by Lynda Chance
Travis tipped his hat back to get a better look. The small figure on the bunk stared back at him. Pain etched the features, and dirt was smudged all over the little face looking at him. Dark, violet eyes silently watched him.
Travis felt a kick in the gut as an arrow of arousal slammed his groin.
Shock immediately followed.
Nothing in his thirty-two years on earth had ever made him think he wasn't one-hundred percent heterosexual. Not a secret thought, not a second look, not even a hint of curiosity.
His eyes narrowed and he looked more closely. Beautiful violet eyes stared at him apprehensively. The face was purely feminine, without even a hint of masculine youth. Her eyes were slanted, provocatively so, with delicate eyebrows slashing above them. Her eyelashes were ridiculously long, and reminded him of a fawn's.
She clutched a lightweight, dirty jacket to her chest, hiding the swells he knew would be found there. Her complexion was creamy ivory, except for the sunburn, which looked new. One eye was blackened, and he felt a fierce surge of testosterone boil up inside of him when he thought about someone hurting her.
She looked helpless in the extreme, and his men had been right to come and drag him back here.
But how the hell they had all mistaken her for a boy was beyond him. She was a female, no question about it, and a young adult one at that. She may only be eighteen or nineteen, but she was about to open a whole can of worms for him.
The question was, had all of his men thought she was a boy, or were a couple of them secretly waiting for the right time to pounce on her? All in all, they were good men, good hands, and he wouldn't keep them around if he didn't think he could trust every one of them. But the ranch was secluded, and the men were known to go a bit stir crazy with the lack of women.
This little bit of fluff was going to cause him major problems, he could tell already.
He cleared his throat and tried to bring his lust down a notch. "His name is Manuel?" Travis asked Juan the rhetorical question and turned back to the bunk.
"Can you understand me, Manuel?"
At the small affirmative nod she gave, Travis continued. "You say you are a United States citizen, and for now, I'm going to believe you."
He turned back to Jim and Juan. "He can't stay here with all the rowdiness that goes on at night and expect to heal. We're going to have to move him to the big house. I'm going to do that now. Juan, you come with me, so you can ease his fears a bit. Jim, bring the liniment and something to wrap those ribs with."
Her eyes flared wide at that.
He moved over to the bunk and looked down at the young woman lying there. "I'll be careful. But we have to get you out of here. Comprehende?"
She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip and nodded, just once.
He leaned down and carefully put one arm below her knees and the other under her back. She was extremely light, and he doubted she weighed a hundred pounds. He gently moved her against his chest, and carried her out the door and across the compound to the big house. Juan followed with her backpack.
Travis carried her through to one of the two spare bedrooms the house held. He shouldered the door wide, and held her next to the bed. "Juan, fold the blanket and sheet back. I want to get him in and settled so we don't have to keep moving him."
Travis wanted to keep the knowledge of her gender to himself for now.
He stood still and held her as Juan did as he had instructed. He looked into her face and saw her eyes shut against the pain.
He lowered her down gently and stepped away from the bed. The soft little body in his arms was beginning to play havoc with his breathing.
Jim walked into the room and set the supplies down on the bedside table. "What now, boss?"
"How about you go heat up a can of soup for our guest? God knows how long it's been since he had a meal." Jim nodded once and went on his mission.
"Juan, explain to our guest that I'm good with fractures and I'm going to look at his ribs. Tell him I know what I'm doing. Make it clear he has no choice in the matter."
Travis watched the girl the whole time he made the speech to Juan.
She obviously understood English. She grasped the situation completely and was now silently panicking.
He stood back while Juan translated his words and she started arguing back immediately. Her voice was soft, a little raspy. She was obviously upset and was letting Juan know it in no uncertain terms.
He let the volley go on for a while before he had enough. The girl understood English enough that he didn't need Juan's help. In fact, he needed Juan out of the room for what was about to happen.
His words were an order. "Enough. Go make sure the men know not to spread this around. We need to keep this under wraps while I figure out what the real situation is here. I'll send Jim for you if I need you to translate anymore."
Juan nodded his understanding and smiled once at the kid in encouragement and then took off.
The door closed behind Juan and Travis was left alone in the room for the first time with the girl. She lay trembling on the bed. "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."
His voice was deep.
He went to the small attached bathroom and wet a washcloth in the sink. His movements were smooth and methodical. He started to walk back to the bed, but stopped and locked the door first. He didn't need any eyes but his on her if this became physical. The less people who knew her sex, the better.
He pulled the single chair away from the small desk and placed it next to her side.
He lowered his big body down and lifted his boots to the small bedside table and crossed them. He held the cloth out to her. "Do you want me to wash your face, or do you want to do it?"
Her small hand flew to her face and she felt the dirt and grime there. She held out her hand and he placed the cloth in it. Hesitantly, she lifted it to her face and slowly began to scrub. She pulled it away and saw the dirt on in, then folded it over and washed again until the cloth came away clean.
When she was finished with the task, she lowered her hands to her sides, still holding the rag. She raised her eyes slowly to his.
The beauty of her face hit him. Arousal pierced his gut as he realized she was even prettier than he had thought.
He narrowed his eyes and questioned her, "What's your name, Angel?"
Chapter Two
He saw her take a sharp breath, and pain etched her features from the sudden strain to her hurt ribs.
She didn't answer him.
Travis waited a heartbeat. "I know you understand me. I also know you're a girl.
But let's make this easy. Como se llama usted? "
Again, no answer.
"You know, Angel, this would be easier if you tried to get along with me."
Selena recognized the subtle threat and the note of authority in his voice and responded to it. "S-Selena."
Travis felt another jolt of need slam through him when he heard her voice say her name. Soft and feminine, with a Spanish accent, her voice brushed down his spine and attacked his nerves.
He was going to hell, no doubt about it, for lusting after a girl this young.
"Selena." It rolled from his tongue as he tried out her name. It suited her immensely. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it, Angel?"
Travis watched a small, pink tongue sneak out and moisten her lips. She shook her head slightly.
"I've got to check those ribs, Angel. I'm pretty sure that it's just a bruise, but I have to make sure nothing is broken." He kept his words gentle but firm, trying not to frighten her.
"No." She clutched the hoodie to her.
He was about to respond when a knock came to the door. "Soup's ready, Boss."
Travis stood and opened the door. Jim came through with a tray and took it to the bed.
Selena was assailed with heavenly scents. All at once, the nausea cleared up and a fierce hunger attacked her. Nothing but peanut butter and bread for three days had reduced her to salivating at the smell of canned
soup. She pushed herself up and into more of a sitting position, the threat of the man looking at her ribs subdued with her hunger taking precedence.
Jim placed the tray on her lap and Selena picked up the spoon and started eating.
She took a few delicate bites, to make sure it wasn't too hot, and then couldn't stop herself from attacking the bowl of soup until it was gone. Embarrassed, she looked up to find the two men watching her.
Jim spoke. "Do you want more?"
She responded. " Por favor."
Travis reached over and took the tray off her lap. "Not yet. The food needs to settle or he'll get sick." He handed the tray back to Jim, but snagged the glass of water and set it on the bedside table. "I can handle things from here, Jim. Thanks for your help. I'll go get some more soup from the kitchen in an hour or so."
"Okay, Boss. I'm gonna go see about the tractor you were working on." He turned and left the room.
Travis followed him and shut and locked the door. He turned and leaned against it, watching her. He really didn't like what he was about to have to do. Nothing in his psyche had ever gotten satisfaction from the thought of abusing people or small animals. The thought of terrifying her made his guts churn.
Best just to get it over with.
Selena saw him lock the door and panic assailed her. She bit her lip and steeled herself for what was about to happen.
Travis left the door and walked over and sat facing her on the edge of the bed. She shrank back against the pillows. "Shh, Angel." He put one hand to her shoulder to gently hold her in place and began to lift her shirt with the other hand.
She whimpered. "No,no."
He moved the hand on her shoulder to gently cup her chin. "I won't hurt you, Selena. Look, you show me exactly where the pain is coming from, okay? I won't touch you anywhere else." He looked into the big violet eyes welling with tears. "I won't look at you anywhere else. Just show me the worst part, where it hurts the most."
Her hand hesitantly moved on top of her shirt to a spot on her right side, almost adjacent to the small swell of her right breast. One tear rolled down her cheek and she closed her eyes.
"Good girl." He reached down and gently probed the area over her shirt.
She flinched.
"Okay, Angel. Now I'm just going to lift the shirt and take a look. I won't look anywhere else, okay?" He paused and waited for her answer.
For the first time, Selena actively tried to communicate in English with him. "No.No, Boss. P-please, no."
Travis let out a small smile. "Travis. My name is Travis. You don't have to call me Boss."
"T-Travis."
"That's right." He lifted the right side of her shirt and saw an ugly purple bruise there. " Goddammnit." He swore. What he wouldn't give to have at the scum that did this to her. Just five minutes. He could do some serious damage in five minutes, and he would feel so much better.
Selena turned her head away from him and away from the bruised side of her body. She held herself perfectly still as he inspected the damage. Her heartbeat increased when he touched her side. The skin on his hand was rough, his fingers firm and calloused as they ran over her ribs with a slight pressure. She lay in shock as a man touched her body for the first time. She had been raised piously, in a strict Roman Catholic family. No man had ever touched her before, not in any way.
Travis picked up the liniment and rubbed a small amount into her skin. He did it quickly, so he could move away from her sooner. She was going to his head like a drug.
He pulled her shirt back down and sat back in the chair. He picked up the cloth she had used earlier and wiped his hands clean with it. He tossed it to the floor.
"I don't think anything is broken. But you're badly bruised and it's going to take a few days for you to heal. I have a couple of questions." He paused and waited to see if she was following him.
She nodded her head.
"First question. Is there a man out there looking for you? Somebody that did this to you that is going to come back to hurt you again?"
She shook her head. "No."
Travis studied her intently. "Were you raped, Angel? Do you need me to get you to a hospital?"
Her face lost all color, and then just as quickly, a blush rose up her cheeks. She shook her head emphatically.
"Good. That's good, Selena. Last question. Are you really a citizen and can you prove it if you have to?"
She nodded her head. " Si."
"How?"
Selena thought he asked how she could prove it, not how she happened to be a United States citizen when she couldn't even speak the language. She pointed to her backpack.
Travis looked at the article in question and reached over and snagged it and handed it to her. He was surprised by its weight.
Selena opened her bag and started at the top. She took out the bottle of water and set it on the bed. Next she took out half a loaf of bread that was badly squished and the jar of peanut butter. A rumpled pair of jeans and another t-shirt followed.
Finally, she pulled out a well-worn Bible stuffed with mementos. Pictures, papers, and pressed flowers kept the book from not closing properly.
Travis watched the sad little pile of articles surrounding her. His stomach clenched when he realized that he was probably seeing all that she possessed in the world.
He truly hoped for her sake that she was telling the truth. She needed something positive in her life right now.
Selena opened the Bible and found what she was looking for. She carefully opened the large envelope and handed him the three sets of papers she carried.
Citizenship papers for her father, her brother and herself.
Travis skimmed the papers and looked at her in dismay. Her last name was Taylor.
Selena Taylor. She didn't even hold a Spanish surname. It was a good last name.
Simple. American. Her father was Anglo. A white, American citizen. That must be where she inherited the pale, ivory skin tone. Relief passed through him. She also had an American passport and social security number. Then he noticed her date of birth. A quick calculation put her age at twenty-three. She wasn't a teenager. Thank God. Instantaneous relief surged through Travis. He wasn't lusting after a minor.
She wasn't underage. Far from it. She was a woman full grown.
This was very good.
He looked at her, sitting and silently watching him reading her papers.
He smiled at her and held out his hand. She slowly placed her palm in his hand.
"Travis Blake, at your service, Miss Taylor," he teased her and a blush spread over her face. He reluctantly released her hand and became serious again.
"This is good, Selena. This is going to make everything much easier for you. I want you to know you're safe here. But for now, as far as the men are concerned, you're a young boy named Manuel. This is my house. All the men stay in the bunkhouse.
I'll keep them away from the house and this room, and you can have time to heal.
You need to sleep and rest for a few days, get your strength back. That room through there will be your private bathroom. It has shampoo, soap, towels and stuff.
You use anything you want, and tell me if there is anything you need. Do you understand?"
Tears came to her eyes as she nodded her head. " Gracias."
He smiled. "Say thank you."
"Thank you, T-Travis."
His nerves tied in knots at her soft reply and the shy look on her face. He decided to get the hell out while the getting was good.
As soon as he left the room, Selena braced herself for more pain as she moved to get off the bed. She was grimy and filthy all over, but still way too weak to attempt a shower. But the urgent need she had for the bathroom wasn't going to go away.
She slid her feet to the ground and balanced herself with one hand on the bedpost.
Her head swam. He was right. She was very weak. She stumbled to the bathroom, and made use of the facilities. The room was clean. Small, but very functional, it looked
like heaven compared to what she had been doing without for the last few days.
He had said to use whatever she wanted, so she looked around while she was in there. A small drawer off the vanity contained toothpaste and several brand new toothbrushes. She quickly chose a pink one, unwrapped it and moved to the sink.
She thoroughly cleaned her teeth and mouth. Looking into the mirror, she gasped at her reflection there. One eye was swollen almost completely closed, and was bruised black and purple around the whole area. The side of her face was grazed, and showed pink skin underneath, where she must have hit the pavement when she fell.
She found a small tube of antibiotic ointment as well as a bottle of aspirin. She swallowed two aspirin, and carefully applied the ointment all over the scraped area. She felt a slight relief immediately.
Somehow, miraculously, her hair was still in the baseball cap. She knew it was filthy, but she couldn't find the strength to shower. She was afraid she might pass out in there, and need help. It would have to wait.
She slipped out of her jeans and bra, but left on her panties and t-shirt. The shirt came down to the top of her thighs, almost covering her panties. She didn't have anything else to sleep in.
She made her way back to the bed, and crawled inside and covered herself up.
The door was shut, but not locked, and she felt safe with it like that. If anyone here had wanted to hurt her, it would already have happened.
With the comfort of the bed and covers around her, her stomach fed and satisfied, she completely relaxed and finally let herself think of her family and grieve. There hadn't been time before and so she had pushed the thoughts away, her instinct for survival taking precedence. But now she felt safe for the moment, and the heartache and tears washed over her.
****
When dusk came, Travis slipped into Selena's room with another tray of soup and some slices of orange. The lights were out, and only a soft glow came from the window as the sun set in the west.
He quietly placed the tray on the desk, and moved the chair back over toward it, in case it was too heavy for her to deal with. He moved back to the bed to check on her. What he saw, almost had him groaning out loud. She was dressed only in the t-shirt, and she had kicked the covers down to about mid-thigh. He could see the strip of milky white thighs between where the shirt ended and the covers began.