Dixie Under Siege (A Warrior's Passion Book 2)

by Natasza Waters

  He tugged the reins, turning Oats. “Let’s put some miles on these hooves.”

  She gave Jigsaw a loose rein and gently heeled the pinto. For twenty minutes, they enjoyed the open hard-packed gravel trail that rose a couple feet higher than the surrounding refuge on either side. The closer they got to the beach, the gravel changed to loose sand.

  They passed others on the trail. Couples taking a walk or folks out for a run with their dogs.

  “Do you ride often?” Dixie asked, appreciating how good he looked in the saddle. There was something incredibly magnetic about the man. Unfortunately, she had a clear memory of him without his clothes, too. Josh had been her first and final crush.

  “Not since I left Utah.”

  The gentle motion of her horse’s forward movement felt familiar and soothing. “Do you miss home?”

  “I keep in touch. Folks are doing fine and most of my brothers and sisters didn’t move far from the ranch.”

  She certainly didn’t miss her family. Or better put, she tried not to think of them because it reminded her of being the outcast.

  “I spoke to the folks last night,” he said. “I told them I’d found you.”

  She chuckled. “You make it sound as if you’ve been looking. I’m sure your mom wasn’t happy.”

  “Actually, very happy and peppered me with questions.”

  Seagulls soared overhead, their wings carrying them effortlessly. Without Chandler stalking her, Dix almost felt like she could soar too. “Hope you didn’t tell her everything.”

  “If I did, she’d only worry. Before we ended the call, she made a suggestion.”

  Dix adjusted her butt in the saddle. “Well if it was my mother, I’d say she suggested running me over with your truck. But since it was yours, I can’t guess.”

  “She wants me to bring you home the next time I visit.”

  That surprised her. “Seriously?”

  “Mom always wondered what had happened to you.” He grinned. “She thinks it’s fate that we bumped into each other again.”

  Dix leaned forward and stroked Jigsaw’s neck. “More like bad luck on your part, but if I hadn’t, I’d probably be doing thirty years to forever in prison.”

  “Don’t even want to contemplate that,” he said, no longer smiling.

  The media had done a fine job slaying her character when she’d been held for questioning. After the senator’s arrest and the exhumation of bodies from the estate, the TV and newspapers went wild. She worried the ordeal would hurt her business, but instead, the Erotic Bean turned into a tourist stop. The downside was the number of reporters flooding her place for a story. When approached, she promptly asked them to leave. Suddenly, she was no longer the demon that killed a handsome CEO, but a woman who’d been stalked for years and narrowly escaped death. As usual, the details were exaggerated for headlines.

  “What’s happening with Detective Blanchard and Melodie?” she asked.

  “Lt. Manchester cut a deal. Melodie provided an in-depth report of her father’s illegal activities. All the charges against her and Blanchard have been dropped. The detective is facing a thirty day suspension, but he’s not losing his job because of extenuating circumstances.”

  “You mean because he was trying to save her life?”

  Josh nodded. “Pretty much. Melodie has a hard road ahead of her, but Det. Blanchard has connections and she’s already at a drug treatment center.”

  Dixie stared into the blue sky above. “He must really love her. I hope she finds some peace.”

  “Me, too.”

  During the last week, she’d thought about the poor women buried on the estate. “I saw in the news they identified Chandler’s victims.”

  Josh shrugged. “I would assume so, but my involvement was over once they let you out of jail.”

  There was no way Dixie could ever repay Josh for what he’d done. “Where did they take Senator Kallis?”

  He adjusted his shades and grinned. “Hopefully to the pits of Hell. If I know Ghost, he’ll escort him there personally and hand him over to the devil.”

  “Okay, then.” No more questions on that subject.

  They rode in silence for a while, the steady clop of hooves on the path a comforting sound.

  “You know, I honestly thought you’d be married and have a whole herd of children by now,” she said, breaking the silence.

  “Some team guys can juggle family and service time, but not all.”

  People fell in love all the time. Dix found it perplexing that a man like Josh hadn’t.

  “Did Gesem want a family?” She still felt sick to her stomach over the woman’s fate. The irony that Josh’s old flame killed Chandler and set Dixie free was nothing short of mind-blowing.

  “Marriage never came up in our conversations, Dix.”

  Struck by a spear of jealousy, she wondered what their post-sexual conversations entailed. If Gesem had chosen to come west with Josh, they probably would have married. Although he said he didn’t blame Dix for her death, she wished for his sake Gesem had lived.

  “Did you see her parents?”

  “I did. Manchester was right. My presence helped somewhat. They were devastated, but also very proud of their daughter when I explained her involvement in bringing Kallis to his knees.”

  “Think she was stupid not moving to San Diego with you.”

  Soon as the words were out of Dixie’s mouth, she realized it was like the pot calling the kettle black.

  “You talking about Gesem or someone else?”

  “I’m pleading the fifth, SEAL.”

  They stopped when the trail ended at the beach. Waves rolled up the sand with a gentle lap. A warm summer breeze kissed her cheeks and reminded her to relax.

  “Left or right?” she asked. Either way, the beach was practically empty.

  “Mexican border is that way.” He pointed to the left.

  She urged Jigsaw onto the beach and rode down to the tideline, then reined the horse to the left. Josh kept up when she nudged Jigsaw into a canter. The thick smell of saltwater eased the layers of tension she hadn’t even realized existed.

  The tall mesh fence dividing Mexico and the United States grew out of the sand ahead of them.

  “That’s Friendship Park,” he said, pointing at a small rise in the land to their left.

  She dismounted. “What’s up there?”

  “A few picnic tables. Grounds a little higher for a better view.”

  Her gaze surveyed the fence and the open ocean. “Guess you’ve been to Mexico before.”

  “Few times.” Josh got off his horse and stood beside her.

  With subtle glances, she appreciated his presence and handsome profile. Familiar, but different. The lines on his face had deepened with age.

  “This was extremely thoughtful of you, but I don’t understand why.”

  Josh gazed out toward the Pacific. “It’s been a week since your release, and you’ve been working as if someone is going to take it all away from you.” He shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”

  He slid his arm around her shoulders, just like when they were teenagers. A relaxed move that always told her, “You’re mine.” During their years apart, Josh’s arms had no doubt held a lot of women. She easily imagined him caressing and pleasuring numerous beautiful partners.

  Dix casually stepped out of his reach and smiled up at him. “You’re right. I’m a little off-kilter.” Relief and happiness should have been at the top of her list these days. Instead, she felt alone. Empty. “Suppose you’ve travelled a lot.”

  “Not many places that called for a beach blanket and a good book.”

  Jigsaw butted Dixie’s left arm with his head and she gave him a pat. “Guess terrorists don’t always get a room at the Holiday Inn, Beirut, huh?”

  “Not often.”

  By the sombre tone of his deep voice, he didn’t want to talk about his career. Dix closed her eyes and let the breeze lull her prancing pulse. “You can
tell me to mind my own business when it comes to your missions. Or your life, for that matter.”

  He cleared his throat. “No, it’s not that.”

  She’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop. The day she’d been arrested, Josh told her he still loved her. From past experience, he could change his mind in a blink of an eye. Maybe this excursion was his way of saying goodbye.

  “Josh, I can tell when your mind is elsewhere.”

  He swept his hand through his brown hair, very short around his ears, but longer on top. The style suited him.

  “In all those years we were apart, did you ever consider trying to find me?”

  Her chest constricted. Burying the truth, she smeared a friendly smile onto her lips. “I wouldn’t have known where to start.”

  His jaw flexed but he kept his attention pinned to the horizon. “Yeah, you did. You could’ve called my folks. They knew where I was stationed.”

  Dixie inhaled and the familiar scent of horse roused her memories. Although her parents weren’t loving, they’d provided a roof over her head and fed her. But there was no one in Utah who would have given her shelter if she’d gone home. Knowing what Melodie Kallis had lived through, Dix considered herself lucky.

  “Convinced myself your mom was foe, not friend. But I did have an intimate relationship with my moving boxes. After the first two states, I wised up and kept them, instead of throwing them into the recycle bin.”

  Her half-assed joke made no impact. Josh turned toward the knoll behind them. Two border patrol agents stopped to look their way. Since she and Josh weren’t wading across the border, the guards continued their patrol.

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “No,” she lied. “Never thought about burdening you or anyone else. According to the wives, SEALs like a variety of women. I would have ruined all your fun.”

  He gnawed on his top lip.

  She chuckled. “I’m just teasing, Josh. I mean, be honest. If you’d seen me walking down the street, you’d have hid behind the first bush you could find.”

  Josh bounced an agitated glance off her. “Did I walk the other way when I saw you in the Erotic Bean?”

  “After our first encounter, you did.”

  “You told me to get the hell out.”

  “I saw you come into my shop several times, but you stayed away from me. I thought that’s how it would stay. Instead, I opened my big mouth and Gesem’s dead because of me.”

  Josh faced her and shook his head. “Dix, you have to stop thinking like that. It’s not true.”

  “You and I both know it is. Although we’ll never know the whole story, Det. Dean interviewed your neighbors. They saw Gesem at your front door. If you hadn’t been with me, she’d probably be alive. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m truly sorry. Whether she wanted your help or wanted to mend your relationship, either way, because of me, you didn’t have a choice.”

  Josh faced her and said harshly, “I had a choice. I could have asked her to live with me when I transferred. I didn’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  He groaned. “Why do you think? She and I were together for three years when it was convenient. If I would have been home when she came to San Diego, I’d have helped her. But if she wanted more, that was never going to happen.”

  “I see,” Dix said weakly.

  “Do you?” His brow crinkled tight. “Or do you want to carry the blame that doesn’t belong to you, for everything and everyone. I’m the one who left you behind in Utah. When I realized what a monumental mistake I’d made, you’d already vanished. I went on with my life, but you were always in the back of my mind. I earned a degree. Found a career. And then I found you again.” He exhaled sharply. “Do you have any idea how nervous I was when I saw you in the Erotic Bean? You were even more beautiful than I remembered. I thought for sure you’d smile and tell me about your husband and family.”

  Glued to the spot, Dix listened to Josh speak. He needed to vent, and she wanted to hear it all.

  “When I learned how Kallis had hunted you for years, that you had no peace, no one to protect you, I was fucking livid with myself. But also relieved. All that mattered was that you hadn’t fallen in love with someone else. What kind of an asshole thinks like that?” Josh flapped his arm in frustration. “How many sleepless nights did you have? How many times did you jump with fear? Look over your shoulder? I’m where I am today because I keep a clear head. Think decisively. All that went out the fucking window when I saw you again. After all that, do you honestly think I would choose Gesem over you?”

  Josh’s angry expression became a puzzle of narrowed eyes and creased lines. She’d never seen him like this before.

  “I’m…I’m sorry. I didn’t…” Shit, she hated stuttering.

  “Fuck!” He tossed his reins to the sand and trudged toward the waterline.

  Why did a woman’s bladder always fill up at the worst possible moment? She squeezed her thighs together. The park had to have a public restroom. Either that, or the border guards were gonna get one heck of a show.

  Dix mounted Jigsaw. She didn’t know whether he wanted to talk to her anymore or— “Josh, I have to use the bathroom. I’ll be back.”

  He jabbed his arm in the direction behind them. “It’s down that trail.” Then Josh quickly grabbed Oat’s reins so the horse wouldn’t follow.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Josh glared at the ocean. Christ almighty. What the hell just happened? It’s like he vomited a verbal ball of cancer he’d been carrying around inside him. All he’d wanted to do is reassure her that Gesem didn’t hold a marker in his heart like Dixie did, but then—

  Who was scared now?

  Him. He was scared.

  After the cops had released Dix from custody, Josh returned to work, as did she. He’d call every day and suggested they get together for dinner, and every time she had an excuse. The horseback ride was a planned counter-offensive maneuver. A sneak attack to get her face to face.

  With Chandler dead, Dix had her freedom, yet she’d withdrawn. Not what Josh expected, nor what he wanted.

  Minutes later, much longer than she’d need in the bathroom, Dix rode toward him, her ponytail bouncing with the horse’s lazy trot.

  When Jigsaw came to a stop, she looked shell-shocked. And why wouldn’t she? He’d just unloaded on her like an RPG.

  “Dix—”

  “We can head back to the parking lot, if you want.”

  Josh slid his hand along the horse’s soft coat as he locked onto Dixie’s gaze. “No. That’s not what I want.”

  Her smooth cheeks flushed a pretty hue from the warm day. For the thousandth time, he acknowledged how deeply he loved her. How much he’d missed her. The woman triggered his emotions. He wanted to protect her, provide for her, and make a life with Dix. The thought that she’d been raped and alone for all those years, cracked his heart.

  Dixie tilted her head. “Then let’s go for a ride.”

  What the hell was happening between them? Instead of demanding she explain, he said, “We can head north. Ride the beach.”

  “Sounds good.”

  For the next hour, they walked and sometimes galloped the horses down the tideline. Watching her ride, in tune with the animal, brought back even more memories. All of them made him smile.

  “Let’s stop,” he suggested and headed up the shore.

  She followed, but didn’t dismount. He intended on tying the reins to a log, but she didn’t make a move.

  “You going to join me?” he asked, dismounting.

  Dix held her bangs out of her eyes against the brisk breeze. “We’ve been riding for a while, aren’t we running out of time?”

  He wasn’t certain about the time, but couldn’t blame her for shying away. How could he ask Dixie to share her thoughts when she’d done that with Gesem and he’d lost his shit?

  “Sure, we’ll head back.”

  Oats stretched his neck to nibble on the short gr
ass near the log, and Josh let him have a few bites.

  Thirty minutes later, they entered the trail bordered with white fencing that led to the drop off location.

  The cowboy from the stables leaned against his truck as they trotted into the parking area. The horses didn’t need much coaxing to step up the ramp, into the trailer.

  By the time Josh thanked the guy and gave him a tip, Dix stood by the front of the Dodge. Joining her, he placed his hands on the hood, trapping her within his arms.

  She hooked her index fingers through the loops of her jeans instead of slipping them around his waist.

  “I enjoyed the ride, Josh. Thank you. We should do it again some time.”

  He’d say the same thing to his buddies after a round of golf. But she wasn’t a buddy. “Anytime.”

  The tense friction and polite banter bothered the hell out of him. This wasn’t who they were. Dix had been the one person he trusted above all others. How the hell could he expect her to trust him after the way he’d reacted?

  This mission was a total failure. Not only had he lost the reason for bringing her out here, but he’d thrown down ground fire and she’d retreated even further.

  “I’m sorry, Dixie. This isn’t what I planned.”

  A friendly smile traced her lips, but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m kinda used to expecting the unexpected.”

  That did not make him feel any better. “This moment reminds me of a time when I used to kiss you. Back then, I never paused to wonder if I should or shouldn’t.”

  She shrugged, gazing at the surrounding scenery. “Hungry?”

  “Sure you don’t have other plans?” The bite of frustration in his voice threatened to dislodge.

  She cleared her throat. “You can drop me back at the shop, if you want.”

  No, he didn’t want that!

  Josh led her around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. His thoughts whipped into a squall of concern as she scrambled into the pickup. He needed to find the eye of the storm if she’d had a change of heart.

  When he slid into the driver’s seat, he noticed her hands trembled. He gripped the steering wheel to anchor himself. “Dix, you’ve been through a lot. You always appear so strong. As if nothing can hurt you.”