by V. A. Dold
She needed to talk to Kensie about the notes she was getting and stop her from shanghaiing Joe.
Too late.
She walked into the main house to find Kensie grinning ear to ear. “Dr. Moore called. She said your session went very well and explained what she wants you to do. Oh, and don’t worry, Lucas talked to him. Everything is set.”
Carol sank into the nearest chair. “Are you serious! I need a shovel and a very large rock.”
Kensie lifted her delicately arched brows. “A shovel and a rock?”
Carol rolled her eyes heavenward. “Yes. I need to dig a hole large enough to hide in.”
Kensie busted out laughing. “I’m sorry, your discomfort isn’t funny. But the image of you hiding under a rock is hilarious.”
“Ha ha. You realize I’ll never be able to face Joe again. This is mortifying. Call Lucas back. We can figure something else out.”
“Call me back for what?” A deep male voice said from the doorway.
“She’s embarrassed to have Joe help her,” Kensie supplied.
“Oh. Well, too late. I already talked to him, and he’s in.”
Carol groaned and hid her face in her hands. This was out of control.
“It’s all going to be fine. After Joe meets with Dr. Moore, you can get started,” Kensie encouraged.
Carol sank deeper into her chair, exasperated. “Of course he agreed to it. He wasn’t going to say no to his boss.”
Kensie shook her head. “Not Joe. If he disagrees with something, he speaks up. If he didn’t want to do this, he wouldn’t. Face it, Carol. Joe likes you.”
Carol was doubtful but nodded all the same. “Maybe.” Then she tilted her head to one side. “He did try to kiss me.”
“Of course he did. I told you, Krystal said you belong together.” Kensie pressed her lips together, clearly a little worried. “You want him to kiss you, right?”
Carol averted her eyes. “Yeah.”
Kensie smiled a smug little satisfied smile. “Then let him. The next time he makes a move, kiss the bejeebers out of him. Don’t stop until he can’t see straight.”
Carol snorted. “Right. I’ll just do that.”
“I mean it, kiss the man. Oh, and if you’re free for dinner, meet me in the dining hall at six.”
“Yeah, okay.” She stood and then sat again. “I have something else I wanted to talk about.”
“Okay.”
Carol looked from Lucas to Kensie. “Have you told anyone about my past?”
“I haven’t. How could I? I don’t know your past,” Lucas said as he came further into the room.
Kensie leaned forward, concern creasing her brow. “You know I would never break your confidence, hun. Why are you asking this?”
“Someone has been leaving me notes like Larry did. At first, I wrote it off as one of the ranch hands, but the last one was kind of creepy.”
Kensie looked at Lucas for a moment and then back at Carol. “If you get another note, bring it to me. We’ll get to the bottom of it. For now, don’t worry. It could just be one of the hands is smitten with you and has no idea the notes would freak you out.”
“Yeah, okay. You’re right. I’m sure I’m over reacting.” Carol stood and headed for the door.
Lucas spoke up before she made it out. “Hey, Carol. You don’t have to park in the guest lot. You’re not a tourist. You live here. If you would like, you can park your car in front of your cabin.”
“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you both later.”
Talking about the notes made her feel better. Kensie was right, there wasn’t anything to worry about. She also might be right about kissing Joe. As she drove to her cabin, her thoughts turned to the hot cowboy, and what it would be like to lock lips with him.
She’d had fun when they’d had tea and went for the ride. Well, except for the freaking out part. Kensie was right. She liked him, and really, really wanted to kiss him. Fine, the next time he leaned in for a kiss, if there was a next time, she would take advantage of it.
*****
Two hours later, Joe was shown into Dr. Moore’s office. The room was large and at its center was a woman sitting in a leather chair. A coffee table stood between her and several additional chairs. Unsure what to do, he hovered near the door.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Christian. Thank you for coming.” She waved toward the open chairs on the opposite side of the table. “Please take a seat.”
Joe took the chair nearest the door. “Good afternoon, Dr. Moore. Please, call me Joe. I’ve never been to a counselor before, so I’m not sure what to do, but Lucas said you need someone to help Carol, so here I am.”
“Just relax. All we’re going to do is talk. I can’t go into detail about why Carol came to me. Why don’t you tell me why you think you’re here?”
“All I know is Carol was very upset when I helped her from her horse, and Lucas told me you have an exercise you want her to do to work on that.”
“Yes, I do. Before I go into detail, I have to ask a few questions. Don’t worry about what you tell me. Whatever you say will be kept confidential.”
“Okay, what do you need to know?”
“What is your interest in Carol? Are you serious enough to see this thing through?”
Joe braced his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor for a moment. “To be totally honest, I’m not sure what my interest is. All I can say is, she affects me in ways no other woman has. Not even Janice. Just the thought of another man helping her with this drives me crazy. Yeah, I’ll see it through.”
“Janice? Are you currently involved with another woman?”
Joe shook his head and was shocked when guilt didn’t swamp him. “No. Janice was my wife. She died years ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Joe. Forgive me for asking, but even though it was years ago, are you sure you’re ready to move on?”
He gave the doctor a hard look. “Don’t get me wrong. I loved my wife. Before I met Carol, I wasn’t interested in finding another woman. Dating felt like a betrayal. I was wrong. I understand now that I can care for another woman, that I’m not being unfaithful to Janice. She was a generous woman and would want me to move on. There’s something about Carol I can’t ignore. She’s different. Special.
Dr. Moore smiled. “Good answer, and very healthy as well. Guilt, even unfounded can eat at a person.”
Joe nodded. “So, tell me what you want me to do.”
Dr. Moore folded her hands in her lap. “Carol needs a partner to assist her in an exercise I’ve given her. I want you to start with her sitting on the floor. You’ll take hold of her waist the same way you did to help her from the saddle and help her from the floor. If she shows signs of fear, release her immediately and have her call me. If she remains calm, repeat the procedure several times over a few days. Then increase the height from which you help her to her feet. Try helping her from a hay bale or a chair. If that goes well, find another object that is taller. Continue the process until she is at a height where she is above you and you are helping her down instead of up. At any time, if she shows fear, stop. I want you to slowly work your way to her sitting on her horse with you helping her down. Let her set the pace at which you move through this process. If you push her too fast, she will relapse. Do you understand what I am asking you to do?”
“Yes. The last thing I want to do is scare her again. I’ll be very careful with her.”
“Thank you. I believe you are exactly what she needs to get past this.”
“I appreciate your time and your concern for Carol.” Joe stood to go, but before he took a step, Dr. Moore stopped him.
“Before you go, I want to explain something that may help you understand her situation. If she has a bad reaction during the exercise, she isn’t reacting to you. The action of being pulled from a horse causes her to have flashbacks to an unpleasant event. If that happens, she may experience fear and imagine she is reliving her past. She may even call you by another name. Don’t take
anything she may say or do personally.
“It’s important that you remain calm, stop what you are doing, and allow her to recover. Carol is aware what’s happening when she panics, but she can’t control her instinctive response. If she has another episode, she may feel embarrassed and ashamed. It’s your job to assure her that you understand and in no way take it personally. She’ll need to know that you’re not going to give up, and she shouldn’t either.”
“I understand. And I have no intention of giving up, Carol is too important.”
“Excellent.” Then she held a card out to Joe. “If you have any questions, please call me.”
“I’ll do that. Have a good day, Dr. Moore.”
Joe was about to put his truck in reverse when he spotted something on his windshield. He leaned forward and reached out his window to snag the paper.
All it said was. “Back off. The bitch is mine.”
Some idiot must have mistaken his truck for another. He crumpled up the note and tossed in aside.
Chapter 5
Carol was mentally tired. For all of Kensie’s good intentions, the office was an organizational mess. Her friend was a brilliant surgeon, but definitely challenged when it came to office management. Tipping her head right, then left, she stretched the kinks from her neck as she pulled up in front of her cabin and threw her car in park. As she walked to her door, she heard pounding…no, not pounding, chopping. What the heck?
She wasn’t expecting company, and certainly not anyone wielding an ax. Scenes from horror movies flashed through her mind. Silently, she crept along the side and snuck a peek into her backyard.
She recognized her backyard ax wielder instantly. His hat was tossed aside, and his legs were spread and flexed as he labored. She stayed quiet and watched as muscles rippled in his back and arms with each swing. Dang, he was fine. She chewed her lower lip. If he turned, even slightly, he’d see her staring. Carefully she drew back and called out, “Joe?”
“Good afternoon, Carol. How was your morning?”
“Productive. What are you doing?”
He planted the ax in the chopping block and closed the distance between them. The closer he got, the faster her heart pounded. “The nights are getting cooler, and I noticed your wood supply for the fireplace was low.”
She looked from Joe to the small pile of split logs. “Thank you. I appreciate it. “
Joe’s eyes sparkled with pleasure. “You’re welcome. Maybe we can have a cup of tea in front of the fire tonight after we work on Dr. Moore’s assignment?”
Alarm swamped her for a moment and then quickly evaporated. Looking up at him, Carol was struck by the depth of emotion in his eyes. They were filled with hope and a dash of desire. “You’re serious? You really want to help me?”
“Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I?’
She averted her eyes. “It’s not exactly your problem.”
She felt the pressure of his finger under her chin. He tipped her face up until she was forced to look him in the eye.
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I don’t like the thought of you afraid of me, or anything I do. I plan to spend a lot of time with you, and I want every moment to be…enjoyable.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. Opened her mouth and closed it again. She didn’t have a retort to that.
He gave her a warm smile and took her hand. He escorted her to her front door and kissed her knuckles softly. “I have a few more logs to split and stack before I’m finished. If you haven’t made other plans, I would like to have dinner with you tonight at the dining hall.”
“Dinner? Yeah, I’m free.”
Joe beamed. “Perfect, how about six? I’ll come by, and we can walk together.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.” He tipped an imaginary hat and headed for the back yard.
Carol watched him walk away, every single sexy step. Lord have mercy. The man had the best caboose on the planet. Once he was out of sight, she went inside. Six o’clock, that meant she had three hours to tidy the cabin, shower, and get ready.
She worried that dress pants and a cashmere sweater may be overkill. But dang it, she wanted to look good for her dinner with Joe even if it was only the dining hall. She was checking her makeup one last time when she heard a knock at the door.
“Hi, Joe.”
“Wow, Carol. You look amazing.”
“Thank you. I’m not overdressed am I?”
“Not at all. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I just need to grab my keys and lock up.”
They walked in silence. As they cleared the sidewalk to her cabin and started down the road, Joe took her hand. Carol gave him a smile, but stayed quiet. She enjoyed his company and didn’t want to ruin the moment by saying the wrong thing.
Instead, she took in the ranch. Sure, she’d been living there a few days, but she hadn’t really given the place a good look. The hill country was surprisingly green. Not at all like she’d expected. There were a lot of shorter trees, shrubs, and plant life, with cactus mixed in. And the live oaks were incredible. Huge trees she’d been shocked to see when she’d driven down the long drive that first day. The best part was the rolling land. The hill country was definitely not flat.
Carol looked from the barns to the main house. Everything was impeccably maintained. There was nothing prettier than a well-kept ranch. Even the cabins looked great. There wasn’t a bit of peeling paint anywhere. Unlike some dude ranches she’d seen online. Those places looked like a little breeze would knock them down.
The main house was impressive, with its large wooden deck wrapping around the front and both sides. It looked cozy despite its massive size. Several lounge chairs and rocking chairs lined the deck creating little conversational groupings. When she took the tour of the main house with Lucas and Kensie, she had been too preoccupied with the pool to pay attention to the fire pit in the back yard. Benches and Adirondack chairs edged the large stone circle. She took a deep breath, absorbing the peace and tranquility of the area. Now she understood why Kensie loved it here.
Joe took her elbow and walked her to the buffet. “It looks like we have fried chicken and beef brisket to choose from tonight. Which do you prefer?”
Carol’s mouth watered as she looked from one to the other. “Can I take a little of both?”
Joe grinned. “You can have anything you want.”
They each took separate sides of the food line, discussing options as they filled their plates.
He led her to one of the empty tables and set his plate down, then held her chair. She couldn’t get over his gentlemanly manners. They don’t grow them like this in Minnesota. Somewhere along the way, parents stopped teaching their sons how to treat a lady. Prior to coming to Texas, no man had ever held a door or a chair for her. Kensie had mentioned Texas men still had old-fashioned values, but she hadn’t believed it until she met Joe and the ranch hands.
He took his seat and smiled. “You’re really going to like the brisket. I’ve tried the brisket at every restaurant in the area, and no one makes it like our chef.”
“It smells wonderful.” Carol cut a bite. The flavor burst in her mouth. “Oh my goodness.”
Joe chuckled as he cut a bit off of his piece. “I told you.”
As they chatted, she thought back to when Kensie fled Minnesota and made Texas her permanent home. At first, her friend had come to the ranch for a vacation to spend time with her sister Jo. That visit had turned into a love affair with the ranch owner, Lucas.
When Kensie returned to Minnesota to give her notice, packed her things, and then found herself on the run from an insane doctor. Lucas and his family had not only saved her life, they welcomed her into the family.
Kensie had found her true love and happiness in Texas. Maybe she could do the same.
When they finished, Joe took her plate and glass and returned them to the bin for washing. The dinner was the best she’d had so far at the ranch
. Carol smiled to herself. The company she shared it with might have had something to do with it.
Joe’s rich, smooth voice pulled her from her musings. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes. Dinner was delicious. Thank you for inviting me to sit with you.”
“It was my pleasure. Shall we go back to your cabin to work on our homework from the doc?”
Carol paused. “Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?”
“Not at all. Come on, let’s go.”
Carol looked around her cozy cabin. Where would be the easiest place to try this? “The area between the kitchen and the table is large enough.” When she prepared to take a seat on the floor, Joe stepped forward and offered his hand.
“Here, let me help you.”
Carol hesitated for a split second, not out of fear, but surprise. She lowered her eyes and felt her cheeks warm with a blush. “Thank you,” she said quietly and accepted his gallant offer.
Now that she sat cross-legged on the floor looking up at him, she was unsure what to do.
Joe gave her a sweet smile. “From what I understand, I’m supposed to take you by the waist and help you to your feet. Do you think you will be okay with that?”
“Yeah, I think so.” She frowned and repositioned her legs to the side decided against that and crossed them again. “I’m not sure how we’re going to do this without it being awkward.”
“Let’s try it the way you are and if that doesn’t work, we can try something else. Ready?”
Carol nodded and lifted her arms. As Joe’s strong hands took hold under her ribcage, she placed hers on his shoulders.
“I’ll lift while you push with your legs. Go.”
Somehow, she found herself plastered against his chest with her arms around his neck. Slowly she raised her head to look into his eyes, but found she didn’t make it past his tempting lips.
He tightened his hold on her and groaned. Then his lips took hers in a tentative questioning kiss. Her lips were as soft as he’d expected. When her hands inched into his hair, she unleashed a passion he’d kept in check for far too long.
