TrustintheLawe_w4282

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Thoroughly pissed off, he’d dropped the grocery bag and knocked twice, hard, then let his long strides eat up the distance to the barn. And it’d been downhill from there.

  He shoved to his feet and exited the office. Sally, an old mare Britt had rescued last week, regarded him over the door of her stall. The little black mare had been starved of nutrition and attention. He walked over and leaned against the door to give her some encouragement and a couple sugar cubes from his pocket.

  As the horse lipped at his palm for more treats, he spotted Kendra walking from the middle barn toward the guest house. Another look at her three inch heeled boots reiterated her growing list of lies. People with designer boots like that didn’t care about anyone but themselves—and people he cared about were the ones who’d end up hurt.

  He realized right then he needed to raise the stakes in his current plan of action. Sally’s nose bumped against his chest and reminded him of Kendra’s reaction to Nobel that morning. Nobel was big. His brow rose. But he knew someone bigger.

  Colton walked to the barn entrance and leaned a shoulder against the side. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  Kendra jerked to a stop and pivoted to face him. “It’s almost four.”

  Her chin lifted just enough to hint at defiance, and he rose to the challenge. “So?”

  “I’ve put in my eight hours for the day. I’m done.”

  That’s what you think, honey.

  “You’re done when I say you’re done. Joel may sign the paycheck, but he made me your boss.” Her small fists balled at her sides, but Colton continued before she could argue. “You got a problem with that, take it up with him later. For now, I want you to get Paelo out of his stall; he needs to be brushed.”

  He kept a straight face with effort as she walked to the barn. This was going to be good. He’d bet money she’d be on her way back to New York before dinner.

  When she located Paelo, her eyes went wide, and he saw her swallow hard.

  Yeah, that’s right, sweetheart, Paelo’s a brute.

  What she didn’t know is he’d chosen Paelo because, though he was big enough to scare the daylights out of someone who didn’t know horses, he was harmless as a lamb.

  Colton went back by Sally and waited for Kendra to make the first move. Finally, she turned with an expression of dismay and fear. He squashed an unexpected flicker of guilt and concentrated on the fact that he’d won. After a day of her one-upping him, he couldn’t hold back a smile for this triumph.

  In the blink of an eye, determination flared in her eyes, and she spun back to the stall. Colton’s smile faded. Hmmm, she had guts. Admirable. Just for a second, he’d give her that.

  “Where’s his collar?”

  Colton snorted in disbelief. “His what?”

  “His coll—or h-halt—” She grimaced, squared her shoulders, lifted her chin again. “Where’s his halter?”

  Grinning again, Colton pointed to a hook around the corner. She grabbed it and slid the stall door open. “Don’t I need a leash?” she asked.

  There was no containing his laughter. “He’s a horse, not a dog.”

  She whirled around to snap, “Laugh all you want, I can do this.”

  “Go ahead then, let’s see you walk the puppy around the block.”

  Her jaw clenched, and she spun back toward the stall. Paelo stretched his nose forward to bump against her cheek, a ‘kissing’ trick Britt had taught him years ago. Kendra’s panicked shriek echoed in the barn. Paelo’s head jerked up; Kendra scrambled back. Her boot heel hooked the edge of the cement at the base of the stall.

  She went down, but caught herself before her head slammed the concrete. Paelo moved forward again, and Kendra began to scream and kick her feet.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Colton rolled his eyes as Paelo looked at him as if waiting for his help. Colton hurried over and knelt down on one knee next to Kendra, laying a hand on her shoulder. She shrieked all the louder, caught in her hysteria.

  “Stop it.” She didn’t hear him, but who could hear anything above her yelping? Guessing Paelo’s ears were as strained as his, he gave her a sharp shake and commanded, “Shut-up already!”

  Her gaze snapped to his, focused, and just like that, she quieted. Until she saw Paelo hadn’t moved, then she turned into Colton’s body. “Get it away.”

  Her plea was downright pitiful. Half on his lap and tucked tight against his side, her body shook as much as her voice. He realized she was genuinely terrified. Forgetting his plan had been to do exactly that, he forced her to look at Paelo and spoke in a low, soothing voice. “He won’t hurt you.”

  Paelo stretched his nose toward her, and she pressed closer to Colton. He took her hand and extended it toward the stallion’s soft muzzle. Halfway there, the uneven surface of her palm made him pause to turn her hand upward. Guilt stabbed hard at the sight of her raw, blistered skin. Stupid fool, he thought. Only he wasn’t sure if he was referring to her or himself.

  He shook off the unwelcome attack of conscience, and laid her hand on Paelo’s nose. The stallion nuzzled her palm. She pulled back the moment Colton let go to fish a sugar cube from his shirt pocket. With his hand under hers, he held her steady as the horse gently lipped up the sweet.

  “Paelo is Britt’s horse,” he explained softly. “She raised him from a foal. Both Cody and Dustin ride him.”

  She touched the horse of her own free will now, so Colton lowered his hand to rest on her thigh, his arm curved around her. Her trembling stopped, and her breathing steadied.

  “They ride him?”

  He nodded. “I’ve seen them crawl under him as babies—he didn’t twitch his tail until they were safely out of the way.”

  He watched her hand drift lightly over Paelo’s nose and was distracted by a thought of what that touch would feel like on his own skin. His hand flexed against her thigh.

  All of a sudden, her whole body stiffened. She placed her hand on his leg to leverage quickly off his lap. Through the material of his jeans, the warmth of her hand sent a kick of desire straight to his midsection.

  Damn that knee-jerk reaction.

  He assisted her the rest of the way up with a rough hand on her arm. She stumbled, making a sound of annoyance as she righted herself. Colton surged to his feet. He didn’t like the feelings she stirred; he needed to stay on guard so he could expose her to Joel for a thief and con artist.

  Momentarily distracted watching her brush the dust from her jeans, he came up with, “You should’ve seen yourself.”

  Her head jerked toward him in surprise.

  He adopted a high, whiney tone. “Please, please, help me—he’s gonna smell me to death.” His forced chuckle of disdain succeeded in making her flush with embarrassment.

  “He surprised me,” she defended quietly.

  “If I’d had a camera, I’d be in the running for a hundred grand on America’s Funniest Videos.”

  She turned to slam the stall door shut without taking Paelo out. “Fine, so I was a little scared.” A measured pivot brought them face to face again. Her gaze did not waver. “But whoever it was that gave you the idea it’s okay to make fun of someone’s fears is probably a son of a bitch…just like you.”

  She stared him down, her chin tilted, her eyes full of indignant reproach. Guilt mushroomed and the only way for Colton to combat it was a full-on attack. As he advanced, her censure transformed into uneasiness. He clenched his jaw against her fear with grim determination and moved closer.

  “I don’t have to be nice to you,” he stated. “You may have fooled Joel and Britt, but I’m going to figure out exactly what the hell you’re playing at.”

  “I’m not playing at anything.”

  “No?” He took another step, and she backed against the stall door. “You really expect me to buy your coincidence story any more than I buy your claim to be experienced with horses?”

  “It’s not a story.”

  “Bull,” he bit out, leaning close while
bracing a hand on either side of her. She swallowed hard before lifting her chin with that aggravating defiance again, prompting him to promise, “I’m gonna expose you, Kendra. You’ll slip up again and I’ll be watching when you do. Might as well leave now.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she snapped.

  “We’ll just see about that.”

  “Your accusations are as tiresome as your Neanderthal act. Move.” She placed her palms against his chest and shoved. He took a voluntary step back, grasping her slim wrists at the same time. He applied just enough pressure to let her know he was in charge. Her eyes widened with renewed apprehension.

  “Don’t push me,” he warned. “And I don’t mean physically. Your best bet right now is to go home.”

  She pulled against his firm hold. “I’m trying to.”

  He gave a short laugh. “I meant New York, you thieving little con artist. Pack up that brother of yours and get the hell out of here. JBM isn’t your home.”

  Her nearness was affecting his pulse again so he released her with an angry flick of his wrists. She gave him one last glare before stalking from the barn. He walked after her, but stopped at the doorway.

  “I mean it, Kendra. Go home.”

  Chapter Four

  “Ken?”

  Kendra quickly swiped at her eyes before turning to face her little brother. “Hey, Noah. How was your day?”

  A fierce scowl twisted his normally easy-going features. “Why did Colton tell you to go home out at the barn?”

  Her stomach lurched. How much had he heard? “He was just letting me know I was done with work for the day.”

  “He sounded mad.”

  “He wasn’t mad.” She scrambled for an explanation. “He was hurt. One of the horses stepped on his foot.”

  “Why didn’t you stay and help?”

  “Because he told me to go home. Besides, what could I do for him?”

  He crossed his arms over his little chest. “I don’t like him.”

  Neither do I. But she couldn’t say that. “You don’t even know him, Noah.” He got that look in his eye that told her he was going to make an issue of it, so she stepped forward to drag him into a one-armed hug. “Forget Colton and tell me about your day at school with Cody.”

  Noah hesitated and, praying he’d let it go, she did her best to give him a carefree smile. Finally, he smiled back and relaxed his arms.

  “It was fun. I like Cody’s school, and his teacher is real nice. Public school is a lot different from Wilshire.”

  “They go to public school?” Kendra couldn’t hide her surprise. She’d been taught a private education was the best education. And it was obvious Joel and Britt could afford the tuition.

  “Yeah, and there’s no uniforms, and the teachers aren’t stuffy or anything.” Noah’s words ran together in his enthusiasm.

  She headed into the kitchen with a frown. “Well, that’s good, I guess.”

  “Maybe I could switch to public school?”

  He’d followed her and she automatically shook her head at the tentative request.

  “Why not?” he demanded.

  Her eyebrows shot up at his sudden petulance. “Because you get a better education in private. Besides, you’ve never complained about Wilshire before.”

  “I didn’t know before,” he argued. He looked down at his hands, then back up. “Plus, I don’t want to go away from you again.”

  The quiver in his voice told her what the school issue was really about. He was thinking of Robert. The bastard. She walked over to place a hand on each of his shoulders. “Noah, it’s all going to work out, I promise. Once I’m twenty-five, I’ll be your legal guardian. When you go back to Wilshire in the fall, we won’t have to worry about Robert anymore.”

  “I know, but—”

  She gently squeezed his shoulders. “Let’s just get through the next month. Then we can talk about school. Okay?”

  He sighed, but nodded. At the sound of a loud motor outside, they both looked out the window to see a bus pull to a stop by the barns. Cody and Dustin ran from the main house, straight for the kids exiting the bus.

  “Can I go out?” Noah asked.

  She squinted at the new arrivals. They looked normal enough. A few boys with longer hair, one or two girls with borderline questionable clothes, but not a single one looked like a delinquent. And Joel’s boys seemed right at home giving high-fives throughout the diversified group. “Sure—but stick with Cody or Dustin, okay?”

  “I will.” Noah hurried to the door, only to pause with the screen half open. “Ken? Are you sure everything is okay with Colton?”

  Kendra gave a firm nod. “Of course. Now go—have fun.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief when he shut the door. He was entirely too astute, and she had the feeling she didn’t fool him at all. Watching through the window as Noah joined Cody and the older kids, she marveled at the difference in him in only a day. He’d completely come out of his shell in a way she’d never seen before. Being here was good for him, even if not so enjoyable for her.

  Her gaze strayed to Colton. He spoke to a couple of the teens, his smile so different from the condescending smirk he’d directed at her all day.

  Except for the moment he’d taken her hand to lay it on the black horse’s nose. He’d been kind then, assuring her the animal wouldn’t harm her. His touch had been gentle, his voice soft and soothing. And his arms…strong, protective…they’d made her feel safe.

  Until he’d made fun of her.

  Humiliation and anger flushed her skin again. She’d do better to focus on his threatening tone when he’d grabbed her wrists. A man who could switch gears so easily was dangerous. Robert was clear enough evidence of that fact—him and the monster who’d raped her.

  She didn’t need any more proof that she couldn’t let her guard down.

  ****

  Though Britt had told her to come over for dinner at six, Kendra headed over early to see if she could offer help with any preparations. She halted when she saw the counter filled with enough food for a small army.

  “Those teenagers eat like an army,” Britt replied when Kendra commented out loud. “Throw in the generals, Joel and Colton, and we rarely have leftovers.”

  Kendra laughed and helped her set up plates, napkins and the rest of the necessities at the front of the counter-top buffet. When they were done, Britt rang the dinner bell and instructed her to grab a plate while the getting was good. Outside, they sat at one of three picnic tables in the side yard. It didn’t take long before they were joined by the boys, Joel, and the teen center director, Kristi.

  No Colton?

  Not that she cared. Until he came out with a mountain of food on his plate and scanned the area for a place to sit.

  “Colton, over here,” Cody called.

  Kendra groaned silently. Colton hesitated, met her gaze, and strode toward them with a determined glint in his eye. She dropped her chin to concentrate on her food.

  Cody patted the six or so inches of open bench between him and Kendra. “There’s room, right Aunt Ken?”

  Cody’s use of Noah’s pet name for her made it impossible to resist his innocent request.

  The boys squished to the left as Colton sat. Kendra shifted to her right until, if she moved one more inch, she’d fall off. Still, his shoulder and thigh pressed against hers. Barring standing up, she was stuck with him, and seeing how she was only half done with her food and still hungry, that wasn’t about to happen.

  She cast a sideways glance at his mounded plate as he lifted a forkful to his mouth. Her gaze lingered on his lips for a second, then she found herself staring into his striking green eyes. He gave her a mocking wink, and she turned back to her plate with her face burning.

  After a quick glance to make sure no one watched, she whispered, “Big ox.”

  His body pressed closer to hers, and the hair next to her ear stirred.

  “Little bird.”

  Somehow he managed to ma
ke the two words an insult. She clamped her mouth shut and decided to ignore him the rest of the meal. Easier thought than done. Every time the man lifted his fork for a bite, his tanned arm with its dark-blond hairs brushed hers from shoulder to elbow. And the rest of his firm length pressed close from hip to calf. His heat seeped through her jeans and light sweater, raising the temperature of her already too warm body. If it weren’t for the limited room on the picnic bench, and his earlier demand at the barn, she’d wonder if he meant to get under her skin on purpose.

  “—good idea, don’t you think Kendra?”

  She glanced up with surprise to find pretty much everyone at the table staring at her, waiting for her to answer Joel’s question. What’s a good idea? And what the heck was her problem? Two hours ago Colton had called her names and ordered her to leave. Now she couldn’t focus past his thigh against hers.

  Joel and Britt were both smiling—surely it couldn’t be bad? She gave a cautious nod.

  “Awesome!” Cody jumped up, bumping Colton against Kendra in his excitement. “On our last day we get to have a water fight on the bus. Mom’s been saving dish soap bottles for me to use. Come on, I’ll show you.”

  Watching the boys with a confused smile, she wondered what she’d just agreed to.

  Dustin raced after Cody and Noah into the house. “One of ‘em is mine, Cody—Mom said!”

  Kendra knocked her knee hard against Colton’s. He had the whole rest of the bench now—time to move over. He shifted without drawing obvious attention. Immediately, she missed his warmth. God, she was really loosing it!

  “Noah can ride the bus again,” Britt suggested. “Since I have to go to town about ten tomorrow, you can come with me and we’ll get him enrolled right away.”

  Kendra caught her slack jaw in time to keep from looking like a fool. She’d agreed to enroll him in school? She couldn’t do that. It was too risky.

  “While I agree it’s a good idea,” she amended quickly, “I’ll still need to think about it first.”

  Colton’s sideways glance made her cringe inside. How could she explain her reluctance without increasing his suspicion?