The Gift (The Protectors Book 6)

by Leeanna Morgan

  Brett looked surprised. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because Ida and Pat are good people. It wouldn’t feel right taking their money.”

  “Pat can afford to pay you.”

  “I know. But he’s doing me a favor. My sister has gone to San Diego for the week and I’d be at home on my own. I’d sooner be here than in an empty house.”

  “You don’t like living on your own?”

  Hannah hadn’t liked living on her own since Claire had been taken from their foster family. “I prefer to have someone stay in the house with me.”

  “I’m glad you’re here, then. Are we okay?”

  Okay didn’t come close to what she thought about Brett. Half the time he confused her, and the other half didn’t count because her thoughts were foolish pipe dreams.

  “We’re okay. If I don’t see you tomorrow morning, have a great day.”

  “I will. Goodnight.”

  “Good night.” Hannah walked into the kitchen and rinsed her mug. From what Brett had said earlier, she’d be lucky to see much of him while she was here. That might not make Pat happy, but it suited her. Especially if Pat had a match made in heaven on his mind.

  ***

  Brett walked into the living room and froze. “What are you doing up there?”

  The ladder under Hannah’s feet wobbled, sending his heart rate into overdrive. He rushed across the room and grabbed hold of the metal frame. “You need to come down. Now.”

  “Don’t yell. You scared me half to death.”

  “You would have been dead if you’d fallen off the ladder.”

  Instead of doing what he’d told her to do, Hannah looked at the painting above her head. “I just need to take a few more photos and then I’m done.”

  “I’m taller than you are. I’ll take the photos.”

  “It’s my job. Besides, I’m used to climbing ladders. You should have seen some of the barns I’ve decorated.”

  Brett gritted his teeth. “I don’t care if you’ve crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope. I refuse to scrape your broken bones off the floor. Explaining to Pat why his favorite nurse died in his living room isn’t my idea of fun.”

  Finally, after trying to take another photo, Hannah climbed down. “Are you always this grumpy?”

  If he hadn’t been holding the ladder he would have banged his head against the wall. “I’m not grumpy, just cautious.”

  As soon as her feet hit the floor, Hannah handed him the camera. “I’m not tall enough to get the entire painting in the photo. You might have more luck.”

  “What button do I push to take the photo?”

  “This one.” Hannah pointed to a silver dial. “Once you’ve taken the photo, tap the screen and the image will appear.”

  The painting Hannah wanted to photograph was one of the largest in the room. It must have been at least six feet wide and four feet high. For some reason, Pat had hung it above two other paintings.

  The first thing Brett did was leave the camera on the table and move the ladder to the other side of the room.

  “What are you doing?” With her blond hair pulled into a ponytail and her hands on her hips, Hannah looked like a life-sized Tinkerbell.

  “I should be able to stand back here and zoom in on the canvas. Do you need photos of the other paintings?”

  “No. They were easy to take.”

  Brett focused the camera lens on Hannah.

  “You’re supposed to be taking photos of the paintings, not me.”

  “I’m practicing. Why do you look annoyed?”

  “Because you’re stopping me from doing my job.”

  Brett ignored her scowl and climbed the ladder. “You remind me of Thomas, one of my ranch hands. He’s always one step ahead of himself and way too impulsive.”

  “And what’s wrong with being impulsive? It’s better than being super cautious.”

  “Being impulsive will get you hurt a whole lot quicker than if you take things slowly.”

  Hannah snorted in the most un-Tinkerbell like way. “And you don’t like getting hurt?”

  Brett’s hands tightened on the ladder. “Not if I can help it.” He pushed the memories of his parents out of his head and focused on what he was doing.

  “If you don’t try new things, you’ll never know if you’re missing something amazing.”

  “I like my life exactly the way it is.”

  “I can see that.”

  He looked down at Hannah. “If you want to do something productive, you could hold the ladder.”

  She smiled sweetly. “Would that be to prevent you from a serious injury or to help it along?”

  He made sure Hannah still had a smile on her face before stepping onto the last rung. “This is going to be the longest week of my life.”

  “Or the most amazing,” she said with an even wider grin.

  Either way, Brett wasn’t taking any chances with the ladder. He wrapped one hand around the metal platform and angled the camera for the best shot.

  He took another photo, then turned the camera toward Hannah.

  “No more photos of me. My hair is a mess.”

  “I thought twenty-first-century women didn’t worry about things like that.”

  “This one does. And don’t post the photos on Facebook. I have a professional reputation to maintain.”

  He held the camera higher, snapping two more photos of the painting. “Does your professional reputation include skimpy elf costumes?”

  Hannah’s outraged gasp brought another smile to his face.

  “Bringing my Christmas costume into our conversation is so immature.”

  It was Brett’s turn to snort. “That’s like the pot calling the kettle black. Immaturity is thinking you’re okay when you’re dangling from the top of the ladder. A ladder, I might add, that is at least nine feet in the air.”

  “If you hadn’t seen me, you wouldn’t be worried.”

  “That would have to be the most twisted form of logic I’ve ever heard.”

  “But I’m right.”

  “You might be right, but you need to be more careful.” He climbed down and gave Hannah the camera. “Tell me what you think.”

  She looked at the photos and nodded. “Not bad for an amateur.” When she saw the photos he’d taken of her, she gasped. “I’m deleting these.”

  Brett didn’t care what she did with them. He’d already emailed them to his account. “Please yourself.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you have a ranch to run?”

  “It’s lunchtime. Even the boss has to eat.”

  Hannah crossed her arms. “Mrs. Bennett spoils you.”

  “I know.”

  “And you’re not worried that a grown man of…” her eyes assessed his misbehaving body, “…forty-two, has his breakfast, lunch, and dinner made by a housekeeper?”

  “Just for the record, I’m thirty-eight, not forty-two, and I like Mrs. Bennett’s cooking. But that’s probably a generational thing. When you’re barely out of college, it must seem inefficient to eat real food when synthetic, frozen meals are so easy to prepare.”

  “I left college seven years ago. I’m twenty-eight.”

  “Practically ancient. Have you had lunch?”

  “No.”

  For some reason, Brett was pleased with the annoyed gleam in her eyes. “In that case, you should come to the kitchen with me. Mrs. Bennett’s making pizza.”

  Hannah slipped the camera into its case. “I just need to add some measurements to my spreadsheet.”

  “You’re not climbing the ladder again are you?”

  She waved a piece of paper under his nose. “Don’t worry. The most damage I can do is break a nail on my keyboard.”

  Brett sighed. “After lunch, I’ll walk around the house with you. If any paintings are hanging in awkward places, you can leave them until you’ve finished taking the other photos. We’ll do those together.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of—”

 
; “It wasn’t a suggestion, Hannah.”

  “You’re telling me what to do?”

  He crossed his arms, hoping she got the message that he meant business. “On the ranch, everyone’s safety is my responsibility. If you don’t agree, I’ll take all the paintings off the walls and you can work from one room.”

  “But that would take too much time.”

  “It’s better than having a broken neck. What’s it going to be?”

  She frowned something fierce before nodding. “Okay. We’ll look at each painting, but it needs to be quick. It’s taking longer than I thought to catalog everything.”

  “That’s because you’re climbing up and down the ladder.”

  “Precisely.” Hannah’s eyes widened. “You’ve given me a good idea.” She took her cell phone out of her back pocket and walked across to her laptop. “I’ll copy the spreadsheet onto my cell phone. That way, I can add each painting’s measurements onto the chart while I’m on the ladder. It should save me lots of time.”

  Brett didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. “Just remember that you’re not standing on the ground. Staying on the ladder is more important than making notes on your spreadsheet.”

  Hannah frowned. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re bossy?”

  “Only the people who don’t follow my orders.”

  “I guess I’d better listen to you, then.”

  He didn’t hold out much hope of that happening.

  Hannah pulled out a chair and sat in front of her laptop. “Go and have pizza. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.” When he didn’t move, she sighed. “I promise not to climb the ladder while you’re gone.”

  “I’m not sure I trust you.”

  Her big blue eyes stared up at him. “I guess we’re both stepping out of our comfort zones.”

  He held her gaze until a soft blush warmed her cheeks. A yearning that he’d never felt before hit his chest and left him breathless.

  It was time for pizza.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Hannah groaned as a rooster sent a wake-up call across the ranch. It couldn’t be morning already. She pulled the blankets around her face and snuggled into the bed. Last night, she’d sat in front of the fire with Pat, talking about their families and what it was like living on a ranch. Growing up in foster homes, she’d never felt the type of connection he had with this land, but she wanted to.

  In a lot of ways, moving to Bozeman had changed her life. For the first time, she was part of a community where people cared about each other. She liked smiling at strangers and knowing you wouldn’t get mugged if you went for a walk at night.

  The rooster crowed again, reminding her that she had work to do. She pushed the blankets off her legs, leaped out of bed, and pulled on her clothes. Before she was halfway down the stairs, she decided that her first job, after breakfast, would be to look in the attic. Pat had said something last night that made her wonder what was in there.

  “You’re up bright and early,” Mrs. Bennett said when she walked into the kitchen.

  “The rooster woke me.”

  “That would be Henry. If you ask me, he’s losing his marbles. He crows morning, noon, and night. Help yourself to breakfast. There are pancakes and bacon in the oven. But if you prefer cereal, there’s granola, Frosted Flakes, and Cheerios in the pantry.”

  “Cereal will be fine. Has Pat come down for breakfast?”

  “Been and gone. He likes to get a head start on Sundays so that he can leave early to see Ida. Brett, Thomas, and Dave shouldn’t be too far away.”

  Hannah poured herself a glass of juice. “Would you like a cup of coffee or a glass of juice?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll get myself something soon. How are you enjoying the ranch?”

  “It’s wonderful. Pat told me some stories about his grandparents and how they came to be here. He should write them down for other people to enjoy.”

  “Trying to get that man to write anything would be a miracle. If Steven hadn’t died, he might have done something for his grandbabies.”

  Hannah filled a bowl with granola. “How did Steven die?”

  “He was driving to Great Falls when a logging truck hit his vehicle.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  Mrs. Bennett took two pancakes out of the oven. “I knew Pat and Ida from church. They were devastated when he died. It was almost as though they lost the will to live. If Brett hadn’t come home, I don’t know what they would have done.”

  “Brett told me he was in Australia when Steven died.”

  Mrs. Bennett joined Hannah at the kitchen table. “Pat didn’t want to call him, but Ida made him pick up the phone and dial his number. Two days later, Brett caught a flight home and he’s never left.”

  “Pat must have been happy to see him.”

  “You would think so, but it was the complete opposite. He was worried that Brett had given up everything to come home. He had, but he wanted to be here.”

  The back door opened and someone stomped into the mudroom.

  “Make sure you take off those boots.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Mrs. Bennett smiled at Hannah. “Brett’s a good man,” she whispered.

  “I heard that.” Brett walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face. The smile disappeared when he saw Hannah. “I thought Thomas and Dave were here.”

  Mrs. Bennett shook her head. “I haven’t seen them this morning. What can I get you?”

  Brett took a plate off the kitchen counter. “Stay where you are. I can help myself.” He glanced at Hannah. “You’re up early.”

  “Henry woke me. His cock-a-doodle-doing is louder than an alarm clock.”

  “He’s been like that for the last two years. No one gets much of a sleep-in on the ranch. What’s the plan for today?”

  “I thought I’d have a look in the attic. Pat said he left most of his grandparents’ paintings there after he married Ida.”

  “Do you need someone to give you a hand?”

  “No. I’ll be okay.”

  Brett poured syrup over his pancakes. “If you change your mind, I’ll only be on the ranch for a couple of hours.”

  “Thanks.”

  Mrs. Bennett smiled at each of them. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  Hannah stopped chewing. She glanced at Brett, wondering if he knew what Mrs. Bennett was talking about.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t ask me,” he said. “I don’t know either.”

  Mrs. Bennett poured herself a cup of coffee. “Helping Hannah will make her job more enjoyable, Brett.”

  “I offered to help yesterday, too.”

  “Only if I followed your orders,” Hannah reminded him. “And sometimes your orders were crazy.”

  Brett finished eating his forkful of bacon and pancakes. “My suggestions are never crazy.”

  “Calling you every five minutes to hold the ladder was a waste of everyone’s time.”

  “It wasn’t every five minutes, and it was better than falling off.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Would anyone like a pancake?” Mrs. Bennett interrupted.

  “No, thanks,” Hannah said. “Your granola is delicious.”

  Brett helped himself to a cup of coffee. “I’m okay, too.”

  Mrs. Bennett sipped her coffee. “The way you two bicker reminds me so much of when I met my Louis. We would have been married for forty-five years next month.”

  Hannah’s spoon paused halfway to her mouth. She looked at Brett, then wished she hadn’t.

  His worried frown brought a rush of heat to her face.

  Mrs. Bennett sighed. “Sometimes, it takes a miracle to bring two lost souls together.”

  Hannah dropped her spoon into her bowl. “We aren’t lost, Mrs. Bennett. We know exactly where we are.”

  “I don’t mean in the physical sense. In the metaphysical world, each of us is on a path toward finding the truth. Sometimes we find that truth on our own
and at other times we need the courage and support of another person.”

  “Like Yin and Yang?” Hannah asked.

  “Almost.”

  Brett demolished the rest of his pancakes in double-quick time. “I’ll make sure Thomas and Dave are awake, then head to the barn.”

  Hannah grinned. Someone didn’t like hearing Mrs. Bennett’s theories on the universe. “Can I ask you a question before you leave?”

  “Sure.”

  Brett looked as though he was bracing himself for something he didn’t want to answer. “Are there lights in the attic or do I need a flashlight?”

  He almost smiled. “There are lights. The switches are on the right-hand side as you walk in.”

  “I can show you where they are,” Mrs. Bennett promised. “Once a month I go upstairs and give everything a light dust.”

  Brett rinsed his coffee mug and left it in the dishwasher. “Do you have any more questions?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  He pulled on his hat. “If you need anything, call me on my cell phone.”

  She nodded and watched him walk into the mudroom. How she was supposed to work with Brett popping in and out of the McConachies’ house was beyond her. He was the type of person she could handle in small doses. Anything more than that left her breathless and needy, and a whole lot of other things she didn’t want to think about.

  ***

  Brett walked into the ranch hands’ house. Originally, it had belonged to one of their neighbors. When they decided to rebuild, Pat had bought it from them and moved it onto his property.

  The single-story home was larger than Brett’s. With four bedrooms and a decent kitchen and living area, it was perfect for the eight men who usually lived here. In the winter, they were down to a skeleton staff, so Thomas and Dave had the house to themselves.

  Brett banged on the front door. Thomas and Dave had gone into town last night and had probably come home late. Even so, there were cattle to be fed and fences that had to be checked.

  When no one answered, he tried the door handle and walked inside. “Is anyone awake?” he yelled.

  A thump came from down the hallway.

  Thomas stumbled into the living room wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers. He was tall and lanky, and looked like he’d had a rough night.