Chapter Two
She chafed every moment she stayed in the house, following his instructions to the letter. If she hadn’t, he might have contemplated spanking her sassy ass. She’d cut her hair short, and the almost boyish cut to the brown strands suited her. A no-nonsense hairstyle for a no-nonsense rancher. A plaid work shirt draped across her breasts, the sleeves rolled up in difference to the warm day. Her jeans were worn in all the right places, and her boots were scuffed. Certainly, she dressed to work—not impress. He’d been impressed anyway.
By the time he took pictures, and documented the crime scene including what he thought were tracks leading off toward the western edge of her property, he had a good idea whoever did this wasn’t an amateur. Her western neighbor up until a few months ago had been her best friend Shelby, then she sold the acres to a group talking about putting in a retreat center. Logan said they’d already spoken to Jenny, mentioned keeping a fairly wooded perimeter between their properties, and that they would ensure any guests didn’t wander. Apparently they were building a large bunk-style house for guests and making trails through the property. A pond complete with a waterfall had been created in the center. Pretty, Logan had said, and while Caid didn’t want to jump to conclusions, he had no idea what kind of hokey new age spiritualism they were doing. Then again, people like that tended to be vegan and things like mutilating cattle would be so far beyond the pale for them that it was hard to see them as suspects.
He set up wireless cameras in that pasture, and along gates to her other pastures, a daunting task that took half the day. When he sat in his truck with his tablet and watched all nine cameras at once, he finally relaxed. Unless someone cut fence, and there hadn’t been any signs of that so far, he’d see them coming or going.
When he came back to the house, he sat down with Jenny, going over her daily schedule. He might need to bring in someone to watch the cameras, then again, he bet Hank had someone for a job like that. They also discussed her neighbors, the previous mutilations, and in general, felt her out to see if she had any idea what might be causing it. An ex-boyfriend was mentioned, nothing serious and it seemed they parted on good terms. Still, he made a note of the name and made a mental note to run it through some databases this evening just to be on the safe side.
The problem with cattle mutilations from what he could tell with a web search is that they usually peaked around areas where people believed to have seen UFOs or other supernatural creatures like Bigfoot or the Capybara were sighted. Nothing like that had happened around here. Occasional northern lights, sure, but nothing even remotely approaching a UFO sighting. He could check with the UFO group out of Cheyenne; they were pretty active from what he could tell online. Still, it seemed like such a long shot and one that might make him the laughing stock of the Brotherhood Protectors. Guys like him didn’t go chasing after UFOs. Usually they were the UFO.
Night had fallen while they’d been talking and he’d been researching. He didn’t realize it until Jenny came downstairs wearing a long nightshirt, her legs blissfully bare, that she’d changed for bed. His groin ached thinking about lifting the hem of her shirt, seeing what she wore underneath, and exploring that territory with his lips and fingers. Her breasts swayed against the thin fabric, and though the shirt had a picture of an angry horse on it with the phrase “Cranky Mare”, it could be the most expensive negligee for as much as it aroused him. He focused on his work, on remaining professional.
“I put fresh sheets on the bed in the spare bedroom. I’m going to go to bed. Morning comes really early. You’re welcome to stay up as long as you want.” She nodded, almost perfunctory, as if she, too, were trying to ignore the tension between them. “Good night, Caid.”
He rose to his feet, setting the tablet on the couch next to where he sat and crossed the space between them. “Thanks. You didn’t have to go to all the trouble.”
“No trouble.” She swallowed hard.
Did she feel it, the incessant pull between them of their shared past and the future that wanted to recreate it? He paused at the foot of the steps. She’d stopped a couple steps above, placing her face even with his. Reaching for her, he cupped the back of her head, his finger tracing the shell of her ear, letting the soft strands of her hair play over his hand and pulled her close. “I’m a man used to sleeping on the ground. You didn’t have to go to the trouble.” He brushed his lips across hers, unable to stop or even try to rationalize things. His kiss lingered, just the touch of lips against lips, and when he pulled back they both were breathing heavily. “I hope you’ll sleep well knowing that I’m watching over things. Hank has a man who will keep an eye on the cameras overnight. Whoever is doing this, we’ll catch them.”
And then what? He’d go onto another mission. He’d signed on to Hank’s agency, which meant he’d do just that, though it didn’t have to be out of state. The very idea of leaving Jenny, even for a few days, bothered him. He’d waited this long to come back to her. Now that he was here…
“If they see something, they’ll text me,” he added, hoping to reassure her.
“I want to go with you,” she said. “They’re my cattle. It’s my financial future they’re messing with every time they’ve killed one. I’ve talked to my insurance guys. Adding it up, it’s something I can claim, but I’ll never be made financially whole from this.”
“Don’t say that.” He knew nothing about the finances of cattle. The closest he’d come was to being his high school rodeo’s year end roping champion for tie down roping. Good enough to win in the small leagues, not good enough to go on to the bigger ones, which was how he ended up in AFSOC as a jumper. “We’ll find the bastard who is doing this and you’ll be made whole. I promise you.” He cupped her chin again, the calloused pad of his thumb brushing against the plump, lower lip he’d just kissed.
“You’ve been known to make promises you can’t keep,” Jenny said. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. “Don’t let this be another one.”
~* * *~
Jenny lay in bed, listening for any sound down the hall. Knowing Caid slept nude, most likely, and would welcome her to his bed only fired up the libido she’d tried to keep tamped down since his arrival. His words stung. Damn, he had no idea just how much or how strongly they did. He’d promised to come back for her. He’d promised…a lot of things. That her brother probably chewed his ass and kept him away didn’t matter. If he’d loved her…
Except, she had the feeling he did, and while he’d been making promises, she’d been the one who’d told him that she didn’t want to do the “long distance thing” and worried she’d be just one of many. Not that Caid was like that at all, still old fears and worries die hard.
She thought she heard a phone vibrate and reached for her cell. No, wasn’t hers. A moment later the sound of Caid getting out of bed, possibly putting on some pants—she did not need the mental image of dark blue denim sliding over his muscled calves and thighs to cover his tight ass—followed by the sound of him going down stairs and muted talking.
Someone was in her pasture.
Hank has a man who will watch the cameras overnight. He’ll text me.
The only reason why Caid would be awake and on his phone at this hour would be if he had gotten a phone call. The front door closed. A few moments later, she heard the pounding of hoof beats as Caid rode off on horseback.
He took one of her horses. Not that she minded. She told him they were all well-trained, and he’d told her about his past as a high school rodeo champion, so she knew he could ride. But if someone was in her pasture, they might have a gun. They might shoot at Caid—
She muttered under her breath, threw on jeans, stuffing the hem of her night shirt into the waistband, then tugged on boot socks and boots. She tucked her cell into its holster, grabbed her Colt and strapped on her shoulder holster, and hurried out to the barn.
Sooty’s stall door hung open. The grulla gelding would serve Caid well. Well-trained, turned on a dime, yet level-headed enough not to do something stupid at some ungodly hour of the night. She ran a brush over Daisy, her palomino mare’s back, then tacked her up and was riding out of the barn in record time. At least he had taken Sooty, as she’d suggested earlier in the day if he needed to ride out. The other two horses, Bubba and LeRoy, were two obstinate bay geldings with wide blazes that had been rescues from the sale barn. She still was getting used to them and didn’t know much about how they’d work on the ranch. So far, they preferred to do their own thing and liked to buck and snort when asked to work.
She scanned the horizon, hoping she’d see Sooty and Caid. She didn’t, but she knew the pastures where her cattle grazed and headed in that direction. The steady beat of Daisy’s gallop lulled her into the sensation that she was out for a ride. The cloudless sky dotted with a slight crescent moon and what seemed like a million stars stretched overhead. An owl hooted and the sound of frogs provided an accompaniment to Daisy’s four-beat cadence. There, a flash of light caught her attention and she slowed Daisy, uncertain if that was Caid or one of the intruders. For a moment she debated about dismounting and walking on foot, but if she needed to make a hasty getaway…
Caid knelt by the fence. He looked up, his hand raised. The scant moonlight glinted off the barrel of a gun. “Halt!” He yelled.
“Caid. It’s me!” She halted Daisy.
“Damn it, Jenny!” He shone his flashlight at her, lingering on the holster and gave a nod of approval. “You could have been hurt,” he growled.
“I heard you leave.” She dismounted and led Daisy forward, securing her to the fence post next to Sooty. “You found something?”
Caid nodded. “Someone was spotted trying to cut the new lock I put on the fences where I put cameras. When they couldn’t cut the armored cable locks, they left. For now.”
“I hope you were planning on getting me keys to those. And we should probably check this pasture, too.” Jenny filed away the fear and worry, going into rancher mode to get through. Later, when she was in her home, warm and snug with a blanket around her shoulders and a cup of cocoa in her hands, she’d probably lose it. For now, she needed to ensure the safety of her livestock.
“I was just about to do that. How many cattle should I find?”
“Roughly 250 head. But I want to go with you. I’ll know if any are missing.” She watched him unlock the gate.
“Go back to the house, Jenny. I’ll take care of this.” Caid straightened and unhooked the lead rope from the gate. At least he’d had the good sense to put the combination halter/bridle on the horse so he wouldn’t tie him by the reins.
“No. They’re my cattle.” She unfastened Daisy and slipped one booted foot into a stirrup.
“It’s not safe.” A growl underscored his words.
“Nothing’s safe, Caid.” She swung into the saddle. “Let’s go. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to get some sleep before morning.”
Caid muttered something under his breath, and she smiled as she passed him, riding into the pasture.
They rode silently along the fence line. Of course the cattle were at the far end of the pasture. Though it was hard to count them in the dark, she did the best she could, finding a newly born calf in the process.
By the time they reached the barn, streaks of light had appeared across the eastern horizon. She unsaddled Daisy, thankful when she turned around and Caid took the saddle from her and set it on the stand just outside the stall door. She closed and latched the door, then sagged against the wooden boards, exhausted.
She shook, all the fear and worry she’d pushed aside to ride and count cattle coming to the fore. Before she could sink to the floor, Caid pulled her against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against him. His big hands comforted her, caressing her shoulders and back. She leaned against him, breathing deeply so she wouldn’t break down in tears.
Caid murmured to her, not really words, but comforting sounds, and she wished he’d hold her like this forever, tucked against his hard, warm body, shielding her from all the crap out there in the world.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. “Hank’s man is running what we saw through facial recognition. I expect a text at any moment with an id. Let’s go inside. I’ll fix you breakfast.”
Her stomach rumbled and she smiled. “I guess that’s a yes.” She couldn’t quite release him, not yet, not when every inch of her wanted to get closer to him, maybe even push him down onto the hay bale and…
Caid’s phone buzzed.
“There it is,” he said, grabbing it from the holster at his waist. “They got him. Let’s go inside and get some breakfast started.”
“Who is it?”
“I believe you know him. Jon Perry.”
“Shit,” she muttered. “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”