Free Searching For Love (Contemporary Cowboy Romance) (Carson Hill Ranch series: Book 2) by Amelia Rose Page B

and Amy arrived at the ranch—thanks to the final patrol cars that led them speeding across various county lines—just before dusk turned to night. Every light in the house must have been on, as light shone from every window that wasn’t boarded up with pieces of lumber the sheriff sent out from town. The exterior flood lights were on at every corner of the house, ensuring that anyone who came up in the yard would at least be seen, if not prevented from getting closer altogether.
    Carey cut the engine to the truck as close to the house as he could, telling Amy to stay in her seat and duck down until he came around to her side. She might be the officer here but he was the cowboy, and no cowboy would let a woman run out into what could easily be sniper fire from a deranged, vengeful troublemaker.
    He opened her door and helped her down, then threw an arm around her head and shoulders and led her hunched over into the main house. The door was locked, and he fumbled with the key from his belt for a moment, his nerves almost getting the best of him as he turned it.
    “Anders! Anders! Where are you? ANDERS!” Carey shouted, running from room to room, calling out for his brother. He ran up the stairs and looked in all the bedrooms, yelling for anyone who might still be there. Amy stood by helplessly, looking around her from where she still stood in the doorway. A flash of shadow passing under the kitchen door caught her attention.
    “Carey! Down here!” She called out, waiting with one hand on the stair railing for him to come downstairs. Together, they approached the kitchen door, Carey sucking in a deep breath when Amy pulled a handgun from a holster under her pants leg. His eyes grew wide as he pointed wordlessly to the gun, but Amy only shrugged.
    “There’s no need to be quiet, anyone in the kitchen already knows we’re in here,” she said. Amy used the butt of the handgun to knock on the kitchen door, then announced them. The door opened a crack, then was flung open as Anders rushed out and into his brother’s arms. Carey heard the click of the safety re-engaging as Amy pulled the gun back to shoulder height before slipping it back in its holster, hopefully before Anders had a chance to see it.
    “Carey, I’m so glad you’re here,” Anders began, his voice cracking a little bit from the emotion. He was obviously rattled, and grateful to have someone older and more experienced to take over being in charge. “I didn’t know what else to do, so we’ve all just stayed holed up in the kitchen since last night. I figured it’s where the food and water is, and there’s a hallway to a bathroom. We even slept in there so we could duck between the refrigerators if Mack came back shooting.”
    “Anders, you’re absolutely brilliant. That’s exactly what you should have done. Way to take charge, little brother!” Carey said reassuringly, pulling his younger brother into his oversized hug and patting him firmly on the shoulder. The staff members who emerged from the kitchen smiled at the touching scene between brothers. Anders seemed visibly relaxed now that his big brother was home, but his face was still creased with worry lines.
    “So what do we do now?” Anders asked, looking from his brother to the missing front windows.
    “I’m not really sure. Dad just wanted me to get back down here. You guys can all take upstairs bedrooms tonight and sleep in real beds, and I’ll stay awake down here. Go ahead and start rotating through the showers, too, while we’re all awake.” He patted Anders on the back and pushed him gently in the direction of the stairs so he could go clean up. After the kitchen staff and housekeeper had trudged wearily up the stairs, Amy approached Carey and melted into him when he pulled her tight against his chest.
    “A gun? Really? In your boot?” he teased, kissing her quickly on the lips between each question. “Isn’t that a little cliché, even for a big city cop?”
    Amy returned