by D'Ann Lindun
As they passed through town, he asked, “Do you need anything?”
“No. I have a full fridge and freezer. What else could I possibly desire?” Her eyes twinkled, making him want to stop and buy a truckload of condoms. He refrained from saying so and forced his mind in another direction. “Where do your mother and sister live?”
“They moved to Grand Junction last year.” Her voice rose a fraction. “Why?”
“Just wondering if they need security detail, too.”
She blanched. “Oh, God. You don’t suppose Reuben would hurt them, do you?”
“I don’t believe so, but it doesn’t pay to take chances. I’ll get someone on it as soon as we stop.”
“Thank you.” The gratitude in her voice would make him do most anything she asked.
“You’re welcome.”
As they turned into her driveway, Isabella tensed.
“Breathe,” Shane instructed as he parked in front of her house and holstered his weapon. “Stay here. I’ll check things out. The rifle’s in the backseat. Use it if you need to.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to retrieve the weapon in the backseat. “Okay.”
Resisting the urge to brush his lips across hers, he opened the door and stepped out. “Lock it behind me.” He waited until she complied, then turned toward her house.
A quick check found it empty, safe. Exactly as he had last seen it.
He hurried back to Isabella. When she rolled down the window he gave her a thumbs up. “All clear.”
Relief flashed across her face and her grip on the rifle loosened. “Thank goodness.”
She opened the door and stepped out, still holding onto the gun. She tripped a little and he grabbed her with hand and the rifle with the other. “Careful.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes and all the reasons why he shouldn’t kiss her flew out of his head. Pulling her tight against him, he slanted his mouth across hers. Within moments, the kiss deepened, their tongues twisting together. His skin tightened and blood rushed south. If this didn’t stop now he’d have her under him in seconds—only as long as it took to get her inside and onto her bed.
With a groan of regret, he pulled his mouth from hers. “The horses—”
Her face was flushed, her chest rose and fell in a rapid beat. “I’ll show you where to put them.”
As he trailed her to the back of the house he thought he’d follow her anywhere. How had she gotten under his skin so quickly? After Ellie, he’d vowed to never fall in love again and certainly not with a woman in danger. One he could lose to violence.
Isabella showed him the small pasture. “Will this work?”
He surveyed the meadow with a grove of Aspen trees in one corner. “Perfect. They’ll think they died and went to heaven. Back home they have to be stalled.”
“Maybe it’s time for a change.” Her voice was husky. “There’s a lot to like here.”
“There sure is.” He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “But my life is on the other side of the mountain.”
With a stiff nod, she turned away. “I need a shower.”
Shane watched her walk away, his gut churning. He wished he could say the things in his heart, but his head wouldn’t allow the right words to come through. With heavy steps, he walked toward the horse trailer.
He turned the horses and donkey into the pasture, and as expected they seemed joyful. All three dropped to their knees and rolled in the tall grass.
Shane stood for some time, enjoying watching them, but also to give Isabella privacy. After he thought enough time had passed, he turned toward the house.
First making a stop at the pickup for his gear, he headed inside.
Total silence struck him. Maybe she’d laid down for a well-deserved nap. He hurried toward her bedroom. “Isabella? You here?”
He checked both bedrooms. Empty.
The back screen door squeaking alerted him to a presence and he drew his gun. Moving cautiously, he slipped to the back door and turned the knob. Standing to the side, he opened it and peeked around the doorjamb.
Gonzalez, with a gun to Isabella’s head, half pushed her across the yard. Shane aimed his gun at the robber’s back. “Freeze, Gonzalez.”
Spinning around so hard Isabella almost fell, Gonzalez shielded his body with hers. He pointed a pistol at her temple. “Drop your gun, or I’ll shoot her.”
Shane’s gun wavered as a memory played…
Ellie’s skin was pale, her mouth parted. In her blue eyes he saw her desperate plea—save me.
“Drop your weapon,” Shane ordered, forcing his voice not to shake.
“I’ll kill her,” the fugitive, LeBeau, said as his gaze darted wildly for an escape.
“I said drop the gun and let her go.” Shane’s finger on the trigger tightened, but he didn’t dare pull. He might hit Ellie.
The fugitive dragged her back a few steps. “Get me a helicopter along with a hundred grand and passage to Cuba.”
“We’re working on it,” Shane told him. “Now let the woman go.”
With a snort, the fugitive tightened his hold on her neck. “No fucking way, man. If I let her go I’m toast.”
Shane refused to look at his terrified wife. If he did, he might lose his concentration and he needed all his wits to outsmart the guy. He couldn’t let his feelings take over or she’d die. “Give up the lady, LeBeau.”
“Fuck you.” Sweat trickled down the sides of his ruddy face and into his wild eyes.
With his gaze locked on the fugitive’s, Shane tried to back down LeBeau. Like a wild animal, he tried to intimidate by a show of force. The gun in his hand an extension of what he wanted to convey.
But instead of cowering, LeBeau grew more aggressive. He jabbed the gun into Ellie’s temple until she cried out.
“Help me, please.”
The fear in her voice made Shane’s blood run ice cold, then hot. His grip on his weapon tightened. “Hurt her again, and I’ll kill you.”
“Oh, yeah?” LeBeau’s teeth bared in a snarl. His gaze bored into Shane’s as he tightened his finger on the trigger.
It might have been his own shout, Ellie’s scream or LeBeau’s maniacal laughter, but Shane didn’t hear the blast… could only watch in horrified disbelief as his wife crumpled to the ground. Before he could react, LeBeau raised his hand, pointed the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger.
Shane blinked, blocking the image.
Ellie was gone. But Isabella was here and she needed him.
He steadied his hand. “Don’t make me shoot, Gonzalez.”
“Do, and you’ll hit my ex-wife. You wouldn’t want that now, would you?” He nuzzled her neck, keeping his gaze on Shane. “She’s a good lay, huh? You can thank me for that. Yeah, I know all about your hookup. You weren’t exactly subtle. The whole forest heard her coming.”
What little color was left in Isabella’s face leeched away. Her brandy colored eyes stood out in stark relief against her pale skin. Her mouth became a thin, tight line.
Shane ignored Gonzalez’s taunts. “You can’t get away. Law enforcement officers from here to Canada and Mexico have you in their sites.”
“None have caught me so far.” He grinned. “And with all my money, they won’t.”
The briefcase in Isabella’s hands rattled as her hands shook. If she’d only drop it—
As if she read his mind, Isabella let go of the handle, the briefcase slipping from her trembling hands. She gasped. “Oh, no.”
Gonzalez’s hold on her loosened and she leaned forward.
In that split second, Shane pulled the trigger. His heart stood still. If he hit Isabella—Gonzalez’s eyes widened and he grabbed his chest. Blood pooled under his fingers. He windmilled his arms, then toppled backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.
Before Isabella could turn around, Shane leapt forward and gathered her in his arms. She trembled like a newborn foal finding its first legs. “Are you all right?”
“Y-e-e-s.”
“Thank God.” He realized he was shaking, too. He holstered his gun, keeping one arm around her. “Let me check on Gonzalez.”
“Is he—” she swallowed hard “—dead?”
“I think so. I need to make sure.” Gently, he pushed her toward her house, not wanting her to see what he had done. “Go inside. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Okay.” She stumbled away.
Kneeling beside Gonzalez’s bloody body, Shane felt for a pulse although he knew there would be none. The man stared blankly at the blue sky above. With a sigh, Shane stood. “Was it worth it, buddy? You lost everything when you had it all.”
He turned away and dialed his chief, filling him in as he walked toward Isabella’s house.
He hung up and entered through the back door.
Isabella sat on the sofa with a blank look on her face. Shane sat next to her and took her cold hand in his. “You okay?”
“I should be sorry, right?” She looked his direction and tears shimmered in her eyes. “All I feel is relief.”
“He kidnapped you, held you hostage, so sorry isn’t the first word that comes to mind,” Shane said.
“He was my husband—”
“Who abused and belittled you,” he reminded her.
A tear slid down her cheek. “I was so scared he was going to kill me…”
Shane gathered her in his arms before the tears came. “I got you, baby.”
She cried for a long time, her tears soaking the front of his shirt. Finally, she pulled away and drew a ragged breath. “We should call someone, right? The police—”
“I already did. They’re on the way. I’m going to have to answer a lot of questions, so don’t worry when they pull me away from you.” He smoothed her hair back. “They’ll want to talk to you, too.”
“Why? We didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice shook with indignation.
“It’s protocol. Nothing to worry about.” His phone rang. “I have to take this, it’s the sheriff—”
“I understand.” She wrapped her arms around her middle and sank into the sofa.
Although he wanted nothing more than to hold her, duty called. With a heavy sigh, he answered the phone. “Catlin here.”
“This is Sheriff Blackmore. I understand there’s been a shooting at Isabella Califano’s place. Is she okay?”
“Shook up, but alive.”
“Gonzalez dead?”
“Yeah.” Shane didn’t want to go into details in front of Isabella.
“What about the second fugitive? Any sign of him?”
“Not yet,” Shane said.
“Will you continue to protect Miss Califano until he’s rounded up? Or do I need one of my men to look out for her? I can’t pay to have someone guard her around the clock, but we can drive by—”
“I’ll stay until she’s out of danger.” Shane didn’t know if his boss would agree, but if he had to he’d take some personal time. Making sure Isabella stayed safe had become a priority in his life.
CHAPTER TEN
A week had passed since the shooting, and on the surface things had returned to normal. Isabella resumed her novel and it was going well. Every time she pictured the hero now, though, he looked exactly like Shane.
He’d made no attempt to kiss or touch her, which filled her with a deep disappointment. He was kind, but formal. Back into their marshal and victim pattern, and not lovers.
With a sigh, she carried her coffee cup to the sink and rinsed it. She wished he would just leave if this was the way things were going to be between them. Being so close, yet so far away was torture. Her body didn’t need protection, her heart did.
If she weren’t careful, she’d fall in love.
Too late.
The realization hit her hard and she dropped the mug from numb fingers. Her heart beat wildly. She’d already fallen in love with Marshal Shane Catlin. When he’d saved her life, it had been the act that clinched the deal. At least for her. Apparently, only for her. Just another day on the job for him, she supposed.
She walked to her computer and stared at the screen saver of her last book cover—a cowboy on a horse—and all she could picture was Shane riding Wrangler.
Shaking her head, she tried to erase the image. This was going to drive her insane. She had to ask him to leave, it was the only solution. She could not, would not risk a broken heart.
Or, I could seduce him.
The thought rocked her. Could she? Be brave enough to try? What did she have to lose? Pride if he turned her down. But, what if he didn’t?
Ideas churned through her head until she hit upon the perfect one.
~*~
Around ten a.m., she headed outside carrying a picnic basket. Shane stood near the shed holding a hammer. He’d fixed a few things around the house, out of boredom, she thought. When he looked up, she smiled and held up the basket. “You hungry?”
Heat flashed in his eyes before he hid it and nodded. “Sure, but isn’t it a little early for lunch?”
“I was thinking more like noon.”
Arching a brow, he looked between her face and her hands holding the basket. “Oh…?”
Here went nothing. “I thought maybe we could take a trail ride. I made sandwiches for lunch. There are chips and beer, too…” Her stomach fluttered with nerves. She couldn’t eat if she wanted to right then.
He hesitated long enough to make her begin to regret the invitation. Then he shrugged. “Why not? Sounds good. Let me put up the hammer and I’ll catch the horses.”
“Great!” Isabella beamed.
Shane stepped toward his pickup. “Can you get coats and slickers while I hook up the trailer?”
“Of course.” Isabella practically sprinted for the house. Inside, she gathered the requested items, plus two old quilts that would spread nicely on the grass. From her dresser drawer, she retrieved a few condoms from an-almost forgotten box.
When she hurried back outside, Shane had the pickup hooked to the horse trailer and the two paint geldings loaded inside. Donquita brayed mournfully from the pasture. “Will she be okay alone?”
“It would be better to take her,” Shane said.
“Why can’t she come? She’ll follow along with the horses like before, right?” Isabella wanted no reason to have to rush back home.
“I suppose she could.” He opened the trailer door and grabbed the donkey’s halter.
Isabella took a deep breath. “How about an overnight stay? You have everything we need in the trailer except food, and I have plenty of that.” Although he began shaking his head she could tell by the look on his face he was almost sold. “We could fish for trout…maybe grill over an open fire.”
He grinned. “I can’t say no to that. I even have a fishing pole.”
“This will be a nice break for you,” she said.
His eyes darkened. “For both of us. You need it more than me. I’m used to this kind of stress, you’re not.”
“I’m okay,” she said.
He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, his fingers lingering a moment. “You’re a brave lady, Isabella, but all this has to be taking a toll on you.”
Unexpected tears welled in her eyes and she blinked them back. “I’m good, all thanks to you.”
His smile looked grim. “We’re going to keep you that way, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart?
Had that been a slip of the tongue, or a bit of true feelings slipping out? She wanted to ask, but instead turned toward the truck. “If we’re going to make it to the lake in time to set up camp and get some fishing in, we’d better go. I’ll grab our food.”
~*~
Very few people found their way to the isolated shores of Lost Lake. Today was no exception. No one else was there when Isabella led Shane to the bright blue water. She dismounted and turned to smile at him. “Welcome to Lost Lake.”
He, too, dismounted and took in the beauty of the blue water, the dark green pine trees mixed wit
h the orange and red aspens their white trunks stark against a backdrop of purple mountains. “Wow.”
“You like?” She peered over her saddle at him.
“I love.”
“I do, too. This is one of my favorite places, although I haven’t been here in years.” She tried to remember the last time she’d visited and couldn’t recall exactly, although it would have had to been pre-Reuben. Forcing away any thought of her ex, she turned her mind to the present. “Do you want to camp on the shoreline, or back in the trees?”
“Shore,” he said instantly, looking over her shoulder. “That looks like a good spot.”
She followed his gaze to a sandy area close to the lake. A roaring fire after sundown would set the scene perfectly. “Looks great.”
Together, they set camp and built a fire ring. They gathered driftwood to build a campfire later. As Shane carried the sleeping bags into the tent, their gazes caught and held. Isabella dampened her bottom lip and he stared at her mouth for a long moment before placing the rolled-up bags against the back wall of the tent.
She was certain she’d seen desire in his gaze before he masked it. If his need was anything like hers, this night would go exactly as she planned.
After making sure the horses and donkey were happily grazing on sweet mountain grass, they put together fishing poles and headed for the lake.
Isabella stopped abruptly. “Wait. I forgot something.” Ignoring Shane’s puzzled look, she handed him her pole and dashed back inside the tent where she grabbed two Coors from the cooler. She waved them at him. “Can’t fish without beer.”
He laughed and took one. “Woman, you’re just about perfect.”
“Just about?” She mock glared at him and snatched her pole out of his hand.
“I meant just right. Exactly right.”
She sniffed and walked by him with her nose in the air. “That’s better.”
His chuckle followed her as she sashayed away from him. She settled on a big boulder to bait her hook. Shane picked a spot several yards up the shoreline and tossed in his line.
The afternoon sun warmed Isabella and she opened her beer and took a sip of the liquid. It slid down her throat, into her tummy with a refreshing rush. She sighed in contentment. For the first time since she’d been abducted, the tension she’d been carrying ebbed out of her shoulders and back.
