I know it,” he quipped. There was a rustling noise as if he was tossing off his covers and getting out of bed.
“I’ll owe you big-time for this one,” Kate said.
“Good. Then get a babysitter for Friday night and let me take you out to dinner.” He didn’t miss a beat.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Dallas’s jaw muscle clench. She couldn’t tell if his reaction was good or bad.
“I don’t know if I’ll be in today,” Kate said awkwardly. She quickly glanced at Dallas, realizing that she needed to redirect the conversation with Allen. “The Patsy family’s donation should hit the bank today. Would you mind watching for it and letting me know when it arrives?”
“Got it,” he said. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you changed the subject.”
“We’ve already gone over this, Allen. He’s too little to leave with a sitter,” Kate said quietly into the phone. Her cheeks heated as she talked about her lack of a life in front of a complete stranger, and especially one as good-looking as Dallas.
“That excuse doesn’t fly with me and you know it,” Allen said flatly.
Kate had no response.
“Fine. At least take me as your date to the Hackney party next weekend,” he offered.
“I’m skipping that one, too. Can we talk about it later? I’m too tired to think beyond today,” she said, then managed to end the call without any more embarrassing revelations about her life. The truth was her perspective had changed the instant Jackson had been placed in her arms. There was no man worth leaving her baby for, even for a night.
“Is he usually so...friendly?” Dallas asked.
“I stay out of my employees’ personal lives,” she said, hating the suspicion in Dallas’s voice. “There’s no way Allen would do anything to hurt me or Jackson.”
“I take it there’s no Mr. Williams to notify?” Dallas asked.
Clearly, he’d picked up on the fact that she was single. She’d listened intently for condemnation in his tone and was surprised she didn’t find a hint. She’d expected to and more after cashing out her interests in the tech company she and her brother had started together and moving to a small town. If her own family couldn’t get behind her choices, how could strangers?
“No. There isn’t. Is that a problem?” she asked a little too sharply. Missing sleep didn’t bring out the best in her, and she’d been only half lying about not sleeping last night due to Jackson’s schedule or lack thereof. At his age, he took a bottle every four hours, day and night.
“Not for me personally. The sheriff will want to know, and I’m taking notes to speed along the process once we go inside.” Dallas motioned toward the small notepad he’d taken out of his pocket.
“Oh. Right.” As soon as Jackson was old enough to take care of himself—like, age eighteen—Kate planned to stay in bed an entire weekend. Maybe then she’d think clearly again. Heck, give her a hotel and room service and she’d stay there a whole week.
“Where’s the father?” Dallas asked, still with no hint of disapproval in his voice.
“Out of the picture.”
There was a beat of silence. “Ready to go inside and talk?” he asked at last, his brow arched.
“Yes. I’ll just get Jackson from the backseat,” she said defensively. There was no reason to be on guard, she reminded herself. Besides, what would she care if a stranger judged her?
Dallas stood next to her, holding the car door open. She thanked him as she pulled Jackson close to her chest. Just the thought of anything happening to her son...
She couldn’t even go there.
“Can I help with the diaper bag?” Dallas held out his hand, still no hint of condemnation in his tone.
“You must have children.” Kate managed to ease it off her shoulder without disturbing the baby, who was thankfully asleep again. Her nerves were settling down enough for her hands to finally stop shaking.
“Not me,” he said, sounding a little defensive. What was that all about?
Kate figured the man’s family status was none of her business. She was just grateful that Jackson was still asleep.
Thank the stars for car rides. They were the only way she could get her son down for a nap some days. It probably didn’t hurt that he’d been awake most of the night. He’d been born with his days and nights mixed up.
Family man or not, Kate’s life would be very different right now if Dallas hadn’t been there. Tears threatened to release along with all the emotions she’d been holding in.
Or maybe it was the fact that she felt safe with Dallas, which was a curious thought given that he was a stranger.
This wasn’t the time or place to worry about either. Kate needed to pull on all the strength she had for Jackson. He needed his mother to keep it together.
“I can’t thank you enough,” she said, knowing that she wouldn’t be holding her baby right now if not for this man. “Not just for carrying a diaper bag, but for everything you did for us this morning.”
Dallas nodded. He was tall, easily more than six foot. Maybe six foot two? He had enough muscles for her to know he put in serious time at the gym or on the ranch owned by him and his family. His hair was blacker than the sky on any clear night she’d seen. There was an intensity to him, too, and she had no doubt the man was good at whatever he put his mind to.
She told herself that the only reason she noticed was because they’d been in danger and he’d just saved her son’s life.
* * *
DALLAS WALKED KATE into the sheriff’s office and instructed her to take a seat anywhere she’d be comfortable.
Looking at the baby stirred up all kinds of feelings in him that he wasn’t ready to deal with. Not until he knew for sure one way or the other about his own parenthood status. Being in limbo was the absolute worst feeling, apart from knowing that he was in no way ready to be a father.
And yet a part of him wondered what it would be like to have a little rug rat running around the ranch. He chalked the feeling up to missing his parents. Losing them so unexpectedly had delivered a blow to the family and left a hole that couldn’t be filled. And then there was Dallas’s guilt over not being available to help them out when they’d called. He’d been halfway to New Mexico with an unexpected problem in one of his warehouses.
His gut twisted as he thought about it. If he’d turned around his truck and come back like they’d asked, they’d still be alive.
Dallas needed to redirect his thoughts or his guilt would consume him again. An update from his private investigator, Wayne Morton, was overdue. When Morton had last made contact, three days ago, he’d believed he was on a trail that might lead to Susan’s whereabouts. He’d been plenty busy at the ranch, trying to get his arms around the family business.
“Can
