A man sitting with his back to them in front of a different screen worked his thumbs furiously on a game controller as he fought aliens on a space video game. He and a young man next to him both had on headphones, oblivious to their company.
“Get the f—”
Whit slapped the guy upside the head. He whipped off the headphones and turned on the older man. “What the hell you do that for?”
“Shut up before you embarrass yourself any further.” Whit pointed and the guy caught sight of Gwen and Eli. Hurriedly, he rose from the couch. “Boss. Ma’am. Sorry about the language, ma’am.”
Whit spoke in his slow drawl. “You’ll have to excuse this one, Miss Gwen. He’s just about brainless.”
“Not brainless, ma’am. But I do apologize. I didn’t know we had company. I’m Davey, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Davey.” Though he was likely in his early twenties, he had a boyish appearance that made Gwen feel ancient in comparison.
The young man who’d been fighting with Davey to defend the universe rose from his seat. With sandy hair and freckles he looked to be in his late teens. Gwen smiled and the boy went motionless, staring at her wide-eyed. Davey elbowed him, but even with the prodding his attention did not waver from her face. Davey elbowed him again, this time harder, and the boy shook his head as if trying to clear it.
Whit nodded in his direction. “That one’s JD. He’s the new kid.”
The TV was put on mute, and the men all rose to their feet. Eli gave a general greeting, then spoke in a voice that, despite the quiet tone, held the group’s attention. “Men, this is my girlfriend, Gwendolyn Ballard. She brought my nephew Cameron up from Los Angeles, and they’re going to be staying with us for a bit.”
Gwen caught JD swallowing convulsively, his Adam’s apple bobbing, gaze tracking between Eli and Gwen.
Eli introduced the men. Besides those she’d already met, there were brothers, Rafael and Luis Montoya, who carried the same features with high foreheads and short, compact bodies, though Rafael had a few inches on his older brother. Another man, introduced as Vince Bertrand, had a receding hairline and shrewd blue eyes.
“Listen up.” Attention riveted on Eli. “You know what happened to my sister. Gwen brought my nephew here because she thinks whoever killed Chloe will try for her and Cameron. They came to the Broken Arrow because they will be safe here. I want every one of you to be on the lookout. Anything that doesn’t look right, any vehicles on the service roads you don’t recognize, that don’t belong, you radio it in to me or Ben right away. You all have two-ways, so use them. And if you’re going into the back country or the high meadows, I want you armed.”
Gwen’s stomach sank. She’d brought danger to the Broken Arrow. None of Eli’s men would have to worry about being armed, or be on the lookout for a threat, if she hadn’t brought Cameron to this pocket of the Sierras. Getting the boy somewhere safe had been her number one priority, but she hadn’t thought about the impact of her actions on those living on the ranch. She could only hope the ranch would stay a peaceful sanctuary.
“You bet, boss. We’ll keep an eye out.” Whit nodded his head in assurance. The other men added their agreement, all except JD, who had yet to open his mouth. After a few more exchanges, they said their good-byes and Eli led Gwen out of the bunkhouse.
The minute they were out the door she tried to free her hand, but found Eli unwilling to loosen his grip. “Give it a minute, Gwen.”
“Don’t you think you’re taking this pretense a bit far?”
“No, I don’t.” They were still within sight of the bunkhouse windows. “You want to make it even more believable?”
She looked up at him warily. “What do you mean?”
His gaze dipped to her lips, and she took a hasty step back.
“You’re safe for now, Gwen. But do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Don’t smile at JD again.”
***
Early the next morning, Gwen dressed quietly, then carried her shoes downstairs. She slipped out of the door and, not bothering to turn on the porch light, crossed to sit on the top step to pull on her boots and tie the laces. Hiking boots really weren’t the best choice for working on a ranch, but they were what she had. She took a minute to tip back her head and gaze skyward. While the sun was just beginning to lighten the eastern sky, she could still see the millions of stars spanning the arc of the heavens. All her life she’d wanted to live somewhere like this, a place where she could step outside and see the beauty of the natural world. The mountains, the sky, the call of an owl from the tree—they gave her a sense of peace she’d never known before. She didn’t regret staying in Los Angeles for Cameron, but now, how she could ever go back to living anywhere without this?
A steady breeze stirred the tops of the aspens in the yard, the chill seeping through her sweatshirt. Not wanting to disturb the sleepers in the house by going back for her jacket, Gwen pulled up her hood, shoved her hands in her pockets, and headed for the barn where lights already shone. She’d thought she had left Eli still sleeping, but as she entered she spied him with his back to the door, talking to Ben Cutter. Ben glanced at the clipboard he was holding and frowned. “JD’s feeding the horses this week. He’s late.”
Eli shook his head. “Probably lovesick.”
Ben glanced up at her approach, and Bubba walked over and nudged her hand.
She petted the dog, then straightened. “I can feed them.”
Eli turned at her voice, his gaze running over her. “Where’s your jacket?”
“In the house. Give me something to do and I’ll warm up.”
“There’s a whiteboard in the feed room with each horse’s rations and supplement schedule. There’s another whiteboard there with the exercise schedule.” Ben motioned to the end of the barn. “You can—”
“You don’t need to work here,” Eli interrupted. “If you want something to do, you can use my iPad or computer.”
Brows raised, Ben’s gaze moved from Eli to Gwen and back again.
“Really?” She scrunched her nose. “I’m not going to sit around all day. I know how to work around horses, so that’s what I’m going to do.” She strode down the center aisle between the stalls toward the feed room, aware the two men were watching.
Horses stuck their heads over stall doors, making whiffing noises, telling her they were ready for breakfast. She examined the feed schedule, committed it to memory, then grabbed a pair of hay hooks. She heaved a bale of alfalfa hay into a wheelbarrow and found the wire cutters hanging from a wall hook. She snipped the wires holding the bale together, then pushed the wheelbarrow to the center of the aisle and began filling the racks with flakes of hay. A small surge of victory had her smiling when Eli left the barn with Ben.
Gwen worked steadily. The familiar smells of horse and hay soothed her. At one point, Jed came in to talk to her about her car. He’d determined that the problem was indeed with the fuel pump, and had called the auto shop in town to order a replacement.
Great, Gwen thought as he left the barn, wiping greasy hands on an even greasier cloth. Just great. A replacement fuel pump with shipping would come to almost $400. She didn’t have that much cash. She’d told Jed to cancel the order since she couldn’t pay for it, but now she was stuck without her car. If there was any way to access her savings without Justin somehow finding out, she’d do it. But there wasn’t. She didn’t have any doubt he was watching her bank accounts and would know the second she made a withdrawal. She thought briefly of going to her parents, calling her mother and asking if she would send her money. But she couldn’t ignore the vow she’d made at age eighteen to support herself with zero help from her parents. Her mother would be giddy if her daughter had to come to her for money after refusing it at every turn for the past twelve years.
Gwen continued feeding the horses, her mind drifting to how she’d felt when Eli had held her hand. When he’d looked as if he’d like nothing better than to
kiss her.
Don’t go there.
Easier said than done.
After finishing her chores, she returned to the house and headed into the kitchen. The sound of a door opening and closing upstairs told her Cam was up. She filled the coffeemaker and added grounds to the filter and hit start, and soon the aroma of fresh brewed coffee filled the air. Her grumbling stomach had her opening the refrigerator. The day before she’d emptied her ice chest and the few items in a bag left over from their vacation supplies. Examining the pitiful contents of the fridge, she decided a trip to the grocery store was becoming an urgent necessity.
Feet pounded on the stairs.
“Hey, Cam.”
In his superhero pajamas, Cameron crossed to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. When he didn’t release her after his usual quick hug, she ran a hand through his hair. “You okay, bub?” The front door opened and shut.
With his head borrowed under her breasts, he nodded, but continued to hold tight. Gwen knew it was moments like this when he was missing his mom. He finally loosened his hold and tilted his head back to look at her. “I needed a hug.”
Eli walked into the kitchen as Gwen stooped to give Cameron a kiss. Suddenly self-conscious, she avoided Eli’s gaze and turned to the cabinet to pull down the box of Cheerios. Cameron retrieved the milk from the fridge. “I think we’re almost out of milk, Uncle Eli.”
“Guess you’re right.” Eli filled a mug with coffee.
“If I can borrow a vehicle, Cameron and I can drive into town and pick up some groceries.” And wipe out her remaining cash supply.
Before she finished speaking, Eli was shaking his head. “We can get by until tomorrow, then we’ll go. We need to make that video today and get it sent to the FBI.”
Gwen nodded slowly, and when she saw Cameron’s worried gaze on hers, she explained what they planned to do.
“That’s a good idea, Aunt Gwenny. The FBI can get Justin and then we won’t have to be scared anymore.” His expression clouded. “Then are we going back home?”
Gwen felt her heart grow heavier. “No, baby. Not to your house anyway.” She paused before asking carefully. “Do you want to go back there?”
Cameron shook his head, gray eyes wide. “I don’t ever want to go there ever again. I want to stay here. Can we stay here?”
If her heart was heavy before, now it felt like it had formed into a ball of molten lead in her chest. On the ranch with Eli was probably the best place for Cameron, but it meant she was going to lose him. Aware of Eli standing silently at the counter, Gwen spoke quietly, “I don’t know where you’ll end up, Cam. Whether it will be with Eli, or your grandparents, or with me. But it will be someplace where people love you and want what’s best for you.”
“I have to be with you, Aunt Gwenny. You can stay on the ranch with me and Uncle Eli.”
Eli sat at the table. “Cameron, I want you to trust that we all want what’s best for you. What you want is important too, so if you want to live on the ranch with me, I’ll try to make that happen.”
Cameron gave his uncle a long look before nodding.
***
Christ, he was tired. Eli bent his head under the shower spray, letting the hot water beat down on his head and shoulders. Not long after he’d left Gwen feeding the horses that morning, Luis had ridden in to report that a fence on the south property line had been cut. Cattle, doing what they do, had taken advantage of the breach and headed into national forest land. After hours in the saddle, he and his men had finally rounded up the last of the escapees. The certainty that the fence had been deliberately cut meant that the Morgan clan was upping their game. Which meant Eli had to deal with it.
He stepped out of the shower and toweled off before pulling on a pair of flannel pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Combing his hair back off his forehead, he made the mental note that he needed a haircut. He hated taking the time from the ranch to go into town, especially this time of year, but it had to be done.
Stepping into the hall, he wondered what Gwen and Cameron were up to. The house felt different since they had shown up. More alive, more like a home. He could admit to himself that he liked having them around. And that the Gwen he had thought he knew was nothing like the woman who was living with him now.
He checked the living room, expecting to see them watching TV, but the room was empty. He had work to attend to, emails to answer, orders to place. Figure out how the hell he was going to deal with the Morgans. But the yearning to see Gwen wouldn’t leave him.
A shadowed motion through a back window caught his attention. Moving closer, he saw Gwen and Cameron lying on the grass in the backyard. In the faint light coming from the house, he could see them stretched out on a blanket on their backs. Wondering what the hell they were up to, he went to the sliding glass door in the dining room and let himself out onto the raised deck.
“I see it, I see it, Gwenny.”
“Okay, let’s look for another.”
An iPad glowed as Gwen held it up to the sky. “This one’s called Cassiopeia, and it looks like a giant W.” She lowered the screen and, with their heads touching, Eli saw her raise Cameron’s hand as she pointed his finger at the constellation in the sky. “Do you see it?”
“Yeah. What’s this? The star is moving real fast.” This time he took her hand and pointed.
“That’s a satellite. It’s so far away from earth that it looks like a star.”
“How do you know it’s not an airplane?”
“Airplanes’ lights blink and they are closer to the earth so they’re bigger.”
The conversation quieted, and Cameron emitted a loud yawn. Gwen tilted her head and kissed his forehead. “Come on, Cam. I think that’s enough for tonight. And the show you wanted to watch is on in a few minutes. Help me shake out the blanket and fold it and then you can watch TV for half an hour.”
“Hurry, I don’t want to miss the beginning.”
“I’ll help Gwen shake out the blanket.” Two heads turned toward him as he spoke.
“Hi, Uncle Eli. We’ve been looking at the stars. We saw the Milky Way and a satellite and everything. We turned off the porch light so we could see better. You can’t see hardly any stars in L.A.”
“If you remind me, next time you want to star gaze I can get out my telescope. We can figure out where the planets are.”
Cameron darted up the steps to stand in front of him. “You have a real telescope? And you’ll get it out so we can see? That would be so cool.”
Gwen approached and handed the iPad to the boy. “Go put this on your uncle’s desk and then you can watch TV.”
After Cameron disappeared into the house silence stretched between Eli and Gwen. She shifted as if uncomfortable in his presence, then went back to the lawn and picked up the blanket, shaking it out. Eli followed her and bent to get the other end, bringing the corners together. She took it from him and finished folding it. He reached out a hand for the blanket. “I’ll put it away.”
“No, Eli. I got it out, I’ll put it back.” She shifted her weight from one foot to another. “Do you mind that we used your blanket and iPad? You’ve said we could use the iPad before and I thought Cameron would like to see the stars.”
“Use whatever you want.”
She nodded, hands clutching the blanket in front of her like a shield. “Thank you.”
“Nervous, Gwendolyn?”
“Of course not. Why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “A hunch.”
She huffed out a breath. “Look, Eli. I know what kind of position I put you in. And I know we’ve gone over this before, but it’s bothering me. I showed up here, and because I have your nephew, you find yourself obligated to let me stay. But staying also means I’m living in your house, using your stuff, eating your food. Getting in your way. If there had been anyplace else I could have gone, I would have. But I couldn’t think of anywhere I was sure we would be safe.”
“You trying to rile me?”
> “No, but I seem able to do that without trying.”
“True. Now listen carefully, so that you have it straight in that busy brain of yours and we won’t have to talk about this again. First, you did the right thing by coming here. I will protect both you and Cameron. Second, I don’t give a rat’s ass—” He held up a hand when she opened her mouth. “I cuss, get used to it.” He lifted a brow and almost laughed when he saw her lips thin. “Second, I don’t give a rat’s ass that you are living in my house and using my stuff, as you put it. And I know we’re low on food, so tomorrow we’ll go to the grocery store.”
“I’ll pay for the groceries. I have enough money to do that.”
“Now you are riling me. I don’t care about the money. What I care about is you and Cameron.” He paused. “Are we clear?”
She nodded. “We’re clear, but I’m still going to repay you when I can access my bank accounts. And I’ll work around the house and on the ranch to ease the workload on everyone else. I hate being a burden, and I hate being indebted.”
She turned to walk into the house and Eli watched the sway of her hips. Letting out a sigh, he tipped his head to look up at the starry sky they had been studying. Gwen and Cameron reminded him to appreciate things he’d taken for granted. And as he stared into the universe, he realized the loneliness that had dogged him for so long had disappeared the moment he had opened his door and found himself gazing into whiskey brown eyes.
Chapter Nine
When Gwen woke early the next morning, for the first time in a long time, she wanted to burrow under the covers and go back to sleep. She liked being active, and getting to work with the horses added a shine to her day, but with the mad flight north and working in the stables, perhaps she’d overdone it these past few days. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and groaned, muscles protesting.
The aroma of coffee lured her downstairs. Eli leaned against the kitchen counter, sipping from a steaming mug. He reached into the cabinet then handed her a mug without saying a word. She added a small splash of milk before adding the coffee. Leaning against the opposite counter, she sipped, then closed her eyes as the warmth spread to her belly. When she opened them again it was to find Eli watching her. “Thank you. You make good coffee.”
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