by Rhonda Lott
“You ran away, things got too real huh?”
“I found out something the other night that had me fucked in the head for a minute.” Dean threw one leg over the bench so that he faced her. “I thought that I would never have feelings for another woman like I had for my wife. I accepted that and was ready to just be a dad to Chris and not pursue any romantic relationships. Then you came along and I started feeling again. Not just feeling but wanting. I gotta tell you that I haven’t wanted anyone since Natasha passed away. I don’t know, it left me with a lot to think about.”
Brook mimicked him with her leg, facing him. Dean didn’t look confused. His face was, she couldn’t come up with an appropriate expression because this was the first time she’d seen it on him, almost content, quite possibly happy.
“Now that you’ve thought about your feelings?”
“I’ve still got this nagging feeling that I’m betraying Natasha. I know that I don’t want you to leave, and that I can’t go on denying that there’s something between us. Can you give me a little more time to work this out?” He pulled her over, placing her thighs over his.
A slow burn started in her middle. “What about that video? Everyone in town might have watched it by now, every male for sure. How can I show my face after that?”
“I’ve gotten that taken down. Don’t worry about that, ok.” Dean squeezed her close. His hands stroked down her spine. Even through her coat she felt the warmth of his hands. “I care for you, Chris thinks you hung the moon, and both our lives have been improved one hundred percent since you showed up on my doorstep. So what do you think, you willing to give me a shot?”
“Two questions. Are we going forward as friends, dating, or simply fuck buddies? And if we do have sex again, can you not call me Nat?”
He pushed back, searching her face, closed his eyes, then dropped his head to her shoulder. “I’m sorry Brook. I swear I was only thinking of you and how absolutely perfect loving you was. That right there is why I need time, baby, forgive me?”
Brook wanted to believe him, that’s what love did to a girl, but she’d been so wrong about Kevin. Was she opening herself up to be hurt again? Dean was a good, hard working man, nothing at all like her ex. What did she have to lose, where did she have to go. Should she wander around with Kevin constantly on her heels?
“You still didn’t answer my question, exactly where do we go from here?”
He gazed into her eyes. “We date, you’re my friend and lover and I’m the same to you. I will give you all that I have left of me, and hell yeah, we sleep together.”
Brook tilted her head. “Oh, if that’s the case you owe me.”
“What do I owe you?”
“Two days of bed rocking, mind blowing, big daddy Dean sex.” She wiggled on his lap, his cock hard as a rock under her bottom.
Dean hooked her hips, pressed her down on him and groaned. “Big Daddy Dean?”
Brook laughed. “Yep, that’s my new nickname for you. BD for big daddy.” She wiggled her brows, grinning. “Or BD for big dick or big Dean, your pick.”
He chuckled, leaned in and took her lips in a slow sexy glide of tongue against tongue. It felt like heaven, but over too soon. “You always seem to make me laugh, woman. Do you know how amazing you are, after all the hell you’ve been through, you’re not bitter, or harden? You’re the most genuinely caring person I know and I admire the hell out of you, Ms. Southerland.” He shifted her on his lap, placing her heat on his rod. “And I want to taste you again, to see that incredible body naked on my bed, and sink so deep into your heat it incinerates us both.”
“That sounds like a plan, Mr. Mills. How bout you and me sneak into the house and see if we can make that shit happen right now.” Brook pushed his hair from his face and kissed him, her pussy wet and ready for him.
He growled into her mouth, stood without breaking the kiss, and started for the door, but it burst open. They jerked apart, but
Dean kept his arms tight around her. Gavin stood in the open door, shocked faced for a second, then he grinned.
“Hey, sorry boss. The vet is here. The horses won’t eat their feed so I called him in this morning.” He said.
“Right, I’m on my way.” Dean put her on her feet. “Can I get a rain check on that plan? Something wrong with the horses today.”
Brook left them and headed for the house, a small bubble of worry formed in her mind. What could make horses not eat? That couldn’t be good. They were Dean’s livelihood and if they were all sick in some way, it could mean disaster for the ranch. In the deepest recesses of her mind, her paranoia told her that Kevin had done something, but she shook the thought off. Kevin knew nothing about horses. Yet, the pestering suspicion wouldn’t leave her alone. She prayed it was a simple thing, but with the way things were going for her, she just didn’t know.
**
What was happening to his horses was a mystery to him. Dean shook hands with Dr. Vincent. Doc was full blood Cherokee, sixty something with the face of a thirty year old. His white hair hung to his waist. His brown eyes sparkled with humor and wisdom.
“What you find out Doc?” Dean asked.
“Gavin told me about the horses not eating the feed. Animals know what’s good for them better than humans. I haven’t checked it out yet, but tell me what are you giving them?”
“The usual winter hay, a mixture of Bermuda and Oat.” Dean stepped away from the fence to lead Doc into the area where the hay was stored. Gavin had a bale waiting for them to examine. Doc, pulled out his switchblade and cut the cording. Shuffling and smelling the hay, when he spotted something among the straw. He put the piece of material between his fingers and studied it carefully, then went back to the bale. By the time he was done with that bale and three others he had a pile of leaves and stems that had no business in his feed.
“What the hell is that shit, Doc?” Gavin, knelt down, a frown on his face. “Don’t tell me it’s what I think it is?”
“If you think that’s hemlock mixed in with your feed, then you’d be right. This plant is poisonous to horses. They know to avoid it in the field, they probably sensed it in the bales you put out for them yesterday and avoided eating, but if they got hungry enough, they would have.” Doc shook his head, going over to Casper, an all-white Anglo-Arabian that was showing signs of distress. “This stuff contains potent neurotoxins that affect the central nervous system. Four or five pounds of it is lethal. This beauty might have eaten a bit, but not a lot.”
Dean’s chest constricted and his head felt like it would explode. He tossed the remaining bales against the wall. What the fuck was going on. His feed was fine until yesterday. Someone deliberately put the hemlock into the bales. It wouldn’t be hard and no one would know what happened until all his horses were dead. A sick feeling twisted in his stomach. Did Kevin have that kind of knowledge of animals to know what would be the most dangerous to horses? Obviously someone was out to end his livelihood by killing his horses. Dean had prime stock of studs he bred out regularly. He trained a few horses for others and he leased out two of his pastures. He wasn’t the wealthiest man in the world, but his ranch had been in operation since his great grandfather’s time and was known for training racing winners. They were sought after by buyers all over the world. This could have been disastrous.
“I’ll load this guy up, take him to the hospital, and keep an eye on him for the next few days.” Doc and Gavin prepared to take Casper to the trailer.
The three of them swiveled their heads at the sound of an ATV coming down the drive. Tony, Gavin’s brother was gunning it.
“Boss, we got problems.” He said, coming to a stop at the three men.
“What’s happened now?” Dean felt the hairs go up on the back of his neck.
“The main pasture fences are down, looks like somebody ran them over with a tank, and the horses are gone. One was killed Boss.”
Things kept getting better and better. Dean raced to get in his truck, Doc and Gavin f
ollowed.
He was targeted and he knew it. Someone tried to poison his horses, let his horses out by destroying his fences, and killed one of them. Shit like this didn’t just happen. Dean made up his mind to search the whole damn town if he had to, until he found out who was responsible before they decided to do something to Chris or Brook. His family could very well be next.
CHAPTER EIGHT
He snuggled under the covers, wearing his flannel pajamas. Chris was clean and smelled of shampoo and toothpaste. Brook sat on the side of the bed and smoothed back wayward black curls from his forehead.
“It’s late, when’s daddy coming home?”
Brook smiled. “He had to do a lot of work, but I’m sure he’ll be home in the morning before you go to school.”
Chris scrunched up his face, opened his mouth, and then closed it.
“What is it Hun?” Brook asked, using a finger to turn his face to her.
“I know he’s coming back, but sometimes I get scared.”
“Why, what makes you scared?”
“Mommy went to the hospital and she never came home.” He looked down at his hands.
Brook choked up. He was still suffering. Losing a parent so suddenly was a hard thing for a child of any age to handle. Chris had Dean, but Dean was suffering too. Natasha was the glue that held them together. No wonder Chris acted out, he didn’t have anybody to listen to him and affirm he would be alright.
“Mr. Jelly Bean, its ok to be scared, but you gotta know that your daddy loves you more than anything in this whole world and will always come back to you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “No worries my little bean.”
He giggled, reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck. “I like the way you say stuff.” He said when he settled back onto his pillow. “I don’t ever want you to go. You’re not my mommy, but you’re funny like she use to be and do all the mommy stuff how she use to do. It kinda feels like it did when she was here.”
Brook felt the tears sting and her heart twist. “No Chris I am not going to leave you and I like doing the mommy things for you.”
“Ok night Brook, I love you.” He said, yawned and closed his eyes.
“I love you right back.” Brook said, then kissed his forehead, and that was it, he had her whole heart.
Brook left the lamp on for him and made her way to her bedroom. The truth of the matter was she did love taking care of Chris. She thought that someday she and Kevin would start a family. Now she was glad they didn’t bring a child into their marriage. Chris brought out all her nurturing instincts. Oh, she enjoyed the children she taught in preschool, but this wasn’t the same, Chris felt like hers. She loved him, all dirty and smelly with his missing tooth smile doing naughty things and saying naughty words. She loved every bit of him and knew that she would fight the world for him, fight to stay with him.
A sense of rightness filled her as she entered her bedroom. Dean wanted to work on them and Chris wanted her to be his mom. Brook smiled to herself, maybe things were looking up.
The second she stepped into the bedroom cold air washed over her. Her window was open and the room was freezing. What the hell. The bedside lamp that she’d left on was off. Brook took a step back, goose bumps popping up on her arms, from behind, a big hand covered her mouth, muffling her surprised scream.
“Didn’t think I’d find you, bitch?” Kevin’s voice whispered in her ear.
Shock and horror immobilized her for a split second, before her instincts kicked in. Brook swung her elbow back as hard as she could, eliciting a grunt and the rush of hot breath on the back of her neck. She slammed her head back into his face and heard the crunch of his nose. Kevin’s hold loosened and she pushed out of his grip. Brook ran around the bed to the window, but he was on her, picking her up off the ground and pinning her up against the wall. A flash of silver, then she felt the cold press a knife to her throat.
“Don’t do that again.” His hot, foul breath harsh against her face.
Kevin was a big guy, always at the gym and it showed in the thick corded muscles of the arms caging her in. His face, which she once thought was handsome, appeared demonic in the darkness of the bedroom. He was a demon, sent from hell to torment her.
“You make a move like that again and I’m going to the kid and slit his throat.” He sneered, pressing the blade in, enough to hurt but not cut her. Brook stopped moving, she had to protect Chris.
“What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“You belong to me. You don’t get to tell me it’s over. We vowed till death do us part, dear wife, and by God, that’s exactly what’s going to part us, death and nothing else. I watched you with the rancher, know you screwed him. Cheating on me with that piece of shit, giving up my pussy. Oh no, I will take back what’s mine. Fuck that cheating pussy till its raw then drag your ass back where you belong.” He spat in her face. His blue eyes bright, blood trickled from his nose.
Brook began to shake. He would beat her and rape her. Dean was gone and Chris lay sleeping in the next room. He caused all the damage today to lure Dean away. He’d waited and watched her all this time. Kevin was insane. She saw it behind his wide too bright blue eyes. His buzz cut blond hair glistened with sweat and he smelled like he just stepped out of a tub of alcohol. Her nightmare had finally found her.
“Why don’t we just leave now? You don’t have to do this here, please.” Brook pleaded. Her stomach rolled at the thought of him violating her on the same bed where she’d made love with Dean.
“We gonna do this right here. That hero boyfriend of yours will have to live with the knowledge that I took you in his house, right under his nose.” He put the knife in his back pocket and then ripped her shirt and bra off. “Don’t fucking move or I swear I’ll gut the kid.”
This was it. He wasn’t taking her anywhere. He was going to use her body, then leave it there for Dean to find. Kevin threw her on the bed, and undid his jeans. A sick smile stretched across his face. That smile she knew well. It brought him joy to hurt her, demean her, and tonight the smile was bigger, more evil, because he planned to kill her.
**
Dean cut the engine and sat behind the wheel, his body weary. It took most of the day to get the fences half way mended. Getting the dead horse hauled away and going into town to buy new feed took longer than he expected. His mind was so preoccupied with worry over Brook and Chris being home alone with so many strange things happening. He wanted to get back sooner, but he had to stop and talk things over with Carter. His friend wanted to send his deputy Mitch out to the ranch as a precaution, but Dean knew that whoever was causing the damage was patient. He waited six weeks to start up again after the rock incident.
Gavin and Tony pulled their ATV’s up next to the truck. “Boss, we’re gonna stay out in the old bunkhouse tonight to keep an eye out.” Gavin said.
In his granddad’s day, the old bunk house housed men who worked the ranch, now Dean used it to house guest that came for the summer trail trips and sightseeing vacation. He didn’t do many excursions, but it helped pay the bills.
“Thanks man. Brook’s ex-husband is behind this shit, I feel it. We have to make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near her, Chris, or the horses.” Dean said.
“Don’t worry, now we know what’s going on, we’ll catch the bastard. Boss, you know you’ve been good to me and my brother. I won’t let anybody hurt Chris or Ms. Brook.”
“I know Gav, You guys are family. I couldn’t do shit without you. Thanks.”
“You got it Boss.” The two of them drove off.
Gavin and Tony showed up one day. Gavin was twenty and raising Tony by himself. He never talked about his past, but Dean got the impression the quiet man was hiding from something mighty big. Gavin was a loyal friend, worked hard, and was always there to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. Dean was lucky to have them there.
The wind cut through his jacket as he made his way to the house, a sound caught his attention. Brook’s win
dow was open. Dean felt prickles of apprehension race along his skin. The sound of scuffling and a whimper came from inside. He ran, hit the front door without stopping, his heart pumping. Someone was in his fucking house, hurting his woman. His boot sent Brooks’ door flying open. What he saw shocked his senses, pure deadly rage flooded him. A buzzed cut, big ass fucker, pants undone was standing over Brook’s topless body. Her eyes full of terror swung to him. Dean couldn’t contain the raw need to kill the piece of filth threatening her. Dean rushed Kevin, body slammed him to the floor, and rained down punch after punch to his face. The sound of his knuckles cracking against Kevin’s face brought sweet satisfaction to Dean’s heart, every punch was retribution for his treatment of Brook. Kevin roared and heaved Dean off. Both men sprang to their feet.
“You’re a dead man, motherfucker.” Dean spat as they circled each other. From the corner of his eye, he saw Brook wrapping the sheet around herself and run out the door. Worried about Chris waking up and walking in on this shit. Just like her to worry about his son rather than herself.
“I’m a dead man.” Kevin let out a nasty laugh. “You don’t know how funny that is Hero. You’re the one who’s dead.” He pulled the weapon from his pocket, and lunged.
Dean used his speed to sidestep the bigger, slower male, grab hold of the arm holding the knife and twist it behind Kevin. The blade fell to the floor. The sound of the man’s wrist bones cracking brought a smile to Dean’s face. He could almost smell the fear coming off his opponent. Just like a woman beater, most were cowards when it came to confronting a man. He wanted to stomp this pricks face in the ground. He put his hands on Brook and for that he had to pay.
Kevin narrowed his eyes, wiped blood from his lip and grinned. “She is mine, always was and always will be. I know you fucked her horse man. You saw that video of me plowing the shit out of her and couldn’t wait to stick your dick in her.” He swung at Dean and missed. “Believe me, that’s the last time you get that pussy.” He rushed Dean again, swinging wildly. Dean couldn’t avoid the strike. He took it on the chin, his head twisting with the impact, but it didn’t floor him.
