Chapter Five

Bryce touched her lips. Why had he kissed her? Not that she minded, but why? She felt that little kiss all the way to her toes, so she couldn't imagine a deep, passionate kiss from him. She could admit she was very attracted to Luke, but getting involved with him was out of the question. If Mick showed up, it would not go over well, and she didn't want Luke to get hurt.

Not that she didn't think he could handle himself, it was that Mick would do whatever he needed to make things go his way. She even told him she wanted nothing from him, but she would keep her baby.

For months, he didn't bother her. They didn't speak at all, but when his wife found out about Bryce's pregnancy, she gave him the ultimatum. There was no way that woman would raise her child.

Since Leah was sleeping, Bryce decided to relax on the sofa and watch a movie. Just as she got comfortable, her phone buzzed with a text message. She picked it up to see it was from Luke.

I'm sorry.

For what?

Kissing you.

She smiled, then sent a text.

You regret kissing me? Now I'm offended.

I don't regret the kiss.

Make up your mind, McCallister.

You really are a smartass, aren't you?

I do not deny that. Please don't regret it. I liked it.

I did too but you just got out of a relationship.

That relationship ended almost a year ago, Luke. You know there's that thin line between love and hate. He pushed me to the hate side. He's trying to take my baby.

I won't let that happen. I'll talk to you later after I talk to my mom. Have a good evening.

You do the same. Bye.

Bryce set the phone on arm of the sofa and smiled. She couldn't get over that he apologized for kissing her. He must have thought he overstepped. She was taken by surprise, but she liked it. She wouldn't mind more. But she didn't know if she'd have to leave Clifton.

She wasn't sure how Mick would find her, but she also knew he wouldn't give up until he did. Then the real battle would begin and if he thought she was just going to sit back and let him take her daughter, he had another think coming. She wasn't going down without a fight.

When she heard Leah fussing, she got up, warmed a bottle, then went to the bedroom to get her. After changing her, she walked to the sofa, sat down, and fed her. Bryce smiled as she stared at her little girl, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Mama loves you, little girl. You're two months old now. Time sure flies."

As she gazed at Leah, she prayed Mick would never find her or he'd give up trying, but she knew better. He'd do anything to find her, if for no other reason, then to appease his wife.

****

Mick Burns sat at his mahogany desk, his fingers tapping impatiently against the polished surface. His sharp hazel eyes glared at the man sitting across from him, who shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze.

"You're telling me you can't find her?" Mick's voice was low and controlled but laced with barely contained frustration.

"No sir," the man muttered, avoiding eye contact.

Mick slammed his hand down on the desk. "No sir, what? Are you telling me you can't find her or are you telling me you did find her?"

The man flinched. "I-I can't find her, sir."

"I don't understand! She was driving to Seattle. That is the only place she would go. I told you she said she'd go to Seattle." Mick's tone was incredulous.

"She never arrived," the man replied awkwardly.

"Then she's obviously somewhere between Minnesota and Washington. What's so fucking hard to understand?" Mick's voice rose in annoyance.

"What do you want me to do?" the man asked, shifting nervously in his seat.

"Find her!" Mick growled. "I want my child and if you can't find her, then I'll find someone who can." He shook his head in frustration. "Mr. Craig, you came highly recommended, but I'll be damned if I can figure out why."

He took a deep breath and calmed himself before continuing. "Look, I'm usually a laid-back kind of man, but my wife can't have kids, so she wants that baby. Am I making sense?"

"Yes, sir," the man nodded quickly. "But won't you have to get custody?"

Mick smirked. "There are other ways of getting custody besides going through court. I can prove she's unfit or has no means to raise her... any way I have to use to get that child. A child my wife desperately wants." He leaned back in his chair. "Now, get the fuck out there and find her."

"I'll be in touch," Craig said, quickly standing and exiting the room.

"Fucking idiot," Mick muttered to himself. "She was on her way to Seattle. How hard can it be?" He picked up a heavy paperweight from his desk and hurled it across the room in frustration.

The door opened and his wife, Sally, entered, closing it gently behind her.

"Did he find her?" she asked anxiously.

Mick shook his head. "No."

"I see." She slumped into a chair, dejected.

Mick let out a sigh and walked over to her, kneeling beside her chair and taking her hand in his.

"I'm doing all I can for you, Sally," he said quietly.

Sally pulled her hand away, tears welling up in her eyes. "Mick, this is our only chance to have a baby. I am not happy that you cheated on me, but I want that baby more than anything. And if you can't get it for me... this marriage is over. That child is the only reason I'm staying with you." Her voice trembled with emotion. "You betrayed me."

Mick hung his head. "I know. I'm sorry. It just happened. She meant nothing to me." He looked at her pleadingly. "I will find her, and we'll raise the baby together. She has no means to support the child. We do. I'll do whatever is necessary to make her sign her parental rights over to me." His tone was desperate as he tried to reassure her of their capabilities as a successful couple. Honestly, he couldn't care less about the baby, but if he lost Sally, his livelihood would be gone. His name would be dragged through the mud.

Sally stood up abruptly, wiping away tears. "You'd better hope you're right because if you're not... I will divorce you and take everything from you. It's my family's money, Mick, so you'd better hope you find her, or you're done. Your marriage, along with your job."

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Mick alone with his thoughts. She'd have no problem destroying him because of what he did and if it meant getting that baby for her, he'd do it. Even if he didn't want it, he'd do what he must. Mick worked at her father's clinic, and if he hurt Edwin Masterson's daughter, he'd never work in this town again and his career would be over.

"Damn you, Bryce. Where the hell are you?"

****

On Monday morning, Luke walked into the office and hung up his coat and hat before sitting down at his desk to review some files. As he settled in, Killian Doyle greeted him as he passed by.

"Morning, Luke."

"Hey, Killian. How was your weekend?"

"It was good. I got to see all the family and my dogs."

Luke smiled. "I'm sure they were happy to see you too."

Killian shook his head. "I really need to start looking for a house to buy. Renting is getting old."

"I heard there's a place for sale about a mile from my house. I don't know much about it, but it's been on the market for a while now."

"I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip. What are you working on?"

"Someone stole fifteen Shires from Fred Hancock's property."

"Fifteen? They must have really known what they were going after. They'd need a big trailer to take that many. Those horses are huge. And friendly too, so it's possible they roped one and the rest followed along."

"Yeah, those horses can be easily led." Luke sighed. "It's tough finding any clues on the snow-covered ground though. Mr. Hancock moved his other ten horses closer to the barns just in case. It's unbelievable. In all my years of dealing with horse theft, I've never had of a case involving Shires being stolen."

"People will steal anything these days," Killian mused as he glanced at a paper on his desk. "Looks like I have to go to Spring City; there have been reports of some missing horses over there too. Can't these thieves wait until it's warmer out?"

Luke chuckled. "You'd think so, but apparently not."

"Yeah, why would they make our job easier? I'll catch you later then." With that, Killian left the office.

At lunchtime, Luke walked to the diner. It was cold but it wasn't snowing, and the sidewalks were clear. Some snow was piled along the street but there were paths to get to the sidewalks. He nodded at people he passed, smiling at the women. He chuckled when one winked at him.

Opening the door to the diner, he took a seat at the counter, then glanced around, grinning at people who waved or called out to him. He wondered what Bryce was doing. Damn, he shouldn't have kissed her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he muttered.

"Hey, Luke, what can I get you?"

"Hi, Lanie. My usual is fine."

"Alright. I'll get that to Uncle Owen," Lanie Donovan said as she poured him a hot cup of coffee. When she glanced toward the door, a big grin lifted her lips, and he looked over to see her husband, Trent, enter. "Hi, baby," she said and leaned across the counter for Trent to kiss her.

"Hey, sweetheart. Are you almost ready to go?"

"Yep, just let me get Luke's order."

"Hey, Luke. How are you?"

"I'm great Trent. You?"

"Same. We're heading to the Hartland for dinner later." Trent grinned.

Luke picked up his coffee and took a sip. "I hope you have a nice evening."

After Lanie set his lunch on the counter, she removed her apron, walked to the kitchen and returned wearing her coat. Trent took her hand, touched his hat, then led her out the door.

Luke took out his phone and dialed his mother's number.

"Hi Mom."

"How are you doing, honey?"

"I'm good. Would you be able to watch Leah—"

"Yes."

Luke chuckled. "I didn't even get to ask."

"I love babies and if I keep waiting for you and your brother to give me grandchildren, who knows how long I'll have to wait."

"I want to take Bryce to Walton's. She said she liked how you had decorated for St. Patrick's Day and now she wants to. I told her how you decorate for every holiday."

"I can do it whenever you want, just let me know."

"Thanks, Mom. It will probably be this weekend. I'll talk to her in a little while. I'm at the diner right now."

"Alright, call me later. Love you."

"Love you too."

After finishing his meal, he paid the bill and left the diner. He walked around to the back of the building and climbed the stairs to Bryce's apartment. He hoped she wasn't taking a nap. He knocked on the door but there was no answer, so he didn't knock again in case she was sleeping. As he turned to head back down the stairs, he heard the locks turning and then the door opened. His heart raced when he saw Bryce smiling at him.

"Hey, come on in." She held open the door for him.

He took off his hat and wiped his feet on the doormat before entering her apartment.

"I wanted to let you know that my mom said she'd be happy to watch Leah while we go to Walton's. So, whenever you're ready to do that, just let me know."

"Is Saturday, okay?"

"That works for me." Luke looked over Bryce's shoulder and saw Leah happily sitting in a chair.

"Where did you get that?" he asked with a grin.

"Connie got it for me as a gift. It's called a baby bouncer and rocker chair. Leah loves it."

"Well, I was close thinking ‘some kind of bouncy thing'."

Bryce laughed. "You definitely have some learning to do when it comes to baby things."

"Hey, I've never had a kid before, so I don't know half of what things are called."

"It's my first time too, so we're both learning. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"No thanks, I just ate and have to get back to the office."

"What are you working on?"

"Apparently someone stole fifteen Shires."

"Fifteen… Shires? What are those?"

"They're the biggest draft horses there are."

"Bigger than Clydesdales?" Bryce asked in surprise.

"Yep. Clydesdales are sixteen to eighteen hands, while Shires are seventeen to nineteen."

Bryce waved her hand over her head. "You lost me."

"I'll explain another time. I should get going now. How about I pick you up at eleven on Saturday?"

"That works for me."

They locked eyes and smiled at each other until Luke finally broke the silence.

"You're killing me."

"I wouldn't want to do that. I was just thinking about that kiss."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"Why did you then?"

"Those lips are hard to resist." Luke took a step closer.

"Do you think you can resist now?" she whispered.

"I—"

"Do you even want to?" she leaned in closer.

"No." Luke pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

When she wrapped her arms around his waist, he put his hands on her ass and pulled her tighter against him. She moaned, making him groan, but they broke apart when Leah cried.

"I think she wants your attention."

Bryce laughed. "She probably needs her diaper changed." She tilted her head. "Want to try it?"

"Not only no, but hell no." He kissed her forehead. "I should go."

"Okay, I'll see you Saturday. I'm going to decorate the window with green lights." Bryce tilted her head. "Want to help me?"

"I'd love to. I'll see you on Saturday."

"I can't wait."

Luke grinned. "Neither can I. I'll talk to you soon." He gave her a quick kiss and walked out the door.

****

Bryce stared out the window watching for Luke's truck. She was so anxious to get out again.

There were still things at her apartment in Minnesota, but she didn't pack them up because she thought she'd return. She couldn't do that now. If she returned to Minnesota, Mick would know, and she couldn't let him ever know where she was.

She smiled when she saw Luke's truck coming down Main Street but stopped. Bryce frowned, then smiled when she saw him lower his window and talk to a deputy. Her grin widened when she saw them both laughing. When the deputy walked away, Luke drove his truck to the back of the building.

"Luke is almost here, Leah, then I'll put you in your pretty pink suit," she said.

She walked to the door when a knock sounded. She opened it and smiled at him. He removed his hat, wiped his feet on the mat, and entered the apartment.

"Hi," she said.

Luke didn't say anything at first, just stepped forward, and kissed her lips.

"Hi," he said against them.

"Let me get Leah in her suit. Are you sure your mother is alright with this?"

"Are you kidding? She loves babies." Luke smiled.

"I just don't want to put her out."

"Bryce, sweetheart, trust me, you're not. By the time we pick Leah up, she'll be spoiled rotten. I didn't even get to finish asking her before she said yes."

Bryce grinned. "Okay."

She walked to where Leah sat in her bouncy seat and picked her up.

"Hey, baby girl," Luke said from behind her. "How about I take the diaper bag down while you get her in her suit, then I'll come back up to help you down the stairs."

"Could you take her bouncy seat too?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be right back."

"Let me add some bottles and formula first." Bryce put a few bottles in another bag, along with formula, then zipped it closed.

Luke picked up both bags, then left the apartment.

Bryce put Leah's suit on her, picked her up, and waited for Luke to return. He opened the door and looked at her.

"Make sure you're warm too. It's twenty degrees."

"Can you hold her for a second?"

"Of course. Come here, baby girl."

Bryce pulled on her coat, then put a beanie on her head. She smiled as she watched Luke talking to Leah as if she understood every word he said.

"I'll carry the car seat, too." She picked it up and they carefully walked down the steps. "At least Connie keeps the steps cleared of ice and snow. I love that woman."

Luke grinned. "We all do."

He opened the back door and Bryce put the car seat in, making sure it was attached correctly before having Luke put Leah in her seat. Bryce opened the other back door, then placed the other seat on the floor and put the bags in it.

Once they both climbed into the truck, Luke started it, and drove them to his parents' house. Bryce glanced around the town.

"This is such a great place. I can't wait to explore the shops."

"I don't think I could live anywhere else."

When they arrived at his parents' place, he parked and stepped out.

"I'll get this stuff, you get Leah."

"Okay." Bryce removed Leah from the car seat and closed the door. She looked toward the porch when she heard the door open and saw Lisa standing on the porch.

"Lisa, you need to get in out of the cold," Bryce said.

"I'm fine. Bring me that baby," she said with a smile.

Bryce and Luke laughed. He looked at Bryce.

"Told you."

They entered the house and the second they were inside; Lisa took Leah from Bryce's arms.

"Hi, you precious little girl." Lisa kissed her forehead.

"Everything you need is in the bags. I really appreciate this," Bryce said.

"You're welcome."

"What's this?" Daniel said when he entered the kitchen but winked at Bryce. "You'll never get her back now."

Bryce laughed and Luke shook his head.

"He's probably telling you the truth." Luke grinned. "If you're ready, we can go to Walton's."

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"You two have fun. Don't rush on my account," Lisa said as she carried Leah to the living room with Daniel following behind with the bouncy seat.

"I think we've been dismissed," Luke said as they walked out to the truck.

"Where are we going?"

"Walton's department store is in Spring City."

Bryce nodded as she watched the scenery flying by. She smiled at the people who waved as they passed. She really hoped she could stay in Clifton.

****

Luke pulled into the lot of the department store, found a place to park then they entered the store. Bryce got a shopping cart, and they walked along the aisles. Luke grinned as he followed behind her. She was tossing a lot of things in the cart.

"Don't forget to get the lights you want."

"Oh, yeah. Almost did. I'm so excited about decorating. I think I'll start doing that for every holiday."

"Just think, next Christmas will be even better for you since Leah will be older."

"I am so going to spoil her," Bryce said, laughing, making Luke laugh.

Luke shook his head and followed her.

Later, Luke pulled to a stop beside the steps, opened the door, and made his way around the truck. Bryce stepped out and picked up the bags of decorations. They made their way up the stairs and Bryce unlocked the door. They removed their hats and coats, then hung them up. Luke looked at her, rubbing his hands together.

"Let's do this," he said, then sat on the sofa.

"Why are you sitting there?"

"I'm going to watch."

"How about a cup of coffee?"

Luke stood. "Sure, but I can get it. I know you're anxious to get started."

"I am. Thank you."

Once his coffee was finished, he took a sip and sighed, then walked to the window and gazed out. "The temperature on the bank sign reads nineteen."

"Brrr." Bryce shivered, then picked up a bag of decorations, reached in and pulled out a string of green lights.

"Are you Irish?" she asked.

"I'm sure there's some in there. I've never checked. One of the agents I work with, his parents were born in Ireland." Luke grinned. "His name is Killian Doyle."

Bryce laughed. "Now, that is an Irish name."

"He's a great guy. He moved here from Helena, I think. He helped solve the case I told you about. The one where Mac was shot and killed."

"Did he like it here that much to transfer?"

"Yeah, my boss asked him if he wanted to transfer and Killian was all for it."

"That's nice." Bryce smiled.

"Get busy, woman. I can't wait to see what you come up with."

Bryce laughed. "I can't either."

She started stringing up lights, glancing over her shoulder at Luke. When he winked, she winked back, making him laugh.