McCullen's Secret Son. Rita Herron

know you’ve had issues, Brett, but your father just died, and you and your brothers should be patching things up.” She took a swallow of her own liquor, grateful for the warmth of the alcohol as it eased her nerves. “Family means everything, Brett. When you don’t have one anymore, you realize how important it is.”

      Brett’s gaze latched with hers, but the flirtatious gleam she’d seen years ago and in the tabloids was gone. Instead, a dark intensity made his eyes look almost black.

      “I’m sorry you lost yours. I know that last year with your dad was rough.”

      It was Willow’s turn to shrug, although it was Brett leaving a second time that had sent her into Leo’s arms. Made her vulnerable to his false charm.

      “My family is Sam now. I can’t go on if something happens to him.”

      Brett reached out and covered her hand with his. “We will find him, I promise. And I’ll make sure whoever abducted him pays.”

      She desperately wanted to believe him.

      “There’s something I have to ask you, Willow.”

      A knot seized her stomach at his tone. “What?”

      “Where were you earlier today?”

      Willow tensed. “Why? You don’t think I shot Leo, do you?”

      He hesitated, long enough to make her think that he had considered the possibility. That hurt.

      “No,” he finally said. “But I have to ask, because the police will.”

      Willow sucked in a sharp breath. “I did errands, had to drop off some of my orders. Sam was staying with my neighbor Gina, but apparently Leo picked him up.” That sick feeling hit her again.

      “This other woman can corroborate your story?”

      Willow pinched her lips together, angry. “Yes, Brett.”

      Would she need a more solid alibi to prove that she hadn’t killed her husband?

      * * *

      THE PAIN IN Willow’s eyes made Brett strengthen his resolve to help her. “Do you have any idea who abducted Sam?”

      She shook her head, her hair falling like a curtain around her face. “I didn’t recognize the man’s voice. And he wore a ski mask.”

      “You said that Leo didn’t have a bank account? Where did he keep his money?”

      Willow traced her finger along the rim of her glass. “He kept cash in a safe when he lived with me. But he cleaned that out when he left.”

      “It seems odd that a businessman wouldn’t have had bank accounts, maybe even a financial advisor.”

      “I thought so, too, but he just got defensive every time I mentioned it.”

      Brett rocked the swing back and forth with his feet. “Where did he go when he moved out?”

      “I don’t know.”

      “He didn’t send child support?”

      “No. And I was okay with that. When he left, I was so glad to have him out of my life, out of Sam’s life, that I didn’t want anything from him.”

      Brett willed his temper in check. The McCullen men had been raised to protect women, and to honor them. No man ever laid a hand on a woman or child.

      “How bad was it?” he asked gruffly.

      Willow sighed wearily. “At first it was just arguments. He wanted to control everything, from the money I spent, to how I took care of the house. I stood my ground, and he didn’t like it.”

      “Good for you.”

      A small smile tilted her mouth. “He was nice in the beginning, Brett, but he changed once we married. Nothing I did was right. And he was always traveling and refused to tell me where he was going.”

      “You think he was having an affair?”

      Willow shrugged. “It wouldn’t have surprised me.”

      Brett contemplated that idea. What if Leo had been seeing another woman and she had killed him?

      Still, why would that woman abduct Sam?

      Unless she thought Willow had Leo’s money.

      “Tell me about his business,” Brett said. “What did Leo do for a living?”

      “When we first met, he said he’d made it big with some investment, something about mining uranium.”

      Made sense. Wyoming was rich in rare earth elements and mining.

      “Did he say how much money he made? Thousands? A million?”

      Willow bit down on her lip. “No. He just said he’d—we’d—be taken care of for life.”

      Brett considered the small house where Willow lived. “If he had so much money, why were you living in that little place?”

      Willow frowned. “I moved there after Leo left. I wanted a fresh start.”

      “Where was your other house?”

      “Cheyenne,” Willow said. “But it was a rental, too. He said he was holding out to buy a big spread and build his dream house. But he never started anything.”

      “Did he have a business card? Or was there a business associate he mentioned?”

      “No.” Willow’s voice cracked. “I’m sorry. I’m not being much help.”

      She obviously hadn’t known much about her husband, which seemed odd to him. Willow had always been honest, trusting, and she valued family but she was also cautious because her father had had problems.

      So why had she been charmed by Leo? Had his money appealed to her?

      That also didn’t fit with the Willow he’d known.

      “Did Leo have any family? A sister? Brother? Parents?”

      “No,” Willow said. “He lost both his parents.” Willow leaned against the back of the porch swing, her face ashen. “Looking back, Brett, I feel like I didn’t know Leo at all.”

      Brett tossed back the rest of his whiskey. “You’re exhausted now, but maybe tomorrow you’ll remember more.”

      If he was lucky, he’d find something in the house to add insight into Willow’s dead husband.

      Knowing more about him might clue them in to the reason for his death.

      He patted Willow’s hand. “Go inside and try to get some sleep.”

      “How can I sleep when I don’t know where Sam is? He must be scared...and what if he’s hurt? What if that man did something to him?”

      Brett cupped her face with his hands. “Listen to me, Willow. If this man wanted something from Leo, and he didn’t get it, he’s going to use Sam as leverage. So if we figure out what kind of trouble Leo was in, we can figure out how to save your son.”

      He coaxed her to stand. “Try to rest until he calls with his demands.”

      Willow glanced down at his hand. “Are you staying here?”

      He wanted to. But that would be too tempting.

      “No. I’ll run back to the farmhouse to shower. I’ll bring you some breakfast in a little while, then we can stop by your house for some of your things.”

      He opened the door and ushered her inside. “Now lock up. You’ll be safe here. And when the kidnapper calls, phone me and I’ll come right over.”

      Her golden eyes flickered with fear, but she nodded and slipped inside. He waited until he heard the door lock, then hurried to his truck before he went inside and crawled in bed with