TrustintheLawe_w4282

by Stacey Joy Netzel

“What?” Joel asked. “He told the story.”

  “You could’ve warned me,” Colton growled.

  Joel only laughed. “It’s more fun this way.”

  Colton looked back at his thief, but she was steadfast in her avoidance. What was she doing here? She must’ve found the ranch’s address from the business cards in his wallet, but what kind of scam was she trying to pull? She sure had balls to steal from him and then show up here to involve his employers.

  His jaw clenched. Stepping around the table, he willed her to look up. When she did, he glimpsed fear in the brown depths of her eyes. The flush in her cheeks had noticeably paled. And the smile, that damn cheeky smile of hers that made him feel like an awkward teenager had disappeared as well. Good.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, pleased the polite inquiry revealed none of his inner turmoil.

  Joel stepped forward and put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. As if he knew her. Colton stopped the frown that threatened to draw his brows together. What the heck was going on here? He glanced at Britt. She smiled.

  Suspicion curled in his gut. Was this some elaborate practical joke? His tension began to ease, though the thought of having cancelled all his credit cards made him want to groan. If he had told Joel what happened on the phone, he could’ve saved himself a hell of a lot of headache.

  “I’d like you to meet Kendra Zelner,” Joel said. “Kendra, this is the JBM Ranch manager, Colton Lawe.”

  Colton extended a hand toward Kendra. Okay. Fine. He’d play along; see where this was all headed. She bit her lip as she hesitated, and his gaze was drawn to her white teeth against her full bottom lip. It distracted him enough that when she placed her small, cool palm against his, he flinched in surprise.

  He kept his grip gentle at first, and then tightened it. Her eyes widened, and her nostrils flared as she drew in a quick breath.

  “Nice to meet you,” Colton murmured.

  “Kendra’s my sister.”

  Colton released her hand and whipped his head around. Joel didn’t appear to be joking. “Didn’t know you had a sister,” he commented.

  “Me neither. And technically, she’s my half-sister.”

  Focusing his narrowed gaze on Kendra again, Colton read genuine fear. Of him. That ruled out the practical joke angle real quick.

  She was right to be worried. Because in a second, he was going to expose her for a lying thief. Joel and Britt were more than his employers, more than his friends even, they were as close to family as it got without blood ties.

  Colton had applied at JBM Ranch fresh out of high school, feeling guilty as hell and scared to death because someone had to pay the medical bills from his father’s accident. Joel took him under his wing and taught him everything about running the ranch. A few weeks ago, when the previous manager, Todd, had gotten married and left to work on his wife’s ranch, Joel turned management over to Colton so he could continue to concentrate on training the horses with Britt.

  He couldn’t let Joel down now; he owed him the truth. But before he could form the words, Joel spoke.

  “Kendra, and her brother, Noah, will be staying for awhile.”

  Colton glanced at Joel. “There’s a brother, too?”

  Joel smiled. “Yeah. Cody thinks it’s hilarious that a kid his age is actually his uncle.”

  Colton’s gut clenched. Joel appeared to have accepted every word the girl said. Whatever line of bull she’d fed him, it must’ve been good, because Joel wasn’t easily fooled. Worse, he looked genuinely happy about the supposed new additions to his family. With everyone watching, no way could Colton tell him he’d been played for a fool. He’d have to wait and talk to Joel in private.

  But he couldn’t help commenting, “Wow, a sister and a brother, all in one day.”

  The apprehension in Kendra’s eyes increased when his subtle sarcasm registered with her, as he’d intended. She swallowed hard and seemed to be waiting for him to lower the ax. Oh, how he’d love to do that—payback for the sidewalk humiliation. Just the thought of it—

  “They can stay in the guesthouse,” Britt said.

  Colton and Joel both swung around.

  “What?” she asked. “It makes sense—give them some privacy as we all get to know each other. Besides, we don’t have any clients planning to use it anytime in the near…” Her gaze shifted from one to the other. “What?”

  “Colton’s roommate is moving to Toronto. I told Colton yesterday he could use the guesthouse instead of finding someone else or looking for a different apartment,” Joel explained. “I should’ve talked to you about it first, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

  “Oh,” Britt said.

  Colton suspected Joel had really offered the house to help Colton’s strained financial situation. They’d spoken about it some, but per his request, Britt wasn’t aware of the extent of his father’s medical bills. His suspicion was confirmed when Joel cast him a glance before saying, “Kendra and Noah can just stay here with us. We’ve got more than enough room.”

  “No.” Colton’s denial drew everyone’s attention, including Kendra’s. The thief still hadn’t said a word. “I already found a new place, but after talking to Joel, I didn’t follow up on it. I’ll just call the manager and see if it’s still available.”

  “Colton—”

  “It’s okay, really,” Colton insisted, ignoring Joel’s look of apology. “I’ve been debating whether I want to live where I work, anyway. I might get sick of you guys.”

  He smiled to indicate he was joking, and thankfully Joel let it go. No way did he want Kendra staying in the main house with his friends and the kids. He could keep a better eye on her in the guesthouse, especially when he moved in anyway. No one would have to know if he talked to the building manager, and when the time came, he’d let Ms. Kendra Zelner know exactly what choice she had in the matter. Let her explain to her ‘brother.’

  The doorbell rang, and Britt looked at her watch. She stood up with a frown. “It’s ten o’clock already—that’ll be the Coopers for their training session.”

  Joel grimaced. “They’ll be here for a while.”

  As Joel and Britt conversed, Colton watched Kendra struggle with her composure and saw a glimmer of panic and fear give way for uncertainty in her suddenly expressive face. It was like reading a book. He read wariness in the one glance she cast in his direction, and knew she wondered why he gave up the house for her; why he didn’t reveal her for the liar he knew her to be.

  Well, let her keep wondering. If he kept the little klepto off balance, it might be easier to protect the Morgan’s while gathering solid evidence to expose her scam.

  Britt walked toward the foyer. “Joel, I’ll stall them while you show Kendra the guesthouse so she and Noah can freshen up.”

  “I’ll take her,” Colton offered.

  A flash of dismay in her eyes confirmed she didn’t like that prospect one bit.

  “That would help.” Joel turned to Kendra. “Do you mind?”

  Colton’s direct gaze dared her to object. After a visible swallow, she shook her head no.

  “Thanks.” Joel walked by Colton and gave him a clap on the shoulder. “Don’t have to tell you how the Coopers are.” Pausing at the door, he looked at Kendra. “We’ll all have dinner tonight, after you’re settled, okay?”

  She offered a weak smile of agreement, and then Joel’s boots echoed across the floor with his departure. The moment they were alone, Colton braced his hands on the table and leaned forward. Her wide gaze met his, full of apprehension. In a moment of distraction, he thought how very pretty her brown eyes were.

  As she reached for her coffee cup, her tongue appeared and swiped nervously across her lips. A jolt of awareness took him completely by surprise. Colton shoved back from the table. She jumped, then took a drink as if everything were normal.

  Colton forced any thoughts of pretty or sexy from his mind and managed to sound relatively normal when he asked, “Ready?”

  She to
ok her time setting the cup down before standing. He pushed his hands into his front pockets when she picked up the two dusty leather duffle bags near the entry between the kitchen and the foyer. He’d be damned if he’d offer to carry them, but then found himself holding the back door open.

  “You’ll like it here,” he said, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security. She cast him a quick glance as they walked toward a house set back near the trees, halfway between the main house and three barns.

  “Colorado is very pretty,” she finally replied.

  He flashed a brief smile. “I meant the ranch. Joel and Britt are great, and they’ve got some of the best horses in the state.”

  She nodded, shifting the bags in her arms. A glance at his empty hands told him she was annoyed that he didn’t offer assistance. Hah. As if he owed her any courtesy at all.

  “Where’re you from?”

  After a distinct hesitation, she supplied, “New York.”

  “The city or just the state?” he pressed.

  “City.”

  “Hmmm. This is a far cry from New York.”

  A small smile curved her lips. “You can say that again.”

  “This is a far cry from—”

  “I didn’t mean it literally.” Her smile widened.

  The situation demanded he laugh with her, but he forced his attention off her smile. Once on the porch, he opened the door and stepped inside ahead of her. Then he waited. For the sound of her footsteps. For the thump of her bags hitting the floor. For the click of the door to assure privacy.

  “I wanted to—”

  When he turned, she halted mid-sentence. Her apologetic expression gave way to an alarmed squeak when he grasped her upper arms and pushed her up against the wall. The bulk of his body gave her no room to move.

  “Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

  Stark fear dilated her pupils until her brown eyes were nearly black. Her breathing grew shallow, and she gulped twice before stuttering, “Y-you know w-who I am.”

  He tightened his grip on her shoulders, then became aware of how delicate they seemed under his large hands and forced himself to ease up. “I don’t believe it. You’re up to something, and you’ve got about five seconds to tell me what it is.”

  “H-honestly, I’m n-not.”

  Colton scoffed. “So, it’s merely coincidence that you robbed me this morning and then show up here claiming to be some long lost relative?”

  “It’s nothing more than cruel coincidence—I swear to God.”

  “Don’t you dare do that. I don’t buy one word of it.” He leaned closer, ignoring her trembling beneath his hands. “Who are you? What do you want with Joel?”

  “He told you, I’m his sister. Please…all I want is a place to stay until my…until we get back on our feet. We have nowhere else to go.”

  He caught her hesitation, saw a brief flash of panic, and wondered what she’d been about to say. He searched her expression for any kernel of truth to her words.

  In the space of a heartbeat, he became aware of the heat of her vibrating body. If he leaned down a few inches, their lips would meet. His pulse thrummed. The urge to do just that was so great it left him shaken as he stared into her eyes. She was an untrustworthy, lying, thieving, scheming con artist.

  And he’d never felt an immediate attraction like this in his life.

  What the hell was wrong with him? She was rumpled, and needed a shower for heaven’s sake! Not even Cassie caused this gut reaction. He pushed away, dropping his hands once he’d put a safe distance between them.

  Kendra breathed a silent sigh of relief now that his gaze wasn’t boring into hers from only inches away. Fear had dissipated in the searing heat of his intense scrutiny, despite the threatening press of his hard body. His eyes were green, just like his driver’s license stated. It was the first time she’d seen them close enough to notice they were light, vibrant, and effectively highlighted by thick, caramel-colored lashes.

  For a crazy second, she’d thought he might kiss her. Even more shocking, she’d wanted him to—had felt an odd urge to lift her hands up and draw his mouth down onto hers. What a foolish and embarrassing mistake that would’ve been!

  She moved away from the wall, skirting him to stand close to where she’d dropped the duffle bags.

  “Joel and Britt are like family to me,” Colton stated. “Somehow you’ve convinced them you’re telling the truth—”

  “Because I am.”

  “—and Joel seems pretty happy with your arrival. For the moment, this morning will remain between us. But let me make myself crystal clear. I won’t stand by while you run whatever scam you’ve got going here. I’ll be watching you like a hawk.”

  Kendra reminded herself he’d interrupted her apology with his brute force tactics, and forced her chin up in a show of defiance. “There’s nothing going on, but if it makes you feel better, then watch away, towel boy.”

  Her sarcastic emphasis on the last two words hit home. A flush rose along his neck to his ears. Hard to tell if it stemmed from embarrassment or anger.

  “There’s a shower and a laundry room,” he growled. “I suggest you find them and use them.”

  He punctuated his departure with a wall-vibrating slam of the door. Kendra’s eyes widened as she raised a hand to her hair. She blinked furiously at the mortified tears that sprang forth.

  The door opened again, and she dropped her arm. When her gaze met Colton’s, she paused at the glimmer of remorse in his expression. So what. She faced him with as much dignity as she could muster and snapped, “What?”

  Any sign of guilt disappeared. “Where’s my wallet?”

  She dropped onto one knee to unzip her duffle bag, then stood and tossed him the worn leather. He caught it in one hand and flipped it open to take stock of the contents.

  “I had forty bucks in here,” he said without looking up.

  Kendra crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to give in to the guilt after his wrongful accusations and nasty comment. “Thirty-five. And why do you think I took it in the first place?”

  Now he raised his head, clearly not amused.

  “Well, it wasn’t because it’s pretty,” she said. “Who leaves their wallet and keys in an unlocked car, anyway?”

  “I thought I locked it,” he muttered around a clenched jaw before holding up a credit card. “How much did you get on these before I cancelled them?”

  She extended her arms, drawing attention to her unkempt attire. “It wasn’t even six a.m.—how much does it look like?” As he slid the card back into his wallet, she toned down her sarcasm. “All I needed was enough to feed Noah and get us a ride here. I’ll pay you back.”

  His green gaze met hers. “There’s no question about that.”

  His look challenged her for two, three, four seconds, then he stepped back out and closed the door, quietly.

  Kendra sank onto the couch, thoroughly shaken. After a moment though, she reached the sobering realization that her unease had more to do with her reaction to Colton than anything else. She hadn’t been remotely attracted to a man since the night she’d been date raped in college by Robert’s best friend. That fact should’ve warned her in the first place, but Jeremy was a respected cop, and she’d trusted the honor his badge represented.

  Not anymore.

  Sure, she’d dated since then, even made herself kiss a few men in forced attempts to move on. But never had she let it go further. The fact that she’d wanted Colton Lawe’s lips on hers was scary all by itself. Couple it with the tingling awareness stimulated by his closeness, and it was downright terrifying.

  Closing her eyes, she recalled his accusations and open contempt. So why, then, did he not march right across the yard and tell Joel what she’d done? Why hadn’t he exposed her in the kitchen? What did he gain by keeping her thievery a secret? No answers were apparent and the more she thought about it, the worse her stomach knotted.

  His unexpected and irrational behavior
proved she couldn’t let her guard down with him any more than she had with any other man since that night. And her insomnia-inducing nightmares would be sure to remind her of that frightening fact.

  With determination, she rose to her feet and went in search of the laundry room he’d so callously suggested. The shower would have to wait until she had clean clothes.

  The house had three bedrooms; a master with its own private bathroom, and two smaller rooms on the opposite side of the house. In between lay a second bathroom, the kitchen and dining room, and a large living room.

  The laundry was situated behind the kitchen where the back door led to the barns. As the washer moved through its cycles, she gazed out the door window with mild curiosity until she spotted Colton leading a large horse from the barn. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see her, she stepped to the edge of the window and peered around the curtain.

  Just outside the barn entrance, the animal gave a toss of its head and lunged forward. Colton was pulled forward a few paces before he managed to bring the animal back under control.

  His strength impressed Kendra at first. Until she remembered she’d told Joel she could handle horses. A shiver of dread snaked down her spine. If it had been her on the end of that leash, the animal would’ve tossed her around like a feather.

  Good God, what have I gotten myself into?

  She watched Colton release the reddish-colored horse into a pen, then he rested one boot on the bottom of the fence, and braced his forearms on the top rail. He had broad shoulders, trim hips and his jeans stretched very nicely across his—

  Kendra spun away with a muttered oath as the washing machine finished the spin cycle. After transferring her and Noah’s clothes to the dryer, she went to take a hot bath to soak away the dirt and grime from the past few days on the bus.

  A half an hour later, she wiped a large circle of evaporating steam from the mirror with her damp towel. Her skin glowed rosy red from the steaming water and a thorough scrubbing. She’d foregone make-up to let her face breathe, and brushed her hair until it dried in soft, natural waves down her back and over her shoulders. She’d double washed and conditioned to ensure no nasty, lingering greasiness.