A Bride By Summer: The Texas Ranger's Bride / From Best Friend to Bride / Once Upon a Bride

“Let me see.” Olivia grabbed Kellie’s left hand, then whistled. “Gorgeous.” She looked up. “I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Oh, how wonderful. Congratulations!” She hugged her again. “Come on down to my office. I’m dying to know what brings you two here. If you’re on your honeymoon, I can’t figure out how come I’m lucky enough to deserve a visit.”

Cy cupped Kellie’s elbow and squeezed it as they followed Olivia down the hall.

“Come on in and sit down. Do you two want coffee or soda?”

“Nothing, Olivia. We ate before coming here, but thank you. There’s a specific reason why we’re here. I’ll let Cy explain. My husband is a Texas Ranger working on a case that involves me.”

After a five-minute explanation, there were no more smiles coming from Olivia. He showed her a paper that included both mug shots. “These men are identical twins. Do you recognize either of them?”

“No. I’ve never seen them.”

“Do me a favor and show this to everyone who works here. If they’ve seen them, phone me immediately.” He wrote his work number on the paper. “If one of these men had come around here, it could have been as far back as a year ago.”

“I’ll do it today.” She looked at Kellie. “You poor thing. I’m ill over what you’ve just told me. Let me get into the records on the computer. I always update the information on a file when rodeo results come in. I’ve been here eighteen months. If I added your cell phone, I don’t remember doing it.”

“Does everyone on the staff have equal access to the files?”

“No. Only certain of us have the password to get into them.” She opened the file.

Kellie wasn’t aware she’d been holding her breath until Olivia looked at them with a pained expression on her face. “Oh no—I did put your number in next to your parents’ number. I remember now. I put it there for me, never dreaming anyone would ever see this file but me.”

“Please don’t worry about it, Olivia.”

“It could be a blessing in disguise.” A somber look had stolen over Cy’s features. “Do you know the company that cleans this building?”

“Yes. It’s called Grayson Janitorial Services.”

“When do they clean?”

“At night after nine.”

Kellie turned to him. “You think the stalker pretended to be a janitorial worker and got into the computer?”

“Maybe. If he’s cyber savvy, it’s a distinct possibility he broke in.” His gaze swerved to Olivia. “We’re going to go there now and talk to the owner.”

“Let me give you the address.” Olivia looked it up on the computer and wrote it down on some scratch paper to give to him.

“Thank you. Before we leave, I need one more piece of information. What company services your computers?”

“It’s Standard Computer Services.”

“We’ll find it. Thank you, Olivia. Your help has been invaluable.”

“I wish I could have helped you more. I pray you catch that stalker. It’s too horrible.”

“Cy is keeping me sane,” Kellie confessed. “Give my best to your husband. We’ll talk soon.” They hugged once more before Cy escorted her out of the room and down the hall to the entrance.

“Good luck!” Janie called out. “I hope you win.”

“Thank you.”

They walked outside and Cy helped her into their rented Buick sedan. Using the Google mapping system, they drove across town to Grayson Janitorial.

Kellie glanced at Cy. “I know Olivia was upset that she’d put my cell number in the database.”

“As I said, if this helps me trace the stalker’s steps, it could uncover valuable information. It’s like putting a puzzle together. Every piece I find forms the picture. If I’m on the wrong trail, we’ll head over to Standard Computer Services. Maybe they sent out a technician to the WPRA who resembles our stalker.”

Once Cy had parked the car, he took her arm and they entered the business. The store was filled with janitorial supplies. He flashed his credentials in front of the man at the counter.

“I need to speak to the owner.”

“Just a minute.” The man made a phone call. “A Texas Ranger is out here needing to talk to you.”

When he hung up, he told them to walk around the counter and through the closed door to the back office. The middle-aged owner got up from his seat behind the desk and shook their hands. Cy wasted no time pulling out another paper and showing it to the owner.

“Have you ever hired either of these men to work for you? It could have been as far back as six months to a year ago. I’m following up a lead on a case. I understand your company cleans the offices of the WPR Association.”

“That’s right.” The other man studied the mug shots before shaking his head. “I’m the only person who hires and assigns the work for my employees. I’ve never seen these men.”

“What if one of your employees took a friend along while he or she worked?”

“That’s against the rules, but I’ll talk to my crews. Can I keep this paper?”

“I want you to. I’ll write my work number on it in case you have information for me. Thank you.”

Cy put an arm around Kellie’s back as they left the office. It felt so natural, she didn’t think about it until they’d reached the car. While he looked up the address for the computer company on his phone, she glanced at the striking man behind the wheel. She wondered if he could be aware of her in the same way she was of him. When she’d introduced him as her husband to Olivia, she’d felt a sense of pride. Because you’re attracted to him, Kellie, and you’re getting too comfortable around him.

He started the car and drove to another part of the city, where he parked in the lot next to the building reserved for Standard Computer Services.

“Cy? If you want, I’ll wait here while you go inside.”

His head turned to her, impaling her with those dark blue eyes. “Until I arrest the stalker, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

The way he said it caused a shiver to run through her body. “I just thought—”

“It’s my job to keep you safe,” he broke in. “I brought you to Colorado to introduce me to Olivia. There’s no way I’d leave you sitting alone in this car.”

Of course he wouldn’t! A killer was after her.

She undid the seat belt and got out of the car before he could come around to help her. For a minute she’d been so concentrated on him and so worried he sensed her attraction to him, she’d said something that had probably made him question her mental capacities. Get a grip, Kellie.

He accompanied her inside the building. When he made inquiries, one of the guys working the counter showed them to the manager’s office. It was like déjà vu. After introductions, Cy asked the manager to search through their work orders for the WPR Association going back a year.

“This will take me a minute.”

“That’s all right. I want you to be thorough.” While they waited, Cy pulled another paper out of his pocket.

“It looks like we’ve sent our technicians out there four different times.”