Sighing, she threw the covers back and got out of bed. Maybe warm milk would help. Tiptoeing past the bedroom Emma was sleeping in, she quietly slipped downstairs.
Before she turned on the kitchen light, she thought she saw something outside. Her nerves on edge, Becca walked to the kitchen door and looked out the window. The moon was full so she had a good view of the barn. It was then she saw the flames reaching for the sky from the barn’s roof.
It was on fire! Becca ran back to the stairs and screamed out Emma’s name.
Emma came to the top of the stairs. “What is it?” Her eyes were wide with fear.
“The barn’s on fire! I’m calling 911. Please call Stan,” Becca screamed as she ran to the living room to get her cellphone. The operator assured her a fire truck would be there soon. Becca then ran upstairs to change into jeans and boots. As she hurried back down, Emma came running up.
“I called Stan. He’s calling the ranch hands to help. They all live close by. As soon as I change, I’ll be out.”
Becca nodded, and then ran through the kitchen and out the door. She didn’t even bother with her coat. She saw Stan leading Daisy out of the barn and ran to meet him.
Sheer panic made her almost dizzy with fear. “Is she alright? How bad is it?” Becca asked.
Stan coughed and shook his head. “It’s a good thing you saw it, Becca. I think it just started but the flames were getting close to Daisy.” He rubbed the horse’s nose.
Daisy’s eyes were wide and the smell of smoke surely frightened her. In the distance, they could hear the sirens. Emma came running out from the house and handed Becca her coat. Several trucks came barreling up the driveway. Becca figured it was the ranch hands but there were three other trucks behind those. She was shocked to see Jake and Gabe step from their trucks. The third tall man had to be Wyatt.
Jake headed right for her. The welcome sight of him almost brought her to her knees.
“Becca, are you all right?” His voice was hoarse. “Stan called us.”
She nodded and did her best to keep the tears back but one rolled down her cheek. Damn it! It seemed like crying was all she did lately.
Gently, Jake reached out and wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb. Unable to stop herself, Becca stepped toward him and he wrapped his arms around her. A feeling of sublime relief flowed through her. She put her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his chest. His strong heartbeat made her feel safe. He laid his chin on top of her head. She realized Gabe was standing beside them.
“Is she all right?” Gabe asked softly.
Becca felt Jake shake his head. The fire truck and the sheriff’s SUV came up the driveway. Sam came rushing toward Becca and Jake.
“Did you see anything, Becca?” Sam touched her shoulder.
She pulled away from Jake. She was trembling.
“I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about…” she began as her gaze glided past Jake. Whoa, she sure couldn’t confess that dream. With a slight cough, she adjusted her thought process. “I was thinking about…the horses and I came downstairs to get some warm milk. Before I turned the lights on, I saw something by the barn.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure what I saw but when I looked closer, I saw the flames.”
Sam wrote down everything. The firefighters were working to get the fire out before it got out of control. The roof had flames shooting out of it and if it collapsed, all would be lost.
Jake kissed her gently on the forehead and moved away to help the men.
Becca felt Emma put her arm around her and give her a squeeze. She wrapped her arm around Emma’s waist as they watched the men fight the fire.
“Let’s go inside. They can come in and talk to us once the fire’s out,” Emma suggested.
An hour later, it was all over. They’d saved the barn. The roof would need repair but the structure was sound. Emma and Becca sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and had another pot ready for anyone who wanted it. Becca hoped Jake would come in. As cold as it was, all the men could use something to warm them up. She looked up anxiously when the back door opened. Sam walked in with a firefighter who wore Chief on his helmet.
“Would you men like some coffee? We made a full pot,” Becca asked, rising from her chair, disappointed that Jake hadn’t come in too.
The men nodded and she got cups down for them. She had her back to the door when it opened again, she turned and her heart hit her stomach when Jake entered, followed by Gabe. Her gaze met Jake’s and held it. He smiled and winked at her. Blushing, she turned back to the cupboard to get more cups down. She put them on the table along with cream and sugar.
Gabe picked up the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. Becca leaned her back against the counter and sipped her own coffee. Jake came over beside her and poured himself a cup. He nudged her with his elbow. “You doing all right?” he asked quietly.
Becca nodded, but she wasn’t. This was getting ridiculous. She wanted it to end. Someone wanted her gone. Someone wanted to bid on the ranch and hoped to scare her enough to make her leave. She trembled. Jake put his arm around her, and she leaned into him. Having him here with her made all the difference in the world.
Gabe raised an eyebrow at them. Jake glared at him.
The exchange wasn’t lost on Becca and it made her feel self-conscious, so she moved away from Jake and sat down beside Emma at the table. She looked at the fire chief. Emma had introduced him as Chet Browne.
“Did you find anything, Chief?” Becca asked.
Chief Browne nodded his head. “Our arson specialist will be out tomorrow but I could smell gasoline, so I’m pretty sure it was deliberate. I believe it started in the loft.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on. First someone steals my horses, and then my barn is set on fire.” Becca put her hands over her face in despair.
No one said a word. No one had any answers.
The fire chief and Sam put their empty cups in the sink and after telling Becca they would be in touch, thanked her for the coffee, and left. Jake and Gabe sat down at the table. Emma turned away from Gabe. Becca could see she was unnerved with Gabe sitting so close to her. She didn’t blame her. All of the Stone men were bigger than life.
Then, as if to speak of the devil, the back door opened and a tall man walked in. Becca’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly. Jake and Gabe were gorgeous, and this man was certainly no exception. When Emma met her gaze, Becca mouthed, wow. Emma put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at her friend’s expression.
His black Stetson sat low on his forehead, shadowing his eyes. His nose was straight and narrow. He had high cheekbones and a strong, chiseled jaw covered in stubble, which seemed the norm around Clifton. Removing his coat, he took off his hat, uncovering shiny ebony hair, which gleamed like a raven’s wing and touched the collar of his cotton T-shirt.
“Becca, this is Wyatt Stone,” Emma told her with an amused grin.
Wyatt smiled at her. Deep dimples creased Wyatt’s cheeks, and his smile flashed straight white teeth. She couldn’t get over how gorgeous the Stone men were but in her eyes, neither Gabe nor Wyatt could hold a candle to Jake. She suddenly noticed Wyatt had his hand out to her so she blushed and put her hand in his.
“It’s nice to meet you, Becca,” he said in a deep voice. Wyatt was as tall as his brothers were and had a body to match. The testosterone in the room was staggering.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” She grinned then realized Jake was frowning at her. She shrugged at him, but he moved away from the counter and reached for his coat.
“I think we all need to get some sleep. Stan put Daisy in the other barn and I know he’ll keep an eye on her. I don’t think anything more will happen tonight.” He looked at his brothers. “You all ready to go?”
“I was hoping for a cup of coffee,” Wyatt told him.
“Then go home and get one,” Jake said, nearly growling the words as he narrowed his eyes at his unsuspecting brother.
Wyatt
grinned at him and Gabe laughed. Jake moved to stand near her. “Call me if you need anything, Red.” Jake ran his hand tenderly over her hair.
Becca nodded. More than anything, she really wanted to ask him to stay with her but she couldn’t. Looking up at him, she gave him a sad little smile. He smiled back then herded his brothers out of the house. Wyatt and Gabe said goodnight as Jake shoved them out the door.
Chapter Six
Two weeks later, Becca drove to the Bert Mooney Airport in Butte to pick up Olivia. Emma rode with her. There hadn’t been any more problems since the night of the fire. The barn roof had a temporary tarp over it until the weather cleared. The vast countryside remained covered in snow. The roads, however, were clear for now but with more bad weather coming, they wouldn’t stay that way for long. She followed the curvy two-lane blacktop, passing snow-covered fields and wood barns, some of which looked as if a small gust of wind could easily topple them. Occasionally, they would pass a dirt road with a sign announcing what ranch lay beyond. This was definitely horse country.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Emma glanced at her.
Becca smiled. “I’m just thinking about getting there in time to meet Liv. The woman has the patience of a hungry bear. The term patience is a virtue does, in no way, apply to Olivia Roberts.” This wasn’t exactly true because she’d actually been thinking about Jake. He had called her a couple of times to check on her and each time Becca had clung to every word. Honestly, she didn’t know what she wanted. The turmoil of the last few weeks was taking its toll. But she was excited to see Liv, that she couldn’t deny.
Even though Olivia didn’t come into her life until age thirteen, Becca couldn’t remember what it was like before meeting the spunky girl. As early as that, Olivia had a reputation and while most of it was just talk, it hadn’t bothered her one bit. Olivia couldn’t care less what people thought of her and the day she saved Becca from a bully had sealed their friendship. A girl, two years older and a lot bigger, had Becca cornered in the girls’ bathroom. Becca had been terrified and almost wet her pants, but then Olivia walked in. Striding up to the bully, Olivia just stared at her until the girl started fidgeting, making Olivia smile slyly.
“What are you doing, Carlisle? Trying to scare the younger classmen?” Olivia had folded her arms across her chest and grinned. “You know, I’m a younger classman. Why don’t you try your shit on me?”
To this day, it amazed Becca that the bully backed down and left. She remembered looking at Olivia and thinking how pretty she was, even though she wasn’t dressed in the newest clothes. It hadn’t mattered. They’d looked at each other and smiled. A friendship started that day and never stopped. Becca had never met anyone who lived in a foster home before but when she finally talked Olivia into spending the night at her house, Becca’s parents adored her just as much as Becca did.
The memories faded as she pulled into the parking lot. Both she and Emma hopped out and hurried into the terminal. The flight had just landed, making Becca breathe a sigh of relief. The public address system announced at what gate the passengers would be disembarking. Becca virtually ran to it. She was so excited to see her best friend. Scanning the people coming through the gateway, at last she spotted Olivia. Becca waved and saw Olivia’s face light up.
The woman demanded attention wherever she went. Both male and female heads turned as she walked through the terminal toward Becca. No longer did she wear hand-me down clothes but instead wore skinny jeans tucked into Ugg boots, along with a purple sweater, which emphasized her curves. Her long black hair hung in a silk curtain halfway down her back. The stylish bangs framed a heart-shaped face. Her porcelain skin was flawless. A black pea coat hung open.
Becca laughed as she looked into those beautiful amethyst eyes surrounded by ridiculously long, thick lashes. A sexy mole complimented the right corner of Olivia’s lush lips. She was a beautiful woman who swore like a sailor, and Becca adored her. They wrapped their arms around each other and cried.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Liv.” Becca wiped her eyes.
Olivia pulled back. “Me, too, Becs. I’ve missed you.”
“This is Emma Conner. Emma, this is Olivia Roberts, my best friend,” Becca introduced them.
Olivia stuck her hand out to Emma. “Please, call me Liv. It’s nice to meet you, Emma. Thanks so much for staying with Becca while all of this shit was going on.”
Emma laughed. “You’re welcome, Liv. It’s nice to meet you too.” She looked to Becca, who shrugged as if to say, that’s Liv.
The three women went to pick up Olivia’s luggage, and then walked together to the parking lot. Olivia stopped in her tracks when she saw the large SUV Becca was driving.
Becca frowned at her. “What?”
“This monstrosity is yours?” Olivia raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Becca burst out laughing. “Yes. I bought it right after I arrived. I loved the one I’d rented and figured since I was going to be here during the winter, I needed something to get around in.”
Olivia shook her head as she stowed her luggage in the back, and then walked to the front passenger door. She opened it, but had to reach for the handle above the door to pull herself up into the truck. Emma hopped in the back. Olivia looked around. “I feel like I’m in a Mack truck looking down on everyone,” she said with a giggle. “I like it.”
They pulled out of the parking lot and turned toward Clifton. It was a two-hour drive and gave them plenty of time to catch up. However, when the subject of Steve came up Becca tensed.
“He was in about a week ago but after asking how you were, nothing else was said. I was really surprised he gave up so easily.” Olivia shook her head. “I still don’t trust him.”
“He’s harmless, Liv,” Becca said, not voicing her own opinion on how Steve gave her the creeps.
“Who’s Steve?” Emma asked from the back seat.
“A real asshole,” Olivia muttered.
“Olivia,” Becca scolded, and then looked into the rearview mirror. “Just a guy I dated back in Maryland. Liv doesn’t like him.”
“Ya think?” Olivia said with sarcasm. She turned in her seat to look at Emma. “Saying I didn’t like him is like saying the Grand Canyon is a little hole. He always gave me the creeps.” She gave a fake shudder before turning back toward Becca. “So, is there anything more going on with you and Jake?”
Becca blushed, and Olivia jumped on it. “There is, I knew it. Did you do the nasty?”
“Olivia Rene Roberts! Stop it. You’re embarrassing me.”
Emma leaned forward. “Did you, Becca? Have you and Jake slept together?”
Olivia pointed her finger at Becca. “Sweetie, that blush gives you away. How was it?”
Becca sighed. “It was…amazing.” She glanced back to Emma. “Please don’t tell anyone.”
Emma laughed. “I knew there had to be something between you two. I think it’s great and there’s no one I would tell. I don’t have a lot of friends.”
Olivia turned toward her again. “Now why wouldn’t a beautiful woman like you have friends, Emma, especially men friends?”
Emma blushed. “I was a bookworm in school then I helped out at my dad’s ranch and store. Between that and practicing for the barrel racing competitions, I don’t have time to date much.” Her voice faded away.
Olivia and Becca glanced at each other.
“Well, you have us now. And trust me when I say, you can’t have two more loyal friends,” Olivia told her. Becca smiled and nodded in agreement.
When they arrived in Clifton, Olivia announced she was hungry so they decided to eat at the Clifton Diner. After parking, they walked inside. It was crowded. Becca was surprised when everyone smiled and waved at her. She looked at Emma with raised eyebrows.
Emma shrugged. “I happened to mention that you never knew about Hattie and it got around town. No one blames you for not coming around. I told you they would get over it. Let’s grab a booth in the back.”
The server brought them menus and filled their water glasses. Becca looked around the small café. It was a throwback to the fifties. The counter lined with round vinyl stools sat in front of an open pass through window, which looked into the kitchen. She could see the cook back there fixing orders, and then setting them in the open window while calling out that the order was up. The booths, which surrounded scarred tables, also had red vinyl seats and the floor consisted of large black and white squares. The aromas filling the air were amazing. The scents of coffee, hamburgers, fries, and onions permeated the diner. Her stomach growled. They ordered hamburgers with fries and vanilla cokes.
When the orders came, Becca’s eyes widened. It was the biggest burger she’d ever seen. It took up more than half of the plate. Several fries fell onto the table since there wasn’t much room on the plates. Lifting it up, she took a bite, closed her eyes, and moaned. “Oh. My. God. This is fantastic.”
“They have the best food here. No matter what you order, I guarantee you’ll love it,” Emma proclaimed with pride.
Olivia chewed on a fry. “I think I could get used to this,” she announced with a big grin. “But then I’d gain like a hundred pounds.” She glanced around the diner. “There sure are a lot of cowboys in here.”
Olivia shifted her gaze to Becca. “So when do I get to meet yours? Oh, and don’t think I’ve forgotten about you and him getting it on. I want all the details. I haven’t had sex in, like forever, so I need to hear all of it.”
Becca knew Olivia wouldn’t give up until she spilled all the details about having sex with Jake. Her cheeks burned as she remembered. Maybe it hadn’t been as good for him as it had been for her. After all, he hadn’t come around for more. He was there for the fire but that was the last time she saw him, other than the few checking in phone calls. She blew out a breath and looked at Olivia, and then Emma. They were looking at her and smiling.
“What now?”
“You have a dreamy look on your face. You were remembering, weren’t you?” Olivia asked with an evil grin.
Jake (Men of Clifton Montana Book 1) Page 8
