“And then beat the hell out of her to make her sign the papers. The adoption attorney notarized them, which tells me he’s a slimeball, too. He probably wouldn’t hesitate to lie about her on the stand.” Rafe inclined his head at the baby in his arms. “Would you unlock the damned doors? It’s cold.”
Ryan swore under his breath and shoved the key in the lock. An instant later, Rafe heard the latch mechanism pop inside the passenger door. He wrenched on the handle, jerked the door open, and slid onto the low-slung seat, cracking his knee on the dash.
“Son of a bitch!” He shifted Jaimie into one arm to rub the spot. “Did you have to rent a rollerskate? The leg room in here is for midgets.” He sniffed and jerked open the ashtray to see cigarette butts. “It figures.”
“This isn’t Los Angeles. I took what I could get. And don’t go lipping off at me. I don’t appreciate it.” Ryan pulled out the ashtray and rolled down the window to dump the butts on the asphalt. “There. Is that better? I don’t remember you being such a priss butt.”
“Lip off at you? You say I’ve lost my guts, and I’m the one lipping off.”
Ryan hit the steering wheel with base of his palm. “I’m sorry. All right? How was I to know the son of a bitch had you by the balls?”
“Well, at least you acknowledge I’ve got some. Do you think it was easy, holding onto my temper? I wanted to kill the little asshole. You should see her shins. He kicked her with his boots. And he wears this big, honking diamond. Probably fake. I know damned well it was the prongs that cut her up. He’s a vicious, cocky bastard who needs his teeth knocked down his throat.”
Ryan tapped his fingers on the wheel. “We have to stop cussing.”
Where that had come from, Rafe didn’t know. He cast his brother a befuddled glance. “We can’t talk like this around Maggie,” Ryan elaborated. “And what about the baby? You want him to be expelled from kindergarten for swearing? I don’t want a pissed-off sister-in-law. Females don’t fight fair.”
“Can I take that to mean you’re no longer campaigning to make me come to my senses?”
Ryan rubbed beside his nose. “She’s not what I expected. So, yeah, you can take it to mean that.”
Rafe studied Jaimie. “They say babies start learning their language skills in the womb.”
“You’re shittin’ me.” Ryan made a choking sound. “Kidding me, I mean.” Silence. “It’s going to be a real bitch to stop cussing again. You know it? Saying ‘dang’ and ‘gosh’ just doesn’t come naturally.”
“Maybe if we start now, we’ll have it mastered before he starts talking.”
Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror to watch a slender brunette cross the lot. He gave a low whistle. When he glanced back at Rafe, his eyes were twinkling. In a low-pitched voice, he said, “Maggie’s a sweetheart, Rafe. I’m sorry I acted like such a jerk.”
Rafe smiled. “I wish I’d had a camcorder in there.”
“For what?”
“To catch the expression on your face. You went from tiger to pussycat in three seconds, flat. My brother, the hard-ass.”
“It took more than three seconds—four, at least.” Ryan laughed and shook his head. “She doesn’t have a poker face, that’s for sure. I haven’t seen anyone blush like that in a coon’s age. Like we’ve never seen a baby go after its mama before? Give her a couple of years on the ranch, and she’ll toughen up.”
“I hope not,” Rafe replied. “I like her just the way she is.”
“Yeah, I can tell.” Ryan slanted his brother a measuring look. “How much did it take to buy the pus pocket off? His last name fits, doesn’t it? Boil.”
Rafe laughed. “Yeah, and right now, I feel like lancing him. Offering him money didn’t set well, I can tell you, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not discuss how much. It went against my grain. But the end justifies the means. I think she’s had enough heartache.”
“How’s she feel about marrying you?”
“About as enthusiastic as she’d be over a root canal.”
Ryan mulled that over. “Have you thought about giving her a little play in the rope? It’s a bad way to start a marriage. You can probably keep Boyle off her back without tying the knot.”
Rafe knew his brother had a point. “I hear what you’re saying. But all my instincts tell me I’m doing the right thing.”
“For who?” Ryan asked softly. “Maggie, or you?”
“Not fair. She needs someone to watch out for her. You can’t deny that.”
“No. And I’m not saying that. I’m just trying to point out that it can backfire when you deliberately toss a rope to foreleg a filly. It’s a damned harsh way to take her down.”
“Maggie isn’t a filly, and I’m not forelegging her. I’m doing what’s best for her. The bastard will never dare mess with her again once she’s a Kendrick.”
“That’s true. Your name alone will protect her. Just make sure you don’t fall into the trap of becoming a bastard yourself.” He held up a staying hand when Rafe cut him a glittering glance. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t marry her. No quarrels. Honestly. I’m just playing devil’s advocate and trying to remind you she has feelings. If you make the mistake of ignoring them, you may regret it.”
Frustrated by the low ceiling of the car, Rafe swept his hat off. “You going to drive this rattletrap or sit here until we freeze to death?”
Ryan keyed the ignition. “Where to?”
“The main drag. I’ve got some unfinished business downtown.”
Rafe cranked up the heater of the rental car, his gaze scanning the street ahead. “There it is,” he told Ryan. “Pull over. I’ll only be a few minutes.”
Ryan parked the red Toyota at one of the many unoccupied meters. After shoving the gearshift into park and cutting the engine, he looked surprised when Rafe handed him the baby. “If he cries, stick your knuckle in his mouth. It keeps him happy for a few minutes.”
“Oh, thanks,” Ryan said. “Now I get to play human pacifier.”
“Just take care of him. All right? This won’t take long. If the car starts to get cold, start the engine and run the heater.”
Rafe climbed out and slammed the door. As he turned to face the pawnshop, his gaze came to rest on the diamond-studded gold band that lay on red velvet in the window. The overhead bell clanged to herald his arrival as he entered the shop. The place smelled of dust and hocked promises. Rafe breathed in the scent as he paced off the distance to the counter. The proprietor, a thin, balding man with strands of gray hair carefully arranged over his shiny scalp, glanced up from a notepad on which he was scribbling figures.
“May I help you?”
Rafe fished in his pants pocket for his receipt. “Yeah, I hocked a ring in here a couple of days ago. I want to pick it up.”
The shopkeeper had the good grace to blush. “I didn’t recognize you.” He gestured vaguely at his jaw. “Quite a change without the hair and whiskers.” He glanced toward the display window. “I never expected you back.”
“As I understood it, you weren’t supposed to sell the ring for thirty days. You’re a little ahead of yourself, putting it in the window already.”
The man rubbed his hands on the front of his green shirt. “Yes, well.” He laughed nervously. “Like I said, I really didn’t think you’d be back.”
Rafe stabbed him with a hard look. “Surprise, surprise.”
The owner scurried over to the window display to collect the ring. “This is a fine piece of jewelry.” He held the diamonds up to the sunlight coming through the glass. “I’m sorry to see it redeemed. It’s not often I get something this nice.”
Rafe pulled out the wad of money Ryan had given him. “Twenty percent on top.” He peeled off seven one-hundred dollar bills, then a like number of twenties, laying them to one side. “Good doing business with you.”
With reluctance, the shopkeeper set the ring on the counter. Rafe picked it up reverently. He nearly slipped it onto the ring finger of his left han
d, but at the last second, he clasped it in his fist instead. Tossing the crumpled pink receipt on the counter, he turned and left the shop without saying another word.
Once outside in the crisp morning air, Rafe stood on the sidewalk, absorbing the clean brightness of the sunlight. Its golden color reminded him of Susan’s hair. Such sweet, precious memories. A wealth of them were buried in the dark folds of his mind. But they were only memories, a part of his past.
Rafe opened his clenched fist to stare at the ring that lay on his palm. Susan. He smiled again, for only in leaving him had she ever brought him sadness. What a beautiful, rare individual she had been. But God had called her home, and the time to turn loose and let her go was long since past.
Rafe stepped to the curb. Glancing up and down the gutter, he spied a grate. He moved toward it, feeling curiously free for the first time in over two years. When he stood over the hole, he took one last look at the ring that had been his only remaining link with her for so long. Promise me, Rafe. Promise me you’ll find someone else to love.
Tears gathered in his eyes as he extended his hand over the grate and opened his palm. “I think I’ve found her, Susan,” he whispered softly. “I guess you probably know that. You’d approve of her. It makes me glad to know that.”
With a flick of his wrist, Rafe dropped the wedding band. It hit the metal grate with a musical tinkling sound, and for a fanciful moment, he could almost believe it was the light, lilting sound of Susan’s laughter. As the wedding ring tumbled between the grimy slats of the grate, the diamonds winked up at him, as if in final goodbye. And then the brightness was gone.
Rafe stood there for a long moment, gazing down into that endless darkness. He’d been trapped in it for so long. It was time to put it forever behind him. “Wish me luck, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’m going to need it.”
When Rafe climbed back into the car, Ryan gave him a long, searching look. “Was that what I think it was?”
The tightness left Rafe’s throat and he smiled. “From the river to the sea,” he said softly. “She used to throw flower petals into a stream and say that. It seemed like a nice way to say goodbye.”
For a long moment, Ryan stared intently out the windshield. When he glanced at Rafe again, there was a new understanding in his eyes. “Last night you apologized for hurting me. Now it’s my turn. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you the way I should have been.” He took off his hat, lay it on the console, and rubbed a hand over his hair. “You said something else last night. It’s been eating at me ever since. That I’ve never lost anyone I love. You’re dead wrong about that. I have lost someone, and now I know how you felt.”
Rafe’s heart caught, his first thought being that one of his parents had died and Ryan had waited until now to tell him. “Dear God, who?”
“My brother.”
Seeing the look in Ryan’s eyes, Rafe finally understood just how much pain he had inflicted on his family. “Ryan, I’m—”
“Don’t say it. You’ve apologized enough. I’m just glad to have you back.” He carefully shifted Jaimie in his arms and handed the baby to his brother. Then he retrieved his hat and settled it on his head. “The extra baggage you’re bringing along is kind of nice, too.”
He started the car and pulled back out onto the street. At the stoplight, he glanced over. “Where to now? Anyplace special?”
Rafe released a cleansing sigh. “Yeah, as a matter of fact. How long’s it been since you did something totally crazy?”
Waiting for the traffic light to change, Ryan kept his gaze fixed straight ahead. “I don’t know. A while, I guess. Why?”
“I need you to help me do something.”
“My calendar’s clear. What is it?”
Rafe swallowed. “Something illegal. If anything goes wrong, we could both go to prison.”
Ryan winced and jerked his gaze to Rafe’s face. “Oh, Jesus. You’re going to kill Boyle, aren’t you?” He shook his head. “No way. I’ll help you beat the hell out of him, but murder isn’t my bag.”
“I’m not going to murder anyone. Get real.”
“What, then?”
“I want to snatch Maggie’s sister.”
A horn honked behind them. Ryan swore, stepping on the gas as he let out the clutch. The car leapfrogged through the intersection. “Have you lost your mind? That’s kidnapping. It’s a felony. If we get caught, we’ll both be gray and impotent by the time we get out of the joint.”
“Yeah, I know.” Rafe passed a hand over his face. “But the way I plan to do it, it’s really not that chancy. I called Mark yesterday to discuss the legalities of it. He—”
“Oh, God. You’re actually serious. You’ve been on the phone with a lawyer?”
“Of course I’m serious. If I cover all the bases, Mark thinks I can do it without getting my tit in a wringer. It won’t be precisely legal, but—”
“Which means it’s technically kidnapping?”
“Technically, yes. But I’ve got to do it, Rye. I’m on pretty solid ground with the adoption thing if Boyle keeps his word and reimburses the adoptive parents. And I’m ninety-five percent sure Heidi will be fine for a while, left where she is. If I get a team of lawyers to work on it right away, chances are, she’ll be out of the situation before Boyle does anything. But what if things go sour? I’ve got this bad feeling about that bastard. There’s this look in his eyes. You know? Heidi’s only ten years old. Just a baby. How can I take the chance that something might happen to her?”
“Easy. You pray for the wisdom to accept what you can’t change.”
“I gave Maggie my word I’d keep her safe, and by God, I will.”
Ryan shoved the brim of his hat back. “Holy hell and high water! You can’t do this. The kid’ll be okay until you can get her out of there legally.”
“This will be legal—sort of.” Rafe turned in the seat to look at his brother. “Maggie’s mom isn’t real bright, and—”
“Wonderful. Now you’re telling me you’re about to dilute our gene pool? Not that you’re displaying a genius I.Q yourself at the moment.”
“Would you shut up and listen? Her mom’s brain-damaged from a heart attack. She wasn’t born that way. Maggie says she’s childlike, but as far as Mark could find out, she hasn’t been claimed legally incompetent. Mark drew me up a paper and faxed it to the hospital. It basically says Maggie’s mom is authorizing me to transport the kid over the state line. If I can get Boyle out of the house long enough to pay her a visit, I think I can con her into signing it before a notary public.” Rafe shrugged. “Afterward, I take the mother home, snatch the kid when she comes in from school, and we’re out of there.” Rafe waited a beat. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think you’re out of your frigging mind. What reason will you give the mother for taking her kid out of the state?”
Rafe smiled. “Disneyland.”
“What?”
“I’ll say Maggie and I are going to Disneyland for our honeymoon, and that we want to take her sister. Brilliant, right? That way, Helen won’t be upset about her kid disappearing, and it’s technically legal for me to take her out of Idaho. It’s also something a not-very-bright lady will go for. Disneyland, Mickey Mouse, and all that? She’ll be tickled for her kid to get a chance to go.”
“Rafe, this is nuts. There are too many variables. Boyle’s no idiot. He’ll come home, find out what you’ve done, and go bananas. He’ll call the cops.”
“Yeah, maybe. But possession is nine-tenths of the law. We’ll have the kid, and the paper signed by her mother. Mark says Heidi is probably old enough to speak for herself in front of a judge. Dr. Hammish is willing to testify that Maggie’s been savagely beaten. Mark thinks we can plead a strong enough case to cast suspicion on the home environment and get temporary custody.”
“And if you can’t?”
Rafe puffed air into his cheeks. “Well, in that case, we could both go to jail. I’d testify that you just flew the plane, though, and
didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Ignorance of the law is a lousy defense,” Ryan pointed out.
“Maggie can’t leave the hospital for two more days,” Rafe retorted. “We’ll just be twiddling our thumbs. Why not put the time to better use? Come on, Ryan. Where’s your sense of adventure? We’ve always made a good team. Remember all the shenanigans we used to pull? How often did we get caught?”
“Jesus Christ.” Ryan pulled the car over to the curb, shoved the shift into neutral, and fixed Rafe with an incredulous look. “This isn’t exactly on a par with stealing a road sign. We’re not kids anymore. Do you realize what you’re asking?”
“Yeah. I’m asking you to put your neck on the chopping block. I think we can pull it off, Ryan. It’ll be risky, but I think we can do it. My pilot’s license is expired. I need you to fly the Cessna and watch Jaimie while I do the dirty work. Once we get Heidi, you can drop me off here, then fly her to the ranch. Becca’s great with kids. She can watch Heidi while you fly back here to pick me and Maggie up. What do you say?”
“You’re discussing kidnapping, and in the same breath, you’re worried about flying without your license?” Ryan stared out the windshield, his jaw muscle ticking as he thought it over. Then he released a weary sigh and met his brother’s gaze. “Some things never change. Every time I’m around you, I wind up doing something nuts.”
Chapter Ten
By the time Ryan Kendrick landed the Cessna 340 on the Rocking K airstrip two days later, Maggie was feeling like a pampered poodle with an overanxious owner. Since her release from the hospital that morning, Rafe had allowed her to do nothing for herself, not even walk. Dr. Hammish had said that for the next week, Maggie was not to be on her feet except to go to the bathroom. Determined to follow those orders, Rafe had carried her from the wheelchair to the car, and then from the car to the airplane, where he had deposited her on the rear passenger seats, which he’d already folded down to make a bed. Her first time to fly, and what did she see? The cabin ceiling.
Over the course of the three-hour flight, he’d drawn the doctor’s instructions from his pocket several times. Time for fluid intake? He’d tapped an insulated water jug and filled a plastic sixteen-ounce glass to the brim, insisting she drink it. He’d even held the glass, as if she were incapable. Time for medication? Pills were shoved under her nose and she was made to drink more water. Only a few minutes later, it had been time for her to have fluid again. Maggie had had the feeling he might pinch her nose if she refused to swallow.