His Callahan Bride's Baby (Callahan Cowboys) (16 page)

Chapter Seventeen

“On this paperwork,” Taylor said, whispering in the Las Vegas chapel, “there’s a question about your occupation. Can I put ‘certifiable loon’?”

Falcon shook his head. “Put ‘romantic devil.’”

“Oh, brother.” Of course, the form hadn’t included any such question, but Taylor couldn’t resist the urge to tease her eager beau just a little. To try to knock some of the nervousness out of the man. She didn’t really know what had gotten into Falcon, but the last few weeks since she’d been back, he’d been almost a different man than the one she’d made love to.

It was as if, ever since she’d been kidnapped, he had some kind of dark fear that he couldn’t let go of. And it didn’t matter if he was worrying about her or Emma, he just worried. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“You’re the mother of my child,” he whispered back. “Of course I want to do this! I asked you once before, before you were the mother of my child, and I’ve asked you again now that we took the next step. Do I have to propose again after we have another baby? Reach the next stage in our relationship?”

She started to laugh at his reply, then realized he wasn’t trying to be funny. “I guess not.” She looked at him for a moment, her heart completely stolen by this big man. She couldn’t imagine loving any other man the way she loved Falcon. And yet... “Falcon, you’re making me nervous.”

“All brides are nervous. I have this on good authority.”

Taylor hesitated. Falcon had called the wedding chapel where they now stood for a drive-through wedding, which had sounded like a great lark to Taylor—at the time. He’d even booked the Elvis impersonator to croon for the ceremony. They’d gotten out of the car he’d rented at the airport, and were standing here, she in her blue jeans and him in his blue jeans, fresh from the rodeo, and... “Falcon,” she whispered, “why didn’t you go down to talk to Tighe and Dante?”

“I was too embarrassed. I was afraid I’d pop them one.” He shook his head. “Sometimes it’s better to hear no evil, see no evil, and then I do no evil.”

“But why is what they were doing bad?”

“Because they deserted the family,” he said simply. “Why are you worried about my brothers?”

“I’m not,” she said slowly. “It’s just that I think they’re the reason you finally proposed.” Elvis crooned away, and Taylor stood in the driveway, trying to gather her wits. “Falcon, I don’t think you’re in love with me.”

His eyes widened. “Of course I’m in love with you. Have I not said that?”

“I—no.”

“Huh.” He frowned. “I guess I haven’t. I guess I tell Emma I love you so often I thought I was saying it sometimes to you, too.” He held her chin up and looked down into her eyes. “Taylor, I know you think I’m a little crazy—”

“Perhaps wired just a little differently.”

“But I do love you. With all my heart. And I’m sorry about the ring, but I promise you will have something better than this thing I bought at the rodeo, one day.”

She smiled. “I rather like it, actually.”

“Are you going to marry me or not?” he said after a moment, when Elvis geared up for another song after Falcon waved a hand at him to keep going. “Because the thing that worries me the most—”

“Right now—”

“Right now,” he said, “is that if we go back to Rancho Diablo and you haven’t tied me down properly, I might lose you forever.”

She smiled. Felt happiness spread all over her. “I will marry you, Falcon.”

He got down on one knee, held her hand. “I love you, madly and passionately. You scare the hell out of me, too, but I like that about you. It’s because you’re stronger than me, and braver, too. And I’m taking on Diablo’s best girl. You don’t know how that can intimidate even a guy who considers himself pretty tough.”

She laughed, pulled him to his feet. “Let’s give Elvis a rest and say our I do’s, cowboy.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

* * *

“H
ERE THEY COME
!” Fiona was so excited she could barely stand it, even if the wedding hadn’t taken place at Rancho Diablo. She had Jillian and Taylor’s mother, Mary, and her three dearest Books’n’Bingo Society friends, Corinne, Maxine and Taylor’s aunt Nadine, with her. It hadn’t been easy to wrap the ranch in beautiful wedding attire, with white and pink bows swirling from every corral post, and twinkling lights strung along the fences, before her nephew and his bride returned. Turning out a full guest list in time to welcome the newlyweds home was a far easier proposition—nobody wanted to miss a thing. There were gifts galore for Taylor and Falcon stacked in the big den.

Now all the guests were loaded up with rice and paper hearts to throw at the happy couple. “We’re doing this a bit in reverse, but maybe it’s good luck to throw the rice on them when they arrive instead of leave,” Fiona murmured.

Nadine hovered nearby, stretching to try to see Falcon’s truck rumbling up the drive. “Good thing they called to check on Emma, and alerted Ash to what they’d done.”

“I didn’t think they’d actually go through with it,” Corinne said. “I almost thought we overdid it when Falcon came to ask our counsel.”

“Overdid it?” Fiona glanced at her. “Not now, Corinne. We have a wedding to celebrate.”

The rest of Falcon’s siblings came over to stand next to her. “This is your big moment, Aunt Fiona,” Galen teased.

“Believe me, I live for weddings. Don’t think I don’t. I should open my own matchmaking service.”

Jace made a sound that was something like a snort. She stared at him suspiciously. “Were you going to say something, nephew?”

“No, aunt.” Jace shook his head. “But some of us like you in the capacity in which you currently serve.”

She didn’t respond. She could read Jace’s face. He was afraid he’d be up next, the scalawag, and maybe he would, now that Falcon was out of the way. Even if it was with an Elvis impersonator nearby, hardly a fit way to be married, when they should have been here at Rancho Diablo among friends, with the Diablos near, and Taylor wearing the magic wedding gown...

It would all work out. “Congratulations!” Fiona cried, and everybody tossed their rice and paper hearts as Falcon and Taylor got out of the truck and came to greet them. Taylor ran to hug her aunt Nadine, then wrapped Fiona in a warm embrace. Then Ash. “You told,” she said to Falcon’s sister.

“I forget Aunt Fiona goes a little overboard,” Ash said.

“No, you didn’t. What a lovely party. Thank you, Fiona,” Taylor said.

“Yes, Aunt Fiona, thank you.” Falcon hugged her, and Fiona felt her heart expand. This was her family; these were the reasons she’d immigrated from Ireland and stayed. Taking care of them, and gently managing them, had become her life’s work.

Everyone greeted the newlyweds. Taylor brushed some rice from her hair after her braided rope ring had been duly admired, and glanced around. “Where’s Emma?”

Fiona blinked. Whirled around. “Where’s Emma?”

Jace, Galen, Sloan and Ash looked at each other.

“You had her last,” Ash said to Sloan.

“I gave her to Galen. I had to put something up for Aunt Fiona,” Sloan said.

“Jace held her for a moment so I could take a phone call about some horses for the ranch,” Galen said.

“I put her in her crib when she got sleepy,” Jace said. “That little port-a-crib we keep in the den.”

Falcon took off running to the house. Taylor looked a little pale. “He’s still going to be a very protective father,” she said. “I’m shocked he wanted to go off for a night. He said the only reason he could do it was that he had four soldiers keeping their eyes on his daughter.”

Falcon burst back outside. “Where’s Emma? She’s not in her crib.”

Fiona’s heart shriveled up with fear. She felt herself start to shake. Just a bit. Her heart thundered like the Diablo horses through the canyons. “I’m sure she’s close by, Falcon. Everybody help us look!”

But Emma was nowhere on the ranch.

* * *

“
I
SHOULDN
’
T
HAVE
LEFT
HER
.
” Falcon loaded a gun, put another in his jeans. “I should have known that after Wolf took you, he’d take my child. I waited before, just like I was told by Grandfather, but I’m not waiting this time. I’m going to rain hellfire all over Wolf, and I don’t care about Running Bear’s rule about no killing. I’ll take great pleasure in it.”

“I’m going with you. Don’t you dare try to leave me behind.” Taylor grabbed two guns out of the concealed kitchen cabinet.

“I can’t go through that again. You’re staying,” Falcon said, and Taylor put a hand on his arm to stop him from hurrying off.

“Falcon, either we’re in this together or we’re not. Your life is my life now, and vice versa. That means you don’t keep me out of the bad times, and I don’t tell you Emma doesn’t go to finishing school. As much as I totally disagree with it.”

He swallowed. “I don’t like it. No man wants his wife in a—”

“It’s okay,” she interrupted. “We’re going to do this together. Not only am I a good shot, I know his lair. Besides, Rosa and Ziha like me. I doubt very much they agree with what Wolf’s done.”

Falcon nodded. “All right. Come on. I’m going to book a pilot to take us to—”

“Wait,” Taylor said. “That’s what he expects you to do. He thinks you’ll head to Montana because that’s where I was before. He’s not going there.”

Falcon frowned. “We don’t have a lot of time. We have to make the right choice now.”

She took a deep breath. “I’d check the cave first. Wolf hasn’t got the first idea how to deal with a baby. He has no children. Did he take the diaper bag?”

They looked around—no diaper bag. No baby carrier.

Falcon’s brothers and sister trooped into the room, their expressions downcast. The guests had dispersed once they’d realized a dire emergency had arisen at Rancho Diablo.

“I’m so sorry,” Ash said. “We’ll help you look for her everywhere. Tell us what you want us to do.”

Falcon stood still, frozen. Torn.

“First, someone call Sheriff Cartwright,” Ash said. “Then we need to plan a thorough sweep through every inch of the canyons. Wolf’s going to be expecting you, so you’re going to have to sneak up on him. Don’t you think that’s the best course of action, Falcon?”

He roused himself from the fear gripping him. “Yes. I’ll take the far side, nearest Storm Cash’s place.”

“I’ll take the land nearest Bode Jenkins’s property,” Jace said.

“I’ll take Xav’s old post,” Sloan said. “The farthest canyons.”

“I’ll take the middle,” Ash said.

“I’m going to drive toward Diablo,” Taylor said suddenly. “I’ve got a funny feeling we should check the main drag.”

“Why?” they all asked.

Falcon looked at her, his gaze dark. “Why?”

He was listening to her, measuring her opinion. Their marriage would work out if they worked together instead of against each other—surely a terrible by-product of Wolf’s plans if their marriage was destroyed.

She wouldn’t let that happen.

“Because all the guests were here. Everybody was here. Our attention was distracted. He’s not going to expect anybody to be in town right now. Nobody knows him except us. A man walking in with a baby is just going to look like another out-of-towner on his way through to Santa Fe. If I had a baby I didn’t know what to do with, I might get her out of the heat and into a nice cool diner where I could sit and figure out what I was going to do with the little time bomb I’d snatched.”

“If he has Ziha and Rose with him, he’s got plenty of backup,” Falcon pointed out.

She nodded. “They’ll know a little bit about babies, but not much. They’re mercenaries, not mothers.” They hadn’t seemed much like family people, either. Not many cooking skills, zero housekeeping skills. “Like I said, it’s just a hunch I’ve got. The caves are more likely. But if I’d just grabbed a baby, I’d be thinking I’d better get to a grocery and stock up.”

Falcon nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

“No. I could be wrong,” Taylor said. “And besides, you’re wearing enough firepower to scare the willies out of the town pillars.”

“Everybody keep in touch by text,” Falcon said, “except for in the canyons. Be sure you have the new walkie-talkies. They’ll get a good test today.”

“We’ll meet back here at dark,” Taylor said, “and count heads. If anybody doesn’t return, we’ll come looking.”

“Oh, dear,” Fiona said. “I think I’ll bake. Cook up a dinner. Come on, Burke. You can peel potatoes.” She was shaking just a little, Taylor saw. Which meant she was completely rattled.

In all Fiona’s years at Rancho Diablo, she’d never had one of her charges disappear—not a baby, anyway. Taylor felt sorry for her.

“It’s going to be all right,” she said, looking up at her big strong husband, who stared after his aunt and uncle with concern.

“I know. After I kill Wolf, it’s going to be great. Let’s go.”

* * *

“
L
OOK
,” F
ALCON
SAID
,
and Taylor leaned across him to peer out the window.

“Told you,” she said. “I know my child, and her feeding schedule is not to be tinkered with by even fifteen seconds. Hang on.”

She got out of the truck, and Falcon watched in shock as she strode across the grocery store parking lot and snatched Emma out of Wolf’s arms, then slapped him hard across the face. Wolf stood rubbing his cheek, staring down at petite Taylor giving him the dressing-down of his life, every once in a while stepping back a little from her. Falcon got out of the truck, deciding after a quick moment that his wife seemed to have the entire situation under control.

As she’d said all along—she could handle this.

After a few moments, during which time Wolf seemed to be listening intently to everything Taylor said, his uncle slunk off. Taylor watched him go, waved to two women who were driving a truck Wolf got into, shook her finger at the henchman riding in the back, and then she walked back over to Falcon with their daughter in her arms.

“Whoa,” he said. “I feel almost sorry for my dastardly uncle. Almost. Not quite.”

He took his daughter in his arms. She gazed up at him, her deep blue eyes seeming to know everything, and he grinned back at her. “Emma says she was never worried. She says she knew we’d come for her.”