by Ciana Stone
“Oh. Oh! Shit!” She snatched up the blanket and wrapped it around herself. “What time is it?”
“Seven.”
“Oh okay. Damn, sorry.”
“What are you doing out here?”
She walked over to the door. “Sleeping.”
“I could see that. The question is why?”
“Because two of your men tried to rape me in the bunkhouse.”
“What?”
“Do I need to repeat it?”
“No. Who?”
“Mitch and Kenny.”
Wes opened the door, reached in and took her by the arm. “Come on.”
“Where’re we going?”
“To the bunkhouse. You’re going to get clean and dress.”
“I don’t need you to do that.”
“I’m going to sit and wait on you and then you’re going to tell me everything that happened.”
“Fine.”
Wes felt like hitting something. To think that two of his men would try something like that made him furious. On the other hand, until he’d heard the whole story, from both sides, he wouldn’t know the whole truth and he fully intended to have a complete picture before he took action.
Liz entered ahead of him and went to her room. She opened the door, peered in and then entered. A few minutes later she walked out, still wrapped in the blanket but with clothes in her arms. Wes watched her go to the bathroom and close the door.
Wes pulled out his phone and called Kyle. “Wes, hey.” Kyle answered.
“How soon can you be here?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“Thanks. Meet me in bunkhouse three.”
“On my way.”
Wes tucked his phone in his pocket and looked around. The common area was a wreck. Empty beer and liquor bottles, dirty dishes and trash everywhere. God, how could people stand to live like pigs? He walked to the door of Liz’s room and looked inside.
It looked like someone had ransacked the place. The mattress and bed covers were off the bed, the night table was turned over and all of her belongings were scattered around the room. Next he went into the kitchen. It was as much a pigsty as the rest of the place but he managed to clean the coffee pot, find coffee and start a pot.
Finding clean coffee cups was another challenge. Fifteen minutes later, there was a tap on the door. He opened it to find Kyle standing outside. “Come on in.”
“What’s up?”
“We need to wait on Liz. Right now I’m trying to find coffee cups.”
Between the two of them they managed to find and wash three cups. Five minutes later Liz emerged from the bathroom with her discarded clothing folded and stacked on top of the blanket. She stopped, looked at Kyle, then deposited her things in her room and returned, draping the blanket on the back of a chair.
“Let’s sit.” Wes said and placed steaming cups of coffee on the table for each of them.
Everyone took a seat at the table. Liz wrapped her hands around her coffee cup but didn’t drink. She just stared at the cup. Kyle looked at her and then at Wes. “Someone want to tell me what’s going on?”
Wes looked over at Liz. “I think Liz is going to tell both of us, aren’t you Liz?”
Liz looked up and straightened a bit in her chair. “Yes, I am.”
She didn’t elaborate but quickly relayed to them what had happened, ending with, “and I fell asleep in Traveler’s stall.”
One look at Kyle let Wes know that Kyle was furious. He was as well. If it were true. There was one thing that bothered him. “So, you said this man Joe showed up?”
“Yes.”
“Who’s Joe?”
“I don’t know. Some guy who works for you. Your father was giving him down in the country yesterday about sitting on a fence eating. He snatched Joe’s lunch bag from him and stomped it into the dirt so I let Joe come here and make himself some lunch.”
“And he just showed up last night?”
“Yes.”
Wes pulled out his phone and called the ranch foreman. “Denton? I need you to bring Mitch and Kenny to bunkhouse three. Yes, now.”
The atmosphere in the room was tense. Wes noticed the way Kyle and Liz kept cutting looks at one another but never made eye-contact. He got to his feet. “I’m going to wait outside for them.”
The moment the door closed behind Wes, Kyle propped his arms on the table and leaned in toward Liz who sat across from him. “Liz, look at me.”
She did and he could tell she was uncomfortable. He didn’t blame her. “You’re sure they didn’t – “
“No. I told you. I got away when Joe showed up.”
“So you weren’t hurt at all?”
“Not except for these bruises on my neck.”
“Why didn’t you call someone?”
“Who?” She pinned him with a look that cut right through him.
“Me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because…”
“I’m sorry, Kyle. That was unfair. I didn’t call anyone because I didn’t have my phone.”
He shook his head and looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“Why? You didn’t do anything.”
“No, but this shouldn’t have happened.”
He reached out and touched her hand, still gripping the coffee cup. “I would have come if you had called.”
She nodded but didn’t look away. “Do you think I’ll be fired for this?”
“No.”
“This isn’t working out the way I’d hoped.”
“No?”
“No. Herbert Pursell has it in for me.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Mitch said “Boss said we had permission to get a taste of you,” just before it all got physical.”
“And you think he meant Herbert?’
“I do.”
“Why?”
“Uh, one word… Paulo.”
Something about her answer rang false, but Kyle dismissed it. She had a point. Herbert wanted to ram Paulo down Wes’s throat and cut Liz out of the job. Thanks to Landing, Paulo had not only proven himself incapable, he’d also demonstrated the kind of man he was.
And Liz had bested him.
But surely Herbert Pursell would not give his men permission to rape Liz?
Wes walked back inside and took a seat. “They said you plied them with liquor and invited them into your room.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
“I didn’t say I believe them, but here’s the rub. No one knows anything about this Joe guy. He’s not on the payroll and aside from you no one has seen or talked to him.”
Kyle wasn’t surprised that the stories differed. That was always the way of things. But the deal with this guy Joe was strange.
“Well he’s not a figment of my imagination.” Liz said.
“I’m not saying I don’t believe you,” Wes said. “But those men technically work for my father so I don’t have a lot of power in this.”
“So they keep their jobs and you fire me. Is that the gist of it?”
“No. I’m not going to fire you. But you can’t live here anymore, so I’ll pay whatever it costs for you to rent a room or place in town. I know there are rooms available.”
“In town? Isn’t that like an hour away?”
“Forty-five minutes.” Kyle said.
“Forty-five minutes. And they have places for Traveler?”
“No,” Wes replied. “But you can board Traveler here, free of charge.”
“Just fire me and be done with it.”
“I don’t want to fire you, Liz. I need you.”
“And I need to be close to Traveler. I can’t do that trekking back and forth to town. Best if I just pack up and – “
“You could stay in the Creek House on my place.” Kyle said.
Both Liz and Wes looked at him. They couldn’t be any more surprised than he was. Kyle couldn’t believe the words had come out of this mouth. Damn. He wa
s angry at what had happened to Liz, and combined with the attraction he had for her, he’d spoken without thinking.
But one look at Liz and he couldn’t consider retracting the offer. “It’s a small place. One bedroom, bath, kitchen and sitting room. But it’s sound and livable.”
“You’d be willing to rent?” Wes asked.
“Yeah.” Kyle kept his eyes on Liz.
“How much?”
“How much you want to pay?”
“A thousand a month.”
“Sounds fair.”
“Wait, hold on.” Liz held up her hands. “First, thank you Wes, that’s incredibly generous And Kyle, that’s … that’s wow, I’m overwhelmed, but there’s one thing.” She looked at Kyle. “Are you sure about this and can I bring Traveler?”
“Yes and of course.”
“I’ll pay to board him.”
“Yes, you will.”
“Okay then.” She looked at Wes. “Thank you. This will work. Thank you.”
“Good. So, I’ve got things to attend to and I think you two have a horse to train.”
“Yes.” Liz jumped to her feet. “Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. I think it’d be best if you cleaned out your room now rather than waiting until later.”
“Okay, sure.”
“Great, then I’ll see you later.” He looked at Kyle. “Kyle.”
“Wes.” Kyle nodded and waited until Wes left before turning his attention to Liz. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, why?”
“You don’t seem fine.”
“I don’t?”
“No.”
“It’s just… it was just a rough night. I’ll be fine. I’ll just go pack my stuff and stow it in my truck. I’ll meet you at the track in twenty minutes, if that’s okay.”
“It’s fine. I’ll just wait outside, in case…”
“Thanks, Kyle.” Her voice softened for the first time.
“You’re welcome.”
She nodded and hurried to her room. Kyle blew out his breath and rolled his shoulders. This could be a huge mistake. Not only were things not going well here on the Pursell ranch, but he couldn’t forget what he’d overheard her say on the phone.
He wants me to come back, give up control of my life to him and settle down with some jerk of his choosing who will be of benefit to him.
Who was she talking with and about? It didn’t sound like a good situation and if someone was out to try and control her life, there was a good chance that someone would end up finding her and bring more drama and conflict.
He hated both with a deep and abiding passion. But, he had a thing for Liz. He accepted that. Yes, he wanted to get into her pants, and yes he wanted to find out what made her tick. But what he didn’t want was any more of an emotional connection than he already had.
He wasn’t prepared for that. Not at all, and he feared that with her close by every evening and them working together every day, that connection was going to try to grow.
He’d just have to make sure that was a plant that didn’t get watered.
Chapter Eight
Liz wouldn’t admit it, but she’d been a little nervous about driving to Kyle’s ranch. They’d worked Landing twice that day, each time for two hours and then together had bathed, fed and watered him. She’d loved doing it, but by the time they’d finished and had loaded Traveler into her trailer she was bone tired. The combination of physical exertion, lack of sleep and probably a good measure of stress over the run-in with the ranch hands had her feeling like she could sleep for two days.
Fortunately for her, Kyle’s ranch was only ten minutes from the Pursell place. She was surprised when they arrived. He had at least four barns, easily half a dozen paddocks, various storage buildings and the house, while small, was in pristine condition.
Kyle stopped in front of the house, parked, got out and walked over to her truck. “Who you want to get settled first, you or Traveler?”
“Traveler.”
“Then pull over to the third barn.” He pointed toward a structure.
“Get in.”
“I can walk.”
“Quicker if you ride.”
He got in and she drove over to the barn he’d indicated. It took them five minutes to get Traveler unloaded and situated in a stall, but Liz spent another ten minutes in the stall with him, rubbing and talking to him. When he started ignoring her in favor of food she knew he was okay and turned to leave.
That’s when she noticed Kyle watching her. She approached the stall door where he leaned. “That’s a fine animal.” He glanced at Traveler.
“Yes, he is.”
“And interesting name.”
“It’s not his original name. But when I saw him run I changed it.”
Traveler was young and while he’d cost a pretty penny, he hadn’t brought a big enough sale price to have gained notice. She’d wanted him because she saw more in him than bloodline. He had heart, and he was smart. She could see it in his eyes and she felt it in her gut. And she always went with her gut.
“Oh?”
She turned and leaned against the stall door, looking at Traveler. “He runs with joy. As if he can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend or turn. He doesn’t just run. He travels – like he’s experiencing an event that delights him.”
Embarrassed at her own words, she shrugged. “Or so it seems to me, anyway.”
“You have a way with horses.”
Liz turned to look at him again. “I love them. They’re the most beautiful creatures on earth. So noble and filled with such grace of spirit. There’s nothing more incredible than watching them run. Not saddled, just running for the joy of it.”
“I agree.”
“You’re a whisperer, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
She’d seen the surprise on his face. “I’ve been watching you.”
“And?”
“And you’ve got something extra. I can tell by the way you watch Landing and the way you work with him. It’s like you understand him.”
He shrugged. “It’s what I do.”
“Yes, it certainly is. Well, I think Traveler’s fine and I want to go to bed.”
At those words his gaze moved to hers and she felt that punch again. Damn, this man definitely had something more than just good looks that got to her. It was only when she felt a warmth spread through her body that she forced herself to look away. Warning bells were virtually ringing in her head. If she wasn’t careful, she would make a mistake with Kyle Stadler.
“Let’s get you settled in then.”
“Thanks.”
He rode with her to what he called the Creek House. It was situated at the end of the drive, off to one side. A one-story house, it was small with a wide covered front porch. Inside was a sitting room, kitchen and small dining room, one bedroom, one bath and a small laundry room and pantry.
It wasn’t furnished fancy, but what it contained looked sturdy and well-tended. Kyle helped her carry in her things, most of which was riding gear. Once everything was piled in the sitting room he headed for the door but stopped.
“I forgot. The kitchen isn’t stocked. You want me to drive you to the store? You’re gonna want to eat.”
“I’m too tired to eat. I’ll worry about that tomorrow. All I want is a shower and a bed.”
“Well, there’s at least soap in the bathroom but I’m pretty sure there’s no fancy hair stuff.”
“It’s no problem. Thank you, Kyle. Oh! Wait.” She went to her pile of things for a leather shoulder bag. She found her billfold and dug out some cash.
“This is for the first month for Traveler. I’ll want to check out your feed if you don’t mind and if I need to pay extra for anything special for him I will.”
“You don’t have to pay now.”
“Yes, I do. And you make sure Pursell pays you for housing. If he doesn’t, I’ll pay you out of what I earn.”
“He’ll p
ay.”
“Okay. So what time do I need to be at Pursell’s in the morning?”
“Probably around ten.”
“That late?”
“I have some things to take care of here first.”
“Well, I’ll take care of Traveler.”
“You’re paying to have him boarded.”
“I want to.”
“Works for me. Meet me in front of the house at nine-thirty and we can ride over to the Pursell place together.”
“Okay, thanks again.”
“Sure. Rest well.”
“I will. See you in the morning.”
When he left she blew out a breath. She must be more tired than she thought because being around Kyle was starting to wear on her. Not that he wasn’t a nice man, he was just freaking sexy, and it had been a good while since she’d had anything close to a love life.
To compound the difficulty, he was a genuinely nice man and nice people seemed to be a rarity in her life. Being around someone who was kind, gentle with animals, seemingly honest as the day was long and sexy as homemade sin was a heady brew that she sure wanted to take a big gulp of.
Yes, working with him was a challenge on many levels. But for now, she was alone and ready to crash. With that in mind, she headed for the shower, shucking her clothes as she went.
*****
As he made his way back to the main house, Kyle thought about what needed to be done and the events of the day thus far. It was only five in the afternoon so hopefully there was time for him to take care of everything.
He’d be glad to get his next paycheck from Pursell. He wasn’t broke, but he needed to hire some more men and that required more income. The job with Pursell would take care of that and some of the repairs and improvements he wanted done.
It would pay for a lot if Landing won. Just one win would put Kyle flush and set him up comfortably. While he wasn’t given to pipe dreams, this dream was one he was willing to put energy into because this one had potential.
Maybe. He looked back at the Creek House. Could Liz Redgate really cut it as a jockey? She had good form, and it was a given that no one had controlled Landing the way she did. But could she go the long haul?
And what was that look old man Pursell always gave her? And the comment he made? Furthermore, why did she look like a scared jackrabbit when she looked at the old man? Then again, there was what he’d overheard her say on the phone. There was more than met the eye to all of this and that made him wary.
