by Jenny Penn
“Well, I’m not wrong, am I?” Cooper asked, not even trying to deny the inspector’s accusation.
“No,” Henry answered that rhetorical question with all seriousness. He turned his grim expression on Lindsay, not that she bothered to spare him a glance as he summarized the results of his inspection. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’m afraid this cabin is not safe to inhabit. I have a list of deficiencies and violations here.”
Lowering his clipboard, Henry rifled through the forms he’d filled out, tearing yellow duplicates from under them. He passed the pile over to Lindsay, who snatched them up without so much as a glance. Instead her glare remained fixated on Cooper. So did all of her anger.
“Are you happy now?” Smacking the papers against Cooper’s chest, she glowered at him with a heat that had nothing to do with passion for a change. “Did you get what you want?”
He didn’t bother to respond to that set of sarcastic questions, refusing to give Lindsay the argument she ached for. Instead, Cooper ignored her, taking the forms the inspector had given her as if he was actually interested in reading them.
“So this is everything she needs to fix up before she can move in?” Cooper rifled through the papers as he tossed that question in Henry’s direction.
“Well, yes. You’ll need permits and to pass inspections along the way but…” Henry hesitated, watching as Lindsay tried to snatch her papers back. Cooper held them high and turned, keeping his back to her.
“But?” Cooper prompted Henry, ignoring Lindsay as she cursed and clawed at him.
It took the inspector a moment but he jerked back into the conversation with a rush that betrayed his unease with the tension building between her and Cooper.
“To fix it all, you’re going to have to rip almost everything down to the studs and probably replace a few of them along with fixing the foundation. By that point, you’re basically building a new house, which would actually be easier than fixing this one…That is if the lady wants to bother?”
The lady? Lindsay wasn’t about to be appeased with some half-assed compliment. She was getting screwed here and nothing anybody said changed that fact. There certainly wasn’t any reason for her to be happy about it.
“Well? Do you? Want to live here?” Cooper pressed, refusing to back down from the unblinking stare she aimed at him.
“I haven’t got anywhere else to stay.” As much as she might hate to admit it, that was the simple truth.
“Sure you do, lil’ bit. You know you’re always welcome to stay with me.” The husky promise in Cooper’s slow drawl had Lindsay’s ears flushing with a heat that had nothing to do with indignation.
“You’re absolutely nuts to think that after this I’m going to be warming your sheets,” Lindsay shot back without thought for their audience.
The deputy snorted, reminding her that they were not alone…and that they’d already given the horrid little man more than an eyeful. Not a fan of men in uniform, she liked this one even less. The look in his eyes gave her the same cold, creeping sensation Crugman sent tickling down her spine.
“You got something to say, Travis?” Cooper asked the deputy pointedly, a clear threat sharpening his tone.
“No.” Travis’s thin lips pulled back to reveal teeth that looked menacingly sharp. “But I do have somewhere to be and other things to be doing. So if you don’t mind, darlin’, you need to sign the inspector’s papers and promise to vacate the cabin.”
“Fine.” Snatching up the clipboard the inspector held out to her, Lindsay scrawled her signature where he pointed, barely bothering to look down as she did. “There. Now you can both get on with your day.”
The inspector took that advice, pausing only to offer her and Cooper a farewell. The deputy, however, lingered. Far from in a rush, his cold, soulless gaze remained trained on her as he offered her another feral smirk.
“I don’t have to put tape across the door to assure that you’re not sneaking in there at night, do I?”
“I just need to get my stuff and I’ll be out,” Lindsay retorted, smart enough not to antagonize a man with authority no matter how much he irritated her.
“You don’t need to worry, Travis,” Cooper assured him. “After all, I’m sure the sheriff’s department has better things to do than bothering with checking tape.”
“Protecting the citizens of this county is my job. I don’t know of any better use of my time than dedicating my life to that service,” Travis stated as if he had this speech memorized. “Given all the trouble this little lady has had recently, I’m sure you can understand why keeping a close eye on her place is high priority for not only me but the entire department.”
As noble as Travis’s words sounded, Lindsay didn’t believe him for a moment. The truth betrayed itself in his cold, dead gaze. She’d been wrong. The deputy could have taught Crugman a thing or two about the nature of evil. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t actually directly threatened her. Lindsay could sense the malice in his words.
Standing there watching him saunter away, she could only wonder what it was he really wanted. Lindsay didn’t doubt he wanted something. Everybody did, even Cooper.
“I did not call that man.” Turning her to confront her, Cooper clearly stood ready to battle.
“I know.” She also knew her easy acceptance would drive him nuts, which it did.
“And I didn’t have Chet call him.”
“Of course not.”
“Then why the hell are you still mad at me?” Pitched higher with his growing frustration, Cooper’s tone held a demand that had Lindsay smiling, certain that would only aggravate him even more.
“Because you’re the boss,” she reminded him. “It doesn’t matter whether you told Chet to call the inspector, you didn’t tell him not to. So either you’re not in control of the situation or you failed to control it, which makes this disaster your fault.”
“That is the most convoluted…backward-ass…stupid—”
“You’re stuttering, Cooper, and I don’t have time to stand around here and argue the matter with you.” Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Lindsay turned on her heel and headed straight for her truck. Every step of the way she could feel Cooper growing hotter and hotter by the second until finally he exploded.
“And just where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“Wherever I damn well please,” Lindsay hollered back.
“Damn it, Lindsay!”
The man moved with the speed of lightening, bolting across the yard to snatch her elbow and drag her to a stop. “I know this looks bad, Lindsay, but I can fix it. I swear I can.”
Honest desperation thickened his tone, matching the words that proved he’d do anything to set things right between them. Strangely Lindsay believed him. The worries that had plagued her in the truck faded away beneath his look. The man cared. He knew he cared. She’d have to forgive Cooper for whatever crankiness came along with him accepting that fact.
“I can have an architect at the ranch tonight and a contractor out here first thing in the morning. All you have to do is tell them what you want and they’ll get right on building your dream house.” Cooper folded his fist around her hand and dragged it up to his heart as he gaze down at her with nothing but hope shining in his eyes. “You just have to trust me.”
“I do.” Lindsay did but sadly it didn’t change anything. “But you can’t fix this. This is my problem and I’ll handle it.”
Jerking free of his hold, she turned and fled toward her truck, knowing that if she dawdled she wouldn’t have the strength to leave at all. It was just too easy to give in, to let Cooper take over, but then all she’d be was another puppet on another man’s string. If she wanted Cooper and Nick to love and respect her, then she had to earn those honors by being capable in her own right.
“So that’s it?” Cooper hollered from behind Lindsay. “Thanks for the fuck and good-bye? Because I got news for you, lil’ bit—”
Lindsay didn’t know how he mov
ed so fast but one moment he was shouting from a good twenty feet away and the next the truck door in her hand was slamming closed as he slapped it back into its cradle.
“—that ain’t goin’ work.”
The hot wash of Cooper’s breath sent goose bumps cascading down her spine, lighting up each nerve ending with a thrill that matched the wild beat of her heart. Before she could brace herself much less marshal any defense, Lindsay found herself turned, pinned, and caught in Cooper’s hungry gaze. He settled against her, allowing his heat and strength to overwhelm her resistance.
“God, Lindsay, do you feel that?” He ground the hard bulge of his erection against the soft cushion of her tummy, making Lindsay’s stomach do flips, and her cunt softened with a rush of lust that left her feeling light-headed.
“Do you feel how hard you make me whenever you get all pissy with me, lil’ bit?” Like black velvet, his voice wrapped her in a warm, sensual cocoon that seduced even as it excited her. “My goddamn balls are sweating with the need to unload a lifetime supply of fucking cum into your cunt so don’t think you’re walking away from this. Not now. Not after this morning.”
Lindsay swallowed against the need infecting her. It didn’t matter how much she wanted him, wanted to give in to him. She loved Cooper more than that, enough to be strong for the both of them. Instead of melting into the strength and security of his embrace, she managed to pull back, managing to find an inch of space in which to regain her sanity.
“I don’t belong to you.” Forcing herself to meet his gaze, Lindsay hardened herself for the pain her rejection provoked but there was nothing in Cooper’s gaze but firm resolve.
“But I belong to you.”
Lindsay closed her eyes, trying to hide from the hunger thickening the air around her. There was no escape. It infused every breath she took until her blood pulsed with the same need she could feel emanating from Cooper. The lust was undeniable, but the love, that was something she didn’t dare to believe in.
Swallowing down her fears and insecurities, Lindsay forced her eyes open and met Cooper’s intense gaze. It was like stepping out into the sunlight naked, heat poured immediately through every pore in her body. She could have basked in the sensation forever but knew she didn’t have that luxury. Neither, though, could she resist stretching up onto her tiptoes to drop a quick kiss on Cooper’s lips before she pinched him hard in the side.
“Ow!”
Cooper flinched, stumbling backward and leaving her the room to escape. Before he could catch her, Lindsay whipped open the truck door and hopped up into her seat. Tossing her purse onto the seat beside her, she locked her door and reached for her keys. Thankfully, they were right where she’d left them—in the ignition.
Lindsay didn’t waste time with her seat belt before she turned over the engine and popped the damn thing into gear. The tires dug in, spitting dirt and dust all over the place before they finally got traction and sent the truck flying forward. She spun the truck in a wide circle around the yard, putting a good hundred feet between Cooper and her before she rolled down her window and shouted out it.
“I should be back by tonight or in the morning at the latest. I’ll catch up with you then.”
With that and a wave that had Cooper’s fists flexing, she took off down the drive at breakneck speed.
Chapter 28
Nick didn’t know how it happened but he found himself once again sitting in front of Elton’s cabin waiting for Lindsay to return. The only difference this time was that he had the foresight to remember to bring a book. He also had Jack to keep him company, though the cat wasn’t what he considered good company.
He cried and head-butted Nick, demanding attention. When Nick did him the favor of scratching behind his ears or rubbing a hand down his back the crazy fucker would hiss and swat at him. Even if Nick managed to pet him just right then the stupid feline drooled on him and kneaded Nick’s leg with those needle-sharp claws of his.
There didn’t seem to be any positive to messing with the cat. Why Lindsay liked him, Nick couldn’t fathom. Cats might make great rat catchers, but as pets went…they pooped in your house and that’s all Nick needed to know. Nothing that didn’t know how to flush a toilet would be living with him.
He smirked at that thought as he considered that he’d have to make a special rule for babies. Not that he planned on getting stuck with diaper duty. Lindsay would have his mother and aunt to help her with those kind of chores. Of course if their mother was going to hang around then they’d need to build her a little cabin like Sally had because Nick didn’t want to have to worry about making Lindsay scream just because his mom was down the hall. Talk about a mood killer.
Nick shivered at the very idea and turned his attention to the more positive aspects of the future. The sky started to fade to a dusty hue by the time he’d plotted just about every detail of his life with Lindsay. It was almost completely dark by the time the heavy rumble of an engine echoed down the lane.
Lifting his gaze toward the lane, he watched Cooper’s truck come slowly rolling down the old, dirt road. He’d figured his brother would show up before Lindsay. It was too much to hope that she would see reason and returned home. Cooper had been right. Lindsay really did need a leash.
Of course, Nick wasn’t exactly happy with his big brother right then. Whether he meant to or not, their current predicament was all on Cooper’s shoulders. Not that he’d hung around to bear the weight of the consequences. No, Cooper had a ranch to run. Nick was the one who got to sit on his ass all day watching the flies buzz around the yard, which made watching Cooper pull his truck up Lindsay’s drive a highlight of the day.
“Hey, man.” Cooper didn’t bother to park but wheeled in close to the porch, angling it so he could holler out the window up at Nick. “I brought you some dinner.”
“How considerate.” Shoving off his ass, Nick crossed over to take the plate Cooper passed through the window. “This mean I’m on night watch, too?”
“The guys are waiting down at the Pitchfork for me.” Cooper offered Nick a tight smile. “We’re going to have a talk.”
“Good luck with that.”
Cooper would need it. Hopefully he could negotiate a truce with the rest of the ranchers. In all honesty, though, Nick wasn’t too hot over the building inspector’s report. He didn’t imagine Cooper was either. The place wasn’t safe. Lindsay was just going to have to accept that fact.
“I think I’ve got a good solution, but it would have helped to have Lindsay actually around to agree to it.” Cooper heaved in a deep breath as he glanced around the silent yard. “God only knows the woman’s likely to get mad at me for trying to solve this problem without her permission.”
“Probably,” Nick agreed. Lindsay did seem to enjoy blaming Cooper. Of course, Cooper tended to earn his rebukes. “Just don’t suggest anything like…oh, I don’t know…she belongs in a mental institution while you’re at it.”
“You’re not funny.”
“I’m not trying to be.”
“Well, since you’re in that kind of mood, I might as well tell you that Evan can’t find any evidence of Lindsay ever being married.” Cooper pinned Nick with a hard look. “According to him, the testimony given in Lindsay’s competency trial indicates that the shrinks believe she hallucinated the whole thing in a psychotic episode.”
“That’s bullshit.” Nick didn’t even have to think twice to know that was a lie. “But it does tell us how far her stepfather will go.”
“And how careful we need to be.” Cooper nodded. “Once we get Lindsay back, we need to keep her in sight at all times. Her stepdad won’t be able to make up lies if we’re there to tell the truth.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Nick smiled. “I got a meeting with Amos Callahan in the morning.”
They’d agreed last night that he would see about contracting professionals to investigate Crugman and Carl. After all there was only so much Cooper’s lawyer could do. That’s where Amos Call
ahan came in. There wasn’t almost anything he and his men couldn’t do.
Luck had been on Nick’s side. Amos and his team were actually in Kansas, just a few hours away, handling another matter for another client. Nick had managed to score an interview with the head cheese himself. That is if he made the meeting.
“Here?” Cooper asked, appearing more shocked than impressed.
“Down in Humble, actually,” Nick corrected before he glanced at his watch. “Which I might actually make if I leave in the next three hours.”
“Three? Then I’ll make sure I’m back in under two to make sure you get out of here on time,” Cooper graciously offered, though Nick suspected he had his own agenda. He didn’t need three guesses to figure out what it was either.
“And you hope Lindsay comes back tonight so you can have her all to yourself, don’t you?”
“I was thinking the best damn place to keep the woman was tied to my bed.” Cooper paused to flash Nick a quick grin. “That is until you return with the cavalry.”
“Then I’ll be sure to rush back,” Nick snapped, not amused in the slightest.
He comforted himself with the certainty that over their lifetime, he’d actually get to spend more alone time with Lindsay than Cooper. After all, ranchers were quite busy and teachers got the summer off. Maybe he should let Cooper marry the girl. Lazing around all summer, screwing his brother’s wife had some raunchy appeal that kind of made him hard.
“I take it you’re going to put Amos in contact with Evan?” Cooper interrupted Nick’s fantasy with that tedious question.
“Yeah, though I doubt they’ll actually work together.” Amos wasn’t known for playing well with others but neither did he take it kindly when people weren’t fully informative with him. Nick would tell the cranky, old general about Cooper’s lawyer and let him decide how miserable he wanted to make Evan’s life.