The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) by Rebecca Winters Page A

family.
    Without wasting any time, he phoned her. When she didn’t
answer, he realized she could be anywhere, doing anything. He left a message for
her to call him back.
    “Dad? Where are we going?”
    “To Lacey and Chaz’s condo. They’ve invited us for dinner.”
    “Is Zack going to be there?”
    “I think so.”
    “I wish I’d brought Captain America. Can we go home first and
get it?”
    “Afraid not. We’re late as it is.”
    “But what about Dexter?”
    “He’ll live till we get back.”
    When they arrived a few minutes later, everyone noticed that
Casey had come without his crutches, and high-fived him.
    “Yup,” he responded. “Melissa told me my leg was all better and
I didn’t need them anymore.”
    “Who’s Melissa?” Mitch asked.
    “She’s my or—” He looked at Travis for help. Everyone in the
room cracked up.
    “Orthopedic specialist,” Travis managed to say without
laughing.
    “She’s awesome and drives a red-and-black Jeep. She used to
have a bulldog named Spike, but he’s dead now. She made my sore arm all better,
too.” He extended his scraped elbow for everyone to have a good look.
    “Ew!” Zack blurted.
    “Does it hurt?” Abby was very worried. Since her bee sting, she
was overly solicitous.
    “Nope. She put this spray on it.”
    “She does sound awesome,” Mitch
murmured.
    “She is! She gave me a leash for Dexter, and tickets for Spider-Man . Dad and I went to the movie with her. Oh,
and she bought cupcakes for my whole room. It wasn’t really my birthday, but she
said it was okay because everyone has a birthday party at school.”
    Heidi smiled. “That’s pretty fantastic.”
    “Was it a good movie?” Lacey asked him, but her eyes were on
Travis.
    “Dad thought it was boring, but Melissa and I loved it!”
    In the midst of everything Travis’s phone rang. He saw the
caller ID and said, “Excuse me for a minute.” He left the living room and walked
down the hall where he could have some privacy.
    “Melissa? Thanks for calling me back.”
    “Sorry it took me so long. I went to my folks’ place for
dinner. When I left, I couldn’t find my phone. After searching my car, I went
back to their house and found it on the couch. It must have slipped right out of
my purse.”
    Her breathless explanation pleased him even more than the
knowledge that she hadn’t been out with some guy. Travis wasn’t blind. She
attracted every man in sight. Everywhere they’d been together, he’d seen men’s
eyes light up the minute they caught sight of her. The traffic in Kamas had
slowed several times because some guy was staring at her from his car as they’d
walked along the main street.
    “No problem. Earlier today I meant to ask you if you would
compile a list of people who’ve been in your cabin this year. I’m talking
friends, neighbors, workmen—anyone. Your siblings might be able to help with
names, and your parents, too, of course. I’m trying to explore every
possibility.”
    “I’ll do it before I go to bed. One more thing, Travis. You’ll
probably think I’m crazy, but maybe someone is looking for gold and using our
cabin to hide at night.”
    “Gold?”
    “I’ve been thinking about something my grandfather told me when
I was young. We were out hiking and he pointed out an old mine that wasn’t
active anymore. He said that most people thought the gold rush started in
California. But he said gold was mined in the western mountains in Utah well
before the first white settlers arrived.
    “Apparently, Indians first worked the mines here, ones enslaved
by the Spanish explorers, who came in the l600s. In fact, what many originally
thought were Indian hieroglyphics and pictographs are actually markers along the
Spanish Trail. It led from Mexico to the Uinta Mountains and beyond.”
    Travis blinked. “I had no idea.”
    “If he hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known it, either. He
said the trail was the main link between Mexico and Spanish outposts