Bucking Bronc Lodge 04(24)

“Does Brody know?”

“Yes.” A chill skated up her spine at Miles’s condemning look. “He and I have both scrutinized the counselor and campers’ files and backgrounds and nothing suspicious has shown up.”

“I can’t believe you’d come here and put others’ lives in jeopardy,” Miles said in a cutting tone.

Her guilt deepened, but she stood her ground. “I discussed it with Brody at length. If you find evidence that it was this gang that shot at us, I’ll leave.”

Perspiration beaded on Miles’s forehead, defeat and worry darkening his eyes. Then he glanced at the sky where the last remnants of daylight lingered. “I’m going to call one of the security guards to help me search for those bullets. I’ll get one of the others to stay with Timmy. Maybe you shouldn’t be around him until we figure out what’s going on.”

A sound behind them erupted, and Jordan turned to see Timmy behind Miles. He looked stricken, panicked, more upset now than before. Then he ran toward Jordan and threw his arms around her legs, a sob escaping.

* * *

MILES’S STOMACH CLENCHED. Timmy was looking up at him as if he was terrified of him.

And he was obviously growing attached to Jordan.

He could understand why. She was kind and gentle and probably reminded him of his mother.

Except she was nothing like Marie.

Marie had stayed at home with Timmy but not because she’d wanted to. When the bottom fell out of the real estate market, she’d lost her job. She’d been depressed about it and had had a short fuse with both Miles and their son.

Jordan stooped down and pulled Timmy into her arms and stroked his back. “It’s okay, Timmy. Everything’s going to be fine, I promise.”

Her gaze met his, and Miles felt sucker punched at the raw sensitivity in her eyes. Knowing she’d lost her brother somehow made him look at her differently. She wasn’t just a shrink; she was someone who’d experienced grief firsthand.

And judging from the way her voice had warbled when she’d confided about her brother, she had her own guilt to deal with.

He’d been hasty in telling her to stay away from Timmy. Obviously Timmy needed her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, both to her and his son. He moved closer to Timmy and knelt beside him. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice.”

Timmy loosened his arms around Jordan and looked up at him, his big eyes swimming with anguish.

“Why don’t you walk Timmy to dinner and stay with him while I go look for those bullet casings?”

Jordan frowned and patted Timmy one more time. “It might be faster if I went with you. Then I can show you exactly where we were.”

She was right.

“Okay, let’s both walk Timmy to the dining hall. He can stay with Brody.”

“Timmy’s group is going to tell stories around the campfire after dinner,” Jordan said.

He gave a quick nod. He would make sure one of the security guards was there to protect them.

He stepped aside, phoned Haddock and asked him and Wes Lee to meet him at the dining hall. When he relayed the latest events, Lee agreed to watch over the group while Haddock saddled horses for them to ride out for the search.

He and Jordan settled Timmy with Carlos and his group. Timmy looked wary, but Miles assured him he would be back, then he and Jordan headed over to meet Haddock.

“How many shots were fired?” Haddock asked Jordan.

Jordan rubbed her temple in thought. “Three, four, maybe. It happened so quickly that it spooked Smoky and he threw Timmy. Then I grabbed Timmy and we rode back.”

“I brought flashlights,” Haddock said, then handed one to each of them. Miles checked his gun as he climbed on his horse, and they followed Jordan as she led them toward the creek.

Admiration for Jordan mounted in his chest. She had saved his little boy. And now she was trying to help with the case. He tried to ignore the way the wind tossed her silky blond hair in disarray around her shoulders, his body reacting in spite of his better sense. Jordan was sexy and smart and caring...and the confident way she rode in the saddle coupled with the way her butt looked in those tight jeans stirred his blood.

Something that hadn’t happened in a long damn time.

Then she slowed her horse to a walk and began to point out where she and Timmy had been when the shots rang out, and Miles forgot about her sex appeal as he began to comb the area for the bullets meant to kill his son.

Haddock and Miles both shined flashlights across the ground as they rode the area, then Jordan slowed her horse, climbed down, tied Winnie to a tree and began to search herself.

“Exactly where were you two when the shots were fired?” Miles asked.