Page 2

TWO

Not his case. Not his problem. And yet, here he was.

Texas Ranger Daniel Perez settled his tan cowboy hat on his head.

The church parking lot teemed with official vehicles from the Silver Creek Police Department and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department.

Townsfolk lined the west side of the parking lot, held back by deputies and yellow crime scene tape.

A familiar voice hollered his name. He turned to find his mother waving from the corner of the parking lot.

She stood surrounded by a gaggle of silver-haired ladies, all of whom he’d known his whole life.

One of the many perks of growing up in a small town.

“Thank goodness you’re here.” Marta hugged him tight when he bent to kiss her cheek. The familiar scent of her lavender perfume momentarily carried him back to his childhood. “Ellie needs you. Someone tried to kidnap her baby!”

Ellie Brooks. He’d never met her, but he’d heard plenty during his weekly phone calls with his mother. Marta had taken the new mom under her wing. Not surprising. She’d never met a stranger in her life and, despite having a slew of grandkids, never tired of adding one more to the pack of chaos.

“I can’t imagine why anyone would kidnap a child.” Marta pressed her hands to her cheeks. Tears filmed her dark brown eyes. “And from a church parking lot. It’s too horrible for words.”

The ladies behind her clucked their agreement.

Virginia Winters, one of Marta’s oldest friends, wrapped an arm around her shoulders in silent comfort.

Daniel envied their innocence. He could list dozens of reasons someone might kidnap a child, a grim knowledge gained from nearly two decades in law enforcement.

Sometimes, he felt far older than his 49 years.

“You’ll help Ellie, won’t you?” Virginia demanded. “These criminals need to be found and put into prison.”

Every one of the ladies nodded in firm agreement. Their fury and determination were palpable. Daniel feared they might breach the yellow crime scene tape and organize a manhunt of their own—armed with purses, casserole dishes, and a list of suspects alphabetized by maiden name.

He’d learned long ago never to underestimate the power of Silver Creek’s matriarchs.

These were the women who arranged marriages, revived church budgets, and pulled off fundraisers with military-grade precision.

Catching criminals wasn’t in their usual repertoire, but he wouldn’t put it past them to try.

That’s why he chose his next words carefully.

“I’ll offer my assistance, but ultimately, this case is Chief O’Neal’s.

” Texas Rangers operated mostly as support for local law enforcement.

Only in rare exceptions could they take over a case.

Most of the time they had to be asked. Daniel motioned behind him.

“He has the support of the sheriff’s department and may well have everything in hand. ”

Virginia waved away his words. “This is an all-hands-on-deck situation. If Roy gives you a lick of grief about taking on the case, you send him our way.”

Daniel shuddered, thinking of the earful these ladies would give the police chief.

He had little doubt Roy could handle it—the man could simply turn off his hearing aid—but still…

“Let’s not get out the pitchforks quite yet, ladies.

Let me assess the situation first.” He patted his mom reassuringly on the arm.

Her blouse was thin, and the temperature was dropping by the second as the last rays of sunlight faded.

“Y’all go on home now. I may be awhile.”

The group broke up as Daniel turned to cross the parking lot.

He flashed his badge and gave his name to the officer keeping record before ducking under a second string of crime scene tape.

Roy stood near the shattered rear window of a silver Hyundai Tucson, a deep frown marring his features.

Seventy and reed thin, he’d worked for the police department since Daniel was a child.

He’d taken over as chief nearly two decades ago and showed no sign of wanting to retire anytime soon.

“Chief O’Neal.” Daniel extended his hand as he approached.

Roy blinked, as if being pulled from deep thoughts, and his crinkled face broke into a grin.

“Daniel Perez, it’s been far too long, boy.

Where have you been hiding yourself?” Roy took Daniel’s extended hand and pulled him close for a manly hug.

Then he stepped back. “You don’t visit us in Silver Creek no more? ”

“My apologies, sir. I pop in for family events but never have enough time off to stay for an extended vacation.”

Roy chuckled. “Suppose it takes days just to visit your family.”

Daniel laughed and nodded. “That it does.” He had six brothers and sisters, dozens of aunts and uncles, and too many cousins to count. “They keep getting married and multiplying on me.”

That earned him another hearty laugh and a slap on the back. “Your mother is a matchmaker extraordinaire. How you’ve stayed single so long, I’ll never understand.”

It was by firm choice. Daniel didn’t want to think about his disastrous marriage or the divorce that followed three short years later.

He’d been young. And very stupid. Now, he was older and wise enough to know that marriage and kids were not for him.

Besides, being single allowed Daniel to focus on his career, which brought him purpose and fulfillment.

He gestured to the shattered window of the SUV. “My mom said there was a kidnapping attempt. She was worried and insisted I come. Sorry to drop in on you out of the blue like this, Chief.”

“Not at all. I’m happy to have the help of the Texas Rangers.

Probably would’ve called you myself in the morning.

” He lifted his cowboy hat with one gnarled hand and shoved his fingers through the few white strands clinging to the top of his head.

“Strangest thing, Daniel. Two masked men park their van next to Ellie Brooks's car and wait for her to come out to the parking lot. They attack her and attempt to kidnap her foster child, Owen. Ellie fought them off long enough to lock herself in the SUV and call me. One attacker broke the window, but when I came running out of the church, they both took off in the van.”

“Did you get a look at the license plate?”

“It didn’t have one. White van, no lettering. The kind businesses use for deliveries.” Irritation flashed. “I should’ve hopped in my cruiser and followed it, but my primary objective was making sure Miss Brooks and little Owen were all right.”

“Rightfully so. How are they?”

“Shaken up, but uninjured, thanks be to God. Miss Brooks apparently is versed in martial arts. She broke one attacker’s nose and popped the other in the knee. I’ve got alerts out to every hospital in a 100-mile radius in case our perpetrators seek medical treatment. So far, nothing.”

Daniel’s brow arched as he stepped toward the spray of dried blood on the light-colored asphalt next to an evidence marker. Appreciation sparked. “She got the guy good.”

“Miss Brooks is only Owen’s foster mom at the moment, but she loves him fiercely. She’s already working through the process of adopting him.” Pride layered Roy’s voice, as if he was speaking about a treasured granddaughter.

Interesting. Who was the woman? She’d seemed to have captured the hearts of everyone in town. Daniel’s mother was a softy, but Roy wasn’t the mushy type, nor was he prone to giving undeserved compliments. “Witnesses?” Daniel asked.

“None. Owen was pretty upset and Miss Brooks was shaken, so I insisted both of them be examined by paramedics before being questioned.”

Daniel’s gaze swept over the glass littering the parking lot before shifting to the broken window.

A sense of duty sank its claws into him.

He’d been dragged into this case by his mother, but she’d been right to call him.

Kidnapping a child took either guts or desperation.

Sometimes both. The criminals needed to be caught.

“Mind if I join you for the questioning?”

Roy grinned. “Not at all. In fact, take the lead.”

“I don’t want to step on your toes, sir?—”

“Shut your trap. It’ll be a pleasure to watch you in action.” He winked. “Don’t you worry. If you forget to ask something, I won’t hesitate to jump in.”

Daniel couldn’t help the wry grin that crept across his lips. Roy would also never let him live it down.

They crossed the parking lot to the church annex. The squat, rectangular brick building was part Sunday school wing, part reception hall. It was functional, not pretty, with aging gutters and a faded mural of Noah’s Ark on the side wall that had weathered more than a few Texas storms.

Inside, the main space had been transformed for the upcoming bazaar, booths arranged in a loose grid formation.

Hand-lettered signs marked tables for baked goods, crafts, and silent auction items. Folding chairs lined the walls, and a plastic tote of half-unpacked decorations sat forgotten near the punch table.

It should’ve felt festive. Instead, the air was tight with tension.

A uniformed officer stood just inside the open door, hands resting on his duty belt, watching as EMTs packed up their gear and rolled it toward the exit. Roy gave his subordinate a nod before approaching the small children’s nursery.

Daniel followed him inside, his gaze sweeping over the cribs along the west wall and the mural painted above cubbies filled with toys before landing on the woman seated on a built-in padded bench next to the window.

Ellie Brooks.

Training kicked in, prompting him to catalog her appearance.

Slender, but athletic. Blonde hair, rich with shades both warm and cool, pulled into a ponytail that had mostly come undone.

Her features were classically feminine—high forehead, delicate cheekbones, a graceful jawline—but there was nothing soft about the way she looked at him.