Page 75 of Her Guarded Hero

A flush crept up the Sheriff’s face. “You have a point,” he admitted to the big SEAL. “I don’t think a taxi or Uber were probably how he got to the rest station.”

“Maybe he used LYFT.” Rhys said.

Lindy grabbed the arm of her huge young cousin who had been teasing her hair and yanked him over the back of the couch. “We really don’t need color commentary from the peanut gallery, got it?” she growled. “Please continue Sheriff, the rundown you’re providing is helping to give us a complete picture.” She let go of her cousin who was then punched in the arm by his grinning brother.

“Well, I think you all know that we fished the black truck out of a ditch this side of Squaw Valley. It was wiped clean of prints. We have nothing to go on after that.”

The Sheriff looked beaten down. Aurora wanted to make him feel better, but she couldn’t think of anything to say.

“All is not lost,” Dex said cheerfully. “Jack is going to check in tomorrow with some info on Ned’s whereabouts for the last couple of years. Between Jack and his dad, there is no way anybody will not tell everything they know.”

“Who’s Jack?” Gunnar asked.

“Jack Preston, he and his step-father owns one of the biggest spreads in central Texas. It’s mostly cattle, but-”

“But they have a hell of a horse ranch,” Gunnar finished for Dex. “Tate, haven’t you done business with them?”

“I have,” Tate nodded. “Richard Preston is a good man. Fair. Even though he’s off in the middle of nowhere and a Texan,” he teased. “Preston seems to know everybody West of the Rockies.”

Brody brightened at the idea that there might be a lead. “Do you think you really think he might be able to find something out about Ned’s whereabouts during those missing two years?”

“I’m betting between Jack’s dad’s connections and Dex’s magic, they’ll find out something,” Hunter assured the older man.

God, that would be a relief. She wanted this madness to end.

“You’re going to call him tomorrow?” Gunnar asked Dex.

“I have a Skype call set-up with the Preston’s tomorrow morning,” Dex answered.

“I want to be in on it,” Brody immediately said.

Aurora looked around the room, almost everybody in the room nodded or raised their hand to indicate they wanted in on the call. The only hold-outs were her cousins Luke and Rhys, which was good, because she needed them working the ranch since Erwin was going to be in on the call as well.

“I’ll make you breakfast tomorrow and we’ll do it here,” Gunnar announced.

“Breakfast trumps the big screen in my conference room,” Brody said as he patted his non-existent stomach. “Apple flapjacks?”

“Whatever Aurora wants,” Gunnar said.

Brody gave her a once over pausing on her large stomach, and once again the man flushed. “What was I thinking, of course Aurora gets to decide. What time should I be over here?”

“I’d say seven o’clock.” Dex answered.

With that Aurora pushed up off the couch, but Dalton was there to lend her a hand. She could get used to it. Lindy shot her a knowing smile. Dammit, nothing got by her cousin.

“Come on boys,” Tate said to his sons. “I’ve got a hankering for Dickey’s Bar-B-Q.” She watched as Luke and Rhys grinned ear-to-ear at the thought of food and followed their dad out of the house.

“I need to get going too, if I want to be back here by seven o’clock,” Brody said trailing behind her uncle.

“Honey, your Mom probably has something delicious waiting at home. And I know she’s baked a chocolate cake for you,” Zebadiah said to his daughter. Aurora always liked looking at her Uncle Zeb and Lindy together with their long black hair. They looked regal.

“Chocolate cake? I need to come home more often.” Lindy rubbed her hands together.

Zebadiah put his arm around his daughters’ shoulders. “Yes, you do.”

“I’m going too,” Erwin said. “Just call me in from the barn in the morning. Dalton, it’s good seeing you again, remember what I said.” He gave him a meaningful look and walked out with Lindy and her father. Aurora would have to ask Dalton a little later what that was all about. But if she had to guess Erwin had threatened Dalton. Her ranch foreman had been pretty angry when Dalton hadn’t shown up when she was pregnant.

Gunnar was the last one remaining with the SEALs and Aurora. Damn, now came the awkward moment of who was staying where. She sure as hell knew where Dalton was staying, and that was in her bed. There were two other guest rooms she supposed. Before she started to figure out sleeping arrangements, Gunnar faked a big yawn and stretched.