“Owen, honey, I didn’t . . .”
“I know you didn’t. I’m just mad as hell this is yet another of Dale’s stupid attempts to rile me for something I didn’t even do.”
“Well, it’s working.”
He held her close by the neck and rubbed his fingers under her soft hair. “Yes. It is. I wanted to come home and make love to you and hold you and dream about our future together. Instead, I’m chasing after horses, worrying about whether something is going to happen to you.”
He kissed her, then pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial for Brody.
“It’s me. I need you to come to the house and guard Claire.” He explained to Brody about the horses, though it wasn’t necessary. If he called, Brody would come.
“Give her your gun, go get the horses. Tell her not to shoot me when I get there,” Brody teased, trying to lighten Owen’s mood. Not working, but Owen appreciated the effort.
“Will do. Hurry up. I don’t want her alone longer than necessary.”
“On my way.” Brody hung up. No doubt he’d be here in the next twenty minutes.
Owen went into his office and pulled the gun out of his desk drawer. He checked the weapon, assured all was as he left it after he cleaned it last, and made sure the safety was on. He found Claire in the kitchen, making a cup of tea.
“Here. Take this.”
“I don’t want that.”
“You may not want it, but you may need it. So come here and take it.”
She frowned, but drew closer and took the gun from his hand, holding it away from both of them. He smiled, appreciating the fact she respected the weapon.
He grabbed her hand and turned it so that she held the gun out to her side, ready to shoot. He pointed to the safety.
“Green dot. The gun is safe and can’t be fired.” He switched the small lever. “Red dot. The gun is ready to fire.”
“Red. As in, warning, you’re dead.”
“Yes. Brody is on the way. I need to get going. Night is closing in fast and I’m losing the light to find those wayward beasts.”
“Don’t horses know their way home?”
“In most cases, yeah, they probably would have found their way back to their stalls, but if something scared them bad enough, they might have run and gotten themselves lost.”
“The property is really big.”
“Over fifteen thousand acres.”
“How will you find them?”
“I’ve got a pretty good idea which direction they went. I’ll do my best to find them tonight, otherwise I’ll have to keep searching in the morning when there’s more light.”
“It’s getting colder at night.”
“Another reason to find them. They’re spoiled old goats, used to being pampered. It’s been a long time since they were left to their own devices out in the pastures. They’ll need food and water. They’ll crop grass, but water is more scarce on the property.
“Keep the gun and phone close. There’s another handgun in the nightstand drawer upstairs if you need it. Anything happens, lock yourself in our room, call the cops, and anyone comes through that door, you shoot. Don’t hesitate. Shoot and keep shooting until they’re down. Promise me.”
“Owen, I don’t know if I can.”
“If this is a setup and Dale is coming here to hurt you, you must. I can’t live without you, sweetheart.” He kissed her long and deep and held her close, praying nothing happened to her. “Brody will be here soon.”
“What about you? Don’t you need a gun?”
“I’m taking the shotgun and another handgun with me. Lock up behind me.”
“You’re like a one-man army with all these weapons in the house.”
“I’m a country boy, darlin’. Horses and shooting are what we do.” He led her back into his office and opened the gun safe in the closet and pulled out the guns he needed.
“Soon, you won’t be able to leave guns out everywhere.”
“I always lock them up when Dawn and Autumn are here. Safety first,” he told her, smiling because it was so easy for them to talk about having a family.
He kissed her at the door, but waited to leave until he heard the snick of the deadbolt sliding into place.
CLAIRE SETTLED IN the living room with her cup of tea, the gun at her side, and the quiet. She listened to every little sound, her nerves on edge, her mind conjuring one horrendous fate after another for Owen and her.
She thought back to this afternoon, her time in the barn, feeding the horses and tending to their needs. She went over everything she did and couldn’t remember ever going near the back door of Bo’s stall.
She went through the scene with the rake and Shannon showing up. She couldn’t believe Shannon had anything to do with what happened, but maybe Dale had followed her here. After she and Owen left, he let the horses out as a prank to rile Owen.
If he’d followed Shannon, maybe she was in danger. With that thought in mind, she went into Owen’s office and clicked on his computer screen. She found Shannon’s file and opened her contact information. She dialed Shannon’s number and waited for her answer.
“Shannon, it’s Claire. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“I think Dale might have followed you here today. Someone let out the horses. Owen’s gone after them, but I thought if Dale had been here to cause trouble, he might have gone to see you again, too.”
“It’s quiet here. I haven’t seen or heard from him.”
“Okay, well, I just thought I should check on you.”
“It’s tiring, isn’t it? Always being on guard, reacting to every little thing he does, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Makes you just want to run away and leave it all behind.”
Claire didn’t know what to say. She did feel that way sometimes, but then she thought about Owen and her life with him and it gave her the strength to stand and fight for them. No one was going to take him away from her, or the life they were building together.
“Be careful, Shannon.”
“You too.” Shannon hung up on her.
Claire left the office in favor of the living room sofa to wait for Brody. She thought he’d be here by now. The clock on the mantel ticked off the time. Every second she worried more about Owen. She wanted to call and check on him, but he’d have no cell service out in the hills.
Someone tapped on the glass by the front door. She held the gun tight and launched herself off the couch, staring at the dark figure past the glass.
“Brody. Thank God.”
She rushed to the front door and unlocked the handle and deadbolt, swinging the door wide.
“Give me that, sweetheart,” he said, taking the gun out of her hand and tucking it down the back of his jeans.
She looked past him at the empty driveway. “Where’s your truck? How did you get here?”
“I parked it at your place and walked up the road. I’ve checked the perimeter. We’re alone. There’s no one out there.”
“Are you sure?”
He gave her a deadly look that made her take a step back.
“I’m sure. Got anymore brownies or cupcakes?”
“I kept a couple of cupcakes here. You want one?”
“Sure do. I didn’t eat any of Rain’s cupcakes. She loves them, and I hate to take them from her, even though they are really good. Mind if I watch the game?”
“Uh, no. Go ahead. I’ll get you the cupcake and something to drink.”
“I’ll take a cup of that tea you’re drinking.” He pointed to her cup on the coffee table.
“Really?” she asked, surprised he’d want that and not a beer.
“What? I like tea.”
“Okay. Make yourself at home.”
They settled on the sofa together. It made her smile to see the huge man enjoying his tea and cupcake like nothing in the world spoke to the absurdity of him enjoying it with a gun at his side in easy reach while he watched a baseball game. He kept the sound low
, no doubt aware of everything around them. She remained on edge despite Brody’s outward show of ease. He projected no worries, but that didn’t stop her from jumping six hours later when he patted her leg and said, “Owen’s back.”
She didn’t hear anything for thirty seconds and then she caught the sound of an engine coming up the drive. She didn’t know how Brody heard it that far away and over the sound of the late-night comedy show.
She jumped off the couch and ran for the door. Brody grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
“Not so fast, sweetheart. Let’s make sure he’s alone and all’s clear.”
“But it’s Owen.”
“Better safe than sorry.”
They watched Owen slide from the truck, looking tired and haggard. He let out a loud, odd whistle at Brody and gave him a wave.
“All clear, sweetheart.”
“Did you two work out some kind of signal?”
“Goes back to when we were kids and gave each other the ‘all clear’ if it was a good time to be home or not.”
“That’s sad,” she said.
“That’s the past. Go get him. Looks like he needs to see you right about now.”
Owen stood in the pool of light cast by the porch and security lights. She ran down the steps and flew straight into his open arms. Dirty, sweaty, he hugged her close and she didn’t care what he smelled like or how dirty she got. He was in one piece.
“Are you okay?” she asked, holding him close, her feet off the ground.
“I am now. How about you?”
“It’s been quiet here.”
“Thank God for that.”
Claire leaned back and cocked her head in the direction of the horse trailer. Brody opened the back gate.
“You found them.”
“It took a while, but with the full moon and some help from my friend, yeah, we tracked them down. They’re exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, but none the worse for wear.”
“Why are you such a mess?”
“I said we found them, I didn’t say it was easy to catch them. I need a hot shower and you. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the saddle for hours on end.”
“Go get cleaned up. Brody and I can handle the horses.”
“No. I need to check them over in the light. Make sure they aren’t hurt, brush them down, get them fed and watered and settled for the night.”
“Owen, you’re exhausted.”
“I am, but I’m better, knowing you’re safe and sound.” He crushed her to his chest again. “You don’t know how worried I was, even with Brody here to protect you.”
“I felt ten times worse thinking of you out there alone.”
Brody backed out Luke from the borrowed trailer. Owen kissed her on the side of the head, released her, and went to help.
“You look like shit,” Brody said.
“I feel like it,” Owen answered.
Guy talk. She shook her head and followed Brody and Luke into the barn. Owen came in behind with Bo. They worked in the quiet, settling the horses in their stalls. Owen and Brody worked them over, checking for any cuts, sprains, or other injuries. Luckily, the horses hadn’t suffered anything but a scare and exhaustion.
Two hours later, the horses settled, the gates and doors secured, they made their way back up to the house.
Owen shook Brody’s hand and pulled him in for a quick guy hug, complete with a slap on the back. “Thanks for coming, man.”
“No problem.”
“I’ll drive you down to my house where you left your truck,” she offered.
“Not necessary. I’ll walk.”
“You’re going to check the property again before you leave.”
“Just a precaution. Sleep good. I’ll see you both soon.”
Brody walked into the darkness and disappeared. “Shouldn’t we wait to be sure he gets back okay?”
“No need. I’d be more worried about anyone he finds out there. Then again, if Dale is out there, good riddance if he tries to go after Brody.”
“Do you think Brody would do something?”
“No doubt. If I get my hands on Dale, you can expect the same.” He took her hand and led her up the stairs and into the house. “We both need a shower now.” He pulled her up the stairs. “I might just have enough energy to make love to you before I crash.”
“Owen, you need to sleep.”
“I will. After.”
True to his word, he stripped her bare in the bathroom. She took her time doing the same to him, rubbing his sore muscles as she peeled off his shirt. The knotted muscles in his back relaxed as she kneaded and rubbed and he let out a heavy sigh. She pulled his jeans down his thighs and rubbed her hands up and down the corded muscles, making him moan. She smiled and stood; leaning in close, she pressed her naked body to his and reached around to grab his ass and massage. His thick erection pressed to her belly. He stood in her arms, his shoulders sagging, his eyes closed. He enjoyed all the attention, and because he needed it, she gave him more, working her hands up his spine to his tense shoulders.
“I am so lucky to have you in my life,” he whispered.
Held loosely in his arms, she laid her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “So am I.”
She led him into the shower and turned on the spray, turning him so it beat on his head and back. She grabbed the shampoo and washed his hair for him.
He smiled and shook his head. “I’m not that tired.”
“I don’t see you stopping me.”
“From touching me. Never.”
He pulled her under the spray with him. Soap and water cascaded over both of them as he took her mouth and kissed her deep. She held on to him, rubbing her hands over his body, made all the more easy to massage him with the water making his skin slippery. He loved it and in turn loved her, slow and sweet until the water cooled and their bodies exploded with an intense orgasm that had both of them breathing hard and clinging to each other.
“Told you I could do it,” he boasted. “Nothing and no one is going to keep me from loving you.”
She hoped he was right, but her worries stayed with her even when they fell into bed exhausted. She couldn’t sleep for listening to every sound, knowing danger was just a breath away with Dale out there somewhere, plotting to hurt them.
Chapter Thirty-Three
* * *
THE LARGE BUSH at the edge of the park provided cover to spy on Owen. He and Claire had drawn ever closer, despite the many pitfalls in their way. Nothing worked to break them apart. Claire refused to leave him. Owen’s need to protect her, kept him close to her side, making it that much harder to cause them more trouble and pull them apart.
Time was running out. Something had to be done to show Owen the way.
Owen entered the jewelry store with Brody by his side. Everyone knew Brody and Rain were back together and headed down the aisle. They had to be there to buy Rain a ring.
Owen better not get any ideas about asking Claire to marry him. They barely knew each other. No, he wouldn’t do that. Would he?
Time dragged on. How long could it take for Brody to pick out a ring? Three customers went in the store. Two came out. Impatience and frustration only made the waiting more unbearable.
The door finally opened again. An hour after they entered the shop, Owen and Brody stepped out. Both carried the distinct black and gold bags with the shop’s name and logo. They exchanged words and happy smiles, touching the bags together in some kind of salute, or toast. They parted ways, Owen walking back to his office, and Brody to his truck.
No way in hell did Owen give Claire a ring, ask her to marry him, and the two of them lived happily ever after.
No fucking way.
Subtle hadn’t worked. This time, something permanent needed to be done.
Chapter Thirty-Four
* * *
OWEN HELD THE diamond engagement ring between his index finger and thumb. The diamond caught the light and shot rainbows of
sparkles everywhere. He picked up the matching wedding band and held them together, imagining them on Claire’s finger every day for the rest of their lives.
“You sure about this?” Brody asked.
Owen smiled, glanced at the rings in Brody’s fingers, and said, “As sure as you are about that.”
Because there was nothing more sure and real than Brody and Rain together. Owen had found that kind of long and lasting love with Claire. They may not have Brody and Rain’s history, but they’d forged a deep and lasting bond over the last couple months, dealing with Dale. He’d brought them together, despite his best efforts to tear them apart.
The saleswoman stood before them, a knowing smile on her face. “The lucky ladies are going to love them. Classic. Elegant. Just enough over-the-top to be spectacular, but not ostentatious.”
Brody picked out Rain’s first. After Owen saw the rings he’d chosen, nothing else in the case compared. The saleswoman gave him a nod and disappeared into the back room and came out with a tray of rings that stunned the senses. “Brilliant and bright” didn’t begin to describe the array of rings. Brody took a look and reevaluated his first choice. He’d traded up and Owen picked out his set with Claire’s specification in mind.
He had no doubt she was going to love it.
He didn’t even care about the cost, just pulled out his wallet and handed over his credit card. Brody did the same. The saleswoman packaged the rings in red velvet boxes lined in white satin. Elegant and pretty. Claire would like that, too. She paid attention to such details at her shop. She’d appreciate it in this.
Bags in hand and several thousand dollars poorer, he and Brody exited the shop, excited and anxious.
“When are you going to do it?” Brody asked, standing on the sidewalk with him.
“I’m not sure. I need time to plan. I want to do it right and make it special. Something she’ll always remember.”
“What did Dylan say?”
“Nothing, as usual. They can’t find Dale anywhere. He hasn’t gotten a parking ticket or used his credit card. It’s like he’s disappeared and turned into some ghost who keeps haunting my life.”
Falling for Owen Page 24
