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

Cy hurried upstairs and put on his bulletproof vest. Over it he wore a gray hoodie, and he went back down to the kitchen. “Be sure and save me some dinner.”

Kellie’s eyes look haunted. “You’re leaving now?” He heard the wobble in her voice. “You haven’t even drunk your iced tea.”

“Sorry. I’ve got some business to do, but Luckey will enjoy it. Remember he’s here to protect you. See you soon.”

He opened the kitchen door to the garage and closed it behind him. Once he was in the Subaru SUV, he sat there to synchronize his time to the second with Kit and the crew. He hoped that once he used the remote to open the garage door, the sound would alert the stalker that he was leaving. That was the signal for the crew to move in.

The plan was to back out slowly, giving Dan time to make his best shot.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Up went the garage door. Cy started the engine and let it idle for a minute to draw out the stalker. Then he started backing into the alley. At the point where he turned the car, he braked and shut off the motor. In the split second it took to open the door and roll to the ground, he heard three loud shots fired in succession, shattering the side windows.

Some of the glass grazed his neck and cheek. Moments passed as he stayed down and let the other Rangers do their jobs. Sirens blared as police cars and an ambulance converged in the alley. He got out of the car and saw the street now looked like a war zone. The paramedics ran over to him while he got to his feet and brushed off the bits of glass, but he was waiting for the call from Kit.

When it came, they were the sweetest words he’d ever heard. “Your plan worked perfectly. This stalker was caught in the act. He twisted and screamed while we cuffed him. Now he’s on his way to join his twin.”

Cy drank in gulps of air. “Thank God.”

He couldn’t wait to tell Kellie, but he had to ride in the ambulance first while they tended to his wounds, which were superficial. After he’d been taken to the ER, TJ was there to greet him. While Cy sat on the end of the examining table as the doctor put some small bandages over the cuts on his neck and cheek, the captain’s eyes played over him with grave concern.

“That was a hell of a thing you did out there tonight, offering yourself up as the sacrifice.”

“I was wearing my vest.”

“He could have shot your head off.”

“I ducked. It was all planned out.”

“If you ever try a stunt like that again...”

“You told me this was a high-profile case and you needed it solved ASAP. I just wanted to make sure those two lunatics are put away forever. Trying to take me out added another lifetime sentence to their list of heinous crimes.”

After the doctor left the cubicle, the captain said, “I phoned Ms. Parrish and her parents and told them the siege was over. They’re probably at her condo right now celebrating.”

Cy would have liked to tell her the news himself, but he’d had to follow protocol and get checked over first. “Their relief must be making new people out of them.”

His boss nodded. “Thanks to you she’s free to live her life fully and win that championship in December. Vic got on the phone to the agents back east. Once again the fame of the Four is going out over the networks for catching two of the vilest criminals wanted by the FBI from coast to coast.”

“I’m thinking there may be other murders they’ve committed. With them both in custody, who knows what information we can get out of them. Hopefully, this will lead to solving some cold cases, too.”

TJ flashed him a rare smile. “That’s for the detectives to follow up on. What matters is that it took the Texas Rangers to solve this case. Something tells me we’ll be hearing from the governor soon. Again.” He patted Cy’s shoulder. “You’ve done great work,” he said in a quiet voice. “I’m glad you didn’t become an attorney.”

“Amen,” Cy whispered. Otherwise he would never have met Kellie. “Don’t forget it took the whole team, TJ. But thanks for going along with my unorthodox plan. I believe that was the word you used.”

“You flushed them out with your clever sting in record time. According to your buddies, this marriage seems to have agreed with you. What do you say?”

“The jury is out where that’s concerned.”

He nodded. “Vic’s waiting in the lounge. When you’re ready, he’s going to drive you home. Take the day off tomorrow to recover before you write up all the details of the case. That’s an order.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the captain left, Cy got off the table and reached for his hoodie and vest. He found Vic and they walked out to his friend’s car. “I appreciate the lift home.”

En route to Cy’s house, Vic glanced at him several times. “The captain was right. You’re damn lucky to have walked away from that shooting.”

“If you’re going to tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing, I wouldn’t believe you. After Dan made his last harassing call to Kellie earlier today, I knew I was his next target. Which means the best move was to play it out on my own terms. While he was concentrated on me, the crew closed in, taking him by surprise.”

They grabbed some burgers at a local drive-through, then headed for Vic’s house in South Austin. Cy had chosen to live in a secluded neighborhood hidden away in a wooded area. His rustic lodge-style home with exposed wood appealed to him for several reasons. Besides a loft where he had his office, the open floor plan was dominated by a cathedral ceiling with tons of natural light.

When they reached the entrance, it dawned on him he hadn’t stepped foot in his three-bedroom house for over a week. Normally after being away on a case, home sounded good to him while he relaxed. But tonight he knew something was missing even before he got out of the car. He knew what it was. Kellie wouldn’t be here when he walked inside.

Over the past seven days, they’d spent hours together. When they had to be apart, she’d been constantly on his mind. If it weren’t so late, he’d drive over to her town house right now with the excuse that he wanted to collect anything he’d left while working the case.

But before that, he needed a shower and a shave.

Vic turned to him. “You look like death. Go to bed and we’ll talk in the morning.”

Cy opened the door. “I couldn’t have done this without you. I owe you big-time.”

“I’ll remember that when the captain gives me my next case.”

“Good night, Vic.” He shut the door and went in the house carrying his vest and pullover. Without turning on lights, he climbed the stairs to his bedroom in the loft located across from his office. He plunked his things in the chair and moved over to the bed to pull off his boots.

The moonlight coming through the window caused the gold band on his ring finger to gleam. He needed to remove it before he went into headquarters in the morning. The boss had told him to take the day off. For the first time since joining the Rangers, the thought of nothing to do all day long sounded like a death sentence.

A whole day without Kellie? He wouldn’t know what to do with himself. The captain’s question went round in his head.

According to your buddies, this marriage seems to have agreed with you. What do you say?

Cy threw back his head, afraid to answer it out loud. If he did that, it would be tantamount to a confession that could change his whole life. Especially if Kellie didn’t answer it the same way.

Chapter Eight (#uad94e372-a267-56c2-801d-4b5cb3f10f14)

Ten after midnight. No phone call from Cy. No doorbell ringing.

Kellie’s parents had left her town house at ten thirty. They’d begged her to go home with them, but she’d told them she was exhausted. After the exciting phone call from the captain of the Rangers, who praised Cy’s heroism for leading the team that caught both stalkers, she preferred to go straight to bed. She would drive out to the ranch in the morning.

Luckey had stayed with her until her parents arrived. He’d received a call from one of the other Rangers letting him know Cy had been taken to the hospital but his injuries were minimal.

She didn’t believe that for a minute, and the fact that he hadn’t tried to make contact convinced her something was seriously wrong. She’d heard the shots and learned what had happened from Cy’s superior. But he was trained to gloss over information he didn’t want her to know. Luckey had prevented her from going out in back while it was still a crime scene. She recognized he was only doing his job, but it killed her that she had to wait for information that came in bits and pieces.

That was the part of the exclusive Ranger brotherhood that bothered her. Surely Cy had to know she was anxious to hear his voice and make sure he was all right, even if she couldn’t see him.

Restless and worried, Kellie paced the floor and then sank down on the couch. Cy’s hide-a-bed was still in the living room. He would have to come back to get it, but obviously not tonight.

She glanced down at the rings. He’d be taking those back, too. But she felt as if they’d become a part of her. She would sleep wearing them one last time.