The Rancher's Return

by Karen Whiddon

  Just when she finally began to relax, he broke away and brushed a soft kiss against her forehead. “I will never hurt you, understand?”

  Slowly she nodded, her heart beating against her rib cage like a trapped butterfly. “What about...” Her voice broke. “What about this?” She waved her hand vaguely. “This place. It’s no longer safe.”

  “So we’ll go somewhere else. Together. Somewhere they won’t find us. I’ve talked to Brock and let him know what happened. He suggested a place—without actually saying the words. Last season he bought a hunting cabin and some land southwest of here. He leases most of it out as deer leases, but he kept the cabin for himself. He took me there last deer season and I know where they keep the key. So go ahead and finish packing. I’ll do the same. We’ll head out first thing in the morning.”

  She nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from him. “Is it safe?”

  “About as safe as you can get. The cabin sits in some trees on top of a hill. There’s only one road in, like this place, but it’s more easily defended due to location. Plus, not too many people know about it. Just Brock, Zoe and me.”

  “How long do you think we’ll have to keep running?”

  Some of the defeat inside her must have come through in her voice. “We’ll figure something out, I promise,” he said.

  “I have an idea.” She lifted her chin. “How about we go back to Anniversary? Now that they’ve already searched your house, they know you’re not harboring me there.”

  Reed stared. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. You’d be a sitting duck if they found you.”

  “I’ll be a sitting duck anywhere. At least in town, we’d have people to help us.”

  “I don’t want to put Brock and Zoe in danger,” he said.

  “Me, neither.” Still holding his gaze, she took a deep breath. “But I’m tired of hiding.”

  “How about this? We stay at the cabin for a few days while I fine-tune my plan. Then we can reconsider going home.”

  Home. A word she wondered if she’d ever know again. Right now, it seemed doubtful but she agreed wearily. “Fine. I’m looking forward to hearing your plan.”

  “I think you’ll like it.”

  As Reed turned to go, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Electricity zinged through her at the contact. Ignoring this, she exhaled. “I’m sorry I’m putting you through all this.”

  “It’s okay.” His grin just about stopped her heart. “In the end, all of this will be worth it. Plus, the cabin is closer to Alex’s place. That just might come in handy. Now go get some rest.”

  * * *

  After tossing and turning, Kaitlyn gave up and got up before dawn. Since she wasn’t sure if Reed was awake yet, she took care to move quietly, hurrying while showering and getting dressed.

  Through it all, panic thrummed through her veins. Only by really concentrating was she able to keep it at bay. The sooner they were out of here the better.

  She wondered what time she should wake Reed. And then she heard the sound of his shower starting and knew he was up. Feeling more relieved than she should have, she headed to the kitchen where she measured coffee grounds, added water and turned on the coffee brewer. A moment later, the mouthwatering smell of Kona filled the room.

  She decided they could eat on the road. Coffee however, was a necessity. Too restless to sit still, she got up from the kitchen table and took Bentley outside. The sun had just begun to rise, coloring the sky in pink and purples. Marveling, she let the beauty calm her, unable to keep from wishing she was free to relax and enjoy it.

  Something caught her attention. Despite the early hour, a cloud of dust seemed to be moving up the long drive. Not again. Surely George hadn’t come back to finish what he’d started. Her heartbeat stuttered as she watched. The instant she saw the black, state police car come around the curve, she knew the occupants were law enforcement and possibly a couple of Alex’s cronies. Of course, since Alex had a long reach, they could be both.

  Trying to rein in her panic, she grabbed up her little dog and ran for Reed.

  In the back of the house, the sound of the shower still running told her he hadn’t finished. No matter, this was urgent. Taking a deep breath, she yanked open his bathroom door.

  “Reed!”

  “Kaitlyn? What the hell—” He moved part of the shower curtain aside to peer out and glared at her.

  “Someone’s here,” she yelped, desperately averting her eyes. “A police car. It’s either the government or one of Alex’s thugs.”

  “It’s barely sunrise. Damn.” He shut the water off, just as someone rang the doorbell. “Wait in your room,” he barked. “Do not answer the door, understand?”

  His arm snaked out from behind the curtain and he snagged a towel. “Go!” he ordered as he moved from the tub. She spun on her heels and ran for her room, her entire body burning. Reed was right behind her, heading in the opposite direction, no doubt dripping water on the floor.

  Once in her space, she closed the door and stood absolutely still, listening. Straining to hear, the sound of Reed’s voice reached her. He sounded calm, relaxed even, though she couldn’t make out all the words. A few minutes later, nothing. And then she heard the sound of a car starting, and the crunch of gravel as it drove away.

  A moment later, Reed tapped on her bedroom door. Bentley barked, just once, until Kaitlyn partially opened the door. Once Bentley spotted Reed, he began wagging his tail.

  “All clear,” Reed said. “It was the state police following up. No idea why they’re here this early, unless they took a page from George’s playbook and came early just to hassle me.”

  “What’d they say?”

  “Once they realized I’d just gotten out of the shower, the guy told me the investigation was still ongoing. He promised to call if he had any news. He’s gone.”

  Part of her didn’t want to fully open her door. Part of her did. Really, really, badly.

  The image of him emerging semi-naked from his shower had been burned on her retinas, seared into her memory. Her entire body flushed hot at the thought. “Meet me in the kitchen once you’re dressed,” she told him, mentally berating herself for being such a chicken. “I made coffee. I figured we could grab breakfast on the road.”

  He made a sound that might have been assent and moved away. She counted to ten, then five more just to be safe, giving him plenty long enough to get back to his room, before heading into the kitchen to finish her coffee and feed her dog.

  They were on the highway just after the sun had fully risen. Reed checked in with his foreman and let him know he was leaving. They saw no other vehicles on the drive out and even the main road appeared deserted, most likely due to the still-early hour.

  Though she would never have believed it possible, Kaitlyn fell asleep with Bentley snoozing in her lap.

  * * *

  Watching as Kaitlyn and her pet slipped off into dreamland, Reed smiled. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss, that single, sensuous touch of his lips on hers. For once, the stark fear that always haunted her eyes had disappeared. That’s when he’d known that someday, Kaitlyn would be okay. Alex hadn’t completely ruined her for another man.

  Another man. Odd how the thought rankled. Though their past relationship had been nothing but trouble for them both, he found himself remembering how passionate and carefree she’d once been. He’d actually fallen half in love with her back then. That mistake would be one he wouldn’t repeat.

  When they finally turned off the paved road to head to the cabin, he wondered if his truck would make it. The last time he’d been here, he and Brock had parked and ridden an old ATV up the hill. If he remembered right, the drive was uneven and pitted with potholes and washed-out dirt.

  Hands tight on the steering wheel, he glanced at Kaitlyn and decided to try it. At the first bump, both she and Bentley had come awake.

  “Are we there yet?” she asked, her voice groggy, those lovely blue eyes dazed with sle
ep.

  “Almost. We’ve got to navigate this drive.”

  She sat up straight, taking in the landscape. “You’re right,” she said, bracing one hand on the steering wheel and wincing at the next bounce. “Regular vehicles won’t be able to make it up here.”

  “Let’s just hope this truck can. I don’t want to get stuck.” Slowing to a crawl, he carefully tried to steer around the larger holes.

  Somehow, miraculously, they made it to the top. Here, the dirt road evened out for the last five hundred yards before they reached the cabin.

  Shaking his head, Reed parked the truck. “I think you’ll feel safe here.”

  “I agree.” She gave him a sleepy smile. “But you’re going to have to come up with an easier way to get up and down the drive.”

  He pointed to an ATV parked near the cabin. “Once I make sure that has plenty of gas, I’ll use it. I’ll take my truck to the bottom and park it. I’ll try to hide it the best I can.”

  She’d already turned away from him and appeared to be studying the cabin. Wincing, he suddenly saw it through her eyes.

  “It’s a guy’s hunting retreat,” he said, slightly apologetic. “No frills. Nothing fancy. Though it’s two rooms, there’s an old kitchen, a separate bathroom with a shower, and a couple of bunk beds.”

  “One room.”

  He could have dealt with shock or anger or even fear. But the flatness of her tone told him what she expected to happen.

  “Two beds,” he said, careful to keep his own voice neutral. “No worries.”

  She nodded and began moving toward the cabin without glancing back in his direction. Placing Bentley on the ground, she watched as the little dog began exploring, sniffing the various bushes before christening them.

  “Be careful and watch for snakes,” he said. “This area is known for them.”

  “Bentley!” she called, snatching up her pet so quickly he had to smile. “Let’s go inside.”

  “The door is unlocked,” he called after her before grabbing their supplies out of the truck.

  Following her into the cabin, he set their bags down on the foldout cot, which stirred up a cloud of dust.

  “Sorry.” He shrugged. “We’re guys. No one cleans the place when we’re not here.”

  “That’s okay.” Her smile seemed genuine. “I like it. It’s cozy and most important, I feel safe here.”

  “I’m glad,” he told her, meaning it.

  “You said you were working on a plan. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve come up with so far? I can help you brainstorm, if you’d like.”

  Debating silently, he reached a decision. “Hear me out, okay?”

  Slowly, she nodded.

  “It might sound crazy, but I’m going to go to Alex and offer my assistance to help him find you.”

  She narrowed her eyes as if not quite sure if he was serious. “That’s either the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, or the most brilliant. I assume there’s more?”

  He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Once I do that, I need to gain his trust. Maybe I can learn exactly who is on his payroll. That way, we know who will help us.”

  “It’s a thought,” she said. “But there’s only one problem. What if you get caught? He’ll destroy you.”

  “That’s the chance I have to take.” Crossing his arms, he waited. “Unless you have a better idea.”

  “I don’t. But why would Alex accept your help? He has people—lots of them—on his payroll. Law enforcement, attorneys, thugs, you name it. Why would he need you?”

  “Because I’m Tim’s brother. You were Tim’s girlfriend before. He’ll think I have connections and that I’m after the reward money. He might even believe I know something.”

  “You’re probably right.” She considered him, her gaze thoughtful and far too beautiful. “Okay. Bentley and I will stay hidden here.”

  “I won’t be able to make contact, you know. Too much risk.”

  “But I’ll have a cell phone, won’t I?”

  Hiding a smile, he nodded. “Yes. I bought a couple of throwaway phones. I’ll leave you with one of those. Just don’t call me. If you do, you could be traced.”

  “I won’t.” She held out her hand for the phone. Once he’d given it to her, she attempted a smile. “I don’t even know your number.”

  He considered. “I’m not going to give it to you. I want you to call Brock or Zoe at the feed store if there’s an emergency. But only then. Otherwise, don’t take the risk.”

  “I won’t.” She checked out the phone. “Either write their number down or program it in here. You have one week. If you’re not back by then, I’ll assume the worst.”

  He grinned, liking the fact that she thought she could give him a deadline. Despite himself, despite everything she’d done—or hadn’t done—he couldn’t help liking her. Which stunned him. He’d always found her sexy, but never knew her well enough to like her. “Sounds reasonable,” he drawled, trying not to laugh. “I’ll start working on that today.”

  “Thank you.” Expression earnest, she glanced away. “I spent three years locked up away from the world because of Alex. Even now that I’ve escaped, I’m still in prison.”

  He shook his head. “I know you’ve been through hell, but you have no idea what prison is like.” Even saying the word brought the darkness back. Even after all this time, he hadn’t been able to shake the oppressive weight of those years he’d lost behind bars.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Bad analogy.”

  He tried to wave away her apology. Tried, too, to slough off the black mood.

  “Maybe talking about it would help. It was bad, wasn’t it?”

  Talking about it? He never talked about it. But this time, he wanted to try.

  “I don’t think unless you’ve been there, you can imagine what it’s like.” No emotion there. Just fact. “What made it worse was that I hadn’t done the crime. And after the first few attempts to make that known, I realized every other inmate had the same story. No one believed me. No one gave a damn.” He shrugged. “I shouldn’t have been so surprised.”

  “I’m sorry.” Her expression told him she knew the words were inadequate.

  “Don’t be.” He tried to sound normal. “I’m free. I’m trying to get my life back the way it used to be.”

  Except it wasn’t. Not only had his brother been killed, but despite his acquittal, a lot of people still thought he’d done it. He’d already told her how most of the people in town treated him like a pariah.

  “What about you?” he asked, clearly trying to change the subject. “Do you want to talk about what it was like being held captive by a megalomaniac?”

  She gave him a long look and then slowly nodded. “I was terrified. I thought he was going to kill me since I’d witnessed him murdering Tim. Instead, he kept me locked up 24/7. Sure, it was a luxurious room, with my own bath. But there were bars on the windows and I couldn’t leave. My food was brought to me.

  “I refused to eat at first, but after two days, I was weak and starving. So I ate. Turned out, he’d drugged the food.”

  Reed opened his mouth to speak, but decided not to. Her prison, while cleaner and more luxurious, was horrible in a different way.

  “I don’t know how long he kept me drugged. I lost track of time.”

  Though Reed figured he already knew the answer, he asked anyway. “That was when he raped you, wasn’t it?”

  She jerked her head in a quick nod. “Yes. That was the first time. He enjoyed...violence. It never stopped, even after he no longer kept me drugged.”

  Reed had to look away. “I promise you. He’ll pay.”

  “I hope so,” she said briskly, rubbing her hands together as if they were suddenly cold. “Excuse me. I’ve got to go freshen up.” And she hurried into the tiny bathroom, closing the door behind her.

  When Kaitlyn had begun talking about her life as Alex Ramirez’s captive, at first Reed had been stunned. She’d been drugged, she�
�d been abused and she’d been conditioned. Yet despite all that, she’d somehow managed to rise above the subservient shadow of her true self, and flee. Reed was humbled that she’d chosen to come to him for help.

  But now that she’d bared her innermost self to him, she expected Reed to do the same. He supposed this was a female thing, but he’d never discussed his time in prison with anyone. And he certainly didn’t intend to start now.

  A few minutes later, Kaitlyn emerged. As he gazed at her, his chest felt tight. She didn’t seem to know she had the kind of beauty that started wars. This was why men were driven to possess her. Not because of who she was as a person, but because of the way she looked.

  Raw emotion filled him. In that instant, he realized he more than liked her. He still wanted her. He always had, even back when she’d belonged to his brother. Because in all the time he’d known her, she had been treated as a piece of property, and he couldn’t act on his desire. The greatest gift he could give her was her freedom.

  He’d make sure she never knew the depths of his craving. When this was all over, she’d finally be free.

  “Are you all right?”

  He blinked, coming out of his thoughts to see her frowning at him. “Sure.” He managed a smile. Remembering what she’d said about baring her soul to him and getting nothing in return, he felt a flush of guilt. Because she was right.

  It occurred to him if he told her about his time in prison, this would further serve to help her distance herself from him.

  No one could love the man he’d become during his time spent behind bars.

  “Shortly after I was incarcerated,” he began, “I learned the prison had a definite hierarchy. It helped who you aligned yourself with, but in the end it came down to every man for himself.”

  His rough voice came out overly loud in the small room, even to himself. She glanced at him, her amazing blue eyes full of guilt.

  “I don’t blame you,” he said, deciding if he was going with total honesty, then he might as well start immediately.

  “Part of you does.” Her expression sorrowful, she sighed. “Once again, I’m sorry.”