Wolf Protector's Secret Baby

by Scarlett Ray

  Without a word, I shoved away from the table and left the room, ignoring Luke when he barked my name. I couldn’t have cared less about my table manners right then; if I didn’t leave, I was going to end up starting a fight I couldn’t win.

  Jared’s decision didn’t change anything. Even if I couldn’t attack Will or confront him outright, I’d be damned if I was going to let him hurt Dani. Whatever he was planning, however he was trying to use her, I refused to let it happen. I was going to keep her safe, even if I had to do it completely alone.

  Chapter Nine: Dani

  When I told Maggie that I was planning to give Will a tour of the preserve, she nearly had a conniption. “What’s the problem?” I asked. “It’s just one day out of the whole week. I won’t be missing that much work.”

  “Dani, that’s not what I’m concerned about,” she sighed, like I was being thick. “You can’t just tell me that you plan to go out into the preserve, into the ten thousand-acre preserve with some man you just met, a man who asked you to go out into the woods with him, and expect me not to worry! Who knows what he could be thinking? Who knows what he could do?”

  Thinking about Will’s nervous smile when I called him cute, I couldn’t imagine him being any sort of threat to me. “Don’t be ridiculous. Like he came all the way down here from Michigan to go after me?”

  “That’s the thing about men you don’t know, sugar - you don’t know them,” she insisted, “or what they’re thinking or what they’re after. Please, just for the sake of my poor old heart, don’t go out there alone with him. Just to be safe take a ranger with you. Take Noah!”

  I let out a sigh. I could see where she was going with this a mile away, and it wasn’t happening. It seemed like despite what I had told her about me and Noah, she still wasn’t giving up on us ending up together. Stubborn old biddy. “I am not taking Noah,” I said firmly. “If it’s really gonna bother you that much, sure, I’ll take one of the other rangers. But not him.”

  “Why not?” Maggie asked innocently. “You said there’s nothing going on between y’all, so what does it matter if he’s the one who goes with you?”

  “I’m still pissed off at him, that’s what it matters. And he threw a fit about me going out with Will before, so he surely won’t want to go along with us.”

  “None of the other rangers are as fit as him,” she pointed out, switching gears. “He’s the best choice to protect you in case…something happens.”

  “Nothing is going to happen,” I groaned, rubbing the heels of my hands into my eyes. We’d only just started talking and already she was starting to give me a headache with her nagging. “For God’s sake, Maggie, you haven’t even met the man and you’re acting like he’s a serial killer. Trust me, he’s harmless.”

  “Of course you think that now. But it only takes one time for him to prove you wrong, and by then, it’ll be too late,” she insisted. “I just want to make absolutely sure you’re safe. I feel like taking Noah is the best way to make that—”

  “All right, all right! I’ll bring Noah along with us. But then afterwards, when nothing happens, I’m coming back here to I-told-you-so like there’s no tomorrow.”

  “I hope you do, sugar.”

  Still, she seemed satisfied. Why she was so insistent about Noah, I didn’t know. I was sure it wasn’t really for any practical reason; she just wanted to push us together whatever way she could. Well she was going to be disappointed. Even if we were forced to be around each other, it didn’t mean we’d ever be together.

  * * *

  That night, as Nicky and I were making dinner, he surprised me asking, “Can we have Noah over again?”

  I frowned slightly at the suggestion, “You two got along pretty well, huh?”

  “Yeah. I liked him.” He was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a bowl of green beans in his lap and another bowl in front of him to toss the ends into as he snapped them, “If he came over again, we could talk some more. And…um…”

  “And what?” I prompted, glancing down at him.

  “I…I like how he smells,” Nicky mumbled. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was a topic we’d talked about plenty of times before, one I’d thought he was moving past.

  Whenever he particularly liked a person, he would talk about liking their “smell,” even going so far as to say it out loud to the person’s face. He did it with all sorts of people: his classmates, clerks at the grocery store, even our ranch hands, and I had no explanation for it. Granted, it wasn’t the strangest thing I’d ever heard come out of a four-year-old’s mouth, but it still tended to make people look at him a little funny. I’d asked him not to bring it up in front of others, not wanting him to get teased for it.

  “You know, you don’t have to have a reason to like him,” I pointed out, nudging the chicken pieces I was sautéing around my pan. “It could just be that he’s nice. There doesn’t have to be anything else.”

  “But I mean it. Him especially. Nobody else smells as good as him.”

  “Honey—”

  “It’s not my fault you can’t tell!” he insisted, his voice getting a little shrill, his little shoulders tensing up. “He does. I just want to be around him.”

  With a sigh, I admitted, “So do I, baby. But we can’t always get what we want.”

  “Why not? Just ask him to come over.”

  “He doesn’t want to, Nicky.” Hard as it was, I tried to be patient, to not take out my frustration on him. “He’s busy with other things, I guess. Whatever the reason is, it’s not our business.” Apparently.

  My son fell silent, and I really wished that I had better news for him. It seemed like everyone really wanted me and Noah to be together. Everyone except Noah himself, for whatever reason. Well, I wasn’t about to sit around pining after him and wishing he’d change his mind. The easiest way to stop that was to focus on something else.

  Like Will.

  Chapter Ten: Noah

  I was wary but trying to be optimistic as I came into the Visitor Center Wednesday morning. Dani had sent me an email—an official work email—saying she wanted to talk about something specifically work-related. That didn’t give me a whole lot of hope about how the meeting would go, but if she was willing to talk to me at all, that was an improvement. When I got to her office, she was up and pacing in front of that big window in the back.

  I noticed a few things right away. The boots she was wearing weren’t her nicest pair, a little scuffed and dirty, and the hat resting on her desk was the same: a work hat. Her sleeves weren’t rolled up as usual, keeping most of her skin covered. But her hair was the most telling. It was pulled back in a tight French braid instead of her usual careless over-the-shoulder braid, a sure sign she was planning to go riding. But why was she dressed that way at work?

  “Ahem,” I took my hat off as I came inside. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yeah,” she agreed, stopping her pacing while I forced my eyes to stay fixed on her face. “I need your help with something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m giving Will a tour of the preserve this morning,” she explained, and I couldn’t hold back a sneer at the sound of his name.

  “Wait, just the two of you?” I asked, my hackles raising by instinct. This wasn’t just jealousy on my part; it was genuine concern for her safety. I’d never known her to trust anyone that easily in the first place, so why him?

  “Calm down,” she said, rolling her eyes. “That’s what you’re here for. I want you to go along with us.”

  “Oh,” relief washed over me. “Yeah. Of course. You think he’s going to try something?” I wish he’d give me an excuse.

  “No. I already know he’s not like that, but Maggie isn’t convinced.” How could she already know? She’d barely met the guy. “But I need you to know you’re coming along as a ranger. Not as my friend. Or anything else. I’m asking you to go with us, but only if you can be professional about it.” Well, she wasn’t leaving muc
h room for interpretation.

  “All right,” I conceded, crossing my heart. “I get it. Professional as can be.”

  “Good.” For the first time in over a week, she smiled at me, nodding toward the door, “Now take your professional self out there and help Miguel get the horses saddled.”

  “Horses?” I repeated.

  “You heard me. The preserve’s a big place; it’d be tough to walk it all in a day.”

  “Uh-huh. And maybe you haven’t been able to ride as much lately since you’re stuck in an office.”

  “And maybe that too.” She waved me out the door, “Now git.”

  As I headed back outside, I thought about her plans. Horseback riding through the preserve. Wouldn’t it be a shame if our city boy guest had trouble with that? I’d seen the man myself, and he was no cowboy. Was she testing him or something? Did she want to see him fail? I’d be glad to make that happen for her. In fact, this whole “tour” idea seemed like a great opportunity to make it clear just how much he didn’t belong there in Palo Verde. Or with Dani.

  In the back of the Visitor’s Center parking lot, I found a horse trailer with the Vasquez Ranch logo on the side, along with my cousin Miguel offloading a healthy chestnut stallion I recognized as Whiskey. He was Dani’s horse, always had been. When Miguel caught sight of me, his face split into a big grin. “Noah!” He shook my hand firmly. “Been a while, man. How the hell are ya?”

  “I’m good,” I couldn’t help but smile back; Miguel had a kind of aggressively friendly energy that was tough to ignore. “Didn’t know you were working for the Vasquezes these days.”

  “Hey, there are plenty of worse places to be. A lot of folks think having ranch hands means you don’t have to do any work yourself, but Dani’s not like that. She helps out every chance she gets.” Finally seeming to remember where we were, he went about getting Whiskey saddled. “What are you doing up here? You’re a ranger, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you be on patrol?”

  “I’ve got a special assignment today. You didn’t happen to bring Fuego, did you?” I asked, wandering over to peer inside the trailer. Sure enough, the powerful dark bay I always worked with was there waiting impatiently for his turn.

  “Yeah, Dani asked for him.”

  My smile grew a little as I climbed into the trailer to go ahead and lead my horse out. If Dani had asked for him by name, it must’ve been for my sake. Nice to know she cared. I brought Fuego outside to stand in the shade with Whiskey while I got him saddled and bridled. He followed well enough but was still a little restless like I remembered. The third horse Miguel brought out was a little on the smaller side, a palomino mare I didn’t recognize. Probably an easier mount for our inexperienced “guest.” Maybe Dani was planning to take it easy on him. That made one of us.

  Since it had been so long since the last time I rode, I figured I’d better reacquaint myself with it. So I swung myself up into Fuego’s saddle and took him a few laps around the mostly-empty parking lot. He was energetic, itching to go faster than I asked, so I gave in and took him up the dirt road and let him run like he wanted. And I quickly remembered how much I enjoyed riding, how much I’d missed it—the wind in my face, the rhythm, the raw power. What was not to like? Even my wolf was enjoying the romp.

  By the time I got back to the Visitor Center, grinning ear-to-ear and trying to catch my breath from laughing, Dani was waiting at Whiskey’s side, rubbing her hand along his shoulder. She smiled back when she saw me approach, “Once a cowboy, always a cowboy, huh?”

  “Just needed a little reminder, I guess.” Between the adrenaline of riding and the relief of her being friendly with me again, I was ready to jump down and grab her up in my arms, spin her around, kiss her all over— Damn it, where was my mind going? She was only just willing to speak to me; I wasn’t about to ruin that by pushing for more. Instead, I tipped my hat back a little and asked, “Do we have time for a race? I’m willing to bet me and Fuego could smoke you two just like old times.”

  She threw back her head and laughed at that. “Be careful what you bet, because you’re likely to lose it,” she said, confident as ever. For a second, I thought she might take me up on that race then and there—but then the smell of diesel fumes crushed that hope. I’d gotten so caught up in the fun I was having that I’d almost forgotten why we were riding together in the first place. When Will’s Beemer pulled into the lot and parked nearby, Fuego snorted and shook his head, probably from the harsh chemical smell. You and me both, buddy.

  Dani, however, smiled as she went over to greet him. They had an exchange I couldn’t hear, but I saw him watching me, frowning. I glared right back as my beast snarled. That’s right, asshole, I’ve got my eye on you. Dani led him over to where I was waiting with the horses and gestured to me, “You two met, didn’t you?”

  “Briefly,” Will agreed. “It was Noah, right?”

  “It was.” What he was trying to accomplish by pretending to be cordial, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t plan to play along.

  “Then we’ll focus on this introduction,” Dani said as she went to the palomino’s side and scratched her neck. “This is Julep. She’ll be taking you around the preserve today.”

  He tried to hide it, but I still saw the subtle twitch of Will’s upper lip as he held back a snarl. It made sense, instinct-wise. Most wolves didn’t get along great with bigger animals, especially the sort of wolf who’s never been within fifty feet of a horse before in his life. And as he started to step closer, the horses made it clear they didn’t trust him either, restlessly grunting and stamping the ground. They were used to our pack’s scent, but Will’s? Not so much.

  Dani frowned as Julep took a step backward, and she took the mare’s reins to gently lead her forward again, “Hey now, none of that. That’s funny; she’s usually so sweet.”

  “You nervous?” I asked Will casually. “They can tell, you know.”

  “Well, that’s probably it, then,” he said with a forced laugh.

  “She just needs to get used to you,” Dani took his hand and pulled him forward, and this time Julep didn’t back off, probably because she trusted Dani more than she was suspicious of Will. “There, you see? He’s not so bad.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Will said.

  He was still standing too close to Dani, and I saw his thumb rub over her hand. Rather than make a scene by snapping at him, I gave Fuego’s reins a light tug so he tossed his head and pawed at the ground. “Someone’s impatient,” I muttered innocently.

  “We probably should get going,” Dani agreed. While she was demonstrating for Will how to get properly mounted in the saddle and he watched her motions a little too closely for my taste, I shifted in my seat, wondering if it was going to be like this all day. Having to watch the two of them be too damn close for business associates, that is. Maybe going along with them wasn’t a good idea after all.

  * * *

  Most of what Dani had to say about the preserve, I already knew. In fact, I didn’t know why Will needed to hear it from her; it was all basic stuff he could’ve learned on the internet. Couldn’t be bothered to do that much work, I figured. He kept his eyes on her nearly the entire time—except when he was glaring down at Julep because she’d done something to bother him. Wasn’t her fault he didn’t have the first clue how to ride a horse. His bullshit nice-guy act stayed pretty solid, except for when Julep balked at the wrong time because he was holding the reins too tight or started to wander off the trail because he wasn’t directing her properly.

  And that gave me an idea. If I could get that mask of his to slip, Dani would see that he was faking, and I knew she’d hate it. She couldn’t stand people who weren’t up-front about their intentions. If she saw that Will’s friendly attitude was a put-on, she’d get tired of him and send him away, I was sure of it. So I just needed to find a way to rattle him.

  “So, Will,” I started, taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, “I guess you’re not much of an outdoorsma
n yourself.”

  He let out a dry laugh, “What was your first clue?”

  “Well, it just makes me wonder why you chose a nature preserve to donate to instead of something you’re more familiar with,” I tried my best to sound innocent and casual, but I still watched his reactions closely. To my disappointment, he answered without so much as a second of hesitation.

  “I don’t have to be personally familiar with something in order to know it has value. Besides, that’s why I’m here now: to familiarize myself.”

  With what? Judging by the way he looked at Dani, I figured it wasn’t the local wildlife.

  “But why here?” I insisted. “I mean, there must be nature preserves wherever you’re from.”

  “Michigan.”

  “Right. So why come across the country just for us?”

  “That’s a good question,” Dani agreed, throwing him a curious glance. “I don’t think you ever told me exactly why you chose us over some other preserve or park. Seems like a lot of trouble to go to. Most contributors don’t bother coming to see the place themselves.”

  This time, maybe because Dani had joined in on the questioning, he did have to pause for a minute before he could answer, “There are national parks and government-owned preserves in Michigan, yes. But there aren’t many privately-owned places like this in the entire country, much less in the area where I live. You two may not realize it, since this is what you’re used to, but the Vasquez Preserve is unique in a lot of ways. It stands out more than you know.”

  Just listening to him talk was exhausting. All that could’ve been condensed down into a few words if he weren’t so busy enjoying the sound of his own voice. And worse, Dani seemed pleased with the answer. “How’s that?” she asked.

  “There’s a town built around it, for one thing. At least that’s what I’ve observed in my stay so far. Everyone talks about you and your family like you practically own the town.”