God, he was a fool. Shelby had given up everything to protect JT, and he’d let her do it, all alone. Once again, blowing it with the most selfless and amazing woman he knew.
“Does Preston know this?”
Gina shook her head. “She came to me before meeting him. I promised Shelby I would get you to sign the papers and file them immediately to begin the transfer of custody before Jake even sets foot on The Crossing. She wants this done right.”
“Could Preston try for full custody?”
“He could try,” Gina said. “But the impression I got from Shelby was that Preston doesn’t care enough about Jake to even bother.”
“Good. Because there is no way I’ll let JT live with that bastard,” Cody said resolutely.
“A simple DNA test will prove that you’re his biological father, Cody. And if Preston files a suit—” Gina shrugged. “We counter. Denying a father the knowledge that he had a son out in the world won’t sit well with any jury. Especially one in Texas.” Gina paused, her face going grave. “But Jake inheriting the land . . . I hadn’t considered that’s what Preston was after. Neither did Shelby.”
Cody’s heart stuttered to a stop and rolled painfully. He’d never imagined being in a position to ask either of his brothers to come back to this place. But as soon as Preston found out what Shelby had done there was no telling how he would react.
Cody spoke into the phone. “How fast can you get to Sweet Plains?”
“Already on my way, little brother. Left a few hours ago.”
Shelby barely held it together, fighting back the tears. She took one last look at the town that had become her home, and watched through the side-view mirror as the lights of Sweet Plains disappeared, taking with it her dreams of the future. The torture of saying good-bye, compounded by the reality of what she was headed toward, was enough to strangle her.
“Where’s Jacob?” Preston demanded.
Shelby flinched. She was so wrapped up in saying good-bye, she forgot he was even in the car. Wiping at her cheeks with the back of her hands, she was surprised that they came up dry.
“He’s staying here.”
“What do you mean he’s staying here?”
“Just what it sounded like,” Shelby said with manufactured defiance. “I’ll go with you, stand at your side, be the dutiful wife, even share your bed.” Shelby swallowed, the last statement curdling in her stomach. “But Jake stays here. With Cody.”
“You think this is about
you
?” Preston laughed in a way that put her every fight-or-flight response on high alert.
God, he wants Jake. This can’t be happening!
Shelby looked out over the horizon and through the blackness and for the first time admitted that she’d underestimated what Preston was capable of. And no matter how hard she tried, that voice deep inside that told her to get out of the car, wouldn’t shut up.
A disturbing look came over Preston’s face and he yanked the wheel. The car swerved to the shoulder, and he slammed it into park. Unsnapping his belt and then hers, his hand clamped over her upper arm and he jerked her forward. Before she could brace herself, the center console stabbed into her hip. He twisted her to face him fully, until she could feel the sting of his breath.
“You stupid bitch!” Preston took her by the shoulders, his every word punctuated with spitting violence and a jarring shake that snapped her neck back and forth. Dread thundered through her ears, pounded in her chest, and pushed through her limbs with alarming force.
“Stop it, Preston,” Shelby cried out. “You’re hurting me.”
“That’s not all I’m going to do if you don’t tell me where that kid is.”
“Not going to happen.”
“Don’t smart-mouth me, Lynn.”
Realizing that arguing with him wasn’t going to work, Shelby looked for a way out. In the distance, blanketed by the sound of slowing traffic and Preston’s rage, she heard sirens. Preston heard them too. He stopped shaking her, although his hand still bit into her skin as he spun in his seat. Multiple sirens shrieked into the night, getting louder and louder, closer and closer.
Shelby’s heart exploded in her chest, adrenaline mixed with relief shook her insides. She strained her eyes to make sense of what she was seeing. Ahead, just around the next bend, cutting through the darkness and almost within screaming distance, red and blue lights flashed, filling the sky.
She lost her breath as several more sets circled around, enclosing them.
Doors swung, weapons drawn, Shelby was aware of boots pounding asphalt, muffled radio static, Preston screaming her name, her eyes straining to see the ground through the floodlights. She shoved the door open and Preston yanked her arm, keeping her from escaping.
Three more cars screeched to a stop, sirens blazing. Preston looked out the back window again, momentarily distracted. Shelby threw her body at the opened door, breaking Preston’s grip and crashing to her knees. Roadside gravel dug into her palms as she scrambled to a stand, desperate to get to safety.
“Texas Ranger, show me your hands!” sounded from every direction, intermixed with several shouts of, “Get down! Get down!”
Shelby tried to stay still but, Lord help her, she had to run. Her legs reached out, slammed down, reached out, slammed down, each time moving her forward, farther away from Preston and that much closer to the flashing lights.
She collided with a wall of solid muscle. Massive hands settled on her shoulder, holding her steady and anchoring her immobile.
Shelby’s eyes flew up, fear ebbing as she looked into familiar brown eyes. Eyes that were safe and warm . . . and way farther north than they should be.
“Shelby, are you all right?” Noah shouted over the chaos, positioning his body between her and the pointed guns.
At six-foot-five with trunks for limbs and beams for shoulders, Noah was as scary and intimidating at first sight as, Shelby had learned, he was gentle and patient once you’d spent even a minute with him.
“Noah?”
A rusty smile hinged at the corners of his mouth. Shelby gave a weak smile of her own, remembering those dimples, which seemed so out of place on his rugged face. They were the same dimples she’d witnessed when they’d sat across the table at The B-Cubed.
He’d been Tucker-stubborn, refusing her plea to come see Silas. Even though she’d been heartbroken at his rebuff, he’d done it with charm.
“You sure you’re all right?” He was looking at the Preston-shaped bruise on her arm.
A moment ago she had prayed for someone to come, but one look at Preston, his hands on the hood of the car, feet spread, the cop frisking him, and she felt her entire world begin to crumble.
“Hayes, I think Mr. Van Warren there is resisting arrest.”
“I think you’re right, Tex,” Ranger Parker Hayes said, a smile kicking half of his mouth up into a knowing grin. “Might even have a concealed weapon in there somewhere.”
“This entire thing is unwarranted,” Preston shouted.
“Is that right?” The Ranger wedged his foot between Preston’s, kicking his heel out to an uncomfortable distance and shoving Preston’s face hard into the hood.
Preston locked eyes with Shelby over the front of the car, the silent threat sliding over her skin and down her spine with deadly accuracy. Oh, God. He was going to turn her in for kidnapping. And any hope of her ever seeing Jake again would be lost.
“You need to leave.” Shelby turned toward Noah, pleading.
“Can’t do that.” Noah’s expression went soft.
“But you’ll ruin everything.”
“What are you charging me with?” Preston demanded when Hayes slid the cuffs around his wrists, shackling them together, and shoving him, none too gently, toward the back of one of the patrol cars.
“Why, breaking and entering, Mr. Van Warren,” Noah drew out the words, with a loud and clear
dumbass
punctuating his tone. “And when the lady presses charges, blackmail and assault.”
Noah looked down at her arm and Shelby felt shame wash over and pull her under. Dropping her gaze to the ground, she slowly wound her arms around her chest, careful to cover the offending mark with her other hand. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she felt so stupid. She never should have gotten in that car.
Noah curled a finger under her chin, tipping it up. His eyes were gentle as he uncovered her bruise. “Don’t.”
Shelby fell into those ancient amber eyes, eyes that had seen too much but refused to be jaded. They didn’t study. Didn’t judge. Didn’t pity. There was no sign of anything other than warm understanding.
“Shelby,” Noah said, his voice low and soothing, not pressuring but offering support. “I know you’re scared, but there’s more going on here than you understand. He can’t hurt you and JT anymore. Gina’s filing with the courts as we speak and you’ve got the whole Tucker clan behind you. You won’t lose JT.”
Shelby looked up, Noah’s face blurring before her eyes. “And what if you’re wrong?”
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me.”
Trust
. It sounded so simple the way Noah said it. But it was such a hard thing for her to do. Everyone she’d ever trusted had deceived her, or abandoned her, leaving her to pick up the pieces.
Not Cody, her mind whispered.
Shelby swallowed, blinking back the tears, but not doing a great job of it. “Does Cody trust you?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Noah reassured her. “With his life. And more importantly, with yours.”
Shelby, suddenly tired of being on her own, leaned into Noah, her already-tight throat cinched as he put his arm around her in a brotherly gesture meant to comfort.
“Preston told me if I didn’t come back with him he’d press charges for kidnapping. Said he’d make sure Cody would lose the ranch and I’d lose Jake.” Tears from the hellish day began to slide.
Noah fished through his pockets, extracting a hankie and held it out to her. When she didn’t immediately take it, he began with awkward hands to dab at her cheeks. He was smearing the tears around her face, but it was sweet how he tried his hardest to be there for her.
With a final dab he flashed a lopsided grin, those cute dimples dotting his face. “Good girl.”
“Shelby Lynn!” Cody’s shout came over the chaos. The sound of his voice was enough to wipe away every concern and thought except for those that had to do with Cody.
Noah stepped aside and there, scrambling out of Logan’s car, Cody came into view. Insecurity and apology and everything in between flashed across his face.
He was all muscles and power and concern. And all hers.
Noah chuckled. “Seems my brother’s upset because he somehow misplaced you.”
Shelby smiled the first genuine smile since Preston appeared. “He has a habit of doing that.”
Cody took three steps and stopped. Their eyes locked.
“So it seems.” Noah did a final swipe of her face, then pocketed the cloth square.
Shelby looked back at Noah. “You think he’ll misplace me again?”
Noah took in Cody’s expression. “Don’t think so. I have a feeling he won’t even let you up for air until sometime next spring. Look at him, the poor guy’s about ready to embarrass himself.”
“He does look a little miserable.” Shelby took one look at the man in front of her and her heart melted.
“That he does. So why don’t you go tell him he’s not in trouble for being an idiot.”
Shelby nodded, took a single step forward, and stopped. She turned back, tugged Noah down about a foot and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. And I hope you come home soon for a visit.”
Any trace of gentleness faded, his eyes going dull and distant. “I’ll think about it.”
“It will be good for you and Beau.” Shelby looked down at her hand and smiled. Twisting off the ring, she gave it one last look before throwing it at Preston. It bounced off the car door, landing in the dirt. When the dust settled, it covered the diamond band, smothering it beneath the dry earth. “Trust me.”
Needing to touch Cody, to be in his arms and prove that he was really here, Shelby took one step, then two, breaking into a run at three. And launching herself toward him.
Cody reached out, wrapping his arms securely around her waist, lifting her up. She had no more than wrapped her arms around his neck when his lips came down on hers, in a tender kiss that melted her heart and stole away her fears.
Shelby should have been embarrassed to her roots, kissing her man in front of the entire Sweet Plains sheriff’s department and a team of Texas Rangers, not to mention Noah. But this was Cody, and she was so lost in
them
she didn’t care because it wasn’t want or desire that she tasted, it was promise and a gentle request of forever.
“Seems you decided to uncomplicate things,” Logan laughed, breaking the moment and making Shelby embarrassingly aware that she had her legs wrapped around Cody.
“Looks that way,” Cody said, smacking her backside as if she were some kind of livestock. She pinched his neck—hard—smiling when he jerked in reaction.
She tried to untangle herself, so she could scurry away, let Cody handle the embarrassing mess. But Cody’s arms tightened, and he whispered, “Not on your life, darlin’.”
Shelby gave up, resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her, and carefully hid her face from view. Being taken care of was a total turn-on, but everyone else didn’t need to know.
“Well, mind taking the reunion somewhere more conducive so I won’t have to arrest the two of you for indecent exposure?” Logan said, sounding all business but having the nerve to crack a smile.
“Would love to. But seems my truck’s at your station. Seeing as you wouldn’t let me drive myself here, for fear I’d run that son of a bitch down, put it in reverse and do it again. So I guess you’re just going to have to drive us back.”
“Have Noah take you.”
“He’s working.”
“Yeah, well guess what, Cody? I’m working too. What part of flashing lights, interagency task force, and suspect in custody don’t you get?”
“Guess you’ll just have to give me your keys and I can—”
“Get in.” Logan gave in, but sounded pissed all the same. “I’ll take you back to the station. You guys are on your own from there.”