The Cowboy's Son. Delores Fossen

looked him straight in the eye when she answered. “He blamed me personally for his arrest because I was the only one who was able to identify him. And I tes tified against him during his trial.”

      Hell.

      So, there was a new threat—a serious one. And if Harmon had escaped the night before, he could have been the one to set fire to Collena’s car. But that was a stretch, since Harmon would have first had to know where Collena was and then follow her.

      Still, it wasn’t impossible.

      But Harmon was a threat Dylan would have to deal with later. Right now, he had to get Curtis off his porch and far away from Adam.

      “Look, I have zero patience for you and this visit, especially today,” Dylan told Curtis. “Have your lawyer contact my lawyer, and stay away from anything that’s mine. And right now, Adam is mine.”

      “This isn’t over,” Curtis insisted, though he did proceed down the steps. “One way or another, I will get my grandson. There’s not a judge anywhere in the world that will give Collena custody. Nor you, Dylan Greer.”

      That did not sound like an idle remark. “Been digging up dirt on me, too?” Dylan calmly asked.

      Curtis caught the door handle of his car, but he didn’t get in. “You bet I have.” The man smiled. “That’s some dark cloud you got hanging over you. Two women are dead. Others are psychologically scarred for life. It could happen again. And I’m going to use anything I can to get custody of Adam.”

      With that threat still lingering in the freezing air, Curtis got in his car and slammed the door. Dylan and Collena watched as he sped away, kicking up a spray of snow, dirt and ice. The back end of the car fishtailed on the slick surface, but Curtis continued to speed out through the gates.

      “Why don’t you come in?” Dylan invited Collena. He took hold of her arm to make her realize this wasn’t an invitation she could turn down. “You have some things to explain.”

      Chapter Five

      Collena had hoped to tell Dylan about her past in her own way and on her own terms. She didn’t want to have the conversation on Thanksgiving before he’d had a chance to consider her offer of marriage.

      But it was obvious this couldn’t wait.

      He opened the front door, and they stepped back into the warm house. Dylan immediately locked it. Double locks, then he set the security system before he led her in the direction of his office.

      They weren’t alone in the house. Ruth, the nanny, and a younger auburn-haired woman peered out at her from what appeared to be the family room. There was no sign of Adam, but since Collena had run a brief background check on the staff, she figured the younger woman was probably Millie, Ruth’s daughter who’d been raised at Dylan’s estate.

      There was a lot of disapproval in the women’s expressions.

      It matched the disapproval in Dylan’s.

      Oh, yes. She had some explaining to do. However, before she could even begin, her cell phone rang. After one glance at the caller-ID screen, Collena knew it was a call she had to take.

      “I won’t be long,” she told Dylan, who walked into his office ahead of her.

      He gave a look that conveyed she’d better not. He practically ripped off his jacket, shoved it into the closet and dropped down into the chair behind his desk.

      Because the two women were still lurking nearby, Collena stepped inside Dylan’s office, as well, and closed the door. It was a matter of picking her poison—she’d rather have Dylan overhear this particular conversation than his staff. Besides, she apparently didn’t have anything else to hide. Curtis had already spilled the unsavory details of her life to Dylan.

      “Collena,” the caller greeted. It was Sgt. Katelyn O’Malley from the San Antonio PD.

      And Collena was almost certain what this call was about.

      “Rodney Harmon escaped from jail last night,” Katelyn confirmed. “We’re doing everything we can to locate him and put him back behind bars.”

      So, it was true. Curtis hadn’t been lying after all. And this added a new wrinkle. “Yes. I heard about the escape. From Curtis Reese. He came to Dylan Greer’s ranch a couple of minutes ago.”

      She risked looking at Dylan, knowing what she would see. She was right. He was glaring at her. And waiting.

      “So, Curtis knows that you found Adam?” Katelyn verified. “What about Dylan—how’d he take the news when you told him who you were?”