Branded by the Sheriff

Faith shook her head. “My mother disowned Darin four years ago. He can’t inherit anything.”

“Does your brother know that?”

“Darin knows.” There was a lot emotion and old baggage that came with the admission. The disinheritance had probably sparked a memorable family blowup. Beck would take her word for it that Darin had known he couldn’t benefit financially from the murders.

“That leaves Nolan,” Beck continued. “While you were on the phone, I did some checking. Your sister, Sherry, lived with Nolan for years, long enough for them to have a common-law marriage. And even though they hadn’t cohabited in the eighteen months prior to her death, they never divorced. That means he’d legally be your mother’s next of kin…if you and your daughter were out of the way.”

Her eyes widened, and her arms uncrossed and dropped to her sides. “You think Nolan would kill me to inherit that rundown house?”

“Not just the house. It comes with three acres of land and any other assets your mother left. She only specified in her will that her belongings would go to her next of kin, with the exclusion of Darin.”

“The land, the house and the furniture are worth a hundred thousand, tops,” she pointed out.

“People have killed for a lot less. That’s why I alerted every law-enforcement agency to pick up Nolan the moment he’s spotted. I want him in custody so I can question him.”

That caused her to chew on her bottom lip, and Beck wondered if she was ready to change her mind about staying in town. “I have to draw up my will ASAP. I can write it so that Nolan can’t inherit a penny. And then I need to let him know that. That’ll stop any attempts to kill me.”

Maybe.

Unless there was a different reason for the murders.

The front door opened, and just like that, Faith raced out of his office and into the reception area. Corey was at the desk, by the dispatch phone, and Faith practically flew right past him to get to the three people who’d just stepped inside.

A Texas Ranger and a sixtysomething-year-old Hispanic woman carrying a baby in pink corduroy overalls and a long-sleeved lacy white shirt. Aubrey.

Faith pulled the little girl into her arms and gave her a tight hug. Aubrey giggled and bounced, the movement causing her mop of brunette hair to bounce as well.

Beck hadn’t really known what to expect when it came to Faith’s daughter, but he’d at least thought the child would be sleeping at this time of night. She wasn’t. She was alert, smiling, and her brown eyes were the happiest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Sgt. Egan Caldwell,” the Ranger introduced himself first to Beck and then to Faith.

“Sheriff Beck Tanner.”

“Marita Dodd,” the nanny supplied. Unlike the little girl, this woman’s dark eyes showed stress, concern and even some fear. She was petite, barely five feet tall, and a hundred pounds, tops, but even with her demure size and sugar-white hair, she had an air of authority about her. “Aubrey’s obviously got her second wind. Unlike the rest of us.”

“Ms. Matthews,” the Ranger said to Faith. “Could I have word with you?” He didn’t add the word alone, but his tone certainly implied it.

“Of course.” After another kiss on the cheek, Faith passed the child back to the nanny, and she and Sgt. Caldwell went to the other side of the reception area to have a whispered conversation.

Beck watched Faith’s expression to see if she was about to get bad news, but if her brother had been caught or was dead, then why hadn’t the Ranger told Beck as well? After all, Beck was assisting with the case.

“I really have to go the ladies’ room,” Marita Dodd said. That brought Beck’s attention back to her.

“Down the hall, last room on the right,” Beck instructed.

But Marita didn’t go. She glanced at Aubrey, then at Faith, and finally thrust Aubrey in his direction. “Would you mind holding her a minute?”

Beck was sure his mouth dropped open. But if Marita noticed his stunned response, she didn’t react. Aubrey reacted though. The little girl went right to him. Straight into his arms.

And then she did something else that stunned Beck.

Aubrey grinned and planted a warm, sloppy kiss on his cheek.

That rendered him speechless and cut his breath. Man. That baby kiss and giggle packed a punch. In that flash of a moment, he got it. He understood the whole parent thing and why men wanted to be fathers.

He got it, and he tried to push it aside.

This was the last child on earth to whom he should have an emotional response.

Aubrey babbled something he didn’t understand and cocked her head to the side as if waiting for him to reply. She kept those doe eyes on him.

“I don’t know,” Beck finally answered.

That caused her to smile again, and she aimed her tiny fingers at the Ranger vehicle parked just outside the window. “Tar,” she said as if that explained everything.

“Car?” Beck questioned, not sure what he was supposed to say.

“Tar,” she repeated. Then added, “Bye-bye.”

Another smile. Another kiss that left his cheek wet and smelling like baby’s breath. And she wound her plump arms around his neck. The child obviously wasn’t aware that he was a stranger at odds with her mother.

Beck was having a hard time remembering that, too.

Well, he was until he heard Faith storming his way. Her footsteps slapped against the hardwood floor. “Aubrey,” she said, taking the child from his arms.

While Beck understood Faith’s displeasure at having him hold her baby, Aubrey showed some displeasure, too.

“No, no, no,” Aubrey protested and reached for Beck again. She waggled her fingers at him, a gesture that Beck thought might mean “come here.”

“This won’t take but another minute,” the Ranger interjected. He obviously wasn’t finished talking to Faith.

Faith huffed. Aubrey continued to struggle to get back to Beck, and she clamped her small but persistent hand onto the front of his shirt. They were still in the middle of the little battle when the phone rang. The deputy, Corey, answered it, but immediately passed the phone to Beck.

“It’s your brother,” Corey announced.

Great. This was not a conversation Beck wanted to have tonight.

Faith practically snapped to attention, and despite Aubrey’s protest, she carried the child back across the room and resumed her conversation with the Ranger.

“Pete,” Beck greeted his brother. “What can I do for you?”

“You can tell me if what I heard is true,” Pete stated. “Is Faith Matthews back in town?”

Because he was going to need it, Beck took a deep breath. “She’s here.”

With that, Faith angled her eyes in his direction. Hearing his brother’s voice and seeing Faith was a much-needed reminder of the past.

“Why did she come back?” Pete didn’t ask in anger. There was more dread in his voice than anything else.