Chapter Three

Luke strode into the office, hung his hat and coat on the rack, then sat down at his desk. He noticed a lot of empty desks due to the weather, but he had a case to work on that was just assigned to him. His boss, Dave Merkle, passed by and mentioned leaving a folder on Luke's desk.

"Thanks, Dave. I'll take a look at it now."

"How were the roads out your way?"

"Pretty slippery," Luke replied with a grin.

"I can only imagine. I'll be in my office."

Luke nodded even though Dave didn't see him. With a sigh, he opened the file and skimmed through it before turning on his computer to check for any new cases. He shook his head when he saw that fifteen horses had been reported missing in Hartland.

Pushing back his chair, he stood up, grabbed his hat and coat, and headed toward the door. As he waited for the elevator, he spotted his brother walking toward him.

"Hey, where are you off to?" Beau asked.

"Hartland. Some horses have gone missing. I didn't think you'd make it in today."

"I almost didn't. The roads are terrible. Brenna's home since school was cancelled, but I thought I'd try to come in. Who else is here?"

"Not many. Dave's here, but other than a couple others, the place is pretty empty."

"Have you talked to Bryce?"

"Not yet. I'll send her a text later to check on her."

"If this weather continues like this, she might not be going anywhere for a while."

"Yeah, I thought about that too. I heard there's another storm predicted next week."

"I heard that too. Even if it's not too bad, traveling will still be challenging."

When the elevator doors opened, Luke stepped inside but held them open with his hand.

"True. See you later." Luke removed his hand, and the doors closed.

He stepped outside and instinctively tilted his head down to avoid the snow hitting him in the face. He looked toward the diner up the street and wondered how Bryce was doing. He made a mental note to text her later. But for now, he had to make it to Hartland while he still could. He climbed into his truck and started the engine, put in the address on the GPS before driving out of the parking lot and heading out of town.

As he arrived at the ranch, he parked his truck next to the porch and got out. The wind blew and he shivered, muttering a curse under his breath. He briskly made his way up the steps and knocked on the door. An older man opened it and gave him a curious look. Luke took off his hat.

"Mr. Hancock?" he asked respectfully. "I'm Agent Luke McCallister with the Montana Department of Livestock. I understand you've reported some missing horses?"

"That's right," the man replied, opening the door wider. "Come inside, son. It's too cold out there."

Luke nodded gratefully and wiped his feet on the mat before entering the house and sighing at the warmth that greeted him.

"Take a seat." Mr. Hancock gestured toward a chair. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"I would, if it's not too much trouble," Luke replied politely.

"Not at all," Mr. Hancock said with a smile as he poured a cup for Luke, motioning for him to take off his coat and sit down at the table.

Luke placed his coat on the back of a kitchen chair and hung his hat on one of the pegs by the door, beside other cowboy hats before taking a seat at the table. Mr. Hancock placed a cup of black coffee in front of him.

"Cream and sugar?" he asked.

"No, sir. Black is fine. Thank you," Luke replied, taking a sip of coffee. "That hits the spot."

"I'm sure it does." Mr. Hancock chuckled. "I was going to head to the barn earlier, but with the wind blowing and the thermometer showing below zero, I decided to stay inside."

Luke chuckled as well. "Can't say I blame you. I wouldn't be out if I didn't have to be. So, you reported fifteen missing horses?"

"That's right," Mr. Hancock confirmed with a frown. "Those bastards broke my fence and took off with them. It had to be last night because we checked on them yesterday. We were planning to move them closer to the barns today before this storm hit, but when my manager and some ranch hands rode up there, they were gone."

"I see," Luke said as he wrote down the information. "What breed they are?"

"Shires," Mr. Hancock replied.

"Shires?" Luke repeated in surprise. "How did they manage to take fifteen of those massive draft horses?"

The man shrugged helplessly. "It must have been one hell of a big trailer."

"Yeah, it would have to be." Luke shook his head in disbelief. "Do you breed them?"

"I do," Mr. Hancock nodded. "My grandfather started raising them when he was a young man, and it's been passed down for generations. I sell a lot of them."

"How many did you have in total?"

"I had twenty-five." Mr. Hancock sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Luke sympathized genuinely. "I'll do everything in my power to find them, sir, but I have to warn you that it might not be possible."

"I understand, but if you can track them down, son, I would greatly appreciate it."

"Yes, sir. Can you give me directions to where they were taken from?"

"Of course. Just follow the road through the gate, take a left at the fork, and it will lead you right to the fence. It's still down since we didn't want to disturb anything before you arrived."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Luke stood up, grabbed his coat, and took his hat off the peg. "I'll go take a look." He reached out his hand for Mr. Hancock to shake. "I'll be in touch."

"Alright. Stay safe out there, son."

"Yes, sir." Luke nodded, opened the door, stepped onto the porch, then got into his truck. He drove across the field to the damaged fence, using the tire tracks already there. His truck was four-wheel drive, but with the ground being so wet, he could still get stuck.

After walking along the fence and taking photographs, he returned to his truck and turned on the heat before driving back to the office.

At the end of the day, he stood up and stretched. His back was sore from sitting at his desk all day going through files. Looking around, he saw that most of the agents had already left for the day. As he headed out to the elevator, he waved at Deacon Anderson, another agent sitting at his desk, talking on the phone. He nodded at Luke making him grin when he rolled his eyes as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Luke put on his coat and hat and walked toward the elevator.

As he pulled out of the parking lot, he glanced toward the diner and decided to check on Bryce.

He parked by the stairs leading up to her apartment, got out of his truck, and climbed the steps. He was relieved to see that they were clear of ice, and someone had put salt down.

When he reached the stoop, he knocked and waited. He wrapped his coat tightly around himself and turned his back to the wind to fight off the chill. When he heard the locks turn, he faced the door.

"Hi, Luke," Bryce greeted him as she opened the door. "Please come in."

"Thanks." Luke removed his hat, wiped his feet on the mat, and entered her apartment. "I apologize for dropping by unannounced, but I wanted to check on how you're doing."

"I'm doing well. Please take off your coat and have a seat."

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you."

"It's fine. Leah is the only person I get to talk to, and she's not much of a talker." She smiled.

Luke chuckled. "I can imagine." He hung his coat and hat on the rack.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Coffee would be great. Where is the little one?"

"Asleep. She should be up again soon." Bryce glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled.

Luke was in awe of her beauty. He hadn't really looked at her the day they brought her here, but now, he couldn't help but stare. She was simply stunning. Her black hair was in a ponytail and though she looked tired, her blue eyes sparkled.

"Are you getting some sleep?"

"Sure, a few hours at a time."

"I'm surprised you're not dead on your feet." Luke grinned.

"I think I am," she said, laughing. She handed him a cup of coffee. "Please sit."

"I will, after you."

"You have wonderful manners."

"Beau and I were raised right." He nodded for her to sit. Once she did, he sat down beside her and sipped the coffee.

"I met Connie yesterday. She brought me breakfast. What a wonderful person she is."

"We told you."

"Yes, you did. What are you doing out in this weather?"

"I had to talk to a rancher about his missing horses."

"Did you find them?"

Luke chuckled. "I haven't looked yet. I had to talk to the rancher first to get some information."

Bryce laughed. "Okay. I have no idea how your job works."

"It's simple, really. The department gets a call, they send one of us out to talk with the rancher or farmer. We take photos of where the theft happened, then we try to find the livestock."

"Do you always find them?"

Luke shook his head. "Sadly, no, we don't. Sometimes we luck out, but there are times the animals are gone."

"Gone where?"

"Anywhere. They could have been sold, taken to a slaughterhouse, killed—"

"What? They do that to those animals?"

"Rustlers are only in it for the money, so they'll do whichever brings them more."

"I don't get how someone can do that." She shook her head.

"That's why MDOL goes after them."

"MDOL?"

"Montana Department of Livestock."

"I see. Beau said he was an agent too."

"Fifth generation of McCallister's. Another agent, Creed McBride, is also a fifth generation. Growing up, Beau and I loved hearing the cases our dad was on. I think the bug bit us when we were very young." He shrugged. "We both love it, but it can be dangerous."

"Really?"

"Definitely. Those rustlers don't care what they have to do to get the livestock. Agents have been shot and killed when interfering with them, but it's our job. We protect the livestock as much as we can."

"Shot? Killed?" Bryce shivered. "Have you ever been shot?"

"No, but I have been shot at. We lost an agent a few years ago, and three others were shot then too. It took us three years to find the culprits."

"Oh, my God. It must have been horrible."

"It was. Mac Carter was shot and killed. The rustlers were using armor piercing ammo. Mac was dead before he hit the ground. Eli Hawkins, Alex Reeves, and Creed were all shot and left to die. Luckily, Creed got a call out for back up, but he was badly beaten and was in a coma for months. He didn't remember that night at all until just recently and with his memory returning, he was able to identify who the rustlers were. They're all in prison now."

"I can't imagine. Was the agent who died, married?"

"Yes, and his wife was nine months pregnant."

Bryce gasped. "That poor woman."

"She's fine now. In fact, she recently married Eli. He was Mac's best friend, and he and Lorna got together. They're happy and he loves her little girl."

"Well, I'm glad they had a happy ending, but I can't imagine what she went through. Being pregnant is so emotional as it is, but to lose her husband…" She shook her head.

"It's a risk all of us take. But any law enforcement job is risky."

****

"Yeah, you're right." Bryce nodded, then she glanced at the window to see heavy snow falling. "Luke, you should go. I don't want you to get stranded here."

Luke stood, walked to the window and gazed out. She couldn't take her eyes off him. He was such a handsome man.

"Why aren't you married?"

He turned to face her and shrugged. "Never found a woman I wanted to settle down with." He walked to where his hat and coat hung. "I should get going. It looks bad."

"Do you have far to go?"

"I live out of town."

"I'm sure the roads are bad then. You're welcome to stay. The spare bedroom has a small bed you could use."

He shook his head. "I'll try to make it home. I don't want to inconvenience you."

She chuckled. "I think you're the one who would be inconvenienced. Leah is up every two to three hours. You wouldn't get much sleep. The only other thing is, that bed is small and with you being so big—" She stopped when she saw him raise his eyebrow. "You know what I mean."

Luke grinned. "I do, but as I said, I'll try to make it home. If I don't get too far, I'll come back."

"Please do. It's too dangerous." She tilted her head. "Now I hear ice hitting the window."

"Damn, I'd better go. If you need anything, call or text me." He pulled his coat on, opened the door, stepped out, and placed his hat on his head. He nodded, walked out, and pulled the door closed.

Bryce sighed. She hated seeing him leave in this weather. She walked to the window and looked for his truck. The street was deserted but with the ice, it had to be slick. She saw his truck pull onto the street and gasped when it fishtailed.

"Please be careful," she murmured as she watched his truck disappear down the street.

She turned from the window when she heard Leah fussing. Bryce quickly warmed up a bottle, then carried it to the bedroom. After setting it on the nightstand, she picked up her daughter, changed her diaper, then carried her to the living room, so she could sit on the sofa and feed her.

"For being so little, you have a set of lungs on you."

As she sat down, a knock sounded on her door, and she got up to answer it. She peered through the peephole to see Luke. Stepping back, she told him to come in. She didn't want the cold air to hit Leah.

The door opened and he entered with a smirk on his face.

"I didn't get too far. If the offer to stay is still available, I'd love to."

"Of course, it is. You rescued me, so I'll rescue you." She grinned.

Luke chuckled as he removed his hat and coat then hung them up. He looked at the baby.

"Hey, baby girl," he said.

Bryce watched Leah turn her head in his direction. His voice got her attention. Well, she was a female after all. His voice got her attention too.

"Your voice caught her attention." Bryce smiled.

"I'm still amazed by her hair. It's as dark as a raven's wing, just like yours."

"Well, your hair is also dark," Bryce replied.

"It's dark, but not as black as yours or hers." He tilted his head to the side. "Could I get another cup of coffee? I was freezing out there."

Bryce let out a snort of laughter. "Of course. Could you hold her for a minute?"

"Me?" Luke asked in surprise.

"Is there someone else here I'm talking to?"

Luke narrowed his eyes. "If I knew you were such a smartass, I wouldn't have helped you."

"Oh please, you know you love it. Just take a seat and I'll hand her to you. Keep her head up against your arm. But make sure she keeps drinking from the bottle. I'm going to make myself some coffee too." She motioned for him to sit down.

Luke sat on the sofa and looked up at Bryce. She almost burst out laughing when she saw him swallow hard. She placed Leah in his arms and gave him the bottle before walking to the kitchen.

"Don't worry, she won't break." Bryce made two cups of coffee and placed Luke's on the coffee table. "Do you want me to take her back now?"

"No, I got this," he said with a grin. "She acts like she's starving."

"I know, but trust me, she eats plenty. After she's done with the bottle, you can change her diaper." Bryce lifted the cup to her lips to hide a grin, but she couldn't help but laugh at the look on Luke's face.

"No way," he protested.

"Chicken," Bryce teased.

"Damn right."

"How old are you, Luke?"

"I'm forty-one. And you?"

"Thirty-five. I always thought I would have kids earlier in life." Bryce sighed.

"Where's the father?"

"In Minnesota, hopefully."

"Hopefully? Why's that?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, I've got time," Luke said with a grin.

She sighed. "My job was at a clinic in Minnesota, where I worked as a phlebotomist. I loved my job and fell for one of the physicians there, who told me he was getting a divorce. I believed him and got involved, even though he said we had to keep it quiet because it could jeopardize our jobs, especially since his divorce wasn't final yet." She shook her head. "His father-in-law owns the clinic. Looking back, there were signs that something wasn't right, like when he didn't show up or stay the night when he said he would, and always had an excuse about visiting his so-called ‘ex' to discuss the divorce. When I got pregnant, he was furious. He wanted me to have an abortion. I couldn't do it. He fired me and told me if I told anyone about the baby, I'd regret it. I was afraid he was telling me the truth, but I found a part-time job. I had no idea what I was going to do once the baby was born. Anyway, his wife couldn't have kids, and she found out about the pregnancy a month ago. I'm not sure how, but she gave him an ultimatum: her and the baby or me and the baby, and he chose her. He lied to me throughout our relationship, and I was heartbroken. When I decided to leave and go back to Seattle, he suddenly showed up telling me he was getting a lawyer because his wife didn't work and since he makes more money than me, they could provide better for the baby. I had planned to stay in Minnesota, but when he started threatening to take my child, I knew I had to go. It broke my heart to think of losing my baby. And when I left, he sent me a threatening text saying he would find me no matter where I went. There was nowhere to hide from him. So, I changed my phone number. Now that I'm here in this small town during a snowstorm, I actually feel safe. I know he's looking for me but probably thinks I'm already in Seattle."

"Is he listed as the father?"

"No, but I know he'd demand a paternity test. Especially if his wife made him do it. Her family is rich and if she divorced Mick, he'd lose everything."

"Well, at least you bought yourself some time by going into labor."

"Yeah, but I know he'll hire a private investigator as soon as possible."

"That might take some time in this weather. No one will want to travel."

"That's true. But even if I leave here in two weeks like I planned, going to Seattle might be too obvious of a choice."

"You can stay here for as long as you need."

"I don't want to impose on Connie."

"You met her. What do you think?"

"She's amazing. I've never met anyone like her, or you and Beau for that matter."

"Everyone in this town is always willing to help out. It's just the way it is in small towns like this."

"It's such a charming and picturesque town."

"We get a lot of people who visit during the summer and end up moving here."

"Do you get a lot of tourists passing through?"

"Oh yeah, Spring City and the other surrounding towns are popular destinations. People come from all over the country. Becca Stone owns the Clifton Bed and Breakfast and cabins, and the Bur Oak Guest Ranch is also nearby. The towns get pretty crowded during peak tourist season; there's even a two-year waiting list to stay at some places."

"Wow, I never would have guessed. I can see why though; this place is so beautiful."

"Then why not stay? You'll be safe here; we take care of our own." Luke laughed as Leah let out a loud burp. "Looks like she enjoyed her bottle."

"I'll go change her and put her to bed."

"Alright." Luke handed the baby to Bryce. "Goodnight, baby girl." He gently stroked her head.

"I won't be long. If you want to find something to watch, go ahead."

"Okay."

Bryce made her way from the living room to the bedroom, where she changed Leah's diaper and placed her in the bassinet. As she gazed down at her daughter, a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I won't let him take you," she whispered before leaving the room.

When she returned to the living room, Luke was flipping through channels but stood up when she entered. She shook her head.

"You and Beau have such good manners."

Luke shrugged. "As I've said before, we were raised properly."

"Connie also mentioned that." Bryce shook her head. "I still can't believe she's letting me stay here for free without even knowing me. She's truly amazing."

"She and Owen are both wonderful people. Even though they don't have kids of their own, they consider the whole town as their family."

"She told me about her nieces finding love after moving here."

Luke grinned. "Yep, all three of them, plus their cousin Sloane. But they're not the only ones. A lot of people come here and find love."

Bryce chuckled. "That's lovely, though." She yawned. "I'm sorry, I don't get much sleep. I should be napping while Leah does, but I just can't seem to fall asleep during the day."

"I would think you'd be exhausted enough to sleep anytime."

"Do you know why there are so many locks on the door?"

"When Rissa, one of Connie's nieces, lived here, her ex came after her."

"Was she okay?"

Luke grinned. "Oh yeah, the man she was seeing, and later married, Reece, kicked his ass."

Bryce laughed. "A woman loves a hero."

"I think I'll head to bed now. I have an early start tomorrow."

"Me too. I need to catch some sleep whenever I can." She stood up and Luke followed suit. "Luke, you don't have to get up every time."

"Of course I do."

"Okay. I'm not used to that. Must be a cowboy thing."

He chuckled. "Maybe it is. See you tomorrow, Bryce. Get some rest."

"I will. Goodnight." She walked down the hallway, entered the bedroom, and closed the door.

****

Luke shifted in his sleep and almost toppled off the edge of the small bed. He snapped awake with a curse, frustrated by the cramped space. The sound of the baby crying pierced through the silence, followed by Bryce's voice as she walked down the hallway. It must be time for a feeding. He fumbled for the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on, squinting against the sudden brightness. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was two o'clock in the morning. Luke threw off the covers, quickly pulled on his jeans, and left the room to make his way to the kitchen.

He walked into the warm, cozy kitchen just as the timer on the microwave rang. As Bryce opened the door and pulled out a bottle, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. She turned and gasped when she saw him.

"God! You scared me," she said, then laughed.

"Sorry."

"Did we wake you?"

"No. I almost rolled out of that bed." He grinned.

"Maybe the couch would be better for you."

Luke glanced over his shoulder at the plush sofa and shook his head.

"I doubt it. I'm used to my king size bed, so anything smaller than that is too small." He turned and walked to the window, looking out at the heavy snow falling under the glow of streetlights. "It's not letting up at all."

"I was listening to the radio and they're predicting a foot more," Bryce said with a shake of her head.

"Well, it is the end of December."

"True. I can't believe it was just Christmas."

"Do you spend the holidays with your sister?"

"No. She spends it with her husband's family. I'm usually alone, but from now on, I have Leah to spend it with. Besides, I'm sure we'd be having a shouting match."

Luke nodded understandingly but didn't say anything as he continued to watch the snow piling up outside. He'd never been a fan of snow. It made his job difficult. No one enjoyed being out in the cold and snow, but he had to brave it often for his work.

He turned when he heard Bryce sit on the sofa, soothing Leah as she fed her. Luke smiled at the sight.

"She sure acts like she hasn't eaten, doesn't she?" he remarked.

Bryce nodded with a chuckle. "She makes me look bad."

"That's not possible," he murmured. At her startled look, he quickly added, "I'm sorry, that was out of line."

She grinned. "No problem. It's nice to get a compliment, especially when I'm sure I look a mess."

Luke smirked. "No, you don't. You just had a baby, and you look happy."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." She sighed contentedly as she gazed at Leah in her arms. "I can't get over how much I love her."

"What's not to love?" Luke asked with a smile.

Bryce laughed and nodded in agreement. "True."

"I'm going to try to get some sleep. I want to try to get to the office later."

"I don't think you'll be able to go anywhere. You're welcome to stay, Luke, for as long as you need."

"We'll see how the weather is tomorrow, well, later today. I can always walk to the office."

"In that snow?"

Luke shrugged. "It's not that far. I have a case to work on."

"Okay, but let's wait and see how bad it is."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm off to bed."

"Alright. Once she's done, I'm going back to bed too. She'll have me up in a few hours."

"Get some sleep, Bryce." Luke smiled, then walked along the hallway to the bedroom. He entered the room, closed the door, and after removing his jeans, he crawled into the bed and hoped he could sleep for a few more hours.

****

Bryce's breath caught in her throat as Luke left the room, his muscular frame disappearing from view. She couldn't help but stare at his chiseled chest and six-pack abs, feeling a tingling sensation in her stomach. It was hard to resist the allure of his perfect physique.

But she quickly scolded herself for those thoughts. Luke was the last thing she should be thinking about right now. Mick, on the other hand, was someone she couldn't stop thinking about, for all the wrong reasons. The thought of him finding her and taking her daughter away terrified her. Knowing that he had more money and resources only added to her fear. She didn't even have a job anymore.

As a tear rolled down her cheek, Bryce looked at Leah sleeping peacefully in her arms. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her daughter, no matter what it took to keep hiding. And she knew that Mick would never give up searching for her; not just for his own satisfaction, but to appease his demanding wife. Though he had lied about being divorced, it seemed he'd do anything for his wife, even going so far as to track Bryce down and getting custody of a baby he didn't want in the first place.

Wiping away the tears, Bryce carefully placed Leah back into the bassinet and tucked her in with a soft blanket. She then made her way to bed, exhaustion weighing heavy on her heart and mind. As she lay down, she prayed for a few hours of rest before Leah woke again, and for protection from Mick and his relentless pursuit of custody.