Finding Forever

by Nika Rhone

“And exposing yourself while you travel from here to Texas is safer?” She wasn’t that foolish. There was more to this sudden desire to leave the ranch, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. “Weren’t you listening to anything that was said during breakfast? Dad has the men watching the house twenty-four seven. No one is getting anywhere near you while you’re here.”

  “That’s exactly why I can’t stay!” She threw her hands up in the air. “Don’t you see? You said it yourself, things have gotten dangerous. We don’t know what Charles’s people might do next. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”

  “They might only have ever had to shoot at coyotes and mountain lions, but every one of the men that sat at this table and swore to keep you safe knows how to use a gun.”

  “Last time I checked, coyotes couldn’t shoot back.” She took a deep breath before continuing in a calm, rational voice, “I will not be the reason one of those men gets hurt.”

  Ah, now they were getting to the heart of the matter.

  “They’d be disappointed by your lack of faith in their abilities.”

  “Okay, fine. What about Kim and Winona, then? Is it okay for the two of them to be in danger because of me?”

  “They’re not—”

  “They are! I should never have agreed to come here.”

  Daryl walked around the table to her, not liking the agitation she was showing. In the past he’d been able to count on her doing the smart thing, regardless of her own feelings. She understood the chain of command in a security situation. Now, he wasn’t nearly as certain about how she was going to react, and that could be dangerous. For them both.

  “I always thought that if they found me, the worst that would happen was Charles showing up and causing a big scene trying to convince me to go through with the wedding. I never in a million years would have believed things could get dangerous. If I had, I would have stayed far away from your family and everyone else.”

  Daryl had a bad feeling that included him.

  “All the more reason not to get your aunt involved.” Although from what he remembered hearing about her from Doyle, she was one feisty old broad. She could probably take on Charles and his father all on her own.

  “I already talked to her this morning about it.”

  Well, fuck me. That was not something he wanted to hear.

  “Since they know where we are, I figured it was okay to use my phone again,” Amelia continued a little defensively when he didn’t say anything. “She told me not to worry. Once I get there, her security will be able to handle everything.”

  “And until you get there?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean that as much as I hate to admit it, Princess, I don’t think I can handle getting you there safely, not all by myself. Not after yesterday.” It galled him, but it was nothing less than the truth. No matter how good he might be, four-to-one odds just did not skew in his favor. And that was if they didn’t pull in any more muscle after their second botched attempt to acquire their objective.

  The thought of those bastards getting their hands on Amelia for even a second made his gut knot up. They probably wouldn’t hurt her—Davenport still needed to marry her, after all—but it was pretty obvious they weren’t averse to a little rough handling.

  Which was why Amelia wasn’t setting foot off of the ranch until Sunday at the earliest.

  Amelia worried at her lower lip with her teeth. “I didn’t think…oh! Aunt Josie can send some of her people here to escort me.” She sounded so relieved to have found an answer, Daryl almost hated to burst her bubble, but it needed to be done.

  “Even if they could fly in and out today, which is doubtful, they’d still have to drive several hours in each direction between here and the airport. Unless your aunt sends a small army, the risk to you being out on the open road that long is unacceptable.” Then he added the coup de grace, even if it was playing dirty. “You’d be putting not just yourself, but your aunt’s security people in a hell of a lot of unnecessary danger.”

  He could see she wanted to argue, but she wasn’t stupid. Her expression mirrored her thoughts as she tried to come up with another plan. Finally, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Without another word, she turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Daryl uncertain as to whether or not he should go after her. He’d won the argument about her leaving. Maybe he should leave well enough alone.

  Even as he thought it, he was starting after her, only to be nearly run over when his sister barreled into the kitchen, her phone clutched to her chest like it was the Holy Grail. Kim was right behind her.

  “Whoa, slow down there, squirt,” he said, steadying her with both hands. For a second, he thought she might have gotten more bad news about Kyle, but one look at her face showed she looked more stunned than upset. “What’s the hurry?”

  “I have to go. I have to pack.”

  “Pack?” He looked at Kim for more information.

  “Kaitlin called a few minutes ago,” Kim said. “It seems some charity organization has offered to fly Kyle’s family down to Texas to be with him while he’s in the hospital. There was also a ticket with Winona’s name on it.”

  Daryl didn’t need to hear the confusion in her tone to know what she was thinking. There were certain groups that did good works like this all the time, but how had one gotten involved in this situation so quickly, and why had Winnie been included when no one but Kaitlin knew about the baby, not even Kyle?

  “There’s a ticket for Mom, too. But that’s not even the best part.” Winnie was practically vibrating. “They’re also going to pay to have him taken where he can be seen by a specialist. He’ll be getting the absolute best care possible.”

  “Along with the other two men who were injured in the accident,” Kim added.

  Winnie threw her arms around Daryl in a fast, exuberant hug before scampering out of the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, “I have to go pack.”

  “She remembers she doesn’t live here anymore, right?” Daryl asked, watching her go.

  Kim smiled. “She’ll remember in a minute. Right now, she’s too giddy about getting to go see Kyle to think straight. When she does, I’ll take her back to her apartment to pack. Kaitlin’s parents offered to pick us both up on their way to the airport.”

  Mention of the airport reminded Daryl of Amelia’s worries about putting Kim and his sister in danger. “Dad will probably want to drive you.” And have a few more of the men follow, just in case. There was no reason for Davenport’s men to do anything to Kim or Winnie, but he wasn’t in the mood to take chances, and he knew his dad wouldn’t be, either.

  “Mom!”

  Kim grinned and shook her head at the frustrated wail. “That’s my cue.” She paused on the way out of the kitchen to add, “Oh, and be sure to thank Amy for me.”

  Daryl didn’t need to ask for what. Amelia’s pretty little fingerprints were all over this. He wasn’t sure how, but somehow she’d arranged not only for Kyle to receive the finest treatment possible, above and beyond what his company benefits might cover, but to grant Winnie her greatest wish. She’d bypassed the problem of Winnie not being in the information loop and gotten her a plane ride straight to his side instead.

  Of course, that still left Winnie needing to explain her presence to everyone in Kyle’s family, but Daryl didn’t think that even registered for her at the moment. Plus, she’d have Kim there to lean on if things got ugly.

  Daryl smiled. She might not realize it yet, but Amelia’s well-intentioned meddling had just handed him the answer to how he was going to keep her on the ranch.

  ****

  After having her carefully constructed plans routed by Daryl and his annoying common sense, Amelia retreated to his bedroom to regroup. There had to be some way she could take the danger away from the Circle R without putting anyone else at even greater risk to do it. The thought of Daryl having to take on the men so determined to get hold of her left her feeling sicker than the stup
id duck dinners she’d forced down every Wednesday for the past two months. If anything were to happen to him, she’d never forgive herself.

  Sinking onto the edge of the bed, she hugged one of the pillows, resting her chin on it as she thought. There had to be some way around the flaws Daryl used to pick apart her plan. Once she was safely behind the walls of her aunt’s sprawling Texas estate, the possibility of any innocent bystanders being caught up in the mess that was her life vanished. None of the men she’d come to know and like on the ranch would have to worry about shooting anyone, and she’d no longer have to worry about any of them getting shot. Including Daryl.

  Maybe especially Daryl.

  It was amazing. Bodyguards had always been a part of her life. Even as a child, she’d known they were the men who protected her and her parents from anything bad that might happen. As an adult, she understood that protection could come at a great cost. She liked the men who served on her father’s security team. But never once had she gotten physically ill thinking about the danger they faced on her behalf. That was their job. Whether she liked it or not, they’d chosen their profession knowing full well the inherent dangers it held.

  But Daryl hadn’t chosen this job. No. Babysitting her had been a task thrust upon him by his boss, and then only because Doyle was her best friend’s fiancé. How could she in good conscience allow him to face the dangers that had suddenly popped up without warning?

  Groaning into the pillow, she fell back onto the bed, clutching it like a giant teddy bear. Staring at the cracked plaster on the ceiling, she breathed in the faint scent that clung to the pillowcase. Daryl. He’d changed the sheets the night before but forgotten about the pillowcases, and she’d spent the night breathing in his scent, letting the familiar combination of spice and leather comfort her and help lull her to sleep. Even now, she inhaled it like a drug.

  No, this sudden attack of conscience had nothing to do with whether or not Daryl had been railroaded into his current position as her de facto bodyguard, and everything to do with the fact she was thinking of him not as a professional, but as a man.

  A sexy, desirable man.

  A man she’d seen mostly naked.

  And what a glorious sight that had been. It would be a sin for anything bad to happen to all that beautiful bronzed maleness.

  She groaned again. What was she doing? She was supposed to be coming up with a way to get to Texas without placing Daryl in danger, not mentally reliving the single most exciting thing that had ever happened to her in her entire adult life. Getting to fly on Air Force One had dropped to a very distant second.

  A knock at the door had her sitting up. “Yes?”

  Daryl opened the door and came in. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he hadn’t come to tell her he’d changed his mind. Not that she expected him to. His argument was a valid one. Darn it.

  “Winnie got a call from Kaitlin. It seems that some organization is flying the Blackhawks down to be with Kyle, and they included Winnie and Kim in the deal. They’re packing.”

  It was tough to keep an expression of mild interest instead of letting the relief she felt show. “Really? That’s great.”

  “Hmm.” He stepped closer, hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans as he moved. “Strange how this group got involved out of nowhere, and how they managed to add Winnie’s name to the mix when she’s no relation at all.” He stopped in front of her, forcing her to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, now would you?”

  “Me? How could I?” And she didn’t, not exactly. All she’d done was mention the very sad situation to her aunt when they spoke that morning and wonder if there was anything that could be done to help. Josie contributed to half a dozen medical foundations and even more charities. There was even a wing of a hospital somewhere named after her. Amelia had counted on her aunt’s connections and philanthropic tendencies to come up with a solution to Winnie’s problem. Evidently, she had.

  “Hmm.” Reaching down, Daryl took the pillow she’d forgotten she was clutching and tossed it aside before taking her hands and drawing her to her feet. “Did you know that your nose twitches when you lie?”

  Her hand instinctively went to her nose. “It does not.” Only when she saw the amusement gleaming in his eyes did she realize he’d played her. “Okay, fine, I might have mentioned the situation to Aunt Josie. Whatever came of that is all her doing, though, not mine.”

  Daryl bent closer to her. “Thank you.”

  The kiss he brushed over her cheek was soft and chaste, and still it made her heart zing. She stared up at him, uncertain if he was going to kiss her again, praying he would, knowing he shouldn’t. So she surprised them both when she went up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his instead. At first he did nothing. Then, just as the doubts wormed their way in and she was about to pull away, he put his hand on the back of her head and took over the kiss.

  Oh. My. God.

  That was Amelia’s last coherent thought as Daryl’s mouth plundered hers. His lips were soft and firm and definitely knew their way around a kiss. When his tongue delved into her mouth to brush against hers, she moaned, and when his arms came around her body and pulled her flush against him, she was pretty sure she whimpered. He felt so good. Better than the pillow she’d hugged all night long, that was for sure. Far from being soft and lumpy, he was hard and strong and giving off enough heat to keep her warm forever.

  Not satisfied to play a passive role in the kiss, Amelia slid her arms around his neck and angled her head a touch more, allowing her to deepen the kiss and draw a sound of either pleasure or surprise from Daryl. He broke from her mouth and rained a flurry of kisses over her cheek and down her throat while his hands roamed restlessly down her back. His mouth had just reached the upper curve of her breast when Kim’s voice calling from the living room froze them both like a dash of cold water.

  “Hanska, if we don’t leave now, your daughter is going to walk back to town.”

  Amelia and Daryl stared at each other, both breathing hard as they heard the faint rumble of Hank’s reply, followed by the sound of the front door slamming shut. Slowly, as though he had to convince himself to do it, Daryl released his hold on her and took a step back, then another. She was glad he still had enough functioning brain cells to act because everything she had was mush at the moment, totally destroyed by that kiss.

  Oh, God, that kiss!

  Daryl shook his head. “That will not happen again,” he rasped. Retreating to the door, he turned back to add, “And you’re not leaving.” He shut the door with a definitive snap.

  Amelia stared at where he’d been for a long second before collapsing back onto the bed, her legs feeling like they’d turned to pudding. “Wow.”

  As for Daryl’s assertions, well, he was dead wrong on them both. She was going to find a way to get to Texas and keep everyone safe doing it. And that kiss would definitely happen again before she left.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  As things turned out, it was Amelia who was wrong.

  It seemed she hadn’t thought through all the ramifications of finding a way to get Winona and Kim to the hospital. With the both of them gone and Mike’s wife still off with her sister, whose baby was taking his sweet time making an appearance, it was left to Amelia to make sure the men of the Circle R got fed.

  Her disgruntlement at that miscalculation quickly gave way to panic. Bypassing Daryl, she took her concerns to Hank. Rather than help, he added to her dismay by telling her Kim had only felt comfortable going with Winona to Texas for an indefinite period because she had full confidence in Amelia’s ability to handle things in her absence.

  She wanted to tell Hank his wife’s confidence had been grossly misplaced. She wanted to tell him that she didn’t have the first idea of what she was doing or how she was going to manage to keep everyone fed without giving them all food poisoning. She wanted to stomp her feet and argue that she was suppos
ed to be leaving for Texas herself, gosh darn it. How was she supposed to keep everyone safe if she was tied to the ranch with responsibilities?

  She didn’t do any of those things. Instead, she retreated and regrouped in the kitchen, where she took stock of everything that was on hand before placing an emergency phone call to Kim for help. With her calm guidance, Amelia was able to plan out menus for the next few days of simple meals that she could handle without too much trouble.

  Zeke became her kitchen help since he was stuck on crutches until his stitches came out and wasn’t much good for anything out in the barn. Of course, the shotgun propped next to his crutches made it clear that drudge work wasn’t Zeke’s only purpose in being assigned kitchen duty.

  It didn’t dawn on her until much later, but there had clearly been collusion between father and son to keep her where they felt they could protect her. What other explanation was there? Surely between all of them, at least some of the men were capable of grilling steaks and scrambling a few eggs. At the very least, there had to be one woman in all of Hayden Hank could have hired to come in and cook for them. But he’d made it sound as if every living thing on the ranch would die of starvation without her direct intervention.

  So she stayed. And cooked. And was quietly pleased when the men complimented her on the green bean casserole she’d put together from one of the recipes she found online to go with the meatloaf Kim had talked her through preparing. Of course, that pleasure dimmed slightly when Manuelo and Mike left the table as soon as they were done to relieve Chaz and Horace from guard duty so they could come inside and eat, but she forced herself to never let her smile waver. These men were doing so much for her. The last thing she wanted was for them to think she didn’t appreciate it. She truly did. She just wished she’d found a way to make it unnecessary.

  After supper, a sense of restlessness set in. She tried watching television but found herself simply clicking through the channels without stopping on any one long enough to even see what the program was about. After she’d cycled through the channels for the third time, she gave up and turned it off. No way was she able to concentrate on a show, not when all her thoughts were circling around one man and one thing: Daryl and that kiss.