Rafe felt that territorial heat rolling through him again. Chase Hartley had a way with the women and he knew it and used it. He was trying to rile him.
As the others said goodbye and headed off, Rafe strode to the corner of the kitchen, grabbed a pen and note pad from a drawer, and quickly drew a map.
Sadie came over to him. “Thanks. I’ll clean up-that I know how to do. So sandwiches are really fine to fix?”
“Yup the fridge is full of stuff to fix them with and the pantry has a bunch of bags of chips.” He slid the instructions over to her but studied her. “Are you sure you’re okay today? I didn’t want to leave without asking. Since I know you had something rough going on yesterday.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m fine. I’m just dealing with some issues. I think time is going to help.”
“You know, I’m a good listener. I promise. Sometimes just telling someone else your problems can ease the strain.” He gave her an encouraging smile. “I’ve gotten through my own share of troubles over the years, just so you know.”
She stared out the kitchen window for a moment. Then looked at him with stormy eyes. He wanted in that instant to fold her into his arms and hold her. “You can trust me, Sadie,” he urged, feeling compelled to push a bit.
Her expression faltered. “I, I was supposed to get married in a week,” she rattled out after a moment of hesitation. “I ran off yesterday.”
There were a lot of things she could have said but that was not what he’d been expecting. “Married.”
She nodded. “Yeah, you heard right. Married.” She took a deep breath. “I found my fiancé in…let’s say, a compromising position yesterday and I ran. Just got in my car and drove.”
“So you are technically a runaway bride?”
She nodded. “I ran. I didn’t call it off I just got in my car and drove and didn’t tell anyone until I talked to my mother last night right after we got our food. I just drove for four hours and didn’t stop until I had that flat. My mother was at the engagement party wondering where I was when I returned her call last night.” She grimaced. “Terrible isn’t it? I’m terrible.”
He had to grimace. “Yeah, probably not the easiest way for her to find out there wasn’t going to be a wedding. But you had to be in shock yourself.”
“I’m not proud at all but you’re right I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”
“I’m sorry you had to find that out about your fiancé. But I’m glad you found it out before the wedding.”
“Me too,” she said, sighing. “I knew things weren’t right between us though. That’s why I had dropped by his apartment. To talk to him. To maybe break it off.”
“I see. So you were having cold feet.” Rafe hadn’t missed the “maybe”. He wondered why she’d known things weren’t right and wondered if that was because her heart wasn’t feeling it or if her heart was broken because she’d just sensed her fiancé wasn’t behaving right. The distinction was important to him he realized.
“I have to ask, though you’ve explained some I’m still confused about the bunny suit.”
“Well, I went for my weekly visit to the pediatric wing at several of the hospitals around Houston. I had been at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center downtown and I stopped by to talk to Andrew…” she paused, her brow knitted and then her eyes flared wide. “I found him entertaining his um, girlfriend. I was wearing my bunny suit. I mean really, think about that-talk about bizarre. I mean, I was standing there in my floppy feet and big belly and-” she inhaled while Rafe went cold inside-poor Sadie. Her voice faltered. “It was just a hard position to find myself in. I just fled. I drove for four hours. I guess if I hadn’t had the flat tire I’d have driven to Alaska or something. But I had it and then you stopped and helped me and here I am.”
Rafe couldn’t help himself-he reached for Sadie, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She came easily, her warmth seeped into him. He just wanted to help her past the overwhelming hurt he could read in her eyes though he sensed she was trying hard to hide it.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Stroking her hair, while wanting to take the guy who’d hurt her and break him into pieces. How could he hurt her like this? He knew that emotion she was feeling. He’d lived it. When he’d been at his lowest he’d experienced almost the same devastating blow with his fiancé.
“You’ll get through this,” he murmured loving the way she laid her head against his shoulder as she just let him hold her. The faint sweet scent of her hair drew him closer and he had to remind himself he was consoling her not holding her for his own agenda-which would have been because he was drawn to her more than he’d ever been drawn to anyone.
Swift, sudden heat rushed through him. She lifted her face to his and every cell in his body tensed. She was gorgeous and those gigantic green eyes sucked him in. He focused. She surprised him more when she pulled away, backing out of his arms. A heated blush colored her cheeks.
“I will get through this, and part of it will be because you helped me fix my tire and gave me this job. And you’ve been so very kind. Thank you. Now, I need to get this kitchen cleaned up and then get started on lunch,” she said fussily as if she were needing the busyness to keep from saying more or maybe feeling more…
Rafe liked that she was putting on a determined, brave face and it made him admire her.
“If you need to talk let me know. No strings attached, I promise.”
“Thank you. Being busy will help me get through this. .”
He nodded. “Whatever it takes. Keys are in the truck-the white one parked by the stables. Those instructions will get you out to the pasture.” He tipped his hat then spun on his boot and headed toward the back door. “I’ve got to go, but call if you need anything. All of our numbers are on a pad by the phone.” He strode to the door then looked back at her.
She smiled. “Thanks,” she said, her voice huskier than it had been making him wonder if she was about to cry or was she feeling what he was feeling?
No, she’d just lived through a hard time, she was about to cry. That was more logical. Because one thing he knew, what he was feeling for this near stranger was illogical.
Completely illogical. With one last look over his shoulder he nodded at her then fled into the morning. Any longer and he’d have strode back across the kitchen and snatched her to him and planted a kiss so full of longing on her tempting lips that he’d have scared her off and sent her on the run again.
When he reached his truck he looked back to see Sadie standing in the doorway watching him leave. He felt like a spooked mustang heading for high ground. She lifted a hand in farewell and something in the pit of his stomach warmed—he had to fight the overwhelming urge to stalk back to that porch and kiss her senseless.
The warmth curled tighter—he paused, drank her in like he was dying of thirst then forced himself to point his truck toward the exit and head out.
He might not have wanted to admit it earlier but there was no doubt that Sadie affected him more than any woman had in a very long time.
The question was—what was he going to do about it?
Chapter Seven
Feeling blindsided by the way Rafe affected her, Sadie watched him drive off then she hurried inside and started rummaging through the fridge. She had hours before she needed to have lunch at the designated spot but she wanted to make certain everything was in order. Plus she needed to keep busy. Her phone started vibrating about eight.
Her mother.
Then Andrew texted, “Call me, this is ridiculous, Sadie. You’re embarrassing me AND your mother. Get back here. What you think you witnessed was not what you think.”
Sadie’s blood pressure shot up-oh really, then what exactly was it she wanted to know? Adriana had been engulfed in his arms and they were kissing as if there was no tomorrow. It had not been a kiss one could misinterpret.
Seething, Sadie read the rest of the text: “Sadie, I love you. We have a beautiful wedding planned. Guest
s are still coming and the fact that you missed the engagement party has people talking.”
What? He hadn’t called off the wedding?
Sadie dialed her mother.
Evelyn picked up on the first ring. “Have you come to your senses?”
“I have all my faculties, mother. Please tell me that you called the wedding off.”
“No, Andrew said you were just having cold feet. Andrew is heartbroken. You should see him, he was a shell of a man without you. I told him you told me to cancel the wedding but he said he just couldn’t do it that, he would prove to you that he loves you and that you’ll be home this week and the wedding will go on as planned.”
“Mother-” Was Sadie even speaking to the woman who’d raised her? “I know that you had your heart set on this wedding and that you have poured your every breath into the preparations and I am so sorry that this has happened. But I don’t love Andrew. I cared about him-about the man I thought he was-the man who had his sights set on helping get things done through running for office and heading to Washington. But he’s not the man I thought he was-”
“He’s a good man. You’ll have a good life with him. You’ll move in the right circles-”
“I don’t love him. I know that now and I’m so sorry to put you through this embarrassment but I’m making the calls myself and putting an end to this.”
Her thoughts were running rampant-when her friends had been texting to see how she was doing they were thinking she was sick. Not that she’d called off the wedding. Sadie groaned. A pin could have been heard because of the silence on the other end of the line. Sadie felt for her mother. Yes her mother had pressured her that she needed to find a husband. That there were certain qualities in a man that were expected. A lawyer with a political agenda was high on that expectation list and Evelyn had introduced Sadie to Andrew.
But, Sadie knew that ultimately this fiasco was her fault. And it was up to her to make the calls and if she had to, she would go back to Houston and deal with this once and for all.
No more running.
Rafe was surprised to see Sadie driving across the pasture at eleven. She’d come early. He took his hat off and swiped his shirt sleeve across his forehead then urged his horse to head her way.
“You found us,” he said, smiling down at her through the open window.
“You drew me a very good map to follow,” she said. “Where should I park and set up. I’m early. I hope that’s okay.”
“Sure. We’ve been wrestling with calves all morning so we don’t mind breaking early.”
“I was thinking I could set it up and y’all could eat when you wanted to if this was too early.”
“Nope, like I said its fine. You can park the truck under that oak tree over there.” He nodded toward a huge old oak that stood in the center of the pasture. She headed that way and he followed on his horse.
She had on a pair of jeans that Maddie must have left her and a bright red T-shirt-simple and nothing special, but she just brightened his day seeing her. He swung out of the saddle and met her at the tailgate of the truck.
“We could get used to this,” he said.
She stopped and looked earnestly at him. “It seems like a good idea. Rafe, I need to tell you something-or ask you something I guess,” she said, in a rush.
“Sure. I’m listening.”
“I spoke to my mother. And I was really hit by what I’d done.” She paused, heaving in a deep breath.
Rafe jerked, feeling as if he’d just gotten a fist to the gut-was she sorry she’d called off her wedding? His mother had repeatedly put up with emotional and physical abuse from his father. In his mind if Sadie went through with her wedding she was doomed to live a life of repeated emotional abuse. He didn’t want that for her. Couldn’t stand the thought of it.
“You had a good reason for needing some space.”
She didn’t look convinced. “Maybe, but my mother shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.”
“Maybe so, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t give yourself a few days to get your head on straight.” He wasn’t going to tell her she needed to go back and face the music because he believed she’d run because she needed to.
“I’m ashamed that I ran. I’m not even sure why I did it. I should have taken care of it all and stayed. I left it for my mother to handle and that was completely unfair to her. Andrew is telling everyone that I was sick last night but that everything is fine. My mother believes I should marry him…it’s a mess.”
“It sounds like it. Certainly doesn’t sound like the happy experience getting married is supposed to be.” Rafe was proud that she realized running from her problems might not have been the right way to handle calling off the wedding. But he wasn’t unhappy at all about meeting her and if her running was the reason they’d met then he wasn’t going to wish she’d done something differently.
He wasn’t ready for her to leave. “Do you think there is a chance that you’ll reconsider marrying this jerk?” He called it like he saw it and he could be calling the sleaze of a man far worse than jerk or sleaze.
“No. Yesterday I went to Andrew’s to call off the wedding-and now after what I saw there isn’t anything that he could say that would convince me.”
Rafe knew it wasn’t any of his business but maybe it was because of his background of watching his mother cave again and again he just couldn’t be comfortable believing she was telling the truth. That worried him but he didn’t say that aloud.
“I’m glad,” he said instead. “You deserve better Sadie.” He held her troubled eyes and had to fight off reaching for her again, it was a growing need in him, this desire to hold her close. To protect her. But he barely knew her. “The job is yours for as long as you want it.”
A smile curled sweetly at the corners of her mouth. “Thanks. That being so I guess I’d better get busy.”
He grinned and told himself to pull back. “Do you need help?”
She stuffed her fist to her hips. “Rafe, you’re my boss. I might have needed you for breakfast but I’ve got the sandwich department under control. Believe me, I know three things when it comes to food: sandwiches, microwaveable food and takeout.”
He laughed at that, shook his head and then headed to his horse. “Then I’ll go tag a few more calves then bring the others back with me in about fifteen minutes how’s that?”
She’d turned to pull the tailgate down and now looked over her shoulder at him. “That sounds perfect.”
He groaned inwardly and climbed into the saddle and rode back to the others. But all he could think about was that she might leave before the week was over.
Sadie watched the men of New Horizon Ranch riding toward her. The men and Maddie. Sadie was still so curious about this partnership and how it worked. But for now as the partners and the other cowboys who worked the ranch rode her way she was amazed that she was here. If she’d asked any of her friends two days ago if they saw her on a ranch they’d have laughed. But here she was and she could not help smiling at the picture they made riding toward her. Her gaze was drawn to Rafe and goose bumps prickled across her skin watching him lead the group-sitting straight but relaxed in the saddle as he loped toward her. The man looked like he was leading a posse across the ranch and with the way his gaze was pinned on her-Sadie felt like she was his target. The thought lifted her spirits as warmth filled her-she’d let him take her into custody any time.
The man was oh-so-fine…and she realized as her heart raced out of control that she was in oh-so-much trouble. This out of control attraction so soon after calling off her wedding was terrifying. Rebound maybe?
She needed to pull back on the crazy feelings and start putting some distance between the too-soon-to-be-taken-seriously emotions overtaking her. And she needed to do it right now.
Sadie just wasn’t at all sure that she wanted to…
And that was a very dangerous thought.
Chapter Eight
Sadie was glad Rafe
had told her there would be ten working the cattle so she’d fixed more than enough sandwiches for everyone to have at least two. The men all moved to a water jug that was sitting in a holder attached to the truck and began one at a time pushing the button and washing their hands with the container of soap hanging off the side. She wasn’t sure if it was common to have a hand washing station attached to a truck but she had to say she liked it.
“Hey, Sadie,” Maddie called, making her way over to Sadie. She looked like the working cowgirl that she was. She wore red chaps over her jeans and a red bandana tied around her forehead beneath her straw western hat. Her chaps drug the ground just enough that her boots peeked out as she walked. Sadie was completely impressed with Maddie hanging in working with all these men.
“Hey to you-good grief, I can’t believe you do this,” Sadie said, honestly.
Maddie laughed and stuffed her fist on her slim hips. “I love it. I’m not the only female who ever sweated a little and ate dust working cattle with the guys. Who says cowboys get to have all the fun?”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about something like that.”
“While you’re here you should saddle up and come work with us one day.”
Sadie wasn’t so sure that sounded appealing. True, she could probably enjoy watching Rafe work but getting in there with those cattle herself-“I’ll take your word for it.”
Maddie just shook her head. “I’m telling you you’re missing out. Of course by the time I get in I reek of cow and there is no telling what kind of germs are crawling around on me and these sodbusters.”
“Stop being a girl,” Chase said, shooting Maddie a teasing glare. His eyes were twinkling as if he knew he was pushing Maddie’s buttons.
Rafe: (Contemporary Western Romance) (New Horizon Ranch: Mule Hollow Book 2) Page 5