by Elle James
“If I stay in this area, I want in.” She smiled in his direction. “Nothing was more frustrating than to stand back and do nothing.”
“Yeah, but you’re so…small.”
She straightened her shoulders. “I might be small, but I’m stronger than you think.”
The thought of Kinsey carrying a heavy hose or charging into a burning building made Becket’s stomach clench. “It’s not easy. The PPE, personal protective equipment, we wear is heavy, even without the oxygen tanks. On top of that, the pressure from a water hose is enough to knock men as big as I am flat on my ass.”
“Lily is a volunteer, isn’t she?” Kinsey pointed out.
“Yes.”
“Surely, there’s something I could do. And I’d like to be included in the training. Every man and woman who lives in a rural community needs to know how to defend their lives, loved ones, and property from fires, don’t they?”
He nodded, a smile curling his lips. “You’re right. I shouldn’t judge the small size of the package. My father always says: where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
“I have the will.” Her head jerked in a quick nod.
He liked her spunk. And to think, her ex wanted to beat it out of her. Becket’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. What he wouldn’t give to pound the bastard into the ground.
At the house, he climbed down and came around to help Kinsey out of the truck, exhaustion making his steps slower. He set her on the ground and, before he could think about what he was doing, he brushed a light kiss across her forehead. “Thank you for helping. You didn’t have to come, but I’m glad you did.”
“I couldn’t have stayed behind, wondering what was happening,” she said, her face turned up to his. She touched her hand to his chest. “I almost had kittens when I saw that wall fall on John LaRue. For a minute, I thought you were the one trapped.”
Becket took her hand and touched his lips to her fingertips. “Thanks for worrying about me.”
She stared up into his eyes, heart thumping against her ribs. Then she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
The kiss may have been a soft brush of her mouth against his, but it was the spark that ignited the flame.
Becket’s arms circled Kinsey’s waist and he crushed her to him, his lips coming down on hers, claiming her mouth. She gasped, her mouth opening enough for his tongue to slide inside, to twist with hers, caressing the length. He tasted smoke and a hint of minty toothpaste.
She sighed and laced her fingers around the back of his neck, dragging him closer.
What started as a simple thank you, exploded into something hotter, more combustible and all-consuming. The sound of a squeaky door hinge made Becket back away. He dropped his arms to his sides and stared down at her, his chest heaving.
Kinsey raised her fingers to her lips, her eyes round, her erratic breathing making her chest rise and fall rapidly.
“Becket? You out there?” Lily called from the back porch.
Thankfully, the truck blocked her view of him doing something he should never have done. “I’m here,” he responded, stepping into view. “What do you need?”
“Could you make sure the chickens are locked in the coop? I thought I saw something moving around when we came in. If it’s a coyote, I don’t want it to get to the laying hens.”
He lifted a hand in a casual wave. “Will do.”
“Thanks.” Lily reentered the house and closed the door.
“Do you need help checking on the chickens?” Kinsey asked.
Her voice was low, gravelly, and so sexy, Becket’s groin tightened. “No,” he said, firming his resolve. “You should go inside.”
Before I kiss you again.
She started to turn away, paused, and touched his arm. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“Hell, yeah. But I’m not sorry it did.” He brushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “I can’t take it back.”
“Nor can I.” Her chest rose and fell on a sigh. “But I can’t let it happen again.”
“Okay.” Though he wanted to pull her back into his embrace, he restrained himself. “You’d better take a number for the shower. I’ll be in shortly.”
He spun on his heels and headed for the barn and chicken house. Resistance wasn’t working for him. Which meant the farther away from Kinsey, the better.
Grabbing a flashlight they kept hung on the inside of the barn, Becket made a perfunctory inspection of the chicken house and yard. No sign of coyotes. He shined a beam at the ground. The only prints in the dust were human. No animal tracks. As Becket made a turn around the exterior of the barn, he had the odd feeling of being watched. Shining the flashlight beam outward, he panned the surrounding corral, pasture, and outbuildings. Nothing moved, yet the shadows took on a more sinister feel.
Becket shrugged, writing it off as exhaustion.
Tomorrow, he hoped to hear news from Natalie about the restraining order. He almost hoped Dillon would make a play for Kinsey. Becket would love a chance to show the man what being battered and thrown around like a rag doll felt like. He’d give the son of a bitch a taste of what he’d done to Kinsey.
Kinsey tossed and turned through the night, waking with a headache and tightness in her chest. She suspected the headache was from lack of adequate sleep and inhaling too much smoke the night before. The source of the tightness in her chest had to be what kept her from sleeping. Her girlhood crush on Becket had exploded into a full-blown ache that couldn’t be satisfied with a single kiss. Though the kiss had been hot. Really hot.
Leaving her bed just after dawn, Kinsey dressed in the freshly laundered clothes she’d picked out at the thrift shop, brushed her teeth and hair, and headed for the kitchen. At the very least, she could make herself useful. By the time the Graysons entered the kitchen, she had coffee brewing, bacon, toast, and scrambled eggs cooked.
A yawning Lily made a beeline for the coffee. “Smells good enough to drink.”
“What are you talking about?” Chance entered behind her, crossed to the stove, and snagged a piece of bacon. “It smells good enough to eat.” He took a bite and moaned. “Heaven. Pure heaven.”
“We need to keep Kinsey around.” Nash filled a plate with fluffy yellow scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast and sat at the table.
Kinsey’s insides warmed. After living in a house where she’d been made to feel like the inferior being, she liked being surrounded by people who appreciated her efforts.
Lily and Chance filled their plates, claimed seats around the table, and dug into the food.
Then Becket stepped into the kitchen, and Kinsey’s pulse quickened and heat rose into her cheeks. She turned away and filled a plate for him.
“Aren’t you eating breakfast?” Lily asked.
With Becket’s plate in her hand, Kinsey turned from the stove.
The cowboy stood at the back door. “Nah. I’m not hungry. I’ve got animals to feed and a fence needing mending in the south pasture.”
“If you can wait, I can help when I get off work this afternoon,” Chance offered.
“I don’t go on duty until five o’clock this afternoon, I can give you a hand this morning,” Nash said. “Just let me finish my breakfast.”
Becket shook his head. “No need, it’s a one-man job.”
“I’m working in town today,” Lily announced. “Some of the elementary school staff are conducting a Learning is Fun Day at the library. We’re expecting at least two-dozen kids. Otherwise, I’d help. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Don’t wait dinner on me.”
Without responding, Becket left the house.
Somewhat deflated, Kinsey set the plate of food in the middle of the table. “Y’all eat up.”
“Aren’t you eating?” Lily asked, a frown wrinkling her brow.
“I already did,” Kinsey lied. Her appetite had gone out the door with Becket. She cleaned the pan she’d used, wiped the counters, and left the rest of the Graysons in the kitchen.
Kinsey hurried up the stairs to Rider’s old room and pulled on her cowboy boots, disappointed with the complete brush-off Becket had given her. She’d already decided keeping her distance was the best course of action, but did he have to be so cold and withdrawn? He’d barely glanced her way. At first she was angry, but as she descended the stairs, she had to admit, he was right. Beyond a doubt, her previous relationship was over, but she wasn’t ready for a new one.
By the time Kinsey reentered the kitchen, she saw the other Graysons had dispersed. From the quiet in the house, they’d either left or gone outside. That gave her the privacy she needed to call Natalie and check the status of the restraining order.
Natalie answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Natalie, it’s Kinsey Phillips.”
“Hi, Kinsey. I’m glad you called. I have good news and bad news.”
Kinsey sucked in a deep breath and dropped into the nearest chair. “Go ahead.” A lump of fear lodged in her throat.
“My contacts in Dallas convinced a judge to sign off on the restraining order yesterday. The sheriff attempted to serve Mr. Massey.”
“Attempted?” Kinsey’s stomach sank to her knees.
“That’s the bad news. Mr. Massey wasn’t home. When the sheriff went to the Cowboys’ practice field, he verified everyone was there but Dillon.”
Her heart kicked up the pace, and she felt lightheaded. “Not there?”
“No one has seen him since the day before yesterday.” Natalie paused. “I’m worried about you, Kinsey.”
“I’m okay.”
“Yeah, until Massey finds you. Be sure you’re with one of the Graysons at all times. Hopefully, Massey won’t try anything with others around.”
With her pulse pounding so loud she barely heard Natalie, she thanked her and hung up.
Needing the reassuring presence of a friendly face, Kinsey left the house and went in search of Becket. She found him working on a water trough in one of the pastures. She climbed over the wooden rail fence and dropped to the ground. “Need help?”
“No. I’m almost done here, and then I’m headed out to mend the fence I mentioned.” He straightened and wiped his hands on his jeans. Water poured into the trough. “That should do it.”
“What was wrong with it?”
“The horses must have bumped the float. It was reading full all the time, so the valve wouldn’t release to refill the tank.” He turned and studied her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she answered, too quickly. He must have seen the strain in her face, because he pulled her into his arms.
“You talk to Natalie?”
A lump formed in her throat. “Yeah.”
“And?”
“They couldn’t serve Dillon with the restraining order, because they can’t find him. He hasn’t been to practice in two days.” She curled her fingers into Becket’s shirt. “He’ll find me.”
“He might find you, but he won’t hurt you, if I have a say in it.” Becket’s arms tightened around her reassuringly.
She let his warmth seep into her. Just for another moment. She wanted to soak in the security his presence provided.
He held her for a long time, then tilted her chin up and stared into her eyes. “You’ll be okay.”
She nodded. “If you say so.”
“You need to believe that. Until you do, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder.”
“Wouldn’t you? I’m not a big guy, like you.” She stepped back. “Dillon weighs twice as much as I do. He could snap me in two like that.” Kinsey snapped her fingers.
“Then stay with me. Between the two of us, we’ll keep you safe.” He kissed her forehead. “Okay?”
Better than okay.
She wanted to tip up her head to capture his lips. But she’d been the one to tell him not to kiss her again. With her life as messed up as it was, she had no business kissing Becket. He deserved better. Stepping back, she forced a smile. “What can I help with?”
“I have the four-wheeler loaded up with supplies. If you’ll go get it from the barn, then we can head out to fix that fence.”
She popped a mock salute, performed an about face, and hurried off to the barn, praying she still knew how to drive an ATV. Kinsey found it parked a few feet inside the open door of the barn. As she slung her leg over the seat, she glanced around. A prickling feeling crawled over the back of her neck. Nothing stirred in the barn. The stalls were empty, the horses turned out to graze in the pasture. Not even a barn cat came out to greet her. Still, Kinsey felt as if someone was watching her.
Shaking it off as an overactive imagination, she turned the key and pressed the starter switch. The ATV roared to life. Kinsey released the brake, pressed her thumb on the throttle lever, and the four-wheeler leaped forward. Tools rattled in the large metal box attached to the back.
By the time she reached Becket, she had the vehicle figured out. She pulled to a stop beside him, letting the engine idle, and started to climb off.
“Stay.” Becket waved at her. “I’ll ride behind you.”
Her belly clenched and her core heated. “Is there another one of these in the barn?”
“The other one isn’t working right now. Either we take this and ride double, or we drive the truck.” He glanced at the sunny sky. “Personally, I was looking forward to the wind in my hair. You can drive.”
She couldn’t argue with that, and gave up pretending to want to ride separately. As Becket mounted behind her and his long, muscular legs wrapped around hers, Kinsey could barely put together a functional thought. “Which way?” Her voice came out in a strained squeak.
He pointed. “South.”
She gunned the throttle, and the little four-wheeler shot off across the pasture.
The wind blew through her hair, giving her a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt since she’d left Hellfire to go to college. The incredibly sexy man on the vehicle behind her only fueled her excitement, making it burn like a wildfire. By the time they reached the damaged portion of the fence, she was laughing out loud and smiling so wide, she was sure to catch a bug in her teeth. But she didn’t care.
She approached the fence a little faster than she should have and whipped the handlebar to the right, skidding sideways to a halt. “Wow!” Kinsey switched off the motor, her hands still vibrating to the rhythm of the small engine. “I’d forgotten how much fun these are.”
Becket dismounted, brushed the dust off his jeans, and resettled his cowboy hat on his head. “I believe I saw my life pass before my eyes.”
Kinsey backhanded him in the belly. “Oh, don’t be a baby. You used to drive that fast when you were a teen. I remember. Nash and I never could keep up with you.”
He captured her hand and pulled her against his chest. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not teens anymore.”
Adrenaline powering through her veins already meant being that close to Becket only made her heart pump faster. “N-no, we’re not.” She looked up into his eyes.
The intensity of his blue gaze made her shiver with desire in the hot Texas sun.
Becket swallowed hard, his grip tightening on hers. “Let’s fix a fence.” He released her and stepped away.
Kinsey willed herself to relax. Nothing would happen between the two of them. She wasn’t ready mentally, even if her body was screaming for action.
Moments later, Becket had a strand of new barbed wire nailed to a post. Holding the roll of wire on a stick, he walked fifty feet down the fence-line and settled it on the ground.
Kinsey followed on the four-wheeler, jostling over the uneven ground. Already, her injuries didn’t hurt as badly as they had the day before.
Becket tied the barbed wire to the back of the four-wheeler. “You’re driving. But this time, ease forward slowly.”
She knew the drill. Stretching fence wire involved a fine line between tightening the wire gently, and pulling too hard and breaking it. With her hand on the brake, she barely touche
d her other hand on the throttle lever. The ATV rolled forward.
“More,” Becket called out over the roar of the engine.
She eased forward a few more inches.
“Stop.”
Kinsey pressed the brake and held it.
Using solid strokes, Becket nailed the wire into the fence post. “Okay, back it up a little to ease the tension.”
Kinsey did as instructed.
Becket cut the wire, bent it over, and nailed it again. With the wire in place, the fence was as good as new.
A sense of pride washed over Kinsey. She hadn’t worked on a ranch since she’d lived next door. She missed the outdoors and the sense of accomplishment in doing something physical. Switching off the ATV, she climbed down and admired Becket’s handiwork. “You’re pretty good at that.”
He shrugged and loaded his tools into the toolbox on the back of the ATV. “I’ve mended a few fences.”
She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “What do you suppose broke this one?”
“That bull.” He pointed out in the pasture. “He’s huge, he’s ornery, and he’s a staunch believer in ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’.”
Kinsey turned to see a huge black bull running toward them. “Uh, should we be concerned? Will he stop?” She backed up, bumping into Becket.
His arms came around her. “Sometimes he does. Doesn’t look like he’s going to, this time.”
“Becket?” Kinsey turned and buried her face in his shirt. “Let’s get out of here.”
His arms tightened. “I think it’s too late.”
The thunder of heavy hooves against hard-packed earth filled Kinsey’s ears. She glanced back at the bull, then grabbed Becket’s hand, and tugged hard. “He’s going to kill us. Move!”
Becket stood still. “Get behind me.”
“What good will that do? If he hits you, he’ll take out both of us.” Kinsey’s heart hammered against her ribs. “We need to climb over the fence. Now!”
The more frantic she became, the calmer Becket appeared. He stuck his hand into his jeans pocket as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
The bull charged forward.