“What do we do now?” she asked Boone.
“We talk to your dad. We see if his men have any clue who we’re dealing with.”
“And we eat a good breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.” This from Jase. Humor laced with a thread of concern, enough to ease the tension the tiniest bit.
They made it easy to smile, this family that had faced their own hardships but seemed to keep moving forward with smiles and love for each other.
A little over a week ago she’d been upset by this invasion of bodyguards into her life. A lot could change in a week. A person could change. Her heart could change.
And that opened a whole new world of possibilities.
* * *
Boone left the house after breakfast. His mom and sisters had Kayla busy, enlisting her to help prepare the twins for their pageant. He still didn’t get the pageant, but Essie had explained about the scholarships and cash prizes.
Boone left them to it and headed for the barn and work he couldn’t put off any longer. There was some serious bush hogging that needed to be done on a back field that had been overtaken by weeds during the hot, dry summer when it seemed weeds flourished and grass didn’t. They also had some fence to fix and some calves to tag.
Jase and Lucas caught up with him when he was almost to the barn and thinking he might have a few minutes to himself. Lucas was talking about the Martin’s Crossing Annual Ranch Rodeo that would be held in a week. He had signed them up for team penning and calf branding. He said it would be a good time to get those new calves branded. Jase and Boone just looked at each other and kept walking.
“What? Are we not going to participate this year?” Lucas kept at them, running backward in front of them to get their attention. “Are you going to let the Martins win again?”
“No, Lucas, we won’t let the Martins win. No one lets them win. They just do it because they’re good.”
Lucas jerked off his hat with the bluster and energy of a teenager. “Oh, come on. We could beat them if we tried.”
“We haven’t been practicing. So it seems to me that not only do we not want to lose, we don’t want to look like fools.” Boone pushed his youngest brother to the side and Lucas moved in next to him as they walked.
Boone got it. He knew how hard it was for their little brother. A lot had changed in the past few years. Boone had been gone, and then he’d returned home injured. Their dad had suffered a massive heart attack. That had left Lucas as the youngest boy, and the one not getting what the rest of them had: all of their dad’s time and attention. It was the little things that mattered; Boone knew that. Which was why he was here, helping out.
“We can practice. We should start this evening,” Lucas pushed.
“The Martins practice every day,” Jase reminded.
“We used to. We can get back to it,” Lucas pressed further. He wanted the old days back again. Boone wanted that, too. He’d like to just focus on the ranch, and not this crazy burning-the-candle-at-both-ends thing they were all doing. Jase in college and still living at the ranch, trying to keep everything running. Boone working the bodyguard business and the ranch. Lucas just trying to still be a kid.
“We’ll practice tonight, Lucas,” he promised. Even as he worried about what would possibly interfere, his phone rang. “I have to take this. Jase, check the tractor. Lucas, get ear tags and whatever else we need.”
He lifted his phone to his ear. “Mr. Stanford. I guess you saw the news?” Boone answered as he walked away from his brothers.
“Yes, Wilder, I saw the news. Where’s my daughter?”
“She’s fine, sir, in case you were wondering.”
There was a long pause. “Boone Wilder, I’m going to tell you this once. I do care about my daughter. And I don’t owe you any explanations.”
“No, sir, you don’t.” Boone leaned against the fence, watching cattle graze. They’d had to cut the herd to pay medical expenses when his dad had gotten sick. They were rebuilding it. And he wasn’t going to lose this job. His family was counting on him.
He thought of Kayla. She was counting on him, too. He wasn’t sure what he could do for her, but for whatever reason she’d been brought into his life and his home. People had been praying for her, he’d known that. Maybe this was the way God answered, the way she got help from people who cared.
“Mr. Wilder, I’m talking to you.”
Boone cleared his throat. “Yes, I’m sorry, sir. You were saying.”
“My daughter is important to me. I—” There was a heavy pause. “I made a mistake.”
“I see” was all Boone could say.
“I’m going to withdraw from this campaign before they can tell everything. If they know everything. My investigators believe that someone who knows our story might be working for another candidate and this is how they’re fighting. It’s dirty, but I won’t let them run my family into the ground.”
“If this was just about politics, would your daughter be in danger?”
“They’ve definitely crossed the line. But I’m not going to pay them.”
“I’m not sure your daughter wants you to quit the campaign, sir. She seems to remember a man who, at one time, wanted to help people.”
Man, he’d just done it again. He couldn’t seem to stay out of hot water with this guy.
“Wilder, you’re fired.”
“I understand.”
“Bring my daughter back to Austin. We’ll get another service to protect her.”
Boone rubbed a hand over his face and sighed.
“Sir, I understand how you feel, and I have to apologize. But in all honesty, I think your daughter wants the best for you. And I think you want the same for her. She’s safe here. This is not the time to surround her with strangers and leave her on her own.”
“Then, what do you suggest I do?” This time the voice had softened, making it a legitimate question, one of a concerned father.
Boone bit back about a half dozen less-than-decent replies and softened it down to one. “Maybe you should talk to her.”
“I’m dealing with a lot here, Wilder.” The other man let out a long sigh. “I’m going to be meeting with the police and my PI this afternoon. I have to stop this before it goes any further. But I’ll be down there in a few days. Keep her close and keep her safe.”
“I’m keeping her safe. That’s why you pay me.”
“Yes, and don’t forget it. Next time I won’t be so forgiving. Next time you’re out of a job.”
“I understand.”
Boone slipped his phone in his pocket and turned to find Kayla standing a short distance away. “My dad?”
“Yeah.”
She had changed into jeans, a T-shirt and what looked like a pair of Michaela’s hand-me-down boots. Her dark hair was braided on the side and hung down over her shoulder. She looked like a country girl. And she looked relaxed.
“You don’t have to handle him for me,” she said. “My father, I mean.”
“I know. But there’s no sense allowing him to run you over.”
“I rarely allow that, Boone.”
He took a step toward her. “No, you don’t. So what are you doing out here dressed like that?”
“I’m going to help you. Your mom is reading to your dad. Michaela ran into town with Molly to have a playdate. The twins have Janie cornered, doing something crazy to her hair.”
“Janie will regret that. I let them do my hair once and ended up with highlights.”
Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement and she reached out, brushing her hand down his cheek. “I like you. I didn’t plan on that.”
He hadn’t planned on liking her, either. But then he hadn’t known she was hiding this strength, and the flashes of humor. He hadn’t planned on this crazy need to
keep her safe, and to make her smile more often.
Warning bells went off in his head, telling him to get it together and reminding him she was just a job. She had a sad story but she was strong. She’d survive. She didn’t need to be rescued. She needed to be kept safe.
He couldn’t keep her safe if he got sidetracked, distracted.
“Say something,” she said, looking a little worried, staring up at him.
What could he say? He was protecting her and someday soon she wouldn’t be his client any longer. She’d go back to her life. Maybe she’d leave here a little a little happier and a little more whole.
“I like you, too,” he finally said. And then he cleared his throat, uncomfortable with words that sounded as if he might have said them on the playground in grade school.
She snorted a laugh. “Said like a man who doesn’t want to say too much.”
“I’m your bodyguard, Kayla. And you’ve been on an emotional roller coaster for the past few weeks.”
“More like for ten years. And you’re right, I’m sorry. I was hoping we could be friends.”
He could give her that. “I think we can be friends.”
“Can I take a ride on your little green tractor?” She pointed to the tractor coming around the side of the barn, Jase behind the wheel.
“That I think I can arrange. I’m going to bush hog.”
“Bush hog?” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m from the city, you have to explain.”
“The mower attached to the back of the tractor. We’re going to mow the field, cut down weeds and small shrubs.”
“Oh, sounds like fun.”
“It isn’t,” he assured her as they headed for the barn.
“About my dad. He knows?”
Boone adjusted his hat to shield his eyes from the sun. “Yeah, he knows. He said he’ll pull out of the race before he will allow the rest to come out.”
“He said that?” She sounded surprised.
“Yes. I also told him that I didn’t think you’d want him to quit. That you want him to be the politician you believe he could be. The man who helps people.”
“Ouch.”
“Then he fired me.”
Her eyes widened. “What? He didn’t.”
“He did. But I talked him out of it.”
She slugged his shoulder. “You are a miserable creature.”
“He’s coming down to see you. Maybe in a few days.”
She walked away from him, toward the tractor. Jase was climbing down, leaving the door open.
“Hey, Kayla. Did you come out to help with the cattle?” He tipped his hat back and gave her that big grin of his. Boone shook his head. One of these days his little brother’s flirting was going to land him in hot water.
“Actually, I’m going to help bush hog.” She glanced back at Boone. “Right?”
“If you say so.” He wasn’t going to argue. He stood back and watched as she managed to climb up into the cab of the tractor. “Don’t touch anything.”
“Like this?” She pushed a button. And then she shifted.
“Kayla, I mean it.”
Suddenly the tractor was moving. Jase jumped back, leaving room for Boone to take a running hop, grab the handle and climb the steps. He slid into the seat beside her and brought the tractor to a stop.
“That. Wasn’t. Funny.”
“Sure it was.” She pulled down on the brim of his hat. “The panic in your eyes was priceless. I’ve driven a tractor, Boone. My brothers are the Martins. Brody taught me last year. And I know what a bush hog is. You’re more gullible than you look.”
“You’re more trouble than you look,” he quipped.
“You two going to kill each other?” Jase hollered up.
“Maybe,” Boone said as Kayla leaned and said, “Of course not.”
“I’ll let you all decide. I’m going to saddle a horse, and Lucas and I will bring in the calves that need to be tagged. When we get that done, we’ll be on the fence.”
“Tell him work first, rodeo later,” Boone called out to his brother’s retreating back. Jase saluted and kept walking. Boone closed the tractor door, and the inside of the tractor turned into a quiet cocoon with country music playing softly on the radio.
“Not a lot of room in here,” Kayla said. She shifted over, giving him a little more of the seat.
“No, they don’t make tractors for two.”
“They should if they’re going to write songs about them.”
He laughed and kept driving. “So Brody taught you to drive a tractor? Brave.”
“He’s my favorite.”
“He’s a good man.”
A little while later she asked, “Is he angry? My dad, I mean.”
“He’s angry at the people who are doing this. Not you. He wants you safe. The problem with people like this, Kayla, is that they’re desperate. And you never know what a desperate person is going to do next.”
“I know.”
“I’d like to stay with Sam. I know that isn’t safe. But she’s my sister. And she’s a good shot.”
“That isn’t going to happen. We can visit tomorrow, maybe, after church.”
“Okay.”
They reached the field that needed clearing. He stopped the tractor and sat there for a minute.
“Seems a shame to cut that down, doesn’t it?” he said.
The field had been overtaken by wildflowers. Butterflies hovered and a few tiny songbirds flitted from bush to bush. He cut the engine to the tractor and opened the door. Fresh autumn air swept through the cab.
“I think I’d rather take a walk in it than see it cut down,” Kayla told him with a hopeful tone in her voice.
And he caved. “Let’s go.”
He climbed down and then held up a hand to help her. She didn’t take the offer. She jumped down in a second, standing next to him. Her hand slipped into his, an easy gesture that shouldn’t have taken him by surprise. But it did. In more ways than one.
“Maybe we could cut it after the first frost,” he conceded as they walked.
“Good idea.”
They walked as far as the creek. It was slow going. The wildflowers and weeds really had taken over. But it was wild and beautiful. This was what he’d missed about hill country during those long, dusty, hot months in Afghanistan.
The creek was running low, the way it usually did in the fall. He stood back and watched as Kayla slipped off her boots and rolled up the legs of her jeans.
“It’s going to be cold,” he warned.
“I don’t care.” She tiptoed into the water. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”
“Your bucket list must be interesting.”
She stood there in the ankle-deep water and his heart kind of lurched. She waded back out of the creek. She took the hand he offered, then sat down on the bank of the creek, pulling him down with her.
“My bucket list,” she said. “Yes, it’s interesting. I think at the top of the list was finding my family. And somehow finding myself again.”
“Better than a trip to Paris.”
“Been there, done that, Wilder. What about you?”
“Never been to Paris. Never really wanted to go. Getting this ranch back in the black. Making sure my dad is healthy again. I guess those are on my list.”
“Those are goals, not a bucket list. You have to have one.”
“Okay. I’d like to climb a mountain in Alaska. Maybe go deep-sea fishing. And I’ve always wanted to kiss a pretty girl while sitting on the bank of this creek.” The words rushed out, making him feel like all kinds of a fool.
“So let’s check that off our list today, Wilder.” She leaned in, brushing her lips against his. “Because I think that might have been on my list,
too. Kissed by a cowboy.”
He could have backed away. He probably should have. But her fingers slid across the back of his neck and he took the invitation. She tasted like sweet tea and sunshine. And her hands on his neck gave him crazy thoughts.
He tugged that braid that hung down her shoulder and pulled her a little closer. His fingers wrapped around the braid, lifting it to inhale strawberry-scented shampoo.
“Kayla,” he finally managed to whisper. “This is going to get us into all kinds of trouble.”
“I know,” she agreed.
“I’m the person trying to keep you safe, and I can’t do that if I’m caught up in this, whatever this is.”
“I’m sorry, Boone. I know this is wrong. I know this is the last thing you want or need.” Hurt laced her tone. And hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do.
Which was why he had to back away and keep his focus. He’d never lost focus on a job this way before. Never been tempted the way she tempted him. He liked her. It all came down to that.
“This is the last thing you need, Kayla.” He laced his fingers through hers. “We’ve got to keep you safe. And you have a life waiting for you.”
She closed her eyes, her face caught in the sunshine. He leaned closer to her, but they didn’t touch.
Her response came a few minutes later. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “My life does seem as though it’s been on hold for a while. But this is what I do. I rush into things. I rush because I want to feel.”
He nodded silently.
“But you’re right. I’m sorry for putting you in this position, that you have to be the person telling me to back off.”
“Kayla, it isn’t all you.”
She sat up, her hand covering his. “Please don’t do the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ lecture.”
With that he stood, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. “We should head back to the house and help the guys. And I’ll try not to be embarrassed when I tell them I couldn’t bear to cut down a field of wildflowers.”
And he didn’t know how to distance himself from the woman at his side.
Chapter Eight
Kayla watched from the sidelines of the somewhat weathered and worn arena where the Wilders were practicing for the ranch rodeo on Saturday evening. Lucas had insisted she come. They had one week until the event. They could do this, he’d insisted. Lucas was the family cheerleader. The one trying hard to get back what had been lost in the past few years.
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