Beneath the Stetson(56)

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Tell me.”

“I’m almost positive there was another person in the car that ran me off the road...a woman in the passenger seat. I remember seeing long hair. And today, something clicked. What if this has nothing to do with Alex? What if Gil’s in-laws took the boy?”

Nate’s gaze sharpened. “That’s an angle we haven’t considered.”

“Were you in Royal when Gil’s wife died?”

“Yes.”

“So you remember that his wife’s parents tried to get custody of Cade? And nearly succeeded?”

“True. But Gil hasn’t heard from them in almost five years. I still think someone might have been sending you a signal to get out of Royal.”

“You’re probably right. But it won’t hurt to check this out, will it?”

“I won’t waste any time.” He got to his feet, leaned down, and kissed her gently on the forehead. “Thank you. Now concentrate on getting better. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir.”

He stopped at the door and turned, his expression no longer as excited. “Why won’t you see Gil?

“My reasons are private.”

“You might want to cut him some slack. He’s been through hell. Worried about you. Sick about Cade.”

“I understand what’s at stake here. But I’m not Gil’s responsibility. He needs to focus on his son.” She was proud of the even tenor of her voice and the calm expression on her face.

Nate shrugged. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Bailey. What’s a man to do when the two people he cares most about are in harm’s way at the same time?”

“I’m not upset with him, Nate, truly. Cade needs to come first. That’s as it should be.”

The sheriff looked as if he wanted to argue with her, but the clock was on her side. “You have a new lead to follow,” she said. “Quit wasting time here.”

“Can I let Gil come in to see you?”

She shook her head, her chest tight. “No, thank you. I’m going to take a nap. Please let me know when you have any news.”

The door shut behind him, and finally she could release the tears that had been building.

* * *

If Gil had learned nothing else in this crisis, it was that he didn’t like twiddling his thumbs. A man needed action to feel that he was making progress. Hurry up and wait was a special kind of torture.

One of the deputies brought him a cup of coffee. “There’s a cot in the back room, Mr. Addison. It may be a while before we hear anything. Maybe you could sleep for an hour or so.”

Gil managed a smile. “Thank you. I’m fine.” He’d lost track of the number of hours he had been awake. Sleep had been nothing more than moments of lost consciousness every now and then. His eyes were gritty. His body ached. And a great yawning emptiness filled the space where his heart had been.

He had truly thought Bailey would be part of his life. But now he wasn’t sure. Had she picked up on his ambivalence? His guilt over wanting her when Cade was missing? God, he felt as if he were being stretched on a rack. In dark moments when the fear for his son threatened to make him go mad, he escaped into his memories, seeing pictures of Bailey in his bed.

The images sustained him and gave him hope. But now he had lost Bailey, too. If he had to, he would give his life for either one of them, his son or his lover. But what if he didn’t get that chance? What if his life was reduced to nothing but emptiness? Would he ever recover?

Nate answered a phone call, his demeanor intense. He looked almost as tired as Gil. But a weary smile lit his face when he hung up. “They have the full license number. And the vehicle it’s associated with belongs to your wife’s parents. We’ve sent the information out statewide, and across the border, as well. It shouldn’t be long now.”

“Unless they’ve ditched the car and are hiding out.”

“They must have been keeping tabs on you for a long time. When they realized you were getting close to Bailey, they started tracking her, as well. I’m betting they planned every possible scenario. A deserted road would have seemed like their golden opportunity.”

Gil leaned against the wall, his body suddenly limp with fatigue. “Tell me we’ll find him, Nate.”

“We will,” the other man replied, the two words allowing no room for doubt. “We will.”

* * *

The next time Bailey awoke, the sky outside her window was dark, and Nate had returned.

She scanned his face. “Any news?”

He shook his head. “No. But we’re cautiously optimistic. Your theory about the grandparents was right on target. What we don’t know is whether they took Cade immediately across the border or if they’ve hidden out somewhere here in the states to avoid detection. The Mexican authorities are assisting every way they can.”