“Would he hurt the horses?”
“Oh yeah. If he’s hungry enough, he’d go after one to kill and eat. He must be hungry if he’s this close to the house.”
Chloe gasped and Storm quickly looked at her, she was pointing again. “She.”
Storm looked out again and saw two cubs following the cat. “Damn, that makes her more dangerous. I have to run them off. Could you go into Mandy’s room and stay with her? If the sound of a gunshot wakes her up, I don’t want her to be scared.”
“You’re going to shoot her?” Chloe climbed out of the bed and pulled on a pair of Storm’s sweatpants and his T-shirt over her head. As he watched her cover her beautiful body, he regretted that they weren’t otherwise occupied while awake in the middle of the night.
“No. I’m going to fire the gun into the air to scare her. She’ll run off and take her cubs with her. No way would I want to kill her and leave her cubs alone.”
Chloe smiled at him and met him at the door. “Good. I’ll go into Mandy’s room now. Please be careful.”
Storm kissed her and let her lead the way into the hall. “I will.”
He strode to his office, unlocked the gun safe, and removed his pistol. Locating the ammo, which he kept in the back of a drawer in his desk, he loaded it then strode down the hallway to the kitchen. After pulling on his boots and coat, he opened the back door and stepped onto the porch. After walking around to the back of the house, he leaned over the rail, held the gun up, and fired a shot into the air. The cougar raised her head and quickly looked around. Storm fired again and the cat along with her cubs ran off into the nearby woods.
Storm blew out a relieved breath. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen one on his ranch and it wouldn’t be the last, but the thought of one being even close to Mandy terrified him to death. It was one of the major reasons he never wanted Mandy to wander off alone. Cougars didn’t hibernate, they hunted all winter, and if this one had found a way into the barn and gotten at the horses, she’d keep coming back for more. Storm would keep an eye out for her to return but he hoped the gunfire scared her enough to keep her away for a long time.
He returned to the kitchen where he found Chloe sitting at the table. She looked up at him with wide eyes, and his heart slammed into his ribs. Just as she came to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, the phone rang. Storm saw it was Jimmy and answered.
“It’s all right, Jimmy, it was just me scaring off a cougar with two cubs out by the pool. The gunshot did the trick.”
“Okay. I just wanted to make sure. If everything’s okay, I’ll say goodnight.” Jimmy hung up.
Storm set the phone down and wrapped his arms around Chloe. “Mandy okay?”
“Mandy didn’t stir, she’s sound asleep. I just wanted to make sure you were all right,” Chloe said.
Storm hugged her closer to him. “I’m fine. She ran off with her cubs following just as I said she would.”
“I can feel the cold coming off you and you weren’t even out there that long.”
“Yep, it’s fucking cold out there.” Storm stepped back from her to remove his coat and she dropped her arms. It was strange that he missed her immediately. He pulled a chair out and sat down to take his boots off. Once he did that, he stood, then took her hand in his and led her back to his bedroom. He knew a great way to get warmed up again.
WHEN CHLOE WOKE UP the next morning, she glanced at the clock only to see it was past six. She quickly jumped out of the bed and crept to the door. She opened it and peered out then ran across the hall to her room so she could dress. Hurrying, she left her room to head to the kitchen but came to a stop when she saw Claire sitting at the table with Mandy, watching her color in her book. Had Storm replaced her already? Had he told Claire he wanted her to watch Mandy from now on?
“Good morning,” Claire said to her with a smile.
“Good morning. I’m sorry I slept in.”
“Hi, Chloe. Claire is helping me color in the lines.”
“I see that. Have you had breakfast?”
“Yep. Oatmeal. Claire makes good oatmeal.”
Claire laughed and kissed the top of Mandy’s head then she stood. “Do you want some oatmeal, Chloe?”
“No, thanks. I’ll just have some coffee. Did Storm call you to come over?”
“No. I was in the barn with Jimmy when Storm came in. He asked me to come in to wait for Mandy to wake up since you were sleeping in. He told me he got you up early this morning to stay with Mandy because of the c-o-u-g-a-r.” Claire spelled out the name of the animal so as not to alarm the little girl.
Chloe nodded and sighed. “Yes. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.”
“You saw it? Storm said it was out by his pool—oh...” Claire cleared her throat and trained her attention on Mandy.
Well hell! Way to go Baxter! Claire had to know the pool sat outside of Storm’s bedroom since she stayed with Mandy so much. Chloe could feel her cheeks getting warm. She glanced away and decided to make herself a cup of coffee, refusing to look at Claire. The back door opened just then and Storm walked in. He came to a halt when he saw Chloe then smiled, which surprised her. She was feeling too embarrassed right now to react.
“I thought you’d sleep later,” he said then walked to Mandy and kissed her cheek. “That looks good, baby girl.”
Mandy smiled up at him. “Thanks, Daddy.”
“I’ll go now since Chloe’s up. See you all later,” Claire said as she walked out.
Storm moved to stand by Chloe. “What’s wrong?”
“I slipped up. I mentioned that I saw the cougar and Claire...well, she mentioned you said it was out by your pool, so...you know,” she whispered, closing her eyes against the embarrassing thought. Storm burst out laughing and Chloe punched him. “It’s not funny. She knows I was in your room.”
“So what? We’re adults.”
It figured he wouldn’t understand. Chloe moved away from him. “The weather is supposed to be nice through Sunday. I should be able to leave tomorrow.”
“All right. I’ll see about getting your car dug out. If I can’t, I can take you to town and once it is out, I’ll get it to you some way.”
Chloe frowned. Damn him. He could have put up a little fight about her leaving. Well, two could play at this game.
“That’s fine.” She leaned closer to him, lowering her voice even more. “Once I leave here, this...” She waved her hand between them. “...is over. I won’t have you coming to town thinking you’re going to have sex with me. I won’t be a booty call for you, Storm Bateman.”
She noticed how he clenched his jaw in reaction, making a muscle tick in his cheek. “If that’s the way you want it.”
“It’s not how I want it...it’s the way it has to be. I knew the minute I met you that you would break my heart, and I’m a fool to even have had a single ounce of hope where you’re concerned.”
Storm stared at her and she thought he was going to say something or perhaps it was just her hope, but then he spun on his heel and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
STORM TRUDGED THROUGH the snow. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling but he didn’t like it. If she wanted to leave, he’d help her do so. When he entered the barn, he saw Claire and Jimmy standing in the center of the aisle talking. They stopped when he walked toward them. Jimmy lifted his brows in question, and Claire seemed to be trying to see into his brain.
“Jimmy, I want you to go with me to see if we can get Chloe’s car out of the snow. They’ve plowed the roads and she’s anxious to go home.”
“She is, huh?” Claire asked him, folding her arms across her chest.
Storm narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes,” he said through clenched teeth. “She is.”
“Bullshit,” Claire muttered then walked away.
Storm looked at Jimmy to see him running his hand over his mouth. When Jimmy saw him looking at him, he shrugged as if to say don’t ask me. “I’ll grab some shovels. When do you want to go?�
��
“As soon as possible. She’s ready to leave.”
“And you want her to leave?”
“Jimmy, I haven’t anything to say about it. She wants to leave...besides, there is nothing going on between us. Just as well, I won’t allow a woman to rope me in again.”
“If you think that sweet gal in there is anything like Tracy then you’re more of a cynic than I ever believed possible.”
“It doesn’t matter how I feel. It’s not about me. I won’t have Mandy hurt again.”
“You think she’s going to go through life and never be hurt? If only that were true. We all get hurt in one way or another. That’s life. You can’t always protect her and you deserve happiness too.”
“Shut up and just get the shovels. I’ll warm up the truck.” Storm walked away, gritting his teeth when he heard Jimmy chuckling.
He entered the house and grabbed his keys then walked to the living room to find Chloe. She was sitting on the sofa with Mandy, watching a Christmas movie. She glanced up at him and then back to the TV without any further acknowledgment.
“I need your car keys,” he said without fanfare. “If Jimmy and I can get it out, he’ll drive it back here.”
Chloe blew out a breath, stood, and headed down the hallway. Mandy watched her go so Storm winked at her when she looked at him.
“I’m watching Rudolph, Daddy.”
“I see that.”
Chloe came back and handed him the keys without even looking at him. He swore under his breath and after telling them he’d be back soon, he left to go back outside. Jimmy stood beside the truck. When he saw Storm, he shook his head and climbed into the truck. Storm opened the driver side door, climbed into the cab, and glanced over to Jimmy as he buckled up.
“Not one word.”
Jimmy put his hands up but grinned. Storm muttered under his breath how no one understood. No one knew how much it would cost him to let a woman into his life again. It wasn’t just him, he had to think about getting hurt. Mandy was already in love with Chloe too and...too? Oh hell no! He was in no way, no how, in love with Chloe Baxter. Then why did it bother him so much that she was leaving? No! No! No! It was just infatuation, and once she was gone and he didn’t see her as much, she’d get out of his head.
Storm cleared his throat and avoided looking at Jimmy as he ran his hand around the back of his neck. Damn it. He couldn’t be in love with her. No, he refused to be in love with her. He would just quit thinking about her and eventually this—whatever this was that he thought he was feeling—would disappear.
When he pulled out of his driveway, he was surprised to see the roads were clear. However, her car might still be buried, worse even. Especially if the road plows didn’t see it since it was already covered. They would’ve just thrown more on top of it. Oh well, they’d find out when they got there. If it was too deep to dig out, maybe he could convince her to stay a little longer.
What the fuck is wrong with you, Bateman? You just said you needed her to go so she’d get out of your head.
“Son of a bitch,” he swore aloud, and then threw Jimmy a dirty look when the man chuckled.
Chapter Nine
Since Storm was in such a hurry for her to leave, and had left to dig her car out, Chloe decided to pack her clothes. Mandy sat in the middle of the bed staring up at her with tears in her eyes. Chloe smiled encouragingly at her.
“You’ll see me again, Mandy Pandy, I promise. We live in the same town, after all.”
“But you’ll be far away from here.”
“Not that far and remember we’re going to be together for Christmas.” Chloe hated the idea of returning to the ranch and being around Storm since he didn’t want her, but she’d promised Mandy. The ranch now held far too many memories.
It was going to be bad enough if she saw Storm in town and of course, he was going to help fix up the apartment above the restaurant. She also knew Storm would meet with his friends at Zellene’s for dinner since they ate together there once a week. All six of the bad boys of Dry River converged on the restaurant. It was always boisterous and loud but they enjoyed themselves, and she actually loved it when they came in. Not only to see Storm but they all loved giving her a rough time and she gave it right back. In a way, she was anxious to get back to it all. She’d missed her life here since she’d been gone.
The manager had kept it going but being in a town the size of Dry River, it didn’t make a lot of money. Dry River was off the beaten path and not very close to any larger city in Wyoming. Although both Zellene’s and the house were paid for, she still was going to have trouble making enough money to keep both up and running if her plans didn’t pan out. The electric was high for the restaurant, what with all the cooking equipment. The house was fine too, but it was too big for just one person. She planned to try to rent it out to a family. It really was made for a family and that way she wouldn’t have to worry about paying anything other than the bills for the restaurant.
“You have to come and see what Santa brings me, huh?”
“Of course, I will, and I’m sure he’ll be good to you too. Have you told him what you want yet?”
“I haven’t talked to him yet this year but last year, I asked for a mommy. He didn’t bring one.” Mandy gazed up at her with a sad expression. “Daddy says Santa doesn’t bring mommies.”
Chloe sat down on the bed. “I think your daddy’s right about that. Santa doesn’t bring gifts like that. What else do you want?”
“A new bike and coloring books. I like to color.”
“You’re very good at it too. What else?”
“A baby doll. I wish I could have a new baby sister or brother but if I don’t have a mommy, I don’t think I can have one so I want a pretend baby.”
Chloe had to look away so Mandy wouldn’t see her grinning. The girl was wise beyond her years. “I’m sure you’re right about that.” With that, she stood and continued to pack.
“What do you want Santa to bring you?”
The question startled Chloe. No one had ever asked her that before. Oh, sure Kennie bought her presents but her parents never asked her—ever. They’d get her something expensive every year whether she wanted it or not. Last year, it was her Mercedes, which now sat buried under snow. The one thing she really wanted, she knew she couldn’t have. Storm.
“I don’t know. I have just about everything I want.”
“There has to be something.”
“I’ll think about it and let you know.”
“Okay. Can we watch another movie?”
Chloe sighed. The little girl loved watching movies. “Sure. Let’s go.” Mandy jumped off the bed and started to run out the door. “Walk, Amanda Jo.”
Mandy skidded to a halt and turned to look at Chloe with wide eyes. “Okay.”
Chloe gave her a nod of approval, and then almost burst out laughing when Mandy skipped down the hallway.
“THERE’S NO WAY WE CAN dig this car out yet. I guess she’ll be staying a while longer.” Jimmy grinned at Storm over the pile of snow covering Chloe’s car.
“All it means is that I’ll be driving her to town.”
“Now, that’s a real shame.”
“Get in the fucking truck,” Storm growled then scowled at his friend when Jimmy chuckled and trudged through the deep snow surrounding the car. Storm watched him toss his shovel into the bed, and then he climbed into the cab of the truck.
Shaking his head and knowing what Jimmy was trying to do, he muttered under his breath about nosy people as he trudged through the same snow toward his truck. A few minutes later, Storm climbed in and started the truck. He glanced over to Jimmy then turned to look out through the windshield.
“I suppose we can try next week to get it out. If we don’t get any more snow, that is. I guess she can do without her car for a while since her house is just across the street from the restaurant.”
“Sure, I guess that sounds good. Although, I think you’re an idiot for letting her go
at all.”
Storm turned to glare at his passenger. “Jimmy, this really is none of your business.”
“All right.” Jimmy raised his hands in defeat and was silent for a few seconds. “Whatever you say.”
“Shut up,” Storm snapped. He wrapped his gloved hands around the steering wheel and gritted his teeth when Jimmy snorted.
They drove back to the ranch in silence. When Storm stopped by the back of the house, Jimmy climbed out, winked at Storm, and closed the door. Storm climbed out and looked over the hood at Jimmy who was walking away.
“I can fire you, you know,” Storm yelled at the man’s back.
“Again?” Jimmy waved over his shoulder without turning around.
Storm shook his head but couldn’t stop the grin. He stomped his snow-covered boots on the porch and then entered the kitchen. He could hear the TV going in the living room. From the sound of it, it was another Christmas movie. Mandy did love the holiday and everything that went with it.
He took his gloves, hat, and coat off, put them in the mudroom, and then walked to the living room. He found Chloe and Mandy lying on the sofa together. He leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms watching them. Mandy glanced over to him and shot off the sofa to run to him. Storm grinned and squatted down to catch her. She squealed when he stood and tossed her into the air. Her greeting never got old for him.
“Me and Chloe are watching Frosty,” Mandy said as she looked at him, her hands cupping his cheeks.
“You’re really getting in the Christmas spirit, aren’t you?” Storm didn’t bother correcting her this time.
“Yep.” She pushed away for him to put her down. He did and then he looked at Chloe, who was watching him.
“Were you able to get my car out?”
“Nope, sorry. It’s buried but maybe next week, if we don’t get any more snow.”
“Then you can stay with us.” Mandy jumped up and down clapping her hands.
“No, honey. Your daddy will just have to take me to town.” Chloe looked at him. “Are the roads clear enough?”
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