Sarah packed before dawn.
Not much.
Two dresses.
Penny’s clothes.
Thomas’s photograph.
A few toys.
The little wooden cow.
She had nearly closed the trunk when Garrett appeared in the doorway.
He looked from the trunk to Sarah.
“No.”
She continued folding.
“You don’t even know what I’m doing.”
“Yes, I do.”
“You found the letter?”
“Finch did.”
Sarah stopped.
“He threatened Penny.”
“I know.”
“I can’t stay.”
“You think leaving protects her?”
“It removes the reason Boone is targeting this ranch.”
Garrett entered.
“You are not the reason.”
“We don’t know that.”
“We know Boone was stealing cattle before you ever came here.”
“But now he’s angry at me.”
“He’s angry because you helped expose him.”
“Exactly.”
Sarah closed the trunk.
“I’m taking Penny to my sister in Nebraska.”
Garrett stared at her.
“For how long?”
“Until Boone is caught.”
“That could be months.”
“Yes.”
“Years.”
“If necessary.”
Pain moved across his face.
“You were going to leave without telling me.”
Sarah looked away.
“I was going to leave a letter.”
“A letter.”
“I knew you would argue.”
“You were correct.”
“Garrett—”
“Do I get any say?”
The question came out more wounded than angry.
Sarah softened.
“You are not her father.”
He went still.
The instant the words left her mouth, Sarah wanted them back.
Garrett looked as if she had struck him.
“I know.”
“Garrett…”
He turned away.
Sarah grabbed his arm.
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“How else can it be meant?”
“You love her.”
Garrett faced her.
“Yes.”
The word shattered every defense between them.
“I love her.”
Sarah’s breath caught.
Garrett continued.
“I know I am not Thomas. I have never tried to be. Penny had a father who loved her.”
His eyes filled.
“But somewhere along the way, that child became part of every future I can imagine.”
Sarah started crying.
“And so did you.”
There it was.
No elaborate proposal.
No polished speech.
Just truth.
Garrett stepped closer.
“I love you, Sarah.”
She covered her mouth.
“I don’t want your gratitude because I gave you employment. I don’t want you staying because I have money or this house or land.”
He looked around the modest staff room.
“I want you because the house sounds wrong when you’re not in it.”
Sarah laughed through tears.
“That may be the least romantic declaration ever made.”
“I’m struggling.”
“You really are.”
Garrett smiled painfully.
“I want Penny because she makes fun of my face.”
“She does.”
“She puts ribbons on my dog.”
“Cow.”
“God help me.”
Sarah laughed again.
Then grew serious.
“I love you too.”
Garrett stopped breathing.
Sarah touched his cheek.
“I think I have for longer than I wanted to admit.”
He kissed her forehead.
“But Penny’s safety comes first.”
“Yes.”
“If leaving is truly safest, I will take you myself.”
Sarah stared at him.
“But?”
“But we speak to the sheriff before deciding.”
They did.
Sheriff Callahan had received new information overnight.
A stable owner outside Cheyenne reported Boone had purchased supplies under a false name.
He was believed to be hiding in an abandoned line shack on land bordering Thorne property.
“Then arrest him,” Garrett said.
“We’re organizing men.”
“I’m coming.”
“No,” Sarah said.
Garrett looked at her.
The sheriff agreed.
“Mrs. Miller is right. Boone knows your face. He sees you coming, someone gets killed.”
Garrett hated it.
But stayed.
That proved more difficult than riding out would have been.
Hours passed.
Sarah remained inside with Penny.
Garrett paced.
By sunset, the sheriff had not returned.
Then a ranch hand came galloping from the southern pasture.
“Garrett!”
Everyone ran outside.
The rider barely dismounted.
“Boone wasn’t at the shack. Sheriff found evidence he’d been there, but he’s gone.”
Garrett looked toward the house.
Every instinct in him sharpened.
“Where’s Penny?”
Sarah turned.
“She was with Finch.”
Finch emerged onto the porch.
Alone.
“Where is Penny?” Sarah asked.
The butler paled.
“She was in the kitchen five minutes ago.”
Sarah ran.
Kitchen.
Empty.
Pantry.
Empty.
Back door.
Open.
Sarah’s scream tore through the yard.
Garrett found footprints near the kitchen garden.
One small.
One adult.
Horse tracks waited beyond the fence.
Boone had come while everyone watched the road.
Sarah nearly collapsed.
Garrett caught her.
“He has her.”
“We’ll find her.”
“He has my baby!”
Garrett held her face.
“Sarah. Look at me.”
She did.
“I will bring her home.”
Sarah shook violently.
“We will bring her home.”
That single correction mattered.
Together.
They followed the tracks.
Garrett, Sarah, Cole, Finch, and four ranch hands.
Sarah refused to stay behind.
No one tried seriously to stop her.
The trail led toward an old trapping cabin near the foothills.
Night fell.
Rain began.
Garrett recognized the place.
“There’s one road out.”
Cole nodded.
“We circle?”
“Yes.”
Sarah grabbed Garrett’s sleeve.
“I’m going with you.”
“No.”
“Don’t.”
“Sarah—”
“That is my daughter.”
Garrett looked at her.
Then nodded.
They approached from behind the cabin.
A lamp burned inside.
Penny was crying.
Sarah’s body responded before thought.
Garrett caught her.
“Wait.”
A man’s voice shouted from inside.
“Thorne!”
Garrett froze.
Boone knew they were there.
“I know you came!”
Garrett moved toward the front.
Sarah followed at a distance.
Boone appeared in the doorway holding Penny.
One arm around her chest.
A revolver in his other hand.
Sarah nearly screamed.
Penny saw her.
“Mama!”
“Stay still, sweetheart.”
Boone laughed.
“Touching.”
Garrett stepped forward.
“Let her go.”
“Put the rifle down.”
Garrett did.
“Everyone else too.”
One by one, weapons hit the ground.
Boone smiled.
“There. Now we can negotiate.”
Garrett’s voice was calm.
“What do you want?”
“Your fastest horse. Five thousand dollars.”
“You can have both.”
Sarah looked at him.
Garrett never blinked.
“Release Penny first.”
Boone laughed.
“I’m not stupid.”
“No. You’re desperate.”
Boone’s revolver shifted toward Garrett.
Sarah saw Penny watching him.
Not crying anymore.
Thinking.
That frightened Sarah almost as much as the gun.
Penny’s tiny brows drew together.
Then she did something absurd.
She folded her arms.
Or tried.
Boone was holding one arm.
So she folded the free one and glared at Garrett.
Garrett stared.
He knew that look.
The first day.
His arms.
Her arms.
His frown.
Her frown.
A language no one else understood.
Garrett narrowed his eyes deliberately.
Penny narrowed hers.
Sarah realized.
He was telling her something.
Get ready.
Garrett said, “Boone.”
“What?”
“Do you know what your problem is?”
Boone laughed.
“Planning to insult me?”
“No.”
Garrett took one tiny step.
“You underestimate women.”
Boone’s attention shifted toward Sarah for one second.
That was enough.
Penny bit him.
Hard.
Boone screamed.
She dropped.
Garrett lunged.
The revolver fired.
Sarah threw herself toward Penny.
Garrett hit Boone with enough force to drive both men through the doorway.
Cole rushed forward.
Another shot exploded.
Then silence.
Sarah wrapped Penny in her arms.
“You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re safe.”
Garrett emerged from the cabin.
Blood darkened his sleeve.
Sarah’s heart stopped.
“Garrett!”
“It grazed me.”
Cole dragged Boone outside.
Alive.
Furious.
Defeated.
Sheriff Callahan arrived twenty minutes later after following the same tracks.
He placed Boone in irons.
The evidence found in the trapping cabin ended everything.
Branding tools.
Altered bills of sale.
Stolen ledgers.
Letters identifying accomplices.
Boone would face charges for rustling, arson, fraud, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
Penny was carried home asleep in Garrett’s arms.
At the ranch, Sarah washed dirt from her face.
Garrett sat beside them with his arm bandaged.
Penny opened her eyes.
She looked at him.
“You got shot.”
“Barely.”
“You said you come back.”
“I did.”
Penny considered him.
Then asked something neither adult expected.
“Are you my new papa now?”
Garrett stopped.
Sarah held her breath.
Garrett looked toward Sarah.
Then back at Penny.
“That is something your mother and I would have to talk about.”
Penny frowned.
“Too many talks.”
Garrett laughed.
“Yes.”
She yawned.
“I vote yes.”
Then she fell asleep.
Sarah looked at Garrett.
He looked at her.
For once, the feared cattle baron of Laramie had absolutely nothing to say.