Kitabı oku: «Under His Protection», sayfa 3

Chapter 3

There was no sign of a break-in. The front and back doors, as well as the door to Elizabeth’s room, were dusted for prints, but the sheriff made no secret of the fact that the only fingerprints he expected to find were those of John and Elizabeth.

“Not,” he quickly pointed out, “that I think either of one of you are lying about who wrote the note or how it ended up on Elizabeth’s pillow. All I know is that someone put it there. Give me a logical explanation of who that someone was and I’ll be happy to check it out.”

Frustrated, Elizabeth wasn’t the least bit fooled. She didn’t care what he said, he obviously thought either she or John was responsible for the note. He refused to even consider any other possibility. Irritating man! What kind of sheriff was he? If John had written the note as some kind of twisted joke, he wouldn’t have insisted on calling the authorities. So that left her. Why would she write a note to herself, then let John call the sheriff? What purpose would it serve?

“I’m sleeping on the couch,” John told her bluntly after the sheriff left.

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. “That’s not necessary. As long as the doors are locked—”

“I’m not taking any chances with your safety,” he said flatly. “If you don’t like it, call Buck.”

She wasn’t going to do that, and they both knew it. “Fine,” she retorted. “Have it your way. I’m going to bed. You don’t have to sleep on the couch—there’s a downstairs guest room.”

“The couch in the family room is better—it’s close to the stairs. I’ll be able to hear you if you need help.”

She wasn’t going to need help—she had to believe that or she wouldn’t sleep a wink. But all she said was, “Fine. If that’s the way you want it.” Retrieving a blanket and pillow from the downstairs linen closet for him, she said, “I guess I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.”

She felt his eyes on her all the way up the stairs, and it was all she could do not to look back. What was it about the man that made it impossible for her to ignore him? she wondered as she reached her room and began to get ready for bed. She was upstairs, he was down, and she knew it was impossible to hear what he was doing. Still, she could have sworn that she could hear every breath he took. She had to be losing her mind.

Irritated with herself for being so fanciful, she crawled into bed a few moments later and closed her eyes with a tired sigh. She might as well have tried to catch forty winks in the middle of the Denver airport—it wasn’t going to happen. Frustrated, she punched her pillow into a more comfortable position, but even though she felt safe with John sleeping downstairs, she couldn’t put the note out of her head. She might not know the name of whoever left the warning on her pillow, but it was obviously someone who thought they had a chance of inheriting the ranch by scaring her into leaving.

It wasn’t going to happen, she vowed grimly. She wasn’t going to be the one who let the family down. And she wasn’t going to live in fear or hide in her room on her own ranch!

The decision made, she finally fell asleep and was up the next morning with the sun. If she expected to catch John still sleeping, she was doomed to disappointment. Not only was he already awake, but he’d returned the pillow and blanket he’d used to the linen closet, started a pot of coffee in the kitchen, then locked the back door on his way out.

He was, she had to admit, thoughtful. But she needed a heck of a lot more from him than thoughtfulness. Grabbing a cup of coffee, she went in search of him and found him in the barn loading fencing supplies into the back of the ranch pickup.

He looked up in surprise at her entrance, but before he could say a word of greeting, she said, “I thought you already repaired the fence.”

“The ranch is fifty square miles,” he retorted. “Repairing fences is a never ending process.” Throwing the last roll of barbwire into the bed of the truck, he studied her with a sudden frown. “What are you doing up so early? You haven’t found any more notes, have you?”

“What? Oh, no, thank God! I just couldn’t sleep. I’m just so angry!”

“I don’t blame you,” he told her. “Whoever left that note is nothing but a coward.”

“He’s wasting his time,” she said flatly. “I’m not going anywhere and neither is my family. This is our ranch, and no one’s taking it from us. If that means it comes down to a fight, then so be it.”

John had seen her frustrated before, but he’d never seen her so stirred up. She was furious, and she had every right to be. She and Buck and her sisters weren’t doing anything except trying to live up to the terms of Hilda Wyatt’s will. And because of that, they were getting harassed by some thugs who didn’t think they were entitled to the place. Too damn bad! The Wyatts were Hilda’s legitimate heirs and the will was valid. They were staying.

“I told Buck when he hired me that he could count on me to help any way I could,” he told her quietly. “That promise extends to you and your sisters. Anyone who even thinks about going after you is going to have to go through me first. You know that, don’t you?”

Surprise flared in her eyes. “I appreciate that,” she said huskily. “Thank you.”

“You’re not in this alone. If there’s anything I can do…”

“You can help me make this ranch mine,” she said simply. “I thought about it last night, and I’m not going to cower in my room like some scaredy-cat who jumps at her own shadow. I’m not going to live in fear. This is the Wyatt family homestead and I’m a Wyatt. I’m going to work this ranch like I own it.”

A slight smile curled the corners of his mouth. “You do own it. So I guess this means you want to know how to do something more than gather eggs.”

“I do. You were right. If I’m going to be the boss, I need to know everything that’s involved in running the ranch. I need you to teach me.”

“Then let’s go ride fence,” he said promptly, then caught her off guard when he tossed her the keys. “You drive.”

“What? Me? Are you joking? I can’t drive. I’m not used to driving on the right side of the road.”

Amused, he only grinned. “There aren’t any roads where we’re going, so it doesn’t matter. Just don’t hit a tree or knock the fence down and we’ll get along fine.”

Her heart pounding, Elizabeth was in no mood to appreciate his sense of humor. Did he know what he was asking of her? It wasn’t only driving on the opposite side of the road that was the problem, it was the steering wheel and the pedals and everything else being opposite of where they were supposed to be. She wasn’t ready!

John, however, didn’t give her a chance to voice a second objection. Walking around the truck, he slid into the passenger seat. “Oh, yeah,” he asked innocently as he watched her gingerly settle behind the steering wheel, “you do know how to drive a standard, don’t you?”

In the process of slipping the key into the ignition, she looked sharply at the long gearshift that stuck out of the floorboard in front of the old pickup’s bench seat. “Oh, God.”

John’s lips twitched. “Why do I have the feeling this could be a problem?”

“Because it is,” she retorted, horrified. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“First,” he chuckled. “You always start in first.”

When she just looked at him, he almost laughed. Did she have any idea how funny she was? He almost asked her, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate the question in her current mood. “Well?” he asked, lifting a dark brow at her when she just sat there. “What are you waiting for?”

“You to show me where first is,” she replied. “How am I supposed to find it when it’s not marked?”

“Push the clutch in,” he said, nodding toward the pedal next to the brake. “That’s it. Now put it in first.” When she just looked at him, he reached across the distance between them and brought her hand to the stick shift. A split second later, his fingers closed over hers and he moved the gearshift into first.

Unable to take her eyes off his hand covering hers, Elizabeth told herself she was just trying to figure out where the different gears were, but she knew it was more than that. She barely knew him. How could his touch feel so right?

“When you shift into second, you have to hang your head out the window and howl at the moon.”

Caught up in her thoughts, his words suddenly registered. Frowning in confusion, she looked up at him in surprise. “What?”

“Just seeing if you’re listening,” he said dryly. “I thought I lost you there for a minute.”

Hot color singeing her cheeks, she dropped her gaze back to their joined hands. “I was just—”

…wondering what your hands would feel like moving all over my body.

The thought shook her to the core…and heated her blood. Mortified, she didn’t dare meet his gaze. Did he realize what he was doing to her? What she was thinking? She had to stop this! Before he guessed—

“Why do I have the feeling that I’ve lost you again?” he asked, amused. “Was it something I said? If you don’t want to do this—”

“No!” she said quickly, jerking herself back to attention. “I was just trying to figure out where second is.”

“It’s a standard H,” he told her. “Keep the clutch in and bring the gearshift straight back. That’s it. Now shift over to third—Good girl! And down to fourth. That’s it.”

“That’s all? Why, that shouldn’t be difficult at all!”

He grinned. “Once you get the hang of it, you can do it in your sleep and not even think about it. The hard part is giving it gas and letting the clutch out without killing it. That takes some practice. So ease up on the clutch as you give it some gas. Easy. Easy. Not so fast! You—”

“Killed it,” she finished for him. “Darn! We didn’t even move!”

“You’ll get it,” he chuckled. “It just takes practice. Try letting the clutch out slower.”

She tried. And tried. Then, with no warning, the wheels began to turn. “Oh, my God! We’re moving!”

“You’re damn straight we’re moving!” he laughed. “Now shift into second. That’s it. Easy,” he growled, wincing as the gears ground in protest. “Ease up on the clutch—”

With a jerk, the truck died again.

Elizabeth, however, was far from discouraged. Grinning, she reached for the key and started the truck again. “I can do this,” she said, grinning like a kid with a new toy. “I’ve just got to get the footwork down.”

“And watch where you’re going,” he advised as she picked up a little speed and headed west, away from the house. “Watch that tree!”

“I see it…I think.” Laughing, she swerved around it, and shifted into third.

Just that easily, she conquered shifting and no longer needed John’s guidance on the gearshift. Torn between relief and disappointment that he no longer had a reason to touch her, he released her and told himself it was for the best. Her skin was too soft, her smile too intoxicating. Thrilled with herself, she acted as if he’d just handed her the moon, and all he could think about was kissing her.

And it was all her fault, he thought with a frown. It was that scent she wore…it was guaranteed to drive a man crazy. And then there was the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. Did she have any idea how seductive she was? Or how much he wanted to touch her…kiss her?

Suddenly realizing where his thoughts had wandered, he stiffened and silently swore under his breath. What the hell was he doing?

“All right,” Elizabeth said happily. “Where to?”

“Head over to the fence,” he growled, nodding toward the barbwire fence fifty yards to the left, “and just keep driving the fence line. If you see a break, stop so I can fix it.”

“No problem,” she said, and shot across the pasture with a gurgle of laughter.

Minx, he thought, fighting a smile. Who would have thought the very proper Elizabeth would love driving across the pasture like a wild woman?

Practicing downshifting and shifting on the fly, Elizabeth couldn’t remember the last time she had so much fun. More than once, John had to reach for the door frame to catch himself as she bounced over the rough terrain, and she caught a glimpse of his smile every time.

Then, just when she raced down a hill into a pasture that bordered a two-lane country road, she gasped at the sight of the cows that had escaped from the pasture and were walking down the road. “Oh, my God!”

Swearing, John immediately spied the break in the fence. “Dammit to hell! Pull over by that dead pine. It looks like the fence has been cut.”

Cut didn’t begin to describe it. Not only had someone cut all three strands of the barbwire that comprised the fence, but they’d also yanked two of the posts out of the ground and peeled the barbwire back. The cows didn’t even hesitate as they streamed out of the pasture and sought greener grass along the sides of the road.

“What you want me to do?” Elizabeth asked as she quickly braked to a stop next to the cut fence and jumped out of the truck at the same time John did.

“Keep the cows from straying any farther down the road,” he told her as he quickly grabbed his tools and supplies from the bed of the truck. “I’ll need your help getting the cows back in, but for now, I’ve got to get the fence posts set in the ground and close the gap some.”

Her heart jumping into her throat, Elizabeth looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “You want me to do what?”

If she expected him to be amused, she was in for a rude awakening. “This is no time to be a baby,” he told her bluntly. “You’re the owner, remember? If you don’t get the cows off the road, and someone comes around the curve and plows into them, you’re not only going to have a hell of a lawsuit on your hands, you may have someone’s death on your conscience. Get to work!”

He didn’t have to tell her twice, but as she hurried through the gap in the fence and found herself approaching twenty cows who were surveying her warily, her legs all but turned to jelly. He made it sound so simple. Just round them up and herd them back into the pasture. How? They outweighed her by four hundred pounds! And they had horns…sharp horns. If they turned on her—

“They’re more scared of you than you are of them,” he said, reading her mind as he knocked a new metal fence post into the ground. “Just get behind them and spread your arms wide as you start walking toward the break in the fence. And don’t worry about getting them all in at once. Get a few in at a time, then go back for more.”

Shaking in her shoes, she fought the need to run, and carefully made a wide circle around the cows until she was behind them. Most of them ignored her, but a few at the back of the herd glanced over their shoulders with narrow-eyed frowns full of distrust.

“Show ’em who’s boss, Elizabeth. You’re good at that.”

From the corner of her eye, she could see John’s wicked grin, but she didn’t dare take her gaze off the cows. “Stuff it,” she retorted. “You better be thinking what story you’re going to tell my brother when I get killed in a stampede.”

“A stampede,” he laughed. “Sweetheart, I’ve worked with cows all my life and never seen a stampede. Trust me, that’s not going to happen.”

“Then why are they looking at me like they’re going to flatten me?”

“You’re just being paranoid. Act tough.”

That was easy for him to say. She’d never been this close to a cow in her life! Frowning, she spread her arms wide and took a hesitant step forward. When the cows just looked at her, she rasped, “Move it, you big lugs, before you meet a car face-to-face and you end up becoming somebody’s hamburger patty tonight!”

For a moment she didn’t think they were going to budge. Then she took another hesitant step toward them, waiving her arms, and with more than one disrespectful flick of their tails, they turned and slowly moved toward the break in the fence.

“Yeah!” she laughed, exhilarated. “That’s it. Move those tails. Oh, no!”

John didn’t have to look to know what happened when the cows lifted their tails. Chuckling, he said, “Watch where you put your feet.”

“Now you tell me!”

When she swore softly, he didn’t dare look around. “You might want to clean your shoes before you get back in the truck,” he said in a strangled voice. “In fact, you might want to throw them in the back when we leave.”

“If I don’t throw them at your head first,” she said sweetly. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“No, of course not—”

Something hit him in the back. “I hope that’s a clod of dirt,” he told her as he began to unroll the barbwire. “I sure would hate to throw it back at you if it wasn’t.”

“Turn around and find out,” she taunted. “I dare you.”

He’d never been a man to walk away from a dare, and this time was no different. Glancing over his shoulder, he immediately spied a clod of dirt a few feet behind him on the ground. “Smart girl,” he told her, making no attempt to hold back a grin. “I wasn’t looking forward to making you ride in the back of the pickup with your shoes.”

“It would never have happened,” she retorted. “You’re not my daddy. I don’t have to obey you.”

“You got that right,” he agreed. “I’m not your daddy, thank God! And you may not have to obey me, but if I ever give you an order, you’d better damn sure do as I say because I wouldn’t tell you to do something unless it was a matter of necessity.”

“The boss doesn’t take orders—”

“Everybody takes orders from somebody in their life,” he tossed back, “regardless of—Watch out!”

Her eyes on him, Elizabeth didn’t see the cow that suddenly noticed she’d been separated from her calf. One second the animal was meandering after her companions toward the break in the fence, and the next, she whirled, her eyes wide as she searched for her baby. And Elizabeth was right in her path.

Horrified, Elizabeth couldn’t move, couldn’t think, as her eyes locked with the cow’s. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she stood frozen, her heart slamming against her ribs, unable to move so much as a single eyelash.

“Move!”

John’s roar reached her as nothing else could. Startled, she blinked…just in time to see the cow bearing down on her with the fire of a protective mother gleaming in her eye. There was no time to think. Shrieking, she scrambled up a nearby boulder and just missed the brush of the cow’s horns as she ran past.

Later, she couldn’t have said how long she stood there, gasping, the thunder of her panic so loud in her ears that she couldn’t hear John cussing like a sailor. In four long strides, he reached the pile of boulders she’d scrambled up on. “Are you all right? Did she get you with her horns?”

“No,” she said shakily. “For a moment, though, I thought I was toast.”

“Honey, the first thing you need to know about cattle is you never come between a mama and her baby. That’s a good way to get trampled…or gored.”

Still white as a sheet, she nodded. “Good point. I’ll remember that.”

“Let me help you down,” he said huskily, holding a hand up to her. “You’re safe now.”

“Easy for you to say,” she said, eyeing the cow that was now nuzzling its calf lovingly. “I don’t trust her.”

“Don’t worry,” he laughed. “I’ll protect you from the big, bad cow. C’mon down from there. We’ve got a fence to fix.”

“I’ll fix the fence,” she said as she placed her hand in his. “You deal with the cows.”

Grinning, he closed his fingers around hers and held her steady as she started down the largest of the boulders. “You wanted to be boss,” he reminded her. “That means—”

Her eyes on his, she didn’t realize the curve of the boulder was so steep until she found herself rushing down the rock. Before she could stop herself, her momentum carried her right into his arms.

“Oh, my God! I’m sorry—”

“Easy! Gotcha—”

In the time it took to blink, they were face-to-face and just inches apart, and John couldn’t have said who was more startled. His eyes on the sweet, tempting curve of her mouth, he couldn’t stop himself from pulling her closer. God, she felt good in his arms! It’d been a long time since he’d held a woman and forever since he’d kissed one. What would one kiss hurt? She wouldn’t fire him…and if she did, it might damn sure be worth it!

He ignored the alarm bells clanging in his head and knew he could no more resist her than the cows could resist the lure of a downed fence. With a murmur that was her name, he covered her mouth with his.

Convinced he would never dare to kiss her, Elizabeth heard the voice in her head screaming at her to pull out of his arms and fire him on the spot. But how could she even think about firing the man when he kissed her with a hot need that turned her knees to butter? Did he know what he did to her? That no man had ever destroyed her so easily? That she wanted to pull him right down to the ground with her and forget everything but the heat of his mouth and the feel of his body, hot and hard, against hers?

Before she could even think about giving in to that need, however, the sudden blare of a horn jerked them both back to their surroundings. Startled, they sprang apart and turned just in time to see an old man in a pickup that was as old as he was ease around one of the cows that had once again managed to make its way through the downed fence.

Swearing, John stepped past her and hurried to herd the cows back onto Wyatt property and out of harm’s way. Heat burning her cheeks, Elizabeth hurried after him. “Here…let me help.”

His only response was a grunt of compliance, and within minutes, they had the rest of the cows on the correct side of the fence. Her heart still pounding, Elizabeth kept waiting for him to make some reference to the all-too-short kiss they’d shared, but the only conversation he directed her way was instructions on how to fix the fence. Had it meant nothing to him? she wondered. Or did he regret it and just didn’t want to talk about it?

Hurt squeezed her heart at the thought, surprising her. It was just a kiss. Why was she getting all caught up in something that had hardly lasted a heartbeat?

“Elizabeth? Hello? Hey, where’d you go off to? I thought you wanted to know how to fix the fence?”

Jerked back to her surroundings, she looked up to find him watching her with steady brown eyes that saw far too much. Hot color singeing her cheeks, she was tempted to ask him why he’d kissed her then acted as if it had never happened, but if he regretted it, she suddenly realized she didn’t want to know.

“I do,” she said quickly. “I was just wondering who taught you how to do this. Was your father a rancher?”

His eyes returning to the barbwire he was working with, he said gruffly, “My parents had a ranch outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. It wasn’t half as big as the Broken Arrow, but it was a nice spread.”

“Then you were probably riding and roping as soon as you were big enough to walk.”

He smiled slightly. “Pretty much. I had my first pony when I was three.”

“So how did you end up in Colorado? Buck said you were a Navy SEAL. I would have thought you would have gone back to Wyoming when you got out of the service.”

John hesitated. He wasn’t one to talk about his past—he’d only told Buck about what happened when he was in the Navy because he’d known he was going to do a background check. But to his surprise, he found himself telling Elizabeth, “I did go back to Wyoming. My parents died and left me the ranch.”

Obviously confused, she frowned. “I don’t understand. If you have a ranch of your own, then why are you working for us?”

Too late he realized he should have kept his mouth shut about his past. One question led to another and answers he didn’t want to give. If he wasn’t careful, he’d end up telling her everything, and his gut knotted at the thought. He didn’t want to see her face when he told her he’d killed a man.

“I no longer own the ranch,” he said flatly. “We’re done here. Let’s move on.”

Picking up his tools and the roll of barbwire he’d brought to repair the fence, he turned and headed back to the pickup. Left with no choice but to follow, Elizabeth studied the rigid line of his back and recognized a No Trespassing sign when she saw one. A dozen questions sprang to mind, but she didn’t push the issue. He was entitled to his secrets.

Still, she found herself intrigued. What was his story? Why did he no longer own the ranch he’d grown up on and that his parents had obviously wanted him to have? What wasn’t he telling her?