“I hope so, too. Take care, Natalie.”
“You, too. I’ll call you soon.”
“Okay. ’Bye.”
She’d done well. The plan was in place.
Chapter Three
Natalie disconnected and turned to Kit, who was making sandwiches. “Jillian knows there’s a lot I haven’t told her.”
“But you told her enough so she won’t be planning on babysitting for you next week. This way she and her daughter will be safe.”
“Thank heaven for that. If anything were to happen to her because of Rod...”
“It won’t. That’s why I’ve taken precautions.”
While he assembled cold cuts and cheese, she reached for a paper towel and got busy cleaning up the pieces of banana Amy had thrown on the floor. Natalie darted the Ranger a look of frustration. “A week in my house and you’ll find that half her food doesn’t make it to her mouth. If you have any little nieces or nephews, you know what I mean.”
“Not yet. My brother, Brandon, is a professional steer wrestler—he’s headed for the championship competition in Las Vegas in December, as a matter of fact. One day he’ll settle down and have a family.”
“How old is he?”
“Twenty-eight. Two years younger than I am. This will be his last year on the circuit.”
“How exciting! Are you a rodeo fan, too?”
“I used to be a steer wrestler myself. We took turns being wrestler and hazer for a long time. But I quit when I went into law enforcement.”
“From steer wrestler to Ranger. Both put your life at risk.”
He studied her features. “Have you ever been to a rodeo?”
“Many times while I was in college. Remember my friend in Phoenix? She used to be a barrel racer. We rode horses on her parents’ property and it was fantastic to watch her speed around the barrels. I tried it, but I was a complete failure. She taught me about the various events. Steer wrestling is incredibly dangerous.”
“But you liked it?”
“I loved it all!”
Kit was enjoying their conversation so much he almost forgot he should be working on her case. Talk about crossing the line. Already he was getting too close to it.
Within ten minutes they sat eating lunch while Natalie fed Amy some Cheerios. Kit chuckled to watch her tease her daughter. She’d move her hand around and Amy’s little mouth would follow, open in anticipation.
“Tell me so
mething, Natalie. Has Amy ever ridden on a jet?”
Her eyes widened. “No.”
“What would you think if we took her for her first ride tomorrow morning to Denver? I need to talk to Rod’s grandmother in person. The detective said she’s been told her grandson passed away. Seeing Amy would do her a world of good and could jog her memory. I’m hoping she’ll be able to give me some background information about his teenage years that might help me fit some of the pieces of the puzzle together.”
Natalie’s face lit up. “If she was a loving grandmother, then I know she’d be thrilled to see her great-grandchild. I could take some pictures of them together for Amy’s baby book.”
Kit was pleased with her reaction. “I’ll make the arrangements. It’s less than a two-hour flight. We won’t have to be there long.”
“I thought about her last night...Rod’s grandmother. What’s her name?”
“Gladys Thomas Park.”