A Texas Hero

“Yeah. And there’s a bunch burning my tongue right now. What was Ethan doing at a bank? He didn’t say anything about stopping. He was anxious to get home to Kelsey.”

“We don’t have any answers yet, but...” Ross’s cell rang. He stood as he talked. Closing his phone, he said, “Gotta go. A white van was identified on the security cameras. I want to be with the SWAT team when they make contact with the owner.”

“I’ll call you later, Walt.” Levi followed Ross to the door.

“Just bring my son home safe.”

“Ethan’s been kidnapped?” Kelsey asked from the hall doorway.

Walt had to blink every time he looked at his granddaughter. Long black hair hung around her face. Dyed black hair. That crazy mother of hers let the child dye her hair with a purple streak. Her T-shirt and jeans were black, as were her fingernails and toenails. It felt like an alien had been dropped among them.

Levi took a step toward her. “We’ll do everything we can to find him.”

“Like I care.” She turned on her heel and marched back to her room, slamming the door.

Walt pointed a finger at Levi. “Find Ethan and bring him home. My patience is wearing about as thin as the hair on my head.”

“Try not to worry,” Levi told him.

“Yeah. That’s what the bobcat said to the chicken right before he took a big bite.”

“I’ll call as soon as I know anything.”

Walt went out the back door to the wood deck Ethan had built for Kelsey, complete with a barbecue pit and lawn furniture so she could have friends over. He’d also installed a trampoline. Kelsey never used any of them. She stayed locked in her room watching vampire movies. He’d always wanted a grandchild, but he never dreamed it would be like this.

He sank into a cushioned redwood chair and buried his face in his hands. His boy had to come home. And then he did something he hadn’t done in a long time. He prayed.

* * *

ABBY FOLLOWED ETHAN’S rigid back through the woods. Her sweat-soaked body ached, but she trudged on, determined not to slow them down. She hoped her dad wasn’t too worried. He’d had a spell with his heart a few months ago and she didn’t want it to turn into something more. Dealing with Doug wasn’t going to be easy. He’d demand to take Chloe, if only to show the world he was a good father and to prove Abby was inept as a mother.

Her game plan of the morning had changed drastically. Doug would appear all concerned but he would use the morning’s events against her when it came to custody of Chloe. Her job was dangerous; he’d said that so many times, especially since there had been a rash of bank robberies lately.

She’d been a vice president in the corporate offices of the Bauman bank. When she had Chloe, she’d stayed at home to be a mom. Even after the divorce was final, Doug continually pleaded for her to come back to her old job where it was safe, but she stuck to her guns of being independent and on her own. Being a teller was a long way from her cushy job.

Instead of thinking of the past, she concentrated on the man ahead of her. He really went out of his way to be rude. Why would he do that? She’d read somewhere that victims often fell in love with their rescuers. That was one concern he didn’t have to worry about. She wasn’t in the mood to fall in love, especially with a hard-ass like him.

She couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in his life to make him so harsh and disillusioned about women. In that area they had a lot in common. She wasn’t sure if she knew what love was anymore.

God, she was so thirsty. And hot. When was he going to stop? No sooner than the thought had left her mind, he stopped, and, of course, she ran into him.

“Oh.” She stepped back. “You startled me.” His back was like a wall of steel. She’d never touched anything that powerful, and she was really glad he was on her side. Or, at least, she thought he was. Sometimes it was difficult to tell.

“Time for a break,” he said and slid to the ground beneath a huge oak. He sat, his back against the tree, his arms by his sides, his legs outstretched—totally at rest.

“How far do you think we’ve walked?” she asked, sitting beside him.

“Maybe two miles.”

“And nothing but more woods.”

“Yep.”

“This is frustrating.”

“Yep.”

“Do you think our families have been notified?”

“Yep.”

She gritted her teeth and immediately stopped when she realized how bad her jaw hurt. “Can’t you say something besides yep?”

“Nope.”

He was one cantankerous man. “It’s just you and me out here. You could be a little more cordial.”

“This isn’t a party.” He turned his head and she looked into his dark, dark eyes. It was like staring into the darkest of nights and seeing nothing, but feeling the power all around her. Fear. Frustration. Warmth.

She had to search deep to find the warmth, but it was there. And if she looked long enough she felt she’d find that Ethan James was a soft cuddly puppy inside—all warm and loving. A side this hard-nosed cop never showed to anyone.

“Some woman really did a number on you.” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken the words out loud until she heard them coming out of her mouth.

“Yep.”

She laughed and it startled her. She didn’t think she had any laughter left in her.

His eyes narrowed. “You find that funny?”

“Yep,” she replied in his stern, husky voice.

The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly, but she saw it.

“You know you’re not the only one who has had their heart stomped on.”

“Listen, lady...”

“You keep calling me lady even though I’ve asked you not to. Somehow you feel if you say my name it makes our relationship personal. Let me tell you something, we’ve been through a bank robbery and barely escaped with our lives. That’s personal and frightening and anything else you want to tag on to it, but if you think I’m going to fall madly in love with you because of it, you better think again, Mr. Hard As Nails. I’ve had one jerkface in my life and I’m not looking for another.”

“Are you through?”

“No. If you keep yepping me, I’m gonna yep you right back.”

He stared at her and she stared back. “I can’t imagine anyone taking advantage of you, with your fiery tongue.”

“I was very naive back then. Did your mother ever read fairy tales to you?”

“What?”

“Fairy tales. Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty?”

“Hell, no.”

“You’re lying, Ethan James.”

“Well, yeah, she read me stories like Cowboy Billy and horse ones. I didn’t pay attention to the others.”

“I did. I dreamed of one day finding my prince. He’d be handsome, charming, compassionate, have a great sense of humor and high values and morals. We’d fall madly in love, get married and live happily ever after on Fairy Tale Lane.” She stuck a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. “I can’t believe I was that stupid but, sadly, I was a clone of millions of women looking for a prince and ending up with a big toad.”

“He cheated on you?”

“Yeah, but not with his heart. Only his body.”

“That’s an old line.”

“Oh, Doug has hundreds.”

“How did you find out?”

“Quite unexpectedly. Since Doug is an executive in his dad’s banking empire, he travels a lot. He’d returned from a four-day weekend in Florida and he was exhausted. He said it was business meeting after business meeting. The next day I was scrapbooking some of Chloe’s baby pictures into an album and I ran out of paper. I went online to order it because I knew they didn’t have it at the store. I’d already looked.”

She lifted her wet hair from her hot neck and prayed for a breeze to cool the heated emotions churning in her. But the air was still and blistering in the woods.

“I had two emails from someone I didn’t know, and usually I would just delete them, but for some reason I opened the first one and received the shock of my life. It was a video of my husband and a woman who works in his office. They were naked and having sex. I sat in a stupor and opened the other one, which was more of the same. I downloaded it to a flash drive and my phone. I then packed my clothes and Chloe’s and left. I drove to the bank and withdrew a large sum of money from our checking account. My dad is also in banking so I went to his bank and asked him to deposit the money in his name so the Baumans couldn’t touch it.”

She drew a long breath. “I left Chloe with Dad and went back to the Bauman bank. I delivered the flash drive to Doug, told him my lawyer would be in touch and not to call me or try to get in touch.”

“Your marriage was over just like that?”

“No. It was a god-awful year before it was over. The judge ordered counseling and the Baumans got involved, begging me to forgive Doug’s one-time lapse. They wanted me to think of Chloe and how much Doug loved us.”

“You didn’t bend under the pressure?”

“No. The moment I saw Doug on my computer screen with that woman, he killed whatever love I had for him.”

“People do make mistakes. Maybe he regrets his lapse.”

She studied the strong lines of his face. “Are you kidding me?”

“You loved him until you saw the video. Anger has just clouded your feelings.”

She scooted to her knees beside him. “So, cheating is just something men do. It’s part of their nature. Women should overlook it. The poor soul couldn’t help himself.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Oh, I think you did, Mr. Everything Goes Tom Cat.”

“Listen, lady...”

“Abby.”

“Could you please shut up? We need to conserve our energy.”

“Fine.” She scooted back against the tree. “I don’t want to talk to someone like you, anyway.”

Nothing was a said for a few minutes. Abby wasn’t so hot or tired anymore. She was just mad at his pompous attitude. She didn’t end her marriage because she was hurt. Their marriage vows had been irrevocably broken. She could never trust Doug again and without trust they had nothing.

Then it hit her. She turned to look at the stoic macho male beside her. “You cheated on your wife, didn’t you?”

“I’ve never been married,” he said without even looking at her. “But I have a kid.”

“Oh.” All types of scenarios whizzed through her head.

“I thought you were going to be quiet.”

“I lied,” she replied tongue-in-cheek. “Women do that. It’s in our nature.”

“I know.”

The way he said that gave her pause. Those two words echoed with a lot of hurt and pain. “Who lied to you?”

He turned to her, his eyes fever-dark and she felt dizzy at all the emotions she saw there. “Abby...”

“Yes, Abby. That’s not so hard, is it?”

“I liked it better when you were mad at me.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “That can change at any minute.”

“Yep.”

She poked him in the ribs. “Don’t start that.” She stood on her knees again and leaned back on her heels. “Tell me about the woman who lied to you.”

* * *

ETHAN WOULD HAVE sworn on a stack of Bibles that he would never talk about his past, especially to the most aggravating woman in the world, but before he knew it, words tumbled from his mouth.

“I was in the Marines and home on leave. When I returned to the San Diego base, I still had a couple of days left before reporting for duty. My buddy and I decided to have a fun weekend before shipping out to Afghanistan. We hooked up with two girls in a bar. Unfortunately, my date was Sheryl Winger. Two months later I got a letter from her. I don’t know how she got my address, but she did. She was pregnant and wanted money. What she really wanted was to have my check mailed to her. That didn’t fly. I did send her money and told her I would take care of the baby.”

“She gave you the child?”

“Not exactly. I sent her money for three months and then I got a letter saying she’d made a mistake. The baby wasn’t mine. I was happy to be off the hook and swam away without giving it another thought. I told my commander about it though and he said it was a scheme to get my check. There really wasn’t a baby.”

“But there was?”

“Oh, yeah. About ten years later I heard from her again. She wanted ten years of child support. I wanted a DNA test.”

“The child was yours?”

“Yep. By then I’d hired a killer attorney and Sheryl received no money and I got full custody of Kelsey. Except Sheryl disappeared with Kelsey. When she knew the cops were closing in, she dumped Kelsey on my doorstep with one suitcase. In front of Kelsey, she said I could have the smart-mouthed kid.”

“How awful.”

“I did a background check on Sheryl and she’d used Kelsey in several attempts to extort money from marines. Kelsey stayed with Sheryl’s mother until she passed away. Kelsey was nine then. The kid has had it pretty rough and is filled with so much anger. I’m not sure I did her any favors by fighting for her.” He got to his feet. “We have to move on.”

“Ethan, I’m so sorry.”

“Yeah. Everybody is. Let’s go.” He was tired of talking. It served no purpose but to dredge up his own anger.

She fell into step beside him. “I understand your attitude toward women a little better.”

“I don’t need you to understand me. I need you to follow orders so we can find our way back to our families. Do you think you can handle that?”

He walked off, leaving her with her mouth gaping open. But he didn’t care. If not for her, he would be home with his daughter.

Then Abby Bauman would be dead.

The thought splintered through his hard demeanor and shook his resolve. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He wasn’t sure why that was so important. For now, though, they had to work together to survive.

* * *

EVERETT MADE PEANUT BUTTER and jelly sandwiches for lunch. It was Chloe’s favorite. Gayle cut up fruit, even though he hadn’t asked her to. They hadn’t spoken since the morning, and she never did go shopping. All he could think about was his daughter. He and Gayle would talk later.

“Time for a nap, sweetiepie.”

Chloe rubbed her eyes. “You have to read to me, Grandpa. Mommy does.”

“Okay. Let’s get one of your books.” He carried her into the den and rummaged through the bag Abby had left. A Disney Princess book was on top. Abby and her prince books. She’d always loved them. He often wished he’d talked to his daughter more about the real world. But she had a good head on her shoulders, and he knew she’d choose a husband wisely. He thought she had until Doug showed his true colors.

He cradled Chloe close and opened the book, but his granddaughter was already asleep. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her down the hall to a guest bedroom and placed her on the bed with Baby in her arms. He laid an afghan over her. The air-conditioning was chilly.

“Shouldn’t you put some pillows around her?” Gayle asked from the doorway. “She might roll off the bed.”

“I can take care of my granddaughter,” he replied shortly and walked past her.

“Why are you so mean to me?” She followed him.

He turned to face her. “Gayle, I’m worried out of my mind about Abby and I’m not in a mood to argue with you.”

“Everett.” She stroked his arm. “I’m worried about her, too. I’m sorry if I sounded crass earlier.”

Before he could respond, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”

Doug stood on the doorstep in white shorts and a yellow-and-white golf shirt. He removed his sunglasses, hooked them on the front of his shirt and stepped inside. “Hi, Everett. I’m here to pick up Chloe.” From his sunny attitude Everett knew he hadn’t heard about Abby. And why hadn’t he? It was on the news, the internet, everywhere.

“What makes you think Chloe is here?”

“Abby always brings her to you.”

“When you pull a no-show.”

“I had a meeting. I told Abby that.”

“Yes. At seven-fifteen this morning. The exact time you were to pick up Chloe. I’ve been a banker for a lot of years and if you had a meeting this morning, on a Saturday, you knew about it yesterday or the day before.”

“Damn it, Everett. If she would take the damn settlement, she wouldn’t have to work. If she would forgive me, we could be a family again. I’ve apologized until I’m blue in the face and I’m in counseling, but Abby refuses to give me a second chance.”

“So you use manipulative tricks to bend her to your will.”

Doug frowned. “I don’t have to explain anything to you. Where’s my daughter?”

“You don’t know, do you?”

“What?”

“Abby’s bank was robbed this morning.”

“What?”

“The bank was robbed. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it.”

“I haven’t.” His cool facade slipped a little. “So Abby’s here, too? Is she resting?”

“Doug, Abby was taken as a hostage.”

“What?” Color drained from Doug’s suntanned face.

“The police have identified a white van that was used in the robbery. It belongs to a Calvin Williams of Austin. He said he loaned it to his son, Devon. The van was located in Houston, but there’s been no sign of the robbers or Abby.”

“Oh, my God.” Doug ran his hands through his hair. “Have you told Chloe?”

“Of course not. She’s too little to understand.”

“She needs to be with me. Where is she?”

“You’re not taking her. Abby’s last words were for me not to let you have her.”

“That’s insane. I’m her father.”

“Still, she stays here until Abby returns.”

“You’re crazy, Everett. I’m taking my daughter.” Doug pushed past him and headed for the hall doorway.

Gayle stood there with one of his golf irons in her hands. “You better leave, Doug, unless you want a really bad headache.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Try me.”

“Fine.” He held up his hands. “I’ll be back with a policeman and you’ll have to give her to me.” He turned on his heel and slammed out the front door.

Everett eased into his chair, his breathing shallow. “Call Holly and have her come get Chloe.”

“Why?”

“I think I’m having a heart attack.”

CHAPTER FOUR

ABBY COULDN’T GO ON. Her sweaty clothes clung to her body. Her muscles ached and her skin felt on fire. Dragging hot air into her weak lungs made her dizzy. She sank to her knees.

“E-than” came out as a croak.

He swung around. “Hey, you okay?”

“I have to rest a couple of minutes.” She crawled through the leaves and dirt to a tree and leaned against it, praying for a breeze, something to grant a reprieve from the god-awful heat.

“Sure. I’m just going to check things out.”

Check things out? Was he nuts? It was trees and more trees, bushes, dirt, leaves and brittle dried grass. The scenery was monotonous and boring. And deadly. The word shot across her brain with chilling foreboding. She scooted up closer to the tree, the bark cutting into her back. She would not give up this easily.

Ethan was some distance away, gazing at the dried grass, and then he glanced toward the sky. What was he doing? Evidently searching for the van tracks. But what was in the sky? He suddenly strolled toward her with long strides. He didn’t even seem tired. Whatever exercise program he was on, it worked. His clothes and hair were also sweaty, but he wasn’t gasping for breath. The man had stamina. He was probably one of those guys who could make love all night long.

Now, where had that thought come from? Obviously she was losing it.

He plopped down by her. “Better?”

“No. I’m thirsty and tired.” She turned her head to stare at him. His dark hair was plastered to his head like a wet cap. A complacent expression etched across the rawboned lines of his face. “Why aren’t you tired?”

“I am. I just don’t whine about it.”

“If I had any strength, I’d smack you.”

“Save all that indignation for walking.”

“Okay, Ethan James.”

“Don’t say my name like that.”

“How?”

“Condescending.”

“Then don’t be rude to me.”

He groaned and pushed up against the tree. “Could you please be quiet for a few minutes?”

“If you ask nicely.”

“Whatever.” He leaned back his head and closed his eyes.

With his features relaxed, he was actually quite handsome. Sort of had a Noah Wyle from Falling Skies appeal. And she had to stop thinking about him. She turned her thoughts to her dad and Chloe. Hopefully, her dad was coping. Under stress, his blood pressure tended to shoot through the roof. But Gayle would be there to keep a close eye on him.

Had they told Chloe? She’d just turned three and she would be asking for her mommy. Her stomach cramped at the thought of her baby’s distress. Don’t worry, Chloe. Mommy will come home.

Doug was probably there by now and had whisked their daughter away. She hoped he used some discretion if he told her about the bank robbery. Chloe was his daughter and he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She had to keep telling herself that.

She lifted her foot to look at her shoes. Her Manolo Blahniks were coated with dirt and ruined.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Looking at my last big expense before the divorce.”

He leaned forward. “I never understood women’s obsession with shoes.”

She stared directly at him. “And I’ll never understand a man’s obsession with his truck.”

He frowned. “That’s different. I use my truck for transportation.”

“These shoes were made for walking.” She lifted her shoe higher. “And that’s what I do in them.”

“It’s not the same thing,” he stressed. “That’s like comparing apples to oranges.”

“No. It’s like comparing a Granny Smith apple to a Red Delicious. And in case you’re wondering I’m Red Delicious and you’re a tart Granny Smith.”

He just stared at her with an irritated expression.

“Okay.” She turned to face him. “How do you feel when you get in that big ol’ truck?”

“What?” His irritation intensified.

“You probably feel in control. Confident. As if you can take on the world.”

“I think the heat’s getting to you.”

She ignored the snide remark. “When I put on these shoes—” she lifted one so he could see the classy, if dirty, little bow “—I feel pretty. Confident. And ready to take on the world.” She paused. “See? Same thing.”

He shook his head. “Does anyone ever get anything past you?”

“No. So stop trying.” She relaxed against the tree feeling as if she’d scored a point with the hard-nosed cop. Neither said anything for the next few minutes. The woods were quiet. An occasional rustling but nothing else.

“What time do you think it is?” she asked.

He raised his left wrist. “Damn. I can’t believe I didn’t put my watch on this morning. It’s the first thing I do after my shower, but I was in a rush to get home. I gathered up my things and put them in the console of my truck.”

“Do you usually work nights?”

“No. My partner and I are working on a murder case and keeping an eye on a person of interest.”

“Who keeps your daughter?”

“My dad, and he’s not the most patient person. I promised Kelsey we’d spend the day together.”

Guilt weighed on her conscience. “Once she finds out what happened I’m sure she will understand.”

“No, she won’t.” He locked his arms around his knees. “She has a chip on her shoulder about the size of the Alamo. It will be just one more time an adult has let her down.”

“I’m sorry, Ethan.”

“Yeah, well, let’s get some rest.” He shrugged off her apology as if it meant nothing, and it probably didn’t. “I’m guessing it’s about four o’clock, the hottest part of the day. We’ll stay here for a while and then trek on.”

“What were you checking out earlier?”

“I lost the tire tracks. I don’t know if they turned right or left or drove straight ahead. It’s as if the tracks disappeared into thin air.”

“Why were you looking at the sky?”

“I was checking for power lines.”

“And?”

“There are none. Fences either.”

“And that means?”