by Lea Hart
***
Something sharp hit her nose, and she shook her head to make it go away. It smelled like ammonia and she figured someone had waved smelling salts under her nose. Opening her eyes, she looked into Ryan’s face and closed them again. “What happened?” she mumbled.
Her body was lifted gently, and he held her against his chest. His scent was unmistakable, and she filled her lungs with it. A low whining sound made her eyes open a second time, and she looked at Rocko stretched out next to her. He laid his head on her lap. She lifted her hand and rested it against his warm fur. “Ryan, I know what I want for a Christmas present.”
He leaned over and smiled into her eyes. “What’s that, honey?”
“I want a dog just like Rocko.”
The sound of relieved laughter filled her ears as he held her closely. “Please tell me I didn’t faint,” she said.
“Okay, I won’t,” he said into her ear. “Hell of a first day at Bellows Energy.”
“I guess shooting someone puts everyone on notice not to mess with the new boss.”
“I think you just gave a whole new meaning to the term boss lady.”
“Might’ve,” she responded. Twisting her head around, she saw the room full of people. “Guess we have to answer a couple of questions before we leave.”
Ryan followed her gaze and shrugged. “Yeah, we’re going to have to wait on the celebration sex.”
“What are we celebrating?”
He gave her a “get real” look. “We’re reveling in the fact that you didn’t get shot today.”
Pushing away from him, she sat up and straightened her top. “Is celebration sex different than makeup sex, or morning sex, or night sex or car sex or pool sex or…”
Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her gently. When he released her, he whispered against her lips, “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Guess I will.” Patting Rocko’s head, she stared at the dog. “Thanks for the help today. I think you earned a steak.”
Ryan stood and helped her up, and she held on to his arm. Her head was swimming a little, and she figured that it was going to be a long time before she let him go. “How is William the idiot?”
“He’ll live. The paramedics said it was a clean shot and he shouldn’t have any lasting damage.”
“I aimed for his big tree trunk leg and knew he was going to be fine. I wouldn’t have done it, but he pointed the gun at me and Rocko.”
“Totally understandable,” Ryan responded. “By the way, Ken feels terrible that he didn’t get down here in time. When Phoebe jammed the network, she limited the cell reception, and Grace’s call never went through.”
“No problem.” Looking up into his eyes, she smiled. “I was kind of pissed, so it felt good to finally handle one of the threats head-on. I might have fulfilled my dreams of becoming a vigilante.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” he said with a laugh.
“You asked me when we met if I would warn you before I shot you, and I told you no. I’ve changed my mind. I like you enough to let you know when I’m mad.”
“Can’t ask for more than that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Friday
Colin sat with Ivy at the island and they drank their coffee together. Ivy stared out the patio window and thought about what they had in front of them. “I’m going to be stuck here in Midland for a while. I can’t figure a way around it.”
Colin set his cup down and studied his sister. “I called my agent last night and told him to let the team know that I wouldn’t be able to begin until spring training when my contract starts. I only agreed to start working out with them early because I had nothing else going on. You can go back to work at SAI.”
Ivy set her cup down and shook her head. “Oh no, Colin. You have worked long and hard for this dream. I’m not letting you give it up because of Daddy.”
“First off, I’m not giving anything up. I’ll still play. It just won’t be until February. I’ve been playing baseball since I was eight. I can take a couple of months off.” He pointed at her and smiled. “You have your dream job, and it’s not fair that you give it up because of Bellows Energy. You’ve always taken care of me. Let me take care of this.” He stood and then grabbed the coffeepot and refilled their cups. “It’s not a hardship, because I get to spend time with the girl that I’m real interested in. Works out for everyone.”
“Are you sure, Colin?”
“Absolutely.” He lightly punched her in the shoulder. “I think people would rather see my face than yours. After all, I didn’t shoot anyone on my first day there. Do you notice how people scatter when you enter the building?”
“Oh, you be quiet. William is fine. He may end up with a limp, but that’s all.” Sipping her coffee, she looked over the rim of her cup. “He pointed the gun at Rocko. What kind of sick person wants to harm a dog?”
“Out of all of his sins, that may be the greatest,” Colin added. “I talked to Phoebe and Grace, and we’re going to stay here while we get the company ready to sell. This McMansion has plenty of room for all of us. I think Mac may be coming down from time to time to see Grace.”
“I know he’s going to be coming down. Do you see the way he looks at her? It’s like she’s the best piece of chocolate cake on the planet. I might have suggested that she needs a dog.”
“Matchmaker Ivy. I should warn people.”
“Hush. I didn’t do anything to put these two together. They did it all by themselves.”
“I never got to ask why Rocko didn’t attack William.”
“I couldn’t remember the command. He was allowed only to guard and not to attack.”
“What an amazing animal. Mac has done an incredible job with him.”
“I told Ryan that I wanted one of his dogs for Christmas. After Monday, I realized that I need one. I’ll have to figure out how to get her on the planes when I travel. Maybe she can be a therapy dog or whatever they’re calling them now.”
“That’s what you need, Ivy. Therapy.”
“I know, but I don’t have time for it. Lord knows that crazy runs in my blood. Maybe I’m taking after our late grandmother. I remember Grams telling me about Daddy’s mama and the things she used to do when she got mad. Maybe genetics is something that you can’t really escape. I never thought I had much Bellows in me, but clearly I was wrong.”
Colin laughed. “Aunt Tilly said that Grandmother Bellows was remembered best for the time she set the hairdresser’s mailbox on fire. The woman had given her a bad perm one too many times and she took it out on the woman’s house. The story goes that she was almost hauled in on a federal charge, but Grandfather Bellows called in some favors and got her community service. You can’t mess with the mail and expect to get away with it.”
“Colin, we come from a long line of crazy, and our only hope is that we can control ourselves a little better when it hits. I haven’t blown anything up or set anything on fire, so I’m holding out hope for myself.”
“Ivy, I’m a ball of fucking rage. I’m so tired of it. I have to get rid of all this shit with Dad. I can’t carry it around anymore. By accepting this money, I feel like I’m forgiving him.”
“I know,” she said as she leaned against the counter. “One way or another, you and I have to find a way past the fact that we got a daddy that never said ‘I love you’ or encouraged us in any way.”
“You’re right.” Leaning back, he crossed his arms. “Maybe Daddy finally did something good.”
“What do you mean?” Ivy asked.
“Ryan came to Texas because of what happened, and so did Phoebe. Maybe that mean SOB gave us a chance to find the people who we’re going to end up with. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants? The man who could never show love ended up bringing it into our lives.”
Ivy lifted her eyes to her brother’s and started laughing. “Damn. That is a kick in the pants.”
***
Ivy stood at th
e head of the table in the executive conference room and lifted her glass of sweet tea. Looking at Grace, Phoebe, Mac, Rick, Ken, her brother, and Ryan made her heart burst with happiness. “I want to thank everyone in this room for helping us. Colin and I are forever grateful and in your debt.”
Loud cheers erupted as people plunked their glasses against each other’s. “You are all not only amazing in your own right but also fun to hang out with. In some ways, I’d love to stay in Texas and keep you all close by,” Ivy said as everyone quieted down.
Ken stood across from her and shrugged. “SAI should open an office in Texas. There’s plenty of business here. Hell, the oil business alone could keep an office hopping. Not to mention all the problems at the border and the freight that goes in and out of the Port of Houston.”
Ryan wrapped his arm around Ivy and grinned. “Honey, let’s open an office here, and that way you can eat all the barbeque you want.”
Looking up at him, she let the idea play around in her mind. It wasn’t a half-bad one. “How would we find people to join us?”
“I was just kidding, Ivy.” He raised his eyebrows and waited. “Are you?”
“I don’t know?” She looked around the room. “Definitely going to need to think about it.”
“I’ll help you out when I can get away from the ranch,” Rick said. “I had fun this week. Climbing up oil rigs brought back a lot of good memories. I miss being on the Teams. This week gave a little of it back to me. Count me in part-time.”
“Me too,” Mac added. “I have a full-time operation with the dogs, but I enjoyed the hell out of this week too. I’ll come help out when I can.”
Grace gave him an approving smile. “I would enjoy seeing you if you happened to be in the area.”
Ivy watched Mac’s face flush as he tipped his head at Grace. For a big ol’ mean SEAL, he sure was a softy when it came to her friend. “Well, that gives us one full-time operator and two part-time. Think we’re going to need a lot more than that.”
“Why don’t you offer to buy Butchko Security? Roll their operation in yours and give them the capital to grow their business. From what I’ve seen this week, they do a hell of a job,” Ken added.
“If we put the word out, we could end up with more than enough people,” Rick said. “I know quite a few guys from the Teams who might want to retire in Texas. Ken probably knows some men from Delta who could use a good job.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Phoebe said quietly. “I’d move down here and work out of your office.” Her eyes slid over to Colin and she shrugged. “Turns out I like what the state has to offer.”
Ivy looked at Ryan and wondered if it was possible. “Lots to think about.”
“Let’s eat,” Colin called out. Lifting the lids off the food that had been delivered, he passed a plate to Phoebe. “Make a plate, sweetie.”
Ivy tried not to choke when she heard her brother use an endearment. Maybe he had been right earlier. Bill Bellows had somehow afforded his kids the opportunity to find what they needed most. Someone to love.
Ken came over and stood next to Ivy while people filled their plates. “If you decide to start something down here, let me know. I’d love to come work for you after Bellows Energy is sold.”
Ryan had his arm wrapped around her waist and held her close to his side. He’d been pretty much glued to her all week. Seemed that someone having a gun pointed in her direction made his overprotectiveness go into overdrive. Not that she minded, but a little breathing room might not be bad.
“I have no idea if this is something that Max and Rory would even consider,” she told Ken. “If they do and it happens, I will definitely be offering you something. But not until we sell Bellows Energy. I need you here.”
“Absolutely,” Ken agreed. Turning, he walked to the other end of the table and started filling a plate of food.
“Is it a crazy idea?” she asked Ryan.
“Not really. The oil business alone would keep an office busy. Add to that SAI’s specialty with recovering kidnapped people. That long stretch of border with Mexico would keep two offices busy.”
“You’re right. It’s definitely worth a conversation to see if there is any interest.” Slipping out of his hold, she turned. “Let’s eat.”
“Good idea. You’re going to need your energy for later on.”
“You better eat double, sir. Lord knows you’re going to need it.”
“Music to my ears.” He took her hand and led her in the direction of the food. Whispering in her ear, he said, “I’m going to take you up against the wall as soon as I get our bedroom door shut. It’s going to be hard and fast, so you may want to take those panties off before we leave the office today. Wouldn’t want to rip the good ones from that fancy store.”
“Sweet Lord, have mercy,” she whispered. How in the world was she going to last until they got home?
***
The group stood on the roof and watched Rick, Mac, and Rocko climb into the helicopter. They stood against the wall and watched as Rick prepped the bird. Once the rotors started up, the wind whipped around them and Ivy held her skirt down.
The sun was sinking and the sky was painted in bright shades of orange and pink. As the helo lifted and swung into the sky, Ivy waved. Watching it move toward the east, she wondered if it was possible to stay in her home state. Maybe SAI Texas would be the answer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Saturday
Ryan loaded the car with their bags and waited for Ivy to say goodbye. Colin was staying with Phoebe and Grace while they continued to work on restructuring Bellows Energy. Ryan and Ivy were going home for Grams’ birthday lunch tomorrow, and then flying out to Florida in a week. As he watched her hug everyone goodbye, he thought about why the person who’d taken a shot at her had not resurfaced. It didn’t make any sense. Who else in Bill Bellows’ life was pissed enough to shoot at his daughter? It had been sitting in the back of his brain for a week, and he hadn’t come up with an answer yet.
Ivy finished with her goodbyes and walked toward him with a smile. It always gave him a little jolt of pleasure when she looked at him that way. If he played his cards right, he’d get to keep seeing her smile like that every day.
“Let’s get on the road. We have five hours of driving,” Ivy said as she patted his chest. “Actually, you have five hours of driving. I’ll be napping.”
He held her door and waited for her to climb in. “Did I wear you out last night?”
“Yes, you did,” she called out as he got in and started the car. “You never let me out of the room last night. We got home and you made good on your promise of taking me up against the wall.”
“I never make a statement that I don’t plan on following up on. I am a man of my word.”
“Yes, you certainly are.”
He glanced over before he turned onto the main road. Her face was pink, and she was looking out the window. “Are you thinking about what we did? Your cheeks are pink. So you’re either embarrassed or turned on. Maybe both.”
“Both,” she answered quietly.
“Good. I want to make sure that you’re as defenseless as I am in this situation.”
Smoothing out her skirt, she shrugged. “I hate being in control, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. I’ve made most of the decisions in my life based on how much security they were going to give me. My major in college, my job choice, and the men I dated. You, Ryan Cordell, are anything but certain. What’s happening between us is scaring me to death. I vacillate between utter happiness and sheer terror. I’m so far outside of my comfort zone that I don’t know what to do most of the time.”
“As long as we both admit our feelings, it will work out,” he said as he grabbed her hand.
“Is the easy part coming anytime soon? I could sure use it.”
“Not sure. Guess we’ll just have to hold on to each other and wait until it does.” Lifting her hand to his mouth, he brushed a kiss over her knuckles.
“I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours and we’ll stop for lunch.” When she didn’t respond, he looked over and saw that she was already asleep. Guess he did wear her out. His need for her wasn’t going away. It was, in fact, getting worse. Nothing like this had ever happened, and he knew it was because she was the one. When he’d gotten the text from Grace on Monday about William and the gun, his heart almost stopped. Why were there so many people who had guns pointed at Ivy? Most people went their whole lives without having one. It was good luck that she knew how to use one and could defend herself. The shot she’d taken at William had incapacitated him but not given him any long-term damage. It wasn’t easy to point your gun and shoot another human being. He knew that better than most. Ivy had done it because she was going to protect the other women in the room and the dog. Everything he’d suspected about her character turned out to be true. She’d defend those people who were important to her without a second thought. They were more alike than she thought, and he prayed that was going to work in their favor.
***
They’d stopped in Eldorado for lunch, and as they walked toward the diner, Ryan saw the town square filled with flags. Tomorrow was 9/11, so they must be getting ready for some sort of celebration. Always a hard day for those who have served in the military. Most every person remembered where they were and how the events that unfolded that day marked their lives. He was about to say something when Ivy spoke up.
“Where were you when you heard the news about the towers being hit?”
“I was just thinking about that because I saw the flags over there. I was a junior in high school and I was sitting in chemistry class. Where were you?”
I was a freshman, and I was in English class when the teacher picked up the phone and then started crying. Did you know then that you wanted to join the service?”
