Stockyard Snatching. Barb Han

would never be able to rest until he had answers.

      Walking away from a child wasn’t something an O’Brien could ever do. Dallas had already lost his parents, and family meant everything to him.

      As Ms. Williams closed the door to her vehicle, shivering in the cold, a male figure emerged from around the side of her building. The guy had on a hoodie and his face was angled toward the ground. His clothes were dirty, dark and layered. He was either homeless or trying to look the part.

      The guy glanced around nervously as he approached Ms. Williams.

      Didn’t that get Dallas’s radar jacked up to full alert? He strained to get a better view. Come on. Look up.

      All this guy would have to do would be ask Ms. Williams a question to distract her—say, what time the place opened. She would answer; he would rob her and then run. There were plenty of places to disappear downtown or in the neighborhood near the stockyard.

      It would be a perfect crime, because not only was she holding a baby, but her thick clothing would weigh her down, making it impossible for her to catch him.

      Well, a perfect crime if Dallas wasn’t right there watching.

      Then again, this really could be a man in need of a meal. Experience had taught Dallas not to jump the gun when it came to people. There was no shortage of homeless, even in a small town like Bluff, Texas.

      The times he had driven by this location early in the morning and found the line of needy individuals stretched around the block were too many to count. He was pretty certain Ms. Williams’s neighbors on Main Street didn’t appreciate her clientele. None of them would be wandering through the stores after a meal to buy handmade jewelry or quaint Texas souvenirs. These businesses were important to the local economy.

      Just then, the hooded figure lifted his head and made a grab for the baby.

      This wasn’t a robbery; it was a kidnapping.

      Dallas spewed curse words as he ran full throttle toward them. “Stop right there!” he shouted.

      Ms. Williams fought back and her attacker shifted position, ensuring she was between him and Dallas.

      The baby cried, which seemed to agitate the attacker. Ms. Williams kicked the guy where no man wanted the tip of a boot. He coughed, then cursed as he seemed to catch sight of Dallas out of the corner of his eye.

      The man shouted as he struggled to take the baby out of Ms. Williams’s arms. “Don’t come any closer!” His voice was agitated and Dallas didn’t recognize it. Must not be someone local. The guy forced the woman back a few steps with him, a knife to her throat. “I didn’t want to do it like this, but now she’s coming with me.”

      The baby wailed and Dallas came to a stop.

      This situation had gone sour in a heartbeat.

      To make matters worse, all Dallas could see clearly of Ms. Williams was a set of terrified blue eyes staring at him. She had that desperate-mother look that said she’d do anything to save her son. Dallas’s heart squeezed as she held tight to her baby with the determination only a loving mom could possess.

      He hoped like hell she wouldn’t do anything stupid.

      Tires squealed from behind the building and Dallas instantly wished it would be his best friend, Sheriff Tommy Johnson. No way would Tommy be dumb enough to come roaring up, however. His friend was smarter than that and a better lawman.

      A vehicle rounded the corner and lurched to a stop nearby. The white minivan’s sliding door opened.

      The attacker broke eye contact to look. If Dallas had a shot at taking the guy down, he’d grab it.

      “Toss your keys to me,” the kidnapper shouted to him.

      Dallas dug a set from his pocket and pitched them forward.

      If he didn’t make a move soon, this jerk would disappear into that van with mother and baby. She’d most likely be killed and her body dumped before they left the county. Dallas had read about vicious illegal adoption rings in the area and stories of mothers being killed for their infants.

      Between the hoodie pulled over the thug’s forehead and the turtleneck covering his jaw, Dallas couldn’t get a good look at his face. The guy glanced away again, as if calculating the odds of getting inside the vehicle before Dallas could catch him. Then he bent to grab the keys.

      It was now or never.

      Dallas lunged toward his target and knocked the guy’s arm away from Kate’s throat. The sheer amount of fabric she had wrapped around her neck made certain the blade wouldn’t get anywhere near her skin. For the first time in his life, Dallas thanked the cold weather.

      Breaking free, Ms. Williams bolted toward her car, while trying to soothe the crying infant.

      In the bustle, the attacker broke out of Dallas’s grip and darted toward the vehicle. Damn. No plates.

      “The sheriff is on his way,” Dallas said in desperation, knowing full well his target was about to hop into that van and disappear.

      Just as expected, the guy hurled himself in the open door and, without waiting for it to close, shouted at the driver to go. On cue, the van swerved, then sped away.

      Dallas muttered a curse. Pulling out his cell, he told Ms. Williams to stay put. Even though his pickup wasn’t far, he couldn’t leave her to give chase. No way would he risk this guy circling back or sending others to finish the job. Dallas would have to stay with her to ensure her safety.

      At least this morning wasn’t a total bust. The baby was safe in his mother’s arms. Dallas could call his friend the sheriff, who would track down the minivan while Dallas guarded Ms. Williams.

      “Where are you?” he asked as soon as Tommy picked up.

      “A couple of blocks from Main Street,” the lawman replied. “Why? You okay?”

      “I’m in the back parking lot of the soup kitchen and a man just tried to abduct Ms. Williams’s baby. There’s a white Mazda minivan heading in your direction. He hopped inside it before I could get to him. No tags in front,” Dallas reported, noticing for the first time that he was practically panting from adrenaline. He took a deep breath and then finished relaying the details of what had just gone down.

      “Is there a high point you can get to for a visual on the minivan?” Tommy asked.

      Dallas kept an eye on Ms. Williams as he climbed on top of the closed Dumpster to see if he could spot the vehicle. She had managed to settle the baby. Dallas was certain her hands would be shaking from her own adrenaline, and he was grateful for the few extra minutes he’d get while she fumbled with securing her son in the car seat. The panicked look on her face said she’d get as far away as possible the second she could.

      “No. I don’t see him,” Dallas said.

      “I’m on Main now. A couple of blocks from your location, but I don’t see anyone on the street.” Tommy asked Dallas to stand by while he gave his deputies a description of the vehicle. “I’m sending someone over to you just in case the guy is on his way back or sends someone else.”

      “Call me back when you know anything. I have to check on Ms. Williams and make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid,” Dallas said, knowing full well that her eyes would haunt him if he didn’t ensure she was okay. It would be a long time before he shook off the image of those frightened sky blues, and he had to admit to being a little interested to see what the rest of her face looked like. He told himself it was protective instinct mixed with curiosity and nothing more.

      Besides, she’d been as blindsided by all this as he had. He hopped down and jogged toward her sedan. “Ma’am.”

      She spun around with a gasp. “Kate. It’s Kate.”

      He brought his hand up, palm out, to help communicate the idea that he wasn’t there to hurt her.

      “I’m