Home To Texas - Ransom My Heart Part 24

Mandy wasn't in any danger. Those were your men, your kidnappers. The whole thing gave you a chance to call in Chase and then to send us out into that G.o.dforsaken wilderness together. That was the whole point. To let Chase know about Mandy. To get me and Chase back together."

"You're the one who decided on going with him down there. I had nothing to do with that. I even tried to talk you out of it."

Therefore guaranteeing that I'd go, she thought, recognizing her own familiar pattern of behavior in dealing with her father.

"You knew I wouldn't have any other choice.

Tell Chase about Mandy or go with him to make the payoff, to identify my daughter. You knew that's how it would play out."

"You think I planned to send you into that country?

Without water?" Sam said.

"Without transportation?"

"With Chase McCullar. The best man for the job," she said sarcastically.

"You knew he'd get us out safely. You knew it, d.a.m.n you. You were counting on it."

"You better remember a couple of things," Sam said, anger beginning to creep into his voice, too.

"One, I'm not a fool. And two, I also know that country. I know what it can do to a man, even a good man. What if McCullar had broke his leg in that wreck? You really think I'd 'a planned on leaving the two of you out there in that situation? You think I'd hire men to put guns to my own grandbaby's head? To my daughter's?"

She didn't. Deep in her heart, she knew that he wouldn't do either of those things. Sam was ruthless and vindictive and hard as west Texas, but he loved Samantha and Mandy as he had loved her mother. However, she wasn't ready to dismiss the possibility that Sam was involved. It was just like him. Just like the old b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"I'm sure you had a plan for that contingency, too," she said bitterly.

"Then why would I have him call you?" Sam asked.

"You explain that to me, smart girl. If I set up the kidnapping, then why have that Mexican b.a.s.t.a.r.d tell you that the ambush had been set up in the States."

He was right. That made no sense, and if she hadn't been so furious with him, she would never have suggested it.

"Okay. Maybe he wasn't your man. Maybe you just decided to take advantage of the kidnapping to get me and Chase together. To give us a little time to discover..." She hesitated over revealing to him what she had discovered about her feelings for Chase McCullar.

"Exactly what did you all discover out there?" Sam asked.

Shrewd, conniving old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she thought again, hearing the mockery in his voice. She felt a surge of guilt because this was her father she was thinking that about. But that was what he was, d.a.m.n it. Everybody knew it. That was what Sam Kincaid had always been.

"What comes next?" she asked instead of telling him what had occurred in the mountains.

"You got something else planned for when Chase goes to deliver the rest of the money."? I have to tell you that I'm not planning on going along this time."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Samantha. I had nothing to do with what went on before. I swear to you, I had nothing to do with that ambush."

"I don't want you pulling any more tricks, Sam.

ever is between Chase and me is private. It's our and not yours."

"You tell McCullar about the phone call, you hear Sam said.

"Maybe he can talk some sense into McCullar ain't no fool. He'll know I'd never do to put you or Mandy in danger. If somebody here did up that ambush, McCullar better figure out who it was fore he goes back. You tell him, you hear?"

Again Samantha found herself listening to the dial This time she put the phone down with more force she had before. Too much of what. Sam said made She didn't trust her father as far as she could throw when it came to meddling in her life, but he loved And he loved her.

As he had reminded her, if the kidnapper had been by Sam, then why would he warn her? But if he been, that still didn't mean that the shooter hadn't Sam's man. There were plenty of people he could hire had the kind of skill required for that job. The ambush driven her and Chase into the mountains together and still sounded to her like something that might have on her father's agenda.

Exactly what Sam had hoped for had happened, she mitted. She had realized that nothing had changed the way she had always felt about Chase. She had that Mandy had a fight to her father's love. And she realized that Chase McCullar still wanted her.

Shrewd manipulative old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she thought Then she picked up the phone and dialed Jenny's ?.

"IT'S FOR YOU," JENNY said, her voice coming from outside his bedroom door.

Chase had heard the phone ring, maybe an hour after he'd gone to bed, but no one knew he was here, so he had decided it couldn't be for him.

When Jenny had knocked on his door, he still hadn't responded. He had just been lying in the dark, trying not to think about the conversation he'd overheard. He thought if he didn't answer the knock, she would just go away. He sure as h.e.l.l didn't want to talk to anyone tonight.

Somewhere inside he was afraid the person on the phone, the person who wanted to speak to him, might be the man she'd been talking to. Maybe wanting to tell him about their relations.h.i.+p, maybe wanting Chase's permission to court his sister-in-law. He didn't intend to listen to that re-quest--not tonight, at least--so he had ignored the soft knock and Jenny's call.

He was surprised when she opened the door. He could see her silhouetted against the light from the hall.

"It's Samantha," she said, when he didn't move.

Chase sat up. He had lain down on the bed still wearing his jeans, but he had slipped off Doc's harness and his s.h.i.+rt.

Jenny walked across the room and handed him the phone.

"What's wrong?" he asked, speaking quickly into the receiver. He might not be too bright when it came to his dealings with Samantha Kincaid, but he was smart enough to know that she wouldn't call him unless something had happened.

"I had a phone call from the kidnapper," Samantha said.

"And?" he prodded when she didn't go on.

"He said to tell you that the ambush originated up here."

Chase thought about what that meant, and as he did, he realized Jenny was still standing in the doorway, waiting.

He put his hand over the phone and whispered, "It's all right. Nothing's wrong."

She nodded, and only then did she turn and leave, pulling lUf[50ffl 1 1y l'1Url what had occurred in the mountains.

"You got something else planned for when Chase goes to deliver the rest of the money? I have to tell you that I'm not planning on going along this time."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Samantha. I had nothing to do with what went on before. I swear to you, I had nothing to do with that ambush."

"I don't want you pulling any more tricks, Sam. Whatever is between Chase and me is private. It's our business and not yours."

"You tell McCullar about the phone call, you hear me?"

Sam said.

"Maybe he can talk some sense into you.

McCullar ain't no fool. He'll know I'd never do anything to put you or Mandy in danger. If somebody here did set up that ambush, McCullar better figure out who it was before he goes back. You tell him, you hear?"

Again Samantha found herself listening to the dial tone.

This time she put the phone down with more force she had before. Too much of what Sam said made sense.

She didn't trust her father as far as she could throw him when it came to meddling in her life, but he loved Mandy' And he loved her.

As he had reminded her, if the kidnapper had been by Sam, then why would he warn her? But if he hadn't been, that still didn't mean that the shooter hadn't Sam's man. There were plenty of people he could hire had the kind of skill required for that job. The ambush driven her and Chase into the mountains together and still sounded to her like something that might have on her father's agenda.

Exactly what Sam had hoped for had happened, she mitted. She had realized that nothing had changed the way she had always felt about Chase. She that Mandy had a right to her father's love. And she realized that Chase McCullar still wanted her.

Shrewd manipulative old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she thought Then she picked up the phone and dialed Jenny's "IT'S FOR YOU," JENNY said, her voice coming from outside his bedroom door.

Chase had heard the phone ring, maybe an hour after he'd gone to bed, but no one knew he was here, so he had decided it couldn't be for him.

When Jenny had knocked on his door, he still hadn't responded. He had just been lying in the dark, trying not to think about the conversation he'd overheard. He thought if he didn't answer the knock, she would just go away. He sure as h.e.l.l didn't want to talk to anyone tonight.

Somewhere inside he was afraid the person on the phone, the person who wanted to speak to him, might be the man she'd been talking to. Maybe wanting to tell him about their relations.h.i.+p, maybe wanting Chase's permission to court his sister-in-law. He didn't intend to listen to that re-quest--not tonight, at least--so he had ignored the soft knock and Jenny's call.

He was surprised when she opened the door. He could see her silhouetted against the light from the hall.

"It's Samantha," she said, when he didn't move.

Chase sat up. He had lain down on the bed still wearing his jeans, but he had slipped off Doc's harness and his s.h.i.+rt.

Jenny walked across the room and handed him the phone.

"What's wrong?" he asked, speaking quickly into the receiver. He might not be too bright when it came to his dealings with Samantha Kincaid, but he was smart enough to know that she wouldn't call him unless something had happened.

"I had a phone call from the kidnapper," Samantha said.

"And?" he prodded when she didn't go on.

"He said to tell you that the ambush originated up here."

Chase thought about what that meant, and as he did, he realized Jenny was still standing in the doorway, waiting.

He put his hand over the phone and whispered, "It's all right. Nothing's wrong."

She nodded, and only then did she turn and leave, pulling ltUfl'fJltl.

"Lrl if llCC.l t, his bedroom door closed behind her and shutting off the light from the

hall."Chase?" Samantha questioned the delay."Did he give you a name?""No name. Just that it was planned in the States and that you should know that before you carried the rest of the money down to him on Sat.u.r.day."

"Okay," he said, still trying to decide the significance.

"I called Sam," she said.

He supposed that was inevitable, given that it was Sam's money he would be carrying and that she was Sam's daughter, but he wished she hadn't.

The fewer people who knew anything, the fewer chances something could go wrong, but it was too late to change what had already been done.

"Sam said it wasn't him," Samantha said.

"I still don't know whether to believe him or--" "You think your father had something to do with that ambush?"

"It just ... sounded like something he might do. Trying to manipulate

the two of us.""Why?" he asked.She hesitated."Because it put us back together," she said softly."What makes you think Sam would want that?" Chase asked."He sure as h.e.l.l has never wanted us together before.""Maybe because there's been no one else," she said.There was a brief silence before she added, "And because he always wanted a grandson." Chase eased a breath, trying to keep the sound of it from carrying over the line. A grandson, he thought, the images moving uncontrollably through his head. Suddenly, in response to those images, there were other reactions, just as uncontrollable.

"Not my son," he denied quietly.

"Then ... not anybody else's," she said.

"Sam's smart enough to have figured that out."

uLy& rr vl at j t He wondered if that could possibly mean what it had sounded like, and

then he buried the incredible thought in the necessity of dealing withthe issue here."Sam wouldn't put you in danger," he advised."That's what he said.""But you didn't believe him.""Eventually. After I'd calmed down and thought about it.""Which leaves us where?""I don't know. That's why I called you. The man who called said you needed to know before you brought the rest of the money.""Yeah," Chase agreed. d.a.m.n straight he needed to know. He needed tofigure out what was going on. To think about what Samantha hadsuggested about her father's motives, despite his denial. Could Sam have had any part in what had gone on down in Mexico? If not, then who else in the States would have reason to organize that ambush?

When the answer to that brushed through his consciousness, his logic

rejected it. Rio might hate him enough, but his half brother was stillin prison."Are you still going?" she asked."I don't have a choice. I gave him my word. And Sam's."

"So what do we do?"

"Meet me at Sam'S tomorrow. Call and tell him you're coming for lunch.