The Colton Cowboy

Chapter 2

Anders didn’t know whether to be amused or irritated. Elle Gage was definitely a hot number in the neatly pressed uniform that hugged curves that were all in the right places.

Her honey-colored blond hair was caught in a low ponytail that shone with a richness in the artificial light. But her pretty brown eyes stared at him with more than a hint of distrust and dislike.

Still, her pronouncement about the baby possibly being a Gage had surprised him. He hadn’t considered that the baby might be Demi’s and that Bo was the father. But it was definitely a possibility.

He was so damned tired of people thinking he was hiding out Demi here, although he did believe in his cousin’s innocence. “I don’t know anything about Demi being here on the property. All I know is that I had a thief and now I have a baby.”

“But if this is Demi’s baby, then Demi has to be on the property someplace,” Elle replied. She studied him as if he were an insect under a microscope. If she was looking for signs of deception from him she wouldn’t find any. He hadn’t seen Demi anywhere around his ranch.

“It’s possible she was on the property about an hour ago, but who knows where she might be now,” he finally conceded.

“I know she was in touch with her brother, Brayden, declaring her innocence. She texted him on a burner phone that the baby was fine and that she’s working to find the real killer. If she’s so innocent, then why is she on the run? Why do so many clues point to her?”

She placed the baby back in the cradle and then faced Anders once again. “Demi isn’t exactly a shrinking violet. She’s a bounty hunter and is known to have one heck of a temper. She thought Bo was going to be with her, but then he dropped her to marry Hayley.”

Anders considered what he’d heard and read about the murder. There was no way his cousin was capable of such violence against another human being. “Despite some of the evidence to the contrary, I still believe she’s innocent, but I’ll leave the investigation to the authorities,” he replied.

“Right now this authority is going to take her partner and do a sweep of the area. We’ll be back when we’re finished.” She headed for the door with the sturdy brown-and-white bulldog at her heels.

Anders released a deep sigh as they went out the front door. Was it really possible the baby was Demi’s?

The answer was easy. Absolutely it was possible. Everyone knew that Demi was pregnant—and very likely with Bo Gage’s baby—when she went on the run six months ago, and the timing was right for her baby to have been born within the last couple of weeks. And even though Anders and Demi had never been close, she definitely would have trusted him to take care of the infant. Demi had been close with Anders’s sister Serena, and though Serena had sworn multiple times she hadn’t heard from Demi, who knew if she had or not? Serena was romantically involved with Detective Carson Gage, so it wasn’t as though Demi could ask Serena to hide her or for help with the baby. But if Anders’s name had come up in their conversations, Serena would have told Demi that if she needed someone to count on, Anders was the guy.

Unfortunately Elle was right about clues pointing to his cousin’s culpability in Bo’s murder.

The rumor mill was rife with stories that Demi had snapped in a fit of rage over being dumped by Bo. Anders didn’t listen to gossip, but he’d heard that Bo had written Demi’s name in his own blood at the crime scene. He shivered at the thought. Plus, a gold heart necklace with Demi’s engraved initials had been found near the crime scene and a witness had put her there, as well. When a warrant had been issued for her arrest, she’d run.

It was much easier to be on the run from the law without a newborn baby in tow. A surge of unexpected protectiveness welled up inside him as he looked at her. She was so tiny, so achingly vulnerable.

And it was also a possibility that the baby could be his. He’d always tried to make sure he had protected sex; however, he also had occasionally trusted when a woman told him she was on the pill and didn’t want him to wear a condom.

He would make a good target for a woman to trick. Although his uncle Fenwick Colton and his branch of the family were filthy rich, Anders’s father had done all right, too, and Anders certainly didn’t have to worry about money.

Yes, he’d make a good target for an unscrupulous woman to intentionally get pregnant in anticipation of some sort of a big payoff. He looked back at the baby.

He had to figure out something to call her besides “the baby.” Even though he intended to give her a name and despite the protectiveness that had welled up inside him, he refused to be drawn into caring or loving the baby in any way.

For just a moment his thoughts threw him back to a place when he’d been so happy. It had been a time when he had loved with all his heart, when baby giggles had been the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

Damn, he couldn’t even think about that time without grief pooling inside him.

He sank down on the sofa, his thoughts turning to Elle Gage. He’d occasionally seen her around town but had never really noticed how attractive she was.

It had been acutely obvious that she didn’t particularly like him and she definitely didn’t trust him. Of course, he was a Colton and she was a Gage. Forbidden fruit, so to speak. Not that he was interested in a romantic relationship with anyone at the moment. He’d loved once and had been devastated. He certainly wasn’t eager to go there again. He had a ranch to run and plenty of work to keep him occupied.

A little cry alerted him that the baby was awake once again. He froze and waited to see if she would go back to sleep, but her cries got louder.

He picked her up in his arms and began to rock her, hoping that the motion would calm her down as it had before. It didn’t. Her little face screwed up and grew more and more red as her wails filled the cabin.

He could handle a bucking bronco or an enraged bull, but the crying baby in his arms scared him half to death. Why was she crying so hard? What was wrong with her?

The door opened and Elle and her dog came back in. “I can’t make her stop crying,” he said with an edge of panic. “I’ve tried rocking her, but that isn’t doing the trick.”

“Has she been fed? Have you checked to see if she needs a diaper change?” Elle walked over to the sofa and opened the tote bag. She pulled out a diaper, a bottle and a can of powdered formula.

“Give her to me. I’ll change her diaper while you make her a bottle.” She took the wailing baby from him and handed him the formula and the bottle.

“But I don’t know how to do this,” he protested.

“Read the side of the can. It isn’t rocket science.” She turned around and placed the baby on the sofa. “And make sure you warm it.”

He hurried into the kitchen where he managed to make a bottle and warm it in the microwave. He carried it back into the living room where she was seated on the sofa and rocking the still-sobbing baby.

He handed Elle the bottle and noticed the exotic, floral scent of her, a scent he found wildly attractive. The baby latched onto the bottle’s nipple and drank greedily.

“Poor little thing must have been starving,” she murmured.

An edge of guilt filled him. He should have thought about the baby being hungry. “I’m assuming you and your faithful companion didn’t find anyone outside,” he said.

He moved to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. It was easier to concentrate if he was far enough away from her that he couldn’t smell her evocative fragrance.

“No, but we both know somebody was here to leave the baby.”

“You know, it is possible she could be mine.”

Elle’s dark eyes studied him solemnly. “If that’s the case then you should know who her mother is.”

“Actually, it could be any one of several women.”

The look she gave him made him believe he should feel some sort of shame. He was thirty-three years old and he’d be damned if he’d let some hot canine cop make him feel guilty about his past relationships or any future ones he might enjoy.

“But she could also still be Demi and Bo’s baby,” she replied.

“We have to stop calling her ‘she.’ She needs a name, at least for tonight, because I intend to keep her here through the night,” he said.

She pulled a cloth diaper out of the bag and threw it over her shoulder and then raised the baby up and began to pat her back. She looked like a natural. Merlin sat at her feet like a sentry guarding both her and the baby.

“I’ll stay here for tonight to help.”

A rush of relief washed over him. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.”

“I’m not doing it for you,” she replied. “I’m doing it for the baby and because she might be a Gage.” The baby gurgled and once again she gave her the bottle.

All of her features softened as she gazed down at the baby. He’d always thought Elle was pretty, but she looked utterly gorgeous with all her features relaxed and a soft smile playing on her lips.

“Bonnie,” she said suddenly. She looked up at him. “Let’s call her Bonnie.”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. “Does that name mean anything special to you?”

“No, it just sprang into my head when I was gazing into her beautiful blue eyes.”

He didn’t care what they called her. He was just grateful Elle was staying through the night to help him with the newly named Bonnie.

“I need to call the chief and let him know we’re keeping her here for the night but we’ll bring her into RRPD in the morning so we can decide what the next move will be where she’s concerned.”

The baby had fallen asleep once again, and Elle returned her to the cradle and then pulled out her cell phone and made the call to Finn. He agreed with the plan.

“It’s late,” Anders said when she finished with the phone call. “I’ll show you to the guest room.”

“Before you do that I’m going to take one final walk around outside with Merlin.” She stood and Merlin did the same, his gaze focused on Elle in what appeared to be utter devotion. “We’ll be right back.”

When she walked out of the door it was as if she stole some of the energy from the cabin. A weariness fell heavily on his shoulders. It had been a wild and crazy night. Thank goodness the small spare bedroom was clean and ready for a guest.

She was only gone a couple of minutes and then returned with a duffel bag in hand. “I always keep a change of clothes and some toiletries in my car. Now you can show us to the guest room.” She walked over and picked up the wicker cradle. “I’ll keep her with me for the night. She’ll want to be fed again before morning.”

“I really appreciate your help,” he replied. “I don’t know much about babies.”

“That’s fairly obvious,” she replied drily.

He didn’t respond, but instead led her into the room that held a double bed with another of his grandmother’s quilts covering it. There was also an easy chair in one corner and a dresser.

She carried the baby to the chair and set the cradle down. “She should be okay to sleep right here for the night.” She tucked the blanket around Bonnie and then straightened. “Before I go to sleep, I’d like to get another bottle ready.”

“I can take care of that,” he replied. He didn’t intend to just dump the baby in Elle’s lap and not do what he could to help her. He couldn’t forget that this was his problem and not hers.

He took the near-empty baby bottle from her and then went into the kitchen. He ran hot water in the plastic bottle to make sure it was all cleaned out and then measured out what was needed to refill it again. Once he was finished he placed it in the refrigerator and then went back to the guest room.

She had unpacked the tote bag and all the items were laid out on the bed. “Whoever packed this pretty much thought of everything,” she said. “As you can see, there are five sets of onesies and several little knit hats. There’s an extra bottle, another can of formula, diapers and toys that she won’t be old enough to play with for another month or two.”

She gazed at Anders, that straightforward, sober look he found more than a little bit sexy. “Whoever left her here obviously loves her. That means she must have thought you’d take good care of the baby and keep her safe.”

“I will...with your help.”

“I couldn’t help but notice the quilt on the bed. It’s beautiful.”

He smiled. “One of my grandmother’s. I had another one, but the thief managed to pluck it right off the bed in here and get away.” His smile faded. “Uh...do you have anyone you need to call, maybe a significant other or somebody like that?”

“No, nobody. Merlin is the only significant other I have in my life,” she replied.

His gaze swept down to the bulldog sitting on the floor. “Does your dog require anything special for the night?”

“Merlin. His name is Merlin and no, he doesn’t need anything special. I keep dog food in my car so I’ll be able to feed him in the morning.”

“I didn’t know bulldogs made good police dogs.” He stared at the thick-bodied brown-and-white dog whose tongue was hanging out. Thank God the floor was wooden, he thought as he spied a string of drool slowly making its way down the side of the dog’s mouth.

“Bulldogs make great protection dogs. They’re a lot more agile than they look. Merlin can jump almost six feet in the air. This breed bonds to people and I know he would give his life for me, although I hope that never has to happen.” Her affection for the dog was evident in her voice.

“Uh...does he sleep in the bed with you?” He winced at the idea of all that dog slobber on his grandmother’s quilt.

“Absolutely not,” she replied. “I’m the leader of Merlin’s pack. I’m the master and he knows it. I sleep in the bed and he sleeps on the floor.”

A small smile curved the corners of her mouth and shot a wild unexpected heat through him. “I can tell by the look on your face that you’re relieved my fifty-pound drooling dog partner won’t be sleeping in your bed.”

“Guilty as charged,” he replied. What he’d really love to see was a real, full-out smile from her.

At that moment the baby began to fuss again. “She might have a little more gas.” She picked Bonnie up once again. “She didn’t really give me a good burp after drinking the bottle.” She began to pat Bonnie’s back once again. Merlin let out a low, long grunt, as if he were the one being burped.

Elle’s eyes widened and she thrust the baby toward him. “Here...take her,” she exclaimed. At the same time he heard a noise coming from the living room. He whirled around and ran out of the bedroom.

Across the living room a tall, slightly burly man in a ski mask stood several feet inside the front door. He appeared to be looking around the room.

Adrenaline shot through Anders. “Hey!” he yelled. “What in the hell are you doing in here? What do you want?”

All he could think about was Elle and the baby in the next room. The last thing he would allow was any harm to come to them.

For a long moment the two men faced each other. Anders tried to discern facial features under the mask, but all he could see were glittering dark eyes.

He rushed forward, ready to take the creep down, but he turned and ran for the front door, which was standing open.

Anders ran out the door after him, cursing as he tripped over the side of the recliner. When he finally made it outside to the porch, the man had disappeared into the night. What in the hell was that all about? He stared out into the darkness, fighting against a cold chill. Who was the man and what did he want?

* * *

Elle stood in the bedroom doorway and waited for Anders to return. She was positively livid. Her entire body trembled with her anger. Anders Colton was just like all the other men in her life. Leave the little lady holding the baby while the big, strong man took care of any impending danger.

“A baby on the doorstep and a masked man in the living room, could this night get any more strange?” he said as he came back into the house.

“What in the hell do you think you were doing?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Have you forgotten that I’m the cop here? That I’m the one with the training and a gun? You should have taken the baby from me when I told you to and let me handle the situation out here.”

“I acted on instinct, and as a man my instinct was to protect you and the baby. So shoot me,” he replied with a touch of humor.

“Don’t tempt me,” she retorted. She drew in several deep breaths and then continued, “Contrary to the beliefs of my Overly Protective Brothers and every other man in my life, I can take care of myself and others. I’m a cop, not a piece of fluff. Now, tell me what just what happened.”

“There was a man in a ski mask in the living room. When he saw me he turned and ran out the door. I couldn’t get to him in time. By the time I reached the porch, I didn’t even know which direction he’d run.” He sat down on the sofa.

She walked across the room to the front door. “Come on, Merlin,” she said, and then walked outside. The night was dark, with clouds chasing each other across the moon. She knew it was a futile search; the man was probably long gone by now.

Still, she and Merlin walked around the wooded area. There were a lot of places someone could hide, but he couldn’t hide from Merlin’s nose. When Merlin didn’t alert, she headed back into the house. At least her burst of aggravation with Anders was over.

When she went back inside he was still seated on the sofa. She sank down in the chair facing him and released a sigh of frustration. “Whoever it was, he’s gone now. Did you lock the door after I came in the last time?”

He shook his head. “It was unlocked. The man just walked in.”

“So do you have any idea who he was or what he was doing here?”

He shook his head. “Not a clue.”

“Do you think he was looking for the baby?” She couldn’t help but think it was odd that on the same night the baby had been left, a masked man had broken in.

“I don’t know what he was doing here or what he might be looking for,” he replied, the line of frustration across his forehead doing nothing to detract from his handsomeness.

“Is it possible this guy is the needy thief you told me about earlier?”

“I don’t think so.” His frown line deepened. “This guy didn’t look like he’d be interested in stealing a quilt and a cradle, and his mask definitely didn’t make him appear like somebody in need.”

“I’ll tell you one thing, I was ready for bed fifteen minutes ago, but now I’m not a bit tired.” The appearance of the intruder had shot her full of adrenaline and given her a second wind.

“How about I make a small pot of coffee?” he suggested. “I’m definitely not ready to call it a night, either.”

“Coffee sounds great.” Maybe over coffee she could figure out what was going on here because there was definitely something going on. “I’m going to bring Bonnie into the living room so we can hear her if she cries.” She also wanted the baby in her eyesight.

She left the room to get the baby and once the sleeping Bonnie was in her cradle on the sofa she returned to the kitchen. What was a masked man doing inside Anders’s cabin? What did he want? And it was definitely strange that he had broken in on the same night that a baby had been left on the doorstep. Did the baby have something to do with him?

If he was the baby’s father, then why wear a mask and break in? Why not just knock on the door and introduce himself? Maybe the father was a bad guy who didn’t have custody of the baby. But then where was the mother? Or maybe the mother was trouble and the father just wanted his baby back. These were the thoughts that shot through her head as she sat at the kitchen table and waited for the coffee to brew.

And then there were the totally inappropriate thoughts that had intruded among the more important ones. Did Anders always smell so good? Like sunshine and wind and a faint woodsy cologne?

His broad chest made her wonder what it might feel like to be held tightly against it...against him. And that sexy smile of his...he was just so hot.

Jeez, what was wrong with her in entertaining any of those kinds of thoughts? She wasn’t even sure she liked him and she definitely hadn’t appreciated his taking over the situation when she was the cop. She wasn’t into macho men who felt they had to protect the little lady of the house.

“Cream or sugar?” he asked.

“No thanks, black is fine,” she replied.

She was grateful when he placed a red mug of coffee before her and then sat at the table across from her with his own mug. At least when he was seated she couldn’t see the entire length of his sexy physique.

“So, tell me about these Overly Protective Brothers of yours,” he said.

She wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. “No matter what job I’m assigned to Carson is always there shadowing me. I think he’s told the chief that he wants to be on the same assignments as me and that makes me crazy. Then there is Lucas. Neither one of them trusts me to be capable to do my job or live my life and I keep telling them to back off.”

“I think I heard Demi once say that Lucas was her number one competition in the bounty-hunting business,” he said.

“He often told me the same thing about her. I just wish he would stop trying to talk me out of being a cop.”

“I understand them wanting to keep you safe. I feel the same way about my kid sister,” he replied.

“Valeria is a real sweetheart.”

He nodded and a smile curved his lips. “We haven’t been close in the past, but I’m working hard to build a close relationship with her now.”

“How come you live out here instead of in the big house with the rest of your family?” she asked curiously.

“My parents wanted me to live in one of the wings there, but I prefer to be out here. To be honest, my parents make me more than a little crazy.”

“How?”

He took a drink of the coffee and then leaned back in the chair. “I know my parents love me, but my mother has always been kind of cold and my father definitely tries to be overbearing. Growing up it always felt like they were more interested in what people thought about them and how many tacky objects they could buy for the house than parenting.” He grimaced. “I shouldn’t have said all that.”

“I’m not a gossiper, Anders,” she said in an effort to let him know his words were safe with her.

“So, tell me more about your family.”

Since he had shared so much about his, she decided to open up a little about how she felt. “With two older brothers and three younger siblings, I always felt like I wasn’t seen or heard much. I guess you could say I suffered from typical middle child syndrome. There were a lot more boisterous voices than mine in the family.” She looked down into her coffee, thinking about the one family member’s voice she would never, ever hear again.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Anders said softly.

She looked up at him sharply. “What are you, some kind of a mind reader?”

“No, no mind reader, you just looked incredibly sad and I took a guess that you were thinking about Bo.”