Matt heard the anxious keen in her voice, and the sound burned his gut. “I can’t conduct the interview. I’m not impartial. And it’s not an interrogation, Savvy. Just a few questions.”

“Are you sure, Matt?”

What could he tell her? That by the end of the night she might possibly find herself locked in a jail cell? Matt shuddered at the image. He simply could not believe she was guilty of deliberate fraud, but he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t take her in.

The trip into Rascal was a solemn one.

The final rays of dying spring sunlight slanted in through Matt’s window. He snatched occasional sidelong glimpses of Savannah as they drove. Her pale ivory skin glowed like a beacon. Her full, lush lips turned down in a sad expression.

The sight snagged strings of loneliness deep in Matt’s soul. How he wanted to draw her into his arms and comfort her, to kiss her and tell her not to worry. But he couldn’t. He’d already gone too far allowing his emotions to affect his judgment.

He called in and told Midge, the dispatcher, he was bringing Savannah to the department. The radio crackled, and Sheriff Langley’s voice came on the line. “’Bout time, son. I was fixing to put out an APB on the both of you. Thought you’d gotten lost.”

“Did I get you into trouble?” Savannah asked after the sheriff signed off.

“Naw.” He shrugged.

“Thanks again for waiting.” She stared down at the floorboard.

Lord, he felt like such a jerk. Sometimes his job was the pits.

They pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s department. Matt killed the engine, then got out and helped Savannah and Cody out.

Holding the toddler on one hip, he took Savannah’s elbow and escorted her inside the building.

“Hey, Joe,” he greeted a young officer lounging back in his chair at the front desk. “Why don’t you get your feet off the desk?”

Joe dropped his feet to the floor, sat up straight, glanced from Matt to the baby to Savannah and back again, then hid a snicker behind his hand. “You look plumb fatherly, Forrester.”

“Something wrong with that?” Matt asked dryly.

“No, sir.”

“Then you won’t mind keeping your comments to yourself.”

“Sheriff Langley’s been grumbling about you all afternoon,” Joe said.

“Yeah? Where is he?”

“Right here.” Sheriff Patrick Langley loomed in the doorway of the jail.

“What are you doing here so late on a Saturday evening?” Matt asked his boss.

Sheriff Langley grimaced. “Mae’s out of town visiting her sister and to tell you the truth, the house is pretty lonesome without her.”

“Couldn’t you find a better place to hang out?” Matt asked.

“You’re one to talk, Forrester. You work more hours than I do.”

It was true. He readily confessed to his workaholic nature. No one waited for him in his empty apartment.

The sheriff smiled. “You must be Savannah.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied.

Pat Langley stepped forward, extending his hand. “I knew your husband, Gary. Fine man. Sorry to hear about his passing.”

“Thank you.”

“And I’m really sorry to disturb you, ma’am, especially at this late hour.” He shot Matt an accusing glance.

“Am I under arrest for something?” Savannah asked in a quiet, subdued voice that made Matt ache.

Her slender shoulders slumped in defeat, and the material of her satiny dress whispered as she moved. He wanted to gather her close and erase her concerns and problems. There was no way he could be the one to question her. He’d totally lost all objectivity.

“Oh, no, ma’am. We’ve just got to get a few things straight about your missing cattle. Things just aren’t adding up.”

“I see.” She twisted her fingers together.

“Let’s go into my office and have an informal chat. Would you like a cup of coffee? Or something else to drink?”

“What about Cody?”

“Forrester can look after him.”

Matt nodded. “Sure.”

“He hasn’t had his supper yet.” Savannah nibbled her bottom lip.

“Don’t worry,” Matt insisted. “I’ll find something for him to eat.”

Laying a hand on Savannah’s shoulder, Sheriff Langley guided her toward his office. She looked at Matt, fear in her eyes.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Matt spun on his heels, unable to bear her despair.

He hated this part of the job. When innocent people suddenly found themselves afoul of the law. What he liked was chasing the bad guys and seeing them get their just desserts, but this? Walking as swiftly as his legs would take him, Matt left the building for the fresh, clean night air, Cody riding comfortably at his hip. The boy’s fuzzy halo of hair stirred in the breeze.

“Da?” he asked, placing a tiny finger on Matt’s chin.

“No, I’m not your Da.” Matt whispered. “But I sure as hell wish I were.”

It was true, he realized. For a man whose job had always been everything, he now wanted a wife and kids. And not just any wife and kids. He wanted Savannah. He wanted Cody. When had his thinking changed?

Cody’s face wrinkled. He whimpered.

“Now, now, little fella, don’t go changing your moods on me that quick.” Matt held him in both hands and jostled him gently.

A sad, worried expression crinkled Cody’s eyes. His bottom lip quivered. Did the kid sense something was wrong?

“Come on, none of that.” Matt tucked him in the crook of one arm and started across the parking lot. Before he reached the Jeep, Cody exploded into a full-fledged howl.

Gritting his teeth, Matt settled the baby in his car seat. Huge crocodile tears rolled down the child’s cheeks. Oh, Lord. What had he gotten himself into?

Get a grip, Forrester. If you can wrangle thieves and murderers, you can definitely handle one tiny kid.

Cody’s squalling increased.

“Okay, okay. Food.”

What in Sam Hill did babies eat? He certainly hoped Savannah wasn’t still breastfeeding the little tyke.

“Want a hamburger?”

Cody hiccupped.

“Does that sound good?”

The kid stared at him and sniffled.

“Right. Bad idea.” He needed something baby food-ish. Mashed potatoes or a banana. He could stop by the store, then take Cody back to his apartment to feed him.

Matt found a Stop & Shop. Cody’s sobs dwindled to soft sighs. Matt undid the boy from his car seat. Lifting the boy onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride, Matt clamped his palms across those chubby little thighs. Instantly, tears turned to giggles as Cody clutched Matt’s hair in both hands. Matt grinned. Did he possess a natural gift with babies or what?

“Okay, kiddo, what’ll it be?” He stood before a shelf of baby food and surveyed the selection. “Strained peas?” Matt made a face. “Carrots? Green beans? Apricots?”

“Da!”

“Yeah, that’s what you always say. We’re going to have to do some serious work on your vocabulary, son.”

Son.

Why had he said that word? Wishful thinking?

The front door of the opened and two men slunk in. Matt noticed their scruffy reflection in the security mirror, but because he’d been fixated on finding supper for Cody, his sixth sense didn’t kick in immediately. As it was, by the time the hairs on the back of his neck prickled a warning, the men had yanked ski masks over their faces and drawn pistols on the store clerk.

“Open the cash register. Give us the money. Now!” the taller of the two men growled.

Oh, hell. Matt swung Cody from his shoulders into the crook of his arm in one fluid motion. Crouching to the ground, he prayed the men hadn’t noticed him.

Instinct had him reaching for the 9mm Walther he wore in a shoulder holster. His hand patted his unadorned chest. His duty weapon wasn’t there. He’d removed it for Ginger’s wedding and had neglected to strap it back on when the wedding was over. Just as well. Best not have any gunplay with a baby in his arms.

Cody whimpered.

Hush, kid, not now.

The baby stared at him wide-eyed.

Matt had never dodged a fight in his life. But what could he do?

He heard the jangle of coins hitting the floor and tasted the bile of his own frustration rising in his throat. He should be able to stop this robbery. Instead, Cody rendered him useless. Matt stared at the row of breakfast cereal in front of his face.

Every muscle in his body corded, every nerve ending zinged on full alert. He duckwalked forward, Cody still clutched in his arm.

“Hurry! Hurry!” one of the robbers barked. Matt listened closely to the voice, memorizing it for future reference.

The slap of running feet and the sound of the door being slammed open.

Matt popped to a standing position, Cody cradled next to his side like a football in a running back’s arms. He took off after the robbers, ignoring the startled, whey-faced clerk standing behind the counter with his hands still raised over his head.

The two suspects leaped into a dented black Camaro and blasted out of the parking lot. Matt opened the door to his Jeep and fastened Cody into the car seat as quickly as possible, his gaze trained on the disappearing vehicle.

By the time he got behind the wheel and roared after them, they had careened around a corner, narrowly avoiding an accident with oncoming traffic. Matt slapped the portable siren to the roof, stomped on the accelerator, and shot after the robbers.

“Now, Savannah. I don’t want you to feel nervous. That’s why I brought you to my office instead of the interrogation room. That place can be pretty intimidating.” Sheriff Langley smiled at her, yet she felt anything but reassured.

“I’m not intimidated,” she fibbed.

“Have a seat.” He waved at a hard-backed wooden chair with his hand.

She perched on the edge of the chair and took a deep breath. “I don’t understand why I’m here.”

Anxiety knotted her stomach. The police band radio in the corner crackled and hissed. She stared at the jovial-faced man across from her. He looked like a dark-haired Santa Claus instead of a lawman. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. The room was too warm. Perspiration pooled in the hollow space at the base of her neck. She felt slightly nauseous.

“We’ve determined that the theft of your cattle is not related to the other robberies Detective Forrester’s been investigating.”

“Meaning?”

“Nothing, in and of itself.” He shifted in his chair, laced his fingers together, and laid them over his expansive belly.

She waited.

“What concerns me, Mrs. Markum is the fact that your husband took out a large insurance policy on that Santa Gertrudis herd before he died. A policy drawn up by your new brother-in-law, and that is due to lapse by the end of this month if the premium isn’t paid.”

Savannah gasped and raised a hand to her throat. The news rocked her. “What? Are you sure? Todd never told me about any insurance policy on the cattle.”

Sheriff Langley pushed a copy of the policy across the desk toward her. “Are you telling me you didn’t know anything about it?”

“Absolutely not. Where did you get this?” She picked up the papers and scanned them. She recognized Gary’s distinctive scrawl at the bottom of the page.

The sheriff pursed his lips in a pensive expression. “Detective Forrester found it in the paperwork you gave him.”

“Let me get this straight. You suspect me of insurance fraud even when I never made a claim on the policy?”

“We have to weigh all the evidence. You’re in debt to the teeth. For all I know, you and Gary planned this together so you could save the ranch after his death.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Sheriff Langley cocked a skeptical eyebrow. “Sounds plausible to me.”

“Why would I be stupid enough to give the insurance papers to Matt if I were involved in such a scheme?” Did the man believe she was a complete idiot?

The sheriff shrugged. “You and Detective Forrester were almost engaged once. Perhaps you hoped to cut him in on the deal.”

Savannah jumped to her feet, clasping her arms to her chest. “I don’t believe this.”

“Simmer down. I want you to see this from my point of view.”

She tossed her head. “Even if I were trying to pull off insurance fraud, I definitely would not take on Matt Forrester as a partner. He lives and breathes his job. I know. I was his girlfriend. He’d never do anything to jeopardize his livelihood.”

Sheriff Langley scratched his head. “Well, I’m glad to hear you say so. Why don’t you sit back down?”

Reluctantly, Savannah sank onto the chair once more.

“Let’s start from the top. You tell me everything that happened the day you discovered the herd missing.”

In minute detail, Savannah relayed the events of the day that intersected her path with Matt’s once again. When she finished, the sheriff frowned, leaned back in his chair, and stuck his thumbs through his belt loops.

“Anybody else know about this insurance policy?” he asked.

Savannah lifted her shoulders. “I didn’t even know about it.”

“Think. Any relatives of your husband’s? Friends? Your ranch hand?”

“No.” Savannah shook her head. “Gary had a few friends, but they haven’t been around much since he passed on. Although he does have a half-brother in prison. I know you remember Connor Heller and all the mess that happened Christmas before last at Wren and Keegan’s dairy.”

The sheriff nodded. “Most excitement we’ve had in Rascal in years, not counting Kurt McNally getting engaged to that Hollywood actress, Elizabeth Destiny. But Heller is in maximum security in Huntsville. He’s not in on this.”

“You sure?”

“What about Clement Olson?”

“Clem?” Savannah gave a short laugh. “He’s worked at the Circle B for twenty years. I trust him completely.”

“Hmph,” the sheriff grunted.

“I suppose I’m still your number one suspect.”

“There is one thing in your favor.”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t try to make a claim on the policy.”

Good thing she hadn’t known about it. She would have paid off some debts, hired more hands, and gotten the ranch back on its feet. She admired Gary for his foresight. He had no idea the insurance policy would land her in this trouble.

The radio squawked. A garbled message came through. Sheriff Langley leaned over and fiddled with the dials.

“Midge...” A voice faded in and out.

“Dang thing.” Sheriff Langley slapped the offending equipment. “We need a new one, but the county won’t approve the expenditure.”

The static cleared. “This is Forrester.” His voice came through tinny and far away.

Savannah sat up straight, instantly at attention.

The sheriff grabbed the receiver. “I’ll intercept the signal, Midge,” he hollered at the dispatcher over the intercom. “Go ahead, Matt, what’s up?”

“Sheriff, I’m in pursuit of a 1998 black Camaro, license number GWS-675, southbound on Presidio Boulevard.”

Savannah jumped up again. “What! What did he say?”

Matt had been watching Cody, and now he was in hot pursuit of a speeding vehicle? Was Cody still with him? What had happened? Where was her son? Terror seized her.

Sheriff Langley frowned, waving Savannah into silence. “What’s the offense, Forrester?”

“The perps just robbed the Stop & Shop on Broadway. I was an eyewitness.”

Her heart pounded in hideous slow motion. She had instant visions of a fiery car crash—twisted fenders, mangled metal, the lifeless body of her toddler son thrown from the wreckage.

“Oh God,” Savannah shrieked, no longer able to contain herself. “Tell him to stop right now. He’s got our baby in the car with him!”