie Peterson—big Cass Holiday’s niece, who now owned the ranch.

They had just finished eating when Joey cried out from the living room. Tony shot a frantic look at her. It would have been easy for her to take the burden off him and go attend to the little guy, but she met his gaze levelly.

For now they had to function on the assumption that he was the father, and if that was the case, then Tony needed to step up and take responsibility, no matter whether he’d wanted children or not.

“Why don’t you go tend to him and I’ll clear the dinner dishes,” she said.

“And I’m going to write a blog about tornadoes and tin men,” Halena announced as she got up from the table and headed out of the room.

Tony looked at Mary curiously. “Don’t ask,” she said.

It was only when he left the kitchen that Mary realized his presence in the house had her just a bit breathless. It was ridiculous how acutely aware of him she had been while they’d eaten.

He not only had a strong and handsome countenance, but he also had hands that were big and capable, with calluses that proved he was a hard worker.

Halena’s outlandish comments during the meal had made him laugh out loud twice and his laughter had been deep and rich, and invited anyone around him to join in.

She finished up in the kitchen and went into the living room. Joey was in the bouncy chair on the floor facing Tony, who sat on the edge of the sofa and dangled a colorful plastic ring of keys in front of the baby. Joey kicked and waved his hands with a happy smile on his face.

Tony’s features held a combination of quiet horror and awe. He looked up and smiled as she entered the room. It was a smile that pooled a touch of unwanted heat in the pit of her stomach.

“Are all babies this happy?” he asked as she sat next to him.

“I’m certainly not an expert on the matter, but yes, I would guess that most babies are naturally happy as long as they have a full tummy and a clean diaper.”

She should have sat in the chair across from him. She should have never sat next to him, where she could smell his evocative male scent, where his energy seemed to wrap around her and leave her with that breathless feeling once again.

“I haven’t been around any babies before,” he said as his focus once again returned to Joey.

“Is there a specific reason why you don’t want any children?” she asked.

His eyes immediately shuttered and his shoulders stiffened slightly. He set the plastic keys on the coffee table and then scooted back deeper into the sofa. “It’s just a decision I made a long time ago. It’s not like I hate kids or anything. I’ve just never seen myself as a father.”

She knew he was one of the cowboys that several not-so-nice people in Bitterroot referred to as the lost boys. They were men who had been hired on when they’d been young teenagers, mere boys who either had been thrown away by their families or had chosen to run away.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Tony’s story was and then she reminded herself she shouldn’t even be interested. Within the next day or two Amy would show up or he’d find her and then she’d never see Tony Nakni again.

Chapter 3

Tony walked out of Mary’s front door at just after eight thirty. He’d given the baby a bottle and then he’d changed his diaper and clothes and placed him in the playpen for bed.

Mary accompanied him out to his truck. “What time should we expect you tomorrow evening?”

“About four thirty or five,” he replied.

The deep shadows of approaching night clung to her features, emphasizing her straight nose, her high cheekbones and the dark depths of her eyes. God, she was beautiful in moonlight and shadows, he thought.

“We’ll hold dinner until you arrive.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he protested. “You’re already doing so much for me.”

She smiled. “Setting another plate on the table is no big deal.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped back from her. “I don’t think your grandmother likes me very much.”

Her smile widened. “If she’s giving you a hard time, then she likes you. If she isn’t speaking to you at all, then you have to worry.”

He frowned. “She didn’t have a lot to say to me.”

“That’s because you were interrupting our usual routine. Sunday and Wednesday nights are always movie nights for us, complete with popcorn and theater candy.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? I could have taken the baby into the bedroom so that you two could have gone about your normal routine.”

Once again she smiled at him. “A little shake-up in the routine isn’t always a bad thing. Now, you’d better get back to the ranch and we’ll see you tomorrow evening.” She didn’t wait for his reply but instead turned and headed into the house.

He got into his truck and took off for the Holiday ranch with Mary on his mind. She’d smelled of dark and mysterious spices, so different from the light floral scent that Amy had always worn.

He’d cared about Amy and he worried about the trouble she might be in now, but something about Mary Redwing stirred him on a level no woman had ever done before. Amy had been like a delightful teenager, but Mary was definitely all grown-up woman.

And something about her scared him just a little bit. A lick of desire burned in his stomach when he got near her and he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes where she was concerned.

Just a couple of days, he reminded himself. He needed her now because he had no other alternative. He was just grateful that she’d agreed to help him out.

Why wasn’t she already married? She must be in her early thirties. She was beautiful and was a successful entrepreneur and she even knew how to cook. Why hadn’t some man already snapped her up to build a family?

As he turned onto the long Holiday ranch drive that would take him to the shed where the men parked their vehicles, his thoughts shifted back to Amy. Maybe while he’d been gone today she’d come back here. Maybe she was sitting in the cowboy dining room right now just waiting for him to return with Joey.

Although he didn’t see her car anywhere it didn’t douse the modicum of hope that rose up inside him. She might not be here right at this very moment, but it was possible she’d been here earlier in the afternoon. Hopefully, if she’d been here and gone, she’d spoken to several of the other cowboys and had given somebody a phone number where Tony could contact her.

That hope carried him from the shed to the back of the cowboy motel, where he knew a few of the men would still be up in the recreational area of the large dining room.

Before he even entered, the dulcet tones of Mac McBride’s guitar drifting out on the cool night air met his ears. The man could make magic with that musical instrument and he sang as well as he played. Most evenings ended with Mac entertaining the men with a few songs before bedtime.

Mac stopped playing and set his guitar down next to him when Tony entered through the door. Mac wasn’t alone in the room. The ranch foreman, Adam Benson, was there, along with Sawyer, Brody and Clay.

“You didn’t have to stop playing,” Tony protested.

“It’s all right. We were about ready to call it a night anyway,” Mac replied easily.

“The men told me about the baby,” Adam said.

“Yeah, I’ve arranged with Mary Redwing to watch him during working hours until I get back in touch with Amy. I don’t suppose anyone saw her around here today while I was gone?” Tony’s heart sank as the men all shook their heads.

“What are you going to do, Tony? How are you going to find Amy?” Sawyer asked.

Tony swept his hat off his head and released a deep sigh. “I’ll wait another day or two and then I suppose I might talk to Dillon to see if he has any contacts in Oklahoma City who might help me locate her.”

“Aren’t you afraid she’ll get in trouble if you go to the police?” Sawyer asked.

“She didn’t abandon the baby someplace on the street, so there shouldn’t be a legal issue,” Tony replied. “If I have to, I’ll hire a private investigator to help me find her.” He eased down in one of the chairs that faced the sofa.

What he wanted right now was just a little male small talk. His head had been filled with women all day long. One woman had pulled forth old bittersweet feelings and the other one had evoked new, exciting feelings that he definitely didn’t want.

“Anything new going on around here?” he asked.

“Cassie informed me this morning that she’s going to hire on another ranch hand or two,” Adam said.

“I hope it’s somebody who fits well with all of us,” Sawyer replied.

“We could definitely use more help around here,” Mac added.

“But it’s good news for all of us that she’s hiring on somebody,” Tony replied. “That implies that she intends to stick around here.”

Since the moment the New York artist had taken over the ranch, the fear had been that Cassie would sell it and displace all the men who had called it their home for so many years.

The ranch wasn’t just their home—the men had also formed a family unit based on common pasts and a fierce loyalty to each other that had been branded into them by the tough, but loving, Cass Holiday.

“I still can’t get a feel for if she intends to stay here forever or eventually sell the place and head back to New York,” Adam replied.

“Have you gotten a feel for anything else about her?” Clay asked with a teasing glint in his eyes.

A flush of color rose up in Adam’s cheeks. “Cassie and I have a strictly professional relationship.”

“Who are you kidding? We all know you have the hots for her. When are you going to get up the nerve and ask her out?” Sawyer asked.

“When I feel like the time is right,” Adam replied curtly. He turned to look at Tony. “Have you spoken to Chief Bowie today?”

“Yeah, I saw him right after noon in the café.” A touch of anger stirred in him as he remembered the encounter with the men from the Humes place.

“Did he mention to you that they’ve identified one of the skeletons that was found here?”

Tony sat up straighter in the chair. “No, in fact I asked him if there was anything new on the case and he told me there wasn’t.”

“He must have gotten this news after he saw you,” Adam replied. “He was here at dinnertime asking if anyone remembered a fifteen-year-old boy named Tim Hankins.”

Tony frowned. “We’ve all told him over and over again that there were no other boys here other than the twelve of us.”

“Well, apparently Tim Hankins was here at one time or another, since his bones were found under the shed and his skull was the one Dusty fished out of the pond,” Clay replied.

Tony’s blood chilled as he remembered the day Dusty had brought his girlfriend, Trisha, and her young son to the pond for a day of fishing fun only to have it tainted by the gruesome catch.

When the bones had initially been dug up and studied by Dr. Patience Forbes, it had been discovered that a skull and finger bones were absent. Dusty had found the skull in the pond, but the finger bones had yet to be found.

“Was he a lost boy, too?” Tony asked.

Adam nodded. “According to Dillon he was a runaway from Tulsa.”

“I wonder how he got here from Tulsa,” Tony said.

“I wonder who killed him and all those others with an ax or a meat cleaver to the back of their heads,” Sawyer replied in a darkly somber tone.

The men were all silent for several long moments and Tony knew they were thinking about the seven boys who had been murdered right here on the property so many years ago.

The worst part of it all was the thread of suspicion that had been planted among the men who had basically grown up together, the men Tony considered his brothers. Everyone knew that Dillon suspected one of them of being the potential killer.

Tony had no idea what the others thought, but he couldn’t believe any of the other men who worked on the Holiday ranch were capable of such a heinous act. He definitely didn’t want to believe it.

“Did Dillon talk to Francine Rogers about him?” Tony asked. Francine had been a close friend of Cass’s and was the social worker who had brought all the boys to the Holiday ranch for a chance at a new life.

“I asked him that and he said Francine has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has no real memories or notes from fifteen years ago,” Adam replied.

Tony sighed in frustration. Everyone wanted this solved to lift the pall that had settled over the ranch since the skeletons had been found.

“I think it’s time for me to call it a night,” Adam said and got up from his chair.

“Yeah, me, too. Morning comes early.” Mac stood from the sofa and grabbed his guitar.

Clay and Tony followed them out of the building and then Adam locked the door. Cord Cully, aka Cookie, would open the dining room door again in the morning when he came in to fix them all their morning meal.

They talked about chores for the next day as they went around the building and then each of them disappeared into their respective rooms.

Tony walked into his and spied a yellow baby blanket that must have fallen out of the suitcase before he’d packed it up to take it to Mary. It was a bright splash of sunshine against his dark brown bedspread.

He picked it up and then sat on the edge of his bed and thought about the baby who might or might not be his. He couldn’t quite believe Amy had gotten pregnant by him, although he supposed she could have lied to him about being on the pill and it wasn’t unheard of for a condom to break.

He’d never wanted to be a father, but if Joey was his, then Tony would man up and try to be a decent parent. It was the right thing to do.

What he didn’t want was in any way to get attached to him without knowing the truth. Amy could reappear at any moment and confess to him that the baby wasn’t his. She could snatch him away and Tony would never see him again.

First thing in the morning he’d make an appointment to take Joey into Dr. Rivers’s for a checkup, and while he was there, he’d have the doctor do a DNA test.

The odds were Amy would be back long before the test results ever came in, but at least Tony would have the peace of mind in knowing the truth.

If he didn’t hear anything from Amy by Tuesday night, then first thing Wednesday morning he’d have a talk with Dillon and see if he knew a private investigator who worked the Oklahoma City area.

He folded the baby blanket and placed it next to his hat and his gun and holster on the top of the chest of drawers, then took off his clothes and got into bed.

He stared up at the dark ceiling as his mind worked to process everything that had happened since the night before, when the frantic knock had sounded at his door.

An unusually high level of adrenaline had gotten him through the day and now his body relaxed into the familiar mattress as a wave of exhaustion overtook him.

He closed his eyes and was almost asleep when a disturbing thought stabbed through his brain. He hadn’t mentioned Amy’s parting words to Mary.

Protect him from evil.

* * *

“You are such a happy baby,” Mary said to Joey as she changed him into a clean white T-shirt and a pair of tiny jeans. Joey gurgled and cooed and then laughed in response.

Tony had called earlier to tell her that he’d made a four-thirty appointment with Dr. Rivers to give the baby a checkup. It was now four fifteen and she expected Tony to arrive at any moment.

First thing that morning Mary had gotten on her computer and printed off a sample sleep-and-feeding schedule for a three-month-old. None of them knew for sure exactly how old Joey was, but according to everything she had read he was doing things that a three-to four-month-old would do.

Halena had laughed at her for needing a piece of paper to take care of a baby, but Mary hadn’t been around many babies before and certainly had never been in charge of one. Even though this was a temporary arrangement, she didn’t want to screw things up.

She scooped up Joey from her bed and went into the kitchen, where Halena was on dinner duty for the night. Ground beef, onions and spices simmered in a skillet. “Hmm, something smells good.”

“Enchilada pie and it will be ready around five thirty,” Halena said and picked up a wooden spoon to stir the meat.

“That should be perfect,” Mary replied. “Tony should be back from the appointment by then.” She was unsurprised by Halena’s choice of a dish. Halena loved Mexican food as much as she loved action movies, and on the nights she cooked, the fare was always from south of the border.

A knock sounded on the door. “That should be Tony,” Mary said. Just knowing she was going to see him danced a bit of shimmering light through her, a light she didn’t want to shine at all.

She opened the door and Joey laughed and leaned out of her arms toward him. “Whoa,” she said and tightened her grip around his sturdy little body. “Hi, Tony. I know you need to get to the doctor’s office. The car seat is in the spare room if you want to get it.”

“I’ll just go grab it.” He swept by her and she caught the scent of minty soap and the pleasant cologne she’d noticed the day before.

He returned with the car seat in hand. “I’ll carry him out,” she said.

He stared at her, his dark eyes radiating both surprise and a touch of alarm. “You aren’t coming with me?”

“I hadn’t planned on it. Tony, I’m just the babysitter,” she reminded him.

“Of course,” he replied.

She carried Joey out to his truck, where he secured the car seat in the back of the king cab. “You’ll be fine,” she said as she handed Joey to him and watched as he buckled in the boy. “And dinner will be ready when you get back here. I hope you like Mexican. Grandmother made an enchilada pie.”

He nodded. “Sounds terrific. I’ll see you in a little while.” He got into the truck and pulled out of the driveway.

“It was a good decision for you not to go,” Halena said when Mary returned to the house. “It’s important for you to remember your place in all this.”

“I know.” Mary sank down in a chair at the table. “But it’s difficult to maintain distance when Joey is so beautiful and happy and obviously bright.”

“And he’ll be gone before too long.”

Mary eyed her grandmother with a touch of amusement. “But didn’t I see you leaning over his playpen at nap time whispering to him?”

Halena frowned. “You shouldn’t be spying on an old woman.”

Mary laughed and then sobered. “Don’t worry, I’m very aware that this is all temporary. In a couple of days things will be back to normal.”

Halena grinned at her, the familiar wicked twinkle in her eyes. “Normal has never had a place in our home.”

Mary laughed again and then together they made a big salad to go with the evening meal. Talk of Tony and the baby was replaced by conversation about the craft fair that was approaching far too quickly.

It was five fifteen when there was a knock at the door once again. Tony was back and Joey was asleep in the car seat. “He got a clean bill of health,” he said in obvious relief. “And I had Dr. Rivers do a paternity test.”

“How long does it take to get the results back?” Mary asked. How she wished being in his presence didn’t free more than a few butterflies to whirl around in her stomach. This whole arrangement would be easier if she didn’t find Tony so darned attractive.

“Four to six weeks,” he replied. “No matter what happens with Amy, I need to know if I’m his father.”

“Of course you do. Now, come into the kitchen. Grandmother has dinner ready to go on the table.”

He followed her into the kitchen, where Halena already sat in her chair. “I can tell by the light in your eyes that things went well at the doctor’s,” she said to Tony. “I could have told you there was nothing wrong with that child. His eyes are clear and his spirit is eager to embrace life.”

Tony nodded and sat down. “Dr. Rivers assured me of the same thing.”

Halena nodded. “The leaves on the trees told me the baby was fine. The tree leaves often tell me important things.”

Tony nodded and shot a quick, uncertain glance at Mary. She simply smiled. If he was around for any length of time, then he would quickly learn Halena’s quirks.

He eyed the food on the table. “It looks like Mary isn’t the only one who knows her way around a kitchen. Everything looks delicious.”

“Praise will get you nowhere with me,” Halena replied, but Mary could tell her grandmother was pleased.

What pleased Halena even more was that Tony was a movie buff, too. He told them that sometimes in the evenings the men at the ranch all gathered in the recreation room and watched DVDs until bedtime.

Mary listened in amusement as the two talked about failed plots, silly characters and unrealistic action scenes in some of the movies they’d both watched.

For the first time she saw Tony completely animated. The spark in his eyes and the wide smile that curved his lips drew her in. She shouldn’t enjoy looking at him so much, and she definitely shouldn’t be enjoying his company.

“Those kick-butt heroines they have in some of the movies today don’t have anything over this old woman,” Halena said. “I can use my broom as a lethal weapon against marauding raccoons and other wild animals. My shotgun stays next to my bed and I can hit anything I aim at.”

She turned to look at Mary. “Maybe I need to get me a pair of those stiletto heels that actresses wear in the movies.”

Mary looked at her in horror. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea, Grandmother. You rock your flip-flops and tennis shoes just fine.”

Halena lifted her chin proudly. “I rock everything I wear just fine.”

Dinner finished and, as if on cue, Joey cried out, ready for his bottle. While Mary cleaned up the dishes, Tony prepared a bottle and went into the living room and Halena went to her room to write her evening blog.

It would be easy to fall into a crazy fantasy of a strong, handsome male taking care of the baby in the evenings while Mary attended to the dinner dishes.

It would be far too easy to imagine the two of them tucking the baby into bed for the night and then going into their own bedroom to make love and sleep in each other’s arms.

Once upon a time Mary had entertained those kinds of dreams, but over the years they had been stolen from her by a ravaging disease and bitter life experiences.

She couldn’t fall into any sort of romantic fantasies. It would be foolish, and Mary was no fool. She knew who and what she was and it was nothing any man would ever want.

When she went into the living room, Tony had finished with the bottle and Joey was ready for a little playtime. She took the blanket from the back of the sofa and spread it on the floor and then put the boy down with a few of his toys in front of him.

“He doesn’t seem to miss Amy,” Tony said. Joey raised his head and looked at Tony, then grinned and released a string of jabber along with a bit of drool.

“He also seems to have bonded pretty quickly to you.” She sat down next to him on the sofa. “What made you decide you didn’t want children?” she asked curiously. He was a young, vital man who appeared to have all the qualities that would make a wonderful father.

“I don’t want to get married. That’s one reason why I never wanted kids. I also didn’t have a father when I was growing up, so I had no role model to know how to do it right. What about you? Are you close to your parents?”

She had a feeling he’d changed the focus from him to her intentionally. “My mother died of breast cancer when I was eight and then my father was killed in a car accident when I was nine. Halena raised me and she’s been like a mother and a father to me.”

“And now you’re raising her,” he replied.

She laughed. “Don’t let her hear you say that.” She sobered. “It’s the way it’s supposed to be. Our parents teach us to use a spoon to eat and how to walk and as they age into their twilight years it’s our turn to help them use a spoon and to walk. It’s a circle of love.”

He gazed back at Joey, a muscle ticking in his strong jawline. “He’s so small and helpless.”

“He’s like a blank page waiting to be written on,” she said softly. “If you’re his father, then what will you write in his book of life?”

Before he could reply, Halena came into the room and Joey fell back asleep for a quick nap. The rest of the evening passed quickly as Halena took center stage and entertained Tony with stories about her interactions with her blog readers.

“People just get crazy when they go on social media,” she said. “They post pictures and say things they’d never talk about in real life. It’s quite a strange phenomenon.”

“I don’t do social media,” Tony replied. “I don’t think any of us men at the ranch even own one of those smartphones. As far as I’m concerned, my phone is for calls and nothing else.” He frowned. “I wonder if Amy does social media.”

“She used to have a Facebook page,” Mary replied. She got up from the sofa and grabbed her laptop from the top of the nearby small desk. She sat back down next to Tony and powered it on.

As she logged in, he scooted closer to her side, so close that his thigh pressed against hers, so close that her heartbeat quickened and once again she felt as if she wasn’t getting quite enough oxygen.

“Hopefully she’s posted something that will give us some answers as to where she might be now,” he said.

Mary clicked on the site and then pulled up Amy’s page. There was the familiar picture of her friend, but there was also a notice that if she wanted to see any personal information about Amy she had to send a friend request.

“She must have unfriended me at some point in time,” Mary said with a sigh of disappointment.

“Why would she do that?” he asked, obvious frustration in his voice.

Mary shut down her computer and rose once again, needing to distance herself from his intimate proximity. “She’s done it before in the past. Whenever she goes off the deep end and starts using drugs again, she cuts off all contact with me.”

“Amy is by nature a people pleaser, and when she is doing things she knows Mary disapproves of, she hides,” Halena said.

Tony stared down at Joey. “She told me to protect him from evil.”

“Perhaps that evil is Amy herself,” Mary replied.

“Drugs are the real evil that destroys people’s lives,” Halena replied. “She brought him to you because she obviously knew she wasn’t fit to have him.”

“What am I going to do if she’s never fit, if she’s never in a place to be a healthy mother to him?” Tony looked at Halena and then at Mary.

“Then you have to be the rock in his life. No matter what your feelings were about having children before, you have to step up and embrace your fatherhood,” Halena said as she stood from the chair. “A good warrior takes care of what is his. You have the beautiful hair of a warrior, but the real question is do you have a warrior’s heart? Now, I’m going to bed.”

“Grandmother sometimes speaks in lectures,” Mary said once Halena had left the room.

“It’s okay,” he assured her. “So did Cass Holiday. She used to say even grown men needed a lecture from a woman every once in a while.”

“You miss her,” she said. She sank down in the chair Halena had vacated.

“We all do. She was the mother none of us had ever had.”

She wanted to ask him more questions. She’d like to know how he had come to be on the Holiday ranch, where his mother and father were and so much more. But he stood abruptly.

“It’s getting late. I should probably head back to the ranch. Do you want me to give Joey another bottle or change him or anything before I go?”

I’d like you to kiss me before you leave. The inappropriate thought stunned her as it unexpectedly leaped into her brain. She jumped up from the chair. “No, we’re fine. I can take it from here.”

She suddenly wanted him gone. He needed to take his gorgeous self away from her. She didn’t want to smell the clean male scent of him, she didn’t want to fall into the depths of his beautiful dark eyes.

This whole situation was crazy and something about Tony Nakni was making her more than just a little bit crazy. She walked him to the door, and when they reached it, he turned back to look at her. “Mary, I have to confess, I’m enjoying this time in your home.”

His gaze held a spark of something forbidden, a heat that beckoned her to move closer to him. She consciously took a step backward. “That’s nice. Good night, Tony. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Whatever she’d seen in his eyes vanished, making her wonder if she’d really seen it at all. “Okay, then I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” he replied.

She released a deep sigh and closed the door behind him. She leaned her head against the wood, momentarily overwhelmed with a piercing grief that felt new and raw even though she’d been through it before.

You will never be a wife and you’ll never be a mother. Never again will you enjoy being held in a man’s arms and being kissed until you’re mindless. You can’t even be a man’s hit-it-and-quit-it kind of fling.

The painful inner voice whispered the words to her, reminding her that even though there had been a hint of desire for her in Tony’s eyes, she would never be anything to him except a temporary babysitter. She would never be anything to any man.

She was simply too damaged to repair.

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