Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble Page B

“This is Eden.” An electronic noise filled her head. “Hello?”
    “I know what you did,” the man whispered. The sound of the voice gave her chills. Then she realized there was an electronic device distorting it.
    She clutched the phone to her ear and turned her back to Lacie. “Who is this?” she demanded.
    He knew what she did. What did that mean?
    The voice vibrated with rage. “You’ll pay and pay dearly. I took Brianna once. This time will be worse. Much worse. You shouldn’t have come.”
    The kidnapper. The blow nearly doubled her over. “Don’t you touch my baby!” she said fiercely.
    “How will you stop me?” he sneered.
    “What do you want from me? I’ll do whatever you say. Just leave Brianna alone.”
    “Anything, Eden? Really? Would you walk away from Bluebird Ranch right now? Leave Clay behind? I’ve seen the way you look at him. You still love him, don’t you?”
    She glanced quickly around the store. Was he here somewhere? Watching her? “No, of course not. I haven’t thought of him in five years.”
    “I didn’t think you’d have the nerve to come here with Clay. You’re going to wish you hadn’t.”
    The past week had allowed her to put that nightmare behind. “I’m just here for Brianna. Nothing else.”
    “Prove it. Leave today. Right now.”
    Everything in her rejected the demand. Not when she was so close. “I’m not abandoning Brianna.”
    “See? I knew you wouldn’t do anything. Now you know too. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
    She paced on the carpet in front of the shoes. “My daughter is here and I’m not leaving without her.” No more trying to appease him. He wasn’t going to intimidate her. “What do you want with me anyway?”
    The man laughed. “Do you really know who you are, Eden? If you did, you wouldn’t be so smug.”
    She shuddered at the venom in this voice, but no enemy came to mind. “I know who I am. Who are you?”
    “Remember, whatever happens, you brought it on yourself.”
    The click in her ear told her he’d hung up. She put the phone back in her purse and composed herself. Pasting on a smile, she turned back to Lacie. “How do those shoes fit?” she asked in a fake bright tone.
    “I think they are good.” Lacie had slipped from the bench and was walking a few feet on the carpet. “Can I really have them?”
    “Of course. Let me check the size.” Eden knelt and pressed on the toes and arch, but her mind raced and her hands trembled. She needed to talk to Clay.
    “Do they fit?” Lacie’s voice was hopeful.
    “They sure do. Let’s go pay for them and get back to the ranch. We’ve already missed dinner.”
    “We can eat leftovers.”
    “I think we’ll grab some chicken nuggets on the way home. How does that sound?”
    The little girl’s expression brightened. “We’re eating out?”
    “I think a little treat is in order,” Eden said, forcing herself to be in the moment. The caller was a nightmare, but this time with Lacie was reality. After all, she might be her Brianna.
    “I can’t eat nuggets, though. I’m ’lergic to wheat. But can I have french fries? And chili?”
    “Whatever you like.” She paid for the shoes. “Want to wear them?” she asked Lacie.
    The little girl nodded. Eden had her sit on a bench, and she slipped on socks, then the shoes. “Now for food,” she said.
    She ordered their meal to go from the café next door. While she was waiting, she and Lacie stepped next door and bought a large java from Desert Coffee, then returned to the café. When the order was ready, she took Lacie’s hand and went out to the parking lot where she’d left the truck. The lot held only a small yellow car. She stared down the street but saw no big black truck.
    Was she mistaken about where she’d parked? Maybe it was on the other side of the street? But no, she was sure it was right here.
    Lacie ate a fry, then licked her fingers. “Where’s our truck? It was parked there.” She pointed