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The Texas Ranger's Bride
Rebecca Winters


THE PRIDE OF TEXASWith his roots tracing back to the original Rangers, Cy Vance takes his job seriously. To protect and defend takes on new meaning when he’s assigned to safeguard Kellie Parrish, a stunning barrel racing celebrity who has a dangerous admirer. But going undercover to catch the stalker backfires when his inspired scheme awakens feelings that could compromise Cy’s strict code of honor.To her fans, Kellie just became the luckiest cowgirl on the planet. Too bad her marriage to the hunky lawman is a sham . . . even if it’s starting to feel like the real thing. She and Cy share something special and rare. Is the dedicated Ranger ready to cowboy up and ask the question that will make him the true hero of her heart?







Their lips were only an inch apart, distracting Cy from his duty to protect her.

All that registered was Kellie’s warmth and beauty, seducing him into wanting a taste of her. It was wrong to give in to his desire, but he’d passed a threshold where chemistry had taken over. He could no more stop what was happening than he could prevent himself from being swept into a vortex.

When his mouth closed over hers, he heard a small moan, then she was giving him access as if she couldn’t stop herself either. For a minute he forgot everything while the wonder of her response took hold. One kiss became another and another until it all merged into a growing need that set them on fire.

He’d never known this kind of ecstasy before. Maybe it was because of the danger surrounding them that the experience of holding and kissing her had surpassed any pleasure he’d known.


The Texas Ranger’s Bride

Rebecca Winters




www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


REBECCA WINTERS, whose family of four children has now swelled to include five beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels, because writing is her passion, along with her family and church.

Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to e-mail her, please visit her website, www.cleanromances.com (http://www.cleanromances.com).


Dedicated to Christopher R. Russell, a military warrior from Texas who has become a cherished friend.

This is for you, Sarg.


Contents

Cover (#u1df2be04-367d-55b0-a04c-5b8d5fee0503)

Introduction (#ube4c70ed-27d2-5ab7-acb1-26561389f185)

Title Page (#uf6c1c21e-a1d7-56c9-a2dd-adada1b768fa)

About the Author (#u7bb9be3a-362b-59d0-8255-ab7efd8f9924)

Dedication (#uf1d28757-c7c7-5810-9e88-5b6147b0245c)

Chapter One (#u4ae0ca1a-346b-596c-bc81-6ebe4443fd1c)

Chapter Two (#uf1482260-b21c-56c0-a19c-b3da82cee1c9)

Chapter Three (#ud080cfbb-fb73-555f-8d6a-bc308ecd9491)

Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter One (#ulink_f383bf55-2089-5200-92f3-e9594e4d8cc0)

“This is Tammy White and you’re listening to Hill Country Cowboy Radio broadcasting from Bandera, Texas, the Cowboy Capital of the World!

“Oh boy, have we got a lineup for you on this Labor Day weekend, including the star of the Bandera Rodeo, Kellie Parrish from Austin, Texas, our state’s hopeful to win the National Barrel Racing Championship in Las Vegas come December. She’ll be our guest in the second segment of our show.

“Now hear this. All you cowgirls out there, listen up and hold on to your Stetsons because we have some jaw-dropping, gorgeous, bronco-busting, homegrown cowboys in studio. But that’s not the best part. They’re four of our famous, legendary Texas Rangers, the pride of the great state of Texas! I’ve asked my buddy Mel from the fire department to be on hand in case I go into cardiac arrest. It’s not every day I’m surrounded by such hunky men. They’re not only easy on the eyes, but they wear the star and put their lives on the line every day to protect us.

“Welcome, gentlemen. How come we’re so lucky that four of you were willing to be interviewed? Judging by the way you were laughing when you came into the booth, does it mean you’re good friends both on and off duty?”

The men all looked at Cy. Their captain in the Austin office had asked him to be the spokesman for this interview. None of them wanted to do it, but the boss insisted it was important for the Rangers to have a positive public presence. Cy had to cowboy up.

“Yup. The four of us share a very unique bond.”

“We want to hear all about it, but first why don’t you introduce yourselves and tell us where you’re from?”

“Sure. I’m Cyril Vance and call Dripping Springs home.” Kit took his turn next. “Ranger Miles Saunders from Marble Falls.” Vic followed. “Ranger Stephen Malone. I grew up in Blanco.” Cy nodded to Luckey on the other side of Vic. “I’m Ranger James Davis from Austin.”

“Ladies, it’s too bad this isn’t television! You’d eat your hearts out if you were sitting where I am. Through the Hill Country grapevine the station learned that a lot of Rangers are in Bandera to help celebrate Jack Hays Days. You’ll see them riding their horses in tomorrow morning’s parade. It would be hard to believe that anyone in the state of Texas doesn’t know the name Jack Hays. But just in case you don’t, we want to hear from you why the name of Jack Hays stirs the hearts of every Texan, particularly those of the Rangers.”

“I’ll take this,” Vic volunteered. “When Sam Houston was reelected to the presidency in December 1841, he recognized the effectiveness of the Rangers. And on January 29, 1842, he approved a law that officially provided for a company of mounted men to ‘act as Rangers.’ As a result, 150 Rangers under Captain John Coffee ‘Jack’ Hays were assigned to protect the southern and western portions of the Texas frontier. Houston’s foresight in this decision proved successful in helping to repel the Mexican invasions of 1842, as well as shielding the white settlers against Indian attacks over the next three years.”

Vic turned to Kit. “You tell the rest.”

“Be happy to. Jack Hays was responsible for improving the quality of recruitments and initiating tough training programs for the new Rangers, as well as initiating an esprit de corps within his command.

“The Paterson Colt six-shooters had just been invented and Captain Hays and his men were fortunate to be armed with these weapons instead of single shotguns. When the Comanche attacked Captain Hays and his company of forty in Bandera Pass in 1842, they were defeated.”

“Gentlemen? I found a quote from Walter Prescott Webb, a twentieth-century US historian who said, ‘Their enemies were pretty good...the Texas Rangers had to be better.’ Do you Rangers still use those old six-shooters? If not, what kind of weapons do you carry?”

Luckey spoke up. “We use a variety that includes the .357-caliber SIG Sauer, the .45-caliber Colt automatic, the SIG Sauer P226 pistol, the Ruger mini-14 automatic rifle and the Remington 12-gauge shotgun.”

“There are dozens of questions I want to ask, but since you’re pressed for time, why don’t you tell our listeners why the four of you are particularly close?”

Cy nodded. “When I joined the Rangers, I didn’t know any of the men in the company. On my application, I’d mentioned that I was a descendant of one of the men in Captain Jack Hays’s company of forty. During my interview with our captain at company H, he told me there were three other Rangers in our company who could also trace their ancestry back to the original company of forty.”

“Wow!”

“Wow is right. He got the four of us together. The rest was history.”

“Imagine that. What a remarkable coincidence! You guys are the real thing. It’s in your genes. Kind of gives you gooseflesh.”

Kit chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a Texas Ranger. The pride my family felt for our heritage was instilled in me.”

“It looks like none of you could escape your destiny.”

Luckey grinned. “We wouldn’t want to.”

“I heard a rumor that everyone at Ranger headquarters has nicknamed you four ‘the Sons of the Forty.’ That’s heady stuff.”

“We don’t mind,” Vic stated. “But it gives us a lot to live up to.”

“I’d say you’re doing a spectacular job. According to your captain, the governor of our state gave you citations six months ago for your capture of a drug cartel ring on the most-wanted list. Do the four of you always work together on a case?”

Cy shook his head. “No. It’s a very rare occurrence that we have an opportunity to do something big together, but we help each other out from time to time. Each case is different.”

“Cowboys and cowgirls? Our station is honored that these Texan heroes have taken time out of their busy lives to let us know a little bit more about them. I have it on good report from your captain that the Sons of the Forty will be leading other Rangers on horseback from all over the state in the parade tomorrow. That will be the chance for you ladies to feast your eyes on the best of the best! Thank you for coming in. It’s been a Hill Country thrill for me and everyone listening.”

“Thank you,” they said in a collective voice.

* * *

KELLIE GOT OUT of her truck in front of the radio station, pressed for time. She’d just driven in from Amarillo over three hundred miles away, where she’d made a decent time in the rodeo the night before. But it wasn’t the low score she’d wanted. The fact that she didn’t get the best time had little to do with her skill or her horse’s.

Since she’d been on a five-state, pro rodeo racing circuit over the past five weeks, she’d been deeply unsettled by a guy who’d been following her from venue to venue among Montana, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico and Texas.

He’d come up to her after her win in Pendleton, Oregon, and asked her out on a date. She told him she was married in order to put him off. When she drove to Utah for the Eagle Mountain Rodeo, there he was again while she was brushing down her horse after her event. He was hoping she’d changed her mind and would go out with him.

She warned him that if he ever came near her again, she’d call the police. At the same time she signaled to her horse handler, Cody. He walked over to find out what was wrong and the stalker took off.

Cody was taking care of her horse Starburst, the one she’d brought on this circuit along with her champion palomino, Trixie, who was the best horse Kellie had ever owned. Trixie had helped her get to the Pro National Rodeo Finals, which were held in December. It was only three months away and she didn’t need any kind of problems that would cause her to lose focus.

The stalker had so frightened her, she’d stuck with her rodeo buddies for the rest of the night. Later on in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she found a note on her truck window that said she couldn’t avoid him forever and accused her of lying about being married. That told her this man had mental problems, and that put her on edge. She kept the note to show the police.

Afraid this wacko might turn up in Amarillo, she’d bunked with her good friend Sally, who was married to Manny Florez, one of the bull riders in the rodeo. Cody stayed with her horses and looked after them.

After one more rodeo tomorrow night in Bandera, she would drive straight to her parents’ ranch in Austin instead of going home to her town house. Together they’d go to the police. But right now she needed to get through this radio show and then put her horse through some exercises.

She’d left the animal in the horse trailer at the RV park on the outskirts of town with Sally and her husband. For the time being they were her protection.

Trying to conquer her fear of the man stalking her, she headed toward the entrance of the radio station and collided with the first of a group of tall, jean-clad men in Stetsons and cowboy boots coming out the door.

“Oh—I’m sorry.” She stepped back, shocked by a dart of male awareness that passed through her at the contact. “I didn’t see where I was going.”

“No problem, Ms. Parrish.” His eyes were a piercing midnight blue. “Good luck at the rodeo tomorrow evening. We’ll be rooting for you.” He tipped his white hat to her.

“Thank you,” she murmured as they headed to a van in the parking area.

Kellie had met hundreds of cowboys in all shapes and sizes over her years pursuing her dream to get to the Finals. She’d dated quite a few, nothing serious. But these four were exceptionally good-looking. The man she’d brushed against had momentarily caused the breath to freeze in her lungs. Why hadn’t he been the one to ask her out on a date in Oregon? She might have been a fool and said yes without knowing anything about him.

Stunned by her immediate attraction, she hurried inside the building afraid she was late. The receptionist told her to walk straight back to the broadcast booth.

“Oh, good. I’m glad you’re here. We’re on a station break. I’m Tammy White. You’re even more beautiful in person. Thanks for doing the show. You’re one of our state’s biggest celebrities.”

“Maybe with a few rodeo fans.”

“You’re too modest. Your appearance here is making my day.”

“Thanks, Tammy.” Kellie shook hands with her and sat down. “I barely got here in time.”

“I don’t suppose you bumped into the Sons of the Forty while you were on your way in here?”

Kellie blinked. “I actually did bump into one of them. Wait—aren’t they the Texas Rangers who brought down a drug cartel recently? It was all over the news.”

“Yup. You had the luck of getting to see them up close and personal.” Up close and personal is right. “I swear if I weren’t married...” Kellie knew exactly what she meant. The man with the deep blue eyes was a Texas Ranger!

Kellie couldn’t believe it, except that she could. With his rock-hard physique and rugged features, he looked as if he could handle anything. Come to think of it, he had been wearing a badge over his Western shirt pocket. But she’d been so mesmerized by his male charisma, nothing much else registered.

“Okay, Kellie. We’ll be live in seven seconds. Ready?”

“No. I’m no good behind a microphone.” Her mind was still on the striking Ranger. Her body hadn’t stopped tingling with sensation.

“Don’t worry. Leave it all to me. This is going to be fun.”

It would be fun if it weren’t for the menace lurking somewhere out there. Thank heaven for Sally and her husband, who were letting her stay in their trailer with them tonight and tomorrow night. Monday morning she’d take off at dawn.

She couldn’t get back home fast enough to tell her parents what had been happening and go to the police. Kellie had put off telling them about this, hoping the man would give it up, because she didn’t want her folks worrying about her. But she’d gotten a call in the middle of the night last night, which was the last straw. Her stalker was potentially dangerous, and that terrified her.

* * *

CY’S CAPTAIN, TJ HORTON, walked into his office Monday morning. The veteran Ranger now sported a head of gray hair, but he still looked tough enough to take on any fugitive and win. “It’s good you’re back.”

“I’m just finishing up some paperwork on my last case.”

“I’ve got a new one I’d like you to look over. It just came up. Come on into my office.”

“Sure.” He followed him down the hall. The captain told him to shut the door and take a seat. Cy could tell something was up.

TJ sat back in his swivel chair with his hands behind his head and smiled at him. “You men did the department proud over the weekend. I listened to your contribution on Hill Country Cowboy Radio. Whether you liked it or not—” nope, none of them liked it “—she made you guys out as the poster boys of the department. You’re now known as the Famous Four. I thought that might happen, but good publicity never hurts in an age when law enforcement takes a lot of unfair hits. The favor you did for me personally was much appreciated.”

“Anything to help, sir.”

“I heard a but in there. Next year I’ll pick another bunch to carry the flag.”

“That’s a relief.”

TJ chuckled, but then leaned forward with a serious expression. “The police turned over a case to our office this morning. It’s high profile and the victim could be in serious danger. Because the case has crossed state lines, they feel our department is better equipped to deal with it. I’d like your take on this one.” He handed him a folder.

Cy nodded and opened it. The name Kellie Parrish leaped out at him. She was the person in danger?

With her silvery-gold hair and cornflower-blue eyes, the barrel racer was a knockout. Under other circumstances he would have liked to hang around the radio station and listen to her interview. She’d been on his mind ever since he’d seen her a few days ago.

He scanned the folder’s contents. She was being pursued by a stalker. He’d followed Ms. Parrish across her latest five-state racing schedule. She’d given the lieutenant a description of the man and a typewritten note he’d left on her truck windshield.

The most alarming aspect of the case was the fact that this stalker had phoned her cell phone as recently as the middle of Friday night. She’d been asleep in her friend’s trailer in Bandera before driving to Austin this morning. Terrified, she’d gathered her parents and come straight to police headquarters.

Cy let out a low whistle. “I met her coming in the radio station as we were leaving on Friday. We watched her perform at the rodeo Saturday night. She had the second-best time.”

“That’s not only an amazing coincidence, but fortuitous. It isn’t often you already have prior knowledge of the victim, so you understand what kind of threat she’s been living with.”

Especially when he’d found her incredibly attractive.

The hairs lifted on the back of his neck. Cy couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this strong a feeling for a woman in passing. Because of the stress of the job, he didn’t have much time for dating and hadn’t been out with anyone for at least four months. After watching Ms. Parrish’s performance at the rodeo, he’d admired her skill and found himself wondering how to go about getting to know her better. Not in his wildest dreams had he thought it would happen like this.

TJ kept on talking. “The police chief told me her parents met her at the station. They’re well-heeled ranchers from southeast Austin who are demanding protection for their daughter and are willing to pay for it. Ms. Parrish is a prominent athlete. I’ve already ruled out a possible kidnapping scheme with a plan to collect a ransom or she would likely have been abducted at her first stop in Montana. Her parents want her to quit the rodeo circuit and stay with them until this lowlife is caught. She’s their only child.”

Cy got it. Ms. Parrish was their precious baby.

He shifted his attention from the file to his boss. “If you could have seen the way she rides, you’d know she would never agree to that.” Even under so much stress, she’d put in a terrific time at the Bandera Rodeo. “Otherwise, I’m certain she would have quit the circuit in Pendleton when he first showed up and returned to Austin to contact the police. Several of her competitors headed for the championship in Las Vegas were also in Bandera competing. My bet is on her winning the whole thing.”

TJ shook his head. “In order for that to happen, she would need full-time bodyguards on the circuit with her. Her parents can afford it. I’ll call them now and ask them to bring her back to headquarters so you can talk to her. When you’ve got a feel for what you’re dealing with, let me know how you want to handle this case.”

“TJ? Send her in to me first. Then I’ll talk to her folks.” Parents had their own ideas about what should be done. It simplified things to talk to the victim without anyone else in the room. “I’ll let you know when I want them to join us.”

His boss nodded in understanding.

“Until they arrive I’ll dig up some more background information on her. I’d better get to it.” Cy got to his feet and headed for his own office. He’d start with the personal information listed on her website and go from there. Uncanny how he’d already planned to look at her site when he got the chance, just to learn more about her.

“Let’s see what turns up on you, Ms. Parrish.”

He typed it in and sat back. Seconds later, there she was astride her palomino, lying low over her horse as it was racing straight down the alley. Pure poetry.

Kellie Parrish

Born: Austin, Texas, on February 14, 1990

Residence: Austin, Texas

Dad: Bronco Parrish—3-time NFR Bull Rider Champion

Mom: Nadine Parrish—Barrel Racer Finals 4 times

Horses: Smokey, Walnut, Miss Pandora, Crackers, Farley, Starburst, Trixie

Joined Pro Rodeo at age 11

Total Earnings: $2,103,775

Wrangler NFR Qualification: 10

College National Finals Qualification: 2

National High School Rodeo Finals Qualifications: 4

Pro Wrangler Finals winner, Oklahoma City, OK: 3

Women’s Pro Rodeo Association member

Cy read her blog, keeping track of the dates of the entries for July and August. She’d archived her previous blogs. Her ardent fans wanted to know all about her. How come she wasn’t married yet? Did she have a boyfriend?

She’d answered that she preferred to keep her private life private, but she was friendly and encouraging to those trying to become barrel racers themselves. She urged them to click to her online clinic for pointers. That woman was so busy, Cy didn’t know how she had time to breathe.

She’d put her rodeo schedule for the season on a separate page. There were links to the WPR Association and all the social media accounts. In other words, her life was pretty well an open book and prime fodder for the degenerate who’d targeted her. Talk about a sitting duck! A gorgeous one.

His eyes went back to her personal stats. The questions some of the commentors asked about her personal life had grabbed his attention. Some of them might have been sent by the stalker. An idea on how to handle this case had started to form in his mind. He reached for the phone to arrange for their department’s sketch artist to be on hand when she came in. They needed a picture to run through the criminal database, which could access the files from every state in the union to come up with a match.

There was no telling how long the creep had been stalking other women or when his sick fantasy about Ms. Parrish had started. She’d been traveling the circuit for a number of years. He could have seen her anywhere at any time. But he’d approached her for the first time in Oregon only four weeks ago. Cy would start there.

In case this man was a serial stalker or worse, he wanted a list of every known stalking incident in the Pendleton area in the past year. While he waited for the Parrish family to arrive at headquarters, he put through a call to the Pendleton police department. He asked them to fax him the names of stalking victims and their descriptions of the men menacing them, whether their cases had been solved or were still open. One of those descriptions might match up with the man Kellie Parrish had described.

Restless, Cy went to the cubbyhole down the hall they called a lunchroom and poured himself a cup of coffee while he waited. He had dozens of questions to ask. Vic walked in on him. Their eyes met.

“Guess who’s in the boss’s office.”

His pulse raced for no good reason. She’s here. Kellie Parrish had made an impact on all the guys. “I already know. A stalker’s after her.”

His friend’s black brows shot up. “You got the case?” Cy smiled. “How come that never happens to me?” Vic poured himself some coffee. “If you need help...”

“Thanks. I’ll let you know.” Cy took his mug back to his office.

Before long, TJ appeared at the door with her. She was probably five foot seven without her cowboy boots. “I believe you two have already met. Ms. Parrish? Meet one of our agents, Cyril Vance.”

Cy got to his feet and shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again, Ms. Parrish, even if it is under harrowing circumstances.”

Fear had darkened the blue of her eyes. “I hope you forgive me for bumping into one of the Sons of the Forty. I’m the one who’s honored.” TJ had disappeared.

“Please sit down.”

“Thank you.” She’d dressed in jeans and a creamy-colored Western shirt. Beneath the overhead light, her neck-length wavy hair had that silvery-gold metallic sheen he found stunning. So were her face and the rest of her curvaceous figure. Absolutely stunning.

“Can I get you coffee or a soft drink?”

“Neither, thanks.”

“I’m going to record our conversation if that’s all right with you.”

“Of course.”

“I have the notes taken by the police. It says here this stalker last contacted you by phoning in the middle of the night.”

“Yes. That was Friday,” she said, tight-lipped. “I don’t know how he knew my cell number.”

“How many people have you given it to?”

“My parents, closest friends, my cousin Heidi and of course my horse handler, Cody.”

“Tell me about him.”

“He’s been my closest horse friend since middle school. We’ve both had our dreams. I was going to win the PRO Finals Rodeo this year and teach barrel racing. He was going to help me and then run a stud farm. Cody is engaged and plans to get married after Finals.”

He nodded. “When you fill out forms of any kind, do you list it as your contact number?”

“No. It’s not written anywhere. I always give out my parents’ number. No...wait. I did give my cell phone number to a friend, Olivia Brown, who works at the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She used to ride with our Blue Bonnet Posse, but her husband was transferred to Colorado Springs, so she got a job with the rodeo association there.”

“I’ll want to talk to her. Now I’ll need a list of your friends and cousin, and their phone numbers. Here’s some paper.”

“All right.” She got right to work. When she’d finished, she looked up.

He took the list from her. “Thank you. What did the stalker say on the phone?”

She bit her lip. “‘You lied about having a husband. Don’t you know it’s not nice to lie?’ Then he hung up.”

“Was there just the one call that night?” She nodded. “Now let’s talk about everything that happened the first time this man made contact with you.”

She shuddered visibly. “It was right after the barrel-racing event and awards. I was in the process of removing the saddle from Trixie when I heard an unfamiliar male voice from behind call me by my first name. I turned around to discover a total stranger invading my space. A lot of guys have approached me over the years wanting a date, so it wasn’t unusual.”

Cy could believe it.

“I don’t mean to sound full of myself. It’s just part of what goes on during the racing circuit, and I’ve always taken it in good fun before turning them down. But this was different. He came too close. After telling him no, he just stood there with a smile that made my stomach churn. Something about him wasn’t right.”

“Could you tell if he’d been drinking?”

“No. I couldn’t smell alcohol. I was holding the saddle in front of me with both hands and I told him I was married, hoping he’d get the message and go away. When he calmly told me to prove it, I would have thrown the saddle at him and called security, but a couple of friends happened to walk over and he disappeared. I didn’t see him again until I drove to Utah for the next rodeo at Eagle Mountain a week later.”

“You drive a truck and horse trailer?”

“Yes. I live in the trailer while I’m on the road. My horse handler drives his own truck and trailer carrying one of my other horses.”

“Do you own a car?”

She nodded. “A four-door white Toyota sedan. I keep it at the condo when I’m gone.”

“Do you own or rent?”

“Rent. After I leave the rodeo circuit, I’ll be buying my own place.”

“Where’s the parking?”

“The double-car garage is in back, but there’s parking in front.”

“Is it in a complex?”

“It’s a two-story town house with neighbors on either side of me.”

Cy paused long enough to buzz the artist to come to his office, and then he turned to her. “We need a picture of this man. Without a photograph we’ll have to rely on your eyes. Our department artist has a singular gift.”

She clasped her hands together. “All right.”

“While we wait for him, I want you to think back. Before Pendleton, have you ever had the slightest suspicion that someone had targeted you?”

“No. Never.”

That sounded final. Jim showed up at the door with a sketch pad and electric eraser pencil. “Come on in, Jim. Ms. Parrish, our state’s reigning barrel-racing champion, is being stalked. Let’s see what you can work up.”

“Sure.” He sat in the chair next to Kellie, eyeing her in male appreciation. “It’s a privilege to meet you, Ms. Parrish. We’ll start with a sketch. I could use the computer, but a sketch can tell you things the computer can’t. Don’t get nervous or frustrated. You may think this won’t work, but in three out of ten cases a culprit has been caught through a sketch. I’ll work from the eyes on out. Shall we get started?”

She nodded and answered one question after another while he sketched. They worked together while he refined his drawing.

Cy asked her for a more thorough description while Jim was working.

“He looks like the guy next door. You know, someone’s brother. Maybe late twenties. Kind of lean. Okay-looking. Nutty-brown hair that curls. Short-cropped. Maybe five-ten, but he was wearing cowboy boots. Weighs probably 150 to 160 pounds. Brown eyes. He wore jeans and a different pullover the second time I saw him.”

Jim kept working at the sketch and showed her what he’d done. She said, “His nose was a little thinner.” After fixing it he asked her to take another look. “What do you think?”

“You truly do have a gift. It’s remarkably accurate.”

“We try.”

Cy took the drawing from him. The guy bore a superficial resemblance to Ted Bundy, the serial killer from several decades back, but he kept the observation to himself. “That’s great work, Jim. We’ll go with this to put in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned to Kellie. “All bets are on you winning the championship in December.”

“Thank you so much.”

“If anyone can catch him, Ranger Vance can. See you, Cy.”

When Jim left the office, she looked at Cy. “You’re called Cy?”

“Short for Cyril.” Don’t get sidetracked. “Your next rodeo is in South Dakota in two weeks, but I understand your parents want you to quit the circuit.”

“Yes, but since we talked with the police, Dad has told me he’ll hire some bodyguards for me so I can continue to compete.”

Cy shook his head. “That won’t work. We want to draw out this stalker and arrest him. He’ll know if you have people protecting you. That will change the way he has to operate. It will hinder our efforts and prolong the time you’re forced to live in terror.”

Her eyes clouded. “I don’t want to give up competition, not when I’m so close to the Finals in December. Isn’t there another way?”

Yes, but he didn’t know if she’d consider it. He knew her parents would raise objections.

“There’s always another way. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.” He left the office and headed for TJ’s, knocking on the open door.

His boss’s head lifted. “Come on in.”

Cy shut the door and sat down. “Where are her parents?”

“In the reception area. Have you got an angle on this case yet?”

He nodded and brought him up-to-date. Then he told him his idea. TJ didn’t say anything at first. That didn’t surprise Cy. “I know it’s unconventional.”

“Unconventional? Hell, Cy. It’s unorthodox and unheard-of in this department.”

“But it could work. This way she could continue winning rodeos.”

Another few minutes passed before TJ said, “I’ll admit it’s brilliant. You realize the two of you will be walking a very thin line.”

Yup. Cy knew exactly what he meant and he wasn’t talking about the culprit. “I’ll need another Ranger working with me. Whoever you can spare.”

His eyes squinted. “You think she’ll agree?”

“Probably not, but it’s worth finding out. She’s had the world championship in her sights since she was eleven years old. If she says no, then I’ll know I was wrong to think she’d do anything to achieve her goal.”

He nodded slowly. “All right. You bring her in here and I’ll send for her parents. She doesn’t need their permission, but they’ll have to be in on this from the start or it won’t work. I’ll make sure all three of them are fingerprinted before they leave the building today.”

“Right.”


Chapter Two (#ulink_132bc48b-107e-5864-b53d-1c335d8782f7)

Cy’s plan was bold. But no matter how many ways he could think of to attack the problem, he kept coming back to his first idea.

“Ms. Parrish?” he spoke to her from the doorway. She got to her feet. “If you’ll come with me, we’re going to meet in the captain’s office with your folks.”

They walked down the hall, where Cy met Kellie’s parents. She took after her father in height and coloring. From her mother she’d inherited her good looks and figure. He shook their hands.

TJ invited everyone to sit down. “Ranger Vance has looked at every aspect of this case and has come up with a strategy. Every so often our Rangers plan a sting and go undercover. It’s a very effective way to flush out a criminal. Your daughter’s case presents a challenge because no one wants to see her quit the barrel-racing circuit when she’s so close to winning the championship in Las Vegas.” He glanced at Cy. “Tell them your thinking.”

Cy got to his feet. “You could hire bodyguards. But it would probably cause the culprit to stay away for a time, not go away. We want this stalker to be put away permanently, and ASAP. The best thing to do is flush him out.”

“That makes sense to me,” her father said.

“What if he’s followed me here to this office?” Kellie sounded anxious, but was still keeping her composure. Cy admired her for that.

“I’m sure he’s done that and a lot of other things. He knows where you and your parents live. He knows your rodeo schedule, your phone number. He knows your routine and enjoys frightening you. But we’re going to turn the tables on him and produce the husband he doesn’t believe exists.”

Those blue eyes rounded in shock.

“A husband is different from a bodyguard who goes with you everywhere. A husband and wife have their moments of separation. While I’m not with you, one of my team will be guarding you from a distance.

“To set this up, you’ll announce your secret through your blog. I’ve read through it. Your fans have pressed you over and over again to reveal if there’s a special man in your life. After telling them all this time that your life is private, you’re going to tell them that you recently married a cowboy. Furthermore you are looking forward to a long honeymoon after the Finals in Las Vegas.

“By putting the announcement out on the internet, it will prove to the world you are telling the truth. Of course, this stalker still won’t believe you because you’ve been his fantasy for a long time and he doesn’t live in anyone’s reality but his own. I still have yet to discover if he’s a psychotic who has lost all connection to his world, or a psychopath with a serious mental disorder. But in either case he’ll be enraged when he reads your blog.

“I can assure you he’s been reading it for as long as he’s been stalking you, and so far there’s been no mention of a husband. He thinks he’s safe. I have no doubt that some of the people making comments about your personal life on your blog have come from this lowlife.”

At that observation she paled.

“It will torture him that you really could be married. He thinks he knows everything about you and won’t be able to stand the fact that he could be wrong. That will bring him out of lurk mode. When he does that, it will be his big mistake.

“We have no idea of his place of birth or where he lives. He could be from Austin and followed you all the way to Oregon to begin his reign of terror. You can be sure he has already cased your condo and your parents’ ranch and knows every move you make. The Pendleton police are sending me a list of stalking victims in the Pendleton area in case there’s a way to link him to your case.

“If he’d wanted to kidnap you to compel your parents to pay a ransom, it would have already happened. So we can conclude money is not his motive. Though you didn’t see him in Albuquerque, we know he was out there somewhere putting a note on your windshield and phoning you in the middle of the night in Bandera. According to your schedule, you have another rodeo in South Dakota in two weeks. For the time being I imagine you’ll be training here in Austin every day until you leave. He’s probably planning to do something to you while you’re not on the road. Remember—he feels invincible.”

When she heard Cy’s assessment of the situation, he noticed she’d lowered her head, causing the strands of her molten hair to catch the light from overhead.

“So far you’ve had your handler and other people around while you’ve been taking care of your horses. But he’ll assume you’ll be alone in your condo part of the time for the next two weeks. The beauty of this plan is that when he comes after you, I’ll be there watching for him. When he makes his move, he’ll discover your husband on the premises. Do you have any questions?”

Now was the time for Kellie to tell him she couldn’t go along with his plan. He held his breath, waiting for her parents to voice their objections. Instead, her mother looked at her daughter with an anxious expression.

“His plan sounds solid, but how do you feel about it, honey?”

He watched Kellie nervously moisten her lips. “I’m thankful I won’t have to be alone.” She looked up at Cy. “Even if it means everyone will think I’m married, I want that disgusting creature caught.” Her voice shook.

TJ sent Cy a silent message. I’ll be damned.

“Before you go home with your parents, I’ll need your key to the condo and your phone, Ms. Parrish.”

“All right.” Her hands trembled as she rummaged in her purse for those items and handed them to him.

“What’s the code to get into the garage?” She told him. “Keep your mailbox key.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He looked at his watch. “Give me six hours, then all of you come to the condo with any luggage you took on the road and I’ll let you in. Pick up your mail on the way in, but don’t go through it. Act as normally as you can. We’ll talk details inside your condo so we’re all tuned in to the same channel.”

Kellie’s father shook Cy’s hand again. “Our daughter didn’t tell us what had been happening to her until this morning. It’s a nightmarish situation and we’re very grateful that you’re willing to take her case. We’ll all be praying this plan works.”

“Thank you for helping her,” Kellie’s mother said with tears in her eyes.

“It’s our job and I’m happy to do it. I’ll see you later.”

He watched Kellie walk out with them. Cy knew in his gut that this stalker didn’t want money. He wanted to do her harm. She’d said he looked as if he was in his late twenties. He wondered how many women before Kellie had already been terrorized by him. The stalker fit the general profile for a predator who was usually from eighteen to thirty.

After they left TJ’s office, Cy turned to his boss. “Her condo is in West Austin. I’m going to need help to set things up before they arrive.”

“This is a high-priority case. Vic just finished a case and is in the building right now. I’ll ask him to assist you before assigning him a new case.”

Nothing could have pleased him more. “Thanks, TJ.” There wasn’t a lot of time. They’d have to assemble a team fast.

Not long after he’d returned to his office to send the artist’s sketch to the database, Vic walked in. “I’m all yours.” He planted himself on a corner of the desk. “That stint on the radio must have put the boss in a good mood.”

“It was so important to him, he actually went along with my plan.”

“Which is?”

“Outrageous, but Ms. Parrish agreed to it, too, rather than leave the circuit. She wants to win that championship. I figured she would put her desire to achieve her lifelong goal over her fear of this stalker. We’re going to pretend to be married so I can protect her day and night.”

“What?” Vic’s black eyes narrowed. He got to his feet. “You’re kidding me.”

Cy gave his friend a sharp look. “Can you think of a better way to get the job done?”

They’d known each other a long time. “Hell, no. It’s genius, but—”

“But it doesn’t hurt that she’s a beautiful woman, right?” He couldn’t help but read his friend’s mind. “I’ve examined my motives and have decided that even if she were someone else, it wouldn’t make a difference. She’s been working her whole life to achieve her goal. For her to quit now would be the end of her dreams, not only for this year, but maybe forever. Anyone with her kind of skill and drive deserves all the help she can get.”

“I agree with you.”

“This guy is a creep who’s been tormenting her for a month. She told him she was married so he’d leave her alone. All that did was fan the flames, so I’ve decided it’s time she produced a husband. I want to catch this stalker, Vic, and believe this is the best way to capture his attention and nab him.”

“Where do you want to start?”

“We’ll get a surveillance team set up in the van to monitor her when I can’t be with her.” Cy handed him the sketch.

Vic studied it for a minute. “You know who he looks like?”

“Yup, but let’s not go there. In case he’s camped out by her condo, you and I will impersonate roofers so we can get in around the back of the building through her garage without him suspecting anything. I want to lift any fingerprints we can find. We’ll rig the interior with a camera. Let’s move.”

He folded her list of names and numbers and put it into his pocket. The note she’d given the police needed to go down to the lab. He already had a list a mile long of things to be done before she arrived with her parents. They’d need wedding rings.

* * *

KELLIE CHECKED HER watch as her father drove them to the front of her condo in her parents’ Volvo sedan. Six thirty p.m. She still couldn’t believe what she’d agreed to. She and the striking Texas Ranger had to pretend to be married starting tonight!

What have I done? She closed her eyes. You’ve done what’s necessary to survive.

“Come on, honey. Let’s go in and have dinner. You haven’t eaten all day.”

“I couldn’t.” But her parents had insisted on picking up some barbecue for all of them.

She hadn’t had an appetite since this first started. As for sleep... Nothing seemed real. That monster could have been following them from the ranch. She almost expected him to suddenly appear at the mailbox.

The normal number of bills had stacked up. She put the mail into her purse before getting back in the car. Her mom had been over to her condo several times this past month to water her plants and make sure everything was all right. Thank goodness the Ranger would find her house clean and in good shape. There were times when it looked a mess.

She eyed the condo. No one would know the secret it was holding. If everything had gone as planned, then the Ranger was inside. A vision of the way he’d looked when she’d bumped into him in Bandera was indelibly impressed in her mind. He was a man whose aura gave the impression he could deal with anything or one. Her pulse raced at the realization they would be spending time together.

Kellie got out of the car and hurried up the front steps ahead of her parents. He must have heard them because he opened the door to let them in.

“Hi.” His deep voice filtered through to her insides.

Kellie looked up at him. “Hi.” He’d changed into a dark blue sport shirt and jeans. His eyes matched his shirt. Outside the radio station, he’d been wearing his white Stetson. But in his office as well as now, the light in the living room illuminated the sun-bleached tips of his wavy light brown hair.

Her mother was carrying the food. “I’ve brought dinner for all of us.”

The Ranger smiled and took the bag from her. “Thank you, Mrs. Parrish. How did you know I’m starving?”

The way the corners of his eyes crinkled sent a surprising curl of warmth through Kellie, who put her purse on a chair. While he and her mother went to the kitchen, she turned to help her father carry her bags upstairs to the bedroom. That was when she saw that another couch had been added to the living room. Everything had been rearranged so it would fit.

As they passed the guest bedroom upstairs, she saw some of the Ranger’s things on the bed. She avoided her father’s eyes and continued to her room.

“Are you okay, Kellie?”

“I don’t know what I am yet, but knowing this Ranger is here to protect me is all that’s helping keep my sanity right now.”

Her dad gave her a big hug. “I’m relieved, too. The captain told me Ranger Vance was one of the men who brought down the drug cartel earlier in the year. He says there’s no one better, and I believe him. Come on. Let’s go back down and hear what this Ranger has to say.”

Kellie nodded. “I’ll be there in a minute.” She needed to pull herself together.

He kissed her forehead and left. She took time to freshen up in the bathroom before joining everyone at the dining room table. When the Ranger saw her, he stood. “I’m sure it’s strange for you to feel like a guest in your own home.”

“I’m too thankful you’re here to think about it.”

He sat back down. “These ribs are delicious. Thank you. I work better on a full stomach. Tonight I’m going to help your daughter draft her marriage announcement message for her blog. By ten it will be out on the internet. As her parents, you’ll be bombarded with questions from everyone who knows you. I want you to tell them that Kellie and I met on the circuit. It was love at first sight and we couldn’t stand to wait, so we were privately married before her rodeo performance in Montana.

“Tell people there will be a wedding reception for us at the ranch in December, after Finals. Don’t say any more or any less. We’ll worry about explanations after this stalker is caught.”

This is really happening. She eyed her parents, who agreed to do exactly as he said. He had a way of instilling confidence and trust.

He looked at them. “From here on out, Kellie is going to do what she would do if there were no threat. The three of you will carry on with your lives while I work behind the scenes. No one is to know about this case except the four of us and my team.”

“Sally and Cody know a man was bothering me.”

“I talked with both of them earlier in the day. They won’t be telling anyone about this.”

Kellie’s father thanked him again. “I think it’s time we left the two of you alone so you can get on with your plans. Come on, Nadine.”

They both got up from the table. Kellie jumped up to hug them. “I’ll call you all the time so you’re not worried.”

“We love you, honey.”

“We do,” her father said in a gruff voice and gave her a bear hug. “Do everything the Ranger says.”

“I promise.” She walked them to the front door. “I love you. Thank you for being the best parents on earth.”

“I won’t let anything happen to her,” the Ranger assured them before they left the condo. The conviction in his voice prevented Kellie from breaking down.

Kellie shut the door and hurried past him to clear the table. He helped put everything in the waste bin while she wiped down the top. “If you want to get started on the blog piece, we can do it here.”

“Sounds good, but let’s sit down for a minute and lay the groundwork.”

She nodded and followed his suggestion. He sat across from her. “First of all, I’d like you to call me Cy and I’ll call you Kellie. Next, we need to make this real.” He reached in his shirt pocket and set three rings on the table. After putting the larger gold band on the ring finger of his left hand, he said, “Go ahead and see if they fit.”

With trembling fingers, she picked up the engagement ring with a beautiful one-carat diamond. She slid it on and it was a surprisingly good fit. So was the gold wedding band. The moment was surreal.

“How do they feel, Mrs. Vance?”

Her head flew back. Their gazes fused for a moment. It feels too natural. “Fine.”

“Will they bother you when you ride?”

She blinked. “No. My right hand does most of the work.”

“Good. Let’s discuss the living arrangements. I plan to sleep downstairs and had the team bring over a hide-a-bed couch. If you don’t mind, I’ll use the half bath on this floor, but I’ll shower upstairs when you’re not here. For the time being I’ll use the guest room to store my clothes and equipment.”

In the next breath he pulled a pair of latex gloves from his back pocket and put them on.

“Why don’t you bring me the mail? I’ll go through it in case this stalker has sent you a message to frighten you further.”

At the thought, her body broke out in a cold sweat. Kellie went into the living room to get her purse and brought it to the table. After she opened it, he reached inside and took out the bills.

He went through the pile one piece at a time. “Let me know if you see something odd.”

She shook her head. “It’s the usual bills and ads.”

He kept going. When he came to a Cowboy Times magazine, he held it up by the spine. Two cards fell out along with a three-by-five white envelope. He picked up the letter. There was no return name or address. Her name and address had been typed on the front. “This was postmarked from Austin on the same day he approached you in Eagle Mountain.”

Kellie felt her stomach drop while she watched him open it. He spread out the eight-by-ten piece of folded paper. The word liar jumped out at them in big letters. She gasped. The stalker had cut them out of some magazine and had glued them on.

“This is going to the forensics lab. It’s my opinion that over the years this man has had a string of broken relationships, maybe a failed marriage, and feels betrayed. He has no friends or anyone he’s emotionally connected to. Every time he finds a new target, he convinces himself it’s love. When nothing works out, he goes into a rage because every woman turns out to be a liar.”

“I wonder how many other women he’s done this to.”

“Who knows, but it stops with you. I noticed you have a laptop upstairs. Why don’t you bring it down and we’ll get started on your announcement?”

“I’ll be right back.” When she brought it down a minute later, she noticed he’d put the letter in a plastic bag and had discarded the gloves. He’d also produced a laptop she’d seen lying on the hide-a-bed.

“I’d like to access more of your archives while you work on what you want to say.”

“I’ll send them to your computer.” He gave her his address.

They worked side by side. She wrote something, then deleted it and started again. After several attempts she got into the blog-writing mode and allowed herself to go with the flow.

“How’s it coming?” His deep voice broke the silence, but it continued to resonate inside her.

“It’s almost there. I’ll send you a copy in a minute to see what you think. After I’ve denied any involvement with a man, it’s going to have to be convincing.” She read over what she’d written so far.

Hi, all my faithful rodeo fans out there! I’m back from my last rodeo in Bandera, Texas, and won’t be competing until two weeks from now in Rapid City, South Dakota, where I’ll start out my Midwest circuit. My times have been up and down lately. But that’s because something thrilling has happened to me in my personal life.

So many times you’ve asked me if I have a boyfriend or if I plan to get married one day. I’ve always said that my love life was private. But I can’t keep quiet about this any longer. I did find the man of my dreams while I’ve been on the rodeo circuit. It was love at first sight for this gorgeous hunk of a cowboy. He’s bigger than life to me and my hero in more ways than one.

We decided we couldn’t stand to wait to get married until Finals in December. So we tied the knot in a private ceremony before my competition in Pendleton, Oregon. I’m so happy to be his wife, I go around in a daze. It’s little wonder I’ve been unable to concentrate. Trixie thinks I’m a little crazy, bless her heart. It’s a miracle she puts up with me and knows how to kill the cans in spite of me.

All of you know I always had a rule that I wouldn’t allow a man to throw me off my game while I was riding the circuit. No distractions for me. No siree. But I hadn’t met my husband when I said that. The second I looked into his eyes, my world changed in an instant. He’s the prince I dreamed about when I was a little girl. He’s the great man I’d hoped to meet while traveling the circuit around this great country of the USA.

We’ll have a wedding reception after Finals. I’ll post some pictures. You’ll all swoon when you see him!

PS: Of course I want to win the championship, but winning the love of my husband surpasses all else. I’m the luckiest cowgirl on the planet and grateful for all of you who constantly send me your support. Long live the rodeo!

Kellie saved the file and pushed the send button. In order to make her blog convincing, she’d had to put her heart into it. But while she waited for his opinion, heat crept into her cheeks. “I just sent you the announcement. While you check it for changes, I’ll get a cola. Would you like one?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“Let me know what you think,” she said and left the room.

* * *

CY OPENED THE file and started to read. His heart thudded when he came to the lines “The second I looked into his eyes, my world changed in an instant. He’s bigger than life to me and my hero in more ways than one.” The more he read, the harder his heart pounded.

“What do you think?” She put a cold can of cola in front of him. “I know it’s probably too much, but I realize this has to convince my readers.”

He opened his drink and swallowed half of it in one go. “I agree it’s over-the-top, but it sounds like it came from the heart. When that creep reads this, it will push his buttons to the limit. The only correction is to delete Pendleton and put in Glasgow, Montana. That was your event before you left for Oregon. We don’t want him to think his appearance in Pendleton had anything to do with the timing of your marriage.”

She pulled the laptop in front of her and made the change. “I should have thought of that.” Kellie smiled at him. “That’s why you’re one of the Sons of the Forty! Okay. It’s done.”

“Go ahead and post it. Now we wait. I wouldn’t be surprised if your fans respond in droves and overload your website.”

Cy finished off his drink and got up from the table to toss it in the wastebasket. He’d left her phone on the counter and brought it to her. “I checked your phone. The only call you received in the middle of the night came from a throwaway phone and couldn’t be traced. I want you to continue to answer your phone.

“I’ve set it up with an app so you can record an incoming call. I’ll walk you through this. It’s easy.” He pulled his own cell phone from his shirt pocket. “I’ll call you. After you’ve answered, press Four and it will start recording. Ready?”

“Yes.”

He pressed the digit that had programmed her number. She let it ring three times, then clicked on. “Hello?”

Cy nodded, letting her know to press the number four digit.

“Hi, Kellie. Did you just get back from Bandera?”

“I drove in this morning.”

“How’s Trixie?”

“She’s at the ranch getting some TLC.”

“I bet you wish you were with her.”

“Tomorrow I’ll drive out there and we’ll go for a ride.”

“Sounds fun. Talk to you later.”

He held the phone away from his ear. “Now click End Call. The recording is downloaded to your iPhone and displayed on the screen. Tap the recording icon to listen. You can also trim the recording as needed by dragging the edge of the file on the screen.”

She followed his directions and suddenly they heard their conversation while seeing it at the same time. A natural smile broke out on her lips. Good grief, she was beautiful. “Technology is amazing.”

“In your case it’s crucial. I want every word recorded when he phones you again.”

“Do you think he’ll try soon?”

Cy nodded. “If I don’t miss my guess, he won’t be able to hold back, not after what you’ve put on your blog.”

“I’m afraid to talk to him.” He noticed her shiver. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“Tell you what. Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready for bed? Then come down here to sleep on the couch for tonight. I’ll be nearby on the other couch. If he calls, I’ll be right here. Try to get him to talk about why he thought you were lying to him. Anything he says could give us a clue about him.”

“You wouldn’t mind? I’m behaving like a baby.”

“You’re behaving like a woman who’s being stalked. But I admire you for not giving in to your fear. That’s what he wants. He’s been watching you for a month if not longer and still doesn’t believe you’re married. But the blog entry will force him to reveal himself. The phone allows him a voice connection to you. Keep him on long enough for our voice experts to analyze it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vocal oscillations convey so much about the speaker. But more important, our experts will be able to tell if he’s a Texan. A Texas accent stands apart from the rest of the South in that it has a twist that is a blending of the major features of the Deep South and Upper South.”

“I didn’t know that.”

He nodded. “The drawl of the Lower South has more influence in East Texas, while the ‘twang’ of the Upper South has left a greater imprint on West Texas. In South Texas, particularly, the Spanish and Mexican characteristics are heavily combined with that of the others. Once we get a recording of his voice to the experts, they can tell us if he’s from here or another state or region entirely. If we can pinpoint where he’s from, it could be a great help.”

“Then I’ll try to keep him on the phone. Excuse me while I run upstairs to get ready.”

“Take your time. We’ve got all night.”

Cy planned to stay in the clothes he was wearing. Tomorrow he’d shower and change while she was out at her parents’ ranch.

While she was upstairs, he sat down to see if there were any responses to her blog yet. A low whistle escaped when he counted seventy responses already. He scrolled through each one. When he came to the end, he was satisfied none of them was her stalker. It was touching to read how much her fans cared about her and appreciated her help through her online rodeo tips. But they were all excited about her marriage.

He opened up the archives. There were literally hundreds of entries on her blog site. It amazed him. She was definitely a star in her own right and an obvious favorite. He knew she had dozens of awards, but she didn’t keep them here. Probably at the ranch. One thing he knew about her already. There wasn’t a narcissistic bone in her lovely body.

While he read through a few more entries, she padded into the kitchen in bare feet wearing a blue robe. Beneath it she wore pajamas with Texas Longhorns on them. She’d brought down a blanket and pillow.

Cy had to be careful not to stare. “I take it you’re a football fan.”

“These are from my parents last Christmas.”

“My dad gave me a pair of the same pajamas two years ago.” They both laughed.

As she came closer, her smile faded. “Has that lunatic sent a response yet?”

“No. But you now have four hundred hits. Your eager fans want pictures and don’t want to wait until December.”

Without saying anything, Kellie walked into the living room and lay down on the couch, propping up her pillow and covering herself with the blanket. Cy checked his watch. It was ten to eleven. He picked up her cell phone and put it on the coffee table in front of her.

Once he’d made up the hide-a-bed, he went back to the dining room for her laptop. After turning off the overhead lights, he turned on a lamp in the living room and sat down next to it so he could continue to read the responses as they came in.

“When are you going to sleep?”

He liked it that she was concerned enough to ask and flicked her a glance. “Don’t worry about me.”

She sat up. Her disheveled hair gleamed in the soft light. “I don’t know how to begin to thank you for what you’re doing for me.”

“It’s my job.”

“A horrible one,” she said in a shaky voice. “Every day on the news you hear about some stalking victim found in a landfill—”

“Don’t go there.” Cy stopped her cold. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“But who protects you?”

He smiled to himself. “I have a team that backs me up. My buddy Vic, one of the men you saw coming out of the radio station with me, is helping on your case.”

She lay back down. “You’re all remarkable.”

“Save your thanks until after we’ve caught him.”


Chapter Three (#ulink_059b0e8b-e4ea-5bda-8fed-be5e1170bfb4)

Kellie had no doubt he’d get the job done, but Cy Vance was too modest for words. That was part of the charm of the man who was growing on her with every passing second. His rugged profile stood out in the lamplight. He’d stretched out in the chair with his hard-muscled legs crossed at the ankles.

She’d been around cowboys all her life. Some of them were more attractive than others. Some had great builds. Others were loaded with talent in the arena. Still others had engaging personalities. But this Texas Ranger had all of those qualities and more. He’d been put together in such a way no one could compare to him.

Impatient with herself for concentrating on the attractive Ranger, she turned over so she faced the back of the sofa. She needed sleep. Desperately. Knowing he was right across the room from her gave her a sense of comfort she hadn’t felt since her first encounter with the stalker. How unbelievable was it that the Ranger she’d bumped into in Bandera had come into her life at the most precarious moment of her existence?

When her cell phone suddenly rang, she jerked upright. Kellie flung herself around, staring at her phone in terror.

“It’s all right.” Cy’s deep voice was reassuring. “What does the caller ID say?”

She took a shaky breath. “It’s my best friend, Kathie.”

“Go ahead and talk to her. Put it on speaker.”

Kellie reached for it and clicked on. “Kathie?”

“Hi! I know it’s late, but I had to call you. Good grief, Kellie. Is it really true that you’re married?”

Her gaze locked with Cy’s. “Yes. How did you hear?”

“Patty told me she read it on your blog tonight. How come you didn’t tell me?”

Oh dear. Kellie heard the hurt in her voice. Now for the lie... But this lie was going to save her life and it took away her guilt. “It happened while I was on the circuit and there was no time.” That part was true. “Look, Kathie. It’s a long story and—”

“And your husband wants your attention. Is he right there?”

At that remark Cy’s eyes smiled. Kellie felt a fever coming on. “Yes. We just got in from Bandera. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

“He must really be something for you to get married so fast you didn’t even have your parents there.”

“W-we couldn’t bear to wait any longer.”

“Whoa. I’ll hang up now, but I expect a detailed report later. You know what I mean.”

Embarrassment brought the heat in waves. “Thanks for calling. We’ll talk soon. I promise.” She clicked off and put the phone back on the coffee table.

Cy closed the laptop and put it on the floor. He leaned forward with his hands clasped between his knees. “Kathie is one of the names on the list you gave me. Who is she?”

“My best friend in our group. Sally, my other friend, is a part of it, too.”

“What group is that?”

“There are about thirty of us who ride for pleasure, but serve as volunteers in case of any kind of local emergency.”

His brows lifted. “Do you have a name?”

“We’re the Blue Bonnet Posse.”

“That’s right. You mentioned one of your friends from the group who moved to Colorado Springs. Come to think of it, I have heard of the posse. Weren’t you the ones who found that autistic child who’d wandered away from home last year?”

“That one, and a lost Boy Scout. The police department calls our leader when they need volunteers to do a search in the outskirts of Austin.”

“No doubt you’re kept busy. Those lucky parents must be indebted to you. I’m impressed.”

“It’s our job.” She echoed his earlier words to her.

“Touché.” He reached down and pulled off his cowboy boots. She watched him turn out the lamp and stretch out on the hide-a-bed. It couldn’t be that comfortable, and he hadn’t even changed. He lay on his back with his hands behind his head.

She forced herself to look away. But no sooner had she curled on her side hoping to fall asleep than the phone rang again. Still petrified, but less startled this time, she reached for the phone.

“Put the speaker on,” Cy reminded her.

She nodded. It was her father and she clicked on. “Hi, Dad. I’ve got the phone on speaker.”

“Forgive me for calling this late, but your mom and I want to make certain you’re all right.”

Her gaze drifted to Cy. “I’m fine. Really. The news is out. Kathie just called me.”

“We got a call from your cousin Heidi. She read your blog and couldn’t believe it.”

“I know this is going to come as a shock to everyone who knows me.”

“They care about you. It’s a tribute to the wonderful woman you are.”

“Spoken like a biased parent.”

“We love you, Kellie.” His voice sounded gruff with emotion. “Tell that Ranger we can’t thank him enough.”

She looked at Cy’s silhouette in the semidarkness. “He knows how you feel. All I do is thank him.”

“We’re expecting you for lunch. Good night, honey.”

“You get a good sleep, Dad. Cy is keeping me perfectly safe. Love you.” She hung up the phone and hugged her pillow.

The next time she had cognizance of her surroundings, she heard the phone ringing. Immediately her adrenaline brought her to a sitting position. The second she realized there was no name on the caller ID, she felt bile rise in her throat. Cy had already hunkered down at the coffee table, urging her to pick up and press the recording app.

Her body shook as she reached for the phone. Doing as Cy asked, she clicked on. “Hello?”

“I knew you got home today. How did you like my letter?”

Her eyes closed tightly. “How did you get my phone and address?”

“That was easy as skinning a cat.”

She shuddered. “What do you want? I told you I’m married.”

“I saw what you wrote on your blog. You think I’d believe that crap? You’re a liar!” He shouted the last word.

“You think I’d lie to all my fans and friends? If that’s true, then why do you keep phoning a liar?”

“Because you deserve to be taught a lesson you’ll never forget.”

“Did your girlfriend lie to you?”

“They all lie. When I get through with you, you’ll wish you’d never been born, Kellie girl.”

“My husband’s going to have a lot to say about that.”

“Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar!” The line went dead.

Kellie was trembling so hard she dropped the phone. Cy retrieved it and clicked on the recorded conversation. She’d forgotten to put on the speakerphone. His jaw hardened as he listened to the recording.

“That was rage we heard just now. He’s afraid you might be telling the truth. You handled him perfectly and kept him on long enough to record his voice patterns. I’ll be going into headquarters tomorrow. I’ll drop off the letter at the forensics lab and take your phone to our voice expert to see what he can do with it.”

He checked his watch. “It’s only four in the morning. Why don’t you go up to your bed? If he phones again, I’ll let it ring. You need more sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Even if you aren’t, you’d never tell me. Thank you.” She grabbed her pillow and blanket before going upstairs.

* * *

CY HAD SPOKEN prophetic words. The phone rang every half hour until eight on Tuesday morning. Then it stopped. He made breakfast with the groceries he and Vic had bought yesterday. While he devoured eggs and bacon, he phoned Vic on his phone. His friend answered before the second ring.

“What’s up?”

“The stalker phoned her at four this morning. We were able to get a decent recording. When I’m back in the office, I’ll have the lab analyze it. I’m headed there as soon as she leaves for her parents’ ranch. I assume she’ll be gone most of the day.”

“The team will take turns monitoring her.”

“Good. Where did you leave a car for me?”

“Walk down the alley behind the town houses to the corner. It’s a Subaru parked in front of the third house on the right with a for-sale sign. The key is in the usual place.”

“Do you think the lab has the results on the fingerprints we lifted yesterday?”

“Maybe. Stan said they’d hurry it.”

“With all the bases covered, let’s hope this nut case makes his move soon.”

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Afraid not, but I will today after I get back from the lab. Kellie will probably be gone most of the day. I’ll tell her to call me when she’s coming back.”

“You can level with me,” he said in a quiet voice. “How’s it going?”

He took a deep breath. “The easy answer is, nothing’s going on that shouldn’t.”

Just then Kellie came walking into the kitchen dressed in Levi’s jeans and a short-sleeved yellow blouse. She was a vision and he lost his train of thought.

“Cy? Are you still with me?”

“Yeah.”

“I was just saying I can’t wait to hear your difficult answer.”

Neither could Cy, but this was pure business and that was the way it would stay. “Got to go. Thanks for your help. I’ll catch up with you later at the office.” He clicked off and stood to greet her. “Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Thanks to you I was able to go right to sleep.”

“That’s good news.”

“But I bet you didn’t get a wink.” Her eyes had filled with concern.

“I’ll make up for it later. Sit down and I’ll serve you breakfast.”

“I could smell the bacon. I should have gotten up to do it. Fixing food for me isn’t your job.”

“But you need more sleep than I do after what you’ve been through this last month.” He put a plate of food in front of her and poured coffee for both of them before sitting down.

“Thank you, Cy.” She ate a piece of bacon. “Yum. Crisp, just the way I like it. Were there any more phone calls from him after I went to bed?”

Cy eyed her directly. “He rang on the half hour eight times. I let it ring every time. Your marriage announcement has set him off, exactly the reaction I’d counted on.”

“Did he leave messages on the voice mail?” There was a tremor in her voice.

“Yes, but you don’t need to hear them. I’m taking your laptop and phone into the lab today, but I’ll bring them back.” The stalker probably had a stack of prepaid phone cards, but there might be a time when he had to use a pay phone that could be traced.

Her brows furrowed. “You think they’re too awful for me to hear?”

“No. They were more of the same. He was ranting like before.”

She sat back in the chair. “Then you really didn’t get any sleep.”

“I’ll catch up today while you’re at the ranch. Someone on the team will be monitoring you every time you leave your condo. A member of the crew will follow you. If you have any concerns, call me on your parents’ phone. This is my cell number.” He wrote it on the paper napkin.

“While I clean up the kitchen, I’d like you to get on your laptop. Post a new message on your blog. Say that you’ve read the messages and you’re overwhelmed by all the good wishes. Then start to read any messages that have come since last night. I’m curious to see if he’s posted anything. It’s my hope he’s so angry he might explode and give himself away.”

As he cleared the table, she reached for her laptop and opened her blog file. “I don’t believe it! Hundreds more messages have been added since last night.”

“That’s not surprising. Your online tips about barrel racing have won you a loyal audience. Everyone’s intrigued about your new relationship.”

She lifted her eyes to him. Along with her silver-gold hair, her eyes were a deeper blue this morning and dazzled him. “The fans want to hear about you, not me. If they knew you were one of the Sons of the Forty, they’d go crazy and you’d be forced to go into the witness protection program.”

With those words his pulse sped up. “Hiding out with you is virtually the same thing.”

He loaded the dishwasher. Cy had been a bachelor for so long in his own house, he was used to doing his own cooking and housekeeping. He felt right at home in her kitchen. “Why don’t you start reading and see if there’s a message that strikes a different chord with you?”

“It’ll take me some time.”

If they’d met under different circumstances, nothing would have pleased him more than to have whole days and nights with her with no life-threatening issue to deal with. But he had a case to solve and needed to get to headquarters pronto. As he was finishing up, he heard her cry out in alarm.

“What did you read?” He walked over to the table and stood behind her so he could see what had disturbed her. In looking over her shoulder, he could breathe in her fragrance from the shower.

“It’s this one sent at eight twenty this morning.”

“That’s when the phone calls stopped. Read what it says.”

“‘I bet you’re making it up that you have a husband. Why do you enjoy being a tease? No one would watch you in the rodeo if they knew you were such a liar.’” She let out a quiet gasp.

Without thinking, Cy put his hands on the back of her chair. He could tell she was trembling. “I’m going to stop him, Kellie. This morning he made his biggest mistake so far by posting this message on the blog. When I’m at the office, we’ll trace it to its source. With every misstep, we’re closer to catching him.”




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