Lone Star Christmas Rescue Read online

  Held against Kay, Kaleb wiggled and whined for a few seconds.

  “No doubt you’re hungry. I’ll need to go into the kitchen to get you a bottle.” She put her finger over her lips. “Shh. We don’t want to wake up Drake.”

  Kaleb yawned and stretched one arm out, then cuddled against Kay.

  “That’s my little man.” She brushed damp, dark strands of Kaleb’s hair from his forehead. His skin felt warmer than usual beneath her fingertips.

  She paused at the entrance into the main room and cupped her palm over his brow. He had a fever. She didn’t have a thermometer, but she thought it might be a few degrees over normal.

  She eased the door open and tiptoed toward the kitchen. Kaleb would need a lot of liquid to keep hydrated, and he hadn’t had any for half a day. As she threw a glance toward the couch and found Drake stretched out sleeping, she held Kaleb upright, his head lying on her shoulder. After quickly fixing a bottle with baby formula and another with water, she put them into the pockets of her sweater and hurried toward the bedroom. The jostling of her faster gait caused her son to whimper. She slowed, patting his head and holding him still. He let out a wail. Kay glanced over her shoulder, and her gaze clashed with Drake’s.

  He sat up, his hair tousled, his forehead crinkled. “Is everything okay?” he asked in a sleepy voice.

  “Yes,” Kay mumbled and disappeared into the bedroom.

  But as she turned to shut the door, Drake’s hand caught it, and he swung it wide. “Did you get enough rest?” He moved inside.

  She tried to ignore his nearness and what it did to her heartbeat. She placed the bottles on the nightstand and sat on the bed to feed Kaleb. “Yes. I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” I’m a big girl, and no doubt I’ve dealt with rejection before. She laid her son across her lap, cradling his head in the crook of her elbow, then picked up the bottle with formula.

  Drake sank onto a chair. “I talked with Brad last night. There was a development I thought you needed to know.”

  “What?” Kay kept her focus on Kaleb. He took the bottle into his mouth and began sucking on it.

  “The guy who attacked you behind the café died from cyanide poisoning.”

  “Who poisoned him?” Kay finally looked at Drake.

  “Cyanide is fast acting. No one was around him at the time of his death. He was kept in a cell by himself. No contact with other prisoners.”

  “Are you saying he had cyanide on him and he killed himself?”

  “Not exactly. I think he took the cyanide willingly, but Brad said he didn’t have it on him when he came to the jail.”

  “So many people have died and we have no idea why.” She frowned. “Because I can’t remember what happened to me.”

  The tension in her body must have been conveyed to Kaleb. He stopped sucking on his bottle and rolled his head away from it. She tried to entice him to drink more. Instead, his eyelids slid closed. Kay checked out how much he’d already had. Only an ounce.

  “He hasn’t had much. He’s getting sick. I don’t have a way to tell, but I believe he has a mild fever. Feel his forehead and see what you think.”

  Drake touched Kaleb. “You’re right. I’d guess maybe a hundred or hundred and one degrees.”

  Kay brushed damp hair away from Kaleb’s forehead. He didn’t move. “He’s asleep again, and I haven’t even changed his diaper. I wish I could remember if he’s been sick before this.”

  “Maybe it’s teething. My sister used to complain about how grumpy her son got when he was getting a tooth.”

  “I guess that’s a possibility, even if I couldn’t feel any coming in. I’ll keep an eye on him. He needs more liquid, but I’ll let him sleep a little longer. That is, if he doesn’t wake up when I change his diaper.”

  “Isn’t there an adage that says never wake a sleeping baby?”

  She shrugged. “Beats me, but if he becomes dehydrated, we’ll have to take him into the hospital or the very least to see a doctor.”

  “And that wouldn’t be safe for y’all.”

  “Stress can affect how healthy a person is, and what Kaleb’s gone through this week certainly has been stressful. I’m going to try to make his life as normal as possible.” Kay laid her son in the middle of the bed, then retrieved what she needed to change his diaper. She’d thought he would wake up, but he didn’t. “Well, I guess I’ll put him back in the playpen with Mr. Teddy, but only for an hour. Then I’ll try giving him some more formula or water.”

  When Kaleb was settled again cuddling next to his stuffed animal, Kay slowly backed out of the room. She needed to tell Drake about her dream and what she remembered about her previous life.

  But when the front door opened and Dallas poked his head into the cabin, saying the El Paso office wanted to talk to Drake, he shrugged into his coat and decided to trade places with his partner ten minutes early.

  As Drake left the cabin and Dallas came inside, Kay took one look at his slumping shoulders and tired eyes and said, “I’m up for the day. Why don’t you use the bed? It’s gotta be more comfortable than the couch. Kaleb is still sleeping, but I’d like to move him out into the main room. Unless you want something to eat first.”

  “Nope. Rest over food. Guard duty is exhausting. Do you want to bring the playpen out here?”

  “Yes.” Kay crossed to the bedroom. “Will you help me?”

  “Sure.”

  “What does El Paso want?” Kay took hold of one end of the playpen while Dallas lifted the other.

  “Just some chatter about the human trafficking case he’s working on. Nothing new on yours. Still no identification of the three dead men.”

  “What if they’re not from the United States? Especially since this area is so close to the southern border.”

  “It takes longer, but we’re checking abroad, too, especially with the Mexican authorities.” After putting the playpen near the couch, Dallas walked toward the bedroom. “Don’t let me oversleep.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Good night.”

  When Dallas left, Kay touched the locket around her neck, opening it and staring at the two photos in it. She had to be Kaleb’s mother or someone very close to him. Suddenly she had a vision of holding Kaleb, tears running down her face, ones that wouldn’t stop. Grief engulfed her, her sobs echoing through her mind. Someone she’d loved had died recently. Who? Her husband?

  She looked at her ring finger as if to reconfirm there was no evidence she’d worn a wedding ring on her tanned left hand. New tears ran down her cheeks. She couldn’t shake the feeling that part of her had died. Her chest constricted, making breathing difficult.

  She didn’t want to remember if it was going to be this painful.

  She stared at Kaleb sleeping, his hair damp. She grazed her fingers over his face. He didn’t feel any hotter. He rooted around, touched Mr. Teddy and snuggled closer to it.

  She couldn’t lose him.

  *

  When Dallas relieved him next, Drake strode toward the cabin, eager to see Kay. He’d hated leaving her earlier. All he could think about while outside was her and Kaleb. He went over every minute of the time they had been together. At first he’d told himself it was because he needed to figure out who was after her, but by the end of his shift, he couldn’t deny his growing feelings for her.

  As he entered the cabin, his gaze immediately found Kay sitting on the couch, giving Kaleb a bottle of baby formula. The sight took his breath away.

  She looked up at him.

  For a moment neither of them moved. Then she dropped her head, breaking their visual connection.

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Sleeping a lot. Drinking a little. I checked his mouth earlier, and he does have a tooth coming in.”

  “Well, then that’s probably why he’s fussy and has a slight fever.” He closed the space between them and sank down on the couch near her. “Is he still sweating?”

  “Yes, that’s why I haven’t put any l
ogs on the fire.” When Kaleb stopped sucking, Kay put the bottle on the end table and held the baby against her shoulder while patting his back. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you earlier about the dream I had. The past hour I’ve been sitting here thinking about it.”

  “What dream?”

  “About the fire I was caught in. I dreamed some more about it and realized why I was there. I’m a firefighter. I was in the house searching for a little girl. I found her and got her outside alive.”

  “Where?”

  She shook her head. “That I don’t know, but knowing what I did for a living might help you find out who I am.”

  “Yes, but now that we know someone is after you, I’m not sure about alerting anyone that you’re alive and here. I’ll call El Paso and have them deal with this as quietly as possible. First, they can check to see if any women firefighters have been reported missing.”

  “If we know who I am, that might help me remember more. I’ve also had this overwhelming feeling of grief.”

  “Someone you cared about died?”

  “Yes, or I feel this way because of the situation I’m in. Not knowing who you are is a kind of death.”

  “Every day you’re remembering bits and pieces. It’ll all come together.” He prayed it did, because something had happened to cause three men to come after her and end up dying in the attempt.

  Kay rose and put a sleeping Kaleb into the playpen. “I need coffee. Do you want some?”

  “I’ll get it.” Drake prepared two mugs and brought them into the living room. “Have you been up the whole time I was outside?”

  “Yes. Can’t stop thinking about what I’m remembering.”

  “About being a firefighter?” Why hadn’t she been reported missing? If she’d taken vacation days over Thanksgiving, she should have been back to work by now. But more important, who was she grieving? Had she witnessed something that led to the sorrow but also the people after her?

  “No. I’ve been trying to recall any additional information about who I am. I get close, then my thoughts shut down. It’s like I’m standing in front of a creepy old house and being taunted to go inside, but every time I take a step closer, a cold wind sweeps over me and I freeze in place.”

  Drake panned the room for something to take her mind off her situation. He spied a stack of board games in a bookcase. “Tell you what. I’m going to call El Paso and get them working on what you’ve told me, then let’s play a game. There’s Monopoly, Clue and Scrabble.” He covered her hand for a few seconds, then stood. “Your choice.”

  Drake shrugged into his coat and headed outside to get the sat phone from Dallas. But there wasn’t a sign of him anywhere. Probably out back.

  Drake circled the cabin. Still no Dallas. The hairs on his nape tingled and goose bumps streaked down his arms.

  The side door to the detached storage shed where they kept their vehicle was ajar. He crept toward the building, his gun raised. As he entered, the door creaked, alerting anyone inside he was coming in.

  Out of the corner of his eye, a movement on the other side of his vehicle caught his attention. He swiveled toward it.

  ELEVEN

  Kay looked out the window over the sink. Fifteen minutes had passed since Drake left. She’d thought he would be back by now. But he wasn’t out front. She refilled their mugs and set them on the end table, then went around the cabin checking out each of the windows.

  Drake and Dallas were gone.

  She rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans. Maybe she’d just missed them as they rounded a side. She hurried and retraced her steps, inspecting outside then pulling the blinds closed. Her heartbeat increased with each sight of vacant landscape.

  She glanced at Kaleb, still sleeping in the playpen, then at the front door. What should she do?

  Lock the door. Find a weapon.

  She quickly did both. Drake had left a gun inside. She grabbed it, recalling the last time she’d held a weapon. She’d wounded a man who had attacked them at the ranch. To protect Kaleb, she would again. But her hand holding the pistol shook.

  The knob on the front door rattled. She kept her gaze fixed on the entrance but sidestepped to perch behind the kitchen counter. Then she lifted the gun, using both hands to steady her aim.

  Sweat beaded her forehead and rolled down her face. She prepared herself for the door to burst open, but instead the sound of a key being inserted into the lock resonated through the air. She began to relax until she realized anyone after her could have taken the key off Drake or Dallas.

  The door slowly opened.

  Kay stiffened.

  “Kay, it’s Drake.”

  Relief nearly sent her to the floor. She grasped the edge of the counter and clung to it to keep herself upright.

  Drake entered and glanced around until he spotted her. “Is something wrong? You locked the door.”

  “When you didn’t come back after fifteen minutes, I got worried. I checked out each window and couldn’t see you or Dallas anywhere. I thought about going outside looking for you, but I was afraid someone had overpowered you two. I locked the door and grabbed your spare gun.” She held it up, then put it down on the counter. She might know how to use it, but she didn’t like holding one—or shooting one.

  Drake shut the door and locked it, as was his protocol every time one of them was outside on guard duty. “I’m sorry. I should have locked it even when I went out briefly. When I couldn’t find Dallas—I searched everywhere. He was in the shed looking out the window that faces away from the cabin toward the nearby hills. He spotted two teenagers, probably no more than fourteen or fifteen, riding dune buggies. But he didn’t know it until they came closer. He called his cousin and discovered that they’re his neighbor’s sons. Thankfully they didn’t stay long.” He grinned. “Then I had to call the office in El Paso.”

  “Any news there?”

  “They have a name of one of the men who attacked us at the ranch. Jose Lopez. The Mexican authorities said he works for the Muerte Cartel in northern Mexico.”

  “The death cartel! I don’t even remember being in Mexico in years.” The second she said the last sentence she realized how ridiculous that statement was.

  “They have ties in the United States. Drugs aren’t the only thing they traffic.”

  Kay made her way to the couch. She needed to sit. “Who runs that cartel?”

  “They are relatively new on the scene but expanding rapidly. They are relentless and merciless. They have a lot of money behind them. Not as much is known about them as some of the other cartels. There’s a public face to it but also a private one. Diego Redondo is the public face. He lives in Juárez.”

  The name Diego Redondo meant nothing to her. How might she have angered him? “But you think someone else really runs it?”

  “Yes. When we don’t know everyone involved at the top, it makes it more difficult to bring the organization down.” Finally, Drake took a seat next to her. “On a good note, I think the information you gave me will help the El Paso office track you down—quietly. I stressed that.”

  “Obviously, the wrong people already know the area I’m in. I just wish I knew why they’re after me. I’m not a drug user or I would have been a basket case by now. I don’t care if I can’t remember a lot of my past. I wouldn’t be a dealer. My father died from a drug reaction when he was in the hosp…” Her eyes widened.

  The corners of his mouth tilted upward. “If we talk enough, no telling what you’ll recall.”

  She searched her mind for memories to support her statement. She found snippets of her childhood that confirmed its truth—visiting an older man hooked up to monitors in the hospital, hugging her mother while she sobbed at a funeral, flipping out when she discovered her boyfriend in high school taking a prescription drug he got from a classmate. “I’m glad I’m remembering parts of my life, but what I need to know is what happened to me these past couple of weeks. Why did I end up in Big Bend with Kaleb?” She turned toward
Drake and sat cross-legged on the couch so she could face him. “I’ve learned a few things so far about myself. I’m impatient, or at least with this I am.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll tell you a secret. I would be, too. Most people who have amnesia aren’t running for their life.” He took her hand, cupping it between both of his. “I’m impressed at how well you’re holding up.”

  She became lost in the bright blue of his eyes. It reminded her of a time as a teenager when she’d swum in a beautiful blue mountain lake. She could fall in love with this guy so easily. But all of what was happening to her seemed surreal. No relationship should be built on shaky ground, and after hearing about the Muerte Cartel, she didn’t know that she would walk away from this situation.

  “You’re tensing.” He clasped her other hand and bowed his head. “Lord, we need Your protection. Show us what to do.”

  “Please keep us safe and help us to get to the bottom of what’s going on,” Kay added.

  Drake’s stomach rumbled.

  Kay looked at him and laughed. “I think someone in this room is hungry.” She slipped her hands from his grasp and rose. “The least I can do is fix you something to eat. Another thing I’m discovering is I know my way around the kitchen. Eggs or oatmeal?”

  “I’ll take both. I’ve worked up quite an appetite. That’s what fear can do for you—at least for me.”

  “You, afraid?” He always seemed confident and in control.

  “Sure. That’s what helps me stay alive.”

  “Good to know. I’ve certainly had my share of fear lately.” Kay smiled at him as she stepped into the kitchen. “I’ll see what I can whip up for you with our limited supplies.”

  Drake pushed to his feet. “I’m going to wash up.”

  Instead of heading for the one bathroom in the cabin, he stopped next to the playpen and leaned over to brush his fingertips along the curve of Kaleb’s face. “His skin is moist and cool.”

  She imagined the soft feel of his touch along her face. The thought sent a shiver through her body. She quickly turned her effort to making breakfast before the morning slipped into afternoon.

  *