by Jill Sanders
She sighed and turned towards the field again. “I never thought I would like the country so much.” She giggled. “I mean, maybe when I was a kid I’d dreamed about horses, dogs, and country living.”
He smiled. “I was just the opposite.” He leaned his foot up on the rung and looked off to the pond. He could see the dragonflies and fireflies buzzing around the water’s edge. “I always dreamed of running away to the city where I could drive fast cars and live in a place like you have.”
“Oh?” She smiled and shook her head. “Somehow I can’t imagine it.”
He looked down at her and nodded. “Yeah, I suppose not.”
“You’re built for this.” She nodded towards the field. “It’s in your blood.”
An image of his father broke into his mind, and he shook his head to clear it.
“Your family is here.” She turned to him again. “Have you thought about staying?”
He tilted his head and looked down at her. An image popped into his head of her standing in a field in a flowing cotton dress. Her hair was pushed up, a straw hat covered her eyes, and there were a few dogs running around her feet. He smiled at the image. “Have you?” He pulled her close again.
She nodded and he watched her swallow. “After this, how can I go back to the city? There’s so much here. So much that I enjoy.”
“Like horseback riding?” He smiled.
She nodded and smiled. “I’ve become accustomed to it.” He knew that she took daily rides with one of his cousins. He, too, was becoming accustomed to saddling up every day and heading out to the fields.
“Will you stay?” he asked, knowing there was more to the question.
She blinked a few times and tilted her head. “I’m not sure. I have some loose ends to tie up first.” She sighed and took a step back when a couple walked out on the deck, laughing. The moment was lost and he felt sad knowing that she was still unsure of how she felt about him.
He might be out of practice, but he was sure she had understood his question.
They walked back into the crowded bar and sat with his family. His eyes kept scanning the club, as if he were still on duty. He supposed that it had become so embedded in him now that he could never truly have a night off.
Nikki noticed his uneasiness and tried to get him to relax a little, but something told him that the peace and quiet wouldn’t last much longer. Something had to be done to end this and he knew it was time to come up with a plan.
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s a crazy plan. I don’t think it’ll work,” Nikki’s father said. The phone reception was bad and he wondered just where the old man was now. He’d told him during their last call that he was back in the States, but hadn’t given him many details.
“Well, that’s why I’m running it by you first instead of my superiors. Do you have any other suggestions?”
The phone was silent. “Give me a week. Maybe two. I’ll give you a call with something.”
“I don’t think we have a week.”
“Why? Has something happened? Is Nikki—”
“No, nothing has happened. Your daughter is safe.” He walked farther away from the new house they’d moved into just that morning. It was three doors down from the place they’d been in and had an additional bedroom and a much larger couch. He was looking forward to snuggling with Nikki and watching movies on it that night.
But for now, he didn’t want her to overhear his conversation with her father.
“Then why the rush?”
He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “It’s just a feeling.”
He could hear the other man grunt. “Give me a week, at least. Keep your eyes open and I’ll get back to you.”
He nodded then agreed and switched off the phone. He felt like throwing it but knew that it wouldn’t do any good.
The plan he’d come up with the night before had, at least in his mind, seemed solid enough. Maybe he should present it to his chief? Sitting around waiting for something to happen was starting to get to him.
“Is there a problem?” Nikki called from the huge back deck.
He tucked the phone in his pocket, turned, and pasted on a smile. “No, just taking in the view.”
“Well, come on in. I still owe you a dinner.” She waved and walked back inside.
He hadn’t expected to get the cold shoulder from Nikki’s dad. Couldn’t he see that his daughter was more important than any other case he was working?
He didn’t want to mention the conversation to Nikki, so he quickly stowed the phone in the new hiding place and walked into the kitchen.
“Something smells good in here.” He took her hips and pulled her close for a kiss. “Mmm, something tastes good in here, too.”
She laughed and tried to pull away. He let her go, since he could see something boiling on the stove.
“Go sit down. I’ll bring it in.”
He walked into the small dining room. The table was set with fancy dishes and there were fresh flowers in a large vase in the middle.
He should have thought to bring her flowers. Hell, they’d been dating almost a whole month and he hadn’t even really taken her out for a real date.
Dating. He stopped in his tracks. He supposed that’s what they were doing. More like living together. He shook his head. It was necessary. To keep her safe. He’d never lived with a woman before and had always imagined that he would have issues with it. Either they wouldn’t clean up after themselves or they’d complain that he didn’t do a good enough job of cleaning up after himself. But with Nikki, there had been no complaining on either side. Even in the small place, they had never really seemed on top of each other or in each other’s way.
He looked down at his dirty hands and frowned. He rushed to the bathroom and scrubbed himself clean, then changed his shirt and combed his hair. It was time for a haircut. He wasn’t used to keeping it short, and it had grown to just below his collar again.
He should shave again, too. So much maintenance he’d neglected during his time undercover. But now he wanted to make sure he looked good for her.
When he walked back into the dining room, she was sitting there waiting for him.
“Sorry,” he sat down. “I needed to clean up.”
She smiled. “No problem.” She started to dish up his plate. “Did you have a good conversation with my father?” she asked as she handed him his food.
He fumbled the plate a little, but recovered quickly. “Yeah.” He looked down at the plate. He should have known he couldn’t keep anything away from her.
“Is he coming here soon?” she asked as she dished herself a helping of potatoes.
“About a week or so,” he said and shoveled a spoonful of beans into his mouth. She frowned at him and then focused on eating.
An awkward silence filled the room. He knew he should say something more, but he didn’t know what.
Finally, when he was done with his second helping, he set his fork down and smiled up at her. “Those were the best pork chops I’ve had in years.”
She smiled and nodded. Still, he could see the worry in her eyes.
“He’ll be here. I’m sure he’s working on a plan as we speak.” He got up and walked over to her, pulling her from her chair.
“He’s still mad at me,” she said, avoiding looking at his eyes. He put his fingers under her chin and pulled her face up to his.
“He’s not upset at you. Trust me.” He waited until she nodded.
“What do you say we leave this mess for later and take a walk?” He pulled her close. “I hear we’re in for a few days of bad weather, and since it might be the last night it will be warm enough to, let’s enjoy it.”
She nodded. “I’ll just get a jacket.” She leaned up and placed a kiss on his lips. “Thanks.” She turned and walked out of the room quickly before he had a chance to say anything more.
Nikki wiped a stray tear from her face as she hunted for her light jacket. It had been over a month. A month! An
d her father couldn’t pull himself away from his job.
She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. Ryan would know that she’d been crying. Walking into the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face and tried to steady her breathing.
Ryan had said that her dad wasn’t upset at her anymore, but the fact was, she hadn’t talked to him since she’d yelled at him for lying to her. She knew in her heart that he was still upset at her. After all, it wasn’t like him to keep silent for so long.
She could hardly remember a week that she hadn’t talked to him for an hour. And here it was almost two weeks since she’d yelled at him. What was he doing?
She grabbed the jacket hanging on the back of the bathroom door and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little red, but hopefully she could blame it on the cold.
She walked out of the house and sighed when she saw Ryan leaning against the deck, looking off towards the sunset. The sky was just starting to turn lighter colors as the sun slipped below the tree line.
She sighed and leaned against the railing next to him. “It’s really beautiful here.”
He rubbed the spot under her cheek and nodded. Then he took her hand and pulled her down the steps towards the field. He had a blanket tucked under his other arm.
“I thought we’d lay out and count the stars,” he said when he noticed her looking at the blanket.
“Sounds good.” She smiled and forgot about her problems. “I’ve never lay out in a field and looked at the stars before.”
He smiled at her. “Then you’ve been missing out.” He pulled her closer. “Maybe we’ll even neck.”
She chuckled. “I’d hoped.” She wrapped her arms around his waist as they walked in the fields.
It was a quiet evening and as they walked towards the sunset, the sky exploded with colors.
“I’ve been thinking about sticking around. You know, after this mess blows over,” he said, glancing down at her. “Lauren said she could use some help on the ranch and my brother mentioned he could use another hand with his business.”
She looked at him. “What about your job?”
He shrugged his shoulders and pulled her to a stop. Then he spread the large blanket out on the soft grass. When he pulled her down next to him, she went willingly.
“I talked to Wes about the possibility of grabbing a few hours at the station.” He leaned back and pulled her with him. “It wouldn’t be as intense as what I’m used to, but it’s time I thought about slowing down.”
She rested her head against his shoulder and watched the last of the light leave the sky. “If that’s what you want,” she whispered.
He turned and leaned on his elbow, hovering over her. “What I want is for this to continue. The way we are now.”
Looking up into his green eyes, she could just imagine how life would be with him. She pulled him down until their lips met. For some reason, she wanted the tenderness he was giving her now. Maybe it was all the emotions that had been bubbling up in her, but she wanted the slowness, the gentleness, the care.
His hands moved over her gently, causing her skin to almost tingle as she arched up into his waiting fingers.
Her hands shook as she pulled him closer. Part of her wanted to tell him that she wanted to stay with him here, forever. But his mouth was busy over hers and she didn’t want to pull away just yet.
Then he was pulling her jacket open, and she could focus on nothing more than the feel of his hands and mouth on her. Her fingers gripped his shoulders, wanting to hold on. She ran them gently over each muscle and enjoyed the veins that ran down each arm. When she pulled at his shirt, he leaned up and yanked it off over his head, then looked down at her.
“You’re so beautiful in the moonlight,” he whispered next to her lips.
She felt like she was spinning and the only way to stay rooted was to hold onto him. His hands moved over her exposed skin slowly, causing her skin to spark and flame. When he moved her shirt up, she moaned at the feeling of his skin against her own.
Before she could wrap her mind around it, she was lying naked under a blanket of stars. He moved closer and the moonlight reflected off the sleekness of his skin. Then he was next to her and she felt like she couldn’t get close enough.
“Please,” she begged over and over again.
“What?” He pulled back and looked down at her. “Tell me what you want, Nikki.” His green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.
“You. Just you.” She reached up and pulled him back towards her until she felt him move between her legs. Then he was deep inside her, and she cried out. Her voice echoed as he moved within her. His mouth covered hers, stealing her moans of pleasure as his hips rocked over hers.
She dug her nails into his hips, trying to pull him into a faster pace, but he chuckled and pulled back. His eyes searched hers out. “I want to go slow,” he said between kisses. “I want you to know what it can be like...with me,” he said, and his smile showed her that he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
She could only nod and pray that he’d pick up the pace to match her desire. He rested on one of his elbows and started running his fingers over her chest, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the tenderness. His mouth replaced his fingers and she felt the heat spreading again. She moved under him, with him.
When she wrapped her legs around his hips, it was Ryan who started to beg. His eyes searched hers out and she felt all the breath leave her lungs.
Why had she questioned her feelings for him? Her feelings were as clear as the feelings that were written on Ryan’s face.
She’d fallen hard and fast. She’d only known him for a short while, but she knew without a doubt that he was the one she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.
As the moonlight streamed over their naked bodies, she let herself fall for the very first time in her life as she held onto the only man who could ever make her feel complete.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryan found it hard to concentrate the next few days. He’d never imagined that he’d be so afraid to admit his feelings to someone. He had no problem saying the three words in his head, but every time he opened his mouth around Nikki, something else came out.
He knew he had to be on guard, especially since the feeling of impending doom was building in him every day. He hadn’t heard back from her father and they were getting closer and closer to the week’s end.
She avoided talking about it, but he could tell she was hurt that her father hadn’t come around sooner. He tried to keep her mind off it by keeping her busy. They went for walks in the evening or long rides to watch the sunset from the fields.
His family could tell something was up, and they were on extra guard. Chase had taken to packing his shotgun as they rode out every day. Ryan had demanded that Nikki stay closer to the house during the day and that someone always remain with her.
He made sure to work in the fields closer to the house and kept Nikki’s phone on him at all times. He shoved her handgun in his jacket pocket every day and made sure she carried her other gun with her at all times.
They’d talked about moving on, but something told him to stay put, at least until he’d heard from her old man. Besides, he really believed that there wasn’t any place as safe as Fairplay.
He’d told Wes and the sheriff the whole story and had asked them to keep their eyes and ears open around town. The sheriff had everyone working double shifts so they had enough eyes on the town.
When they got home that evening, he decided to grill some steaks out on the back deck. They sat outside and ate on the old picnic table under one of the large oaks. The leaves were all gone, but since the weather was cooler, they didn’t mind the warmth of the sun hitting them.
“When do you think he’ll call?” she asked out of the blue.
He looked up at her and shook his head.
“What do you think he’s doing?” She pushed her plate away and frowned down at it.
“
I couldn’t say. I’ve never met your father before.”
She looked up at him quickly and then nodded. “I’d forgotten. I mean, you’ve talked to him more in the last month than I have.” She shook her head and looked down again.
He reached over and took her hand. “I’m sure that he’s working on a plan to keep you safe.” He smiled up at her and when she nodded and smiled back, he felt a little relief.
That night as they lay in bed, he listened to her steady breathing and knew that if his daughter was ever in a situation like this, he’d do anything he could to ensure her safety. Anything.
Nikki woke up early the next morning. Her head was a little dull; worrying about her dad had kept her up half the night. Why wasn’t he there yet?
She’d spent the last few days at the big house helping Missy prepare for her wedding. All of the women were working overtime on making the decorations for the big event.
She’d gone into town with Holly and had picked out a simple cream-colored dress for the event. She’d even bought a new purse and shoes. Ryan had been fitted for his tux and was going to be his brother’s best man.
But it was hard to focus on the happy occasion when something so big loomed over them.
She was just getting out of the shower when she heard a phone ringing. It took her a while to find the phone that had been stashed in Ryan’s jacket pocket.
“Hello?” she finally answered a little breathless.
“Well, hello, Nikki,” a strange voice said. She looked down at the number, and she started. This was her father’s secure line. Who could be calling her from her dad’s phone?
“Who is this?” she asked, tucking the towel more closely around her.
“I think you know who this is. If you want to see your father, all you have to do is go home. And Nikki? Come alone.” The line went dead and all of the blood drained from her face.
She looked at the phone one more time, then immediately dialed her father’s number by heart. When it clicked over to voice mail, she left an urgent message and tried a few more times. Each time it rang until voice mail picked it up.
