The Cowboy Target

by Terri Reed

  “You’ll never get Monroe’s permission to drill on his side of the creek,” the third man said. He stood in the military-at-ease pose—hands resting low at his back, his spine straight, his feet braced slightly apart. She’d seen her colleague Kyle Martin stand similarly. Kyle had been a SEAL before joining Trent Associates. Deeply ingrained habits were hard to break. “Especially when he learns what’s down there.”

  “We’ll see,” Pendleton said. “The man has to have a price. We just have to figure out what it is. The uranium’s worth billions.”

  Shock reverberated through her. Uranium? She shuddered at the thought of the radioactive heavy metal used for nuclear energy. No way would Wyatt ever let the land be destroyed to mine uranium. Not to mention the health risks unearthing that stuff would unleash.

  Her gaze went to the creek. Was the water tainted?

  Was this the secret George had been murdered for? Her mind flashed back to the note she’d found in his house.

  KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT OR ELSE.

  Had he found out about the surveying? The uranium?

  “He won’t bend,” the third man said with a hard edge to his voice. “I know him. They don’t get any more stubborn than Wyatt Monroe.”

  “That stubbornness might end up being his downfall,” Pendleton stated.

  The ominous words lingered in the air. She shuddered.

  The men climbed back into the truck and drove away.

  She leaned back against the rock face. That sounded distinctly like a threat to Wyatt’s well-being. Was Pendleton the one behind everything that had happened? Was he the sniper? The arsonist? The one who let Alexander out?

  No. Pendleton struck her as the type who hired others to do his dirty work. But would he really put himself and the corporation he worked for at risk by being part of something illegal? Or would the Degas Corporation sanction such actions?

  She checked her watch. To keep herself warm, she jogged in place. Soon the sound of the ATV returning filled her ears. When Wyatt arrived, relief to see him alive and well, mixed with something closer to happiness, rushed through her. Not caring that she was acting like a woman whose man had just returned to her from a long trip, she rushed to his side and slipped her arms around his waist.

  “What took you so long?” she asked, wincing slightly at the needy thread woven through her tone. She wasn’t needy. What was that about?

  His arms encircled her in warmth and strength, making her feel safe. Crazy—because it was her job to protect him. But this heady rush of comfort had nothing to do with the physical threat looming ever closer and everything to do with the crumbling of her defenses.

  “Sorry. I had a hard time finding a signal,” Wyatt said. “Carl and the vet should be here soon.”

  Snuggling into his embrace, she savored the moment before she stepped back and told him about Pendleton and what she’d overheard.

  “Uranium? Unbelievable.” Anger punctuated each word. “No way. No way will I let that happen.”

  “I think one of the men who was with Pendleton was Boyd. I didn’t recognize the other man’s voice and I couldn’t see what he looked like, other than that he wore a hat like the one you wear and had the bearing of a military man.”

  “Most likely Darrin Dunn, Boyd’s older brother. He joined the marines right out of high school. Came back about five years ago. But last I heard he was living over in Laramie running some sort of business.”

  “Interesting.” A marine. Definitely someone who would know how to handle a high-powered rifle. Might even have one he’d bought off the black market during a tour somewhere and smuggled home.

  “Figures the Dunns would be in on this.” Wyatt blew out a breath, no doubt trying to calm his ire. “They’ve wanted to buy the Monroe ranch since I was a kid. Frank Dunn and my dad had been friends at one time, but then when my dad started his downward spiral, Frank tried to pressure him into selling. Dad wouldn’t. Neither would I when Frank approached me.”

  Though she couldn’t see his features clearly, she knew every plane and angle of his face by heart. “When we get back we need to talk to Sheriff Landers.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  A chill snaked through her. She rubbed her arms and stomped her feet. She sure wished her uncle would arrive.

  “You’re cold,” Wyatt stated and drew her back into his embrace.

  She laid her head on his chest, grateful for his warmth. He smoothed a hand down her back. She knew staying in his embrace wasn’t smart—doing so wouldn’t lead her anywhere she wanted to go—but under the cloak of darkness, in the isolation of the land, she didn’t care. For now, she was right where she wanted to be—clinging to Wyatt Monroe.

  Tomorrow in the light of day she’d deal with the pain of knowing this wouldn’t last. Couldn’t last. She wasn’t willing to put her heart and her life into someone else’s hands. She could never give anyone that much power again.

  “Jackie? What are we doing?”

  The husky timbre of his voice sent a shiver of responsiveness through her nerve endings, setting her heart on fire. She didn’t answer because she didn’t know. She only knew what she was feeling at the moment, and for now that was all that mattered. She tilted her head up so she could look at him. She slid her arms around his shoulders until her hands found the sides of his face. The coarse hairs of his late-evening beard prickled her palms as she drew his head toward her.

  “Jackie.”

  The way he said her name, the warning, the yearning and heat in the word, prompted her to close the gap between them. She leaned forward, raising her chin. Her lips molded over his. He remained motionless.

  A panicked flutter of embarrassment threatened to engulf her, then his lips moved, gentle and rough all at once. Delight blossomed inside her, making the world spin. His arms tightened, drawing her closer until she felt the wild thump of his heart beating in time with hers, and she knew she wasn’t alone in the strong grip of attraction.

  As she gave herself over to the sensations erupting inside of her, the world lit up, as if they were generating enough electricity between them to glow as bright as a torchlight.

  Wyatt eased his lips away and rested his forehead against hers. “We’ve got company.”

  Headlights bathed them in spotlight. Mortified to be caught kissing like a pair of teenagers in the backseat of a car, she groaned and squeezed her eyes tight. “They saw us, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’d say so.”

  Amusement danced in his tone. This was funny to him? She swatted at him and stepped back, putting distance between them. Immediately she regretted the space and wanted to regain each step back into his arms.

  She whirled around to face the three vehicles stopping on the other side of the fence. Putting up a hand to shield her eyes from the headlights, she saw that one of the trucks had a horse trailer hitched to the back.

  These people knew Wyatt well. They had seen them kissing. Her cheeks heated even more. She’d acted unprofessionally and been caught. Her uncle had seen the kiss. Would he disapprove? She didn’t want to do anything to mess up her life or Wyatt’s. There couldn’t be any more kissing.

  No how matter much her lips tingled and her heart cried for another.

  THIRTEEN

  Doors opened and slammed shut. Uncle Carl hurried to the fence, along with a woman with a long dark braid sticking out of a dark beanie cap. Carl halted by the fence while the woman ducked between the slats and hurried to Alexander.

  “That’s Janis, the vet,” Wyatt explained to Jackie.

  “I’ll see if she needs help,” Jackie said and peeled away from him.

  Running a hand through his hair, he expelled a quick breath. He felt jumbled up inside. He’d kissed Jackie. Or rather, he’d responded to her kiss.

  He had trouble comprehending that s
he’d made the first move. Or had he, by taking her into his arms?

  Holding her had felt so natural, just as it had the night before. He could get used to having Jackie around, in his arms, kissing him.

  Better not let himself go any further with those kinds of thoughts. Better to remember the reality of his life. He wasn’t husband material. He had nothing to offer a woman like Jackie. Best to focus on the issues he could do something about.

  Wyatt’s gaze went to the elderly gentleman approaching the fence. His shockingly white hair glowed in the headlights. He seemed to have a more pronounced stoop to his shoulders beneath the heavy corduroy jacket than he’d had the last time Wyatt had seen him. But the fierce scowl on his weathered face was familiar and churned renewed anger in Wyatt’s belly.

  “Frank.”

  “Monroe. Heard you got yourself into some trouble out here,” Frank Dunn stated in a gruff growl. He had a claw-ended hammer in one hand, while he draped the other arm over the fence post.

  “More like trouble thrust upon me,” Wyatt muttered. He waded across the shallow water to stand opposite the older man, with the fence slats separating them.

  “Things aren’t that bad if your idea of trouble involves kissing pretty women in the snow.”

  Ignoring the comment and the heat creeping up his neck, Wyatt said, “I don’t appreciate people coming on my land and drilling holes without my permission.”

  Frank frowned. “I don’t know what you’re jabbering about. And I don’t like your tone.”

  “You tell your sons to stay off my property,” Wyatt shot back, not believing for a second that the old man didn’t know what his boys were up to.

  “Seems to me you’re in no position to be making demands, seeing as how I’m allowing your foreman and the vet here to drive across my land to come to your rescue,” Frank countered with an arched eyebrow.

  Wyatt reined in his anger. He needed Frank’s cooperation to get Alexander back to the ranch. “I appreciate your allowing Carl and Janis access.”

  “Yeah, well. Let’s get this done. It’s late and my old bones don’t like the cold.” He used the claw to pry out the nails holding the slats to the fence post.

  Right now the issue of the illegal surveying could wait, but first thing tomorrow Wyatt was going to have a chat with the sheriff—and then Pendleton. And, God willing, put an end to the threat hanging over his life.

  * * *

  By the time they had transported Alexander back to Wyatt’s ranch and the vet had left, dawn had broken with a vibrant array of reds and hues of gold against a crystal-blue sky. Thankfully the vet had determined the horse would recover. The gash wasn’t deep and the bones in his leg weren’t broken, only bruised, but even to Jackie’s untrained eye, he was obviously sore.

  Still, relief wasn’t giving Jackie a second wind. She could hardly keep her eyes open. She needed coffee in a bad way. All the way back, she’d watched for a tail, for any sign of a snowmobile-riding sniper, but thankfully none had dared appear. She was keeping an alert eye out to prevent herself from dwelling too much on the kiss she and Wyatt had shared. Later, when she was alone, she’d relive the moment and savor the memory. Because that was all she’d ever have. Once this threat against Wyatt was resolved, she’d return to her life and he to his. End of story.

  “Come on,” Wyatt said, slipping an arm around her waist and propelling her out of the barn toward her aunt and uncle’s place. “You need sleep.”

  As good as it felt to have him near her, she eased away. Getting used to touches and caresses wasn’t a smart idea. “Can’t. Need to talk to the sheriff first.”

  Wyatt stopped to face her. “We will. But it’s not even 6:00 a.m. yet. We’ll go see him later, when we’re rested and coherent.”

  “Speak for yourself, bucko. I’m coherent. I just need coffee.”

  “Coffee will give you a jolt, but it won’t last. Then you’ll crash and be worse off.”

  His concern for her well-being touched her. What he said was true, but she didn’t want to let him out of her sight. Not with someone out there gunning for him. “I have to stay with you. You’re not safe without me.”

  He arched a dark eyebrow. “I think I can chance it for a few hours. Besides, it’s daylight and there are a dozen hands working around here, plus Carl. If anyone who doesn’t belong comes near the ranch, someone will see them. I’ve explained the situation to the hands. They’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

  Used to working with a team, she appreciated that there were others on the ranch who had a vested interest in protecting Wyatt. Still, it was her job to guard him. “I can rest on your couch while you sleep,” she insisted on a yawn.

  One corner of his mouth tipped upward at the corner. “Not happening. I won’t sleep knowing you’re so close. Not when all I want to do is kiss you again.”

  His words sent a little thrill sliding over her skin. Memories of their kiss last night rushed to the forefront of her mind, and a heated blush crept up her neck while she yearned for a repeat performance. The look in his eyes made her tummy flutter like a million butterflies taking flight.

  Better to step back from the edge of insanity than to give in to the longing coursing through her veins. For now she’d have to trust God and the ranch hands to stand guard while she and Wyatt both took some short downtime. She needed time to shower and change, at least. A catnap would be wonderful, too. “I’ll go to Aunt Penny’s.”

  He laughed. “You do that.”

  “Only for a few hours,” she amended. “Then we head to town to talk to the sheriff. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.”

  Yet neither moved. Emotions swirled through Jackie, each flittering through so quickly that she was struggling to grasp one long enough to examine. Attraction, longing, caring and something deeper, something that made her head pound and her heart squeeze tight. Must be the fatigue, she decided. Time to retreat, regroup and recharge before she did something totally stupid—like tell Wyatt she was rapidly on her way to falling for him. In a big way. She turned on her heel and made a break for the front door.

  * * *

  Wyatt watched Jackie hurry away toward her aunt and uncle’s house as though he’d lit a fire under her feet. Guilt washed over him. He rubbed a hand over his face. What was he doing? He’d told himself he wouldn’t go down this road. Wouldn’t allow his heart to get involved again. Kissing her last night had been a mistake because it made the attraction he’d been fighting rage out of control. In the light of day, he realized attraction wasn’t the only thing he was feeling. He more than liked Jackie. She was everything he could ever want or hope for in a woman. Smart, capable, loyal and compassionate. Plus, Gabby adored her. He adored her.

  He spun away and looked around the ranch that was his heart and soul, second only to Gabby. The March snow was melting as the weather grew warmer today, making the droplets of water dripping from the roofline of the house appear like diamonds as they fell to the porch. The land stretched out in all directions with no visible signs of human life, only horses and cattle for miles. Closer in, men worked to clear away the debris from the burned-out shed. Soon a new feed shed would be built, and life would resume its normal rhythm.

  This wasn’t the life for a woman like Jackie. She thrived on action, adventure and challenge. She carried a handgun as though it was an extension of herself. She’d never be content here.

  Just as Dina hadn’t been.

  A knot of tension tightened in his chest. Wyatt couldn’t go through that kind of turmoil again. He wouldn’t put Gabby through losing another mother.

  Best to put the brakes on whatever was happening between them now before either of them got hurt. He may not have initiated the kiss last night, but he’d brought it up today. Bad idea. He couldn’t do that again, no matter how tempting her kisses were.

 
With that thought planted firmly in place, he headed to the house to see his daughter, even as his heart broke just a little bit.

  * * *

  “Jackie! Jackie, wake up!”

  Uncle Carl’s voice penetrated through the deep sleep Jackie had succumbed to the second her head hit the pillow. Flipping from her side to her back, she pried her eyes open and blinked at the sudden light. It was still daytime but looked to be late afternoon by the way the sun hung low in the sky outside her window. Her catnap had gone on too long. Her uncle stood at the foot of the bed, concern etched on his craggy face.

  Immediately she came fully awake. She sat up, her heart pounding. “What’s wrong?”

  “Wyatt left.”

  “Left?” She swung her feet off the edge of the bed and stood. For a moment, the world tilted as blood rushed to her head. She braced her feet apart and waited for the dizziness to pass. As soon as it did, she faced her uncle. “What happened?”

  “He came over with Gabby a few minutes ago and said he had to take care of something. I told him he should wait for you, but he wouldn’t. I’m worried.”

  She grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table. “What’s his number?”

  As he rattled off the number, she dialed. The call went to Wyatt’s voice mail. “Wyatt, it’s Jackie. Call me ASAP.”

  A groan of frustration broke from her as she strapped on an ankle holster with her backup piece secured in the soft leather sleeve. Stubborn, bullheaded, reckless. She yanked her pant leg down over the holster and stuffed her feet into her boots. Was he trying to get himself killed? Did he like stepping into danger? Had he given any thought to Gabby?

  She had to find him. She had to keep him safe. Leaving him had been a mistake. But she couldn’t have anticipated he’d take off without her.