they hurt you?” Chase asked.
Ryan shook his head. “Not much. They pulled me around some. But I didn’t cry,” he said as he pulled up his shirt to show off some bruises and red welts along the thin torso.
Chase examined him and was drawn to a strawberry-colored birthmark on his small chest. It was very similar to the one Chase had on his lower back. The same type that his Uncle Wade had on his shoulder.
Chase stood, but his gaze remained on the boy. His lungs didn’t seem to work as he noticed so much more about the child. The similar chin with a small indentation. His dark eyes…
He shook his head. He couldn’t think that Mallory would do this to him. Nothing this cruel.
“Are you taking me home?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, so we need to get going.”
It surprised Chase when the boy slipped his small hand into his. “I’m ready.” Together they walked out to the porch to see Jesse come toward them.
“Boyd and Grant have the prisoners secured….” A slow grin appeared as he studied the two of them. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you two looked like—” He paused. “Sweet mercy,” he breathed as his smile died away.
“Close your mouth, Raines. We need to get the boy back to his family.”
Jesse nodded. “Right. Then you bring…Ryan down by horseback. And the helicopter is going to meet us at the ranch.”
Chase nodded. He didn’t want to speak right now. What could he say? Until he confronted Mallory, he wouldn’t know for sure. He stole another glance at the boy.
That wasn’t true. There was no doubt in his mind that Ryan Hagan was his son.
Hearing the helicopter overhead, Mallory hurried outside. It had been two hours since Chase’s phone call and she’d heard Ryan’s voice. Her son was back safe.
They landed about a hundred yards away in the pasture, but she didn’t care. She took off running. She needed to hold her child in her arms, to see for herself he was safe.
The blades were slowing down as Chase stepped out, then reached back and lifted Ryan to the ground. Together they started toward her. Father and son.
She stumbled on seeing the two together. They were so much alike, everyone had to see they were related. As much as she dreaded this day, she was happy it was finally here. The only problem was how much Chase and Ryan would hate her for keeping this secret?
“Mom,” Ryan called and shot off. He nearly jumped into her arms.
“Oh, Ryan,” she cried. “You’re safe.” She hugged him tighter. Inhaled that wonderful familiar boy’s smell of dirt and sweat. She loved it. She released him and did a quick examination. Although he’d been checked out in a small clinic near where he’d been found, she needed to see for herself. “You sure you’re okay?”
His head bobbed up and down. “I’m okay. The doctor said I just got some bruises.” He yanked up his shirt. “But they don’t hurt anymore.”
Just then Buck and Rosalie appeared and were calling to him. Before Mallory could stop her son, he shot off toward them. She was left alone with Chase. She finally was brave enough to look at him.
“Is he mine, Mallory? Is Ryan my son?”
Mallory swallowed and managed a nod.
His jaw worked. “We need to talk.” He glanced toward Ryan. “I’ll be back tonight.”
“No, it’s too soon.”
He tipped his hat back, his gaze bore into hers. “Too soon? Hell, Mallory, I’d say it’s years too late.”
He turned and walked back to the helicopter. The pilot started it up and soon it was in the air.
What was she going to do now? How could she explain everything away?
Buck waited for her as Rosalie took Ryan on ahead into the house. “He’s going to take a bath.”
She shook her head. “Kids are so resilient, aren’t they?”
“Oh, I think Ryan’s going to have his share of nightmares for a while.” He studied his daughter. “But we’ll be here for him.”
She felt the tears sting. “Chase knows, Dad. He knows Ryan is his son.”
He nodded. “It’s time. That boy needs a father…a real father, but only if Chase will be there for the boy.”
Mallory didn’t need to go into the reasons for their breakup. Buck Kendrick hadn’t been happy about his young innocent daughter dating a man who never planned to make a commitment.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Dad. To start with, I never should have married Alan…. I should have tried harder to contact Chase.”
“Sweetheart, we can’t stand here and try to atone for all the mistakes made in our lives. If so, I’d have to take some blame, too. I pushed you into that sham of a marriage… but you and Alan seemed to be a great match.” He shook his head. “I had no idea that would turn out so badly.”
“Dad, stop it. It was my choice.”
Alan had been her boyfriend in high school, but knew his feelings for her were stronger than hers for him. When Mallory went off to college she ended their relationship, knowing she wanted to experience life. But they’d stayed friends. When she came home that summer from college and saw Chase, she fell hopelessly in love.
Chase didn’t. When he got the call to join the rangers, he was packed and gone without so much as a backward glance. Alan had been the one who came back into her life and was willing to take on another man’s baby. So she thought…
“But he hurt you and Ryan…and I can’t forgive him or myself for that.”
“Maybe if I’d tried harder to contact Chase all those years ago, it would have made a difference.” She looked toward the house. “Now, my only concern is protecting my son.”
He had a son…. He had a son….
The rest of the day those words had played in Chase’s head, even during all the paperwork and debriefing on today’s capture. He’d thought it would keep his mind off facing Mallory’s betrayal. It didn’t do any good. He was angry. How could she keep their son a secret?
Jesse stopped by his office right before the shift ended. “Hey, Chase. Wanted to let you know that Jacobs and Reyes are back in Sweetwater.” He shook his head. “Man, I’m glad they’re in lockdown now, especially Jacobs. He’s one mean son of a gun. The guy seemed to get pleasure out of telling me what his plans were for the boy. Reyes was pretty talkative, too. He was interested in your relationship to Wade Landon.”
That wasn’t uncommon. “How so?”
Jesse shrugged. “When I said Wade Landon was your uncle the guy just grinned. Think he’d know anything?”
“What’s
