The Texas Ranger's Nanny (Lone Star Lawmen 2)

“I’d better take Marshmallow back to the barn and get ready, or I’m going to be late for my interview.”

He’d been so deep in thought about her that her comment jarred him. They’d been riding for almost an hour. “Let’s go. I’ll take care of your horse.”

“Thanks. Come on, Marshmallow. Let’s have one more run.” The horse galloped all the way to the barn. Claire dismounted and hurried toward the house without waiting for him. She was always pleasant and friendly, but since they’d found Jeremy, he could feel her distancing herself from him.

Pondering her troubling behavior, Vic watered and fed the horses. Once inside the house, he phoned Hershel’s about the miniature horse. If it was still for sale, he was interested. There was one extra stall in the barn. They could fit it out for the tiny horse. He’d let Jeremy plan how he wanted it to be. All he could hope was that his son would be so excited about the horse that he would be consumed with taking care of it.

While he was washing his hands at the kitchen sink, the phone rang. When he saw the caller ID, he lunged for it. “Kit—what’s up?”

“Plenty, but I only have a few minutes. Can you talk, or is this a bad time?”

“It couldn’t be better. I’m home alone and thankful you called.”

“How soon will you be back on the job?”

“When TJ tells me I can go back. I have to go through some more therapy sessions.”

“Are they helping?”

“They’re more upsetting than anything.” Dr. Marshall sure had a way of pressing all his buttons.

“That’s good. It means it’s got you thinking. How’s Jeremy?”

“Not good. I’m taking him to a child therapist this afternoon.”

“Nightmares?”

“No, he hasn’t talked about the kidnapping at all, but he’s so upset that Claire is leaving, he got hysterical last night. She’s already had one job offer and will probably get another one today.”

“That’s tough. If you don’t want to talk, I understand.”

“No, no. Tell me your news.”

“I just found out that Jamison Lowell, the school district guy who hired Leroy, was killed in a car accident outside Vail last night. He drove through a guard rail. The police found him dead in his car at the bottom of a ravine. He was alone. I don’t know anything else yet, but I figure someone got to him before he could talk.”

“Sounds like it. This case just keeps getting bigger and uglier.”

“You’ve got to get back to work.”

Vic expelled his breath. “Tell me about it.”

“I’ll try to find out if drugs or alcohol were involved when the autopsy’s done. Sorry, Vic, but I’ve got to get going.”

“Like I told you before, I couldn’t do this without you. Talk to you soon.”

Vic hung up, aware that he had time on his hands. He should send Dr. King an email about the advisability of getting a pet for his son. He went into the den and typed the email, hoping the therapist would receive it before she met with Jeremy.

Once he’d sent it, he got up from the chair and paced the floor. Vic’s next challenge would be to tell Jeremy they were going to see a doctor about the experience he’d been through. His son wasn’t going to like it.

Chapter Six

Claire parked at the side of Pinehurst Elementary to wait for Jeremy. She had a lot to think about. She’d been offered the position at the lab in the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown area. Now she had two positions to choose from, and both companies needed an answer from her next week. She was finally on the brink of the career she’d worked so hard for.

She ought to be dancing on the ceiling, but when she saw Jeremy come running toward her with the animal life cycle diorama she’d helped him make for class, pain stabbed her in the chest, robbing her of breath.

How was she going to leave this precious boy? Something had happened to her during the kidnapping. She’d felt as if she’d lost her own child. When they’d found him, she’d wanted to clutch him in her arms and never let him go, but that was Vic’s right, not hers.

At this point she couldn’t comprehend leaving Vic or Jeremy. How would a career ever compensate for the loss?