The Rancher Returns

by Brenda Jackson

  That’s when he realized why things were so different with her. Why with her he so easily lost control.

  As much as a part of him wished it wasn’t true, he knew he had fallen head over heels in love with Layla Harris.

  Fourteen

  “So what are you going to do about Tammy?”

  Layla lifted her head off Gavin’s chest. It was two days after the night he’d prepared dinner for her. She had arrived at the guest cottage to find him sitting on the steps waiting for her. Her heart had pounded the minute she’d seen him sitting there. He’d stood when she got out of the car and her gaze had taken him in. With the Stetson on his head, his Western shirt, a pair of well-worn and scuffed boots, he looked like a quintessential cowboy. She wondered how he would look dressed as a SEAL. Too bad she would probably never see him that way. Gavin as a rancher would be the memory of him she would keep in her heart forever.

  He had taken her hand into his and once they were locked inside the house, he had swept her into his arms and headed for the bedroom where they’d made love a number of times. Then he’d told her some troubling news. It seemed earlier that day he’d overheard one of his men bragging about sleeping with Tammy. The man had said she’d told him she was into group sex, so if he had any friends who were interested, she was available.

  Gavin hadn’t liked what he’d overheard and felt he needed to bring it to Layla’s attention. She was glad he had. Unfortunately, she was battling her own issues with Tammy. The young woman’s promiscuity wasn’t Layla’s number one concern. Tammy’s entitled attitude was impairing the success of the dig. The report Layla had assigned to Tammy had yet to be done, and Tammy’s slacking off on her duties had increased to the point where the other students were complaining. Low morale was the last thing Layla needed to deal with.

  Layla had confided in Gavin, telling him of her own issues with Tammy including Tammy’s ongoing affair with the head of Layla’s department and how Tammy was blatantly using that affair to do whatever she wanted...as well as avoiding the things she didn’t want to do.

  Finally answering Gavin’s question, Layla said, “There’s only one thing I can do about Tammy and that is to release her from the team and brace myself for the backlash from Dr. Clayburn. She isn’t a team player, she lacks respect for everyone and she isn’t pulling her own weight. I refuse to give her more chances than I would give anyone else, no matter who she’s sleeping with.”

  Gavin nodded. He thought Layla was making the right decision by releasing Tammy from her team. He’d known Tammy had been trouble from day one. “So you’ll start digging on Friday?”

  “Yes. We got delayed when one of the supply shipments was late. We haven’t had any other problems, but I wanted to ask, did you ever talk to that guy to see if he was the one who moved my marker?”

  “Yes, and Clete said he didn’t move anything. So what happened to your marker is still a mystery.”

  “It doesn’t matter since we’re moving ahead. I’m excited.”

  He pulled her tighter into his arms. “So am I. I can’t wait to see what you find.”

  She pulled back and stared up at him. “And now you think I will find something?”

  “Yes. I told you I’d gotten a good reading from Flip’s camera. I’m sure you’ll find something, I’m just not certain it’s the loot you’re looking for.”

  She smiled up at him. “Well, I am certain, Mr. Blake.” She then pulled his mouth down to hers.

  * * *

  Hours later, the ringing of his cell phone woke Gavin. He looked down at the woman plastered to his side. The phone had awakened her, as well. He glanced at the clock and saw it was three in the morning. Who would be calling him at this hour?

  He reached for the phone on the nightstand before it could ring again. “Hello.”

  He heard the words his foreman said and was out of bed in a flash. “We’re on our way.”

  Layla sat up. “What’s wrong, Gavin?”

  He glanced over at her as he reached for his clothes. “That was Caldwell. The old barn is going up in flames.”

  * * *

  It didn’t take long for them to both make their way to the south pasture.

  “Arson?” Gavin asked, staring down Cornerstone’s fire marshal. He knew Josh Timbales well since the man had been good friends with Gavin’s dad.

  “Yes, Gavin. Arson. And the person didn’t even try covering their tracks. You could smell kerosene a mile away.”

  “But who would do such a thing?” Layla asked, staring at the building that was now burned to the ground as well as the charred remains of the equipment that had been stored inside.

  “I don’t know,” Josh said to Layla. “My investigative team has been called in as well as the sheriff. Hopefully they will come up with some answers.”

  In the meantime... Layla turned to stare at her students who were huddled together a few feet away. They’d gotten word about the fire and had rushed from town. She could see the disappointed looks on their faces. They’d worked hard and now this. “I need to talk to my team,” Layla said, and walked off.

  Gavin watched her go. He could feel her anger and disappointment. He turned a livid gaze to Josh. “No matter what it takes, I intend to find the person responsible for this.”

  * * *

  Layla approached the group. Before she could say anything, one of her students, Wendy Miller, spoke up. “Is it true what the firemen are saying? Did someone deliberately set fire to the barn?”

  Layla drew in a deep breath. “Yes, the fire marshal has ruled it as arson. The sheriff is on his way.”

  “Looks like you have an enemy, Dr. Harris,” Tammy said with a smirk. “Well, with no equipment for the dig, that means we’re free to leave and return home, right? I didn’t like this place anyway.”

  Layla had had enough. “Yes, you can leave, Tammy. I was going to release you from the team in the morning anyway. Have a safe trip back to Seattle.”

  Fury shone on Tammy’s face. “You’re dropping me from the team? You can’t do that.”

  “I just did.”

  Tammy lifted her chin. “It really doesn’t matter because there won’t be a dig team. Once Dr. Clayburn calculates the cost of all the equipment that was destroyed in the fire, he will call off the dig.”

  “The college probably insured the equipment. It won’t take long to get more in here,” Donnell said angrily. He stared at Tammy suspiciously. “And just where were you tonight, Tammy? I was in the hotel’s lobby and saw when you came in rather late. It wouldn’t surprise me if you torched this place.”

  From the looks on the faces of her other students, Layla could see they were thinking the same thing. Evidently Tammy saw it, as well. She backed up, away from the others. “I was with someone, so I have a concrete alibi. But I plan on giving Dr. Clayburn a call to tell him everything.”

  “And how do you have his phone number?” another student asked, making it pretty obvious all of them had an idea.

  “That’s none of your business,” Tammy snapped. And then she angrily walked off.

  Layla turned back to her students. “I will call Dr. Clayburn in the morning myself. Regardless of what Tammy says, I doubt he will shut down the project.”

  Although Layla said the words, she truly wasn’t so sure of that.

  * * *

  The next day, an angry Layla slammed down the phone. She could not believe the conversation she’d just had with Dr. Clayburn. She could not believe the audacity of the man.

  “What’s wrong, Layla?”

  She turned and saw Gavin. She hadn’t heard him enter the cottage. She saw the care and concern in his expression and she loved him even more than she already had. He had been so understanding and supportive. Incredibly, he’d been more concerned about the loss of her equipment tha
n he had for the loss of his barn.

  Last night they had both talked to the sheriff, whom she’d discovered was a high school friend of Gavin’s. Sheriff Roy Wade was just as determined as Gavin to find the person responsible for the fire. And after checking for footprints, Gavin mentioned the ones around the burned barn were the same ones he’d seen when her marker had gone missing. It was obvious someone was trying to sabotage the dig. But who, and why?

  She drew in a deep breath. “That was Dr. Clayburn.”

  “And?”

  She blew out a frustrated and angry sigh. “Tammy got to him first. She probably called him last night like she threatened to do. He really didn’t want to hear anything I had to say.”

  Gavin crossed his arms over his chest with a furious look on his face. “You mean to tell me he’s taking a student’s word over yours?”

  Layla frowned. “Remember Tammy isn’t just another student. She’s also the man’s side piece. I didn’t want to believe it before, but I definitely believe it now. The influence she has over him! If I didn’t know better I’d think there’s more to it, that she’s blackmailing him with something.”

  Gavin dropped his arms and came to stand in front of her. “Why? What did he say?”

  “He wanted to let me know my students were notified this morning by email that the dig has been canceled and they are to return to campus.” She paused. “He also wanted me to know that I’ve been terminated from my position at the university.”

  “He fired you?”

  “Yes. He claims I botched things up. As far as he is concerned, the fire was my responsibility. I should have been more attentive to my work rather than indulging in an ‘illicit affair with one of the cowboys.’” There was no doubt in Layla’s mind Tammy had fed the man that BS and he’d believed it without question.

  “Can’t you go to the president of the university with your side of the story?”

  “Yes, but Dr. Clayburn and President Connors are good friends. If I was terminated that means Dr. Connors approved the termination because he believed whatever Dr. Clayburn told him about me.”

  “Let them believe whatever they want. You came here to do a dig and that’s what you’ll do.”

  Layla dropped into a nearby wingback chair. “Gavin, didn’t you hear what I said?”

  He squatted down in front of her. “What I hear is the sound of you giving up. Letting them defeat you.”

  She touched his cheek. “What am I supposed to do? I don’t have a job. Nor do I have a team. Did you not hear me say that Dr. Clayburn sent everyone an email telling them to return to Seattle?”

  “You’ll get another job. You’re too smart and intelligent not to. As far as I’m concerned, losing you is the university’s loss. Besides, I want to see what their reaction will be when you find James’s loot. You don’t have to be affiliated with any university to dig or publish your findings, right?”

  Layla shook her head. “No, I can conduct an independent excavation, but I no longer have funding, or a team.”

  Gavin pulled her out of the chair. “I’ll replace your equipment. And you might not have a team, but I do. They will come to help out if I call them.”

  Layla stared at him, not believing what he was saying, what he was offering. “B-but I can’t let you do that. Like you, they just got back from their last operation. They need to spend time with their families and—”

  Gavin lowered his mouth and kissed the words off her lips. He then deepened the kiss. By the time he released her mouth, she was panting. “Trust me on this, will you?” he said. “I don’t want to brag or anything, but we will do it in half the time your team would have.”

  “But it will take time to get more equipment.”

  “We will get the equipment we need without any delays.”

  Layla knew he had money and influence. She just hadn’t realized how much. Then she thought of something crucial. “What about the person sabotaging the dig? Things could get dangerous.”

  A sinister grin touched Gavin’s lips. “If he or she is crazy enough to try something with a team of SEALs around, then let them go for it. We will be ready.”

  He quickly kissed her again, silencing any more questions. When he released her lips, he said, “Trust me. We’ve got this. We’ll have your back.”

  There was a knock at the door. Gavin lifted a brow. “Gramma Mel isn’t due back until tonight, so it might be Roy. Maybe he’s found something.”

  Gavin crossed the room with her following beside him. Opening the door they found three of her students standing there. “Donnell? Wendy? Marsha? What are you doing here?” Layla asked them. “Why aren’t you on your way back to Seattle? Didn’t you get Dr. Clayburn’s email?”

  “Yes, we got it,” Donnell said, frowning. “But we didn’t want to leave until we talked to you. Until you say there won’t be a dig, we are staying put.”

  “You could get into trouble if you defy Dr. Clayburn,” she warned them.

  The three students looked at each other and shared what looked like conspiratorial smiles before Donnell said, “We aren’t worried about that. They’ll be faced with their own troubles soon. So, are you still planning to dig?”

  Layla wondered what they meant by “troubles,” but before she could ask, Gavin said, “Yes, the dig is still on.”

  She could tell from the look of respect in his eyes that he admired the stance these three students had taken. Like his team had his back, these members of her team had hers.

  Donnell, Marsha and Wendy let out loud cheers and gave each other high fives. Then Donnell said, “When we find James’s loot, the university’s going to regret letting you go.”

  Fifteen

  “So...you’re the fast-talking college professor, huh?”

  Layla swallowed as she watched the four men standing in front of her. Gavin had introduced them as Flipper, Bane, Coop and Mac. It was Flipper who’d asked the question, the depths of his blue eyes dancing with amusement.

  All four were big men. Muscular. Well built. Extremely handsome. Two wore wedding rings and two did not. Gavin had told her that Brisbane Westmoreland and Thurston McRoy were happily married and that Flipper and Coop were happily single.

  “I don’t know. Am I?” she asked, switching her gaze from them to Gavin, who stood by her side with his arms around her waist. It was as if he was intentionally making a statement regarding the nature of their relationship. If that was the case, then she wished someone would tell her where they stood. All she knew for certain was that they enjoyed spending time together and they shared a bed every night. She definitely didn’t have any complaints about that.

  Gavin muttered the words, “Smart-ass,” to Flipper, then leaned down and placed a kiss on Layla’s lips. He then turned to his friends. “She’s more than a professor.”

  * * *

  He knew his friends were checking out Layla and with good reason. The four men knew about his don’t-get-attached policy when it came to women. But it was obvious that with this particular woman, he’d gotten attached. They would be shocked to discover just how attached he was.

  Like he’d known they would, his friends had answered his summons for help. No questions asked. But now that they were here and had been briefed on the situation, they were also eyewitnesses to his possessiveness of Layla. They would have questions about that later. Fair enough. He would address them then. He would admit he’d fallen in love. Bane and Mac would understand. Flipper and Coop would suggest Gavin have his head examined.

  “Did you get the equipment I asked you to bring?” he asked them.

  “Yes. Two of my brothers will be towing the backhoe loader and tractor in this evening,” Flipper said.

  “And I’ve got the rest of the stuff in my truck,” Mac added.

  “Good,” Gavin said. Flip had four
brothers. All SEALs. And Flip’s dad had retired as a SEAL commanding officer. Gavin had thought he’d had it bad living in his father’s and grandfather’s shadows—until he’d met Flipper. His friend had five legacies to compete with since all the male Holloways before Flip had stellar reputations as SEALs.

  “So where are we staying, Viper? The party house?” Coop asked.

  Gavin shook his head. “No. Layla’s at the party house.”

  Flipper chuckled. “So? It’s big enough. You don’t mind if we crash, do you?” he asked Layla.

  Before she could answer, Gavin said, “But I mind.”

  All four men laughed. Gavin scowled.

  “Easy, Viper, let’s not get territorial,” Flipper said, grinning.

  But he did feel territorial, Gavin thought. He figured it was all a part of being in love. He still wasn’t sure what to do with his feelings. He didn’t want to get caught up in a woman like his dad had done. He didn’t want to ask her to give up her career to wait out here on the ranch through all his missions. He didn’t want a repeat of what had happened with his mom.

  Pushing all that aside, he said, “Gramma Mel got back from her trip a few days ago and she prepared rooms for you guys at the main house.”

  “Yes!” Bane said, pumping his fist in the air. “We’ll get to eat her mouthwatering biscuits for breakfast.”

  Gavin shook his head. He had to admit he’d missed these guys.

  * * *

  “So, are you going to tell Layla how you feel about her, Viper?”

  Instead of answering Bane’s question Gavin stared into his beer bottle and shook his head. “Won’t do any good. She doesn’t feel the same way.”

  “How do you know?” Mac asked, taking a sip of his own beer. “Women like to hear stuff like that. And often.”