Knowing she was helpless, Sami looked at Chase in panic.
Chase froze in his steps and lifted his hands.”Okay. I’m stopped. Let her go because you’re going to have to go through me if you think you’re going to take her with you.”
“What are you going to do about it, cowboy? You think you can take on all three of us?” Billy asked as Ned and Tom moved in behind Chase.
“If I have to, I will.” Chase started to roll up his sleeves. “Who’s first?”
“That won’t be necessary, boys, I just called the sheriff, and he’s on his way.” Mr. Barley’s voice wobbled as he spoke, but the words sent a shockwave through all of them.
Ned grabbed hold of Billy’s shoulder. “Come on, Billy, let’s get out of here. There’s always another day for this. He said the sheriff’s on his way, and I don’t think you want to go to jail. I know I sure don’t. Come on, let her go. He won’t always be around.” Ned jerked his head in Chase’s direction.
“Man, I ain’t going to jail,” Tom added. “I’m outta here.” And with that he bolted.
“Okay, okay! But this ain’t over, Townsend. You’d better watch your back.” Billy twisted her face to him and kissed her cheek, a hard, bruising kiss that was more like a punch. “This ain’t over between us either, sweetheart. You’ll be seeing me again.” With that, he yanked his hand free of Sami’s hair and shoved her toward Chase. “Let’s go, boys.”
Chase caught her and held her up in his arms before pulling her close as the three men fled from the store. Pain and terror were slicing through Sami so that even now it was hard to breathe. She gazed up into Chase’s eyes for a brief moment and then buried her face in his chest. They stood in silence, her just holding onto him for several minutes, until finally Sami pulled away.
Concern filled Chase’s eyes when he looked down at her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m okay. A little shaken up, but I’ll be all right.”
Chase backed up from her and put his hands at his waist, not looking at all satisfied with the situation. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. I’m fine.”
“That’s the last time those trouble makers are allowed in my store.” Mr. Barley dropped into the chair behind the counter, looking worse for the wear. “If they need supplies, they’ll have to go to Adamsville for them.”
Sami felt the guilt knife into her heart. “I’m so sorry about this, Mr. Barley.”
“Miss Sami, this isn’t your fault. That boy’s been mean as a Timber Rattlesnake ever since he was young. The Sheriff should be here any minute now.”
Chase eased over to Sami, placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll go with you down to the station, Sami, to file charges against Salter.”
She glanced at him and stepped away from his touch. “I’m not pressing charges. I just want to forget it and go home.” As she moved past him, he took her by the arm and turned her around to face him.
“Whoa, hold on there just a minute. What do you mean you’re not pressing charges? You can’t let Salter get away with this. If you do, he’ll never stop, and I may not be around next time.”
“You don’t know all the circumstances around this situation, Chase. Believe me, it’s best to just forget it.” She pulled away from him and looked over at Mr. Barley. Her insides were still shaking like a 9.0 earthquake, but she had to put on a brave face to make them all believe she was fine. Not wanting either man to see her weakness, she pulled a smile to her lips. “Mr. Barley, can I have my invoice so I can pay for our supplies, and we can be on our way?”
“Now wait just a minute here.” Chase stepped around her to stop her. “I don’t understand this. No one should be allowed to put their hands on you like that and get away with it.”
However, Sami pushed past him. “Chase, it’s over. He’s gone. I’m fine. No harm done.”
“No harm…?”
But before he got that out, the jingle of the bell over the door caused Sami to jump. She looked up just as Sheriff Taylor Andrews walked in. “What’s going on here?”
“Sheriff, it was Billy Salter causing trouble again,” Mr. Barley said, and then he began to tell the sheriff what had happened.
The Sheriff cut his eyes over at Sami. “You okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, Sheriff. Can we all just let this go now? I’ve got feed I need to be getting home.”
The sheriff gave Sami a tender smile, took her by the arm, and pulled her over to the corner out of earshot of the other two men. “You know you can press charges against him, Sami. We’ve talked about this.”
“No I can’t, and you know why.” She glanced over his shoulder at Chase and whispered, “You remember how long it took for the dust to settle last year.”
“Look, I understand how you feel, but I am the sheriff, and I do have the last word on this. He might learn his lesson if he sits in jail for a few hours.”
“Please, don’t. Okay? I just want to forget it.”
He rocked back on his heels and surveyed her. “If that’s what you want. I can see there’s no changing your mind. I guess I’ll let it go this time, but only this time. If anything like this happens again, he is going to jail. I won’t file a report today, but I am going to have a serious talk with him.”
Sami knew all too well the trouble that invited, but she could also tell there wasn’t going to be any talking him out of the plan. “Okay. Thanks, I appreciate it, Sheriff.”
“You’re welcome.” He nodded and walked over to the counter. “Mr. Barley, do you want to file a complaint?”
“Nah, I guess not, they didn’t destroy anything.”
“Well, all right then, but if you have any more trouble, just give me a call.” He tipped his hat in Chase’s direction and left the store.
Instantly Chase stepped over to her. “Sami, I don’t understand. Why—”
However, she brushed past him. “It’s my decision, Chase. Just let it go. We need to get these supplies back to the ranch.”
♥♥♥♥
The silence in the truck cab on the drive back to the ranch was deafening. Why didn’t Sami want to press charges against Billy Salter? Why was she going to let this man get away with harassing and outright assaulting her? None of it made any sense to Chase.
He glanced over at Sami who sat silently staring out of the window. He remembered the feeling in his chest when he walked into Barley’s and saw Salter’s arm wrapped around Sami. Alarms sounded in his head, causing him to go into a defend-and-protect mode. Why did he feel like he had to protect her no matter the cost? It didn’t even matter that the odds were three to one. It could have been twenty to one and it wouldn’t have made any difference. “Sami, we need to talk.”
“Look, if it’s about what happened at Barley’s with Billy, then we don’t have anything to talk about. I know what I’m doing. End of discussion.”
Nothing about him was happy about that. “Well, if that’s what you really want...”
“That’s what I want. It’s done. Let it go.”
The hard knot in Chase’s chest told him he should argue, but his head kept saying what difference did it make to him? She obviously had made up her mind, and it wasn’t his place to try to change her mind or anything else about her. He was her hired hand. Temporary hired hand and he needed to remember that. For the rest of the drive home neither one spoke another word. In less than fifteen minutes, Chase pulled the truck up in front of the barn and put it in park.
At that, Sami suddenly twisted sideways in the seat and tossed him a soft smile. “Thank you, Chase. I really do appreciate your help today, with everything.” Without another word, she opened the pickup door, slipped out, and headed toward the house.
Chase climbed out of the vehicle, feeling every movement in his taut nerves. Before he’d made it three steps, he saw William, Miles, and Clint making their way toward him to unload the supplies.
“Thanks again, Chase, for helping Sami with the supplies today,” William said.
After they had unloaded the truck, Miles walked over and laid his arm on Chase’s shoulder. “What’s going on with you today, pal? Is everything okay? You seem kinda quiet.”
At that, Chase looked toward the house for any sign of Sami but to no avail. She was gone, and he had the feeling she wasn’t coming back. “Well, the truth is, I think I need to tell you about what happened in town today.”
Miles’ face dropped. “It sounds important.”
Chase nodded. Why did he feel like he was betraying her? “It is.”
They walked far enough to be out of earshot of the others because the last thing Chase wanted to do was let William hear in case it really was nothing. The sun beat down on him so that Chase pulled his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. “Listen, I know this probably isn’t any of my business, but I’d really like to know what happened between Sami and that Billy Salter character.”
Chase saw Miles’ jawbone tightened. “Why do you ask? Something happened in town, didn’t it?”
Taking a deep breath and praying she would forgive him, Chase nodded, and then proceeded to tell Miles what had happened at Barley’s.
“I’m telling you, if I could just get my hands around Salter’s neck just one time. Ugh!” Miles looked toward the house. “So, that’s why Sami’s hiding in the house.”
“The thing I can’t figure is why she wouldn’t press charges against him.”
Miles looked intently at the ground. “I guess with you working here you need to know. But, this is between you and me. If Sami ever finds out we’ve even talked about it, she’ll have my head.”
Chase’s stomach knotted as Miles told him the real story about the night Sami shot Billy Salter.
♥♥♥♥
Sami sat on the foot of her bed and hugged her pillow close to her chest. “A modern day hero, that’s what you are Chase Townsend, a modern day hero.” Sami flopped back on the bed and let herself remember the fear she felt when Billy had her in his grasp. But, all the fear had vanished away like a puff of smoke when Chase appeared. He made her feel safe and protected. No one had ever made her feel that way before.
She closed her eyes and pictured his handsome face in her mind. She could still feel his arms around her, holding her, comforting her after Billy let her go. She smiled at the thought. “Stop it, Sami!” Yanking herself up, she sat on the side of the bed, shaking her head. “I have to stop dreaming about him. I can’t. I won’t allow myself to be swayed by some silly little butterfly feeling. Because, it won’t last, it’ll be over when he’s tired of me, or when something better comes along.
Her mother’s face flashed through her mind. “Which one was it for you, Mother? Or did you just not love us enough to stick around?
Chapter Six
That evening, on his drive home, all Chase could think about was what Miles had told him about the night Billy Salter had attacked Sami in their barn. The thought of someone harming her made his heart race and his pulse quicken. He had to pray and ask God to help him release the anger inside him. He knew it wasn’t Christ-like to feel this way.
He remembered the panic and fear he’d seen in her eyes that morning in the feed store. Now, he was determined more than ever, to make sure no one, absolutely no one, would ever hurt her again. And, Billy Salter was at the top of that list.
What was so different about this woman that had him so worked up? He’d dated several women in the last few years. Matter of fact, he’d been in a couple of serious relationships, hadn’t he?
So, what was so different about her? She definitely was not his kind of woman. She could be somewhat rude, and she mistrusted everyone outside of her family. But, there was something about her. Something that made him smile every time he thought about her and something that made his heart skip a beat every time he saw her.
He remembered how she looked when they rode into town together. There she sat, her golden sun-streaked hair flowing from underneath her white Stetson, and laying softly on her shoulders. She’d pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth. He knew she felt uncomfortable riding along with him, but it was nice to be that close to her. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Yes, no matter how much he tried to deny it, the truth was Sami Lawson had done gone and stolen his heart right away from him.
♥♥♥♥
The following Tuesday morning, after cleaning out the stalls, Sami went inside to wash up. On her way back out she stopped at the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water.
Aunt Edna came into the kitchen just as Sami opened the back door. “Hey, Sami, wait. You’re just the girl I wanted to see.”
Taking a drink, Sami turned. “What’s that, Aunt Edna?”
“My car’s acting up again. Could you please run me into town after lunch?”
“Sure, I’m finished with the stalls. We can leave right after lunch.”
“Thank you, I really do appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
When Sami walked out onto the back porch, her eyes were drawn to where Chase and Daniel were unloading hay into the barn. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t deny the spark of excitement that flickered inside her just at the sight of him. She shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jeans and smiled.
Sami giggled at the feeling buzzing around in her stomach, especially when she thought back on how she felt about him when he first came to work on the ranch. At first, he had irritated her to no end. He was always smiling, invading her space, way too friendly, and he made it a point to speak to her every single day whether she wanted to speak to him or not.
“He’s a good man, you know.”
Sami cheeks burned because she knew her aunt had seen her watching Chase.
“You’re not sweet on him, are you?” her aunt asked, gazing with her out at the men.
Sami tipped up her bottle. “Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not my type.”
“Oh? What is your type, Missy?”
She pondered the question for a moment and then replied, “I guess I don’t have a type since I’m not looking to find one.” She looked away, hoping her expression didn’t give away the secret hidden deep in her heart.
“One day you will, and that boy just might be it.”
When she looked around, she saw her dad coming around the bunkhouse, and he was on his cell phone again.
“Aunt Edna, do you know who he’s been on the phone with so much lately? He seems to be on the phone all the time,” she said, nodding toward the direction of her dad.
“I don’t know, but if he wanted me to know, I guess he’d tell me.”
“I wondered if he’s seeing someone.”
“Well, sweet girl, I think only a woman could put a smile like that on a man’s face.” Aunt Edna gave her a squeeze. “I guess I need to get back to my house cleaning. It won’t be long until I have to get started on lunch. By the way, speaking about that smile on your father’s face, I see the same smile on your face when you look at Chase.”
Was it that obvious how Chase affected her? It wasn’t like her to be careless with her emotions. She needed to get away and think. Maybe a long horseback ride would clear her head.
Not wanting to be bothered by any of the others, she slipped past them without drawing any attention to herself, quickly saddled up Stardust, and rode out.
♥♥♥♥
The moment Chase put the truck into gear and shut off the engine, Miles walked up to the driver’s side. As soon as Chase opened the door, Miles asked, “I was just about to call you, Chase. When’s the last time you’ve seen Sami?”
“I haven’t seen her since breakfast this morning. Why?” His heart stopped beating when he saw an anxious expression sweep across Miles’ face. “Miles, what is it?”
“No one has seen her for hours, and she’s not answering her walkie.�
�� Miles pulled off his hat and thrust his hand through his hair. “She was supposed to take Aunt Edna into town right after lunch, but she didn’t even show up for lunch. This isn’t like Sami.”
“Miles!” Both men turned to see Clint running toward them from the barn. “It’s Sami’s rifle. I found it in the barn along with her walkie, but Stardust isn’t in his stall.”
The door swung open at the house, and William and Edna stepped out and quickly crossed the yard. “She isn’t with you?” Panic etched Edna’s face as her eyes begged Chase for good news. “We were hoping she might’ve ridden into town with you and Daniel.”
“No, Ma’am, she didn’t.” He took hold of her hand and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Miss Edna, we’ll find her.”
“Come on, boys, let’s go saddle up and look for her,” Miles said.
They all headed toward the barn, but Chase grabbed hold of Miles arm. “Miles, you don’t think Salter has anything to do with this, do you?” Chase choked on the words.
Miles placed his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “Let’s not lose out heads over this. I don’t think he would’ve been able to come on this ranch without any of us seeing him.”
Each man headed out in a different direction, each had a specific area to search. Twenty-five minutes later Miles voice came through the walkie. “Hey, fellars, I’ve spotted her, and she’s okay. Everyone head back to the house. We’ll be on our way back there in a few minutes.”
Relief rushed through Chase so strong it made his body quake. He closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks as he tugged on the reins and turned his horse back in the direction of the house.
♥♥♥♥
The sound of thundering horses’ hooves jarred Sami from her sleep, and she blinked to find Miles riding up toward her. For a moment, she’d forgotten where she was. Then she remembered she’d ridden to her favorite place on the ridge and sat underneath the large oak tree. Looking around, she suddenly realized she must have dozed off in the middle of her daydreams.
Coming Home: (Contemporary Christian Romance Boxed Set): Three Stories of Love, Faith, Struggle & Hope Page 65