The Colton Bride

She shoved all thoughts of Gray Stark from her head as she stepped beneath the water in the large glass enclosure. She had other things to think about...like the pregnancy test she’d taken that had given her a positive result.

She needed to see a doctor and get confirmation of the test. There were prenatal vitamins to take, instructions to listen to and things to learn. She wanted to do everything she could to ensure that she carried a healthy baby and once she or he was born she’d make sure she was the best mother she could be.

There was really no role model for her to follow. Her own mother had left Jethro and the three girls when they were young and she hadn’t been much of a mother before she’d deserted them. Catherine had never seen her mother again and had little interest in ever reconnecting with her.

Catherine didn’t really know what it was like to have a mother, but she certainly knew what it was like not to have one.

All the things she had longed for as a little girl, as an insecure teenager would be gifted to her own child. Her child would never spend a second wondering if he or she was wanted and loved.

She’d spent far too much of her life wondering that very fact. Her mother had run out on her. Gray’s abandonment in her teens hadn’t helped her insecurities, and Dirk’s desire to marry her only for her inheritance had just been the icing on the cake.

Catherine had what she wanted, a baby growing inside her, and she didn’t need a man to complete her. She could do this all just fine by herself. As she toweled off she realized that the pregnancy had made her decide that she had no intention of ever bringing a man into her life again.

She’d never have to wonder if she was loved for herself or for her enormous inheritance that she’d receive in four years. She never had to go through the dating game again. Love just wasn’t in her cards, except the love of her child. And that was more than enough to make her happy for the rest of her life.

By the time she left the bathroom dressed for the day, the young maid Allison Murray was in her room, tidying up and making the bed. “Good morning, Miss Catherine,” she said with her usual bright, cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Allison. How are the weekend classes coming along?”

“Great,” Allison replied as she fluffed a pillow. “My economics teacher told me I have a natural knack for numbers.” She laughed, her green eyes sparkling. “Who would have thought?”

“I think it’s wonderful that you’re pursuing your education,” Catherine said to the pretty young woman.

Allison cast her a sly glance. “And I think it’s wonderful that you’re pregnant. Have you been to the doctor yet?”

“Not yet. I just found out by taking one of those home pregnancy tests.” Catherine sank down in her favorite chair while Allison finished plumping all the pillows on the bed.

“You should get yourself to a doctor. I’ve heard that sometimes those home pregnancy tests can give you a false positive,” she said.

“I’ll check in with a doctor as soon as possible,” Catherine replied, although she knew the test was right. Even though it was far too early for her to feel anything or for her belly to show any signs of the life inside, Catherine knew with certainty it was there. She felt it in her heart, in her very soul.

She visited with the woman for a few more minutes and then when Allison went into the bathroom to clean up, Catherine headed for the dining room. She was later than usual and was grateful to find herself alone except for Amanda, who was at the table lingering over a cup of coffee.

“Hey, Cath.” She greeted Catherine with a smile and gestured to the chair next to her. “You missed the usual breakfast fracas. Darla spent most of the conversation whining that she wanted their suite redecorated and I swear Trip had already been drinking.”

“Gee, sorry I missed the fun,” Catherine replied dryly. “I was wondering if you could get me in to see your OB/GYN doctor in Laramie.”

“Dr. Kendall? You’ll love her, and if I give her a call right now I’ll bet she could work you in before the end of the day.”

Catherine laughed. “I don’t think it’s necessary to move that fast.”

“That baby of yours is going to be Cheyenne’s first cousin, her first real playmate. There’s no time like the present to get you in to the doctor and on a regimen of healthy eating and vitamins.”

At that moment head cook Agnes Barlow stepped into the room, her short red hair an indication of her fiery disposition with the kitchen staff. “Miss Catherine, would you like something for breakfast?” she asked. There was no hint of warmth or welcome in her voice. She was all work and no-nonsense.

“Thank you, Agnes, maybe just a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast,” Catherine said.

“Are you having morning sickness?” Amanda asked.

“No, nothing like that. I’m just not that hungry this morning.”

By the time Catherine had finished her glass of juice and toast, Amanda had set her up with a four-thirty appointment with Dr. Victoria Kendall.

The sisters parted then, Amanda heading toward the nursery to check in on Cheyenne and Catherine leaving the house for the petting barn to take care of the morning chores.

She could have hired somebody to do the caretaking of the animals for her, but Catherine didn’t mind getting her hands dirty and the work out there gave her a sense of purpose that she needed in her life.

She left the house for the walk to the barn and although she saw several ranch hands out in the pastures, thankfully she didn’t see Gray.

With her dreams of him still so fresh in her mind, she wasn’t ready to see him anytime soon. It was bad enough that she couldn’t get the scent of him out of her head and that he’d invaded her sleep all night long.

He’d stood so close to her when he’d encountered her outside of her father’s suite that she’d been able to feel his body heat radiating toward her, smelled the scent of fresh minty soap and shaving cream and a hint of woodsy cologne that was so familiar.

She’d read somewhere that scents easily pulled up specific people and places from memory, and she knew it was true. Gray’s scent had brought up times in the past that she’d prefer she never remember.

She was grateful when she reached the little barn with its smells of hay and grain and animal. As she worked to clean the area and replace foul hay with fresh, she thought about all the things that had happened in the past couple of months.

Yes, there had been terrible things going on. It seemed that when the three sisters had put into motion a plan to find their missing brother, Cole, the entire world had gone crazy.

However, good things had happened, too. Mia Sanders, who had worked as a nurse at the ranch infirmary, had left with Jagger McKnight, the investigative reporter who many had initially believed was the missing Cole. They moved away to begin a life of love and happiness together.

Levi, Jethro’s illegitimate son, had come home to help doctor the man he’d cut ties with years before and in the process had found love with pastry cook Katie McCord. Even Gabby had found true love with Trevor despite the drama of everything surrounding them.

Catherine preferred to focus on the positive than dwell on all the negative things that had taken place in recent months. Her sisters both accused her of being a Pollyanna, but Catherine didn’t care. She couldn’t control the bad things happening on and around the ranch, had no idea who was behind them and so chose to try to keep her head buried in the sand as much as possible.

After she’d finished at the barn, she went back to her suite to shower again and get dressed for the thirty-minute drive into Laramie to see the doctor.

She skipped the family lunch, deciding she’d make the drive leisurely and stop at a café for a quiet lunch alone and maybe even do a little shopping before her doctor’s appointment.

It was just after noon when she got into her red Jeep and headed toward Laramie. She had gone to Laramie and to the bigger city of Cheyenne often when she’d been dating Dirk and to attend a variety of charity events.

The town of Dead, Wyoming, was located only fifteen miles from the ranch, but offered little other than the basics of a small town.

For any real shopping or dining experience most people drove into Laramie or Cheyenne and it was well worth the drive to Laramie for Catherine to become a patient of the doctor who had seen Amanda through her pregnancy with Cheyenne.

Being away from the ranch eased some of the tension she’d carried with her for the past couple of months, tension she hadn’t realized she possessed. At least for the day she didn’t intend to think about the things happening at the ranch or her father’s health. Today she just intended to relax.

She ate a late lunch at a fashionable bistro and then browsed in a nice boutique that had not only clothing but also shoes and a jewelry counter.

It was at the jewelry counter that she saw it...a necklace that the clerk hooked at the nape of her neck. The aquamarine stone in the center was surrounded by sparkling diamonds and nestled as if it belonged on her between her collarbones. She loved it, bought it and wore it out of the store.

As she left to head to her doctor’s appointment, the necklace felt warm against her skin. She could tell her son or daughter that she’d bought it on the very day she’d officially confirmed her pregnancy.

If she had a little girl then the necklace would be a gift for her when she turned sixteen and if she had a boy, then it would be a gift to his bride on the day of his wedding.

She was pleased with her purchase and equally pleased with Dr. Victoria Kendall. The doctor was middle-aged, broad-faced with round glasses and brown eyes that appeared kind and calm enough to deal with any pregnancy jitters.

They began with a list of questions that Catherine answered, questions about her general health and the date of her last period. Blood was taken and then Catherine was set up for an ultrasound.

“I would guess that your due date is going to be around the first of April,” Dr. Kendall said as she squirted cold gel onto Catherine’s stomach. As she firmly moved the transducer around Catherine’s belly, Catherine watched the screen and gasped in surprise as she saw the little fetus inside her.

“Makes it real, doesn’t it?” Dr. Kendall said as she pointed out the head, the facial features that had begun to form and the heart beating strong and sure. “This sonogram confirms that you’re about nine weeks along and that would keep your due date correct.”

“April. It seems so far away,” Catherine said once she was redressed and Dr. Kendall was writing out a script for prenatal vitamins.

Dr. Kendall looked up and smiled. “About March you’ll be thinking April can’t get here fast enough for you. I’ll see you again in a month and in the meantime if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

It was just after five-thirty when Catherine got back in her Jeep to head home. She sat for a moment, her fingers gripping the necklace around her throat as the wonder of the new life inside warmed her.

This was real. She’d actually seen the baby growing inside her. She was pregnant and she felt as if she’d been given the best gift in the whole world.

By the time she was halfway home she had to turn on her headlights against the darkness usurping the twilight. At this time of year nighttime came early.

Her head was filled with thoughts of names for a little girl or a boy, of visions of what the baby might look like considering Dirk had dark brown hair and brown eyes. It didn’t matter; she knew with certainty that her baby would be beautiful.

She’d filled her prescription for the vitamins and had a handful of pamphlets about pregnancy and she carried with her a sense of rightness, that this was what she was born to be...a mother.

It was completely dark by the time she reached the ranch and drove through the huge ornate gold gates that led onto the Colton property.

She was passing the petting barn when she thought she saw a light shining from within the wooden structure. She slowed and then braked to a halt and cut the engine. Had she turned on a light that morning and forgotten to turn it off? Or was the flicker of illumination just a trick of the moonlight overhead reflecting on one of the little windows in the back of the barn?

Although she was eager to get to the house and into her suite, she decided to check out the barn and see if she’d accidently left on a light. She got out of the car and pulled her jacket closer around her, grateful that she’d worn one since the temperature after sunset dropped considerably.

Usually after dark the animals were already bedded down, but tonight they were restlessly wandering their pen. “Hey, guys, what’s going on with you?” She leaned over the fence and petted the donkeys and goats and noted that there was no light shining from the open door of the barn.

Apparently the light she’d seen had simply been the moon, for the overhead lamp in the barn was not on. As she left the gate one of the ranch dogs barked in the distance and an unexpected chill suddenly raced up her spine.

It was definitely time to head inside. She wanted to get to her suite, change into her pajamas, avoid any family drama and focus only on all things baby.

She was about to get back in her Jeep when the faint crunch of dried grass behind her shot a warning off in her head at the same time a hand clasped over her mouth and a strong arm wrapped tight around her waist.

Panic exploded inside her as the person began to drag her away from her vehicle. She didn’t have time to wonder who had hold of her or what he wanted. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was in terrible trouble.

The attacker continued to drag her farther and farther away from her car and she tried to dig in her heels to make it more difficult for him. When that didn’t work she kicked her feet and violently twisted her body in an attempt to break his grip, but he was strong and obviously determined to get her into the wooded area in the distance.

The person who held her so tight made no sound, except for a faint grunt as he continued to maneuver her across the expanse of land. She knew with a certainty that if he got her to the woods, then there would be no hope and whatever happened after that would be horrible.

With a renewed effort, she twisted and slung her body and managed to bite his hand through the thin gloves he wore. He hissed and for just a single second his hand slipped from her mouth. She managed one sharp, short scream before his hand slapped across her lips once again and he continued to drag her away.

Chapter 4

Gray sat in the small cold office in the stables, paperwork before him on the desk and his favorite ranch dog Blackie, a lab mix, on the floor at his feet. Blackie growled, low and threatening and the hackles on his back raised, but he remained lying down.

“What’s the matter, old boy?” Gray asked absently. He leaned over and scratched behind one of Blackie’s ears. “One of those old barn cats tormenting you?” There were dozens of cats on the property, mousers who kept the stable and outbuildings as free of rodents as possible.

Most of the time the ranch dogs and cats played nice together, but Blackie had become more than a bit cantankerous in his old age. Blackie growled again and got to his feet and at the same moment a scream split the night.

Shrill yet short, it shot a piercing edge of adrenaline through Gray as he jumped up from his desk and raced for the stable doors. He hit the night air and rounded the side of the stables and in the near-full moonlight casting down saw two things...Catherine’s Jeep parked in front of the petting barn and Catherine being dragged away from the vehicle by a man dressed all in black.

“Hey!” Gray shouted, his heart pounding as he took off at a dead run. His hand automatically went for his gun tucked in the holster he wore whenever he was out on the property. “Stop or I’ll shoot.” Despite the threat, he could do no such thing as he couldn’t take a chance at hitting Catherine, who was in front of the man like a shield.

The assailant froze and then dropped his hold on Catherine, who crumpled to the ground in a small heap as the man turned and ran. Gray raced forward and once he reached her, she motioned for him to go on and catch the man who had grabbed her.

“Get in the Jeep and lock the doors,” he commanded as he flew by her. She’d be safe there and if somehow the assailant doubled back to her, she could always raise hell with the horn and drive off.

The person had a good head start but Gray was in top physical shape and pumped his legs to achieve a speed he’d never reached before. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest. He had to catch him, he had to find out who had tried to grab Catherine. This man could be the answer to so many things that had happened.

Despite Gray’s desperate need and the bright moonlight spilling down, once the attacker hit the dense woods, Gray lost sight of him. He clutched his gun tightly, willing and ready to use it if necessary.

He stopped and listened and heard the crashing of brush and crackling of broken tree limbs someplace in the distance to his left. He took off in that direction, his mind completely focused on catching the man who’d attempted to harm Catherine.

Fury drove him forward, half tripping over unseen roots. Shadowy tree branches slapped him in the face and shoulders as he raced forward.

He ran for only a few minutes and then stopped once again to listen.

Nothing.

The only noise he heard was the faint whisper of the wind through the treetops and his own ragged breathing. He remained frozen for several long minutes, hoping to hear a sound, a breaking branch, a faint footfall, any kind of indication where the man had gone.

Realizing that the attacker had the advantage of dark clothing to meld into the night shadows and that Gray really had no idea in which direction to give chase, he reluctantly turned and headed back out of the woods.

As he emerged into the clearing he was stunned to see Catherine still on the ground, crawling on her hands and knees, the sounds of her quiet sobs filling him with a new terror.

Was she hurt? Had he mistaken her condition as he’d raced by her in an attempt to catch the perpetrator? “Catherine!” He reached her side and crouched down where she was on her hands and knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you in the Jeep? Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “No...I’m fine, but it fell off...I have to find it.” She frantically raked her fingers back and forth through the grass as she slowly crawled forward.

“What fell off? What are you looking for?” he asked, watching her and then glancing all around to make sure there was no more approaching danger.

“My necklace...I just bought it today...for the baby...to celebrate. It fell off sometime when he had me. I need to find it.”

Despite her obvious reluctance, he pulled her up to her feet and grabbed her by her shoulders to keep her upright. Her deep blue eyes gazed at him beseechingly in the moonlight.

“What does the necklace look like?” he asked.

“Aquamarine stone on a gold chain.” She punctuated the sentence with a thick sob.

“Get in the car and lock the doors. If you see anyone, honk the horn. I’m going to get a flashlight and see if I can find your necklace.” He walked her to the car where he opened the passenger door and placed her inside. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back,” he said and then hit the button that would lock all of the doors.

He raced back into the stables where he grabbed a high-powered flashlight and quickly returned with Blackie at his heels.

He should have paid more attention the first time the dog had growled, that moment when his hackles had risen. Gray should have known something was amiss when the dog reacted to something he didn’t like. He’d obviously smelled the intruder nearby.

Dammit, if Gray had only checked outside seconds earlier he might have been able to catch the attacker. He might now have had some answers. At least he’d gotten outside in time to stop what might have happened to Catherine.

He shined the beam of the light inside the Jeep, assuring himself that she was safe and sound inside, although still crying and then he pointed the light to the ground and began to hunt for her missing necklace.

He knew her tears weren’t just for a necklace she’d bought that day, but probably a reaction to what had nearly happened to her. The thought of what might have happened if he hadn’t left his desk when he had crunched a tight knot in the pit of his stomach.

This was exactly what he’d been afraid of. It was the reason he’d wanted her to keep her pregnancy a secret for as long as possible.

The attacker hadn’t wanted to kill her. He could have done that with a single thrust of a knife into her back, with his hands tightened around her neck right by the side of the Jeep. No, whoever it was hadn’t wanted her dead at all. He’d wanted her very much alive and away from the ranch.

Gray’s anger grew as he continued to sweep the ground for the missing necklace. What had she been doing out here all alone at the petting barn after dark? Had she not taken his warnings seriously? Was she just that reckless to ignore the obvious dangers after everything that had already happened?

He muttered a sigh of relief when his flashlight beam caught the shimmering blue and gold of the missing necklace on the ground. He plucked it from the grass and headed for the car, ready to get what answers he could from Catherine.

She unlocked the car door and he slid behind the steering wheel and held out her necklace. She took it from him with a trembling sob and pressed it tight against her chest. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied gruffly. “I’ve got some questions that you need to answer and the first one is what in the hell you thought you were doing out here all alone in the dark?” The adrenaline that had crashed through him lingered as he waited for her reply.

She dropped her hands with the necklace to her lap, her tears slowly halting while she looked at the petting barn. “I had been in Laramie all afternoon and when I finally got back here it was dark and I thought I saw a light in the barn.”

She frowned and raised a hand to twirl a strand of her hair. “It must have just been a strange beam of the moonlight against one of the windows because when I got out of the Jeep and went to the fence to check it out there were no lights on anywhere. So, I came back out to get into the Jeep and...” Her voice trailed off and she turned her head to look at him, her eyes huge and as dark blue as he’d ever seen them. “He came out of nowhere. I heard a faint footstep in the grass behind me and before I could react, he had me.”

“He was obviously waiting for you and he probably shined a flashlight in the barn in hopes that you’d stop and check it out.” A lump formed in the back of Gray’s throat, a lump of both fear and anger.

“Do you have any idea what would have happened if you hadn’t managed to scream? If I hadn’t been in the stables to hear you?” His voice betrayed the depth of his fear and he drew a deep breath to gain control.

“I’d be dead.” Her voice trembled as her hand released her strand of hair.

“No, I don’t think so, but you’d be gone and I imagine a pretty hefty ransom would have been asked for your safe return.” Gray grabbed the steering wheel and squeezed it so tight that his knuckles whitened. “This is exactly what I warned you about.”

“Who would have thought that a simple trip to a doctor’s office in Laramie would have resulted in this?” She worried the necklace in her hands as if it were a magical talisman.

“Who knew you were going to Laramie?” Gray fought his need to vent his anger, an anger that had nowhere to go except in her direction.