by Platt, MJ
He grew alarmed at her paleness and shaking. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he started for the door, essentially holding her up. With a curse, he swung her up into his arms and carried her to the SUV. Quickly placing her in the passenger seat, he slammed the door and rounded the front of the vehicle to climb aboard.
A glance at her and he turned the heat on high even though it was a short distance to the house. His thoughts became grim. At the house, after turning off the engine, he looked over at Sage. She hadn’t moved. When he got out and came around to open her door, she still didn’t move. He slid her out into his arms and started up the walk. Her only acknowledgment was to turn her face into the shoulder of his jacket.
As he entered the house, Two Feathers and Little Mouse were coming from the kitchen.
“What happened?” asked Two Feathers, his brow knit with worry.
“Is she hurt?” Little Mouse added, reaching out to stop Mac.
“I’ll be down in a few minutes. I have to take care of Sage first,” answered Mac, anger still evident in his voice, but a note of worry there also. He carried her to her room and sat her on the side of the bed. Then he crouched down to remove her shoes, after which she crawled up into the bed and lay down curled into a tight ball, her back to him.
He pulled up the quilt to cover her, knowing she wasn’t ready to talk to him, to let him into that private place she had retreated to. Leaving the bedside lamp on, he quietly left the room.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, the other two were waiting for him. He gave an abbreviated version of the night’s happenings and Sage’s present condition.
“She’s reliving Diego’s attack,” Two Feathers said.
“I’m staying in her room tonight. To be there for her,” said Mac. “We’ll see how things are in the morning.” He trotted back up the stairs and, upon entering her room, slipped softly up beside the bed to check on her. Then he parked himself in the wingback chair where he could watch her.
When she whimpered, Mac went to her and lay down behind her, enclosing her gently, yet snugly, in his arms. He felt she sensed it was him. Gradually her muscles relaxed and her breathing shifted to the easy rhythm of sleep. Only then did he allow his eyes to close.
Chapter Twelve
The gray light of predawn was inching its way across the sky when Sage opened her eyes, the feeling of dismay weighing heavily on her. That wasn’t the only heavy weight. She looked down to see a man’s arm draped over her middle. Her gasp of fright awoke the owner of the arm.
“Easy, Sage,” came the whisper from behind her. “You’re safe. It’s me, Mac. Promise you won’t bolt if I remove my arm?”
She gave a quick nod of assent and she was free to move. She shifted a few inches away and turned to her back so she could see him clearly.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, eyeing him warily.
He rose up on his elbow, pillowing his head on his fist. “How much do you remember from last night?”
“Not much after I put the children to bed. Waking up to feeling like I was trapped. Then you were there and I was standing behind you. Swindon saying a bunch of bad things about me. The rest is a blur.” She began to shake in self-loathing, refusing to look at him.
Gently he tipped her face toward him. “Look at me, Sage,” he said softly. “You are a beautiful woman. You can’t believe some idiot who wanted to lash out because he didn’t get what he wanted. Come here.” He pulled her close so they were face to face, enclosing her in his arms.
She looked at his calm expression and there was something deep within his whiskey brown eyes she couldn’t identify. It was too fleeting. She started to shiver. He reached up to stroke her cheek with the back of his fingers as he whispered soothing words. Relax was not a word in her vocabulary at the moment. Bits and pieces of the previous night’s events began to take shape in her mind.
Her conversation with the children had had her reeling. She couldn’t imagine what their life would be like once they were home again.
“Mac, I can’t stop worrying about JJ and GG, what will happen to them after they’re home.”
“Why?”
She told him about the things they told her as she got them ready for bed. He could see the despair in her eyes.
“I wish there was something I could do,” she said, concern in her tone.
“You already have,” he said. “They will remember the caring and friendship you’ve given them here. Don’t be surprised if they contact you sometime.”
“Maybe I’ll be able to see them when I return to San Francisco.” She felt him tense. “I will have to go back for Diego’s trial.”
“Not without me!”
She could see the determination on his face. Why was he worried? Nothing could happen to her. Diego would be in police custody.
“Are you remembering any more about last night?” he asked, leaning back to better see her expression.
“Some.” she answered, dropping her head down. He slipped two fingers under her chin, lifting her face back up.
“Talk to me,” he said gently.
“I guess I fell asleep. I didn’t mean to. What happened was all my fault.”
“No! Don’t blame yourself for the actions of some idiot who didn’t get his own way.”
“What stopped it?”
“Me. I hit him.”
“Did you hurt him?”
“A little. I’ve been angry before, but with him I was totally out of control,” he admitted.
“What happened?”
“Not much. Jim and Dave intervened before I could do any real damage.”
“How did I get here?”
“I brought you. Jim and Dave stayed with Swindon.”
“I don’t remember anything after finding I was standing behind you and you were hauling him over the coals.”
“After I brought you up here I stayed. When you started whimpering I figured you were remembering his attack. So I did the only thing I could think of. I held you as I did in the past as your friend.”
“I remember now!” She gasped. “I woke up to a heavy weight on me, my hands held above my head, a hand groping at my shirt. I think I screamed. Then suddenly the weight was gone and I was standing behind you.”
“Shh. It’s over. You’re safe,” he cajoled her. He could see the fear rising in her eyes and the stiffening of her body.
She began to relax again as he gently stroked her back. She looked up at him. He could see the questions in her eyes. Then she softened in his arms as he drew her closer and his face moved toward hers.
With barely there kisses, he touched his lips to her forehead, one eyelid then the other, her cheek, and, hesitating briefly, her lips. She leaned into him, returning his kiss. A moan rose from the back of her throat, her head tipping back as he urged the kiss deeper. Tongues intertwined. Tastes merged. Breathing quickened and became unsteady. Her hands slid up into his hair.
He rose over her. She could feel the heat through the layers of clothes separating them. She surmised him thinking more clearly. Clothes. Her bed. Last night’s events. Damn! He eased back, ending the kiss slowly, moving so his lower half was belly down on the bed.
“I’m sorry, Sage. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Hurt exploded deep inside to be expressed in her eyes.
“I’m not rejecting you. It’s the situation. Us. Your bed. I’m supposed to be protecting you, not taking advantage of you.” He bolted up to sit on the edge of the bed, his back to her. “I’ve got to go. The men have an early flight.” With that, he whisked from the room before she could stop him.
She lay there, shivering. The heat from his body was not the only thing she missed—it was also the feeling of safety in his arms, that it was the right place to be. His kisses made her heart beat faster and her body melt in liquid heat. Did he feel it, too?
* * * *
Mac was waiting outside the middle cabin for the men to load their luggage in the SUV. JJ and GG came cha
rging over to him, Sage’s jacket scrunched in JJ’s arms
“Mr. Mac! Mr. Mac!” called JJ. “We want to say goodbye to Miss Susan, but Daddy says no, there’s nobody here by that name. It’s all a lie. But this is her jacket.”
Mac took the jacket and laid it on the seat of the vehicle. He weighed his thoughts carefully as he looked down into two upset little faces. Then he sat on the step and pulled them close, an arm around each one.
“I wouldn’t call it a lie, JJ,” said Mac. “It’s true the lady’s name is not Susan. Her name is Sage and she lives in San Francisco. She was hurt by a very bad man and is staying here until she gets well. When she knew someone was coming from San Francisco, she and I made up the story about her being from Seattle.”
“Was that how she got the mark on her face?” asked GG.
“Yes. She’s afraid the bad man is still looking for her, and she doesn’t want anyone to know where she is.”
“We won’t tell,” said JJ. “Can you keep her safe?”
“No one will get to her here.”
“Are you going to marry her?” asked GG.
“I plan on it,” answered Mac with a smile. “If she’ll have me. We need to get the other problem straightened out first.”
“How you gonna fix it?” asked JJ.
“By putting the bad man in jail.”
Swindon came out on the porch and called for the children. GG threw her arms around Mac’s neck to squeeze him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. JJ also hugged him.
“Tell Miss Su—I mean Miss Sage we love her,” said JJ as he turned to walk slowly back to his father.
“You can tell her yourself at breakfast,” said Mac.
“No. Daddy says we’re not going to the house. We’ll have breakfast in town,” denied JJ.
Damn that man! He could screw up a Chinese fire and boat drill. Thank God he’s not in the armed services. You wouldn’t be able to tell which side he was on.
Once the SUV was loaded, Mac headed for the house. He dreaded telling Sage the children wouldn’t be there. She had become quite attached to them. He pictured her as mother of their children and it felt perfect. The secretive smile he gave her as he walked into the kitchen had her frowning in return.
When Mac told her about Swindon leaving before the rest and not attending breakfast, she rushed out to the front porch. He followed her. The car was just passing, Swindon was not looking anywhere but straight ahead. As it passed, a small hand was splayed in the back window. Sage blew them a kiss and watched as the little fingers curled into the palm and disappeared. She slowly followed him back to the kitchen.
Breakfast was a jovial affair. The men were glad the week was over, yet they all admitted they were glad they did it. Mac passed out the certificates of completion. Jim nodded his thanks. Buck grinned. Alan looked as if he couldn’t believe he’d actually done it. Dave thanked Mac and Two Feathers.
Soon it was time for them to leave. Jim stopped beside Sage and took her hand.
“Just say the word and I’ll have a couple of my buddies grab loads for San Fran. We’ll have our own private chat with the rat and make him see the error of his ways,” Jim said. “I talked with Mac this morning and he told me what went down.”
“I appreciate your concern, Jim,” said Sage. “But it’s best left to law enforcement.”
“Not someone you want to mess with,” added Mac, slipping an arm around Sage’s waist. “He’s mob connected. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you or your rig.”
“Forewarned is forearmed,” stated Jim. “Take care.”
“If you’re ever in the Keys, stop by,” said Buck, giving Sage a business card. “Drinks are on the house.”
Alan shook hands with Little Mouse. “The meals were excellent. I’ll certainly recommend these camps to everyone.”
“As soon as I get back, my proposal for this training will go in to the head office,” said Dave. “Maybe we’ll meet again next winter.”
* * * *
Two days had passed and everything was returning to normal routine. A Chinook had blown in and the temperature rose to fifty degrees. Mac invited Sage to ride out with him to check the watering stations in the far pastures.
In some places they had to ride single file, Mac leading the way. Sage enjoyed the view, his heavy jacket unable to hide what she knew was underneath. She let her mind wander, reliving their moments together. His kisses had been heavenly. But they always left her wanting more. Did he not want the same? His physical response said yes, yet he kept from taking the next step.
The areas they could ride side by side, she noticed Mac watched her as closely as he did the surrounding terrain. Her safety was his primary concern. She would have to return to San Francisco to testify at Diego’s trial. He would go with her. He doubted Diego knew where she was. She would be safe as long as she stayed on the ranch. Conversation wasn’t necessary. He seemed to enjoy her quiet company and her delight in the beauty of the changing scenery.
When he called a halt beneath a stand of majestic pines, she was ready to stretch her legs. She hadn’t ridden that much in several years. The site showed evidence that the cattle sheltered there from the storms. Mac ground tied the horses so they could munch on what wisps of grass were around and drink from the small rivulet caused by the melting snow. He grabbed the package of sandwiches from his saddlebag and the canteen and led her to the bare rocks that basked in the sun.
“Lunch time,” said Mac, passing her one of the sandwiches of thick roast beef on homemade bread. “Tired? Has this been too much for you?”
“Oh, no. It’s been wonderful,” she assured him, taking a small bite of her sandwich. ”It’s just the expansiveness of the area, the ever-changing landscape. It says slow down and appreciate the beauty. Sorry. I know you have a lot to do.” She began to eat faster.
“Take your time,” he said, his hand on her arm stopping her. “We have only one more waterhole to check. We’ll be back well before dark. What doesn’t get done today, there’s always tomorrow. I want you to feel at home here.”
“I do. Ever since I started coming here, this place felt more like a home than that brick monstrosity my parents own. That’s why I kept coming back.” She stopped, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth as if she had admitted too much.
“Why? What was your childhood like? Everybody has a home.”
“My earliest memories are of the lady who took care of me. Nanny Ruth. She was the one constant in my life until she died when I was sixteen. Because of her, I am who I am today. She taught me to call my parents Mom and Dad. She was the one who dressed me to be paraded at one of my parents’ parties because Dad wanted to impress a potential investor as a family man. From the age of six on I was in boarding school, only coming home for holidays and school vacations, purely because the school closed and I couldn’t stay there. But I explained all that to you before.”
“Back when you were twelve, it seemed you were trying to impress me that you attended boarding school. No details of your preschool years.”
“Because my education and extracurricular activities were all I had. When the others got together, they talked about family things. Vacations together. Outings together. Seeing a movie together. I had to walk away. I couldn’t lie about something I knew nothing about. Being a family.”
“For once I am at a loss for words.”
She knew his growing up years had been so different. He had the love and support of his parents, the help and friendship of the ranch hands and friends he could enjoy being with.
“Let’s mount up,” said Sage. “We need to finish and get back. You have a lot to do.”
* * * *
When they reached the stables a bit later, Mac sent Sage to the house. He would take care of the horses. It had been a silent ride back. What had started out as a wonderful day had ended up bad. He wanted to kick himself for spoiling it for her. Maybe he could think of something to make amends. His heart ached for her. No wonder she had co
me to them thinking she was an island.
As he left the barn, his cell phone rang. He didn’t recognize the long distance number. “Elm Creek Ranch,” he answered, expecting a business call.
“Mr. Mac?” said a hushed little voice. “It’s JJ.”
“Hey, little buddy, How’d you get this number?”
“I took one of your booklets and business card from the cabin. I can’t talk long, but I wanted to warn you.”
“About what?”
“I went in Daddy’s study to ask him a question and he had a man there. When the man saw me, he looked so mean and scary I almost peed my pants. I turned to run out and heard Daddy tell him Miss Sage was at your ranch. He called the man Diego and told him never to come to the house again. Is he the bad man looking for her?”
“Yes. Thanks for calling. We’ll be prepared.”
“Please, don’t let him hurt Miss Sage. I gotta go before Daddy sees me.”
“I won’t. You be careful.” The line disconnected.
Mac spun around back into the stable. When he found Zeb, he explained the situation, stressing the danger to Sage, and ordered all the men be armed at all times. Then he headed on the run for the house. In the kitchen he found Two Feathers and Little Mouse.
“Where’s Sage?” he asked, breathing fast.
“Upstairs. Why?” said Little Mouse.
Mac told them of the phone call from JJ and what precautions he had already put in motion.
“Bless that little man,” said Two Feathers. “What will you tell Sage?”
“I hate having to tell her anything. She’ll be ready to bolt out the door before I finish, more worried about the danger to us than herself. I need to call Dante, too, to be on the lookout for him. He can’t arrest the man for breathing the air, but he can keep an eye on him and give us a heads up if he heads in our direction.”
“You go on up to Sage,” said Two Feathers. “I’ll call the sheriff.”
Mac took the stairs two at a time. Knocking on her door, he didn’t wait for her permission to enter. He caught her staring out the window.