Pictures of Heather and Lacey.
A nice family. What had made Briar Rose run away to join a cult?
There was nothing else of interest in the bag and he zipped it back up and returned it to where he’d found it. With his mind still on Briar Rose and her family, he located a large plastic bag with a department store logo and poured it out on the floor. Expecting to find a slew of brand new baby clothes, he was taken aback to find only an unopened carton of diapers and three sleepers that looked like they’d come from a thrift store.
This was it? No plush animals, no booties, no little outfits? He was no expert on new moms, but didn’t most of them live to dress their little bundle of joy? And what about the dads? Briar Rose might not have had much, but what about Martin? Why wasn’t he providing for his family? His respect for the guy dipped another level. How had Castaña ended up with such a creep for a brother?
“I found a farrier.” Castaña walked into the room. “He’s going to come this evening. Did you find the stuff?”
He held up the sad items.
“That’s it?” Her voice squeaked.
“That’s it,” he replied. “And this.” He held out the photo album.
“What is it?” She sat beside him and took the little book from his hand. Flipping through the pages she said, “This is Briar Rose’s family.”
“Looks like it. You know those two girls who helped me find my way back to Dead Horse Canyon? That’s them in there.”
“What?” She looked almost as if she didn’t believe him.
“I’m surprised, too. As soon as possible, I’d like to go back to the campsite and talk to them. Maybe they know more about Martin than they let on.” He stood and held out his hand. She took it and his skin warmed where they made contact. She took her hand abruptly away and a rush of disappointment flooded him.
“Why would Briar Rose’s sisters be camping in the woods? Why not come to the ranch and see her here?” She flipped through the album again. “There are no pictures of Martin in here.”
“I don’t know.” He didn’t tell her that he knew about the Family of the Sun. Had Heather and Lacey tracked Briar Rose there? But the compound was outside of Phoenix, more than a hundred miles away. It seemed more likely they somehow knew Briar Rose had landed in this area, but just hadn’t located her yet. He changed the subject. “You said the farrier is coming?’
“Yeah, this evening.” She seemed fixated on the three little baby outfits. “Are we still going to visit Briar Rose? I want to make a stop and buy my niece a few things.” She sniffed. “These are just rags.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.” He looked around helplessly. “Do you have any idea what she’ll need to wear home?”
She glanced at the slim selection and wrinkled her nose. “I’ll buy her something pretty, too.” Pressing her fingers to her chin, she looked around. “The baby is going to need a crib, a changing table, maybe even a rocking chair. I wonder if Mama’s old cane rocker is still around here somewhere.”
“Why do you suppose they didn’t have stuff ready?” Jake tried to keep the censure from his voice, but she didn’t seem to take offense.
“I have no idea. It’s just one of many things I intend to ask my brother when I find him. Let’s look in the attic and see if there’s any baby furniture before I go buy some.”
Obediently, he followed her up narrow stairs to the attic. She shoved the door with her shoulder and it opened with a creaky groan. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling and barely lit the interior. Dust motes shimmered in the afternoon air. Trunks and boxes were stacked along the back wall. A dresser with a cracked mirror took up one corner. Four kitchen chairs stood at awkward angles and an action hero Halloween costume hung from one broken leg.
“Do you see anything that looks like a crib?” Castaña sneezed as she dug through a pile of rags. “Why are these here anyway?”
“No, but here’s your rocking chair.” Jake lifted an ottoman that had once been scarlet now faded to a pale pink. It had a musty odor and he tossed it aside.
She wiggled her way back through the pile of junk. “My mama’s,” she said almost reverently as she touched the cane rocker. Only one of the few things that looked worth saving up here. “It used to be in her room. When Pop got in one of his moods she’d go in there and sew. Sometimes I’d keep her company — ” Spinning away, she sorted through more junk. “I don’t see a crib here.”
He wanted to hold her, to take away some of her pain, but instead picked up the rocking chair. He had to keep his emotional distance. “We should go.”
“Yeah.” She swiped dusty hands down her thighs. “I’m ready.”
Silently, he carried the rocker downstairs and placed it in Briar Rose’s bedroom.
“I’ll spruce this up tonight.” Castaña looked at her dusty hands. “Give me a few minutes to clean up.”
Jake nodded. “Take your time.”
In less time than he expected she returned wearing a slim pair of jeans and a dark green T-shirt that made her eyes stand out. Her hair swung around her waist in a soft wave that made him ache to touch it. He wasn’t going there. He jumped up. “Ready?”
“Uh-huh.”
She walked out ahead of him and he had to force his hungry eyes away from her hair swinging across her exceptionally fine butt. Why hadn’t she put her hair in a braid? Or an old lady bun? Anything but that sheet of satin that begged to be caressed. It didn’t help that she’d used some fruit scented shampoo that drifted off her in a subtle reminder of last night. Was she teasing him on purpose?
“You want to drive,” she asked, distracting him.
He risked a glance at her as she buckled herself into his pickup seat and she didn’t seem to be on a mission to drive him insane with lust. Her actions weren’t calculated to seduce, but God help him, she was doing just that. The seatbelt cut across her breasts, pulling the cotton of her shirt tight, accenting their shape, and a snug lap belt drew his attention to her slim waist and thighs. He swallowed.
“Do you like music?” She handed him a CD.
When she handed over her selection, he almost groaned aloud. Greatest Love Songs of the Decade by assorted country artists. Music guaranteed to make him want her all over again.
• • •
Castaña asked Jake to go to a large mall and he obliged with a smile that stole her breath. She expected him to head for the nearest sporting goods store while she hit the baby boutiques, but he stuck with her.
Frothy pink and baby blue nearly overwhelmed Castaña as they entered a clothing store. She couldn’t imagine how Jake was taking the explosion of pastels. A middle-aged woman wearing a soft pink dress approached them. “Welcome to Baby Time. How may I help you?” Before they could respond, she went on. “Is this your first baby? As you can see we have a wide selection for the expectant mom.”
The thought of carrying Jake’s baby warmed Castaña’s insides. “I’m shopping for my brand new niece. She was born just this morning.”
“Oh, how wonderful!” The clerk’s nametag read Betty. “What does she need?”
Castaña looked around without a clue where to begin. “Everything.”
Betty took her arm. “Darling, you’ve come to the right place.”
Everything was so sweet, so cute, it was hard to resist. Castaña held up a tiny dress marveling at the size. A pair of snow soft bunny booties made her laugh. Items piled up on the counter — two dozen outfits including booties, several blankets and a crib set with a matching mobile made of farm animals.
At one point Jake shook his head in amazement. “Do you really think she needs all this?”
Both women glared at him and he shrugged meekly.
Castaña had never thought shopping for baby things could be so much fun, but she was loving every second of the experience. The only thing that could make it more enjoyable was if it was for her own baby. She’d never been much of a baby person before. Longing for one like some of her friends did always struck her a little silly. But with Jake only a few inches away she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to build a relationship with him … maybe even bear his child someday.
The thought turned her cheeks red.
“I think this will do,” she told Betty.
The saleslady smiled. “Very good.”
Close to three hundred dollars later, she and Jake staggered out of the store with her purchases. After stowing them in the backseat of her truck, he moved to open the front door for her.
“Wait,” Castaña told him. “I still have to go to a department store and buy a crib.”
To his credit, he didn’t moan or complain. They found the infants’ department and located cribs inside JCPenney. Another helpful saleslady bustled over to help them. What was it about baby items that made salespeople so eager to assist? In all her years of buying clothes, Castaña didn’t think she’d ever had as much help as she had this one day. “I need a crib for a newborn. Something sturdy and something that can be delivered tonight.”
The lady smiled, showing small perfect teeth. “This way.”
Castaña looked at the selections, confused. They all seemed similar to her. “Which one?” she asked Jake, ignoring the saleswoman’s suggestion of the most expensive design.
He compared warranties on two then pointed to a classic model. “This one. It says the slats are safety approved by the government.”
“Cribs aren’t safe?”
He shrugged. “Apparently not in some cases.”
The saleslady, this time named Jean, puffed up. “I assure you all of our baby furniture is federally approved for infant and toddler safety. In the last fifteen years, the government regulates all baby furniture.”
“I’m relieved to hear that,” Castaña murmured. “I need a few more things.”
Jean smiled. “Of course, dear.”
In the toy section, she picked out a handful of pink plush. A teddy bear, a little horse, a dog and two dolls. When she reached for a darling cat Jake put his hand over hers. “Don’t you think you’ve spoiled the kid enough for one day?”
Reluctantly, she put the cat back. “I guess.”
Jake hadn’t complained once, but Castaña knew he had to be weary of shopping. She hated to make him do it, but she detoured to the women’s section. A rack of floaty tops and matching skirts hung from a rack. Perfect for Briar Rose. Choosing two, one in peach and one in mint, Castaña held them up for Jake’s approval.
He shrugged. “They look nice.”
She laughed at his bemused expression. “I’ll quit punishing you and take these. But first I want to buy Briar Rose some underwear.” She grabbed a pack of functional white panties. “I guess these’ll do.”
He held up an emerald colored bra and matching thong with one finger. “I like this better. Matches your eyes.”
Castaña’s cheeks blazed. She darted a glance around, thankful no one had heard him. Was he thinking of seeing her in her undies again? Not gonna happen. “Put that down and let’s get out of here.” She marched away to the sound of his soft laughter.
At the counter, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and took a credit card from it.
Castaña dug in her purse for her Visa. “What are you doing?”
“Helping out.” He handed his card to Jean. “Use mine.”
“I can’t let you do that,” Castaña protested. “This is for my niece.” Did he think she couldn’t pay her own bills? That she was irresponsible like Martin? Where had he gotten that impression?
His expression was unreadable when he looked at her. “It’s not every day I get to deliver a baby. I want to spoil her a little too.”
She gave a sharp nod. “Okay. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He signed the slip and asked when the crib could be delivered.
“Saturday at the earliest,” Jean said.
“We need it tonight,” Castaña protested.
Jean shook her head sadly. “That’s just not possible.”
“Tell you what,” Jake said, “we’ll take it home in my truck. Where’s the loading dock?”
A beaming Jean gave them directions as another employee handed over sacks with the clothes and stuffed animals inside. They walked outside in silence, loaded their bags, and then found the loading area with no trouble. A crew loaded the furniture in the bed of Jake’s pickup.
“To the hospital?” Jake started the ignition.
Castaña glanced over her shoulder. “Do you think this stuff will be safe while we’re inside?”
“Why don’t I drop you off, run to your place, and drop this stuff off? Then I’ll come back and pick you up.”
“But you won’t get to see the baby,” she protested.
“It’s okay. I’ll see her in the morning,” he said.
She shook her head. “No. I’ve been here before. We’ll both go and take turns visiting Briar Rose. One of us can wait in the hall overlooking the parking lot. That way we can keep an eye on our stuff and see Briar Rose too.”
“Makes sense,” he agreed.
Her heart thudded a little faster when he smiled.
Chapter Fourteen
Jake stood guard over the pickup while Castaña went in to visit Briar Rose. He waited in the glassed-in visitor area of the maternity wing. Several worn-out but ecstatic looking men passed through, and he figured they were either new fathers or close to becoming one. A man who looked like he hadn’t slept in days came in the area and handed Jake a pink cigar. “For my new baby Kristin.”
Jake took the cigar. “Thanks and congrats.”
The man beamed. “You a new dad?”
“Me? Oh, no. I mean my friend is with someone who had a baby this morning.” Friend didn’t seem to be the right word for Castaña, but he didn’t have a better one. Lover? No, that implied a commitment he couldn’t make. The sister of the man he intended to arrest didn’t sound so great either.
The man with the cigars seemed determined to share his mood. He waved a fistful of cigars around. “I never knew what I was missing.” He teared up. “I hope your friend is as lucky as I am.”
Jake shifted, hoping the guy would go. All this talk was making him uncomfortable. Again he wondered what it would have felt like to share the birth experience with someone he loved? Helping Briar Rose had moved him immensely, but if he had been with a woman he loved, he’d probably be over the moon. “I hope so, too.”
“Have a good one, man.” The new daddy slapped Jake on the back and took off.