The wind snapped a branch from a tree and it landed in Jayson’s path. He nearly stumbled over it, but made it over the thick branch. He wanted to stop and check her for any serious injuries, but he had to get her warm and to the house.
He hurried to Starlight. When he reached the horse, he looked at Celine. “Can you ride?”
That strange stillness, then a nod.
“I’m going to put you in the saddle,” he said. “Hold onto the pommel. I’ll ride behind and make sure you don’t fall.”
She nodded again. “Okay.” The word sounded raspy.
He helped her up, and she slid into the saddle as if she’d done it many times before. She gripped the pommel as he unstrapped the blanket behind his saddle and wrapped it around Celine’s shoulders.
Jayson swung up and settled himself behind Starlight’s saddle. He grasped Celine around her waist with one arm and the reins in his left hand. He tugged on the reins slightly to calm Starlight who danced sideways from the extra weight.
He glanced across the water to the opposite bank and looked at the now silent crowd on the opposite side.
“Is she going to be all right?” Rod called out. The unearthly roar of the flood had lessened enough that Jayson could hear the man. “We can take her to the hospital.”
Jayson shook his head and pointed to the location Celine’s men had crossed. “The flood is too deep, and it also wiped out the crossing. Even when the flood dies down, you don’t want to attempt it.”
He went on, “She’s slipping into shock. I’m taking her back to the ranch and I’ll get her warm.”
“What should we do?” Rod shouted. “I can call the sheriff’s department.”
“Do it,” Jayson said. “Call me in twenty and I’ll we’ll trade updates. You have my number.”
He made a clicking sound to Starlight. “Come on, girl.” He guided the mare away from the bank and they headed back to the ranch house at a gallop. Thor ran alongside, barking, like he was encouraging Celine, telling her she’d be all right.
The ranch house wasn’t far from the crossing. When they reached the front yard, Jayson dismounted, looped the mare’s reins around a hitch and helped Celine down from the saddle. He swept her into his arms. Her entire body shook as he carried her to the house.
“Meredith,” Celine coughed then spoke again. “We were on the phone. Need to let her know I’m okay.”
“We’ll tell her.” Jayson hoped Rod would know how to get a hold of this Meredith Celine was talking about.
Jayson went in through the kitchen and slammed the door shut with his boot before he rushed through the house. Thor barked while he trotted beside Jayson as he took Celine straight to the master bedroom. Everything he’d need was in the adjoining bathroom.
Celine’s shivers had intensified. He took her into his bedroom, then bee-lined it to the bathroom and set her on the closed toilet seat.
Thor sat on the rug just inside the bathroom, concern filling his intelligent eyes.
He turned on the shower, bringing it to a slightly warm temperature before stripping her of her clothing. He cursed beneath his breath when he took inventory of her injuries. Scratches and bleeding cuts covered her, along with red marks starting to purple.
Thunder crashed and Celine’s body went rigid. Stark fear crossed her face.
“You’re okay, honey.” Jayson toed off his boots but left the rest of his clothing.
Her teeth chattered. “It sounds so close.”
“We’re safe in the house.” He scooped her up and took her into the shower, then set her on the smooth tiled ledge on one side of the enclosure. The water wasn’t too warm so that he could bring her temperature to normal slowly.
Water rained down on her as he searched her body for injuries. He examined her head as he spoke in a low, calming tone. It was nothing more than mindless chatter similar to what he used to calm an injured animal, or a foaling mare. The idea was to soothe her while he warmed her.
He talked about the Diamondbacks baseball game scheduled to play that afternoon in Phoenix—where they probably weren’t getting any rain—and their odds for winning. He told her about the branding in May for the February calves, then went on to tell her about the last roundup.
As he examined her head, she flinched when he skimmed his fingers across the back of her skull as he touched a good-sized egg.
“Ow.” It was a low groan. “That hurt.”
“Sorry, honey.” He asked her questions and she responded to everything in a normal but tired manner.
Slowly, her shivering lessened as her body returned to the right temperature. He relaxed and helped her to her feet but still held her. A feeling of relief flowed over him like the warm spray they now stood under.
He washed her hair with his shampoo. No doubt she’d want the dirt from the flashflood out of her hair, and this would help warm her from the scalp down. He took care not to graze the bruise on her forehead, near her hairline or touch the egg on the back of her skull.
The need to protect Celine and take care of her grew stronger inside him. He barely knew this woman, but it didn’t feel that way. He knew her. When he saw her being swept away with the flood, he’d felt as if some part of him had been ripped from his chest.
Somehow, on a soul-deep level, he had an incredibly strong connection with Celine.
Jayson wasn’t sure whether or not to question his sanity. He had never been one to believe in that kind of thing, but hell, who knew? If he thought about it, he and Jack had one of those twin-connection things that did exist. So, could it be the same with Celine?
That didn’t make sense. Did it?
When Celine was clean and warm, he turned off the shower and set her on her feet on a soft rug. He grabbed a thick towel and dried her off, working on every limb. His own rain and shower-soaked clothing chilled him, but he ignored it and focused on Celine.
Until this moment, he had kept his attention clinical from the second he’d stripped her of her clothing. It was hard to remain that way when it was clear she was no longer in shock and she was warm again.
Celine was such a damned beautiful woman, with soft curves and hair that he wanted to nuzzle as he breathed her in.
Jayson ground his teeth, forcing himself to not think of her that way.
“How do you feel?” He sounded much gruffer than he’d intended.
“Better.” She went on, “Thank you more than I can say.” Her teeth didn’t chatter anymore.
He shifted and got a better look at her when she was no longer in his shadow. He saw more of the red and purple marks that marred her skin in multiple places. He frowned. She would sport a lot of bruises, and she’d be sore as hell.
But she was alive.
“You look worse than a bull rider whose been stomped on a time or two,” he said. “But I’d sure as hell rather ride a bull than go through what you just did.”
She looked at him and her gaze met his. “I sort of feel like I got trampled.”
While he studied her, he checked her pupils, and was glad to see they weren’t dilated.
Celine winced as he patted a cut on her arm with a soft cloth. “This one’s about the worst of the scratches and cuts,” he said. “They’re mostly superficial, but they sure looked bad when we dragged you out. The bruising and the knot at the back of your head and the one on your temple are likely worse than the scratches. You’ve got one hell of a bruise on your back, too.”
“I can sure feel it,” she said. “But considering the alternative, I’m fine.”
He grabbed a robe from a hook on the back of the bathroom door. It had been a gift he’d never used, and it was perfect to bundle up Celine to make sure she stayed warm. He helped her into the robe and tied it.
“Thor and Starlight helped you.” Celine coughed. “They were amazing.”
“They were.” He glanced at Thor, who watched them. Jayson turned his attention back to Celine. “Can you walk to the bed?”
“Yes.” Exhaustion l
aced the word.
Jayson met Celine’s gaze again, this time taking in her beauty. Damn, those brown eyes captured him and he couldn’t look away.
He forced himself to move. He guided her toward the California king-sized bed, but let her walk on her own to make sure she was steady. He pulled the coverings back and helped her slip beneath them.
“Bed.” She sounded sleepy and just as exhausted as she spoke. “Never felt this good before.”
Her eyelids lowered like weights dragged them down as he tucked the blanket under her chin. For a moment, she looked like she was going to say something else, but she fell asleep almost immediately.
Jayson watched her breathe in and out, the sound restful. It used to be considered imperative that a patient with a head injury stay awake. More recent research showed that wasn’t the case. As long as the person who’s injured can hold a conversation when awake, didn’t have issues walking, and her pupils weren’t dilated, it was fine to let her sleep.
He studied her for a long moment. Bruised and battered, she was still a lovely woman. She might have a materialistic, bitchy outer shell—according to some—but she was hiding behind that shell. And he intended to drag her out one way or another.
Jayson didn’t want to leave her alone, but he had to take care of the animals and contact Rod, Monty, and the sheriff about her. Best thing he could do right now was let Celine rest and check on her frequently.
He left Thor behind. “Watch over her,” he told the dog. “Come get me if she needs me.”
Jayson grabbed clean clothing for himself and left the room, leaving the door open wide enough for Thor to get out if he needed to.
His cellphone rang as he headed in the direction of the kitchen. It wasn’t a number he recognized, but it was a New York area code. No doubt one of Celine’s people.
“This is Rod. Is Celine okay?” The man spoke in a rush. It was clear he was genuinely concerned for her. “Is she going to make it?”
“She’s fine.” Jayson strode down the hallway. “She’s resting now. I imagine she’ll need a whole lot of sleep to recover from what she went through.”
Rod let out a breath of relief. “I contacted the sheriff’s office. He’s waiting on your call to see if you need medevac. Sheriff McBride said a helicopter could land in one of your pastures.”
“I don’t think we’ll need emergency services,” Jayson said. “But I will keep an eye on her.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Rod asked.
“Celine said she needed to let a woman named Meredith know she’s okay.” Jayson reached the kitchen as he spoke. “She said something about being on the phone with her before she got caught up in the flood.”
“She already tracked me down,” Rod said. “I told her all I know and that I planned to call her back with more information. I’ll do that now.”
When Jayson disconnected with Rod, He set his clean clothes in the mudroom. He’d take a shower there after he finished up with the chores.
He headed back into the kitchen to make some coffee as he contacted the sheriff’s department where his cousin, Mike McBride worked. Mike had recently been reelected sheriff after a few tough battles, both personal and professional.
“Hi, Mike,” Jayson said when the sheriff answered. “You’ve heard about Celine Northland being caught in a flashflood?”
“Yes,” Mike said. “Do you need medevac?”
“No.” Jayson blew out his breath. “If she takes a turn for the worst, I’ll dial 911.”
“Hopefully that won’t be a problem,” Mike said.
Jayson went on to give a quick rundown on what had been going on with the commercial shoot on the ranch. He explained in full what had just happened with the flood, and that Celine wasn’t at fault. She’d been careful, but that hadn’t been enough.
When he finished filing the report over the phone with Mike, Jayson asked, “When is Anna due?”
“Not for another three weeks.” Mike sounded like a proud dad already. “Anna says she’s about to burst.”
“Girl or boy?”
“Girl.” Mike had a grin in his voice. “Already polishing up my shotgun.”
Jayson smiled. “She’ll have plenty of cousins who’ll keep the boys in line, too.”
“Don’t you know it,” Mike said. “What is going on with you and your clan?”
“Like any other part of the McBride family, as normal as can be expected.”
After his conversation with Mike, Jayson called Monty.
“I heard about what happened with Celine.” Monty sounded worried as hell. “How is she? Do you need my help? I can take the trail.”
“Celine’s fine,” Jayson told the man. “No need to come to the ranch.
“Thank goodness she’s okay.” Relief poured over the phone line from Monty. “Can’t imagine what she went through.”
“It was damned bad,” Jayson said. “We came close to losing her to the flood a few times. She’s a brave woman and a fighter.”
“She sure is,” Monty said.
Jayson disconnected. His men had left long ago, heading to their homes and their families. It was better they hadn’t been trapped on this side of the arroyo.
He took Starlight back to the barn, brushed her down, and praised her for helping save Celine. He put her in the stall with a ration of sweet oats before checking on the other horses.
The entire time he did the chores, his thoughts kept turning back to Celine. Damn but he hoped she’d be all right.
After having served in the military and the training he’d been through, he had a good feeling that Celine would be okay, but he didn’t plan to count on it. He’d keep a close eye on her.
He made short work of the rest of the chores before heading to the house to clean up and get back to Celine. He’d have felt concern for anyone under his care, but somehow it was different with her. He wasn’t sure he understood the feelings, but he didn’t plan on analyzing them, not right now.
Maybe later. All he knew was that one way or another, he intended to find out exactly what kind of hold she had on him and what he was going to do about it.
Chapter 5
“Thank God the bitch is alive.” He wasn’t ready for her to be dead. Yet. MERF wasn’t ready.
Monty tossed his cell phone onto the writing desk. It clunked and spun, coming close to the edge but stopping a hair’s width from falling off. He was tempted to flick it with his finger and send it spinning off the desk.
He’d seen the whole thing play out before him from the ridge near his property. When he had watched Celine cling to the top of that Mercedes, he’d alternated between hoping the flood would win to praying she’d be rescued.
Then he could kill her when he had everything he needed. When Monty’s Early Retirement Fund was nice and well padded, enough to keep him comfortable for the rest of his life in Belize. He’d found a perfect location, and he was ready to put a bid on it.
He hated her and her fucking family. She’d never known who had destroyed what had been so important to her.
With narrowed eyes, he picked up Celine’s designer tote that was stuffed with papers and her laptop. Of course, only the best for her, so she’d paid a good chunk of money for the Louis Vuitton bag.
The bitch didn’t know what it was like to work in the trenches and scrabble her way to the top.
Celine might not take any of Mummy and Daddy’s money now, but that didn’t matter. She’d insisted on returning the money for her education to her parents when she made enough from her business to do so.
But he was certain her parents’ connections had opened doors. The kind of doors that he’d had to pry open with a crowbar. Others he’d never be able to even see through.
As far as he was concerned, Celine didn’t deserve a penny of the money coming in.
Soon it would be his.
He took the papers he’d given her out of her tote and flipped through the pages. He came to the signature page and let out a burst of obs
cenities. Not signed. Just a child-sized footprint there and a partial imprint of an adult sized sneaker on the next.
Monty tossed the stack of papers aside. He’d make sure those were signed even if it meant putting a gun to her head.
Next her laptop.
He withdrew it from the bag, set it on the writing desk, and raised the lid. The laptop woke from sleep mode and a retro screensaver with flying toasters popped up with her name and a place to put in a password.
Seriously? She had the old flying toasters screen saver?
With a snarl, he typed in password. He couldn’t believe people used that as a login.
No such luck with Celine’s laptop. He checked his notepad that had a page he’d prepared with dates significant to her—names, places, people, and that one beast, her dead horse.
He tried them all.
Nothing.
One more try—
It locked him out.
Too many attempts. Try again later.
His muscles ached as he had to restrain himself from throwing the laptop across the room.
No. It wouldn’t do a damn bit of good if he broke the thing. The last bit of information he needed to destroy her, and to take every penny from her, was on this expensive hunk of crap.
He’d have to try later.
A crack of lightning illuminated the sky outside the window, followed by thunder not three seconds later. Coming closer. One hell of a storm carried on outside as it was.
It reminded him of Celine on her ass in the mud puddle and how she had thrown mud into his face. Bitch. He’d wanted to choke her then and there.
The laptop was low on juice, but thankfully, she had put the power cord in the tote. He plugged it in and started charging the battery.
Monty flung himself in the closest chair and chewed on his thumbnail. He’d done that since he was a child and waited for a bottle. Or sat in the corner when he was punished. He’d never been able to stop that damned habit.
Get back on track.
This would all come together. He’d worked too hard for it to fail.
Amazed by You (Riding Tall Book 11) Page 6
