Unable to stop herself, Lily went to the window and yanked the curtains aside. She drew in a sharp breath. Shain’s truck was parked in the drive. He must have come back sometime last night, or this morning. A thread of longing curled in her belly as she gripped the windowsill.
Calm down, girl…he might not even speak to you.
Dressing in a flash, Lily tripped down the stairs, trying to not look as if she was going to a five alarm fire. Hushed voices drifted out from the kitchen and Lily slowed, trying to settle her scattered thoughts.
“I don’t trust her, Nhya.”
A sigh. “Shain, you haven’t given her a chance. I’m telling you, she’s for real. I can sense it and—”
“Damn it, Nhya, we can’t afford to rely on ‘feelings’ when it comes to the ranch. You need to let me take care of things…”
Lily pressed her back against the hallway and bit her lower lip. As quietly as possible, she sidled down the hall and made a beeline for the library. A quiet place to think. To escape. The muted light and dark wood welcomed her and she slipped into an overstuffed leather chaise at the back of the room.
He didn’t trust her. Could she blame him? There was obviously something serious going on with the ranch both financially and personally with the looters. It would seem pretty coincidental to have a museum curator show up in the middle of all of that. Even so, Shain’s words cut at her heart and left Lily empty, hollow.
“I need to leave.” Lily said the words aloud, needing to hear something concrete to aid her conviction.
She was up the stairs nearly as quickly as she’d gone down. Lily grabbed her suitcase and began stuffing it with what few items of clothing and personal products she had. She looked down at the form-fitting jeans and worn, comfortable boots and shrugged. She’d have to mail the clothes back to Nhya once she got home.
You’ll lose the bet.
Her cousins’ voices chimed in tandem in her mind. Lily closed her eyes. Yeah, so what. She’d lose the bet. There were other, more pressing things she’d be losing. A friendship with Nhya. The experience and nearly magical atmosphere of the ranch. And Shain.
Lily roughly pushed hair out of her face. “He doesn’t want you, Lily. Don’t be a jerk.”
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She spun, suitcase in hand. Shain filled the doorway, his darkly handsome face thunderous. Lily’s heart fell into her toes. Gripping the handle, she straightened and put on her best scowl. “I’m leaving.”
Shain took a step forward, his bulk blocking the doorway. “Like hell you are.” His hand shot out and gripped her suitcase. Shain yanked, Lily held on, which brought her stumbling forward within an inch of Shain’s chest. Muscles rippled beneath the tight t-shirt. He obviously wasn’t dressed for the day yet. Lily looked up. His hair, still damp from the shower, curled darkly against his neck. Lily could barely draw breath, her entire body electrified.
Forcing her gaze to meet his, Lily dug for courage. “I—I need to go.”
Shain’s brows rose. “One day of honest work and you’re ready to throw in the towel, is that it?”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. “What?” She released the suitcase and knotted her hands on her hips. “Absolutely not. I did fine yesterday, and if you’d been around, you would have noticed.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Lily regretted them. Damn it. Why should she care if Shain was there to watch her work?
“That so?” With a flick of his wrist, Shain tossed the suitcase to the side. It landed on the bed with a plop. “Well, I’ll be here today. Why don’t you show me?”
Trapped. Lily bit her lower lip, her mind racing. Damn, damn, damn. She had to admit she hadn’t wanted to leave anyway but the thought of working all day alongside Shain left her weak, breathless. Among other things…
But how could she refuse?
Lily took a deep breath and looked up. “Fine. But the first time you do something inappropriate, I’m gone. Got it?”
Shain’s face fractured into that wicked grin. “You mean something like this?” Before Lily could react, Shain’s hands were on her shoulders, pulling her in and up. His lips captured her in a bruising kiss and Lily’s entire body shuddered with longing. She eased her lips further apart to take him in, a groan building in her throat, wetness dampening her panties.
Suddenly Lily found herself back on her feet, lips cool and swollen, her head spinning. Shain stepped outside the doorway, a confident, wry smile on his luscious lips. “Be downstairs and ready to work in fifteen minutes. If you’re up to it.”
For some absurd reason, Lily did as Shain demanded. Her heart thudded triple time as she made her way outside to the barn. Darrell was waiting for her, a strained expression on his face.
“Good morning, Darrell.”
“Ma’am,” Darrell replied, tipping his hat.
Lily studied the hardened cowboy, noting he looked as if he were about to deliver the worst news of the year. “What is it, Darrell?”
He cleared his throat. “Well, um, it seems as though we have a pretty full schedule this morning.”
Lily’s eyes narrowed. Shain. She scanned the barn and yard. “I imagine we do.” Her gaze refocused on Darrell. “But I’m up to it.” Lily slipped on her gloves. “Let’s get started.”
Eight hours later, Lily had helped mend two paddock fences, turn four huge, steaming piles of crap into the compost pile and curried every horse in the stable. Leaning against the water barrel near the pump, Lily groaned, her entire body screaming with fatigue.
And she’d done it all without catching as much as a glimpse of Shain. Her tormentor. Her nemesis. Damn him. Lily smacked her palm onto the dampened wood. Shain hadn’t even been interested enough to hang around and see if she could manage the workload.
So why did you stay?
Lily squelched her little voice and stripped off her gloves. “Because I’m an idiot. A romantic, out-of-my-head fool.”
Watching from the loft, Shain ground his teeth. Damn but the woman looked great, even after a back breaking day of hard labor. Even with her hair tangled around her flushed cheeks and stubborn chin. Shain’s gaze cut to the front of her blouse that gaped from where she’d unfastened two buttons to cool off. His cock jumped at the mere thought of shoving his hand inside that small opening and cupping her pert breasts. Cursing under his breath, Shain sat back on his heels and closed his eyes. Eyes that had trailed her for an entire day…from afar. Shain knew when he’d stood in front of her in the house that morning, her lips red from his kiss, her green eyes flashing, that he’d never be able to work with her all day without throwing her over his shoulder and taking her into the nearest dark corner.
Without licking every inch of her delicious body. Twice.
Stifling a groan, Shain sidled to the open loft door, scanned the yard, then slipped down the rope to the hard-pack below. He had to get away from the woman. From her rich, wildflower scent. From the deep longing that rattled him like a May tornado every time he saw her.
“You’re a horny dumb ass, Shain,” he mumbled to himself.
But he knew it was more than that. The whispered voices that were always present in his days growing up on the ranch had been pestering him since he’d stepped off the plane and onto home soil. Since Miss Whitman’s arrival, they’d been practically screaming.
Pay attention! She’s special.
“Shut up,” Shain muttered as he walked around to the back of the house where he’d parked Nhya’s truck. “Back to plan A.”
Once inside, Shain took a deep breath and wiped a hand over his tired eyes. He’d spent all of last night riding range and keeping an eye on the house. Damned if he’d let the looters anywhere near his sister or Lily. He’d only been able to catnap in the loft, his thoughts and dreams tangled around a leggy, gorgeous blonde. Shain started the Toyota and pulled around to the front of the drive. Darrell stood just outside the barn. Their eyes met and he tipped his head. Shain returned the nod, then drove out. Only Darrel
l knew what Shain had been doing.
Shain couldn’t imagine why the looters were still digging up random areas on the ranch. His jaw clenched and his hand tightened on the wheel. He’d gone into town yesterday and reported the trespass…again, getting nothing but a sigh and head shake from their seventy-something sheriff. Again, the sheriff said he didn’t have the manpower to set up a sting operation out at the Red Bear. There were over six thousand acres. And there was no telling where they’d show up. Did Shain want him to call in the feds?
Hell no, had been Shain’s heated response. He’d damn well take care of things himself. He’d stormed out, calling Darrell on his cell to tell him what he intended to do. And could he bring Windigo out to the culler’s shack on Cragen Butte?
Darrell did what Shain asked but his foreman was none too happy with Shain insisting he search for the looters on his own. Shain made it quite clear that Darrell’s job was to watch over the ranch and the women inside it. After much grumbling, Darrell had agreed and left Shain in the north pasture with his horse, a Winchester, food and water enough for four days and nights and curt instructions to not get himself killed.
But Shain couldn’t resist coming back this morning. His rationale was that he needed to talk to Nhya, let her know what was going on. Truth was, he wanted…no, needed to see Lily. Touch her. Smell her. Find out if the intense feelings he had for her were a fluke.
They weren’t. Seeing her that morning in her—his—room, getting ready to leave, had left him feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut, then jabbed him in the heart. The thought of her simply disappearing from his life before he had a chance to figure things out made him want to throw her suitcase out the window and toss her onto the bed.
But he couldn’t. He needed time. Time to figure things out. Think. Plan. Investigate who Lily Whitman really was and what she meant to him and the ranch.
Which is what he was going to do. Shain pulled out his cell and punched in Lance’s number.
Now.
* * * * *
It’s none of your concern. Shain can come and go as he pleases. He made it quite clear he wasn’t interested in a relationship, so who was she to anticipate more?
A damn fool, that’s what she was.
To think she’d really wanted to prove something to that man. Lily slapped her soaked bandana over the clothes line and rubbed her tired back.
Peter and Darrell had turned out to be a font of information. They both talked about the Red Bear with obvious pride, as did the other hands. Lily learned that the Red Bear was one of the most respected cattle and horse ranches in the state. Their stock was quality, with both horse and bovine garnering top dollar.
But Lily detected unease at other moments. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the ranch might be experiencing a financial crisis. There were lots of little clues. The weathered siding on both the house and the barn. A plumbing issue that she’d overheard Nhya ranting to Darrell about when she’d brought them out their lunch. Then there was the little matter of having not gotten their last paycheck. Lily knew Peter hadn’t meant for her to overhear that when she’d rounded the corner. She pretended not to have heard.
And as Lily splashed cool water on her face from the trough outside the house, she began to realize why Shain and Nhya had kept her on as a boarder, despite her abhorrent behavior at the bar. They needed cash. Nic and Bri had said something about the Red Bear being a new dude ranch. But Lily had thought surely there would have been other guests.
That she wouldn’t be the only one.
She sighed and dried her face on the towel hanging off the pump. Which is probably why Shain had given her that little speech this morning. That damn dare. And she’d fallen for it.
None of this is any of my business. Not their financial straits or the looters rooting up their land for native artifacts. Or the fact that the mere thought of Shain leaves me breathless with anticipation.
Even so, Lily kept thinking about the Oglala pieces inside the house, how beautiful and wild the ranch and its property was. And what a shame it would be for a family to lose such a home, such a history to thieves, whether it be a bank or looters.
“You’re welcome to use the shower inside, Lily.”
Lily turned at the sound of Nhya’s voice, reassured by the friendly smile on her stunning face. “Oh, I will later, believe you me.” Lily pushed straggles of hair away from her flushed cheeks. “It just that I can’t fathom the thought of walking up those stairs at the moment.”
Nhya smiled. “Come on. I’ve got a porch swing with your name on it.”
On the wide veranda surrounding the ranch, Lily eased her aching bones onto the padded swing and took the glass of iced tea offered. “I know I said it before but you have a beautiful home. Great employees, too.”
“Yes, we do,” Nhya replied with a nod, her gaze fastened on the bunk house. “And it’s my intention to see that things stay that way.”
Lily started at the underlying thread of warning in Nhya’s tone. “You think I’m somehow a threat to your ranch…to you?”
Nhya’s chocolate eyes pinned Lily where she sat. “Are you?”
A fluttering filled Lily’s abdomen and she swallowed around her sudden discomfort. “I’m going to be honest with you, Nhya. It wasn’t my idea to come here.” Lily took a deep breath and ran a hand through her now loose hair. “My cousins arranged everything.” She smiled wryly, her cheeks flushing pink. “They think I’m too uptight and they figured tossing me outside my comfort zone would loosen me up, so to speak.”
Lily’s confession earned her a puzzled look from Nhya. She hoped she hadn’t confused the poor girl even more but she’d felt a sudden intense need to be up front. Well, mostly up front. She liked Nhya, liked the Red Bear, and liked Sha—well, liked parts of him. They obviously had a lot going on with the ranch, and Lily had no intention of being a wrench in their works. She’d finish out her stay, they’d get their money and Lily would be happily on her way back to home soil.
“Well,” Nhya said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “I’d say they succeeded, wouldn’t you?”
A laugh popped out and Lily’s face reddened even more as her thoughts zoomed back to her and Shain’s escapade four days ago in the glade. “Uh, well…yes, I guess they did.” Lily cleared her throat. “Seems as though I’ve been doing all sorts of things completely out of character.”
Nhya placed a cool hand on Lily’s arm. “When that happens, it’s usually your inner spirit exerting some pretty serious influence.” She dropped her hand and frowned. “Not that it’s any of my business.”
Lily appraised Nhya, a warmth building in her chest. “This is going to sound strange but I don’t mind hearing that from you. It’s as if…” Lily closed her eyes. “I don’t know. I feel comfortable with you, Nhya, secure. I wish I could say the same of your brother.” Opening her eyes, Lily cursed her loose tongue. What is it about this girl that makes me want to spill my guts?
“Shain’s been going through a tough time lately.” Lily sensed the pain behind her words. “We all have, actually. And as strong as he is, things are wearing on him. And you—” Nhya gazed at Lily again, her eyes hinting at something Lily couldn’t quite put her finger on. “You’ve shaken big bro up a bit, I think.” She grinned. “Which, in my opinion, is a good thing.”
Relief washed through Lily. She couldn’t imagine why. Shain had made it obvious a relationship was the last thing on his mind. She chewed her lower lip and grasped for something to steer their conversation down a different path. “Uh, I hope you don’t think I’m prying but, when Shain and I were out earlier in the week, we stumbled upon an excavation site. Are you having problems with looters? I’ve had some experience in this area. Maybe there’s something I can do to help?”
Nhya went ramrod straight.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No.” Nhya raised a hand. “No, it’s fine that you did.” Her soft brown eyes fixed on Lily. �
��This entire incident has been infuriating. And after your find the other day, Shain, well, you saw him. He went ballistic. It makes us crazy that we can’t protect our land better, from those…” Nhya’s fists clenched and her jaw hardened as she swallowed the words she wanted to say. She flicked her long, straight hair back off her shoulder. “This all started before my parents’ plane crash. Of course we didn’t know that until afterward.”
Silence stretched and Lily knew Nhya was deciding how much to tell her.
Nhya leaned back in the swing, her fingers drumming on the painted wood. “Our mother and stepfather died in a crash a month ago but it wasn’t until Shain and I started going through the books that we realized the ranch was in a financial bind. And that wasn’t the only thing. There was a private collector who’d contacted Mom and Frank about doing some excavating on our land to look for a particular artifact he’d been researching. Of course they said no, which is when the trouble started.”
“Can I ask what this collector’s name is?”
A narrow gaze found Lily. “That’s just it. We don’t have a name, just a company, which turned out to be false. After Mom and Frank told him no, they started finding pieces of land torn up. In total these past five months, we’ve found ten separate areas,” Nhya said with a growl. “Six of them since the funeral four and a half weeks ago.”
Lily was quiet for moment, her mind ticking through various collectors, some of whom were known for not always being on the up and up. “Do you know what he’s looking for?”
Nhya’s shoulders tensed. “Maybe. Does it matter? These bastards have no right to it, whatever it is. This is our land. Our heritage.”
Hearts Are Wild Page 26
