Texas Ransom

Michael scowled. “This is none of my business, but we’ve been friends for a long time so I hope you won’t take my advice the wrong way. You need to cut Terrence some slack. The company’s going through a rough time, and he’s got a lot on his plate. That knock-down-drag-out you two had earlier didn’t help.”

Graham frowned. “What are you talking about? Hollister Motors has always been financially sound.” The company his father founded nearly forty years ago had given them all the kind of lifestyle most families could only dream of. Graham was well aware of the fact that his inheritance had allowed him to open his own architectural firm in Austin at a time when many of his contemporaries were still struggling to pay off school loans.

“And it will be again,” Michael said adamantly. “But there’s a lot of new competition for the kind of specialized engines we build, and to stay ahead of the game, we’ve got to become more innovative with our designs. Research and development is expensive. We need an infusion of cash right now, which is why Terrence is proposing selling off some of the family assets rather than incur more debt.”

“We own property besides Dad’s ranch. The downtown warehouses have got to be worth a small fortune.”

“Only if you hold out long enough to find the right buyer. Terrence already has someone interested in the ranch. These guys will fork over a check as soon as the papers are signed. We could have that money in a matter of days.”

“I’m not trying to be difficult about this, but—”

“But what?” Michael cut him off impatiently. “The deal makes sense and you know it. Hey, I like playing cowboy as much as the next guy, but we’re all adults now with busy lives. When’s the last time you drove out there?”

Graham couldn’t remember the last time. Still, he was hesitant. “Dad loved that ranch. I don’t feel right selling off something that he put his heart and soul into.”

“The ranch was a hobby at best. He put his heart and soul into Hollister Motors. He’d be all for this plan and you know it.” Michael’s gaze hardened. “The company needs that money. If you’re holding out just to spite your brother—”

“Give me a little more credit than that,” Graham said angrily. “I was blindsided this afternoon. I had no idea Terrence was even considering selling off assets, let alone the ranch. Maybe if I’d been given some warning instead of having papers shoved under my nose and ordered to sign, I might have been a little more agreeable.”

“He went about it the wrong way, no question. But what else is new? Terrence is a straightforward kind of guy. Forget how it was put to you. You’ve had time to mull it over, and you know what’s at stake if we don’t sell.”

“Why didn’t Terrence tell me all this himself?”

Michael drained his champagne and reached for another. “Because he’s as mule-headed as you are. And he probably didn’t want to admit that the company’s hit a rough spot. Not to you. Not after all this.” He turned toward the windows and gestured with his hand at the twinkling lights of the Houston skyline. “You’ve got it all, Graham. You’ve won. Now you can afford to be generous. Especially when it comes to family.”

Graham shoved his glasses up his nose as he studied the skyline. He didn’t feel as if he’d won anything. He’d busted his ass to get where he was today. And, yes, Hollister money had helped him get there faster, but he didn’t appreciate Michael’s implication that his success was the result of some kind of contest with his brother.

“I just wish someone had told me before now how bad things were at the company,” he muttered.

Michael glanced over at him. “Does that mean you’ll sign the papers?”

“Of course, I’ll sign. The company means a lot to our family.”

Michael let out a breath of relief. “We never had this conversation.”

Graham shrugged. “Fine. Then I guess you’ll want me to tell Terrence the news.”

“What news?”

Graham turned in surprise. He hadn’t expected his brother to show up tonight even though he and his wife, Ellie, had been issued invitations weeks ago.

Graham felt the same old pang of resentment he always experienced in his brother’s presence. Terrence was three years older, and, right up until Graham had turned eighteen, he’d been at least three inches taller. A late growing spurt had put Graham at eye level with his brother, but somehow he still had the impression of having to look up to him.

Growing up, Terrence had been everything that Graham was not. A star athlete with almost palpable charisma, he’d been big man on campus in both high school and college while Graham had been hardly more than his quiet, more intellectual shadow.

Terrence was just like their father and Graham had always envied their closeness. But no matter how hard he tried, there had always been a distance between him and the old man.

Rugged, handsome, and gregarious, Nate Hollister had been a real man’s man. He hadn’t known how to relate to a son who didn’t excel at sports and who spent most of his free time in his room studying and reading.

Graham swallowed past his resentment and smiled. “I’m glad you guys came tonight.”

“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Ellie stood on tiptoes to brush her lips against Graham’s cheek. “This place is amazing. I’ve watched it go up from the day the slab was poured, but seeing it now all lit up against the skyline and knowing that you designed it…” She trailed off with a shiver and held up her arm. “See? I’ve got goose bumps.”

Graham laughed and gave her a light hug. No matter how awkward and uncomfortable he often felt in his brother’s presence, Ellie had a way of making him relax. She was seven months pregnant with their third child and it obviously agreed with her. Her eyes and complexion glowed as she beamed up at him. Tiny and blond, she was still as lovely at thirty-eight as she had been back in high school when she and Terrence had been voted the most popular couple.

“I didn’t exactly do it on my own,” Graham said. “I had a little help.”

“It was still your vision. We’re all so proud of you. Aren’t we, Terry?”

His brother’s gaze didn’t quite meet Graham’s. “I’m just sorry Mom couldn’t be here tonight.”

“She’s where she needs be.” Their grandmother had fallen a few days earlier and broken a hip. Their mother, Audrey, had driven up to Lufkin to be with the older woman while she underwent surgery and physical therapy.

Michael placed his hand on Graham’s shoulder, a friendly reminder of their earlier conversation. “I need to mingle. I’ll see you later.”

After he was gone, Graham and Ellie chatted for a few minutes while Terrence watched the crowd with a brooding scowl. When there was a lull in the conversation, Graham said, “I’ve had time to think about our earlier discussion. I’d like to drop by and sign the papers in the morning before Kendall and I head back to Austin. That is, if you’ve got time to see me.”

Terrence’s gaze narrowed. “Are you sure you want to do this? Once those papers are signed, it’ll be a done deal. I don’t need you coming back in a few days accusing me of having railroaded you into this.”

“I’m sure,” Graham said, trying to tamp down a spurt of anger at his brother’s tone. “I don’t know why I was so resistant this afternoon. It just made me think of Dad—”

“Yeah, I know.”

Their gazes finally met, and for the first time in a long time, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Ellie, who was never one to allow a silence to grow awkward, slipped her arm through her husband’s. “I’m dying for a drink, honey, and I haven’t seen anything all night except champagne.” She patted her stomach. “Do you think you could find me a ginger ale?”

“Sure. Be right back.”

Once Terrence disappeared, Ellie moved closer to Graham. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You know for what.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, I should never have been so resistant.”

“And Terry shouldn’t have been so pushy. I know how he gets. Especially with you. He’s like a bulldozer.”

“It’s not just him. We rub each other the wrong way. Always have and probably always will.”

“That makes me so sad.”

Graham smiled. “Don’t let it get to you. It’s just the way things are.”

“But it shouldn’t be that way. You two are brothers. You should be closer. Especially now that—”

“Now that what?” Graham asked curiously.

She hesitated, her gaze scanning the crowd. “Now that you have a new niece or nephew on the way,” she murmured.

“I can still be a doting uncle, just like I am with Ashley and Caitlin.”

Ellie and Terrence’s two daughters were ten years apart. Ashley was fifteen going on thirty, a blue-eyed blonde who looked just like her delicate mother but with her father’s propensity for hell-raising. That she was causing Terrence the same kind of grief he’d put their mother through at the same age was completely lost on him. It was strange because when they’d been teenagers, Graham had never been able to relate to Terrence’s rebellion, but now he was often the one Ashley turned to for advice.

The younger girl, Caitlin, not only looked like her mother, but also had Ellie’s sweet disposition. Nothing ever seemed to faze the five-year-old, even the occasional scream fests between her father and older sister.

And now they had another one on the way. Graham loved his nieces dearly, but sometimes after they’d all been together for a holiday or birthday, he was left wondering if he was cut out to be a father. He hadn’t said anything to Kendall about his doubts, but he might have to because lately she’d been bringing up the subject of children a lot.

“Where’s Kendall?” Ellie asked as if reading his mind.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing. She went to powder her nose a little while ago and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Is she okay?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

Ellie hesitated. “We had lunch today and she seemed—I don’t know—quiet. She said she felt fine, but I thought she looked a little stressed.”

“She’s probably just worn herself out making all the arrangements for our trip.”

“Oh, yes, that trip.” Ellie sighed. “I’m so envious. What I wouldn’t give if Terry and I could get away for a whole month. But once you have kids, everything changes. I doubt we’ll be able to manage more than a weekend getaway for the next eighteen years.” She adjusted her beaded jacket over her stomach. “Sometimes I wonder what we were thinking. Then again…thinking had very little to do with it.” She paused with a chuckle. “You know, a trip like that…just the two of you…I wouldn’t be surprised if Kendall came home pregnant.”

Graham almost choked on his champagne.

She laughed again. “You’d better get used to the idea of being a daddy, Graham, because I think your lovely wife is ready. More than ready.”

Graham felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. Was that why Kendall had been so emotional recently? “She’s not…she didn’t tell you…”

“Listen to you stammer! She didn’t tell me she was pregnant, no. But I don’t know why you’re freaking out at the possibility. You’d be a terrific father.”

“Not every couple wants to have children,” Graham said with a scowl.

“That’s true. But I’m pretty sure Kendall does.”

“She said that?”

Ellie shrugged. “Not in so many words, but I can tell. It’s none of my business, of course…”

“Oh, come on,” Graham said dryly. “Since when has that ever stopped you?”

“True. Okay, I’ll just say it. Is everything okay between you two? Is there some reason why you don’t want to start a family just yet?”

“Everything’s fine. We’ve never been better. And maybe that’s what scares me,” Graham admitted. “Things are so good between us, I don’t want our relationship to change.”

“It could be a change for the better, you know. I may complain about being tied down, but I wouldn’t take anything for my girls. And Terrence…well, you know how he feels about them.”

“I’m not Terrence.”

“No, you’re not.” She gave him an amused look. “I wonder if I should tell you something.”

Graham groaned. “Why do I feel as if this conversation has led me straight into a minefield?”

“Relax. It doesn’t have anything to do with having babies.” Her blue eyes sparkled. “Did you know I used to have a little crush on you in high school?”

“Oh, right. Your boyfriend’s geeky younger brother.”

“You weren’t geeky. You were deep. And don’t think I didn’t notice how you looked in that football uniform.”

“How could you tell? I never got off the bench. Whereas Terrence—”

“Oh, your brother was something all right and I was crazy about him. But you had something special. A quiet kind of confidence that made me think you’d be the person I’d run to if I were ever in trouble. You still have that quality, Graham.”

He gave her a rueful look. “You give me far too much credit. Terrence is the hero type, not me.”

She reached up and patted his cheek. “That’s one of the things I’ve always adored about you. You’re totally oblivious to your appeal. Kendall is one very lucky woman. I hope she knows that.”

No, I’m the lucky one, Graham thought, his gaze returning to the crowd. And now if he could just find his wife, the evening would be perfect.

A LITTLE WHILE later, Graham finally spotted Kendall in the crowd. Her red dress stood out like a beacon amidst the sea of black tuxedoes and ball gowns, and his focus vectored in and lingered for the longest moment as he sipped his champagne and tried to hide a sudden impatience.

He would have preferred to do more than admire his wife from afar, but anything other than a smile would have to wait until they got back to the hotel.

He shifted restlessly as he continued to watch her. She was tall and elegant and so graceful she appeared to float through the room. Up close, the scars from the accident were still visible, but rather than detracting from her looks, the imperfections gave her a fragile, ethereal beauty that served to remind Graham of how fleeting life could be. How important it was to live each moment as though it were the last.

Ellie and Terrence had disappeared a few minutes ago, and now Graham stood alone and pensive. He’d lost his enthusiasm for the event and wondered when he and Kendall could slip away. It was all he could do to keep from glancing at his watch, but he told himself that he should just relax. After all, it wasn’t every day a man realized a lifelong dream.

As the architect on record for the project, Graham had been invited to say a few words to the crowd, but he’d declined so that the guest of honor—the Mexican ambassador to the United States—would have more time at the podium. Manuel Garza was just winding up his speech. He had close ties to PemCo Oil and had been a strong advocate of deregulating Mexico’s petroleum industry to allow in foreign investors. He’d seized the opportunity to stress the necessity of developing a regional energy program and cited the PemCo Tower as a symbolic merger of the two great neighbors. It was a gutsy speech, considering the protests back home.

As the ambassador began to close, Graham’s attention drifted to the windows and to the panoramic view of the city. Even now, standing at the very pinnacle of his dream, he could scarcely believe he’d accomplished what he had set out to do—make his mark on the skyline of his hometown.

As he’d told Ellie earlier, the accomplishment was not his alone. Austin-based Hollister and Associates had collaborated on the design with a larger architectural firm in Houston, as well as with the developer, builder and representatives from PemCo Oil.

Thousands of hours had gone into both the design and construction of the building, but all that was behind Graham now. When he walked out of the building tonight, his role in the project would be greatly diminished. He and Kendall would finally be able to enjoy the vacation they’d been talking about for years. A month-long adventure that would take them to Bora Bora, Hong Kong, Singapore and finally the Australian outback.

The tickets and itinerary, along with their passports, were tucked away in his desk drawer at home, their suitcases had been brought down from the attic and Kendall had been feverishly shopping for weeks.

From the parade of sundresses, shoes and sportswear that had been modeled in their bedroom night after night, the one thing that stood out in Graham’s memory was a certain turquoise bikini that made him anticipate even more keenly the long, luxurious days on a private island in the South Pacific that would launch the trip.

He could picture Kendall’s long, toned body stretched out on the sand, her skin warm and silky to his touch. The image was so vivid that Graham could almost smell the coconut oil, but the stirring of warmth in the lower part of his body was all too real. He needed to think about something else.

You know, a trip like that…just the two of you…I wouldn’t be surprised if Kendall came home pregnant.

His thoughts skidded to a halt as his sister-in-law’s prediction rushed through his head. How would he feel about that? Graham wondered. He’d never thought of himself as the paternal type, but deep down, he knew that wasn’t the real reason for his hesitancy.

After five years of marital bliss, he still harbored a secret doubt about his relationship with Kendall. What if she decided to leave him again?

His gaze went back to her. He couldn’t help it. He loved looking at her. But as she drifted closer, he noticed something he hadn’t been able to see from a distance. The anxious glitter in her dark eyes might have gone unnoticed if he hadn’t been watching her so closely. She was still smiling, but tension tightened the corners of her mouth and her fingers strayed to the gold necklace at her throat, a sure sign that she was upset.

She stopped for a moment, waylaid by someone Graham didn’t know, and as the man leaned in to make himself heard over the ambassador, Kendall’s gaze uneasily searched the room. Her eyes found Graham, moved away, then came back, a silent plea emanating from the brown depths.

Something was wrong. Graham could see the distress on her face. He started toward her, but at the same moment, a waiter collided with someone in front of him. The heavy tray of crystal flutes toppled, showering champagne over those in the immediate vicinity.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd as everyone scurried out of the way, and Graham’s view of Kendall was momentarily blocked.

Somewhere nearby a woman screamed. Not the shocked squeal of someone who had been doused by champagne, but a horrified, ear-splitting shriek that stunned the room into silence.

Everyone seemed to drop back a step, creating a void at the front of the room where a man had collapsed. Graham recognized him instantly. It was Manuel Garza.

Graham’s first thought was that the man had had a heart attack as he left the podium, but then he saw a crimson puddle beneath Garza’s left shoulder.

The ambassador’s wife was on her knees beside him, her hands covered in blood. She looked up, her eyes frantic and brimming. “Por favor! Someone help him!”

Graham reacted instinctively. He moved forward, not really knowing what he could do, but in the space of a heartbeat, security came out of the woodwork. Graham was pushed back into the crowd by a man wearing an earpiece. As the officer spoke rapidly into a transmitter concealed by his sleeve, he turned away, and Graham saw someone else rush toward the wounded man.

A hand reached out and grabbed her, but she jerked free and shouted, “For God’s sake, I’m a doctor! Let me help him!”

The ambassador’s personal bodyguards quickly formed a protective circle around him as the undercover HPD officers assigned to the event moved to restore order. But in the initial pandemonium, Graham had lost sight of Kendall.

He turned now, desperate to find her. He couldn’t see her at first, but then he spotted a splash of red near the entrance.

“Kendall!”

Whether she somehow heard him over the roar of the panicked crowd, or whether the force of his gaze drew her attention, Graham didn’t know. But at that exact moment, she glanced back, her gaze clinging to his a split second before he found himself pushed back against the wall.

He called out to Kendall, but his voice was lost in the din. Frantic to reach her, Graham tore himself free and fought his way through the terrified mob.

But by the time he reached the door, his wife had vanished.

Chapter Two

Kendall had no idea what had just happened in the room behind her. She’d heard the crash of glass, a scream and then all hell broke loose. She glanced over her shoulder, trying desperately to find Graham again, but someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hallway.

“Hurry!” the man ordered in a raspy voice. “This way!”

“Wait!” Kendall tried to resist, but he was too strong.

“I told you. Do as I say and nobody gets hurt.” He shoved her toward the elevators, and when she stumbled, he grabbed her arm again and jerked her upright.

Dread tightened in her chest. She hadn’t seen or heard from Hector Reyes in years, not since the night she’d tried to flee Mexico for good. Not since the horrible car accident that had left her battered and scarred and wanting to die.

And then she’d opened her eyes one morning and found Graham at her bedside. She’d later learned from the doctors that she’d been unconscious for nearly a week before his arrival and had been given very little hope of survival. But somehow she must have sensed Graham’s presence. Somehow his voice had lured her from the darkness.

For days, he remained at her bedside, talking to her softly when he thought she’d drifted off. He’d been candid about the ambiguity of his feelings, perhaps because he wasn’t sure if she could actually comprehend what he was saying.

But she’d heard every word. Lying flat on her back with her face and head swathed in bandages, both arms broken and one leg in traction, drugs dulling but not obliterating the constant pain, she’d listened. And she’d wondered how any woman in her right mind could have ever allowed a man like Graham Hollister to slip away from her.

She’d vowed to herself over and over that if she was lucky enough to survive her wounds, if she was fortunate enough to have a chance to start over, she would do everything in her power to change, to become the kind of person a man like Graham deserved.

But she should have known that the past—those terrible secrets—would eventually catch up with her. That her life before the reconciliation would come back to haunt her. And just when they were thinking of starting a family.

Kendall blinked back hot tears as she stepped into the elevator. She didn’t look at the man beside her. She couldn’t.

“I told you where the money is. Take it and let me go,” she pleaded.

He was a tall, swarthy man with gleaming black eyes and flawless English. “What assurance do I have that the police won’t be waiting for me at the drop point?”

“I wouldn’t do that. You know I wouldn’t. There’s too much at stake. If anyone were ever to find out—”

He laughed. “Yes, you’ve covered your tracks well, haven’t you? You’ve always been very clever. I’ll give you that.” His voice hardened. “But the answer is no. You’re coming with me. Once I have the money, I’ll let you go.”

“Can I at least call my husband and tell him I’m okay? He’ll know something is wrong. I would never leave without telling him.”

“You’ll call him as soon as we’re safely out of the building. Trust me, you don’t want him to follow us. The situation could get very nasty.”

Kendall closed her eyes. “Please don’t hurt him—”

“As I said, no one will get hurt as long as you cooperate. So just relax and enjoy the ride. It’ll soon be over.”

“How soon?”

“As soon as I know you haven’t betrayed me. Because we both know what you are capable of, do we not?”