Chapter Four
The next morning, after the breakfast rush was over, Malin sat in the dining room, lingering over a cup of coffee with Tilda and Jude. So far, she couldn’t bring herself to reveal yesterday’s events. Operating the ranch put a big enough burden on them all, and she didn’t want to add anything more. But remaining silent wasn’t an option. “Remember Caitlyn’s visit last fall?”
Jude straightened. “Well, that topic is out of the blue. Of course, we remember seeing our favorite cousin.”
Nodding, Tilda sipped, but her gaze over the rim of the mug was steady.
Malin ran a finger along the outside of the ceramic handle. “Did she ever mention anything about Rhys placing surveillance equipment around the big house?”
“Not specifically.” Tilda set down her mug. “But I gave Rhys permission and access because he was hired to protect her. Why are you asking?”
The next bit would be the hard part. “You know I had an appointment with a detective in Butte yesterday, right?” She paused until she spotted nods from both women. “I had to identify suspects but only two of the four have been arrested. Two others are still roaming free.” A sigh blew between her lips.
“What does that mean?” Tilda stretched out a hand across the table.
Malin accepted her big sister’s finger squeeze. “They saw the ranch truck. Tag seems to think they might show up here.”
“From Butte to here and they’re laying low? Hardly.” Jude pulled up a crooked leg, spread out her crinkled skirt, and rested her chin on her knee. “Wait, who’s Tag?”
Jude would fixate on that one detail in Malin’s revelation. Ever since she been seeing her artist friend, Gabriel, she’d looked at every association as a potential relationship. “Another witness from the robbery.”
“The one with the dark brown eyes who helped calm you without a single word?” She bobbed her head, and her white-blonde spiky hairdo hardly moved.
“He was helpful that day, and I ran into him again outside the sheriff’s department.” She shredded pieces from the edge of the paper napkin and twisted them.
“And…?” Tilda frowned. “Whatever happened bothered you, so spill it.”
“He thinks I was followed partway home and that we need surveillance here at the ranch.” There, she’d shared the facts as she knew them. What she didn’t share was how safe she felt when Tag was nearby and how she wished he’d get hired on like Rhys had. Not that she and her sisters could afford to hire a bodyguard. An idea that was silly because he had his own life. “I texted Caitlyn early this morning and asked her to have Rhys contact me. On the off-chance he left equipment here, I figured he could explain how to reconnect in.”
“I wish the expense hadn’t forced us to cancel the previous service.” Tilda twirled her empty mug on the table. “I would feel much better knowing we had some type of security in place. Especially with your news about being followed.”
“But the black truck never reached Eagle Rock. Tag said they disappeared around the Madison county line.”
“Hmm.” Jude grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “How much time did you spend with him?”
Malin shrugged, hoping to look more nonchalant than she felt. “He accompanied me to discuss the situation with Hank Patterson.”
“Hank?” Flopping back in her chair, Tilda sucked in a breath. “So, the issue is that serious.”
Guilt flamed her cheeks, and Malin couldn’t meet her sisters’ gazes. “I’m sorry. I knew nothing good would come out of that lineup.”
“Don’t say that.” Jude scooted her chair close and slung an arm over Malin’s shoulders. “If you can put these robbers behind bars, more power to you.”
Ready to move on to a new topic, Malin stood. “Hank needs a copy of the latest blueprints or architect drawings for the property. Will I find those in Daddy’s study?” Even five years following his passing, she couldn’t think of the room in any other way.
Jude hopped up. “I know right where they are.” She walked from the room with long strides.
“How are you doing, really?” Tilda stood and gathered the mugs and spoons.
Her sister’s concerned tone tightened her throat. Malin hated having to admit to her weakness. “Had another attack, but I worked through it on my own.” She brushed into a pile the shredded twists she’d made. “I’m considering driving over to Brighter Days this afternoon. Suzanne recommended the place as a way for me to look outward.”
“The rehab ranch?” Tilda smiled and nodded. “I think it’s a great idea.”
In the lull between lunch and dinner preparation, Malin slipped into the decade-old compact she’d owned since her college days. Thankfully, one of the ranch hands, Ryan, liked tinkering with engines as well as tending horses. He kept all the ranch vehicles in top shape.
She set her phone on the passenger seat, the screen displaying an open map application. After sliding on sunglasses, she drove off the Dream Vistas property and turned toward Eagle Rock. Every minute or so, she check her mirrors for a sighting of a black truck. The conversation with Hank and Tag spooked her enough to be more vigilant about her surroundings. Within a few minutes, her shoulders ached from the tension.
Following the computer-voiced directions, ten minutes later she steered onto the road leading to the rehab ranch. As she crept along the drive, she gazed among fenced pastures with grazing horses, a big red barn, a weathered bunkhouse set a hundred feet or so behind, and a rambling two-story ranch house.
Movement at the side of the barn caught her eye, and she braked to a stop. She figured her trip today would be just to look over the facilities. Baby steps to her recovery. From reading the ranch’s website, she learned rehabilitative services were provided to wounded ex-soldiers and rescue animals. Malin spotted that same philosophy being put into action. Through the windshield, she watched two men lugging a deep, metal pan toward a metal trough. Amputees who’d each lost an arm, they positioned the load so it balanced between their remaining ones. Clever.
After shoving her phone into her pocket, she grabbed the car keys and headed toward the barn. At the threshold, she paused uncertain of who she might find within. Barns were huge structures, and she shouldn’t feel trapped like she had yesterday in the ranch kitchen. Once inside, she stopped and waited for her vision to adjust to the darkened interior. Dust motes danced in the sunlight beaming through an overhead window. Earthy scents of cut hay and animal sweat teased her nose. All as familiar as an old robe wrapping her in comfort.
“Let me grab those leads and be right back, Hannah.” Someone stepped through the open double doors then skidded. “Oh, can I help you?”
Turning, Malin spotted an older man with gray sprinkled through his brown hair. “Hi, I’m looking for the ranch manager, Hannah. Is she outside?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m the foreman, Percy Pearson.” He removed his gloves and slapped them against his thigh. “Who might you be?”
As long as he remained where he was, his presence didn’t upset her. Of course, that fact could be because of the deep laugh lines near his eyes. “Malin. I read about the ranch online and wanted to see it for myself.”
“Percy, whose car is that?” A blonde woman came in from outside and glanced between the two already there.
Malin gave a wave. “That’s mine.” She extended her hand and took a step closer. “I’m Malin Langstrom, one of the three sisters who own and run Dream Vistas Ranch. I was curious about the operation here and wondered if you accepted volunteers.”
Hannah rubbed her palm on the back of her jeans and shook hands. “Hannah Ken, um, Davila.” She grinned and shook her head. “I haven’t been married long and am still getting used to my new last name.”
“Ah, congratulations. I read about your wedding in the newspaper.” Malin bit back a sigh. At one time, marriage had been a goal toward the top of her life achievement list. Since the robbery experience, she acknowledged the need to get over her panic attacks before she could even entertain the idea of dating.
“Volunteer, huh? We always have more chores than working hands to finish them.” She waved toward the back of the barn. “Will you walk with me while I finish a task I’d just started? I can give you a rundown of our operation as we walk.”
“Sure.” Malin stepped beside the shorter woman who moved with purpose deeper into the barn. She listened to a description of the services that, although Hannah must have given the talk dozens of times, was spoken with enthusiasm. Instantly, she liked this lively person who obviously cared about helping both people and animals. They went through a back door into a small pasture that held a few multi-colored goats.
“Oh, look at the cute goats. I had a childhood friend back in Minnesota whose family raised them.” She watched as the yearlings gathered close to a very pregnant doe.
“I need to give Lolita here a quick deworming injection. Don’t I, little lady? You’ll let me do this without having to chase you.” As she talked, Hannah walked with slow steps until she hooked a lead onto the nanny goat’s halter. “Since you’ve been around goats before, Malin, can you hold her lead while I focus on administering the shot?”
“I can handle that.” Malin walked forward, holding out her left hand with fingers pointing down. Using her right, she grasped the rawhide tether. “Lolita, aren’t you a lovely nanny?” She scratched the goat’s forehead and cooed nonsense words but braced herself in case the goat tossed her head or bolted.
The young goats came close and sniffed then moved away.
“Hey, Hannah. Oh, excuse me.”
Malin turned toward the door and had to glance downward to see the speaker.
A double amputee who held up his body weight on muscled arms ending in gloved hands filled the doorway.
Hannah straightened and patted the goat’s flank. “No problem, Jimmy. What do you need?”
“Just letting you know a guy is out front with a couple of therapy dogs wanting to talk with you.”
Malin’s breath caught in her throat. Tag’s here? She glanced toward the ranch manager to see if his arrival was planned or a surprise for her, as well. The raised eyebrows confirmed she wasn’t expecting Tag. Could this meeting be a coincidence, or was he following her?
“Today must be the day for visitors.” She strode toward the barn then paused in the doorway and tilted her head. “Coming, Malin?”
Remembering how she’d dashed out of the meeting at White Oak Ranch yesterday, she could only nod. Even after Hannah disappeared, Malin lingered, stroking a hand over the nanny’s bristly coat. As soon as Tag proclaimed how she’d put her sisters in danger, she’d raced back to the ranch and made sure everything was all right—which proved to be the case.
Later, as she tossed and turned before falling asleep, she kept thinking about the stupidity of her behavior. The compelling man had only been looking out for her welfare. But she couldn’t deny how every time he made a protective statement or gesture, she wanted to run into his brawny arms and let him keep her safe. She wasn’t sure why, but she was willing to stave off the fear of men she didn’t know well by whatever methods to spend more time together.
She trudged down the barn’s main aisle, dreading coming face to face with Tag again. An apology formed in her mind. Her phone rang, and she grabbed it from her back pocket, glancing at an unknown number with an out-of-state area code. What was Caitlyn’s zip code? She slid the pulsing bar. “Hello?”
“Malin. Rhys Morgan. Caitlyn said you asked about security at the ranch.”
“I did. Thanks for returning my call.” She slowed her steps.
“Only got a couple minutes to talk. I thought I told Tilda this info, but our departure to fly east was hectic. I left a case with a half dozen bugs and a small laptop in the bedroom shelf of the unit where you ladies stayed while I was there.”
“In the overflow modular?”
“Right. Should I call Hank to send out his computer guy to set up and explain the program?”
Making sure more than just one person knew the system was a good idea. “That would be great.” She’d reached the double doors and stopped in the shadows.
“But you know the surveillance being recorded needs to be monitored from the laptop itself. The system isn’t the same as the type where silent alarms notify law enforcement of a perimeter breach.”
Not exactly ideal. “I understand. Thanks, Rhys. Bye.” She pocketed her phone and stepped into the sunshine outside the big structure. First, she checked the area for a black truck. Then her gaze went straight to the tall man standing near the corral fence but facing away from her position. His tight T-shirt and faded jeans looked like they were tailored for his muscled body. Her pulse ramped up. When was the last time she’d been attracted to a man? Innocent flirtations with ranch guests didn’t count. Had an entire year passed since Peter, the lawyer from Bozeman, and she drifted apart?
“Ah, there’s the woman I mentioned.” Hannah gave a beckoning wave.
Tag glanced over his shoulder then turned and grinned.
Her stomach spun like her favorite slot machine at Montana’s Lil’s Casino. No avoiding a conversation now. She covered the distance with quick steps and glanced at the dogs sitting near Tag’s boots, tails wagging in the scraggly grass. They were so cute. “Hello, Tag.”
“Malin. Good to see you again.”
“So, no introductions needed here.” Eyebrows arched, Hannah glanced between them. “Tag’s here to work his therapy dogs near the big animals. If you don’t mind, Malin, will you take him back to the goat pen?” She pulled a walkie-talkie off a clip on her belt. “I need to check with Perry and see where he put the horses to graze.”
“How are you—”
“I’m sorry about—” The collision of their words made her smile.
He dipped his chin. “Ladies first. Go ahead.”
“I wanted to say that I appreciate what you and Hank said yesterday.” She rubbed both hands down the front of her jeans then crossed her arms. “Running out so hastily was rude, and I wanted to apologize.” She dropped her hands to her sides and offered a shrug. Why was she so nervous in his presence?
From under the brim of his straw hat, he stared with a narrowed gaze. “We only wanted you to know about the possibility. I never meant to scare you from the house.” He stepped close and bent his knees so he was at eye level. “You seem tense. Are you all right?”
The breeze brought her the scents of warm male and a woodsy-sweet blend. Heaving a sigh, she shook her head. “If only you knew how many times someone asked me that exact question in the past month…” She jammed both hands on her hips and kicked her toe in the dirt. “I will be fine. Now, let me do as Hannah asked.” She spun and stalked off toward the barn’s doorway. “The goats are back here.”
****
Tag ground his teeth and called himself six kinds of fool. Malin was the perfect case to benefit from what a therapy dog had to offer. He risked turning her off of the idea if he kept getting too personal. Seeing a desired target and going after it was ingrained. But he could learn to temper his attitude. “Pixie, Taffy, heel.” He followed with long strides for about twenty feet into the structure. The scent of fresh straw and earthy leather teased his nose, and he inhaled. The smells always reminded him of home. “Wait, Malin.”
She halted but faced toward the back of the barn.
He circled until he could see her expression. “Now I need to apologize. For pushing. For needing to know how you’re feeling.” If he touched her, would she jump back? He paused, silently urging her to tilt back her head so he could see her beautiful blue eyes. No question in his mind he needed that connection. For the past month, he’d thought of the way she’d looked to him for help during the robbery.
Her lips mashed together before she looked up. “Sometimes, your behavior ticks me off.” She glanced to the side, chin quivering. “At others, I’m glad. Which, when you calculate the actual amount of time we’ve spent together, borders on a crazy thing to say.”
Hope warmed his heart, but he bit back a triumphant grin. “I don’t believe that.” He rested a palm on her shoulder and hoped she wouldn’t shrug away. “And I don’t think you do, either. Bonds created in times of crisis can be rock solid.” The closing lines from one of his favorite movies, Speed, came to mind. He disagreed with Jack’s warning to Annie that “Relationships based on intense experiences never work.” But he liked her answer that she and Jack would “have to base it on sex then.” A situation Tag definitely wanted to explore with Malin.
Malin sighed then dipped her forehead to rest against his chest. “Did what we went through that day establish a bond? Is that why I can’t stop thinking about you?”
“Could be.” Closing his eyes, he relished her capitulation. The gesture was a small one but filled with a huge measure of trust. His blood pumped faster. He slid his arm around her shoulders and eased her against his body. “Or could be the fact that I’m a ruggedly handsome and all-around nice guy.” He rested his chin on the top of her head and caught the scent of orange blossoms. Lean on me, Malin.
“Oh, really?” She laughed and clasped her hands at the sides of his waist.
He fought to ignore the sensation of her breasts rubbing high on his abs. The laugh was the first he’d heard, and he let the soft sound roll over his senses. The light-toned sound could signal she felt more relaxed in his company. “Sure, ask anyone with the last name of Redmond. They’ll vouch for me.”
“Small group of family members, is it?”
Her teasing was impossible to resist, and he bent down until only an inch separated their mouths. The heat from her rapid breathing fanned his chin.
Her eyes rounded, and she nibbled her lower lip.
The hold on his waist tightened as the gap between their faces narrowed. Fighting a pounding heart that urged him to claim what was within reach, he held himself back. Malin would be the one to make contact. From somewhere, a goat bleated, and in the rafters, a bird flapped its wings then settled. Focusing on other things kept him from wrapping both arms around her and tasting her pink lips.
Under a wrinkled brow, her blue-eyed gaze flicked between his eyes several times before she lowered her lids and stretched upward.
Butterflies landing on his skin would have exerted a more weighty touch.
A moan sounded. She slid her hands around to his back and grabbed handfuls of his shirt.
Yet, he stood still. Muscles locked on hold, he awaited the go signal. He told himself not to make a move until she committed fully to the kiss.
Her lips sucked at his, moving his lower lip between hers, then her mouth angled from the other direction. Fingers splayed wide, she grabbed his back.
Success. Tag released her shoulder and angled his arm downward to hold her tight. The firm muscles of her slim body filled his hand. He matched her pressure and molded his mouth against hers, doing his best to only mirror her nibbles and suckling to keep from going too far and scaring her. Even though what he wanted was to crush her body against his and dive deep into her luscious mouth. Warmth spread from every spot where their bodies touched. The blood surging to his groin warned him to pull back. But the sweetness of their connection was a mix of soothing and excitement wrapped together.
“What do you think Cookie’s making?”
“Hope it’ll be steaks. I could eat a two-inch slab of beef.”
Male voices encroached on their magical moment. Tag moved in a circle to put his back toward the sound and eased away so they would have a chance to catch their breath. His pulse raced and he watched Malin struggle to blink open her eyelids.
“Hey, who’re you two?”
Tag glanced over his shoulder to see two young men, each missing an arm, silhouetted in the open barn door. Guys must be veterans in the rehab program. “Friends of Hannah’s. We’re on our way to the goat pens.” He shuffled Malin around to his right side then pressed a hand at her waist.
Cheeks glowing pink, she cleared her throat. “Yes, the pens are right outside the back door.”
Still dazed by the effects of that kiss, he barely remembered to signal to the dogs before he followed Malin’s lead. Then, he wondered when he could again get her alone and explore more of the spark they’d just ignited.