Christmas Ransom, page 1
Davy touched Carla’s arm and indicated that he wanted to talk to her. She felt her heart drop. Hadn’t they said enough earlier?
Not tonight. Not on Christmas Eve, she wanted to say. But could she even pretend for one night that there wasn’t a killer after her?
Davy pointed upward. When she looked up, she blinked at the sight of mistletoe hanging from one of the log rafters above them. Her gaze dropped
to his.
“Carla, it’s Christmas. Could we just enjoy this time together?” he asked as he brushed a lock of her hair back from her eyes. “Can we put our differences aside? We used to be good friends before we became...” He seemed to hesitate. Lovers? “More,” he finished. His gaze met hers and practically burned her with its intensity.
Carla wanted that desperately—no matter how dangerous.
Davy Colt was a good loving man. He’d dropped everything to protect her. One night without the past pushing its way between them sounded like heaven. She nodded and he pulled her to him.
CHRISTMAS RANSOM
New York Times Bestselling Author
B.J. Daniels
B.J. Daniels is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She wrote her first book after a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of thirty-seven published short stories. She lives in Montana with her husband, Parker, and three springer spaniels. When not writing, she quilts, boats and plays tennis. Contact her at bjdaniels.com, on Facebook or on Twitter, @bjdanielsauthor.
Books by B.J. Daniels
Harlequin Intrigue
A Colt Brothers Investigation
Murder Gone Cold
Sticking to Her Guns
Christmas Ransom
Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy
Steel Resolve
Iron Will
Ambush Before Sunrise
Double Action Deputy
Trouble in Big Timber
Cold Case at Cardwell Ranch
Whitehorse, Montana: The Clementine Sisters
Hard Rustler
Rogue Gunslinger
Rugged Defender
HQN
Montana Justice
Restless Hearts
Heartbreaker
Heart of Gold
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Davy Colt—The cowboy chose rodeo ten years ago over the woman he loved. Now she’s in trouble. Is it too late for a do-over?
Carla Richmond—The bank loan officer has it all...except for Davy Colt, the love of her life. And now a killer has her in his crosshairs.
FBI Agent Robert Grover—The federal agent suspects the bank armed robbery was an inside job, and he’s sure Carla is behind it.
Judson Bruckner—He believes he is a nice guy who just got pushed too far.
Jesse Watney—Boyfriend Judson has her on a pedestal. When it topples, they’ll both be going down unless she starts calling the shots.
James and Tommy Colt—At Colt Brothers Investigation, the rodeo cowboys are ready to help their brother Davy any way they can.
Willie Colt—He quit rodeo to become a sheriff’s deputy...with a hidden agenda.
This one is for my brother Charley, who knows
what happens when you fall for the wrong woman.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Excerpt from Canyon Kidnapping by Cindi Myers
Chapter One
The whole desperate plan began simply as a last-ditch attempt to save his life. He never intended for anyone to get hurt. That day, not long after Thanksgiving, he walked into the bank full of hope. It was the first time he’d ever asked for a loan. It was also the first time he’d ever seen executive loan officer Carla Richmond.
When he tapped at her open doorway, she looked up from that big desk of hers. He thought she was too young and pretty with her big blue eyes and all that curly chestnut-brown hair to make the decision as to whether he lived or died.
She had a great smile as she got to her feet to offer him a seat.
He felt so out of place in her plush office that he stood in the doorway nervously kneading the brim of his worn baseball cap for a moment before stepping in. As he did, her blue-eyed gaze took in his ill-fitting clothing hanging on his rangy body, his bad haircut, his large, weathered hands.
He told himself that she’d already made up her mind before he even sat down. She didn’t give men like him a second look—let alone money. Like his father always said, bankers never gave dough to poor people who actually needed it. They just helped their rich friends.
Right away Carla Richmond made him feel small with her questions about his employment record, what he had for collateral, why he needed the money and how he planned to repay it. He’d recently lost one crappy job and was in the process of starting another temporary one, and all he had to show for the years he’d worked hard labor since high school was an old pickup and a pile of bills.
He took the forms she handed him and thanked her, knowing he wasn’t going to bother filling them in. On the way out of her office, he balled them up and dropped them in the trash. All the way to his pickup, he mentally kicked himself for being such a fool. What had he expected?
No one was going to give him money, even to save his life—especially some woman in a suit behind a big desk in an air-conditioned office. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have a clue how desperate he really was. All she’d seen when she’d looked at him was a loser. To think that he’d bought a new pair of jeans with the last of his cash and borrowed a too-large button-down shirt from a former coworker for this meeting.
After climbing into his truck, he sat for a moment, too scared and sick at heart to start the engine. The worst part was the thought of going home and telling Jesse. The way his luck was going, she would walk out on him. Not that he could blame her, since his gambling had gotten them into this mess.
He thought about blowing off work since his new job was only temporary anyway and going straight to the bar. Then he reminded himself that he’d spent the last of his money on the jeans. He couldn’t even afford a beer. His own fault, he reminded himself. He’d only made things worse when he’d gone to a loan shark for cash and then stupidly gambled the money, thinking he could make back what he owed and then some when he won. He’d been so sure his luck had changed for the better when he’d met Jesse.
Last time the two thugs had come to collect the interest on the loan, they’d left him bleeding in the dirt outside his rented house. They would be back any day.
With a curse, he started the pickup. A cloud of exhaust blew out the back as he headed home to face Jesse with the bad news. Asking for a loan had been a long shot, but still he couldn’t help thinking about the disappointment he’d see in her eyes when he told her. They’d planned to go out tonight for an expensive dinner with the loan money to celebrate.
As he drove home, his humiliation began to fester like a sore that just wouldn’t heal. Had he known even then how this was going to end? Or was he still telling himself he was just a nice guy who’d made some mistakes, had some bad luck and gotten involved with the wrong people?
Chapter Two
There was nothing worse than having to stop by work on her day off less than a week before Christmas. Or so Carla Richmond thought as she entered the bank to the sound of holiday tunes. She waved to her best friend, Amelia, then to one of the other tellers before she hurried into her office. She didn’t bother closing the door since she wasn’t staying long. They were having a true Montana winter, she thought as she shed her snow-covered coat, hat and gloves. She hoped she could purchase the rest of her Christmas gifts and make it home before the snowstorm got any worse.
That’s why she hoped to make this quick. As executive loan officer, Carla took her job seriously, especially the privacy part. That’s why she’d panicked this afternoon when she’d realized that she might not have secured a client file yesterday before leaving work. She was always so careful, but just before quitting time she’d been distracted.
Yesterday, she’d looked up to find Davy Colt leaning against her doorjamb wearing a sheepish grin and the latest rodeo belt buckle he’d won. It wasn’t like she’d missed the way his Western shirt hugged those broad shoulders or the way his jeans ran the length of his muscled legs and cupped that perfect behind. He held his Stetson in the fingers of one hand. His blue gaze danced with mischief as he hid his other hand behind him.
She h
Mentally kicking herself, Carla had wished she hadn’t asked Tommy about his brother. Why hadn’t she left well enough alone? She’d made a clean break from Davy and since nothing had changed...
“Hey,” he’d said. “Bad time? I don’t mean to bother you.”
“You aren’t bothering me.” She’d closed the file she’d been working on and shoved it aside. “Is there something...” That’s when he’d drawn his hand from behind him and she’d seen what he’d been hiding. “Is that—”
“Mistletoe,” he’d said with a shy, almost nervous grin. He’d stepped into her office, bringing with him the scent of pine and the crisp Montana air. She’d breathed it in as if she’d never had oxygen before. “I got to thinking about you on my way into town. I pinched the mistletoe from the doorway of a shop down the street.” He’d glanced at his boots. “It reminded me of our first Christmas together.” When he’d looked up, he’d shrugged as if embarrassed. “Guess I was feeling a little nostalgic, the holidays and all. You get off work soon?”
Was he asking her out? Heart bumping erratically against her ribs, she’d checked the time. “In twenty minutes.” That’s when she’d remembered that she’d promised to meet a friend for an early dinner. She’d groaned because she’d already canceled on this friend the last time they’d had plans. “But I’m meeting a friend.”
Had he looked as disappointed as she’d felt? “No problem. I’m home for a few days over the holidays.” His denim-blue gaze had locked with hers for several breath-stealing moments. “Tommy mentioned something about seeing you, and I thought...”
Carla had nodded, although she’d had no idea what he’d thought since he hadn’t finished whatever he was going to say.
He’d set the mistletoe on the corner of her desk. “Maybe another time.”
She’d tried to smile around her disappointment as he’d settled his Stetson back on his thick dark hair. Every one of those Colt brothers was handsome as sin, but Davy... Well, he had always been her favorite.
He’d met her gaze and she’d felt the heartache of the past settle over her. “Merry Christmas, Carla.” And he’d been gone, leaving her with a familiar ache that had gotten worse since their breakup.
Belatedly she’d realized she should have told him that she had the next day off. Not that any good would come from getting involved with Davy again.
But just seeing him and hearing that he remembered the two of them together way back when had her heart floating. Her brain meanwhile was digging in its heels, arguing that picking up where the two of them had left off would be a huge mistake that she would regret.
She’d had a crush on Davy Colt from as far back as she could remember. When he’d finally asked her out in high school, she’d felt as if she had filled with helium. Her feet hadn’t touched the ground for weeks.
Her mother hadn’t been as thrilled. “I’ve heard stories about those Colt boys,” she’d said, but Carla had assured her that Davy wasn’t like that. She’d believed in her heart that Davy was The One. She’d imagined them married with kids. She’d pictured a perfect happy-ever-after—until he’d told her that he wasn’t going to college with her at Montana State University, even though he had a rodeo scholarship to attend. He was joining the rodeo circuit instead.
The romantic bubble had exploded with a loud pop. He’d rodeoed throughout high school, but she’d never imagined he planned to make it his occupation. Except she should have. Look at the rest of his family, all the way back to his great-grandfather who’d been a Hollywood Western movie star back in the 1940s and ’50s. Ridin’ and ropin’ was in his blood, and being on the road following the rodeo circuit was the life all the Colt brothers had chosen as if it were their destiny as well as their legacy.
Carla, on the other hand, had been raised by a single mother who had barely finished high school. Because of that, Rosemary Richmond was determined Carla would get an education so she had options. Her mother hadn’t wanted Carla to end up like her, in a low-paying job living from paycheck to paycheck. Rosemary had said from the time Carla could remember that her only daughter was going to college. Her mother had worked so hard to make that happen.
Carla had had no choice. While it had broken her heart, she’d ended the relationship with Davy and headed for college, where she’d majored in business and finance and graduated with honors. She’d had her pick of jobs.
But when her mother had gotten sick, Carla had taken a job at the local bank in Lonesome to help take care of her. And after she’d died from the cancer, the rest was history. She’d stayed in Lonesome, seeing Davy from time to time—but only in passing. She’d always wondered if she’d made a mistake choosing a career over the cowboy she’d loved. Still loved, if she was being honest.
That’s why it had been such a shock when he’d come into the bank to see her. Was it possible he still felt the same way she did about him?
After he’d left, she’d sat at her desk fighting emotions until she’d grabbed her things and hurried to meet her friend. All the time, she’d kept reminding herself that Davy was only home for the holidays. His life was far from Lonesome. Who knew when he’d be back? She had to quit pining away for the rodeo cowboy.
Now as she looked around her desk, she realized that the file she’d thought she left there yesterday afternoon was nowhere to be seen. She took her key and unlocked the file drawer and was flipping through it when she saw that she had put the file away. But she had no memory of doing it. Her mind had been a million miles away—just like it was now. No, not quite a million miles. More like the distance from the bank to the Colt Brothers Investigation building down the street.
Davy Colt would be staying there in the apartment over the business, at least for a few days. Then he’d be riding in Texas after the holidays and who knew where after that, since she tried not to keep track of the rodeo circuit schedule anymore.
Her brain and heart were still at war since his visit yesterday. She told herself he would be busy with family. She might not even see him again before the holiday was over. She figured that, after yesterday, maybe he’d changed his mind about whatever thought had prompted him to stop by her office.
She picked up the mistletoe on the corner of her desk, but couldn’t force herself to throw it away. She put it back down. Maybe he’d stop by work tomorrow or the next day. If he came in looking for her, she was sure that the other loan officer, Amelia Curtis, or one of the tellers would let him know that she’d be working right up through Christmas Eve, in case Davy wanted to stop back by.
Even as she wanted desperately to see him again, she knew how dangerous that could be. Davy was serious about only one thing—rodeo—and spending time with him would only lead to another heartbreak.
As she started to reach for her things to leave, someone in the lobby screamed and then the whole place broke out in what sounded like panicked alarm. Carla looked up. Standing in her doorway was a masked man in a Santa suit holding a semiautomatic rifle. The Santa mask—complete with big white beard and red hat—covered his entire head. The only thing visible was the shine of his dark eyes through two small holes and the ugly slash at his mouth as he rushed toward her.
Chapter Three
The plan had come to him in the darkest, most desperate hours of night. He hadn’t been able to sleep in the weeks since going to the bank for the loan and realizing that there would be no Christmas miracle. No Hail Mary pass. No one to bail him out. And if he didn’t do something soon, Jesse was going to leave him.
As he lay awake, he kept replaying the day he’d gone to the bank for the loan with so much hope, misplaced or not. Before he’d left that afternoon, his girlfriend, Jesse, had told him how handsome he looked in his borrowed button-down shirt and new jeans. It had made him smile despite how scared he’d been to ask a bank for money.
But like Jesse had said, what did he have to lose? A lot, he’d discovered, because when he’d returned home empty-handed, Jesse had run out onto the porch. She’d been wearing a new dress for the celebratory dinner they had planned. She’d looked so happy, so hopeful.
