Cowboy Under Fire

by Carla Cassidy

  * * *

  Patience left the hospital wearing a pair of Cassie’s jeans and a blouse that the woman had brought to the hospital so that Patience wouldn’t have to go home clad in the nasty purple nightgown she would never wear again.

  It was dusk when the doctor had finally decided to release her, and she’d hesitated when it came to whom to call to take her home.

  Her first impulse had been to call Forest, and she hadn’t wanted to bother Dillon or any of his deputies. After giving it more thought, she’d decided to call Cassie. Other than Forest pulling her from the corn, the last conversation she’d had with him had not exactly been great.

  Dillon had arrived back at the hospital several hours after bringing her in to let her know that Devon was behind bars and would be charged with attempted murder.

  She still found it hard to believe that Devon had hated her so much he’d wanted her dead. He’d hidden his resentment of her well over their time working together.

  “Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” Cassie asked once they were in her car and headed to the ranch.

  “Believe me, I’ve been pumped with enough fluids and food to last me a lifetime,” Patience replied.

  “So, I guess you’ll finish up things tomorrow and leave the next day?”

  “That’s the plan,” Patience replied. She stared out the passenger window where a lovers’ sunset was splashed across the horizon. Oklahoma had a plethora of beautiful sunsets.

  Now that the danger to her had passed, had Forest realized his love for her had only been the protectiveness of a nice man for a woman in danger?

  She couldn’t forget that moment when he’d pulled her from the corn and she’d gone down the ladder only to collapse on the ground and he hadn’t come to her. She’d wanted him. She’d needed him, but he’d stepped away and kept his distance.

  If she’d gone to tell him that she loved him the night before when she’d realized it, when she’d fully embraced it, she wouldn’t have been in her room when Devon had appeared. The day would have gone quite differently.

  Was it too late for her and Forest? She released a deep sigh. She didn’t know. She only knew that when she’d needed his comfort he hadn’t been there.

  “I’m sure you’re exhausted,” Cassie said, mistaking the sigh for exhaustion rather than bittersweet regret.

  “I was just thinking of what needed to be done so that I can finally get off your land,” Patience replied.

  Cassie flashed her a quick smile. “It’s not that I want to see you go, but I’m definitely ready for that blue tent to disappear forever.”

  Patience returned her smile. “It will be up to Dillon when that comes down, but other than writing final reports, my work here is finally done.”

  They pulled into the ranch entrance. “You don’t have to drive me all the way to the rooms,” Patience said. “I can walk from the driveway.”

  “Are you sure?” Cassie pulled down the lane and stopped the car in the driveway beside the main house.

  “Positive. The walk will do me good, and at least now I don’t have to worry about somebody jumping out of the shadows to attack me.”

  Cassie turned off the car engine. “It has to be a shock to know that it was Devon.”

  “It is a shock, but from what Dillon told me he was bitter that as a woman I had seniority.” Patience shrugged. “I can’t help what he believed, but I’m lead forensic anthropologist because my qualifications and field experience were better than his.”

  “At least you know you’re safe now and things can get back to normal,” Cassie said as the two got out of her car.

  Normal? Patience didn’t know what was normal anymore. Her entire world had been turned upside down by everything that had happened to her over the past twenty-four hours.

  “Thanks for coming to get me. I really appreciate it,” she said to Cassie. “I’ll wash up your clothes and get them back to you tomorrow.”

  Cassie walked around the car, and to Patience’s surprise, pulled her into her arms for an embrace. “I’m just so glad you’re out of danger now.” She released her hold and Patience stepped back, fighting against tears that threatened to fall.

  “You have terrific men working here for you,” she finally said as she swallowed against the tears.

  “I know.” Cassie looked in the direction of the cowboy “motel.”

  “It’s impossible for me to believe that one of them is responsible for those old bones, for those poor victims.”

  “If there’s an answer to be found, I’m sure Dillon will eventually get to the bottom of it.” Patience thought of the ring she’d found at the base of the pit. Did it belong to a victim, or had the killer inadvertently left a clue? Dillon would have his hands full trying to get real answers.

  “Good night, Cassie, and thanks again for everything.” Cassie murmured a goodnight and Patience began the long walk to her room.

  Immediately her mind filled with thoughts of Forest. He hadn’t soothed her when she’d collapsed and he hadn’t called to check on her during the hours she’d been at the hospital.

  But then why would he? She’d made it quite clear to him the night before that she wanted nothing to do with him or his love. She’d refused his heart when he’d tried to give it to her.

  Light spilled out of his room, and her heart ached with the need to tell him that he’d made her believe in love, that he’d taught her so many life lessons and she wanted to live the rest of her life with him.

  She had no idea how he might feel about her now, and she feared speaking her heart to him and being rejected. But she feared more never speaking her heart to him and leaving here not knowing what might have been.

  Without giving herself time to overthink it or chicken out, she knocked on his door. He answered, his eyes blue depths of deep, still waters. “Patience, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “The doctors released me a little while ago and Cassie came to get me. It’s still early. I was wondering if you’d want to sit out here with me for a little while?” She held her breath. His features held no emotion.

  He hesitated and then finally nodded. “Okay.” He stepped back inside the room and grabbed the two chairs they always used.

  She sank into one and he placed his just close enough that she could smell the clean scent with a hint of familiar cologne that clung to him.

  They sat in silence for so long her chest tightened and her mouth dried. Funny, she’d never had a problem blurting out frustrations or anger, but she was ridiculously nervous about speaking of her love.

  “Rough day for you,” he finally said to break the silence.

  “Yes, but thank God you found me when you did.” She thought about how long she’d been certain she was going to die. “I had resigned myself to death, but I also had lots of time to think while I was waiting to die.”

  “Sometimes that can be a good thing and sometimes it can be a bad thing,” he replied. “I mean the ‘having too much time to think’ thing.” He kept his focus in the distance, not looking at her.

  “Forest?” She waited until his gaze slowly moved to look at her. “I want to tell you about last night. I want to talk about how we left things between us.”

  His eyes narrowed just a bit. “I figure there isn’t much left to talk about. We both had our say and that’s that.” His sexy lips compressed into a taut line.

  “I thought I had my say, but I realize now I’m not finished and I don’t like that, I don’t like it one bit,” she replied. He was so handsome on the outside, with his dark hair, blue eyes and sculptured features. She was physically drawn to him with a passion, but it was the man beneath the skin who had forever changed her.

  “Then I suppose you’d better have your say and be done with it,” he replied. He crossed his arms over his chest, as if form
ing a formidable defense against her.

  “I went back to my room last night and I did a lot of thinking. I thought about my parents and how my life has played out, how I’d been taught to deal only in facts and how I’d used anger to keep people away. You changed all that, Forest.”

  His gaze held hers intently, although she still couldn’t get a feel about what he might be thinking, how he might be feeling about her.

  “You taught me to allow people into my life, to open myself up to lovers’ sunsets and the intangibles that have no basis in fact, they just are. You made me understand that anger isn’t the way to communicate emotions.”

  “I’m glad.” His features softened slightly. “Your life will be better, richer if you open yourself up.” He offered her a small smile. “People in Oklahoma City won’t recognize you when you go home.”

  “That’s just the thing... I don’t want to go home, at least not alone. It will never be home again, not unless you’re there with me.” She drew in a deep breath for courage. “I love you, Forest. That’s what I finally recognized last night. I opened my heart and looked inside and all I could see was my love for you.”

  He remained so still she wondered if he’d really heard her, or if it was too late and he didn’t want to hear any words of love from her.

  “This morning when I was so certain death was imminent, all I wanted was a vision of you in my head as I died. I am in love with you and I want your children and I want a happily-ever-after with you,” she continued fervently.

  He unfolded his arms and leaned forward, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. “You have to be sure, Patience. You have to be very sure. I only want to do this once and it has to be right.”

  “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my entire life,” she replied and held his gaze intently.

  He studied her for a long moment and then stood. Patience’s heart sank. Was he going back inside his room? Was this truly the end?

  “What I don’t understand is if you love me and I love you, then why in the hell aren’t we kissing right now,” he said.

  Patience’s heart exploded with happiness as she jumped out of her chair and into his arms. His mouth took hers with a sweet possession she welcomed, one that she wanted for the rest of her life.

  When the kiss finally ended, she gazed up at him with a smile. “I like this. I like this so much.”

  “Finally, something you like,” he said with a wonderfully carefree laugh.

  “Finally, somebody I love,” she added.

  His lips took hers once again, this time with a fiery passion that she trusted would last a lifetime. She didn’t need facts or scientific evidence to know that Forest was her happily-ever-after.

  He sang through her heart, the organ she’d always believed was just for pumping blood. He rang in her soul, a place she hadn’t believed existed until now, and her mind teemed with endless possibilities of a future filled with love...and Forest.

  Epilogue

  Patience pulled the huge white lab vehicle out of the Holiday Ranch entrance. She’d written her final reports and turned everything over to Dillon. She’d said all of her goodbyes to the men and to Cassie and had to admit that there was a touch of bittersweet sadness at leaving what had become such a magical place to her.

  However her true magic traveled in a navy blue pickup just behind her. In the two days since they had declared their love for one another, Forest had not only packed up all of his belongings, but he’d also contacted a Realtor in Oklahoma City to check out ranches for sale just outside the city limits.

  Patience would continue her work with the Oklahoma Police Department and lecture occasionally at the college. The only difference was that eventually when everything was settled, she would be traveling to work from a ranch house instead of her apartment. Once they found the ranch where they would be building their future, Forest would return to the Holiday place to trailer Thunder and bring her to live on his ranch.

  In the meantime Forest would be staying with her in her apartment. She didn’t care if they had to live in a tent as long as they were in it together.

  She glanced in her rearview mirror, her heart blossoming at the sight of him in the vehicle behind her. In the past two days they had talked of their love and made love, as well as planned a future that welled up inside her a happiness she’d never known before.

  She was going to give her big, lonely cowboy everything he’d mourned when he’d lost his family. She would be the partner in life that he’d wanted, she would give him children that would fill their lives with joy and laughter and whenever possible she’d give him pot roast Sundays.

  Her heart was fully open, not only to accepting friendship and love, but to giving it as well. She stepped on the gas, eager to get to Oklahoma City and her future with her friend, her lover...her Forest.

  * * *

  Dillon sat at his desk in his office in the quiet small Bitterroot police station. His door was closed, and before him on his desk blotter was the ring that Patience had found in the pit.

  The day that Patience had disappeared, he’d had to cancel his appointment with Francine Rogers, and in the past two days he’d been busy dealing with paperwork, evidence and transfer orders to remove Devon from the Bitterroot jail to one in Oklahoma City. Devon had been picked up that morning in a transport vehicle with three police guards.

  With that issue resolved, Dillon was back to the bigger issue of the mass grave and seven victims. He was meeting with Francine later this afternoon, eager to get any and all information the social worker might possess as to the young men she’d brought to Cass’s ranch to work.

  His gut instinct was that the killer was still here, in Bitterroot, possibly on the Holiday or the Humes ranch. Despite his soft feelings toward Cassie, and the respect he’d had for Cass, even the dead woman was a potential suspect in the murders that had taken place so long ago.

  He picked up the ring that was encased in a small plastic evidence bag. He was determined to somehow, someway find the owner and ultimately find the killer, no matter who got hurt in the process.

  * * * * *

  Don’t miss the next thrilling installment in

  the COWBOYS OF HOLIDAY RANCH miniseries, coming later this spring 2016!

  And if you loved this novel, don’t miss other

  suspenseful titles by Carla Cassidy:

  A REAL COWBOY

  COWBOY OF INTEREST

  THE COLTON BODYGUARD

  HER SECRET, HIS DUTY

  Available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense!

  Keep reading for an excerpt from EXPOSED by Carla Cassidy

  (Part 1 of TOUGH JUSTICE).

  Addicted to shows like LAW & ORDER and

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  Justice is worth every sacrifice

  A brand-new 8-part reading experience!

  FBI Agent Lara Grant has finally put her life as an undercover operative behind her and started a new assignment in New York City. But her past and present collide and become ever more twisted as a spate of murders send a message that is cruelly, chillingly personal…

  Tough Justice: Exposed (Part 1 of 8) by New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy

  Tough Justice: Watched (Part 2 of 8) by Tyler Ann Snell

  Tough Justice: Burned (Part 3 of 8) by Carol Ericson

  Tough Justice: Trapped (Part 4 of 8) by Gail Barrett

  Tough Justice: Twisted (Part 5 of 8) by Gail Barrett

  Tough Justice: Ambushed (Part 6 of 8) by Carol Ericson

  Tough Justice: Betrayed (Part 7 of 8) by Tyler Ann Snell

  Tough Justice: Hunted (Part 8 of 8) b
y New York Times bestselling author Carla Cassidy

  Collect all 8!

  Visit www.ToughJusticeSeries.com for more information.

  Addicted to shows like LAW & ORDER and

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  A brand-new 8-part reading experience!

  TOUGH JUSTICE

  Episode One

  Exposed

  Prologue

  The ledge outside of the tenth floor window of the hotel had a beautiful view of Central Park. It was also dangerously narrow and covered with pigeon crap.

  A cold late September breeze sliced through FBI Special Agent Lara Grant as she stepped out of the window of room 1021 and onto the ledge.

  She leaned with her back against the window frame and eyed the man who sat on the ledge about five feet to her right. She shouldn’t be here. She’d been in the middle of a meet and greet with her new unit when the call had come in. Talking down potential jumpers wasn’t in her new job description, but the man had asked for her specifically by name.

  She had no idea who he was, had never seen him before in her life. It was nine-thirty in the morning, and the last place she wanted to be was on a breathtakingly small ledge trying to stop a stranger from committing a very public and messy suicide.

  “Bad day?” she asked.

  “Bad life,” he replied. He didn’t look at her but, rather, stared straight ahead. “Are you FBI Agent Lara Grant?”

  “You asked for me and here I am. What’s your name?” she asked. Despite the coolness of the day, his forehead shone with perspiration. She tried to gauge how best to connect with him. What persona could she pull out of her professional hat to get him down to safety? Tough talk or sweet and honeyed? Too soon for her to tell.