cold.
Ben Taylor stood on the outside of the back of the tent, on guard to make sure that nobody tried to come into the interior that way.
Joey was napping in Mary’s arms and Halena sat next to Mary, her expression grim. For right now the business was closed and Tony kept any potential buyers and lookers out.
Who was the man who had accosted Mary? He’d obviously tried to use the crowd and the activity to his advantage. Thank God it hadn’t worked.
He’d told Mary the baby was his and he’d known Joey’s name. Oh, Amy, what kind of a web of lies have you put us in? Tension tightened his stomach.
Had Amy told this man he was Joey’s father? And if so, then what kind of a father pulled a gun and pointed it at a defenseless woman? What kind of a father tried to kidnap a baby?
His blood chilled even more as a new thought sprang into his head. Had the break-in that had occurred at Mary’s house really been a thief trying to steal Native American items to sell, or had it been this man attempting to get to Joey?
What in the hell was going on and what drama had Amy cast them all into?
He released a small sigh of relief as he saw Dillon approaching with Officer Juan Ramirez. He had no idea what the lawman might be able to do, but he felt better already knowing that a report would be made.
“Tony.” Dillon greeted him with a grim smile. He glanced into the interior of the tent and indicated for Tony to follow him inside. “Juan will keep people out while I speak to you all.”
Tony nodded and followed Dillon to the back of the tent, where he greeted Mary and Halena with the same tight expression. He pulled a pad and pen from his pocket. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he said to Mary.
Tony’s blood chilled once again as she explained that she believed the man had first tried to grab Joey from the backpack. Thank God Joey had been buckled into the canvas seat. When she told Dillon that the man had then drawn a gun and demanded she give up the child, Dillon’s features tightened even more.
“What did he look like?” he asked when she finished her story with the man disappearing into the crowd.
“He was maybe about six feet tall and had a slim build.” She frowned and her lower lip began to tremble.
Tony fought the impulse to pull her up from the chair and take her into his arms, to somehow try to shield her from the fear that had entered her eyes.
“His hair was black and neatly cut and his eyes... His eyes were dark and wild-looking.”
Once again Tony’s stomach clenched with tension as she gave Dillon a description of the man’s clothing. Tony was certain the man was no longer in the area. What worried him was that if what he was thinking was correct, then the man had made two attempts to steal Joey away.
“Maybe this evening after you close up here you could come down to the station and look at some mug shots,” Dillon said as he tucked the pen and pad back into his pocket. “Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and the man has a rap sheet.”
Mary nodded. “We close up here at nine. Is that too late?”
Dillon smiled ruefully. “Not at all. Long nights have become a habit for me.”
“If this man is really Joey’s father, and it’s obvious he knows Mary has Joey, then why didn’t he just come to the front door to get his son?” Halena asked. “Why point a gun and try to kidnap him?”
Nobody had an answer for her. “One thing is for certain,” Tony said to Dillon. “There’s no way I’m giving up Joey to any man who pulled a gun on Mary.”
“I should have shot him the night when he tried to break in,” Halena exclaimed. She looked at Dillon. “You know it had to have been him. I’m just giving you a heads-up—if he tries to break in again, I will shoot him through his black heart.”
“We don’t know for certain that he was the person who tried to break into your house,” Dillon protested.
“I know,” Halena replied. “The leaves on the trees have whispered
Ben Taylor stood on the outside of the back of the tent, on guard to make sure that nobody tried to come into the interior that way.
Joey was napping in Mary’s arms and Halena sat next to Mary, her expression grim. For right now the business was closed and Tony kept any potential buyers and lookers out.
Who was the man who had accosted Mary? He’d obviously tried to use the crowd and the activity to his advantage. Thank God it hadn’t worked.
He’d told Mary the baby was his and he’d known Joey’s name. Oh, Amy, what kind of a web of lies have you put us in? Tension tightened his stomach.
Had Amy told this man he was Joey’s father? And if so, then what kind of a father pulled a gun and pointed it at a defenseless woman? What kind of a father tried to kidnap a baby?
His blood chilled even more as a new thought sprang into his head. Had the break-in that had occurred at Mary’s house really been a thief trying to steal Native American items to sell, or had it been this man attempting to get to Joey?
What in the hell was going on and what drama had Amy cast them all into?
He released a small sigh of relief as he saw Dillon approaching with Officer Juan Ramirez. He had no idea what the lawman might be able to do, but he felt better already knowing that a report would be made.
“Tony.” Dillon greeted him with a grim smile. He glanced into the interior of the tent and indicated for Tony to follow him inside. “Juan will keep people out while I speak to you all.”
Tony nodded and followed Dillon to the back of the tent, where he greeted Mary and Halena with the same tight expression. He pulled a pad and pen from his pocket. “Tell me exactly what happened,” he said to Mary.
Tony’s blood chilled once again as she explained that she believed the man had first tried to grab Joey from the backpack. Thank God Joey had been buckled into the canvas seat. When she told Dillon that the man had then drawn a gun and demanded she give up the child, Dillon’s features tightened even more.
“What did he look like?” he asked when she finished her story with the man disappearing into the crowd.
“He was maybe about six feet tall and had a slim build.” She frowned and her lower lip began to tremble.
Tony fought the impulse to pull her up from the chair and take her into his arms, to somehow try to shield her from the fear that had entered her eyes.
“His hair was black and neatly cut and his eyes... His eyes were dark and wild-looking.”
Once again Tony’s stomach clenched with tension as she gave Dillon a description of the man’s clothing. Tony was certain the man was no longer in the area. What worried him was that if what he was thinking was correct, then the man had made two attempts to steal Joey away.
“Maybe this evening after you close up here you could come down to the station and look at some mug shots,” Dillon said as he tucked the pen and pad back into his pocket. “Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and the man has a rap sheet.”
Mary nodded. “We close up here at nine. Is that too late?”
Dillon smiled ruefully. “Not at all. Long nights have become a habit for me.”
“If this man is really Joey’s father, and it’s obvious he knows Mary has Joey, then why didn’t he just come to the front door to get his son?” Halena asked. “Why point a gun and try to kidnap him?”
Nobody had an answer for her. “One thing is for certain,” Tony said to Dillon. “There’s no way I’m giving up Joey to any man who pulled a gun on Mary.”
“I should have shot him the night when he tried to break in,” Halena exclaimed. She looked at Dillon. “You know it had to have been him. I’m just giving you a heads-up—if he tries to break in again, I will shoot him through his black heart.”
“We don’t know for certain that he was the person who tried to break into your house,” Dillon protested.
“I know,” Halena replied. “The leaves on the trees have whispered
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