Cowboy Who Came For Christmas (Harlequin Romance) (20 page)

Jacob hopped in the truck with him and they waited for David to get in his vehicle and lead the way back up Crescent Mountain.

“I’m gonna ask Bettye to marry me,” Jacob said out of the blue once they were on their way home.

Adan was impressed with the honesty of that sentiment. “Well, then, I’m happy for you. You two make a good couple.”

“She’ll say no.” Jacob stared straight ahead, his hands across his chest. “But I won’t give up.”

“Okay,” Adan replied. “I’m wishing you luck anyway.”

“You might have to ask Sophia more than once, too.”

Adan hit a hand against the console and winced when his arm and wound started throbbing. “Jacob, I’m not gonna ask Sophia to marry me. You need to stop hoping that will happen. And don’t you dare mention it to her or Bettye.”

“Oh, Bettye knows it’ll happen. We’ve already talked about it.”

Adan didn’t know what to say to that kind of optimism. “Well, don’t spread that tale to Sophia. She’s already been through a lot. I won’t be part of hurting her again.”

“Then don’t give up on her so fast,” Jacob said on a stubborn note. “Just ’cause you been through one bad experience don’t mean you have to give up on love.”

Adan had to admit he’d like to get to know Sophia more, after Joe Pritchard was behind bars and once the holidays were over and he could catch his breath. But he wasn’t ready to go whole hog and marry her. Then why did the thought of leaving her hurt as much as his bum shoulder?

He’d have to figure that out later.

Now, he’d settle for saving her from her killer ex-husband.

CHAPTER TWENTY

D
ARKNESS
COLORED
THE
mountain in deep purples mixed with rich burnished oranges and shimmering silvers. The last of the sun’s rays shot in dappled yellow through the oval circle of cabins and pierced through the bare-limbed trees.

“Perfect timing,” David said on a sigh as he came over from his yard after parking his truck to greet Adan and Jacob in Sophia’s yard. “I think my wife is in there with Bettye and Sophia. No telling what kind of world-domination plans they’re cooking up.”

Adan leaned against his truck, glad to have his vehicle close by once again. He couldn’t stay here much longer. The weekend was coming up and then Christmas Eve. He had to find Pritchard. But with the last light of day fading to the west, he wished he could see that sunset view every day for the rest of his life.

With Sophia by his side. But he had to put that image out of his mind.

Determined to ignore this new and disturbing mind-set, he looked at Jacob and David. “Maybe I should just keep going north so I can find that idiot and get this over with.”

The two men glanced at each other and then back to Adan. “You think he’s given up? Or are you just tired?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Adan replied to David’s pointed question. “He knows I’m after him. He’s harassed just about everybody on this mountain and he shot me. He’d be a real fool to strike again, but then, he’s after someone he believes to be his property.” Then he added, “And yes, I’m tired. Real tired. But I did come here for a reason. I don’t like failure.”

“Then you need to stay right here and wait him out,” Jacob said, nodding his head. “You can’t quit on us now.”

Adan had to agree, but he’d have to reel in his feelings for Sophia. “I’ll give him a couple more days and then I’m either going after him or I’m going home. I might have to hand this off to the locals and the state.”

“You saw how they reacted,” David pointed out. “Seemed relieved to have a Ranger on the case.”

“They’re shorthanded,” Adan said in defense of the substation down in town. “But we did make sure the state police and the locals were on the lookout for Pritchard. It could turn into a statewide manhunt before this thing is over. They’ve already alerted everyone else.”

If the weather hadn’t sabotaged things, Adan would have had Pritchard and been long gone for home by now.

But then he might not have met Sophia.

“Are you sure you want to just up and leave, after all of this? After everything that’s happened this week?”

Jacob again. His tone indicated he couldn’t let things go so easily. Adan realized this had gone from him doing his job to him becoming a bridegroom.

How could he explain that he wasn’t ready to go down that road again? He glanced around, thinking he’d have to make Sophia understand. Not that she’d made any moves except returning those sweet kisses they’d shared.

No, Adan had made all the moves. The wrong moves. He had no business kissing a woman connected with the criminal he was chasing. As soon as he got cleaned up, he’d read over those files he’d received from Ranger headquarters.

Then he noticed a new vehicle sitting off to the side of the yard and his heart betrayed him with a fierce need to get to Sophia. “Someone’s here,” he said to the men.

He drew his gun and hurried into the house.

* * *

S
OPHIA
GLANCED
OUT
the window. “They’re back.”

She hadn’t realized how worried she was until she saw Adan standing out front with Jacob and David. She wanted to rush out the door and ask what took so long, but she turned back toward the pot of chili they’d cooked for dinner tonight.

“I’ll check on the corn bread,” she said to anyone who might be listening. “We can eat now that everyone is here.”

She glanced over to where Melissa sat cuddled on the sofa with a lean, blond-haired boy who looked way too old for her.

Sean Martino had found his way to the mountain.

Bettye had frowned once upon meeting Sean and then made the boy so welcome he’d probably go running for the hills. There wasn’t any cool here except the air outside. Bettye was wise to hover and stifle the two with her unconditional acceptance, but Sophia hoped it didn’t backfire on her. Melissa might have stalled out here, waiting for Sean, and she could easily sneak away with the boy, never to be heard from again.

That would break Bettye’s heart.

Bettye and Karen went about getting bowls and pouring tea. “Has anyone checked on Maggie and Arnie?” Karen called out.

“They were going on one of their hikes this afternoon,” Melissa said, obviously aware enough to take time away from staring into Sean’s blue eyes to report in. “Said not to count on them for dinner.”

Sophia wondered about the young couple. They were quiet and liked to keep to themselves, and her only complaint had stemmed from the way Arnie glanced at her every now and then. Maggie didn’t seem to like him noticing other women. Nothing wrong with that before. But now she’d become suspicious of everyone, thanks to Joe’s antics.

When the front door opened, she glanced up and right into Adan’s eyes. He took a quick survey of the room, but she noticed his right hand hovered near his gun belt. He had his gun out.

“Adan, this is Sean Martino,” Bettye said in a cheerful warning. “Melissa’s
boyfriend
.”

Adan relaxed, tension draining from his face while he slowly hid his gun inside the holster. “How you doing?” he asked the boy by way of a greeting.

“Whatssup.” The boy never even looked Adan’s way but at least he’d made a halfhearted attempt at a greeting.

Adan grunted something and then he lowered his head. He dropped his hat onto Bettye’s hall tree and made his way toward Sophia. “One extra for dinner?”

“Yes. He showed up this afternoon.” She shrugged. “I can’t say how I feel about him. He’s only been talking to Melissa.”

“So that’s his car outside?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I guess that was a surprise.”

“Not one I needed.” He glanced around. “Is everyone accounted for?”

“Yes, but Maggie and Arnie went on a hike.”

“But I told them—”

“They kind of do their own thing,” she said in defense of her friends. “They were going to stay close to home, so they should be back any time now.”

“I hope so,” he said through a grunt. “It’s getting dark, so I don’t want to have to go search for them out there.”

“How are you?” she said, acutely aware that something had changed with him. He didn’t seem to want to look at her.

“All right. Sorry we’re late.” He motioned toward his feet. “My boots are caked with mud. Thought I’d try to freshen up at your place before we eat.”

“Sure,” she said, ignoring the stab of regret centered in her chest. Regret followed by worry. Had Joe done something else? Or had Adan found out something more in town? “We washed your extra clothes and put them back in your duffel bag.”

“Thank you,” he said, giving her a hesitant smile. “I’ll hurry up and get right back. That chili smells good.”

“Bettye’s recipe,” she replied, her gaze moving around the room. “Adan?”

He turned in a whirl of what looked like dread. “Yep?”

“Did you find out anything else while you were in town?”

“No, not much more than I told you over the phone.”

She nodded and he turned to go. Had he found something that bothered him too much to share? Did he think she’d lied to him yet again?

“What’s going on with you two?” Karen asked. She took a bread knife and starting slicing the cornbread.

“Nothing,” Sophia replied. “I think we’re just all tired of...thinking about Joe coming back. Maybe he’s gone for good.”

And maybe tonight would be her best chance to go after him on her own and end this constant tension that shimmered through the air. Every time she thought about leaving, Adan pulled her back in, at first with his injury and later with those all-seeing golden gazes and his delicious kisses. He’d hinted at more when he’d called and reminded her of hot chocolate.

She’d need lots of chocolate after he left.

Karen gave her a concerned glance and then headed for the door when she saw David coming in. He’d already gotten cleaned up over at their house. He gave his wife a quick hug and a soft smile. Jacob had washed up in the bathroom here and was now entertaining Melissa and Sean. And probably sizing up the boy, too.

No one made a big deal out of seeing Sean, not even Adan. Or maybe Adan hadn’t even noticed the boy after he’d walked through the door and assessed the situation as safe. He’d left in such a hurry, she wondered if he’d even come back for dinner.

Sophia wished she could have gotten more out of Adan, but it wasn’t as if he owed her any explanations. She had to keep reminding herself that he’d be gone as soon as this was over and Joe was out of the picture. Adan had a daughter and parents who loved him and wanted him in their lives.

And she had a good life here. A life she’d missed lately in spite of being lonely at times. The solitude of this remote mountain had helped her to heal. That solitude had been shattered when Adan and Joe had arrived, however.

They both needed to go back to their own worlds. That would be for the best, after all. Tonight, she had people to feed.

Soon, Bettye’s little cabin was full of people. Used to these impromptu gatherings, Sophia helped Bettye gather chairs and stools so everyone could crowd around her dining table.

“Where’s Adan?” Bettye asked, glancing around.

“He went to my cabin to get cleaned up,” Sophia replied. “He should be back any minute now.”

* * *

A
DAN
STARED
DOWN
at the reports on his phone, his gaze scanning over the words again. He knew everything about Joe Pritchard but he skimmed over the long rap sheet anyway. One thing stuck out that he had seen before but forgotten.

Joe had been involved with some nasty people back in Waco, including a major drug dealer. The dealer’s last known address was listed as one of the places Joe hung out. A note stated,
last seen at this location on the night of
...blah, blah. Adan skipped the details since he hadn’t seen anything new.

Melissa’s information was sealed so he couldn’t take things any further there without a court order.

Then he came to Sophia’s information. Why was he afraid to read hers? Would he find something else she’d forgotten to tell him about? When he saw a note from one of his fellow Rangers, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Clean as a whistle,” the note read. “No known criminal records. But she did fall off the radar a few years back.”

Adan stopped reading and let out a sigh. Sophia was clean in spite of being associated with Pritchard. Probably because Pritchard had lied to her so many times. He wondered if anyone had even noticed she’d gone missing. It didn’t sound that way.

But as he headed back over to Bettye’s cabin, something nagged at Adan’s mind. Thinking a lot of things were nagging him these days, he let it go and headed in to get a bowl of chili.

Adan came back in and nodded to everyone but Sophia noticed he still seemed a bit cool and detached. “I’m a little cleaner now. The snow’s melting but the mud might be here awhile. My truck was buried in it.”

Maybe now that he had his truck back, he’d become even more impatient to get this over with and done.

“That slush is messy,” David said, smiling at Karen. “I thought we’d left the snow for good when we moved here from Illinois.”

“It’ll pass,” Bettye said. “We’re all safe and warm and that counts for something.” She waved everyone through the receiving line. Smiling at Adan, she said, “We never go hungry around here.”

Sophia glanced at him, her smile hopeful. He did lift his head but the twisted smile he had pasted on his face looked more pained than happy. What was he hiding from her?

Sophia didn’t press him. Too many people in here for them to get into an intimate conversation. But she knew something had changed with Adan while he’d been down the mountain.

And she intended to find out what when she got him alone again.

* * *

A
DAN
DID
A
visual sweep of Sophia’s cabin and then motioned for her. “All clear.” He intended to get her settled for the night and then he’d keep watch and go back over his notes.

He had to think about something besides being here with her. Alone.

“Not too many places to hide in here,” she said from behind him, her tone tinged with a nervousness that caused him to wonder what was wrong with her. “I don’t have a root cellar like the Harpers. We all usually go into theirs whenever a tornado warning sounds.”

He rattled door locks and closed curtains. “That’s good to hear.”

“We don’t get many tornadoes, but you never know.”

Adan tried to ignore the image of her being tossed about by a tornado. “Yep. Could be right.”

“What am I so right about, Adan?”

He whirled to find her staring at him with those big blue eyes. “Uh... I don’t know. Tornadoes?”

“Why are you ignoring me?”

Adan wanted to deny that, but he couldn’t lie to her. “I’m...trying to stay on track. We don’t have much time left and I need to stay focused.”

“You mean, Joe needs to hurry up and come for me so we can get this over with and done?”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean,” he admitted. Then he shook his head. “I mean, I don’t want Joe to come for you, but I want Joe to make a move so I can capture him.”

“So you’re tired of this? Well, so am I. Nobody wants this over more than I do.”

“I understand that,” he said in a gentle tone. “I talked to my parents this morning. They’re worried about me and... Gaylen is upset because I’m not home yet.”

He saw the compassion in her eyes. And the acceptance. “Of course, you need to get back to her. You don’t have to stay. We’re very capable of taking care of ourselves around here.”

“I can’t leave you.”

The words were out before he could hold them back. “I mean, I have a job—”