settled her head against Darcy’s shoulder.
All right.
That required a deep breath. Darcy hadn’t expected to feel this, well, attachment to Nate’s daughter. But Kimmie felt as right in her arms as Noah did. Strange. It had to be a reaction to the fear.
Darcy didn’t have time to think about it because there was another blast. It was so loud, so strong, that it shook the SUV.
“Hell,” Nate mumbled.
Terrified of what she might see, she looked back and saw more of the nightmare that had started when she’d first learned someone had kidnapped her son.
The house was a fireball. The barn, too.
And so were the woods where she’d last seen Mason.
“ C ALL ME THE MINUTE you know anything,” Nate said to Grayson.
Nate pushed the end-call button on his cell and released the breath he’d been holding. Finally, he had some good news to go with the not so good. Of course, the best news was in his arms.
Kimmie was asleep, her head resting right against his heart, and they were safely back at the Ryland ranch.
Nate had already said prayers of thanks, but he intended to add a lot more. Having Kimmie safe was the most important thing in his life, but his brothers were a close second.
He looked across the foyer and saw Kimmie’s nanny, Grace Borden. The petite woman with graying red hair was studying his face. “Well?” she asked in a whisper.
“My brothers are okay,” he relayed. Grayson had just let him know that. “And they found Marlene hiding in some bushes. She’s shaken up but all right.”
Grace nodded and walked to him. “Why don’t you let me take Kimmie and put her in her crib for the night?”
Nate wanted to hold her. Heck, he didn’t want to let go, but his baby would sleep much better in her own bed than in his arms. Besides, he had to check on Darcy and Noah. He didn’t want to wake Kimmie doing that.
Grace eased Kimmie from his arms. “I’ll take good care of her,” she assured him. It wasn’t necessary. Nate trusted her completely, but it still tugged at him to see his daughter being whisked away. It might be a lifetime or two before he started to forget that she’d been stolen from him.
Someone would pay for that.
He felt the anger boil inside him. A lethal mix, but he pushed that powder keg of emotion deep inside him. Soon, he would get the men responsible for what had happened.
Nate went to the bar in the living room and poured himself a shot of whiskey. He took it in one gulp, even though he preferred beer to the fireball of heat that slid down his throat. Still, he needed something to settle his nerves.
He made his way to the family room, where he’d left Darcy as soon as they’d gotten back from the Lost Appaloosa. He had to tell her that Bessie, the housekeeper, had fixed a room for Noah and her.
Before he even got there, he heard the voices coming from the family room. Not Darcy’s voice. But Kayla Brennan’s, Dade’s fiancée, who had already moved into the ranch. Good. Maybe talking with Kayla had managed to calm Darcy down because Nate didn’t want to tackle that job.
“Yes, that was an obstacle,” Kayla said. “Dade’s family hated me.”
Nate groaned silently and stopped. This didn’t sound like a calming-down kind of conversation. He peered around the corner and saw both women seated on the leather sofa. Darcy held a sleeping Noah in her lap. Kayla had her sleeping son in her arms.
“I was Charles Brennan’s daughter-in-law,” Kayla continued. “The man who ordered Nate’s wife to be killed.”
“But Dade and his brothers obviously got past that,” Darcy pointed out.
Yeah. But it hadn’t been easy. Just a short time ago, Kayla had been the enemy.
Much as Darcy was now.
And that gave Nate a jolt. A nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“That’s true.” Kayla shrugged. “I fell in love with Dade, and everything else fell into place. The Rylands and my son are my family now.” Her gaze flew to the doorway, where he was
All right.
That required a deep breath. Darcy hadn’t expected to feel this, well, attachment to Nate’s daughter. But Kimmie felt as right in her arms as Noah did. Strange. It had to be a reaction to the fear.
Darcy didn’t have time to think about it because there was another blast. It was so loud, so strong, that it shook the SUV.
“Hell,” Nate mumbled.
Terrified of what she might see, she looked back and saw more of the nightmare that had started when she’d first learned someone had kidnapped her son.
The house was a fireball. The barn, too.
And so were the woods where she’d last seen Mason.
“ C ALL ME THE MINUTE you know anything,” Nate said to Grayson.
Nate pushed the end-call button on his cell and released the breath he’d been holding. Finally, he had some good news to go with the not so good. Of course, the best news was in his arms.
Kimmie was asleep, her head resting right against his heart, and they were safely back at the Ryland ranch.
Nate had already said prayers of thanks, but he intended to add a lot more. Having Kimmie safe was the most important thing in his life, but his brothers were a close second.
He looked across the foyer and saw Kimmie’s nanny, Grace Borden. The petite woman with graying red hair was studying his face. “Well?” she asked in a whisper.
“My brothers are okay,” he relayed. Grayson had just let him know that. “And they found Marlene hiding in some bushes. She’s shaken up but all right.”
Grace nodded and walked to him. “Why don’t you let me take Kimmie and put her in her crib for the night?”
Nate wanted to hold her. Heck, he didn’t want to let go, but his baby would sleep much better in her own bed than in his arms. Besides, he had to check on Darcy and Noah. He didn’t want to wake Kimmie doing that.
Grace eased Kimmie from his arms. “I’ll take good care of her,” she assured him. It wasn’t necessary. Nate trusted her completely, but it still tugged at him to see his daughter being whisked away. It might be a lifetime or two before he started to forget that she’d been stolen from him.
Someone would pay for that.
He felt the anger boil inside him. A lethal mix, but he pushed that powder keg of emotion deep inside him. Soon, he would get the men responsible for what had happened.
Nate went to the bar in the living room and poured himself a shot of whiskey. He took it in one gulp, even though he preferred beer to the fireball of heat that slid down his throat. Still, he needed something to settle his nerves.
He made his way to the family room, where he’d left Darcy as soon as they’d gotten back from the Lost Appaloosa. He had to tell her that Bessie, the housekeeper, had fixed a room for Noah and her.
Before he even got there, he heard the voices coming from the family room. Not Darcy’s voice. But Kayla Brennan’s, Dade’s fiancée, who had already moved into the ranch. Good. Maybe talking with Kayla had managed to calm Darcy down because Nate didn’t want to tackle that job.
“Yes, that was an obstacle,” Kayla said. “Dade’s family hated me.”
Nate groaned silently and stopped. This didn’t sound like a calming-down kind of conversation. He peered around the corner and saw both women seated on the leather sofa. Darcy held a sleeping Noah in her lap. Kayla had her sleeping son in her arms.
“I was Charles Brennan’s daughter-in-law,” Kayla continued. “The man who ordered Nate’s wife to be killed.”
“But Dade and his brothers obviously got past that,” Darcy pointed out.
Yeah. But it hadn’t been easy. Just a short time ago, Kayla had been the enemy.
Much as Darcy was now.
And that gave Nate a jolt. A nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“That’s true.” Kayla shrugged. “I fell in love with Dade, and everything else fell into place. The Rylands and my son are my family now.” Her gaze flew to the doorway, where he was
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