Genuine Cowboy

by Joanna Wayne

  “What happened between you and Bastion?”

  “Nothing happened.”

  “And yet seeing him on TV practically sent you into fright convulsions.”

  She looked away, avoiding eye contact. “Orson’s a vicious, unrepentant killer. I just hate to think what he might resort to in order to escape capture.”

  An unrepentant killer, as compared to his father, who she evidently saw as repentant? Only, that wasn’t the case. Troy had never admitted to killing Sean’s mother, so there was no way he could have come across as repentant, unless Eve knew something Sean didn’t.

  “Look at me, Eve. I only want the truth. Why did you really come to Willow Creek Ranch last night?”

  Eve raised her chin, but hugged her arms around her chest protectively. Shadows haunted the depths of her eyes, and her trying to be tough only made her appear that much more vulnerable. And made it that much more important that he get the truth from her.

  “I’ve told you why I’m here, Sean. I was in the area. I thought it would be nice to surprise Troy with a visit and see how he’s adjusting to his release.”

  “On the same day Orson Bastion was released from prison. Interesting timing.”

  “And at the same time Troy was having a heart attack,” she reminded him. “At least my stopping in unannounced worked for Troy. Now, can we just drop this and drive to the hospital?”

  He shook his head. “Not until you stop feeding me bull.”

  “You have far more important things to worry about than me, Sean Ledger. Your father is in the hospital. That should take precedence over everything else for you.”

  He wasn’t buying it. He couldn’t. The fear he saw in Eve Worthington was too real. “Did you come to Troy for protection from Orson?”

  “No. No, of course not,” she murmured. “I don’t need protection.” Stress added a tremor of desperation to her voice. She unwound her arms from her chest and started to walk away.

  Sean grabbed her arm. Awareness sizzled though him like the sputter of hot bacon grease. He hated the effect she had on him, but that couldn’t influence what he had to do.

  “Tell me the truth, Eve. If not for your sake, then for your son’s. Is there some reason Orson Bastion would come after you?”

  She shuddered and swayed as if she were losing her balance. He pulled her into the circle of his arms to steady her.

  Eve sighed, but this time she didn’t pull away. “Okay, Sean. You’re not going to give up until I tell you the ugly truth, so here it is—I testified against Orson at his parole hearing.” Once she started, the explanation tumbled out in a rush. “I believed that if he got out, he’d kill again and again. He swore he’d make me pay.”

  “So you are on the run from Orson Bastion.”

  “Yes. I know it’s probably paranoid of me to think Orson Bastion would give me a thought when he’s running for his own life. But Gordon Epps, the prison warden, called me yesterday and suggested I ask your father to let me stay on his ranch until Orson was returned to the prison.”

  “Why Troy?”

  “Because Troy’s a man you can count on. I know that and Gordon knows it. And Gordon believes that the Willow Creek Ranch is the last place Orson would expect me to be.”

  “Because Troy is a former inmate.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Why didn’t you just go to the police for protection?”

  “I called them. I didn’t feel they were taking the threat Orson made against me seriously. But it doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have come here. I realize that now. Even if Troy were well, he doesn’t need me and my problems when he’s trying to get his own life back together.”

  “Showing up when you did likely saved Troy’s life.”

  “And I’m glad for that, but his heart attack is all the more reason I can’t ask him to let me stay here. I don’t think I should even visit him in the hospital.”

  “Where do you plan to go?”

  “I don’t know. This has all become extremely complicated. I just know that I have to keep Joey safe.”

  “Where’s Joey’s father?”

  “He died two years ago.”

  Sean decided not to ask for details. Knowing too much about her personal life would break down barriers that he needed to stay in place.

  “You shouldn’t have to face this alone, Eve.”

  “I don’t have a lot of choices.”

  “You have one.” His arm tightened about her waist, and his muscles hardened, along with his resolve not to let this become personal. “Stay at the ranch. You’ll be safe here.”

  She pulled away. “That wouldn’t be fair to you or Troy. The two of you need time to reconnect without worrying about me.”

  “The reconnecting bit will either happen or it won’t. Whether you and Joey are here will have no bearing on it.”

  She took his hand. The touch surprised him and sent a new bundle of confusing emotions coursing through him.

  “I appreciate the offer,” she said. “More than you know. But suppose we’re all wrong and Orson does show up here? You can’t even imagine what this monster is capable of.”

  “I worked with horses considered unbreakable for three summers while I was at the university, Eve. Orson can’t be tougher than some of the disturbed stallions I tackled. And I’ve been the top marksman three years running in my National Guard unit. I think I can handle Orson if he’s fool enough to show up in Mustang Run.”

  Her hand relaxed in his. “Stay on the ranch,” he coaxed. “Joey can get lots of fresh air and sunshine. You can sleep through the night without worrying about defending yourself with a kitchen knife.”

  “What about Dylan and Collette?”

  “What about them?”

  “Don’t you think you should get their approval before bringing the possible target of a madman onto the ranch?”

  “If they have a problem with it, I’ll let you know, and we’ll go somewhere else—together. Trust me with this, Eve. I won’t abandon you and Joey.”

  “Why?” she whispered. “Why are you so determined to become my protector?”

  “Because a man who’d turn his back on a woman and kid in trouble isn’t really a man.”

  “You, Sean Ledger, are a lot more like your father than you may ever admit.”

  He seriously doubted that. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”

  “For now. I can’t promise beyond that.”

  Not the guarantee he wanted, but he’d deal with that issue when the time came. Other issues couldn’t wait. “Now that I know what’s going on, I think we need to call off our visit to the hospital. No use to risk anyone recognizing you and linking you to Troy.”

  She stiffened. “See, it’s happening already. I’m coming between you and your father.”

  “I haven’t seen the man in seventeen years,” Sean said. “A few more days can’t make that much difference.”

  “He’s had a heart attack. No matter the prognosis, he could have another one. And even if he doesn’t, your visit will mean the world to him. I won’t stand in the way of that.”

  “So, do you have a better idea?”

  “Don’t use my name in front of anyone at the hospital. And I’ll only go this once.”

  Sean decided to choose his battles wisely with Eve. This one would hit low on the priority level. Even if Orson was reckless and downright stupid enough to still be in Texas, it was unlikely he’d be hanging around a busy hospital.

  The fact that Eve was staying on at the ranch was victory enough for now. He’d passed the first hurdle of the day. The second was facing Troy Ledger. He had little hope it would turn out nearly as well.

  THE LARGE DOUBLE DOORS to the hospital slid open and Sean, Eve and Joey stepped inside. Having Joey in the backseat of his double-cab pickup had put any talk of Orson off limits. An uneasy silence had settled between them, giving Sean far too much time to think.

  He hadn’t lied. He’d have offered to help any woman and kid in legitimate troub
le, but his feelings of concern for Eve were all mixed up with his uncanny attraction to her. It was not the normal kind of attraction to a good-looking woman, but a sensual onslaught every time he was near her.

  It was the knife incident, he decided. Adrenaline and testosterone had formed a formidable alliance when he’d pressed against her, roaring though him with the ferocity of a mad bull. He’d been conscious of her every curve, deliciously aware of her breasts and hips when they’d pushed against his strained muscles.

  That had been the fuel that had originally fanned the attraction. It went beyond that now.

  He watched her as she walked toward the elevator, hips swaying, shoulders squared, silky hair bouncing. Her hand was clasped with Joey’s. She was the perfect mix of spunk and warmth, obstinate yet seductively vulnerable.

  And he was going overboard here. She was a woman in trouble. He’d offered his protective services. That was it. Start thinking differently, and it would lead to nothing but trouble.

  He and women didn’t mix—at least not for long. They wanted more than he had to give. He’d proved that twice before. Only a fool would jump into the path of a kicking horse.

  Okay, so he was lousy with analogies, too.

  Now that they were inside the hospital, even the temptation of Eve couldn’t alleviate the anxiety generated by his inevitable confrontation with his father. Just as he’d promised, Sean had called ahead to alert Dylan of their arrival.

  When they reached Troy’s room, Dylan and Collette were waiting for them in the hallway. Dylan smiled in anticipation and the dread rolled in Sean’s stomach.

  Cold. Calculating. Brutal. A murderer.

  Sean had heard those words and worse, used by his mother’s family over and over through the years to describe Troy. The unmarried uncle who’d become Sean’s guardian had hated Troy even more than his grandparents—if that was possible.

  At some point, Sean had separated the Troy Ledger they talked about with such hate from the man he’d known as Dad. For all practical purposes, his father had died the day Sean gave up hope of Troy proving his innocence.

  Could there be even a fragment of forgiveness inside Sean for the man inside Room 212?

  “You guys go in first,” Eve said. “Joey and I will wait here with Collette.”

  “But you’ll go in later, won’t you?” Dylan asked.

  She nodded. “Just don’t mention my name in front of any of the staff. I’m traveling incognito this visit.”

  Dylan looked puzzled.

  “Just go with it,” Sean said. “We’ll explain later.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.” He clapped Sean on the back. “Now let’s get this show on the road.”

  Eve stepped in close. “Just give Troy a chance, Sean.”

  Dylan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  “The moment of reckoning,” Sean muttered for the second time in as many days. A moment he’d probably live to regret.

  Troy looked up as Dylan walked into his room. “I thought you’d gone home. Ranch won’t run itself while you’re up here catering to me.”

  “I have somebody with me that I think you’d like to see.”

  Troy pushed himself up so that he sat higher in the bed, and waited, expecting it to be Eve Worthington that followed Dylan in. He hated for her to see him like this, but he needed to talk to her, what with that bastard Orson Bastion on the loose.

  It wasn’t Eve.

  Troy stared at the visitor, sure the meds were playing a trick on his mind. He blinked rapidly, his chest as hard as a lump of red Texas clay.

  “It’s Sean, Dad. He got in last night.”

  “I know.” The words came out like they’d been pushed across sand. “I recognize him from the picture you showed me.” Troy wrapped the fingers of one hand around the bed’s side rail and extended the other hand toward Sean. “Hello, son.”

  “Hi. It’s been awhile.” Sean took a few steps into the room, but ignored the offered hand.

  The invisible gap that separated Troy from Sean became palpable. It was more than the years that separated them. It was all the talks they’d never had, the doubts and suspicions and the pain they should have worked through together.

  But Sean was here. That was more than Troy had expected, maybe more than he deserved. “Dylan tells me you’re a horse whisperer, one of the best in the business.”

  “I’m a trainer. I’ve had good luck with troubled horses. The whispering reputation isn’t my choosing.”

  “You were always good with horses,” Troy said.

  The memories crashed down like blocks of ice, freezing time, weighing him down. His eyes began to sting, and Troy closed them, not wanting Sean to see this weaker side of him.

  “Yeah. Horses seldom disappoint you.”

  “Remember Sinbad?” Troy said, ignoring the sarcasm. “He didn’t like for anyone but you to ride him.”

  “Yeah. I remember Sinbad.”

  “Did you stop by the ranch?” Troy asked.

  Sean nodded. “I spent the night there last night. Didn’t have a chance to see much of it yet, but what I saw evidences the hard work you and Dylan have put in on it.”

  “Collette, too,” Troy said. Talk of the ranch was easier for him. “She’s a hard worker, that girl. And she loves working with the horses.”

  “All that and a great cook, too,” Sean said.

  “And gorgeous, with great taste in men,” Dylan added, no doubt trying to ease the tension that filled the tiny room.

  Troy shifted and tugged on the hospital gown that always seemed to bunch up in the most uncomfortable of places. “Dylan tells me you’ve never been to the post.”

  “No, but came close a couple of times,” Sean admitted. “Escaped the noose before the marriage nuptials got underway.”

  “You’ll know when the right woman comes along.”

  “I’m not looking.”

  Didn’t matter. Troy hadn’t been looking either, but once he’d met Helene, he’d have turned his life upside down to get her to marry him.

  Dylan leaned on the foot rail. “The cardiologist doesn’t want you to have too much company, Dad, so I’m going to duck out and let the two of you visit for a few minutes.”

  “Thanks, and you don’t have to keep driving all the way up here to check on me. I’m going to be fine. Won’t be much help at the ranch for a few weeks, but I’ll get there.”

  “Then you’d best talk Sean into staying on a month or so. A little fence-fixing with the peons will help me out and do him good.”

  Sean pulled a chair next to the bed and settled into it. Troy hoped he wouldn’t start asking a bunch of questions about the past. He’d go there with him someday, but he’d rather it not be today. He was weaker than he wanted his sons to know.

  Sean raked his hair back from his forehead. Strange how much he looked like the kid Troy remembered when he did that.

  Sean leaned in close. “What do you know about Orson Bastion?”

  Sean was dead serious now, his face drawn into tight planes and angles. Any resemblance to the kid from seventeen years ago vanished.

  “Why do you ask?” Troy asked.

  “He escaped from the prison in Huntsville. I figured you might have known him.”

  “I knew him all right. For starters, Orson is smart, conniving, manipulative and cunning—with the black heart of a devil.”

  “Sounds as if you knew him well.”

  “Better than I wanted to.”

  “I hear Eve Worthington also knew him well.”

  Sean had whispered the name, as if he thought the walls might overhear. Even in Troy’s weakened state, he juggled the fact and came up with the only sensible conclusion.

  “I take it you met Eve. Was she still at the ranch when you arrived last night?”

  “Yes to both questions. She says Orson Bastion threatened to kill her for testimony she gave at his parole hearing.”

  “Yeah, and I have no doubt that he meant it. Where is she now?�
��

  “Just outside the room, with Dylan and Collette. Her son is with her.”

  “I’d like to see her.”

  “You will, but first we need to square away a few things. I’ve asked her and her son Joey to stay at the ranch until this psycho is captured—just to be on the safe side. I’ll stay, too, of course.”

  “So you’ve offered to be her bodyguard?”

  “I guess you could say that, though evidently she and Gordon Epps think she won’t really need one as long as she’s at the Willow Creek Ranch.”

  “That explains why she showed up last night. And I agree. I don’t suspect Orson would ever think to look for her there.”

  “I haven’t had a chance to discuss this with Dylan,” Sean said.

  “Dylan will be fine with it. Collette will, too. She knows what it is to need protection from a madman. And if anyone deserves a break, it’s Eve. She’s a giver, like your—” Troy stopped himself. Better not to bring up Helene until he and Sean were on more solid footing with each other.

  Yet there was something about Eve that reminded him of Helene. That was the reason he’d let down his guard with her, had talked to her at length about what losing Helene that way had done to him. He shared his heartbreak with Eve, when he’d never been able to discuss that with anyone else.

  “I think it best if only the family knows that Eve and Joey are on the ranch,” Sean said. “And I don’t want you to mention her name to any of your friends or the hospital staff.”

  “I agree,” Troy said. “But if Orson decides to track Eve down, he’ll find a way to do it. The only thing that will stop him is a bullet. Just so you know what you’re getting into.”

  “I can handle myself, and a gun.”

  “I never doubted it.” But just in case, Troy planned to be in between Sean and Orson if it came to that. He’d failed Helene. He wouldn’t fail their son.

  Which meant that he had no time to spend flat on his back in a hospital bed. He’d have to recover. Fast. Before Orson found a way to make good on his threat.

  THE FEAR WAS DROPPING AWAY from Eve like needles falling from pine trees. It had been four days since Orson’s escape, and no more deaths had been attributed to him. The police now believed he was in Mexico.