CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hank held the baby awkwardly in one arm as he pushed the cart down the aisle of the discount variety store. He didn’t like the way the baby felt in his arms, all sweet innocence and pure need.
He hadn’t wanted to take the baby along, but he hadn’t known how else to handle the situation. The baby was an unwanted complication and an ace in the hole for making Colette cooperate.
Standing in front of the display of diapers, he tried to ignore how her sweet breath warmed his neck, how her baby powder scent seemed to sweep him back to a time long ago. A time of hope, of dreams…all shattered in the blink of an eye.
He no longer had the energy to hope, and had lost all his ability to dream. He was a man with a cold heart, and no pretty brunette with big hazel eyes or dark-haired cherub babe would change that fact.
He grabbed a package of diapers he thought would fit and shoved all thoughts of that distant past behind. Moving on to the canned formula section, he concentrated on making a mental list of what other things they might need for a couple of days on the road.
As he threw a couple of baby sleepers into the basket, Brook continued to sleep in his arm, her long lashes feathering her chubby cheeks. He tried not to look at her, didn’t want to fall into the kind of love affair babies easily inspired in most people.
From the baby section, he moved to womens’ wear, knowing Colette had nothing but the clothes on her back. It was unfortunate their escape hadn’t been better planned. A packed suitcase of clothing and necessities would have been nice.
At least he had most of his own things. Knowing there might come a time when he’d have to leave the ranch fast, he’d kept his own clothes and personal items in the car.
He added a couple oversize T-shirts and several pairs of jogging pants to the items in his basket, then as an afterthought threw in an infant car seat and headed for the cashier.
“Oh, what a sweet baby doll,” the cashier exclaimed as she rang up Hank’s purchases. “How old is she?”
“Not even a month,” Hank answered. He looked down at Brook, surprised to see her not only awake, but her bright dark eyes peering up at him. As he stared at her, her tiny mouth turned up into a smile.
“Look at that, isn’t that precious. She’s smiling at you.” The cashier’s voice rose an octave and a headache blossomed in the center of Hank’s forehead.
“It’s probably gas,” he answered, wishing she’d hurry up.
“You must be such a proud papa,” she said.
Hank merely grunted. He paid for his purchases, then headed for his car, hoping Colette hadn’t gottenloose and done something stupid. He paused long enough to use a pay phone to call his superior and let him know where they were and what had transpired, then headed back to Colette.
Colette. As he drove back to the motel, taking side streets and alleys in an effort to elude anyone who might be possibly following him, his head filled with thoughts of her.
He’d always believed the adage that familiarity bred contempt, but that hadn’t been the case between him and Colette. Days and nights of togetherness had fostered a steaming desire, an explosive passion that had simmered to uncontrollable proportions.
His control had snapped and complicated what should have been an easy assignment, complicated the lives of everyone involved.
He’d vowed to himself five years before that his heart would never be touched again, and it was a promise he intended to keep. Colette would have his protection, and as long as she understood the rules, she could even experience his passion, but she’d never, ever warm his cold, hard heart.
He parked in front of their motel room, seeing nothing amiss. Still, caution came as natural as breathing. He kept the motor running and the baby in the car seat as he got out of the car and approached the room. Pulling the key from his pocket, he placed an ear to the door.
He wasn’t concerned about her getting loose and calling the local law. His authority far exceeded theirs and they would only remand her back into his custody. What did worry him was that if she’d managed to call the law, who else might have heard telltaleradio transmissions? The one mistake Hank knew better than to make was to underestimate Cameron Collier.
He heard no sounds emanating from inside the room, had no whisper of danger walk up his back. His instincts all proclaimed it safe and he had learned long ago to depend on his unscientific but nearly faultless instincts.
It took him only moments to shut off the car, gather Brook and the packages from the back seat, and open the motel room door.
Colette remained in the same position he’d left her, her eyes shooting anger and resentment as he entered. He placed the baby and the shopping bags on the other bed, then quickly untied Colette from her bonds. She sat up and rubbed her wrists, her eyes steady on him. “It was enough that you took my baby with you, you didn’t have to tie me up like a steer.”
“If I’d thought it unnecessary, I wouldn’t have done it,” he replied as he wrapped the phone cord in a small bundle and shoved it into his pocket. He gestured to the packages on the bed. “I picked up the stuff for the kid, and I also bought a couple T-shirts and jogging pants so you’d have a change of clothes.”
“You’re so good to me,” Colette returned sarcastically.
He sank down on the edge of his bed, suddenly exhausted. The past months of not knowing where Colette was, if she were still alive, or if Collier had gotten to her, had stretched his nerves.
Now that she was where she needed to be, he didn’t want to fight with her. He didn’t want to have towatch not only her back, but his own, as well, worrying about whether she’d run or not.
As she opened a can of the formula and prepared a bottle for the baby, Hank absently rubbed a hand across his forehead where a band of tension pressed painfully. Why couldn’t she just cooperate with him? It would be so much easier if he could trust her, so he could go in and take a hot shower, then get a couple hours of deep sleep without worrying about her sneaking out and disappearing once again.
