Ruining the Rancher (Masterson County Book 3)

by Calle J. Brookes

  Urgh. Like they were man-fish or something.

  "A few days ago. When Mr. Clark asked Perci if you were dating anyone."

  "Oh? Mr. Clark, from the movie?"

  "Yep. He was talking to Daddy about the horses, and about you and Perci and Pip and Phoebe. And how pretty and nice you all were. Perci and me were in the barn. But then she took Skye outside. Perci told him that you weren't dating anyone; daddy told him that you kind of work. I think daddy likes Levi. I do. He's going to take me fishing, you know."

  "Again?” Levi had taken her brother fishing before. She'd watched him and little boy walked down to the pond from Levi's kitchen window. It had struck her, not for the first time, just how beautiful Levi was. How kind.

  Parker and Patton both admired him. Liked him. Actually wanted to spend time with him—and not just Matt and Joel.

  Levi was just…a part of everything now. Easy.

  Except for her.

  "He said anytime you wanted. He's like my big brother now, too. You know? Even though Matt's married to Pip and Joel's married to Phoebe, Levi said he gets to be my brother, too. A guy could never have too many brothers. I think you can have too many sisters some times, though."

  "Parker, which one of us would you get rid of then?"

  Her youngest brother just grinned.

  Pan was still laughing when the large dark SUV pulled out in front of her and slammed on their brakes.

  Pan cursed. She jerked the wheel to the left, sending her little car careening into the ditch. Just before her head slammed into the steering wheel, she reached out with her right arm and did her best to hold her little brother in place. She tried to protect him as much she could as the air bag deployed.

  Then Pan felt nothing but white-hot pain, followed by blackness.

  19

  Levi had just finished his phone call with his partner in Texas. Thankfully, Travis Deane was a reasonable man who understood situations happened. Still, both he and Deane had had high hopes for this particular bull in their little study. That the animal had died with no explanation didn't make a bit of sense. He was feeling that frustration when the phone rang again.

  Levi almost didn't answer until he saw her number on the caller ID. Pan didn't call him often and only when something was wrong. His instincts flared.

  "Honey," he breathed into the phone after he answered it. "What's wrong?"

  "Levi?" A little voice definitely not Pandora’s said. "It's Parker, Levi. You need to come get us right now. The car crashed, and Pan won't wake up. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And my head hurts. Come get us. I can’t get Daddy’s phone."

  "Parker, son, where are you? Did you have a car wreck?" Levi was already moving toward the door.

  "The big black car did not wait their turn, and almost hit us. We hit a big rock instead, and now Pan won't wake up. She won't wake up. I don't want her to go to heaven in the car like Mommy did. You'll come get us, won't you?"

  "Parker, were you at Mrs. Carson's today?" Levi ran toward the front door; he heard a car pull in, and knew one of his brothers was there. He prayed it was Nate, but would settle for Matt, or Joel. Any of the three could help him and fast.

  "Yes. But we had just… I can see Ryan Hobson's house. But nobody is home today. I tried to get them to help." The little boy was sobbing now, and it took Levi a moment to understand what he said. But it was the information he needed. The Hobsons lived closer to the Mastersons than they did the Carsons. She wasn't that far away.

  Matt was climbing out of his truck when Levi came running. Levi pulled the phone away from his mouth and yelled at his brother to get the engine started.

  Matt didn't hesitate. Levi climbed into the passenger seat, and grabbed Matt's phone out of his brother's hand. Matt turned the key. Levi spoke into his own cell again. Matt was smart; he’d catch on quick. "Parker, I'm going to have to put my phone down. I'm going to call Joel with Matt's phone, okay? I want you to stay on my phone until I get there. We’re going to come help? You're not alone, I promise. We’re coming. You stay with Pan, understand?"

  He dialed the sheriff as fast as he could and explained to the dispatcher exactly what was going on. But he knew the truth; he and Matt would probably get there long before an ambulance did—because Masterson County was just too damned big sometimes.

  20

  If it had been anyone other than one of those damned Tylers, she would've stopped the car and offered help, but those Tylers supposedly took care of themselves.

  Viv kept going.

  Besides, she didn't need the hassle of dealing with Pan Tyler or Levi's brother the sheriff tonight. Viv had a lot to think about, with the news her father had delivered. He was dying. Sooner than she had expected. Nothing was going to change that. If she wanted to keep her hands on the damned ranch she despised, she was going to have to find a man capable of running it for her.

  Viv knew the man she wanted. She just had to find a way to get him away from that damn Pan Tyler in order to make that happen.

  For a moment, she wished Pan was dead, That would make things so much simpler for her.

  But Viv hadn't missed the little boy climbing out of the passenger seat after the little red car had swerved off the road. It wasn't exactly a fair thing to do to a kid, and he hadn't been very old. She thought that was the youngest boy, and he was all of seven or eight. No. She didn’t want the girl dead. Just as far away from Levi as Viv could get her.

  21

  Levi barely let Matt stop the truck before he jumped free and started running toward Pan’s little red two-door. The car sat at a terrifying angle. Six inches more, and it would've flipped on its front end. But it hadn't. Thank God it hadn’t.

  Parker was still crying, blood covering the hair the same color as his sister’s. Levi squeezed the boy's shoulder quickly as he ran by the crying child toward the front of the car. Matt was only steps behind him.

  Matt had grabbed his bag from his truck, where he carried the basics of first aid. Matt was only a vet, but he was more medical care than was otherwise available. Levi just hoped it was enough.

  Her door stood open, and he could see her, see the blood coating her head. She wasn't moving. For a moment he thought she was gone.

  He yelled her name, cursed, or something, he wasn't entirely certain. And then those Tyler blue eyes of hers opened.

  Levi said a prayer of thanks quickly as he stumbled down the ditch closer to his girl. "Pandora Claire, honey. Just how bad are you hurt?"

  "What happened?" She tried to move, but Matt wouldn’t let her.

  "Don't really know darlin', let’s just worry about getting you out of there first, ok? Now I couldn't find the doctor right away, but I did find the vet. And since you’re a bit on the stubborn as a mule side, I figured you wouldn't mind. You just stay still, and let Matt take a look at you, ok? Then we’ll get you out of there, take you over to see Nate and Perci. We’ll go see if they're fighting again today, how does that sound?"

  Pan didn’t answer, out again. He turned to his brother, "I need to get her out of there."

  He saw the understanding and compassion in his brother's eyes. "I don't know, Levi. But her pulse is steady, she seems to be breathing okay. I think our best bet is to just leave her where she’s at until the ambulance arrives. I don't want to make the situation worse by moving her if we shouldn’t."

  Levi hunkered down next to her, kneeling in the dirt beside the open door. Her left hand hung limp at her side, and he carefully wrapped his fingers around hers, and prayed.

  He'd known he cared a great deal about this woman, but just how much hadn't been entirely clear to him until that very moment.

  Her little brother cuddled up next to his side, and Levi wrapped his arm around the boy who looked so much like her and just held him, while they waited.

  22

  There was a demon cracking her skull open with a sledge hammer when Pan opened her eyes. People were around here everywhere. Two men and a woman, and they were trying t
o get her out of her car. There was something around her neck and they were strapping her down. She fought immediate panic.

  “It’s ok, honey. I’ve got you. You’re going to be fine, remember? We’re just being extra careful. Letting Joel’s boys and the EMTs practice on you. That’s all.”

  “Levi. You’re here.” How had he gotten there? The last thing she remembered, she and Parker had been at Mrs. Carson’s....Parker... She’d had Parker with her. “Levi! Where’s Parker? Where is he?”

  “Hey, hey, hey. Parker’s just fine. Matt’s got him now. They’re going to follow you and me. We’re going to take a ride in the helicopter.”

  No. She knew exactly how much that cost--even with insurance. “Levi...can’t afford...”

  “You can’t. But I can. And I’m going to take care of you.”

  She wanted to argue, but her entire body hurt just too much to even think about it. Tears leaked from her eyes.

  Levi was right there next to her. She wanted to reach for him, but her arms wouldn’t work. Pan just kept her eyes on his as long as she could. He was right there.

  And that was where he stayed. Pan forced herself to breathe, forced herself not to panic.

  Parker was safe. And Levi was right there with her. She finally let go, and allowed the darkness to take her. Just for a little while...

  23

  Levi fought the urge to panic as they strapped her to the backboard and carried her to the waiting Medi-Evac helicopter. The ambulance was clear across the county. No one had been willing to wait to get Pan the help she needed, least of all him, Joel or Matt.

  No one questioned that Levi would be the one riding with her, either. Matt would bring Parker. Nate and the rest of the hospital was already waiting for her.

  He kept his fingers around hers, and kept his body out of the paramedics’ paths.

  Levi just stayed close to her head, kept her small fingers in his and wished he knew how to make her better.

  The paramedics were hooking her up to fluids and checking her vitals, everything he didn’t understand.

  “She’s stable, Levi,” A paramedic Levi had known for years said. “Just took a knock to the head that’s keeping her out of it.”

  “She’s so small, Josh,” Levi took a good long look at her. “And she’s hurt and...”

  “You can’t fix it. Trust me, I know.” Josh’s attention strayed to the female paramedic. She had been a few years behind them in school. The woman was hooking Pan up to an IV, calm and steady in spite of the bumpy flight. “We’ll get her to the hospital in the next ten minutes. She’ll be in good hands once Nate takes over. If not him, Dr. Jacobi is on tonight. She’s good at what she does. Everyone at the hospital is. Pan’ll be ok.”

  Levi appreciated his friend’s attempt to make him feel better, but he wasn’t going to stop worrying until he got to talk to his brother.

  And until Pan opened those blue eyes and looked at him again.

  24

  When Pan opened her eyes again she was in the midst of the ER and a Masterson brother leaned over her. It wasn’t the one she wanted, though he was equally as handsome. Perci stood at Nate’s side. Pan reached for her sister with her right hand. Her left was tied down to something when she pulled on it. “Perci...Parker?”

  “He’s coming in with Matt, Pan. I’ll keep him here until Phoebe and Pip and the others arrive.” Perci brushed the hair off her forehead gently. “We’re just going to take care of you right now.”

  “Well, at least the two of you have finally stopped arguing...” Pan closed her eyes against the glare of the fluorescent lights. Perci was there. Nate was there.

  And Levi...she opened her eyes again. Levi.

  He was right there next to her, his face pale and his eyes wide with worry. With fear. She pulled her hand from Perci’s and reached toward him instead.

  He’d come for her, hadn’t he? “Levi...how did you know I was hurt?”

  “Parker called me, honey. Seems he thought I needed to rescue you.” Levi covered her shoulder with those strong fingers of his. He felt warm and real and safe right there next to her.

  She was with people who loved her now. She was safe.

  And her head was about to crack open. Pan closed her eyes once again.

  25

  It took over twelve hours for her to finally be able to think long enough to put two and two together and end up with four. Pan had gotten lucky, though. Only a concussion, a cracked rib, and a sprained wrist where she’d held Parker in place on impact. He’d come away with only bruises from his seatbelt. Her car was a leftover from her parents years before and had had no backseat. Otherwise he would have been in the backseat and probably not as bruised. But he seemed to be ok when Perci snuck him back into the hospital room to visit her.

  “You, Parker Owen, are my hero. Come here,” she held out her uninjured arm to this little brother that looked the most like her. “That was really smart, calling Levi like that.”

  “Levi loves you like Matt loves my Pip. I knew he’d rescue you.”

  “I don’t know about that.” She winced when she thought about it. No doubt Levi was attracted to her, and cared about her, and she definitely hadn’t forgotten what he’d said after he’d kissed her, but love?

  She most definitely wasn’t ready to think about love with Levi Masterson. But, she had to admit that when she’d first opened her eyes that morning, she had half looked around for him.

  Perci leaned over her. “Nate forced Levi to go home about two hours ago. Something was mentioned about him possibly showering and sleeping for a while. I told him that I would stand guard over you, along with Park, until Phoebe and Pip arrive to take over for me.”

  “You all don’t have to babysit me. There are things that need to be getting done.” She loved her family, and knew why they were going to be there. They were Tylers and Tylers took care of their own. No matter what. But Pan really hated people fussing over her. “Anyone called Dad?”

  “That rancher in Finley Creek has a friend with a private jet. He’s flying Dad home as we speak.”

  “But...”

  “No buts, Pandora. You opened the box with this one. Scared us all really good.” Perci settled Parker in the chair by the window with her cell phone. She’d started carrying it after everything that had happened to Pip and Phoebe over the last several months. Parker was fascinated by it. “What happened?”

  “A black truck or something. They pulled out right in front of me. I had to jerk the wheel to get us out of the way.”

  “Did you recognize who it was?”

  “No. But it all happened fast, and I was worried about Parker being in the passenger seat.”

  “He’s fine, Pan. I promise, I checked him again myself this morning. And he spent the night with Phoebe and Pip. Nate checked him out before breakfast. You were the one to take the hardest knock.” Perci leaned over and checked the stitches in her forehead. “I think you’re going to end up with a scar just like mine and Pip’s. You always were trying to copy us. Don’t ever scare us like that again. You might really annoy the tar out of me, but I love you, you goob.”

  “Love you, too. So when am I getting out of here?”

  “Tomorrow at the earliest,” a male voice said from the door. She turned her aching head to the side slightly. Levi’s older brother stood there, looking all handsome and massive. Nate was the biggest Masterson brother, though he really did resemble Levi--if she squinted, which thanks to her headache was a requirement of survival. “Levi will come for you at noon.”

  “Why Levi and not someone else? I know he has a lot to handle right now.”

  Nate smiled. He really was beautiful; she didn’t quite understand why Perci called him the devil personified most times. “There isn’t anywhere else he wants to be. You know how he is.”

  “Relentless.” And the last time she had wakened in the middle of the night, he had been right there in the chair now occupied by her baby brother. Every time she had needed h
im he had been right there.

  And she had looked for him, instinctively. Because a part of her had known Levi would be right where she needed him.

  26

  She was hurting and all Levi wanted to do was scoop her up and carry her inside the main house—and straight to his bed, where she belonged. But he restrained himself.

  But one thing was definitely clear—she wasn’t about to hide herself away in her little garage apartment where she went to escape him at night. Nope. Pandora Claire was going to be in the main house where he and her sisters could keep an eye on her.

  When he told her that, she didn’t even protest. That told him all he needed to know. He carried her into his house and just wished he could hold her like that forever.

  27

  Levi slipped from the bed for the third time. He just needed to see her for himself. Every time he had drifted off, Pan’s little red car would flash through his dreams, reminding him of how she had looked, so hurt and defenseless.

  It was going to be a long time before that image would be erased from his head.

  The guest room she slept in was right next to his. He stepped closer to the bed and just stared at her for a while, reminding himself that she was right there in front of him and safe. Levi straightened the covers over her and started back toward his own room where he belonged before he did something totally stupid.

  28

  Pan knew who stood next to her bed and she forced herself to breathe. What she wanted to do was roll over on her back and look at him. Have him hold her again; keep the nightmares at bay.