Her Mountain Sanctuary

by Jeannie Watt

  “You just had to tell Tara about the saddle.”

  “I...”

  “What?” he asked darkly. He moved forward in the small space and Faith pressed herself back between the saddle racks and the trailer wall. Oh yeah, her heart was going to beat its way out of her chest. “I told you I’d buy the damned thing. I saw your times in the last two rodeos. You don’t need it. You’re done with serious competition.”

  Her hand kept groping and finally curled around the riding crop. She lifted it off the hook. “Get back, Jared.”

  “Oh,” he said with a sneer. “Am I scaring you? Are you still ‘dealing’ with shit?”

  She was about to raise the crop when the trailer door slammed open, and a big hand landed on Jared’s shoulder, yanking him outside.

  He gave a startled yelp as he tumbled backward, and gave another more strangled one as Drew hauled him to his feet and pushed him against the trailer, his hand on Jared’s throat. “What’s wrong with you?” Drew growled at the man. “Shutting her in like that.”

  “I... I—” Jared gave a strangled cough, clutching at the hand on his throat.

  “Let him go, Drew.”

  At first Faith didn’t think he’d heard her, but then he glanced over his shoulder and she was stunned at the stone-cold look on his face. Her lips parted as her throat went dry. “Please,” she said. “Before Maddie gets here.”

  His daughter’s name seemed to bring him back. He let out a shaking breath, then slowly let go of Jared, who practically crumpled to the ground.

  “You’re in deep shit, man.” Jared’s voice was rough.

  “Keep the saddle,” Faith said. “I’ll write you a bill of sale. Tell Tara I’m a liar.”

  Jared got to his feet, stumbling a little in the process, and once he was a safe distance from Drew, he said, “I’ll sue your ass for assault.”

  “I’ll do the same,” Faith said.

  Jared’s angry gaze swept toward her. “I never laid a hand on you.”

  “You trapped me. Wrongful imprisonment.”

  Jared rubbed his hand over his throat, shooting Drew a cautious look.

  “Don’t give him the saddle,” Drew said.

  Faith shook her head. “Keep it,” she told Jared. “Just...leave. Now.”

  “Mail me the bill of sale?”

  Drew made a step toward him and Jared jumped, then turned and hurried off, shooting a nervous look over his shoulder before disappearing around the nearest trailer. Drew pressed his fingers to his forehead, then turned to Faith. “Are you okay?”

  She slowly shook her head before dropping her chin to her chest. “Not right at this moment.”

  He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving. “I might have handled that wrong.”

  She looked up. “You think?” She scanned the grounds behind him. “Where’s Maddie?”

  “Ladies’ room. We agreed to meet here, then I saw that guy follow you into the trailer.”

  “Here she comes.” Faith raised her chin in the direction of the stands, where Maddie’s bright pink shirt shone like a beacon. She was still a good distance away—far enough away for Faith to escape. There was no way she could fake a smile or act like everything was all right. “I need to go.”

  “What do I tell Maddie?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “I can’t let you drive like this.”

  She tightened her lips. “You don’t have a whole lot of say in the matter.”

  * * *

  HE’D SNAPPED.

  For the first time since leaving the hospital, he’d lost control, and Faith had not only been there to witness it—she’d been the catalyst. When he saw that guy sneaking up on her trailer, then quickly stepping into the tack room and closing the door, his only thought had been to get Faith out of there. To save her.

  Oh, he’d saved her all right, but at what cost? To himself? To her? The woman who’d told him she trusted him must now see that she didn’t even know him.

  And he had no idea what to do about that. His head told him to do nothing. To leave Faith alone, let her work this latest trauma out without adding to it. His gut told him that at the very least he needed to make sure she was all right.

  “Are you okay, Dad?”

  “I’m...uh...getting the beginnings of a headache.”

  “Maybe you have what Faith has.” Maddie had accepted Faith leaving suddenly because she wasn’t feeling well, and she’d kept a close eye on her trailer a couple of car lengths ahead of them since they’d left Clovis. Faith drove just under the speed limit, so he’d been able to catch up with her.

  “Yeah. I think I do.” A big case of reality sucks.

  What kind of man was he, to lose it like that?

  Although...his mouth hardened at the thought...he would have done almost the exact same thing before the tragedies in his life. He wasn’t one to let guys pick on women. Or anyone, for that matter. But he probably wouldn’t have choked the guy down.

  He owed Faith an apology. And he owed it to her to take a step back in their relationship.

  “Are you good with us not working on the room tomorrow?” Maddie asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  He glanced her way. “We’ll have lots of weekends to build.” Maddie’s invitation to a birthday party at the local pool was an excellent reason to not build together, and Drew was relieved. He had no idea what his night was going to be like. What shape he’d be in in the morning. “And I think I might pass on Sunday dinner, too.”

  “I’ll tell Aunt Cara that you’re coming down with something.”

  “I’ll tell her myself. But thanks.”

  Faith left the highway, turning onto the Lightning Creek road, and Drew continued to the other end of town, to Pete’s house.

  “Dad’s not feeling good,” Maddie announced as Cara came out onto the porch.

  “Nothing serious, I hope?” She pushed the hair back from her forehead with the back of her hand.

  “Just a headache right now. I’m going to take it easy tomorrow and pass on dinner.”

  Cara smiled. “Cool. Then Pete and I can have a date night.”

  Date night. How long had it been? “Yeah. Well, I need to hit the road. Maddie stayed off horses and all went well.”

  “How’d your girl do?”

  “My girl?”

  “You know... Faith. Did she do well in her event?”

  “She came in second.”

  Cara gave an approving nod. “Good for her. Tell her hi from us.” She gave him a smile, then disappeared into the house.

  His girl. He should set the record straight, confess that he’d scared the crap out of her by coming unhinged, but instead he headed to his truck, dialing his phone with one hand before starting the ignition. Thankfully, Faith picked up.

  “Are you home?”

  “Just got here.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m better than I was.” He heard her clear her throat. “How are you?”

  “Not homicidal, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m...sorry about losing it.” Sorry and afraid it might happen again. “I...just wanted to check in. Make sure you’re okay.”

  “Sully’s here. Tommy is in the pasture. I’m heading for bed.”

  Don’t have nightmares.

  “Will you be all right?”

  “Yeah, Drew.” She sounded weary. “I think I will.”

  * * *

  WHEN FAITH CLOSED her eyes and concentrated, she could perfectly picture the stone-cold look on Drew’s face as he’d gone after Jared. And she wondered what he might have done if she hadn’t been there to stop him.

  There were facets of the man she hadn’t been aware of and she found that discovery unnerving. Had her instincts been wrong? She opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling. The yard lamp gave off
just enough light for her to make out the fixture, the molding where it met the wall. Beside the bed, Sully snored softly. Everything was just as it had been the night before...except that tonight she probably wouldn’t sleep.

  She’d had a freaking awful scare. Now that she’d calmed down, she was able to look at things more rationally. Jared wouldn’t have hurt her physically, but he’d been trying to scare her, to hurt her mentally. As their relationship had progressed, he’d shown a lot of ego, had a hard time laughing at himself, but she’d told herself that no one was perfect. He had good points. A lot of them. Unfortunately, those hadn’t shown after the attack, when being with her had apparently become troublesome, limiting and inconvenient. Jared hadn’t been in her corner.

  Was Drew?

  She didn’t know. The cold look on his face. Could he take a knife, slice off some woman’s hair?

  She hated that she’d just thought that.

  Faith squeezed her eyes shut again, felt tears welling. Her attacker had been violently proactive. Drew had been reactive. Someone he knew, someone he cared about, had been threatened.

  That was different...right?

  Different or not, it had still scared her.

  The next morning, Faith wrote up her fake bill of sale, with its fake date, and put it in the mail to Jared as promised. After what had transpired, she didn’t want her custom saddle, didn’t want to recall how reality had slammed into her when Jared had closed that tack room door, trapping her.

  Didn’t want to remember how it had shaken her confidence. As she’d driven home, she kept telling herself that she couldn’t put herself in a position where things like that could happen. And she couldn’t keep dragging Drew to rodeos. He’d been to three. Enough.

  Could she go to a rodeo alone after this last incident?

  Her logical side said it wouldn’t happen again.

  Her anxious side said, What if it did?

  Then logic had waffled and said, Okay. Jared and his lady friend might well be at your next rodeo. Maybe you shouldn’t go.

  The outraged-at-feeling-like-a-victim side said, Take a chance. Go.

  Then anxiety said, No freaking way. You were in that trailer with your back against the wall. Remember?

  And what about Drew? She still had to figure that one out before lessons. Which gave her six days. For five of those days, she could hide out in her basement office. Mindlessly do her work and regroup. Consider her next move in her recovery.

  And stop thinking about Drew, which was impossible, which was in turn frustrating.

  Drew and frustration. The pair went hand in hand.

  What about Drew and fear? her small inner voice asked. Are you afraid of him? Or of what happened?

  Or, more specifically, what might have happened?

  Drew had done what a lot of guys might have in the same situation. He shouldn’t have laid hands on Jared, but Jared shouldn’t have trapped her in the tack room. Drew had been protecting her...just as she’d asked him to when she’d invited him to travel with her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  MADDIE WAS SUBDUED at lessons, almost as if she knew that something was up between her dad and her instructor, so Faith made an extreme effort to act exactly as she had before the Clovis rodeo, which might well have been her last. She was still debating that matter.

  She and Drew had had no contact during the week, except for his text asking if lessons were still a go. She’d written back, Of course, and received a Thanks in response. After that—nothing. Which meant she’d had a lot of time to think without being influenced by his presence.

  And she’d come to some conclusions.

  After brushing the horses, they tacked up and mounted. She called Drew over and firmly put his leg in the correct position, telling herself that at this moment in time, he was just a student. But that didn’t stop her nerves from jangling long after she’d sent him on his way along the rail. She shoved her hands into her back pockets and watched as he pushed down through his heels. “Better,” she called.

  “Thank you,” he said loud enough for Maddie to hear, apparently also trying to put on a good face for his daughter. Had he had any repercussions from the situation with Jared?

  Dare she ask?

  She did not.

  “Reverse course and trot.” Drew was becoming a master at posting, and his balance had increased significantly. When he pulled Freckles to a stop, he always patted her, then ruffled her thick mane—even today, when he’d drawn so far into himself it was surprising he was visible to the naked eye.

  She’d been nervous about lessons, nervous about seeing Drew for the first time since the rodeo, wondering if her gut instincts would fall in line with her rational thought processes. So far, so good...on her end, anyway. Her nerves had nothing to do with fear of the guy she was teaching to go over cavalettis at a trot. They were how-is-this-all-going-to-play-out nerves.

  Once the lessons were over, Maddie made her usual trek to the barn.

  “Can Maddie really have a kitten?” Drew asked.

  Faith, who’d been feeling awkward about having their first private conversation since the rodeo incident, blinked at him. “She can have all she wants.”

  “Thank you.” No smile. No warmth. Just...thank you. He headed into the barn after his daughter, but Faith stayed where she was, listening as father and daughter debated kitten pros and cons, while thinking that he’d come up with a most effective way to avoid a conversation with her.

  Finally, Maddie said, “This one and...this one.” A moment later, she came out holding two yellow-and-white kittens, grinning from ear to ear. “These ones.”

  Faith smiled. “They’re yours. Do you need a box?”

  Maddie glanced up at her dad as a realization struck. “We have to go to town and get stuff. Kitty litter and food and—”

  “I already did that.”

  Maddie’s jaw dropped and Faith’s came close. Drew shifted, appearing uncomfortable. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  Maddie threw an arm around him, while keeping the two tiny kittens cuddled close against her chest with the other. “Thank you!” She was practically dancing as she headed for the truck.

  Drew watched her get in, then glanced at Faith. “Thank you again.” His tone made it clear there would be no further conversation. No exchanging of thoughts, feelings, insights. None of that.

  “Glad to do it. Now I only have to find homes for the other four.”

  “Wish I could help.” He gestured toward the truck. “I’d better go.” If he sounded any more wooden, he would have been sprouting branches.

  She called Sully and walked toward the house without turning back. Crazy how one incident could change things so radically—the way she looked at him, and, she suspected, the way he looked at himself. She pulled open the screen door as his truck pulled out of the driveway, then allowed herself a look in that general direction.

  He might think this was over, but it wasn’t. At least not until she’d had a chance to address the matter.

  * * *

  “OW, OW, OW...”

  “Just let her climb, Dad.”

  “I don’t think so.” Drew bent down to detach the tiny kitten from his pant leg. How could he have lived his entire life without playing with a kitten?

  Drew’s family had never had pets. His mom was allergic and, came to find out, Lissa—lover of all things furry—was also allergic, like her brother. It had been rough on her not to be able to cuddle every little creature who crossed her path—until she had Maddie. Then she’d given up mourning her lost furry cuddles and focused on her baby. She’d been a hell of a mom. She’d had to be, since she’d ended up being both mom and dad to Maddie for months at a time.

  As soon as they’d gotten back to the cabin, Maddie had promptly announced that the yellow kitten with white spots was Rosalee and the white ki
tten with yellow spots was named Cecily. Together she and Drew prepared kitty litter boxes in both the house and the shop, put down food and water, made little beds. Then Maddie spent the rest of the day cuddling and playing and nurturing while Drew put insulation into her bedroom.

  He was surprised that the recent stress in his life had not culminated in another room-wrecking nightmare. Maybe that was a sign that the dreams were gone for good. Right?

  Sure. That’s how things work in the real world.

  He was working on cutting the self-pity. Yes. Life had walloped him. He felt cheated in some ways, but he was totally blessed in others and that was where his focus would lie.

  The blessings.

  His biggest blessing was in the living room playing with kittens, and she hadn’t seen him lose it at the rodeo, so yeah. Blessings.

  After lunch and another kitten play session, they went to work on the siding, Drew on the ladder and Maddie handing him boards.

  “What’s wrong with you and Faith?”

  “What?” Drew missed the nail completely and almost hit his thumb.

  Maddie gave him an impatient look that clearly said, Don’t play grown-up games with me.

  So much for pretending things were normal. Before he could wrap his tongue around a fitting answer, Maddie said, “I like her. I hope you guys aren’t fighting.”

  “We’re not fighting.”

  “You’re not friendly, either. Not like before. I don’t get it.”

  “Faith had stuff on her mind.”

  “She seemed really happy at the rodeo last week...until she got sick.”

  His daughter had apparently been working through things, looking for connections. “A lot can happen in a week. Stuff we don’t know about.” Other stuff that we do.

  Maddie glanced over at him as he started hammering again. “How much do you like Faith?”

  Another near miss with the hammer, but this time he only bent the nail and his thumb remained in the clear.

  “She’s a nice person.”

  “That’s all?”

  Drew let the hand holding the hammer drop to his side. “What more do you want?”

  Maddie shuffled her feet. “I don’t know. Shayla said that since you’re taking lessons with me, you probably like her. I mean like like her.”