Cowboy, Cross My Heart

by Donna Grant

He grinned while nodding. “I plan on building a new stable, something similar to what’s on the East Ranch.”

  “Nice,” she said, recalling the numerous stalls.

  Brice leaned a hand on a bent stall door. “My realtor suggested I tear this one down, but I won’t. I’ll keep it because it belongs here, just like the house.”

  “I like that idea.”

  His blue eyes swung to her. She liked that he wasn’t wearing his hat. The breeze ruffled his dark locks that were still in disarray from their shower and rolling around in bed.

  “When will you start buying the horses?” she asked.

  “I already have five at home. I mean, the ranch.” He shook his head, his lips thinning. “The East Ranch.”

  She laughed, taking pity on him. “I knew what you meant.”

  “I could fail at this, you know. I could fall flat on my face.”

  “But you won’t.”

  His brows snapped together. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because it’s not you. Besides, Caleb will come around eventually, and with each of you bringing in your strengths, there is no way this place can fail.”

  “I hope you’re right,” he said with a sigh.

  She walked to him and linked her arms around his waist. “I am.”

  He pulled her close for a long, lingering kiss. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your ride this morning.”

  “Oh, I did,” she said thinking back to the few minutes she’d spent atop London. “It may not have been for long, but it was enough to remind me how much I enjoyed everything to do with horses. They’re big, beautiful, expensive creatures who take a lot of care, but I never regretted a moment of it.”

  “You sound like you miss them.”

  She nodded and glanced around at the empty stalls. “One of the things I loved about my parents boarding other people’s horses is that all of our stalls were filled. I loved that. It meant more work for me, but to me, an empty stall is just lonesome.”

  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and turned them to walk out of the back of the barn to look at the pastures. “I agree with you. There’s never an empty stall for long at the ranch. If it isn’t Clayton or Abby buying one, it’s me or Caleb.”

  “What are you going to do out here?” she asked, spotting the giant oaks that looked older than the house.

  “I’ve been reworking the layout of the land to accommodate the new barn and the numerous paddocks we’ll need for training. A couple of years ago, Caleb mentioned how he’d set up his place if he ever got one. I took what he said then and used it.”

  She shook her head at his words. “Both of you are being so stubborn. Caleb because he won’t listen to you, and you because you won’t just tell him.”

  “You might have a point,” Brice conceded and glanced down at her with a grin curving his lips.

  “You already planned to tell him the next time you saw him, didn’t you?”

  Brice’s smile widened. “Yes, ma’am.”

  She leaned her head against him. “I’m sorry you had to pull out of the rodeo.”

  “There’ll be another. Besides, my hand could use the rest.”

  “How does it feel?” she asked as she leaned forward to take a look at it. The bruising had faded some, and the swelling had gone down.

  He shrugged indifferently. “It’s healing.”

  “You shouldn’t have used it earlier.”

  He chuckled at her. “I wouldn’t have been able to hold you up with one hand.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have done that at all. I didn’t even think about your hand.”

  “Good,” he said as he turned to her. “I wanted you focused on other things.”

  She glanced away. “Well, you succeeded.”

  “I wasn’t thinking about my hand either,” he admitted.

  Naomi turned to him, eyeing him suspiciously. “Surely, you felt pain.”

  “Darlin’, I was feeling many things, but pain wasn’t one of them.”

  No one said darlin’ quite the way a Texan did. Hell, no one in DC said darling at all. She hadn’t realized how much she liked—and missed—that word.

  Especially when a handsome cowboy who made her heart race directed it at her.

  “You belong in Texas,” Brice suddenly said.

  She was surprised by his words. “You mean because I grew up here?”

  “Because it’s in your blood. This land, this lifestyle. You should see the way your eyes light up when you talk about horses. You say you miss them. I say you yearn to have them back in your life. No, that’s not the right word. You need them.”

  Naomi swallowed, unsure how to respond or even if she should.

  Brice continued, unaware of her turmoil. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me that when you were at the rodeo watching the barrel riders that you didn’t recall how it felt to sit atop your horse and wait for the buzzer, to feel the horse leap into a run. That you don’t remember the feeling of the animal beneath you as you used your knees to guide him around the barrels before leaning low over his neck and racing back across the line.”

  “I can’t,” she admitted. “As soon as I arrived at the rodeo, the scent of the animals, the dirt, the hay, the sweat, and the manure hit me. The smells brought me back to a time that I’d forgotten. Briefly.”

  His blue eyes studied her. “And now?”

  “You’re right. Texas is in my blood. People in DC laugh when I tell them Texas isn’t just a place. It’s a way of life. Unless you live here, whether on a ranch or not, you can’t possibly understand.”

  “That’s true enough.”

  She pulled out of his arms and walked to the nearest fence. “I don’t love living in DC. It’s a nice place. Though it’s crowded and a bit noisy. I’d grown used to it until coming back here. I didn’t really choose DC after I got my degree. It was just easy to stay in my apartment and start my business. But now … now, I’m actually considering where I want to live.” She turned to face him. “And it isn’t DC.”

  Chapter 26

  The future became crystal clear, as if a fog had been shrouding it. But the path was open now, and Brice knew Naomi was meant to be a part of his life.

  Whatever elation he’d felt at her admission of where she wanted to live was dimmed by the fact that there were still people out there ready and willing to kill to protect not just their identities but also their actions.

  He didn’t let any of that show on his face, though. Naomi had enough to worry about. He didn’t want her to know that he was deeply concerned about her safety. Taking her to his property had been the right move, but it was only a matter of time before the group of men uncovered his ownership.

  And when they did, they’d come straight for him and Naomi. All Brice could do was get their plan moving quickly. However, until everything Naomi needed to develop more of the pictures arrived, there wasn’t much they could do.

  The entire time they were outside looking over the land while he pointed out what he envisioned for the future, his eyes were scanning the area, looking for anything or anyone out of the ordinary.

  “This place is already great, but it’s going to be gorgeous when you’re finished,” she said.

  He pulled in a deep breath and glanced down at her. “I hope so.”

  Naomi faced him then, her gaze direct and unflinching. “You’ve put on a good act, but I know you’re worried. We can return to the house anytime.”

  He should’ve known she’d see right through him. Naomi had that ability. “I’m just being cautious.”

  “I’m thankful for that. After what those men already did to both of us, and Cooper, Whitney, and Ms. Biermann, I don’t doubt for one minute that they’d send someone to kill us.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?” he asked with a frown. “We would never have taken this walk.”

  She lifted one shoulder and swiveled her head to the empty, overgrown pasture. “Because this may be the only chance I get to come out here until everything i
s over.” Her eyes swung back to him. “I wanted as much normal time with you as I could get.”

  “You can have all you want when we catch these assholes.”

  Her lips curved into a smile. “You’re confident we’ll succeed.”

  “I’m a Harper,” he stated. “We may get beaten down, but we pick ourselves up and carry on. And one way or another, we succeed. No matter how long it takes, no matter what we have to do.”

  “There’s no one else I’d rather be with right now. You, Brice Harper, give me the courage to continue on, despite all the roadblocks before us.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her forehead before she rested her cheek against him. He placed his chin atop her head and briefly closed his eyes, sending up a quick prayer that they would be victorious.

  “Give me a sec,” he said as he walked to his truck and got inside.

  He drove it into the barn and shut the doors to the building before he returned to her. They turned together and walked hand-in-hand to the house.

  He left Naomi in the kitchen while he went into a storage closet and gathered all the blankets and quilts he could find, as well as duct tape. Brice tossed them onto the sofa and returned to the kitchen to find Naomi moving from cabinet to cabinet, searching for something.

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. “I need coffee. It’s an addiction. I drink way too many cups a day, and I’ve not had nearly enough today.”

  He walked to the pantry and moved some boxes aside to pull out the single-serve coffee maker he hadn’t taken out of the packaging yet. When he brought it to her, Naomi’s face lit up. She immediately took it from him and began to unpack it.

  Brice grinned at her enthusiasm, as well as her obvious love of coffee. He went back into the pantry and grabbed another unopened box and returned to the island.

  “Where do you want it?” she asked holding the coffee maker in her hands.

  He shrugged. “You decide.”

  She turned in a circle, looking over the counters before deciding on a spot. While she finished setting it up, Brice started to unpack the numerous coffee pods from the variety pack with just about every flavor and roast available.

  As the water heated in the coffee maker and she got out a mug, Naomi turned to him. Her eyes lit up at the sight of all the different pods. Her excitement was enjoyable to watch as she attempted to decide which flavor she wanted to try first.

  Brice hadn’t been thrilled when he realized he’d accidentally purchased the largest case of coffee pods available. He’d just assumed it’d be years before he needed to buy coffee again. Now, he was delighted that he had such a selection for Naomi to choose from.

  And if she liked coffee as much as she said, he’d be buying coffee regularly. And that thought pleased him immensely.

  “Are you laughing at me?” she asked, eyeing him with a grin.

  “I like coffee as much as the next person, but I’ve never seen someone who loves it like you.”

  She lifted one of the pods and rolled it in her hands. “Oh, you have no idea. The coffee shop next to my house knows me by name, and they know my order. By season. I’m there like clockwork. They make my coffee ahead of time. I don’t even have to wait in line.”

  “That is … impressive.”

  “Coffee is my drink of choice,” she said, tossing the pod into the air and catching it.

  He leaned a hand on the counter. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

  “Trust me, you don’t want me to ever run out of coffee. It’s not a pretty thing,” she stated. Then with a wink, she spun and plopped the pod into the coffee maker and hit the start button.

  Within seconds, hot water spat out into the cup along with the coffee. Once it finished, she added some sugar and then grabbed the cup to face him.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “Lead the way.”

  She walked ahead of him out of the kitchen. Brice paused long enough to grab the blankets and tape before following her up the stairs to the bedroom she’d chosen. He dumped everything in the middle of the room as he looked at the window, unease filling him.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “That window is unlocked.”

  Naomi’s head whipped around to look at it. “Was it locked before?”

  “I can’t remember.”

  “Then maybe it was.”

  He walked to the window. “Maybe. I want to check all of them though.”

  “I’ll help,” she offered.

  Brice locked the window, then they moved from room to room upstairs before venturing back downstairs and examining each window there. Once he was assured that the windows were all secure, he set the locks on the doors.

  “Can you look in the utility room for the ladder?” Brice asked Naomi.

  She nodded and walked to the back of the house. Brice might have brought only a few things to the house, but on his first trip, he’d stashed a couple of rifles and a handgun. He went into the pantry and reached on the top shelf for the rifle.

  He turned with the gun and a box of bullets to find Naomi at the door.

  “Do you have another one?” she asked.

  “I do. As well as a handgun.”

  She gave a single nod. “It’s been a while since I shot one, but I can use it.”

  “Good.” He’d been a little worried about how she felt about guns. He trailed behind her as he asked, “Who taught you to shoot?”

  “My dad. I tell you, though, my mom can shoot a mole off a witch. The woman is a dead shot.”

  Brice chuckled when they reached the bedroom again, where he set the rifle in a corner. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

  Naomi grinned while leaning the ladder against a wall. “My dad collected guns from all eras. He was fascinated with them. Safety, however, was his big thing. No one came into the house and touched his guns.”

  “Was he just a collector?”

  “He was a hunter, like so many around here. Except he didn’t do it for the thrill of killing. He did it to supplement our food. We ate more venison and wild pork than we did beef.”

  Brice nodded. “I wish I could’ve met your dad.”

  “He would’ve liked you,” she said.

  “You think?”

  She raised her brows as she grinned. “Definitely.”

  That pleased him greatly. Brice pivoted and walked into the hallway before he made his way to the master bedroom. He went into the closet and turned to face the door. Then he reached over it and grabbed the rifle that hung there. On one of the top shelves was another box of bullets.

  When he left the bathroom, Naomi was waiting. She held out her hands, and he placed the gun and the bullets into her grip. Then he moved to his bed and reached on the side of the table nearest the mattress, where he had fastened the holster. He pulled out the Beretta and checked the magazine before replacing it.

  He had no desire to shoot anyone, but if someone came onto his property with the intention of hurting him or Naomi, he’d do what had to be done until Danny and his men arrived.

  “That’s convenient,” Naomi said when he faced her.

  “I got the idea from Clayton.” He nodded at the rifle she held. “Let’s keep one in the hallway for me. While you’re in the darkroom, I’ll keep watch over everything.”

  Her brows drew together. “You can’t do it all yourself.”

  “I do wish I had a security system like the East Ranch, but we’ll make do for now. The house is far enough from the road that no one can see it unless they drive here. That gives us time to see and hear them.”

  She briefly bit her lower lip. “If they come in vehicles.”

  “I think we have another couple of days before any of that becomes a worry.” At least he hoped that was the case.

  “Right,” Naomi said and shot him a smile.

  She walked from the bedroom to place the rifle in the hallway. Brice was a few steps behind her, except he paused at the top of the stairs and looked down. The best place f
or him would be upstairs to get a better view of the area, but if he were downstairs, he’d be able to stop anyone before they got into the house.

  If anyone came for them. And he really, really hoped they didn’t. He’d shot men in his time with the Marines. War or not, it had stayed with him. And probably always would. He’d thought he left that behind him when he finished his tours and resigned his commission. Yet he was thankful that he’d learned how to handle himself in such situations.

  The ringing of a cell phone halted his thoughts. His gaze slid to Naomi as he pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it.

  “Hey,” Abby said on the other end of the line. “How are things?”

  Brice kept his gaze on Naomi as he said, “We’re good. About to start setting up the darkroom.”

  “I wanted to let both you and Naomi know that Jace got to speak to Whitney’s parents.”

  There was something in his sister’s voice that told him the news wouldn’t be good. “So they know why Naomi isn’t there?”

  “Yes. They said they’d do what they could to help us. Jace gave them a condensed version of what’s going on,” Abby said.

  He mouthed to Naomi that it was Abby. Then he said to his sister, “What other news do you have?”

  “Well,” she said with a long sigh. “Whitney’s spine injury is bad. They say she’ll be able to walk after extensive rehabilitation, but she’ll never get on a horse again.”

  Chapter 27

  “This is horrible news,” Naomi told Brice when he relayed the update about Whitney’s injury. “Horses are her life. They always have been.”

  He took her hand and rubbed his thumb on the back. “Doctors have been wrong before.”

  “What type of spinal injury?”

  Brice shrugged as he shook his head. “All Jace told Abby was that there was a fracture in Whitney’s lower back. That, along with her other injuries, are complicating her recovery. She’s still in the ICU in a coma.”

  Naomi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It wasn’t enough that the men had tried to kill Whitney. Now, they had taken away the thing she loved most in the world. “If we don’t bring down these men, then this has all been for nothing.”