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“I don’t want to put you out.”
“Child, nothing brings me more happiness than tending to this sweet little girl.” Zoe handed Hannah a plate loaded with the blueberry pastry before making a shooing motion with her hands. “Go on. We’ll be fine.”
With coffee and breakfast in hand, Hannah planted a kiss on Charlotte’s head before strolling across the living room. The office door was open. Comfortable wingback chairs faced an oak desk covered with papers and a laptop. Double dutch doors were open wide, allowing in a light breeze fragrant with wildflowers and dew. Hannah was transfixed by the beautiful view of rolling fields filled with bluebonnets framed by a stunning blue sky.
“Morning.”
Ryker’s voice came from across the room. Hannah turned to face him and her breath caught. He was planted in a leather chair, feet propped up on the desk, a legal notepad in his hand. His cheeks were sun-kissed, broad shoulders encased in a button-up shirt that brought out the striking green highlights in his hazel eyes. Jeans molded to his powerful thighs.
Hannah’s mouth went dry. She took a sip of coffee to buy time to regain her composure. “Hey. Your mom told me you’d be in here. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” His lips curved into a smile that made her heart pick up speed. “Where’s Charlotte? With my mom?”
“Yep. She snatched her from my arms first thing.” Hannah set her pastry down on a nearby table tucked between the two wingback chairs. “I have a feeling I’m not getting her back.”
“I warned you. Montgomerys pull people into the fold.” His grin widened as he dropped his feet from the corner of the desk to the floor. “Next thing you know, Mom will show up at your house with casseroles and baby clothes. And don’t get me started on Jack. He’ll have Charlotte riding a horse before she can walk.”
Hannah laughed. His assessment wasn’t far off. “Your family is incredible.” She turned to admire the view again. “Thank you for bringing us here, Ryker. The ranch is… peaceful. I didn’t realize how much it would matter until the house was quiet and dark. I wasn’t scared because I knew we were safe.”
She felt rather than saw him come up behind her. Then his hand gently cupped her shoulder. “There’s no need to thank me. All I want is to keep you and Charlotte safe.”
The genuine emotion filling his voice touched something deep inside her. Hannah had known Ryker for a while, but had she ever truly given him a chance as her friend? Not really. That’d been a mistake. Everything Ryker had done since finding out she was in danger was above and beyond his duty as a ranger or acquaintance. He was a good man. Someone she could lean on. And if she was completely honest, she needed the support.
She also needed to be careful. Her emotions were raw. It would be easy for these feelings for Ryker to develop into something deeper. Friendship was one thing, but after all she’d lost—including her husband—the last thing Hannah needed was a broken heart.
She pulled away from his touch under the pretense of looking at the legal pad he’d tossed on the desk. It was covered in his scribbled writing. Focusing on the attack was easier than dealing with this runaway attraction. “Any news about the case?”
“Troopers located the white truck from yesterday’s run-in. The crime lab is going over it, but so far, no fingerprints. Same thing with the van Cash used to escape from the courthouse. Both vehicles were stolen in the hours before each attack from nearby grocery stores.”
“I doubt they’ll find any useful evidence in either vehicle. Cash is smart enough to wear gloves and we already have his face on video, so he isn’t worried about being identified. Do we know his real name yet?”
“Nope. Still working on that. Gavin and Claire are interviewing Julie’s family and friends. So far, no one recognizes Cash.” He gestured to the legal pad. “I’ve reviewed Julie’s case from the beginning, and honestly, I can’t see any lead we didn’t follow during our initial investigation that would lead to Cash. Or prove Thomas’s innocence.”
“Jose emailed me this morning. He’s agreed to allow Thomas to be interviewed, but has restricted the questions to Cash only. Maybe we can get some additional information that will help.”
Ryker’s jaw tightened. “Do you intend to be there for the questioning?”
“Absolutely. I need to hear for myself what Thomas has to say.” She paused. “I understand the risks of leaving the ranch, but it can’t be avoided. I have a job to do. Charlotte will stay here with your family while we’re gone. The meeting is set for eleven this morning at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. I have a feeling Thomas and Jose are trying to appear cooperative.”
“More manipulation?”
“Possibly, but I don’t care. I’m willing to take any lead we get. The most important thing right now is learning Cash’s identity so we can find him. The sooner we get him off the streets, the better.”
Hannah wanted the man locked up in a jail cell. Not just for her own safety, or for Charlotte’s, but also for the general population. Cash had called in a bomb threat and created a panic yesterday. He’d put innocent people at risk while trying to run them off the road. Anyone willing to go that far needed to be behind bars.
Ryker was quiet for a long moment. “There’s something we need to discuss before we go anywhere.”
THIRTEEN
He had to tell her. Transparency was the only way Hannah would truly understand his intentions and his concerns. The attack at the courthouse had shaken Ryker to the core. He’d spent most of the night running it through his mind over and over, reviewing the mistakes he’d made. If Hannah was determined to leave the safety of the ranch, Ryker couldn’t stop her. But there needed to be an understanding between them.
He let out a long breath. “When I was fifteen, I started dating a sweet girl in my class. Alison. Her family had recently moved to town, and we hit it off right away. It was puppy love. The kind of summer romance when the most exciting thing that happens is holding hands and a kiss on the cheek.”
Hannah’s lips curved up slightly, even as her brow crinkled with confusion. She didn’t know where he was going with this story, but was kind enough to just listen. It made things easier. Ryker rarely talked about Alison. His family knew, of course, but only one person in his ranger unit did. Eli. They’d grown up together, and Eli had known Alison as well. Both of them had attended her funeral.
“One day, after swimming at the lake, Alison and I were riding our bikes home. She wanted to stop at a local gas station to grab some chocolate and a soda.” Ryker remembered the wind blowing against his face as they pedaled down the country lane. Alison had thrown her head back and laughed when she beat him to the gas station. Her dark hair shimmered in the sunlight. Recalling those last happy moments brought a lump to his throat. He swallowed it back down. “We’d only been inside the gas station for a minute when a masked gunman entered.”
Hannah inhaled sharply. Her blue eyes locked on his face, and it was too much for him to look at her. Ryker turned and walked to the open balcony doors. Bluebonnets danced in the field. Down by the barn, Jack was leading a horse across the paddock. Walker and Hayley weren’t visible. Probably conducting a perimeter check.
