Page 12 of Ranger Honor

Gavin bent at the waist so he was eye-level with the little boy. “Nice to meet you, Jacob. My name is Gavin Sterling. To answer your questions, no, I’m not a cowboy. I’m a law enforcement officer. A Texas Ranger to be exact.” He pointed to the badge on his chest. “I’m working with your mom. Dogs are great. I don’t have one now, because I travel too much, but my favorite type is a yellow Labrador. Let me show you.”

He pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen before turning it toward Jacob. The image of a Labrador puppy filled the screen. Jacob studied it. “I like those kinds of dogs too. What would you name him?”

Gavin’s grin widened. “I haven’t given it much thought. Any suggestions?”

Jacob tilted his head. “Lucky is a good name. That’s what I would call your dog.”

The two continued talking about a variety of subjects, from animals to building blocks. After dinner, Gavin helped Jacob with his Lego city. He was a natural with the little boy. It only reinforced Claire’s initial impression of Gavin. Kind, steadfast, considerate. It also made her curious. Where had he learned how to interact with children? Bending over to look Jacob in the eye and speaking to him with smaller words wasn’t natural for people who hadn’t been around kids before.

Gavin mentioned over dinner that his dad died when he was two. He’d been raised by his mom. She remarried five years ago and lived in West Texas. Maybe Gavin had a lot of cousins?

The musing stuck with her as Claire and Gavin bid her parents good night before stepping into the freezing night air. Jacob was tired. Claire lifted the little boy into her arms and he nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder. His nose was cold against her neck.

In the distance, the lake shimmered in the moonlight. The boathouse was little more than a hulking shadow, but the walkway leading to Claire’s house on the property was well lit. Gavin’s gaze swept the area. Watching. Protecting. It didn’t escape Claire’s notice that he kept close by her side, in case of danger. It was comforting. Especially since carrying Jacob meant she couldn’t reach for her gun.

The chances of the killer coming after her again…it didn’t seem likely. Still, Claire was smart enough to accept Gavin’s protection. Pride had no place when it came to keeping Jacob or her family safe. She kept pace beside Gavin. “I hope Jacob’s questions didn’t bug you. He can be something of a chatterbox.”

“Not at all. I love kids.” Gavin glanced at her. A blush tinged his cheeks. “I used to babysit to earn extra money. My mom worked two jobs just to keep a roof over our heads. Every little bit helped.”

Another thing they had in common. Claire’s family was doing okay now, but it took many years of hard work and determination to get their business off the ground. “We couldn’t afford staff when I was younger. I used to clean the cabins for my parents during the summer. There’s nothing wrong with helping your family. It teaches teamwork and responsibility.”

They reached Claire’s stoop. She set Jacob down and he started wriggling. “I have to use the potty, Mommy. Real bad.”

Oh, no. He sometimes forgot to use the bathroom while playing until it became an emergency. Claire fumbled for the keys on her belt. “Give me one second to open the door.”

“Hurry.” He jumped from one foot to the other. His curly hair bounced with the force of his movements.

She undid the lock, and the door swung open. Jacob bolted past her to the bathroom. Claire automatically moved to turn off the security alarm. It took her a moment to realize something was wrong. She paused, ice flooding her veins.

The panel read Unarmed.

“What is it?” Gavin asked, pushing his way into the house. His hand was already on the holster of his weapon.

She didn’t have a second to answer him. Claire spun. “Jacob!”

The sound of a gunshot blasted through the house.

Six

Anger pulsed through Gavin’s veins as he surveyed the handgun rigged in the bathroom. It’d been designed to shoot Claire, but had fired when Jacob opened the door. A bullet hole was buried in the wall about five feet from the ground. It’d sailed right over the little boy’s head. He’d been scared but unharmed, thank God. Still, the echo of Claire’s voice screaming Jacob’s name, followed by the sound of the gunshot, would haunt Gavin’s dreams for the rest of his life.

Texas Ranger Ryker Montgomery placed his hands on his hips. His button-down shirt was wrinkled from driving across several counties, as were his slacks, but there was no fatigue in his posture, despite the late hour. Ryker’s expression was grim. “How did the intruder gain entry to the house?”

“He broke a window pane on the back door and flipped the latch. Claire has a home security system, but it’s an older model. She set it when she left in the morning. It wasn’t armed when we entered the house.”

Ryker grunted. “Either the intruder knew the code or he had a device that disabled the alarm system.”

“My guess is the latter. The only people with the security code are Claire and her parents. They change it every month.”

Once again, the attack had been well-planned and coordinated. It was frustrating. No, it was infuriating. The killer was running circles around them. Gavin gestured to the handgun. “This could be the same weapon used to kill Faye. We need to compare the bullets.”

“I’ll put a rush on it. You think Xavier Whitlock is behind this?”

“It’s possible. He wasn’t happy about answering our questions, and I think his wife knows more than she’s saying about her daughter’s disappearance, but that doesn’t make Xavier a killer.” Gavin ground his teeth together, fighting back a fresh wave of fury. “One thing is certain, however. Someone wants Claire dead. And the killer isn’t concerned about who may get hurt in the process. He fired on us at the bakery this morning and now this…”

Awful images played like a horror movie in Gavin’s head. What if Claire had walked into the bathroom? What if the gun had been pointed lower when Jacob opened the door? It would’ve been a tragedy. Either of them could’ve been seriously hurt or killed.

He took a deep breath to calm his runaway thoughts, but it didn’t alleviate tension coiling his muscles. “We have to find this guy, Ryker. He isn’t going to stop.”

---