Cowboy Who Came For Christmas (Harlequin Romance) (18 page)

“Let’s not assume anything until I check around,” Sophia said. “I’ll be right back.”

But before she could get to the back door, it opened and in walked Melissa and Adan.

“Hi,” he said to Sophia, his expression bordering on perplexed. “I found someone down near my truck.”

“Melissa,” Bettye said, pushing up out of her chair with a breathy groan. “Honey, I was so worried—”

“I’m sorry, Granny,” Melissa said.

Then she burst into tears and rushed into Bettye’s waiting arms.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“W
HAT
HAPPENED
?” B
ETTYE
ASKED
, lifting Melissa away to give her a once-over, her bony fingers digging into the old coat Melissa wore. “Are you hurt?”

Melissa shook her head, tears rolling down her face. “I... I knew about him, Granny. I knew about Joe Pritchard and I didn’t say anything.”

Confusion creased Bettye’s forehead. She whirled to Adan and Jacob. “What’s she talking about?”

Adan sent Sophia a troubled glance then turned back to Bettye. “She hitchhiked to get here and ran into Pritchard along the way. Joe heard her talking at a truck stop on the interstate about coming to Crescent Mountain and he approached her and offered to give her a ride. She followed us down to my truck today and admitted that she’d let the air out of my truck tires so Pritchard couldn’t take my truck.”

“What?” Bettye and Sophia both asked at the same time.

Sophia felt sick to her stomach. “Melissa, you...you were with Joe?”

Melissa nodded and sniffed. “Yes. That first night here. I needed a ride and he said he was passing right by here. I didn’t know until later what he’d done to you. Once we got here, he told me he knew someone on the mountain and he needed my help to find you.” She wiped at her eyes. “But when he started talking about getting even and getting you back, I got scared. He’s creepy.”

“Did he hurt you?” Sophia asked, her tone rising with anger. If Joe hurt one more person she cared about, she’d find him and finish the job.

Melissa shook her head. “No. He wanted me to distract everyone so he could get at you. Only I didn’t know it was
you
and he told me y’all were still married and that you’d been hiding from him and that all I needed to do was lure you out.” She inhaled and gulped back a sob. “But he got all creepy and scared me. I was afraid for Granny, too.”

“So how did you get away?” Sophia asked, afraid to hear it.

“I wanted to hide from him and warn y’all,” Melissa said. Then she glanced at Adan, her expression unsure. “But I didn’t know the truck belonged to a Texas Ranger. I got scared and... I lied. I didn’t mention Joe Pritchard to anyone because I was so afraid I’d be in trouble.”

“You were afraid you’d get sent back to juvenile jail?” Bettye asked, nodding.

Melissa bobbed her head. “Or my horrible aunt. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid of Adan and afraid that Joe would do something to one of you if I talked.”

Sophia agreed with that assumption. “How did you get away?”

“She knocked him up against the head with a rock and then she hid in the woods,” Jacob said on a proud note. “Mighta addled his brain a tad.”

“I hope so,” Bettye replied. “That man has gone too far.”

“He went too far when he forced Sophia into a car with him a few years ago,” Adan said, his irritated tone matching Sophia’s. “But forcing a scared young girl to do his bidding takes things to another level. His crimes are multiplying and sooner or later, he’ll make a wrong move.”

“What if he comes after us?” Melissa asked, real fear in her eyes. “He won’t like what I did.”

“I don’t think he even knows you’re here,” Sophia pointed out. “If he did, he’d make you pay.”

Bettye gasped and wrapped her arms around Melissa. “Not if I can help it.”

Guilt once again clouded Sophia’s common sense. “I should have found a way to report him the day he took me. I’ve made so many mistakes regarding Joe. Melissa, I’m so sorry you got involved.” Her gaze hit on Adan. He’d remained alert and quiet while Melissa told her story. “I’m sorry I allowed any of you to get involved.”

“That’s not your fault,” Melissa said, shaking her head. “I was stupid to hitch rides with creepy old men anyway. But he seemed nice and safe and I never dreamed he would do this to you. He made me believe you’d run away from him.” She started crying again. “Now I can see why.”

Grabbing Bettye’s arm, she added, “I’m sorry, Granny. Don’t make me go back to Hot Springs. I want to stay here until Sean comes for me.”

“You’re not going anywhere, darling,” Bettye said, her fierce glance daring anyone to dispute that. Then she threw down the gauntlet. “Right, Ranger-Man?”

Adan gave Melissa a stern glare. “For now, you don’t have to worry about that. But sooner or later we have to talk about reporting your whereabouts.” He ran a hand over his hair. “And Melissa, I’ll need a complete report on the rest of the story.”

Melissa looked shocked. “You mean—”

“Later,” Adan said. “I mean you will be honest with me...or I’ll be forced to deal with you in a less lenient way.”

Melissa didn’t speak, but she nodded her head.

Sophia was glad to see Adan didn’t seem too worried about enforcing that right now. And she had a bad feeling the elusive Sean wasn’t ever going to set foot on Crescent Mountain. Melissa didn’t need any more reasons to run again.

“What can we do?” she asked after everyone had settled down. “Joe probably heard Melissa talking to her boyfriend on the phone about coming here and once again, he used that to his advantage by approaching her and convincing her he could help her.”

“We’re doing what we can,” Adan replied. “Jacob’s gonna carry me back to town to get the truck tires aired up and he and David will help me mount them. Then I’ll have my truck again.” He leaned close. “After that, my truck will be parked at your cabin, but I don’t think that’ll stop Pritchard. In fact, I hope he’ll try to pay us another visit.”

“We just can’t guess when he’ll strike next,” Sophia replied, her heart flipping over at the dangerous dare in Adan’s eyes. “I’m worried about Bettye. This has been a lot for her to deal with.”

Adan glanced into Bettye’s kitchen, where she stood with Melissa. She’d been fussing over the girl since Melissa had come back with the men. “I don’t want to leave them alone, so I think it’s a good idea for you to stay here with them while we take care of my tires.”

Sophia saw the troubled look in his eyes and her heart flipped again, this time for good reasons. “You don’t want me to be alone, either, do you?”

Adan glanced around then lowered his voice. “No. I can’t deny that. But it looks normal for you to be visiting your neighbor. Just don’t leave until I get back, okay?”

Sophia nodded and smiled up at him. “Okay. I’m learning to follow your orders, you know.”

“Really? I sure hope so. We can laugh, but this is serious business. Now tell me where you’ve set traps for Pritchard so I don’t accidentally step in one.”

Sophia told Adan exactly what she and her merry band of followers had done two days ago while he’d been traveling downstream to look for signs of Joe. “Are you upset with us for doing that?”

“Not any more than usual,” he replied with a wry smile. “I only ask that y’all stop hiding things from me. That MO isn’t working.” He touched a hand to her hair. “We’ve got to work together. Me going it alone while y’all plot behind my back isn’t going to work anymore. I have to know everything that goes on from here on out.”

“Okay. No more secrets,” she promised, her memories colored with their late-night kisses. “Adan, I do have to ask about one thing. What about the money I took back?”

“What about it?”

“Will that be part of my deal? I won’t be prosecuted for taking stolen money?”

“I think I can make it part of the deal. Since Pritchard thought in his twisted way that he was only taking
your
money.”

“He claimed it was his money,” she retorted, anger making her feel sick to her stomach again. “He said since I’d hidden it from him, it only made sense for him to take it. I’ve made such a mess of things.”

Adan gave her a forgiving stare. “Well, now it’s all about to end. You can make it up to the citizens of Texas by cooperating with the law. And right now, darling, the law is me.”

Sophia wanted this nightmare over, but she didn’t want her time with Adan to end. What did it matter now that she believed Joe had come here for reasons besides just taking her? She wouldn’t keep Adan from his little girl, but how would she handle having to tell him goodbye?

If she just left—

Maybe her idea of leaving so Joe could get what he wanted was the best one after all. That way she could give Joe the prize he wanted so badly and then she wouldn’t have to tell Adan goodbye.

* * *

A
DAN
SAT
IN
the Crescent Café, nursing a cup of rich, dark coffee and a big slab of pecan pie. Jacob and David were next to him, talking to some of the locals and asking questions about any Pritchard sightings while Adan checked in with his parents and with his fellow Rangers back in Austin. He’d found a garage that was now airing up the four tires off his truck. Then he’d gone by the tiny police station to give a report to the locals and he’d put in a request to Ranger headquarters in Austin for background checks on Joe Pritchard and Melissa Curtis so he’d have all his ducks in a row when he got back home.

And he’d asked for a check on Sophia Mitchell, too.

He wanted to follow the rules on this one so...so what? So he might have a chance with Sophia?

Did he want a chance with her? Did he trust her enough to take that next step?

Sure, they’d been forced together for days now but after getting off that mountain for a couple of hours, Adan’s head had cleared about as fast as the snow melted. He couldn’t believe he’d only been here a few days. He was running out of excuses to stick around, but he still had to do his job and bring in Pritchard. For more reasons than one now.

Only Adan couldn’t wrap his head around how he’d be able to carry on a long-distance relationship with Sophia with him working in Austin and her wanting to stay on the mountain.

Or did she want to stay on the mountain?

“What’s got you frowning like an old bull?” Jacob asked, his gaze centered on Adan. “We’re getting air in your tires again and you talked to Sheriff Demont about helping us out with Pritchard.”

Adan grunted and took a bite of pie. “And I’ve still got a conniving criminal on the loose and other things to deal with.”

Like getting home to see Gaylen and having to leave Sophia when he did go home.

David poked Jacob and grinned. “I think he’s sweet on Sophia.”

Jacob jabbed at David’s flannel shirt. “I think you might be right there, my friend.”

Adan rolled his eyes. “Did you both just step out of a Larry McMurtry novel? All this cowboy talk is rattling my brain.” He took a sip of coffee and tried to be nonchalant. “I’m not sweet on anybody.”

“Right,” David said with a snort. “You and Sophia got eyes for each other. No denying that. No, sir.”

Jacob bobbed his head. “I concur on that.”

“And you two are like ‘Dear Abby’ or something, always offering such sage advice and spot-on observations?”

“We’re better than any dear anybody,” Jacob retorted. “We got eyes in our head and we got sensitive souls. Sophia has changed since she tied you to her bedposts. She’s worried about that stupid, sorry you-know-who messing around, but she’s also—” He glanced at David. “Help me with the right word.”

“Softened,” David said with a nod. “She’s softened. Smiles a little more. Laughs some. Seems downright content at times.”

Adan liked her smile, but he didn’t dare tell that to these two. “And in between hiding things from me and setting traps for Pritchard, you two have noticed this?”

“Sure have,” David said with a scratch to his head. “We are romantic at heart, you know.”

Adan couldn’t hide his grin. “Romantic, my foot. More like two old busybodies.”

David looked affronted. “Hey, we saw how broken that girl was when she got here and we know how she hates that man who done this to her. It’s not a coincidence that you and Pritchard showed up at the same time. It was meant to be.”

Adan couldn’t deny that his timing had been almost perfect, but he also couldn’t deny who had brought him here. “I followed Pritchard,” he said, reminding them why he was here. “That’s not coincidence. That’s just the order of things. Criminal high-tails it from Texas to Arkansas. Ranger follows in pursuit.”

“Right,” Jacob said with a bob of his head. “Worked out pretty good all things considered.”

“’Cause you following that idiot here caused a lot of things to take place,” David said. “One being he brought Melissa here, and after giving up on her daughter, Bettye needed to see her granddaughter. Two, he brought you here and you’ve helped Sophia. Even though she’s strong and stubborn, she needs a good man in her life. And three, he’s messing with all of us and we can take him and end all of these shenanigans so we can get on with Christmas and so Sophia can finally have a happy life.”

Adan grunted. “Uh-huh. You’ve summarized things nicely, but you both need to understand I have a young daughter waiting for me back in Austin. And I promised her I’d be home on Christmas Eve. I can’t break that promise.”

David and Jacob glanced at each other then back to Adan. “But you know the way back here now. And we’d like to see more of you. Got it?”

Adan nodded. “Got it.” Then his phone dinged. “Let me take care of the one glaring thing that did bring me here and then we’ll see how the rest goes.”

The two men didn’t look happy, but they backed off and went on with gossiping with the locals. Adan listened while his fellow Ranger told him he was sending the information Adan had requested in an email. Now Adan would have the facts to back up his pursuit of Joe Pritchard. And he had all the background checks he needed on the principals involved in things. He still found it mighty interesting that Melissa had just happened upon Joe Pritchard at a truck stop. Hoping the background information would help seal some of the holes, he put his phone away until he could find a time to study the files in private.

But he’d deal with Melissa and Sophia once Pritchard was safely behind bars. Because he had a gut feeling that if he tried to take either of them off this mountain to atone for their minor indiscretions, he’d have a riot on his hands.