“Do I need to try?” Soledad teased back. “I thought seducing you was as easy as dropping my clothes.”
Palmer laughed. “Says the woman who is clearly sex-crazed!”
She laughed. “I am not. Just because we’ve made love every day...”
“Two and three times per day...”
“...doesn’t make me sex-crazed.”
“If you say so, but I’m good with going to bed early, if you are.”
Thirty minutes later, the tart demolished, teeth brushed and pajamas on, Soledad and Palmer were cuddled together in the center of his bed, catching up on the day.
“It was a good day today,” Palmer said. “We’re finally finished with the irrigation repairs. Fencing is complete and I’ll be able to finalize the renovations on the large barn this week.”
“I had a good day, too,” Soledad said. “I’ve created two new cupcake recipes and tested four bread-pudding recipes. I think tomorrow I may try my hand at making a banana pudding.”
Palmer made a face. “Banana pudding?”
“It’ll be some of the best banana pudding you will ever have. I put rum in the cream and I make my vanilla wafers from scratch.”
“Why does that sound like we need to order groceries?”
“Probably because we do,” Soledad said with a giggle.
“You’re missing the bakery, aren’t you?”
There was a moment of pause as Soledad considered her answer. “I am. I really am. I’ve been thinking that maybe I just need to go back to my life. That may bring Gavin out of hiding and they’ll be able to arrest him.”
“It may also put you at risk for him to do you harm.”
“At some point I may very well have to take that risk. I’d rather do it sooner than later. I don’t want to get so comfortable that I make Lyra and myself targets because I’ve done something silly, believing that I’m safe.”
Palmer nodded. “Well, if you think you’re ready, we can put a plan in place. We can think about security for you and the baby. Maybe a team at the bakery? Definitely at your apartment?”
Soledad agreed, though hearing him talk about her going home suddenly felt very final and not something she wanted to consider. And definitely not as she lay content in his arms as they traded easy caresses. But they had not discussed her staying, and she didn’t think it was her place to ask. But she wanted to stay, to make his home her home. She was excited to wake up with him in the mornings and go to bed with him at night. She liked that they could agree to disagree when they didn’t share the same opinion about things. She loved that he so willingly supported those things that brought her joy. She blew a soft sigh.
Palmer captured her lips, kissing her sweetly. He tasted like minty toothpaste. His kisses became more intense, his touches passionate. Their bodies responded in kind to the ministrations, and soon they were making love as easily as they breathed. Both believed their bodies were meant for each other, and they swayed across the mattress, perspiration puddling in secret places, panting softly and whispering sweetly in one another’s ear.
* * *
Palmer had rigged a pulley system to lift the oversize beams to the open loft of the barn. As he yanked on the thick rope, he was joined by Noé and Benjamin, both standing behind him and pulling in unison. The work was hard, and care needed to be taken to ensure no accidents happened. Palmer appreciated the teamwork, the guys coming together to get the job done. And he trusted Noé, even if he wasn’t as confident about Benjamin.
As the last beam fell into place, the two men cheered, sounding like a squad at a homecoming event.
“It’s been a good day, guys. I hope you two know how much I appreciate you.”
“¡Gracias, jefe!”
“Thanks!”
Palmer gave them both a nod. “Noé, if you’d please go pass out payroll, then dismiss the crew. We’re going to call it a day.”
“Yes, boss,” Noé said. He took the stack of envelopes Palmer passed to him, jumped into the pickup truck and headed for the pasture where a crew was herding cattle.
Palmer handed Benjamin a single envelope. “You’ve really impressed me these past few days. And I’ll be honest. I’ve had my doubts about you. But you’ve worked hard, taken the advice given to you and stepped up when you were needed. I appreciate having you here. Good job!”
“Thanks, boss! I sometimes get ahead of myself, so it means a lot to me that you were willing to give me a chance. And I apologize again if I overstepped. I just wanted to make a good impression.”
Palmer nodded. “As long as you’re honest with me, we can make things work,” he said.
“Thank you.” Benjamin peeked into the mailer and quickly counted his money. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting this.”
“You earned it. Keep up the good work and there’ll be more where that came from. You have a good night.”
Benjamin left the barn. When he was out of sight, Palmer checked his phone for any missed calls. He was still waiting to hear back from his brother since Soledad was talking more and more about going home.
He hadn’t been able to express how he felt about that and it bothered him. He didn’t want her to go. Although there wasn’t anything they still felt uncomfortable talking about, he wasn’t ready to consider that she might not want to be there with him anymore. That would have broken his heart. So much had changed between them. With him. He wanted something different and he hadn’t yet verbalized that to himself, so telling Soledad wasn’t something he was prepared to do.
Fatherhood was actually a consideration. He adored Lyra, had grown to love caring for her. She would need a father, and for the first time in his life, he felt capable and ready to be that for her.
Palmer was putting away tools and futzing around when Benjamin came strolling back into the space. He looked anxious, moisture beading his brow.
“Hey, what are you still doing here? I thought you’d left.”
“I did. I was hoping to catch a ride with Noé, but he didn’t have any more room. I was wondering if you might be able to give me a ride home. I hate to ask, but I’m supposed to meet my roommate tonight before she heads to work, and if I have to walk, I’m not going to make it in time.”
Palmer looked at his watch. He had planned a date night for him and Soledad. Since a sitter wasn’t possible, Lyra and Jack were going to be their third and fourth wheels, and he was hopeful that both would go down early for the night.
A private event planner was currently in the small barn by the house, transforming the space into a light-filled wonderland complete with white linens and gold chairs. Dinner had been ordered from Soledad’s favorite food truck and staff had been hired to serve and clean up. He was planning to wear the only tuxedo he owned, and a flower delivery would be arriving soon with a few dozen white roses. There would be a scavenger hunt after dessert, and if all went well, Palmer planned to make love to Soledad well into the next morning. Leaving the ranch to give anyone a ride had not been on the list of things he needed to do.
“Hey, it’s not a problem,” Benjamin said, seeming to read his mind. “I can walk. Really. And my roomie will understand. Since I have a job, she’s thinking about letting me live with her permanently so that I can go to school.”
“That’s great news. It’s good to hear.”
Benjamin smiled. “Thank you. I’ll get out of your way.”
“Look, I have something planned myself tonight, but if you can give me a few minutes, I can give you a ride.” Palmer sighed, his jaw tightening as he clenched his back teeth together. He wanted to help the kid, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Giving him a ride took him off the property and far from his family.
Benjamin’s smile widened. “Thank you. I really appreciate that. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.”
“Not a problem. Ho
p in the truck. I need to stop by the house first and then we can take off. That good?”
“It sure is! Thank you again.”
Palmer made a quick stop to let Soledad know where he was headed.
“You’ve had to give him a ride practically every day since he got here. That’s not cool.”
“I need to talk to him about it. He’s been doing so well that I don’t want to make an issue of it when it’s really not that big a deal. I’ll be back in plenty of time to get dressed and escort you to dinner.”
Soledad shrugged. “Well, just be careful, please. I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but I’m excited about dressing up and spending the evening with you.” And she was, a new dress hanging against the bedroom door. Palmer had excellent taste, and she was excited to wear the purchase he had gifted her earlier in the day.
He kissed her lips. “You know the routine. Lock the doors and set the alarm. There’s no reason for anyone to come into the house. For anything.”
She gave him a salute. “Yes, captain,” she said teasingly.
“I’m serious, Soledad. Don’t do anything to put yourself at risk.”
Palmer quickly walked from the house to the small barn to pop his head in and check that things were going smoothly. The party planner was gone, so he knew setup was complete. The catering people weren’t due for another hour, so he had some time.
As he passed by his Ford F-150, Benjamin was on his cell phone, seeming to be in a heated conversation with someone. Minutes later, satisfied that everything was on track, Palmer jumped into his truck and took off for the main road.
“Everything okay?” he asked, sensing that Benjamin’s mood had shifted drastically.
“Sorry, my roommate is just tripping.”
“Anything I can help with?” Palmer asked.
“No,” Benjamin answered, shaking his head. “I just need to show her I can be responsible and take care of myself. I still don’t know if it’ll work out, but if it means I’ll have a home, I want to try to make it work.”
“I’m proud of you, Ben. I want you to know that. This isn’t easy and you can easily get distracted. I’m proud that you’re focused on doing what you need to do.”
“Really?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged, his shoulders rolling forward as he fell into thought. Minutes passed before either spoke again. They were parked in traffic, an accident keeping them from their destination. Palmer kept watching the clock, time not being a good friend to him.
Benjamin broke through the quiet. “I’ve made some bad choices. Some of them I can’t take back,” he said, his voice a loud whisper. “But I’m not really a bad person. At least, I’m not trying to be.”
“You’re still finding your way. Your confusion now is not a bad thing. You’ll get my age and still be learning about yourself. Trust that.”
Benjamin turned to stare out the window, his brow creased with thought. For a split second, Palmer thought he might cry, but he didn’t, seeming to pull himself together.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
Benjamin shook his head, words catching in his throat. Before either man could say anything more, Palmer’s cell phone rang, his brother’s image popping up on the screen.
“Sorry, I need to take this,” Palmer said as he answered the call. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I think you’ve got a problem.”
“What do you mean?” Palmer felt every nerve in his body bristle with tension.
“What’s the deal with this kid? Is he working for you?”
Palmer shifted his cell phone to his other ear. He shot Benjamin a look, the boy still staring intently out the window. “Yeah. Why?”
“Benjamin Harris is Benjamin Harris Monroe. Monroe is his legal last name. He is eighteen years old, but he was never adopted by anyone named Harris. In fact, he bounced from foster home to foster home, starting when he was five years old. He was labeled problematic, has been arrested four times for various misdemeanors and has one felony conviction for assault. His last place of residence was a group home in Detroit before being incarcerated at the juvenile detention center here in Grave Gulch. He aged out of the foster-care system six months ago.”
“Well, that’s definitely not the story I was told.”
“There’s more,” Troy noted. “He has no connection to Len Davison. There was no father who was a victim of Davison’s, but he does have a connection to Dr. Gavin Stone. Stone volunteered at the detention center as part of his own community service for assaulting a woman three years ago. He took a plea deal that gave him community service in exchange for his record being expunged once completed.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I just spoke to Benjamin’s parole officer. Dr. Stone vouched for him and wrote a letter of recommendation for his release from the detention center. They would seem to know each other very well.”
The traffic inched forward a single car length. Palmer had broken out into a sweat, perspiration like a faucet left running. A quiet rage suddenly swept through him. “Troy, hold on,” he snapped as he dropped his cell phone into his lap. Abruptly making a three-point turn, he aimed the truck in the opposite direction and sped off back toward the ranch.
“I think we have a bigger problem,” Palmer suddenly snapped as he pulled the phone back to his ear. “Send units to my house now!”
* * *
Soledad loved that Lyra always slept when she needed her to. She was the best baby, and even in the short time they’d been with Palmer, the little girl had grown exponentially. Her mother would have been very proud.
Stepping out of the shower, Soledad peeked into the nursery as she made her way to her room. Lyra was sleeping peacefully, and Jack had taken up his guardian position beneath the crib.
The dress that lay across the bed had been in a box lined with tissue paper. An exquisite off-the-shoulder, midi-length dress with ruched mesh, it was the most stunning design she’d seen in a long time. And it fit her figure like a glove. She couldn’t begin to explain how excited she was to wear it, even if their date night only started and stopped in the kitchen. She just knew that it wasn’t a meal she had to cook or dishes she had to clean, and the entire evening was devoted to her and Palmer. The flurry of activity that was happening in the barn only served to heighten her excitement, and she couldn’t wait to see what he’d been up to.
She didn’t want to admit it, but tension had risen between them. It was like a layer of frustration that neither was willing to address. Despite wanting a future together, they’d been reluctant to express what that future might look like when she was free to go home. Would they start to date like normal people did? Would they bounce from his place to hers and back? Would there be mornings when they didn’t wake up to each other, or nights when they went to bed alone?
Soledad knew Palmer cared about her. He’d even told her it was love. But did he care about her enough to want to marry her? Or would his love for her fade into a casual friendship with benefits? Most important, was he still opposed to being a father, and would he turn his back on Lyra when he no longer felt responsible for her?
Suddenly, once again, Soledad had more questions than answers, and even as she admired her reflection in the pretty dress, there was still far too much that she didn’t know about how Palmer was feeling when it came down to their relationship.
The sound of glass breaking in the kitchen startled her from her thoughts. She reached for the remote for the bedroom stereo and lowered the volume. She stood as still as stone. Jack had jumped from where he rested and he eased his way to the door, moving as if he were hunting prey. The sound of rubber-soled shoes on the hardwood floor moved the dog to growl. Instinctively, Soledad knew someone was in the house and it wasn’t Palmer who had come home.
She hurried into the bathroom
and turned the shower back on. Leaving the door partially closed, she moved to the crib and lifted Lyra into her arms. The baby barely noticed as she rested her head on Soledad’s shoulder and continued to snore softly.
Soledad tiptoed to the bed and set the infant down in its center. She had to think fast and, knowing that there was nowhere for her to run, fast meant putting up a good fight to protect the little girl she loved with every fiber of her being.
She grabbed a fire poker from the fireplace and stood behind the door. Seeing his shadow before she saw him, she knew she was cornered. There was nowhere to run, no escaping the inevitable, and so she braced herself, prepared to give Gavin Stone the worst day of his life.
* * *
Palmer was shouting, his calm having dissipated into thin air. “What did you do? What does he have planned?” He didn’t care about the traffic laws he was breaking as he zigzagged between the cars to get back to his ranch.
“I don’t know,” Benjamin shouted back. “He just asked me to get you out of the house. He said that woman kidnapped his daughter and he just wanted to get her back.”
Palmer was ready to commit murder himself, his frustration level miles high. He had let his guard down and put Soledad in danger. If anything happened to her, he thought, he would never forgive himself and he would make it his mission to destroy everyone who’d had anything to do with her being harmed—starting with Benjamin.
“I trusted you!” Palmer snapped. “Did he send you to spy for him?”
“He wasn’t sure where she was and he needed me to confirm if I saw her.”
“So you came and asked for a job?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry!”
Rage washed over Palmer’s face. “You’ll be sorry if he does anything to her. He killed his wife. Did you know that? Soledad’s hiding because she witnessed him commit murder.”
Shock registered in Benjamin’s expression. He had no words as his gaze dropped to the floor, apparently struggling to make sense of what Palmer was telling him.
Rescued by the Colton Cowboy Page 21
