Page 42 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

Chapter Eleven

Taylor opened her eyes, a blaring pain in her temple making it hard to concentrate. Then it all came flooding back to her. Jeb! He’d taken JJ! She tried to sit up, but Shannon said, “Shh, now, lay back. You took a blow to the head, and you were out for a while. Just take it easy.”

“Take it easy? They have JJ! I can’t take it easy. We have to go after them!” She looked around her, not finding Colt. “Where is he?”

“They ruined the vehicles, so he had to run to his house to call the sheriff. How I wish we had closer neighbors. He’ll be back soon, honey. Now you just rest while you can.”

Taylor heard a loud wail and realized that it came from her. She clenched her teeth and lay back down. She had to stay calm. She had to think. JJ needed her to be strong, and she wouldn’t fail him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she reached up and felt where the pain was coming from. There was a wound and a knot, and it had bled.

“I’ll clean that up for you, honey, you just stay still,” her aunt said as she left her side.

A moment later a warm cloth covered her abrasion and, although it hurt, it also felt good. She let her mind go, thinking of nothing, relaxing until it was time to prepare their plan. She knew she could count on Colt to handle this terrible situation. He would find JJ and bring him back. She had no doubt at all. With this thought came confidence and a feeling of power that had fled the moment Jeb had put the knife to her throat.

Shannon clasped her hand. “We’ll get your baby back, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “I know, Auntie. Colt will do whatever it takes to bring JJ back to me safely.” She knew it with a certainty that calmed her soul. And she could face anything as long as Colt was by her side.

***

Colt rushed into hishouse just as dawn broke over the horizon. His mother was up making a pot of coffee and preparing to fix breakfast for his father. He strode into the kitchen, breathless, as his mother gave him a shocked look. He said, “We were attacked by armed men, Momma, and they’ve taken JJ.”

Her hand flew to her throat. “Oh my God, son, have you called the sheriff?”

“That’s why I’m here.” He told her about the phones and vehicles and then asked her for her cell phone. A moment later, he put in the call to Steve. When the sheriff answered, Colt told him, point by point, exactly what had happened.

“How long ago was this?” the sheriff asked.

“About three and a half hours,” Colt said anxiously. “They’ve got a huge head start, and I have no idea which direction they went.”

“I’ll put out a description of the van right now. I’ll also call in the feds. The FBI has a lot of resources that we don’t have for things like this. It’s too bad that you didn’t get a license plate.”

“I didn’t have the angle, and we were tied up when they left. I wish I could have.” Frustration fueled his anxiety, and he began to pace the room.

“You all come down to the station this afternoon. Get some rest, and then we’ll debrief you. The Feds will want to talk to you when they get here,” Steve said.

“We’ll do that.” Colt ended the call. “Momma, can I borrow your phone for now?”

“Of course, son, you do whatever you need to.”

“I’ll need to borrow your SUV today, too, until I get new tires for my truck.”

She made a shooing motion. “Go on, now. Take my car and go take care of this mess. Get that darling baby back, you hear?”

He gritted his teeth and nodded. “I hear, Momma.”

When he got back to the house, he was overjoyed to see that Taylor was up and around. He gave her a hug and shared what he’d heard from the sheriff. “We’ll need to go down there this afternoon. But first, I’d like to go get tires for my truck and Shannon’s car and new phones for both of us.”

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