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

“What do you want me to do?”

“Get some sleep on the hide-a-bed because I’m going to need you later.” He got up from the table. “I’ll be upstairs catching some sleep myself while I wait for a signal from Kit, who’s heading the crew.”

“Kit’s outside?”

“Yup. TJ wanted the best fresh body to head the stakeout. I told him I wanted Kit. Vic has gone home to get some sleep. After I explain to Kellie what’s happening, I’ll be in the guest bedroom. She’s free to roam around the house, but I don’t want her leaving for her parents’ ranch today. That will have to wait.”

He reached for another tasty biscuit and popped the whole thing into his mouth before taking the stairs two at a time. “Kellie?” Cy knocked on her door.

Before long she opened it. He could see her laptop open, lying on the bed she’d made. She was so beautiful to him, he swallowed hard. When he thought of all the pictures smeared over the walls and ceiling in the other condo, rage for the maniacs who’d been lying in wait for her for almost a year threatened to take over.

“Luckey’s asleep downstairs, but we need to talk. Shall we do it in here or in the guest bedroom?”

“Here is fine. Go ahead and use that chair.” She walked over to the bed and sat on the side. He brought the chair around so they were facing each other. A quick glance around the room with its piles of soft, colorful pillows on the bed and comfortable accents around the room proved to him a very feminine woman lived inside the cowgirl.

Cy leaned forward with his hands clasped between his legs. “We’ve tracked down your stalker to his lair. He’s not there at the moment. As we speak, a crew from the department has his place surrounded. I don’t know how long it will be before he returns. If it extends into days, we’ll deal with it. What you need to know is that you’re safe as long as you stay in this condo.”

She nodded. “I’ll phone Dad and ask him to work the horses.”

“Good. You’re free to move around the condo. I’m going to catch some sleep in the guest bedroom, but I’ll be leaving the door open. If there’s any activity at all, someone will phone me and Luckey, so you’re not to worry about anything. Keep your phone right with you. If the stalker calls, I want you to come and wake me before you answer it. Turn on the speaker and keep him on as long as you can.”

“Okay.” She stirred restlessly. “I-is he close by?” Her voice was full of fear.

What to say that wouldn’t alarm her...? “Yes, but we have everything under control.”

“I know that,” she whispered and got off the bed to walk around. “What if he has a gun?”

“It won’t matter. He’ll be surrounded.”

Her hands formed fists. “But it does matter. Even Texas Rangers with all the protection available have been known to get injured, or worse...”

“That’s not going to happen.”

Her eyes blazed a hot blue. “He’s out to kill you for arresting his brother.”

He got to his feet. “I won’t give him the chance.”

“But if you get shot, it’ll be my fault. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

Cy could have sworn that was her heart talking. When he’d agreed to take her case, he’d felt an attraction that had been growing so deep and fast, he didn’t recognize himself anymore. TJ had warned him about walking that thin line. Unfortunately he’d already crossed it after meeting her in Bandera and would have pursued her, case or no case.

Get out of her room, Ranger Vance.Now.

“I assure you everything’s going to be fine.” He put the chair back by the window and left for the other bedroom.

After putting his gun under the pillow, he took off his cowboy boots and lay down, desperately needing a couple hours of sleep. It seemed as if no sooner had his head touched the pillow than he heard a phone ringing. He glimpsed Kellie’s face through his eyelids and bolted upright.

She answered the phone and turned on the speaker. “Why do you keep calling me?”

“I like to hear the fear in your voice.”

“You like to make people afraid?”

“Why not?”

“That’s sick. You’re sick, sick, sick!” she yelled into the phone. That brought Luckey from downstairs. Both men listened while she got him going. Keep it up, Kellie. Stick it to him where it hurts.

“Does your mother know what kind of person you’ve turned into?”

Bingo.

“What mother? She didn’t want us. We were orphans, but you wouldn’t know anything about it with your rich daddy and mommy. You’re going to pay for not going out with me. But first I’m going to finish off that husband of yours.”

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with!” Kellie’s lethal tone lifted the hairs off Cy’s neck. “Try to hurt him and you’ll wish you’d never been born!”

Luckey flashed Cy a secret smile before a maniacal laugh came through the phone. He muttered several obscenities and clicked off.

Kellie looked at Cy. “Did I keep him on long enough?”

“It was perfect. He’s ready to explode. That’s what I’ve been waiting for. Let’s all go downstairs.” He glanced at his watch. To his shock he’d slept seven hours. It was already five thirty in the evening. After putting on his boots, he reached for his gun and followed them out of the room.

“Would you gentlemen like some iced tea?” She’d already gone into the kitchen.

“We’d love it,” Luckey answered for them because Cy had made a detour to the living room to phone Kit.

“Any sign of him yet?”

“No.”

“He just made another harassing call to Kellie. She pressed his buttons. I think he’s going to make something happen as soon as he returns to the town house.”

“I’ll let you know the minute he shows up. Anything you need and we’re ready.”

“I owe you for this, Kit.”

Cy hung up and walked back in the kitchen. Trust Luckey to get Kellie laughing about something. His friend had a way. “What’s so funny?” He’d trained his eyes on her, unable to look anywhere else.

Before she could answer, Cy’s phone rang. It was Kit. He turned his back to her. “What’s up?”

“The second we got off the phone, a woman with neck-length brown hair pulled into a stall driving a used blue Sentra sedan. She got out wearing a business suit and heels and has just let herself in the condo.”

“We’ve got him!” Cy blurted with elation. It felt as if he’d been waiting forever for this moment. “He’ll be watching from the upstairs window with the rifle. I’ll give him ten minutes before I back out of the garage.”

“We’re on it.”

He clicked off and turned to Luckey, who was drinking a glass of iced tea. Kellie was in the background cooking tacos for dinner. “This is it,” he muttered. “You know what to do.”

“Yup.”