The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen 1)

He watched Kellie walk out with them. Cy knew in his gut that this stalker didn’t want money. He wanted to do her harm. She’d said he looked as if he was in his late twenties. He wondered how many women before Kellie had already been terrorized by him. The stalker fit the general profile for a predator who was usually from eighteen to thirty.

After they left TJ’s office, Cy turned to his boss. “Her condo is in West Austin. I’m going to need help to set things up before they arrive.”

“This is a high-priority case. Vic just finished a case and is in the building right now. I’ll ask him to assist you before assigning him a new case.”

Nothing could have pleased him more. “Thanks, TJ.” There wasn’t a lot of time. They’d have to assemble a team fast.

Not long after he’d returned to his office to send the artist’s sketch to the database, Vic walked in. “I’m all yours.” He planted himself on a corner of the desk. “That stint on the radio must have put the boss in a good mood.”

“It was so important to him, he actually went along with my plan.”

“Which is?”

“Outrageous, but Ms. Parrish agreed to it, too, rather than leave the circuit. She wants to win that championship. I figured she would put her desire to achieve her lifelong goal over her fear of this stalker. We’re going to pretend to be married so I can protect her day and night.”

“What?” Vic’s black eyes narrowed. He got to his feet. “You’re kidding me.”

Cy gave his friend a sharp look. “Can you think of a better way to get the job done?”

They’d known each other a long time. “Hell, no. It’s genius, but—”

“But it doesn’t hurt that she’s a beautiful woman, right?” He couldn’t help but read his friend’s mind. “I’ve examined my motives and have decided that even if she were someone else, it wouldn’t make a difference. She’s been working her whole life to achieve her goal. For her to quit now would be the end of her dreams, not only for this year, but maybe forever. Anyone with her kind of skill and

drive deserves all the help she can get.”

“I agree with you.”

“This guy is a creep who’s been tormenting her for a month. She told him she was married so he’d leave her alone. All that did was fan the flames, so I’ve decided it’s time she produced a husband. I want to catch this stalker, Vic, and believe this is the best way to capture his attention and nab him.”

“Where do you want to start?”

“We’ll get a surveillance team set up in the van to monitor her when I can’t be with her.” Cy handed him the sketch.

Vic studied it for a minute. “You know who he looks like?”

“Yup, but let’s not go there. In case he’s camped out by her condo, you and I will impersonate roofers so we can get in around the back of the building through her garage without him suspecting anything. I want to lift any fingerprints we can find. We’ll rig the interior with a camera. Let’s move.”

He folded her list of names and numbers and put it into his pocket. The note she’d given the police needed to go down to the lab. He already had a list a mile long of things to be done before she arrived with her parents. They’d need wedding rings.

* * *

KELLIE CHECKED HER watch as her father drove them to the front of her condo in her parents’ Volvo sedan. Six thirty p.m. She still couldn’t believe what she’d agreed to. She and the striking Texas Ranger had to pretend to be married starting tonight!

What have I done? She closed her eyes. You’ve done what’s necessary to survive.

“Come on, honey. Let’s go in and have dinner. You haven’t eaten all day.”

“I couldn’t.” But her parents had insisted on picking up some barbecue for all of them.

She hadn’t had an appetite since this first started. As for sleep... Nothing seemed real. That monster could have been following them from the ranch. She almost expected him to suddenly appear at the mailbox.

The normal number of bills had stacked up. She put the mail into her purse before getting back in the car. Her mom had been over to her condo several times this past month to water her plants and make sure everything was all right. Thank goodness the Ranger would find her house clean and in good shape. There were times when it looked a mess.

She eyed the condo. No one would know the secret it was holding. If everything had gone as planned, then the Ranger was inside. A vision of the way he’d looked when she’d bumped into him in Bandera was indelibly impressed in her mind. He was a man whose aura gave the impression he could deal with anything or one. Her pulse raced at the realization they would be spending time together.

Kellie got out of the car and hurried up the front steps ahead of her parents. He must have heard them because he opened the door to let them in.

“Hi.” His deep voice filtered through to her insides.