Peril on the Ranch Read online

  Regina’s eyes flickered open and slowly focused. “Hey,” she slurred. “I’m doing okay. I think. Arm feels a bit better.”

  “Yeah, they’ve got you on some pretty powerful painkillers.” She paused. “I’m so sorry, Reg. You’re here because of me and I can’t stand it.”

  “Nope. Here because of the guy who didn’t bother to stop while we were in the crosswalk.” She took a deep breath and let it out on a long sigh. “They get him?”

  “No. Not yet. Mac’s out there talking to Grant.” She paused. “I think the driver did that on purpose. I think he was aiming for me, Regina.”

  Her friend’s gaze sharpened in spite of the drugs. “Why? Could have been an accident. Maybe he was texting and driving or not paying attention. Something like that.”

  Could have been. But Isabelle didn’t think so. And Regina was in no condition to worry about it. “It’s possible. I guess we’ll know when we know. Close your eyes and rest. I’ll wait here until they come get you for the X-rays.”

  There was no protest from Regina as her eyes drifted shut. Isabelle’s throat tightened and she tried to swallow the sudden lump. “God, please,” she whispered, “please watch over everyone. Don’t let anyone else get hurt because of me. Show us who’s doing this. Please.” She ran out of words but rested in the peace that God knew her heart. That He understood the words she couldn’t find.

  She might not have seen the driver thanks to the tinted windows, but she’d heard the engine start when she’d walked past the car. Like he’d been sitting there, waiting for her? She closed her eyes and thought back to those crazy moments of sheer terror. Yes, the engine had started as she’d stepped past the Mustang. It had waited until she and Regina were at the corner of the intersection.

  They’d been chatting, but Isabelle had been watching, listening...aware of her surroundings in a way she’d never been before, thanks to all of the scary incidents.

  At the intersection, they’d waited for the light to change and then started across. She’d looked up to see Mac and waved. He’d smiled, waved back, and then his expression had turned to concern, and quickly, horror. She’d heard his cry about the car, heard the revving engine. Knew something was terribly wrong. Then Regina had pushed her backward. She could still feel the fall, the scrape of the asphalt on her palms. The bruise on her hip where she’d landed.

  The blast of hot air that had swept over her as the car had zipped past.

  Then the sound of the mirror catching Regina’s arm.

  She shuddered.

  But she hadn’t seen the driver’s face or gotten a plate. She could only hope someone else had done so.

  A knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts. Before she could call out, it opened and an orderly entered, pushing a wheelchair. The woman was in her early twenties, with dark eyes that narrowed in sympathy when she saw Regina on the bed. She placed a gentle hand on Regina’s shoulder to rouse her. “It’s time to make our way back for the X-rays. Do you think you can get into the chair with some help?”

  “Guess we’ll find out,” Regina said. She sat up with a groan. “My head is swimming.” She lay back.

  The orderly pushed the wheelchair to the side. “Then we’ll just take the bed with us.”

  Isabelle gave Regina a light hug. “I’ll be in the waiting room if you need me.”

  “My mom is on the way,” she said. “You need to get home to those kids. They’ll be getting out of school soon.”

  With a glance at her watch, Isabelle swallowed a sigh. Regina was right as usual. “Okay, but you’ll call me as soon as you get home? Or at least text me? Or have your mom do it?”

  “Of course.”

  Once Regina was out the door and on her way to get X-rays, Isabelle returned to the waiting room to find Mac still talking with Grant. They turned to her when she walked up. “I guess you need my statement, as well?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Might as well get this done. Why don’t you have a seat?”

  Isabelle sat and recounted everything she remembered while Grant took notes. When she finished, she looked at Mac. “If you hadn’t called out, I don’t know that I’d be here right now.” She slid her gaze back to Grant. “It was Mac’s warning that clued me in something was really wrong. Regina, too.”

  Mac squeezed her fingers and Isabelle once again sent up silent prayers of thanks to God for bringing Mac into her life. She looked at the clock on the wall. “I need to get going. The kids will be home soon.” Ms. Sybil could more than take care of the children, but the simple truth was, Isabelle wanted to be there to hug them and reassure herself that they were safe. And spend some time loving on them.

  Everything had been so chaotic lately that while she might have been there physically, she’d been mentally preoccupied. Maybe the rain was a blessing in disguise, slowing the day down and giving her some time with the kids.

  Mac escorted her to the door of the hospital. “Wait here. I’ll get the truck and pull up.”

  She nodded and he darted out the door and into the rain.

  “Excuse me.”

  “Oh, so sorry.” Isabelle moved to the side of the doorway, realizing she was blocking it.

  Minutes ticked past and she finally spotted Mac’s truck turning into the circle.

  She placed a hand on the door when someone bumped into her. She started to turn, but something pressed into her lower back. “Don’t move,” the low voice said in her ear. “Don’t scream, don’t do anything stupid, or I’ll shoot you. You have my baby and I want her back.”

  * * *

  Mac pulled up in front of the doors to see Isabelle standing right where he’d left her. Only something was wrong. Her wide eyes met his and then she disappeared from view. Like she’d been yanked aside? He slammed the truck in Park and bolted out of the driver’s seat to race inside. She was gone. He raced to the information desk, where a woman sat, speaking on the phone. “This is an emergency,” he panted. “I need you to put that person on hold, please.”

  With a frown, she complied. “What is it?”

  “Did you see a woman standing at the door?” He described Isabelle. “She would have been watching for me.”

  “I saw her, but she just walked down that hallway with a man.”

  “No,” he retorted. “Call Security. See if they can find her. That man’s trying to kidnap her.” It might be a stretch, but he didn’t think so. Isabelle wouldn’t have gone with anyone when she knew he’d be right back.

  The woman’s eyes went wide, but she acted without hesitation and hung up on the person she had on hold. Her fingers were dialing while Mac dashed in the direction she’d pointed. Hang on, Isabelle, I’m coming. Where would someone take her? Think, think!

  The parking garage. He’d want to get her out of the hospital, right? A quick scan of the hallway sent him scurrying to the stairwell, through the heavy metal door and down the steps to the next level and on down. He followed the signs, running flat out, dodging patients and everything else that got in his way. “Sorry. Sorry.” Whoever had snatched Isabelle would be walking slowly so as not to attract attention, but Mac didn’t care that people stopped to stare. At the bottom of the steps, he pushed through the door that led to the garage.

  To his left, parked illegally, was a white Hyundai Santa Fe. The man held Isabelle by the upper arm and had just opened the door to the driver’s side.

  Mac reached for the weapon in holster. “Isabelle!”

  Her captor jerked and turned toward him. When he did, Isabelle jammed her elbow back into the man’s stomach, then spun to send a fist into the side of his head. He stumbled back, let out a low scream, and took off running, leaving Isabelle behind. Mac darted to her side, started to take her into his arms, check to make sure she was okay, but she pushed him away. “I’m fine!” She bolted after the man. “Isabelle! No!”

  “He’s getting aw
ay!” She continued her pursuit of the man who’d tried to kidnap her. Mac followed, his heart thudding heavy in his chest. If the man was armed...

  The door behind him crashed open and he spared a quick glance over his shoulder to see security guards burst into the garage. “Hey!” They pounded after them.

  Seconds later, Isabelle stopped and bent to place her hands on her knees, gulping in breaths. Mac caught up to her. “Are you insane, chasing after him? What were you planning to do if you caught up to him?”

  Her gaze met his and she straightened. “I’m sick and tired of being a victim and I need this to stop.” A brief, humorless smile pulled the right side of her lips up. “All I wanted to do was stop him. I knew you were right behind me as well as the security guys. I figured if I managed to catch up to him, one of you could take it from there.”

  His heart slowed its mad thumping and he drew in a deep breath. “Well, those were some kind of self-defense moves you had going on back there. Nice job.”

  Her cheeks went scarlet. “I took a class in college. I guess it came back to me in sheer desperation.” She ran a hand over her eyes. “Or, most likely, God gave me what I needed.” She fell silent when footsteps alerted them to the returning security guards.

  They were empty-handed and Mac’s frustration levels rose. “Guess he got away.”

  The taller guy nodded. “He did. What happened?”

  “I was waiting at the door to the Emergency Department for Mac to pick me up,” Isabelle said. “He was only gone a few minutes, but just as he was pulling into the circle that guy came up and put a gun to my back.” She frowned. “Or at least I thought it was a gun.” A pause. “Assumed it was a gun since he told me not to scream or make a scene or he’d shoot me.”

  “Did he say anything else?” the officer asked.

  “Yes. He said I had his baby and wanted her back. Then, just as we were about to get in the car, he said something like he could deal with the old people, but I was going to have to get him around the cop. I think he was going to force me to drive him to the farm and maybe use me as a hostage to get Ben or Ms. Sybil to give him the baby.” A shiver rippled through her and Mac settled his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to shield her, protect her—comfort her.

  The security officer nodded, writing in his little book. When he finished, he snapped it shut. “All right. We’re going to take a look at the footage, see if we can get a good look at the guy.”

  “He didn’t have a mask on,” Isabelle said, “but he did have that hoodie pulled up.”

  “We’ll give it a try, anyway.” He nodded to the SUV. “I already had the plates run. It was stolen.”

  “I’m shocked,” Mac said.

  “Yeah, I know. But, we’ve got fingerprints to run. We’ll work with the local police and find this guy before too long.”

  “Thank you. I sure hope someone finds him.”

  Mac agreed, but silently added, before it’s too late.

  TEN

  Once Isabelle got home from the hospital, Grant met them at the ranch, wanting a firsthand account of what had happened in the parking garage. He also brought the sketch artist to help fine-tune Mac’s previous description.

  When they left, Mac went back to his chores, his gun tucked close. Isabelle sat the children down and had a talk with them about being wary of strangers and watching out for each other. They promised to keep an eye out for men on motorcycles and then they played a game until dinner. Before she knew it, the day was over and it was morning once again.

  At the breakfast table, Katie looked up from her cereal. “Is Mr. Travis coming this afternoon, because I need to practice my ropin’.” She spooned a bite into her mouth and milk dribbled down her little chin.

  Isabelle did her best to keep a straight face while she mopped up the milk. “Yes, ma’am. He should be here when you get off the bus.”

  “Oh, goody.”

  This time Isabelle did laugh. Then she glanced over at Lilly in the carrier, her rattle clutched in her tiny fist.

  Happy. Content. Adjusted.

  And the target of a father who didn’t mind using violence against others to get what he wanted. As the day passed, her tension escalated in spite of the police presence and Mac’s diligent attention to her and the others. She knew he was watching the trees and the surrounding area as carefully as she was, because his tension was as thick as the summertime humidity in the south.

  The hours ticked by with her jumping at every sound and refusing to let the baby out of her sight.

  “Isabelle, you’re going to give yourself an ulcer,” Ms. Sybil said. “Give me the baby and take a break.”

  Reluctantly, she handed Lilly to the cook and returned to the window. When Valerie’s car finally pulled to the top of the drive, she let out a low breath and went out to greet her while Ms. Sybil changed the baby’s diaper. Ben had been informed of the pending arrival of the guests, but he stayed on the porch, watching.

  She noticed Mac had moved to a section of the fence where he could see what was going on, as well.

  Valerie’s children tumbled from the back seat. “Hi, Isabelle,” Crystal, aged eight, cried out, making a beeline for the house. “I’m going to say hey to the baby.”

  Isabelle laughed. “All right. Her name is Lilly.”

  Crystal’s older brother, Peter, followed.

  Valerie slipped out of the driver’s seat with a groan and a low laugh. “How do they have so much energy even after spending all day at school?”

  “It’s not fair at all, is it?”

  “I think I’m going to request that they have them run laps around the school ten minutes before the end-of-day bell rings.”

  “There’s a thought,” Isabelle said with a small laugh.

  “I have something for you.”

  “What?”

  “Apples on the passenger seat.” She walked around to retrieve them and passed them to Isabelle. “The kids pulled these off the tree this morning before school.”

  “Oh, thank you. We’ll have these with our dinner tonight—if Ms. Sybil doesn’t decide to make a pie out of them.” Isabelle carried the fruit into the kitchen and set the basket on the counter. Valerie followed.

  “So, what was the surprise Travis got you?”

  Valerie grimaced and he eyes darkened. “A car.”

  “What? Seriously? And you’re not driving it?”

  “Ah, no. I told him I didn’t want it and to take it back.”

  “Valerie!”

  She shrugged and her eyes slid away. Isabelle noticed the strain on her friend’s face and cupped a hand around her upper arm. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Let’s focus on something else.”

  While Danny and Zeb sat at one end of the long table with a board game, Ms. Sybil sat at the other, holding Lilly. Crystal had already started a peekaboo game. The baby’s laughter soothed Isabelle’s worried heart.

  “Where’s Travis?” Isabelle asked. She turned to the sink to wash the apples in case someone decided they needed a snack.

  “Right behind us. He had a last-minute showing that he didn’t want to rush, so I drove separately. And he said he had to stop at a store to pick something up.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “I asked if he couldn’t do that on the way home and he said he had to take care of it now. Honestly, I have no idea what that man’s up to lately.” Her lips tightened. “Except spending money we don’t have. That one’s not too hard to figure out.”

  “Oh, no. Surely not.”

  Valerie sighed and waved a hand. “Ignore me. I’m in a mood—and aggravated that Travis can’t get anywhere except to a showing or a closing on time. Family can always wait, I guess.” She checked her phone. “He texted just a minute ago and said he’s almost here.”

  “Wonderful. The kids are so excited.”
r />   “Travis is, too. He’s like a kid himself some days.” She smiled, but Isabelle thought it was a bit stiff.

  “Valerie? Is everything okay with you and Travis?” she asked, keeping her voice low while she washed the apples.

  Valerie waved a hand. “Yes, fine. Things have been a bit tense since we went so long without a sale, but as of today we’ve got three showings coming up, so hopefully Travis will be able to relax some. Being here today with the kids will help.”

  “I’m sorry,” Isabelle said. “I didn’t realize things were that hard.”

  “It’s okay. It’s not like we’re going around advertising it. With the closing last week and another possible big sale in the works, he was a little more upbeat today.”

  “What kind of sale?”

  “No idea. He said he didn’t want to say too much or get anyone’s hopes up in case it fell through.”

  “I guess that’s understandable.”

  Valerie took the last apple from Isabelle, dried it off and set it with the others back in the basket.

  Peter grabbed it from the basket. “Ms. Isabelle, can we see the horses?”

  Travis stepped inside the kitchen in time to hear his son’s request. “We’ll see them, but for now, I’ve got everything set up outside to practice some roping. Who’s interested?”

  A cheer went up from Katie and she darted for the door. “I’m first!”

  Within seconds, the kitchen was empty of all children except Lilly. Valerie laughed. “I’m going to go watch.” She stepped outside to follow her husband and the kids.

  Isabelle turned to Sybil. “Whew.”

  “Ditto.” The woman stood. “Do you think it’s safe to take this one out?”

  Isabelle hesitated. “I don’t think so. With all of the kids here and the added protection, it’s unlikely someone will try anything, but I’d rather keep her inside.”

  “Of course. I’ll entertain her in her room if you want to go watch the others.”