My breath caught in my throat and my heart thudded to a stop. How could he put me on the spot like that? “I…”
“So what if she has?” Brady said.
Ben’s eyes flickered back to Brady. “You telling me you have feelings for her?”
“This isn’t a conversation for you to be involved in.”
“Where it concerns my fiancée, I think it is.”
“From what I understand, she’s no longer your fiancée. I think we all know the exact second that ended.”
“You really think you’re something, don’t you, Cowboy? Think you’re the expert on mine and Sophie’s problems, think you can try and sweep her off her feet, steal her away from me—it won’t work. She knows where her bread is buttered.”
“From my experience, you can’t steal something that doesn’t want to be stolen. Happy people don’t stray.”
Brady’s words struck a chord with me. He was absolutely, without a doubt, right. Should I be taking some of the blame for this situation of me and Ben? If he’d been totally happy with me, with us, he wouldn’t have even looked at my sister twice.
So lost in my thoughts, I missed where their frosty exchange was going until Ben gave one final provocation.
“I bet you really want to hit me, don’t you, Cowboy? Teach me a lesson, show Sophie how macho you are by beating me to a pulp, hmmm?”
Brady smiled and took a step back. He grasped my hand, lifted it to his mouth, and kissed the back of it. “I’d love to teach you a lesson. However, not only has Sophie seen enough violence for one day, but I’d rather spend my energy on making sure she is ok rather than ruining good clothes by staining them with your blood.”
Brady’s calm, cool, collected demeanour only added to the certainty of his words. He turned to me, his comforting warmth seeping back through his eyes once more.
“Are you ok?”
“Yes,” I replied, tingles beginning to sneak through my bloodstream once more. “Are you?”
Kissing my hand once more, he nodded. “If you’re ok, then I’m ok.”
I stifled a whimper at his words. How could he create such a stir inside me? Then the realisation hit me. I was trusting another guy. A guy I barely knew. Would I ever trust Ben like this again? To comfort and protect me? Seek him out for reassurance and solidity?
Ben walked towards us, a deep scowl settled on his face. He stopped a few feet from Brady, a hint of resignation settling in his eyes.
“You used to look at me like that,” he said, looking at me.
A pang of guilt stabbed at my heart. I dropped my eye contact before catching Brady’s eyes. There was something there in those chocolate eyes of his that clicked something into place for me. This wasn’t at all anything to do with Brady—this was about me and Ben. Brady was just a captivating complication.
“Ben, this isn’t about me and Brady, this is about me and you. If I never see Brady again after leaving here, that isn’t going to change the problems between me and you and the jumbled-up mess you’ve made me. I honestly don’t know if I can, if we can, ever be the same again.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and put my big girl panties on. “But, yes. I do have feelings have for him.”
Brady squeezed my hand and turned his face away. Had I said something I shouldn’t have? Had I overstepped the mark?
Ben pursed his lips and his shoulders slumped. “Ok,” he said. “Thank you for your honesty. We obviously need a deep conversation. I’ll be back in your room when you’re ready to talk.”
He turned around and walked back inside my cabin, his whole body sagging in obvious defeat. Guilt gnawed at me. Panic began to edge its way in. Had I just officially finished severed the last ties?
Turning to Brady, my cheeks flushed with heat. “I—”
“It’s ok,” he said. “You didn’t think I’d let any old riff raff wear my sister’s clothes, did you?”
I giggled. “I don’t know. Could be a trick to get us English girls into bed.”
He chuckled. “I’ll let you in on a secret. I hate English girls. But you,” He moved a hand to my cheek, stroking against my skin with such a gentle touch, it sent shivers running through me. “You I could make an exception for.”
“And me.”
A sugary sweet English voice cut through our moment like a hot knife through butter. I startled, glancing down the path to see a tall, slim blonde beaming at us both. Her clothes, hair, and make-up all screamed perfection whilst her attitude was one of pure confidence. She walked towards us, her high heels clicking on the concrete with an important statement. Her hips swayed in her tight pencil skirt with a seductive tilt.
“Well, hello, Mr Lancaster,” she said. She stood in front of us and reached a manicured hand out to Brady’s cheek. “How is my dear husband?”
Chapter Twenty Seven
I sucked in a breath so deep, I nearly choked. “Husband?”
“Anna,” the woman said, extending her hand towards me. “Mrs Anna Lancaster, but you got that already.”
I faked a smile as I shook her limp hand.
Her bright blue eyes glittered with energy. She smoothed out her baby pink skirt suit and curled her nose up. “Are you going to take your darling wife home, Mr Lancaster? We have some catching up to do.” She licked her lips and winked.
I backed away from Brady, nausea and disbelief swarming over me. “I…I’m sorry, so sorry. I didn’t know he was married…”
“Oh, no worries,” she said, waving a hand through the air. “I know what he’s like with the ladies. What’s a woman to do when even this won’t keep a man interested?” She motioned a hand over herself and gave a wistful sigh.
Brady glowered at her, distaste mixing around in his eyes. He glanced across at me, his hard edge softening. “Sophie—”
“It’s ok,” I said. “Honestly, it’s fine.” I backed up several steps, feeling more than uncomfortable. My mind racing, I jumped to the one thing which always put things in perspective. “I, um, I’m going to take Cody out for a ride if that’s ok?”
Before Brady could answer, Anna jumped in with a voice laced in sarcasm. “Ooo. Allowing her on Kelsa’s horse? She must be special.”
“Shut up, Anna. I’m not sure, Sophie. I wouldn’t mind if there were others going out too, but after the fall and everything—”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got my phone. I won’t go far. Just need some time and space.”
Anna smirked, reaching out and tracing a long nail down Brady’s perfect bicep. He jerked away and scowled at her.
“I don’t know, Sophie,” he said, turning back to me. “I just don’t feel comfortable with the idea.”
Anna went back to him, this time curling her whole hand around his solid muscles and squeezing. “My, oh my. Has dear hubby been working out?”
Brady blinked several times and clenched his jaw.
“Please?” I asked, desperate to just get away and spill my tears in peace.
“Get off me, Anna!” He grabbed her hand and picked her fingers from his skin. “Ok,” he said, turning back to me. “But be careful. I mean it. It’s easy to get lost out there.”
I nodded, whirling around and getting the hell out of there as quick as I could. What on earth had I gotten myself mixed up in? Humiliation flooded me as I realised Ben was right. Even Brady’s immaculate wife couldn’t keep his interest. His comments on city girls began to wander back to me—she was definitely a city girl.
Cody nuzzled at me as I tacked him up, my mind elsewhere. I led him out of the stall to see Brady stalking towards me as if his life depended on it.
“Sophie, before you go, please let me explain—”
“You don’t need to, Brady. It’s fine, honestly.” I continued walking, brushing past him.
“Sophie—””
“Brady, come on.” Anna’s voice trickled over from his truck, parked only a few feet from the barn. “I do apologise,” she said, smiling sweetly at me. “My husband is like a dog on heat at times.”
I managed a thin smile but said nothing as I tightened Cody’s cinch.
“Anna, get in the truck,” Brady said, walking to my side. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
She stood in defiance, crossing her arms over her ample chest. “So you can kiss your bit of stuff goodbye? You disgust me.” With a big sigh, she opened the passenger door. “Oh, nice show by the way. Hopefully I’ve solved your little love triangle problem.”
Brady glared at her, hatred shooting towards her from his dark stare. I ignored them both and led Cody to the mounting block. Swinging into the saddle, I picked up my reins.
“Sophie,” he said, grabbing hold of Cody’s reins. “Please, just listen to me a minute.”
“Brady, please. Can you just give me some time to get my head around all of this? It’s been a little information overload this afternoon.”
“I was going to tell you,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s complicated.” He ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Will you come over tonight? Please. So I can explain?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Besides, I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything.”
Before he could respond, I dug my heels into Cody’s sides and loped off into the dusty landscape.
***
I have no idea how long Cody and I rocked along, enjoying the steady canter across the bleak desert. It was only as the sun no longer bothered me that I wondered about the time. Patting my pockets for my phone, I pulled it out only to realise it was dead.
“Shit.”
We slowed to a walk and I allowed him to pick his own path between the dry plants and green vegetation. I glanced around at my surroundings, trying to pick out parts which I recognised. I whipped my head around to look behind me.
Nothing.
I recognised nothing out here. Had I really been that wrapped up in my own thoughts that I’d lost all sense of direction? I was so sure I’d taken the trail to the cookout area where we’d taken the draft horses.
In front of me sat beautiful towering hills, their red setting contrasting against the pale-yellow sunset hiding behind them. Daylight was fading fast and I didn’t want to be out here in the dark, alone. I began to panic then as I realised I was on my own, no phone, and no idea of where I was. Perhaps Cody knew the way home?
I loosened my reins and patted his neck. He pricked his ears but only continued to meander forwards. I thought back over the way we’d come. We’d circled around the bottom of a steep hill before trekking out through a bunch of cacti. Then…I struggled to remember. My thoughts had been entirely consumed with Ben, Brady, and Brady’s city wife. I should have paid better attention or at best, heeded Brady’s warning not to wander too far.
Cody’s coat glistened with a soft sheen of sweat. I couldn’t push him anymore to try and get us back before dark. Judging from the twilight and buzzing of night time insects, I calculated roughly just under an hour before all light was lost.
“Sorry, boy,” I said, kissing to him. “We need to cover as much ground as we can before it gets dark.”
He snorted but lulled us into a steady lope. After several minutes, we came across a huge pile of rocks. It loomed over us, easily two storeys high. The shadows it cast darkened our forwards path causing apprehension to catch my breath. Several bushes edged its perimeter, making the whole scene just a little creepier.
A sense of fear pricked at me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Cody came to a sudden stop.
Then I panicked.
His ears shot forwards and he snorted, pawing at the ground. I gulped, a dry lump lodged in my throat. I looked to the right at the mound of stone. There was nothing there.
“Come on boy,” I said, pushing him forwards. “It’s fine. Just some shadows.”
He shook his head and snorted again before running backwards a few steps.
“Cody, come on.”
I pushed him on again. He took one step forwards before spinning around. He snatched at the bit, yanking my arms. A spiral of toxicity began to develop as the more nervous I became, the jitterier he became. We fought for several minutes as I tried everything from backing up, sidepassing, and loping past the A shaped mound, but every time, he would stop at the same point and stamp his front feet, each time with more frustration.
I sighed and dismounted, the only thing left to try. As soon as my feet touched the ground, a low growl grumbled through the eerie silence. Cody stilled, his entire body quivering.
A fresh sweat broke out all over me. I froze to the spot. The bushes behind me rustled. I squeezed my eyes shut but knew I had to look. I had to know what I was facing.
Turning around to glance across the dusky landscape, a dawning horror clawed at me. Here was Mother Nature’s lethal ugliness to match her serene beauty. She’d treated me to the amazing depths of her wonderful landscape and now it was my time to face the horrific reality of being out here—a snarling mountain lion.
Chapter Twenty Eight
A scream lodged in my throat. Terror and fear tumbled together inside me. Adrenaline was pumping to every part me, making me illogical and unable to think clearly. My only thought came from my primitive instinct to run, but I knew that would be a mistake.
There was no way I could get back in the saddle quick enough to avoid its pace by pace advance on us. Even if I did, could Cody even outrun it? He was tired and we were lost. Would we just end up in even more of a mess?
Through the leather reins, I could feel Cody’s trembles. He snorted again and ran back a few steps, the whites of his eyes showing his wild ancestral roots. Skidding through the dust as Cody dragged me back with him, I decided I had no choice. I would have to let him go without me.
I looked back, seeing the lion had covered quite a few feet whilst I’d been distracted with Cody. With its head lowered to the ground, taking each step with a definitive precision, I knew precious seconds were ticking by. More adrenaline poured through me at a mind spinning rate. Was this really how I was going to die?
I whimpered, tears pricking at my eyes. Cody was the only way out of here for me, but that would be risking the both of us. At least if I was here and he ran, he had a chance. He’d find his way back to the ranch and then he’d be my alarm—providing he went back to the ranch of course. There was every chance he’d end up even more lost, wandering through the desert on his own. But at least he’d be alive. If I caused Cody’s death, I don’t know what Brady would do. Tears fell as I refused to even contemplate that as an option.
Sheer desperation caused me to almost double over with hopelessness. What was I supposed to do? I had no way of contacting anyone. I was out here all alone.
A loud grunt broke my thoughts as Cody threw his entire weight into wrenching me backwards. I lost my balance and fell, still hanging on to his reins for all I was worth. I scrambled to my feet and took his bridle off without a second’s delay. The metal bit clunked against his teeth as he couldn’t even wait for me to take it off before he high tailed out of there, his galloping hooves echoing all around the silent setting.
I turned around to see the stealthy cat, the bringer of my certain death, was barely ten feet from me. I knew it was going to pounce any second. Raising my arms, I shouted at it, jumping up and down on the spot. It took a couple of steps back but kept its beady, hungry eyes on me.
As the sound of thundering hooves finally disappeared into the shadowed desert, I began to think I should be with them. What on earth had possessed me to do this? I reminded myself I had no other option. Cody wouldn’t have outran it in the near dark. Blind fear never leads to anything good when you have a night time predator stalking you.
I started stepping to my right to circle back around the growling beast. Out the corner of my left eye, I spotted a tall tree a hundred yards or so away. If I could get up the tree, I could control its attacks better. It watched me, its eyes gleaming and following my every move.
I started walking backwards, step by step, very slow and pr
ecise. My hands squeezed Cody’s bridle, reassurance at something being a weapon of some sort. With every step I took back, it now took one forwards. Its animalistic snarl continued to unnerve me. After several steps, I made the mistake of turning to look for the tree. It couldn’t have been much more than thirty feet away.
I looked back to my Grim Reaper but it was too late. The lion was leaping towards me, a beastly shriek coming from it as it launched itself through the air. I swung at it with the bridle. A definitive clunk sounded through the air as I managed to connect with its hard skull. The lucky hit swerved its outstretched claws away from me. It sprawled out on the dust a few feet away, landing on its side with a thud. I ran towards the tree, making use of my few precious seconds. I looked up at the lowest branch, working out the best way to get to its ten-foot height.
A spine-chilling snarl snapped my attention back.
But it was too late. The creature had its target spot on.
Razor sharp claws dug into my arms, shredding my thin shirt and flesh. I hit the hard ground, my breath literally knocked from my body as sixty kilos of pure power and muscle pinned me down. I wriggled beneath it and just escaped its snapping jaws hitting its kill spot of my neck.
Ignoring the shattering agony from my arms, I reached up to its head. Whilst this served to only dig its claws further into me, I drove my fingers into one of its eyes. My other hand slapped at its head with frantic moves. Using me as a springboard, it jumped off me, retreating a few feet. Blood spilled out of my thighs from its back claws. Pools of my blood spread through the sand under my arms. I clambered to my feet and stumbled towards the tree.
With all the effort I could muster, I jumped up the rough bark, shimmying myself up it like a snake. I cried in pain every time the coarse wood scratched into my skin, drawing more blood from me.
I made a grab at the lowest branch and hauled myself onto it. Without a second to spare, I reached up for the next bough. Dangling between the two, my legs kicked out into the air in a furious wave as I tried to inch myself further up the big tree. Before I could curl myself up onto it, the lion sprang up with an impressive display of strength, reaching for my legs.
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