Page 49 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

“Just short of twelve hundred miles. We got a late start today, so I figure we’ll drive until we’re exhausted and stay somewhere for the rest of the night. Then we’ll have breakfast and get into Cumberland early tomorrow evening. What do you think?”

“Can’t we just take turns at the wheel and drive straight through? I just feel like the sooner we get there, the better.”

The anxious look in her eyes twisted his heart. “Honey, getting there completely exhausted won’t do either of us any good. We need to be at our best if we’re going to help JJ. Don’t you agree?”

Her face fell. “You’re right, of course. It’s just that I’m losing my mind worrying about what’s happening to JJ.”

He reached for her hand. “I know you are. I can’t quit thinking about it either. But we’ve got to keep our heads on straight. We can’t react to our stress.” He brought her fingers to his lips. “Just hang in there, okay?”

She nodded. “I will. And thank you, Colt. I know you’ll bring us home safely.”

His pulse picked up speed as his heart began to pound. He wished he had her confidence, but he wouldn’t show her that he had doubts about their success. Jeb and his cousins were extremely dangerous men and unpredictable as hell.

“I’ll find us a place to stay in Cumberland,” Taylor said. He wondered if she just needed to be busy.

After several moments on her phone, she said, “I’ve booked us at the Best Value Inn and reserved the room for seven days.”

Colt raised his brows. He damn sure hoped it didn’t take them seven days to find JJ.

“Where do you think we’ll stop tonight?” Taylor asked. “I could make reservations.”

“It’ll be somewhere on I-40 East, but I’m not sure where. Why don’t we just play it by ear?”

After a while, in a shaking voice, Taylor asked, “Colt, do you think JJ is okay?”

He reached over and patted her shoulder. “Yes, I do. They have a vested interest in JJ being safe and healthy. After all, they want to raise him as one of their own.”

Covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob, she took a deep breath and said, “You’re right. They’ll take good care of him. And he’s such a good baby, he won’t give them any trouble.”

Colt could hear the desperation in her voice and squeezed her shoulder. Part of him was dying inside because there was no way that he could take this burden from her. “He’s the best baby there ever was, and they’ll love him and take care of him until we can find him.” He reached for her hand again and gave it a firm squeeze. “And wewillfind him. I promise you that, Taylor.”

She brought his hand to her cheek. “Colt, somehow I know that you’re going to make everything all right.”

He wanted to laugh at her faith in him, because he had none at this point. “You bet I will, sweetheart,” he said with all the bravado he could muster. Now all he had to do was keep that promise. Damn.

Chapter Thirteen

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