Stockyard Snatching

“Hey, what’s going on?” Allen asked, sounding surprisingly alert for five fifty in the morning. The phone must’ve startled him.

“I need your help. Can you open the kitchen for me?” she asked, trying to think up a reasonable excuse to sell him. Then she went with the tried-and-true. “Jackson kept me up all night again.”

“Oh, poor baby. And I’m talking about you,” Allen said with a laugh. He yawned, and she heard the sound clearly through the phone. “His days and nights still confused?”

“Yes, and I have the bags under my eyes to prove it,” she said, hating that she had to lie to cover what had really happened. Allen had been nothing but a good employee and friend, and she hated deception.

“No problem. I’ll throw on some clothes and head over,” he said.

“You’re a lifesaver, Allen.”

“Don’t I know it,” he quipped. There was a rustling noise as if he was tossing off his covers and getting out of bed.

“I’ll owe you big-time for this one,” Kate said.

“Good. Then get a babysitter for Friday night and let me take you out to dinner.” He didn’t miss a beat.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Dallas’s jaw muscle clench. She couldn’t tell if his reaction was good or bad.

“I don’t know if I’ll be in today,” Kate said awkwardly. She quickly glanced at Dallas, realizing that she needed to redirect the conversation with Allen. “The Patsy family’s donation should hit the bank today. Would you mind watching for it and letting me know when it arrives?”

“Got it,” he said. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you changed the subject.”

“We’ve already gone over this, Allen. He’s too little to leave with a sitter,” Kate said quietly into the phone. Her cheeks heated as she talked about her lack of a life in front of a complete stranger, and especially one as good-looking as Dallas.

“That excuse doesn’t fly with me and you know it,” Allen said flatly.

Kate had no response.

“Fine. At least take me as your date to the Hackney party next weekend,” he offered.

“I’m skipping that one, too. Can we talk about it later? I’m too tired to think beyond today,” she said, then managed to end the call without any more embarrassing revelations about her life. The truth was her perspective had changed the instant Jackson had been placed in her arms. There was no man worth leaving her baby for, even for a night.

“Is he usually so...friendly?” Dallas asked.

“I stay out of my employees’ personal lives,” she said, hating the suspicion in Dallas’s voice. “There’s no way Allen would do anything to hurt me or Jackson.”

“I take it there’s no Mr. Williams to notify?” Dallas asked.

Clearly, he’d picked up on the fact that she was single. She’d listened intently for condemnation in his tone and was surprised she didn’t find a hint. She’d expected to and more after cashing out her interests in the tech company she and her brother had started together and moving to a small town. If her own family couldn’t get behind her choices, how could strangers?

“No. There isn’t. Is that a problem?” she asked a little too sharply. Missing sleep didn’t bring out the best in her, and she’d been only half lying about not sleeping last night due to Jackson’s schedule or lack thereof. At his age, he took a bottle every four hours, day and night.

“Not for me personally. The sheriff will want to know, and I’m taking notes to speed along the process once we go inside.” Dallas motioned toward the small notepad he’d taken out of his pocket.

“Oh. Right.” As soon as Jackson was old enough to take care of himself—like, age eighteen—Kate planned to stay in bed an entire weekend. Maybe then she’d think clearly again. Heck, give her a hotel and room service and she’d stay there a whole week.

“Where’s the father?” Dallas asked, still with no hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Out of the picture.”

There was a beat of silence. “Ready to go inside and talk?” he asked at last, his brow arched.

“Yes. I’ll just get Jackson from the backseat,” she said defensively. There was no reason to be on guard, she reminded herself. Besides, what would she care if a stranger judged her?

Dallas stood next to her, holding the car door open. She thanked him as she pulled Jackson close to her chest. Just the thought of anything happening to her son...

She couldn’t even go there.

“Can I help with the diaper bag?” Dallas held out his hand, still no hint of condemnation in his tone.

“You must have children.” Kate managed to ease it off her shoulder without disturbing the baby, who was thankfully asleep again. Her nerves were settling down enough for her hands to finally stop shaking.

“Not me,” he said, sounding a little defensive. What was that all about?

Kate figured the man’s family status was none of her business. She was just grateful that Jackson was still asleep.

Thank the stars for car rides. They were the only way she could get her son down for a nap some days. It probably didn’t hurt that he’d been awake most of the night. He’d been born with his days and nights mixed up.

Family man or not, Kate’s life would be very different right now if Dallas hadn’t been there. Tears threatened to release along with all the emotions she’d been holding in.

Or maybe it was the fact that she felt safe with Dallas, which was a curious thought given that he was a stranger.

This wasn’t the time or place to worry about either. Kate needed to pull on all the strength she had for Jackson. He needed his mother to keep it together.

“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, knowing that she wouldn’t be holding her baby right now if not for this man. “Not just for carrying a diaper bag, but for everything you did for us this morning.”

Dallas nodded. He was tall, easily more than six foot. Maybe six foot two? He had enough muscles for her to know he put in serious time at the gym or on the ranch owned by him and his family. His hair was blacker than the sky on any clear night she’d seen. There was an intensity to him, too, and she had no doubt the man was good at whatever he put his mind to.

She told herself that the only reason she noticed was because they’d been in danger and he’d just saved her son’s life.

* * *

DALLAS WALKED KATE into the sheriff’s office and instructed her to take a seat anywhere she’d be comfortable.

Looking at the baby stirred up all kinds of feelings in him that he wasn’t ready to deal with. Not until he knew for sure one way or the other about his own parenthood status. Being in limbo was the absolute worst feeling, apart from knowing that he was in no way ready to be a father.

And yet a part of him wondered what it would be like to have a little rug rat running around the ranch. He chalked the feeling up to missing his parents. Losing them so unexpectedly had delivered a blow to the family and left a hole that couldn’t be filled. And then there was Dallas’s guilt over not being available to help them out when they’d called. He’d been halfway to New Mexico with an unexpected problem in one of his warehouses.

His gut twisted as he thought about it. If he’d turned around his truck and come back like they’d asked, they’d still be alive.

Dallas needed to redirect his thoughts or his guilt would consume him again. An update from his private investigator, Wayne Morton, was overdue. When Morton had last made contact, three days ago, he’d believed he was on a trail that might lead to Susan’s whereabouts. He’d been plenty busy at the ranch, trying to get his arms around the family business.

“Can I get anything for you or the baby?” Dallas asked Kate, needing a strong cup of coffee.

“Something warm would be nice,” she said, wedging the sleeping baby safely in a chair.

Dallas nodded before making his exit as she began peeling off her scarf and layers of outerwear.

A few minutes later he returned with two steaming cups of brew. He hesitated at the door once he got a good look at her, and his pulse thumped. Calling her five and a half feet tall earlier had been generous. The only reason she seemed that height was the heeled boots she wore. Without them, she’d be five foot three at the most. She had on fitted jeans that hugged her curves and a deep blue sweater that highlighted her eyes—eyes that would challenge even the perfect blue sky of a gorgeous spring day. Her shiny blond hair was pulled off her face into a ponytail.

“Wasn’t sure how you took yours, so I brought cream and sugar,” he said, setting both cups on the side table near where she stood. He emptied his coat pocket of cream and sugar packets, ignoring his rapid heartbeat.

She thanked him before mixing the condiments into her cup.

The baby moved as she sat down next to him and she immediately scooped him up and brought him to her chest.

The infant wound up for a good cry, unleashed one, and Kate’s stress levels appeared to hit the roof.

“He’s got a healthy set of lungs,” Dallas offered, trying to ease her tension.

“He’s probably hungry. Is there a place where I can warm a bottle?” she asked, distress written in the wrinkle across her forehead.

Abigail, Tommy’s secretary, appeared in the doorway before Dallas could answer. She’d been with the sheriff’s office long before Tommy arrived and had become invaluable to him in the five years since he’d taken the job. She threatened to retire every year, and every year he made an offer she couldn’t refuse.

“I can take care of that for you,” she said. “Where’s the bottle?”

“In there,” Kate said, attempting to handle the baby and make a move for the diaper bag next to her. She couldn’t quite manage it and started to tear up as Abigail shooed her away, scooping the bag off the floor.

“Thank you,” Kate said, glancing from Abigail to Dallas.

“Don’t be silly.” The older woman just smiled. “You’ve been through a lot this morning.” She motioned toward Jackson. “It’ll get easier with him. The first few months are always the most difficult with a new baby.”

Dallas felt as out of place in the conversation as catfish bait in a tilapia pond. And then a thought struck him. If he was a father—and he wasn’t anywhere near ready to admit to the possibility just yet—he’d need to learn about diaper bags and 3:00 a.m. feedings. Kate’s employee had taken her up-all-night excuse far too easily, which meant it happened enough for her to be able to know using it wouldn’t be questioned.

Speaking of which, Allen seemed to know way too much about Kate’s personal life, which could mean that the office employees were close, and it was clear he wanted more than a professional relationship with her. The guy was a little too cozy with his boss and Dallas didn’t like it. She obviously refused his advances. A thought struck. Could that be enough for him to want to punish her by removing the only obstacle between them—her child?

He was probably reaching for a simple explanation. Even so, it was a question Dallas intended to bounce around with Tommy.

Dallas made a mental note to ask Kate more about her relationship with Allen as soon as the baby was calm again, which happened a few seconds after Abigail returned with a warmed bottle and he began feeding.

The look of panic didn’t leave Kate’s face entirely during the baby’s meal, but she gazed lovingly at her son.

Dallas had questions and needed answers, the quicker the better. However, it didn’t feel right interrupting mother and son during what looked to be a bonding moment.

But then, not being a father himself, what the hell did he know about it?

Sipping his coffee, he waited for Kate to speak first. It didn’t take long. Another few minutes and she finally said, “I want to apologize about my behavior this morning. I’m not normally so...frazzled.”

“You’re doing better than you think,” he said, offering reassurance.

“Am I?” she asked. “Because I feel like I’m all over the place emotionally.”

“Trust me. You’re doing fine.”

Her shoulders relaxed a little and that made Dallas smile.

“I do have a question for you, though,” he said.

She nodded.

“How well do you know your employees?” he asked, ignoring the most probable reason Allen’s attraction grated on him so much. Dallas liked her, too.

“Some more than others, I guess.” She shrugged. “We’re a small office, so we talk.”

The baby finished his bottle and she placed a cloth napkin over her shoulder before laying him across it and patting his back.

“What does that do?” Dallas’s curiosity about babies was getting the best of him. His stress was also growing with every passing day that Morton didn’t return his texts.

“Gets the gas out of his stomach. Believe me, you want it out. If you don’t he can cramp up and become miserable.” She frowned.

“And when he’s miserable, you’re miserable.”

“Exactly,” she said, her tone wistful. A tear escaped, rolling down her cheek. She wiped it away and quickly apologized. “This whole parenting thing has been much harder than I expected.”

“Whoever did this to you and left should be castrated,” Dallas said. And he figured he was a hypocrite with that coming out of his mouth, given that he might have done the same to another woman. However, he had very strong feelings about the kind of man who didn’t mind making a baby, but couldn’t be bothered to stick around to be a father to the child. The operative word in his situation was that he might have unwittingly done that to someone. And he had no proof that Susan had actually been pregnant with his child, given that she’d disappeared when he’d offered to bring up the baby separately, instead of agreeing to her suggestion that they immediately marry. Her call had come out of the blue, months after they’d parted ways.

His gaze didn’t budge from Kate. He expected some kind of reaction from her. All he saw was genuine embarrassment.

“Oh, I have no one to blame. I did it to myself,” she said.

“I may not be an expert on babies, but I do know how they’re made. And I’m fairly certain there has to be a partner.” It was Dallas’s turn to shoot her a confused look.

“Adoption,” she said.

He gave her another.

“Surely you’ve heard of adopting a baby?” she asked tartly.

“Of course I have. I just didn’t know that was your circumstance,” he said stupidly.

Looking closer at the baby, Dallas couldn’t help but notice the boy had dark curly hair.

Not unlike his own.

Chapter Three

Kate recognized the sheriff as soon as he stepped inside his office. Not only had she seen him around town, he’d stopped by the kitchen to welcome her when she’d first opened her doors.

He was close to Dallas O’Brien’s height, so at least six feet tall. His hair was light brown and his eyes matched the shade almost perfectly.

She was relieved for the interruption, after sharing the news about Jackson being adopted, and especially after Dallas’s reaction, which made no sense to her. He seemed fine with her being a single parent, but lost his ability to speak once she’d mentioned the adoption. What was up with that?

The sheriff acknowledged Dallas first and then offered a handshake to Kate.

Dallas relayed the morning’s events succinctly and Kate’s heart squeezed at hearing the words, knowing how close she’d been to losing her son. She reminded herself that she had Dallas to thank for thwarting the kidnapping attempt.

If he hadn’t been there...

She shivered, deflecting the chill gripping her spine.

“Most kidnappings involve family. Sounds like that isn’t the case here,” the sheriff said. “We can’t rule out the birth parents. What’s your relationship with them?”

“None,” Kate responded. She hadn’t thought about the possibility that Jackson’s biological parents could’ve changed their minds. “The adoption was closed, records sealed, based on the mother’s request.”

“I’ll make contact with the agency to see if I can get any additional information from them. I wouldn’t count on it without a court order, though,” Tommy warned. “What’s the name?”

“Safe Haven,” she stated.

Tommy nodded. “Good. I know who they are.”

Kate held tighter to Jackson. Could the kidnapper have been the birth father? If an investigation was opened, could the birth mother change her mind and take her son away?

“Can you give a description of the man from this morning?” Tommy asked.

“Everything happened so fast. All I can remember is that he was wearing a hoodie and a high turtleneck. He was medium height and had these beady dark eyes against olive skin. It didn’t look like he’d shaved in a few days. That’s about all I can remember,” she said.

“It’s a start,” Tommy said, and his words were reassuring.

He turned to Dallas with that same questioning look.

“He was young and I didn’t recognize his voice, so I don’t think he’s from around here,” Dallas added.

“Is it possible that he’s the father? If he’s not local, then maybe he just found out about the baby and tracked us down,” Kate said, fear racing through her at the thought.

“We can’t rule it out, but that’s just one of many possibilities,” Tommy said. “What about your neighbors on Main? I heard some of them weren’t too thrilled when you moved in.”

“That’s the truth,” she said.

“Someone might have tried to scare you enough to get you to close shop and leave town. That’s a best-case scenario, as far as I’m concerned, because it would mean they never intended to hurt you or the baby. I need a list of names of family, friends, anyone who you’ve had a disagreement with, and your employees.”

The last part caught her off guard. Employees?

That had been Dallas’s first suspicion, too.

“Sheriff Johnson, you don’t seriously think one of my people could be involved, do you?” she asked, not able to fathom the possibility that one of her own could’ve turned on her.

“Please, call me Tommy,” he said. “And I have to search for all possible connections to the guy we’re looking for. You’d be surprised what you find out about the people you think you know best.”

In his line of work, she could only imagine how true that statement was. How horrible that anyone she trusted might’ve been involved.

No, it had to be a stranger.

“I have received threats from some of my business neighbors,” she said.

“Tell me more about those,” Tommy said, leaning forward.

“A few of the other tenants got together to file a complaint with my landlord. They said they didn’t think Main was the appropriate place for a soup kitchen,” she explained.

“And what was his response?” Tommy asked.

“He didn’t do anything. Said as long as my rent was paid on time and I wasn’t doing anything illegal, it wasn’t anyone else’s concern,” she said.

“I’ll send one of my deputies to canvass the other tenants and see what he can find out. We’ll cover all bases with our investigation.” Tommy glanced up from his pad. “How long ago did they make the complaint?”

“Right after we first moved in, so about six months ago,” she said.

“Anyone make a formal complaint since?”

She shook her head.

“What about direct threats?” Tommy asked.

“Walter Higgins threatened to force me out of town,” she said. “But that was a while ago.”

“The town needs your services,” Dallas said through clenched teeth. “What kind of jerks complain about a person doing something good for others?”

Jackson stirred at the sound of the loud voice and Kate had to find his binky to pacify him. She shuffled through the diaper bag and came up with it. Jackson settled down as soon as the offering was in his mouth.

“Sorry,” Dallas said with an apologetic glance.

“It takes all kinds,” Tommy agreed. “I’m guessing they figured it would hurt their business. We’ll know more once my deputy speaks to them.”

“It’s not like people hang around after they eat. There’s no loitering allowed downtown,” Kate said.

“It’s a big escalation to go from complaining to your landlord to a personal attack like this on your son.” Based on the sheriff’s tone, her neighbors weren’t serious suspects. Tommy fired off a text before returning his gaze to Kate. “Now tell me more about your people.”

“We have a small office staff,” she conceded. “Allen Lentz is my second in command and takes care of everything when I’m not around. Other than that, there are about a dozen cooks and food service workers. Only one is on payroll. The others are volunteers.”

Dallas’s posture tensed when she mentioned Allen.

Kate registered the subtle change and moved on. She rattled off a few more names and job descriptions.

The sheriff nodded and jotted a few notes on his palm-sized notebook.

“And then there’s Randy Ruiz. He keeps the place running on our tight budget. He’s our general handyman, muscle and overall miracle worker. Anything heavy needs lifting, he’s our guy. He’s been especially helpful and dependable in the six months he’s been with us.” Despite Randy’s past, she knew full well that he would never hurt her or Jackson.

Dallas seemed to perk up and she was afraid she’d tried to sell Randy a little too hard. True, she could be a little overprotective of him. He’d had a hard road and she wanted to see him succeed.

“Tabitha Farmer does all our administrative work,” Kate added quickly, to keep the conversation moving. “Her official title is volunteer coordinator.”

“How close are you with donors?” Tommy asked.

Thinking about the possibility that anyone in her circle could have arranged to have her child kidnapped was enough to turn Kate’s stomach. She clasped him closer.

For Jackson’s sake, she had to consider what Dallas and the sheriff were saying no matter how much she hated to view her friends and acquaintances with a new lens.

Maybe she was being naive, but she’d been careful to fill her life with genuine people since moving to Bluff from the city. “I maintain a professional distance. However, I do get invited to personal events like weddings and lake house parties.”

“And what do you do with your son during these outings?” Dallas interjected, no doubt remembering her conversation with Allen earlier.

“I don’t usually go. But I used Allen once,” she replied.

“Allen?” Dallas looked up from intensely staring into his cup of coffee.

“We’re like a family at the kitchen, and we take care of each other,” she said defensively.

Dallas’s cocked eyebrow didn’t sit well with her. She could feel herself getting more and more defensive.

“Despite what you may be thinking about my employees, they really are a group of decent people,” she stated, making eye contact with him—a mistake she was going to regret, given how much her body reacted to the handsome cowboy.

“In my experience, that doesn’t always prove the truth,” he said, holding her gaze. “When did Allen babysit for you?”

“It’s been a while. I used Tabitha one other time recently.”

“There a reason for that?” Dallas asked, lifting one dark eyebrow.

“Yes, but it doesn’t mean anything,” she said quickly. Then she sighed. “Okay, I thought Allen was getting a little too...involved with me and Jackson, so I thought it would be best to use Tabitha instead. He’s made it clear that he’d like to date.” She involuntarily shivered at the thought of going out with anyone, much less someone from work. “And I’m just not ready for that.”

She’d probably emphasized that last bit a little too much, but what did she care if they knew she wasn’t in the mood to spend time with a man, any man.

“How old is your son?” Tommy asked, after a few uncomfortable seconds had passed.

“Jackson? He’s almost three months old.” Kate gently patted her baby on the back, noticing something stir in Dallas’s eyes.

“What about friends and family?” Tommy asked, his gaze moving from her to his friend. “Anyone in the area?”

“I didn’t know anyone when I moved here, and everything about preparing for the baby was harder than I expected, so, yes, I bonded with my employees.”