Cowboy 12 Pack

by Cynthia D’Alba, Paige Tyler, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Shoshanna Evers, Randi Alexander, Cora Seton, Beth Williamson, Sabrina York, Sable Hunter, Lexi Post, Becky McGraw

  “Oh, he would never do that,” Kerri said, placing a hand on her arm. “He loves animals.”

  “So I’ve heard.” She turned back to the man. The man whose good looks were clouding her judgment. “I never took you to be the loose-lipped kind.”

  His chin rose, and gaze hardened. “I’m not.”

  “It wasn’t Kade,” Connor rushed to say. “Kevin told me and Cole when he came by the ranch to pick up my brother for their commute.”

  Oh…

  Now she owed the man another apology. Just friggin’ great. Maybe if her brain cells didn’t play dead whenever the darn guy was around, she’d have an actual clear thought. Cripes. It was maddening.

  “Sorry, it’s been one of those days.” She held the sheriff’s unwavering, sterling gaze. “I think my brain stayed in bed this morning.”

  He rose to his feet and glanced at the happy couple. “Thanks for lunch, but I have to get back to work.”

  And without a word to her, or a glance, Kade Dalton left the restaurant.

  “Don’t mind him,” Connor said with a wave of his hand. “He’s just being a little girl today. Must be the skunking.”

  Brandi nodded, and even managed a smile, but she knew that was not the reason. Heck, no. She was the reason. Her and her big, fat mouth.

  Yeah. She did it again. Managed to piss off the sheriff. She really needed to work on that.

  KADE HADN’T BEEN in the best of moods lately, and he refused to believe it had anything to do with a certain designer and her ability to jump to the wrong conclusions about him. Several days ago she’d accused him of animal cruelty and gossiping. What a joke. The woman had a real high opinion of him.

  He sipped his third black coffee of the day and decided he wasn’t going to let it bother him. She was just a woman, of which there were plenty. So, why this one got under his skin and crept into his thoughts with her sun-kissed hair, warm brown eyes and beautiful smile was a complete mystery.

  And pissed him off.

  His mug hit the desk with a thud. He didn’t like mysteries or surprises. Everything was better on the up and up. Hell, he’d had enough surprises and disappointments to last him a lifetime. Several lifetimes.

  Sure, his job was a mixture of routine and surprises. He knew that going in. The Guard was a mixture of routine and surprises. Again, he knew it going in. But Brandi Wyne? Christ, the woman was a walking, talking, sexy contradiction capable of twisting him into knots. A complete mystery. Hot and cold. Interested, not interested. What the hell? Several years ago, he would’ve been up for the challenge. But now?

  Now, he was just weary. Tired.

  As if to concur, he yawned and stared at the clock on his office wall. Eleven fifteen. Still morning. And a quiet morning, thank the Lord. Paperwork he’d put off for two weeks finally managed to end up in the ‘done’ pile on his desk. One less bothersome chore.

  “Mr. Sheriff, sir, I finished cleaning the car out again,” Deputy Don announced, right before he tripped over his size thirteen feet and took a header into the desk.

  Muttering under his breath, he surged to his feet to steady the boy. “You all right?”

  “Yes.” The deputy nodded, eyes rounding as he stared over Kade’s shoulder. “But…ah…sorry, sir.”

  The sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach increased as he turned to find the completed paperwork soaking in a coffee bath of epic proportions…because Deputy Don did nothing in a small way.

  “I’m really sorry, Mr. Sheriff, sir. I’ll clean it up,” the kid stammered, swiping a folded T-shirt from a stack of physical training clothes on a nearby bench before Kade could stop him.

  So much for running after lunch.

  “Don. Don…Donald!” He had to use his First Sergeant tone to get the kid to stop.

  The poor boy jumped a foot before turning to Kade, eyes wide, shoulders hunched. “Y-yes, sir?”

  “Let it be. It’s all right. I’m more concerned about you,” he said, grasping the kid by his upper arms and checking him over. “Did you hit your head?”

  “No, sir,” Donny replied. “That was my shoulder you heard. I’m fine. Honest. And I’ll get this cleaned up, and print out what I can. And what needs typing, I’ll type. You’ll only have to sign—”

  The ringing of the phone in the outer office cut through the kid’s babbling. Kade exchanged a look with his deputy before releasing him to head to the doorway.

  “Okay, Mr. Haggerty,” the secretary/dispatcher said into the phone.

  The middle-aged mother of three was the most organized person he’d ever met. A real asset to the team. Too bad she was only part time.

  Too bad she didn’t have a permit to carry.

  “Someone will be right out there to help you round up Old Charlie.”

  Ah hell.

  He turned to Donny and cupped the boy’s shoulder. “I’ll handle this. You take care of that paperwork.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Sheriff.” The kid nodded, already reaching for the wet papers.

  Kade sighed. “Donny, what did I tell you about calling me all that?”

  “Sorry, Sheriff.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” he said, unlocking the drawer where he kept his firearm. Old Charlie was harmless, but general rules stated he couldn’t leave without his issued piece. “Just save yourself a mouthful.”

  “Yes, sir, Sher—…I mean, sir,” the deputy stammered.

  Kade nodded. “Better.” Now, if the kid would just remember that two minutes from now it would be a miracle. He secured his belt, grabbed his hat and headed for the door.

  Old Charlie, Mr. Haggerty’s aging horse, could be a good mile from home by now, with not much chance of finding his way back. For as clever as he was at getting loose, the old trooper had lost his sense of direction and most of his sight, and often wandered for miles. Luckily, everyone knew the gentle giant and always brought him back.

  But if the horse made his way to the highway, it could be trouble for all involved. Kade had seen more than his share of accidents involving wild horses or burros running into vehicles to last a lifetime. He didn’t want Old Charlie to become another victim or cause harm to others.

  As he sped toward Haggerty property, he mentally mapped out areas to check. The mischievous bugger liked the ocean and seemed to be drawn to the sound of seagulls. Trouble was, in certain areas, the highway stood in the way.

  But so far so good. Kade turned off the highway and drove down a local, less travelled road which led to several properties, including the McCalls and the back of Haggerty’s five acres. With any luck, he’d intercept Old Charlie before the horse found trouble.

  Live oak and willow trees dotted the landscape. To the left, behind barbed wire, the terrain splintered to the gulf several miles away. Thanks to a wet spring, the marshes and waterways thrived with birds and ducks, as well as hogs and deer. On most days, it was picturesque. But there wasn’t time to enjoy the view.

  Still no sign of Old Charlie.

  Rounding the bend, he immediately forgot about the horse when he caught sight of a white pickup kissing the side of a tree, smoke rising from the crushed hood. His insides twisted tight. He knew the truck and its owner. The damn designer took over his thoughts most every day.

  He parked behind the busted pickup, flung the door open, then rushed to the driver’s side, heart pounding heavily in his chest, only to drop to his boots when he found the vehicle empty…with blood on the steering wheel. “Brandi?” He whirled around, searching for signs of the woman.

  Christ. Where the hell could she have gone?

  He’d just come from the highway, she hadn’t headed that way for help. He would’ve seen her… unless someone had stopped and picked her up. The knot in his stomach twisted. Why hadn’t she used her phone? Dispatch would’ve called. He glanced inside the truck again. Fuck. Her purse and phone sat on the seat.

  Turning around, he resurveyed the area. Although mostly flat, there were several dips and bends, as well as large trees tha
t could be obscuring his view of the injured woman. An invisible band tightened across his chest. Visions of the beauty stumbling around with a head injury flashed through his mind.

  He sprang into action. Since he already knew she wasn’t behind him, he sprinted forward on foot. “Brandi,” he called as he searched. “Brandi, where are you?”

  Movement, up ahead and to the left, caught his eye. He upped his pace.

  “Kade?” Her voice was faint, but he spotted more movement. “Thank God. Hurry!”

  Running full out, sweat trickling down his back and face, he didn’t ease up until he reached the woman. What the…?

  He stopped dead.

  “Quit gawking and get the horse,” she said, pointing to Old Charlie grazing near a tree.

  He wasn’t gawking. He was stunned. Utterly and completely stunned. “How the hell did you manage to get caught in the fence without a shirt?”

  Chapter Four

  ‡

  SHE WASN’T JUST caught. The woman was practically sprawled out, ripped shirt hanging from the barbed wire fence in one spot while she apparently reattached herself a few feet away as she reached for something on the other side. And, damn, at that angle, she was spilling out of her sexy-as-hell black lace bra.

  “That’s not important right now,” the trapped woman replied. “What’s important is the horse and the dog.”

  Kade blinked, forcing his body to ignore the luscious spillage. “Dog? What dog?”

  “The one I’m trying to reach. You get the horse, I’ll get the dog,” she muttered, struggling to grab something behind her, apparently mindless of the fact she was shirtless and bleeding.

  With Old Charlie still happily grazing by the tree, Kade rushed to Brandi. “Hold still,” he told her, trying to unhook her jeans from the fence, but she brushed him away.

  “No, take care of the horse. I hit him…or he hit me. It happened so fast. I don’t know. Just make sure he’s okay. I have to get this puppy out of the hole before it fills with water.”

  Her words rushed through his brain so fast it took a second for his mind to catch up. He glanced at the object of her attention. At first, he saw nothing, then the scraggly pup moved in an attempt to jump up the small ridge, but fell back down to where water from the marsh began to seep in.

  Quickly assessing the cut on the designer’s temple to be minor, a byproduct of the crash, and the one on her upper arm to need stitches from her fight with the fence, he took over. “I’ll get the dog. You stay put,” he ordered, yanking her free of the barbed wire, the sound of tearing fabric echoed around them. “Don’t move. You may be concussed from the crash.”

  “No. I’m okay. Just a small headache, but the poor thing is going to drown, and I don’t want that horse to wander away. He may not be so lucky next time.”

  Once again, the woman blew his mind. Here she was, half-naked, dirty, hurt and bleeding, and all she cared about was a scrawny mutt and an old horse that wrecked her truck. He cupped her face, careful of her wound as he spoke calm and clear.

  “I’ll take care of them.” When she blinked, and he could tell she got the message, he released her to take off his shirt. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  “No.” She shook her head and winced. “Just, please, get the dog.” Tears began to stream down her face.

  Something inside him tightened then burst. He placed his shirt over her shoulders, resisted the urge to pull her close—barely—then turned to the dog. With no time to fetch the canvas tarp from his jeep to drape over the wire, he hit the dirt and belly crawled under the fence to reach down for the dog.

  “Come on, Ace, let’s get you out of that hole,” he said, scooping up the pup. The sting of wire ripped into his shoulder as he backed them under the fence.

  Once free, he turned around and sat up. The wet, matted, skinny pup crawled up his chest to lick his face. Kade chuckled. “It’s okay, boy. You’re safe now.”

  But she wasn’t. Oh, hell no. Brandi blinked. She was in trouble. It felt as if she’d hit that tree all over again. A bigger tree. A gorgeous, gray-eyed Adonis cradling a puppy tree. The sight of the shirtless sheriff sitting on the ground, dirt and sweat clinging to his tanned face and muscled torso while he gently nuzzled the mangy puppy, hit her hard. Real hard.

  God, he looked so sweet.

  Her pulse raced out of control and heart hurt from staring at them. She rubbed her chest, but the ache didn’t lessen. Then he glanced up, gaze warm and friendly.

  The world tilted.

  Literally tilted without warning.

  She stepped back to steady herself. Kade immediately surged to his feet, dog in one hand while he cupped her elbow with the other.

  “Easy, there, Brandi. You okay?”

  All she could do was nod as the hunk stood, sweet little puppy in his arms.

  “Here, you hold him and sit down.”

  Forcing air into her lungs, she reached for the bundle of fur, doing her best not to reach for the man currently melting her resolve…her heart…her panties. Darn him. Why did he have to be so sweet? And so gorgeous? And so…so…near?

  Heat emanated from the bare-chested sheriff as he transferred the rescue into her arms. “Got him?”

  “Yes, thank you for rescuing him,” she said, tears filling her eyes from out of the blue.

  Great. What a picture she must make. Hugging the squirming ball of fur, she tried not to think of her less than appealing appearance. Dirty, bleeding, goose-egg on her forehead, partially naked. Yeah, he must think her an idiot. A bumbling idiot. No, a fat, bumbling idiot.

  “It’s all right,” he said.

  He rubbed her arm, strong, warm fingers, sending a round of shivers straight down to her toes, then back up.

  “Why don’t you sit down, while I round up Old Charlie?”

  “Who’s Old Charlie?” Geez, there was another person here? Her gaze shot around the area. “Shoot, he’s seen me without a shirt.”

  Crud. So did Kade. That realization turned her legs a bit rubbery, so she sank to the ground, with the sheriff’s help. He landed on his knees in front of her, hands firmly holding her arms as she clutched the puppy to her chest. Her nearly naked chest. She glanced down. Thank goodness tomorrow was laundry day and all her white, normal, boring bras were in the hamper, forcing her to slip into a lacy black number this morning.

  “Relax, honey. Old Charlie’s the horse.” He chuckled, fixing his shirt back around her shoulders.

  The sound sent another round of shivers down to her toes. “Oh.”

  Releasing her, he sat back, a small smile still tugging his lips. “Brandi?”

  “Yeah?”

  “How in the world did you get caught on the fence?”

  Caught? Felt more like she was skewered. She had no idea how it happened. It just did. Because her life was a comic book and she was the star. Brandi Wyne, Mayhem Magnet.

  With the cute puppy licking her scratching hand, she took a deep breath. “Well, first, I was hit by a horse. Crashed into a tree. Rushed after said horse with rope from my truck. Tripped over the rope. Landed in the fence. Heard the puppy. Ripped my shirt clean off trying to get the puppy. Then you showed up, and the rest you know.”

  Did she leave anything out? Oh, yes, her head was beginning to hurt like a bitch, arm stung, heart ached for the abandoned puppy, and her body? Oh, boy, her body. Need for the man kneeling in front of her rushed through so fast she physically shook. That’s new. She’d never had that response to anyone before. Ever. Not even with help.

  Frankly, it scared the hell out of her.

  “…Where’s the rope?”

  She blinked, trying to focus. He had the most amazing eye color. Several shades of gray. Light and dark, with a kind of chrome rim…

  “Brandi?” He brushed her face with the back of his knuckles.

  The light touch grabbed her attention. She drew in a deep breath and blinked again. “What?”

  “The rope,” he repeated. “Where’s the rope you said
you’d gotten from your truck?”

  Her eyes widened as she got a clue. “Oh…yes, please catch the horse. He must be hurt. I don’t know if I hit him or he ran into me. It doesn’t matter. I’ll pay for whatever he needs.”

  The sheriff’s gaze warmed and her throat instantly dried. “Charlie seems just fine,” he reassured. “But I’d like to secure him. Where’s the rope?”

  The rope. Right.

  “Over where my shirt’s now decorating the fence.” Laughter bubbled up her throat. She was beginning to feel a bit giddy and weird. “Maybe I should add that to my portfolio? Fence decorating. Although, I’m a designer. I can move walls. Maybe I should’ve moved the fence?”

  He chuckled, then patted the puppy snuggled in her arms before rising to his feet. “Stay put while I catch Old Charlie.”

  She stayed put, right on her butt, as she watched his with interest. Damn, that uniform hugged the man in a very good way. A way she’d be happy to take over. More laughter escaped, but evaporated just as quickly when her appreciative gaze rose to his back. She sat up straight, hugging the puppy tighter.

  Kade was hurt. Blood trickled down his back from a gash in his left shoulder blade.

  And it was all her fault.

  “The barbed wire cut him,” she told the puppy as she watched the sheriff secure the horse to the tree with her rope.

  The pounding in her head increased as the reality of what happened hit her full force. Chills wracked her body, and she began to shake. Brandi knew it was shock setting in and that there wasn’t much she could do to stop it. At least the dog was okay, and the horse was okay. Too bad Kade had to get hurt in the process. Kade. Wasn’t he just a sweetheart today?

  “It’s all right. Everything is fine.” His voice was low and warm, and his warmth seeped into her.

  No, wait, that was the blanket wrapped around her, and when had he bandaged her arm? She was about to ask when he sat down behind her, then drew her against his hard, muscled chest. Heaven. She just found a little bit of heaven. She always knew heaven was in Harland County. Snuggling closer, she sighed and closed her eyes. Yes, he felt too damn good for her to worry about if it was wrong or right. Hell, the man was bleeding for her.