Lucas

A year ago, if someone had told her that the tough cowboy cop would be the doting father, she wouldn’t have believed it. Lucas likely wouldn’t have, either.

Tillie came out of the kitchen and made eye contact with Lucas. “You want me to take him?” Tillie mouthed.

“No, thanks. I’m finished with my call.” He put away his phone and looked at Hailey. “That was Grayson. Still no word on your sister, but Eric DeSalvo should be arriving at the sheriff’s office any minute now.”

Good. Hailey figured the best place to start with getting those answers would be with Eric. And Colleen. It sickened her to think that her sister might be involved in this.

“What about the other gunmen who were around the ranch last night?” she asked. “Any signs of them?”

“No. And the dead guy, Darrin, was using a burner cell phone and didn’t have any contacts stored there. In fact, the phone hadn’t been used, so there’s nothing to trace.”

Another dead end. Literally. Since Darrin had lived only long enough to accuse her of hiring him.

“Grayson had the medics take Darrin’s picture,” Lucas went on. When he reached to take his phone from his jeans pocket, it caused the baby to move, and Camden stirred, lifting his head just a little.

Hailey figured Camden was too young to see her from across the room, so she went closer. Lucas didn’t scowl, exactly, but it was close. He took out his phone and handed it to her.

“Take a look at the picture Grayson sent, and see if you recognize Darrin. Is he the same man who went after you the night you were trying to get away?”

She took the phone, her fingers brushing against his. Lucas noticed. Noticed, too, that she was volleying glances between the baby and him. He pulled in a long, weary breath.

“Sit down,” he growled. “You can hold Camden while you tell me about the picture.”

Hailey moved as fast as she could, making her way back to the chair. Lucas went to her, easing the baby into her arms.

There it was again. That punch of emotion.

Though it was hard to focus with Camden staring up at her, Hailey studied the photo. It wasn’t the best shot since the man’s face was twisted with pain, but Hailey picked through the features.

And remembered.

She sucked in her breath so fast that she nearly got choked. “He definitely looks like the man who ran me off the road.”

Other memories came flooding back. The car following her. Her frantic attempt to get away. Then the crash.

“He rammed into the back of my car, forcing me into a ditch,” she explained. “That’s when I hit my head.”

Thank goodness she’d been wearing a seat belt. That had prevented her from being thrown from the car, but it hadn’t stopped the tree limb from coming through the windshield and hitting her.

Lucas stared at her, clearly waiting for more details. Hailey had more, but she had to fight the panicky feeling rising in her again. It wasn’t that night, but it suddenly felt as if it was.

“After I crashed, Darrin came to the side of the car,” Hailey continued. “He looked at me.” But then she stopped, her attention going back to Lucas. “Why didn’t he just kill me then? I was helpless, barely conscious.”

“Maybe he didn’t want you dead,” Lucas said. “He probably wanted those computer files and would have been willing to torture you to get them.”

Yes. That had to be it. “But he didn’t get a chance to kidnap me, because that’s about the time you drove up. Did you see Darrin leave?”

“I saw his SUV speeding away. I couldn’t go in pursuit.”

That’s because she had needed medical attention ASAP. Lucas had saved her life. Camden’s, too, by staying with them. Lucas didn’t seem any more comfortable thinking about that night than she did, and he looked relieved when Tillie came back into the living room.

“Is Camden ready for his bath?” the nanny asked, her voice tentative, probably because she knew that Hailey wanted to continue holding him.

Lucas nodded. “Best if he sticks to his routine,” he told Hailey. “Plus, we need to do reports for the attack.”

Yes, paperwork. Necessary, but she still hated having to hand her son over to the nanny. She’d gotten so few minutes holding him. Of course, a lifetime would be too few.

“You can watch,” Tillie added, glancing at Hailey. “That way, you’ll know how to do it.” She also glanced at Lucas, and Tillie seemed to ignore the slight scowl that was on his face.

Maybe a scowl because it would mean a delay in doing those reports, but also because Tillie was including her.

Hailey didn’t give Lucas a chance to veto Tillie’s offer. She stood, following the woman as best she could to the bathroom just across the hall from the nursery. Lucas followed, too. Good thing, because just before Hailey reached the door, she stumbled and would have fallen flat on her face if Lucas hadn’t caught her.

And just like that, she was in his arms.

The memories came. No way to stop them. Not with Lucas and her being body to body. Hailey got some flashes of even more body contact. Of when they were naked in bed.

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