Holiday Hideout (4 page)

FOUR

C
al crested the hill and pulled his horse to a halt. He couldn’t keep his mind on the ranch’s problems. His sister’s houseguest, Abby Harris, kept intruding.

From his position, he could see the main house, his mother’s house and the home he grew up in, directly in front of him. His house that he’d built six years ago sat to the left, Fiona’s to the right. Where Abby was.

His eyes narrowed on Fiona’s house and he decided to check in and see if Abby was feeling any better. Telling himself it was natural to be so concerned about a strange woman and that if she were sixty-five and ugly as a goat, he’d still feel the worry gnawing on his gut, he set off at a fast clip, his horse covering the ground with long, even strides.

As he approached, movement by the side of the house caught his eye.

He saw a flash of red and thought he heard a horse’s shrill whinny. Clicking to his mount, he moved closer.

What was going on? It looked like someone was fighting with Abby.

“Abby!”

Spurring his horse in the sides, he urged the animal into a full gallop. The closer he got, the clearer the picture became.

“Hey!” Someone was definitely trying to hurt Abby and her struggles seemed to be growing weaker by the second. “Stop! Police!”

Grabbing the rifle from the scabbard on his saddle, Cal raised it and fired a shot into the air.

The horse’s thundering hooves flew over the ground, eating up the space between him and the struggling duo.

Abby’s attacker threw her to the ground and raced out of sight around to the other side of the house.

Soon, the man was on the back of a powerful animal, bolting across the open field, his horse going full out toward the edge of the property. Cal saw Abby lying still, her face turned away from him.

Grabbing his satellite phone, he punched in Zane’s number. When the man answered, Cal ordered, “I’ve got a trespasser headed past Fiona’s house to the edge of the property. He attacked Abby. Chase him down and bring him back here, but be careful, he might be armed.”

“You got it.”

Zane didn’t waste any more words and hung up. A former special ops marine, Zane could take care of himself. Cal pulled his horse to a halt a few feet from Abby’s still form.

Bolting from the saddle, he knelt beside her. “Abby.” His hands ran over her, looking for any wounds. Nothing.

She moaned and he turned her on her back.

She shivered and her teeth began to chatter. Cal took a chance that nothing was broken and lifted her into his arms.

Spinning, he pushed open the door to her small apartment and stepped inside. Kicking the door shut behind him, he felt her start to struggle. “It’s me, Abby, be still.”

At his voice, she calmed.

Settling her on the bed, he took in her pale features. “Hey, what happened? Can you hear me?”

Puzzled, he looked her over again. No bruises anywhere, no blood. Then why wasn’t she responding?

Finally, her eyelids lifted. “Cal?”

“Yeah. Who was that guy?”

“I…” She licked her lips. “I don’t know. Think he had chloroform or something. I managed to avoid breathing most of it in. May have gotten a good whiff because I feel sluggish. Be all right in a little while.”

Cal heard a knock on the door, then Fiona’s voice, “Abby, are you down here?”

“She’s here,” he answered for her.

Fiona opened the door a crack. “Cal—oh, good, you’re here. I heard a gunshot. Is everything all right?”

Cal’s lips tightened at the worry on his sister’s face. “Everything’s fine now, but I think someone just tried to kidnap Abby.”

“What?” Her worry turned to outrage. “Here? On our ranch? But how did anyone know she was here?”

Cal thought about the man he’d chased outside of Dylan’s medical building. Was it possible he’d followed them home?

More than possible, he realized. It was the only reasonable explanation.

He turned to Abby. “Who is he? Who tried to kidnap you?”

She frowned. “I…I’m not sure. He grabbed me from behind. I never got a look at his face.” Her eyes shut and he watched her force them back open. Fear stared out at him and his gut clenched.

Cal wondered if she was telling the truth. “I didn’t, either. Even though I noticed he had dark hair, it was hard to tell his build through the heavy coat. I don’t even think I’d recognize him if I passed him on the street. Abby, if someone’s after you, I need to know who it is.”

She turned her head. “It’s no one. I can’t believe…” She sighed. “As soon as I can, I’ll be gone. I don’t want to bring any more trouble to you or your family.”

Cal took her fingers and squeezed. She didn’t flinch or pull away, but she didn’t look at him, either. “Abby, you’re not the first person who’s needed help around here. After today, your enemy just made the biggest mistake of his life.”

“You don’t mess with the McIvers or their friends,” Fiona stated, eyes narrowed as though imagining what she’d do to the creep who’d dared step foot on her property to cause harm to one there. She looked at Cal. “Sounds like we might need to keep the rifles a little closer.”

He nodded. “I’d say that for now.”

Abby’s gaze bounced back and forth between them and he smiled reassurance. “Don’t worry. Now that we know trouble’s here, we can keep an eye out for it.”

Cal’s phone rang and he pulled it off the clip on his side. He looked at Fiona. “It’s Zane.” Into the phone, he said, “Did you catch him?”

“Sorry, boss, by the time I got to where you said he was, he’d disappeared. I followed his trail for a while, then he started walking his horse in the river. Don’t know if he went east or west. It looks like west, but I never caught up to him.”

The river ran east to west dividing the property in half. About seventy-feet wide, it was one of the reasons Cal’s great-grandfather had chosen this piece of land. An endless supply of water. And either way, as long as the man stayed in the shallow edge, he would be able to get off the property by following the river far enough.

Cal blew out a sigh. “All right, thanks for trying. Tell the boys to keep their guns handy. I don’t want this snake anywhere near the houses. He attacked Abby and there’s no guarantee he won’t be back.”

Cal heard Zane’s swift indrawn breath. “We’ll keep an eye out. Might even need a night lookout.”

“Call a meeting. We need to discuss this and develop a plan.”

“You got it. I’ll be in touch.”

Cal hung up and looked at the women who’d listened to the conversation. “Well, guess you heard. He got away.”

Abby swallowed hard and her eyes closed again. “I’m sorry.”

Cal looked at Fiona. “Let her sleep. I’m going to gather the men and we’re going to cover the property. I want to make sure that guy is gone and gone for good.” Fiona nodded and Cal left, his fury at Abby’s attacker eating him from the inside out.

As soon as they finished the search, if they didn’t find the man, he’d return to the ranch and start digging a little deeper into Abby’s past. He refused to feel guilt at the thought.

If he didn’t know who he was fighting, it would be a lost cause from the very beginning.

And for Abby’s sake, this was one fight he was determined to win. Even if he had to enlist the help of every deputy on the force, he would keep Abby safe.

Abby heard the door open, then close. Cal had left. To track down the man who’d attacked her. She opened her eyes and squinted into the darkness.

Sitting up, she decided that other than a slight headache and the desire to take a long nap, she felt all right.

It was time to go to work. Before leaving home, she’d spent long hours at the office, on the computer, updating files and entering information. Some of it she’d done simply to escape her grief, keep her mind from her sister’s death.

As a result, she’d come across information that she wanted to look at again. Saving it to a flash drive had seemed the best way to do that at the time. Now she just had to find a computer.

She thought of her attacker and shivered. Was it Reese? And when she thought about that, she couldn’t stop her mind from going to one of the nights she’d worked late.

Her business partner, Dr. Randall Cromwell, had stopped by her office and compassionately told her to go home. She’d agreed. Only as she grabbed her stuff to walk out, she’d looked out the window.

And seen Reese leaning against his car, watching the building.

Waiting for her?

Obviously.

“Are you coming?” Randall had asked as she continued to stand and stare.

“I can’t go out there. Reese is there by his car, waiting. He scares me.” Her insides twisted in knots. “Look.”

Randall had walked to the window. “He’s just standing there.” A pause. “He has something in his hand. Looks like a folder or a file folder of some sort. Why don’t you just go out there and ask him what he wants? I’ll come with you.”

She’d sighed and shared, “He threatened me, Randall, so I took a restraining order out on the man. There’s no way I’m going to approach him.”

Randall had pulled out his cell phone. “Then call the cops and tell them he’s violated the restraining order.”

“No,” she’d all but shouted.

Her partner had slowly put the phone away. “Okay,” he drew out the word and she knew he thought she was crazy.

“But will you walk me to my car?” she’d asked.

Randall and Abby had walked out of the office, her partner acting as her bodyguard until she was safely in her car. Reese had watched them, frustration stamped clearly on his face.

Abby wouldn’t approach him, but he’d violated the restraining order by coming to her place of business.

He’d been ordered to stay off her property and he could come no closer than fifty yards if they happened to be in the same public place.

The encounter had scared her. Frightened her that he was becoming more bold. Then again, why wouldn’t he be?

As Randall had opened the door for her and she slid into the car, she supposed she should call the police and report Reese.

Then she’d snorted in disgust. Like that would do any good. Reese was a cop. Cops stuck together.

She’d left the next day and within days found herself on the McIvers’ ranch.

Slipping from the bed, she turned the light on and blinked at the sudden brightness. Her jeans lay draped over the chair in the small kitchen area. Her white turtleneck and blue sweater were neatly folded in the seat.

Grabbing her jeans, Abby felt for the pocket she’d sewn on the inside. Relief filled her when she felt the small lumps indicating the flash drive, cell phone battery, traveler’s checks and her ID were still there.

Using a fingernail, she loosened the threads and soon had the items in the palm of her hand. Thank goodness Fiona hadn’t washed her clothes or her battery would be toast. But then she wondered why she even bothered to keep it. As soon as she put it in the phone, Reese would somehow find out and track her.

If he hadn’t already followed her.

The recent attack said not only was it a possibility, but it was also a probability.

She really should leave.

But how? And where would she go? She’d done her best to outrun and outsmart Reese Kirkpatrick, but all she’d done was wear herself out without shaking the man from her trail.

She’d have to decide what to do about that soon. Leave and take a chance on Reese catching up to her? Or stay and possibly put this sweet family in danger?

Not really a choice.

Clutching the flash drive, she went in search of Fiona. Hopefully, the woman had a computer she wouldn’t mind Abby borrowing.

Abby knocked on the door at the top of the stairs. Almost immediately, she heard footsteps coming in her direction. Seconds later, the door opened. Fiona smiled. “I thought you were sleeping. Come on in. You haven’t been up on this level yet. If you feel up to it, you can start coming up here for meals.”

A flash of guilt hit her. “I’m so sorry. You’ve been bringing my meals down those steps. I’m sure that’s not what you need to be doing in your condition.”

Fiona gave a laugh. “It’s not a big deal, I promise. The exercise is good for me. I don’t go outside very much because we’ve got a bit of ice and I don’t want to chance slipping.” She nodded toward the window. “And it’s snowing again.”

Alarmed, Abby walked to the window and looked out. Big flakes fell in silent wonder. She looked back to the pregnant woman. “Aren’t you worried you won’t be able to get out? What are you going to do if that baby comes early?”

She shrugged. “We have a four-wheel drive and chains on the tires. Joseph said he’d get me to the hospital one way or another when the time came.”

Relief filled Abby. The last thing she wanted to do was have another home delivery on her hands.

Then Fiona shattered her relief when she said, “Then again, if I wind up having the baby here, it’s not a big deal. Mom’s a nurse and has helped deliver a number of babies.” A smile softened her eyes. “It might be kind of nice to have a home birth.”