Page 53 of Rancher to the Rescue

“They’ll never know how special she is,” Prudence said. Her own parents had been taken from her. The idea of family willingly walking away from something so small and so precious was something she could scarcely fathom.

“Their loss,” he said.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Was there a way to make the arrangement permanent? Have them relinquish any rights to Angel in case they changed their minds in a couple of years?

Based on how detached they were from anything to do with Angel, she highly doubted it. But better safe than sorry. Everything about that little girl’s future hung in the balance pending the results of the paternity test.

Adam had the resolve and the means to care for Angel in the manner she deserved. What if he wasn’t the father? What if his ex had met someone else? What if she was on the run or in hiding? There were so many unanswered questions in this case.

It had only been three days, the voice in the back of her mind reminded.

She glanced in the side-view mirror. Panic washed over her, squeezing her chest. Why did the suit seem familiar?

“I half expected the Warringtons to go talk to the mystery man,” Prudence said.

“The fact they don’t seem to know each other raises some concern,” he admitted. “I’m more interested in your reaction to him, though. They could be putting on a show to throw off anyone who might be watching.”

“Right.” She kept an eye on the suit.

Adam turned on his blinker. He stopped at the corner. He hesitated. Then, he made a left.

“Let me just make a U-turn here and we’ll see if the suit follows,” Adam said. He used a side parking lot to make the U, then pulled onto the side of the road. He drove down the road a piece before making a few more turns.

Sure enough, the suit followed. He stopped the minute he saw the trap, put the gearshift in reverse, and gunned it.

Tires burned on the concrete road as they struggled for purchase. They caught and the truck whirled backward. Adam wasted no time peeling rubber to catch up to the suit.

“Grab my phone and take a picture of the driver. I’ll get as close as I can,” he stated. All his focus was on the vehicle in front of him.

Prudence fumbled for his phone. Her hand shook from a shot of adrenaline and nerves. She managed to grab it, and steady her hand enough to take a couple of shots. The sun was up, and the truck swerved, so she had no idea if she was getting anything usable.

“I hope I got something,” she said.

Just then the truck slammed on its brakes. Adam reacted but the second cost him. He ran straight into the vehicle in front.

Prudence’s head snapped forward and then back against the headrest. Airbags deployed, blocking her view. It was probably a good thing because the windshield cracked, and slivers of glass showered the bags.

Everything happened so fast at that point.

In the next second, a man was at her door. He got hold of the handle before she had time to hit the lock button. She grabbed onto her armrest and held on for dear life.

At this distance, she could clearly see the suit’s face as he practically sneered at her. He had a scar on his right cheekbone, a streak of white on an overly tanned face. His steel eyes were like a snake’s.

Her body revolted against him, and she knew why.

He’d been there when she’d picked up a frantic hitchhiker, a desperate woman clutching a baby to her chest.

“It’s him,” Prudence whispered as shock and disbelief gave way to white-hot anger. Anger for the life he took. Anger for the child he tried to rip from her arms. Anger for a child who would never know her mother.

As the suit tried to wrestle the baby out of Prudence’s arms, Libby’s face appeared behind him. Her arms raised up high and Prudence saw the sharp boulder moments before it had struck.

His head had snapped forward, and then he’d spun around.

“Go,” Libby had demanded. “Keep her safe. I’ll find you.”

The memories flooded Prudence as she struggled to maintain her grip on the armrest.

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