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  “Just drive. You’re going to get me out of here. If we come to a roadblock, you get us through it if you want the boy to be safe.”

  She looked back at Henry, whose eyes were enormous. All color had drained from his face. They were still in the small town and she passed people doing ordinary things, yet she was too frightened to try to cross the man. “Can we let my son out? You’d still have one hostage, and that’s all you need.”

  “Just drive!” he snapped, holding up the gun.

  Jonah talked to Scott, then turned his pickup and headed back to the house. The place would be under guard, and if he could keep Kate from going into town to work, he could protect her and Henry. He knew she was furious with him about becoming a deputy. He clamped his teeth and clenched the steering wheel, wondering if he had just destroyed all they had found together this past week.

  It was dawn now, the first gray light of day chasing away the night. Jonah drove by the garage and saw the door open, her car gone. He frowned and then swore. It was too early for her to leave for work, and she wouldn’t have left Henry home alone.

  She had taken him and left. Just like that. She had gone exactly as she had before, without letting him explain that all he had done so far was read some information and give Dakota his opinion. Nothing dangerous there, but she wouldn’t even listen.

  Jonah hurt, and anger pulsed in him with every heartbeat. He’d known she might do exactly this, leave him, but he’d thought maybe she would understand his wanting to protect her and Henry.

  He raked his hand through his hair and tugged at his earlobe. “Damnation,” he said, and swung his fist through the air.

  He entered the empty house and knew there was no use in calling to her. They were gone and they wouldn’t be coming back.

  The phone rang, and he strode to the family room to answer it, wishing it was Kate, but hearing a man’s voice.

  “Mr. Whitewolf?”

  “Yes.”

  “This is Bud Thompkins at Thompkins Service Station in Mayville. A Kate Whitewolf was just in here, and when she got into her car, she dropped her purse.”

  “Thanks for telling me,” Jonah said, mentally seeing Kate stopping in the station in the nearby town. “I’ll come pick it up. She’ll be glad to know you have it.”

  “She and the man just drove away. They can’t be far down the road.”

  Jonah stiffened. “What man?”

  “I didn’t see a man with her when she drove into the station, but there was one in the passenger seat when she left. It kinda worried me, because I could have sworn she came in here without him.”

  “Thanks,” Jonah said tersely, his heart thudding. “Which direction were they headed?” He gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles were white.

  “Toward Stallion Pass.”

  As Jonah broke the connection and got his cell phone out of his pocket to call Dakota, he ran outside, racing to his pickup. The minute he heard the sheriff’s voice, he broke in.

  “Jonah here. I think Talmadge is in the car with Kate and Henry. She stopped for gas in Mayville.” Jonah related what he had been told and what he guessed as he started the engine and turned the truck to speed away from the ranch. “I’m going after them, Dakota, but do what you can.”

  “Right.”

  They broke the connection and Jonah tossed aside the phone, pressing the accelerator to the floor and hunching over the wheel. He had to get to Kate and Henry before Talmadge could hurt them.

  Kate drove without speaking. The gunman had switched on the radio, scanning the stations to find news bulletins. The broadcasters droned on, but said nothing about Talmadge or his brother. Once, Kate heard a helicopter overhead, but then it was gone. Cars passed her going the other way, and she wondered what she should do if she came to a roadblock.

  Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to save Henry. She had to get him out of the car, away from Talmadge. The man had killed Kirk Rivas and had shot his own brother during the night, and she knew he would care nothing about a small child he didn’t even know.

  She had no weapon in the car and wouldn’t be able to use it if she had. Her purse was gone, but that would be of little help, anyway. Soon they would be in Stallion Pass. If she yelled for help, he could easily shoot her, take the car and drive off with Henry, so she didn’t dare take that risk.

  Yet she knew she had to do something. To let him take her and Henry away with him was the worst possible choice.

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “Just drive, Mrs. Whitewolf.”

  “You know who I am,” she said in surprise. She glanced at him as he still fiddled with the radio, turning the volume up slightly and changing to another station.

  “I know you and your husband, and his inheritance that he didn’t deserve.”

  “Is that why you’re taking us with you?” she asked.

  “Hell, no. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said. “I need to get away from here. I just killed my brother and escaped from the police.”

  She inhaled deeply, knowing if he was admitting the killing to her in front of Henry, he had no intention of ever letting them go.

  “Why? My husband didn’t know he was getting the inheritance.”

  “Doesn’t matter. He got it and he didn’t deserve it, and I hated John Frates. I hated my brother and he didn’t deserve to get the ranch. I was cut out of everything. Frates, Rivas, my brother—none of them earned what they got. It was just given to them. Well, it won’t do them any good now, and I’m on my way out of the country. We’ll head south, down Mexico way.”

  “Let my son go. He isn’t any part of this and he’s only a little boy. He’s done nothing to you.”

  “I’ll let him go when you get me across the border.”

  She knew he was lying, and her desperation grew. She had to think of some way for Henry to escape.

  They sped along the highway, Kate driving automatically, her mind searching for possibilities, until she had to slow down at the outskirts of Stallion Pass. It was a weekday morning, the town just beginning to stir, and people were going to work. The main street through town, which was the highway, had little traffic at this hour.

  “Just keep driving and keep your windows up,” Talmadge snapped. He switched stations again, stopping on another news report.

  They passed shops that weren’t open yet, the town quiet and peaceful—a huge contrast to the danger in her car. A boy pedaled a bike along the sidewalk. A few pedestrians were out. A tall man was walking a small dachshund on a leash. A cowboy stepped out of a pickup and went into a café.

  Kate scanned every inch of each block, looking for help. They passed the square and the courthouse.

  In a minute they would be through town, and she feared if they left Stallion Pass, her chances for doing anything to save Henry would diminish. She glanced back at him, to see him still in the same frozen position, round-eyed and pale. He couldn’t have seen the gun stuck in her side, but he evidently guessed they were in a lot of danger.

  She passed the newspaper office and a barbershop that was open for business. She could see the end of the downtown section of Main Street looming about three blocks away. Three more blocks and she would leave the safety of town and people. She didn’t want to keep driving with the killer.

  Desperation to save Henry gripped her and she struggled to think. What if she wrecked the car? she wondered. Could Henry escape? She felt she had to take that chance. Anything to try to get her son away from the killer.

  As she approached a street corner that was clear of pedestrians, she gripped the wheel tightly. Suddenly she jammed her foot on the accelerator. As the car lurched forward, the man’s head jerked up and he swore. She yanked the steering wheel, turned the car and slammed into a lamppost.

  With a loud crumpling of metal, they crashed.

  “Henry, get out!” she screamed.

  The car spun around and Kate grabbed the man’s arm, wrestling with him for the gun.
Still spinning, her car struck a parked vehicle and finally lurched to a stop.

  “Run, Henry. Run!” she screamed as she fought with the man. He struck her and pain exploded in her head, stars dancing in front of her eyes.

  Kate doubled her fist and hit him back, yanking off her seat belt to scramble on top of him and fight him for the gun. She clawed at Talmadge’s face, jabbing his eyes while she elbowed him in the neck. She knew he had dropped the gun and was struggling to get out of the car, but she kept after him, glancing up just once to see that Henry was gone.

  And then the passenger door was yanked open, and Talmadge jerked out.

  “You bastard!”

  Kate recognized Jonah’s voice as she scrambled blindly to get out on the driver’s side. Jonah came around the car and caught her in his arms.

  “Kate!”

  She threw her arms around his neck. “Where’s Henry?” she cried.

  “He’s safe. A cop already has cuffs on the creep, but not before I hit him. Damn him. He hit you!”

  “Jonah, where’s Henry?” she insisted, wanting to hold her son.

  “Henry’s safe, darlin’—over there with a policeman. And you’re safe. Ah, Kate, I was so damn scared about you two.”

  “I smashed that new car you bought me.”

  He stroked her hair away from her face. “You did a great job, Kate.”

  “Daddy, Mommy!” Henry cried, and left the policeman to run to them.

  Jonah caught him up and held him tightly, all three of them hugging. Kate’s knees began to shake, and in seconds she was trembling all over. “Jonah, can we get out of here? My legs are like jelly, my head’s pounding and I’m feeling dizzy.”

  “Come on,” he said, putting his arm around her and moving through the crowd that had gathered. People stepped aside for them and Jonah got them into his pickup, climbing up beside them. “We need to get away from here, Kate. The police will want to take your statement, but I’d guess the media will want to interview you any second now.”

  “Jonah, I don’t want to talk to any reporters!”

  “Don’t worry. I’m a deputy, so I can take you with me. Henry, we shouldn’t drive with you up here in the front where there are airbags. Would you climb in back, into your seat?”

  Henry scrambled to do what he asked. “Mommy, you were awesome!”

  Kate grinned and looked at him, and Jonah laughed. “She was awesome, Henry,” he agreed. “You did a great job to protect Henry and save you both,” he told her.

  She shook in the aftermath and hugged her arms around herself. “Jonah, I was so scared for Henry.”

  “I know, darlin’, but you did great.”

  Kate looked at Jonah, who was so calm and collected. “You know, I understand now,” she said, feeling dazed and full of regret. “Until this happened, I never understood what you do. But now I know something of how you feel. I wanted to do anything I could to keep Henry safe.”

  Jonah glanced at her and squeezed her hand. “You did, darlin’. At the end, that creep was trying to get away from you. You beat him up plenty.”

  “Mommy, he was all bloody when Daddy finally grabbed him.”

  She couldn’t laugh, but Jonah grinned and gave Henry a thumbs-up. “You did great to get out of the car, son. That was fast thinking and quick moving,” Jonah said proudly, and Henry grinned back.

  “Do they know any more about Talmadge’s brother yet?” Kate asked.

  “He’s going to live,” Jonah replied.

  “Jonah, he told me why he committed those terrible crimes. He was jealous of what you got, jealous of Kirk Rivas and his own brother. He told me he’d just killed his brother.”

  “Well, hopefully he’s wrong, and Duane Talmadge will survive. That’s what Duane told Dakota. That his brother didn’t want others having ranches when he had been cut out of his own inheritance. Martin hated his brother. He despised the people he grew up with who went on to own big ranches.”

  “I guess Gabe Brant was another one.”

  “Nope. It was Ashley Brant he wanted to hurt. He always wanted to date Ashley, and she wouldn’t go out with him. Jealousy and revenge and greed…Dakota said he told Duane that he hitched up with a gang of rustlers, to give him a cover of sorts. He made money out of the rustling. They crossed the border with the cattle and sold them out of the country.”

  “Do we have to go to the police station?” she asked.

  “Nope. I’m a deputy. I’ll take your statement at home.”

  “Oh, Jonah, thank goodness! I feel like I might faint at any moment.”

  “Faint away if you want to, darlin’. I’m here to take care of you. First we stop by the hospital ER to make certain you and Henry are all right. No arguments about that.”

  After their release from the hospital, Henry jabbered all the way to the ranch, while Jonah talked to Dakota Gallen twice by phone, and to Scott Adamson and to Clementine. Kate barely heard what he was saying because her mind was fuzzy, reaction setting in. She was chilled and shaky, and profoundly struck by the realization of why Jonah did what he did to protect and help people. All she had wanted to do was save Henry. She’d had no other thought in mind; that had been her total aim. She realized how harshly she had judged her husband and what a mistake she had made this morning when learning he had become a deputy. He’d done so to protect her and Henry.

  She held Jonah’s hand and patted it with her other one. “Can you forgive me?”

  “For what?” he asked.

  “For not understanding.”

  The caring in his dark eyes was unmistakable. “Kate, I love you. That’s what’s important.”

  “I love you,” she said softly, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. She reached back to squeeze Henry’s hand. “Henry, you were so great. You weren’t scared and didn’t cry, and you did just what I told you. You’re like your daddy, Henry.”

  He grinned and swung his fist in the air. “Mommy, you really got that bad guy. You beat him to jelly.”

  She could finally smile, and Jonah laughed. “You’re right, Henry. She certainly did. Wait until his picture comes out in the paper. You’ll see what you did.”

  “Oh, mercy! I don’t remember much except trying to keep him from shooting us and giving Henry time to escape.”

  “It’ll be all over the news. The television reporters were there before we left. They were just more interested in him than in you at that time. That’ll change, though, and I’m having some of the guys stand guard at the gate to keep out the media. We’ll have peace and quiet.”

  She squeezed his hand and loosened her seat belt slightly, so she could sit closer to him.

  At home Kate showered and changed into a sundress and sandals. She had a bruised cheek and she suspected she would have a black eye.

  They watched the news, and though Henry was enjoying the whole situation now, it was still too frightening and too real to Kate. Jonah fielded phone calls from the media and turned down all requests for interviews. He talked to Dakota twice more and carefully took a detailed statement from Kate, which he promised to take to the courthouse Monday morning.

  And finally that night, after Henry was asleep in bed, she walked downstairs to the family room with Jonah. He had turned the lights low, put on music, and he brought her a glass of wine and one for himself.

  “It’s a happy ending, darlin’. Here’s to my quick-witted wife.”

  “Jonah, I love you, and I’ve been so foolish when—”

  He put his fingers on her lips. “Shh, darlin’. It’s over. We’re together and we’re going to be a family. Kate, I don’t know what you did with your wedding ring, but I bought you another one.” He fished in his pocket and brought out a black velvet box, holding it out to her. “Will you marry me again, darlin’?”

  “Jonah!” she cried, opening the box and looking at a dazzling ring, a four-carat emerald-cut diamond resting between graduated baguette diamonds set in platinum. “My word, it’s beautiful! And I still have my old one
.”

  “You can make a necklace out of it.” Jonah took the ring and put it on her finger. “Will you be my wife?”

  “Yes! I love you,” she cried, and threw her arms around his neck, to hold him and kiss him.

  “I love you, Kate,” he said. “Always have and always will.” She pulled his head down to kiss him again.

  Epilogue

  O n Saturday, the second week of July, Kate stood on the terrace of the Stallion Pass Country Club. They’d had a small ceremony that morning, and now they were having a wedding party for all their friends to celebrate with them.

  She wore a simple white silk dress with a beaded fringe around the hem and across the straight neckline. Spaghetti straps ran over her shoulders, and she had a large white orchid from Jonah pinned to her dress.

  He stood with a group of his friends, all of them tall, handsome, rugged men. But only one man stood out in her eyes, and she gazed at her adorable husband, filled with love.

  Jonah laughed at something Gabe said, and then Mike Remington turned to him. “You know the Stallion Pass legend?”

  “Yeah, about the wild white stallion?” Jonah answered. “And I’ve heard about the current stallion that a lot of you guys have been passing around.”

  “I don’t want any part of that horse again,” Josh Kellogg said.

  “Wyatt tamed him,” Gabe remarked. “And then got rid of him.”

  “For one reason or another,” Mike said, “I think that horse has been passed among all these guys. All of us are married now, so I think it’s your turn, Jonah, to get this animal. So that’s my wedding present to you,” he added, grinning.

  Jonah laughed and the others raised their glasses. “To the white stallion of Stallion Pass,” Gabe said. “He’s caused me a passel of trouble, but if he brought me true love, he was worth it. Now hopefully, true love and that horse belong to Jonah.”

  They drank, and Jonah turned to Boone Devlin. “Boone, when are you moving down here with us?”

  His friend’s blue eyes widened. “I’m not. I’ve got an appointment in two weeks to go out to the ranch. I’m putting it up for sale.”