Her Cowboy Savior (The Winchester Cowboys Series Book 2), page 10
“She’s been awake a long time. She should go right to sleep when she’s finished.”
“I sure hope so.”
Aria made the cutest little squeaks and grunts while she fed, and the sounds went straight to his heart. He walked over and stood behind the rocking chair, gazing down on her.
Haley glanced at him. “Isn’t she precious?”
“She sure is. So tiny and perfect.”
Haley’s hair fell over her shoulder, blocking his view of the baby. He drew it back and gathered it together, plaiting it into a loose braid down the center of her back.
She shivered. “I like it when you play with my hair.”
“You do?”
“Uh-hm. It feels wonderful.”
He unwove the braid and slowly ran his fingers through her hair. Then he massaged her scalp for a few minutes before playing with strands of her hair again.
Aria let the nipple slip from her mouth and sighed.
“Damn, she’s finished eating. I could let you play with my hair all night long.”
He chuckled. “I could do it some more after we put her to bed.” He helped Haley stand up. “Let’s go change her diaper.”
Aria drowsed on the bed through her diaper change while Carson moved the cradle to Haley’s room at her insistence. When she put Aria into the cradle, the baby closed her eyes and relaxed.
“I think she’ll just fall asleep if we leave her alone,” Haley said, as she tiptoed toward the door with Carson close behind.
He whispered, “She should sleep well after being awake so long.”
Haley met his gaze, her eyes hesitant. “Carson?” she whispered.
“Hm?”
“Would you sleep with me tonight? Just hold me in your arms? I don’t want to be alone after hearing about what happened to my house.”
He pulled her into a hug and said softly, “Of course I will, honey. I don’t blame you for feeling anxious. But you don’t have to be afraid. Dad, Landon, and I will handle anything that comes up.”
As Haley took off his robe, he slipped his T-shirt over his head. He left his athletic shorts on and climbed into bed beside her, taking her into his arms.
She turned off the bedside lamp and snuggled closer to him. “You feel nice. No bad dreams for me tonight.”
“Have you been having bad dreams?”
“Yes, they’ve been awful.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m so sorry, honey. How’s your headache?”
“It’s better tonight. Barely there. I took my meds after I got out of the shower.”
He ran his fingers gently through her long hair, and she sighed quietly. He whispered, “Just relax, honey.”
She kissed his chest, sending ripples of desire shooting through him, and said softly, “I like it when you call me ‘honey’.”
He caressed her cheek. “I’m glad. Every day you become more precious to me.”
Her arm encircled his waist, and she pulled herself even closer to him. “I have so many questions about my past, but there’s one thing I’m sure of. You’re more important to me than anyone else except my daughter, and it’s going to stay that way no matter what I find out about my previous life.”
His heart lurched into overdrive. She was committed to him? He tilted her face and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. “Honey, I’m so glad you feel that way.”
Her eyes sparkled in the dim light coming through the window, and he kissed her again, long and slow. “Sleep now, sweetheart. I won’t let you go.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. “Goodnight, Carson.” Her words were so soft he barely heard them.
He kissed her temple. “Goodnight.”
His heart slowly calmed as he held her close, and her arm at his waist relaxed as she fell asleep. His last conscious thought was a prayer of thanks for the precious woman in his arms and the sweet baby in the cradle beside him.
Chapter Ten
After breakfast the next morning, Carson sat on the couch with Haley and began the public records search for marriages in her name. After scrolling through pages of potential hits, it became apparent that she’d most likely never been married.
“Whew! What a relief.” She brushed her hair back from her face. “That’s one complication I don’t have to deal with.”
Carson’s heart calmed as the results sank in. He wouldn’t lose Haley to a husband she couldn’t even remember. “Officer Danbury will be here any minute. I’ll make Aria a bottle in case she gets fussy while he’s here.”
“Thanks. I’ll get the papers I found while you do that,” she said.
Aria was sucking on her fist as she lay quietly in her bouncer beside the couch, and he smiled at her before going into the kitchen.
Debra was on her way out to the garden with her basket on her arm.
“By the way, we had good luck in our search just now,” Carson told her. “We don’t think Haley’s been married.”
“Oh, that is good news, son.” She gave him an appraising look. “It certainly makes things less complicated.”
He smiled. His mom didn’t miss a trick. “It does.”
As he walked back into the living room with the bottle, there was a knock at the door. He answered and smiled his welcome. “Come in, Officer Danbury.”
The man entered the living room just as Haley came back in. “Thanks for coming, Officer Danbury,” she greeted him.
He nodded. “Please call me Jim. It’s easier.”
“Have a seat, Jim,” Carson said as he joined Haley on the couch.
The ranger sat in one of the recliners and drew out a notebook and pen. “Can you show me the papers you brought from your job, Haley?”
She handed over the three sheets. Then she gave him the letter. “This explains my findings.”
As he went over the pages, she said, “The highlighted lines are the problem deliveries. As you can see, they arrive every two months from the same company. The report I pulled is for that specific region only.”
“And why do you think these deliveries represent human trafficking?”
“Because of the volume of the items in the container. When I calculated that, the container was only one quarter full. It’s in the letter,” she said.
“But couldn’t the illicit cargo be drugs or something else?” Jim asked.
She shrugged. “It could be drugs, but that’s a lot of space for a drug cargo. As far as anything else, I’m not sure what would be so valuable that they’d have regular large shipments like this.”
She sighed. “I must have known exactly what it was to have been so frightened that I ran for my life. And when I found out, my employers must have known about it. That’s the only thing that makes sense.” She gestured at the papers. “Obviously I only looked back one year, but who knows how long this has been going on?”
“Have you tried to log into your company’s system since you figured this out?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course not! Even if I thought it was safe to do that, I can’t remember my login credentials.”
Jim asked her several more questions. It was obvious that he’d done some research on Harbor Tech, but she couldn’t answer any of them.
As he rose from the recliner, he said, “These papers are going to help. They have container numbers on them, and we can do a lot with those.” He reached out and shook her hand. “I’ll keep in touch—and, please, if you remember anything, let me know right away.”
“I will.”
He shook Carson’s hand. “If something comes up, I’m just a phone call away.”
“If someone comes looking for Haley, do you think they have a good chance of finding her here?” Carson asked.
Jim paused and glanced from Carson to Haley. “You should be safe here, Haley, but I can’t promise that. If these guys are doing what you think they are, they’re dangerous. And after what they did to your house, I figure they’re willing to do whatever it takes to find out what you know.”
Haley visibly shivered and Carson put his arm around her. “How could they find out she’s here, though?”
Jim shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to sugarcoat the problem. Money goes a long way when it comes to something like this. There’s probably an organized crime connection. But like I said before, you’ll have the resources of the Texas Rangers behind you.”
After he left, Haley sank down on the couch. “Oh my God.”
Carson sat down and put his arm around her. “Honey, try to stay calm. We’ll do everything possible to keep you safe here.”
She turned to him as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek. The lost, frightened look on her face broke his heart.
An hour later, Haley’s pulse raced as she paced up and down the front porch with Aria in her arms. Near panic, all she could think of was to flee, to take the danger that was following her far away from Carson and his sweet family. She felt a little stronger now, but she also had Aria to think about. She couldn’t take care of a newborn while she was on the road.
She turned and headed back in the other direction. Plus, before she could go anywhere, she had to get another car.
The screen door banged as Carson came out to join her. His brows drew together as he saw her face. “What’s wrong?”
She relaxed her anxious expression. “Nothing, really. At least, nothing new.”
He walked over and drew her gently into his arms, careful of Aria between them. “I wish I knew how to help you feel better. I can only imagine how this must be affecting you.”
She nodded into his shoulder. “It’s hard, and I’m terrified that something’s going to happen to you or your family. I couldn’t bear that.”
He kissed her temple. “Now, put that worry to bed. We’re armed and prepared. And we’ll call Jim at the first sign of trouble.”
She sighed. It would have to do. At this point, she had no choice but to stay. “Thanks. I appreciate that more than you’ll ever know.”
Aria began to fuss.
“It’s time to feed her. I think I’ll lie down when she goes to sleep.”
He kissed the top of her head. “That’s a great idea. I’ll make her bottle.” He turned and opened the screen door.
As she rocked her daughter a few minutes later, the tightness in her chest eased. Aria ate hungrily, and Haley couldn’t help but smile. She was a lucky momma to have such a good eater.
Carson took Aria to burp her, and Haley watched the tall, handsome cowboy walk the floor with her daughter. His smile as he patted Aria’s back went straight to her heart. It was so full of love and devotion.
It didn’t take long for Aria to burp, and Carson turned to her with a smile. “This little one’s getting pretty good at burping, isn’t she?”
Haley grinned. “Burps like a champ. Does she seem sleepy?”
He cradled her in his arms and studied her for a few seconds. “Not at all.”
“Darn.” She rubbed her forehead, not really feeling like entertaining her daughter until she fell asleep.
As if he sensed her mood, Carson said, “How about I take Aria for a walk in the stroller? That should do the trick. She loves being outside, and the sunshade will keep her face covered.”
“Oh, would you? That sounds wonderful.” She rose from the rocker. “I think I’ll go ahead and lie down, then.”
He nodded. “Why don’t you put the cradle in my room? That way if you want to take a long nap, she won’t bother you.”
She smiled. “Thanks, I will.”
Moments later, she was snuggled under the covers. Forcing her anxious thoughts from her mind, she made herself relax, one muscle group at a time.
Her thoughts became wonderfully sluggish as sleep drew near. She sighed and let absolute darkness take her.
Haley woke, her heart pounding, the memory seared into her brain. Throwing the covers back, she swung herself into a sitting position. The cold wooden floor under her feet helped bring her to her senses.
She had to find Carson, had to tell him what she’d remembered. She shivered in fear as she slipped from the room.
She found him at the kitchen table snapping green beans. Shaking all over, she sat down beside him.
He took one look at her and froze. “What’s happened? Haley, are you all right?” He half rose from the table.
She clutched his hand, her fingers trembling in his grip.
“My God, Haley, you’re scaring me!”
“I’ve remembered something. Oh, Carson—the men looked so dangerous!”
He stood from the table and led her to the couch.
Once they were seated, he put his arm around her. “Now, tell me exactly what you remembered. Take your time, honey. I’m right here.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was holding a manila folder, and I was standing outside the shipping operations manager’s office. The door was open about four inches. I heard voices inside, and I stopped, wondering if I should bother him.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, shivering again as she imagined the three men who had been in the room. “After a second or two, I realized that I could understand what they were saying, and it scared me. One man said, ‘They’re mostly women, but a few of them aren’t more than twelve or thirteen.’ Then I heard the manager say, ‘How many are we getting this time?’”
She looked at Carson, feeling desperate. “Another voice said, ‘There’s twenty-two in the container. The captain told me they had rough weather, so he’s not sure if they’re all still alive.’”
She choked back a sob. “I froze. I couldn’t move. Then a man behind me said, ‘What the hell are you doing?’
“I turned around, and a man dressed in a cheap-looking suit was staring angrily at me. He shoved the door open and pushed me inside. My manager, Mr. Southby, was standing on the other side of the room with two rough-looking men. One of them had a scar over his eyebrow, and the other looked like his nose had been broken several times. Mr. Southby looked startled and then suspicious. He said, ‘What are you doing here, Haley?’
“I said, ‘I had something I wanted to go over with you, but I can see you’re busy. It can wait.’ Then the man who had come up behind me said, ‘I caught her listening at the door.’
“I shook my head and said, ‘No, I heard voices and was trying to decide whether to bother you or not. That’s all, Mr. Southby.’ Then I glanced at the two men beside him, and their glares scared me. I said, ‘I’m sorry. I’ll come back later.’ I walked back to my desk so quickly that I was out of breath when I got there.”
Carson squeezed her shoulders. “Calm down, honey. You’re out of breath.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then, more calmly, she continued. “It was obvious that the man who’d caught me listening didn’t believe my story. I was afraid he’d tell the others, so I grabbed my purse. I figured they’d come after me since they knew what I’d overheard. Without even logging out, I stepped away from my desk. Then I saw the manila folder and realized that it couldn’t be left lying around. I grabbed it and all but ran from my office.”
“What happened then?”
“God, I don’t know!” Hands at her temples, she wailed in frustration. “I don’t remember where I went. I don’t remember packing to leave. Nothing.”
Carson kissed the top of her head. “That’s okay. You’ve remembered the most important part. Now we’ve confirmed that this is about human trafficking.”
She sat up straight. “We need to call Jim. My phone’s in the bedroom. Can I use yours?”
“Sure. I have his contact entered under ‘Rangers’.”
Fingers trembling, she put in the call. It went to voicemail, and she left a message with a lengthy description of her memory.
Carson hugged her close as she leaned her head against him. “I hope this means my memory’s going to start coming back. I’m feeling desperate now. I have so much I need to remember.”
“I know, honey. I’ll pray that it does.” He stood and drew her to her feet. “We’ll get through this together, okay?”
She stood on her tiptoes and drew him down to her, kissing him softly. “Thank you, Carson. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He caressed her cheek. “You won’t ever have to find that out.”
Carson turned out the bedside lamp and slipped into Haley’s bed. Aria was sleeping peacefully in the cradle beside them.
He’d been sleeping with Haley the last four nights, holding her in his arms and comforting her. Ever since that partial memory had returned, she’d been having even worse nightmares.
He scooted close to her and wrapped her in his arms.
She cuddled against him and rubbed her cheek on his chest.
Tingles swept across his belly. He loved it when she did that. “Feeling sleepy?”
“Kind of. I’m better now that you’re here.”
He smiled and kissed the top of her head. “That’s good, honey.” Tracing his fingers up and down her arm, he said, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’m so glad you’re staying here at the house with me during the day, even though I’m feeling stronger. But I know you must feel torn because you’re not out helping Ken and Landon.”
She kissed his chest, sending goose bumps racing across it. “I’m scared, Carson. I keep remembering how those men looked at me. It was awful.”
He stroked her hair. “I don’t feel torn. I have the rest of my life to work on this ranch. Protecting you and Aria is the most important thing I’ll ever do.”
He slipped his fingers through her hair and cupped the back of her neck. “I just wish I knew if they were looking for you—and, if so, when they were coming.” He felt her shiver.
“I can think of a way that they could find me if they had a good hacker—and considering that they probably have organized crime connections, I think that’s probably a given,” she said.
His pulse began to race. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. My wreck is on my insurance profile by now, and they probably have someone going through my mail. They can find out who my provider is that way. Their hacker will find out about the wreck from my insurance company and can even get a copy of the accident report. Anybody can.”
