Bulletproof Christmas

by Barb Han

  What was up with the empty feeling that overcame him at the thought of giving up Boots? It wasn’t like he had enough time to train a dog or the lifestyle to support one. Sure, Boots was cute but Rory couldn’t have truly bonded with the animal in such a short time. A voice reminded him that he’d always wanted a dog and that was most likely the reason for the melancholy that wrapped around him at the thought of giving up Boots.

  He looked at Cadence, who was staring him down, and he could tell that she was trying to figure out what he was thinking.

  Ella broke the moment when she entered the kitchen. She froze as though she realized she might’ve been walking in on something.

  His talk with Cadence was progress and Rory would take any ground he could gain with her. Another pang of guilt took a swipe at him for leaving her to deal with the pregnancy on her own this long. If he’d stuck around, he would’ve known.

  “I had to wake a few people up, but everything’s been set up for—” she glanced at the wall clock “—noon today.”

  Rory glanced at the same clock. That didn’t give him much time. He locked on to Cadence’s gaze, trying not to think about the way her silky skin goose bumped when he skimmed his lips across that spot on her hip, the one on her right side. Or the sexy mewl she made when he slid his tongue over her stomach and then across her bare breasts. Good job, Scott. Way to be strong. He cleared the frog in his throat before meeting Cadence’s gaze again. Her face was flush, which almost made him wonder if she was thinking about the same things. No. Definitely not. She was probably just having a hot flash, or whatever pregnant women had when they wanted to strangle the man standing across the kitchen island from them. “I know I said you’d better rest but now I’m thinking you should pack a few things instead.”

  “You’re right.” Again, he was caught off guard when she didn’t argue. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Rory turned to Ella. “You might want to get a few hours of sleep, too, before everything goes down.”

  “I doubt if I could,” she said. “I’m not feeling well from all this stress and I don’t want to wake up Holden.”

  He’d heard about her husband. Holden seemed like a good guy. Rory could see himself going fishing or having a beer with him. Of course, now that news about his and Cadence’s so-called quiet fling was out, no Butler or Crawford would ever trust him again.

  Ella moved to the fridge and pulled out a ginger ale.

  “Congratulations, by the way,” he said. “I hear you and Holden got married over Thanksgiving.”

  She smiled. “Holden’s leaving for Virginia tomorrow. He has a few things to take care of back home.”

  “I was hoping to meet him and shake his hand.” It seemed like everyone was coupling, finding happiness.

  “He’d like that,” Ella said.

  Rory figured family life was in the cards for some.

  Not him.

  His collar tightened just thinking about settling down. He tugged at it but it didn’t loosen. He glanced around, wondering if someone had turned the heat up.

  “You okay, Rory?” Ella asked. She walked over to him and zeroed in.

  No. He felt like he was going to pass out. But he wasn’t about to admit to her the idea of becoming a father made the air whoosh out of his lungs and the room shrink. Or maybe it was just the thought of marriage doing that to him.

  “Fine.”

  * * *

  “TELL ME WHAT you need and I’ll get it for you,” Rory offered, and it immediately occurred to Cadence why he would say that. The feeling of being hit by a bus slammed into her. The rifle had been trained on her window. There was a shooter out there who wanted to put a bullet in her. The depth of those statements was starting to sink in. She wasn’t as concerned about herself as she would’ve been six months ago, which seemed strange. Times had changed. She had other lives depending on her. The thought that anything could happen to her babies almost knocked her back a step.

  Anger shot through her and she could only imagine how much stronger her protective instincts would become once the twins were born and she held them in her arms. For a half second she thought about telling him there were two babies. Deep down, she feared it would be too much for him. That he would get spooked and take off again.

  Rory would be protective of them, too.

  Would he fight her for custody? She’d been immature before. Made big-time mistakes. Would Rory use them against her in court?

  “Cadence.” Rory snapped a finger near her ear.

  “What?”

  “I asked about your things. What should I pack for you?” he asked with a concerned look.

  “Oh. Right.” She shook her head as if that could get rid of the bad feeling. “I’ll go with you.”

  He seemed reluctant to agree.

  “I’ll stand at the door far away from the window,” she said.

  His lips compressed into a thin line, which was a sign of anger for most people but it meant she was making progress with Rory.

  “All right,” he finally said, turning on his heel.

  It didn’t take long to pack, considering Cadence hadn’t completely unpacked yet. Still, she only wanted to take a change of clothes and a few bath products. Rory placed them in her old backpack from high school that was in her closet, saying it would be easier to carry them around this way. He added that it would also be easier to slip out unnoticed.

  “So, what’s the plan exactly?” she asked.

  “Mr. Staples is coming through the front gate at around eleven forty-five. There’ll be a slew of activity out there as his car arrives. Ella plans to be in the front, looking like she’s finishing decorating. We’ll slip out the back. There’ll be a four-by-four waiting for us.”

  “Sounds easy enough,” she admitted.

  “But then we’re going off road toward the east side of the property,” he said. “Think you’ll be okay going over a few bumps?”

  She rubbed her belly. “I guess so.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take it as easy as I can,” he said. “The four-by-four vehicle will get us to farm road 12 where a vehicle is parked.”

  “What about Dex? Think he found it?” she asked.

  “We’ll see when we get there.” He zipped her pack and threw the strap over his shoulder. “Ready?”

  She was so ready to get out of there. Being at the ranch without her father was hard. The events of this morning had distracted her but nothing felt the same without Maverick Mike Butler around.

  Waiting for the right moment to slip out the back door seemed like it took an eternity. She’d eaten and thrown a few protein bars in her backpack to tide her over just in case. It seemed like she was always hungry these days since she was eating for three.

  A small group of ranch hands went out every day on four-by-fours to check fences and keep an eye on the herd, so she and Rory joined the caravan that split in opposite directions once they cleared the barn.

  Her nerves were frayed thinking that Dex or someone might be out there, waiting for them. An ambush could easily be set up even with all the precautions they were taking.

  And then there was Rory. Being in close contact wasn’t a good idea. Her body seemed to remember all the nights they’d spent together and ignored her brain that was telling it to cool its jets. There was something about pregnancy hormones that made her crave sex even more once she’d gotten over the initial hump of wanting to vomit on everyone. Hormones were strange.

  Wrapping her arms around Rory reminded her how easy it was to be with him and how built he was. Then there was the excitement of keeping their fling to themselves, telling no one about their relationship. It seemed so much purer that way without her family’s interference.

  Plus, she doubted her father would’ve approved. He didn’t like her seeing hired help socially.

  Those endless
nights with Rory came rushing back into her thoughts, showering her with memories. Memories of lying there tangled in the sheets, gasping for air, completely happy. Memories of staying up half the night talking. Memories of waking up in his arms the next morning.

  Was it the happiest she’d ever been? Yes. She could admit that part to herself. She’d been happy with Rory, which had made his ultimate rejection sting all that much more.

  * * *

  SNEAKING OFF THE ranch as the family lawyer arrived had worked as planned.

  “Where to now?” Cadence asked as Rory navigated onto the two-lane highway.

  “I have a place on the outskirts of town.” Rory’s place had always been viewed as his personal haven so he never brought people there. Cadence Butler wasn’t exactly “people,” considering she was the mother of his child, an annoying voice reminded.

  She got quiet and he could only guess his revelation had hit her in a bad place. This was her first visit.

  The rest of the ride was spent in heavy silence, like a storm brewing.

  The fact that he cared about Cadence’s opinion of the small cabin tightened the coil that was already overly wound up in his gut. It was one of the reasons, okay the main reason, he’d insisted they meet up somewhere else when they were together.

  She moved from the living room to the dining room, the kitchen and back. He couldn’t read her expression. Was she disappointed?

  “One bedroom?” she asked and for the first time in probably her life, she sounded nervous.

  “All I need,” he said a little too quickly. He glanced at her bump and decided the first thing on his to-do list once she was safe was find a bigger cabin or start plans to add a room to this one.

  He studied her expression as she took in the place. Frustration nipped at him that he couldn’t tell what she was thinking and he sure as hell didn’t have any plans to ask. His small cabin wasn’t big enough or good enough for someone used to living in a place that looked like some high-end resort. She had people who cooked for her. She’d most likely never cleaned up after herself a day in her life. To say his place was modest would be putting it lightly.

  She quirked a smile before taking a seat on the leather sofa.

  “What?” he bit out a little harsher than he’d intended. He was frustrated that her approval meant so much to him.

  “Nothing.” She shrugged, looking offended at his sharp response. “I just didn’t expect you to have any furniture.”

  “That’s fair.” He smiled. He couldn’t help it. “There are dishes, too.”

  “How about a pillow and a blanket?” She bit back a yawn and when he really looked at her, she had dark circles under her eyes.

  “In the other room where I want you to sleep.” He motioned toward the door off the living area.

  “I’m fine right here. This couch is actually comfortable,” she suggested.

  “It’ll work for me.” He walked over to her and offered a hand up.

  She didn’t take it. Instead, she pushed up to standing and then walked past him.

  Chapter Six

  If Rory thought Cadence was incapable of finding a glass by herself he needed to think again.

  Even so, she was surprised that his place was so cozy. A corner fireplace made of tumbled stone anchored the living room. A simple mantel consisted of a long darkly stained wood plank. Instead of the obligatory massive flat-screen TV every bachelor seemed to have, Rory had a wall of shelving with keepsakes and a few books.

  The place felt so much like him. She didn’t want to feel this comfortable at his place. She could also clearly see that his cabin was meant for one—a number Rory liked. She’d been sucked into believing he had real feelings for her once. And for Rory, he probably had. But he could only go so far before he cut himself off from emotions that could make him want to stick around. Now it was her turn to laugh. Rory Scott staying in one place for more than a few days? Now, that was funny.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” he said from the door.

  “Okay.” She peeled off her ballet flats, thinking how much water weight her ankles held now. Let her eat one potato chip and they’d swell.

  It was nice to climb under the covers. Even though it was early afternoon by now, she was tired. Lack of sleep and pregnancy weren’t friends. She immediately drifted off and felt like she’d barely closed her eyes when an urgent-sounding voice shocked her awake.

  She tried to mentally shake off the fog and force her eyes open. It didn’t work. She had the feeling that came with being in a deep sleep and something jerking her awake. It was like moving in slow motion. She forced her eyes open to confirm what she already knew. It was Rory. He was standing over her, gently shaking her with a serious expression on his face.

  “Wake up, Cadence,” he said again with more urgency this time. His voice was laced with anger, too.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Someone followed us.” She heard him mutter a string of curse words before glancing at her and apologizing. “Someone’s here.”

  “Where?” she asked, pushing up to a sitting position. And then she heard a noise outside. “Never mind. What do we need to do?”

  He set her ballet flats on the bed next to her before locating a fold-up chair from the closet and positioning it against the closed bedroom door.

  “Be as quiet as we can,” he said in a whisper.

  She rubbed blurry eyes in time to see that he was clutching a rifle with his left hand as he checked and then opened the window.

  The urgency of the situation hit full force when Cadence heard the wood floor creak in the next room. Her pulse raced and her hands started shaking as she slipped into her flats.

  Rory was beside her in the next instant, taking her hand and leading her to the now-open window.

  Panic roared through her at what they might find outside. In broad daylight, it would be harder to hide.

  Rory helped her out the window before following her in the next heartbeat. It was clear by the stealth and quickness of his movements that she’d wind up holding him back.

  He broke into a run toward the thickest part of the trees surrounding the cabin, which happened to be around back. She thought about the angry lines etched in his forehead when he’d spoken to her. Did he resent the fact that she would slow him down?

  “Can you run a little faster?” he asked as she heard the back door of his cabin smack against the wall.

  “There,” a strong male voice said and she didn’t dare risk a glance back. She was already having a hard time keeping up.

  She struggled for purchase in the slick-bottomed shoes she wore.

  Another voice cut through the air and ripped down her spine. The men had seen them and were coming. She pushed harder, ignoring the burn in her thighs.

  Throwing everything she had into moving faster, she caught the side of a large rock at an odd angle and rolled her ankle. She tumbled and her first thought was the babies. She prayed they’d be okay as Rory helped her up.

  He looked like he had to make a quick decision, help her or keep the shotgun.

  With no time to evaluate her injury, he chucked the weapon and they took off running again, this time without her right shoe because there was also no time to hunt for it. Rory was the only thing keeping her upright.

  Adrenaline couldn’t completely mask the pain pulsing from her right foot as she felt every sharp rock and branch against the pad of her foot.

  Whoever was behind them would gain ground if she so much as glanced down to see how bad it was. She could feel a cool liquid running down her ankle and it made her foot slick. She had no idea what she was stepping on...a mix of rocks, branches—creepy bugs?—or who knew what else. Cadence involuntarily shivered at the thought of crunching a cockroach with her bare foot.

  A grunt escaped and she felt Rory’s hand tighten around
hers.

  “I’m okay, keep going,” she quietly urged, knowing full well he’d stop if he thought this was too much for her. She couldn’t afford to be the reason they were caught and especially since someone wanted to put a bullet in her head.

  In the thickest part of the trees, she couldn’t see twenty feet ahead. She knew that Rory had done that on purpose and yet it slowed them down, too, as they winded through underbrush and weaved through mesquite trees. He started zigzagging and she was pretty sure he’d circled back to where they’d started—it all looked the same to her out there—when a pair of men jumped them from behind a bush.

  Instincts from having brothers who loved to wrestle with her when she was growing up caused Cadence to throw up her elbow instead of panic. She connected with the face of a thin but wiry man. Wiry grimaced and then threw his arms around her in a viselike grip. She dropped down and twisted, breaking his hold on her.

  Rory was nearby and he lunged at Wiry, knocking him off balance. He looked at Cadence and shouted, “Run.”

  She hesitated for a second because she didn’t want to leave him alone. Plus, her ankle was screaming with pain.

  Rory was strong. There was no doubt about his fighting ability. But two against one?

  Rory made eyes at her as he pinned Wiry down between his thighs.

  She pushed to her feet, almost lost it and fell when a branch jabbed her heel, but powered through enough to run.

  A football-player-looking man dove at Rory. He twisted out of the guy’s way but he was in for a fight. If she weren’t pregnant, she would’ve stayed to help but she had to put the babies first and that’s what Rory wanted.

  The voices behind her grew faint until they disappeared. Cadence pushed as hard as she could, considering her right foot felt like it had been shredded.