The Texas Ranger's Family (Lone Star Lawmen 3)

NATALIE WAS FEEDING Amy dinner when her cell rang. She clicked on. Maybe it was June. She’d said she’d be coming back. “Hello?”

“Mrs. Harris? This is Cy Vance. I’ve been at the hospital talking to Mrs. Saunders. She said the doctor won’t let anyone talk to Kit on the phone or visit him until tomorrow. When she said she was going back to his condo to give you the latest news, I told her I would do it.”

What?

“Your living room has a new window and all the mess has been cleaned up. If you’d like, I’ll come by for you in the van and we’ll move you back to your house. You and Amy will be able to sleep in your own beds tonight.”

She groaned inwardly. The news that she could go home should have brought her relief. But she’d wanted to go to the hospital to tell Kit she’d stay at his place so she could help him when he came home.

“That’s very kind of you. Are you coming now?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll gather up our things and be ready for you.”

By eight-thirty, Cy had carried the last of the bags into her house. Everything looked as before, as though nothing had ever happened here. She thanked the Ranger profusely for helping her.

“It’s the least I can do. Kit’s going to be fine—he wouldn’t want you to worry. If you need anything, call me.”

“Of course. You’ve been wonderful.” She watched him drive away before she closed the front door.

Amy had been playing right by her leg. She picked her up and took her to the nursery. Before long her sweet girl cuddled up in her crib with her cow and fell asleep after only two songs.

Finally alone to think, she phoned Jillian. They had a long talk. Jillian offered to look after Amy so Natalie could visit Kit in the hospital. What a great friend she’d been! She thanked her and rang off. There was one more call to make. Colette needed to know that Kit had solved the case and that a large part of it had been due to her.

Natalie put off calling her boss at the pharmacy. She wanted to see Kit before she committed to going back to work. Kit might need help for a while and she wanted to be the one to provide it. That was, if Kit wanted her to. She’d felt so confident about his feelings when they’d kissed goodbye, she had no idea what sorts of things had been on his mind since he’d been shot. If anything had changed, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Being in her own bed felt good, but she would rather be at Kit’s condo. She loved him so desperately. To think she could have lost him—emotion got the better of her and she started sobbing. And once they’d started, the tears continued to come, drenching her pillow.

* * *

THE NEXT DAY Natalie called the hospital, wanting to know when Kit was allowed to have visitors.

She was pleased to learn that she could go in between four and five, and she arranged with Jillian to drop Amy off at three-thirty so she could be at the hospital in good time.

She went through her normal routine with Amy, turning on the TV to have some background noise. There was a soap opera on one of the channels dealing with a case of stolen diamonds that had been hidden on the inside of the fireplace. She didn’t think much about it until later when she stood in the shower washing her hair.

What a crazy place to hide something. Natalie was positive the police hadn’t looked inside her fireplace. Who would? But she couldn’t let the idea go. After she’d toweled off and dried her hair, she slipped on an old T-shirt and went into the living room. She glanced out the window, feeling a little silly, and removed the fireplace screen, reaching inside the way she’d seen the woman on the show do it.

To her shock she felt a packet pasted against the bricks. She got her fingers around it and pulled hard. Out came two large and very dirty envelopes. Were there more? She reached in again on the other side and pulled out two more. Maybe there were others but she couldn’t reach up that far. Good grief.

She took them into the kitchen and opened them on the table. Each packet contained a thick stack of hundred dollar bills, more cash than Natalie had ever seen in her life. Her eyes widened in disbelief. The $400,000! They never used the fireplace. Ever. Rod must have stashed the envelopes there, knowing they’d be safe.

Wait till she showed all this to Kit.

Excited about the find, she dug out a small, old suitcase. Kit would want Forensics to match serial numbers and dust the envelopes for prints, so she put all four packets inside and snapped it shut.

She washed her hands and arms up to the elbows then finished dressing. She chose to wear a filmy white blouse and khaki-colored wraparound skirt Kit had never seen. Before she left for the hospital, she walked Amy over to Jillian’s. At first Amy acted shy, but then she saw her little friend and wiggled to get out of Natalie’s arms.

Natalie hugged her friend and slipped out the front door while her daughter was occupied. She went back to the house and carried the suitcase out to her car. The hospital wasn’t far away, but it took time to park.

She rode the east elevator to the fourth floor nursing station. One of the nurses told her that Kit already had visitors, but that Natalie could go in as soon as they left. The doctor didn’t want him overly excited.

She had to wait fifteen minutes before being told it was her turn. Timed visits meant the doctor was still worried about him. Natalie’s heart pounded as she entered his room, hoping his eyes would reflect his true feelings.

His head was raised, but his eyes were closed when she came in. He must

be exhausted. She took in the IV tube and the bandage on his right arm. She walked quietly to his bedside and set down the suitcase.