by Debra Webb
Her heart ached for what her son would never know. He would never experience the love of a father or share those moments that only a father could create. Sabrina blinked back the moisture building in her eyes. She had to keep her senses about her. She could take care of Ryan. She could give him everything he needed to make up for his lack of a father. The reminder that she’d spent so little time with him yesterday zinged her already battered conscience. She’d felt so guilty, in fact, that she had begged off her teaching duties for the next couple of days. The only reason she’d showed up at all was to check on Charlie, but she couldn’t find him.
Once she’d spoken to Court and had his assurance that Charlie was okay, she would get back home to her son. With Court stopping by in the afternoons to work on repairs, that wouldn’t leave her a lot of time with her baby. By the time she picked him up last night after Court had gone, Ryan was asleep. For the next couple of days her mornings were all she would have with him. As bad as she hated to admit it, she needed Court’s help. She rationalized her acceptance by telling herself that he owed it to her…but the truth was she wanted to see firsthand what kind of man he really was. To disprove the doubts still lurking in those fearful corners of her mind. Just in case…
“Brody, got something here for you!” Ferguson shouted as Court prepared to deliver the final blow that would take the other man down.
Court looked up, his gaze connected with Sabrina’s and his opponent struck. The other man delivered a stunning blow to his midsection, and then his upper back. The other man walked off the mat the winner, leaving Court struggling back to his feet.
Ferguson held her back when she would have run to him. “Let me go!” she demanded.
The bastard only grinned at her. “Be patient, he’ll stagger over here soon enough.”
Court shoved the hair back from his eyes and headed in their direction. He winced and one hand flattened against his abdomen. Sabrina ached to touch him, to ensure that he was indeed all right.
“Sorry, brother, looks like my timing was off,” Ferguson offered by way of explanation for his actions.
Court stared at him hard, his face giving nothing of what he was thinking away. “No problem. I can take a loss now and again, same as you.”
Ferguson’s face turned that deep shade of red again. Sabrina wondered if that explained his swollen eye. He finally released his death grip on her arm.
“Maybe she can do something to make up for my untimely interruption.” Ferguson glowered at Sabrina one last time before storming away.
Court nodded, indicating a job well done to his eager opponent, she supposed. Sabrina suddenly recognized the other man as Clydus Beecham. His wife was one of the teachers who helped with the children. Court turned back to her then, his gaze worried, searching hers for answers even before he spoke.
“What are you doing here, Brin?” He grabbed a towel from the stack on a nearby bench and scrubbed it over his face, then rubbed his neck.
She remembered to breathe. Standing this close with him only half dressed did strange things to her ability to draw in any air. “I needed to talk to you.”
He picked up his shirt and hat and started toward the door. “Couldn’t it wait until this afternoon? You haven’t forgotten that I planned on working on the barn roof today, have you?” His concern seemed to escalate as he guided her, placing his hand at the small of her back.
She shook her head since speech suddenly eluded her at the simple touch of his hand. Once in the hallway, he surveyed both directions, then pulled her close. “Is something wrong?” His deep, husky voice rolled over her, making her feel things she knew she shouldn’t feel.
“I… Charlie didn’t come home again last night. I’ve been worried sick.” I ain’t coming back. Charlie’s words ached through her. A line of worry creased her brow even now, making her head hurt.
Court slowly lifted his hand and traced that line with the pad of his thumb. His fingers splayed on her cheek so he could lift up her chin to look her directly in the eyes. “Go home, Brin. I’ll check on Charlie and give you an update this afternoon. I don’t want you hanging around here. It’s too dangerous.”
He kept telling her that, yet he was here…and Charlie was here. “What else can I do? I’m worried about my brother.”
“I asked you to trust me. Is it that difficult?”
She looked away from those silvery eyes. Yes, she wanted to say, but couldn’t bear the lengths she knew he would likely go to in order to convince her that she could trust him. Court rarely gave up when he set his mind to something.
“I guess it is,” he breathed softly. “I’ve never given you any reason to trust me.”
Her gaze flew to his. The hurt there tugged at her, made her want to deny the words he’d spoken. “Things are different now,” she offered. Dammit, why was she rationalizing? She hadn’t walked away from him. She had known this would happen. Just as soon as she let him anywhere near her she started believing in him again, blaming herself for everything wrong that happened between them.
“Promise me you’ll go home,” he again urged, the plea in his eyes genuine. “I’ll make sure Charlie’s okay.”
She nodded, unable to argue with his reasoning. She needed to get back to Ryan, anyway. “You’ll be over about three?” she asked, double-checking so she could take Ryan back to Mrs. Cartwright’s in time.
“Three.” He tugged at her ponytail. “Now, get out of here, before I do something I shouldn’t.”
There was no mistaking the glimmer of desire in his eyes then. Sabrina’s breath stalled in her lungs. He couldn’t possibly still feel it as strongly as she did, could he? Before she said or did something foolish herself, she hurried away. Until she disappeared down the stairs, she felt his gaze on her. Her heart thudded at the idea that he still wanted her.
She was hopeless.
IT DIDN’T TAKE COURT LONG to find Charlie. The kid was target practicing with the rest of the boys his age. Ferguson and Bradley were leading the exercise. Court waited patiently until the practice was over. Ferguson already had it in for Court, no point in antagonizing the man further. Court’s gaze narrowed as he considered the way Ferguson had manhandled Sabrina. He didn’t want that lowlife SOB touching her. But he wouldn’t have to worry about that happening again, he intended to make sure she stayed away from the compound. All he had to do was keep Charlie out of trouble.
The kid whooped when he hit the bull’s eye dead center. Court smiled. He remembered the first time he’d been that lucky. His father and older brothers had picked him up and thrown him into the air over and over again. Court stilled. Where had that memory come from? He forced the past away. He didn’t like to dwell on it, or the memory of his father.
“Did you see that last shot, Court?” Charlie shouted as he bounded in Court’s direction. “I hit that sucker dead center!”
Court inclined his head in acknowledgment. “I did. I have to admit it was pretty amazing. Who taught you to shoot like that, kid?”
Charlie stared at the ground and kicked at a pebble. “My big sister,” he mumbled.
Court felt another smile overtake his lips. He’d suspected as much. Sabrina was a pretty good shot. “Man, I wish I had a sister who could shoot like that,” he said wistfully.
Charlie’s head shot up. “Really?” He roped in his enthusiasm three seconds later. “She’s a big pain in the butt most of the time,” he qualified. “But I guess she’s okay for some things.”
“I guess,” Court agreed, thinking of the way it felt to hold Sabrina in his arms. To make love to her and know that he was the only man she’d ever wanted. She’d said those very words to him two years ago.
And he’d left.
Had she found someone else? Court blinked at the memory blitz.
“Is it true that in a few days something really big is gonna happen?” Charlie jumped into Court’s disturbing reverie with both feet.
The arms deal. The word had gotten around, even to kids like Cha
rlie. Court almost shook his head at the notion of a good kid like Charlie being involved with scum like Ferguson and Neely.
“Could be,” he hedged. “Where’d you hear that?”
Charlie jerked his head toward Ferguson, who was still discussing results with some of the other boys. “Ferg told us. He said things are going to start happening around here and we have to be ready.”
Court reined in the urge to walk over and pound Ferguson into the ground. “In that case, you should be sure you get home and get yourself a good night’s sleep.”
“Home?” Charlie scrunched up his face into an exaggerated frown. “Why should I go home? She don’t care about me.”
She only cares about Ryan. Charlie’s words from before collided with Court’s earlier thought like a crashing jetliner. “You mentioned someone named Ryan before,” he began slowly. “Who’s Ryan?”
Charlie’s eyes went wide. He looked as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. “You’ll…you’ll have to ask Sabrina about him.”
Jealousy stabbed deep into the center of Court’s chest. She sure as hell hadn’t said anything about another man last night. And Court sure didn’t see any evidence of a man’s touch around the Double K.
“I’ll do that,” he said, to put the kid at ease. “It’s no big deal, I just wondered, that’s all.” Yeah, right. He was jealous of a man he didn’t even know, over a woman who didn’t even belong to him. He was here to do a job. He wasn’t supposed to get personally involved with anyone related to the case. The image of Sabrina filled his head, arguing otherwise. He had to help her, he reasoned. He owed it to her.
Another man or not.
Damn, he was getting his focus all twisted around here. He had to get this thing with Sabrina under control.
“Charlie, come on over here, buddy, and let’s go over your scores,” Ferguson called out.
“All right!” Charlie dashed off without so much as a goodbye.
Another wave of jealousy washed over Court. He swore at his inability to control his emotions. Sabrina and Charlie weren’t his concern. He’d do what he could to protect them, but he had to keep his priorities straight.
Nothing could get in the way of the mission.
Nothing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SABRINA STOOD A few feet away and watched as Court finished the last of the fence-mending. Yesterday he had spent the afternoon nailing down the loose metal roofing on the barn. A recent storm had blown several sections loose, causing a couple of leaks. Now the roof looked as good as new, or at least as good as it had during the last ten years. Sabrina was immensely thankful to have that worry off her shoulders. There was no way she could have afforded to pay anyone to come out and do the work. Going through the winter with those leaks would definitely have been a hardship.
Today, Court had worked diligently since noon on the fencing. Now that dusk was nearing he worked even faster to finish before he lost the light. Offering him a glass of lemonade seemed awfully lame considering the amount of hard work he had accomplished in such a short time, but she didn’t have any beer in the house.
She still couldn’t be sure if it was simply his guilt that motivated his actions, but whatever it was she was grateful. And he had been the perfect gentleman. Other than the caring embrace the night before last, he hadn’t tried to touch her. That’s when she had decided his actions were mainly related to a guilty conscience.
At first she had told herself that he owed her his help. After all, he had left her behind to have his child alone. But he hadn’t known the consequences she had faced…alone. At the time, she had chosen not to tell him. She’d been angry. She had rationalized her decision with two simple facts—one, he obviously hadn’t loved her, and two, his life was in D.C. while hers was here. It would always be here. She didn’t want his offer of marriage out of a misplaced sense of responsibility. She knew Court too well. He would have insisted upon marrying her and moving her and Ryan off to the city. Based on obligation, the marriage would never have lasted. She didn’t want to raise her son in the city.
None of those facts had changed in the past two years. Court would never stay here. Whatever his fascination with the militia, he would grow bored with it and leave again. And he still didn’t love her. But now there was another factor to consider, his reaction to what she had done. If he discovered her secret, what would he do? He might just be so angry that revenge would be his recourse. She would not risk him trying to take Ryan from her. Nor did she cotton to the idea of sharing her son, with him living so many months out of the year with his father far away from her. She just wouldn’t take that chance. No matter what her traitorous body urged as she stood watching Court. Her pulse raced, sending her heart into an erratic rhythm. Warmth pooled in places that made her restless. And desire sang through her veins.
She knew the symptoms all too well. As a lovestruck teenager she had watched him countless times as he completed the chores around the ranch. Whether it was mending fences, feeding the horses or even mucking out stalls, she’d been mesmerized by his every move. Engrossed in his every word.
Now, more than a decade later, not much had changed in that respect. Despite her absolute best efforts, she was still spellbound by his effortless grace. No one moved like Court Brody. He had a unique body language that no other soul on earth could duplicate. So much muscle, yet so lean, his hard body would make any woman yearn to touch him…to smooth her palms over that rugged terrain. She swallowed. Those faded jeans hugged him like a second skin. Beltless and riding low on his hips, the worn denim allowed a breathtaking glimpse of his tan line. He’d taken his shirt off and slung it over the fence, revealing that amazing torso, which caused more skips in her already irregular heartbeat. His face was the finishing touch to a masterpiece, with lines and angles that chiseled his features into pure masculine beauty. His smoky eyes completed the stunning picture.
And when he smiled…Sabrina’s breath caught at the memory of a true Court Brody charmer…it was a sight to see. Her son was a perfect replica of his father.
Forcing herself a step closer, the melting drink clutched in her hand, Sabrina moistened her lips and produced a bright smile. “Looks like you’ve about got it whipped,” she said cheerfully.
He paused, removed his hat and wiped his brow with his forearm, then smiled. Sabrina melted on the spot. Her gaze slid down his awesome chest, following that line of sandy chest hair until it narrowed and plunged into those low-slung jeans. Pure, unadulterated lust zinged her.
“Just about.” He nodded at the glass in her hand. “Is that for me?”
Heat rushed up her neck and across her cheeks. She’d been so busy gaping at him that she’d forgotten what she’d come out here for. “Yes.” She thrust the glass in his direction. “I thought you might be thirsty.”
Thought, hell. She knew he would be. But it had taken her hours to build up the courage to approach him. She didn’t want to feel this near overpowering attraction for Court. No matter how hard she tried to resist, to push him away, she just could not evict him completely from her thoughts…or her senses.
She had been in love with Court for as long as she could remember. But did she love him still, or was this hot-and-bothered routine just leftover lust from the past? She had been angry with him for so long, it felt strange to feel anything else. Need, gratitude, fear. She pressed a hand to her throat and commanded her body to calm. She was confused right now. So much was going on with trying to hang on to the ranch, taking care of Charlie and being the best mother she could be to Ryan, Sabrina felt as if she were swimming upstream with her head barely above water. Every few feet something else tried to jerk her beneath the surface, attempting to force her to admit defeat.
After downing half the glass of lemonade, he studied her for a few awkward moments. “You look tired, Brin. You ready to tell me what’s really going on around here? I’ve pretty much summed up the most likely scenario.”
Sabrina stumbled back a s
tep at his intense gaze and his words. She didn’t want to answer any questions. How could she tell him that the medical costs related to the birth of his son, which were not covered by the insurance company, had taken the very last of her paltry savings? And weeks of recovery time had kept her out of commission. The recent decline in the breeding market for small operations like hers, combined with the forces of nature over the past few years, and she’d verged on losing everything. It was only Daniel Austin’s kindness that had saved the ranch.
Summoning her waning resolve, she folded her arms over her chest and met that analyzing gaze. “If you’ve figured it out, why bother asking me?”
He finished off the lemonade and handed her the glass, then tugged off his leather work gloves. “There’s no need to get riled, I’m only asking.” He surveyed the land around them as the sun slowly slipped behind the distant mountains. “I know how much this place meant to your daddy and I hate to see it go down like this.”
Rage bubbled inside her. “Do you think I enjoy it? But I can only do so much alone.” She snapped her mouth shut. She hadn’t meant to say that. She didn’t want him to know how difficult things were for her.
That silvery gaze collided with hers once more. “Your friend Ryan doesn’t help you out?” he asked, wariness and something else she couldn’t quite identify in his tone.
Fear kicked at her heart. He thought Ryan was a boyfriend. “I’ve already told you that he’s none of your business. I didn’t ask you to do this, Court. Not that I don’t appreciate it.” She struggled to keep her tone even. “But don’t think that makes me feel obliged to you in any way, because it doesn’t. I know better than to depend on you for more than one day at a time.”
He drew off his hat again and threaded his long fingers through his hair as if considering her words. Then, his eyes holding her in that same old trance, he took the three steps that separated them. When he’d moved in so close that she could feel the heat from his body, he lifted one hand to her face and pushed back a tendril of hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. Her lips yearned for his. Dammit. She didn’t want him to make her feel this way, but he did. She wanted him to kiss her…to love her the way she’d spent a lifetime loving him. She was totally, completely hopeless.
