She squeezed my hand just as Zac Brown Band came piping through the speakers, and I knew she was letting the subject drop—for now. “Come on, let’s dance!” she squealed.
I went willingly. She loved to dance as much as I did, and the two of us pushed through the small crowd already tearing up the dance floor.
I sang along to the music, eager to let loose, my hips shaking. I reveled in the grin that lit up Charlotte’s face as she allowed herself to have some fun. Her expression confirmed she was thinking the same thing about me.
One song turned into the next, and by the time we made our way back to our seats, laughing, I felt lighter than I had in recent memory.
“Well, hell, we can drag some fun out of this small town still, can’t we?” Char giggled.
I laughed alongside her, my joy only quelled by the ever-present sense that someone was missing.
When I was honest with myself—I knew exactly who that someone was.
Chapter 2
The summer heat beat down on the brim of my baseball hat two days later as I headed for the welcome reprieve of the tree line. I’d driven old Betty as far as a truck could go, and would have to venture the rest of the way on foot. The horse that had broken through our fence had run this way. I had to get her back before nightfall.
Apparently repairing a fence was top of my to-do list for tomorrow.
I walked through the trees, whistling for her periodically. Willow was one of our more rambunctious horses—though when I thought about it, most of our animals were to some degree. My dad seemed to relish the challenge.
When I heard a rusting in the thicket and her form appeared to my right, I sighed in relief. “Hey girl,” I cooed quietly, holding my hand up toward her in a welcoming gesture.
She came to me willingly, and I debated what to do. I hadn’t ridden a horse bareback in years, but I didn’t know how else to get her back to the ranch. I rubbed her muzzle lovingly, staring into her big brown eyes. “You are a beautiful one, aren’t you?” I murmured. “You gonna let me hitch a ride so we can both get out of this heat?” I asked hopefully.
She whinnied quietly and I chose to take that as a yes. I stood up on a nearby stump, and using her mane to help, hoisted myself up over her body. She snorted and shifted a bit, but settled easily enough. I tapped her lightly with my heels and she took off at a light canter.
I’d loved riding since I was old enough to walk, and relished the feeling of her strong body beneath mine, the serenity of the forest, and the sounds of nature that enveloped us.
When we crossed into a small meadow, that serenity was abruptly broken by the sound of gunfire cracking through the air directly to our right.
Willow shrieked and reared, sending me flying through the air. I hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud as she streaked through the woods and out of sight.
“Shit.” A deep, alarmingly familiar male voice swore from somewhere to my right as the sound of racing footsteps sounded. “Are you hurt?” the voice asked from directly above me.
Theo.
I lost my breath for another reason entirely as his handsome face came into view.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” I sputtered.
He ignored the question, turning a clinical eye down my frame. “I need to know if you’re hurt,” he asked in that typical take-charge tone I’d grown used to while working at Talon.
“I think I’m okay,” I managed, wincing as I moved to sit up.
“Here, let me help you,” he offered, his hand moving to my back as he helped me sit up.
I eyed the spot in the trees Willow had run though. “Shit.” I groaned, hanging my head in defeat. “What are you doing shooting out here?” I accused, trying to control my shock at seeing him again.
Dressed in a fitted navy T-shirt and jeans with a ball cap pulled low over his brow, he was just as gorgeous as I remembered. Maybe more so.
“Target practice,” he returned matter-of-factly. “I thought I was alone out here.”
I stood up, dusting off my jeans and reclaiming my hat, placing it back on my head. “Yeah well, you weren’t. I’d just gotten that horse back,” I grumbled in frustration. “What are you doing here?” I asked again.
He stood up, eyeing me intently, his jaw clenched. “We’ll get to that.”
I snorted impatiently. Theo could be infuriatingly stubborn, and I wasn’t about to argue with him just then. “Okay, well in the meantime, I have a horse to find,” I explained. “And a fence to fix,” I added grudgingly. Somehow I’d pushed that far from enjoyable chore from my mind.
“A fence?” he asked as he fell in step beside me.
“She broke through a weak spot,” I explained. “All of our animals seem to have minds of their own.”
“How big is the property?” he asked curiously.
“Not huge by Montana standards.” I shook my head. “My parents have a few horses, more dogs than they should, and a random smattering of wayward furry creatures.” I smiled fondly. “They’re not ranchers in the traditional sense. Just love the land,” I explained. “Over the years they’ve taken in a lot of animals that no one else wanted, and as a result we have a lot of loyal, loving, and very poorly trained mutts.” I looked meaningfully ahead toward where Willow had taken off.
He chuckled, the sound low, rich, and achingly familiar.
We walked into a clearing, my eyes landing on the target he’d attached to a tree. I immediately noted that all the bullet holes were through the forehead and chest. My eyes scanned the ground, finding the rifle he’d obviously discarded when he’d heard me get thrown.
I was so flummoxed at seeing him, the need for space was too strong to ignore. “Well, whatever you’re doing here, I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll be sure to take Willow back in a different direction. If I ever find her,” I said hurriedly.
He shot me a sidelong look, flashing that knowing smile that both enraged and charmed me. “In such a hurry after not seeing me for a year?” he chided, though I saw real hurt flash in his eyes. “Honestly, I’d hoped for a warmer welcome. Though with the way you left, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
And there it was. The metaphorical elephant between us, demanding answers.
I stopped in my tracks, turning to face him—needing to crane my neck up to meet his gaze. “I felt badly for leaving, but I had my reasons. I miss Sam and Danny.” I bit my lip, thinking of the women I’d become close with. “I hope they’re doing okay.”
He cocked his head to the side, taking a step toward me, so close I could feel his body heat. “And it’s just the girls you miss?” he murmured as his hand snaked out, his finger brushing a stray hair back behind my ear. His touch sent a wave of heat down my spine.
I swallowed hard against the sudden dryness in my throat, ignoring the galloping of my heart. There had always been something between Theo and me—a chemistry and energy that, though never acted on, had always had a life of its own.
Having him so pointedly challenge me was new—and I had no idea how to respond.
“I–I have to find my horse,” I answered, like the coward I was.
I saw disappointment flash in his gaze before he masked it. “All right,” he agreed. “I’ll help.”
I raised a brow. “Do you know anything about horses?”
He shrugged. “No, but fairly sure all I need is to have eyes for this. She’ll be pretty hard to miss.”
“You’d be surprised,” I retorted.
We walked side by side through the woods in tense silence, so much going unsaid between us. I had so many questions I wanted to ask him, but I knew they’d only lead to questions about me. Questions I wasn’t ready to answer.
Finally, after what felt like forever, we spotted her—eating grass right near where she’d broken through the fence.
“Damn horse.” I groaned.
Theo chuckled. “She has spunk; I think I like her.”
I rolled my eyes. “You would.”
I made my way back
over to Willow, preparing for another attempt to get her back to the barn. I debated what to say to Theo. I still didn’t understand what he was doing here and was unsure of what to say.
“Are you in town for a while?” I asked lamely.
The silence stretched between us as I awaited his reply. “You asked me why I’m here,” he replied, his typical jovial nature replaced with an intensity I hadn’t seen in him before.
I managed a nod.
His voice was a notch deeper when he spoke again. “Sarah, sweetheart, I’m here for you.”
My eyes popped wide, my knees wobbling in shock at both his words and the endearment. I was trying to come up with something to say, trying to force words past my tongue that suddenly felt too large for my mouth, when the sound of an engine rumbled in the distance.
The sight of my dad’s truck with Char behind the wheel, the horse trailer bouncing behind, was a welcome reprieve.
“You gonna camp out here or what?” Char hollered from the cab before her gaze turned to Theo. She eyed him in surprise and appreciation.
“I was just about to get her home,” I replied, giving Willow a pat on the neck.
“Try to get her home, you mean,” Theo put in unhelpfully, the teasing tone I was accustomed to back in full force.
I shot him a look as Char hopped out of the cab. “Who’s this?”
I looked to Theo, still not quite believing he was really here. “Theo Armstrong—he works for Talon,” I explained, not sure how else to introduce him. “Theo, this is my sister, Charlotte.”
“Nice to meet you,” Theo replied, taking her hand briefly. “Though your timing is shit. I was really looking forward to her trying to get this horse under control.”
Char threw her head back and laughed, and despite it being at my expense, I was happy to see it. “Well I can always turn back around.” She quirked a brow at me.
“I’ll put Willow in the trailer,” I muttered, taking the lead she threw me and tossing it around Willow’s neck.
“I’ll do it. You taking Betty back?” Char asked, her eyes on my truck.
I nodded.
“Betty?” Theo asked, confused.
“My truck,” I replied, heading toward the driver side as Char got Willow loaded in the trailer.
“I’ll, um, well I’ll see you later,” I told Theo, firing up my engine.
“Nice to meet you, Theo!” Char called as she hopped back into my dad’s truck. “Hey, you should come by tomorrow for dinner!” she added.
I shot her an incredulous glare.
Theo only smiled. “Count on it.”
Great.
Chapter 3
“I don’t know, Paul.” I threw up my hands in exasperation the next day as I tried to explain what I needed to fix our fence. “You know what our fence looks like—you tell me what the hell I need,” I demanded of my former classmate, who was looking at me with a mixture of lust and incompetence, neither of which was going to get me anywhere.
I bent, trying to lift the huge piece of lumber resting at my feet.
“Whoa there, Guns,” a familiar voice rumbled from behind me.
Suddenly Paul wanted to be helpful and bent at my side, trying to give me a hand.
“I’ve got her,” Theo growled in a tone that wasn’t to be trifled with.
“No one has me,” I growled back, shooting daggers at both of them.
“SairBear!” my father’s voice chorused from the front of the store. All my begging and pleading since middle school for my dad to stop using my childhood nickname had been for naught. I’d given up long ago. That didn’t mean I liked it, at all.
I inwardly groaned.
“Yeah, Dad,” I called, a moment before he came into view, the crutches slowing him down only slightly. “I thought you were going to wait in the truck?” I asked in exasperation.
He chuckled, seeming genuinely amused by my question. “Last I checked, honey, you didn’t know the first thing about buying lumber. And Paul, I don’t think my daughter’s gonna take you up on that dinner offer if four years of high school have anything to say about it,” he added.
Paul, who was now a very unflattering shade of tomato red, dropped the lumber he’d half-heartedly tried to help me with and strode to the register.
I hung my head and groaned.
“I don’t know you,” my dad continued, addressing Theo.
“No, sir. Theo Armstrong.” Theo extended a hand, seemingly nonplussed by my dad’s blunt approach.
“Military?” my dad questioned.
“Yes, sir,” Theo responded. “SEALs, sir.”
My dad nodded, turning to me. “You two know each other?”
“Yes, sir, Sarah worked for my company in Los Angeles,” Theo answered for me.
My dad looked at me before looking back at Theo curiously. “You’re pretty far from Los Angeles, son.”
Theo met his stare without so much as a flinch. “So is Sarah, sir.”
I bent to once again attempt to lift the piece of lumber in an effort to hide my scarlet cheeks.
“I’ll give you a hand, SairBear.” Theo winked.
I swore my dad hid a grin as he nodded with approval and made his way toward the front of the store, I assumed to torture Paul some more.
“You don’t have to help,” I grunted as I backed toward the front, headed for my dad’s truck.
“I don’t think Paul’s up for it.” He chuckled, his eyes shining.
I tried not to stare at the delicious muscles in his biceps as he propelled me backward.
Finally, we reached the tailgate and I leaned to the left, dropping the lumber and allowing Theo to shove it forward.
He stood to his full height, lifting his shirt to wipe his brow and in doing so giving me a peek at the six-pack underneath.
Holy hell.
I tried to unscramble my brain long enough to speak. “Well, uh, thanks,” I blathered. “I’ll go rescue Paul and take my dad home.”
He stared at me with unapologetic intensity. It looked like he was about to speak, when my dad appeared in the doorway, making his way slowly to the parking lot.
“That kid is a pussy, Sarah.” He shook his head, referring to Paul. “Glad you had better sense than that.”
Theo barked out a barely restrained laugh.
“Jesus, Dad,” I chastised.
“What?” he defended. “He is. Glad you never accepted his advances. I would have never let him into the house.”
“I would have never let him into the house,” I grumbled. “Now, can we get home? You should have that leg up,” I reminded him.
A look of concern crossed his face. “Let me see if Ron or one of the guys can come help with the fence,” he said. I knew it killed him not to be able to do it himself.
“I’ve got it,” Theo volunteered, shocking me. “Sarah and I can figure it out.”
More shocking still, my dad didn’t even question him. He simply nodded. “Thank you, son. There’ll be a good meal in it for you.”
“Dad,” I sputtered.
“Sounds good.” Theo nodded, completely ignoring my response.
****
“You have sunscreen on?” Theo asked a few hours later as we attempted to refit the fence with Blackie jumping around us, our unhelpful and yet exuberant assistant. Despite it being late afternoon, the heat was relentless.
Somewhere along the way Theo had taken off his shirt, rendering me nearly brainless.
“I’m fine,” I replied as we lifted the beam into place. I could feel the sweat sliding between my breasts under the tank top I wore.
“The heat out here’s no joke,” he commented as he stood to his full height, eyeing our handiwork.
“You should see our winters.” I laughed, wiping my brow with my forearm.
“No thanks.” He chuckled.
“You’re from California, aren’t you?” I verified curiously.
“Just north of Los Angeles.” He nodded.
“Ah.” I replie
d knowingly. “So you’d wither and die at the first snowflake.”
He threw his head back and laughed.
The sight had me grinning broadly. There was something about witnessing his joy that made me feel light as a feather and warm all over.
“I’ve actually experienced some pretty harsh winters,” he admitted. “But I’m sure LA has softened me.”
Somehow I doubted anything could weaken him.
“Fence is done,” I murmured, stating the obvious.
“Yeah.” He stared back at me.
I cocked my head to the side. “You want to cool off before my mom makes you eat enough food to feed an army?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Sure.”
I raised my brow in challenge. “You want to race?”
“I don’t know where we’re going.” He smirked.
“You were a SEAL.” I grinned. “I think you can figure it out.” I took off with a squeal.
He growled, and I could hear his boots hitting the ground as I propelled myself forward. Blackie and our other mutt, Rhett, raced at my side.
The swimming hole came into view and I risked losing precious seconds toeing my sneakers off before I cannonballed into the cool water, clothes and all.
The huge splash heralded his arrival as I broke the surface, relishing the cold water and rush of adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream.
His head broke the surface as he shook his hair, his eyes shining as they met mine.
The dogs jumped in a second later and we both laughed, watching them paddle around in evident relief from the heat.
“Did you let me win?” I demanded, splashing him.
“Maybe,” he allowed with a heart-stopping grin.
“Don’t let me win!” I protested. “I hate that.”
“All right,” he agreed easily, turning to float on his back, his bare torso on glorious display.
“Swear?” I verified.
“Swear,” he agreed, his gaze turned to the sky. “This is perfect.”
“It is,” I agreed readily, mirroring his position, letting the water muffle any other sound for a time.
We both seemed content to float in silence, letting the cool water wash away the heat and any other burdens that might be weighing on us. I couldn’t explain it, but it was as though I knew what he needed. Under very different circumstances and from very different places of burden, our need—it was the same somehow.
Collide (Talon Security Series Book 3) Page 2