Page 61 of The Cowboy's Unlikely Love

When Hamill answered, Colt brought him up to speed, and then said, “I’m taking JJ and hiking back to one of the other cars. I’ll take the woman with me and turn her over to the officers.”

“Thank God the baby’s safe,” Hamill said. “I’ll see you later.”

As Colt was leaving, another deputy came through the trees to help cover the back of the house.

Jen said, “I’m so sorry, mister, I didn’t have no choice. Jeb made me go with him. I took good care of Joshua. I want you to know that. When Jeb started shooting, I just knew I had to get the baby out of there.”

“I’m sorry you got caught up in this, Jen. You were very brave. Thank you for being so good to JJ.” Colt took a moment to examine the baby, who was sucking silently on his pacifier as they made their way through the thick undergrowth. Jen made no attempt to run from Colt, seeming relieved to be away from Jeb and his cousins.

Colt passed the SUV and continued under cover of the trees beside the rutted logging road a short way until he came to the car driven by Sheriff Carl Johnson, who must have arrived shortly after Colt and Hamill. Colt greeted him and then added, “Thanks for sending reinforcements. Jeb and his cousins won’t come out easy.”

The sheriff had his radio in his hand. “I’ve got more deputies on the way, and the rest of the searchers aren’t far off. Don’t worry, those bad boys aren’t going anywhere except jail or hell.” The sheriff laughed and then put his radio to his mouth, checking on the whereabouts of his men.

Colt waited until he’d finished. “I need a ride back to town.”

But before he could say anything else, the sheriff listened to his radio again and then said, “Copy that.” He turned to Colt. “The ambulance will be here momentarily to take you and the baby to the hospital.”

Relief flooded Colt, and he kissed JJ’s cheek. The baby looked at him with his large eyes, and Colt could swear that the boy knew him. He cupped JJ’s head in his palm. The baby’s hair was so incredibly soft. “You remember me, don’t you, sweetheart? Yes, it’s Colt, and I love you,” he murmured.

JJ flailed his little hand and made soft, happy baby noises.

The sheriff put Jen in the back seat of his car. Colt had talked him out of handcuffing her first.

The ambulance appeared at a bend in the logging road, lurching wildly in the deep ruts. Colt nodded at the sheriff and headed in that direction.

Moments later, as the paramedics examined JJ, Colt called Taylor and told her everything that had happened and that JJ appeared fine. “Can you get a ride to the hospital, honey?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be there,” she said. “I can’t wait to hold him!”

His heart thrilled at the sound of her voice. He couldn’t wait to hold her, the woman of his dreams.

Chapter Sixteen

Colt pulled up in frontof their room at the hotel. Taylor jumped out and flung open the back door, climbing inside and unbuckling JJ from his car seat. She’d been insistent at the hospital that she hold JJ for his examinations, as if she worried that he would disappear again if she let him go.

The ER doctor had pronounced him healthy and well, and the relief Colt had felt had made him slightly dizzy. Everything had turned out perfectly, better than he could ever have hoped.

---