Brayden : A Beckett Brothers Novel Book 1 (The Beckett Brothers)

by Susan Fisher-Davis

  Melissa pulled him back from the door and found her cell phone on the kitchen counter. She quickly punched in Brayden’s number.

  “Beckett,” he answered.

  “Brayden,” Melissa whispered.

  “Melissa? What’s wrong?”

  “Lucky won’t stop growling at the door. I’m too afraid to open the door.”

  “Don’t. I’ll be right there.” He disconnected the call.

  Melissa moved to her sofa and took a seat to wait for him. It was probably nothing but she was very scared for it to be nothing. She couldn’t seem to stop shivering so she pulled her legs up under her and stared at the door. Even though she expected Brayden, she almost jumped out of her skin when a knocked sounded at the door then she heard his voice.

  “Melissa? It’s me, open up.”

  She ran for the door and peered out then opened it. He came striding inside, bringing the cold with him, and then he spun around to face her.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her looking concerned.

  “I…uh…yes, I think so.”

  “You didn’t hear anything?”

  “No, but Lucky never does that. He just kept staring at the door and growling.”

  “I’ll go check it out. I wanted to make sure you were all right first. Can I take him with me?” He nodded toward Lucky.

  “Yes, sure.”

  “Lock the door behind me.” He signaled the dog and walked to the door with Lucky on his heels. Melissa closed it behind them then locked it before moving back to the sofa to wait.

  ****

  “All right, Lucky. Show me what you heard,” Brayden told the dog then followed him through the barn.

  Lucky was definitely on to something sniffing with determination all around the area. What did he smell? Or who? It seemed very unlikely that someone would be on the ranch because the gates were locked and it just seemed like a whole lot more trouble than it was worth to scale the wall. After all, it was a ten-foot-high brick wall. Who, in their right mind, would climb over it and for what reason? Perhaps a disgruntled owner of one of the rescued animals?

  Suddenly, Lucky tore off down through the barn to the door and barked. Brayden ran behind him and opened the door. Lucky ran out the door but stopped in the yard. Snow was softly falling but there were no footprints, other than Brayden’s own when he ran over from the house.

  “Come on, Lucky.” Brayden had the dog follow him back inside the barn and headed toward the back door. He pulled it open and with the yard lights on, he could look over the freshly fallen snow. No footprints out back either. Brayden blew out a breath and saw it form into a puff of air. He wasn’t sure what Lucky had heard but whatever it was, it was nowhere around now. He led him back to Melissa’s apartment and knocked on the door.

  “It’s me, Melissa.”

  The door opened and she allowed him to enter. He stopped inside the door and stared at her. The fear on her face was evident and his heart ached knowing she was scared.

  “Did you see anything?” she asked him as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

  “No. There are no footprints out there either. It could have been a bird or something.”

  She nodded. “I suppose. It’s just I’ve never heard him growl or bark like that.”

  “He’s a good watchdog. It could have been anything, but it wasn’t a person.”

  “Thank you for coming over. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

  “It was no bother. Don’t hesitate to call me about something like that.” Brayden had to look around for a distraction or he’d pull her into his arms. “Will you be all right now?”

  “What if I said no?”

  “I could stay for a little while. Until you feel safe, that is.” He turned to look at her.

  “I’ll be fine. If you’re sure it was nothing.”

  Brayden couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts. He could see her nipples through her T-shirt and he mentally chastised his thoughts because it was wrong. So very wrong to stare but he couldn’t help it because he knew how they tasted. How they responded to his touch. He closed his eyes and mentally groaned. He had to get the hell out of Dodge before he did something stupid.

  “I’m sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He yanked the door open and walked out then pulled the door closed behind him. Taking a deep breath, he walked down the center of the barn and out into the yard. He decided to check the other barns before going home. It wouldn’t hurt. He entered the larger of the two and flipped on the lights then looked around. Nothing was amiss, so he headed to the other barn and went through the same routine. If anyone did break in, he was sure the center barn was the one they’d be most interested in since it held all the medicine for the animals. He was pretty certain no one was going to break in to try to steal an animal. That would be a little difficult to do without a truck of some sort. However, some people would look for any type of drug, including veterinary. He didn’t know how the drug situation was in Hartland, since he’d been gone for so long but a drug addict would try anything to get a high. Even, going so far as to steal medicine, from an animal hospital. He’d give Gray a call tomorrow and talk to him.

  As he turned to head out of the barn, he decided to check the back gates again. He’d checked them earlier and they’d all been closed. Coming to a stop, he swore when he saw the gate open on the corral. He knew he’d closed it earlier. He was positive. Walking quickly to the other one, he saw it was also open. Damn it! Whoever was doing this knew that if the animals were in the corrals, they’d be able to get out and wander the property. If they got to the higher pastures, they could be in trouble from predators looking for food. Since wolves didn’t hibernate, they could be out looking for food and a small horse, pony, or burro could be taken down easily by a pack. Glancing around, he saw footprints but it was snowing so heavily, he knew they’d fill up quickly if he tried to follow them. He trudged through the snow and walked up the steps to his backdoor then stomped his boots to remove the snow, and entered his kitchen.

  After removing his hat and coat, he hung them up then pulled out a chair and toed off his boots. With something that sounded a bit like a cross between a groan and sigh, he walked to his bedroom to try to get some sleep. He was sure it was going to be a long damn night—especially after seeing Melissa in her T-shirt.

  Fuck! You just had to tell her it was only sex. If you hadn’t, you could be in her bed right now.

  Hell, now his dick was thinking about her too. He sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his hands down over his face. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her? Yes, she was beautiful and the sex was so good between them but couldn’t it be like that with any woman, and there were plenty of beautiful women.

  Brayden fell back across the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was wrong to compare her and Maisy. He’d loved his wife and he never thought he’d ever want another woman other than her. Of course, if Maisy were still alive, none of this would matter because he’d be in Texas with her and not here on a sanctuary created in her memory. He was sure they’d have had children by now also. Only life wasn’t fair.

  There wasn’t a person alive who hadn’t thought that same thing at one time or another. The cruelty of some people boggled his mind. He’d never had an inkling Tara thought herself in love with him. Sure, she would sit and talk with him and touch his arm when she’d speak with him, but she never made any kind of move on him. She was his sister-in-law. He thought everything was normal. Maybe if she had made a move or expressed her interest, he could have let her know he wasn’t interested then she would have realized he loved Maisy, and only Maisy. He’d been so angry the day she told him she’d done it all for them that he had to clench his hands into fists to keep from reaching across the table and strangling her.

  Now, he found himself thinking of Melissa all the time. He could sit at his desk working on the books and she’d pop into his head then his damn cock would get hard. It took all his willpower not to go find her and bend her
over a bale of hay. What was wrong with him?

  Sitting up, he pulled his T-shirt off over his head then stood and opened the snap on his jeans, lowered the zipper and pushed them, and his boxer briefs, down off his legs. He pulled the covers back and slipped between the sheets. Clasping his hands behind his head, he stared at the ceiling.

  Who had been sneaking around on the ranch? Brayden shook his head. Lucky had been ready to tear into something and now Brayden realized he should have taken him to the gates with him. Dogs had a terrific sense of smell and that dog knew someone had been out there. Someone had to be because there was no other explanation for the corral gates being open. It all had him shaking his head. What the hell was going on?

  He was definitely calling Gray tomorrow. He’d have him take a look around for him. There could be evidence outside the gates and he wanted to know if someone had been out there too. He trusted Gray, and that said a lot since there weren’t too many people he trusted nowadays. After his attorney and the detectives who helped him get Tara, his list was short—mostly family. He did trust Melissa though, but he also trusted her to do her job. She loved the animals and taking care of them. He hoped he hadn’t screwed that up.

  Brayden grunted and rolled to his side. If he didn’t stop thinking of her, he’d never get to sleep. His damn dick had other ideas though, so he knew he had a long night in front of him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Melissa checked over the horse with the foal. Both of them were doing wonderful, and the foal was running, playing, and getting healthier every day. The mare was getting stronger too. Once she’d gotten some weight on her again, she was able to feed her baby and soon they were both going to a new home.

  When she heard someone enter the stall, Melissa glanced up to see Julie standing there. They smiled at each other. Perhaps we can be friends.

  “It’s really snowing. I think I’m going to ask Brayden if I can leave early. I hate driving in the snow,” Julie said running her hand along the mare’s nose.

  “Good idea. You know, we should have him fix up the apartment above the other barn just in case someone needs to stay here. The weather is so unpredictable at times.”

  “I just wanted to ask if you needed anything before I go.”

  “Nope. I’m good. Go home, if he doesn’t mind. The phones have been dead today anyway, and I can handle it, if it rings.”

  Julie smiled at her. “Hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow. I may see if Logan wants to leave early too.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  Melissa laughed. “It would probably be best for everyone to leave if it’s that bad out.”

  “It’s getting there. See ya later,” Julie said with a wave as she walked away.

  Melissa sighed. She couldn’t ask to go home early since she lived here. She heard Julie talking with Brayden out in the barn and her stomach clenched just thinking of him coming into the stall. A shadow fell across her and she looked up to see him, and another man, standing there. As soon as she saw the man was wearing a khaki shirt with a badge pinned to it, she knew he must be Brayden’s brother, Gray. Of course, his good looks, and long legs encased in jeans helped with that conclusion too. Actually, he was extremely good-looking.

  “Hello,” she said as she walked to meet up with the two men.

  “How are you, ma’am?” the man asked her.

  “I’m good. What brings you out on a day like today?”

  “Melissa, this is my brother, Grayson. Gray, this is Melissa Conroy, the vet here,” Brayden said, introducing them.

  “I hear you had some excitement out here last night,” Gray said smiling at her and she couldn’t help but smile back.

  She shook his hand. “It was probably nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t say, nothing, Doc. There are footprints outside the gate and tire tracks too.”

  Melissa widened her eyes, suddenly feeling uneasy. “Tire tracks?”

  “It’s hard to see where the tire tracks go, due to more snow and traffic on the road,” Brayden said. “But there were also footprints around the corral gates last night. I decided to check the gates when I headed back after I brought Lucky back to you and I saw the prints and gates open again.”

  Melissa glanced at Brayden and frowned. “Oh, my God. I’m glad you didn’t tell me that last night.”

  “Melissa, I don’t want you to panic. If it’s someone looking for drugs, they found out they can’t get in, and that’s a good thing. This place is locked up tight,” Gray said.

  “Gray told me there isn’t much he can do except, keep an eye out. With the snow still coming down heavily, any prints and tracks will fill in quickly. We’ll just have to watch for anything unusual,” Brayden said, and Gray nodded in agreement.

  “All right.” Melissa needed to convince herself to keep calm since she was the one out here in the barn by herself every night. She’d never had a panic attack but she felt like one was coming on. Her reaction must have set off a warning to Gray because he rested his large hand on her arm.

  “You’ll be safe, Melissa. Just keep Lucky with you inside and the doors locked.” Gray looked at her and waited until she nodded.

  Brayden stuck his hand out to his brother, drawing Gray’s attention. “I appreciate you coming out in this weather, Gray.”

  “It’s my job. As long as no ice is involved, I can get where I need to go. You two have a nice evening and call me if you need me.” Gray put his fingers to the brim of his hat and strolled away.

  Melissa watched him walk down the aisle then sighed and got back to work checking the horses over.

  “What was that for?”

  “What was what for?” she asked wondering why he suddenly sounded angry.

  “That sigh?” Brayden’s lips flattened. He was angry, she thought. What did she do now?

  “I was sighing because I’m worried about someone being around here at night,” she retorted, wondering if he’d thought she was sighing over Gray—not that the man wasn’t worth a sigh or a hundred, but this time it wasn’t the case.

  Brayden glared at her and then stormed off. Well, what the hell was his problem? He didn’t want her but acted pissed off if he thought she was even thinking of looking at another man. Men were such idiots.

  ****

  Brayden strode down the aisle of the barn and could kick himself for coming across like some jealous ass. He wasn’t jealous of Gray. He snorted. That was a fucking lie. He was jealous of any man Melissa looked at. What the hell is wrong with you? Gray’s a good man and your brother.

  Entering his office, he took a seat behind the desk. When someone knocked on his door, he called out for whoever it was to come in, although he wasn’t in the mood for anyone right then. However, that all changed when Melissa stepped into the office with tears on her cheeks.

  “Melissa?” He stood and started toward her with a strong desire to fix whatever it was that was wrong, but stopped by his desk to keep from taking her into his arms.

  “Will you stay with me in my apartment? I mean, you can sleep on the couch. I’m just scared. Too scared to be alone. For a little while…”

  “You’re rambling,” Brayden said as he stepped forward, his hands clenched to keep from reaching for her.

  “I don’t want you to think I’m asking you to sleep with me.”

  “I wish you would,” he murmured.

  She raised startled eyes. “What?”

  Unable to stop himself now, Brayden slid his hands around her middle and leaned down to kiss her. Her arms wrapped around his neck without hesitation. When someone cleared their throat from the doorway, they jumped apart. Brayden looked over top of Melissa’s head to see James standing in the doorway.

  “James…” Guilt made it so that Brayden couldn’t meet his father-in-law’s eyes.

  James held his hand up. “No need to say anything, Brayden. I had a feeling something was going on with you two.”

  “I’m sorry.” Brayden wanted to crawl under a rock. The guilt he felt squeezing his
heart.

  “Why? You’re a grown man, Brayden, and single. I love you like a son and personally, I think you need this in your life. It’s time to start living again, son.” James glanced at Melissa then back to Brayden. “I just wanted to let you know I was leaving. Have a good evening.”

  Brayden was sure his mouth dropped open when James walked away. He glanced down at Melissa to see a blush staining her cheeks. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I’m just sorry he saw that.”

  “It’s fine. Melissa.” He knew he was trying to reassure himself as much as her.

  “You don’t sound so sure.”

  “I…” He shook his head. “It’s just that he’s Maisy’s father.”

  “I get it. I’m going to my apartment. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I thought you wanted me to stay with you?”

  “You have to want it too,” she said as she walked away.

  An hour later, he stood and stretched. It was almost closing time. He left his office and entered the barn then strode down through the center aisle to tell everyone who was still around to go home. The snow was still coming down heavily and accumulating quickly. He stopped and looked out the barn window. It was beautiful.

  Sliding the doors open, he just listened to the quiet. The snow fell softly with the only sound being the flakes touching down. He looked up and all he could see were the big fat flakes falling from the sky.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Melissa said from beside him.

  “Yes. Do me a favor and never take this for granted.”

  “I won’t. It’s so quiet that you can actually hear the snow falling.”

  “Yeah, I know. I love it. All of it. Snow, rain, sunshine, everything. I thought you were heading home?”

  “I’m going to go check on Dinky first then I’m going home.”

  Brayden placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her close then kissed her forehead. “I want to see you later.”

  Melissa placed a hand against his cheek and kissed the other before walking away. He wasn’t sure if that was a yes or no, but he hoped it was a yes. He smiled thinking of her with that silly little donkey. He really should just tell her to keep Dinky as her own. She loved that little burro and it seemed the feeling was mutual.