A Texas Hero. Linda Warren

his teeth, he caught the edge of the tape on his wrists and pulled. Scooting closer, she used her fingers to help undo it. Then he helped her free her hands. The tape left open welts on her skin, but she was glad to be free of it.

      “Now what?” she asked, instinctively knowing he would know what to do.

      “We start walking.” He rose to his feet, as did she. Slowly, they trekked through the woods, down the gully and back to the shack. The van was gone and the dried grass torn apart where the men had sped away. “They’re gone,” he said. “I guess Rudy decided to go with the money.”

      Sweat rolled down her back and pooled at her waistline. She was miserable, but at his words relief washed over her.

      They were gone.

      All the courage she had mustered and the fear she’d bottled up inside burst forth into an array of weakness she couldn’t control. Her body trembled and tears rolled from her eyes.

      “Hey.” He touched her arm. “No tears. It’s dehydrating. Take a deep breath and keep all that moisture inside. You can’t fall apart now.”

      “I...I...” She couldn’t form a sentence and she felt so weak in front of this strong man.

      “C’mon. Let’s sit under a shade tree and figure out what we need to do.”

      She sank down under a huge live oak, willing the tears away as she tried to regain control of her emotions. “I’m so thirsty,” she murmured.

      “Me, too.” He sat beside her and drew up his knees. His legs and arms had scratches from the trees and she realized her arms were scratched, too. Yet he seemed cool as ever, unruffled about what they’d been through.

      “Who are you?”

      He looked at her and his dark eyes were tired, the first signs of stress she’d noticed. “Ethan James.”

      “Thank you” was all she could say. After a moment, she found more words. “I’m so grateful you insisted on coming. I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t.”

      He lifted an eyebrow. “I wanted to make sure I get my bumper fixed.”

      Through all her agony, she smiled. “I’ll fix it with my own two hands.”

      They stared at each other for a long time and Abby felt a connection like she’d never felt before—a connection of trust and friendship. And above that she knew she could depend on him. Words like honor, loyalty and hero floated through her mind. She didn’t think there were men like him left. Of course, she could be delusional. But she still wanted to know more about him.

      “What do you do, Ethan James?”

      “I’m a detective for the Austin Police Department. I work homicide.”

      It fit. “That’s why you’re so cool and collected.”

      “I was in the Marines, too. The first thing you learn is to never show fear.”

      “You have that mastered.”

      “On the outside. Inside is a different story.” He leaned forward, scanning the landscape, and she knew he wasn’t going to talk anymore about himself. “We have two goals—to find water and a way out.”

      “The police will be looking for us.”

      “Yeah, but they don’t have a clue where we are. Our only hope is that there are surveillance cameras in the bank and...”

      “Inside and out,” she said.

      “Good. Then maybe that van will show up on the cameras and the cops can trace it. But that doesn’t help us unless Rudy or Devon tells them where they left us. They’ll deny it at first. All criminals do. The detectives will have to apply pressure and that will take time.”

      “You mean we could be out here overnight?”

      “Yes.” He got to his feet. “I’m guessing this is an old deer-hunter’s cabin that hasn’t been used for a while. The gully is probably a creek that dried up from the drought. But I’m hoping the hunters had access to another water supply. I’ll take a look around.”

      He walked toward the shack and she had the urge to run after him. But she knew he wouldn’t leave her here. Strange, how she was so sure of that. She leaned her head against the tree and wondered if her father had been notified. Her heart ached at what he must be going through. He was strong, though, and would take care of Chloe. She was sure of that. Just like she was sure Ethan James would get them out of this nightmare.

      The hot sun bore down like a furnace and she guessed it had to be midmorning by now. She’d left the house in such a hurry earlier that she’d forgotten her watch. In the afternoon the sun would be unbearable, and they would not be able to survive without water.

      She was tired and thirsty and a feeling of lethargy washed over her. If she closed her eyes, she’d wake up in her apartment holding Chloe and watching SpongeBob SquarePants. The morning would all be a bad dream. Because men like Ethan James only appeared in women’s fantasies. They didn’t exist in real life.

      * * *

      “YOU KNEW WE had plans for the day. Why did you agree to keep Chloe?”

      Everett Baines looked up from his paper into the furious face of his wife. “Abby needed help and I’m her father. I will always be there for her.”

      “But we had plans.”

      “Picking out new patio furniture? We can do that tomorrow or the next day.”

      “You always put them before me—your wife.”

      “Gayle, I’m not having this conversation with you again.” He picked up his coffee cup. “I’m going to watch cartoons with my granddaughter.”

      “I’m still going shopping.”

      “Fine. Buy whatever you want.” He walked into the den, placed his cup on the end table, and picked up his granddaughter from the sofa. Abby had her dressed in pink shorts, a pink-and-white halter top, white sandals and pink bows in her blond hair. Chloe clutched Baby, her favorite doll.

      “Is Daddy coming, Grandpa?” she asked.

      “No, sweetiepie. Your mom will pick you up.”

      “’Kay.”

      Everett had offered to pay for a top-notch lawyer, but Abby always refused. Because of Gayle. This time he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Doug’s lawyer controlled the situation and the visitation set out in the divorce papers. Which meant nothing to Doug, who did as he pleased. When Abby complained, the lawyers talked but nothing changed. That wasn’t acceptable anymore.

      Sitting in his chair, he cradled Chloe close. She looked so much like Abby had at that age, blond curls and big blue eyes. Thank God she didn’t look anything like her father.

      “Aren’t you going to feed her breakfast?” Gayle asked from behind him. “Abby lets her eat all that sugary cereal. It’s not good for her.”

      “Go shopping, Gayle, before I lose my temper.”

      The doorbell rang before she could get in a retort. “I’ll get it,” Gayle said. “Maybe it’s Doug for Chloe and then we can have our weekend back.”

      He hated to tell her but he wasn’t going shopping under any circumstances. Abby’s last words were for him not to let Doug have Chloe. And he would honor her wishes. Doug needed to be taught a lesson.

      Two tall men with Stetsons in their hands walked into the den. One had a gun on his belt as well as a badge. A cop. Something was wrong.

      “Everett, these men would like to talk to you.”

      He got to his feet, holding Chloe.

      “I’ll take Chloe and fix her something to eat,” Gayle offered.

      “You