by KC Crowne
“Let me think about it today, talk to some of the other guys about it. For now, we’ll stay on the property until we can get our arms around this situation.”
“Okay.”
“And the property’s safe – don’t you worry about that. Still, I want you to play it carefully. That means no wandering off too far on the trails, and no late-night swims or anything like that.”
The mention of a late-night swim brought to mind what we’d done the last time she’d gone swimming, but there were more important things to think about than sex.
“Will do,” she said with another nod. “I just wish…I just wish you and you daughter and your family didn’t have to get pulled into this.”
“We’ll take care of it,” I said confidently. “Hell, there’s a good chance that pencil-necked little shit gets one look at who he’s up against and turns tail to run back to Portland. I swear if that little motherfucker comes near El or you again…” There was anger in my voice. Hell, more than that – there was rage. My hand was clenched into a tight fist, and I forced it to release.
“Anyway,” I said, trying to let the anger run its course. “Let’s eat. I’ll take care of the rest today.”
“And I’ll keep El busy. She probably got her fill of town last night, so we can spend the day on the ranch, maybe get a head start on work for the next week.”
“Sounds good. Some of the families staying have a few kids her age. Maybe we can see about her spendin’ a little time with them. It’d be good for her.”
“Yeah. I bet she’ll like that.”
As if knowing she was the topic of conversation, El came out of her bedroom and down the hall. She carried her monkey tucked under her arm as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
“Good mornin’, precious,” I said. “Come over here and let’s get some grub.”
The rest of breakfast was uneventful. El, once she’d done a little more waking up, didn’t waste any time giving us a recap of her favorite parts of the fair. Sam suggested my plan of hanging out with some of the tourists’ kids later in the day. To my surprise, she was all about it. It made me happy that she was finally warming up to the idea of making friends.
Once Sam and El were off for the day, I went to the main house. Silas was there, seated in his usual chair on the front porch, a mug of coffee in his hand.
“Hey, Silas,” I said. “Got somethin’ to talk to you about.”
He sat up, apparently able to detect the seriousness in my voice. “What’s up?”
I took a seat in the chair next to him and told him about what had happened and the situation Sam was dealing with.
“She’s safe here,” he stated. “No doubt about that. But…” He scratched the stubble on his face as he considered something. “If you want, we can take a tour around the perimeter of the property, make sure all the fences look right, that the security cameras haven’t been messed with.”
“That’d be good. It’d give me some peace of mind,” I told him. “Oh, I talked to Gerald.”
His eyebrows rose slightly. “Cousin Gerald? What’s he been up to?”
“Said he’d be in town around now. Must be back from one of his security jobs.”
“Shit, he’d be good help for somethin’ like this. A handful of Walker boys against some city punk – hardly seems like a fair fight.” He chuckled.
I nodded in agreement. “Still, I don’t want to get caught underestimatin’ this dumbass.”
“Good call. Let me check on some things real quick, and we can get on lookin’ at the property.”
“Sounds good.”
He finished his coffee and marched off to his chores. I headed into the house while he was gone, spotting a few of my other brothers and giving them a run-down of the situation. They, like Silas, were all geared up to do whatever they could as soon as they heard about it.
Silas met me out front a short time later. I climbed into the truck, and we spent the next several hours making a slow circle around the ranch, checking the security gear and everything else that needed to be looked at. By the time we were done, I felt a good deal better about matters. He took me back to the main house and dropped me off.
“Keep me posted on all this,” he said. “We look out for each other, and Sam’s included in that now. Anyone tries to harm a hair on her head, and they’re gonna be dealin’ with a few sets of fists comin’ their way.”
“Will do. Thanks Silas,” I said before hopping out and shutting the door.
The day was warm, the weather perfect for taking care of other odds and ends around the property. That killed some time until dinner. After we ate, Sam took El to meet some of the other kids.
“How was she?” I asked once Sam returned.
“Great. Still riding the high from the fair.”
“Good, good,” I said nodding. “Listen – I want you to stay at the cabin again.”
“You sure?” She appeared confused.
“I’m sure. The main house safe, but I’d feel a hell of a lot better if you were with me tonight.”
The look on her face sent the message that she’d picked up on the accidental double-meaning of the phrase. “Yeah,” she said slowly. “I think I’d feel better about it, too.”
“Good. When you get El, tell her. She’ll be excited,” I said grinning. “And bring along some of your things.”
She smiled. “See you then.”
I watched her walk away. Despite all the insanity going on, damned if I couldn’t stop staring at the woman. Part of me wondered if it was a bad idea to invite her to stay with me. But what was going on was bigger than my hungry libido – I needed to keep her safe.
The evening passed without incident. El and some of the other kids played out back, and me and a handful of parents, along with some of my family, all did a bit of relaxing. We had a few beers while keeping an eye on the kids as they played, the adults shooting the shit about nothing in particular.
When it came time for the evening to end, I collected El – and it wasn’t easy tearing her away from the other kids. I’d worried her fun on the trail had been a fluke, but she really seemed to be opening up. Did I have Sam to thank for this too?
Sam and I, along with a tuckered-out Ellie, drove back to the cabin. Once there, I carried my nearly asleep daughter out of the truck, and Sam opened the door for us. We got her into her pajamas and tucked into bed. When that was all taken care of, we dropped onto one of the couches in the living room, both of us exhausted.
“Long day,” she commented. “But a good one.”
“Same here,” I replied. “El looked like she had fun.”
“She did. I really think I’m kind of crazy about that kid.”
I smiled. “And I think she’s kinda crazy about you.”
Silence fell, and the next words to come to mind were ones I knew I shouldn’t say. And I’m kind of crazy about you, too. I kept them to myself, wondering if she was thinking the same thing.
“I got a chance to meet with some of the other guys, check out the property,” I informed her, talking business rather than personal.
“Oh yeah? And?”
“We’re all on your side. You’ve got a lot of pairs of eyes looking out for you, Sam. Don’t need to worry about a thing.”
She took my hand, holding it tightly. “Thank you. I appreciate it more than you’ll never know.”
“My pleasure. Our pleasure.”
We sat on the couch together for a time, her hand in mine. Sam eventually yawned, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m beat. Ready to turn in, I think.”
“Same here. Why don’t you sleep in my bed tonight?” I’d caught the other words before they’d come out, but not these. I couldn’t believe I’d said it.
“Are you serious?”
No sense in trying to take it back. “Sure. You’re probably feeling all kinds of frazzled from what happened. Company might do you good.”
She offered a sly smile. “Is that all it’s about? Nothing mor
e?”
I grinned. “Well, maybe I like the idea of sleeping in bed with you.”
She hummed and smiled. “Maybe I like it too.”
We rose, turning off the lights like any other couple going to bed for the night. Once we were in my bedroom, I shut the door and took off my shirt. We stripped out of our clothes until I was in nothing but my boxer-briefs and she in her bra and panties. I turned off the light, and we climbed into bed. I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close, her curvy body curled against mine. I held her close, feeling like I was protecting her from the world, from anyone who might want to do her harm. And she nuzzled her head into my side, closing her eyes.
I was falling hard for the woman. I could lie to myself all I wanted, but it was true. And I had no idea what I was going to do about it.
Chapter 16
SAMANTHA
Another week passed, and before long, Chance and I had fallen into something of a routine. We’d slept together just about every night, and the sex was just as incredible as ever. Each night we spent together meant we were becoming more and more serious, building emotional connections we wouldn’t be able to turn our backs on.
I wanted it – I wanted him. And I knew he wanted me.
We’d have to talk about it soon, before we were wrapped up in feelings that neither one of us knew how to handle.
That morning I was seated at the kitchen table with El, having breakfast and chatting with her before sending her off to the main house to get in a little playtime before studies. I went over some of her work, all of it well-done, proving her sharp mind was as sharp as ever. I couldn’t get over how bright she was, how she was able to handle anything I threw at her.
I walked her to the main cabin, letting her know I’d be back for lunch. With a hug, she was off. I meandered slowly back, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery. Chance was seated at the kitchen table when I walked in. He met me with a smile and a soft nod.
“How’s my baby girl?” he asked.
“Awesome. And smart – so smart it’s almost scary.”
“That’s what you’ve been tellin’ me.” His gaze dropped to the kitchen table as if he had something on his mind.
“What’s up?”
He shook his head. “Oh, nothin.’ Just thinkin’ about Silas’s oldest.”
“Christopher, right?”
“That’s the one.”
“What about him?”
“Ah, it’s nothin’, really.”
I sat down next to him and took his hand. Thing about these cowboy types was they didn’t like letting people in. Strong and silent, all the way. It was admirable and maddening all at the same time.
“What’re you thinking?”
He shook his head again. “Christopher…he’s a good kid. Hell, he ain’t a kid anymore – he’s a man. And I remember Silas talkin’ about him when Chris was little, about how he wanted him to follow in his daddy’s footsteps, get into the family business.”
“And he didn’t?”
“He didn’t. When Christopher started gettin’ a little older, gettin’ into his teen years, we knew there was somethin’ different about him. He knew his way around the ranch, could ride like no one’s business. But he had a creative side to him. Loved to draw – that sort of thing.”
I said nothing, letting him talk his way to the problem.
“And that’s fine – our family’s nothin’ but love, and it don’t matter what sort of hobbies you’re into, we’ll support you just the same. But still, with each passin’ year, it got clearer and clearer that he had his own plans for his life, ones that didn’t involve the ranch.”
“So he moved?”
“Went to New York and found this girl, Molly.”
I smiled. “Silas’s wife.”
“The very same. But before she and Silas were together, they had these big dreams of opening a boutique, startin’ their own fashion line. Anyway, long and short of it is, he ain’t livin’ on the ranch. He comes to visit plenty, but his life is somewhere else.”
“And you’re worried El might follow his footsteps, so to speak.”
“You got it.” He laughed. “Hell, you know it without me even sayin’ it. Anyway, yeah. I’m worried a kid like her, smart as hell, well, she can do anything she wants. And there’s a good chance it won’t involve feedin’ horses and mendin’ fences.”
“But she’ll always love you. That’s for certain.”
“Sure. She’s comin’ around, I think. But that’s the hard part about lovin’ people, you know? The idea that one day they might not be there anymore. Sure, she’ll probably keep in touch the way Christopher does, but what if she moves to LA or New York or hell, out of the damn country? I’ll support her all I can, but it’d hurt like hell to not have her around. I mean, she’s only been in my life for a little while now, and I can’t imagine what it’d be like for her to be gone.”
His concerns were moving. There was no doubt he loved El like crazy. But hearing him go on about how he’d love her no matter what, how all he wanted was for her to be happy…it made me all the more certain he was a good man, tough exterior or not.
“Anyway,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “That’s enough jawin’ out of me.”
“It’s good though,” I said. “Talking about those kinds of things. And you know you’ve got plenty of time to enjoy her while she’s around.”
“I know. But you know what they say about kids – they grow up so fast.”
“So the best you can do is enjoy every second of it.”
My hand stayed in his, and for a long moment I wondered if we might kiss. But he rose from the table, picked up his hat, and fixed it onto his head.
“I oughta get to it. Enjoy your mornin’ while El’s with her friends. I’ll see you around lunchtime, alright?”
“Sounds good.”
He smiled at me from beneath the shade of his brim and left, my eyes lingering on his perfect ass in those jeans.
When he was gone, I let out a long sigh, thinking about how crazy I was about him. But I knew not to get ahead of myself. We weren’t officially anything. I knew it’d be a mistake to think what we had was more than we’d decided it was.
Not to mention the whole Kyle issue. I hadn’t heard anything from him since the night at the fair, but I’d bet my next paycheck he was still around. God only knew what he was planning.
I decided to take Chance’s advice to try to relax a little. I prepared myself some tea and sat on the couch. As soon as I did, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I checked the screen to see a notification from an app on my phone about my cycle. It kept track of my period, letting me know when I could expect its appearance. The notification said I was a day late. I opened the app and checked the calendar. I should’ve had my period a day or two ago.
A tinge of anxiety ran through me. It was nothing to worry about; I was on the pill. Still, was there a possibility?
I needed to take a test. A day wasn’t a big deal, but I still wanted to make sure. Only problem with that was getting a test meant I had to go into town, and going into town meant I’d have to let someone know I was doing it. And it meant risking Kyle seeing me away from the property.
But I had to find out.
Chapter 17
CHANCE
Three days later…
I was seated on the porch of the main house, the sun setting in the distance, the light glittering on the big pond. I had a big mug of coffee in my hand, and the weather was perfect. It was paradise – one of those days that made me feel lucky as hell to lead the life I did. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Off in the distance, I spotted a pair of familiar figures – one tall and shapely, the other tiny. They hurried up to the porch, El sporting a big smile on her face.
“Daddy!” she said, rushing to me.
“What’s up, baby girl?” I asked, setting down my mug of coffee and picking her up to put her on my lap.
“Sam said we can go on a ho
rseback ride!”
I glanced at Sam, one of my eyebrows raised. “Oh, is that right?”
“El, you’re forgetting the really important part of what I said.”
She frowned and said, “Oh yeah. She said that we could if you said it was alright.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that’s an important part. But what’s made you so eager to ride all of a sudden?”
“Sam’s reading me this book called Black Beauty, and it’s about this girl who has this really pretty black horse. Riding sounds like fun. Can we go?”
I gave the matter some thought. “Well, you’re right – it is a lot of fun. But it’s also a lot of responsibility. Goin’ for a ride on a horse ain’t like hoppin’ in a truck and startin’ the engine. You gotta be careful, treat the horse right.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Of course I can. But let’s talk about it more after dinner. Why don’t you go get washed up so you’re ready when Mama G hits that dinner bell? I think she’s makin’ hamburgers tonight.”
“Yes!” Without another word, she rushed into the house, leaving Sam and me alone. She took her place in the seat next to mine.
“Sorry about that,” she said.
“Sorry about what?”
“Getting her all jazzed up about riding horses. That really should be your place to introduce.”
“It’s no problem,” I said. “Girl lives on a ranch. Only right she gets to ridin’ before too long.”
A strange expression formed on her face. “She’s a good kid. I mean, all kids that age are good, really. Fun age. Makes me almost wish I was teaching a whole class of them again.”
Normal words, sure, but something else was going on in that brain of hers. I was getting a strange vibe from her, one I couldn’t really put my finger on.
“I have a question for you,” she announced. “And…you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.”
I nodded. “Okay. Ask away.”
“Did you ever think about having more kids?”
I didn’t know what I’d expected her to ask, but it sure as hell wasn’t that. “What’re you talkin’ about?”
