Protecting Kate: Dark Horse, Inc: Book 1

by Amy J. Hawthorn

  “I repeat. You did not steal me away. I’m a grown man and can fight you off if you threaten my virtue, okay?”

  Meant as a joke, his words had a greater impact than he’d expected when a faint blush covered her skin from head to toe. Images of a desire flushed, wanton Kate slammed him. His cock approved, but he did not.

  “How do we get to this special spot of yours?”

  “Follow the signs to the lake until you get to the last one. Go past it. The second road will be a little gravel lane. Follow it until it forks then take the right.” As he watched the early evening traffic, he heard the happiness in her voice.

  “How did you find this spot?”

  “My dad used to come out here all the time to fish. It was one of his favorite spots. Every once in a long while, I lucked into a free weekend and he’d bring me with him.”

  “You lucked into fishing with your father? Not many young women would consider that lucky.” Dirt, weeds, mosquitoes, worms and hooks didn’t spell proper young lady by any means. He couldn’t picture beauty queen Kate at a secret fishing hole.

  “I did. Any time I had free time I spent it with Dad or Leigh.”

  “What kept you so busy?” He glanced her way and saw her watching the dwindling buildings and encroaching countryside.

  “Aunt Jeannie and pageant prep. Daily dance lessons, gymnastics, and etiquette lessons given by Aunt Jeannie herself. She had very definite ideas on what made a respectable Southern woman. Dad was a widower and feared I’d get into trouble if I grew up without a feminine influence. He worried that a ‘grumpy old redneck’ his words, not mine, wouldn’t be able to raise a daughter properly, so he enlisted his older sister’s help. She’d never married or had any children of her own, so she took the role seriously. You would’ve thought she was preparing me to become the first lady.” Disbelief and maybe even a trace of disgust laced her voice.

  “Was it that bad?” Concern colored his quiet question.

  “Yes and no. Aunt Jeannie’s heart was in the right place, and she loved me very much. She was never mean or anything like that, I just didn’t enjoy most of my time with her. Gymnastics and learning how to cook weren’t so bad. But, with everything else, there wasn’t much time for fun.”

  The image of a solemn little girl with masses of dark brown hair and sad eyes punched him in the gut. Yes, raised as a Walker, he’d learned all about work and responsibility, but he and Justin had been rewarded with plenty of free time. “What was your favorite thing to do when you were young?”

  “Work in the stable with Dad. We had two old horses, both of them grades without any papers. Dad won them off an old gambling buddy. He couldn’t care less about their lack of traceable breeding. He got them when I was around seven and I had the same silly dream that many little girls have. I wanted a pony desperately. When he brought them home, I was so excited. I remember he beamed with pride when he unloaded them. Neither one of us cared that they were a little small, plain and thin. We pinky promised that we’d take good care of them. They were ours so, to me, they were the greatest horses in all of equine history.”

  He found the fork in the road that she’d described and drove down a short distance. As she’d described, visible between a gap in the tall trees, was the lake. He turned the truck around so the bed faced the water and backed close to the shore.

  “Let’s have pizza, and you can tell me more about your horses.” Suddenly, her silly lake and pizza date seemed like a damn fine idea. “Wait for me before you get out.” Surely she couldn’t hop out and run off in heels on the soft ground, but he wasn’t taking any chances. “I’ll come around.” He stepped out and tested the ground as he headed to her side.

  Though the rough driveway itself was well-worn, the grass hit him at mid-calf. He didn’t care how talented she was, unless she had super powers, she wasn’t going anywhere in heels. How the hell was he supposed to keep her damn dress clean? He opened the door of the crew cab and pulled out an old blanket.

  “Don’t move.” He dropped the tailgate and unfolded the blanket, shook it out and covered the truck bed. It wasn’t great, but it was the best he had. He returned for Kate. Her tight, knee-length dress would cause problems. He stamped down the grass by her door and helped her to step down. As soon as she set both feet on solid ground he scooped her up with one arm under both her legs and the other behind her back. Caught off-guard, she put her hands on his shoulders, her slight weight a solid, sweet heat against his chest.

  Shit.

  He took her to the tailgate, sat her down as if she were a hot potato and retrieved the food. She took the bag and removed paper plates, napkins and bottled drinks. He moved the pizza box to set in the bed behind them and opened it.

  He’d never been in this kind of situation before. What were the rules? Was there some sort of guy code that said he should serve her or wait until she took the first bite before he— well, that answered that question. Before he finished his thought she’d grabbed two of the larger pieces, plopped them on her plate and then took a hearty bite.

  “Oh God. Sorry, you’ll have to excuse my teenage boy manners. I haven’t had Pop’s pizza in years. I don’t know why this wasn’t the first thing I ate after I left Preston.” Somehow, even as she scarfed down pizza like a champ, she still looked like the perfect lady.

  “I’ve never tried it. Dare I ask why you couldn’t have it while you were with the asshole?” He filled his plate and took his own bite. Damn, it was good. He had to hand it to her, the lady knew pizza.

  “As silly as it sounds now, he simply would have turned his nose down at me, like eating peasant food was beneath us. I hated it, because this is where I grew up. Did that mean some part of me wasn’t worthy? I struggled with that thought for years. Too many times I smiled and nodded when inside I felt like crying. I wasted years of my life. I’m sorry. Let’s change the subject. Tell me about your first horse.”

  “The first horse I owned? A yearling named Knight. Harlan and Sandy gave him to me on my thirteenth birthday. I lived with the Walkers full time by then, and spent as much time down in the stable with Harlan as I did in the house or yard with Justin. Like every year prior, Sandy woke me up and fixed my favorite breakfast. She wished me a happy birthday and left it at that. Justin gave me a new video game and other than a tousle of my hair and terse ‘Happy birthday, Trent, my boy,’ Harlan stayed silent. He’d barred me from the stables the night before and I thought for sure that I had done something stupid and was in trouble.

  “The thought of being banned from the stables terrified me, so when Harlan finished eating and stood with a look that was one hundred percent business, I just knew that I’d screwed up big time. ‘Let’s go, Trent. I’ve got something to show you.’” He paused and took a drink of his soda. He remembered the look on Harlan’s face well.

  Chancing a glance at Kate, he figured she’d be bored out of her mind, but she waited with kind eyes as if she’d listened to every single word.

  “I got up and followed him out. When I saw Knight, I instantly knew he was a special colt. Love at first sight, but I still didn’t have a clue why Harlan had brought me out. I’d never seen the new addition and hadn’t even had a chance to screw up around him yet. Harlan stood there with his arms crossed over his chest and asked ‘So, what do you think?’ I told him that he was the best looking horse I’d ever seen. Real calm, like he was talking about the day’s chores, he said, ‘That’s good, son, because he’s yours and I expect you to treat him like he’s the most valuable horse in the world.’ I had to replay his words in my head three times before they registered.” He used a napkin to wipe the grease from his fingers. “I wouldn’t go in for lunch or dinner that day and Sandy was adamant that her boys eat a proper meal, three times a day. She never, ever let us miss a meal, except that day. Harlan had to threaten to take away my stable privileges to get me to leave and that was two hours past bedtime.”

  “Bonnie filled me with that same feeling of instant love. No hesit
ation, no questioning it, she became mine the moment I saw her.” She twisted the lid off her drink.

  He nodded his agreement. “The next morning I was so eager to get back to Knight that I ate my breakfast even faster than a normal teenage boy and couldn’t sit still. Sandy finally gave up and gave me the one word I needed to hear. ‘Go.’ She thrust a sack lunch at me as I ran out the door. Thankfully my birthday is in early June. I had the entire summer to fawn over him before school started.” Had he really spilled the entire story with her? Apparently he had, yet he couldn’t face the understanding in her soft brown eyes.

  He took another bite of pizza and washed it down with his soda. Then he took another bite and watched the silvery water lap at the shore.

  Her husky voice merged with the lapping water, a soothing balm on his tension. “Dad and I had to switch horses. The smaller gal was named Miss Priss and seemed like the obvious choice for me. Dad’s horse, Jack, was a tall, solemn fellow. You would have thought by looking at them they were a match made in heaven, too, but Miss Priss set her eyes on Dad and that was all she wrote. She’d let me ride and care for her, but she preened and made doe eyes at Dad whenever he came near. Of course, he melted. He always pretended to be a big gruff redneck, but he had the softest heart, especially for animals and kids. He used to say that he always wanted a big family, but since he couldn’t have one, God made up for it by giving him the prettiest girl in the world. He was always so damn proud when I brought home another crown and sash. I loved the way his big, barrel chest swelled and his eyes lit up.”

  Was that moisture in her eyes? Damn. This had become one of the sappiest, yet best dates he’d ever been on. He needed to slam the brakes before they went further down memory lane. Soon, they’d be talking about losing their virginity or something equally embarrassing.

  “The sun’s getting ready to set, and the mosquitoes are looking for dinner. What do you say that we pack it in?” He hated the look on her face. It said she saw the wisdom to his words, but didn’t like them.

  “Can we watch the sunset first? I think it’s going to be a pretty one.”

  “Sure. I’ll have some more of Pop’s pizza, and do my best to keep the bloodsuckers away. Let’s at least cover your arms.” He took off his tux jacket and held it while she slid her arms in the sleeves. “It’ll be warm, but it’ll make decent armor.”

  “Thanks.” Her quiet voice held a wistful note as she watched the sun set beyond the far edge of the lake. He cleaned up their impromptu picnic and, with nothing to do but wait, he watched the sky’s colors shift as if it couldn’t make up its mind which bright nightgown it wanted to wear for bed. It finally changed from a pale pink to the deep purple of dusk as they sat in a comfortable silence.

  “All right, Miss Kate, let’s get you home.”

  “Okay. I should get back to Bonnie soon anyway.” Her blissed out, sleepy tone could very well push him over a line he absolutely did not want to cross. The new challenge—getting her back in the truck without kissing the sleepy, kitten-like look off her face.

  He pictured his high school gym teacher’s beer gut as he lifted her from the tailgate. When the soft, subtle scent of woman hit him, the gap-toothed, bowlegged, cranky old Mr. Johnson evaporated, leaving another image—one of a sexy as sin Kate walking across the parking lot in those killer heels.

  A woman who put family first with her animals not far behind, who liked to fish and the simpler things in life but looked like a million dollars had to be too good to be true, didn’t she?

  Chapter Five

  A weak trace of light blanketed the field around her home as Trent pulled into the long gravel driveway. Joe had been out with his tractor to help her cut grass a couple of days ago, so the place didn’t look half bad.

  Shifting in her seat, she released the seatbelt before saying, “Thanks for picking me up and bringing me home. It really wasn’t necessary, but I have to admit that the evening turned out much better than I expected.”

  “Me too. I’ll take an evening by the lake and pizza anytime. The company wasn’t so bad, either.” When he poked her in the arm, mimicking her earlier in the evening, she turned and gave him a genuine smile.

  And as she turned her head back to the view of her farm, two things hit her back-to-back.

  The first? She realized that she had two kinds of smiles. The pageant smile that she gave to anyone and everyone and her real smile. It was the one she shared with Leigh, Joe and had given her Dad. She’d given it to Preston in the beginning, but it wasn’t long before she took it back. That should have been when she packed up her stuff and left, not after years of condescension and heartache.

  And now she’d given the smile that she felt to the tips of her toes to Trent Dawson.

  Then the second shock came as the truck slowed near the house, freezing her lungs. All the air in the truck disappeared.

  “No! The barn’s open!” Filled with equal parts fear and white-hot anger, she bolted from the truck and kicked off her heels.

  “Kate! Stop! Damn it, wait!”

  She heard Trent’s words, but couldn’t care less about their meaning. She had to get to Bonnie. If someone had taken her or, worse, hurt her baby, she’d commit murder.

  A strong arm wrapped around her middle and lifted her.

  “Stop.” Trent said, low and serious, in her ear.

  His words didn’t matter. She had to get free and get to her horse. Now. The panic flowed through her in an uncontrollable, torrential flood. Some minute, sane part of her understood Trent wouldn’t hurt her, so she shamelessly used that knowledge against him. She fought and squirmed to break free. Tumbling to the ground and to her knees, the only thing she cared about was what did or did not lie beyond the dark, gaping doorway. The knowledge that something wasn’t right scared the ever-living hell out of her.

  She crawled forward on her hands and knees, prepared to run again. Once she’d managed to almost get back on her feet, he pulled her back against the steel of his chest. She wriggled and got nowhere as his arms wrapped around her.

  “Kate, baby. Stop it. Just stop.” Low and calm, his deep voice rushed through her.

  The iron bands held her immobile as his breath heaved in her ear.

  “Listen to me. I get that you’re worried about the foal, I promise.” He turned her around and carried her the wrong way. Craning her head, she looked over her shoulder. She wanted to weep as the dark doorway grew farther away with each long stride. “You have to use your head. If someone’s been here, they might still be inside.” He put her into the corner made by the truck’s open door but continued to hold her tight. Each word was a harsh push back to reality. She stared ahead but didn’t see beyond the speck of dust on the truck’s window.

  “If they’ve done something, it’s already done. If they’re still there, you’ve made enough noise to ensure they know that you’re here and know something’s wrong. They’d be waiting for you, and you were running into an incredibly unsafe situation in nothing but your fancy dress and heels. Oh wait, you don’t even have shoes on. It’s dark now. With the light of the moon spotlighting us, they have the advantage. Damn it, Kate.” His words were harsh and unyielding in her ear.

  He set her down and, with a gentle tug, turned her until they were eye-to-eye. “Look at me. I won’t let you go into an unsafe situation. It’s not happening. I’ll hog tie your ass and throw you in the truck bed if I have to.”

  His gray eyes boiled with a thunderstorm of intensity. He meant every word.

  Defeated, worried, and scared, she dropped her head to his chest in defeat. At a loss, with nowhere to turn, she crushed his shirt in her tight grip.

  “I need to know. I must look like a mad woman to you, but she’s mine. I need to know.”

  He smoothed a hand over her hair. “Let me handle this. Promise me you’ll stay here and wait for my call and I’ll go check it out. I know what I’m doing and you’re too upset to be cautious.”

  “Okay.” It wasn’t much mor
e than a whisper, but she knew he’d heard it by the unconvinced scowl he gave her.

  “Promise me you’ll stay put. If you move from this spot, you’ll divide my attention and that won’t be safe for me, you, or Bonnie.”

  “Okay. I promise.”

  He leaned into the truck and reached beneath the driver seat. Something clicked and a small black drawer popped out. He pulled out a wicked looking handgun and removed it from the holster. Thanks to her father and uncle, she was no stranger to firearms, but her surprise must have shown on her face.

  “Much better than a pair of high heels for nabbing intruders. Stay put.” When she met his concerned gaze and saw nothing but a soldier staring back, she settled with the knowledge that he meant every word he’d said.

  She had every confidence he had the situation under control.

  Then he leaned in and kissed her forehead before turning and jogging to the barn.

  She’d had a single thought—to get inside and find out what had happened to her foal. Nothing beyond that mattered. If someone was in there, she would have run headlong into danger. But Trent didn’t go straight for the open doorway. He walked around the back, with his gun in a two-handed grip pointed downward but ready. He moved quickly, but seemed totally aware of everything.

  As she waited for his signal, she didn’t know whether to be relieved that he believed her or worried that the threat might be a legitimate one.

  She knew she’d shut everything up after she fed everyone earlier that afternoon. She remembered her guilt for leaving Bonnie for the evening and chiding herself for it as she’d latched the door.

  Who would do this? Bonnie might be her heart, but she wasn’t anything special to anyone else. She had no papers, no traceable lineage. Tom’s only concerns were probably about how much prison time he’d get or how he’d find a fix in jail, not about the horse.

  She didn’t have anything of value. Who would want to take from her or cause her trouble?