Rancher Rescue

by Barb Han

  Her stubborn streak was infuriating. And damn sexy.

  “I hear what you’re saying, but if anything happens to you, it’s game over. At least with you alive, we have cards left to play. He will have a lingering doubt about the file. He’ll have no choice but to hide.” Couldn’t she see he was trying to save her? Why did she have to be so stubborn?

  You’d be the same way, a distant voice said.

  Her chin jutted out. “I thought last night meant something. Why would you want me to disappear from your life forever?”

  With every part of him, he didn’t. But he’d say anything if it meant keeping her safe. “We got caught up in the moment. I think you should go.” Damn but it nearly killed him to say those words.

  The pure look of hurt in her eyes nearly made him take it back. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t let her stick around because of him. He told himself she’d be safer in custody.

  “Then I will leave. But I’ll be damned if you get to tell me where I’ll go.” Her lips quivered but she didn’t cry.

  He’d seen that same look of bravery on her how many times now and it still had the same effect on him.

  She grabbed her bag and made a start for the door.

  Caleb stepped in front of her, blocking passage. “Where exactly are you going?”

  “I don’t know and you shouldn’t care.” Katherine was a study in determination.

  * * *

  KATHERINE’S HEART HAD been ripped from her chest. She knew whatever she and Caleb had couldn’t last, and yet his words harpooned her. “Get out of my way, I have something to do.”

  “I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I’m sorry. I only said those things because I thought they might influence you to go into protective custody. I didn’t mean a word of it. It’s killing me that I can’t protect you.”

  Was he lying then or now?

  Katherine had no idea. Everything in her heart wanted to believe this was the truth. That whatever they had between them was genuine and real. The physical attraction had to be, she reasoned. No one could fake what had happened between them last night that convincingly. The sex had been complete rapture. No other man had made her feel like that—sexy, beautiful, devoured. He’d drank in every last inch of her and come back for more. Everything about the night was still vivid in her mind. His gorgeous body, bathed in moonlight and the soft glow of the lantern. His cinnamon taste that was still on her lips.

  When he’d entered her, she’d felt on top of the world, as though she was soaring above the earth and didn’t need air to breathe. She’d felt more alive in that moment than she had her entire life.

  Then again, maybe it was purely physical for him.

  Sex for sex’s sake.

  Didn’t men view intimacy differently than women?

  Maybe the whole experience was food for his sexual appetite. A man like Caleb was surely used to having his way with women. One look at him, his honey-gold skin and brown eyes with their gold flecks, would stir any woman who could see.

  The sex had probably been far more special to her than him. Or maybe she refused to acknowledge the possibility he’d love her and could accept her nephew as his own someday. And she would get Noah back.

  “I’d like you to move,” she said, tears welling in her eyes.

  He didn’t budge. Instead he stared at her incredulously.

  “Now.” How dare he? Hadn’t he just told her she meant nothing to him? And now he had the audacity to pretend to care.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you believe me.”

  “Then we’ll be here all day.”

  “I can think of a good way to spend ‘all day’ here.” He got that mischievous look in his eye. The reminder he knew how to take what he wanted.

  Katherine’s thin veneer was cracking. She folded her arms. “Let me go.”

  “What’s the matter? Afraid you’ll run out of excuses to push me away?” He broadened his stance and quirked a devastating smile.

  Damn. He knew he was getting to her.

  Her hands came up to his chest again to push him away, but he stepped toward her and she ended up gripping his shoulders to steady herself from the physical force that was all Caleb.

  Tension crackled in the air between them as he stared at her, his gaze filled with desire. He leaned down and kissed her so tenderly it robbed her ability to breathe.

  “I’m sorry I said those things to you. I was a jerk.”

  The crack expanded like ice defrosting.

  “Yes. You were.” She leaned into his broad chest.

  “Can you forgive me?”

  Katherine was startled to realize there wasn’t much he could do she wouldn’t forgive.

  Not that it mattered. Pretty soon, she’d be exactly where Kane wanted her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “We need to make contact with Marshal Jones. See if we have anything to work with here.” Caleb pointed to the CD.

  “How do we do that?”

  “Jones gave me this.” Caleb pulled a cell from his pocket and held it out. “It’s secure.”

  “Must be. No one has showed up with a gun,” she said.

  He opened the contacts, touched the name Marshal Jones and then the call button. “Katherine is willing to turn over the CD we discussed,” Caleb said, a little weary they were about to hand over their best and only playing card. “But I need some reassurances.”

  “I’ll go with an outside guy to examine it. No one else will see it,” Jones said, answering the unasked question.

  “I like where you’re headed. Go on.”

  “Served with him in Iraq. He was dishonorably discharged when he punched his sergeant for his stupidity. Let’s just say there’s no love lost between this guy and the government.”

  That’s exactly what Caleb wanted to hear. “Then he sounds perfect for the job.”

  “He will be. If there’s anything on the CD, you’ll know it. We’ll catch up to Kane eventually. And we’ll have the evidence ready when we do.”

  Caleb caught Katherine flexing her hands. Was she trying to stop them from shaking? Was she still angry about his harsh words?

  He picked up Max and pointed to a wooden chair. When she sat, he handed her the little mutt. The best way to lower her blood pressure was to get her interacting with the dog. It might distract her enough to calm her down. Give her time to think through his actions—actions that would convince her his feelings were real.

  “And until then?”

  “We need to keep searching. He’ll make a mistake, and we’ll be there to catch him. He’ll know anything we do is most likely a trap. He could just send his minions to do his dirty work, and I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety if you’re not in custody,” Jones said.

  Caleb walked outside onto the porch. “He’ll come for us. This is personal. He’d never planned to hurt his own son. It’s always been about taking back evidence and silencing Katherine.”

  “You may be right. Don’t take any chances. I can order extra security.”

  “Matt will insist on helping, too.”

  “I don’t want to risk any more civilian lives, but I won’t stop you. I’ll speak to Sheriff Coleman, too. He might be able to provide some assistance. We’ll cover all the bases we can,” Jones said ominously.

  “I feel a lot more comfortable with the odds of keeping her safe at the ranch. It’s better than being out there where anything can happen. I can control who has access to the main house. I’ll take her there as soon as it’s dark. Don’t want to move around during the day if I don’t have to.”

  “I’ll have the results by morning. If I find what I’m looking for on that CD, we’ll arrest him the minute he shows his face in the U.S. again.”

  “And her nephew?”

  �
�He’ll go back to his aunt where he belongs.”

  “Other than your men, I don’t want anyone else knowing we’re staying at the ranch,” Caleb insisted.

  “Agreed. There’s no sense inviting more trouble than we already have coming to this party. We’ll have our hands full as it is. No additional government agency involvement apart from my men and Coleman. Your location is easy to secure by vehicle with only one road in and out. I’ll station someone near the main house and another officer at the mouth of the drive.”

  “I’ll turn over the CD to the officer on duty.” Caleb closed the cell, walked back inside and filled Katherine in on the part of the conversation she missed.

  Katherine’s body language was easy to read. She was curled up with Max in her lap, making herself as small as she could possibly become. She wanted to disappear.

  It wasn’t cold inside the homestead, but she was shivering slightly. No doubt, she wanted to block out everything that was happening to her.

  * * *

  “IT’LL BE NICE for you to sleep in your own bed for a change,” Katherine mused, doing her level best to steer the conversation away from anything stressful. She knew on some level that Caleb hadn’t meant to hurt her, but her wounds were still fresh. She needed a minute. Something told her Kane was close by. A man like him would want to finish what he started. No chance he’d walk away and leave her alone.

  “No argument there. Except I’ll give you the soft bed to sleep on while I keep watch.” Caleb moved to the food supplies and opened a can of beans. When they were warm, he offered her first dibs.

  “No thanks. I ate a protein bar that was stashed here.” The ticking clock was a reminder of how little time she had left. How little time either of them had left. “Did Marshal Jones mention anything about Noah?”

  Caleb shook his head.

  The pressure was stringing her nerves too tight. A half-desperate laugh slipped out. “I’ll just keep hoping for the best then.”

  He moved to her and kissed her. Warmly. She didn’t resist. He tasted like coffee.

  “Do you want me to make some more of Margaret’s calming tea?” he asked with a wink.

  She straightened her shoulders. “God, no. I’m a coffee person through and through.”

  A white-toothed smile broke across Caleb’s face. “You really are determined to hold it together, aren’t you?”

  “Not on the inside. I’m a wreck.” That much was true.

  “I’d never be able to tell.” He kissed her again.

  He pulled her down on his lap as he sat, embracing her as though he might never see her again. He held her as though one of them could be gone tomorrow. Or both.

  The gravity of what they were facing hit her hard.

  A wave of melancholy washed over her. She’d been so intent on finding a way to bring Kane out into the open, she hadn’t really considered the position she was putting herself in or the consequences. “Promise me that if something happens to me, you’ll find Noah anyway and get him away from that animal.”

  His grip tightened around her as his breath warmed her neck. “Don’t have to. You’ll be around to take care of him yourself.”

  She turned enough to look into his brown eyes. “Promise me anyway.”

  His expression was a mix of sadness, regret and sheer grit. “I will not let anything happen to you. That much I can vow.”

  She could tell from the intensity in his gaze he would take a bullet for her if that was the only way to protect her.

  “Drink up.” He motioned to her cup. “It’ll be dark outside soon. In a short while we can shower and eat a real meal at the main house.”

  “Both sound almost too good to be true. Although I haven’t exactly felt like I’ve been suffering out here. Not compared to what we’ve been through.” Or the hell she faced at the thought of never seeing Noah again.

  Caleb smiled his trademark smile. He rose, let Max out and stood at the open door.

  She brought her hand up to his neck. If they survived this ordeal, could the three of them think about a future together? Would he resent having a ready-made family as she had all those years ago?

  Or could he love Noah the same way he did Savannah?

  * * *

  CALEB COULDN’T SEE. He didn’t have time to let his eyes adjust, either. He knew this trail better than the back of his hand. The path from the homestead to the ranch was thick with trees. They provided much-needed shelter from a sweltering August sun and would afford cover for them now.

  He fumbled for Katherine’s hand and then slipped through the mesquites in the black, moonless night.

  Quietly he made his way through the woods he loved so much. Every tree, every stream, felt so much like a part of him, entwined with his soul. He’d memorized and mentally mapped every inch of his property.

  Once inside the house, Caleb bolted the lock. Not that it would do much good against the kind of firepower Kane’s men would bring to the fight, but it would make Katherine feel better.

  Keeping her as calm and relaxed as he could under the circumstances became his marching orders. “Which sounds better right now—a hot shower or a good meal while I take the CD to Jones’s guy out front?”

  She sighed. “I’ll take either. Both. But let me take one more look at that before we turn it over.”

  “You know where the office is. Password is TorJake.” He handed her a couple ibuprofen and a bottle of water, shoving the fear he could lose her down deep. “Then you get cleaned up while I see what’s in the fridge.”

  “Deal.” She popped the pills in her mouth and downed them with a gulp of water before disappearing down the hall with the disk.

  He showered and brushed his teeth in the guest room before returning to the kitchen. The CD sat on the counter near the coffeepot. He could hear the shower going in the master bathroom.

  Caleb trucked outside and waved as he neared the cruiser. “Marshal Jones is expecting this. Said you’d know what to do with it.”

  “Yes, sir,” the officer said, opening the door. When he stood, he wasn’t more than five foot ten but had a stocky build. “I’ll take it to him. There’s an officer stationed at the top of the road. He’ll keep watch until I return.”

  Caleb thanked him and returned to the house.

  Margaret had stacked several Tupperware containers filled with food in the fridge with a note on top. “This should keep you from getting too skinny until I get back in a couple of days.”

  The idea of eating Margaret’s food was almost enough to bring a smile to his lips again. She’d made several of his favorite meals. There was a roast with those slow-cooked rosemary potatoes he loved, a tub full of sausage manicotti, and what looked like smoked brisket. There were mashed potatoes in another container and some greens.

  Caleb pulled out the roast, fixed two plates and heated them in the microwave.

  Katherine stepped into the kitchen wearing one of his T-shirts and a pair of shorts. Seeing her in his clothes, in his house, stirred his heart. God, he needed her.

  She was as beautiful as looking at the endless sky on a clear blue day.

  He didn’t want this moment to end. For them to end. An ominous feeling it wouldn’t last plagued him.

  She walked over to him, inclined her head and pressed those sweet lips to his.

  The second the kiss deepened, Caleb lifted Katherine and carried her to the bedroom, shooing Max away with his foot.

  He made love to her so completely, so thoroughly, she fell asleep in his arms. Right where she belonged.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Caleb’s body warmed Katherine’s back. Forget sleep tonight. Her leg hurt. Her throat was dry.

  Could she move without waking him?

  Even if she managed to slip out of bed undetected, there was
Max to deal with. Her nerves were banded so tight, she felt as though one might snap.

  Slowly, she rolled away from him until she could feel the edge of the bed. The absence of his touch made her skin cold and her heart ache. She ignored the painful stabs in her chest and slipped off the bed.

  Thankfully, Max didn’t make a sound. It was too dark to see him, but she figured he was sleeping at the foot of the bed.

  She tiptoed out of the room. She’d hoped to feel some relief when they’d come back to the ranch. Instead, the hairs on her neck prickled.

  Something brushed against her leg. A yelp escaped before she could suppress it.

  Claws?

  Katherine squinted. Light streamed in from the window in the hallway. “Here, kitty.”

  Claws stalked away without looking back.

  The kitchen was dark save for the light coming in through the window.

  She checked the clock and calculated it had been at least four hours since her last dose of pain medication. She palmed a couple of ibuprofen. Turning the spigot, she scanned the yard.

  Where was the officer? His sedan was there. Parked. Doors open. Lights on.

  Ice trickled down her spine.

  She shook it off.

  An officer was parked at the top of the lane and another was right outside the door. It was safe here.

  She downed the contents of her glass and set it on the sink.

  Where was the officer? If he was walking the perimeter, wouldn’t he close the door?

  She peeked out the screen door. Nothing stuck out as odd.

  The crackle of a radio broke through. She stepped out onto the porch. Outside, every chirp seemed amplified.

  The pain in her ankle flared despite the compression sock.

  She limped to the edge of the porch. Her mind clicked through a few possibilities. Was the other officer at his post?

  Maybe they’d met somewhere in the middle?

  Her warning systems flared. She should probably turn and run back into the house. Wake Caleb.