by R. C. Ryan
Vanessa knew her jaw dropped. “You’ve been guarding us?”
Ignoring her question, Grace looked skyward. “A plane? A helicopter?”
“We’d have seen and heard them.”
“Then someone went to a lot of trouble to come all this way without taking anything. When they found the doors of the truck locked, they could have broken the windows, or jimmied the locks, and helped themselves to anything they wanted.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed. “You had your rifle with you?”
She nodded.
“They may have come to steal it, hoping to leave you helpless. But I agree that they could have forced their way inside the truck and helped themselves to the rest of your supplies, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“My first thought is the thread could have simply snapped in the breeze.” He shrugged. “Or, if someone was here, maybe they saw the thread after they tried the door, and realized they’d been detected. There was no way to tie it back together and hope you wouldn’t notice. So they decided to leave it in the grass just to let you to know they know you’re on to them. Even if they couldn’t accomplish much, they’ve managed to add another layer of fear and intimidation.”
Grace mulled that for a moment before nodding. “All right. So now we know that they know where we are. But they have to know we’ll redouble our efforts to evade them.”
“Maybe they spotted our wranglers in the area, and realized they would be caught if they didn’t run immediately.”
“Maybe.” Grace saw the way Vanessa was staring at the two of them, and realized that an explanation was in order. She turned to the young woman and extended a hand. “I’m sorry, Nessa. It isn’t right to keep secrets, but I didn’t want anything to spoil your first trip to the wilderness, so I thought I’d just keep to myself the fact that our men would be looking out for us.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised. But now that I know, I feel terrible that my being here has caused so many people to work overtime to keep me safe.”
“They’re keeping both of us safe. And they don’t mind.” Grace turned to her grandson. “Do you?”
He kept his gaze firmly on Vanessa. “It’s what family does.”
Grace glanced at the cold ashes in the firepit. “As long as you’re here, Matthew, why don’t you get a fire going and stay for supper?”
“Thanks. I’d love to.” He winked at her. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
He added a couple of logs and some kindling, and soon had a fire blazing.
Grace started toward the stream to fill the coffeepot, leaving Vanessa alone with Matt.
As soon as Grace was gone, Vanessa crossed her arms over her chest, her tone lowered with righteous accusation. “I had the right to know what this trip was costing you and your family.”
“All it cost was manpower, and we have plenty of that.”
“Manpower that’s needed with the herds. You said yourself it takes every wrangler you have just to keep a ranch of this size working efficiently. And here I am, living out my fantasy at the expense of so many others.”
Matt’s voice was as calm as hers was harsh. “You’re our guest, Nessa.” When she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. “Maybe not by your choice, but our guest all the same. And there’s no way in hell my family would allow you to be in any more danger than necessary.”
She lowered her arms to her sides and turned away. The only indication of her agitation was her booted foot tapping a nervous tattoo. “No more secrets, Matt. I can handle danger better than I can handle being treated like some poor helpless female.”
“I can’t argue with that. There’s nothing helpless about you.” He touched a hand to her arm. “Am I forgiven?”
She kept her face averted. “Of course. As long as you give me your word you won’t shut me out of any decisions being made about my safety.”
“You have it.”
“Good.” She huffed out a breath before turning toward the truck.
She rummaged through the supplies in the metal container, noting Yancy’s careful labeling of each packet.
Matt stepped up beside her. “Need some help?”
She held up two packets. “I’ll let you decide. Turkey and stuffing, or roast beef and gravy?”
“Turkey.” He held out his hand. “I’ll set it on the grate.”
She found a packet of mashed potatoes and walked up behind him. “You can heat these, too. And I’ll find that container of salad I spotted yesterday.”
They worked companionably together, assembling plates and utensils.
When at last Vanessa dropped down on a sun-warmed rock, Matt sat beside her. “So. Has your wilderness experience been all you’d hoped for?”
“Oh, Matt.” She looked up at him, eyes shining with excitement. “It’s been amazing. We found a herd. The stallion didn’t challenge us, and today we got even closer and watched a foal being born.” She shook her head, as though unable to take it all in. “Your grandmother caught it all on film. And it was…” She took in a deep breath. “I know you’ll think I’m being melodramatic, but it was magical. I was afraid to move. Afraid even to breathe. I was sure at any moment our presence would spook the herd and they’d scatter. Or worse, I’d wake up and discover it was all just a dream.”
He was staring at her in a way that had her going still and silent.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing. Just wondering who you are and what you’ve done with that cool, unemotional workaholic lawyer named Vanessa Kettering.”
She started to laugh, but she was cut off as he kissed her. She absorbed little sparks all through her overcharged system.
When he lifted his head she leaned in. “Do that again. Please.”
“My pleasure, ma’am.” With a wolfish smile he dragged her close and kissed her until they were both breathless. “Want more?”
She put a hand on his chest. “Anything more and I’d have to crawl inside you, which could prove embarrassing when your grandmother returns.”
At the mention of Grace, she shot him a puzzled look. “Where is Grace? She was just going to the stream for water.”
With the thought of danger uppermost in their minds, they were both up and running, fearing the worst.
Before they were halfway to the stream Grace came strolling toward them, hair dripping, carrying her hiking boots.
“I thought I’d give you two a few minutes alone. And then, once I got there, the cool water looked so inviting, I had to wash.” She shot a girlish glance at her grandson. “If you hadn’t been here, Matthew, I’d have probably walked back to camp as naked as the day I was born to slip into something clean and warm. But I was feeling charitable, and I decided that wasn’t a memory a grandson of mine ought to bear for the rest of his life.”
“Thanks for that.” He managed a smile, though his heart was still pounding. “But next time you decide to give us some time alone, don’t wander so far away from camp.”
Grace turned to Vanessa. “You see? Let a man into your adventure, or your life, and he just has to start giving orders.”
Chapter Eighteen
Nessa tells me you found a herd.” Matt sat in the grass, his back resting against a rock, feet stretched out to the warmth of the fire, enjoying dinner and the pleasant company.
“We did. Not the one I’ve been looking for this past year, led by that magnificent white stallion.” Grace glanced at Vanessa. “This one had a gray leader.”
“I named him Ghost,” Vanessa admitted.
“You named him?” Matt gave her a bemused look. “Next thing you know, you’ll want to take him home with you and make him your pet.”
She blushed like a schoolgirl. “I don’t know why I admitted that to you. Now I’ll probably never hear the end of it.”
“You’ve got that right.”
Watching the two of them, Grace couldn’t help smiling. “I hope at least a few of the photos I took of a mare delivering her foal
are good enough to put up for sale.”
“Gram Grace, I’ve never known any of your pictures to be less than exceptional.”
Grace winked at Vanessa. “He’s just a little bit prejudiced.”
“As he should be.” Vanessa set aside her empty plate. “There aren’t too many men who can brag about their famous and talented grandmothers.”
“Now you sound like my Frankie.” Grace sighed. “That man just purely dotes on me.”
“I noticed. And I can see why.” Vanessa shared a smile with Matt. “Does he ever come with you on these wilderness treks?”
“When he can spare the time. I love having him along. He does all the grunt work and allows me to concentrate on my photography.”
Matt chuckled. “Is this an invitation for me to stay and shoulder Grandpop’s load?”
“I was hoping you’d take the hint.” Grace looked at him over the rim of her cup. “Especially now that we’ve had proof of a visitor.”
“Then it’s settled.” He put his hands under his head and glanced skyward. “Looks like a perfect night for sleeping under the stars. Especially since I texted the others to let them know I was here.”
Grace crossed to him and kissed his cheek. “Bless you, Matthew.”
As she walked toward the truck to retrieve her bedroll, Vanessa turned to him. “Your grandfather’s not the only one who feels the love. She dotes on you, too.”
He merely grinned. “It’s my charm.”
When she tossed her pillow at his head, he caught it one-handed before dropping it. “Careful, woman,” he drawled. “That’s an invitation to a duel.”
“Pistols at dawn? Will I be branded a troublemaker?”
“I might have something else in mind. But be warned. You’d be branded all the same.”
His words, spoken lightly, sent a thrill along her spine.
Grace returned and set out her bedroll near the fire. She snuggled into its warmth and drew up her knees, wrapping her arms around them. “Nessa, tell me how a smart big-city lawyer took up the cause of wild animals. Has this always been your passion?”
Vanessa smiled. “I think so. I wasn’t always aware of it, but my dad says he recognized it way back in my earliest days. He tells me I was always the champion of the underdog, including Jeepers, our third-grade mascot.”
Grace smiled indulgently. “A dog?”
“A hamster.”
Grace exchanged an amused look with Matt before asking, “What made Jeepers an underdog?”
“Over our midwinter break, we came back to discover that the student who had volunteered to take him home for the holiday had forgotten and left him behind in the classroom. The poor little thing was hiding under his empty food dish and shaking so badly when he saw us, our teacher thought he was having a seizure. I insisted on holding him until the tremors subsided. After class I told my teacher I was taking him home so he wouldn’t have to be alone overnight.”
“So a hamster changed your life.” Matt winked at his grandmother.
“Jeepers may have been the start, but it was a coyote while I was in high school that sealed the deal.”
“A coyote in Chicago?” Grace was laughing. “This should prove to be quite a story.”
“Yes. Poor thing made the headlines. A lost, terrified coyote was spotted dodging cars along Division Street, and before an animal control officer could catch it, a woman screamed that she was afraid for her life and a police officer was forced to shoot it, even though the poor, frightened thing was running away from her, and not toward her. That’s when I realized that wild animals needed an advocate.”
Grace glanced at her grandson, who was staring at Vanessa with a look that was both fierce and tender.
She’d seen that look before. In her son’s eyes when he’d looked at his bride at the age of seventeen. In her husband’s eyes the first time Grace had seen him, riding into her camp, demanding to know who she was and why she was on his land. She’d lost her heart to him in an instant, just as he’d lost his heart to her.
She pretended to yawn behind her hand as she slid deeper into her bedroll. “I hope you two don’t mind, but after the day I put in, I really need to sleep.”
Matt blew her a kiss, while Vanessa called, “Good night, Gracie. Thanks again for this amazing day.”
Though Grace could have stayed awake another hour or more, the sound of their muted voices, and the gurgle of the stream nearby, soon lulled her into sleep.
Matt filled two mugs with coffee and held up a bottle of whiskey. At Vanessa’s nod of approval, he splashed some into each cup before passing one to her.
He sat beside her, and they leaned against his saddle while stretching their legs toward the fire.
“How do you like sleeping under the stars?”
Her smile was radiant. “I’m loving it.”
“Really?” He turned to study her. “You’re not missing all the comforts of home?”
“I’m not. And that surprises me. I expected to feel out of my element here. I mean, no showers, no shampoo, no change of clothes. And the bedroll isn’t much of a cushion against the hard, cold ground. But—” she sighed “—instead of feeling like a homesick kid at camp, I feel like I was meant to be here.”
“I’m glad. I know it can’t be easy, finding yourself far from everything familiar.”
“That’s just it. Though I’ve never been here before, I feel as though somehow this place has been waiting for me to discover it.” She turned to him. “I hope this doesn’t sound crazy, but this whole day has been like a dream come true for me. The herd. The mare giving birth. Watching the stallion not only accepting our presence but turning away, ignoring us, as though he’d already figured out that we weren’t there to do harm. It was”—she exuded barely controlled excitement and energy—“too amazing for words. And I’ve embarrassed myself by thanking your grandmother so many times, she’s probably sick of hearing my voice.”
“I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t enjoy hearing that voice.” He lifted a hand to the lock of hair that had drifted across her cheek. He tucked the hair behind her ear, then kept his hand there, his fingers stroking the side of her neck. “You voice is mesmerizing. And so are you, Nessa.”
He leaned close and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. She kept her eyes open, seeing herself reflected in his dark gaze.
As he started to pull back she lifted a hand to his cheek. “Could you…? Could you just hold me a little longer?”
“It would be my pleasure, ma’am.” He gathered her close.
It started off as a mere touch of mouth to mouth, but it quickly turned into a sizzle of heat that had them sighing as they took it deeper, lingering over the kiss until they were struggling for breath.
Matt glanced toward his grandmother’s bedroll. “We’d better think about getting some sleep.”
“I should be tired.” Vanessa sighed. “But the truth is, I’m so keyed up, I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep at all.” As he started to move away she put a hand on his arm. “If I haven’t told you, Matt, I’m so relieved to have you here.”
“Even though I’ve intruded on your privacy?”
She bit her lip. “I know I reacted badly, and I’m sorry for that.”
“I’m sorry, too. I never wanted anything to spoil your grand adventure.”
“I thought it couldn’t get any better than today, seeing the herd of mustangs, and the bonus of seeing a foal born. And Grace is so comfortable here in the wilderness that I trust her to know exactly what to do. But in truth, I feel safer having you here with us.”
“Careful. I could be your biggest threat of all.” He swept another quick kiss over her mouth before getting to his feet. He walked to the far side of the fire and tossed down his saddle before lying beside it. Wrapping a parka around himself, he winked before closing his eyes.
Vanessa smiled and turned to stare into the flames.
She’d been so surprised when Matt had turned up at their camp, just minutes aft
er Grace fired off a shot. And she’d been stunned and horrified to think their entire family and their ranch hands had been forced to forego their own chores in order to keep her safe. Still, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it gave her great comfort to know Matt had been around the entire time, watching out for their safety.
Watching out for their safety.
It was Matt’s way. Seeing to his younger brothers, his uncle, his grandparents. Whether he’d chosen this path, or it had been chosen for him by the Fates, he was singularly qualified to take responsibility for everyone he cared about. The land. The ranch and wranglers. And now, a woman who had come unbidden into his life and couldn’t leave until the threat of danger was eliminated. And though she was secretly terrified, not only for herself but for her father, she felt somehow safer knowing Matt was here. His strength, not only physical, but that inner core of steel as well, made her believe that no harm could come to her as long as Matt Malloy was beside her.
It was, she realized, one very compelling reason to love him.
Love?
She rolled to her side, watching the flames flare up, sending sparks into the darkness.
It didn’t seem possible that she could have such feelings for a man she hardly knew.
She was attracted to him. She trusted him. And she was enchanted by his family. Plus, because of him, she was living her dream. But that didn’t add up to love. Did it?
Hadn’t her father once joked that every young woman he knew fell in love with the idea of love at least once in her life before finding the real thing?
There had been boyfriends, dates, flings, and one rather serious relationship that had ended badly, though in truth she couldn’t believe she’d ever shed a tear over such a shallow man. And though she’d had varying degrees of joy and sorrow, over-the-top happiness and moments of sheer bliss, she’d never felt like this. Out of her depth, and floundering, and doing her best to stay one step ahead of a man like Matt.