Chapter Twenty-Seven

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

E LAINE WAS WITH H OLDEN , along with his doctor, when the sheriff walked into the room. He saw Holden's anxious face and was immediately waved forward.

"Tell me everything," the rancher demanded.

Stuart didn't know where to start since he was sure that Elaine had filled the rancher in on the high points. "Darius Reed burned down your house. It couldn't be saved."

"I don't give a damn about the house. How is Holly Jo? I want to see her."

"She is being held for observation here at the hospital." He raised his hands quickly and hurried on. "For smoke inhalation. She's fine. The doctor also wanted to check her over, given what she's been through."

"I need to see her," Holden repeated and started to get out of the bed.

"You aren't going anywhere yet," the doctor said. "We'll bring her to you just as soon as we can."

The rancher growled at the doctor but lay back on the bed. Turning to the sheriff, he said, "Tell me about Darius Reed."

"He's dead." Stuart thought about the figure he'd seen running out of the house in flames. "He was caught in the fire." He cleared his throat and continued. "The ransom money was found in his pickup. I didn't count it, but I suspect most of it is still in the briefcase."

Holden waved that away. "He never wanted the money. He just wanted to destroy me."

The sheriff hated to point out the obvious. "He almost killed you."

"But he didn't. So he burned down my house." Holden waved that away, too. "I can build another house. I'm just worried about Holly Jo, what she's been through because of me."

"I'm sure she was traumatized, but from what I can see, she's tough, like you," Elaine said.

Stuart nodded. "Brand Stafford and Birdie Malone saved her life. If they hadn't gotten to her when they did..."

The rancher frowned. "I need to see my son, too."

"He's also here at the hospital," the sheriff said. "Darius hit him pretty hard when Brand was trying to free Holly Jo. She was tied up in the house. Brand has a concussion and smoke inhalation, but his doctor said he should be fine."

Holden shook his head, his eyes suddenly filling with tears. He wiped hastily at them, clearly angry with himself for even that sign of weakness. "This is my fault. Every bit of it."

"We've all made mistakes in our lives," Elaine said.

He scoffed. "Not like me."

"You might be surprised," she said and rose from the chair where she'd been sitting beside his bed. "I'm going to see if Holly Jo is ready to come up and see you." He nodded, his eyes filling again.

"I'll leave you to get some rest," Stuart said and left the room with Elaine. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "I will be. This almost killed him."

He looked over at her, realizing she wasn't talking about the bullet wounds that had put him in the hospital.

H OLDEN COULDN ' T WAIT to get out of this hospital bed. He had so much to repair and rebuild, the house the least of it. When his hospital room door opened, he wasn't sure who would come through it. He thought he remembered Charlotte in his room, but even if it had been her, she hadn't come back that he knew of.

Right now, he just wanted to see Holly Jo. He couldn't rest until he saw the girl, saw with his own eyes that she was all right.

He couldn't imagine what she'd been through. Elaine had suggested that she might benefit from some counseling. Whatever she needed, he would get it for her. He'd never forgive himself for putting her through this.

But the person who came through the door was Brand Stafford, his son. He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. He'd never felt so much emotion since this nightmare had begun. He felt weak with it. He needed to be strong now more than ever.

As he looked at Brand, he was filled with his own recriminations. How could he not have known? he thought as he took in the young man. How could he not have seen himself in that build, in those eyes, even in the expression on that face?

His throat went dry as Brand moved toward his bed. He searched for words and found none even as his heart constricted in pain. He didn't think about the lost years or Charlotte's deception. None of that mattered.

This was his son.

There was so much he wanted to say, needed to say. He promised himself that there would be time for that as he extended his hand, his eyes brimming with tears. "Brand. My son."

B RAND HAD PLANNED to wait to see Holden until the rancher was out of the hospital. But after waking up in the same hospital this morning, he knew he couldn't put it off. The nurse assured him that Holden was on the mend and could have a visitor, especially when told about Brand's relationship to him. "He's my father."

But even as he pushed open the hospital room door, he hadn't known how this was going to go. He had no idea what he was going to say. He wasn't even sure still how he felt. He just knew it was time. He had to get this over with.

Seeing Holden lying in bed, his face as pale as the sheets, he'd been taken aback at first. The man had always seemed so big, so powerful, so in control of everything—a lot like Brand's own mother.

As he'd approached the bed, he'd had no idea what Holden's reaction would be to him. So when the man offered his outstretched hand and called him son , Brand had taken that large weathered hand and let Holden draw him closer.

They'd stayed like that, just looking at each other for the first time as father and son. To his surprise, a kind of wordless understanding seemed to pass between them.

Then the door opened again, and Holly Jo rushed in, calling his name, "HH!" Holden squeezed Brand's hand before Holly Jo reached his bedside. "You paid the ransom for me," she said, sounding near tears as Brand stepped back.

"Of course I did," Holden said.

"I thought maybe...since I don't like beef and I wasn't very good—"

"Don't be so silly," he said, reaching for her hand and drawing her closer. "You're family. I would have done anything to get you back. I'm just so glad you're safe." He glanced at Brand and smiled. "I hear I owe Brand and Birdie for getting you out of that house."

"They saved me," Holly Jo said in a rush. "The house was on fire. It was so hot and smoky, and the flames..." There was a catch in her throat. "But the horses are fine," she said, perking up. "Honey is fine. I missed her so much."

"I missed you," Holden said, his voice breaking.

The girl eyed him suspiciously before she said, "I promise to behave better from now on."

He laughed and pulled her into an awkward hug. "You be you, and I'll be me, and we'll work it out. Don't worry about the house. We'll build an even better one, and you can design your own room."

"Be careful what you promise," Elaine said as she came into the room. She glanced at Holden and seemed pleased. Then she smiled at Brand and mouthed, Thank you .

"I should get going," he said.

"When I get out of here..." Holden met his gaze. "Until then."

Brand nodded, turned and left the room, feeling lighter than he had since learning the truth about his parentage. It was over, behind him. Now all he had to do was figure out who he was. But even his footfalls were lighter as he walked down the hallway. He had a feeling that he was on his way to becoming the man he was supposed to be.

*

B IRDIE WAS U P , dressed and ready to leave when she looked up to see Brand come into her hospital room. Just the sight of him sent her spirits airborne. He had a bandage on one side of his head, but otherwise he looked wonderful—at least to her. Her heart kicked up a beat as he gave her one of his lazy lopsided smiles.

"The doctor said I can go home," she said as he stepped to her bedside. "But what are you doing out of bed? I heard you had a concussion."

He grinned. "Seems I have a hard head, so I'm going to be just fine."

"A hard head, huh?" she said and coughed. He was still coughing too from breathing in all that smoke. "How's Holly Jo?"

"I just left her visiting Holden. She's contrite for being a headstrong kid before she was kidnapped and promising to behave from now on."

Birdie laughed. "Did he buy that?"

"Not for a moment." He could feel her gaze on him.

"So, you saw your dad. How did that go?"

"Better than I thought it would." He sat down on the edge of her bed next to her and must have felt her waiting expectantly for all the details. "You're going to be disappointed. Not much was said. He took my hand and called me his son."

"That was it?" She was definitely disappointed. "Do you think you'll see him again?"

"I do. Now, what about you?"

"If you're asking if I'm going to give up my quest for justice—"

Brand shook his head. "I know better than that."

She eyed him, surprised. The Brand she'd met would cross a raging river to avoid conflict, and yet he wasn't asking her to stop, even though it now involved both sides of his parentage? "I'm not sure how this is going to end. You might want to keep your distance from me."

He reached over to brush a lock of her hair back from her face. His fingers grazed her cheek, sending a shiver of desire through her. His blue eyes were intent on her. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

She didn't want to hurt this man. "Seriously, I could end up hurting people you care about."

"I know. But I would never ask you to change who you are."

That made her smile. "You sure about that? I'm too impulsive. You have no idea what I will do next—and, truthfully, neither do I."

He shrugged. "That's just you. Comes with the whole package." He grinned. "Have I mentioned how much I like that package?"

"Brand—"

"Birdie, you called it right. I'm tired of playing it safe, being careful not to make ripples in the water, doing everything I can to keep peace in my family. Thanks to you, I'm ready to discover who I truly am."

"I already know who you are," she said and leaned toward him. She really enjoyed kissing this cowboy rancher. He must have liked it too, because he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her over onto his lap.

That was how the nurse found them.

"Looks like you're feeling well enough to go home," the nurse said as she pushed a wheelchair into the room. "The doctor signed your discharge papers." With a chuckle, she turned and exited the room as they both burst out laughing.

*

E LAINE DR OVE H OLLY J O back to Powder Crossing, explaining that they would be staying in the hotel in town until their house could be rebuilt. Before they left Billings, they shopped for clothing for both of them since theirs had all been destroyed.

Holly Jo didn't care about school clothes. She just needed jeans, shirts and boots so she could get back to riding her horse. "Are we going to the hotel?" she asked as they drove into Powder Crossing.

Elaine glanced over at her and shook her head. "There's someone who wants to see you." Holly Jo frowned. "Out at the ranch."

"Honey!" she cried. "My horse."

"Your horse, but someone else."

When they drove in, Holly Jo tried not to look at the house. She blamed herself for getting kidnapped. If she hadn't, none of this would have happened. But when Elaine stopped the SUV by the stable and Pickett Hanson stepped out, she pushed the guilt aside and let out a cry of joy. He'd been teaching her to trick ride—until he fell in love with Oakley Stafford, took off, got married and went on a honeymoon. Holly Jo had been afraid he wouldn't come back—but here he was.

He grabbed her and swung her around when he saw her. Then set her down and looked at her. She'd been afraid he was going to mention the kidnapping and everything she'd been through. But he smiled and said, "I swear you've grown six inches since I've been gone."

Filled with relief, she hugged him tight, and he hugged her back.

"I've got Honey all saddled for you," Pickett said. "Thought you might want to go for a ride while I catch up with Elaine."

She nodded. She thought of crying herself to sleep while kidnapped, hoping to dream of Honey and pretend she was galloping through the pasture again. She ran back to the car to get her clothes so she could change. Sure enough, Honey was waiting for her and let out a whinny when she saw her. She hugged the mare's neck, brought to tears, then hurriedly changed and led the horse out to the pasture.

But it wasn't until she was in the saddle, loping across the ranch, her whole world before her, that she told herself she was going to be all right. She thought how when she closed her eyes she saw Darius on fire and pushed it away as she felt the wind in her face. Breathing in the scent of leather and horse, she told herself that she would survive this.

Even as she did, though, she knew she would never be the girl who'd walked over to a woman driving a pickup one morning. That Holly Jo was gone.