Hiding Out At The Circle C

'That I called? No.' Cam sat on the edge of the large oak desk he'd made last year. 'She's terrified. For us. It's what has kept her silent. She'd flip if she knew we'd started investigating on our own.'

'If Haley is found here, they'll extradite her to South America and try her for murder.'

'That's why she won't be found,' Cam said with finality. He tapped the papers and tried to ignore the ball of tension growing inside him. 'Haley says the entire team is dead-except her.'

'You really think she's safe here?'

'Yes.' He had to believe it. The brothers looked at each other, mirror images of stain and concern on their faces.

'What about Nellie?' Zach murmured. 'If danger comes looking for Haley…'

'We'll protect what's ours. Are you going to fight me on this?'

'Could I?'

Tense, they stared at each other. 'No,' Cam admitted.

Zach stood, laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. 'We'll help her. But if she's innocent-'

'She is.'

'Then maybe we should call the police, let them prove it. It might be the best way to keep her safe.' He lifted a hand when Cam's expression darkened. 'Think about it.'

He was so close to gaining her full trust, so damned close.

'They'll take her, you know they will. And what if they can't prove her innocence? Or they have to send her back to South America?'

'You can't make her accept your help,' Zach said quietly. 'Or you.'

Welled-up fear for Haley had him shrugging off his brother's hand and stalking to the window. The day had faded, leaving nothing but a black sky. It matched the terror in his heart. 'Do you think I don't know that?' The decision was painful, but he saw no choice. 'Her safety comes first. When we can no longer provide that for her, we call the police.'

'How long?'

'A couple of days. Just give me a couple of days. If we haven't come any closer to flushing out the danger…' God. 'We'll call and let the authorities help her.' Just the thought chilled his blood. 'I can't let anything happen to her, Zach.'

'You can't control this.' Zach paused. 'Just like before, with Lorraine. What happened to her and the baby… you couldn't have stopped it. It wasn't your fault.'

'You're wrong.' Cam paced the room, unbearably restless, frustratingly helpless. 'I could have called Lorraine sooner that night. If I had, I could have gotten to the hospital faster. I might have seen my son alive.'

'But he still would have died.' Zach watched him pace, his expression holding a deep sorrow Cam wasn't sure he could bear. 'It's the truth, Cam. You couldn't have stopped what happened.'

'I can this time. I can protect her.' Or he'd die trying.

* * *

Haley sat on the split-rail fence, next to where Nellie leaned on it, and bit back her laughter. Hard to believe she could feel like laughing, but that was exactly what she wanted to do.

Nellie, unable to hold anything back, held her stomach and roared.

In the pen, the three Reeves brothers-rough-and-tough cowboys-struggled to corral the largest pig for his shots. The pig wanted nothing to do with it.

The guys, covered in mud and dirt, took a break and huddled, discussing strategy. The pig stood his ground, staring at them defiantly. The brothers straightened, looked at each other, then nodded in unison. Zach went left, Jason veered right, and Cam handled the center as they stalked the pig.

'Does it always take the three of them?' Haley asked, giggling helplessly as both Zach and Jason dived for the pig, and missed. They collided in the mud. Cam still stood, shaking his head in obvious disgust.

Nellie swiped at the tears of mirth that rolled down her face. 'Oh, this is good. Better than 'Oprah.'' She sniffed and sighed. 'Usually Jason handles the animals' inoculations. But this pig-Cam calls him King-is pretty stubborn.'

King continued to reign. Cam approached slowly. 'Now, King, buddy… this isn't going to hurt but just a bit.' He smiled the charming smile that never failed to turn Haley's heart on end.

King wasn't moved in the least.

'Come on, King,' he cajoled. 'You've got to have some gratitude, here. You could be bacon.'

Nellie howled with laughter, clutching her stomach. 'Empty threats, Cam, and he knows it!' she called.

Jason picked himself out of the mud and spared a frown for his wife, even as concentration banded his face. 'Nel, honey, you keep laughing like that and you'll drop that baby right there in the dirt. Go inside.'

'You just catch that pig, cowboy. I'll worry about this baby. Besides,' she yelled, a mischievous smile on her face, 'watching you is so much fun!'

Zach muttered something obscene under his breath as he brushed himself off and turned toward the pig again. Slowly, carefully, he made his approach. 'Now, Cam.'

Cam dived for the pig, landing directly on top of him. With King thrashing beneath him, he pushed down in the dirt and lifted his head. 'For God's sake, Jas, hurry up, would ya?'

As both Jason and Zach hurried to help, King squirmed and squealed, splattering each of them with mud. When they finally managed to stick the pig with the needle, Nellie cheered.

'My heroes!' She laughed. 'My dirty, stinky heroes.'

All three brothers scowled at her. Despite the weak sun and cool air, Jason whipped off his shirt. Unsnapping his jeans as he went, he walked toward the house. Zach followed suit Cam pushed up from the mud, dirt and sweat streaked over him. He spared a half-hearted disgusted look for the women who'd been no help at all, who were in fact still laughing hysterically, and turned away. With his back to them, he, too, pulled off his filthy shirt and started after his brothers.

'Goodness,' Nellie whispered beneath her breath, her eyes riveted to the men walking away from them. Muscles rippled and glistened in the sun. Three sets of wide shoulders tapered to lean waists that disappeared into jeans. 'That's certainly a sight.'

Haley, whose mouth had gone dry, had to agree.

And that was the image she kept with her for the rest of the day and long into the night.

When she lay in bed, writing in her journal, she remembered Cam telling her he wasn't hero material. Well, as she saw it, he'd been wrong, for he was indeed the stuff heroes were made of.

Chapter 8

Haley attacked her chores with a vengeance that did nothing to ease her tension or her troubles. Dusting, mopping, vacuuming-all of it failed to soothe her the way it had for the past couple of weeks.

Both Cam and Zach had tried to get her to stop working so hard, but it was all she had. She stood in the downstairs hallway, wrapping the cord to the vacuum when she heard a scuffle. Her head whipped up.

It was Nellie.

'You startled me,' Haley said with a nervous smile. 'You're amazingly quiet for such a pregnant thing.'

Nellie didn't smile back. Her eyes, full of worry, tipped Haley off, and a dread spread through her. 'What is it? You in pain? Having a contraction? You've got to sit more, dammit.'

'I'm fine, Haley.'

Regardless, she took Nellie's arm, fretting over the unusual paleness of her face. 'Come on, let's go to the kitchen. I'll get you something to drink. You can keep me company while I put the breakfast dishes away.'

Nellie went with her, and sat at the table. 'I just came from the barn. The guys are out there.' She put her feet