The Rancher's Twins. Carol Ross

and memorized the phone number at the top. She unplugged the phone from the charger, where she’d left it the night before, and dialed.

      Tanner picked up on the second ring. “Lydia! Finally! Are you okay?”

      “Yes. It’s all good. I made it safe and sound. I couldn’t call last night because the phone was dead. I haven’t had a free moment until now.”

      Jon had told her that Tom would drop in to take the girls for a ride in the afternoon. Abby was right; he did talk like a movie cowboy. He’d shown up after lunch with a “Howdy, ma’am” and then a “much obliged” after she’d offered him cookies she’d made. He’d collected the girls’ helmets from the mudroom and politely invited her out to watch them ride. Concern must have shown on her face because he explained that the riding they were going to be doing consisted of him leading their horses around the corral.

      She’d wanted to go. Two things had stopped her, the most pressing of which was this phone call. The other would have to wait.

      “That’s fine. I’m just glad you’re okay. How are things going?”

      “So far, so good.”

      “What do you think of Montana?”

      “It’s gorgeous.” That part was true. No way would she complain about the kid mix-up or her grumpy boss, who possibly wasn’t quite as grumpy as she’d thought. “And I feel...safe. Tanner, thank you so much. I would never have been able to get this far without you.” Tanner was one of her oldest friends. They’d met through their work with Hatch House Group Home for Teens, where Lydia had once lived before eventually becoming a volunteer. Tanner was the attorney who handled all the group home’s legal needs. Clive knew how close they were. It would be one of the first places he went. Tears sprung to her eyes, catching her off guard. She blinked them away.

      “We’ll get you farther, I promise.” When the dust settled, she’d be moving on, hopefully overseas. How long that took depended mainly on Clive and how hard he searched for her.

      “Any news? Have you heard from Clive? Have you heard anything about the money?”

      “According to my calculations, I should be hearing about both very soon.”

      “What if he—?” Lydia didn’t want to say it but she was terrified of what Clive would do if he suspected Tanner knew something. Or her best friend, Meredith.

      “Lydia, he knows he’d never get anything out of me. Assuming I know anything,” he joked, like the good attorney he was.

      Lydia managed a shaky smile. “Okay. But what about Meredith?”

      “She’ll be fine. We’ve been over this. Let’s worry about you right now. Just lay low until we figure out your next move.”

      “That reminds me, I need some stuff. I forgot to pack my ranching clothes.”

      “Ranching clothes,” he repeated with a laugh, and she relished the sound.

      “For some reason, even when you told me I was going to a ranch, I never expected it to be this...muddy.”

      She glanced at her suitcase, still open on the floor. Her boots were sitting next to it. What Jon and the girls observed was true—the buttery soft, high-heeled boots wouldn’t be good for much around here. Certainly not for a horseback ride or that barn party Abby mentioned. They wouldn’t even do for a trip out to the barn.

      Lydia was dying to see the ranch. Problem was, she’d only packed two pairs of shoes besides the boots, a pair of flip-flops and some supple leather slippers with no lining or traction. The suitcase was packed weeks before she’d ever left Philadelphia. It had been stashed at Tanner’s house until the day she’d left.

      Stuffing a wide variety of items inside the carry-on had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, it seemed like a meager and odd mix, very little of which was suitable for life on a ranch. She only had one pair of jeans. Why hadn’t she thought to throw in a pair of sneakers? At least she had yoga pants and a few T-shirts.

      “I’d prefer you stay out of sight for the time being. Falcon Creek is a small town and people are going to remember you, Lydia. Especially if you go around buying a new wardrobe.”

      “I know. I don’t know if there’s much for shopping in Falcon Creek, anyway. And it’s a long drive to a city or even a town of any real size.”

      “Is there internet?”

      “Yes, thank goodness.” Smiling, she thought of how much the girls had enjoyed the TV show she’d streamed the evening before.

      “Order online.”

      “I don’t have a credit card anymore.”

      “Inside that bundle I gave you, with the documents and the cash, there is a couple of thousand dollars in gift cards. Use those.”

      “Seriously?” A current of relief flowed through her. “I can’t believe you thought of this. Have I told you lately that I love you and you’re brilliant?”

      “Remember, you need to be untraceable. Speaking of that, it would be best if you only used this phone for communicating with me or for emergencies. And no calling anyone from your old life. Except me. At this number only. If you do use it, don’t store any numbers in your contacts and delete everything, every time you use it.”

      Her old life. Her throat went tight. “Got it. Tanner...” The past few months, with her fear gradually increasing to full-blown terror, it hadn’t occurred to her how much she might miss her life in Philadelphia. She had no relationship with her family, she didn’t own a home and, because of her itinerant ways, she’d never been one to accumulate possessions. She’d never had any pets, probably for the same reason. Those things made moving on easier. But she loved her two best friends, Tanner being one. Meredith was the other and she couldn’t imagine not talking to her every day. They’d been roommates for years.

      “Lydia, hon, I’m so sorry. It won’t be forever. I just don’t know how long it will be. In the meantime, we need to keep you safe.”

      “I know.”

      “How’s the nanny gig? I’m assuming you have your teenaged charge toeing the line by now?”

      “Funny story. Turns out my one fourteen-year-old is two four-year-olds, who recently turned five.”

      “Five-year-old twins?”

      “Yep.”

      “Yowza.”

      “Tell me about it.”

      “I know you’re good with teens but what about little ones? Do you have any experience with those?”

      “Some.” Meredith had a huge family, and Lydia was an honorary member. Meredith’s sister Hailey had five kids and Lydia had helped babysit occasionally. And she’d been great with her stepsiblings for the short time she’d lived with them. Never mind that it had been more than a decade since she’d left home and she hadn’t seen them since.

      “Tanner, please, don’t worry about me. I’ll figure this part out. You focus on Clive. Stay safe. Keep Meredith safe.”

      * * *

      JON SENSED TROUBLE as soon as he and Trout walked around the corner of the barn at the Blackwell Ranch and saw JT Brimble standing there. The man’s back was to Jon but JT’s ridiculous hair was unmistakable, even with the long blond curls tied back beneath his cowboy hat. JT oozed a sticky-sweet, good-ol’-boy charm and fancied himself a bull rider. He did odd jobs around the Blackwell Ranch for Big E, jobs that took him too long with mediocre results. Jon had warned his grandfather that the guy was trouble, but he had it on good authority that JT was friendly with Zoe.

      Katie stood in front of JT, gloved hands fisted on her hips. With a disgusted shake of her head she said, “JT, I am telling you for the last time, you need to take this up with Big E. He is not here, and I don’t want you coming back