“That’s how it was in that painting and I believe that’s how it is in life, as well. I want to have the same faith that Daniel had. He trusted God enough to turn his back on those lions and not fear them at all. Can you imagine the kind of freedom trusting in God that much would have?”
She stared at him with sad, green eyes that looked defeated and he prayed she wasn’t losing hope.
“It’s been a long day,” she said. “I think I’ll turn in. Do you need anything before I go upstairs?”
“No, I’m good.”
Once he heard the bedroom door shut, he knocked the ice pack from his leg, then pushed himself to his feet. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to remain in the recliner all night. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d slept there. But he had something else he had to do before he could sleep. He grabbed the crutches and made his way slowly into the laundry room to his weapons closet, where he pulled out two handguns. He made sure they were loaded before he carried them carefully back to the den.
With his weapons by his sides and Laura safely upstairs, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
* * *
Laura jumped up in bed, pulled awake by a terrifying dream. She’d been the one in the lions’ den. The hungry lions had been teasing her, chasing her, watching and waiting for their moment to pounce. Colton had been there with her, a warrior swinging his sword to try to protect her, but she’d known he was no match for the horde of beasts. She’d awoken before the animals attacked, but it had been a horrific dream and her heart was still racing.
She pulled back the covers and padded into the bathroom for some water to calm her parched throat. Why did a dream have such an effect on her?
She remembered Colton talking about how God had kept the lions away from Daniel, how He’d closed the mouths of the beasts.
Right now, she could relate to the story. Like Daniel, she had lions circling her, waiting to pounce. Was her brain trying to ease her into the recognition that she was doomed to be devoured by the lions swarming around her?
She walked back into the bedroom and set her water on the nightstand. On the bottom shelf, she spotted the Bible Colton kept there. She thought about the story in Daniel. God had sent His angel to close the mouths of the lions. If God had sent her Colton, then why was she dreaming that he couldn’t protect her? She had become so used to men letting her down that she’d unconsciously decided that Colton would, too. Only God could have closed those lions’ mouths. Would He do the same for her? Or was she destined to be let down by God just as she had been by every other person in her life?
* * *
Colton woke to the intermingling smells of coffee, biscuits and bacon. His mouth was watering before he even opened his eyes. When he did, he noticed a blanket over him and knew Laura must have covered him with it while he’d slept.
So much for no one being able to sneak up on him.
He got up and noticed his knee didn’t pain him nearly as badly this morning as it had last night. That was good. He needed to be mobile again as soon as possible. He couldn’t protect Laura from Randall from his spot in the recliner.
He poured himself a cup of coffee, then walked outside. Laura was curled up in the rocker, a blanket wrapped around her and a cup of coffee in her hand. Milo, as usual, sat at her feet.
“Morning,” he said and she smiled up at him.
“Good morning. How did you sleep?”
He set down his coffee, then lowered himself into the second rocker, careful to keep his knee straight. “Good. Real good, actually. I don’t even remember you coming downstairs, much less making breakfast.”
“Well, I tried not to wake you.”
“I don’t usually sleep so hard,” he said.
“Well, you needed it. I’m not sorry.”
“What did you do?” he asked her, realizing she was not apologizing for nothing.
“I drugged your iced tea.”
“You did what? Are you insane?” A muscle ticked in his jaw as he glared at her. “What if someone had tried to get into the house last night? I was dead to the world.”
“But that didn’t happen,” she pointed out. “Besides, I only gave you half a dose of your prescribed medication. And it helped. Admit it, you feel better.”
He wanted to stay angry with her, but he had to admit he did feel better. Still, he wasn’t going to let her off the hook that easily. “Do you drug all your patients?” he asked her sarcastically.
“No, but I should. I think life would be much more peaceful.” She flashed him a coy smile that let him know she was only joking. But then her demeanor turned more serious. “You know, I’ve been sitting out here this morning watching the sunrise and listening to the birds and the sounds of nature, and I realized I want this. I want a more peaceful life, a slower pace. I’ve been working in the ER at River City Medical Center for years and the grind is hectic.” She blew out a breath. “Maybe my friend Denise is right. I’m not really cut out to handle the fast pace of the ER. I want to take care of my patients, not get them in and out as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”
His heart soared. Was she saying she wanted to stay here? With him? For good? He took a long, slow sip of his coffee before he spoke just to make sure this excited hopefulness he felt didn’t show. “I’m sure Compton Med is always looking for qualified nurses. And don’t worry, I won’t tell them you drugged me.” He gave her a wink and she smiled.
He remembered the weight of Laura in his arms and the lovely scent of her. He couldn’t deny it any longer. This auburn-haired beauty had reeled him in like a fish on a hook. He could already imagine a life with her here on the ranch. Could see her cooking for their family or helping around the ranch. She said she loved the beauty and peacefulness of the place, but was it enough—was he enough—to give her the life she dreamed of?
* * *
Laura fixed Colton a plate of eggs with bacon and a biscuit. She’d enjoyed making breakfast for him. Enjoyed waking up early, watching the sunrise from the rocker on the porch, listening to the peaceful sounds of the morning on the ranch. And she’d meant what she’d said to him about being ready for a slower pace of life. Compton—and Colton—seemed to offer that.
But as she carried him a breakfast plate, she realized she was making plans that might not even matter. The content of her dream was still with her. She hadn’t been able to go back to sleep, fearful of seeing the ending, of witnessing those lions roaring at them.
She instinctively shuddered at the thought and Colton noticed.
“Are you cold? The mornings here can get pretty chilly, although not usually this early in the year.”
“I’m not cold. I was just remembering a dream from last night.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
She recounted the dream, the lions roaring and Colton holding them back with a sword. He listened intently, and when she was through, she watched him, waiting for him to tell her that she was crazy to let a dream affect her so.
He didn’t say that. Instead he took another sip of his coffee. “Did you actually see us being killed?”
“No. I awoke before that happened, but I know it did happen. I felt it. I don’t think it’s a sign of anything... It just disturbed me.”
“It is a sign,” he told her gently. “It’s a sign that you’re afraid. I’m not surprised. But what you saw in your dream was me doing battle with a sword. The Bible calls God’s word a sword of truth. Maybe that’s what I was yielding.”
“But you were killed in my dream.”
“No, I wasn’t, darlin’. That was only your fear surfacing. You never saw us killed because it didn’t happen. You’re scared and that’s understandable.” He stood and reached for her hand, then put his arms around her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. Regardless of some dream you had, God brought you to me, Laura. He doesn’t have you in that lions’ den alone. He’s fighting for you...and so am I.”
She rested her head against his chest
and listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat. Those were the very words of comfort she’d needed to hear. He tightened his arms around her and she felt safe and protected. However she had gotten here, she was glad she’d come. She was glad she’d let Colton into her life. And mostly, she was glad he’d managed to find a way to sneak into her guarded heart.
SEVEN
Just because he had an injured leg didn’t mean the work on the ranch ended. Colton called Tony and gave his apologies. Tony accepted them and said he understood, but Colton could tell he was still miffed, yet he needed to work. Colton authorized him to hire an additional worker to take up Colton’s slack for the next few days.
Once that was taken care of, he noticed he had a missed a call from Detective Merle. He phoned him back and was surprised by Merle’s request.
“I need you to come to town. I have something I need you and Laura to see.”
He grimaced, but not from the pain in his knee as much as from the idea of taking Laura to River City. “I’d rather not take her back there. Isn’t this something you can tell me over the phone?”
“No. You really need to come. It’s important.”
“Fine, but I’m not bringing Laura.” He figured he could sneak in and out of town without anyone knowing. But he knew Laura pretty well by now and if she knew where he was going, she would insist on coming. He couldn’t allow that. She was an open target in that town. At least here he could offer her some form of security.
But she would still need to be protected even while he was gone. He dialed Blake’s number, and when his friend answered, he had a big favor to ask.
“I need you to convince Miranda to invite Laura over this afternoon.”
He explained the situation to Blake. His friend wanted to accompany him as well, but Colton convinced him that he needed him to protect Laura.
Blake finally agreed to help. “I told Miranda I would come by this afternoon and do some work on her car that I’ve been promising to do. Why don’t I have Laura come with me?”
“That sounds perfect. Thanks, Blake.”
“Where are you going to tell her you’re going?”
“I’ll say I need to pick up some supplies for the ranch. I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
He hung up the phone, then went inside to tell Laura about the invitation to Miranda’s. She wouldn’t be happy when she found out the truth about where he’d been, but he knew he was doing the right thing. He needed to return to River City and he just couldn’t risk her safety by having her accompany him.
* * *
Detective Merle had instructed Colton to park in the back lot. He met him at the rear entrance to the police station, then had Colton follow him down an empty hallway.
“What’s with the cloak and dagger?” Colton asked him. He’d wondered all the way here what the big news was that the detective had been unable to share over the phone, and he had to admit his curiosity was peaked. He hoped it was good news. It would be great to have something positive to share with Laura.
“You’ll see.” Merle walked down the hall and opened a door, ushering him through.
Inside the room was a man Colton recognized as one of Randall’s henchmen—the man from the vending machine, right down to his slicked-back dark hair and impressive suit. “What’s he doing here?” Colton asked.
His mind immediately assumed the worst. Had Merle led him into a trap? Was he on Randall’s payroll, after all? Suddenly he was thankful he’d left Laura back in Compton.
Merle closed the door. “I’d like you to meet—”
“I know who he is,” Colton stated coldly. “He works for Randall.”
Merle smirked. “Not quite. His name is Joe Knox. Agent Joe Knox of the FBI.”
Agent Knox greeted him with a nod. “I know this comes as a surprise to you. I managed to infiltrate Randall’s organization eighteen months ago. I’ve been gathering and documenting his illegal activities in the hope of building a case against him.”
Suddenly the picture-perfect photo of his face via the hospital security cameras made sense. He’d wanted Merle to look into his identity. But then Colton remembered Knox had been a decoy and anger rushed through him.
“You plotted to abduct Laura Jackson. You kept me busy while your friend grabbed her. And you stood around while they beat her father nearly to death. Or were you in on that, too?”
“I had nothing to do with that or with the death of her neighbor,” the fed insisted. “I only found out about those things after the fact. And, yes, Randall ordered the assaults. The men who killed the old lady went too far. They weren’t there to kill her, only to get information from her about where Laura was hiding.”
Colton stared at the undercover agent. He was inclined to believe what Knox was saying, but he still needed answers. “Why are you telling me all this now?”
“Because Randall knows about the investigation. My cover is still intact for the time being, but he knows the FBI is gathering evidence to bring him down. He’s knows he’s about to be indicted. His days are numbered and he’s angry. He’s striking out at anything and anyone he can...and right now Laura is his prime target.”
“And because he’s got nothing to lose, he just got more dangerous,” Colton finished.
“That’s right. I’ve been keeping this case very private to avoid leaks, but after the Duncan murder, I knew I had to speak out, to warn you in some way.” He cleared his throat. “I heard Detective Merle was the lead investigator on the case and I knew he was one of the few River City police not on Randall’s payroll. I had to get permission from my handler to break my cover to tell you this, but I thought it was important. Of course, if this in any way jeopardizes my case against Randall, it would be the end of my career.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll keep your secret.” Colton reached out and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you for coming forward.”
Knox shook his hand. “Keep her safe.”
“I will,” Colton assured him.
As he left the police station and headed back to Compton, relief flowed over him. Learning the FBI was closing in on Randall was good news for Laura. If Randall’s days of freedom were numbered, then so were Laura’s days of living in fear of him. He couldn’t wait to tell her.
* * *
It was already dark outside and he was sleeping when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID before answering. It was his neighbor to the east and that put Colton on alert. It was too late for a friendly phone call. “Hello, Mr. Sheppard. What can I do for you?”
“I see smoke coming from your back pasture, Colton. I think it’s a grass fire.”
He hurried to the window and peered out to the east. Sure enough, he saw smoke billowing up over the barn.
“I’ll call the volunteer fire department, then meet you out there to help.”
“Thanks, Mr. Sheppard.”
He hung up the phone. They’d had an excessively dry summer and hadn’t seen rain in months, so he knew any spark could have started a fire and it could spread quickly out of control. But how had it started? He hadn’t noticed any lightning that could have hit and that pasture was too far off the road for a passing car to toss a cigarette out the window. Regardless of how it had started, he needed that pastureland and he also needed to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of his farm. He pulled on his boots and a shirt.
If he didn’t get this fire under control, he might not have a ranch left.
* * *
Laura awoke to the sound of the dogs barking. She heard the sound of boots clunking against the wooden porch. A bright light caught her gaze through the window and she looked out to see a figure heading for the shop with a flashlight.
She rushed downstairs and saw Colton wasn’t there. That must have been him she’d seen through the window.
A moment later she heard the roar of an ATV engine as it approached the house. She stepped outside as Colton stopped in front.
“There’s a brush fire in the pasture. I have to
go check on my cattle and try to contain the fire.”
“How can I help?” she asked.
“Stay inside and set the alarm. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He took off on the ATV toward the smoke now visible in the distance.
Laura hurried back inside wondering if she should call someone for help. Perhaps Blake would come and lend a hand. Did the fire department respond to pasture fires out this far? She didn’t know but thought she should try.
She phoned Blake’s number first, then listened as he answered, his voice groggy with sleep. When Laura explained about the fire, his voice cleared. “I’m on my way. Are you all right there alone?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just worried about the fire.”
“Don’t worry. We have an excellent volunteer fire department. I’ll phone them on my way there.”
Laura thanked him, then hung up.
She keyed in the alarm code, then stepped onto the porch, noticing the wind had picked up. Dry weather and wind were a disastrous combination when it came to fire. The sound of dogs barking in the distance reached her ears. They must have followed Colton to the scene. Hopefully they would stay back and safe. She hoped Colton stayed safe, too, but she instinctively knew he would do whatever he had to to save his ranch.
It would be hard to relax until she knew the outcome, but she went back inside. Then she saw Colton’s Bible on the table and placed her hand atop it, noticing the smooth feel of the leather. Although it had been quite a long time since she’d prayed, she did now, praying fervently for Colton and whoever arrived to help him. She prayed for their safety and for the land to be preserved and realized her anxiety over the situation was already dissipating.
Her head jerked up when she heard the creak of the back door opening. Colton was in the field...so who was entering the house?
Ranch Refuge Page 12
