Her Renegade Rancher EPB

by Jennifer Ryan

  The smile that erased every ominous line on Rory’s face did not compute. Colt couldn’t figure out why Rory was being such a hardass about this when he should be saying, Let’s take those fuckers down.

  “Mr. Kendrick, you need to settle down,” a nurse said, coming into the room.

  “I need to get out of here,” he shot back.

  She shot a syringe full of meds into his IV after checking the band on his wrist. “I’d like to see you try.”

  The pain meds hit his system in a whoosh that made him lose his breath. “Damn.”

  “They’ve got some kick to them. Now, get some rest. The rest of you, keep him calm.” She wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Colt’s arm and pumped it up, letting it out slowly. “It’s high. One forty-seven over ninety-one. You need to relax and bring this down before you make your head worse.” The nurse left, still frowning at him.

  “If none of you is going to get Luna back here, then get the hell out. You’re of no use to me.”

  “Colt,” Sadie said, giving him another of those sad looks.

  Rory held up the black velvet box, nothing but understanding filling his eyes. “Is this for real?”

  Sadie gasped and covered her mouth. “Where did you get that?”

  “Tow truck driver found it in the ditch along with a dozen red roses after he dragged Colt’s truck out.”

  “Oh Colt.” Sadie reached forward and laid her hand on his arm.

  “It’s as real as it gets,” Colt answered Rory’s question. “As soon as I get out of here, I’m putting that on her finger and getting her promise. I don’t care what any of you think about it either. She’s mine. You say one word to her about it, Sadie, and I’ll never forgive you.” The drugs kicked in and his eyes drooped, his mind began to numb. “Did you see the sadness in her eyes? I can’t stand it when she cries. I have to get to her before they try to hurt her again.” He tried to roll out of bed but only fell back, closing his eyes, giving up the fight. For now.

  “Looks like we’re dropping him off at her place on the way home,” Rory said.

  “Why did you put him through that?” Sadie smacked Rory’s shoulder.

  “If he’s going to risk his life, I needed to know it’s for the right reasons, not just because he thinks he’s some invincible superhero and trying to impress her.”

  “I’m not twelve,” Colt mumbled, trying to stay awake. “I love her. That’s all the reason I need to protect her.”

  “Relax, the cops are looking after her right now. So get some sleep. You’ll need to figure out a way to get her to change her mind about keeping you away for your own good. Something I agree with but wouldn’t do myself if we were talking about Sadie.”

  “Glad you see my point. And you’re holding the reason she’ll want me back. She loves me. She said that, right?”

  Rory squeezed his hand. “Yeah, man, she said it. And we are behind you all the way. Whatever you need, we’re in.”

  “Good. Then I’ll get her back.”

  He had to get her back. Then he’d find a way to stop the bastards who tried to tear them apart.

  Chapter 28

  Luna’s cell vibrated against her desk, startling her. She picked it up, checked caller ID, saw that it was Sadie yet again, and set it down.

  “Is he ever going to give up?” Dex asked from the sofa across the room, where he sat with the FBI cybercrimes expert.

  “It wasn’t him.” This time. Colt had called her several times over the last two days he’d been in the hospital. She’d checked on him twice, begging the nurse to have mercy and at least tell her that his condition was improving and there’d be no lasting effects from the car accident, though he’d have a few more scars to add to his collection.

  The voice mails he left ranged from him asking her to please come back and see him in the hospital, to sweeter ones, telling her to remember some wonderful moment they shared together. A walk under the stars in the pasture, laughs they shared over dinner, the joy they shared seeing the new foal stand on shaky legs in the stables.

  She told him to stay away to keep him safe. He reminded her why they should be together. Each one of those calls eroded her resolve that what she was doing was for his own good and her peace of mind. If something happened to him, she couldn’t live with herself. She didn’t want to live without him.

  Judging by how late those calls came in, he’d gotten very little sleep. Guilt sat in her gut like a lead stone. She hated leaving him that way. She hated even more that things had to be this way to keep him safe.

  She hoped his family stood by her decision and kept the stubborn cowboy home with them, where his brothers could protect him if the Traverses tried to go after him there.

  She stifled another yawn.

  “You need to get some sleep.”

  “I need this to finally be over so I can have my life back.”

  “Does it include him?” Dex asked, eyeing her from across the room.

  She swiveled her chair around and stared out the window at the land she’d been entrusted to protect. Horses ran in a cluster across the green grass in one of the pastures. Rocco took the lead, better now that Colt had thrown out all the food, tainted with arsenic, according to the lab the sheriff’s office sent it to for testing.

  She’d banned Simon from the property since Colt’s accident. Only people who worked here were allowed on the property. She tried to be patient while the cops did their investigation, which involved several crimes committed by several different people. From what she could tell, they weren’t really in on it together. So who did what? She was having a hard time figuring it out, so no wonder the cops were having such a hard time proving it, too.

  The why was easy. The how not so difficult to figure out. Nailing them for it seemed infinitely harder and a lot more costly. Colt paid the price. So had she. Every time he called, she forced herself not to answer, reminding herself that the consequences of letting him close had almost cost his life.

  Colt sat in the front seat of Rory’s truck beside Sadie and cursed every bump in the road that jarred his aching ribs and sore shoulder.

  Sadie put her phone back on her thigh and sighed.

  “She won’t even answer for you.” He shook his head, trying to hold back a fresh wave of anger.

  “Colt, she thinks she’s doing the right thing. If they were after her to get you to do something, wouldn’t you send her away to protect her?”

  “I get it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t piss me off.”

  Rory turned down Round Rock Road and Colt’s stomach tightened, thinking about the last time he drove down this stretch of road, all his hopes and dreams about to come true. Until someone slammed into his truck and busted up his life.

  “Slow down.” Colt leaned forward as they approached the Cherry Creek turnoff.

  Rory stopped the truck on the shoulder. Colt scanned the road just ahead.

  “From what I saw when we drove up on the way to the hospital that night, they drove the truck down Cherry Creek and straight into your truck. The timing was incredible. They hit the passenger door dead center and pushed the car across the street and right into the ditch.”

  Colt saw the deep ruts and gouges in the dirt where his truck went over the side and skidded to a stop. Glass speckles covered the dirt, twinkling in the sunlight. A small portion of the earth turned black from the fire.

  “They had to rip your windshield off to get you out. The truck’s a total loss, but I got your gear.”

  Who gave a fuck about his truck or his stuff? He lived. And now he was going to have a life with Luna. God, he missed her.

  “They planned this. They waited for me to drive down this road. They knew I’d be coming from this way.”

  “Who at the ranch knew you’d be going into Bozeman?” Rory pulled back onto the road and drove toward Luna’s place.

  “I called Luna to let her know I’d be late. She was in the stables, checking on one of the sick horses. Anyone could have overheard her t
alking to me. She might have mentioned it to one of the ranch hands.”

  “Do you think Simon ran you off the road?”

  “If he did, he’s bolder than I believed. It doesn’t make sense that it would be him. Using the Rambling Range truck to do it, that points right to him, but I think someone wants us to think it was him.”

  Rory turned onto the road leading in to Rambling Range and stopped at the closed gates. “She’s locked the place up tight.”

  “Yeah, as if that is going to stop me.” Colt opened the truck door and got out, turning back to the cab. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “You might need this.” Rory held out his hand.

  Colt put his out, palm up. Rory pressed the black velvet box into Colt’s palm and held on to Colt’s hand. “Good luck, man.”

  “I’m not settling for anything less than a yes.” Colt stuffed the box in the front pocket of his jeans.

  Ford handed his bag forward from the back. “Go get her.”

  Colt looked over his shoulder at the tall fence he had to climb over to get onto the property. “This is going to hurt like hell.”

  “ ‘Love hurts,’ ” Ford quoted the Nazareth song.

  “Maybe you can get Luna to kiss it all better,” Rory suggested, teasing him.

  “Count on it. She owes me big time for this stunt.”

  “Colt, let me use the call box. She’ll open the gate for me.”

  Colt shook his head. “She’s got this place locked down because she’s scared. If she won’t let me near her, she’s not going to let her pregnant best friend anywhere near her either.” Colt gave Sadie’s hand a pat. “I got this, sis. Don’t worry. She can’t keep me out.”

  “If she has you arrested for trespassing, we’ll bail you out,” Ford offered.

  “Thanks.” Colt rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag off the seat, and stepped back, closing the door.

  Colt hefted the bag in his good hand and tossed it over the eight-foot fence. He could walk down the fence line to where it dropped to a split rail along the pastures, but that would take time and make him have to backtrack a hell of a ways. He might think it a better plan, once he landed on the other side.

  Sucking it up, he grabbed hold of the stone pillar and the gate bar. He hooked his foot in between two stones as high up as he could get and hoisted himself up, hoping his boot didn’t come loose.

  “The woman’s got me scaling walls to get to her.” He must love her, otherwise why would he put himself through this?

  He planted his free foot up higher, grabbed the bars and stones, and pulled himself up to the top of the pillar. Great. Now all he had to do was get his legs up and over the pillar, which meant he had to support his weight on both arms. He groaned through the pain, swung his legs over, sat on the pillar, and jumped down, bracing for the impact and the jolt to every sore muscle and bone.

  “Shit,” he bit out, holding his hurt arm against his stomach and crouching over to ease the pain in his ribs and shoulder.

  Rory honked twice behind him, pulling out of the drive. All Colt managed was a wave with his good hand to see them off. He still had a half-mile walk to the house. Plenty of time to think about what to say to her.

  He picked up his bag and tossed it over his good shoulder. It wasn’t all his stuff, but enough for him to get by until he packed up the rest at Rory and Sadie’s place and moved in here.

  It might take some convincing, but he was moving in right now.

  He came around the bend and stopped, staring at the vehicles in her driveway. With the gate locked, he expected to find her alone. Well, he didn’t care who the hell was here, she was going to hear him out.

  He walked to the front door, waving off Ed and Toby as they stepped out of the stables. Several other men showed their faces in the field and out by the barn.

  “Good girl. Keep the men close to the house.”

  He limped to the steps, his side aching, the bruise on his hip where he slammed into the door during the accident throbbing from all the walking and probably that eight-foot drop from the stone pillar.

  He tried the door but found it locked. “I’ve got the key to your tower, honey. You can’t hide away from me.”

  He unlocked the top and bottom lock and pushed the door open, confronted by Wayne’s hat hanging on the wall, along with the picture of Wayne and Luna. He thought it a sweet gesture she hung them there. A nice reminder of all Wayne had given to her and the friendship they’d shared. Right now, Colt wanted to punch Wayne’s lights out for putting her in harm’s way with his deranged family.

  “Luna,” he bellowed, wondering where she was when he didn’t spot her in the living room.

  “Colt.” Her surprised voice carried out of the office.

  He headed straight for her, blind to everything but the woman coming around the desk to head him off.

  “Colt, what are you doing here?”

  “Did you really think you could tell me you love me and then order me to stay away?”

  “They’re trying to kill you.”

  Colt held up his bandaged arm, though it cost him to move his shoulder. “Yeah, I got the memo on that one.”

  “You can’t be here. You have to leave.”

  “No.” He tossed his bag down. “I’m staying here with you. Not just for today. Not just until this thing is over. I’m staying here with you because you said you love me.”

  “I do, Colt, but you have to understand. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. Do you have any idea what it did to me to see you lying motionless in that wreck, bleeding?” Her voice cracked, tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks.

  “Do you really think I’ll leave you here alone? Do you think I can live without you?”

  That took her off guard. She opened her mouth, then closed it.

  “I can’t. Do you have any idea how hard it was to lie in that hospital bed, needing you there with me so badly I could barely breathe? Do you have any idea how worried I was that they’d come after you and I wouldn’t be here to stop them?”

  “I . . .”

  “No. I get to talk now. You had your say at the hospital, now I get mine. I want to be here with you. I want us to make a life together. I want you to know that you can count on me when things turn to shit. That I’m not going to run out on you just because some asshole tries to kill me. You do not have to face this on your own. You do not have to do this on your own.”

  “Colt.”

  “I’m not done talking.”

  She clamped her mouth shut.

  He tried to find the right words. “I get this place is important to you, that what Wayne wanted is important to you. He was your friend and you want to do right by him. I love that about you. Your dedication. Your loyalty. The way you care about the people in your life. The way you love me so much that you’d push me away to keep me safe. I can’t imagine how hard that was for you. So hard that I can’t do it myself. I can’t let go. I can’t stay away. I won’t.” He pulled the ring from his pocket, opened the lid, and showed it to her. “I love you, Luna. Make a life with me. Marry me. Please.”

  She nodded before any words came out of her mouth. “Yes.” She finally found her smile, and it spread across her beautiful face and lit her tear-filled eyes. “I probably should say no because of everything that’s happened and what might happen,” she rambled. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Stick with yes. You said yes.”

  “It’s the manners. They get me every time.”

  “Well, then, please come here and kiss me.”

  She flew into his arms and nearly sent him to the ground, but he caught her and crushed his mouth to hers. His aches and pains disappeared beneath the wave of joy that filled him up and made him laugh against her lips. He kissed her again and again, then pressed his forehead to hers and looked into her bright blue eyes. “I love you so damn much.”

  “I love you, too.” She gave him another quick kiss. “I don’t want anything to happen to
you.”

  “We’ll find a way to keep both of us safe.” He held her tighter, putting his worries aside and letting the happiness he felt rise up. “You said yes.”

  “I did.” The smile on her lips got even bigger.

  He set her on her feet and pulled the ring from the box. He held her hand in his but turned it over and stared at the healing burns on her fingertips. “Are you okay?”

  “They’re much better. I got some medicated salve from the hospital.”

  He gently slid the ring on her finger.

  “Colt, it’s beautiful.”

  “Only half as beautiful as you. Rory and Sadie told me how you found and saved me. Thank you, honey. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

  “You may change your mind about this if they come after you again.” Luna pressed her hand to her stomach like even the thought made her ill.

  “Nothing will change my mind.”

  “What about the fact that Luna loses everything if she marries you?”

  Colt turned and faced Luna’s attorney. “Dex, what are you doing here? And who are you?” Colt asked the other tied-up-in-a-suit man standing next to the lawyer.

  “Agent Montrose. FBI cybercrimes.”

  “Uh, okay. Why are you here?”

  “Luna’s computer caught a virus.”

  Not understanding why that required the FBI or believing the FBI’s presence was that simple, Colt focused back on the attorney. “Why would Luna lose everything if she marries me?”

  “It’s part of the terms of the will. So if you think marrying her will gain you this place, you’re wrong.”

  Colt turned to Luna. “You said you’d marry me, even though you lose this place?”

  “I want to,” she confirmed.

  “Okay, then I guess we’ll live at my place. I’ve got some money. We can build a house on the property. You’ll want to make sure whatever happens to this place is the right thing. That the people who work here are taken care of properly.

  “I’ve got a few horses you can work with to start your equine therapy program. Rory and Ford will help me fix up a small arena on the property. It’s not as nice as the one Wayne built you, but it’ll suit until I can build you a better one.”