Rancher Under Fire

by Barb Han

  Rancher Under Fire

  Barb Han

  TorJake Publishing

  Copyright © 2021 by Barb Han

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Editing: Ali Williams

  Cover Design: Jacob’s Cover Designs

  To my family for unwavering love and support. I can’t imagine doing life with anyone else. I love you guys with all my heart.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Also by Barb Han

  About the Author

  1

  A dead raccoon. A moment of panic. An SOS text.

  Those three things in succession brought Liv Holden’s past knocking; Corbin Firebrand stood on her porch. She didn’t want to need him as much as she did. Seeing him again caused an unexpected physical reaction. Her throat dried up, her stomach tingled, and her heart free fell. Taking a fortifying breath, she opened the door.

  “Before you say anything, I didn’t know who else to call.” She put a hand up and winced, steadying herself for the verbal blows that seemed sure to come based on the look on his face.

  “Why not try your husband?” Corbin asked, tension radiated off him in palpable waves. It was late June and already hot enough outside with adding to the rising temperature.

  “Ex,” she quickly added. “And I’m not trying to put you in a bad position here.”

  “Really?” Corbin rocked back on his boot heels. “Because last time I checked, you were still married to my cousin.”

  “And you used to be my best friend,” she shot back. This probably wasn’t the time to point out the fact Kellan Firebrand was probably Corbin’s least favorite cousin and always had been. Those two had butted heads for as long as she could remember. Or the reality that he’d been sending her threatening texts and there wasn’t a person in town who would take her side over his.

  “You’ve been gone for a year,” he stated. “Why come back now, and why text me?”

  “I don’t want to be here anymore than half the town wants me to be.” The breath she blew out was meant to calm her but shot up her blood pressure instead.

  He cocked an eyebrow. “What did you think would happen when you came back? A welcome wagon? A parade?”

  “I didn’t think people would turn against me.” She could hear the defensiveness in her own tone. She stepped outside, bent over the dead raccoon, and lifted the towel enough for Corbin to see underneath. She immediately let go and pulled her hand back. Bile burned the back of her throat at the sight of the poor animal. Her heart nearly broke in half. “I didn’t think someone would play a sick prank like this one.”

  Corbin muttered the same curse she was thinking. He bent down and examined the creature. “No one deserves this, least of all this poor guy.” A few more of those choice words slipped out of his mouth before he looked up at her. “Kellan did this?”

  “No idea. I’d like to believe he isn’t capable but after his hateful messages, I’m not so sure,” she admitted. Liv twisted her hands together and diverted her gaze, unable to look at the cruelty any longer. “I’m sorry. No one else will return my calls and I—”

  “Did the right thing by reaching out to me. I’ll take care of it.” Corbin shot her a warning look.

  “For your information, I called Ronnie first,” she said. Ronnie Patel worked for animal services. The cold shoulder treatment she was receiving from her former best friend hurt deeper than she wanted to show, so she forced her shoulders back and straightened her spine.

  “And?” Corbin’s gaze narrowed. Impatience edged his tone. His reaction was a knife stab, but she probably shouldn’t have expected anything different.

  “He said I should figure out a way to dispose of it myself. Said I was good at getting rid of things I didn’t want anymore,” she stated. Chin up, she refused to show how much the comment, and others like it, hurt.

  Corbin studied her for a long moment and she couldn’t tell if his anger was aimed at her at the injustice she’d suffered.

  “Ronnie’s a jerk,” Corbin finally muttered.

  “I don’t need you to tell me that,” she quipped. Lone Star Pass had been home her entire life—save for the past year—but living under a microscope was for the birds. She felt like an ant underneath a magnifying glass on the sidewalk in August when she ran errands like going to the grocery store or the bank.

  Corbin hopped off the porch before making a roundtrip to his truck. As he strode back, he put on a pair of disposable gloves. He pulled a plastic bag from his back pocket and took care of the animal, trying off the bag and then setting it beside the porch.

  “Come in for a cup of coffee?” Liv asked, expecting an express rejection. Considering how few friends she had in town, it was worth a try.

  He studied her for a long moment like he was trying to read her mind. Then, he removed the gloves and placed them on top of the bag.

  “Okay,” he finally said. “But I can’t stay long.”

  “Doesn’t take long to brew a pot.” She opened the door and walked inside, half expecting him to turn around and head to his truck. He didn’t and her heart stirred.

  “What’s up with the moving boxes?” Corbin looked around the kitchen. “Are you going somewhere?”

  “I can’t live here any longer, Corbin.” She turned around and studied him, searching for the hatred she’d seen in the faces of several of his cousins when she’d passed by them in town. She’d been home less than a week and the chilly reception she’d received cut to the core.

  “Because of a cruel joke?” he countered, stopped at the door to the kitchen and leaning into the doorjamb. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not diminishing what happened here. This is disgusting and someone needs to be made aware this is not okay. It’s possible someone found the animal already deceased and threw it on your porch as a twisted joke.”

  “Is that all you think has been going on?” She smacked her flat palm against the granite countertop. “Yesterday morning I woke up to two of my tires being slashed, which made me late for an appointment.”

  Admitting it, saying the words out loud caused her chest to squeeze. She took in a few slow breaths to stave off the mounting panic attack at the fact the so-called jokes were escalating.

  “What else?” The muscle in Corbin’s jaw ticked, a sure sign his temper was flaring and he was doing his level best to keep it in check.

  “Let’s see. Lots of prank phone calls and awful texts. All from unknown numbers.” She fished her cell from her back pocket and held it on the flat of her palm. She wasn’t trying to rile him up further but, man, she needed to vent to someone. “Take a look and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

  “This constitutes harassment,” Corbin said, a fire raged in his eyes.

  “You think so?” she asked sarcastically before she had a chance to reel the words back in. She shot him a look of apology. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to take any of this out on you. I’m just frustrated and tired, and it breaks my heart this animal had to suffer. None of this was the raccoon’s fault.”

  Corbin took a step closer, causing a dozen campfires to
light inside her, warming places that got her into trouble with their friendship in the first place. He studied her and she could swear she felt his temperature rising. His gaze dropped to her phone.

  “How long did you say this been going on?” His frustration looked like a simmering pot just before it boiled over.

  “Ever since I got the final divorce papers to sign, which was basically the day I returned home.” She dropped her gaze, unable to look him in the eye. Marrying his cousin had been a mistake she would regret the rest of her life for many reasons, not the least of which was losing Corbin. “Anyway, what are you going to do with that poor critter?”

  “First of all, you’re going to call Sheriff Lawler and report—”

  “Oh no, I’m not. And you have to promise you won’t tell anyone either,” she countered. “I’m not stirring that pot. It’s bad enough now. I can’t even walk into the store without someone making a snide remark.”

  Chin to chest, Liv blinked away the tears threatening. No one got to make her cry again. And she sure didn’t want Corbin to see her on the brink of losing it.

  “The sheriff needs to know,” Corbin pressed, softening his tone—a tone that had a bad habit of washing over her and through her like the warmth from a fireplace on a cold night.

  “And then what?” She cocked an eyebrow. “The hazing gets worse? I’m the one who ends up in a plastic bag?”

  She shook her head before he could answer.

  “No, thanks,” she said. “I have a job interview in Dallas in two days. If I get that job, I’m out of here faster than you can point a finger and tell me I brought this on myself.”

  “I would never do that,” he practically growled.

  Maybe not right now. But you would eventually. And she wouldn’t blame him.

  Corbin had half a mind to hop inside his pickup, kick up a little dust on the way out of here, and confront Kellan. This was low, even for his cousin, and there was no way Corbin planned to stand idly by and watch Kellan intimidate someone they both once cared about. His cousin was hurting. Corbin had seen it in the way he carried himself. Head down, shoulders forward, the man walked around like the wind had been knocked out of him. Even after a year, he’d only grown crankier. But this?

  “I know what you’re thinking, Corbin Firebrand,” Liv said. He ignored the way her voice traveled all over his body, bringing light to places that had been dark for a long time.

  “I seriously doubt it,” he shot back. There had been a time when she might have been able to read his mind. Their connection died at the altar the day she wed Kellan.

  “Suit yourself. But I’ve known you since the third grade and even then, the vein in your neck bulged when you were about to finish someone else’s fight,” she warned. “It’s happening right now.”

  “Anyone could have guessed and been right. Doesn’t prove anything and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist or mind reader to realize I’d be angry about the possibility of someone killing an innocent animal or bullying someone who doesn’t deserve it.” Was he being defensive? Yes. And he’d scored a direct hit based on the hurt in her eyes. Good. He didn’t want to be reminded how well they knew each other, and she couldn’t afford to be. Based on what she’d just said, she was about to cut bait and move on.

  He glanced at her ring finger just to confirm she wasn’t wearing the stark reminder he didn’t know her as well as he should have.

  “Why come back now? It’s been a year since you pulled your disappearing act,” Corbin recalled.

  “The divorce will be final as soon as I sign the papers.” She moved to the coffee pot and went to work.

  “As I understand it, you walked out. Why does it sound like you’re the holdup?” Curiosity got the best of him and he had to ask. If he was smart, he’d finish what he came here to do and then get as far away from Liv as possible. From the sounds of it, she’d be gone in a few days once the job came through in Dallas. He could wash his hands of this whole sticky situation even though the thought of never seeing her again ripped a hole in his insides.

  Liv clamped her mouth shut. This wasn’t the time to get quiet on him.

  “Let me guess, he’s asking for something you don’t want to give up?” It would be just like Kellan to find a way to punish her by taking away something she loved. Corbin had a few choice words for his cousin when this conversation was over. The man needed to get a grip and accept the fact the marriage was done. Yes, it was a harsh reality. Yes, it must hurt beyond anything Kellan had ever imagined. And yes, it had to be right up there with the most awful thing that could happen. But it was time to bite the bullet and move on.

  “Bingo. Now, go collect your prize.” She rolled her eyes and sighed a heavy sigh. “Coffee is ready if you want a cup.”

  “Don’t you have to get to work or finish up here?” He glanced around at the half-filled boxes.

  “Work on a Saturday? In these?” She motioned toward her jogging suit.

  “How should I know? I haven’t kept up with you in eighteen months,” he countered.

  She winced like she’d just taken a punch and guilt squeezed his chest. He stopped himself right there. She didn’t need to be reminded he didn’t care anymore, which wasn’t even true. There was no shut-off valve for a Firebrand. But trying to be friendly now would only make walking away more difficult, and as much as he didn’t care for Kellan, sneaking around behind his back wasn’t an option. The two of them might not get along but there was a code when it came to family. Whether Corbin liked it or not, he had to cold-shoulder Liv. Giving her false hope they could somehow reconnect wasn’t fair to either one of them.

  “At least stay long enough to finish your cup.” She double fisted a pair of mugs before turning to walk toward him.

  “I already said that I—”

  “Yeah? Well, guess what? I can’t send you away looking like you’re about to wring your cousin’s neck. So, you might as well sit down and drink until you calm down.” She compressed her lips, and a storm brewed behind those dark roast eyes of hers.

  This probably wasn’t the time to notice her heart-shaped face or that dimple on her chin he used to think was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. He would tease her about it when he wanted her to chase him around the playground as kids. Now, all he could think about was how his lips would feel there, peppering kisses toward her lips. Thick, full cherry lips that were set on skin so silky, so creamy he had to fist his hand to keep from reaching out to touch her. Liv had an unrivaled natural beauty and a heart of gold to match.

  More reasons not to torture himself by sticking around.

  But she’d made a good point about him needing a minute to calm down. Plus, she was rattled by what had happened and he’d be a jerk to walk away when she was this upset. What could finishing his cup of coffee hurt?

  Famous last words, he thought.

  “Fine.” He walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

  “Fine,” she parroted as she set the mugs down, turned away from him, and walked away. He forced his gaze off her sweet, round backside, glancing around the room instead. The stack of boxes struck him like a physical blow. This seemed like a good time to remind himself that what she did with her life wasn’t any of his business, no matter how much that felt like a lie. Heaven help him.

  “I hope you still take yours black,” she said as she poured a few breakfast biscuits onto a plate and then brought it over to the table.

  “Yes.” He picked up his mug and took a sip, welcoming the burn on his throat. He still couldn’t get over the fact someone had set out to…what…scare her? Intimidate her? Force her into doing something she didn’t want to do?

  She needed to agree to bring in the law and the main reason he was sticking around was to find a way to convince her. Family or not, Kellan shouldn’t get to throw his weight around.

  “Biscuit?” Liv asked, holding the plate toward him. He must’ve drawn back without realizing because she quickly added, “I don’t bite.” T
hen, she half smiled but he could still see the stress and tension in her eyes. “Aside from the time in fourth grade, but then you had it coming.”

  Their gazes connected a second too long at the memory. He couldn’t afford to feel fondness toward her, so he shut down the emotion.

  When he didn’t respond, she cleared her throat and pushed the plate closer. “Here you go. It goes with the coffee.”

  As he took the offering, their fingers grazed. The electrical impulse that shot through him with the lightest contact was as unwelcomed as a hundred-and-ten-degree heat in August. Both caused devastation. With the two-year drought Lone Star Pass had been in, the coming months threatened to be deadly.

  “Do you want to see what he’s been writing to me?” She took a seat and pulled out her cell before setting it on the table. With two fingers, she pushed the piece of tech toward him.

  Corbin skimmed the screen. Fire raced through his blood as he read the threats and name-calling. Kellan might be hurting but there was no defense good enough for this unacceptable behavior. Corbin shook his head and realized he’d fisted his hands.

  “This is all the evidence you need to make this go away.” He motioned toward the cell before lifting his gaze to hers. Her hair was shorter now, shoulder length and cut to frame her face. The auburn tint contrasted against her creamy skin and thick black lashes brought out the dark roast color in her eyes.

  “You know why I can’t do that,” she insisted.

  “Kellan needs to be sent a message.” Corbin would do it himself if it would do any good. Taking his cousin to task over anything involving Liv might make the situation worse for her.

  “Or I need to get through this and move on.” She glanced around and her expression morphed from anger to sadness. “I’ll miss this old place, though.”