Page 9 of Rancher to the Rescue
“Be my guest.” He set the fork on the paper towel.
“Thank you,” she said. The small smile that lifted up the corners of full lips caused a chain reaction inside him, spreading warmth through him.
Ignoring it, he heated up a plate for himself after checking with Lawler to make sure he’d eaten. Most folks had. It was getting late. Work started on the ranch at five a.m. Adam was up at four to eat and have time to kick his brain into gear with a few pushups and a large cup of black coffee.
“Don’t worry about it,” Adam said, picking up on Lawler’s conversation thread. “I’m over it all now. It was almost a year ago.”
“Excuse the question, but have you had ‘relations’ with anyone since?” Lawler asked.
Adam wanted to be able to say yes, if only to prove he was over his ex. He shook his head. “Libby was the last…and you already know how that ended.”
“So, there’s no possibility the child could be yours,” Lawler confirmed. “But what about one of your brothers or cousins?”
“None that I’ve heard of, but we haven’t been in the same room and in some cases the same state for months.” Adam needed to reach out to everyone to check on the possibility, though.
Lawler turned toward Prudence. “I put out a call to see if any neighboring communities have reported a missing child.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Prudence’s forehead scrunched up. She’d already made quick work of the enchiladas. “That no one has come forward to say their baby is missing.”
“I would agree,” Lawler confirmed. “There has to be extenuating circumstances.”
“Like what?” she pressed.
“The parents might not realize she’s missing. They could be away or working. Something might have happened while she was in the care of a sitter,” he said.
“Wouldn’t someone notice a baby? She’s too little to take care of herself.” The answer seemed to dawn on Prudence when she sucked in a burst of air. “She might have been kidnapped.”
Lawler nodded.
“Then, doesn’t that make me the number one suspect?” she asked.
“Normally, I’d say yes. Except you’re here with Adam, calling the law to find out what happened. I’m concerned you were struck and that’s why your memory is being blocked,” he said. “Trauma can cause temporary memory loss.”
“I’m willing to cooperate in any way that I can. But I have to take care of Henry in the meantime,” she said.
Adam caught the look Lawler gave hearing her response.
“My family is well known in the area,” Adam said, redirecting the conversation, figuring he needed to ask Lawler what that was about in private. “It might be the reason for the note. Maybe someone decided she would be safer in the protection of a Firebrand.”
“I’d say that’s a good theory. One I plan to investigate.” Lawler was holding back. Did he suspect Prudence was playing some kind of twisted game?
For reasons Adam couldn’t explain, he didn’t like suspicion being cast on her. Along those same lines, his protective instincts flared, and he wanted to protect her despite the fact she’d proven fully capable of helping herself. He surprised himself in the fact he wanted to know more about her. She’d closed up when he asked about her parents. Why? She changed the subject when he’d asked about siblings. Again, why?
“I have someone coming to take care of Baby X while we get to the bottom of what happened and return her to her family.” Lawler spoke with compassion.
Prudence frowned and Adam could’ve sworn she tightened her arms around the baby. She had a look on her face he imagined a mother bear might have if someone tried to mess with one of her cubs.
“Like who?” Adam asked, not liking the idea of ‘Baby X’ being carted off by a stranger.
“A representative from child services,” Lawler said. He wasn’t giving away much. Didn’t he trust Prudence?
“What will happen to the baby during the investigation?” Adam continued.
“She’ll be placed in foster care,” Lawler supplied in a sympathetic voice.
“Someone wanted her brought to me.” Adam didn’t like the idea of the little girl being bounced around.
His cell buzzed. He checked the screen. There was a call coming in from Bronc.
