Chapter Thirteen
Noah tried to tame his physical reaction to Dair as he helped her out of the chair once they were back in their home after seeing Candy and her foal. Her hair smelled of sweet timothy hay, a perfume to him. He’d brought her into her bedroom, locked the brake on the chair, and grabbed her pair of lightweight aluminum crutches for her to use. Dair had asked him for a hand to leave her chair and balance herself on her one foot.
This was their nightly routine, and it was something he always looked forward to because it meant being close to her for just a little bit. If she knew how torrid his dreams were about making love with her, holding and kissing her, Noah was sure she wouldn’t want him anywhere near her. But tonight was different. He’d seen how soft and vulnerable she’d become after being with the foal, Ebony. He was sure the rest of the wranglers would approve of the name tomorrow evening when they had their weekly Friday night meeting with Libby.
“Okay,” he murmured, “you ready?”
Dair nodded. “Ready.”
Noah liked that she was independent, but he worried about her head injury and the possibility that she could get dizzy when she was taking a shower by herself. Kira and Shay had helped her for a bit, but now she wanted to do it on her own. What if she slipped? The bathroom door was closed, and unless Noah stood right outside of it, he wouldn’t hear Dair fall. Knowing her perseverance and pit-bull stubbornness had gotten her this far, he wasn’t going to share his concerns with her. He’d mentioned it to her in passing the other day, and he saw the set of her jaw and the flash of determination come to her eyes. At that time, Dair had told him she didn’t want to have to ask people all the time to help her. That she had to learn to be mobile on her own. Understanding where she was coming from, he said nothing more. But the damned urge to help her was always there within him. He found himself biting back a lot of thoughts he knew Dair wouldn’t agree with. She’d never been fully protected by her parents. This streak of independence was fostered by her parents’ decisions—mostly her mother. He had so many personal questions for her.
“Okay,” he murmured, standing in front of her, the footrests out of the way so she could place her foot on the floor, “let’s do it.” He held out one hand to her while holding her crutches in the other. There was pleasure thrumming through his hand as her fingers curled trustingly around his and she pulled herself upright. Dair was strong. She was constantly working out in the small gym that was over at the main house where Reese and Shay lived.
Dair moved close to him and he inhaled her sweet scent as he released her hand, sliding his arm around her waist so she could stabilize herself against him. He handed her the crutches and she took one of them in her free hand, slipping it beneath her arm. For a moment, Dair hesitated. She looked up at him, her face inches from his, staring deep into his eyes. This was different. And new. Noah wanted to kiss her, pure and simple. He saw her gold-brown eyes widen marginally, and her lips part. There was a sense of openness that he felt with Dair as she leaned a little more against his body. The contact was electric. Heat plunged deeply through him and he felt his erection respond instantly. Searching her eyes, he saw yearning in them, and so much more that he was afraid to interpret.
His mind spun in those split seconds. Dair felt so good against him. She was entrusting herself fully to him for the first time. An errant thought occurred to him—that being with Candy and her foal had allowed Dair to drop the walls she hid behind, that the animals had opened her up in a new way. She had remained open with him. It was startling. But wonderful. Noah wanted a more personal relationship with Dair, but it had never happened. Until now. He swore she looked like she wanted to kiss him. The terror of making an incorrect assumption was just as real. His arm was curved around her shoulders, and made his desire for her soar as never before.
To hell with it. He was going to kiss her and take the fallout from her later. He leaned down, his eyes tracking hers, watching for any sign of fear or rejection. There was none. Their breath mingled, his nose an inch from hers. Unable to believe that she wanted his kiss, Noah saw nothing to indicate otherwise. His hands were occupied. He wanted to frame her face with them, but couldn’t. The warm, soft strength of Dair’s body resting against his made all other thoughts dissolve in the boiling heat erupting within him.
Noah grazed her parted lips gently, with invitation. He wasn’t about to plow into her like the typical alpha male would. No, he didn’t want her shocked by his aggressiveness. Dair had had enough of that with her father. He didn’t want to be like that with her, anyway. Her mouth moved against his, tentative, but so mind-bending to Noah, that he mimicked the same tender movement. Tasting her for the first time sent another wave of burning need through him, and he fought to control himself for both their sakes. He felt her arm tighten just a fraction around his waist, felt her lean shyly upward to meet and connect fully with him. Elation soared through him. He felt giddy, like a little boy who had just discovered the treasure of a lifetime. He absorbed the movement of her lips against his, her honesty, her trust in him as he curved his mouth fully against hers for the first time. Dair closed her eyes and so did he, lost in the building heat and promise simmering between them, finally fulfilled.
There was a poignancy flowing through Noah as Dair’s mouth met and matched his. The kiss deepened and he felt her body melting against his as she entrusted herself to him. Not wanting her to fall, he remained anchored so she had something steady to lean against. His mind began to dissolve as her lips parted more and he felt her tentativeness disappear. In place of it was her breath arcing, a little ragged, as she fully invested herself in him. Sheer joy raced through him along with surprise that Dair was actually kissing him in return. This wasn’t one-sided, as he’d thought. Her lips were wet, gliding against his, her breath matching his shortened breath, her arm tightening even more around his waist as she pressed her breasts fully against his chest.
His whole world melted, his mind erased, his body flaming and throbbing as Dair’s lips blossomed beneath his. There was such beauty in the moment for Noah. He swore he could feel the quiet joy flowing through Dair, felt her fingers now moving against his rib cage and back, stroking him, letting him know she was enjoying this communion that had sprung up between them suddenly and without warning. Never had a woman tasted so good. There was no coyness or games in the way she explored him. It was her honesty that totaled Noah, as their mouths reluctantly separated from one another.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and drowned in her gold ones. Noah saw such hunger in them, flecks mixed with the light sienna color. Dair hadn’t pulled away from him. It was more than just about balance, his faltering mind told him. Dair wanted to be against him, wanted to feel her body connecting with his. Luckily, she couldn’t feel his erection swelling beneath the zipper of his jeans. His hands weren’t free, and it frustrated him. Noah gave her a lopsided grin.
“I wish I had my hands free,” he said roughly, watching amusement come to her eyes.
“I wish you did, too.”
His erection hardened over her husky words. Swallowing hard, he savored the feeling of Dair resting against him, never wanting her to leave. “I wasn’t expecting this,” he admitted.
Dair shook her head. “Me neither . . .”
“Maybe it’s been coming over time?” He searched her eyes, seeing lust in them, but also something else, more beautiful, that he couldn’t interpret.
“I think so, Noah.” She cleared her throat and stopped stroking his back. “Maybe seeing the foal did it.”
Noah could feel how shy and tentative Dair had become. He didn’t see regret in her eyes for kissing him. There was still yearning there. “A foal always makes me vulnerable, too,” he admitted.
“Are you sorry you kissed me?”
He smiled a little, liking her boldness. “Not one bit. You?” He saw her lips twitch.
“No. But I don’t know where this will lead, Noah.”
Feeling her fear about the future, he shrugged. “Let’s walk that path a day at a time and see where it brings us. You’re in charge here, Dair. We just need to talk about it so we don’t make stupid assumptions about one another. That’s what will get us into trouble.”
Nodding, she whispered, “I agree.” And then she stared up at him. “This changes everything, Noah.”
“Yes, it does. Are you okay with it? Or do you want to move out and live with Harper in his house?” Noah wasn’t going to assume anything. He saw an instant regret come to her expression.
“Why . . . no. Do you want me to move out?”
“No. But I had to ask. I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
Her mouth quirked and she looked away for a moment. “That’s fair. I guess . . . I guess I’m not used to talking so honestly with a man I just kissed. That’s on me.”
“Well,” he soothed, “the only reason I know it’s good to talk is because I lost my marriage to Chandra because I was locked up and never communicated. I swore that if a woman ever interested me again, I was going to make sure we talked a lot and often. I don’t want a possible relationship dying because I didn’t open my mouth or ask important questions.” He saw a flare of understanding in her eyes.
“I’m not really good at that, either, Noah.”
“Let’s work toward it, huh?” He leaned down, kissing her wrinkled brow. “Let’s take this one day at a time. Talk a lot. Ask questions? Make comments.” He straightened. “I’m not going to push myself upon you, Dair. I’m not going to attack you out of nowhere. You need to come to me and tell me what you want. That way, I’m giving you the room you need.”
She compressed her lips. “Fair enough. I appreciate that, Noah. Thank you.”
“Are you ready for the other crutch?” He saw some pinkness come to her high cheekbones and realized how fragile she really was. Dair projected this individual toughness and bravery, but now he was seeing the tender side that she hid from the world. Noah felt privileged to see it, to feel it, and that she trusted him enough to reveal herself. More elation swept through him as she released her arm from around his waist, took all her weight on her right foot, and he placed the other crutch into her hand.
Dair was an old pro at being on crutches, and Noah stepped aside so that she could make her way into the bathroom to take her shower. Earlier, he’d made sure that a fresh towel, washcloth, and another towel for her hair were within her reach. Every day since being injured, she’d wanted to handle her bathing alone, without help. Noah made sure shampoo and conditioner were on the shower-stall shelf. They were little things, but he knew how much they meant to someone in Dair’s situation. She was teaching him what she needed without asking, because he was a keen observer. And Dair had already thanked him for his insights into some of her needs as an amputee.
As he watched her leave the bedroom and swing easily and confidently down the hall on her crutches, Noah stood there, feeling euphoric. Rubbing his chest, he had never felt happier than when he’d kissed Dair. It had happened so unexpectedly. But it had been such a beautiful coming together. Most of all, it was mutual. That is what stunned him as nothing else had tonight. Dair had wanted to kiss him as much as he’d wanted to kiss her. Still in pleasant shock, he moved her chair toward her bed after pulling back the sheet and covers for her. Everything was within her reach.
Still stunned by their kiss, Noah moved to the kitchen, tidying up for the night. Until Dair got her replacement prosthesis, he was taking care of the cooking and cleaning for them. He didn’t mind. He’d lived here alone before she came into his life. As he wiped down the granite surface of the counter with a cloth, he felt that bubbling, joyous feeling percolating through him. His erection was killing him. There was so much he wanted to do for Dair, to love her, to let her know, in his eyes and heart, she was whole to him regardless of the loss of one of her limbs. Sometimes, though, he would see something in her eyes, maybe shame, maybe a sense of hesitancy, when she allowed herself to get close to him. Was it because of the amputation? Noah wasn’t sure. It was so damned hard for him to talk, to open up. But if he wanted to explore what they might have, he had to communicate. He had to do it no matter how uncomfortable, how awkward he felt. As he finished wiping the counter down, he rinsed the cloth beneath the faucet.
Noah felt even more tentative, the more he thought about their kiss. It was near nine p.m., and he knew both of them would be in bed by ten. Ranch work was brutally physical. But his heart simmered with so many dreams, so many desires, that Noah knew he’ d probably not sleep well tonight. He wouldn’t ever regret their kiss. It opened up a whole new window of possibilities. He had no idea where it would lead them or where their potential relationship might go.
* * *
A blizzard hit Wind River Valley the next morning. Harper and Noah cleared off the wooden sidewalk for Dair. And then he came back to the house and wheeled her down to the barn first, so she could start feeding all the horses. Harper was waiting for Dair and he would help her while Noah went about his duties training the horses in the nearby arena.
Harper would cut open a bale of timothy hay, hand Dair two flakes of it. She would place them in her lap and then wheel over to a horse’s stall, unlock the door and slide it open, tossing the flakes to the awaiting horse, who nickered his or her thanks. Dair felt good this morning, even though she hadn’t slept much the night before. Ruthlessly asking herself why she had initiated that kiss with Noah, she wasn’t sure of her answer, and that drove her crazy. Dair wheeled to the next stall and slid the door open. Harper set two more flakes into her lap.
“You sure you want to continue to do this?” Harper asked.
“Absolutely,” she said. Harper had a tendency to want to coddle her, and Dair would have none of it. “I need to pay my way around here,” she called over her shoulder, giving the flakes to the horses.
Harper grinned, walked down the aisle, picked up two more flakes, and placed them into her lap. “No one around here is going to bother you on not hauling your fair share of the load around here, Dair. Is that what’s worrying you?”
“No,” she said, moving to the next stall to deliver the flake of timothy. “Doing this type of work is a good upper-body workout for me. I have to keep my arms and shoulders strong, for obvious reasons.”
“Gotcha. So? Are you gonna keep working out over at Reese and Shay’s gym?”
“Not so much, because this is a helluva workout, Harper,” she said with a grin. She smiled more as Harper wriggled his dark brows. He was an easy person to be around, but then, he had been a medic in the military and he was a healer at heart.
“Well, don’t forget. We have our Friday evening chat with Libby tonight.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said.
“That’s because Garret’s making us his world-famous cinnamon rolls.”
“When’s he going to be back? It’s a blizzard out there,” Dair said. “He’s got fifty miles to drive in this stuff to make it home by this evening from Jackson Hole.”
Harper looked out the huge, open doors to the barn. “Well, as far as blizzards go, this one isn’t that bad, and it’s moving fast. It’s supposed to have dumped its load of snow by noon today. The plow trucks are out in force, so I think the highway through Wind River Valley will remain open.” Flashing her a grin, he said, “Don’t worry. You’ll get his nice, hot cinnamon rolls tonight.”
Laughing, Dair took the proffered flakes from him. “Hey, I swear Garret could quit his construction jobs and make a business out of baking cinnamon rolls. Really.”
“Oh, Shay’s told him that, too, but I don’t think Garret wants to be tied down to being in a kitchen twenty-four seven. The guy was Special Forces, you know? They’re strong outdoor types. And he’s no exception.”
“So am I,” Dair said, tossing the flake into Jeb’s stall. He was a nice black quarter horse gelding. She moved onto Ghost’s stall. “I couldn’t stay in an office or house too long. I need fresh air and sunshine.”
Laughing, Harper gestured to the thick veil of snow falling outside. “Well, living here, you get nine months of snow and three months of sun. Just remember that.”
“HEY!” Ray Crawford yelled, launching himself through the open door of the barn. “What the hell is a gimp doin’ in here?”
Dair’s head snapped up. She saw the short, wiry rancher charging toward them. His face was twisted with rage, his fists at his sides. As he got closer, she could see he was aimed right at her. Dair turned her chair around after sliding the door closed to Ghost’s box stall. Harper was down on the other side of the aisle, cutting open another bale of timothy hay.
Tensing, Dair held the rancher’s small, angry brown eyes. His face was triangular and covered with at least three days’ worth of gray and brown beard. He was dressed in a denim jacket and jeans, a black baseball cap over his longish hair that hid his ears.
Crawford halted in front of her. “Who the hell are you?” he ground out, glaring at her.
“I’m Dair Wilson, Mr. Crawford.”
He breathed hard, looking with disdain at her chair. “I suppose my stupid daughter hired you?”
Feeling attacked, her heart rate roared upward, her fingers tightening around the wheels of her chair. Dair rolled back a few feet, trying to get away from him. His breath wreaked so much of alcohol, she wanted to gag. Dair heard Harper hurrying up toward them, his boots slapping hard against the concrete of the aisleway.
“Yes, sir, she did,” Dair replied quietly, watching him warily.
“You’re USELESS!” he roared, shaking his finger in her face. “What the hell has gotten into her? You’ve got no legs! And she’s payin’ you to do this? Throw hay into box stalls? What the hell! This is my ranch!”
Harper moved between them. “Ray, you need to leave,” he snarled. “You have no right to come in here and start yelling at anyone who works at the Bar C.”
Dair moved her chair around Harper. Anger was amping up in her, and she snapped, “Mr. Crawford, you’d best leave. You’re drunk.”
Crawford swore, pushing Harper aside with a sharp jab of his elbow, making him fall backward. He charged Dair.
Dair grabbed her wheels and kicked out with her right leg. Crawford slammed into it, letting out an “oomph!” He took a swipe at her with his fist. She ducked and jerked one wheel of her chair around, jamming her foot in his gut, pushing him away. But the force with which he charged her knocked her chair up on one wheel. In seconds, Dair was slamming down onto the concrete. She heard other commotion. And then, she heard Noah’s voice ringing through the barn.
Dair slammed down to the right, pinning her good limb for a moment. She felt pain in her right cheek as she fell full force onto the cold concrete. Crawford had staggered backward, rolling to the floor, swearing. Struggling, Dair was trying to get free of the chair when she looked down the aisleway. Noah was running toward them, his face set, his eyes blazing with rage. All his focus was on Crawford, who was shaking his head and clawing clumsily to get to his hands and knees.
Harper quickly came to her rescue. Placing himself between her and Crawford, he let Noah take care of the angry, drunken rancher.
Noah hissed Crawford’s name, leaning down, reaching out with his gloved hand and yanking the older man upright to his knees. He smelled the heavy alcoholic cloud around the bastard.
“You sonofabitch!” he growled, hauling him to his feet, slamming him into the oak wall.
Crawford snarled and cursed Noah, raising his fist.
Noah blocked his attempt, realizing the man was drunker than hell. But Ray was in a rage and tried to flail at him with his fists, missing him. “Stop!” Noah yelled at him, pinning him to the wall so he couldn’t charge Dair again. He’d seen it all, and he wouldn’t allow Crawford to strike her again. He couldn’t take his eyes off the older man, who was still wriggling and kicking out, trying to force him to let go. Every cell in his body wanted to land a solid punch into this sick bastard’s face. Noah heard Shay’s scream echoing down the passageway from the barn opening.
“Stop it! Stop it!” she shrieked, flying down the concrete aisle toward them.
Noah didn’t hit Crawford, as badly as he wanted to.
Ray spit and snarled, trying to get loose. Noah held him right where he was. He then saw Reese running up the slope toward the barn, too. Breathing hard, Noah glared at Crawford.
“Stop fighting. You’re going nowhere.”
Shay came running over to Dair to help Harper get Dair out of the tangle with the chair.
Reese came to a halt next to Noah, glaring at Crawford.
“What happened here, Noah?”
“Talk to Dair and Harper.”
Reese turned, walking over to them.
In moments, Dair was back in her chair, Shay and Harper surrounding her, protecting her in case Crawford, who was still jerking around, got free of Noah.
Swearing under his breath, Noah, in one swift move, turned Crawford’s face toward the wall, captured his hands and yanked them behind him. Grabbing some rope from his back pocket, he tightly tied Crawford’s wrists. He let go and the rancher stumbled around.
“You bastard!” Crawford spat. “I’m going to haul your ass up on assault charges! I’ll put you where you really belong !”
Noah gave him a lethal smile. “Try it,” he rasped, and jerked the shoulder of Crawford’s jacket, pinning him back against the wall. “You’re going nowhere. You’re the one who assaulted Dair. And we have witnesses.”
“Are you all right, Dair?” Reese asked, leaning down, his hand on her shoulder.
Dair gave a jerky nod, her gaze never leaving Crawford, who was still cursing and kicking out at Noah. “I-I’m fine.”
Reese gave her a strained look. “What happened? Can you tell me?”
In as few words as possible, Dair told him everything.
“I’ll second what she said,” Harper growled. “Crawford attacked her. If Dair hadn’t used her good leg to stop his forward motion, he had his fist cocked and was going to hit her in the face.”
Grimly, Reese glanced over at his wife. Shay looked absolutely shocked, white faced, her blue eyes filled with anguish. “I’m calling the sheriff,” he told her.
“Y-yes. This isn’t right. My father shouldn’t be attacking anyone. Especially Dair.” Shay patted Dair’s dusty jacket, trying to give her reassurance.
Reese crouched down in front of Dair, his hands on the arms of her chair, looking her over intently. “Do you need an ambulance, Dair? What about your leg?”
“No, I’m fine. A few bruises is all. Ask Harper. He’s a medic.”
Harper grimaced. “You should be seen by Dr. Radke, Dair. You took a helluva spill in that chair. And your right knee took the brunt of that fall.”
Dair shook her head. “My right knee has some scratches, but that’s all. It feels fine.” She looked at Reese. “Just get that drunken asshole out of here.”
A grin partially leaked out of one side of Reese’s thinned mouth. He slowly rose, patting her left arm. “We’re going to.” He looked over at Shay and Harper. “Will you take Dair back to her house? And Harper? Can you check her over medically once they are home? Just in case?”
“I’ll stay with her, too,” Shay volunteered, her voice wobbling with emotion, her gaze on her combative father, who had unceremoniously sat down on the floor with a disgusted grunt.
Reese leaned forward, kissing Shay’s cheek. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he said thickly. “Let me handle this? You stay with Dair.”
Tears tracked down Shay’s taut cheeks. “Y-yes, go ahead.” She sobbed, pressing her hand against her mouth as she stared at belligerent, cursing Ray, who was now glaring up at her.
“This is all your fault, Shay!” Crawford roared. “This is on you!”
The concrete walk between the barns was slippery, so Dair was glad Harper was willing to push the chair for her, Shay with her hand on her shoulder, walking quickly beside her. The wind blew fiercely, and by the time they arrived at Noah’s home, they had a lot of snow to shake off their clothing. She felt numbed out, and realized she was in shock.