by Elle James
“I’ll take a beer,” Cage said.
Jake pulled one out of the ice and set it on the table beside several others.
Once everybody had a drink, they took their seats at the long table and helped themselves to the food.
Cage ended up sitting next to Emily, who passed him the basket of dinner rolls. “Maybe you’d like one that didn’t end up on the ground?” she said, smiling.
“A little dirt never hurt anyone. We swallowed enough of it when we ate in the field.” He smiled, took a roll and passed the basket to JoJo. “You never did tell me why you were so scared?”
“Oh, it was nothing,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
“Had to be something for you to be so frightened by a stranger in the kitchen.”
She shrugged. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” Cage bit into the roll.
Jake glanced across the table at Gunny. “Who’s minding the bar tonight, Gunny?”
“I got Roy Taylor mixing drinks,” the retired Marine said. “The kitchen is on temporary hold until we’re done here. Then RJ and I will take up the slack and see it through to closing.”
Emily’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were going to hire some help?”
Gunny smiled. “I did. I hired Roy.”
Emily cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t that like hiring the fox to guard the hen house? Won’t he drink up all your profits?”
Gunny grinned. “He promised to pay for all his drinks out of the money he’ll be making.”
“So, basically, he’s not going to be making any money other than the tips.” Emily shook her head.
Gunny nodded. “It’s only for an hour and a half.”
“You really do need to hire more help.”
“And I will when I find the right person. So, tell us what’s going on in your world?”
She glanced down. “Not much.”
Cage could feel the tension in her.
Apparently, Gunny could detect it too. “I know that look,” he said.
She glanced up. “What look?”
“That look that says you don’t want to bother me with your problems. Cough it up, Emily. What good is a friend if they can’t help you when you need it?”
She shook her head. “You have so much on your plate now. You don’t need my problems.”
Gunny reached across the table and took her hand. “Emily, we’re not just friends, we’re family. What’s bothering you?”
She chewed on her lip before answering. “I might have a stalker.”
“No kidding?” RJ asked.
Emily nodded.
“How long has it been going on?” Gunny asked.
“Actually, I think just today.”
“Then what makes you think it’s a stalker?”
“Well, it started with a rose on the seat of my car.”
RJ grinned. “You have a secret admirer.”
Emily shook her head frowning. “A secret admirer doesn’t break into your car to put a rose on your seat.”
RJ’s smile wiped clean. “Somebody broke into your car?”
“That’s all I can figure,” Emily said. “I lock it every morning. There’s no way I left it unlocked, but when I came out this afternoon there was a rose on my seat. And there was no sign that anybody had broken a window or forced entry. How does someone get into a car that’s locked?”
“The sheriff’s department and the police force in Colorado Springs have tools that can get you into a locked car. Lots of people lock their keys inside. Somebody could have one of those tools and get into your car that way.”
Emily shivered. “That’s pretty creepy that somebody would go so far as to break into my car to leave a rose on the seat.”
RJ nodded. “Yeeeah, that’s kinda creepy, but it could just be somebody who likes you and wants to show you that he cares.”
“I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt, until I got home, and my cellphone rang with an unknown caller ID.”
“I never answer those, it’s usually telemarketers,” RJ said.
Emily nodded. “That’s what I thought, but this one left a message.” She pulled out her cellphone and played the message on the speaker. The computer-generated voice repeated what she’d listened to earlier.
“Roses are red.”
RJ grimaced. “Again, it could just be a secret admirer.”
“Maybe so,” Emily said, “but it kind of creeps me out.”
Gunny nodded. “That settles it, you’re not going back to your apartment tonight.”
Emily frowned. “But that’s where I live.”
Gunny shook his head. “And you always have a home here. You’re staying the night.”
“But I didn’t bring anything with me.”
RJ shook her head. “No excuses. You and I are the same height, and though you’re a little thinner than I am, we can wear the same clothes. You don’t have an animal to take care of back at your apartment, so you’re staying.”
“I’ll think about it,” Emily said.
“There’s nothing to think about,” Gunny said. “If you don’t stay for any other reason, stay because it will give us peace of mind. If you go home tonight, we’ll just worry about you.”
Emily’s brow twisted. “I don’t want you worrying about me. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“Then don’t make us worry,” RJ said. “You’re staying.”
Emily sighed. “Okay, I’ll stay. But just tonight.”
“Yeah, we’ll talk about that in the morning,” Gunny said. “It’s a weekend, so you don’t have to go home except to get some clothes so you can come back and stay here. One of us will go with you though. You’re not going alone. I never did like the idea of you living downtown all by yourself.”
“I have a nice apartment, it’s got a beautiful view and it’s close to all of the restaurants.”
“Yeah, yeah,” RJ said. “And it’s too far away from us.”
“But it’s close to my work at the VA hospital.”
“True, and I understand why you want to live there. It is a bit of a drive to go through the pass every day to get to work, but you might be safer out here where you’re surrounded by family and friends.”
Emily smiled. “I do miss you all.”
“Yes, and you’re missing all the fun,” RJ said. “What with the Brotherhood Protectors moving into the basement, things are about to get seriously busy around here.” RJ tipped her head toward Cage. “And they just hired their third team member. You’ve met Cage, haven’t you?”
Emily smiled.
Cage nodded. “Yes, we have. We ran into each other in the kitchen.”
RJ laughed. “I hope you don’t mean that literally.”
Cage gave a twisted grin. “Actually, I do.”
Emily laughed. “I found him crawling around on the floor after a dinner roll that escaped.”
Cage raised a hand. “Guilty. I don’t mind helping, but I’m a disaster in the kitchen.”
“One lost dinner roll doesn’t make you a disaster,” Emily pointed out.
He nodded. “But at least now I know why you were so spooked.”
She shrugged. “I didn’t plan on mentioning it, but Gunny and RJ never let me get by without spilling my guts. They’re the therapist’s therapist.”
Cage tilted his head. “So, is that what you do at the VA hospital? You’re a therapist?”
She nodded. “I am. I work with veterans, trying to get them back on track so that they can live full, rewarding lives.”
“Do you think that one of your patients might be your stalker?” JoJo asked.
“I haven’t really had time to think about it, but yes, it could be that one of my patients left the rose and the message, but I have so many it would be hard to narrow it down. I’m just not going to worry about it unless it happens again.”
“I still think you need someone to go with you back to town to get your clothes,” Gunny said.
“I
’ll be fine on my own, but yes, I’ll stay the night tonight, and tomorrow I’ll go back to my place.”
“I’ll go with you,” Cage said. “If they don’t need me here.”
“That’s a great idea,” Gunny said. “We’d all feel better if Emily had somebody go with her.”
Emily raised her eyebrows. “Yeah, but if I decide to stay, how are you going to get back?”
“I’ll drive my own vehicle and follow you.”
Emily nodded. “Okay, but only this once. I’m supposed to be an independent woman. I shouldn’t have to have my hand held going home every night.”
“Yeah, and you shouldn’t be getting roses and strange messages from stalkers,” RJ said. “Just accept a little help graciously.”
Emily laughed. “Okay.” She turned to Cage. “And thank you.”
Jake chuckled. “Looks like you might have your very first assignment as a Brotherhood Protector.”
“He’s just gonna follow me into town. He’s not being assigned to me,” Emily said.
Jake raised a hand. “Wait, I think I’m going to hear an echo.”
Emily continued. “I don’t need a protector. I can take care of myself.”
“There it is,” Jake said. “Isn’t that what RJ and JoJo said when we assigned protectors to them?”
RJ met JoJo’s gaze and nodded. “Yeah, and you were right. We needed the protection. Although we thought we could take care of ourselves. Neither one of us would be alive today if it hadn’t been for Jake and Max. So, even if you think it’s nothing, let Cage help you.”
“Better that it be nothing and have help,” JoJo said, “than it to be something and not have it.”
“Okay,” Emily said, “I’m convinced. Cage can be my protector tomorrow.”
And just like that, Cage got his first assignment.
Chapter 3
After a good portion of the meal was consumed, Gunny pushed back from the table, patted his belly and sighed. “As much as I enjoy everyone’s company, I have to get back to the bar.”
RJ stood and started to collect the plates. “Me, too. Fortunately, we have enough steak and barbecue ribs left over we could have a special for the first ten bar patrons who lay a claim to them.”
Everyone rose from the table.
“JoJo and I can take care of the dishes,” Max offered.
“I’ll help RJ and Gunny get the food over to the bar,” Emily offered.
RJ ran inside and came back out with a roll of aluminum foil. She tore off a long sheet of it to cover the meats and handed the roll to Emily.
Emily tore off a sheet and covered the potato salad and baked beans.
Cage flipped the towel over on top of the rolls to keep them fresh and grabbed the platter of meat. “I’ve got this, if you’ll lead the way.”
RJ nodded. “Emily will show you where the bar is.”
“It’s easy,” Emily said. “We just follow the lighted path from the lodge.” She grabbed the bowl of potato salad, stacked it on top of the baked beans and led the way.
After the sun descended behind the peaks, darkness settled over the mountains. Cage studied the shadows. “Aren’t you afraid of bears?”
Emily laughed. “In all the years I lived out here, I never saw one around the lodge, the bar or the barn.”
“There’s always a first time,” Cage said.
“True.” She nodded. “But actually, I’ve heard of more bear sightings down in Colorado Springs than up here. One of the doctors who lives in the upscale Broadmoor district caught a bear lounging in his pool one day.”
Cage chuckled. “Smart bear.”
“It can get hot on that side of the mountain. It’s always at least ten degrees cooler up here than on the front range, usually even cooler,” Emily said.
“I suppose I might need to expand my repertoire of protection services to include four-legged creatures as well as the two-legged kind.”
Emily smiled. “At least we know it wasn’t a four-legged creature that broke into my Jeep to put a rose on my seat.”
“True, but a bear could be more deadly. Your secret admirer might only be wanting to ply you with gifts, not eat you for lunch.”
RJ had arrived at the bar before Emily and Cage. She held the door open for them.
“Go on,” Emily said. “We’ve got it.” She backed into the door to hold it for Cage to bring the tray of meat through.
“It’s a good thing we cooked extra,” RJ said. “We’ve got a crowd tonight and a bunch of hungry ranch hands.”
“What do you want me to do with these meats?” Cage asked.
“Gunny’s got the oven warming up. You can put them in there.” RJ pointed to the oven in the far corner of the kitchen.
Her father burst through the door from the bar, hurried across to the commercial refrigerator, flung the door open, grabbed a case of beer and returned to the bar.
RJ grimaced. “I better get going. Roy’s behind on drink orders, and nobody’s waiting the tables.”
Emily slipped the potato salad into the refrigerator and poured the beans into a pot on the stove and turned up the heat.
Cage slid the tray of meat into the oven and straightened. “What can I do to help?”
“Have you ever waited tables?” Emily asked. “Or even better, have you ever served drinks at a bar?”
“No to either, but I learn quickly. I’m better at mechanics than I am at the service industry. Give me any gun, and I can break it down and put it back together in a very short amount of time.”
Emily laughed. “Can you write legibly?”
He dipped his head. “Most of the time.”
She fished a pad and pen out of a drawer, handed it to him, turned him around and marched him through the swinging door into the barroom. “If you can take orders and get them to the bar and the kitchen, you’ll be a big help.” She frowned. “Unless you’re still too sore from your race today.”
He drew in a breath and let it out. “At this point, I think it would be a mistake for me to sit down and put my feet up. It might be better if I just keep moving.” He pasted a smile on his face and said, “So here goes.” He dove into the crowded barroom. Before he got too far, RJ caught his arm and pointed to several tables, assigning them to him.
Emily smiled as she watched the former ranger fumble his way through being a waiter in a crowded barroom full of alpha men who were musky, tired, cranky and thirsty from working the fields and the cattle.
Jake entered through the backdoor. “I’ll take the grill.”
“And I’ll help with the sides,” Emily said. “And I can fill in where needed out on the tables.”
RJ was back in the kitchen with several order tickets. “Get a count of steaks and ribs ASAP. I’ve got orders for five steaks and six ribs. Thankfully, most of them want the potato salad, but if you could get the French fries going, I know they’re gonna want those after we run out of potatoes. I also have orders for a couple of hamburgers and a club sandwich.”
When she’d lived at the ranch, Emily usually worked back in the kitchen where her limp didn’t matter. When she got tired and her leg started aching, she’d find a stool and sit. Gunny had never pushed her too hard. She’d pushed herself, proving to be quick and efficient with her movements.
With hungry patrons wanting food fast, Emily laid out all the plates for the steaks and the barbecue ribs Gunny had warming in the oven. She placed the steaks and ribs on the plates, spooned baked beans on one side and plopped potato salad on the other. Checking the orders per table, she laid the plates onto trays along with the condiments they’d need to go with the steaks.
By then, RJ was back. She grabbed one of the big serving platters and lifted it up onto her shoulder. “Can you get the other?” she asked.
“I’ve got it, go on,” Emily said.
She lifted the heavy tray and backed through the door into the barroom where a loud cheer went up as RJ handed around plates full of steak and barbecue ribs.
E
mily smiled. Gunny’s Watering Hole patrons worked hard, but they enjoyed playing hard as well. They had hearty appetites. Carrying the heavy tray made her limp more than usual. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the limp from being noticeable. She was halfway across the room when Cage caught up with her.
“Here, let me take that.” He reached for the tray.
“No, I’ve got it,” Emily said.
“Are you sure?” he frowned down at her leg. “You’re limping.”
She gave him a strained smile, sadly disappointed that he’d noticed. She’d never wanted to appear frail or weak in front of anybody. Especially this man whom she found so attractive. She shook her head. “If you want to help, there’s another one back in the kitchen.”
His frown deepened for a moment, and then it cleared. “Yes, ma’am.” He disappeared into the kitchen and was out a few seconds later with the other tray.
Emily pointed to the table that he needed to take it to.
RJ met Emily at another table that the tray of food was destined for. “If you’ll hold it, I’ll distribute.”
Happy that she didn’t have to balance the tray on one hand and distribute with the other, Emily stood still while RJ quickly laid the plates in front of the appropriate patrons. When the tray was empty, RJ took it from her and loaded empty bottles onto it.
Emily spied Cage trying to do the balancing act between holding the tray and distributing plates. She hurried over to him and helped. When the tray was empty, she took it while Cage took a second round of drink orders.
Emily returned to the kitchen, stopping at the door to look back at Cage. Though he was listening to his customers, his gaze had followed her. Somehow, she had felt his gaze and did her best not to limp as she crossed the barroom, which was actually silly. What did if matter if she limped in front of this man? He probably needed to know her strengths and weaknesses so that he could better provide the protection she might need. The sooner he knew that she couldn’t run, the better. Besides, he was only going to be a bodyguard to her.
It wasn’t like they would be dating.
A man like Cage was strong and virile. He would date women who were equally strong and physically capable, not a bookish woman who would never consider running in the Pikes Peak Marathon.
