“You don’t date?”
She shook her head, “I haven’t had the time or inclination. RIch, Charlie’s father, was too young to be married and a dad and we both realized it soon enough that we didn’t have too much damage to repair.” Alana wondered at her confessions; she never confided in anyone.
“Damage?”
“To Charlie. He was only a year old when we divorced. Still, it took him a while to adjust. When I decided to move here, visits became less frequent but by then, Charlie was used to only seeing him on holidays.”
“And this has to do with dating how?”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Charlie’s my main priority. I don’t do anything without considering him first. Dating, breaking up, the whole thing would be hard for a kid, a boy without a father in his life.”
“And now? What changed?” He sat up and the sheet fell to his waist, revealing the hard-muscled chest.
She shrugged, “I don’t know.”
He heaved a breath then turned and stood. She didn’t bother to look away, though the flush heating her skin flowed up from her center as she stared at his tight ass and the play of muscles as he reached for his pants and dressed. When he turned and caught her staring, Alana tilted her head and quirked a small grin. “And right now, I don’t care.”
Chapter 7
Charlie came down the hall, his hair standing on end and his eyes barely open. Alana handed him a cup of juice as he sat at the table. She turned to attend to the pan of pancakes when Sam and Kid entered the cabin, bringing with them the scent of dry grass and dust. Charlie perked up at the sight of Kid. “Can we go work with the horses today, Kid?”
Kid gestured toward Sam, “You’ll have to ask the boss.”
Charlie frowned at Sam. “Then I need to ask Mom. She’s my boss.”
Sam grinned and headed to the coffeemaker where he poured coffee into mugs he retrieved from the cabinet. “Smart man. You realize that now, it’ll save a lot of trouble later.”
Alana swatted at Sam as he passed her with the coffees, then turned back to the stove. “First we eat, then we make plans for the day. Sam, did you run into Cole or Hank? I wanted to touch base with them this morning.”
“Cole is going to drop by in about half an hour. I didn’t see Hank.”
He walked up behind her and peered over her shoulder at the skillet. The pancakes, golden brown and steaming, sent up a rich yeasty aroma, making his stomach growl. Alana laughed and gestured with the spatula. “Carry that platter over to the table, will you? And Charlie, get some plates down for breakfast. Kid, we’ll need utensils too.”
She was the boss here, Sam realized as he went about following her directions. A couple minutes later, they were all seated at the table, passing around food. Just like a family. But it wasn’t real, just as the aura of safety in this kitchen wasn’t real.
He’d keep them safe, Sam vowed. No matter what it took, he’d not let anything happen to Alana, Charlie or Kid.
The meal went by quickly, with Charlie and Kid tussling over the last pancake. Charlie groaned when Alana reminded him of his morning chore, drying the dishes, but complied after being reminded of the day’s events. Sam and Kid cleared the table and took their coffee into the living area. Sam bent forward, balancing his elbows on his knees and eyed Kid. “You okay after the shooting?”
Kid nodded. “I’m good.”
“I need to know, Kid. If it bothered you. It’s important.”
Kid’s mouth tightened. “I didn’t freak out, did I? I handled everything okay. I won’t lose my shit, Sam.”
“Okay. I need you in top form, you know. This bastard is looking to harm Alana or Charlie and we can’t let that happen.”
“I know.” Kid’s expression softened as he glanced toward the kitchen. Did he have a thing for Alana? Sam loved Kid like a brother, but he’d have to fight him for Alana’s affections.
Where had that come from? He gazed into his empty coffee cup, troubled at the thought of falling for her. She wasn’t ready, wouldn’t let herself be ready for a relationship. And he didn’t need something or someone else to be responsible for. Not with Kid to consider.
The knock on the door pulled him from his reverie and Sam stood to answer. Cole stood on the porch, his expression set. “You ready?”
Sam nodded and opened the door for the other man to enter. Cole greeted Lana and Charlie, then accepted a cup of coffee. Lana ushered Charlie into his bedroom to dress and complete the few chores he had in there and then joined the men in the living area. She turned to Sam with an expectant expression.
“What are our plans?”
“We insure your safety and Charlie’s. Then we start a systematic hunt for Price.” Sam studied Lana as expressions flowed across her face, first worry then dread then resolve. And something more.
“Should I call Charlie in?” She sipped her coffee and Sam knew it was more for something to do with her hands than thirst.
“Not yet. Cole is going to go over some of the things we talked about last night then we’ll make some plans. Then we’ll pull Charlie in.”
Sam had left her bed in the early hours of the morning, reluctantly easing from the covers and her warmth to find Cole and detail his plans and concerns. Between them, they’d come up with a workable strategy, two-pronged. They’d keep Lana and her son safe on the ranch and find the bastard threatening them. Now, he only had to convince Lana of the soundness of his plans.
Cole detailed his job, that of tracking Price’s movements over the last few days and, hopefully, then the team could project his movements.
“But we know he’s been here,” Kid protested after hearing the details. “What good would wasting the time backtracking do?”
“It will show us how he thinks. What’s important to him, why he does the things he does.” Cole leaned back in his chair. “When we get that information, it will help project what he’s going to do next.”
Lana looked at Sam. “Will it take up time we need?”
He shook his head. “Cole was working on the computer this morning when I saw him. He’s already started.” He turned to Cole, who studied him and Lana with a knowing expression. “How long do you think this will take?”
“Price didn’t seem to be hiding his expenditures, or his travels. I found evidence of him buying gas and supplies within a few miles of here last week. I should be able to backtrack him to the date of the tire blowouts by the end of the day.”
“And the projection? Will you be able to complete that today?” Lana pressed.
“If not today, then tomorrow. We may need some time for the material to develop into a cohesive theory.”
“And during that time?” Kid shoved his cup to the center of the table. “What do we do to keep Charlie and Alana safe?”
“That’s where you come in, Kid. You’ll be Charlie’s shadow.” Sam noted Kid’s heightened color, the tightness around his mouth. What was making the young man so tense?
“I’ve been watching him real close ever since he and Alana came to the ranch. How can I tighten up security and still give him room to move?”
“You’ll reconnoiter. Scope out every location he’ll be in before he is exposed.” Kid’s expression darkened and Sam hastened to reassure him. “I know you’ve been checking everything out in the stables and corrals but we’re just increasing the intensity. Patrolling in the morning, through the night. One of us will be in this cabin when Charlie and Alana are here.” And it would be him, Sam assured himself. Preferably in her bed, close enough to feel her breathe.
“So, Charlie will still be out in the open? “Lana’s cheeks blazed with color but she ignored her discomfort in favor of her son’s welfare. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“We’ll restrict him from the corrals for now, they’re too open,” Sam reassured her.
“I won’t be able to ride?” Charlie entered the room with his boots in one hand, ready to go out and explore. “I’m just now getting good.”
“But the man didn’t come here, he shot at us in the hills. He wouldn’t come here, with you and Kid watching over us.”
Sam noticed Kid sitting straighter in response to Charlie’s words. “He may not, but I don’t want to take any chances. Not with your mom or you.”
Charlie tossed his boots to the floor and Lana arched a brow at the loud thunk they made when coming in contact with the wooden planks. “Charlie. Pick up your boots and either take them to the bedroom or put them on.” Her voice, quiet and steady, held a strain of iron.
“What’s the use of putting them on? If I can’t ride I don’t need them.” Charlie looked at his mother from lowered eyes. Sam wondered if he was gauging how far he could push the subject.
“You need boots for currying the horses, don’t you? And for taking care of their needs? I thought Talley said that it’s just as important to care for the horse as to ride them.”
Charlie made a face then plopped down on the floor and started tugging his cowboy boots on. “I know but it’s not as much fun.”
“It never is, kid.” Kid chuckled then turned back to Lana. “I’ll take good care of him, Alana. I promise.”
She reached across the table and took his hand. “I know that. I have faith in you.” She looked at Sam and Cole then. “Okay, so the corral is off limits. I think we need to make clear to Charlie and me what is off limits and what’s okay.”
He outlined the narrowing parameters of her daily life for the foreseeable future and at the end of the conversation she nodded then stood and walked to her son who still sat in a huddle on the floor. She held her hand out to him. “Want to go show me how you’ve tamed the Beast? Kid said you had him eating out of your hand the other day.”
Sam and Cole watched as Kid ushered them out of the cabin. When the door closed Cole turned to Sam. “Will he be okay?”
Sam nodded automatically, all the while praying he was right and Kid wouldn’t lose it when under fire.
The day progressed slowly. For Alana, knowing her boundaries had narrowed made her yearn to explore, to break loose and run the pasture. She forced herself to put in a couple hours on the computer in the main house, all the while aware of Cole working in the kitchen and of Sam. Sam had a place in her awareness and now, in her body’s rhythm. How it was possible after one night together, she couldn’t say, but there it was.
She looked out the cabin window toward the stable. In the fading light, the building’s silhouette stood strong and sturdy. But could it protect her son? And how long would he accept the strictures placed on him? If she felt claustrophobic, what was he experiencing?
The stable yard, normally quiet except for the odd man or woman walking to and from the horse stables and training center, seemed busier than usual. Alana stood from the kitchen table and stretched before absently closing her laptop and wandering to the window. Several men, all ex-soldiers, stood at the corral fence, talking. Or were they talking? Another joined them, all with some form of wound, yet strong and straight still. She watched until each man branched off from the cluster, going in different directions. Her gaze followed each of them in turn until they rounded corners or advanced out of her vision. A sound behind her alerted her and she turned to see Sam enter the cabin, shutting the door behind him.
“Where did you recruit your sentries?” She asked as she returned to the table to unplug her computer and store it away.
He quirked a smile. “They were a ready-made force. Volunteers, everyone.”
“All patients here?” She pressed.
“Not patients, clients. I made the mistake of calling them that around Hannah and got a chewing out. Anyway, Cole explained to them that we needed some extra eyes on the ranch, just to make sure nothing unusual gets by us. Within half an hour we had seven volunteers.”
“But aren’t they here for convalescence?” And were they up to the challenges of patrolling and being alert?
“Most of them are amputees or have some sort of injury like Kid. Need some extra time to figure things out, some extra help in remembering things. But Hannah said this would give them the opportunity to use those skills the staff has been teaching them in a real-world setting.”
“God, I hope this isn’t going to be their real world.” Alana crossed her arms in front of her, cupping her elbows with either hand. Sam came up and wrapped his arms around her, warming her suddenly chilled body.
“It’s what they know. What they trained for. Like Kid. He may not remember your telephone number, but he knows the ins and outs of disassembling a weapon or reconnoitering. And we’ve got the ranches’ perimeter covered.”
Alana rested her head on Sam’s chest momentarily before pulling back and glancing up at him. “Have we heard anything from Cole?”
“He’s coming over after supper tonight to fill us in. You planning on eating here or in the main chow hall?”
She grinned at him. “Chow hall? Yes, I think I want to eat there. Get to know these volunteers you are putting to work.”
He nodded and kissed her lightly before pressing his mouth on hers with more pressure, urging her to open to him. Alana wrapped her arms around his neck, relishing the touch of his body from her head to her thighs. All thought of food escaped her and she ran her fingers along the short hair at his nape.
“Mom. Are we going to eat soon?” Charlie’s voice echoed through her, forcing her hands away from Sam’s head and pushing her body back. She breathed in, trying to fill her lungs with much needed oxygen.
Charlie and Kid stood in the doorway, both grinning from ear to ear. “Sorry, we didn’t mean to interrupt.” Kid smirked at them and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder to pull him back through the doorway. Alana shook her head and motioned them inside. “Come on in. Charlie, go wash up, you too, Kid. We’re going to the dining hall for supper tonight.”
Kid and Charlie trooped through the room and toward the hall, both casting looks at Alana and Sam. After they’d disappeared into the hallway Sam chuckled. “I don’t think we surprised them.”
She shrugged and went to the kitchen sink where she turned on the water and reached for the dish detergent. “At this point, I don’t think anything is going to surprise my son.”
The quartet entered the dining hall that evening to be greeted by the men Alana had watched in the stable yard, as well as Cole, Hannah, and her husband. A long trestle table, as well as several smaller four-seater tables, compiled the dining hall’s furniture, but every person in the room appeared to want to eat at the large table. As they ate, Alana became aware of the deference each man gave Sam when asking a question or making a suggestion. It was clearly his show, even if Cole and Kid assisted him.
Sam outlined the plans for the evening, including men watching the cabin, men patrolling the perimeters of the ranch buildings and personnel working on the computers. Alana noticed Kid’s expression darken as each man and woman’s name was called until his was the only adult’s left out. To give him credit, he waited until the end of the meal and everyone dispersed before calling Sam’s attention.
“What’s my job, Sidewinder?” He stood with what Alana could only call an aggressive stance, his legs spread wide, his hands loose but tight at his side, his jaw set. Sam glanced up at him before lowering his gaze to his coffee again. “You stick with me, Kid. I’ll be keeping close watch on Charlie and Lana.”
“They don’t need more than one man with them in the cabin. You know that.”
Alana stood, ready to urge Charlie out the door to give the men a chance to discuss the matter in private, only to have her hand caught by Sam. “Not without an armed escort.”
She nodded, “I’m going to the other side of the room. You two need privacy for this discussion.”
“No, Alana, we don’t. I’m just a brain damaged kid who can’t do anything, I guess. I’ll just go and get out the checkers. Is that okay with you, Sidewinder? Can I
play checkers with the other kid?”
Charlie, who’d been avidly watching all the men and women in the room before, looked at Kid, his eyes hurt and vulnerable. “I don’t have to play games, Kid. I can do whatever you want.”
“Sure, Charlie. Sure.” Kid wheeled around and stalked to the door. “I’ll be waiting outside.”
Alana turned to Sam. “What is that all about?”
He shrugged, “Don’t know. He’s in a bad mood, I guess.”
“Or thinking you don’t trust him. Do you?”
“Of course I do. You ready?” He turned and led the way to the door, opening it and glancing outside. Kid stood on the low porch, his back to the house. Alana followed Sam who dropped back as Kid ranged in front of them on the short trip to the cabin. Obviously there was more to this than she’d gotten out of Sam. Did he have doubts about Kid’s abilities to help protect her and Charlie? If so, why was Kid even involved at all? And if not, why didn’t Sam give Kid some space to prove himself? It was more than she needed to worry about right now, with Price in the vicinity.
The evening crawled by with the tension in the small space heightened. If Sam came in a room, Kid left it. If Sam gave Kid a suggestion, Kid accepted it as an order and silently fulfilled it. Meanwhile, Alana tried to engage Charlie in a card game to no avail. His good friend was upset and just on the basis of loyalty, Charlie decided he’d be angry at Sam as well. In the end, Alana greeted the prospect of an early bedtime with relief. She glared at Sam when he quietly suggested he join her in her room. “No. Not with Charlie and Kid this close.”
“Charlie was in the house last night and they’ve seen us kissing,” he murmured as he reached around her to place a coffee cup in the sink.
“But Kid wasn’t in the house. And they’re both upset, which has me stressed. I just need a good night’s sleep. Enjoy the couch.” She turned and called to Charlie, urging him toward his small bedroom. Hopefully, life would go more smoothly in the morning.
Saving Sidewinder: Brotherhood Protectors World Page 7
