She turned off the truck and jumped out of the cab. Jesse was back underneath the pickup, detaching the hook. As he slid out from under the truck, Shea forced herself to look away. She didn’t want him to catch her staring.
“We’re all set.” Jesse dusted his hands on his denim-covered thighs and looked over the crumpled front of the truck. “Should I drive this one back to the house?”
“Yes. You can follow me there.” She threw herself back into her truck, glad to have a few minutes alone, away from Jesse. She needed some time to compose herself.
Jesse watched Shea leap into her truck and head back down the rutted path. She was going too fast for the narrow road, but she didn’t slow down. She acted as if the hounds of hell were on her heels.
He couldn’t blame her. He felt like doing a little running, himself. The desire that had flared when he’d braced himself against her leg had shocked him. He prided himself on being able to control himself at all times. But he wasn’t even close to being able to control his response to Shea.
He wouldn’t allow it, damn it.
He wouldn’t let his own body betray him. He was here for a reason, and it wasn’t to get chummy with Shea McAllister. She was the suspect, for God’s sake. She was the last woman he should be playing footsie with.
Even though she had felt awfully good, pressed against him. Her legs were long and firm, toned by the hard work she did all day. He wondered how those long legs of hers would feel if they were wrapped around him, holding him close to her.
Suddenly realizing where his thoughts were heading, he gave a savage curse and forced his attention back to his surroundings. His job was to find out where she was hiding the refugees, he told himself, not speculating about her legs. For the rest of the trip back to the barn, he tried to catalog the landmarks and pay attention to where the roads were. The first chance he had, he’d explore this unused part of the ranch. His money said this was where she was hiding the illegal aliens.
Almost before her truck had come to a complete stop, Shea was out and standing in the yard. Jesse studied her as he brought the damaged pickup rattling to a stop next to her and saw the quick shuffling of her feet, the restless movements of her hands. When she jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, he saw her fingers tremble for a moment.
Maybe he hadn’t been the only one who’d felt the electricity that flared between them up on the mountain.
“Levi isn’t back yet,” she said, and he thought she spoke too quickly. “Why don’t we go out and check on him?”
She turned and headed for the barn, and he hurried to catch up with her. No wonder she got so much done. Shea had more energy than anyone he’d ever known. “Where are we going?” he asked as they reached the barn.
“One of the far pastures. Levi was supposed to check on the cattle and come right back. He didn’t answer his phone, and I want to make sure nothing is wrong.”
She pointed out the saddle he could use, then grabbed her own. “It’ll be quicker to take horses than the truck.” In a few minutes they had saddled two horses and were riding across the first pasture.
“It looks like you could use a foreman to keep track of what your men are doing,” he said casually as they rode across the coarse grass.
She glanced over at him “I can keep track just fine. Everything is in a jumble today because of the accident. Give us a few days and we’ll be back to normal.”
“You’re giving me a lot of credit,” he said, enjoying goading her.
“What do you mean?”
“You just as much as said that you expect me to do the work of two men.”
“Two men who are almost twice as old as you.” She gave him a pointed look. “Yes, I expect you to get a lot more accomplished than Dusty or Joe alone. You’re young and strong.” Her cheeks colored, as if she just realized what she’d said.
“I aim to please,” he said, keeping his voice casual.
“I hope so, Coulton. I’m counting on you to take up the slack.”
She recovered quickly, he had to give her that. “I think you’ll be amazed at what I can do.”
“We’ll see.”
She kicked her horse into a gallop, and he followed suit. As he watched her ride ahead of him, clinging to the horse, his body stirred again, but he forced himself to ignore his reaction.
Shea was expecting him to do a lot around the ranch. He suspected she was going to be shocked when she found out just how much he had in mind.
Chapter 3
When they had passed through one pasture and were almost through the next, he spotted a man standing next to a fence. Shea spotted him at the same time, because she veered her horse around to head in his direction. As they pulled to a stop next to him, the older man was replacing some tools in a toolbox.
“Hey, Shea. What are you doing out here?”
Shea sat on her horse and watched him. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. You didn’t answer the phone when I called.”
“I heard it. Just couldn’t be bothered.” He glared at Shea from under bushy eyebrows. “I’m not going to go and get myself hurt like those damn fools Joe and Dusty. I know what I’m doing out here. You didn’t have to come looking for me like I was a baby.”
“Then you should have answered the phone when I called. That’s why they’re in the trucks.”
“Never needed no phones before now,” he muttered. “Ain’t right, calling someone on the telephone out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“If there hadn’t been a phone in Joe and Dusty’s truck, what would they have done?” she asked, shifting on her horse. Jesse had the feeling that this was an old argument.
The older man stuck his chin out at them. “They woulda walked back to the house, same as we always did.”
Shea looked away from him and dismounted her horse. “Was there something wrong with the fence?”
“It was down, here and in a few other spots.” Levi jerked his head in the direction of the cattle, grazing a few hundred feet away. “Some of the steers musta run into it. A few of them have cuts, but nothing that has to be seen to.”
As Shea talked with the older man. Jesse watched her with reluctant admiration. She handled the old man so well, he thought. She made sure he knew she was the boss, but she had a delicate touch that showed how much respect she had for him.
And the old man seemed to think pretty highly of her, too. In spite of his grouching about the cell phones, his affection for Shea was obvious.
Her voice interrupted his thoughts. “Levi, this is our new hand, Jesse Coulton. I hired him to help out until Joe and Dusty are back on their feet.”
Levi’s eyes were shrewd and appraising as they examined him. “You do much ranch work before this?” he asked.
“I’ve done my share.” He listed the ranches and the jobs from his fictional references. “I’ve never worked in Utah before, though.”
Jesse saw Levi’s gaze take in his calloused hands and his sun-browned face. He nodded once. “We can use the help.”
He turned back to Shea, but Jesse felt like he’d just passed a major test. A few minutes later, Shea said to him, “Levi will meet us back at the house. It’s almost time for lunch, and Maria doesn’t like it if we’re late.”
They mounted and headed back the way they’d come. “Your housekeeper runs a pretty tight ship?” he asked casually. Their informant had said that the housekeeper was closely involved in the smuggling.
Shea laughed as she kicked her horse into a canter. “The tightest. We all live in fear of her. She keeps us in line, but we don’t mind because she’s the best cook in Cameron.” She slanted him a grin. “A fact I’m sure you’ll appreciate after a few days at Melba Corboy’s.”
Jesse felt himself responding to her vibrant face and laughing eyes. Her zest for life beckoned to him, insinuating itself into his consciousness like a wisp of smoke.
But no woman had ever made him forget his job, and Shea wasn’t going to be the first. “Melba wasn�
�t so bad. At least she was honest about her cooking skills.”
“Before or after she’d gotten her first week’s rent?” Shea tossed the question over her shoulder.
Because his pulse tripped at the sight of her blond hair streaming behind her and the flash of laughter in her eyes, he pulled even with her and said deliberately, “If we’re talking about honesty, what’s the real reason you didn’t want to hire me?”
The smile disappeared from her face, and she threw him a startled look. But she recovered quickly. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “Gut feeling. I don’t like arrogant, pushy cowboys. And I didn’t want one working for me.”
“But you ended up with me anyway.”
“That I did.” Now she turned in her saddle and studied him. “You happened to be in the right place at the right time. I needed someone, badly, and you were here. So I hired you.” She gave him an appraising glance, then said, “We’ll see if you’re here in another two months.”
She kicked her horse and sped ahead of him, but Jesse was content to lag behind. They would indeed see if he was here in another two months, he thought. More to the point, where would Shea be in another two months?
For some reason he didn’t want to think about the vibrant Shea sitting in a prison cell. That wasn’t his job, he reminded himself. What happened to her in the long run wasn’t his decision. His job was to find out what she was doing, and arrest her if necessary.
And he’d start at lunch by checking out Maria, the housekeeper who was supposedly involved.
He didn’t have a chance to talk to Maria. Ben Jackson, one of the deputy sheriffs from Cameron, was waiting for them when they walked into the house. Jesse had taken careful note of Ben during the time he’d spent in Cameron. He was Devlin McAllister’s most trusted deputy, and Jesse still hadn’t decided if Devlin was involved in the smuggling. Ben was a tall, wiry man with dark hair and eyes and a serious face. It softened into a smile when Shea walked into the room. Shea gave him a hug, and some of the deputy’s reserve melted as he returned the embrace.
Jesse tensed, but the expression on Shea’s face was one of sisterly welcome. It wasn’t the kind of embrace a woman would give a lover. Jesse scowled at the relief that flooded through him.
“Ben! What are you doing here?” She stepped back and took his hand. “Not that I’m not happy to see you. Stay and have lunch with us, or Maria will be insulted.”
“I heard some rumors about Joe and Dusty’s accident, and I wanted to find out what happened.” Ben’s dark eyes softened as he watched Shea. “I thought you might need some help.”
“As a matter of fact, I hired someone this morning.” Shea looked around and spotted Jesse standing near the door. “Coulton, come here and meet one of my friends.”
Jesse reluctantly moved forward. He would have preferred to hang back for a while and watch. “Jesse Coulton,” he said to Ben Jackson, extending his hand to the deputy.
“Ben Jackson,” the other man replied. His gaze was unapologetic as it lingered on Jesse. “I’m a sheriff’s deputy in Cameron. Do you have references?”
Jesse allowed himself an instant of admiration for the deputy’s strength, then he raised his eyebrows. “Is that the usual procedure in Cameron?” he drawled. “To get the police to interrogate every newcomer?”
Ben didn’t back down. “Not at all. Shea’s brother is my boss, as well as the other owner of the Red Rock Ranch. If he was here, he’d ask the same thing. I’m merely doing my job.”
Ben Jackson would be a formidable opponent, Jesse realized. Thank God they were on the same side, although the deputy didn’t know it. “Of course I have references.” He glanced over at Shea. “I gave them to Ms. McAllister yesterday.”
Ben turned to Shea. “Have you checked on them yet?”
“You sound exactly like Devlin.” She scowled at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll check them tonight.”
“Why don’t you give them to me?” Ben said as his gaze lingered on Jesse. “I’ll do it for you.”
“I’m perfectly capable of calling a few people,” Shea snapped at him.
The deputy’s serious face creased in a smile. “Most people don’t like to get phone calls at three a.m.,” he said, a hint of laughter in his voice. “As close as I can figure, that’s about your only free time.”
“You’re as bad as Dev,” Shea muttered, turning and walking out of the room. She reappeared a few moments later and handed Ben several sheets of paper. “Here are copies of Jesse’s references. I’ll call them this afternoon, but you’re welcome to take a look at them.”
Ben placed the envelope on a small table, and Jesse knew that, in spite of Shea’s words, he’d check on the references as soon as he returned to his office. Jesse had done enough research to know that Ben was almost frighteningly efficient. He and Devlin McAllister were outstanding law enforcement officers.
Normally on a case like this he’d go to the sheriff, explain what he was doing and ask for help. But he hadn’t done that this time. He’d learned that Devlin was close to his sister. Although there were no indications that the sheriff was involved in the smuggling, Jesse couldn’t take any chances. And that applied to his deputies, as well.
A short, heavyset woman appeared in the doorway that appeared to lead to a dining room. Her black hair was pulled back into a severe bun and her dark eyes snapped. “Lunch is ready, if any of you arc interested.”
Levi walked in the door just then and headed straight for the dining room, as did everyone else. Jesse found himself seated next to Shea at the long table. Maria passed around platters of fried chicken, bowls of green beans and mashed potatoes and baskets of corn bread. For a few minutes there was silence, as everyone concentrated on the meal. Then Ben asked, “What exactly happened with Dusty and Joe?”
Noise erupted as everyone tried to talk at once. Shea and Levi were telling him their version of the story, and Maria appeared in the door to add her opinion of witless cowboys who couldn’t drive straight. The worry he saw in her eyes took the bite out of her words. Jesse tried to ask a question, and the result was a jumble of sound that pressed against his ears.
Shea must have seen the shock on his face, because she broke off what she was saying and turned to him. “I take it you’re not from a large and vocal family,” she said, grinning. “Don’t mind us. We all like to talk, and we all want to make sure we get our turn. It’ll settle down in a few minutes.”
Sure enough, pretty soon the volume decreased and Shea told Ben what had happened with Dusty and Joe. She assured the deputy that both men were fine and would be back on the ranch in a day or two.
“The doctor wanted to keep both of them in the hospital for observation, just to make sure there weren’t any other problems. And I knew we didn’t have anyone to take care of them during the day, so I made them stay.” Her grin flashed again. “I figured you’d stop by to find out what was going on. I was going to ask you to go get them tomorrow. I don’t want to listen to them complain all the way home.”
Another smile flitted across Ben’s face. “That may be pushing friendship a little too far.”
Shea gave a deep, theatrical sigh. “I guess I’ll just have to do it myself, then.” She turned sorrowful eyes to Levi. “You can do everything here on the ranch by yourself, can’t you, Levi?”
Ben laughed. “All right, all right, you’ve made your point. I was going to offer, anyway. Cameron is having a peaceful spell right now. It shouldn’t be any problem to get away.”
Jesse watched the interplay, knowing that his face wouldn’t give away what he was feeling. If he had anything to say about it, things wouldn’t be peaceful in Cameron for long.
After making the arrangements to pick up Dusty and Joe the following day, the deputy turned to Jesse. “It was pretty coincidental, you showing up in Cameron just when Shea needed to hire someone.”
Jesse leaned back in his chair. “I had already spoken to Ms. McAllister about a job before her two cowboys had their accident.
So I’d call it more luck than coincidence. For both of us.”
Ben studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I’m going to assume your references will back that up.”
Jesse was close enough to Shea to feel her tense. “Knock it off, Ben. I checked the written letters he had, and I’ll call his former employers this afternoon. But who else was I going to hire? We needed someone right away, not in the weeks or months it would take if we had to go looking.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, Shea. I’m just going to do some checking for you. I promised Dev I would help you out if you needed anything, and checking Coulton’s references is something Dev would have done.”
She turned to Jesse. “Excuse us for talking about you as if you weren’t here. I’m afraid my brother has an excessive dose of protectiveness. And Ben seems to be taking Devlin’s remarks about watching out for me way too seriously.”
“Don’t worry about it. I understand about brothers and sisters.”
But he didn’t, not really. He’d never had a sibling, and the only person he’d ever felt protective of was his mother. And she didn’t need his protection. He watched the interplay between Shea and her brother’s friend with something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.
He’d never wanted to be a part of a family, never felt any need to put down roots and cultivate ties. Most of the families he’d seen in his line of work were pitiful excuses for loving units. Now, sitting at this table, watching the affection these people had for one another, he wondered fleetingly what he’d missed. Even Levi, who was only an employee, was treated like a member of the family and acted like one. And the bantering they’d done about Joe and Dusty had been a very thin veneer for the concern that was obvious.
When he turned his attention back to Shea, she was giving Ben instructions about picking up Joe and Dusty the next day. Finally she turned to him when Maria brought in cherry pies for dessert.
“We have a lot to do this afternoon.” She accepted her pie almost absently and began to eat it. “Levi is going to drive you around the ranch, get you oriented. There’s a lot of territory to cover, and you’ll be able to jump in and help more quickly if you know where everything is. Then there’s more fence down on the other side of the pasture we were at this morning. You and Levi can take care of that. That should take us to dinner. Generally, your time is your own after dinner, unless there’s something urgent that needs to be done.”
The Fugitive Bride Page 4