Colorado Heat (Colorado Heart Book 8)

by Sara York

  Colorado Heat

  Sara York

  Colorado Heat

  The eighth book in the Colorado Heart Series

  By Sara York

  Colorado Heat Copyright © 2017 Sara York

  Cover Art by Sara York ©Copyright 2017

  Electronic Edition

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  License Notes

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About the Author

  Also by Sara York

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of Sara York.

  Chapter One

  Tanner swung the axe, hitting the tree and making a notch in the exact place he’d been aiming for. A breeze blew in, cooling his skin. He swung again, striking true before hearing the crunch of leaves behind him. His heart squeezed as emotions twisted through him.

  Avoiding the other guys only worked if they stayed away. With a quick glance over his shoulder he spied his sister and rolled his eyes. Of course, she would be the one to hunt him down.

  He stared at the tree he’d been cutting, judging if he should give a few more swings before he turned to talk to her. He hadn’t chopped too much from the trunk, so he decided it would be okay to leave it while they chatted. He put down his axe and moved closer to Suz, noticing the red rimming her eyes. The breath he blew out was mixed with a little dread. He knew his sister well, if she’d been crying she was either sad or mad, he was guessing angry as a hornet.

  “What brings you out here?” The question was neutral enough. What he really wanted to know was why had she been crying. She would get to it in her own time, because that’s how Suz operated.

  She’d adjusted fairly well to Wild Bluff. Considering less than a week ago her boss had tried to kill her. She was taking everything in stride. Suz was strong, and he wouldn’t be worried at all if he didn’t see that damned panic look ghost over her features when she thought no one was watching.

  “Duff came to talk to me. Why didn’t you tell me?” Her words were full of anger. Her gaze had narrowed and her lips thinned.

  His breath caught and he bit down on his tongue with his front teeth, trying to stop the immediate backlash response. How the hell could he explain this to Suz without being an asshole? Sure, both of them had an issue with their dad, but she obviously didn’t know everything.

  He shrugged, weighing his words. “I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

  Her gaze narrowed even more and she stared at him like she thought he was an idiot. “He’s in jail. Duff thought you’d told me. Were you supposed to talk to me?”

  “Yeah.” He wished he’d just gone to talk to her in the first place. “I-I fucked up. You’ve been dealing with the abduction—”

  She waved her hands and shook her head. “I’m fine.” Her words were crisp and full of anger.

  “Fine?” He shouted the word but paused before he said more. He knew Suz almost as well as he knew himself. Sure, they’d not spoken much after graduation. He’d joined up and she’d hooked up with the Navy. Then she’d gone off and gotten her degree while she was in so she could join the FBI. Smart as a whip, Suz could best any man she came up against, whether in the gym, on the streets, or in an academic setting. The last thing Suz was, was weak.

  “You should have told me,” she spit out.

  Frustration ground through him. His sister knew how to get under his skin. At this point in their lives, she didn’t really have to do anything more than look at him and he felt her disappointment.

  “Yes, I should have told you, but I didn’t. You didn’t see him kill them, and I didn’t want you to have to know that about him. I was wrong.”

  “Our father was a bastard. You do remember he was the one who made me stand for eight hours without food or a break to pee when I stayed out late. He was the one who would beat my ass if I didn’t fold the laundry correctly. The bastard beat the shit out of our mom. You know, our mom. He beat her and she died an early death because he was such an asshole. Do you think me knowing he killed two kids would make me think less of him?”

  Tanner shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I just—it changed me.”

  Suz waved her hand and stared at the mountain before she turned to leave. “Finish up out here and come to the house. We have a meeting in an hour.”

  “Suz, don’t walk away like that.”

  “I need to get some work done in the barn and then I need to have a chat with Grant about the place. I’m still here on a probationary status. I have things I have to do before I can stay.”

  “Fuck, Suz, please don’t be mad at me. You’re all I’ve got. I know the last few years have been…different.”

  She turned to face him, and her shoulders dropped a little. Her features softened and her lips twisted as she rolled her eyes. “Hey, you’re still my baby brother.”

  “Baby? I was born before you.”

  “Yeah, but you’re the baby.” Suz came close and hugged him, wrapping her arms around him like she used to when they were kids.

  He sighed and buried his face in her neck, holding her tight. The years in the military had separated them, but she was still his other half. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” Suz patted his head then held him, reminding him of the times he was frightened as a kid and needed comfort. “I want to stay because you’re here. I have a few things I need to wrap up, but I need to go figure out what I have to do to make sure Grant and Marshal don’t give me the boot.”

  He squeezed her again as memories filtered through his mind. They would be okay, he felt it in her hug, the way she sighed against his shoulder. “I like it here. I think we can make a go of it.”

  Suz stepped away from him and rolled her eyes. “You’re too funny. We come from a broken family and we’ve accomplished more than most people do in their whole lifetime. We’re fucking amazing. We can more than just make a go of it.” She patted him on the back before turning to head to the barn.

  He laughed and moved to the axe, lifting it to swing. “You’re right as usual, Suz. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  He swung the axe hard, hitting exactly where he wanted to strike. He liked Wild Bluff. It was a nice change of pace after being in the army. Coming out here to cut down this tree, not having to spend the day around five, ten, or hundreds of other men, it felt good. His thoughts weren’t constantly being interrupte
d by other people telling him what to do. He swung the axe again then paused and stared up at the mountain. Suz should stay, but his sister had always done what she wanted to do. He loved how headstrong she was, because it had kept her alive when they were kids.

  He got back to work, knowing he needed to make the meeting. Luckily, the tree fell after a few more hard strikes. Proud of his accomplishment, he gathered his tools. He would need to come back out in the morning and cut the trunk into logs they could use in the pit and the fireplaces.

  Tanner headed to the barn to store the equipment. The place was quiet so he figured he was alone. He stepped into the tack room and paused as he saw Mike facing away from him as he wiped down a saddle. Mike turned, his eyes narrowing a bit as his frown deepened.

  “I—um, I didn’t know anyone was out here.” Tanner’s heart sped up and his body heated. He’d hoped to conquer his reaction to Mike with physical exertion, it had always worked in the past with other guys, but a fat lot of good it did him this time when he was face to face with Mike. The control he had been searching for vanished into thin air, leaving him wondering if he had any control where Mike was concerned.

  “Just finishing up,” Mike said.

  “Okay, I’ll—um, Suz said there was a meeting.”

  “Yeah, in about an hour, maybe less now. It’s been a while. I’m not sure how long I’ve been out here.”

  Tanner moved to the storage cabinet where the larger tools were kept. After putting away the equipment, he turned and saw Mike jerk his gaze away. Had Mike been staring at him? Already hot from just being near the man, his body responded to the thought of Mike wanting him. He needed to stop this fantasy because it wouldn’t get him anywhere. Mike had made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with him.

  He’d lived through serving in the army with hot guys for years and hadn’t done anything. Maybe if he talked to Mike about his stupid fantasies, the feelings would go away and then he could deal with the man without thinking about sex. He was about to open his mouth when Zander showed up.

  “Hey, you two ready to join us for the meeting?”

  Surprise filled Tanner. “Oh, I thought we had more time.”

  “Fifteen minutes. So, get a move on.” Zander stepped in close to Mike and Tanner felt like the odd man out. He was halfway out the door when Zander called to him.

  “Hey, Tanner, wait up.”

  He paused, catching a look from Mike which froze him. It wasn’t menace but Mike was throwing off some strange vibes. The guys all liked Zander and he guessed being the new one to the ranch they didn’t know him well. Didn’t know he’d never be mean to Zander or anyone else here. Mike’s lips thinned and he looked away, his chest rose before he let go of a big breath. Navigating the relationships here on this ranch was going to be tricky.

  “So, Tanner, what do you think of the ranch so far?”

  Zander’s question threw him. They walked another ten, maybe fifteen feet before he could come up with an answer.

  “I’m not sure. It’s been a little crazy since I first started. You know, this place is intense.”

  Zander laughed. “Tell me about it.”

  “Suz being here helps.” He glanced over to check Zander’s reaction but the man’s face revealed nothing.

  “She’s nice.”

  He wanted to know how the guys felt about his sister. If she left, he would still stay, at least he thought he would. “You know, we didn’t have a good family growing up. She’s all I’ve got. We haven’t been close recently, but that’s because we were living in opposite corners of the world doing too much and not taking time to talk. Military life can be hard on relationships. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “One, a brother. We’re not close. He doesn’t like that I went into the military. I haven’t talked to him in years.”

  “Oh.” He’d distanced himself from Suz when he’d been in the army. He guessed the distance was natural. He couldn’t fault Zander for not talking to his brother. Maybe if he and Suz hadn’t lived through hell together they wouldn’t be so close. Seeing her again after months of not being face to face was almost like they’d never left each other’s side.

  “It’s not a big deal. I have you guys,” Zander said.

  “Suz is great. She’s loyal as hell and she doesn’t put up with any shit. She’ll be a great friend and she is a great sister.”

  Zander stopped at the top step of the porch and faced him. “Thanks. I’ll remember that. Her coming to the ranch has been different. We’re still trying to figure out what to do with her.”

  Tanner shrugged. “She can’t go see Mitch. She’s dead as far as the government is concerned.”

  Zander’s gaze shifted away before meeting Tanner’s again. “Nope, her doing anything with any government agency is out of the question.”

  “Mitch works for the government, right?” Tanner had been curious about the other people in training with him. Everyone at the facility had been encouraged to keep to themselves.

  Zander shrugged. “In a roundabout way. Other agents go through the training. I know the CIA uses that facility, but there are other groups too. I trust Mitch to a point, but I don’t trust anyone else there.”

  “I’m glad you said it, because I would have thrown a fit if she’d been sent there.”

  Zander chuckled as he headed into the house. Marshal turned and smiled as they stepped into the room. The look in Marshal’s eyes when he saw Zander made Tanner’s heart ache. He had never had anyone look at him that way. They were the perfect couple.

  “Hey, Tanner, go shower then we’ll get to it,” Grant called out.

  “Okay, I’ll be done in just a few.”

  He moved to his room, peeling off his shirt as he went. The door to the room next to his opened and Mike stepped out. They both paused and Mike’s eyes flicked to Tanner’s chest. His cheeks pinked up as he stared at Tanner’s naked flesh for one, two, three seconds before jerking up, his gaze slamming into Tanner’s.

  “Um, I guess we’re meeting now,” Mike said.

  “Yeah. Um, how’d you get past me and into your room so fast?”

  “I went around the other way, used the other door. Plus, Zander doesn’t walk so fast.”

  “Oh, yeah. I was going to shower, are you joining me?” Tanner’s whole body went hot. “That’s not what I meant. I didn’t mean to say it that way. I meant, have you showered?”

  Mike’s face was red and his eyes stayed on the floor. “I guess I’ll be showering with you.” Mike shook his head. “That’s not—um, I need to shower.”

  Tanner chuckled. “God, can we just start over on this conversation?”

  Mike laughed. “Sure, I was just going to grab some orange juice before I shower. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  Mike squeezed past and Tanner turned to watch him, realizing he was staring at the man’s ass. He faced his door then turned and called out to Mike before he left the hall. “So our rooms are right next to each other. Do our beds share the same wall?”

  “No, your shower is next to mine.”

  “Jesus, the shower thing again.”

  Mike laughed out loud this time as he continued down the hall toward the kitchen. Tanner couldn’t help but look at Mike’s ass one more time. They wouldn’t ever have anything other than friendship, but he could use the inspiration later when he had time.

  Tanner ducked into his room and stripped for his shower. He washed quickly, fighting hard not to think of Mike in the shower right next to him. Desire built, and he switched the water to cold and thought about missions instead of the man.

  He dressed quickly, pinching the base of his dick to get it to go down. It didn’t help much when he opened his door and stepped out almost on top of Mike.

  “Sorry, I didn’t—”

  “No worries. It’s all good. I’m not used to anyone being in your room. Do you like it here?”

  “It’s good. Weird because my sister is living here too. It’s been years since we’ve liv
ed in the same house. She knows all my faults, but I kind of like it too.”

  Mike chuckled. “It would be strange. You’re lucky though, my sister stopped talking to me years ago.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s fine. She’s a nut job. Can’t understand why I left home and joined the army. She wanted me to stay there and take care of her and pay her bills. She’s still mad about that. It’s been, dang, almost twenty-two, maybe twenty-three years since I’ve spoken to her.”

  Tanner turned to stare at Mike, wondering how old the man was. He didn’t look old, but maybe Mike and his sister hadn’t lived together when they were teens. He knew sometimes families broke up and went their separate ways.

  They stepped into the kitchen and the rest of the crew was already there. Suz was talking to Jazz, Tex, and Ryan. They were laughing about something, which summed up how his sister operated. She either had people laughing or crying. He guessed she felt comfortable here because no one was bawling their eyes out.

  Grant stood up and moved to stand in front of the TV before he cleared his throat. “If you could all take a seat.”

  Marshal moved to a chair next to Grant, and the rest of the guys headed to the den. The group’s dynamics were interesting. They weren’t military, but a lot of their hierarchy was based on military.

  “We’ve kept our ear tuned into the chatter coming out of DC. It looks like our plan worked. Every senator who was in on the plot to kill the president was implicated and the justice system is taking care of the issue.”

  “That’s good,” Billy said.