Chapter Thirteen

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

B AILEY CAME INTO the McKenna Ranch house and looked around as if surprised to see the sheriff in her father's office. "What's going on?" she asked, looking from Stuart to her father and back. Her long dark, wavy hair was pulled back, making her blue eyes seem larger, more luminous. Beautiful but wild, Holden's nearly thirty-year-old daughter seemed to be a mystery to everyone who knew her—maybe especially to the sheriff.

"Didn't you get my message?" Holden demanded.

"I haven't checked my phone." She sounded testy.

Stuart wondered why she still lived on the ranch in the home she'd grown up in. He knew from her brother Cooper that she came and went at all hours. She spent so little time here, her brother had wondered if she was living somewhere else, with someone else.

The sheriff had long wondered what kept her in the Powder River Basin. At one point, he'd thought it might be him, but lately she hadn't been coming around after months of showing up at his house unexpectedly.

She'd always just seemed to want a cold one and to talk as if curious about all manner of things—as if she was just killing time. She would curl up on his couch, drink a beer, ask him what he thought about a wide range of subjects from extraterrestrial beings and marriage to politics and local gossip. Then she would leave.

He'd thought she was lonely and just needed someone to talk to. He hadn't complained about her unannounced appearances because he'd enjoyed her visits, had gotten to the point that he looked forward to them. Then they'd stopped as abruptly as they'd started, and he'd feared that she'd finally packed up and left not just the area, but the state.

She'd never taken to ranching or Powder Crossing. Stuart remembered the girl she'd been, quiet, her face always in a book. But he'd gotten the impression that she was more aware of what was going on around her than people knew. Why she'd come back after graduating from college was a mystery, although he had a theory. He knew the look of a broken heart mixed with disillusion and disappointment. He'd been there, so he'd recognized it in the young woman who'd returned to Powder Crossing. He'd figured she'd come home to heal and then would be gone. But she was still here. Kind of.

"Holly Jo's been kidnapped," Holden said, emotion making his voice rough. "We're trying to find her and get her back."

"Kidnapped?" Bailey chuckled nervously. "Why?"

"What do you mean, why?" her father demanded.

"Why would anyone want to kidnap her ?"

It was an odd question, Stuart thought, since it seemed obvious to him. Holly Jo was Holden McKenna's ward, Holden was wealthy, and Holly Jo was a child, easier to keep and control. "You think they should have taken you instead?" Stuart asked.

Bailey shifted those blue eyes to him. He caught the flash of amusement in them. "Why not? I'm McKenna blood, Holden's only daughter, the light of his life."

He heard the raw exposed sarcasm as she tried to mask hurt. Stuart figured her father must have heard it as well. Bailey hadn't been happy about her father bringing home a then-twelve-year-old without any explanation as to why he had or what Holly Jo meant to him, according to Cooper.

"Do you know anything about Holly Jo's kidnapping?" the sheriff had to ask her.

She shot him a look as lethal as the business end of a shotgun. "Of course not. I've been so busy, I've barely seen the girl." Her look dared him to disagree. She hadn't been busy with him, not for some time now. He had to wonder what Bailey had been doing. No one seemed to know, especially her family.

"Is there any reason you'd want to see her gone?" he asked.

Bailey's lips formed a hard, thin line, eyes darkening. "I didn't kidnap her. Why would I?" She shook her head. "Sorry, wasn't me, but..." She shot her father a look. "I will be interested to find out who did kidnap her and why. If there is nothing else..." She was looking at Stuart again, a promise in her gaze stirring a need inside him that he'd been ignoring for months. The memory of another woman trying to kill him had made him gun-shy. He could see that Bailey enjoyed stirring up his libido and watching him squirm—enjoyed it much more than he did.

She'd been playing some game with him for a while now. He wondered how it ended. He figured there was no way he wouldn't come out the loser. It was the way his history with women always ended. Except Bailey was different, he told himself. She wanted something more from him. He just didn't know what it was yet.

"I'll never understand that girl," Holden said as Bailey went to her room.

"She's not a girl anymore," Stuart said, also watching her leave.

"That's what makes her even more dangerous."

The sheriff heard the warning in the rancher's voice even before the rancher voiced it.

"You don't want to get involved with that one," Holden said. "I don't know what makes her so angry, but she's a man-eater."

Stuart agreed with Holden about her being dangerous. She was the kind of woman a man would have to be a fool to fall in love with. If he thought he'd had his heart ripped out of his chest before, he hated to think what Bailey McKenna would do if he let her get to him.

I T DIDN ' T TAKE long for word to spread. Charlotte had called area ranchers, asking for their help and telling them that Holly Jo had been kidnapped. She was offering a reward for anyone who found her.

She knew the sheriff would be furious with her for not checking with him before doing this, but by now, she suspected everyone had already heard the news about the kidnapping anyway. Not surprisingly, the first call she got was from Stuart. "I'm not sure a reward is a good idea—let alone telling everyone in the county that Holly Jo has been kidnapped."

"Isn't this the fastest way to find her if she is still in this river basin?"

The sheriff sighed. "The kidnapper is bound to hear about this. If he panics, he might do something we will all regret. He might also demand money now. Before, he said he just wanted Holden to admit to something he's done."

"I'm sure your list of suspects is very long."

"Your name was at the top."

"Stuart, you don't believe I kidnapped that girl. Everyone knows what Holden did to me. Anyway, he has already admitted it many times."

"Brand might not feel the same. Have you talked to him?"

"Not yet, but I know my son. He would never kidnap anyone, especially some young girl. I thought he had an alibi, anyway. You're looking in the wrong place."

"Where would you suggest I look?"

"Did Holden tell you how he came to be Holly Jo's guardian?" Silence. She chuckled. "That's what I thought. Seems you already know where to look."

After Charlotte hung up with the sheriff, her eldest daughter called. Even six months ago, that wouldn't have been a surprise. But since Cooper McKenna returned to town after being gone for two years and stole Tilly's heart, the two had gotten married. Charlotte had tried to stop it from happening by disowning her daughter, taking the one thing Tilly loved maybe as much as Cooper away from her—the Stafford Ranch.

But not even that could get her daughter to change her mind, so Charlotte had lost her. They hadn't spoken, not even at the wedding, which Charlotte had attended but quickly left after Tilly and Cooper were wed.

"I just heard what you did," Tilly said without preamble.

"That covers a lot of ground," Charlotte said, unable to tell by her daughter's tone how this call would go.

"I suppose it does," Tilly said and cleared her throat. "The reward and getting ranchers to search for Holly Jo. Thank you for doing that."

"I needed to do something. I only hope the girl is found safe and quickly." Silence. Charlotte could feel her daughter wanting to hang up, maybe even regretting this call. She desperately wished she could take back the hateful things she'd said the last time she spoke to Tilly. "Your wedding was beautiful."

"Thank you. I'm glad you were there."

"You invited me."

"But I wasn't sure you would come."

More silence.

"How are you?" Charlotte asked, not wanting the call to end.

"Good. Cooper and I are building our house. I'm sure you've heard."

"You must be excited." She hoped that if Tilly was pregnant, she might mention it.

"I should go. Cooper and I are helping with the search."

"I'm glad you called." She wasn't sure Tilly was still there. "I...I love you." Silence. Her daughter had hung up.

Charlotte disconnected, surprised at the emotion she felt. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed Tilly, how much she'd missed hearing her voice. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as her phone rang yet again. This time it was another rancher, calling to say they'd searched all their buildings. No Holly Jo.

Soon it would be too dark to search any longer. Charlotte still held out hope that the girl would be found before tonight. She couldn't imagine who had her, and she worried the girl wasn't safe. She hated to think that Holly Jo would have to spend a night away from her family with God only knew who.

"W E HAVE TO quit meeting like this," Birdie said as she and Brand attracted attention the moment they walked into the café. "People are going to start talking."

"Too late for that, no thanks to you." Brand wasn't sure if people were staring at them because they'd heard that he'd been arrested here earlier today, dragged out of the café in handcuffs, and that he'd been with Birdie Malone, the daughter of the deceased husband of Brand's mother, who was also his suspected killer.

But everyone in the café could be staring at him because they now knew that he was the result of Holden McKenna and Charlotte Stafford's affair over thirty years ago. Then again, there were those who had to be wondering if he'd kidnapped Holly Jo.

He tried not to groan. "I may have to leave the country."

Birdie laughed. "Chin up. Let them speculate. Enjoy the attention."

"I've never enjoyed attention. I like flying under the radar," he said.

Why had he agreed to meet her here? Because he still wasn't ready to see his mother. He wasn't sure he ever would be. He'd heard what she'd done, offering a reward and getting area ranchers to search the buildings on their property for Holly Jo. Had she done that because of him? He had no idea what motivated his mother and didn't even want to speculate.

His brothers had called, CJ collect from the jail, Ryder from the ranch. He hadn't taken either of their calls, just as he hadn't taken Tilly's. Fortunately, Oakley was on an extended honeymoon with her husband and McKenna ranch hand, Pickett Hanson. The two had eloped—Oakley's idea, he would bet—and taken a long honeymoon. He wondered if they would ever come back. He knew he wouldn't if he was them.

Birdie picked up her menu. "It will blow over. Trust me, I've gone through worse than this with my mother."

He looked at her in surprise. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Adversity only makes you stronger." She disappeared behind her menu. "I'm thinking I'll have the chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans special," she said, attempting to change the subject as she put down her menu. It only made him wonder what her life had been like. "Don't give me that poor-you look. You've been coddled your whole life. Obviously, you haven't had enough adversity. But look at the bright side. Now you're related to Holden McKenna. People actually like him ."

Brand shook his head, unable not to smile. The waitress came over, and as they ordered, he found himself studying Birdie Malone. "You do have an unusual take on most things," he said after the waitress left. "I would think you'd be bitter."

She laughed. "Who says I'm not? Don't forget why I'm in town."

"Right. To see my mother behind bars."

"And to find the accomplice who helped her. So tell me about Holden McKenna," Birdie said, leaping to the next subject.

Brand shook his head. He figured that along with her quest, she was trying to keep his mind off everything, especially Holly Jo's disappearance. They'd brainstormed ideas on how to find the girl—none of them viable since neither of them knew Holly Jo or who had taken her, let alone where someone might hide her.

"How would I know anything about Holden McKenna?" he said, not unkindly. "Our families have been at war for years. I just found out that he's my father."

"I thought your sister Tilly married a McKenna."

"Yeah, Cooper." He was reminded of the DNA sample he'd borrowed from his now half brother's comb. "But that's a new occurrence, and we're still feeling the repercussions of the marriage, even though our mother did show up at the wedding but quickly left once the official part was over."

"Ah yes, your mother. This all started with her, right? Your father dumped her. Now she hates his guts and has sworn to make his life miserable until she dies. Or goes to prison for killing my father."

"Seriously, the way you put things," he said, eyeing her. "Are you always this blunt?"

"I try to be," she admitted.

He studied her openly. Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy knot on the side of her head. Her gray eyes fascinated him the way they changed color with her moods. Right now they were a light, mischievous pale gray. Her face, all button nose and high cheekbones, was pretty, but he could see her growing into a real beauty with age. "I've never met anyone like you."

"Sounds like that's a good thing."

He chuckled. "You might be right." Their meals came, and they dug in.

"There's still no word on Holly Jo?" She switched topics so quickly it gave him whiplash.

"Not that I've heard," he said.

"If you didn't kidnap her, then who?" she asked between bites.

"I have no idea. I've never even met her. But while the sheriff let me go, I got the distinct impression that he's suspicious of my..." He held her gaze. "Alibi."

"You mean he's suspicious of me."

He cocked his head. "I suspect he thinks you have a crush on me."

"A crush? How junior high."

"What would you call the fact that you can't seem to stay away from me?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Let's see—could I be using you to get to your mother?"

"That does sound more likely."

"Doesn't it, though." She leaned toward him. "Look, the way I see it, the only way you're going to prove your innocence is for me to help you find Holly Jo."

"We already decided we haven't a clue how to do that."

"We go visit your former stepmother, the psychic one."

"Lulabelle?" He mugged a face. "I think you mean psychotic."

"I've heard people say that she's quite good as a seer."

He shook his head. "You can't be serious."

"What do you have to lose? The sooner that girl is found, the sooner we can get back to what I came to Powder Crossing for."

"You seem to think I'm going to help you find your father's killer."

She smiled. "Oh, I've already found her. But I want her accomplice, too. And how can you not help me after I've sprung you from the jail? Anyway, you can't pretend you have no idea who murdered him and dumped him in a well near your ranch."

"I'm so glad you're keeping an open mind," he shot back.

"Like you about Lulabelle?"

The waitress appeared to take their empty plates and ask if they wanted dessert. Brand had no doubt that she'd overheard at least the last part of the conversation. "Penny," he said to her as she picked up their dishes. "I didn't kidnap anyone, okay?"

"I never thought you did. You do look like your father, though. I wonder how I never noticed that before." With that, she turned and left.

Birdie laughed. "See, not everyone thinks you're a kidnapper. Probably half the people in this café are only wondering which side of your family you took after, Holden's or your mother's."

"Thanks," he said. "That makes me feel so much better." He sobered, afraid she was right. Until Holly Jo was found, people would be looking at him thinking he just might have taken after his mother.

"You must have some idea who'd want to get back at your father. Who has a grudge against him, besides your mother?"

He pulled out his wallet to pay for their meals. "I told you. I have no idea."

"Who feels he owes them? What about his second wife?"

"Not Lulabelle again." He handed the bills to Penny as she returned before answering Birdie. "The marriage apparently lasted about a year, decades ago. So that begs the question—why wait all this time to get back at him?"

"That's a good question," Birdie said, frowning. "Maybe whatever the kidnapper wants your dad to admit happened more recently."

He shook his head, no idea. He had too much on his mind, with Holly Jo at the top of that list. He was still reeling from finding out that Holden was his father. Not to mention the prospect of eventually confronting his mother. And he was suspected of kidnapping and could still be in jail if it hadn't been for Birdie. All this time with her was crowding his thoughts.

"We need to go see Lulabelle." He started to argue the point when she cut him off. "But first we need an item of clothing or something that belonged to Holly Jo. Which means we have to find the sheriff. I heard they used some of her clothing with search dogs near the ranch."

"Lulabelle supports herself as a fortune teller. That's not the same as being able to see...things."

"I had a friend who went to her booth at the fair," Birdie said. "Lulabelle told her that she was going to meet someone who would change her life." Brand groaned. "The next day, just like that, she met a man who gave her the job of her dreams." Birdie looked up, a twinkle in her eye. "Thought this was going to be a love story, didn't you."

Brand shook his head again as they rose to leave the café.

"Seriously, maybe Lulabelle can help."

"Don't you think the sheriff has already talked to her since she and Holden were married and it ended badly? I would think she would be a prime suspect."

"I think it is more likely that you're the prime suspect even with my alibi. So right now you need to take my advice." She grinned as she took his arm. "Why else would you be hanging out with me?"

She had a point, he thought as he pushed open the café door and stepped out into the warm summer night. Montana was at its best this time of year. It was when people fell in love with it. Also when people fell in love, period.

Why was he spending so much time with this woman? She wasn't his type, if he had a type. But tonight, the idea of going to Miles City, an hour away, to visit Lulabelle had its appeal since it would get them out of town. He could avoid seeing his mother a little longer. He figured she felt the same way since she hadn't called or made an attempt to see him.

He still felt angry with himself, going back and forth between wishing he'd found out sooner about his parentage and wishing he'd never found his biological father. Given the way he was feeling, leaving Powder Crossing for a while seemed like a really good idea, especially if there was even a chance it could help Holly Jo. He was worried about the girl as darkness settled into the Powder River Basin.

H OLLY J O LAY drifting as if weightless in the darkness. She wasn't sure what had awakened her. She couldn't hear anything. She could see through the cracks in the boards on the window that it was nighttime. Her first night here? She couldn't be sure. She felt as if she'd been here for days.

Sitting up, she felt sick to her stomach. She had awakened with a heart-pounding fear whenever she opened her eyes that this wasn't just a bad dream, that this was real and that she would never be found.

Why was she here? What did the man want? When was this going to be over? She tried to calm the frightening thoughts, reminding herself that so far, she hadn't been asked to do anything. He'd brought her food. Chicken nuggets, fries, coleslaw and juice.

He'd left the paper plate and the plastic spoon she'd used. No forks. Not even a plastic knife. Too dangerous? But everything had been gone when she opened her eyes again—except for another bottle of juice.

She worried that he might be fattening her up like they did the pigs on the ranch. She knew what happened when they were fat enough. She couldn't imagine that she would taste good. Probably tough, so chewy that he'd have to spit her back out.

What bothered her was that the man seemed to be waiting for something.

The last time he'd come back, she had braced herself for the worst, but he'd only returned to bring her a mat to sleep on and a couple of old blankets—and, as always, another juice. She couldn't remember when that was. She'd been grateful for the extra blankets, but at the same time, she worried that it meant she would be staying here even longer.

"Thought you might like this." He put down a paper plate with a piece of chocolate cake on it. "She made it for you."

Holly Jo figured he was talking about the woman from the pickup, the one who'd called her over so he could grab her. It was hard to feel touched by her kindness. Still, she said, "Thank you," remembering how her mother had taught her, before her mother had gotten so sick that she barely spoke.

Holly Jo had waited until he left again before she'd devoured the cake. It wasn't as good as the cakes Elaine baked. But still, she ate every bite and drank most of her juice.

Later, she wished she hadn't, because she started to feel strange and had to lie down on the mat and cover herself up to keep from shivering.

Now she lay feeling groggy as she wondered again what had pulled her out of the deep darkness of her sleep. Listening hard, she finally heard it. The murmur of voices. Moving to the door, she pressed her ear against the narrow gap between door and wall. Had someone found her?

Her heart began to pound with hope. But as she listened, she realized it was a man and a woman speaking. She couldn't make out what was being said, but she recognized the man's voice. One thing was clear. They were arguing.

She was surprised the man hadn't come alone like he usually did. Even when she was half asleep, she would hear him walk up to the door and stand there as if listening. Then she would hear the key in the lock, and the door would swing open. He would stay behind the door as if afraid of her. He always seemed surprised to see her, especially when she was awake, as if he expected to find her dead.

They were arguing louder now, the man's voice low, the woman's growing shrill. "We need money! How will we live without it?" the woman cried.

Money? Then Holly Jo heard the words ransom demand .

That was the first time she'd realized that she might have been kidnapped for money. She and her mother had always been poor. Maybe not poor exactly, but broke. HH was rich.

Had these two taken her to demand money from him? Holly Jo instantly felt panicky. Would Holden pay? She thought of all the trouble she'd given him from the first day he'd brought her to the ranch. What if he didn't give them what they asked for?

She felt tears burn her eyes. But even if Holden didn't want to pay, she told herself that Cooper and Pickett would make him. Except Pickett was on his honeymoon with Oakley. For sure, Elaine would make HH pay the ransom, she told herself. Not Treyton, though. He would argue that the kidnappers should keep her. But Duffy wouldn't let his father do that. The pain in her chest began to ease. HH would pay to get her back, even as bad as she'd been.

She promised herself that if she got to go back to McKenna Ranch, she'd be good. She wouldn't cause trouble. She'd eat beef for the rest of her life if she could just go home.