Fugitive Fiancée

by Kristin Gabriel

  He heard the edge of desperation in her voice and moved closer to her. “It’s all right,” he said softly, using the same tone he used to gentle a spooked horse. “Everything will be all right. Come with me to the house. We’ll figure out what to do.”

  Her tense shoulders relaxed a fraction. She took a deep breath, then gave him a shaky nod.

  Garrett gently grasped her elbow and led her toward the ladder. She gathered her voluminous skirt in her hands, then carefully climbed down the wooden rungs. Her knees buckled when she reached the barn floor, and Garrett watched her grab on to a wooden support beam to steady herself. He jumped down the last few rungs and hurried to her side.

  “I’m all right,” she assured him. “I haven’t eaten anything all day and the…excitement must be catching up with me.”

  Damn. Bad enough he’d found a citified bride stowed away in his barn. Now she was about to pass out from hunger. How could she leave his ranch if she was unconscious? Without bothering to ask her permission, Garrett bent and scooped her into his arms. He ignored her sharp gasp of protest as he gathered her close to his chest. A little closer than necessary. But he couldn’t resist the urge to inhale her unique scent and feel all that softness against his body one last time.

  His horse Brutus emitted a high-pitched whinny as Garrett headed for the barn door, a sputtering bride in his arms. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the big bay gelding was laughing at him.

  AS SOON AS Garrett carried Mimi out of the barn, the wild Texas wind snatched at her veil and whipped it across his face. He spit three layers of tulle out of his mouth, then muttered an oath under his breath.

  “You can put me down now,” she said, more than a little unnerved by his brute strength. She weighed one hundred and thirty pounds, and the man wasn’t even breathing hard.

  “This is my ranch,” he bit out, shifting her slightly in his arms as he strode toward the house. “I’m the one who gives the orders.”

  Mimi clenched her jaw and held her tongue. She couldn’t afford to antagonize him. She couldn’t keep staring at him, either. It wasn’t proper for a woman who’d almost married another man less than four hours ago. And Mimi Casville had been raised to be a proper young lady. To behave perfectly in every social situation. She’d always tried to follow the rigid dictates of high-society etiquette.

  Until today.

  Running out of your own wedding was not considered polite behavior in Austin society. Or anywhere else, for that matter. A well-bred, proper young lady did not abandon her groom at the altar. Or leave four hundred guests crowded together in the overly warm sanctuary.

  But Mimi had done exactly that. And now she was in the arms of a cowboy. A very handsome cowboy who was partly to blame for the weakness in her knees and the erratic beat of her heart. She blinked at him, unable to look away. His face was tanned and rugged, testimony to long days working under the hot Texas sun. The shadow of stubble on his square jaw matched the russet hair almost hidden beneath his black felt cowboy hat.

  Her cheeks blazed when his green-gold eyes caught her staring at him. She blinked and quickly looked away. But not before his gaze touched something in her soul. The way he looked at her… If her fiancé had ever looked at her that way, just once, she might be a married woman right now.

  Mimi closed her eyes, pushing thoughts of her duplicitous fiancé out of her mind. She couldn’t think about him. Not now. Instead, she leaned her head against Garrett’s broad chest and focused her attention on the ranch house.

  It was a rustic, two-story stone-fronted structure, fifty years old or so, but well-maintained. Black shutters accented every window, and small wisps of smoke curled out of the stone chimney. An inviting wraparound porch held a porch swing and a small doghouse. Wood creaked as Garrett climbed the steps that led to his front door.

  Like most girls, Mimi had always dreamed of her wedding day. In her mind’s eye, she’d seen a magnificent cathedral full of friends and family. A reverent candelight service. A handsome, adoring groom.

  She sighed. So far, it hadn’t turned out at all like she’d planned. She’d certainly never imagined being carried over the threshold by a cantankerous cowboy. Although the stranger holding her in his arms had a solidness about him that she’d rarely experienced before. A gentle strength that inexplicably made her want to nestle closer to him.

  At least until he marched through the front door and dumped her on the beige leather sofa in his living room. Then he turned on his heel and left without a word.

  Mimi lay there stunned for a moment, listening to the clomp of his cowboy boots in the next room. Then she struggled to sit up. It was difficult to do anything in her five-thousand-dollar wedding dress. One hundred and ten silk-covered buttons ran down the back of the dress from her neck to her tailbone. Steel ribbing cinched her middle like an old-fashioned corset. It made her waist look impossibly tiny and her breasts impossibly big. It also made it very hard to breathe. Little wonder she’d almost passed out.

  When she finally managed to pull herself upright, she took a long look around the room. A sturdy oak coffee table separated the sofa from two oversize leather armchairs. A handwoven rug with rich hues of blue, green and burgundy stretched across the polished hardwood floor. Another rug lay in front of the stone hearth, where a small fire glowed. A rustic Christmas wreath made of fragrant pine boughs still hung over the mantel.

  She leaned back against the sofa, listening to the crackle and snap of the fire and watching the shadows of the flames dance on the wall.

  Mimi’s instincts told her Garrett was definitely a bachelor. There were no fussy feminine touches in the room, although she found she liked the Spartan simplicity surrounding her. It was an improvement over the ostentatious Colonial-style mansion she’d grown up in.

  Tears pricked her eyes. She might never see that home again. Never see her father, who was no doubt bullying his way through Austin right now searching for her. Her throat grew so tight it was almost painful. She couldn’t let him find her. Not until she had time to straighten out the mess she’d made of her life.

  The day seemed like a blur. Or rather like a nightmare. One you couldn’t escape by waking up. It was all too real. The betrayal and the lies. The careful scheming and the furtive whispers. All designed to make Mimi believe an illusion. Only now her eyes were wide open.

  She’d never been this alone before. No, that wasn’t true. Once. Just once she’d been even more frightened, more desperate. It was a time she didn’t like to think about. A time that made her heart ache. Ten years ago. She closed her eyes and swallowed her tears. Now wasn’t the time to reminisce about lost hopes and broken dreams. She had to stay strong. Had to figure a way out of this mess.

  After taking several deep breaths, Mimi opened her eyes, more composed. She couldn’t worry about the past or the future. Right now the present demanded all her energy.

  Garrett entered the room carrying a tray with two steaming wooden bowls on it and a crusty loaf of bread. He set it on the coffee table, then handed her one of the bowls. “Eat every drop.”

  Mimi sat up and reached for the spoon, assuming this to be another one of his orders. She was much too hungry to think about disobeying it. The savory aroma of the stew made her mouth water. She spooned up a hearty bite, blew gently on it, then put it in her mouth, closing her eyes in appreciation as the delicious flavors mingled on her tongue.

  “This is wonderful,” she said, spooning up another bite. It seemed so peaceful somehow, eating stew with a perfect stranger. Away from all the pressures that had built around her for the past few weeks.

  “Anything tastes good when you’re half-starved.” He sliced a thick slab of bread from the loaf and handed it to her.

  So Garrett didn’t take orders or compliments well, Mimi thought as she watched him cut a slice of bread for himself. He didn’t take kindly to finding stray brides in his barn, either, judging by his earlier reaction.

  He looked up and caught her staring at hi
m again. “Eat.”

  Her cheeks warmed, and she immediately dropped her gaze to her bowl. She sensed that Garrett, like his adorable dog, was all bark and no bite. The little black schnauzer had growled ferociously at her when she’d first stepped foot on the ranch. Of course, the pup had ruined his guard-dog act by licking her ankles and rolling over on his back for a belly rub.

  Not that his master could be so easily pacified. An unbidden image of Garrett licking her ankles flashed in her mind, and Mimi choked on her stew. Heat washed up her face as Garrett looked at her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Fine,” she replied, hoping he’d blame the steaming stew for the fiery flush on her cheeks.

  To make matters worse, he pushed away his empty bowl, then leaned back in his chair and slowly rubbed one hand over his taut stomach. Maybe he enjoyed belly rubs as much as his dog.

  She tried to swallow the giggle bubbling up her throat, but it erupted in a very unladylike snort. He scowled at her, and Mimi didn’t know what to do. Laugh? Cry? Both seemed equally tempting at the moment.

  But now was not the time to become hysterical. She could save her tears for later. It wasn’t proper for a dinner guest to weep over her food. So instead she took a deep, calming breath and endeavored to make polite dinner conversation.

  “This bread is delicious.” Mimi had never baked bread in her life, but she knew after the first succulent bite that it was homemade. Still warm from the oven, the bread was crusty on the outside and tender on the inside.

  “Venna made it.”

  “Venna?” Mimi wiped her buttery fingers on her paper napkin. “Is she your cook?”

  “Nope.”

  She waited for him to elaborate, but he turned his gaze to the fireplace. His silence only made her more curious. Mimi wasn’t naturally nosy, but for some reason, this man intrigued her more than most. Maybe because he didn’t know anything about her or her illustrious family. He wasn’t trying to impress her or charm her or do anything to draw himself closer to the Casville fortune.

  He might even like her if he got to know her. Like her for herself, instead of what her family’s money and power might do for him.

  She spooned up more stew. “Then she must be your fairy godmother.”

  That got his attention. He turned his gaze from the fire to her. “What?”

  “This mysterious Venna. I thought she might be some kind of fairy godmother who magically makes fresh-baked bread appear on your table every evening.”

  He scowled. “There’s nothing mysterious about her. Venna Schwab was the woman in the barn.”

  “The woman you were hiding from?”

  “I wasn’t hiding,” he said, not quite meeting her gaze. “I just don’t happen to like unexpected company.”

  She chose to ignore the innuendo. “Why? I’d think a person would get pretty lonely way out here—with nothing but cows and coyotes to keep you company.”

  “That’s the way I like it,” he countered. “Although a ranch is no place for a city girl like you.”

  She blanched. “How did you know?”

  “I can spot a city girl a mile away. Not many women out here waste money on a fancy manicure.” He motioned to her polished pink fingernails. “Or wear silly shoes like the ones you’ve got on.”

  She lifted her feet a few inches off the floor. “These silly shoes happen to be imported from Italy. They’re designer originals!”

  “Well, they’re not worth two bits out here. Between the dirt and the gravel and the scrub brush they’ll be ruined in no time.”

  She shrugged and placed her feet on the floor. “I didn’t have time to change. I left in rather a hurry.”

  She expected him to ask her why, but instead he swept the bread crumbs off the coffee table into his empty bowl. Then he looked at her. “Finish your stew.”

  “Aren’t you the least bit curious about me?” she asked, ignoring his latest order.

  “No.” He settled back in the armchair and folded his arms across his chest. “I’ve learned the hard way that curiosity can be a dangerous thing. Now, do you need a ride back into Austin, or did you drive out here?”

  “I drove.” She licked the last few bread crumbs off her fingers. “At least, until I ran out of gas. Then I walked.”

  He arched a brow. “Walked? In those shoes?”

  “Of course not. I took them off and carried them.”

  He leaned forward. “You mean you walked barefoot on these gravel roads? Exactly how far did you go?”

  She shrugged. “Five or six miles. I lost count.”

  He rose and moved toward her. Then he knelt in front of the sofa and picked up her foot. She winced as he carefully removed her right shoe.

  “Damn,” he breathed. Beneath the shredded sheer stocking, raw blisters and tiny cuts covered the sole of her foot. Without another word, he carefully pulled the stocking away from her skin, then ripped it apart with his powerful hands. It split all the way to her knee.

  Mimi looked down to see that her pink pedicured toenails were torn, dirty and bleeding. Her head spun, and she reached out to grab his broad shoulder. She hated acting weak in front of him, but at the moment she was too busy trying not to pass out to care.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his callused hands cradling her foot.

  “Nothing. It’s silly.”

  “Tell me.”

  As Mimi struggled to remain conscious, she thought about all the money her father had wasted on doctors and even a hypnotist to help her overcome this ridiculous reaction to the sight of blood. Especially her own. But nothing had helped. In fact, her father’s insistence that she conquer this weakness had only seemed to make it worse.

  At last, she took a deep breath and focused her attention on his face instead of her foot. “The sight of blood makes me a little woozy. In fact, I have to wax my legs instead of shaving them because I’ll pass out if I nick myself with a razor.”

  Heat flooded her face when she realized how inappropriate it was to tell him that intimate little detail. Especially now that his thumb was absently stroking the sleek, bare skin of her ankle.

  She swallowed hard at his sensuous touch, wanting it both to stop and to go on forever. “I…you…I mean, this really isn’t necessary.”

  “Don’t look,” he ordered as he turned his attention to her left foot.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, but she couldn’t stop the small gasp that left her lips when he tugged off her other shoe.

  “Does that hurt?”

  “Not really,” she breathed, warily opening her eyes.

  “Liar,” he said softly. Then he stood, turned and tossed her shoes in the fireplace.

  She watched in mute horror as her five-hundred-dollar shoes went up in flames. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m doing you a favor.”

  “But…those are the only shoes I have with me.”

  “My sister Shelby keeps a pair of boots here that she only wears when she comes out to ride.” His gaze flicked over her. “Might not be a perfect fit, but you two look about the same size.”

  “That’s not the point. You had no right to dispose of my property. How would you like it if I—” she motioned wildly toward the large picture window “—burned down your barn!”

  He arched a brow. “Is that what you were planning to do in there?”

  “Of course not. If you want to know the truth, I was hiding out. I figured a hayloft was the last place my fiancé would look, especially since he has horrible hay fever.” She swallowed, realizing the time had come to tell him everything. Well, maybe not everything. She did have some pride.

  “I was supposed to be married today. But I…” Mimi’s voice quavered, and she paused a moment to gain control. “I just couldn’t go through with it. So I left him at the altar, hopped into my car and drove until it wouldn’t go any farther.”

  The memory rekindled her anger, making her voice stronger. “It didn’t matter to me where or how far,
I just had to get away. As far away as possible.”

  A muscle ticked in Garrett’s jaw, but he didn’t say anything.

  “I walked until I couldn’t take another step,” she continued, her fingers flexing on the wrinkled skirt of her gown. “That’s when I saw your ranch. There wasn’t anyone around but the dog, and he seemed friendly enough. I thought I could rest for a while in your hayloft. Maybe even stay the night.”

  Garrett just stared at her.

  “I know that was presumptuous. And I apologize for trespassing on your property.” She nibbled her lower lip. “But I really didn’t know what else to do. I certainly couldn’t walk right into your house, unlocked or not.”

  She swallowed again, her throat dry. “I’d only been up in your hayloft for about thirty minutes when you arrived.”

  The way Garrett was looking at her made her increasingly uneasy. Raw emotion smoldered in his eyes.

  “Well,” she said after a long, uncomfortable silence, “don’t you have anything to say?”

  “Yes.” His voice sounded low and tight. “Get the hell off my ranch.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  MIMI FLINCHED as the front door slammed. Garrett had ordered her to leave, but he’d been the one to stomp out the door. Men. She’d never understand them. Her father was just as unfathomable. Not to mention prickly and stubborn.

  Today she’d also learned he was a liar.

  Her chest tightened, and Mimi sat up straight on the sofa, suddenly unable to breathe. Frantic fingers clumsily worked the silk buttons running down the back of her gown. The fabric ripped, and she gasped for air until she was finally free of the confining garment.

  She stood up, shimmying out of the voluminous gown and letting it pile at her feet. Then she stepped out of it, still decently covered from ankle to collarbone by her white silk bridal slip. She kicked the gown into the corner, then sat on the sofa, placing her head between her knees to regain her equilibrium.

  Not a full-fledged panic attack, but close enough. A sign that her life was spinning out of control. Again. It had first happened when she was a freshman in college. A silly infatuation with a charming upper-classman had turned her life upside down and almost caused her to quit school.