Stolen Away (Hearts of Montana)

by Jennie Marts

She shook her head. “No. I told you, no hospital. I’ve been in the emergency room too many times in my life already. I’m just banged up a little. Nothing a good soak in the bathtub won’t help.” She stretched out her arms. “Besides, nothing feels broken.”

  He hated that she’d been hurt so many times that she could recognize what a broken bone felt like. “All right, I’ll trust your judgment. But let’s get back to the house and get you cleaned up.” He shifted her off his lap and helped her to stand, then stood up beside her and held out a steadying arm. “You okay? Can you walk?”

  She nodded. “I can manage. But what am I gonna do about my car?”

  “Nothing. We’ll leave it here, and I’ll call Bud at the auto shop tomorrow and have him come out and get it. He’s gonna need the tow truck to haul it out of the ditch anyway.” He peered into the damaged car. “You want me to grab anything out of it? You got anything of value in there?”

  “I don’t really have anything of value, period,” she mumbled as she shook her head at the car. “And there’s nothing in the car. I didn’t even bring my purse tonight. I just stuck my stuff in my pockets.”

  “Okay.” He slipped an arm around her waist to help her navigate up the embankment of the ditch then got her settled in the truck.

  The drive back to the farm only took a few minutes. He parked in front of the porch and helped her up the stairs and into the house.

  He pulled out a kitchen chair and eased her onto it. “I’ll get a warm washcloth and some ice, and we’ll get you cleaned up. You want me to get you something—some water or a cup of hot tea?”

  Geez, he sounded like an old granny fussing over her and offering to bring her a cup of tea. But he couldn’t help himself. He hated to see her hurt and just wanted to do something—anything—to help her feel better.

  “I’m okay. Really, you don’t need to make a fuss over me.”

  “I know I don’t have to. I want to.” He turned around before she could argue and stepped into the kitchen. He gathered a washcloth and a small bag of ice, ran some warm water into a bowl, then poured a cool glass of water for her.

  He carried everything over to the table, balancing it all in his arms, then pulled up a chair across from her. Scooting closer, he fit his legs on either side of hers, then tried to ignore the heat that built in his gut from being so close to her and having her legs rest against his.

  She smiled up at him as she took a sip of the water. “Thank you. This is good.”

  Wetting the cloth in the warm water, he tipped up her chin and gently washed the blood from her forehead. He pulled back as she cringed in pain. “Sorry, I don’t want to hurt you.” He never wanted to hurt her.

  “It’s okay. I’m actually pretty tough.”

  He had a feeling she was pretty tough, and it pained him to know the reason why she had to be so tough.

  “It doesn’t look too deep,” he said, examining the cut. “A Band-Aid and a little antibiotic ointment oughta fix you right up.”

  “Oh, good. I’ve heard a nice big bandage across your forehead is what all the girls are wearing right now.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you trying to make a fashion statement?”

  She chuckled. “No. I wouldn’t know a fashion statement from a fashion question.”

  “Cute.” He smiled at her, trying to ignore the fact that her face was so close to his, so close that he could easily lean forward and kiss her.

  Instead, he rinsed the cloth and picked up her hand to clean the scratch on her arm. Her hand was cool and fit perfectly into his. “You don’t need to be like all the other girls out there anyway. It’s okay to be different. It makes you more—I don’t know—special, I guess.”

  A tinge of pink colored her cheeks at the compliment.

  He reached for the bowl, accidentally bumping it, and it tipped forward, spilling a little water onto the table.

  What the heck was wrong with him? Why was he so nervous?

  He could usually charm the pants off any woman. Why was this one totally throwing him off his game?

  Because she wasn’t just any woman, and this wasn’t just some game. She was important. She mattered to him. Whether she agreed or not, she was special.

  At least, she was special to him.

  And right now she was hurt and bruised up, and all he could think about was touching her smooth skin and the way her lips would feel against his.

  Get a grip, man.

  She yawned, her mouth forming a perfect O, and he could see the fatigue in her eyes. “Sorry,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Don’t be. You’ve got to be exhausted. You want me to start the water for a bath for you?” Then climb into the tub with you and soap up your smooth skin?

  Thoughts like that were definitely not in the “get a grip” column.

  “No, I think I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep.” She stood up then gripped the table as she swayed on her feet.

  “Easy there,” he said, reaching for her arm. “I’ve got you.” He picked her up, cradling her against his chest, and carried her into the guest room.

  Not bothering to turn on the light, he crossed the room and laid her down on the bed. The moon gave off just enough light to see by, and his face was inches from hers.

  He paused, his arm still cradling her, searching her eyes, looking for a sign. Any hint that she wanted him, too—wanted him to kiss her, to touch her, to lie down with her.

  She blinked up at him, tucking her bottom lip under her top teeth, and he almost came undone.

  “Emma,” was all he could say, his voice coming out in a gruff whisper.

  Chapter Nine

  What the hell am I doing?

  He knew he shouldn’t. She’d just been in a car accident, for cripe’s sake.

  But he couldn’t stop himself. Logic and reason seemed to have deserted him and had been replaced by the heady scent of her perfume and the absolute rightness of holding her in his arms.

  He eased his face closer, and she didn’t move to stop him, didn’t push him away. He wanted her so much, wanted to pull her against him, wanted to taste her sweet lips, and explore the contours of her body.

  Aw hell, he wanted her naked and whimpering and calling out his name.

  But he didn’t want to scare her, didn’t want to move too fast. He leaned a little closer, anticipating the feel of her soft lips, as he slid his arm out from under her legs and braced his hand on the pillow next to her head.

  What he wasn’t anticipating was the next moment of pain when a paw full of tiny claws bit into his skin as a kitten pounced on his hand.

  He reared back, letting go of Emma and shaking out his fingers. “Holy crap.”

  Emma broke into laughter, reaching for the tiny kitten that must have been asleep on the pillows. She snuggled it against her face. “Oh Percy, you silly kitty.”

  The moment was lost, but hearing Emma laugh and giggle was worth it. She seemed so happy cuddling the animal, her usual shyness gone.

  He jammed his hands in his front pockets. “I guess I should go. Let you get your rest.”

  “Stay.” Her voice was soft, barely a whisper—but he heard it—heard it, and his heart did a little flip in his chest.

  He turned to take a step toward the chair at the end of the bed, but she reached out and grabbed his hand.

  She slid over in the bed, making room for him, and tugged on his hand. “Can you just lie down with me for a few minutes? Would that be okay?”

  He didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled off his boots and lay down next to her. The old bed creaked with his weight. He turned on his side to face her and propped his head up on his fist.

  She curled on her side facing him and plopped the kitten between them. “The other kittens could care less about me, but this one seems to really like me.”

  “I know the feeling,” he said, not looking at her, instead focusing his attention on playing with the little cat. Best to change the subject. “You must be wiped ou
t. You’ve had a crazy day today.”

  “Crazy, yes. But it was also a good day.”

  He gave her a skeptical glance. “A good day? How do you figure? Your creep ex-brothers-in-law showed up at your new job to bully you, and you ended your night in a ditch after crashing your car. How could that possibly be considered a good day?”

  She smiled. “Because I had a new job for those idiots to show up to, and I wrecked my car after spending a night in town out for pizza with new friends. And my day didn’t end with a car crash.” She paused, looking down at the kitten, then shyly peered up at him. “It’s ending with being here with you.”

  Butterflies filled his gut, the kind of butterflies he hadn’t felt since he was in high school and one of the popular girls flirted with him. Because that’s how he felt now—with his hands sweating and his stomach churning—just like a kid in high school who had a crush on a girl.

  And she’d just given him the sign he’d needed. The cue that told him she wanted him, too.

  She reached out and touched his hand, sending darts of heat shooting up his spine, and he scooted closer.

  “Thank you for being such a good friend to me.”

  The spinning butterflies dive-bombed his gut and lay in a heap. He paused mid-scoot.

  She was giving him a cue all right, and the cue was to back off. Retreat back into the friend zone.

  He nodded, not trusting his voice, his cool completely blown.

  “Can I ask you a favor?”

  “Sure, anything,” he said.

  “I feel kind of foolish even asking.”

  “What is it?”

  She looked down at the kitten, her voice quiet. “Would you stay here for a while? With me? Just until I fall asleep?”

  A vise grip clamped down on his heart, and he knew he was sunk.

  He would do anything for her. Even if it meant he would never kiss her or touch her skin. Being her friend was enough. “I’d be glad to.”

  She picked up the kitten and rolled over, then scooted back until she was spooning him. He tried not to groan as she nestled her backside into his groin.

  She fit neatly against him, and the smell of her hair filled his senses.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He gently rested his hand on her hip. “You’re welcome, darlin’. And this isn’t foolish at all.”

  The only foolish part had been him thinking there was something between them. That she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  For now, he was content to just lie beside her, her body snuggled against his, and let her sleep.

  …

  The front door slammed, and Emma struggled awake as she heard someone calling her name.

  The weight of a man’s arm fell across her waist, and she had a moment of panic that Leroy was back.

  But this man’s arm did not belong to Leroy. It belonged to Cash, who had evidently spent the whole night nestled against her.

  She breathed in, savoring the moment, the feel of his lean muscled body pressed against hers, the feeling of being safe and protected and truly cared for.

  The moment was short-lived as Charlie burst into the bedroom. “Emma, oh my gosh, are you okay?”

  Cash startled awake next to her. “What’s going on?” he grumbled, his voice still full of sleep.

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Charlie said.

  Oh no. Is she mad about finding Cash and me snuggled up in her guest bed?

  Did Charlie assume they’d taken advantage of her hospitality and had a wild night of sex while she was away?

  But she didn’t seem to be upset by anything to do with Cash. Instead, her concern was solely for Emma, as she rushed to her bedside and peered at her bandaged head. “Are you okay? Zack just brought me home, and we saw your car in the ditch. What happened?”

  “That’s a good question,” Cash said as he sat up in bed and stretched his arms. “It seems that Emma’s brakes failed, and I have a pretty good idea of who was behind their failure.”

  “What? Someone tampered with your brakes?” Charlie asked. “And you think it was Earl and Junior?”

  “We don’t know anything for sure,” Emma said.

  “We know that Earl was waiting to ambush Emma in that alley last night when she walked to her car.”

  “Wait—we watched you walk to your car. We didn’t see Earl.”

  “He was hiding in the shadows,” Emma explained. “He didn’t come out until after you’d driven off.”

  “Oh my gosh, Emma. We never would have left you if we’d known. I feel terrible. I should have driven home with you.”

  “Then you would have been in the car wreck with me.” She rested a hand on her new friend’s arm. “You couldn’t have known.”

  “So, are you okay? I can see the bandage on your head, but are you hurt otherwise? Did you go to the hospital? Why didn’t you call us?”

  “Geez, slow down, woman,” Cash said. “She called me, and I went to pick her up. We didn’t see the need to go to the hospital, and there was no point in calling you and getting you all upset when there was nothing you could do.”

  Emma flashed him a thankful smile. He said it all so simply and kept her from having to explain why she didn’t want to go to the emergency room.

  Charlie threw her arms around her in a hug. “I’m just so glad you’re okay. Let me do something now, though. I can make breakfast. At least let me feed you. Then you can take a bath and lie around in your pajamas all day.”

  “No, I can’t.” Emma glanced at the clock on the bedside table. “I’ve got to get in the shower and get to work. Cherry’s expecting me.”

  “What? You can’t go to work after this.”

  “Of course I can.” Emma stretched her arms and could feel the tenseness and ache in her muscles from the crash and from sleeping in her clothes all night. But she’d certainly been through worse and had to function the next day. “I’m fine—nothing that a hot shower and a couple of ibuprofen won’t fix. I really like this job, and I don’t want to lose it. Besides, Cherry is counting on me to show up, and I don’t want to let her down.”

  Charlie nodded. “Okay, I get that. You’re much tougher than I am. Why don’t you hop in the shower, and I’ll make some bacon and eggs.”

  Cash was already bent over the side of the bed, pulling on his boots. “I need to start my morning chores, but text me when breakfast is on, and I’ll come in and eat.”

  “Sure. Give me twenty minutes,” Charlie told him.

  “That’ll be good.” He was just going to leave, without any mention of him spending the night in her bed.

  Not that anything had happened, but he had slept there all night. And really, what was there to say? Thank you? I wish you would have kissed me?

  He stopped at the door of the bedroom. “I’ll give Bud a call to tow your car in this morning, and I can drive you into town after breakfast.”

  “I can do it,” Charlie said. “I have to run in to the grocery store this morning anyway. Can you pick her up though?”

  They were discussing her like she wasn’t even in the room. “You guys know I’m sitting right here.”

  “We see you,” Cash said. “We also know that your car is in a ditch, and you need a ride to and from work, so we’re figuring it out.”

  “I appreciate that, but I just don’t want anyone to make a fuss over me.”

  “This isn’t a fuss,” Charlie said, flashing her a smile. “This is just life. And this is what friends do, we take care of one another. You’re just not used to having others do things for you. But we’ve made you part of our family now, so you’ll have to get used to it.”

  Emma’s heart felt like it would burst with happiness. Everything in her life was changing so fast, but having friends and being part of a “family” was something she felt like she could actually get used to.

  Especially if Cash were one of those friends.

  …

  Cash leaned against the side of his truck as he wa
tched Emma through the window of Cherry’s Diner. She was just finishing up her shift, and she smiled and waved at the remaining customers on her way out. Cherry’s son, Sam, ran across the diner and gave her a hug.

  She looked happy. And beautiful.

  Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, and her smile was open and genuine instead of shy and guarded. And thanks to Charlie’s cooking, she’d put on a little weight and now filled out her waitress uniform in all the right places, the pink fabric hugging the curves of her hips.

  Pushing open the door, a bright smile beamed from her face as she hurried toward him. His heart beat fast against his chest knowing that smile was for him. And knowing that he had a matching goofy grin on his own face.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he said as he opened the truck door for her.

  “Hey, yourself,” she said, a shy grin crossing her face as she climbed up into the cab.

  He let himself take one glance at her curvy little butt before he looked away then shut the door.

  Yeah, the extra weight looked good on her. Really good.

  “How was work?” he asked, sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the engine.

  “Great. I had a really good day.” The hem of her uniform dress had ridden up her thighs, giving him a perfect view of her shapely legs.

  He tried to keep his mind off sliding his hands along her legs and under her skirt as he pulled out onto the street and headed for the farm. “Did Charlie tell you that she has to leave for New York tonight? Her editor needed a face-to-face, and I think she said she set up a couple of book signings for when she’s there.”

  “Yes, she told me at breakfast. What an exciting life she leads, being a famous author and getting to jet off to New York for a few days.”

  “She didn’t seem too excited about it. I think the country has gotten into her soul, and now she doesn’t enjoy the bustle and craziness of the city as much. But she’ll get to see her folks, and she always enjoys the book signings and meeting her readers.”

  “She asked me to stay and keep an eye on the house while she’s gone. I know she probably doesn’t really need me to stay there, but it’s nice of her to be concerned about me. And I enjoy staying at Tucked Away and being around all of you.”