Libby blinked back tears she hoped he wouldn’t see and managed to smile. “Better than okay.”
Sam kissed her softly one last time and left to deal with the condom she had barely noticed him put on. He returned and settled her in the crook of his arm, her head on hispowerful bicep.
“You were right, Sam.” She traced a finger over the muscles on his chest. “It just has to bethe right man.”
Sam caught her hand and brought it to his lips. She could feel him smile. “The right man is just getting started, honey.”
Sam kissed her long and deep, arousingher once more.
Proving his point even better thanhe had before.
Chapter Fourteen
Sam was in trouble. The kind he had given up on long ago. Sam was in love with Liberty Hale, and there was no way it could ever work.
He knew she cared about him, maybe more than cared. But Libby was a beautiful, sophisticated woman who had studied at Columbia University, part of a wealthy, high-society family in New York. He couldn’t ask her to give all that up, no matter his feelings for her. It wouldn’t befair to Libby.
He tried not to think of last night and how good it had been between them. Tried not to think about how he wanted to spend tonight—and every night until she left—in her bed.
Instead, he concentrated on the work he needed to do. He had a ranch to run. He didn’t have time to spend mooning over a woman.
It was check-out day for the current group of visitors. With group two arriving next week, it was amazing how quickly time passed. Which meant his time with Libby would sooncome to an end.
The thought cast a dark pall over an otherwise spectacular day.
The weather was warm, heading toward hot, the heat nice for a change. Betty and Alice had already checked out, hugged him, vowed to come back next year, and driven off with a teary smile and a wave. The honeymooners were gone, too, thrilled with their stay in the Dove’s Nest and their adventures these past couple of weeks.
Sam had seen Libby earlier that morning, but not lately. He figured she would want to be there to say goodbye to Jenny, Caleb, Jordy, and Suzy.
His cell phone rang. He always felt a little guilty using it, but it was his job to run the place and keep everyonehappy and safe.
“Bridger.”
“Sam, it’s Glen Carver. I’ve got some news youneed to hear.”
“What is it?”
“Max Stoddard and Vince Nolan had another roommate. His name is Deacon Mitchell. Three weeks ago, Mitchell robbed a bank in Denver. Shot two security guards and got away with more than two hundred thousand dollars. One of the guards died, the other is in critical condition, but it looks like he’ll make it. There were three men involved in the robbery, but only Mitchell was identified. All three fled the scene.”
Dread formed a knot in his stomach. “You’re thinking Vince and Max are theother two men?”
“There’s no evidence at this point, but as I said, Mitchell was living in the apartment with them, and now they’re in the wind. We’ve got an arrest warrant out for Mitchell and a BOLO out on Stoddard and Nolan as persons of interest.”
“Anything else?”
“That’s it for now. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Glen.” Sam made a mental note to tell Big John, Julio, and the rest of the hands to be on the lookout for the men. They were likely miles from the area, but he didn’t liketaking chances.
Shoving the phone back in his hip pocket, he headed for Cougar Cabin, where the Dunbars would be getting ready to leave. Sam stopped at the bottom of the porch steps when the door swung open, and everything insidehim went cold.
Vince Nolan stood in the opening, his arm around Libby’s waist, holding her in front of him like a shield. A big semiautomatic pistol was pressed against the side of her head.
Vince’s lips curled into a smirk that was far from a smile. “I’ve got something that belongs to you, Bridger. You want her back—and the happy little family inside—you’ll do exactly what I tell you.”
The knot in Sam’s stomach tightened. “What do you want, Nolan? Name it and you’ve got it. Just let them go.”
The smirk faded. “You think I’m an idiot? We’ll let them go when we get what we came for.”
