Heaven's Gift aka Kiss of an Angel

by Janelle Denison

  J.T. glanced at his watch, then chucked Laura lightly under the chin. "The bus is going to be here in twenty minutes. Don't miss it."

  "I won't. I just want to show Caitlan the kittens, and then I'll go to the bus stop." Laura crossed back to Caitlan, then turned to her father with an impish grin. "Oh, and I just wanted to tell you so you don't worry about it; Caitlan is going to Aunt Debbie's with us on Sunday. Aunt Debbie really likes Caitlan, so I'm sure she won't mind having her over."

  J.T.'s gaze slid to Caitlan, a half grin turning up the corners of his mouth. "I'm sure Debbie won't," he murmured.

  Caitlan shifted on her feet, suddenly uncomfortable with his lazy observation. "If this is a family thing, I don't really need to go-"

  "Debbie would skin me alive if I left you at home." He leaned back in his chair, his countenance relaxed. "We go over to her place every Sunday. I think she feels sorry for me, because it's the only day Paula doesn't cook supper."

  "Dad can't cook," Laura said out of the side of her mouth.

  "Hey, I thought you liked my grilled cheese sandwiches." J.T. feigned a hurt look. "I'm kind of partial to them myself."

  Laura rolled her eyes dramatically. "Dad, you can't live on grilled cheese sandwiches alone. You need a wife; that way you wouldn't have to depend on Paula or Aunt Debbie."

  J.T. shook a finger Laura's way. "And you need a swat to your bottom."

  The words were tossed teasingly, but Caitlan noted the barely perceptible shift in J.T.'s easy mood. His jaw hardened, and the sparkle in his eyes faded. He kept his emotions tightly leashed, careful not to take his own personal grudge about a wife out on his daughter.

  Sitting up, J.T. picked up his pencil and flipped open a folder. "Now get going before I make good on my threat."

  "You're too much of a softy, Dad. I'll see ya after school." Laura blew her father a kiss from across the room, then headed for the door. "Come on, Caitlan; time's a wastin'."

  Caitlan couldn't help delivering a parting remark to J.T., sugar-coating it with a grin. "Considering I have a full schedule ahead of me today, I'd better get a move on, huh?"

  As she slipped out the door behind Laura, she heard J.T. say, "I ought to swat your butt."

  Smiling to herself, Caitlan walked beside Laura as they cut across to the barn. The day promised to be beautiful. A slight, chilled breeze blew, but the sky was clear for as far as the eye could see. The ranch hands had long since gone, leaving the area peaceful and serene for the time being.

  Laura looked at Caitlan, concern creasing her delicate brows. "Dad doesn't usually stick around the house. I hope he's feeling okay."

  "I'm sure he's fine." Caitlan rubbed Laura's back in a gesture meant to soothe her worries.

  "He mentioned this morning at breakfast that he had some paperwork to catch up on." Caitlan was grateful J.T. had decided to stay indoors. Having him so close made her job easier. She knew where he was and didn't have to worry about defying him, and angering him even more, by following him around the ranch while he worked. How would she explain the need to be by his side all day long? The longer he stayed around the house, the better.

  Laura grabbed Caitlan's arm. "Will you keep an eye on him while I'm at school, just to be sure he's reallyokay?" she asked, her tone a shade away from a plea.

  Caitlan patted her hand reassuringly. "Consider it done."

  "Good." Laura smiled, her step suddenly light and buoyant. "You might want to have lunch with him, just to be sure he takes a break."

  Caitlan lifted a brow, seeing through Laura's scheme. "Don't push your luck, sweetie. Your father barely puts up with me as it is. He knows where the kitchen is if he gets hungry."

  "He likes you."

  Caitlan shook her head. "Trust me. We've been over this before, Laura. Your father just tolerates me, and I don't think he'd appreciate you trying to play cupid." He'd made his feelings about relationships and involvements crystal clear last night.

  "Someone has to do it." Laura tossed her head, her mahogany mane of hair tumbling around her shoulders. "Give my dad a chance; he'll come around. I know he's a little stubborn and grouchy sometimes, but he can be really sweet, too."

  Sweet wasn't a word she'd use to describe J.T. Sexy, tough, arrogant, and maybe a little humorous sometimes. Sweet? Never. "I'm all wrong for your father, and nothing good could come out of this. I'll be gone in a few days."

  "You might find you like it here." Laura flashed her a smile and skipped ahead.

  Caitlan liked it here-too much. She liked J.T., way too much, despite his resolve to keep her at arm's length and his sometimes gruff manner. There had been glimpses of a tender man, but he'd never allowed that side of his personality to fully develop with her. He always withdrew just in time, leaving her grasping for the promise of something more.

  Shaking those thoughts from her mind, she followed Laura into the large red structure. Inside, the barn was cool and dim. Dust motes danced in a beam of sunlight filtering through a window in the loft.

  "They're over here," Laura said, motioning to the far end of the barn.

  At Laura's outburst, a huge black horse snorted and kicked the side of his stall. Caitlan stopped and peered through the pen's slats at the spooked animal as he tossed his head and bared his teeth. Caitlan moved closer, trying to make eye contact with the horse.

  "Stay away from him," Laura said, a bit of fear in her voice.

  "He's a beautiful stallion," Caitlan said in a soft voice, so as not to scare the horse any more than he already was. "What's his name?"

  "King's Ransom, and he's mean and dangerous." Laura glanced at King warily and shuddered. "Dad would freak if he knew we were even this close to his stall."

  "King," Caitlan whispered, and the stallion immediately settled down. Ears twitching, he searched for the source of the gently coaxing voice.

  "Caitlan, leave him alone. He's worthless." Laura tugged on her sweater. "Come on, I only have a few minutes before I've gotta catch the bus and I want you to see the kittens."

  Reluctantly, Caitlan left King, promising to return when she could be alone with him for a few minutes. The vibrations of terror she'd sensed from the horse concerned her.

  In the corner of the barn, in a large box lined with shredded newspaper, five kittens stumbled about on shaky legs and mewled for their mother, their cries sharp and insistent.

  Laughing at the expressive kittens, Caitlan knelt by the box. "They must be hungry." She reached in and picked up a smoky gray striped one.

  Laura knelt beside Caitlan, looking over the kittens with pride. "The momma kitty, Missy, will be here any minute. She's very protective of her kittens."

  Rubbing noses with the gray, Caitlan chuckled as he licked the tip of her nose. "They're adorable."

  "The one you're holding I named Brutus."

  The kitten squirmed and twisted in Caitlan's grasp, trying to escape. "He's a strong one, isn't he?" She put him back with the rest of the litter and stroked the head of another kitten.

  "That one I named Sunshine, and that's Pumpkin, and this one is Bandit," Laura said, pointing to each one in turn.

  "What about this one?" Caitlan picked up the little feline getting trampled by its rambunctious siblings.

  "I haven't figured out a name for her yet." Laura frowned as she thought. "She's the runt. Why don't you name her?"

  Caitlan held the kitten up for inspection, her heart giving a little tug at the sweet, furry face with deep blue eyes staring back at her. The kitten let out a howl of protest and Caitlan laughed, placing her back in the box. "How about Sassy?"

  "Yeah, I like that." Laura nodded. "Sassy it is."

  Missy, the mother cat, nudged her way past Caitlan and jumped into her domain. After finding all five of her kittens safe, she cast a baleful look Caitlan's way, then promptly stretched out.

  Each kitten clamored greedily for a nipple, sucking noisily.

  Laura sighed. "I guess I'd better get going."

  Straightening, Caitlan brush
ed the hay off her knees. "Yes. I don't want to be the one responsible for making you miss the school bus. Your father would just love that."

  Once Laura was gone Caitlan went back inside the house and helped Paula make cherry tarts for that evening's dessert. They talked and joked, and Caitlan found she enjoyed the older woman's company immensely.

  The day progressed slowly, even though there was plenty to do to help Paula with household chores. Every time Caitlan passed J.T.'s study she debated whether to stop and talk to him. But what would she say? Knowing he probably wouldn't appreciate being disturbed, she decided against the idea. He didn't even emerge for lunch. Paula took him a sandwich, a side of freshly made potato salad, and a glass of iced tea.

  By early afternoon boredom set in. Caitlan thought about sketching, but after the disturbing vision she'd drawn the night before she wasn't all that eager to put pencil to paper. At least not in the light of day. She wanted the privacy of secluded night hours to delve deeper into her mind for the source of those images.

  Sitting on the window seat in the living room, Caitlan gazed out the window, thinking of King's Ransom's peculiar behavior. Within five minutes Caitlan stood by the stallion's stall, sugar cubes in her hand.

  As soon as King saw her, he went wild, kicking and rearing like an animal possessed. "King," she called softly, and quietly unlatched the door to his stall.

  The horse whinnied, a sound so mournful and hurting Caitlan ached deep inside for him. Slowly opening the door, she whispered his name again and again, a soothing litany that eventually calmed the stallion enough so he wasn't thrashing any longer. He stood at the far end of the stall, breathing hard, watching her warily.

  Holding his gaze, she silently urged the horse to relax, giving him no reason to fear her. Heart pounding, she stepped inside his pen. King backed up anxiously, terror flashing in his gaze. She willed him to trust her, and gradually the trust came in the form of a soulful nicker. And then Caitlan knew, the perception so strong her animal sense tapped into the source of the stallion's anguish.

  "Oh, you sweet, sweet thing. You're not dangerous, are you, boy?" she said, her throat thick with sorrow. "Someone's been abusing you. I'll make it better, I promise, but you've got to let me get close so I can help you."

  After a long, tense minute King's Ransom took a tentative step forward.

  J.T. pushed his chair back, stood, and stretched his stiff muscles. His body ached more from sitting in one position for hours, bending over a desk and pushing a pencil, than it would have if he'd ridden out with the boys today. He'd accomplished a lot, but he still needed to take inventory of supplies, and that would take a good day or two, considering the task had been neglected for far too long.

  Right now, though, he needed a break.

  Leaving the office, he found the house quiet and Paula gone, as was her daily routine. She'd be back to prepare dinner for the family later that afternoon, when Laura returned from school.

  Walking through the kitchen and living room and finding them empty, J.T. wondered where Caitlan was. As much as he tried to convince himself he didn't want to have anything to do with her, he couldn't stop thinking about her warm, sweet response to him last night before he'd pushed her further than she'd been ready to go. He'd wanted her badly, but he wasn't such a brute that he'd take her by force or without setting down his ground rules first. And she'd clearly made her decision when she'd bolted from his room. He told himself it was for the best, but that didn't stop him from desiring her in a way that made him restless and edgy.

  Rolling his shoulders to relieve the taut muscles there, he headed for the barn, deciding to take Quinn out for a run. The door to the structure was open, and he frowned as he stepped inside. His men knew better than to leave the barn door unsecured.

  Caitlan's voice drifted to him from down the corridor. Soft. Gentle. Cajoling. Curious, he silently followed the sound of her murmured words and froze when he saw exactly where she was. In King's Ransom's stall. His heart hammered in his chest. Thinking of what the powerful, schizophrenic stallion was capable of doing when spooked, stark fear congealed the blood in his veins. His mind raced with ways to get Caitlan safely out of the pen without alarming King. Any sudden moves would put Caitlan in danger. And if he didn't get her out of there soon, chances were King would snap out of the trance she seemed to have him in and turn wild and possibly harm her.

  Caitlan inched subtly forward, deeper into the stall. King's ears flattened back and he whinnied, the sound laced with uncertainty. His hoof pawed the ground, yet something in the beast's eyes softened as he watched Caitlan, as if he wanted to trust her.

  "You know I won't hurt you, don't you, pretty boy?" Slowly stretching her hand toward King, Caitlan uncurled her fingers and revealed the treat in her palm. "Look. I've got some sugar cubes for you. You only need to come get them."

  Hell, the fool woman was trying to sweet-talk the animal into submission. And if J.T. didn't know better, he'd think King was considering the offering in Caitlan's hand. But J.T. did know better, and despite how calm the stallion seemed, it would only take a movement to trigger a tantrum that could kill Caitlan if she didn't get out of the stall in time.

  Shoving his apprehension aside, J.T. moved stealthily into the doorway. King's gaze darted in his direction and he snorted. Caitlan, absorbed in her task, didn't glance back.

  "Come on, King," she coaxed in a low purr. "Come get the sugar cubes."

  Praying Caitlan wouldn't resist his efforts, and King wouldn't charge at them, J.T. moved fast. Lunging into the stall, he grabbed Caitlan's arm in an iron grip and jerked her out through the doorway. Caitlan gasped in surprise just as King reared back on his hind legs and pawed at the air.

  Shutting the door, J.T. turned and backed a wide-eyed Caitlan into the wall, pinning her there with his hands on either side of her head. His initial fear for her safety dissolved into anger that she'd been so careless as to approach an animal like King without thinking of the repercussions.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing in King's stall?" he demanded, his tone smoldering with fury.

  Now that his surprise attack was over, her chin lifted a notch and she shot him a look of annoyance. "Relax."

  "Relax?" Pushing off the wall, J.T. raked a hand through his hair, unable to believe she was perturbed at himfor taking her out of a potentially deadly situation. "King could tear you apart, stomp all over you and kill you, and youwant me to relax? I don't even go into his stall. It would be like committing suicide. Look at him." He waved a hand toward King, who punctuated J.T.'s words by kicking fiercely at the stall with his hind legs.

  Pacing away from her, he dragged in a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. The clenching in his stomach subsided, and his pulse returned to normal. But deep, deep inside, past all the superficial stuff, he still felt jittery and a little provoked.

  Damn! Face it, Rafferty. You aren't so angry at Caitlan as you are with your reaction to seeing her in King's stall. Fear. Helplessness. He cared too much, and caring was an emotion he didn't want to have anything to do with.

  He whirled to face her. She hadn't moved, her eyes watching him as if he were a snake getting ready to strike. "I'm sorry," he said, the words sounding rusty, but he felt he owed her an apology for his rough handling of moments before. "You didn't know any better, but dammit, he's unpredictable and dangerous and my only thought was to get you out of his stall in one piece." Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he resumed his agitated pacing. "Feeding him sugar cubes, of all things! You could have been seriously hurt."

  Caitlan pushed off the wall and passed him. At first he thought she was going to walk out on him, but then she stopped in front of King's stall, staring through the slats at the stallion until he quieted.

  Her ability to reach the stallion without words unnerved J.T. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced back at him, her brows drawn over her eyes in consternation. "If he's so dangerous, why did you buy him?"

  Sighing,
J.T. came to her side. "Because I'd hoped I could break him."

  "He's a beautiful animal," she said softly.

  Caitlan's gentle serenity whispered to J.T., filling a void in him. He wondered if that was how King felt when she was near. Maybe that was why the animal responded so well to her. "Quite honestly, King wasn't this wild when I first bought him. He was a little spirited, which I liked, but he's gotten progressively worse over the months." He glanced down at Caitlan, looking into her upturned face. "I'm surprised you got as close as you did without him taking a chunk out of you."

  She chewed on her lower lip, and he read the hesitation swirling in her violet eyes. Finally, she said, "Someone's been spooking him."

  He lifted a brow, her declaration making him uneasy. "After five minutes in King's stall you came to that conclusion?" He forced an amused note to his voice. "I suppose King told you that while you were in his stall? Whispered it in your ear, maybe?"

  She glanced away, but not before he saw her annoyance at his teasing remark. "I have… a way with animals," she explained, her attention drawn to the sugar cubes that were beginning to crystalize in her palm. "Your stallion is very spirited by nature, but he has some symptoms of being mistreated."

  Her words were spoken with such conviction, he wondered if he should be insulted. "You're not insinuating I mistreat my animals, are you?"

  Her gaze flew to his, her lips pursed. "Of course not. You're far too gentle and caring to abuse anything or anyone."

  He jammed his hands on his hips, impatient and unsettled by all her observations. "Is my stallion marked?"

  "No, not physically."

  The woman was a witch, J.T. thought. Or an animal psychologist, if there was even such a thing. In so many words she was telling him that King was scarred emotionally. What a crock! He shook his head, retaining the urge to laugh off this whole verbal exchange. "You're crazy, you know that, lady? I'm going to just forget we ever had this weird conversation." He turned and started for the door. At the last minute he stopped and glanced back at her. "And stay out of his stall, Caitlan."