The Texas Ranger's Bride

He held the phone away from his ear. “Now click End Call. The recording is downloaded to your iPhone and displayed on the screen. Tap the recording icon to listen. You can also trim the recording as needed by dragging the edge of the file on the screen.”

She followed his directions and suddenly they heard their conversation while seeing it at the same time. A natural smile broke out on her lips. Good grief, she was beautiful. “Technology is amazing.”

“In your case it’s crucial. I want every word recorded when he phones you again.”

“Do you think he’ll try soon?”

Cy nodded. “If I don’t miss my guess, he won’t be able to hold back, not after what you’ve put on your blog.”

“I’m afraid to talk to him.” He noticed her shiver. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“Tell you what. Why don’t you go upstairs and get ready for bed? Then come down here to sleep on the couch for tonight. I’ll be nearby on the other couch. If he calls, I’ll be right here. Try to get him to talk about why he thought you were lying to him. Anything he says could give us a clue about him.”

“You wouldn’t mind? I’m behaving like a baby.”

“You’re behaving like a woman who’s being stalked. But I admire you for not giving in to your fear. That’s what he wants. He’s been watching you for a month if not longer and still doesn’t believe you’re married. But the blog entry will force him to reveal himself. The phone allows him a voice connection to you. Keep him on long enough for our voice experts to analyze it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vocal oscillations convey so much about the speaker. But more important, our experts will be able to tell if he’s a Texan. A Texas accent stands apart from the rest of the South in that it has a twist that is a blending of the major features of the Deep South and Upper South.”

“I didn’t know that.”

He nodded. “The drawl of the Lower South has more influence in East Texas, while the ‘twang’ of the Upper South has left a greater imprint on West Texas. In South Texas, particularly, the Spanish and Mexican characteristics are heavily combined with that of the others. Once we get a recording of his voice to the experts, they can tell us if he’s from here or another state or region entirely. If we can pinpoint where he’s from, it could be a great help.”

“Then I’ll try to keep him on the phone. Excuse me while I run upstairs to get ready.”

“Take your time. We’ve got all night.”

Cy planned to stay in the clothes he was wearing. Tomorrow he’d shower and change while she was out at her parents’ ranch.

While she was upstairs, he sat down to see if there were any responses to her blog yet. A low whistle escaped when he counted seventy responses already. He scrolled through each one. When he came to the end, he was satisfied none of them was her stalker. It was touching to read how much her fans cared about her and appreciated her help through her online rodeo tips. But they were all excited about her marriage.

He opened up the archives. There were literally hundreds of entries on her blog site. It amazed him. She was definitely a star in her own right and an obvious favorite. He knew she had dozens of awards, but she didn’t keep them here. Probably at the ranch. One thing he knew about her already. There wasn’t a narcissistic bone in her lovely body.

While he read through a few more entries, she padded into the kitchen in bare feet wearing a blue robe. Beneath it she wore pajamas with Texas Longhorns on them. She’d brought down a blanket and pillow.

Cy had to be careful not to stare. “I take it you’re a football fan.”

“These are from my parents last Christmas.”

“My dad gave me a pair of the same pajamas two years ago.” They both laughed.

As she came closer, her smile faded. “Has that lunatic sent a response yet?”

“No. But you now have four hundred hits. Your eager fans want pictures and don’t want to wait until December.”

Without saying anything, Kellie walked into the living room and lay down on the couch, propping up her pillow and covering herself with the blanket. Cy checked his watch. It was ten to eleven. He picked up her cell phone and put it on the coffee table in front of her.

Once he’d made up the hide-a-bed, he went back to the dining room for her laptop. After turning off the overhead lights, he turned on a lamp in the living room and sat down next to it so he could continue to read the responses as they came in.

“When are you going to sleep?”

He liked it that she was concerned enough to ask and flicked her a glance. “Don’t worry about me.”

She sat up. Her disheveled hair gleamed in the soft light. “I don’t know how to begin to thank you for what you’re doing for me.”

“It’s my job.”

“A horrible one,” she said in a shaky voice. “Every day on the news you hear about some stalking victim found in a landfill—”

“Don’t go there.” Cy stopped her cold. “Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

“But who protects you?”

He smiled to himself. “I have a team that backs me up. My buddy Vic, one of the men you saw coming out of the radio station with me, is helping on your case.”

She lay back down. “You’re all remarkable.”

“Save your thanks until after we’ve caught him.”

Chapter Three (#ulink_059b0e8b-e4ea-5bda-8fed-be5e1170bfb4)

Kellie had no doubt he’d get the job done, but Cy Vance was too modest for words. That was part of the charm of the man who was growing on her with every passing second. His rugged profile stood out in the lamplight. He’d stretched out in the chair with his hard-muscled legs crossed at the ankles.

She’d been around cowboys all her life. Some of them were more attractive than others. Some had great builds. Others were loaded with talent in the arena. Still others had engaging personalities. But this Texas Ranger had all of those qualities and more. He’d been put together in such a way no one could compare to him.

Impatient with herself for concentrating on the attractive Ranger, she turned over so she faced the back of the sofa. She needed sleep. Desperately. Knowing he was right across the room from her gave her a sense of comfort she hadn’t felt since her first encounter with the stalker. How unbelievable was it that the Ranger she’d bumped into in Bandera had come into her life at the most precarious moment of her existence?

When her cell phone suddenly rang, she jerked upright. Kellie flung herself around, staring at her phone in terror.

“It’s all right.” Cy’s deep voice was reassuring. “What does the caller ID say?”

She took a shaky breath. “It’s my best friend, Kathie.”

“Go ahead and talk to her. Put it on speaker.”

Kellie reached for it and clicked on. “Kathie?”

“Hi! I know it’s late, but I had to call you. Good grief, Kellie. Is it really true that you’re married?”

Her gaze locked with Cy’s. “Yes. How did you hear?”

“Patty told me she read it on your blog tonight. How come you didn’t tell me?”

Oh dear. Kellie heard the hurt in her voice. Now for the lie... But this lie was going to save her life and it took away her guilt. “It happened while I was on the circuit and there was no time.” That part was true. “Look, Kathie. It’s a long story and—”

“And your husband wants your attention. Is he right there?”