Hearts Unleashed Page 15

  He shifted in his seat, coughing as he looked away. His face turned bright red. A wave of confidence washed over her.

  “You know,” she said, in a tone much softer than she usually used for their accounting sessions, “maybe you’d like to show me what you mean.”

  His head whipped up in surprise. “Show you?”

  She tilted her head, flashing her pearly whites at him. “You’re always criticizing my methods. Time to teach me what you’d do instead.” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Unless you don’t think your system is up to it.”

  His fingers curled then flexed. Curled then flexed. “All right.”

  She hadn’t felt this flirty since—since she’d been at nurse’s college. She casually leaned across the desk, watching as he pulled a notepad out of the desk drawer. “What’s that?”

  His eyes, lingering on her mouth before flitting up to her gaze, filled with an answering twinkle. “Matter of fact, I was meaning to talk to you about the accounting system again anyway. I drew this up on the off chance you’d have a moment to talk.”

  “Really?” She scanned the page. “But you’ve got three columns, not two.”

  “For notes. Let me talk you through it.” He cleared his throat.

  The system was simple enough, but she took advantage of the opportunity to lean over the notebook, looking down. She didn’t miss the sudden tremor as her arm accidentally brushed his, or the way he sat stock still after, as if barely holding himself in check. Despite the thick sweater he wore, his taut muscles were apparent.

  Distracted by speculating what it might feel like to be held in those arms, she didn’t realize he’d stopped talking, until her eyes fell upon his face.

  This time he didn’t look away. “What do you think about my system?”

  Saliva flooded her mouth, and she swallowed hard before answering. “It seems straightforward enough. I’m sure I’ll pick it up.”

  “You mean—”

  “I’m willing to try it—if only so we don’t end up drowning in hay.” She stood. “But that’s all. If it doesn’t work, we go back to my way—the right way.”

  Her arm tingled where it had brushed against him, and she found it difficult to tear her eyes away from his mouth. She couldn’t stop imagining it between her legs. The image pushed her from damp to drenched, and her core twitched in need.

  Time to get out of here before I do something stupid.

  She turned on her heels when his calloused, warm hand gently clutched her arm. “Don’t go yet. We need to talk about the north pasture.”

  She didn’t want his hand on her arm. She needed it elsewhere. On her breasts. Or her ass. God, she needed to leave and fast. “Someone needs to check supplies up there.”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It was on the top of your dad’s list of things needing to be done this week. I don’t think we can wait any longer.”

  He looked tired. No—make that exhausted. Taking on her dad’s duties in addition to his own had been tougher than she’d realized. “You’re right. After the frost we had last night, the water will be frozen soon enough. If any of the cattle stay up there for the winter, they’ll need salt blocks and we’ll need to move the hay feeders.”

  “Glad we agree. The only question is who to send out on a day like this.”

  She glanced through the window at the pouring rain. “Not Peter,” she said at once.

  “Peter’s staying here to feed out. Linda can keep an eye on him. If you don’t mind”—he hesitated—“I’d like you to take the truck and head out to do the inspection on the north pasture.”

  “Me?” She blinked rapidly. “Not you?”

  “Linda’s asked me to head into town to pick up the antibiotic shipment that just arrived. She’s got one weanling colt and a couple of calves showing signs of pneumonia, and needs that shipment as soon as possible.” He picked up the receipt that slid out of the file. “I can clear up this double order at the same time.”

  “If you’d tried to make me stay here and feed horses or run errands, you would have heard about it.”

  He smiled. “If I hired a housekeeper so you could take care of the ranch, what makes you think I’d have you wasting your time on errands?”

  “Come again?”

  “You know the ranch better than anyone.” He made the statement as crisply as if he were giving a report. Shorn of any emotion, a dry delivery of facts. “You also know the weather and the needs of the stock. There’s no one better to send to the north pasture.”

  “I’ll head out after I finish some of the smaller errands around here.”

  “Let me know how much hay is left and how the stock is doing in this weather. Especially make sure the run-in sheds are holding up. If anything’s needed up there, we can haul it out tomorrow morning.” He glanced through his open office door and rubbed his chin. “Be careful out there. It’s coming down hard.”

  She rolled her eyes. “It’s just raining. My dad’s pick-up can handle it.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched. Trying not to smile? Arousal danced around her lower abdomen, her eyes unwillingly drawn to that mouth.

  A forced cough pulled her back to reality. “Just be careful.”

  Dammit!

  “I’ll take Koda with me.”

  “Good idea.”

  Koda stretched, displaying her teeth in a big yawn, and sat on her haunches. The dog’s eyes darted between them.

  “I guess I should get going.”

  “You have your phone, right?”

  “Why? You don’t think I’ll get lost trying to find my way to the north pasture, cowboy?”

  “Cowboy?” His eyebrow arched. “That’s even worse than ‘old man.’”

  “So you’re saying you prefer I acknowledge your age?”

  He groaned. “I can’t win, can I?” For a minute they grinned at each other. The sound of a truck pulling up outside reminded them there was work to do. “If you aren’t back by six, I’ll come looking for you.”

  “Okay.” She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up as she sprinted into the rain toward the house. Koda ran alongside her, tongue lolling out of her mouth.

  She grabbed the keys off the counter and jumped into the old blue Ford. The engine roared to life and she set out for the north pasture. She would have preferred to be in the saddle, but with the weather as bad as it was, the truck offered more reliability and protection. Driving carefully along the dirt road that led to the north pasture, she steered the truck over the cattle guard that led to the pasture itself.

  Koda rode alongside her in the front seat, sitting up and looking out of the window just like a person. The two of them on a little adventure. But her elation dissipated as a random thought entered her mind.

  Did he send me expecting me to fail?

  She frowned. Most of the time, Mr. Take-Charge-Super-Soldier did everything himself. And with his obvious avoidance lately, she found it weird he’d turn over such an important task so easily. But recalling how drained he looked, maybe he really needed a break.

  As they reached the north pasture, Koda looked at her, ears up and tail thwacking against the door. Little squeaks came out of the dog’s black muzzle as her front paws tap-danced on the seat.

  “In this weather?” The dog loved the rain. But the cabin of the truck would reek of wet dog. And as much as she loved Koda, not even a mother can love that smell. But she couldn’t deny her best friend, and slowed the truck to a halt and opened her door, leaning back so Koda could leap out. “Okay. Just don’t think I want you jumping all over me with your muddy paws.”

  As soon as the dog hit the ground she took off, tearing around the open field.

  Katie laughed and resumed driving. The truck bumped along the field toward the first of the run-in sheds and was soon at the bottom of the steep, uneven hill. She dropped it into first gear, aimed it straight at the top, and gunned the engine hard.

  She’d always liked this part. Her father had shown h
er how to do it when she was small, and she loved bouncing up the hill—just like riding a roller coaster.

  Halfway, there was a loud bang!

  The rear corner of the truck spun out and jerked and dragged.

  The front end went up—and up—and up—and over.

  Chapter 22

  Gravel flew as John’s truck roared up the driveway. He gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands. Peter had called to say Katie was in an accident. He didn’t think his anxiety level could rise any higher, but each passing second proved him wrong.

  Linda’s truck was parked in front of the house. He pulled up next to it and jumped out, not bothering to close the door. I have to see her. I have to know—know she’s all right.

  He charged up the stairs. Why didn’t I go with her?

  As Katie had pulled her sweatshirt up and dashed out into the rain, a strong urge to go with her had tugged at him. But he’d quieted the feeling and left the ranch to distract himself from his increasingly incessant desire for her when he should’ve been keeping her safe. And now she was hurt. Possibly badly hurt.

  And it’s my fault.

  A couple of nights, he’d noticed her looking out her bedroom window. And after she’d retreated, he’d leave the bunkhouse and sweep the property. Keeping her safe had become his main priority. He even sacrificed sleeping many nights to make sure no one broke in.

  His boots thudded against the uneven wood of the porch stairs. Each step punctuated the worry building in his chest. He threw the door open, only to be greeted by a cacophony of barks from the dogs.

  Nickel and Two Bits were plainly on edge, upset at the disruption to their usual routine. They barked, registering their unease. Koda sat silent and still. She gave one yelp when she saw him.

  Heat drained from his body. He’d been on enough missions with Koda to recognize the dog had protected Katie from something far worse than a car accident.

  “What are you in such a hurry for?”

  Katie.

  Her snide tone didn’t give him the usual prickles of irritation. Instead her voice offered relief. He made his way to the sofa where she rested, an ice pack on her forehead. When she reached up to move it, he could see a nasty bruise on her forearm.

  “Well?”

  “I heard you rolled the truck.” The words came out harsher than he’d meant and she flinched at the tone.

  “I don’t know what happened.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “I’ve taken the truck up the pasture hills a hundred times. Maybe I hit a hole or some mud or something. The last thing I remember was the back end sticking and the front end coming way up.” She closed her eyes with another shudder. “I had my seat belt on but I must have banged my head on the door frame. When I woke up, Peter was there. He was trying to get in but Koda wouldn’t let him.”

  “Koda was outside the truck? Is she okay?”

  “She was following the truck. I let her out after the cattle guard so she could run. I’m just glad she wasn’t inside it and didn’t get hurt. It was her barking that woke me up.”

  “What did you see?”

  “I finally sat up and saw Peter out in the road. She wouldn’t let him get close.” She stretched out a hand, settling over the dog’s fur. “The truck was—is—lying on the passenger side.” She groaned as she shifted her body. “Dad’s going to be thrilled.”

  “The truck is the least of—will be the least of his worries. How did you get back?”

  “Adrenaline is a wonderful thing. I managed to push the door up and open, and climb out. I started walking. I didn’t get too far before Linda’s truck appeared. Peter must have called her, once he got to a spot with a signal.”

  The idea of her having to walk back to the ranch after a serious accident in this weather didn’t sit well. Hatred raged through his body. At himself. At Peter. At the goddamn truck. “Good God, Katie. I’m just glad you’re all right.”

  “Yeah, but the funny thing was the way Koda freaked out. Was that her military training?”

  He shrugged, not wanting to give her too many details. “Sure, it could be. She’s trained to sniff out dangerous situations, but she’s also protecting you from any perceived threat.” Every muscle in his body strained with the effort of not wrapping her in his arms.

  Linda came in from the kitchen and handed her a cup of hot tea. “Joanne’s arranged with her mother-in-law to pick up her sons from school. She’ll be here to keep an eye on you until the evening.”

  Katie took the cup of tea with one hand and steadied it with the other. “That’s great.”

  She seemed about to say something else, but changed her mind, blowing the steam of her cup instead.

  John watched her, searching for something he could say to reassure. He turned his head and saw Linda was watching him.

  The older woman leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest. There was something in her expression that unsettled him. “Did you pick up the antibiotic?”

  “Yes. It’s in the bed of the truck, nice and cold. I’d appreciate it if you could put it away.”

  “Sure.”

  John stood. “I’m going to have a little chat with Peter.”

  He strode to the bunkhouse. He’d never liked Peter, and now he was the only one who just happened to be around when Katie got into trouble? His gut screamed something was wrong.

  He replayed her description of Koda’s reaction to Peter when he’d arrived. One lesson he’d learned during his time in the military: trust your dog.

  He pushed open the heavy door, and found Peter sitting on the couch, beer in hand, watching television. Smugness lurked on the employee’s face, as if he was expecting this visit. John tightened his fists, resisting the need to throw a punch square in the guy’s face.

  “Well, if it isn’t the boss man! A little wet out there, huh?” Peter made a show of lifting his booted feet to the coffee table and lazily crossing one over the other. A sprinkle of dried mud fell on the table.

  Stepping closer, John kicked Peter’s feet off the table. He grabbed the remote control, pushed the power button, and threw the device across the room. It hit the wall, batteries exploding out of the case on the back, and clattered to the floor.

  But Peter didn’t seem fazed. Below unmoving eyes was a grin that showed almost every tooth. The kind that was so wide it was as if he wanted to eat everyone. “What’s wrong? You have got to chill out or you’re going to end up with high blood pressure. An old guy like you needs to be more careful.”

  Every word stung, only fueling the fire burning inside, hissing through John’s body like a deathly poison. “Tell me exactly what happened up there in the north pasture. Don’t leave anything out or I swear to God I’ll punch you right through the walls of this cabin.”

  Peter took a long swig of the beer. “All I did was find the truck, dude. I came back and called Linda about it. Case closed.”

  “You were supposed to be feeding out. Not anywhere near the north pasture.”

  “I saw the truck head out. When it didn’t come back, I thought I’d take a look—just as well I did, too.” Spinning the beer bottle by the neck, Peter angled his head sideways. “Why do you care so much, anyway? Are you boning the boss’s daughter? Not that I’d blame you. I’ve thought about tapping that sweet pussy myself.”

  In three steps, John crossed the small space and threw an uppercut at Peter’s face. Peter’s teeth clacked. Blood spurted from his nose all over his Burberry flannel shirt, but the bald man barely flinched, looking back at him, unblinking.

  John had seen it before. That hardness, that callousness. He’d seen it plenty of times during deployments.

  “You aren’t going to talk about Katie. Not like that,” he said, exuding an animosity that was like acid—burning, slicing, potent. His knuckles ached from the punch. But he would hit this guy again and again until every bone in his hand was broken, if that’s what it took to shut him up.

  Peter lay back on the floor of the bunkhouse a
nd pressed his hand against his nose. His usual sneer settled over his face. “So, you did hit it, didn’t you? Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “Get the fuck out of here and go home. You’re done for the day and you aren’t staying here anymore. Be gone before I get back.” He stomped out of the bunkhouse before he ended up in jail. Again.

  Night was rapidly approaching. He couldn’t return to the main house just yet. Not this angry. And he still needed to do his daily perimeter check. His fingers flexed, throbbing. As much as he wanted to kill the creep, a modicum of sanity prevailed.

  You know how to deal with guys like him.

  And he did. He had been in the army long enough to know most of those assholes were full of hot air. If you punctured them just right, they’d quickly deflate.

  Peter’s time would come. Right now, John had other priorities. He continued to patrol the yard, taking the time to check the barns.

  Linda was sitting in the living room, waiting for him once he finished his security detail.

  “Katie’s upstairs in the shower,” Linda said, in response to his glance toward the empty sofa.

  “Is she really okay?”

  “She’s fine. She’ll have a nice bruise, but that’s it. Katie’s gotten worse injuries being thrown from a horse.”

  He collapsed into the armchair. “How’s the truck? Damaged?”

  She shook her head. “No damage beyond getting stuck. Lucky, I guess. Sounds like Peter exaggerated what happened up there.”

  “I don’t trust the guy. Not for one second. I want to know what happened.”

  Linda cocked her head, about to speak, but paused. Her fingers drummed against her leg as her eyes scanned him.

  “I’m heading out. Do you two need anything before I go?” she asked, grabbing her keys.

  “No, thank you, ma’am. We’ll be fine.”

  “If you continue calling me ‘ma’am,’ I’ll tell Katie to keep calling you ‘old.’”

  His jaw dropped. What else had Katie told the woman? “Will do, ma’am—I mean, Linda.”

  Once Linda left, he looked around the room. Koda sat next to him, nudging his hand with her snout. He caressed her ears. “Good girl.”