“Exactly.”
“I don’t know, to be honest.”
She sighed. “I think I should tell her that someone is out to get me, and that if she comes around, she could get hurt, too. In fact, I think I should tell all my clients that.”
“What will that do for your business?”
“Well, it won’t help, that’s for sure. It will probably do more damage than the rumors of drugs on the property.” Her phone rang and she snagged it. “Hello?”
Nathan didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but she didn’t bother to try to have any privacy. “Thanks so much, Jean, I appreciate your help. Uh-huh. What?” She paled and met his eyes. “They did?”
Nathan moved fast and helped her into a chair next to Pete’s stall. She sat with a thud and dropped her forehead into her free hand while she pressed the phone against her ear with the other. “What did you say?”
Nathan wished she’d put it on speaker so he could be privy to the discussion, but figured she’d tell him soon enough.
“Okay, thanks again, Jean. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. I’ll talk to you later.”
She hung up and Nathan saw her fighting tears. Her despair was almost a physical thing, grabbing his heart and making him want to promise to fix everything if only she would smile at him.
If only he could. He dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands. “What did she say?”
“Well, the lessons showed up today and everything went well according to Jean, but apparently as they were leaving, one of the leaders said they won’t be coming back due to my sketchy reputation. Jean said they weren’t happy that I wasn’t here and are demanding a refund.”
“They got their lesson, you don’t owe them anything.”
“I know. And I’ll tell them that.” She blinked rapidly and shook her head. “What am I going to do, Nathan? I’m going to lose this place if something doesn’t happen to turn this around.”
“What about asking your parents for help?”
Her head snapped up. Weariness vanished and the fire returned to her eyes. “Never. So don’t bring that up again, okay?”
He blinked. “Okay.” He paused. “Are they really that awful?” He truly couldn’t imagine it. Then again, he remembered how distant her father was when he and Becca had been friends as teens.
But her mother had been kind and loving.
He also knew the elder Starkes, Becca’s Aunt Julianna and Uncle Ross, and how loving and giving they were. They’d had their tough times with Julianna’s cancer and other things, but they’d fought through them and come out stronger on the other side. Becca’s mother was Ross Starke’s sister. How could she treat her daughter like this?
Becca drew in another breath. “What about your parents?”
“What about them?”
“You haven’t said much and I haven’t really asked. I know you weren’t super close to them when we were teens, but have things changed since then?”
“Not much.” He shrugged. “They kind of do their thing and I do mine. Right now they’re on a three-month-long road trip around the US.”
“Did they even come home when you got shot?”
“They did.”
“Oh, good.”
“They love me, they just don’t know what to do with me and never did. My mother was forty-eight when I came along—a modern medical surprise. So they’re more like grandparents than parents, I guess.”
She frowned. “Does it bother you?”
“It used to. Now, I don’t let it. I have friends who let me share their holidays, and I’m an honorary uncle to several awesome kids. It’s good.” And it was. He liked his life. At least the part that didn’t consist of spying on Becca.
“Thanks for sharing. I remember you talking about them but didn’t remember seeing them around much.”
“That’s because my aunt pretty much raised me. She was ten years younger than my mother and doted on me. I didn’t suffer a traumatic childhood or anything.” He paused. “At least not until you moved away. That nearly broke my heart.”
She flushed. “Broke mine, too.” Then she sighed. “Do you mind checking on Brody Mac and making sure that he’s all right? I think I’m getting ready to fall over.” She held up a hand at his move to take her arm. “Not literally. At least, not yet. I can make it inside.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you in the house.”
Nathan watched her go, her shoulders bowed, head tilted sideways while she rubbed her right temple. His jaw tightened. He had to find out who was causing her all this trouble and grief, and he had to find out fast. Because he wasn’t sure how much more Becca could take.
SEVEN
Becca walked into the kitchen and twinkling lights from the den caught her attention. “Wait a minute, what’s this?”
She stepped into the room and gasped.
“You like it?” Nathan asked from behind her. She hadn’t heard him follow.
“I love it.” Tears welled and she sniffed. “It’s fabulous. And amazing.” She walked to the mantel and touched each stocking. There were three. One for her, one for Jack, and one for Brody Mac.
“Good, I’m relieved. I was afraid you’d be upset that we did it as a surprise.”
“We?”
“Brody Mac and me.”
Becca turned back to the stockings. “I just need to rearrange these.”
“Oh. Okay. Sorry, did I put them in the wrong order?”
“Nope, they’re in the right order, there just needs to be room for one more.” She moved them down and left space at the end.
Nathan lifted a brow. “For who?”
“You.” She slipped into his arms to rest her cheek against his chest. “Thank you, Nathan. It’s a lovely surprise. So thoughtful and special.”
“You’re special.” His husky voice sent shivers dancing along her nerve ends. “Becca, I...”
“What is it?”
He stared at her a moment longer, then lowered his head until his lips touched hers. A light feather of a touch. Her breathing ceased. Thinking stopped. The world tilted.
And in that sweet moment, everything was right. No one was trying to kill her, her financial problems faded to nothing and she simply reveled in the moment, taking comfort in his embrace.
Then he cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ll just...ah...see what Brody Mac’s up to and be right back, okay?”
She nodded with a frown, confused, but not wanting to question his sudden emotional withdrawal. At least not out loud. “Sure.”
Nathan left and she took one last look at her beautiful den, decorated with lights, ornaments—and love. She felt loved for the first time in a very long time and it was a wonderful feeling. And so was Nathan’s way of offering comfort. The fact that he kissed her was surprising. Her reaction to it was stunning. Should she ask him about it or pretend it never happened? What was the etiquette in this type of situation? Something to ponder for sure.
She went back into the kitchen to grab a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator. She could use a little sugar boost. When she saw the fully stocked shelves, she gaped. What—? Who—? When—?
Sabrina. It had to be. Clay’s wife liked to mother Becca almost as she liked to mother her own four children. As soon as she hung up with Clay, she must have pulled items from her own food inventory and brought them over.
It was almost enough for Becca to fully forgive Clay for doing his job. She grimaced at that thought and inspected the food.
There was hamburger meat, pork chops and chicken. On the shelf below, Sabrina had placed potatoes, corn on the cob, peas, carrots, tomatoes, three heads of lettuce and other herbs, all grown in the garden she tended with her talented green thumb.
Gratitude filled Becca. She leaned her
head against the open door. Thank you, Sabrina. Thank you, God, for friends—now family—like Sabrina. It occurred to Becca that maybe God was listening and while He wasn’t removing all the bad stuff happening, at least He was providing support and help to get through it. Like Sabrina and Nathan and others. And even Clay.
She poured her glass of orange juice and pulled her pill bottle from the cabinet. After shaking out two, she hesitated and put one back in the bottle. She swallowed the other and then made six bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches.
Jack nudged his food bowl over to her and sat.
She laughed and filled it up. She loved the dog she’d raised from a puppy. He was only two years old and she’d worked hard at training him. He’d responded like a champ. Smart and eager to please, he loved her as much as she did him.
Becca pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Sabrina’s number.
“Hi, Becca, how are you?”
“Hey. I don’t even know how to say thank you.”
“I’m guessing you found the food.”
The smile in her friend’s voice triggered her own. “I found it and I’m so grateful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. When Clay called and told me what happened and how shook up you were—and I don’t blame you!—I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing, but I’ve got the munchkins today so I didn’t want them running around underfoot. But I could provide food for you to cook whenever you were ready for it.”
“And I’m putting it to good use right now.”
“Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help. I can come clean stalls or whatever.”
“I think it’s better if you don’t come around here anymore. At least not until whoever is after me is caught.”
“I wouldn’t let that keep me away, but I won’t push. Please be careful, Becca.”
“I am.”
She hung up and went back to preparing the sandwiches, thinking that no matter how much was going wrong in her life right now, she was still blessed.
The screen door slammed just as she finished up the last sandwich. Jack ran to the door and she smiled when she heard Nathan greeting the animal. The dog didn’t linger but returned to his bowl.
While Jack munched on his food, Nathan went to the sink to wash his hands. He spied the sandwiches and looked at her with a smile. “You remembered.”
“I took a chance it was still your favorite.”
“Thanks, but you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”
“No trouble.” It was such a simple thing and she was happy to do something to express her appreciation for everything he’d done for her. “And you’re welcome. You can also thank Sabrina. She brought the groceries.”
He took two of the sandwiches then helped himself to some chips and a bottle of water.
They sat down together at the table.
“Brody Mac will be in shortly,” Nathan said. “He was brushing down the last horse when I left him.”
“He really is good help. I wish his father could see his worth. Not just as a hired hand, but simply because he’s a human being with feelings and a ton of love in his heart.”
“People like MacDougal are just wired wrong, I guess. Not that they come into the world like that, but something happens along the way during their lives that just sends them down the wrong path.”
“Do you think there’s hope that they can get back on the right path?”
He gave her a sad smile. “There’s hope. As long as there’s God, there’s hope.”
“Yeah. Thanks for that reminder.”
The screen door opened and Brody Mac appeared. “I’m all done, Becca.”
“Great. I’ve made you some sandwiches. Why don’t you have a seat and join us?”
The big man shuffled his feet on the scuffed hardwood floor. “No, thanks. I want to go back to the bunkhouse and watch the football game. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Becca started to get up to make him a plate, but Nathan placed a hand on her arm. “I’ve got this.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”
When Brody Mac walked to the door, armed with three sandwiches, a bag of chips and three bottles of water, she watched him go—and said a silent prayer for his family. She smiled. It seemed she was doing more and more of that lately and it felt good. And right.
Then she frowned.
Nathan sat down next to her once again. “What is it?”
“Is he safe here? Should I make him leave and not come back until this is all over?”
Nathan hesitated. “He’s not the target, you are. Then again, you don’t want him becoming collateral damage.”
“No, I definitely don’t want that.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’ll think about it. I’m afraid if I ask him to stay away for a while, it would hurt his feelings. He won’t understand and will translate that into I’m saying he did something wrong. And if I tell him that because I’m in danger and that he’ll be in danger if he’s around me, he’ll camp out on my doorstep thinking to protect me.”
Nathan grimaced. “Tough decision.”
Becca shook her head. “And the truth is, while Brody Mac is a great guy with a huge heart, he can be sneaky when it suits his purposes. I’m sure he’s learned the behavior from his father. If his father tells him to stay put, Brody Mac simply leaves to avoid further abuse. Nothing malicious or mean, part of it is his survival instinct. The other part is him trying to be helpful even it if it means being sneaky about it.”
“How’s that?”
“Once I told him he had to stay out of the bunkhouse while I was having the roof fixed. He snuck in anyway and I found him on the roof trying to nail down some shingles.”
“Thinking he was helping and putting himself in danger.”
“Exactly. So,” she bit her lip then sighed, “I think it’s best not to ask him to stay away. I would rather know he was on the property so I can be alert and looking out for him than be worried he was going to sneak on and I won’t know it. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. All right. We’ll just have to do our best to make sure he doesn’t get caught in the middle.”
“Right.”
“Why don’t you go to bed? You look done in.”
“It’s the pain pill. I think it’s kicking in.”
His phone dinged and lights swept across the front of the house. Becca stiffened.
He rose and went to the window to look out. Then he turned to Becca. “The cavalry is here.”
* * *
Becca met his friends, three off-duty officers from Nashville who had dropped everything to come to Nathan’s side simply because he’d asked them to. Nathan made the introductions in the kitchen of her home. “This is Joey Bartells, Miranda Ewing and Carson Grainger.”
“Thank you all for coming,” Becca said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Joey dipped his head and shot her a smile. “Nathan explained the situation and we decided we had to help. So, glad to do it.”
Carson and Miranda nodded their agreement.
Nathan motioned for them to follow him. “Come on, I’ll show you around. Joey and Carson, you’re in the bunkhouse so bring your bags. Miranda, you’re here in the main house with Becca.”
Becca smiled. “I’ll show you your room.”
Once the officers were settled and had their assignments from Nathan, Becca allowed herself to breathe for the first time in weeks.
Nathan’s friends could stay for two days and then they’d have to be back at work. She just prayed they could catch the guy in the time allotted. She wouldn’t hold her breath, but she couldn’t help the little nugget of hope that buried itself in her heart.
In spite of Sabrina’s generous food gift, Becca would need
to run to the grocery store if she was going to feed everyone. She’d have to do that tomorrow. For now, she’d sleep. She hoped. The effects of the pill were really kicking in, and now that she felt safe, her adrenaline crash was nearby.
But first...
She pulled out her phone, took a deep breath and dialed her mother’s number. It rang four times then went to voice mail. Becca let her breath out slowly. “Hi, Mom. I...” What should she say? “I’d love to talk to you if you’ll call me back. I miss you.” She hung up and swiped a few stray tears. She was so over crying.
After showering and slipping into a pair of flannel pants and long sleeved T-shirt, she climbed into bed and closed her eyes.
Becca had no idea what time it was when she opened her eyes to the sun streaming through her window—she just knew she’d had the best night’s sleep since...forever. Jack, who’d spent the night at the foot of her bed, lifted his head and yawned. Then he hopped down and walked out of her room. No doubt he needed to go out. The doggy door had been one of the best chunks of money she’d spent.
Not the least bit in a hurry, she sat up and stretched—and noticed her Bible on the nightstand. Since the accident, she’d had trouble concentrating and hadn’t read it in a while. This morning, she opened it and found her eyes landing on Deuteronomy 31:6. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
She whispered the verse again and let it burrow deep into her heart. “Thank you for sending, Nathan, God. I know he’s here because of you.”
Placing the Bible back on the nightstand, she stood and stretched carefully, taking a physical inventory. Not too bad. She then lowered herself to the rug to do her daily back exercises.
When she finished, Becca threw herself into getting ready for the day. Just before going down to find some breakfast, she looked out of her bedroom window to see someone below.
One of Nathan’s friends faithfully patrolling the grounds. She thought it was Joey who had a slightly slimmer build than Carson. Yes, she was glad he was there, she just hated the reason he needed to be there.
Christmas Ranch Rescue Page 8
