Rocky Mountain Romance (Six Pack Ranch Book 7)

by Vivian Arend

  “But you love me, right?”

  He chuckled. “Of course I do. Because you’re my mom, and you’re always willing to teach me new things.”

  “I love you too. And don’t forget, talk to Marion and find out when she needs your help.”

  He got off the phone, tempted to postpone calling his aunt until the next day. He had enough on his plate, and once he was done work that day, he desperately needed to get in touch with Melody.

  But ignoring his responsibilities didn’t sit right. Steve sighed. Damn behaving like an adult, anyway. He turned the corner on the edge of the field, got headed back on the next pass, then punched in the number to the Six Pack ranch.

  Five minutes later he was offering up thanks for having given in and done the right thing. Sometime during the past year, he had to have built up enough good karma that for once everything worked in his favour.

  Auntie Marion got in a dig suggesting he needed to apologize a lot harder, but then she told him about Melody’s task.

  The receptionist at the Rocky Mountain Animal Clinic offered the cheerful opinion that he was a fool, followed immediately by telling him Melody had left town fifteen minutes earlier, headed to Ian’s cabin.

  The temptation was too great to ignore. She’d avoided his phone calls, disregarded his emails—it was damn near impossible to make things right between them when she wouldn’t let him get close enough to do the job.

  Steve shut down the tractor right there and then, abandoning it in the middle of the field. He headed at a jog for the side of the road where he’d left his truck, phone in hand to make one final call.

  “Trevor, I’m taking off early. I’ve got something I need to do.”

  While the rumble of the other tractor working the far section of the field faintly reached his ears, his brother’s dismay was crystal clear over the phone. “What? What the hell are you doing? You can’t stop now, you’re only halfway through the job.”

  “And I’ll finish it tomorrow, but today I’ve got something more important that needs to be taken care of.”

  Even as he hung up on Trevor’s curse of protest, he knew this was exactly what he had to do. He’d backed off for a few days as requested. But it was time to make sure Melody knew he’d understood what she’d said, and that couldn’t happen without them being in the same space.

  She needed him to listen better? He would give her both ears and his entire, focused attention. Right smack dab in the middle of the wilderness where there would be nothing, and no one, to interrupt them.

  Melody reached Ian’s cabin after a long hour’s drive, her whole body vibrating from the trip down the washboard dirt road. He hadn’t built like most settlers in Alberta, placing his cabin in the middle of a clearing. He’d picked a spot right up against a rocky bluff, the cabin looking like it popped out from the mountain.

  It had probably helped with passive heating, the rocks acting as natural insulation. She admired his handiwork as she pulled into the parking space between the house and a small barn. Building smart had been the only way to go with Ian’s generation, far before Going Green had become buzzwords.

  She glanced at Charlie who was being spoiled rotten, riding in the passenger seat. “The man was definitely trying to discourage visitors.”

  Charlie’s tail thumped into the seat the instant Melody started talking, and in spite of the sad task ahead of them, she had to smile as well. “Yes, I’m glad you’re with me too.”

  Melody opened her door and stepped into the neat yard, Charlie pouring out of the cab on her heels.

  She eyed the cabin as she considered the most logical way to go about this. “Check the outbuildings first, or the house?”

  Charlie was already sniffing at the front door, whining softly as she explored.

  “House it is. Thanks, girl.” She went around to the back of her truck, rummaging through her med-kit for supplies, as well as stuffing a few treats into her pockets. “Now I understand why people have dogs. It means I can talk to myself and no one can consider me crazy.”

  She slipped a knock-out injection vial into her breast pocket for safekeeping then took the shotgun in hand, just in case.

  The key slipped in easily, turning a well-maintained lock.

  She cracked the door open an inch in case there were animals looking to escape—it would be far easier to cage them from inside the house than chasing them all over the wilderness.

  “Charlie. Stay,” she ordered.

  She got instant obedience as the dog settled her hindquarters on the porch, although she did look up with pleading in her eyes. “You can help in a bit,” Melody promised.

  Bear was a good-natured animal. He’d probably enjoy a little company, but first she had to find him.

  She closed the door and leaned her back on it, looking around the room to get her bearings. A musty scent hung in the air, the aroma of wood smoke and dust and ancient furniture. The living room held an old couch and an easy chair, a pillow and blanket piled on top of the desk shoved along one wall under the window. Toward the back of the room, she caught a glimpse of a kitchen, and off to the right, a hall that must lead to the rest of the house.

  A cat stuck its black head out from behind the couch, vanishing before she could do more than see it was there. Melody ignored the feline for now—if Ian had one, chances were he’d have more than one.

  She’d just stepped into the kitchen when Bear wandered up, limping on one leg, his tail wagging.

  “Hello, old-timer.” She knelt to caress a hand over his head, sadness striking her in a rush. “Sorry, boy. I’ve got news, and it’s not good. You’re walking the trail without your master, now.”

  She spoke past a throat gone tight as Bear tilted his head, his tail beating a steady rhythm on the floorboards, oblivious to her words.

  Another cat appeared from behind Bear’s dog bed, shooting around them both to disappear into the living room. Melody added one to her count then headed to the back of the house.

  Bathroom—nothing. Closet—nothing. The next room confused her until she realized it was tucked up against the mountainside, so it had no windows and not much else than shelves. Another couple cats shot past her, and now she was beginning to worry about getting them into crates. Bear wouldn’t be a problem, but the cats could have minds of their own when it came to being transported.

  She leaned her shoulder against the final door and turned the knob, pushing against the stubborn wood panel. It refused to budge more than a few inches, and she peeked her head around the corner to discover discarded clothing blocking the way.

  Strange, considering how neat the rest of the cabin was.

  Melody leaned the gun against the wall, then squatted to stick her hands around the door and pull the clothing free. The door opened easier and she stepped in, freezing as a loud hiss sang at her from across the room. She raised her gaze to the top of the dresser and fought to keep from bolting.

  A cougar glared back.

  Even as her heart rate skyrocketed, stories flooded her mind. People would find wild animals and raise them from kits to full-grown adults. The trouble was the creatures weren’t domesticated, no matter how long Ian had had the beast.

  The cougar pulled itself onto its haunches and pounced.

  Melody stumbled backwards, desperate to get out the door. She tripped over more clothing, making it into the hallway as a set of razors slashed her leg.

  Everything slowed. Pain and fear tangled together, blurring her vision, clouding her thoughts.

  A large furry body barreled past her and crashed into the cougar. The moment she was free Melody scrambled through the doorway on the opposite side of the hall and slammed the door closed, adding her body weight to keep it pinned in place.

  Low-pitched barks joined the cougar’s complaints, and Melody swore. “Bear. Oh no.”

  A heavy body smashed against the opposite side of the door, along with a furious scream of disappointment that fit the horror setting perfectly. She was trapp
ed in near pitch-black, her thigh throbbed, and outside, there was a large animal with teeth and claws creating havoc.

  She scrambled for a weapon as the fight on the opposite side of the door grew louder. Outside the cabin, Charlie had picked up the cry as well, her high-pitched yelps echoing through the walls.

  Why the hell had she put the shotgun down?

  The only way out of the windowless storage area was through the lone door, the other side guarded by a creature with a set of teeth and very sharp nails.

  Melody pressed a hand over her thigh, her fingers sticky with blood, and for a moment her head spun. The barking and hissing continued to rage as she ripped part of her T-shirt away to create a makeshift bandage.

  If she had to shoot her way out, she could. It would be risky, but it was possible, as long as she could get to the gun.

  And then she heard the beep beep of a horn, and her heart sank.

  Somebody else was out there. Someone who could, at any moment, open the front door and come face to face with an enraged cougar.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Steve had spent the past hour while driving the road from hell trying to figure the best way to handle this golden opportunity—time alone with Melody. Should he apologize first then help her, or help her and then apologize? Or start with apologizing and not stop?

  He’d just decided to open with a sincere “I’ve missed you” and see what happened when Charlie’s hijinks drove his planning from his mind. The dog stood at the door to the cabin, barking her fool head off as she clawed at the wood. Not typical behaviour from what he’d seen during the time he’d cared for her, not even if she was annoyed Melody had gone into the house without her.

  “Charlie. What’s up?”

  She broke off barking, racing to his side for a moment before heading back to the door as if frantic to get in.

  Something wasn’t right—not at all, and the closer he got to the cabin the more certain he grew as a strange din rang behind the closed front door. He pushed on it carefully, sticking his head inside to try shouting.

  “Melody, it’s Steve—”

  Charlie took total advantage, sneaking past him into the house, growling violently, the angry sound increasing in volume.

  From the back of the house, Melody’s voice echoed faintly, her words jumbled and incoherent. The tone in her voice wasn’t anger, it was fear.

  He was already moving, headed toward her when a massive bundle of tawny fur stalked around the corner and looked him in the eye.

  Ten feet, no more, stood between them as Steve jerked to a halt.

  A couple house cats made a break out the open door behind him, but he was far more focused on the cougar eyeing him as if deciding how to serve him for dinner. Between him and the cougar, Charlie had planted all four feet, put her head down, and was in the process of barking herself hoarse.

  And Melody? No sign, and no word either.

  “Melody?” Steve tried again, keeping his feet immobile as his hands curled into fists in a useless response to his fight-or-flight instinct.

  The cougar tensed, but didn’t do anything except lower its head and snarl at Charlie.

  “Steve, if you’re there, don’t move.”

  Talk about damned if he did, damned if he didn’t. “Melody, there’s a cougar—”

  “I have a gun. I need three more inches. Keep it looking at—”

  The cougar twisted its head toward the hallway, and Steve spoke louder, fighting to be heard over Charlie, who was at least not attacking. “Need me to be the target?”

  “Oh, God, I hope not. I have this. Trust me. One sec…”

  The cougar snarled, trapped between three unknowns—two humans and a noisy dog. It had to be at its breaking point, and Steve didn’t want that break to be toward Melody.

  Only, she was the animal expert, and he was the scared-as-shit boyfriend, jumping out of his skin as two shots rang in succession, and the cat jerked in front of him.

  Too late, the cougar leapt for the door, and Steve had nowhere to go to get out of its way. The animal slammed into him, knocking him to the ground as Charlie rushed to his defense.

  For a moment it seemed there were claws and teeth everywhere, pain shooting through his arm as momentum carried the creature forward, and then death left it immobile, a literal dead weight crushing down on him.

  “Don’t move,” Melody ordered again, the echo of her footsteps rushing toward him.

  “Trust me, sweetheart, I’m not moving,” he confessed. “I’m doing my best imitation of a pancake.”

  He pushed as she pulled, and somehow they rolled what had to be a full-grown female cougar off him. Melody checked quickly before giving a brisk nod. “She’s dead.”

  She swung her attention to him, clasping her hand over his arm where pinpoints of blood had begun to seep through his shirt. “Don’t think she hit too deep, but I want you to keep pressure on this.”

  And then damn if she didn’t leave him to run back down the hallway.

  “What the hell you doing?” Steve demanded. “And why the heck did we get attacked by a cougar?”

  He followed her farther into the house, jerking to a halt as he discovered her working over the prone body of Ian’s dog. Charlie had run ahead as well and stood beside them, licking the old dog’s muzzle.

  Bear whimpered, his back limbs twitching as Melody checked him over. She petted his head. “Such a good boy. Thank you for protecting me.”

  His tail thumped once, but other than that, the dog lay motionless except for his breathing as a faint rumbly noise escaped him. He was obviously in pain, yet still pleased by Melody’s praise.

  She reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a syringe, staring at it for a moment.

  Steve didn’t know what had happened, but from the look on Melody’s face, this was going to break her. The driving need to make everything better ramped up, and he dropped to his knees beside her. Draped an arm around her shoulders as if he could will his strength into her. “We can take him back to the clinic,” Steve offered. “I’ll pay whatever it costs to get him fixed up.”

  “He’s in a lot of pain, Steve.” Melody’s hand shook as she filled the syringe with liquid.

  He wasn’t going to argue with her. This was her area of expertise, and he knew damn well that at some point animals came to the end of their life. But as he watched her, tears welling up in her eyes as she stoically moved forward, he wanted all over again to fix things.

  He couldn’t. There was no fixing this.

  What he could do was be there for her.

  Steve moved to cradle the dog’s head in his lap, petting the old-timer’s muzzle. “If you’re sure. But if you can fix him up, I mean it. He can live out his days with me.”

  Melody swallowed hard and put the needle to the dog’s skin, depressing the plunger halfway until the whimpering and shivering stopped. “We need to get him to the clinic as soon as possible.”

  Steve moved before he thought it through, pressing a kiss to her temple and holding her close for a moment. “Thank you. For saving him. And for saving me.”

  She leaned into him briefly, waiting until he’d lifted the dog in the air to struggle to her feet.

  That’s when he noticed. “Jesus, woman. You didn’t tell me the cougar got you too.”

  “I’m fine.” She swayed, slamming a hand against the wall to catch her balance. When he would’ve put Bear back down to help her, she glared hard enough to set his feet tromping toward the door. “I’ll grab his bed and be there in a minute. Put him in my backseat. The ride will be smoother than in the truck bed.”

  It took a few minutes to follow her directions so they could settle Bear into the backseat, Charlie next to him. Only when she would have handed him her keys, Steve came to a full stop.

  “What are those for?”

  “You drive my truck—I didn’t want you to get blood in yours. Phone the clinic as soon as you’ve got a signal and tell Tom you’ve got an emergency—”r />
  “And what do you think you’ll be doing instead of heading into town with me?” Steve dropped to his knees in front of her and reached for the shirt tied over the bloodstained section of her pants.

  “What’re you doing?” she complained, attempting to push away his hands. “I’ll stay here and deal with the cougar. I can’t leave that in the middle of the house for Marion and the others to face.” She hissed in pain as he pulled the bandage free to examine her leg. “Steve, stop.”

  “You stop being a martyr,” he ordered. He grimaced at the slashes, long but shallow grooves, the bleeding slowing already. He retied the makeshift bandage firmly as he glanced upward, putting on the most commanding face he knew. “It’s not being irresponsible to change your plans when you face a crisis. And no one is going to complain you didn’t do your damn job, and if they do, I will personally see they get on the receiving end of the wrath of the Coleman women.”

  “But—”

  “The only butt I’m seeing is your butt in the truck, because I will fucking tie you up if I have to so I can get your ass to a hospital.”

  All her bluster faded and she drooped as she nodded in agreement. Steve caught an arm around her waist, bringing her with him into the truck cab and letting her curl up beside him the best she could.

  The road seemed even more impossible now than thirty minutes earlier—and he couldn’t believe everything that had happened in that short of a time.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “I mean, relatively? Not too much pain?”

  They rocked together as he guided the truck over an extra bad section. “It hurts, but I can handle it. You?”

  “Felt worse getting caught walking though a patch of thistles.” He glanced over his shoulder, but the two dogs were doing fine in the back. Bear wasn’t moving, and Charlie had put her head on the edge of the dog bed, swaying as she responded to the uneven road.

  Melody eased out her leg, moaning as she stretched into a new position. “Never expected that.”

  “A cougar? Did she break into the house?”

  “No, she’d been left in the back room, and didn’t like someone new in her territory.”