away and come to my tent to get it. When we were here last year, she told me she wanted a carving of a naked man on horseback.”
Mary groaned and rolled her eyes. “God bless that woman. I hope it isn’t too obscene.”
Jed laughed. “I tried to be as tasteful as possible.”
“I’ll tell her,” she said and then it was her turn to order and they said goodbye.
Mary received her order and headed for the funnel cake vendor. Joey had apparently fallen asleep as he had stopped wiggling.
The crowd was growing bigger with every minute and several times she was accidently jostled by children and teenagers who danced and raced around with the excitement of the fair.
She was almost to the funnel cake booth when she was jerked backward and Joey’s weight shifted abruptly. In horror, she dropped the bag of hot dogs and whirled around.
A dark-haired man with an ugly snarl on his face stood inches in front of her. “Give Joey to me,” he demanded.
“What?” She stared at him blankly. Surely she had misunderstood him.
He pulled a gun from his jacket pocket. “Give him to me now. He’s mine.”
Fear froze her in place. The crowd around them melted away as she stared into the man’s dark and dangerous eyes. Her brain couldn’t make sense of what was happening. Who was this man?
“Give him to me now,” he repeated and raised the barrel of his gun to point at her chest.
In the space of her frantic heartbeat a million thoughts flew through her head. How did he know Joey’s name? Why did he want Joey? What did he mean that Joey was his?
If he shot his gun right now, he’d risk the possibility of hurting the baby. If he shot her, he also risked immediate capture.
There were dozens of armed cowboys in the area, men who would instantly respond to a damsel in distress. With this thought in mind, she did the only thing she knew to do.
She screamed.
The scream pierced through the laughter and sliced through the happy conversations of the people nearby. “Help me! Somebody please help me, he’s trying to take my baby from me,” she cried.
“Hey, what’s going on over there?” a deep voice called from somewhere on their left.
“What’s wrong with you, man? Leave her alone,” another man called out.
The dark-haired man took several steps back from her, slid his gun back into his pocket and then turned and ran, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Mary released a sob at the same time Joey began to wail.
“Mary?” Tony appeared out of the crowd and raced toward her. “Mary, what happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m all right. Get Joey,” she said and turned her back so he could get the crying baby out of the backpack. She turned back around and took Joey into her arms.
“What’s going on?” Tony asked, his eyes narrowed as she hugged Joey close to her chest.
The people who had gathered around her began to drift away as Tony threw an arm around her shoulders. For a moment the fear of what had almost occurred made it impossible for her to speak.
“Call Dillon,” she finally choked out. “A man just tried to kidnap Joey.”
Tony gasped and pulled her closer against his side. “Let’s get you back to the tent.”
Neither of them spoke as they hurried toward the relative safety of the tent. Mary’s thoughts continued to fly in a million different directions, each one more chilling than the last.
When they reached the tent, Halena took one look at them both and then jumped up from her chair. “What’s happened?”
“A man tried to kidnap Joey.” A shiver stole up Mary’s spine. “He had a gun and he said that Joey was his.” She hugged Joey tighter against her as she held Tony’s gaze. “Amy told you to protect him from evil. I know in my soul I just met her evil.”
Chapter 7
T ony stood at the front entrance of the tent with his hand on the butt of his gun. He’d called Dillon and as he awaited the arrival of the chief of police, his heart beat anxiously and his blood ran
Mary groaned and rolled her eyes. “God bless that woman. I hope it isn’t too obscene.”
Jed laughed. “I tried to be as tasteful as possible.”
“I’ll tell her,” she said and then it was her turn to order and they said goodbye.
Mary received her order and headed for the funnel cake vendor. Joey had apparently fallen asleep as he had stopped wiggling.
The crowd was growing bigger with every minute and several times she was accidently jostled by children and teenagers who danced and raced around with the excitement of the fair.
She was almost to the funnel cake booth when she was jerked backward and Joey’s weight shifted abruptly. In horror, she dropped the bag of hot dogs and whirled around.
A dark-haired man with an ugly snarl on his face stood inches in front of her. “Give Joey to me,” he demanded.
“What?” She stared at him blankly. Surely she had misunderstood him.
He pulled a gun from his jacket pocket. “Give him to me now. He’s mine.”
Fear froze her in place. The crowd around them melted away as she stared into the man’s dark and dangerous eyes. Her brain couldn’t make sense of what was happening. Who was this man?
“Give him to me now,” he repeated and raised the barrel of his gun to point at her chest.
In the space of her frantic heartbeat a million thoughts flew through her head. How did he know Joey’s name? Why did he want Joey? What did he mean that Joey was his?
If he shot his gun right now, he’d risk the possibility of hurting the baby. If he shot her, he also risked immediate capture.
There were dozens of armed cowboys in the area, men who would instantly respond to a damsel in distress. With this thought in mind, she did the only thing she knew to do.
She screamed.
The scream pierced through the laughter and sliced through the happy conversations of the people nearby. “Help me! Somebody please help me, he’s trying to take my baby from me,” she cried.
“Hey, what’s going on over there?” a deep voice called from somewhere on their left.
“What’s wrong with you, man? Leave her alone,” another man called out.
The dark-haired man took several steps back from her, slid his gun back into his pocket and then turned and ran, quickly disappearing into the crowd.
Mary released a sob at the same time Joey began to wail.
“Mary?” Tony appeared out of the crowd and raced toward her. “Mary, what happened? Are you all right?”
“I’m all right. Get Joey,” she said and turned her back so he could get the crying baby out of the backpack. She turned back around and took Joey into her arms.
“What’s going on?” Tony asked, his eyes narrowed as she hugged Joey close to her chest.
The people who had gathered around her began to drift away as Tony threw an arm around her shoulders. For a moment the fear of what had almost occurred made it impossible for her to speak.
“Call Dillon,” she finally choked out. “A man just tried to kidnap Joey.”
Tony gasped and pulled her closer against his side. “Let’s get you back to the tent.”
Neither of them spoke as they hurried toward the relative safety of the tent. Mary’s thoughts continued to fly in a million different directions, each one more chilling than the last.
When they reached the tent, Halena took one look at them both and then jumped up from her chair. “What’s happened?”
“A man tried to kidnap Joey.” A shiver stole up Mary’s spine. “He had a gun and he said that Joey was his.” She hugged Joey tighter against her as she held Tony’s gaze. “Amy told you to protect him from evil. I know in my soul I just met her evil.”
Chapter 7
T ony stood at the front entrance of the tent with his hand on the butt of his gun. He’d called Dillon and as he awaited the arrival of the chief of police, his heart beat anxiously and his blood ran
Similar Books
