“Sure.” Brad got the silverware and poured three glasses of milk. After he brought those to the table, he filled a mug of coffee for Sarah and put it on the table. “Have a seat,” he added.
Brad hoped Nick would not ask questions. He could explain the events while they rode after breakfast.
Nick didn’t say anything until he’d dished up breakfast for everyone. But when he sat down to eat, he asked, “Where are you from?”
Sarah didn’t want to tell him, but after a look at Brad, she replied, “Denver.”
“It’s an unusual month for a vacation with kids. Won’t they be missing school?”
Sarah looked at Brad, a plea in her gaze.
“I’ll explain after breakfast,” Brad said. “Eat up, Sarah. Nick wants to get the kitchen clean before we go.”
“I’ll be glad to clean the dishes. I don’t know what— I mean, I’ll be waiting to hear from the sheriff.”
Nick looked at Brad, as if wondering if he could trust Sarah.
Brad said, “That’d be good, Sarah, if you don’t mind. The kids can watch cartoons while you work.”
“Can I stay home and watch cartoons, too?” Robbie asked eagerly.
“No, son. You know you have to go to school. Mommy would be upset if you stayed home for no reason.”
“Aw, Daddy. Why—”
“Eat up,” Nick ordered.
They had all finished in a couple of minutes. Nick took Robbie out to wait for his school bus, planning to meet Brad in the barn afterward.
As they left, Brad turned to Sarah. “My sister-in-law is sleeping in. Can you cook breakfast for her?”
“All right. Thank you for reassuring Nick without—without upsetting the kids.”
“No problem,” Brad said as he walked out of the house.
In the barn he saddled both horses and waited for his brother.
Minutes later he arrived, and he was barely in the saddle when he blurted, “Okay, what’s the story?”
Nick might not have been prepared for the violent story, but Brad held nothing back. He told his brother as much as he knew.
In the end, Nick could only shake his head. “What a story.”
“I know. And I only saw them because I caught a flicker of a fire. I stopped and went back. I put out the fire and told her she had to take the kids and leave. It was pretty obvious she thought she could just tell me she was leaving. I called Mike and he said to bring them in.”
“She’s lucky you found them,” Nick said. “Been a shame if they’d made it away from the father and been attacked by the bears out there.”
“That’s what I told her.”
But as Brad rode out beside his brother, he couldn’t help wondering if he’d really brought Sarah to safety.
CHAPTER TWO
SARAH wondered if this ranch was as safe a place as the Logans and the sheriff had told her. She hated to think she’d led her brother and sister to more danger. After checking on them in the family room, where they were watching television, she returned to her kitchen chores.
She would’ve done a lot more work in return for the night’s sleep at a good bed and breakfast. Lord knows she couldn’t have gone without rest again. After running, she’d driven half the night and then parked in a rest stop to close her eyes for a few minutes, sitting up on watch for most of the first night. Then there was last night’s fiasco in the national forest.
She hadn’t thought about bears.
Thanks to Brad Logan, she and the children had been taken care of. A safe house, warm beds and good food. What more could she ask for? Sighing, she realized she owed Brad a lot. And to think she’d been angry at him when he barged in on her makeshift campsite last night. The sternness she’d seen in his eyes had softened to concern, then sympathy. She didn’t want his sympathy, just his compassion. And the handsome cowboy had offered it.
After sweeping the kitchen floor, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Her unknowing hostess, perhaps?
The brown-haired pregnant woman came through the door and stopped in her tracks when she saw Sarah. “Hello?”
“I’m Sarah. Your brother-in-law let us stay last night. May I fix you some breakfast?”
“No, I— Well, okay, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. There’s still some hot coffee if you—”
“No, the doctor says I can’t have coffee. I’ll take a cup of tea, though, with milk and sugar in it.”
Sarah not only fixed her the tea, but made toast, bacon and scrambled eggs. After she served the woman, she said, “I’m sorry if I startled you before—”
Abby held up a hand. “It’s fine. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be here.” She picked up her fork. “So, did you meet my husband this morning?”
“Yes, he cooked breakfast for all of us. I volunteered to clean the kitchen to repay him.”
“That was nice of you. Do you want some coffee? It won’t bother me, I promise.”
“I’d love another cup. I was saving it for you.” Sarah got up and poured the last cup of coffee and sat back down again.
“Are you a friend of Brad’s?” Abby asked.
“No. We’re—we’re on the run from my stepfather. He—he killed my mother two nights ago. I was afraid he’d kill all three of us if we didn’t get out of there.”
Apparently Abby wasn’t expecting such a gruesome story. She nearly dropped her teacup and her eyes flew to Sarah’s. “Oh, no! I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you,” Sarah said, blinking rapidly to hide the tears that sprang to her eyes.
“You said we. Who are you with?”
“My two half siblings. They’re watching TV in your family room.”
“How old are they?”
“Five and nine.”
“You certainly have your hands full, don’t you?” Abby reached across the table and patted her arm, and the gesture was Sarah’s undoing.
She broke down, releasing all the fear, anxiety and tension of the last few days in a flood of tears.
“These are good cookies.”
Little Davy sat at the kitchen table munching on the homemade sweets that Kate, Abby’s mother-in-law, had sent over. Even Anna seemed to like them, though she sat quietly.
After her breakdown, Sarah had brought the children in to meet their gracious hostess. Abby took to the children immediately.
“I’ll tell her you like them,” Abby said. “She’s a wonderful grandmother to Robbie.”
Sarah smiled. “I’m sure she is. Is he her only grandson until your babies are born?”
“Yes. Nick’s the only married child of her brood.” After a minute, Abby looked around the kitchen. “I probably need to think of something for lunch.”
“I think you should just tell me what you want done.”
“I can’t ask you to do that!”
“Yes, you can. You know your husband doesn’t want you risking your babies.”