by Kaki Warner
“Damn,” Richard muttered.
Dalton gave him an appraising glance. “I think you’ll be okay. Everyone’s a little cowed by KD, and the fact that she brought you home gives you a free pass. Unless you screw up like he did.”
“Cowed in what way?”
“KD’s self-reliant. Independent. Knows exactly what she wants and what she’ll have to do to get it. You can’t boss her around or intimidate her, and if she’s settled on you, no one would dare question it.” He grinned. “Not your usual Gunther County debutante. None of the sisters are.”
“She was a debutante?” Were any of his assumptions right? But he couldn’t really be blamed. The woman was a mass of contradictions. Smart, yet gullible. Fearless, but sometimes timid. Softhearted, but capable of killing. Richard appreciated all that. Kept him on his toes. Most of the women he’d spent much time with seemed boring by comparison. And not nearly as sexy.
“The Whitcombs are the prominent family around here,” Dalton said, yanking Richard back from memories of his pleasant romp with KD the previous night. His knees were still sore. “And they know others look up to them and follow their example. I think KD suffered through it only because it was expected, then she hit the road. She’s the only one to totally leave the nest.”
And now she’s back, Richard thought. No career, no focus, no idea what to do next. How will her family react to that?
They sat in silence for a time, finishing off one beer, then starting on the second. Richard settled back, feeling mellow and relaxed for the first time since he’d arrived, lulled by the chorus of frogs down by the creek and the gliding, swooping paths of night birds hunting in the moonlit sky. “Nice place,” he said.
“It is,” Dalton agreed.
Another long pause, then, “How long you staying?” Dalton asked.
“Not sure.”
“When do you have to be back?”
“Never. I didn’t re-up.” Richard didn’t say anything about KD’s forced separation. She would explain that when she was ready.
“Any plans?”
“Not yet. Hopefully, I’ll come up with something before my savings run out. Maybe something in law enforcement somewhere.”
“Sheriff Ford is retiring soon.”
Richard looked over at him. “Isn’t that an elected position? And doesn’t he have deputies who might want it?”
“Toby Langers is the only deputy. A total douche. Doubt he could get elected shit sweeper.”
“Not a fan, I’m guessing.”
Dalton snorted. “He and I have had run-ins going back to our high school days. But if you want, I could ask Sheriff Ford if he might be interested in taking on another deputy. That might buy you name recognition come election time.”
Richard didn’t feel he needed anyone to speak for him. But he wouldn’t mind talking to the sheriff, if not about a deputy job then about added protection for the ranch. “Maybe I’ll check with him next time he comes around.”
Dalton chuckled. “That’ll probably be tomorrow. Guy’s got a real hard-on for Mrs. Whitcomb.”
“How does she feel about that?”
“She’s not running him off, if that’s what you mean.”
Out on the lawn, a coyote trotted by. On the other side of the creek, another barked and yodeled. Reminded Richard of the valley in Washington state where he grew up. They’d heard coyotes almost every night. Often, eagles floated by, or the occasional black bear, moose, or cougar might show up. And since the valley was a major migration route, mule deer could always be spotted in the alfalfa fields.
He wondered what it would be like to live here in Texas. No real mountains, no orchards, no snow skiing, or sub-zero winters. But he liked the people and the pace and the openness of it. And it had KD, who was the strongest attraction of all.
* * *
* * *
KD was asleep when he entered the bedroom. Curled in a tight ball again. Dreaming, it sounded like, the way her breathing rose and fell in short bursts. He wondered if she was reliving that night in Afghanistan, or worried about something else. She’d had a lot of things crashing down on her at once, including the shocking things he’d told her about Kenny’s death and his disastrous marriage. And now he’d have to tell her the maniac who had threatened her was on the loose. His chest hurt just thinking about it.
For a minute or two, he stood by the bed, watching her, not sure if he should wake her. The soldiers he’d known who battled PTSD didn’t do well if awakened abruptly. KD suffered from acute anxiety disorder, which wasn’t the same, but it would probably be best to let her come out of her dream on her own.
When she didn’t waken, he went into the bathroom, took a quick shower, pulled on a T-shirt and boxers, then went back to check on her.
Her breathing had evened out, but her body remained tense. In the dim moonlight coming through the window, he could see the crease between her brows and guessed she was still dreaming. He didn’t wake her, but in case she needed him, he stretched out as best he could in the upholstered chair by the bed.
While he watched her sleep, he thought about his own unsettled situation. That initial panicky feeling of leaving the army had faded, but he still didn’t know what he wanted to do. Every time he tried to think about it, his thoughts kept circling back to woman on the bed. How did she fit into his life? Or was it too soon to even think about that?
As the moon sank lower and KD began to relax, all those disjointed thoughts in his head lulled him into dozing fantasies of him starting over, building a life and a family in this windy, flat, sparsely treed prairie with KD by his side.
* * *
* * *
“Richard?”
He jerked awake, confused and disoriented, not sure where he was. Then saw KD sitting up in bed, staring at him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. Except that you’re sleeping in the chair. Why?”
He dragged a hand through his hair and tried to gather his thoughts. “You were dreaming. I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Well, now I’m awake.” She threw the covers aside. “Come to bed.”
He climbed in, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her back against his chest. “What was bothering you?”
She looked around at him. “When?”
“When you were dreaming. It looked bad. Afghanistan?”
She settled back, her fingers idly stroking the forearm he’d tucked under her breasts. “I’m not sure. You were there, and Nataleah and Dalton and Raney. We were all running from something. I’m not sure what. I don’t remember much of it now. What were you and Dalton doing out so late?”
“Talking to the ranch hands.”
“About what?”
Now or never. “Khalil Farid.”
He felt her tense. “What about him?”
“He’s disappeared. Vocek at Hickock thinks he and two others might be headed here.”
“Here? To the ranch?” She bolted upright and twisted to face him, saw the answer he couldn’t hide, and let out an angry hiss. “That asshole! Do I have to kill the whole fucking family to be free of this shit?”
Richard held back a grin. His fierce little warrior. “Take a number, babe. There are six guys ahead of you, not counting married reserves, the law, and your sister. Which reminds me, do you have any handguns in the house?”
“Seriously? A shootout?”
“I know. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
“You’re ridiculous.” With a huff, she lay back down, her cheek against his chest. “Other than Daddy’s hunting rifles and shotguns, I have an S&W .357, Raney has a Glock 19, and Mama has a .38. We never let Joss have a gun, and I don’t know if Len has any. Probably not, with kids at home. What about you?”
“Since I couldn’t take them on my flight back to Killeen, I had my two handguns mailed to the ranch. Dalton a
nd I may go to Rough Creek and Gunther on Monday to get all the ammo we can.”
“I can’t believe they’d let Khalil come here. Didn’t State cancel his visa?”
“They tried. He was already gone. His ID has been flagged, but you know how porous the southern border is.” Feeling the way tension rippled through her body again, he lifted her head up for a kiss. Then another. And another.
“He probably won’t come to the ranch even if he gets into the country,” he said a few minutes later. “But if he does, we want to be ready.” As he spoke, he ran a hand under her T-shirt. “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Isn’t that what they taught you in boot camp?”
She arched, her heartbeat fluttering against his palm like that of a trapped bird. “We’ll have to tell Mama and Raney.”
“Dalton’s talking to them in the morning. How about you climb on and give me a riding lesson like you did last night.”
He almost shivered when she reached between them and tugged down the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers closed around him, gave a squeeze that had him bucking against her. “You do seem to be a slow learner.”
“I’ll do better this time. I promise.”
With a low, sexy laugh, she sat up, swung a leg over, then eased down with excruciating slowness. “How’s this?” she asked when he was fully inside her.
“Ah . . . perfect.”
She began to move, slow and sweet. “This is called the walk. Just a simple rocking motion. After a while, we’ll move on to the trot and canter.”
“You can move on now if you’d like.”
“I’m not sure you’re ready.”
“I’m ready. I swear it.”
“You’re sure?”
“God, yes.”
“Then grab ahold, cowboy. This is going to get wild.”
And Lord love her, she was right.
* * *
* * *
The next morning, Richard rolled out of bed just as dawn turned the sky into an opalescent pink dome.
“Where you going?” KD mumbled, still half-asleep. “It’s Sunday.”
“For a run. Sorry I woke you.”
“You’ll be back for breakfast?”
Hearing the anxious note in her voice, he leaned over and gave her a kiss. He knew she was planning to tell her family this morning about leaving the army, and she wanted him there for moral support. “Relax, babe,” he whispered in her ear. “I’ll be there. Now go back to sleep.”
An hour later, he came up the veranda steps, winded and sweating, then stopped when he saw Mrs. Whitcomb sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace, watching him. “Morning,” he said.
“Have a nice jog?” she asked, eyeing him over the rim of her coffee mug.
“Yes, ma’am, I did.”
A tray on the ottoman in front of her held a coffee urn, another mug like the one she held, a pitcher of orange juice, two unused glasses, and a plate of croissants. Almost like she had been waiting for someone—probably him—to accidentally fall into her web.
“It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is,” he said, blotting sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his damp shirt. He’d been prepared for the heat, but hadn’t expected so much humidity. By the look of the thunderheads rolling in from the southwest, they might be in for a rain storm before the day was over.
Smiling, she motioned to the tray. “Join me?”
It was more of an order than an invitation. But he was thirsty, and that juice looked really good. “Thanks,” he said. Wondering what kind of interrogation he was in for now, he sat in the chair across from hers. “Did I miss breakfast?”
“No. You and I are the early Sunday risers, it seems. Coffee, juice, or both?”
“Juice would be great.”
She poured, then sat back and watched him gulp it down. When he returned the empty glass to the tray, she said, “I’m aware that KD is no longer in the army. Apparently, she told Raney yesterday, who told Dalton, who let it slip to me this morning when he tried to sneak past me to go to the lab. But I wasn’t aware that you had quit, too.”
Cagey of her, going for a frontal attack, an interrogational ploy he’d used many times himself. Sensing this was another test, he simply gave her the truth. “I didn’t exactly quit, ma’am,” he said. “I just didn’t re-enlist for another tour.”
“Because of KD?”
He shook his head. “I’d already started the separation process before Senator Tomlinson pressured the army to cancel the hearing and release her from service instead.” He could be cagey, too.
She stared at him without expression for a full ten seconds, then her shoulders slumped on a sigh. Leaning forward, she set her coffee mug on the tray and sat back. “I didn’t intend for them to force her to leave the army. Is she upset?”
“More like conflicted.”
She looked past him out toward the lawn. “Sometimes, when we care deeply about someone, we’re so driven to protect them, we do things we shouldn’t.”
Having made his own mistakes, Richard understood. And in a way, he owed this woman. If not for her interference, he and KD might not have connected as strongly as they had. “KD’s a realist, ma’am. I think she knew her career would be adversely impacted by her injury. Leaving the service was the right thing to do.”
“But the army was everything to her.”
He shrugged. “Do you think she would have been happy spending the next twenty years behind a desk?”
Her eyes were the same blue as Raney’s, although they were shimmering with unshed tears now, and showing less challenge than regret. “I pray you’re right.”
He could see she was hurting. “She’s already thinking about another project,” he told her, hoping to lessen her pain. “Something with horses. Ask her about it.”
“Horses?” Interest sparked in her eyes. “Like what?”
“You’d best ask her about it. I don’t know all the details.” He looked down the hall toward the empty kitchen. “When did you say breakfast was?”
“I didn’t.” She rose and picked up the tray. “But now that we’ve had our little chat, it should be ready in about thirty minutes.”
A truce. He was okay with that. “Then I’d best get cleaned up.” He stood. “Thanks for the juice.”
“And, Richard,” she said before he could escape.
He stopped and turned back.
“Thank you for your honesty. And your loyalty to my daughter.”
“I assure you, ma’am, it’s no hardship.”
Two packages were waiting on the counter when Richard walked through the kitchen. Both addressed to KD, one written in his handwriting. Scooping them up, he headed back to the guest suite.
“Hey,” KD said, coming out of the bathroom as he tossed the packages on the bed. “What’s that?”
He turned, then went still. As always, whenever he saw KD, even after a short absence, he was struck anew by how beautiful and sexy she was. Especially when she was wearing a skimpy tank top and running shorts.
“You’re staring. What’s wrong?” Her hand flew up to her hair. “Is something crawling on me? I saw a spider in the bathroom.”
“Seriously? A combat vet and you’re afraid of spiders?”
“You don’t know Texas spiders. What’s that?” She eyed the packages.
“You get mail delivery on Sundays?” Richard tossed her the one he hadn’t addressed and picked up the larger one. By the weight of it, it held his handguns. In the nick of time.
“We don’t get delivery at all. These must have come to our PO box late yesterday.” KD opened hers and dumped several books and pamphlets onto the spread. “I had them overnighted.”
Richard read the titles over her shoulder. “Horse therapy?”
“I thought I’d do some r
esearch.” Gathering up the books, she stacked them on the table beside the bed. “Might as well do something constructive, right?” Her eyes flicked over him. “That was a long run, but you’re not even sweaty. I’m impressed.”
Richard pulled her in for a kiss. She even smelled sexy. A lot better than him. “The run was only about fifty minutes. The chat with your mother was another twenty.” He went in for another kiss.
She pulled back. “Oh, Lord. What did she say now?”
Richard pulled off his shirt and tossed it in the corner, then sat down to unlace his running shoes. “She knows you’ve left the army.”
“Damn. Secrets never last in this house.”
“She’s worried about you, is all.”
“She should be. She set it all in motion.”
He lifted his head. Had KD forgotten she and Captain Mouton had ignored orders? “You blame her for what the army did?”
“No. Not really.” She had the good grace to blush and look away.
Richard went back to work on his laces.
“But she did interfere,” she pointed out.
Richard set his runners aside, tugged off his socks, then rose from the chair. “It’s a good thing she did. The army could have dragged it out for months, even years, before reaching the same conclusion. But take heart,” he said over his shoulder as he walked into the bathroom. “She’s about to interfere again.”
“Oh, crap. What is she going to do?” KD followed behind him, then stood in the doorway, watching as he finished undressing. “And quit trying to distract me by taking off your clothes.”
Pulling back the glass shower door, he turned on the water then grinned back at her. “You could always shower with me.”
“I just fixed my hair.”
“Fix it again. Or leave it wet.”
“Right. Then everybody would know we showered together on a Sunday.”