happen when they wake.” Ryan shook his head.
Holden nodded in full agreement and took another look around the room.
“She had to go back to the hospital,” Lily said.
He glanced at her sharply. “Who?”
Lily just scowled at him. “You know perfectly well who. Lucinda Brightwater.”
“Oh. Her.” Holden averted his eyes. He disliked Lily’s opinion of him, though he did
nothing to discourage it. She seemed to agree with his own conclusion that he was
too much like his old man to be trusted. Especially with nice girls…like Lucy.
“Has the sheriff learned anything new?” Ryan asked.
“No, not yet.” Holden looked at his cousin Matthew as he began to stir. “It’s still
so soon. Look, something’s going to turn up.”
Matthew’s eyes opened. He looked around, disoriented, blinking. Then he closed his
eyes tight again. “Oh, God, Bryan…”
“It’s all right, Matthew.” Lily rushed to the bedside.
“It’s not all right. God, my son—” Matthew sat up in the bed, his head in his hands.
Holden went to him. Moving Lily gently aside, he took Matthew by the shoulders. “Listen
up, cousin.”
When Matthew didn’t respond, Holden gave him a shake. Lily started to protest but
Ryan held up a hand and she went still. “Dammit, Matthew, listen to me. You have to
pull yourself together. Look around here. Look at your wife, for God’s sake.”
Matthew looked sideways at Claudia. She lay curled in the fetal position, her eyes
moving rapidly beneath lightly closed lids, her hair mussed, her breathing uneven
and jerky.
“She’s gonna need you, Matthew. She’s gonna need you solid and strong. This thing
could take some time, and it’s gonna be rough on her. You go falling apart, and she’ll
never get through it, you understand me?”
Matthew lifted his head slowly, eyeing Holden. “Yeah. I understand.”
“No more smashing glass or swinging shotguns around like a lunatic, then.”
Matthew nodded. “What the hell do you suggest I do instead?”
“Wait,” Holden said. “Your father has Watermanand Grayhawk turning over every rock. The FBI is going to be getting involved, as
well. There’s not a damn thing any of us can do beyond what’s already being done.
At least not until the kidnappers make contact again to set up an exchange.”
Matthew looked toward his father. Ryan nodded. “He’s right, son. I know it’s hard
to take, but Holden is absolutely right.”
Finally, with a sigh, Matthew nodded. “Jeez, I’m dizzy. What the hell did Lucinda
give me?”
“She didn’t say,” Holden told him. “I’ll ask her when I see her.”
Matthew’s brows went up. “You’re seeing her?”
“You got a problem with that, cousin?”
Matthew shook his head. “If she’s smart, she’ll get as far away from the Fortunes
as she can. You included.”
“Well, let’s hope she’s not quite as smart as she seems, then.” Holden turned to Ryan.
“Is there anything more I can do here?”
Ryan shook his head. “You’ve been a great deal of help today, Holden. Sometimes…sometimes
I think you take after your mother far more than you do your father. And when you
do, I’m glad of it.”
“I’ll drive Mother home, then.”
“I think she plans to say here tonight,” Lily said.
“Fine. If you need me, call the house. If I’m out, leave a message. I’ll check in
often.”
Ryan nodded, and Holden left.
Getting into his car, he pulled out of the drive, and headed straight into Red Rock.
Red Rock General Hospital was only a few minutes away, and that was where he was bound.
Because until he followed thisinsane idea that he’d come up with earlier to its conclusion…it wasn’t going to leave
him alone.
Lucinda was running, the newborn cradled in her arms. The tiny bit of a thing fit
in the palms of her hands easily. Three pounds, two ounces. The nurses were running
beside her, the baby’s father bringing up the rear. There had
Holden nodded in full agreement and took another look around the room.
“She had to go back to the hospital,” Lily said.
He glanced at her sharply. “Who?”
Lily just scowled at him. “You know perfectly well who. Lucinda Brightwater.”
“Oh. Her.” Holden averted his eyes. He disliked Lily’s opinion of him, though he did
nothing to discourage it. She seemed to agree with his own conclusion that he was
too much like his old man to be trusted. Especially with nice girls…like Lucy.
“Has the sheriff learned anything new?” Ryan asked.
“No, not yet.” Holden looked at his cousin Matthew as he began to stir. “It’s still
so soon. Look, something’s going to turn up.”
Matthew’s eyes opened. He looked around, disoriented, blinking. Then he closed his
eyes tight again. “Oh, God, Bryan…”
“It’s all right, Matthew.” Lily rushed to the bedside.
“It’s not all right. God, my son—” Matthew sat up in the bed, his head in his hands.
Holden went to him. Moving Lily gently aside, he took Matthew by the shoulders. “Listen
up, cousin.”
When Matthew didn’t respond, Holden gave him a shake. Lily started to protest but
Ryan held up a hand and she went still. “Dammit, Matthew, listen to me. You have to
pull yourself together. Look around here. Look at your wife, for God’s sake.”
Matthew looked sideways at Claudia. She lay curled in the fetal position, her eyes
moving rapidly beneath lightly closed lids, her hair mussed, her breathing uneven
and jerky.
“She’s gonna need you, Matthew. She’s gonna need you solid and strong. This thing
could take some time, and it’s gonna be rough on her. You go falling apart, and she’ll
never get through it, you understand me?”
Matthew lifted his head slowly, eyeing Holden. “Yeah. I understand.”
“No more smashing glass or swinging shotguns around like a lunatic, then.”
Matthew nodded. “What the hell do you suggest I do instead?”
“Wait,” Holden said. “Your father has Watermanand Grayhawk turning over every rock. The FBI is going to be getting involved, as
well. There’s not a damn thing any of us can do beyond what’s already being done.
At least not until the kidnappers make contact again to set up an exchange.”
Matthew looked toward his father. Ryan nodded. “He’s right, son. I know it’s hard
to take, but Holden is absolutely right.”
Finally, with a sigh, Matthew nodded. “Jeez, I’m dizzy. What the hell did Lucinda
give me?”
“She didn’t say,” Holden told him. “I’ll ask her when I see her.”
Matthew’s brows went up. “You’re seeing her?”
“You got a problem with that, cousin?”
Matthew shook his head. “If she’s smart, she’ll get as far away from the Fortunes
as she can. You included.”
“Well, let’s hope she’s not quite as smart as she seems, then.” Holden turned to Ryan.
“Is there anything more I can do here?”
Ryan shook his head. “You’ve been a great deal of help today, Holden. Sometimes…sometimes
I think you take after your mother far more than you do your father. And when you
do, I’m glad of it.”
“I’ll drive Mother home, then.”
“I think she plans to say here tonight,” Lily said.
“Fine. If you need me, call the house. If I’m out, leave a message. I’ll check in
often.”
Ryan nodded, and Holden left.
Getting into his car, he pulled out of the drive, and headed straight into Red Rock.
Red Rock General Hospital was only a few minutes away, and that was where he was bound.
Because until he followed thisinsane idea that he’d come up with earlier to its conclusion…it wasn’t going to leave
him alone.
Lucinda was running, the newborn cradled in her arms. The tiny bit of a thing fit
in the palms of her hands easily. Three pounds, two ounces. The nurses were running
beside her, the baby’s father bringing up the rear. There had
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