At John’s insistence Katie took her place in an overstuffed wing chair and Blue, toenails clicking, entered the room to curl into a ball at her feet. His ears twitched and his eyes moved from one member of the family to the next while Katie launched into her story. Everyone, even her ever-restless twin brothers, listened raptly. Few questions were asked and when she described Luke’s dramatic rescue, all eyes turned his way. He stood in the archway between parlor and foyer, his face without much expression. Aloof. And still as sexy as any man she’d ever seen. Her throat caught for a minute as his eyes held hers. In that heartbeat she forgot that he’d betrayed her; remembered only that he’d put his life on the line for her. Before anyone had noticed, she looked away.

“I guess we owe you a debt of gratitude,” John commented, eyeing Luke and sizing him up.

“No trouble.”

“Nonetheless, you should be rewarded—”

“I don’t think so.” Luke’s back stiffened in stubborn pride, and then Katie remembered that he’d probably already been paid for locating Ralph Sorenson’s grandson. Her teeth clamped together; now wasn’t the time to bring that up.

“You saved Katie’s life,” John said adamantly.

“She was doin’ okay before I got there.”

“Like hell she was,” Jarrod retorted, his lips compressed over his teeth, his eyes flashing with frustration at his half-sister’s bullheaded streak. “I don’t call it ‘okay’ when you’re locked away with a known criminal who has a weapon at your throat!”

“It wasn’t like that,” Katie protested.

“Damned close.”

There was no arguing with him. She glared at Jarrod for a second, then smiled. After all, he was only angry because he cared. “So what happened on this end?” Katie asked, hoping to defuse some of the tension that lingered in the air.

“After Luke left, Tiffany called me. Explained what was goin’ on,” John clarified.

Tiffany, smoothing Christina’s curls, nodded. “I was worried. Luke had already left and I just had this feeling that there might be trouble, so I decided your folks should know what was going on.” Her eyes met Katie’s and a moment of understanding passed between them, a connection only true sisters share. “So, I phoned the ranch and talked to John.”

Katie couldn’t believe her ears. For Tiffany to have reached out to her estranged father was a major step. Major. Maybe there was hope for this ragtag family yet.

“Since I was there when John got the call,” Jarrod added, “I decided to find out what was going on for myself. Bliss and Mason gathered everyone together here.”

“I talked to the police,” John said. He stood behind the couch where his wife was ensconced and patted her shoulder. Brynnie reached up and grabbed his fingers in hers. “But they’d already been tipped off. Some neighbor, I think.”

“Leona.”