Gray Wolf Security: Wyoming

by Glenna Sinclair

  But we'd reached the truck, and Cassidy was talking a mile a minute, wanting to know if she could sit in the front, wanting to know if she could navigate, wanting to know how fast the truck would go. I started to laugh because there was no way I was ever going to be able to keep up with her.

  The restaurant was crowded for a Wednesday night, probably because it was the only chair restaurant in town. The only other restaurant was a diner out by the highway, but the food there was less than palatable. There were rumors that developers were planning on building a couple of five-star type places here in town to accommodate the influx of the rich and famous—like MidKnight's neighbor, Bodhi Archer—but it was still pretty much in the discussion phase.

  We placed our order—Becky giving me another of those tight looks when I insisted on paying—and found a booth by the front windows. Cassidy sat on my side, still talking a mile a minute, making it nearly impossible for Becky and me to do more than exchange a couple of looks.

  "Elizabeth said that you guys are planning on helping the cops arrest a bunch of drug dealers."

  I shook my head. "No. We're just helping out some other Gray Wolf operatives with a case they have going on upstate."

  "No drug dealers?"

  I glanced at Becky. She once again had this weariness about her, but I got the feeling it didn't have anything to do with what her daughter had said. She was staring at her phone like she'd just gotten a message that didn't set well.

  "How'd school go today, Cass?"

  She shrugged. "School's boring. Ms. Fowler is always yelling at us for not working fast enough, but she's the one that always gets distracted with her own lectures."

  "I had a teacher like that once. Loved to hear the sound of his own voice. I think he ended up moving up to the college level."

  "She made us skip art today because she didn't finish our math lesson on time. It's not fair."

  "Math is kind of important."

  "Yeah, but I like art."

  Our food came a few minutes later. Becky never spoke a word the whole time we sat there, but Cassidy continued to complain about school. I enjoy talking to the kid, but I was more interested in the mom. Every time I tried to draw her into the conversation, however, Cassidy answered her questions for her.

  Like when I asked how she was doing in school:

  "She hates lab partner, but she loves her animal husbandry courses," Cassidy said.

  When I asked how much longer she had before graduation, Cassidy informed me:

  "Eight months if she takes the classes she wants to take this summer."

  And when I asked if she planned on staying at MidKnight after she had her degree:

  "Sutherland said we were welcome to stay as long as we want," Cassidy announced. "And I think we should, since Sutherland and Elizabeth are practically family. Right, Mom?"

  All I got out of Becky were a few vague nods and grunts. She spent most of the meal staring at her phone.

  Made me wonder if she had some other guy texting her or something.

  Cassidy fell asleep in the truck, her head resting on my shoulder.

  "I guess it was just too much, that long math lesson today."

  "Hmmm?"

  "Your daughter?"

  Becky glanced at me and then did something of a double take when she realized Cassidy was down for the count. She gently pulled her away from me and lay her head in her own lap, running her hand affectionately over her hair.

  "Sorry about that."

  "I don't mind."

  Becky offered something that might have resembled a nod if she'd put a little more effort into it. She was lost in thought, her blue eyes filled with dream clouds. I wanted to reach over and brush her hair from her face, wanted to feel those silky strands against my fingers. Hell, I wanted to reach over and steal a kiss, to do so much more than just steal one kiss. But if there was ever a distracted woman, it was this one.

  "A penny for your thoughts."

  Becky glanced at me, brushing the hair from her own face. "Sorry. I'm not very good company tonight."

  "Is something wrong?"

  "I've been getting these hang ups..." She shook her head. "It's probably nothing, but it makes me nervous."

  "Probably just a bill you forgot to pay. Or a telemarketer."

  "Probably."

  She glanced in the rearview mirror, then turned in her seat, glancing out the back windshield, as though she were afraid we were being followed. But there hadn't been a car behind us for miles.

  "Are you worried about something?"

  She glanced at me. "Just being paranoid, I guess."

  I reached over and touched her hand, patting it softly. "I'm sure it's nothing."

  She nodded, offering a distracted smile. "I can't thank you enough for taking us to dinner. Cassidy really enjoyed herself."

  "I hope you did, too."

  She offered that halfhearted nod again.

  I pulled the truck onto MidKnight property, bypassing the main house to stop in front of the barn. Becky climbed out of the truck before I could reach her side and help her out like a gentleman, but I managed to nudge her out of the way and lift Cassidy into my arms. She was tall for a ten-year-old, but light. I carried her easily up the stairs to their apartment, following Becky as she flipped on lights and opened the door to Cassidy's bedroom.

  "She's out like a light."

  "She's always been something of a heavy sleeper."

  I touched Becky's arm, drawing her out into the hallway as we left the bedroom. We stood close and, for a moment, she stared up into my eyes like she was on the same page I was. But when I bent to kiss her, she turned head, forcing my lips to brush against her cheek.

  "Lance," she said softly, the sound of my name on her lips like the perfect tone from a bell.

  "I know things are complicated in your life right now," I said. "This doesn't have to be complicated."

  "Because this can't happen." She looked up at me again, sadness heavy in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I just... Cassidy really likes you and I don't want to ruin that for her."

  "Isn't it a plus that she likes me?"

  She bit her bottom lip and... God, I wanted to be the one biting that perfect, full lip! I slid my hand over the side of her face, lifted her chin just a little as my fingers bit into the loose hairs falling around her face. She didn't pull away. In fact, I was pretty sure I saw desire in her eyes as she let her gaze linger on my face, on my lips.

  "I want you. I think you know that."

  "It's just too much."

  "Just because you're a single mother doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself of happiness."

  "No. But relationships are complicated and I learned a long time ago that complication doesn't work well in my life."

  "Just because some asshole in your past broke your heart doesn't mean this wouldn't work."

  "But I've got Cassidy to think about now."

  "So, you're not going to date again until Cassidy's grown and gone? Isn't that a little unrealistic?"

  Her eyes dropped to the center of my chest. "My life is complicated."

  "You throw that word around a lot."

  "It's the truth."

  I lifted her chin again, studied those perfect blue eyes. "I can handle complicated."

  "I'm not sure I can."

  She studied my face with something like regret clouding her face. And I couldn’t just stand there and be the bigger person, be the one who walked away without a fight. So I kissed her. I pressed my lips to hers, drawing her chin up and encouraging her to open to me. And, for a moment, she buried her fingers in the front of my shirt to draw me closer, opening with more than just curiosity, more than just a vague interest. She wanted this as much as I did. I could feel it in her response, in the way her tongue danced with mine, in the way she molded her body against mine, in the way she moaned impossibly softly against my lips.

  I pushed her back against the door, sliding my hand over her hip, tugging her tight against me, wanting to fe
el the entire length of her body pressed to mine. She smelled life fresh hay and horse, like wildflowers and sweat. And she tasted like everything good in the world, everything wonderful about being alive. I buried my fingers in her hair, my hand under the hem of her shirt. Her chest heaved a little when I scraped my fingers under the bottom edge of her bra, just grazing the soft roundness of her full breasts. She wrapped one foot around the back of my leg, drew me so close. I knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her, knew it with every fiber of my being.

  Which is what made the fact that she pushed me away a second later even more confusing.

  "I can't," she said, her hand muffling her words as she pressed it to her lips. "I just...I can't do this."

  "Becky..."

  She shook her head. "Please. Just go."

  She wouldn't look me in the eye. I knew she didn't want this, that something I couldn't define was holding her back. Just a little push... but I didn't want to do that. I wanted her to come to me when she was ready, not a moment before. So, I did as she asked.

  I walked away.

  Chapter 4

  Becky

  Hank and I worked silently, side by side, packing the saddlebags for the camping trip. The tour group would arrive soon. Bobby skipped school this morning to help saddle the horses, working diligently side by side with the stable hands. I felt bad, encouraging the kid to miss school, but his help was priceless. He was one of just a few of the young people around here who could work reliably unsupervised.

  "Why are you taking that old bedroll?" Hank asked.

  I paused as I tied it to the top of my own saddlebag. "Tour groups get a kick out of stuff like this. I like to show it to them, tell them how hard it was for the old cowboys back in the day."

  "They do realize that those guys were usually traveling in the heat of summer, right?"

  "They don't have to have all the details."

  He chuckled. "You are devious."

  I shrugged, thinking he had no idea just how. I couldn't get Lance out of my head. I hadn't seen him since he left my apartment Wednesday night. I felt bad for what I'd done. I should have just told him I didn't want to get involved and left it at that. But he started in with all that stuff he said and I couldn't help myself. And that kiss... it was so unfair how good it was.

  So, good...

  A man shouldn't be allowed to kiss the way he'd kissed me. Maybe it had just been too long since I'd been kissed properly. I was lonely. I knew that. But I couldn't do this, not now. There was too much still unresolved in my past. And Cassidy... I couldn't do it.

  No matter how much I liked Lance, no matter how much I loved his kiss.

  This weekend was going to be good for me. Get away, clear my head. It would be good to have a little space from reality.

  "We should put the sat phone in your bag," Hank said, moving up behind me to slide the heavy phone in a pocket of my saddlebag.

  "Thanks."

  "You never know."

  Sutherland came into the barn then, smiling. "All set?"

  "Just about."

  "The tour group should be here in a few minutes. Eve's bringing them over from the motel."

  "Great."

  I grabbed the list I'd made the night before, adding and subtracting things for hours. It looked like we had just about everything. I just needed to go up and get Cassidy's things...

  "I know you know the drill, but please make sure she brushes her teeth. She's been protesting the whole hygiene thing lately..."

  Sutherland touched my shoulders. "Cassidy will be fine."

  "I know, I just... the insurance card is in there, just in case. She's had those ear infections lately—"

  "I'll keep an eye on her. She's in good hands."

  "I know. I wouldn't trust anyone else."

  Sutherland hugged me. "Goes both ways, you know."

  I smiled, but somehow, I didn't think she really meant it. She might trust me with her daughter, but she literally was the only person I trusted to leave Cassidy with. If not for her, I'd insist my daughter come on this trip with us even though I knew it would irritate the crap out of her. But Sutherland... she had a lot of people she could trust her daughter with.

  We heard the van pull up, knew the campers were there. I grabbed a couple of saddlebags and headed for the door, Hank following with several more. But his cell rang, disrupting the silence.

  "What?" he demanded into the phone, his eyes cutting to mine. He clearly didn't like what he was hearing.

  Sutherland had gone ahead of us to greet the tour group, so it was just me and Hank in the barn. He dropped the saddlebags and turned his back on me, listening intently to whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying.

  "Alright. Alright. I'll be there in a few minutes."

  He turned, regret written all over his face.

  "Jonnie broke her ankle at school. I guess she was helping out in the gym for some reason and fell from a ladder."

  "Oh, you've got to go."

  "I hate leaving you high and dry."

  "No, no, really, you go. She needs you more than I do."

  He slapped his hand down on my shoulder. "Sorry, Becks."

  I shook my head. "No problem."

  I heard him drive off a second later as I slowly made my way out to the paddock where the boys were preparing the horses. There were a dozen going up to the north pasture, requiring a dozen of the gentlest horses we had on the ranch. I'd be riding a gelding called Lincoln, the gentlest horse I'd ever had the pleasure to ride. He was calm even in the most trying situations, the perfect lead to this expedition. Most of the campers were novice riders, so it was important not to have any spirited animals along for this particular trip.

  Sutherland was instructing the group, preparing them for what lay ahead:

  "You'll be riding a little over six miles today. The area where you'll be camping is in the hills north of this spot in a nice wooded area not far from a stream. You'll be carrying all the supplies you'll need in your saddlebags. Tents, sleeping bags, food. Your guide will instruct you on how to deal with trash—which you will not leave just lying around. This is a working ranch and we don't want to leave lying around anything that might negatively impact the livestock.

  "You will likely see cattle and other indigenous animals along the way, but there are few dangerous creatures in this area, so you don't need to fear for your safety. However, we do ask that you respect all animals and stay out of their way.

  "Your guides carry a satellite phone with them. Therefore, in the unlikely event of an emergency, you will have access to the outside world. However, we cannot bring anyone out simply because they get too cold or they have a minor injury. So, please do not proceed on this journey if you don't feel that you can handle the cold or a few cuts and bruises that might result from existing in such a setting."

  Sutherland paused, waiting to see if anyone backed out. This was the second such group she'd signed up to guide into the north pasture. Four people backed out of the last trip when she made this speech, but no one seemed interested in leaving this time.

  "Okay. Your guide will give you further instructions in a few minutes. As you already know, you will ride out today, stay at the campgrounds until Sunday morning, and then you will ride back out. We should have you back in the warmth and comfort of your motel by Sunday night."

  I was tying packs to the saddles when Sutherland came over.

  "Did I see Hank leave?"

  "Yeah. Jonnie broke her ankle. He needed to go see to her."

  "Is he coming back?"

  "I doubt it."

  She frowned. "I don't like the idea of sending you out there alone."

  I looked over toward the bunkhouse. "There's no one else. Shelby's out in the south pasture and Grainger's working with you on this thing this weekend, right?"

  "Yeah, but I could pull him off."

  "I can do it."

  We both turned, found Lance watching us from behind the paddock gate. He was dresse
d for an office, wearing black slacks and a dark dress shirt, those expensive loafers on his feet. He seemed more suited to a lawyer's office than a ranch.

  "I'd rather trade you with Grainger."

  "Grainger's already headed to the airport to pick up Ash and his group. It would just delay things if you were to wait for him to come back."

  "But you can't ride a horse."

  His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded me. "How hard could it be to learn?"

  I'd assumed he was angry with me over the other night, explaining why he hadn't been around since then. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was doing this to try to get under my skin again; I couldn't do that.

  But Sutherland had other ideas.

  "He has a point. Besides, he's the only one available and all you really need is another warm body to keep an eye on the tourists."

  "Sutherland..."

  "I'll get him a pair of boots from Hank's place. He'll be fine."

  Lance smiled brightly, clearly happy to have convinced her. I wanted to smack him.

  "You could get hurt," I said, moving close to him so that the tourists couldn't hear. "You could get bucked off the horse or kicked."

  "So could any of them."

  "Yeah. I already have a dozen newbies to watch over, I don't need another."

  His eyes narrowed again. "I'm not a child. You won't have to watch over me."

  "I will. And I don't appreciate it."

  I walked off, aware of his eyes on me. But I didn't care.

  This was not going to be the easy weekend I'd been hoping for. Just as long as he kept to himself, kept to his own business, we'd survive it.

  I hoped.

  Chapter 5

  Lance

  Grainger and Sutherland pulled their vehicles into the highway that ran along the outside of MidKnight's main gate while Becky rode her massive gelding—I was proud of myself for recognizing that it was a gelding!—across the street to open the gate to the north pasture. I crossed with the tourists, my knuckles white as I held the reins of the horse a little too tight. I could feel him prancing under me, all this energy building in his massive muscles. This was only my second time on the back of a horse. The first had lasted all of two minutes, long enough to be tossed clear on my back in a mud puddle. Thank God that hadn't been here and Becky hadn't been a witness. But I was pretty sure she was well aware of the lingering distaste I had for the animals since that time.