Colters' Woman Read Free Page B

slightly at him before gulping down half the contents.
    A loud knock sounded on the door, and Adam frowned. “Who the hell could that be?” He swiveled around as Ryan and Ethan both started forward. “Hold up. We don’t know who’s out there.”
    They all turned around to where Holly was sitting, only to find her gone. Adam swore. She’d run scared the minute she heard the knock.
    “I’ll go find her,” Ethan said.
    To Adam’s surprise, the door opened and Lacey McMillan stuck her head in. “You in there?” she called out. She stopped when her gaze rested on Ryan and Adam.
    Adam relaxed. Lacey was the county sheriff, and she paid a call from time to time to see how things were in the high country. Tall, lanky and redheaded. All the things Holly wasn’t. At one time, Adam had thought Lacey might be the one, but his brothers hadn’t shared his attraction.
    She removed her Stetson as she walked further into the cabin. She threw Adam a saucy grin. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”
    Ryan scowled and sat back down at the bar.
    “What brings you out?” Adam folded his arms and affected what he knew to be an intimidating stance. Normally he wouldn’t mind shooting the shit with Lacey, even doing a little light flirting, but that was in the past. Now he just wanted her to be gone as soon as possible.
    Lacey slid onto a barstool beside Ryan, hitching her long legs up to balance on the lower rung of the stool.
    “Where’s the third stooge?” she asked, looking around for Ethan.
    “Around,” Adam said.
    She arched a brow but didn’t comment further on his being so close-mouthed.
    “I’m up here to find out if y’all have seen a young woman. Early twenties. Brunette. Short, maybe five-two. We’re dealing with a possible abduction, though she may have escaped. We found an abandoned car at the base of the mountain, and we’re checking out the area. Maybe you saw something?”
    Adam shook his head then fixed his gaze on Ryan. “You and Ethan see anything when you were out?”
    “Nope.”
    He turned his attention back to Lacey. “You think she’s still in the area?”
    Lacey shrugged. “Dunno. Could be, though if she’s on her own, I don’t imagine she’ll last long in the high country. City girl from what I gathered. Got a bulletin from the Denver PD and the Feds wanting our department to be on the lookout. Seemed to think she might be headed this way.”
    “Do you need trackers?” Adam asked, knowing if he didn’t offer, it would seem odd. He and his brothers had tracked missing persons before for the sheriff’s department. Last summer, they had found a little girl who had wandered off from her parents’ campsite.
    Lacey shook her head. “Nah. Like I said, I’m just checking out the possibility anyone saw something. We don’t even know who the car belongs to. Teddy’s running the plates as we speak. Could be she never came this way.”
    Adam itched to ask more questions. Who did Holly belong to and who supposedly kidnapped her? But he knew it would rouse Lacey’s suspicions, because if nothing else, the Colter brothers kept to themselves and didn’t borrow trouble from anyone.
    “Well, let us know if we can help,” he said.
    Lacey chuckled then rose from the barstool. “There was a time when you were more welcoming.” She brushed by him, letting her full breasts rasp across his folded arms.
    He stepped back, anxious for her to be gone so he could question Holly.
    “I guess I’ll see you around,” Lacey said, a resigned expression on her face. She replaced her hat then walked to the door. “Let me know if you see anything, okay?”
    “Will do,” Adam said.
    When she shut the door, Adam let out his breath.
    Ryan glanced up, his expression brooding.
    “She was looking for Holly,” Adam said, a frown twisting his brows.
    He turned and headed for the bedroom, Ryan following close behind. His throat tightened when he saw Holly huddled on the bed, her knees hugged to her chest. Ethan sat