Page 44 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

“I should hear from Joe anytime now,” Steve said. “He was going to go check on the Sheltons and then get back with me. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.”

“Thanks, Steve. I’m just anxious to get a lead on something—anything—that’ll get us heading in the right direction, you know?” Colt said.

“I know. The FBI will be here by lunchtime, and I hope to have some kind of news from them. I’ll give you a call.”

Colt hung up and looked at Taylor, who sat next to him on the couch. “Nothing yet, sorry.” He had his arm around her shoulders, and he gave her a squeeze. “We’ll go down there later this morning and see what’s up.”

She nodded and leaned her head against him. She seemed as exhausted as he’d ever seen her. His stomach clenched, and he kissed her temple. “Let’s see what we can scare up for breakfast.”

When they walked into the kitchen, Shannon was already putting bacon on to fry. With a smile she said, “I’m cooking because that’s what I do when I’m at the end of my rope. Sit down and take a load off. One big country breakfast is coming up.”

“Aunt Shannon, you don’t have to do that. I’m not that hungry anyway,” Taylor said.

Colt said, “You need to eat something, honey. JJ needs you to keep your strength up.”

She sighed and sat down at the table. “You’re right, of course.” She rubbed her palm across her forehead and winced when she touched her wound. “I’d like to kill that bastard who hit me. I’ve got the headache from hell right now.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of Gantry when the time comes. That bastard won’t get away with it.”

Colt sat down, too, and after a moment, said, “What was it that Jeb said? Something like they were going where no one would ever find them or no one would ever think to look? Something like that, right?”

“Yeah, he did. I’d forgotten about that,” Taylor said. She looked thoughtful for several moments, and then she met Colt’s gaze. “I just remembered something that Abe told me. He said that he’d been raised in Kentucky, up in the mountains. Do you suppose that that’s where Jeb is headed?”

“Damn, it sure might be. Let me call Steve.” A moment later, he had the sheriff back on the phone and explained what Taylor had remembered.

“I’ll call Joe right now and see what he can dig up about this. It’s a good tip, Colt. You tell Taylor that, okay?”

The excitement carried them through breakfast and later into the morning, when Colt got another call from Steve.

“I just heard from Joe up in Motley County. He went out to where those Sheltons live, and every one of them is gone.Poof.Just disappeared. The women, all of them,” Steve said. “But Joe’s looking for an old girlfriend of Jared’s who he thinks may have some information that we can use. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Thanks, Steve. We’ll see you in a little while.”

Taylor had continued to pump her breasts, and she did so again before they left for Guthrie and the sheriff’s office.

When they arrived, an excited Steve pulled them into his office. “I have news. Joe called after he talked to the girlfriend. He found out that Jeb and Abe grew up in Cumberland, Kentucky. So now we have a place to start.”

Colt’s pulse began to race, and he slipped his arm around Taylor’s shoulders. “That’s great news, Steve. What’s the next step?”

“I’ve notified the FBI—who, by the way, should be here any minute. They’ll contact Cumberland law enforcement and get the ball rolling over there.”

Colt gripped Taylor tighter. Finally, things were going in their favor. “What about the van? Can you put word out along the appropriate highways for law enforcement to be on the lookout?”

Steve clapped him on the back. “Already taken care of, don’t worry. We’re on top of this.”

“Oh, thank God,” Taylor said quietly. “Maybe this will all be over soon.”

Colt kissed her temple, excited now, hope flushing him with a new energy. “It’s got to be, honey. We’re on the right track now.”

Two FBI agents arrived and met with Steve in his office. Colt and Taylor waited anxiously in chairs in the lobby.

Finally, they came out, and Steve introduced the two men as Agent Evans and Agent Tolbert.

The sheriff led them to the conference room, where he left Colt and Taylor in the company of the two agents.

Agent Evans said, “Please sit down, Colt. I’d like to go over what happened with you.” Then he glanced at Taylor. “Agent Tolbert will take you, Taylor, to the sheriff’s office to debrief.”

She bit her lip as if hesitant to leave Colt, but nodded her acquiescence.

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