Margaret Daley - Cowboy Protector

She took a step back.

Nearing her, he smiled, but all she could focus on was the cleft in his chin and another man she knew with one. The sight of it instantly threw her back into the past….

Devon Madison brushed up against her as she left the courthouse. The hatred spewing from him held her immobile. He leaned close and whispered, “I’m coming after you.”

She forced the memory back.

“Are you Hannah Williams?”

The question from the cowboy in front of her whisked her totally back to the present. No, I’m Jen Davis. But not anymore. “Yes.”

PROTECTING THE WITNESSES:

New identities, looming danger and forever love in the Witness Protection Program.

Cowboy Protector—Margaret Daley, March 2010

MARGARET DALEY

feels she has been blessed. She has been married more than thirty years to her husband, Mike, whom she met in college. He is a terrific support and her best friend. They have one son, Shaun. Margaret has been writing for many years and loves to tell a story. When she was a little girl, she would play with her dolls and make up stories about their lives. Now she writes these stories down. She especially enjoys weaving stories about families and how faith in God can sustain a person when things get tough. When she isn’t writing, she is fortunate to be a teacher for students with special needs. Margaret has taught for more than twenty years and loves working with her students. She has also been a Special Olympics coach and has participated in many sports with her students.

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Special thanks and acknowledgment to Margaret Daley for her contribution to the PROTECTING THE WITNESSES miniseries.

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

—Psalms 46:1

To Marta Perry, Debby Giusti, Shirlee McCoy,

Barbara Phinney and Lenora Worth—my comrades

in this Love Inspired Suspense continuity series.

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Memo: Top Secret

To: FBI Organized Crime Division; U.S. Marshal’s Office

From: Jackson McGraw, Special Agent, Chicago Field Office

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Date: Feb. 24, 2010

Re: Operation Black Veil

Another woman in Montana in the Witness Protection Program has been murdered. Although innocent of having any connection with the Martino crime family, her description is similar to Olivia Jensen’s, the main witness in the upcoming trial of Vincent Martino. Steps are being made to tighten the security around Mrs. Jensen.

U.S. Marshals are searching for Jen Davis, a witness who disappeared two years ago, to warn her about the latest developments with female witnesses in her age range with green eyes and to bring her back into the program, if possible. Marshals have a lead on her whereabouts and are in the process of locating her.

It has been confirmed there are two female targets the Martino crime family is interested in and will pursue to their deaths, Olivia Jensen and Eloise Hill. Contact SA McGraw with any information that will assist the FBI in its case against the Martino crime family.

Hannah Williams scanned the bus depot at Sweet Creek, Montana, tugging her heavy overcoat closer to her to ward off the chill of the biting wind that swooped down from the snow-capped mountains nearby. When her gaze paused on a stranger, she memorized the face, then moved on to the next one. She’d learned to be totally aware of the people and terrain surrounding her. Her life depended on it.

On her second sweep of the terminal, Hannah spied a newcomer who towered over the others around him. Wearing a black cowboy hat that blended with his black, straight hair and a camel-colored, sheepskin coat, he surveyed the crowd with dark coffee-colored eyes, his strong jaw set in a look of concentration. His tanned features were in stark contrast to most of the people in the depot who were pasty white from hibernating during the winter months. His command of his space touched off an alarm in her. Friend or foe? For a second she poised herself to run in case he wasn’t the man she was to meet.

His intense gaze zeroed in on her. She stiffened and clutched her purse against her as though that would protect her from a bullet.

Run. Find another job, screamed through her mind.

I need the work. A ranch would be a perfect place to hide.

He headed for her, the throng parting to allow him through. With each stride that brought him closer, her heart increased its pounding. She took a step back.

Nearing her, he smiled, straight white teeth standing out against the bronze face, but all she could focus on was the cleft in his chin. Another man she knew had one. Its sight instantly threw her back into the past.

Devon Madison brushed up against her as she left the courthouse. The hatred spewing from him held her immobile. He leaned close and whispered, “I’m coming after you,” in such a chilling, cultured voice she shuddered despite the summer heat radiating off the asphalt in Los Angeles.

She forced the memory back into its box, hopefully never to be opened again.

“Are you Hannah Williams?”

The question from the cowboy in front of her whisked her totally back to the present. No, I’m Jen Davis. But not anymore. She was reminded each time she heard a different name from the one given to her at birth. “Yes.”

“I’m Austin Taylor. Pleased to meet you.” His grin widened, two dimples appearing on either side of his mouth.

When he held out his hand, she shook it, a strong clasp with roughened fingers that fit the man before her.

“Let’s get out of here. We have about a thirty-minute drive to the ranch.” He gestured toward the parking lot. “My Jeep is this way.”

She followed him to a dirt-covered, red SUV and slipped into the front passenger seat. “I’ll need to catch the five-o’clock bus for Billings. Will that be a problem?”

“No. We can talk on the drive. Then when we reach the Triple T, you can meet my daughter, Misty, and spend some time with her.”

“Great.”

The town of Sweet Creek disappeared quickly as Austin headed west. After placing her purse on the floor by her feet, Hannah leaned back against the cushion and peered at the side mirror nearest her. Not any cars behind them. Good. Relaxation eased through her as she angled toward her prospective employer.

He glanced at her. “The person I hire for this job must have a good rapport with Misty. My daughter has been through a lot lately, and her usual cheerful disposition has suffered.”

“You told me on the phone that she was in a car wreck four weeks ago. What are her medical concerns?”