Chapter 30
The need for action, to take back what had been stolen and set right what had been broken burned through Clayton. For the first time, his mission assisted both himself and his family.
While serving in the military, he’d gone on hundreds of operations that protected his country—and therefore his family. But this was different. This served no one but those he cared about.
Christmas music played, and the Christmas lights on the tree and in the garland were turned on as if his mother wanted to remind him that there was more going on than hunting down a thief.
Clayton stood in the doorway and watched Abby with Brice and Caleb as they sat before the giant Christmas tree in the living room.
Over the last week, more presents had been put under the tree.
Clayton knew his mother had bought things for the Harpers, and he whole-heartedly approved.
Since Brice relayed his story, the teen looked as if the weight of the world had been removed from his shoulders. He laughed and smiled with ease now.
When Clayton thought about how close he’d come to losing Abby, his stomach churned viciously. He’d known upon meeting her that she was different than anyone else. The more he got to know her, the more he liked what he learned.
It hadn’t taken him long to fall for her, and to fall hard. He’d wanted her to know that his feelings were growing fast and deep, because he didn’t want her to think she was just a passing fancy. Not when she meant so much more.
He saw a future with Abby. That was special since he hadn’t seen his future in years. With her, he felt as if he’d finally found the other half of his soul.
Without a doubt, he knew he loved Abby. He’d suspected it before the shooting, but it was after he discovered that she’d been hurt that he knew for sure he couldn’t live without her.
It was just a little over a week until Christmas. The holiday had never meant that much to him, but that was before Abby. Now, he couldn’t wait to spend it with her. He wanted to wake up that morning and walk with her downstairs to watch Caleb and Brice open their presents.
He wanted to watch her open her own presents.
“When are you going to tell her?” his father asked as he came up beside him.
Clayton looked at him with a frown.
His dad smiled. “It’s obvious you’re in love with her, son. You should tell her.”
“What if she doesn’t feel the same?” That had been weighing on his mind ever since she’d shut down when he tried to tell her of his feelings after they had made love the first time.
“How will you know if you don’t give her a chance to answer?”
The doorbell rang, interrupting their conversation. Clayton met Abby’s gaze before he opened the door to Danny and two other sheriff’s deputies. When Clayton stepped aside to let them in, Brice was beside him. The teen stood tall with his chin lifted and resolve in his blue eyes.
“I’m glad you finally came around,” Danny said to Brice as he and the others filed in.
Clayton closed the door and started toward the office when he saw Abby standing in the foyer with Caleb. He walked to her and pulled her against him for a long, slow kiss. Desire heated his blood, making him yearn to take her upstairs to his bed and make love to her all day.
He pulled away and smiled at her before he made his way to his father’s office to begin planning how they would take down Ronnie Baxter.
Clayton closed the office doors behind him and found the three deputies, his father, Brice, and Shane looking at him.
It had only been two hours since Brice told his story, but in that time, Clayton had already done most of the work.
“We should have more men,” Danny said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Ben nodded in agreement. “We will. Shane will take another ten from here.”
“I’m not sure if that’ll be enough,” Danny argued.
Clayton walked to the map of the area that he’d hung on the wall. “It probably won’t be. I’m just not sure who we can trust. I don’t want Baxter tipped off before we get there.”
Danny’s arms dropped to his sides. “Are you telling me that you think there’s someone working with Baxter in the department?”
“Shane placed the call about the stolen cattle, but no one came. It was by sheer accident that you were on that back road and saw what was going on. I’ve not investigated if Ronnie does have someone at the sherrif’s department in his pocket, but right now, I don’t want to chance it.”
A muscle ticked in Danny’s jaw. “Point taken. And before you get started, I have some good news. Nathan Gilroy has been caught in Galveston on a ship headed to Cuba. It seems he had a bit of a gambling problem, and debts he couldn’t pay.”
“So he used our money to pay off the debts?” Ben asked.
Danny shook his head. “No, Nathan just wanted to get out.”
“And the money?” Clayton asked.
The deputy shook his head before removing his cowboy hat. “He spent a lot, but I suspect by the time the FBI is through with him, he’ll have given up the bank accounts he’s used.”
“Well,” Ben said as he looked at Clayton. “One problem nearly solved.”
Clayton nodded and then focused on the map.
He pointed out Baxter’s land and the adjacent parcel that they were using to hold the cattle.
“They’re antsy,” Clayton said. “They’re expecting something, so we need to come in undetected.
I’ve already scouted spots where they’ll likely set up guards.
” He circled the sections with a red marker as everyone stared at the map.
“There’s a road on two sides of Baxter’s property, which makes it easy for them to know if someone’s coming. ”
Danny snorted. “Yeah, because the other option is to walk across miles of land in order to reach it.”
“That’s what I did,” Clayton said.
Brice added, “Me, too.”
Abby stood at the window looking out the back of the house to the horses that were being saddled as she thought about Clayton’s kiss. He’d never shown that kind of affection in front of others before, especially not her brothers.
“I like him, you know,” Caleb said.
She looked over her shoulder at her youngest brother and smiled. “I do, too.”
Caleb walked to her side. “It’s not the ranch or this house, although both are amazing. His folks are good people. But really, it’s the way Clayton looks at you.”
“How does he look at me?” she asked, wanting to know.
Needing to know.
Caleb grinned, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “Like you’re a buffet, and he wants to dive in.”
Abby couldn’t help but laugh at her brother’s analogy. “Is that so?”
“Just like you look at him like he’s the gold at the end of a rainbow and you’re expecting it to disappear.”
“Because I am,” she admitted.
Caleb bumped his shoulder into her good one. “Don’t be, sis. Clayton isn’t the leaving kind.”
“It’s not that simple. Sometimes, things happen, and people drift apart.”
“But wouldn’t you rather see where this takes you than to always wonder?”
If Abby thought Justine’s words were wise, then she was bowled over at her fourteen-year-old brother’s wisdom. “Yes.”
“Then stop holding back. You like him. I can see that. Go for it, Abby. Me and Brice will always have your back no matter what.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s scary.”
“I’m sure it is, but you can’t let life continue to pass you by. You’ve done enough for us.”
“It’ll never be enough.”
He wrapped an arm around her. “And that’s why we love you so much.”
“You’re going to make some girl a wonderful husband. Or guy. You know. If you’re into that sort of thing.”
Caleb laughed softly. “I’m all about the girls, sis. It’s the boobs. I love them.”
“Okay, okay,” she hurried to say as she wrinkled her nose. “I get it. You don’t have to say more. And I don’t need to know more.”
“I don’t care if I ever find someone or not. If I do, great. If I don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Just look at Shane.”
Abby lifted her head to look at Caleb. She didn’t share Shane’s story with him, but she would someday. Shane had loved, and loved hard, though he didn’t have his woman with him. Abby prayed the same didn’t happen to Caleb or Brice.
She smiled, wondering what the future held for her brothers. “You’re too young to be thinking about marriage anyway. You’ve got plenty of time.”
“Exactly,” Caleb said with a wink.
The conversation moved on to other things, safe things like school and baseball.
Two hours later, when the rain was nothing more than a fine mist, the men exited the office.
Abby stood from the sofa and walked to the back door and the waiting horses.
Ben stopped beside Justine as they watched the others.
Brice came to her, and Abby saw that the boy she knew was falling away as he became a man right before her eyes. She’d never been more proud of him.
“I’m going to make this right,” Brice said.
She pulled him forward to kiss his cheek. “Be safe and come home to us.”
“I will. Love you, Abby.”
“Love you, too,” she replied.
Caleb walked out with Brice. When Abby looked past Clayton, his parents had disappeared. Leaving them alone.
“The same goes for you,” she told Clayton as she closed the distance between them. “I need you to be safe and come home.”
He tenderly touched her face before his lips were on hers.
There was no denying the depth of emotion that he poured into the kiss.
It curled her toes and made her knees weak.
She forgot all about the pain of her wound as she clung to him with her right arm.
His hand cupped the back of her head while his other splayed on her back.
Abby bit back a groan when he ended the kiss. Then his pale green eyes gazed at her as if memorizing her face.
“I’ll always come back to you,” he said. “Always.”
She was so shocked at his words that she couldn’t form a reply.
Then he stepped back and pivoted, walking out of the house to the others.
Her gaze was riveted on him as he swung up onto the bay gelding.
He, Brice, Shane, one of the deputies, and ten ranch hands rode out.
And she didn’t miss the rifle strapped to Clayton’s saddle.
Caleb came back into the house, looking longingly at the group. “Mr. Ben and I will be guarding the ranch,” Caleb stated.
“Where are Danny and the other deputy?” she asked.
“They’re going a different route in their cars.”
Abby returned her gaze to Clayton. She stared at him and Brice until they were no longer visible. Everything should go smoothly. Then again, Clayton was going after the men who had shot her.
“Don’t worry,” Caleb said. “Clayton will take care of everything.”
But at what cost? “Yeah.”
“He was a SEAL,” Caleb stated.
“I know.”
He rolled his eyes. “A SEAL, Abby. Do you know what kind of shit they can do?”
“Watch your language. And, yes. Well, sort of.”
His eyes went wide. “They are badasses. Like true badasses. I wish I could see him in action.”
“I don’t. It’s bad enough that Brice is in the thick of it.”
Caleb glanced out the window. “Clayton won’t let anything happen to him. He promised me and Brice that he’d always look out for us.”
“When did he say that?”
“Yesterday after he brought you home from the hospital. I believe him, Abby. Like I said, he’s not the leaving kind.”
No, she was beginning to think that Clayton was the forever kind.