Top Gun Guardian

by Carol Ericson

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s natural. Haven’t you ever seen a distraught mother reunited with her missing child in the grocery store? The hugs and kisses of relief are soon replaced with finger-shaking and threats.” He shrugged. “It’s just another expression of fear, guilt and bone-melting relief.”

  “How’d you get so smart about kids?”

  His blue eyes darkened. “I had some experience with my sister’s kids until…she cut me off. I haven’t seen my niece and nephew in two years.”

  “Your sister cut you off?” Raven covered her mouth with her hand. “She blames you for the accident that killed your parents?”

  “She’s not the only one.” Buzz slumped back against the headboard and crossed his arms behind his head. “You saw Lance Cooper at the Arapaho yesterday morning.”

  Raven licked her lips. The mood had certainly shifted in here, as if the cold air from outside had seeped in through the window. It suited her. Guilt piled upon guilt didn’t engender lustful thoughts.

  But the slabs of hard muscle across Buzz’s chest did.

  “You want to join me tonight?” He patted the bed beside him.

  Just like that?

  She needed more seduction than a stark question. She’d already been feeling as if they’d been punished for their attention to each other. In fact, she couldn’t figure out how married couples with children ever managed to have sex.

  Another good reason to leave the parenting to others.

  “I don’t think that’s a great idea, Buzz—for a lot of reasons.”

  He shrugged. “We may have different reasons, but I agree with you.” He squeezed her hand as she rose from the bed. “Get a good night’s sleep.”

  Raven clicked the bedroom door behind her and leaned her forehead against it. A good night’s sleep with peril on both sides of her?

  That wasn’t going to happen.

  BUZZ CRACKED SEVERAL EGGS into a bowl and rinsed the gooey whites from his fingertips in the sink. He stifled a yawn with his fist and took another gulp of coffee. He hoped the Burumandan government crushed the rebel uprising quickly, and his desire had nothing to do with world peace and everything to do with…his desire. He couldn’t spend many more nights with his ex-fiancée in the bed next door.

  He also hoped President Okeke could give him some information about Jack Coburn. He’d implied that he knew something about the doctor Jack had been commissioned to rescue. And the president knew why others were interested in this doctor.

  “What’s for breakfast?”

  Raven, showered and dressed in her new jeans, waffle-knit shirt and boots, cruised into the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cupboard. Buzz had never seen Daisy’s duds look so stylish or sexy as they did draping Raven’s slim, angular frame. Her dark eyes with their long lashes didn’t need one bit of makeup.

  He dumped the eggs into a frying pan glistening with melted butter. “Scrambled eggs and I stuck some of that bacon in the microwave. It looked weird but I’m not big on cooking and I know you’re not.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, but even I probably wouldn’t have gone for the microwave bacon.”

  “What do you think Malika eats for breakfast?”

  “She’d probably like more burgers and fries. Did you happen to put any fruit into those grocery bags?”

  “Bananas.” He waved his spatula toward a bowl by the window.

  “That’ll do.” Raven snapped one open and wedged a hip against the counter. “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “I’ll show Malika around the ranch. I’ll show you too…if you’re interested.” Since she was silent, Buzz changed the subject. He didn’t want to put her on the spot. “Do you think Malika still wants to see the horses or did she use that as an excuse for sneaking out last night?”

  “She mentioned the horses before she fell asleep, so I think she’ll be game.” Raven tossed the banana peel into the trash and brushed her hands together. “And I’d like a tour of the ranch, too.”

  Buzz divided the eggs onto three plates and set the timer on the microwave. “You have breakfast duty tomorrow. Your attempts can’t be any worse than mine.”

  “Actually, it smells like real breakfast in here.”

  “Don’t pretend I’m doing a great job just so you can get out of it.”

  Malika called from upstairs and Raven’s cup jerked in her hand. She hissed as hot coffee splashed her wrist.

  “You okay?” Buzz tossed her a damp dish towel.

  “I just hope Malika is.” She swiped the cloth across the counter and started for the stairs.

  “Raven, she sounds fine. Don’t overreact to everything.”

  She rolled her expressive eyes. “Easy for you to say.”

  Damn. Just when Raven had started to get comfortable in her role as mama, Malika had to split, which gave rise to all of Raven’s insecurities and fears. She really believed that Malika’s disappearance was somehow related to their lip lock on the sofa. Okay, more than a lip lock.

  She didn’t even know for sure that her parents had been busy making love when her little brother had drowned in the backyard pool. She’d built the story up in her head over the years, convincing herself that her parents’ devotion to each other at the expense of their children had resulted in her brother’s death.

  It had made it easier for her to hate them for their neglect of her without appearing pathetic.

  Buzz snorted and shoved a few slices of bread in the toaster. If he had Raven all figured out, how come he hadn’t managed to convince her to marry him?

  Malika scampered down the stairs with a big smile, all her demons from the previous night exorcised and sent packing. She skidded to a stop on the tile floor of the kitchen and lifted her nose in the air, sniffing.

  “At least someone appreciates my microwave bacon.” Buzz buttered a slice of toast and dropped it on a plate of eggs and then added the bacon. He crooked his finger. “Follow me.”

  Malika pranced after him and shimmied onto a chair at the dinette that occupied a bright corner of the big kitchen. She put her napkin in her lap and folded her hands on top of it.

  “She has better manners than most pilots I know.” He winked at Raven. “Go ahead and eat, Malika. We’ll join you in a minute.”

  Once all three of them were seated, Buzz’s gaze traveled around the table. It seemed as if a glow suffused this corner of the room. He hadn’t felt warmth like this at the ranch since his parents died.

  Shaking his head, he shoveled a forkful of buttery eggs into his mouth. He hadn’t taken this job to rehabilitate the ranch or himself. He and Raven had to protect Malika until it was safe for her and her father to return home. And then Raven could return home…to her home.

  And then he could return to the friendly skies after he dug up more information about Jack.

  About an hour later, he was leading the girls, as he’d secretly begun to call them, around the ranch.

  Raven whistled as she surveyed a field of wheat stirring in the chilly wind. “Your manager takes care of all this in your absence?”

  “Yeah, Shep Ochoa. He lives on the reservation, but he comes in every day. I heard in town that he and his wife went to visit some relatives for a few days. He’ll be back for the rodeo.”

  “Along with everyone else, I gather.”

  “Yeah, including a bunch of strangers.”

  Raven shrugged off her uneasiness and stomped her feet in the dirt. “I’m getting cold out here. I’m going back to the house to get my coat. Do you need anything?”

  “I was just getting to the good part. I was going to take Malika to the paddock to visit the horses.”

  Malika nodded vigorously and slipped her hand in Buzz’s. A little sting of jealousy zapped Raven between the eyes. For a girl on edge, Malika showed a lot of trust.

  Raven smiled brightly. Best not to get too possessive. She’d have to send Malika back to her father eventually anyway. “Okay. I’ll meet you at the paddock, whatever that is.” />
  Rubbing her upper arms, Raven jogged back to the house. She slipped inside and grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and then dropped it. Might as well give Buzz and Malika some time together. Besides, horses scared the spit out of her. She didn’t even like the ones plodding around Central Park.

  But she didn’t want to tell Buzz about her fear. He wanted to teach her how to ride along with Malika. She didn’t have the heart to disappoint him—not anymore.

  She glided into the kitchen and put a mug of water in the microwave to boil. She’d seen some tea bags in the cupboard but had no idea how old they were. Buzz liked his coffee hot and strong and didn’t know Raven had switched to tea.

  She and Buzz had split over two years ago, and a lot had changed in that time. She hadn’t realized he carried so much guilt over the death of his parents. She’d never seen him unsure of himself before. Doubting himself.

  The timer beeped and she plopped the suspicious tea bag into the boiling water. Folding her hands around the warm mug, she stopped in front of the big, stone fireplace and studied the pictures on the mantel.

  A breath hitched in her throat at the smiling faces that stared back at her. Which was worse, never having a close family, or having one and then losing it in the blink of an eye?

  When she and Buzz had been engaged, he’d been all about family. He couldn’t wait to bring her to White Cloud and introduce her to his parents and his sister and her family.

  But the idea of family spooked her. She’d been afraid that she wouldn’t be able to get Buzz’s parents to like her. Her own parents didn’t even like her. What chance did she have with someone else’s parents?

  She sighed and slurped a bit of tea, which tasted exactly like warm water.

  Then she froze at the sound of a click behind her. And before she had a chance to turn around and confront this latest intrusion, a woman growled, “If you turn around real slow, I won’t blow a hole in your back.”

  Chapter Eight

  The hair on the back of Raven’s neck quivered. A woman. She and Buzz should’ve figured a woman would have a hand in snatching Malika. After losing her mother, Malika was a sucker for the kindness of the female sex. Look how quickly Malika had glommed on to Raven?

  Raven cleared her throat. “She’s not here. We sent her away.”

  “What the hell are you talking about? Turn around nice and easy, and if you have anything in your hands I’m gonna shoot first and ask questions later.”

  Biting her lip, Raven extended her arm to the side, her fingers wrapped around the handle of the steaming mug. The woman must be crazy. She didn’t want to startle her. “I have a cup of tea.”

  “Ha! I never heard of a squatter partial to tea. Giving yourself airs, huh?”

  Squatter? Maybe the crazy woman was one of the caretakers. Hadn’t Buzz mentioned Shep’s wife looking after the house? “Can I turn around now?”

  “You’d better but don’t try any funny stuff. I’m a good shot.”

  Holding her arms out to her sides, Raven took little steps until she faced the barrel of a shotgun. The gun looked bigger than the woman gripping it with fierce determination.

  She lowered the gun so that it was pointing in the general area of Raven’s stomach—a slight improvement. The scowl crumpling the woman’s face made her look like an angry elf, with her pixie-short hair and big blue eyes.

  Looks could be deceiving.

  “Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my house?”

  “Y-your house?” The cup nearly slipped from Raven’s grip. Maybe Buzz had gotten married for real and had forgotten to mention the fact amid all the excitement.

  The man himself suddenly loomed behind the elf. “Josie, put the gun down. Are you nuts?”

  Raven nodded. Her assessment of Josie precisely.

  Another man appeared beside Buzz and added his voice to the soothing chorus. “Josie, honey, don’t be ridiculous. That’s Buzz’s wife.”

  Josie pointed the shotgun toward the floor, her big eyes growing even bigger in her small face. “Buzz’s wife?”

  “That’s right, honey, and they’ve got a little girl outside playing with our two. Guns and kids don’t mix, so put that away.” To show her he wasn’t fooling around, the man stepped in front of Josie and pried the shotgun from her grasp.

  Brave man.

  Raven breathed for the first time since Josie opened her mouth. Now she studied the petite woman, whose grim expression had disapproval written all over it. But the disapproval could just as well be for Buzz as for his new bride, since the witch blamed her brother for their parents’ deaths.

  The thought brought Raven’s blood to a slow percolation. How dare this little…person lay a guilt trip on Buzz. Now that Josie had relinquished the shotgun to her husband, Raven clenched her hands and stalked across the room.

  “Are you out of your mind? You could’ve shot me.”

  Josie folded her arms. “Yeah?”

  The man, Buzz’s brother-in-law, draped an arm around Josie’s shoulders and stuck his hand out toward Raven. “You must be Raven. I’m Austin Yarborough, and this little firecracker is my wife, Josie. Congratulations.”

  As Raven shook Austin’s hand, her gaze met Buzz’s. His shoulder lifted as if to say, I had to keep our story straight.

  Children’s laughter bubbled through the open door, and Raven craned her neck to get a better view. Malika and two other children were playing tag. Raven recognized the kids from the photos on the mantel.

  Buzz called the kids inside and invited everyone to have a seat while he retreated to the kitchen to get drinks.

  Raven followed him and cornered him at the sink. “What are they doing here?”

  “They came for the rodeo.” Buzz twisted a cap from a bottle of beer and tossed it on the counter. “That’s another obstacle I didn’t consider. My sister and her family live in Tulsa. I should’ve figured they’d come down for the Harvest Festival.”

  “Why was your sister wandering around on her own? Her husband should keep a tighter leash on her.”

  Buzz chuckled. “When they drove up, Austin heard the horses and thought he’d find Shep. While she was waiting, Josie saw a shadow in the house, grabbed the shotgun from the truck and went investigating.”

  “Investigating?” Raven slid some ice cubes in a couple of glasses. “Hunting is more like it. Is she always so tightly strung?”

  “That’s my sister.”

  “Has she forgiven you?”

  “Does it look like it?”

  “She’s just wrong…”

  Buzz sliced a finger across his throat. “I’m not asking for her forgiveness. Uh, I had to tell them we were married and Malika was our adopted daughter. It’s just better if nobody knows the truth.”

  “I agree.” She tipped a pitcher of tea over the two glasses and the ice cubes clinked as the brown liquid flowed around them. “Tea or beer?”

  He held up a second bottle. “I could use a beer.”

  “It’s not even noon.”

  “I could use a beer.” He tipped his head toward the family room where the screams of the kids punctuated the low voices of the adults.

  “Where are they staying?”

  “Here.”

  One of the sweating glasses almost slipped out of Raven’s hand. “I could use a beer, too.”

  They returned to the family room, carrying the drinks and showing false smiles. Raven placed Josie’s glass on the coffee table in front of her and then took a chair across the room.

  “What happened to your hot tea?” Josie asked the question as if she were leading an inquisition.

  “The iced tea looked better. I think the tea bags were stale.”

  “Let’s cut to the chase.” Buzz hunched forward, hands on his knees. “How long do you plan to stay, Josie?”

  “All week, until the end of the Harvest Festival and through Thanksgiving. The kids have the whole week off from school.” She took a long swig of her tea and then patted her
lips with her fingertips. “Why? I know technically the ranch belongs to you, but Mom and Dad figured I’d always be welcome here.”

  “That’s up to you.”

  Austin cleared his throat. “The place looks great, Buzz. Shep’s doing a good job. I hadn’t figured you’d been back much since…”

  “I haven’t, but I thought it was time to introduce Raven and Malika to White Cloud. And what better time than Harvest Festival?”

  “Uncle Buzz?” The little girl had crawled toward Buzz and folded her hands on his knee. “Are you going to teach Malika to ride?”

  “I sure am, Britney. Do you want to help me?”

  She nodded and stuck her tongue out at her brother. “Wyatt thought Malika was lying.”

  “Wyatt, that’s not nice.” Josie nudged her son with her toe. “Apologize to Malika. I’m sure she doesn’t tell lies.”

  Raven slid a glance toward Buzz, but he wasn’t biting.

  Austin stood up and stretched. “I’m going to get our bags. What room does Malika have?”

  Buzz stepped over Britney to grab Austin’s bottle. “Malika’s in the blue room with the window seat and Raven’s in the yellow room.”

  Patting his pockets, Austin asked, “You’re in the yellow room, Buzz? I thought you always took your old room at the end of the hall.”

  “I am in my old room. Raven’s…”

  Raven flashed Buzz a look and he realized his blunder, his face reddening to his hairline. Luckily, Austin was too busy looking for his car keys to notice, and Josie was cross-legged on the floor with the kids.

  Buzz turned toward the kitchen, saying over his shoulder, “Raven has some of her stuff in the yellow room. She can move it if you and Josie want that room.”

  “No way.” Josie hopped up from the floor. “We’re not sleeping next to a couple of newlyweds. We’ll take the two rooms on the other end of the hall from you all.”

  Raven laced her fingers behind her back in an attempt to appear calm. Not only did she have to share a house with her ex-fiancé, now she had to share his bed.

  LATER THAT AFTERNOON, the four adults along with the three kids took two cars into town to watch the Harvest Festival take shape.