It was a beautiful morning, she thought an hour later as she was heading away from the cabin. She’d told Miguel and the young boy about the trip to the rodeo Saturday, and that the boy’s cousins would meet them there. Miguel would leave for San Rafael as soon as the boy was gone, and she could stop worrying about Jesse finding out what she was doing.
Or Devlin.
She still felt ashamed and embarrassed that she hadn’t told her brother, but she knew she couldn’t, at least not yet. Devlin was the sheriff of Cameron, and what she was doing was technically illegal. She didn’t want to put her brother in the horrible position of condoning his sister’s illegal acts. Or of being forced to arrest her. So for now, Devlin couldn’t know.
So far, it had been easy to keep the secret from him. He’d been preoccupied with Carly’s problems when the first children arrived, and after he and Carly got married they’d moved into town. Lately he’d been busy helping Carly sell her apartment and move from New York. He hadn’t had much time to spend at the ranch in the last few months. Devlin had been apologetic, but Shea had been glad.
But Carly’s apartment had been sold, and in a few weeks, or even less, Devlin would be back in town to stay. Shea’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. It was going to be hard to hide what she was doing from Dev.
Pulling the truck to the side of the road, she slid out of the cab and wandered over to a small stream that splashed its way down the mountain. The water flashed in the sunlight, turning the rocks a dark, blood red and making the minerals in the stones gleam like diamonds. She sat down on a rock next to the stream and trailed her hand in the fast-running water.
She was being squeezed from both sides, and she didn’t know what to do. There were hundreds more orphaned children in San Rafael in desperate circumstances, living on the streets, in constant danger and literally starving to death. They needed the safety and shelter of a loving home, and many of them had relatives in the United States eager to take them in.
She wanted to help them, needed to help them. But soon she would have to worry about Devlin. And now there was Jesse.
Her thoughts skittered away from the enigmatic man she’d hired yesterday. He was only here on a temporary basis, she told herself. Only until Joe and Dusty were back on their feet. Then he’d be gone.
It didn’t matter that he made her skin tingle and her hands tremble. She wasn’t interested. She had a ranch to run, and children to save. And Jesse was dangerous.
Before she could decide what to do, she heard the sound of a truck straining to get up the road. She jumped to her feet. Something must have happened, because Levi had understood that he was to keep Jesse away from the mountain this morning.
Her heart pounding, she ran over to the road and watched one of the ranch trucks round a corner and come into view. But it wasn’t Levi at the wheel. It was Jesse, and he looked as shocked to see her as she was to see him.
Chapter 5
Shea watched while Jesse stopped the truck and got out. Anger and fear coiled inside her. If she hadn’t stopped, if she’d continued back to the house, she might not have seen Jesse. And if he continued on this road, he would have come to the cabin.
“What are you doing up here?” she demanded.
“Would you believe I was lost?”
“No, I won’t. You and Levi had specific orders about what to do this morning, and none of your work involved coming up here. Why are you here, Coulton?”
“I thought we were on a first-name basis by now,” he said, leaning against the truck.
He stood in the sunlight, quirking one eyebrow at her. His arms were crossed in front of his chest and his legs were crossed at the ankle, and all she could remember was how he’d felt the day before. Her skin heated and her heart began to pound, and because that frightened her almost as much as what he might have found, her temper erupted.
“The only thing I’m going to be calling you is unemployed unless I get some answers. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed. When I tell you to do some work on the opposite side of the ranch, I don’t expect to find you wandering around up here, miles away from where you’re supposed to be.”
He shrugged, and the careless gesture only made her more angry. “You told us to take a look at the truck. That’s why I’m up here.”
“The last time I checked, the truck was in the garage.”
“The cap was missing from the radiator. I thought I might be able to find it if I went back to where it had crashed.”
Shea took a step closer to him, too angry to remember to be careful around Jesse. “First of all, I did not tell you to look for missing radiator caps. I simply wanted to know the extent of the damage. And secondly, if someone had to come up here and look for something, why didn’t Levi do it? He knows the mountain a lot better than you do. He wouldn’t have gotten lost.”
“I thought Levi could use a break. He’s having a cup of coffee.” He gave her an innocent smile, and she ground her teeth. She was very certain that Jesse hadn’t been innocent in a long, long time.
“I’m sure your mother thinks of you as a considerate person, Coulton, but you’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I’ll fall for that. What were you doing up here?”
Something in his eyes shifted and hardened as they stared at each other. “I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I’m telling you the truth. I came up here looking for the radiator cap and I got lost. I must have taken a wrong turn. End of story.”
Even in the hot sun she could feel the heat from his body, and she was abruptly aware that she was too close to him. Anger vibrated in the small space between them, anger and some other emotion she didn’t want to recognize. But taking a step backward would be losing ground, and she knew well that she couldn’t do that. Experience had taught her that a woman who was in charge of a ranch couldn’t afford any sign of weakness.
“You can take one more turn and go right back where you came from. I’ll talk to Levi later.”
He shifted and stood up straight, and now he was so close she could almost feel his breath. His hazel eyes burned into her, their green lights sparking. Her heart betrayed her by slowly rolling over in her chest, but she didn’t move away. She wouldn’t allow herself to do that.
“I thought you would appreciate my taking the initiative,” he drawled.
“Are you going to give me that corporate nonsense about being an empowered employee?” She glared at him.
His lips twitched and suddenly most of the tension dissipated. “I wouldn’t dream of it, Ms. McAllister. No, ma’am. I know that’s not the way you do things. God forbid you should have an employee who’s capable of thinking by himself.”
She couldn’t suppress a smile, although she tried to scowl. “Just remember that, Coulton, and we’ll get along fine.”
“Don’t worry, Shea. I won’t forget it again.”
Although his lips still curved up, the smile was gone from his eyes. Shea shivered. They held nothing but a cool challenge now. It was almost, she thought, as if he knew her secret. Almost as if he was telling her that he’d find her out, one way or another.
But that was ridiculous. Jesse Coulton was a drifter cowboy, with no more interest in her refugees than the man in the moon. Shaking off the chill that had enveloped her, she said, “You can follow me back to the house. I was on my way home.”
“Fine.” But he didn’t move. He continued to watch her. “What were you doing up here, anyway?”
“This is my ranch. I can go anywhere I want, without explaining myself to you or anyone else,” she answered coolly.
He nodded once and moved to get into his truck. But before he turned away, she saw a flash of anger in his eyes. Anger and a hard determination that disturbed her. Was he the kind of man who had to be in charge, who didn’t like a woman telling him what to do?
She hoped not. He’d accepted a job on the Red Rock, knowing that she would be his boss. And she hadn’t noticed any signs of resentment yesterday. Especially n
ot last night.
She turned abruptly and climbed into her own truck. She wasn’t going to think about the kiss they had shared. It had been a mistake, one fueled by nerves and adrenaline. And it wasn’t going to happen again.
Jesse followed her down the mountain, keeping his truck close to hers. In spite of her vow not to think about the mistake she’d made the night before, it haunted her memory. Jesse’s taste lingered in her mouth, and his scent seemed to cling to her. Every time she caught a glimpse of him, in the truck behind her, she remembered the way his fingers had tangled in her hair, pulled her close to him. By the time they reached the house, her temper had cooled but desire had bloomed into life.
She was a rational adult, she told herself. She could handle this. Climbing out of her truck, she approached Jesse with a smile plastered to her face. “Why don’t you get Levi and we’ll take a look at that truck?”
He nodded once. “He’s probably in the house. We’ll be right back.”
His eyes were cool and unreadable. Whatever emotion had raged through him up on the mountain was now gone. Or at least well hidden. Shea allowed her gaze to follow Jesse up to the house, then she deliberately turned and went into the garage.
She was staring at the crumpled front end of the truck when Levi and Jesse came into the garage. Levi was pointing out the repairs that the truck would need when she heard the rumble of a vehicle pulling into the yard. She jerked to attention.
“That sounds like Ben’s truck.”
Jesse watched her run out into the yard. He shot a questioning glance to Levi, who shrugged.
“I think she’s been listening for that truck most of the morning. She’s been powerful worried about Joe and Dusty.” He shook his head and spat into the dust. “They’re a couple of damn fools. I wouldn’t have hit that rock.”
The emotion in the old man’s eyes betrayed his words. “It looks like everyone around here has been worried about them,” Jesse said.
Levi shrugged. “You get used to the way a fellow works after you been working with him for a while.” He glanced at Jesse out of the corner of his eye. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with you. But Joe, Dusty and I have been together for a long time.” He shrugged again. “I don’t want to have to get used to anyone else.”
Jesse understood it was the most he was going to get from Levi. The old man wasn’t going to reveal his fear for his friends to a virtual stranger. And Jesse couldn’t blame him. He understood how to hide emotion.
“Might as well see how they’re doing,” Levi muttered, and hurried out of the barn after Shea.
Jesse followed more slowly, content to watch the reunion from afar. The missing radiator cap weighed down his shirt pocket, knocking against his chest as he walked. Every tiny bump reminded him of his purpose on the Red Rock Ranch. And it sure as hell wasn’t to be a welcoming committee to Joe and Dusty.
It was bad luck that Shea had caught him this morning. Levi had bought his excuse of looking for the radiator cap, and he should have had plenty of time to look around. He scowled as he watched Shea embrace two more old men, both of them looking fragile and still shaken.
She’d been one step ahead of him today, too. It was a new experience for him, and he didn’t like it one damn bit. But it couldn’t last forever. Sooner or later he’d get his chance, and then he’d nail her to the wall.
Just then Shea looked around, spotted him, and gestured at him to join them. He sauntered over to the group, assessing the two other cowboys that worked at the ranch. They we both as old as Levi, but their eyes were sharp and shrewd.
“Jesse, this is Joe and Dusty,” Shea said, introducing him. She turned to the men, one of whom had a cast on his arm. The other had a bandage covering a spot on his head. “Joe, Dusty, I hired Jesse Coulton to help out until you get back on your feet. I’m counting on you to help me train him.”
Dusty gave him a nod, but Joe examined him with suspicious eyes. “You qualified to work on a ranch the size of the Red Rock?” he barked.
“I think so.” Jesse glanced over at Shea. “I gave the boss my references, and she hired me.”
“We’ll see.” Joe’s voice was grim, and Jesse knew he’d have to watch his step. It was clear that Joe wouldn’t cut him any slack.
“Jesse and Levi were looking at the truck,” Shea said, stepping between them and taking Joe’s arm. “When you’re up to it, could you take a look at it for me? I want your opinion before we do anything about it.”
“I’ll take a look at it right now,” Joe said. “It’s about time I got back to work.”
“Not right now.” Shea steered him gently toward the house. “Maria is going to have lunch ready soon, and you know she’d skin me alive if I made you late for a meal.” She grinned at Joe, and Jesse felt his chest constrict. “I’m already number one on her list of troublemakers.”
The old man’s eyes softened, and Shea linked her arms through Joe’s and Dusty’s as the group made its way toward the house. The serious expression on Ben Jackson’s face lightened as he watched Shea with the old cowboys. Clearly, Ben thought as much of Shea as everyone else.
The next instant the moment disappeared as everyone started talking at once. Joe and Dusty complained about the hospital food and the forced inactivity, Levi railed at them for being stupid enough to need to go to the hospital in the first place, and Shea tried to out-talk all of them. Ben just grinned at the show. Jesse felt as if his head was spinning as he tried to watch Shea and keep track of what everyone was saying.
Shea McAllister had been nothing but a surprise to him from the moment he’d stepped foot on the Red Rock Ranch. And he didn’t like surprises. She’d completely shattered his preconceived ideas about her, and it had taken little more than twenty-four hours.
The three cowboys who worked for her clearly adored her, as did her brother’s friend. And if Jesse hadn’t known who she was, he might be well on his way to joining them. He scowled and stared down at the food on his plate. He hadn’t been prepared for Shea McAllister, and that annoyed him. He prided himself on being prepared for everything.
“You can’t frown like that while you’re eating, Coulton.” Shea’s voice was too close to his ear.
Jesse snapped his head up to look at her. “Excuse me?” Shea grinned at him, making his breath catch in his chest. “Maria takes it real hard if she thinks someone’s not enjoying her food. You’d better eat up. You don’t want an ugly scene, believe me.”
“I wasn’t frowning.”
“You were doing a darned good imitation, then.” Her smile dimmed. “I’m sorry if I came down too hard on you this morning. My temper got the best of me.”
Shea thought he was sulking because she’d yelled at him. He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve noticed that about you.”
Instead of taking offense, she grinned at him again. “It’s another of my failings. I have a lot of them, I’m afraid.”
“You don’t seem too concerned about it.”
This time she laughed out loud. “I don’t have to be. Joe, Dusty and Levi, not to mention my beloved brother, are only too happy to point my faults out to me. So I let them worry about it. I have better things to do.”
Her blue eyes were bright with laughter, shining at him, inviting him to join the joke at her expense. She shimmered with vitality. Something painful tugged at his chest, twisted inside him. Suddenly his determination to dim that light in her eyes made him vaguely disgusted with himself.
Appalled with himself, he pushed away from the table, muttering, “I have a lot of things to do before we get back to work. I’ll be out in the barn.”
The radiator cap slapped against him as he hurried out of the room, one small deception among many. A necessary one, he reminded himself harshly. When someone broke the law, sneered at it, you couldn’t always play fair. And playing dirty against the criminals had never bothered him before now.
As he strode out of the house, he tried to close his ears to the sounds of laughter a
nd love that he left behind. So what if Shea seemed to be universally adored? So what if he found her attractive and disturbing? It didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was justice, and he was going to have it. No matter the cost.
Two days later Shea jumped out of bed and hurried to the window. A clear, sunny day, perfect for a rodeo. She dressed carefully, then hurried downstairs to grab a quick breakfast.
Jesse was already sitting at the dining room table, finishing a stack of pancakes. His eyebrows rose as he spotted her.
“Pretty fancy clothes,” he said.
She grinned at him as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Even her disturbing attraction to him couldn’t dim her enthusiasm today. Not only was she excited about the rodeo, but the last child would be picked up today. “Demon and I are competing in a rodeo today. My clothes are all part of the show.”
Jesse’s eyebrows rose. “You’re racing today?”
“Yep.” She waited for the toast to pop up. “We’re leaving as soon as I have enough to eat to satisfy Maria.”
Jesse watched her as he took a swallow of coffee, then said, “Mind if I tag along?”
She stared at him, appalled, as her happy mood vanished. “You want to come with me to the rodeo?”
“I’d love to. I’d like to see you race.”
Her mind struggled with all the excuses she could give him, discarding one after another. She had given him and the other three cowboys the day off, and there was really no reason to refuse his request.
Except for one.
One small child. She was going to meet Paolo’s family at the rodeo today, and turn the boy over to them. How could she do that with Jesse trailing along with her?
“You’ve already seen the show, remember?” Her answer was weak, but she was stalling for time to think of a better excuse.
The Fugitive Bride Page 7