It was chilly, so I took off at a brisk pace. Pete told me, way back on the day he’d picked me up, that the ranch’s high altitude accounted for a number of crisp evenings, even during the summer. He hadn’t been kidding. Goose bumps rose on my arms faster than a rabbit running from a coyote. I walked faster.
The farther I got from the house, the quieter the night became. All of the guest cabins were dark. It was then I remembered it was the night of the big bonfire down by the river. No wonder no guests were around. Smiling, I rubbed my chilled arms and kept walking.
Thump, thump, thump.
I abruptly stopped. The breeze tossed curls into my eyes. What had that been?
Scanning the darkness, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Faint light from the main house shone in the distance. Other than that, I was surrounded by darkness. I still stood a fair distance from my cabin so scanned the area again. I didn’t see anyone. I cocked my head, listening.
Just the nighttime sounds. That was it.
Shrugging, I began walking again. I’d only gone ten yards when the same sound came. I swirled around. There was definitely something behind me.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I froze. I looked around but still didn’t see anything. I looked left and then right. Nothing. But I felt…something.
“Is anyone there?” I called. I waited a moment.
Silence.
“Hello?” I said.
Nothing.
I waited a second longer, but I could still feel it. My sixth sense told me I wasn’t alone. I started to breathe faster. Someone is near and doesn’t want me to know it. I felt as certain of that as I knew the sky was blue.
Without another thought, I turned and sprinted. My feet scissored beneath me as a survival instinct roared to life. I bolted for the cabin as fast as I could go.
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard someone behind me. The thump, thump on the gravel was faster, more pronounced. That almost made me shriek, but then I saw the cabin. It was still far. The small building had only crested my view on the gravel drive, but the light was on in the living room. That small, shining light beckoned safety. I breathed harder and moved my legs faster. The breeze whipped across my face, all pleasant scents gone.
The distance closed. Forty yards. Thirty yards. Twenty yards. Ten yards! I was almost there when a dark figure stepped out in front of me.
I screamed.
The sound abruptly died when I slid to a careening halt. The sudden stop pitched me off balance. I almost tripped. The figure reached out and grabbed me. I screamed again, the sound pierced my own ears, but then I recognized a scent.
Spice, wood and tangerines.
Flint.
“It’s just me.” Flint’s voice was gruff. Concern laced the edges. “Why are you running?”
He pulled me to a dark cabin a few cabins up from ours. It was empty. Tall grass tickled my calves. I panted from running and clung tightly to his forearms.
“Why are you running?” he asked again, more firmly this time.
I could only breathe loudly.
“Lena?”
I took a staggering breath and struggled to get myself under control. His fingers grasped my chin and tilted my head up. In the moonlight, his angular features were sharp and severe, his eyes black.
“Jesus,” he whispered. “What happened?”
I was still too stunned to speak.
“Did somebody hurt you?” He gripped my shoulders tighter. Hot energy rolled off him. I shook my head. Already, the fear I’d felt was rapidly disintegrating. Safe, I’m safe. Once again, that soothing, precious feeling flowed through me in his presence.
“Lena, what happened?” His breath was warm and sweet. It was hard to not lose all coherent thought.
“Nothing,” I finally managed. “I don’t know.” I shook my head as I tried to figure out what had happened. A few other times, in Rapid City, I felt that someone was after me. It was usually at night when I was out wandering around. Both times it happened, I listened to my gut. I ran as fast as I could to a more populated area. I’d never know if those fears had been valid, but I trusted my gut. It was all I’d had.
“Did something scare you?” Flint asked.
All I could do was nod.
“What?” he demanded. Another huge wave of energy rolled off him.
“I heard someone. Someone was following me when I was about halfway back. I could feel that I wasn’t alone, but nobody answered when I asked who was there.”
“Where?” he asked, his tone clipped.
I explained where I was when I first heard it. I was about to mumble that I might have been mistaken when the air whooshed around me. My breath caught in my throat.
I was flying.
Before I could think two words, I stood on my cabin’s porch.
Flint was gone.
It all happened so quickly, it took me a minute to process it. My eyes widened when I did. Flint just carried me up the road to my porch. I searched for him in the distance. He’d vanished into the night.
“Lena? Is that you?” A tapping sound made me turn.
Mica’s face pressed against the glass. She was sitting at the kitchen table, visible through the window. She smiled and waved. I returned the wave as best I could before walking inside. The feeling of being chased, the sensation of being near Flint, and the incredible way he’d moved me ten yards in two seconds left me dumbstruck.
“What took you so long?” she asked when I stepped inside. She was reading a book. A cup of half-drunk juice sat beside her.
Instead of responding, I walked to the bathroom. I closed the door and placed my hands on the sink. I leaned into them. Harsh breaths escaped me. My fingers gripped the porcelain bowl tightly, the smooth basin hard and unforgiving.
A few minutes later, finally feeling in control, I looked up. My face stared back in the mirror. I was a little paler than normal. Other than that, I looked like myself. Dark red curls tumbled down my back. My green eyes were particularly alert but not out of the ordinary. I splashed cold water on my face and returned to the living room.
“Where’s Jacinda?” Mica had moved to the couch, the book on her lap.
“She went to town with Val,” I replied automatically. I sat beside Mica and pulled my feet underneath me. The couch’s upholstery felt rough and worn. A second later, an abrupt whoosh of hair had me sitting straight up, but it was only Flint, barreling through the cabin’s door.
“Nothing,” he said. “I searched the whole area but didn’t find anyone.” His eyes were like two, onyx daggers darting through me. I wondered how far he’d gone. With how fast he moved, he’d probably covered a few square miles.
“Okay,” I replied. “Do you think I imagined it?”
“No.” He didn’t elaborate.
Mica fidgeted beside me just as Di appeared in her bedroom door frame. With wide eyes, Mica said, “What happened?”
Before Flint or I could respond, commotion sounded on the porch. Jacinda pushed passed Flint, carrying several bags.
“Hey, guys,” Jacinda said pleasantly. She sailed to the small kitchenette and placed the bags on the counter. “I bought us some more coffee and that cereal you like, Mica. Lena, I bought you a new pair of earrings. I hope you don’t mind.” Her chatter died down. The rustling from the plastic bags died with it.
Jacinda frowned and surveyed all of us. Di, in her usual all black attire, crossed her arms. “Something’s happened,” Di said.
Flint nodded curtly. “Someone was following Lena.”
“What?” Jacinda’s face paled. “Are you serious?”
“Where?” Di demanded.
“On her way back to the cabin,” Flint said.
“Do you know who it was?” Jacinda asked.
Flint shook his head.
Di eyed all of us. “Right, no one is to be alone outside at night anymore. Got it?” She turned back to Flint. “Are you going to tell the guys?”
“I will, but
I don’t think Jet or Jasper will be too worried. What’s the likelihood of someone attacking a male?”
Di frowned and replied in a quieter tone, “Unless it has something to do with us.” She made a motion toward her tattoo.
My eyes widened. I hadn’t thought of that possibility.
“Hmm.” Flint’s lips tightened.
Di turned to the three of us. “I don’t want any of us alone anymore at night. Okay?”
“Should we tell Pete?” Mica asked.
Di and Flint dipped their heads and started whispering. I couldn’t hear what was said. I knew Jacinda did from the way she perked up. When they stopped, Di said, “For the time being, no.”
I swallowed. They were obviously concerned enough about our situation to not want Pete and Val involved.
Flint eyed me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, fine.”
His gaze lingered. Jacinda had sat beside Mica and I, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Di on the other hand, stared out the window, looking deep in thought.
Only Mica seemed unperturbed. She picked up her book again. “Not many boring nights around here!”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
When I walked up to the main house the next morning, I kept thinking about the previous night. Had someone really followed me? How likely was that? And could it really be related to what happened to us all those months ago? I shivered at that thought.
Since it was my day off, the dining room was in full swing by the time I got there. I grabbed a few slices of toast and a cup of coffee. Flint sat on the other side of the room with the cowboys. I tried not to stare. Something about him looked different.
It took me a minute to place it. Stubble lined his cheeks. Dark smudges blackened the skin under his eyes. He looked tired. That was a first. I’d never seen him as anything but clean-cut and alert looking.
Mica appeared just as I finished. “Is it your day off?”
“Yep.”
“We’re taking the guests on a nature walk. Wanna come?”
Since I didn’t have anything planned, I nodded. “Sure.”
As usual, Flint ignored me when I passed. Even after last night, nothing had changed. My heart sank.
A group of guests, most of them kids, were already waiting outside. I smiled at the kids and let the magic of being around people work through me. When I dipped down to talk to the little ones, I got a few giggles. That made me smile.
It was nice to be outside for a change. I was glad I brought my windbreaker, though. It had cooled considerably, and a low cloud cover was moving in.
“Nice to have you with us, Lena.” Pete stood in the yard and smiled warmly before beckoning the kids and parents to join him.
“We’ll be goin’ on a nature walk today,” Pete said. “We’ll be talkin’ about the plants of Colorado, specifically, the ones that grow around here. Now to start, can anyone tell me how plants are named?”
One of the girl’s hand shot in the air. “They’re named in an old language so everyone calls them the same.”
“That’s right,” Pete said. “All plants are given Latin names and common names. The Latin names were developed long ago by…”
A famous botanist named Linnaeus. I reeled inwardly when the knowledge spewed out of my brain. Here we go again. Once again, random knowledge escaped from some unknown cavern deep within my subconscious. If only I could do that with my identity. I groaned inwardly. I was certain, more than ever, that I’d been educated at some point in my life.
A few hours later, we returned to the main house. Everyone climbed the steps just in time for lunch.
“What did you think?” Mica asked. Mica also helped with the tour. She knew all of the Latin names too.
“You did great,” I replied.
“Really?”
“Did Pete teach you that stuff?” I asked as the last guest trailed inside.
“No, I already know it.”
I sighed. “So we’re all like that.”
“Yep!”
We walked into the house. The door closed softly behind us. Mica stomped the mud from her boots on the rug.
“Do you think we all went to college?” I asked. “Or some advanced prep school?” Considering how much we knew, it didn’t seem like your every day school program explained it.
“We must have, cause you have to admit, we know a lot. And it’s not like I’m the smartest person in the world,” Mica replied.
I also didn’t think I was the next Albert Einstein. However, it was almost eerie at how much was crammed in our heads.
“Why do you think we can remember so much, but can’t remember ourselves?”
Mica shrugged. “I don’t know. Your best bet is to ask Flint or Di. They spend a lot of time talking about this stuff. Ooh! Pizza for lunch! Yum!”
She raced into the dining room. I sighed and followed.
Jacinda, Di and Val were hard at work when I entered the hall. I couldn’t help but wonder if the three were having a hard time keeping up without me. There were two additional families at the ranch this week. No doubt the new girl would come in handy when she arrived, if Val and Pete were happy to hire her too. I wondered how we’d explain that one. It was kind of weird after all, to just randomly show up with another person, as if out of thin air.
I got a plateful of food and sat beside Mica.
“You okay?” Mica asked. She had almost half a pizza on her plate.
I forced a smile. “Just thinking about something.”
“What?”
I pushed around the slice with my fork. “Do we all go to pick up the new girl?”
“Yep, or at least, that’s what we’ve done so far. Flint doesn’t like us getting split up for too long. He thinks it’s safer that way.”
Of course he does. That only made my shoulders slump further. Flint felt responsible for everyone. His interest in me had never been any different.
Jacinda sauntered over just as Mica stood to refill her drink. She pulled out Mica’s chair and sat. Her expression seemed particularly coy today. “Talk to Flint much this morning?” she asked.
I shook my head and bit off a large bite of pizza. “No.”
Jacinda rolled her eyes. “Really, Little L, do you have to chew with your mouth open?”
A blush crept up my cheeks. I didn’t mean to have bad table manners. I forced my lips closed and tried to eat more daintily. It was hard. It didn’t seem the starvation mentality I’d acquired those first few months was wearing off anytime soon.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
Jacinda leaned forward. “Back to Flint. I just wondered if you saw how tired he looked this morning?”
I thought about the dark circles on his too handsome face. “Yeah, I noticed.”
“Any idea why that is?”
I shook my head and took another bite. I was careful to keep my mouth closed through the entire bite. Seriously, I would get good at this. Jacinda placed her forearms on the table. Her perfectly manicured nails curled around her elbows. “Do you know where Flint was last night?”
“No.”
“Care to take a guess?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, okay. I was just asking.” She sighed. “Well, just so you know, he spent the entire night outside our cabin. He didn’t sleep a wink.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I think he was keeping watch, but he didn’t want us to know he was there. Of course, I still heard him. He made a racket every time he did one of his rounds.” She rolled her eyes, her delicate eyebrows rising.
“But why would he do that?”
Jacinda cocked her head. “I think to keep you safe.”
“You mean from whoever chased me last night?”
“I think so.”
That took me aback. “Don’t you think he wanted to keep everyone safe?”
Jacinda bit her lip. “I don’t think so.”
&n
bsp; “Why don’t you think so?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. He’s been weird ever since you arrived.”
I tried to keep my voice even. “What do you mean?”
“The way he is with you. It hasn’t escaped my attention that he’s always avoiding you or only speaking to you when necessary. And he doesn’t hang out with us anymore. Before you arrived, we all hung out. Now that you’re here, though, he’s completely distanced himself. But then he gets all irritated when one of the cowboys grabs your attention. Not to mention, I’ve never seen him go so crazy when he thinks you’re in trouble.”
My mouth dropped. I shook my head. “Wait a minute, he doesn’t get irritated about the cowboys. What are you talking about?”
Jacinda smirked. “You think he likes how much time you spend with Dean?”
I had no idea what she was getting at. Flint didn’t know I spent my afternoons with the cowboy. He had no idea what I did. Right? But then I remembered the incident at the barn, when he’d known I’d been on a trail ride with Dean.
“But Dean and I are just friends.”
“Is that what you call it?” Before I could reply, she added, “You wouldn’t know this, but Flint hasn’t been the same since you arrived. He’s moody and withdrawn – more so than usual. Even Di’s noticed since he’s snapping at her now. He won’t tell her why, but personally, I think it’s because of you.”
Her words made me balk. “Jacinda, that doesn’t make sense. Aren’t he and Di together?”
“Together?” Jacinda’s eyebrows rose clear to her hairline.
“Like dating or something?”
She grinned and then laughed. She pushed to standing when Mica returned.
“What are you guys talking about?” Mica held a full glass of lemonade and took a drink.
“Nothing,” Jacinda said.
“So, are you gonna join us this afternoon?” Mica asked me. “Pete’s gonna show the guests how to use a lasso.”
I shook my head. My head was still spinning from all that Jacinda implied. “Um, no, I think I’ll join Dean for another riding lesson.” The truth, however, was that I wanted to get into the mountains. I needed some time to think. I couldn’t do that during a lasso lesson.
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