and plenty of pasture before she spotted his place. He hadn’t exaggerated when he’d said it was on the back part of the ranch. Sawyer had to go through a cattle gate to reach the one-story white limestone house.
“The place didn’t used to be part of the Silver Creek Ranch,” he told her. “But after I moved back two years ago, my uncle Boone repositioned the fence to include my house.”
“Does that mean there’s a security system?” she asked.
He nodded. “Both inside and out. There are sensors on the fence that’ll trigger an alarm if anyone tries to get to the house by cutting through the woods.”
Good. She wanted all the precautions they could take, especially since the baby was with them.
Sawyer didn’t waste any time getting them into the house, but the movement woke the baby. The moment he set the basket on the kitchen table, she started to cry. Not a loud wail but rather soft, kittenlike sounds. Still, it was more than enough to get their attention. Cassidy was ready to scoop her up, but the baby closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Cassidy’s shoulders dropped. She was far from a pro at baby holding, but it would have given her suddenly restless hands and mind something to do.
Other than worry about her brother.
Sawyer used the keypad by the door to set the security system, and he tipped his head to the fridge. “Help yourself. I know you must be hungry.”
She wasn’t. Her stomach was still in knots.
“This way to the guest room.” He picked up the basket, and they moved toward the side of the house. “I’m here,” he said, pointing to one bedroom. “You’re there.”
There in this case was directly across the hall from his room. That sent some heat running through her, but the heat cooled when she looked at the baby.
“What about Emma?” she asked.
He lifted an eyebrow, probably at the easy use of the name that Kimmie had given her, but it was better than just calling her “the baby.”
“I’ll put the basket on the cedar chest at the foot of my bed. I’m guessing she...Emma,” he corrected, “will wake up at least a couple of times. So, if you want to get some rest, you’ll have to close the door.”
“I’ll be fine,” Cassidy settled for saying. And she’d keep the door open. Not just so she could hear and maybe help with the baby but because she wanted to know if someone tried to break in.
Sawyer studied her a moment, frowned. “You don’t look fine. Your nerves are showing.”
Until he said that, Cassidy had thought she’d been keeping those nerves at bay. Well, almost. But his words brought them right back to the surface. “I’m worried about Bennie. About tomorrow.” Her voice cracked, causing her to silently curse.
Tears and a shaky voice weren’t going to help, but she couldn’t seem to stop, either.
“It’s part of the adrenaline crash,” Sawyer supplied, and he eased the basket onto the cedar chest. “A hot shower might help.”
She nodded but didn’t move. “I have the ransom money waiting at the bank, but maybe I should have brought it here. Just in case they give us a short window for delivering the money.”
He walked to her, huffed. “ Us, again? I’m going to try hard to make sure there is no us for the money drop.”
“That didn’t work out so well last time.” She’d meant to sound tough, but her quivery voice told a different story.
“It’ll work this time,” he said with complete assurance. It was probably wishful thinking at best and a lie at worst, but Cassidy decided to accept it.
For now anyway.
He reached out as if he might touch her but then drew back his hand. “Probably not a good idea,” he mumbled.
It wasn’t.
Still, that didn’t stop him from running his hand down her arm. It was a friendly soothing gesture, and she was surprised how much it helped with those unsteady nerves.
“I’ll take that shower now,” she said. But Cassidy didn’t move.
She stood there, her gaze connected with
“The place didn’t used to be part of the Silver Creek Ranch,” he told her. “But after I moved back two years ago, my uncle Boone repositioned the fence to include my house.”
“Does that mean there’s a security system?” she asked.
He nodded. “Both inside and out. There are sensors on the fence that’ll trigger an alarm if anyone tries to get to the house by cutting through the woods.”
Good. She wanted all the precautions they could take, especially since the baby was with them.
Sawyer didn’t waste any time getting them into the house, but the movement woke the baby. The moment he set the basket on the kitchen table, she started to cry. Not a loud wail but rather soft, kittenlike sounds. Still, it was more than enough to get their attention. Cassidy was ready to scoop her up, but the baby closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Cassidy’s shoulders dropped. She was far from a pro at baby holding, but it would have given her suddenly restless hands and mind something to do.
Other than worry about her brother.
Sawyer used the keypad by the door to set the security system, and he tipped his head to the fridge. “Help yourself. I know you must be hungry.”
She wasn’t. Her stomach was still in knots.
“This way to the guest room.” He picked up the basket, and they moved toward the side of the house. “I’m here,” he said, pointing to one bedroom. “You’re there.”
There in this case was directly across the hall from his room. That sent some heat running through her, but the heat cooled when she looked at the baby.
“What about Emma?” she asked.
He lifted an eyebrow, probably at the easy use of the name that Kimmie had given her, but it was better than just calling her “the baby.”
“I’ll put the basket on the cedar chest at the foot of my bed. I’m guessing she...Emma,” he corrected, “will wake up at least a couple of times. So, if you want to get some rest, you’ll have to close the door.”
“I’ll be fine,” Cassidy settled for saying. And she’d keep the door open. Not just so she could hear and maybe help with the baby but because she wanted to know if someone tried to break in.
Sawyer studied her a moment, frowned. “You don’t look fine. Your nerves are showing.”
Until he said that, Cassidy had thought she’d been keeping those nerves at bay. Well, almost. But his words brought them right back to the surface. “I’m worried about Bennie. About tomorrow.” Her voice cracked, causing her to silently curse.
Tears and a shaky voice weren’t going to help, but she couldn’t seem to stop, either.
“It’s part of the adrenaline crash,” Sawyer supplied, and he eased the basket onto the cedar chest. “A hot shower might help.”
She nodded but didn’t move. “I have the ransom money waiting at the bank, but maybe I should have brought it here. Just in case they give us a short window for delivering the money.”
He walked to her, huffed. “ Us, again? I’m going to try hard to make sure there is no us for the money drop.”
“That didn’t work out so well last time.” She’d meant to sound tough, but her quivery voice told a different story.
“It’ll work this time,” he said with complete assurance. It was probably wishful thinking at best and a lie at worst, but Cassidy decided to accept it.
For now anyway.
He reached out as if he might touch her but then drew back his hand. “Probably not a good idea,” he mumbled.
It wasn’t.
Still, that didn’t stop him from running his hand down her arm. It was a friendly soothing gesture, and she was surprised how much it helped with those unsteady nerves.
“I’ll take that shower now,” she said. But Cassidy didn’t move.
She stood there, her gaze connected with
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