*
IT TOOK EVERYTHING Sloan had to sit still after Dev told him what had happened to her. He watched her struggling not to cry. He realized she could very well misinterpret his wanting to help her in a moment of need. She gave him a quick look, swiped at her eyes and sniffed.
“Did you go to the police?” he asked hoarsely.
“Yes, but it was a lost cause. The sergeant at the desk looked at me and asked if Gordon had raped me. I told him he’d tried. And then he said if he had raped me, then I needed to get to the hospital and get a rape kit done.” Dev shook her head. “He didn’t believe me. I showed him my hands. I had so many splinters in them. Funny, I couldn’t feel any pain in them at that point…”
“It’s shock and adrenaline,” Sloan explained, his voice low and taut.
“I couldn’t go to the hospital because I hadn’t officially been raped. Nothing would show up on the rape kit. I told the sergeant I wanted to press assault charges against Gordon.” Miserably, Dev whispered, “My shirt was torn open and I was holding it closed with one hand. The sergeant said he didn’t see any assault on me except that I had splinters in my hand from sliding down that last ladder. He told me it would end up being a he-said-she-said court case. That there were no witnesses. Gordon’s word against mine. It was useless for me to fill out a report.”
The look of defeat and devastation in Dev’s eyes tore at Sloan. It would do no good to get angry. She might take his reaction the wrong way and she was the victim still suffering from the experience. “And that’s when you went to your Forest Service supervisor?”
“Right,” Dev whispered. “And he didn’t believe me at all.”
“Did you ever file a report against Gordon?”
Dev gave him a rueful look. “You have to remember, there are men who are backward as hell about women. The sergeant argued with me that I could have gotten splinters in my hand from anywhere, for a lot of different reasons. There were no witnesses.” She touched her neck. “I told him he was choking me, trying to make me unconscious so he could rape me, but at the time I went to the police station, my neck looked fine. It was hours afterward that the bruises where his fingers had been started to show up.”
Sloan clamped his lips shut. Dev had been railroaded. A bunch of men had stuck together to make her look like she was setting up an innocent man to get him in trouble. “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing how lame it sounded. The terror in her eyes was still there. It was torture to sit there, not move, not get up and walk over to Dev. She needed to be held. Needed to feel safe.
“I—I went back to the police department,” she growled stubbornly, her fingers on her neck. “I was angry and I wasn’t going to let this go. The same sergeant was at the desk and I showed him the bright red and purple bruises around my neck. I’d taken a picture with my cell phone so it was part of the proof that Gordon had jumped me. At that point, he got a woman police officer and I went into a back room where I showed her the bruises on my abdomen, the bruises showing up between my thighs where he’d groped me. She took pictures.” Her voice lowered. “It was humiliating. I—I’ve never been treated like I was a liar. Never been attacked like that, Sloan.”
“I wish you’d had a friend who could have been there to support you.”
“So do I. But my best friend, Tanya, was on vacation at the time.”
“What did the police do then?”
“They took my complete statement. Then, they went and got Gordon at his home and interviewed him. He denied being there, but he didn’t have an alibi to prove he wasn’t at the barn. He had gone to a local doc-in-the-box to get the puncture wound near his right shoulder blade looked at. When the police asked him about it, he lied and denied it. They didn’t have a warrant to force him to show them his back wound, so they had to leave. The woman police officer went out to the barn the next day, though. Up in a mow, there’s always a lot of dust.”
Sloan nodded, feeling pride for Dev’s grit in her attempt to get Gordon. Tension ran through him and he had to force himself to relax. Dev needed a friend, someone she could talk to, to get this out before it ate her up alive. And Sloan knew something like this would do just that if she didn’t talk it out. “Did she find his footprints?”
“Yes, she had a forensics team with her, and it clearly showed boot tracks from my boots and Gordon’s boots, that there was a fight.” Some satisfaction rang in her voice. “And then the same woman officer called around to the area’s medical facilities and she found Gordon’s name on an entry form. She got a search warrant, went to his house and he was forced to show the wound I’d given him with the baling hook. It was the proof I needed to charge him with assault.” Flexing her hand, forcing herself to relax, she uttered, “It was enough. I got him convicted on assault, not rape. I couldn’t prove he was stalking me, so that charge was thrown out of court. The judge gave him a thirty-day sentence,” she said, disbelief in her voice. “And he was forced to have a parole officer, to check in with him weekly for the next three years. Plus he had to wear an ankle bracelet for the next year.”
Sloan felt the anger around Dev. “He should have gotten a lot more prison time than thirty lousy days.”
“Well,” she said wearily, “Gordon’s supervisor, who was protecting him, was forced to fire him because a ranger can’t have a felony assault on his record.” Her mouth twitched. “Before he left, Gordon told me out of earshot of anyone else that he’d get even with me. That it was my fault he’d been fired.”
“The guy is mentally unstable,” Sloan growled. He saw relief in Dev’s eyes as he sided with her. “And because of that incident and Gordon’s threat, you demanded a change of assignment?”
“Better believe it. I didn’t trust Gordon. He’d stalked me before, and I knew he’d try to get even with me. God, every day my stomach was tied in knots and I was afraid I’d meet him at the grocery store, at my apartment… I felt like if he could, he’d get me alone and kill me. It was that palpable. I got a restraining order against him, but I know they don’t work worth a damn.”
“And where is he now?” Sloan couldn’t help the bitterness in his voice as he watched the helplessness in Dev’s eyes. Her hands were trembling and she could barely sit still in the chair. She was beyond agitated. And he couldn’t blame her.
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to keep tabs on him, Sloan. I just want as far away from him as I can get.” Shivering, Dev wrapped her arms around herself. “I never want to see that bastard again.”
“How can I help you?”
The look on her face told Sloan so damned much that it sent a blade of pain down through him. Her father was an alcoholic. Her mother had a demanding career and basically Dev had been abandoned by her early on in her life. The stark look of being abandoned was clearly etched in her eyes. She was feeling alone. Again. Only this time, she probably felt as if no one at all was there to have her back. Protect her. He damn well would.
“You’re doing it now,” Dev said, blowing out a breath of air. “Thanks for listening, Sloan. I—I’ve never told anyone about this, until just now.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I don’t know why, but you’re easy to be around and I feel like you really listen to a person. I guess I needed to get this off my chest.”
“My ma always said I had a broad shoulder to cry on.” Sloan eyed her tenderly, feeling his heart turn. The devastation and the need in Dev’s eyes nearly unstrung his strong sense of control. She didn’t have any friends out here, Sloan realized. Everyone was back East now.
“Well, that’s certainly true. But I think it’s your farrier nature showing itself. Your ability to observe, listen and feel out an animal or—” she shrugged “—in my case, just listening to me, one human being to another.”
“Anytime,” Sloan said, holding his anger in check. “Listen, we’ve got tomorrow off. I was heading out to the Elk Horn Ranch to do some shoeing. Would you like to come along? Iris Mason is the owner of the ranch, and she’s a good person. She’s like a gra
ndmother to everyone she meets. I think you could use some new, loving family around you. Iris is a very kind, astute person. Sees through people and knows how to support them in positive ways. Would you like to meet her? She’s got a granddaughter, Kamaria Trayhern-Sheridan, who lives on the property with her husband, Wes, and their son, Joseph. They’re a big family and Iris just kinda takes strays like myself in, and automatically assimilates us into her family.”
“She sounds really nice,” Dev murmured, rubbing her arms as if she felt chilled. “And I do need to start making some friends.”
“Yeah, it’s lonely being alone,” Sloan said, grinning a little, watching her cheeks grow pink, getting some color back in them. He could see the depth of stress that Gordon’s attack had caused Dev. There was more to this issue, and he’d known it. She had been in combat and gotten PTSD like just about everyone else thrown into war. Getting wounded put a person in a different frame of mind and Sloan understood that better than most.
“Since the attack,” Dev said hollowly, “I’ve been paranoid about men. It’s silly because not all men are like Gordon, but my mind… God, my mind, Sloan…” Her voice trailed off in frustration.
“Listen, there’s a real nice woman by the name of Sky McCoy who also lives out at the Elk Horn Ranch. She was an RN in the Navy and worked at Bagram Hospital over a number of deployments. Sky is married and works with her husband, Grayson. He’s a former Navy SEAL and is responsible for the wildlife center on the ranch. They have a young daughter, Emma, who is six months old. Sky is easy to talk to, Dev. And she had a lot of rough experiences on her last deployment, too. I’ll introduce her to you. While I shoe over in their main barn, you two might chat a little.” She needed a woman friend in whom she could confide. He got how it was difficult for Dev to reveal everything to him at this point. He was a man and not to be trusted fully. At least not yet. Their trust was tenuous and slowly being woven together.
“I’d like that.” Dev gave him a sad look. “I find that civilians don’t understand us military people at all. We have experiences they could never fathom, much less understand. It’s not their fault. It’s just the way it is.”
“I know. And it’s important right now that you be around other vets. We do support one another, Dev.”
“There weren’t many at my other assignment among the rangers,” she admitted.
“Well,” Sloan said, forcing himself to remain relaxed, “Iris makes a point of hiring men and women coming out of the military as ranch employees. And so does Talon Holt, who’s a former SEAL himself, over at the Triple H Ranch. And Griff and Val McPherson at the Bar H. Maybe some other time when I go back over there to shoe their horses, and if you have the day off, you can ride over with me. Meet Cat, Talon’s wife. She wasn’t in the military, but she was a firefighter paramedic for the Jackson Hole Fire Department for seven years. She knows combat of a different sort, but we consider her one of us.”
Smiling a little, Dev said, “I should hang around with you. It sounds like you know just about everyone around here.”
“Being a farrier does that,” Sloan said, seeing a little hope leak into her darkened green eyes. He could easily understand how alone Dev felt right now. He didn’t blame her under the circumstances. It was good that she had Bella, who was probably a lifesaver for her in an emotional sense. Dogs always knew when their owners were depressed or stressed-out. “Want to go?” He tried not to show how badly he wanted Dev to accompany him. It would help her. He watched Dev as she considered his request.
“Do you think I could bring Bella along?”
“Sure. Iris loves animals. Just keep her on a leash and that should be good enough.”
“Right,” Dev agreed. She gazed at Bella and softly stroked her head.
Bella thumped her tail.
“I’d better go,” Dev murmured. “I’ve got a lot to do tonight. What time do I meet you tomorrow morning?”
Sloan stood up. “8:00 a.m. okay?” He walked over and pulled the chair away from the table so that she could stand. How badly he wanted to place a hand on her shoulder, gently turn Dev around and gather her into his arms. Sloan knew that’s what she needed. But to try it now would frighten her away and break the thin threads of trust that lay between them. More than anything, Sloan wanted Dev to continue to come to him. As he walked her and Bella to the door, he wondered if he was any different from Gordon. Sloan wanted Dev, too.
“Fine. See you then,” Dev said, opening the door. She hesitated, giving him a look of gratitude. “Thanks for everything, Sloan. I’m glad you were there…” She swallowed.
Just seeing the sheen of tears suddenly come to Dev’s green eyes made him want to embrace her. Kiss her senseless. Take her to his bed and love her until she forgot everything except the pleasure Sloan knew he could give her. “I’ll always try to be there for you, Dev.” And Sloan would. She just didn’t realize the depth of his commitment to her was all. Given the circumstances, patience was going to be the key to her. There was no way she was going to fall into his arms, even though Sloan knew Dev was as drawn to him as he was to her. Too much stood in the way right now.
Worse, his mind angled toward the question of where Bart Gordon was today. Was he still back East? Or a worst-case scenario he didn’t even want to contemplate: Gordon coming out here to even the score with Dev.
CHAPTER SEVEN
NEAR NOON THE next day, Sloan was halfway through the horses waiting to be shoed. He wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his arm as he walked down the aisle of the barn, looking out over the busy Elk Horn Ranch. It was Saturday and the six dude ranch families who were visiting headed to the wrangler’s dining room for lunch. Tomorrow, that group would leave in the morning and Iris and her family would welcome six more families to stay a week for the ranch experience. He smiled a little, spotting Dev sitting with Sky McCoy, her daughter, Emma, on her lap, at one of the benches along the small medical facility near the main office. The moment he’d introduced the two women, they’d gravitated to one another like opposite ends of a magnet.
It sent warmth through him as he removed his leather apron and folded it over a bale of hay sitting in front of an empty box stall. Dev needed some women friends. The two sat on the same bench, watching people walking by. Emma, at six months old, was crawling between their laps, both women’s hands protective as the baby wobbled back and forth between them. Sky had married Grayson McCoy three months earlier. They made their home here on the ranch, with their daughter the center of their attention. Iris, who was more than generous with her employees, gave each one a five-acre parcel where they could build their own house. Sloan often came out here and helped Gray pound nails and put up walls on their new home. Wes Sheridan, who was ranch foreman and husband to Kamaria Trayhern-Sheridan, brought out a couple of wranglers to help, as well. Kam then brought her three-year-old son, Joseph, along to feed the hardworking men. The house was now enclosed and next week everyone was meeting to put the steeply angled tin roof on the large two-story ranch home. Then, Sky, Gray and Emma could move into it.
Taking off his battered Stetson, Sloan wiped his brow once more and settled it back on his head. As he walked down the slope, he saw a lot of trail horses being unsaddled in the large sandy arena in front of him. The families had just come in from a midmorning trail ride. His gut grumbled. He was starving after working on the horses all morning. As he moved to the sidewalk, he saw Dev lift her head and pin him with her gaze. Sloan saw happiness in her eyes, a soft smile coming to her lips. He felt good about getting her together with Sky.
“Hey, you two,” he called out. “About time for lunch. You gals hungry?”
Sky smiled up at him. Her hair was in two long, ginger-colored braids over her pale blue tee. “How’d you guess, Sloan?” She gathered squirming Emma up into her arms and stood, gesturing toward the main ranch house. “Iris wanted you and Dev to join us for lunch at their home.”
Raising his brows, Sloan said, “That’s an invite I’m not going to
refuse.” He looked at Dev. “You game?”
Grinning, Dev stood up and said, “Sure am.”
Sky patted her daughter’s diaper. “I’m going to change her first and then Gray and I will join you. Tell Iris we’ll be there shortly?”
“Sure,” Dev said.
Sloan led the way and fell into step beside Dev, leading her toward the large one-story cedar-log ranch house. “Well? You two have a nice chat while I was shoeing?”
“Yes. Emma’s adorable. I just love babies.” Dev met his gaze. “And you were right. Sky and I immediately took to one another. I really like her.”
“Good. Did Iris drop by and introduce herself to you?”
“Oh, yes. She’s such a dear person. She is like the fabled grandmother you always wished for, but never got.”
Nodding, Sloan understood the weight of her admittance. He knew Dev didn’t want to say much more with Sky within earshot and he was content to follow her into the large, roomy mud porch at the main entrance to the Mason home. As they cleaned off their boots and entered the main house through the huge living room, Sloan could smell what he thought was beef stew and baking corn bread in the air. He hoped he was right. He ushered them into the dining room, his stomach growling like a starved wolf.
Iris was seated beside her husband, Timothy, along with her son, Rudd. Sloan raised a hand in greeting and took off his hat, hanging it on a nearby wooden peg.
“Sloan? You and Dev sit next to where Gray and Sky sit.” Iris gestured farther down the long oak trestle table covered with plates, flatware and glasses filled with water.
“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured, pulling a chair out for Dev. She would sit next to Sky and Gray. There was a baby chair positioned between the two adult chairs, waiting for Emma. Sloan knew that would make Dev feel more relaxed since she didn’t know anyone else at the table. Wes nodded hello to them from where he sat next to his wife, Kam. Joseph was in a toddler chair between them. It was a buoyant family atmosphere and Sloan always enjoyed eating with the extended Mason family.
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