The Rancher's Return Read online

  “And then to him.” She grimaced. “Anything’s possible, where Alex is concerned. It even makes a kind of twisted sense, though I don’t like it.”

  “Of course not.” Again he had to fight the urge to touch her. “Me, either. That settles one thing, though. Until I have a handle on who we can and cannot trust, you’re definitely going to have to keep a low profile. Even though we’re out in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Thank you again for helping me.”

  He waved her thanks away. “Do you still want to go riding?”

  “Yes.”

  “Great.” Considering her shapeless dress, he carefully avoided meeting her gaze. “Why don’t you put on some jeans and meet me at the barn? I’ll get the horses saddled and ready.”

  Without waiting for her to answer, he grabbed his cowboy hat and headed outside.

  * * *

  Watching out the window as Reed sauntered down to the barn, Kaitlyn tried to get a handle on the complicated emotions roiling inside her. She’d known she’d have some lingering trauma after what she’d been through with Alex, but she hadn’t expected to cringe every time he moved too fast. Luckily, so far she’d managed to keep all her flinching inside. As far as she could tell, Reed had no idea.

  Which was good. The last thing she wanted from him was pity.

  Despite the abuse she’d suffered, being around Reed again, even after all these years, made her want things she’d never thought she’d be able to want again. In fact, after the way she’d been treated, she’d come to believe she’d never feel attracted toward a man again.

  She’d been wrong. Very wrong. Disgusted with herself, she ran her fingers through her ugly haircut and grimaced. All along in the back of her mind, she’d known her old crush on him might make her uncomfortable, but she’d thought she could deal with it. Right. What she hadn’t expected was this full-blown craving. Though she thought she’d been successful at hiding it, she trembled with the urge to get close to him every time they were in the same room.

  She had to get past this. Her life was at stake after all. Since Reed had made it perfectly clear he didn’t feel the same way about her—how could he—she’d rely on him to keep her safe and help bring Alex to justice. Nothing more.

  In fact, she wanted this over and done with so that she could move on to the next chapter of her life. So they both could.

  Restless and unsettled inside her own body, she pushed through the kitchen door and headed down toward the barn. Dusk had settled on the landscape, though darkness had yet to envelope the farm. Nevertheless, a bright spotlight on the outside of the barn illuminated not only the yard, but the corrals. Reed stood inside a round pen, lifting a Western saddle up onto a beautiful gray horse.

  A few feet away, she stopped. Her mouth went dry as she stood and watched, admiring the way the muscles in his arms worked while he hefted the bags. Again the desire, the raw urge, stunning her, shocking her. Once more, she managed to push it away.

  He turned and faced her, dipping his chin in acknowledgment. “I got this gelding ready for you. He’s docile and well trained. You shouldn’t have any trouble with him.”

  “Thank you.” Making her feet propel her forward, she took the reins. “Where’s your horse?”

  “Inside the barn.” He held out his cupped hands for her to step into. “Let me give you a leg up.”

  Just like that, her heart began hammering in her throat. She wasn’t sure she could bear his touch. As she stood staring at him, feeling foolish, she forced herself to move forward. Using his hands as a springboard, she jumped up into the saddle. Only when she’d gotten settled did Reed go and retrieve his own mount.

  The sun felt warm, the horse’s gait smooth, and as they rode up a winding dirt road, Kaitlyn finally began to relax. She wished she could stop having the need to keep reminding herself she was safe here, and hated also the expectation that at any moment, she’d find out she wasn’t.

  Maybe after she’d been free awhile she’d stop jumping at every shadow and her neck wouldn’t hurt from constantly looking over her shoulder.

  This person she’d become, the woman Alex had turned her into, wasn’t who she wanted to be. But she wasn’t sure she even knew how to get back to her old self. Or even if she wanted to.

  “Nice, isn’t it?” Reed rode up alongside her, sitting as easily on the saddle as if he’d been born on horseback.

  Despite her sudden melancholy, she gave him her brightest smile. He had no need to know how damaged she’d become inside. “More than nice. This is exactly what I needed. I’d forgotten what it feels like to be this free.”

  His expression changed, just a minuscule amount, but enough to remind her she’d again managed to bring her past in and ruin the moment. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, hating that she felt she had to apologize. “I’ve only been away a day. I’m trying to get used to the idea.”

  “No need to be sorry.” Despite the kind words, Reed sounded grim. “Believe me, I remember how it feels. As if the sky is too big, too open, and you wonder if you could be crushed to death under the vastness of it all.”

  Her heart leaped at his words. Of course he understood, and he didn’t appear to be ashamed to speak it out loud. “You’re exactly right.”

  One quick jerk of his chin was his only response. As he spurred his horse into a jog, then a lope, he called back over his shoulder at her. “Come on, let’s ride.”

  The afternoon passed much too quickly as far as she was concerned. They rode and rested, Reed taking time to point out various landmarks. She was glad the sky turned cloudy as she hadn’t thought to locate sunscreen.

  “I think it’s time to head back toward the ranch,” Reed said.

  Kaitlyn sighed. “Thank you again. I haven’t had such a nice afternoon in years.”

  He barely glanced at her, his attention focused on the darkening sky. “We need to ride faster,” he said. “That storm out west is heading this way.”

  When she looked where he’d pointed, she realized he was right. And now that he’d mentioned it, she could smell the hint of the coming rain on the breeze.

  “Let’s go.” He slapped her horse on the rear before urging his own mount into a gallop.

  Without looking she could feel the storm gaining on them. The wind picked up, carrying moisture. Thunder boomed, still off in the distance, but gaining.

  Finally, they rode up a hill and she could see the ranch spread out below them. Her horse seemed winded, so she slowed the animal to a walk. Ahead of her, when Reed realized what she’d done, he turned and rode back to her.

  Just as he reached her, thunder cracked right on top of him, spooking her mount. The immediate flash of lightning meant they were all in danger.

  What happened next seemed in slow motion. Kaitlyn’s horse bucked and reared up. She almost fell, but held on to the saddle horn and managed to keep her seat.

  “Good job,” Reed said. “Now ride!”

  This time, she didn’t wait for him to slap her horse. She dug her heels into the animal’s side and took off. As they raced for the barn, thunder booming and rain pelting them, she knew she wore a grin a mile wide. Aware Reed would think she was crazy if he saw it, she restrained herself from shouting with joy into the wind.

  She felt more alive in this instant than she could ever remember feeling. Exhilarated, energized and oddly defiant.

  With more thunder, the boom was so loud it shook the earth. The air around them sizzled with electricity, which meant lightning had hit nearby.

  Fifty feet away the sky opened up. The wind lashed the rain sideways, whipping her with her own wet hair. She knew she looked like a crazy woman, but she couldn’t stop laughing as she rode into the barn.

  Maybe Reed understood or perhaps he just didn’t want to know, but he said nothing as he swung down from his soaked horse. He crossed to her and held out his hand, as if he thought she’d need help dismounting.

  Instead, she waved him away. Pushing her drenched and tangled hair
away from her face, she slid from the saddle.

  Turning, she nearly crashed into him.

  He reached out to steady her and just like that, her smile vanished and she froze.

  Hands on her upper arms, he stared. “Are you...are you all right?”

  Heaven help her, she tried to nod, but her breath caught in her throat and it was all she could do to breathe. Wrenching away, she sucked in air and tried to regain her equilibrium.

  While Reed stood watching, clearly not understanding what was wrong.

  “Kaitlyn. I’m sorry.” His deep voice revealed his confusion. “I’ll ask you again. Are you okay?”

  “Maybe.” Keeping her back to him, wondering. “And maybe not. I think I might be going crazy. One minute, I’m thrilled to be alive, and the next, I’m...” She stopped, unable to finish.

  “Well, if you’re able, unsaddle your horse. We need to get the saddles off and the horse brushed down. At least the rain should have cooled them off so we won’t need to walk them.”

  More grateful than she could articulate at the return to normalcy, she got busy doing exactly what he’d said.

  Chapter 5

  Reed knew enough about post-traumatic stress disorder to understand what had happened. His touch had sent Kaitlyn back. Back to that awful place where a touch had meant torture, a beating or rape. He clenched his jaw and seethed with anger at the man who’d done this to her.

  One thing he remembered about Kaitlyn Nuhn was the way she’d always been brimming with life. Even alone, her positive energy brightened the room. He’d seen her joy in the race against the storm; hell, he’d caught some of the excitement, too.

  And then to see it all quashed by a casual touch... He shook his head. Stuff like that made it difficult to focus.

  After helping Kaitlyn remove the saddle from her horse, he carried it into the tack room and set it on the wooden tree, drying it off with a towel. Then he did the same with his and grabbed a couple more towels from the small stack and two curry brushes. Handing one of each to Kaitlyn, he returned to his mare and began drying her coat before he started brushing out the sweat. The rhythmic sounds as he brushed never failed to soothe him.

  Except now, he felt overly aware of the woman next to him, doing the same thing. He hoped the simple repetitive motion might bring her some peace.

  His cell phone rang. “Hey, Brock,” he answered. “What’s up?”

  “Someone broke into your house.” Brock sounded pissed. “I just left there. The police are still there. And they assigned that idiot George to investigate.”

  Reed swore. “He’s probably the one who broke in. He called me wanting to search my house. I told him to get a warrant.”

  “Search for what?”

  “Tim’s old girlfriend.” In his peripheral vision, he saw Kaitlyn flinch.

  “He’s trying to pin that on you?” Brock’s incredulous tone made Reed smile.

  “Probably. You know how he’s always trying to find something to arrest me for. Did they let you inside my place? Were you able to tell what’s missing?”

  “Yeah, they let me in until George showed up. I tell you, it didn’t look like your typical robbery. Your big screen is still there, so are all your other electronics. I’m assuming you have your laptop with you.”

  “I do.” Reed glanced at Kaitlyn, who continued to brush her horse while watching him.

  “Maybe you could take a quick trip home?” Brock suggested. “If you can tear yourself away from your lady friend.”

  Reed’s face heated as he remembered what he’d told his pal. “I think I will.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll come first thing in the morning. Though I know that’s what George wants.”

  “Great.” Brock’s tone seemed a bit more cheerful. “And bring that lady friend of yours if you want. I’d love to meet her.”

  Brock hung up before Reed could figure out an excuse.

  As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, he sighed. “Brock says my place has been broken into. I’m betting it was George, but I’m going to have to drive back to Anniversary and check it out. I need to secure the house and see if anything is missing.”

  Eyes wide, she nodded. “I know it’s not safe for me to go with you, but please, if you come back here, make sure no one follows you.”

  If? If he came back? Did she really think he wouldn’t? “I’m leaving in the morning and will be back tomorrow night. It’s about a two-and-a-half-hour drive each way.” Instinctively, he reached to squeeze her shoulder in reassurance. Her instant recoil made him wince.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her.

  “I know.” Though her color appeared high, she held his gaze. “I don’t do it intentionally. It’s instinctive, like a rescue dog that’s been beaten. I imagine I’ll get better over time.”

  A dog? The fact that she compared herself to a dog made his chest tight.

  “I like dogs,” she said as if something had shown on his face. “In my opinion, they’re more faithful and loving than most people. I plan to get my own someday.”

  At least she felt secure enough to consider the future. That meant something. “I’ll be back,” he repeated. “Stay close to the house.”

  * * *

  During the drive east, he wondered how he’d gone so quickly from outright hostility to sympathy.

  As soon as he drove to town, he headed directly toward his house. Someone—Brock, most likely—had locked the place back up and even nailed a piece of plywood over the broken window. In his mind’s eye, Reed could picture George after hanging up the phone, using the butt end of his gun to break the glass in the door and then reach through and unlock it.

  The idea that George had acted so illegally and brazenly, didn’t shock him. Instead, he worried about the possibility that George, if remaining unchecked, would continue to step up his harassment. What next? Setting fire to the house?

  Reed’s living room and bedroom had been trashed. Sofa cushions torn, curtains sliced, clothes pulled from the dresser and tossed all over the room. This gave Reed pause. If someone had broken in looking for hints of Kaitlyn’s presence, the wanton destruction didn’t fit. Unless of course, George had decided to wreck the place just because he felt like it.

  As far as Reed could tell, nothing had been taken. He put a few more nails to secure the plywood over his window, locked the place up tight, and headed downtown to talk to Brock.

  The feed store sat on the south end of Main Street. Brock and his new wife, Zoe, had just returned from their honeymoon. As far as Reed could tell, the two lovebirds appeared to be drifting along on a cloud of bliss.

  Reed really appreciated them. Not only had they grown up together, but Brock and Zoe were among the few people in town who didn’t treat Reed as if being an ex-con meant he had some sort of nasty, communicable disease.

  Once inside, he headed toward the back, where the checkout counter was located. Zoe McCauley stood there, her long dark hair gleaming as she pored over a catalog.

  “Hey, there,” Reed said.

  “Reed!” Lifting her head, Zoe smiled, her eyes lighting up. She practically glowed with happiness. Rushing up, she hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You look fabulous. How are you?”

  “I’m good. How’s life treating you?” he asked, smiling back. While Zoe was lovely, her beauty couldn’t hold a candle to Kaitlyn.

  “Great, wonderful and fantastic,” Zoe replied. “I’m so happy I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven.” She beamed at him, as if inviting him to share in her joy.

  He managed to smile back. “Someone broke into my place.”

  Instantly, her smile disappeared. “I heard. Was anything taken?”

  “Not as far as I can tell. Right now, it seems more like harassment than theft.”

  She sighed. “I’d tell you to give it more time, but some of these people...” She shook her head. “What’s this I hear about you having a new lady friend?”

  Jeezus. Dragging a hand through his hai
r, he tried to find the right words. “It’s not what you think,” he began.

  Her smile came back. “Sure,” she said easily. “Whatever you say.”

  He refused to show his discomfort. “Uh, is Brock around?”

  “Sure.” She glanced toward the back, over her shoulder. “Just a second, he’s around here somewhere.”

  As if summoned by the lilt of her voice, Brock came around the corner. He grinned at Reed and winked at Zoe. “Reed.” The two men shook hands and clapped each other’s backs.

  “You were right,” Reed said. “I checked out the house. Nothing has been taken, at least as far as I can tell.”

  Brock nodded. “That’s what I thought.” He made a show of looking past Reed, pretending to check every aisle of the store. “Where’s your friend? I thought you were bringing her with you.”

  “She couldn’t make it.” Not a lie, though if the conversation kept going in this direction, things could get tricky.

  The store phone rang and Brock answered it. Moving away, he grabbed a pen and paper and began jotting down an order.

  Zoe watched him, her expression full of love.

  Despite himself, Reed felt a twinge of envy.

  “You sure do look happy,” he observed.

  “I am.” She grinned at him. “Beyond my wildest dreams. Love is...well, there aren’t enough words. You should try it.”

  Though he tried like hell to keep his expression neutral, Zoe knew him pretty well. “It’s okay,” she said, leaning over the counter and patting his arm. “You’ll meet someone someday. Who knows—” her expression turned mischievous “—maybe your new friend is The One.”

  His heart actually stuttered in his chest.

  “I doubt it.” He glanced around the store, glad there were no other customers at the moment. “I haven’t made it into town in a while. Any other news?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She exhaled, her smile fading. “Remember Kaitlyn Nuhn?”