by Azure Boone
“It’s coffee.” Samantha's good-humored voice touched him with nearly physical properties.
Toren looked up to find her three paces closer with a bemused look on her face. A look that said Toren was failing once more as a human, much less a cowboy. “Sorry, I just haven’t had coffee in forever.”
Samantha scanned him with a quizzical gaze. “Where are you coming from?”
Prison? He felt the word on the tip of her tongue. But it wasn’t entirely serious, mostly curious, and he sensed she withheld the word because it wasn’t an appropriate reply. He searched for something proper and suitably indirect to say. “Judging by the storm on the horizon, I’d say from heaven and in the nick of time.”
Kassie laughed and yet Toren felt the sad thread running through it. She was lonely deep down in her soul. He resisted the urge to use more of his powers to figure out why and kept his gaze leveled on Samantha’s keen stare. He grimaced at his first sip of the dark brown liquid, burnt and bitter flavored. A man’s drink no doubt, and an acquired taste. It must take a very long time to acquire the taste.
“Well you got that right. Are you ready to head out? I’ve got a million things to do and only a minute to do them in. And the only man standing on the ranch, besides you now, is busy fasting and praying the flu epidemic away.”
Toren smiled at that bit of gold. She thought the one doing the praying was a hypocrite and hated that sort of person. Beautiful. There'd be no competition for her affections from that direction. “Well, maybe he was praying for help. And here I am.”
She snorted. “How did you know to come? Did God tap you on the shoulder and say, hey, hot dude dressed like a cowboy, go on down to the C-Bar and help the woman in distress? Or did you read my ad on the computer?”
He grinned fully. She called him hot. That was the slang equivalent for sexy. “I did read your ad.”
She gave him a no shit nod. “And if God heard anybody’s prayer, it was mine, not that arrogant self-righteous Spartan prick's who’d rather stay on his knees praying than get his ass out and help me save my ranch. Like God can’t hear people when they’re walking or working. What a moron.” Sam looked at Kassie. “Mark my word, the second Daddy dies,” she raised both hands, “not saying I want him to anytime soon, but it'll happen eventually, want it or not, and when he does, that bastard is so fired." Her eyes flashed with passion and anger. Clearly she had no use for the man.
Toren looked forward to meeting the moronic bastard simply for the entertainment factor. Meanwhile, Samantha's strong voice swirled the mercury hot inside him. She was like a fire in his spirit and his shield wanted to wrap around her entirely and sink into her pores, hungry to learn everything about her. She definitely had something it wanted and once again, Toren could hardly contain his excitement to give it exactly what it needed. What that actually was remained to be discovered. “I love a women with a plan. I’m entirely at your disposal. Use me however you like.” He smiled, making clear he meant the double entendre, and that he'd be glad to give her ideas.
Something sparkled in her blue eyes and Toren heard her pulse accelerate.
“Oh my.” Kassie gave a mischievous giggle. “However you like Sam, you heard him.”
“Loud and clear.” Samantha walked to the sink and turned it on. "I'll have to think up something real interesting." Eyes still sparkling, she leaned and drank water straight from the running faucet.
Toren angled his head, mesmerized by the way the water slid across her lips and into her mouth. Why did she sound unconvinced or suspicious with his offer? Even as she flirted back, and her body betrayed her interest, an undertone in her voice worried he had ulterior motives.
“Samantha Lynn, when will you ever grow up? Get you a glass.”
Samantha straightened with a smile and wiped her lips on her sleeve then leaned and kissed the woman on the cheek. “Never, I hope.”
Toren’s heart raced eagerly. She was so full of life and fight. So genuine. Fascination took him once again and he wondered if her lips were cold from the water. She suddenly turned and faced him.
“What on earth are you gawking at? Don’t tell me you never drank from a fountain or water hose before. Same thing.”
A drop of water clung to her chin, tempting Toren to wipe it away with his own fingers. Trying to convince her he hadn't been staring at her was a foolish endeavor. “Sorry, I…just find you fascinatin’.” Might as well face the music, as the common human expression said.
Samantha's brows shot up and he realized his word choice probably wasn't all that appropriate at the moment. Maybe he should just bust out his shiny metal wings and finish ruining his opportunity at being perceived as a normal human.
“Well isn’t that the sugary sweetest thing to say to a woman you hardly know.” She rolled her eyes and stalked off, leaving Toren feeling a little confused.
He looked at Kassie who stood with a knowing smile, only he wasn’t sure what she knew. “This is the part where you thank me for the coffee and follow her so she can put you to work. Or use you.” She roamed her gaze over his body. “Hope you don’t mind ruining your clothes.”
Toren set the cup down on the counter. “Thank you, it was…interestin’.”
“Interesting? Okay, I can work with that. Get yourself out of here and you watch out for my Sammie, you hear? I got a loaded shotgun and I won’t hesitate to use it if I find out you were inappropriate with her in anyway. You behave yourself and mind your manners.”
Toren smiled before leaning and kissing her on the cheek the way Sam had. “Nobody will harm her and I won't do anything she doesn't want me to. That’s for damn sure.”
“Oh my.” She slapped his chest. “Scoot before you make an old woman swoon.”
Old? She was practically a baby. He tipped his hat and headed out, grateful Kassie seemed to like him.
The first wispy flakes fell as Sam fired up the ranch truck. The thing always took forever to warm the engine enough to move so she headed back to the house to get her gear. Staying warm and dry would be the biggest challenge. Hopefully the new guy had his own stuff, because none of the hands were big enough for him to borrow from.
The slightest thought brought his image to mind, sharp and clear, as if she'd known him forever. Those eyes… silver gray tones that swirled as if in constant motion. Sam was willing to bet the man could convince anyone to do anything just with those eyes. But if, by some chance, that wasn't enough, his mouth would do the rest. Beautifully sculpted, mobile, sensual. Perfect. She'd never met him before but something about him seemed so right, so… safe.
The damn kitchen door nearly flattened her nose before she saw it, so engrossed in recalling every detail of the man's features. A flush of annoyance spread over her cheeks as she stepped into the kitchen. There stood the man himself, gently flirting with Kassie. Sam couldn't be genuinely aggravated with him, though, since the bright orange duffel bag she'd sent him after sat by the door and he waited as she'd instructed.
But watching the woman who had practically raised her blush and fluster like a teenager gave Sam an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Especially when the reason for the behavior looked like that one. The man literally oozed sex from every pore and seemed entirely unaware of the fact. Whether he actually had no idea how his looks affected others, or he was just really good at faking it remained to be seen.
Either way, it was good to see Kassie smiling and aware of her femininity again. It was the first time in the four years since Ben's death that Sam had seen her blush from male flattery even though she'd had no shortage of attention from men in the past year. It looked like she might be ready to start considering life again, and if so, Sam owed Toren a debt of gratitude.
"Toren? Or was there something else you'd rather I call you?" She felt like a fool asking, but he hadn't given any other name, and she didn't have time to check references and fill out tax withholding forms.
He turned to give her his full attentio
n, those silvery eyes doing insane things to her insides. The corner of his mouth lifted in a little almost-smile. "You can call me Toren, or nearly anything else."
Having that gentle flattery pointed in her direction left Sam uncomfortable. Men simply did not flirt with her, not even in a friendly teasing way. She needed to shut him down fast and let him know she wouldn't fall for that kind of bullshit. "Well, Toren, why don't you grab your gear and we'll head out. We'll be setting up hay and checking stock locations, so we'll be gone a while." She turned to Kassie with a little hidden wink. "Kassie, if you don't mind, maybe you could pack a couple of your experiments for us to take along, just in case we're out late?"
"Of course. Cocoa along with the coffee?" Kassie patted Toren's shoulder. "You get on out of here so I can get you a mess of my special supper pastries to take with."
Sam paused to check the contents of the orange bag. It was her daddy's one concession to her demands for safety and preparedness. The bag held an extensive first aid kit, emergency shelter and blankets, a handgun and ammo, freeze-dried food and other wilderness survival gear. A person could manage fairly well with the contents of that bag for several days – more if they had water and fuel. And with a storm that size headed their way, she wasn’t fool enough to forget it.
She checked that her gloves were securely in her pocket and her scarf waited around her neck, then stooped to sling the orange duffel over her shoulders. Turning to push the door open with her backside, she froze.
Toren stood staring at her, lower lip caught between his teeth as if he wanted to say something. He seemed entirely at a loss for how to act or what to do. So why did she suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood to his Big Bad Wolf? Nonsense. Especially considering the strange sense of safety she felt in his presence. Why the contrast?
Kassie rescued him by handing him the canvas-covered food carrier she'd designed, with compartments for hot, cold, and in-between, along with storage for utensils and condiments and other necessities and luxuries. "Here you go, Toren. Now you help Sammie along to the truck and keep her safe out there." He took the heavy container, flashed Kassie a grateful look, and rushed to hold the door for Sam.
The gentlemanly act gave her a moment's pause. The only time a man had held the door for her was when the funeral parlor attendant held it when she went to Ben's funeral. She'd been so surprised she stopped a moment and waited for him to go through first. She gave Toren a wary glance and rushed through, feeling awkward as a whore in church.
Tripping over the threshold didn't help, especially when Toren grabbed her arm and steadied her. His grasp betrayed enormous strength and he'd moved impossibly fast. All that faded to insignificance in comparison to her self-consciousness as she freed her arm from his grip. Feet safely on the ground again, she started over.
Sam took the extra moment to grab tools from the shed so they wouldn't be stuck with no way of making a repair or spreading feed. In no time they were loaded and ready, and Sam wrestled the old transmission into gear. The truck jolted to break free of its frozen tracks and they were under way. She glanced at Toren sprawled in the passenger side, surprised he hadn't at least offered to drive. Most of the hands insisted.
Shit. She slammed the brake and the truck ground to a halt. "Where's your gear?"
He gave her a puzzled look. "My gear?" He blinked, drawing her attention to the black lashes surrounding those silver eyes.
"Yes, your gear. Coat. Hat. Gloves. Stuff to keep you warm in this weather? Don't tell me you don't have your own, because no one here is big enough to lend you theirs." Just her luck. An absolute greenhorn and no time to make sure he knew how to wipe his own ass.
"Oh, that." He nodded. "I threw it in the back while you got the tools from the barn."
The almost nervous glance over his shoulder into the bed of the truck made her wonder, but Sam took him at his word. Outright asking a man if he were too stupid to live was more of an insult than she was willing to give on such short acquaintance. She just nodded and started the rust bucket rolling forward again. At least she had a little time to figure out if she should make him stay in the truck when they got to the hay shed, or if he might actually be able to help.
"So you've worked on other ranches?"
He grinned, perfect teeth, except for the little chip in his incisor she'd noticed earlier, flashing in the twilight of the truck cab. "I've done a lot of different kinds of work. Most recently, I was a soldier."
Okay. Maybe that explained it, then. Lots of guys came back from the war a little unsure of themselves, not to mention he'd been away from ranch life for a while. "Where are you from? Before you joined the service, I mean."
"We moved around a lot, different obscure little places, all over the world." The distant note in his voice seemed like he wasn't too keen on answering questions about his past. "Tell me a little about the C-Bar. Did you grow up here?"
"I did." Odd that he'd ask something like that instead of how many head they ran or what stock. Most ranch hands wanted that kind of info up front since it told a great deal about the fiscal health of an operation, and whether their pay checks would clear or bounce. "My daddy's family came here in the 1850s, but didn't really start ranching right off. That came in the 1880s after beef prices and shipping were more stable. Until now, it's passed father to son. My daddy's the first without a son to pass it to." She shut up before her bitterness leaked through and had Toren wondering if he might be the son and heir her daddy wanted.
"He's lucky."
"Lucky?" She laughed, unbelieving. "I know I didn't hear that right."
"You did. He's lucky to have a daughter so determined and strong to bring his heritage into the future and keep it healthy at the same time."
She shook her head. "No one could ever convince him of that." Time to change the subject before she said more than she should or choked on her shock until she passed out. The headlights picked out suddenly huge snowflakes. "Would you look at that? I can't remember the last time I saw flakes that large." They passed a few minutes with light-hearted debate over the biggest snowflakes they ever witnessed.
Even while they talked, Toren possessed such a watchful bearing that Sam grew self-conscious and gradually let the conversation die out. Did he expect Old West rustlers to leap from behind the nearest bush, or something? Whatever it was, anyone wanting to sneak up on him would have to work at it. That must be another by-product of the war.
"How much longer until we get to the hay?" His question emphasized some unfamiliar quality in his voice or accent.
His English was perfect and other than a few odd word choices, nothing seemed out of place. But there was still something Sam just could not put her finger on that made her feel like English wasn't his first language. With a mental shake of her head, she decided to put the puzzle away for later. She had enough to worry about at the moment. "We'll come within sight of it soon, once we top that next rise." She flicked her fingers toward the southwest in the general direction of the nearest hay storage. "We have a half dozen more sheds, but there's no way we'll make them all tonight. If we're lucky, we'll get to two more after this before we have to go in."
Toren nodded but didn't say anything more and Sam wondered what he might be thinking. Did he have a family? A wife, perhaps, and children that missed him? Or aging parents that drove him nuts by clinging to the past?
The snow was starting to accumulate, covering the ground with a layer of downy fluff. The old truck's headlights glinted off individual flakes sending shards of light bouncing through the premature twilight. "I'm glad the snow blade is on the truck. We might need it before we get done."
They crested the rise and the hay storage shed squatted like a dark monster low on the shoulder of the hill. Cattle huddled in small groups scattered through the valley taking whatever shelter they could in the contours of the land.
Sam stopped the truck at the side of the hay shed and left it running, donning hat, gloves and scarf before s
he climbed out into the biting cold. The wind immediately made her lower her head to use her hat brim to keep the blowing snow out of her eyes.
A glance at Toren made her stop and watch. He'd crammed a too-small hat on his head backward and begun to inspect his leather gloves as if he'd never seen such a thing. Finally he seemed to work out how to get them on. Finished, he grinned, flexed his hands, then looked up to catch her staring.
"Something wrong?"
Sam decided to ignore the thing with the gloves, but the hat was just too much. "Your hat is backwards. Actually, it looks too small."
He snatched it off his head and peered closely. "Damn, I picked up the wrong hat." He tossed it back in the duffel bag he'd taken his stuff from. He didn't bother to further explain and instead just unrolled his coat.
Whoa. Sam's father was the only other man she'd ever seen wear that kind of coat for work. The worn leather duster hung well below Toren's knees and the collar flipped up to cover his ears. Well, except for the hat thing, he seemed to have his own shit at least. She shrugged and slammed the truck door. So he wasn't entirely unprepared. That didn't mean he knew a cow's ass from its head. Perhaps she'd know by the time the storm passed.
The latch on the gate into the shed had frozen and Sam wrestled with it until Toren came to help. The frozen metal gave under his big hand as if it were no more than a paperclip. The man went on to prove himself extraordinarily helpful, following her instructions to the letter and without question. So helpful that the big hay bales were set up in record time and they were finished and ready to go on to the next hay barn in half the normal time.
They kept to the lee of the barn on the way to the truck to stay out of the full force of the wind. "You want to drive?" She couldn't help feeling odd for driving with a man in the truck. Any time she wanted to take the wheel, she had to count on the men liking her even if they didn't respect her. Far better than having to assert her position as the heiress and future boss.
