Holiday Hideout. Lynette Eason

the time.”

      Zane said nothing, but his eyes and ears didn’t miss a detail, Cal knew.

      Cal looked at Jesse. “I know. Like you said, we’ll do what we can. I’ll ask Eli if he’ll let Joel and a couple of the other deputies patrol the roads bordering the ranch a little more heavily.” Sheriff Eli Brody, a good sheriff and a great friend. He’d be willing to help as much as he could. Cal slapped his thighs. “Anything else?”

      “Nope.” Zane stood and jammed his hat onto his head. “I’m going to check out the area along the fence that was cut.” He looked at Jesse. “Y’all let me know what the schedule is. I’ll do whatever’s needed.”

      Jesse nodded and Cal cleared his throat. Grateful didn’t begin to describe how he felt about these men.

      “I’m going to check on the girls.”

      By girls, he really meant Abby, he supposed, as he found himself outside her apartment door. He wiped his boots on the mat and knocked. When he didn’t get an answer, he turned the knob. Unlocked.

      He frowned and made a mental note to be sure to advise her to keep the door locked. Usually they didn’t worry about that out here in the middle of almost nowhere, but after the incident with Abby being attacked, he’d feel better knowing she was locking the doors.

      Cracking the door, he called, “Abby? You in here?”

      No answer.

      Pushing the door open a little farther, he scanned the inside are of the small apartment and confirmed Abby wasn’t there. His gaze landed on her cell phone on the end table. The battery lay on top of it. The pile of cash next to the phone made his brows lift and his brain start clicking with various reasons she’d have that kind of money.

      He stopped and stood there for about three seconds before making a decision. Picking up the battery, he slid it into the phone and powered up the device.

      Was she having trouble with the phone?

      The welcome screen came up, then her home screen.

      Seemed to be working fine.

      Then again, what if that guy at the bus station was after her? The one she’d asked for protection from. Cal hesitated. Took a deep breath.

      Then made sure the GPS tracking option was turned off. Not that the call couldn’t be traced, but it would be a little harder and take a little longer for someone to get a location without the GPS feature.

      Quickly, he scrolled through her contacts feeling only slightly guilty for doing so. But they’d—he’d—brought a stranger home and she was now living in his sister’s house. No one would blame him for the precaution.

      You could just ask her.

      No, he’d already read her body language. She was hiding something. His mind went to Fiona and the baby she carried. She and Joseph trusted his judgment and were willing to open their home to Abby because Cal asked them to.

      He continued to scroll.

      Mom.

      So she did have someone who might be worried about her.

      Before he could consider the consequences of his actions, he dialed the number.

      It rang twice.

      “Hello?”

      “Hi, is this Abby Harris’s mother?”

      “Harris? No. I know an Abigail O’Sullivan, though, and this is her cell phone number. Who are you and why are you calling from her phone?” The starched tone pushed his wary button.

      “I’m a friend of Abby’s.” O’Sullivan? So, she’d used a fake name. “She’s been very sick. I thought someone might have missed her by now.”

      Silence. Then the woman said, “She’s on vacation. At least that’s what her note said. As for being sick, I’m sure she can take care of herself. Now, if that’s all, I have an appointment in twenty minutes.”

      Incredulous at the coldhearted response, Cal asked, “Ma’am, don’t you want to know where your daughter is?”

      A pause. “I no longer have any daughters thanks to Abigail. So no, I’m not interested in her whereabouts.”

      Click.

      Cal shivered and it wasn’t because the room was cold. Whew. That woman sounded like she could spit icicles. If that was Abby’s mother, Abby definitely had his sympathies.

      He went back to the contacts. A few names and numbers that meant nothing to him.

      Thinking about the revealing conversation with Abby’s mother made him frown. He removed the battery once again and replaced the phone just like he’d found it.

      Abby O’Sullivan.

      Estranged from her family, followed and attacked by an unknown assailant. His eyes landed on the end table again. And a large amount of cash.

      Just who had he brought into his family’s home?