Saving the Soldier (Selkirk Family Ranch Book 2)

by Vartanoff, Irene

  He could have some fun, too, sweet talking Paula so she’d fly him back to Cheyenne as soon as the weather broke. Then he’d drop her and never speak to her again. It would serve her right. In the dark, she might even be willing to have sex with him. She had a fantastic body. Generous breasts, sweetly broad hips. Everything a man liked in bed. She’d looked at him as if she’d be willing. He knew it. She wanted him.

  Was he really planning to seduce Paula, the loyal Selkirk family friend, and then dump her? She deserved payback. Why not?

  Chapter 7

  Paula finished stowing her plane, and leaped into Addie’s Jeep as Hoot slowly climbed into his own, coughing a lot as he did. Addie told the old man to go to his cottage and get warm.

  “I should have tried to fly back out,” Paula said, shivering in her thermal vest.

  Addie said, “That would have been stupid and risky.”

  “About as risky as bringing JD here to the ranch in such an underhanded way.” She explained about the roofies.

  “Did he rip up at you over it?”

  She grimaced. “He made a good start. He didn’t have time to say much. Hoot was so glad to see him, and then your sweetie arrived. Took the heat off me.”

  “I don’t know JD, but anyone would be likely to hold a grudge over what you did.” She maneuvered the Jeep quickly over the ridge that separated the private runway and the ranch hands’ quarters from the main house.

  “I’m not worried. How are you holding up? What about this buyer who’s on his way?”

  “I’m doing okay. He’ll probably have to reschedule. But he’ll get here. He wants this place. JD better talk fast, or else Baron will sell the ranch and let JD and your father fight it in court.”

  “Why would a buyer want such a questionable deal?”

  “Are you kidding? A hundred thousand acres? The cattle, the house, everything? The man wants to be an instant cattle king. Baron selling it all in one chunk could fulfill his dream.”

  “Don’t make me feel sorry for the guy. If JD can stop Baron, I’m all for it,” Paula said. “That’s why I brought him here.”

  Addie pulled the Jeep to the large freestanding garage, whose door was open. She parked and they hopped out. Paula had a small bag with her as well as her backpack. “You brought clothes?”

  Paula said, “I always have some in the plane. I didn’t mean to stay on here. My plan was to take off as soon as JD was safely in Baron’s hands. I hoped JD wouldn’t have the gall to turn his back on his brother. Also, I would have refused to let him in the plane again.”

  Addie gave her a shrewd look. “Ya think? And JD, the military veteran, the man who was deployed over and over in the toughest war zones, would have calmly accepted your refusal?”

  Paula felt her cheeks heat. She ducked her head a little. “Maybe not.”

  “I think you bit off a lot more than you could chew. You got lucky because of the weird Wyoming weather.”

  “I guess.”

  “JD looks healthier than when I met him that one time six months ago.”

  “Physical therapy. He’s been through a lot, but finally turned the corner. He came back from Iraq with a ton of muscle on him, but being injured so gravely took it out of him. He was rangy when he was a teenager.” Paula paused as they walked to the house. “I wonder if I fell for him as an adult because he’d gotten more muscular? Seems very shallow of me if so.”

  “From what Baron tells me, JD was a player as a teenager. He has natural gravity now. He’s a man, not a boy.”

  Paula sighed. “The man for me, as I told you the day we met.”

  “You shocked me by being so open about your feelings.”

  “I didn’t want you thinking I was still pursuing Baron.”

  Addie giggled. “Poor Baron. He really was uncomfortable over that.”

  “It’s JD I want, but he doesn’t see me. He’s too wrapped up in his miserable attitude.”

  “Is he miserable? He seems fine to me.”

  “He hides it under being nasty and bitter, but it’s there. Why else would he keep refusing to do his duty to this family?”

  “Because he’s a selfish pig like a lot of men?”

  “You are so cynical.”

  Addie shrugged. “I’ve met too many of them who wanted something from a woman and didn’t care if they hurt her to get it. I saw the way JD looked at you. You be careful.”

  Snowflakes drifted down. Addie pointed at the house. “You know the way. I’m going to check on my horses and see about stringing some rope so we can get to them during a blizzard. Might take me a while.”

  “Are you sure that’s necessary? This could be a short squall or at best an overnight event.”

  Addie eyed the sky. “From what Miss Betty says, the configuration of this valley—east-west—is enough to land most bad weather squarely here rather than a few miles north or south. I want to bring the horse I worked with earlier today back to his stall. He’s nervous enough already.”

  “Do you need help? Not that I’m the expert with balky horses, as you know,” she said with a self-deprecating smile. “One day on a horse per year is enough for me.”

  Addie shook her head. “I’m fine. You go on.”

  Paula hiked the short distance to the main ranch house. It was a good-looking place, very much the classic style of white clapboard with gingerbread decorating the screened front porch. She knew from her prior visits that it wasn’t an old house. The two stories contained plenty of generously sized rooms and every modern convenience. Including an in-ground pool out back. Only problem was it was in the middle of nowhere. She sighed. The Selkirks loved this ranch, but she was always restive here. She didn’t like the feeling that they were miles from other people. True, some of that was an illusion, because Hoot Hawkins lived over the hill, as did a full complement of ranch hands, a ranch cook, and family members of the hands. They seldom crossed paths with the family at the house. Selkirk acreage was vast and the duties of the ranch hands often took them in other directions.

  After JD had torn a strip off her, the arrival of his brother had made him tamp down his anger, but she was sure it would resurface. A couple of days of enforced family-style living even in the spacious house might become unpleasant. She straightened her back. She’d done the right thing. JD ought to be here. It was his duty to rescue the Selkirk ranch. Feeling sorry for himself in a VA hospital did no one any good. Tess had almost destroyed herself, and still JD didn’t see the harm he did to his family by not getting on with his life. Possibly because Paula had worked overtime to try to shield Anita and Robert and even JD from just exactly how far off the rails Tess had gone.

  She ought to stop worrying about Tess. She’d sleep it off back in Cheyenne and then make her way to her condo one floor above her parents’. At first, the family had all lived together in one hotel suite, but as time dragged on, they rented the two condos. Maybe Tess would even behave herself for a day or two. She wasn’t all that brave on her own and she never went to bars by herself. Not since she’d lost her drivers’ license in a DUI. Paula had worked hard to keep Tess’s parents from hearing about that episode.

  Time to face the music with JD.

  ***

  JD began his campaign to repay Paula for her actions the moment she arrived in the kitchen. As she brushed snow off her head and shoulders, he said, “Glad you finally got here. I was concerned you’d be caught as the storm picked up.”

  She looked at him in surprise. Had he laid it on too thick? Possibly. Acting happy to see her would throw her off balance. That would help his campaign.

  Miss Betty bustled up to her with a towel. “Here, wipe yourself down. Good to have you here again. No Tess this visit?”

  Paula looked as if she wanted to hug the older woman, but didn’t dare presume. She settled for a pleased smile and a thank you. Interesting. So Paula didn’t feel quite as comfortable pretending to be a Selkirk family member out here on the ranch, and without her shadow, Tess.

&nbs
p; “She couldn’t make it.”

  Paula’s face took on a guilty expression. He wondered why.

  “It was difficult enough to get JD here,” Paula added.

  Yeah. She’d had to drug him. Witch. JD noticed Paula’s bag. “I’ll take that for you. Which room do you want?”

  “I’m okay. The blue guest room?” she turned to Miss Betty. “Or does Addie stay in that room?”

  Miss Betty gave her a dry look. “Addie and Baron are in the master suite.”

  “So what’s the deal with them, anyway?” he asked.

  “Long story, boy,” the older woman said. “Baron has six more months to convince Addie he’s a reformed character. Otherwise, she’ll walk.”

  “She wouldn’t, would she?” He’d seen the open affection between them.

  Miss Betty gave him a sharp look, and her voice was even sharper. “Boy, don’t you go imaginin’ that grown women are like those teenage girls you used to chase. Flighty. Easily maneuvered to do what a randy teenage boy wants. You had a great run back in the day, but now you’re a man and should know better.”

  Abashed, but trying not to show it, he waited for Miss Betty to say more.

  “A woman like Addie makes up her mind and sticks to a plan,” she added.

  “You mean Addie’s like Paula, here?” he asked, before he realized that he was showing his true anger at her. That wasn’t part of his strategy, so he quickly added, “Strong, independent?”

  Paula had looked tense for a second. Now she was relaxed again. Good.

  Miss Betty gave JD a puzzled look. “That’s right. A grown woman with any sense looks after her future.”

  “What happened, anyway? When they came to Cheyenne to meet Dad and Mom and me, they seemed like any engaged couple.”

  “Not my place to discuss what happened here six months ago,” Miss Betty said. She moved a joint of meat to a wall oven.

  Paula said, “It’s my understanding they’re engaged to be engaged. Not really my business, either.”

  “You make everything about my family your business,” he started, with an edge in his tone. Then he deliberately eased up. “Seems like you’re an honorary member of the clan.”

  Paula got a pleased look on her face. Good. His old technique still worked. He’d pay her back for trying to run his life for him.

  Baron came in the outside door. “Where’s Addie? It’s snowing like crazy now.” His hat was covered in the white powder. He’d buttoned his heavy fleece-lined jacket. He banged the snow off himself, then looked up as no one answered. “Where is she?”

  Paula said, “She went to the stables to move a horse inside.”

  Baron’s eyes showed his fear. “Damn. She doesn’t know how fast a blizzard can come up here.” He turned around to leave.

  “I’ll go with you,” JD said.

  “I don’t have time to worry about her and you, too. Better stay here.” He took off.

  JD stood as if turned to stone. His own brother had just proved the truth JD had been saying all along. He was no longer a man. He wasn’t good for anything anymore. He was supposed to stay in the house with the women, be safe, like an old man.

  He was only twenty-five years old and his life was over. Suddenly, his missing fingers ached and the constant phantom pain of his missing foot accelerated. His gut hurt. A whiff of hangover from that damn drug Paula had fed him made his head feel fuzzy.

  When he turned back to face Miss Betty and Paula, he saw sympathy in their expressions. They felt sorry for the damn cripple. To hell with that. He couldn’t bear it.

  He walked straight through the room. “See you later,” he said, not bothering to hide the brusqueness in his voice.

  Paula started to speak but evidently thought better of it. She tried to communicate something with her eyes, but he didn’t bother to discern what it could be. Women felt sorry for him. That was his future.

  He walked to the main staircase. He hadn’t tried to go up steps with a fake foot before except in PT. Might as well try now. God, he could use a drink. No wonder Tess was an alcoholic. Took the stress off.

  He laid one hand, ironically, his right, the one that was missing two fingers, on the banister. He’d climb these stairs if it killed him. He wouldn’t let himself be an invalid in his own home.

  What a joke. What kind of home could a cripple like him expect to have? What kind of future? He was damned if he was going to live in the VA hospital or a rehab center the rest of his life. Despite the psych evaluations. One more operation—if he went for it—and then he was done.

  Chapter 8

  Paula turned to Miss Betty. “Baron put his foot in it. Made JD feel useless.”

  The older lady nodded, “That he did. Baron never was a tactful talker, but people liked his laid back attitude.”

  “I remember. He was always calm. JD was cocky and confident. Tess was the high strung one.”

  “Since Baron’s been runnin’ the ranch, he’s been tense. One reason the ranch hands haven’t accepted him as the boss. When he’s stressed, he says and does the wrong thing.”

  “Like six months ago, with Addie,” Paula said.

  Miss Betty snorted.

  “I did a really bad thing myself today,” Paula confessed. “I drugged JD and then abducted him. He’s not here of his own free will. He’s only here because I forced him to be. Now I’m afraid it was a mistake.”

  Miss Betty gave her a side glance, but continued meal preparations. “Too late now, missy. Appears to me you don’t understand these rancher men. Pride is important to them, maybe more important than anythin’.”

  Paula said, “You could be right, but until today, JD has refused to leave the hospital. He hasn’t walked on that artificial foot except when the doctors insisted. Baron was smart not to let him go on a rescue mission to find Addie. JD has spent every day for over a year lying around doing nothing, not getting on with his life.”

  “He had grievous injuries. He had to recover.”

  “Six months ago the doctors thought he’d never walk again, but he has long since regained the full use of his legs. He hangs on at the VA because they let him. He probably has enough PTSD it’s an easy call to keep him certified for a continued stay. The truth is, he keeps refusing to get on with his life.”

  “That’s his choice.”

  Paula sighed. “You mean, a man has a right to choose the terms on which he lives his life. But I couldn’t stand what’s happening to Tess. I’m afraid for her. She’s way off the rails again.”

  Miss Betty moved a large platter to the refrigerator. “Thought the girl had straightened up after what Baron and Addie went through.”

  “Six months ago, she did. It didn’t last. Robert and Anita refused to come back to the ranch. JD wouldn’t even consider leaving the hospital. Nothing had changed for them. Tess is worse today than she was before.”

  “That just your opinion, or did somethin’ happen?”

  Paula told Miss Betty about the incident at the bar the night before. “When we go to places like that, I give the bartender and the bouncer big tips. Tell them to look after her. Even so, we nearly weren’t in time.”

  Miss Betty’s cheeks were ashen. “My little girl wasn’t hurt?”

  “I’m sorry,” Paula said. “I shouldn’t have told you. I shouldn’t have burdened you with the truth. I never have told her parents what Tess gets up to.”

  The older woman put a hand on Paula’s arm. “Come clean, girl. He didn’t succeed, did he?”

  Paula shook her head. “He never got her clothes off. But he was trying. It was too close. In a minute or two more….” She didn’t finish the thought, not wanting to conjure up a terrible image. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you but there’s no one else to talk to about what Tess is going through. I don’t want to scare Addie. She’d pressure Baron even more to sell up and go.”

  “What’s wrong with that? Might be the best thing for the Selkirks.”

  Paula cocked head, considering the o
lder woman. “You’re not the traditional type, are you, thinking that holding the land generation after generation is sacred?”

  Miss Betty shook her head. “Been too poor most of my life to own land like this. Didn’t have ambitions to, neither.”

  “Nor is my family land obsessed. My father made his fortune with shrewd financial deals, not selling cattle. Seems as if the Selkirks define themselves by this land. I don’t get it, but it is what it is.”

  Baron stamped in, bringing Addie. Both were snow-covered but she looked as if she’d taken a tumble. She was covered head to foot in sparkling white crystals.

  “Are you okay?” Paula asked.

  “Silly woman was trying to tie a rope from the stables to the garage,” he said. “But she couldn’t find the building.”

  Addie banged her hat on the wall to knock off the snow. “I admit it. I’m a greenhorn with snow. This is only my third winter. We never had snow in California. My little ranch in Jackson Hole was a lot smaller than this place. The distance to the stable was less.”

  “Didn’t you ever go skiing?” Paula asked.

  Addie shrugged, and took off her coat. She hung it on the bar just inside the doorway. “It’s not the same. You’re on a mountain with hundreds of other people, on well-marked paths. And there’s the ski patrol, too.”

  Baron put a heavy hand on Addie’s shoulder. “Don’t go out alone again in this.”

  She raised an eyebrow.

  “Please,” he added. “Be sensible. Promise me.”

  Addie stared into his eyes, seeming to get caught up in emotion. “Okay, I promise.”

  Baron leaned down and kissed her. Addie threw her arms around him and kissed him back.

  Paula looked over to see how Miss Betty was taking it. The older lady was smiling.

  They were still kissing. “Get a room, you two,” Paula said. “Better yet, set a date.”

  “Stop lookin’ at ’em if it bothers you,” Miss Betty cackled.

  Baron straightened up. “Going to the office to coordinate battening down with Hoot. See you all later. Paula, glad to have you here.”