Mel nodded. “I’d say so. Happiness doesn’t often just smack us in the face; sometimes we have to grab it, maybe even work for it if necessary. It’s worth it, I think.”
It was close to dusk when T and Cooper showed up at the bakery and picked up Harley and Mel. Lynn followed them outside onto the sidewalk and gave the guys a wave before getting into the truck she’d borrowed from Ransom to head back to the ranch. The Double D was roughly a ten-minute drive from Delight, with very little traffic to speak of, and Lynn thought about how nice it was when compared to Dallas with its car-jammed freeways. Yes, Dallas was a beautiful city and the perfect place for a woman to get lost, but maybe she didn’t want that anymore. Considering her options, she wondered how tough it would be to sell her condo and her practice and relocate to this pristine little community.
Was she nuts?
Probably.
Letting practicality seep back into her suddenly fantasy-laced brain, she shook her head. Lynn wasn’t an impulsive person. She’d worked hard for the life she had built over the years and it was downright silly to throw it away on something as uncertain as a romance, even if the romantic figure in question was the sexy-as-hell Ransom Dobbs. Nope, best to let events unroll as they were meant and get back to her routine in Dallas.
As she contemplated her future, she turned off the main highway and drove over curvy asphalt roads that led to the ranch. Ancient oaks cast their shade over the road and she took in acre upon acre of prime green pasture land in the distance. At this time of day, the sun was barely a glimmer of color as it dipped behind rolling hills. Dusk was settling fast.
She had just rounded a curve when she happened to glance in the rearview mirror. Frowning, she noted a battered red pickup as it sped closer, then closer. The driver, the lone occupant of the truck, was sure in a hurry. She frowned as, without warning, it moved perilously close to the back of Ransom’s truck.
“Hey!” Lynn scowled and sped up in an attempt to get away from the truck that seemed determined to mow her down on this lonely stretch of road. When the red truck literally bumped her, she yelped. “Damn it! Hey! Back off.”
The red truck tapped the bumper of Ran’s truck again and it jolted forward violently, veering crazily back and forth on the road. Truly panicked now, she watched the driver make a move as if to pass her, then he rammed the side of Ransom’s vehicle.
She recognized Dusty Granger laughing as he crashed against her again and she felt the crunch of gravel beneath the tires. Up ahead a sharp curve loomed next to a wide ditch with trees lined up on the opposite side. There was nothing to do but hold on to the steering wheel and pray as the truck she drove careened wildly then went suddenly airborne.
A blur of light, color and fuzzy images whipped across her vision and the truck jerked wildly as it finally came to a stop. With a pop, the airbag deployed and instantly her chest and the side of her face were smashed behind it. Drawing in a gasping breath, her body shaking in reaction to the close call, she looked through the window to find the truck miraculously sitting upright, straddling the big ditch. A sea of weeds surrounded her disabled vehicle but she thought if she could manage to open the door, she could climb out of this mess okay. Mentally scanning her body for injury, she determined she was not hurt.
It was a miracle!
Scrambling for the door handle, she gave it a pull and, with a slight push of her shoulder, it creaked open. Yes, there appeared to be some damage but she’d be able to squeeze out. Lynn had no idea what she’d face once she managed to escape from the truck though. Had Dusty Granger driven away after running her off the road or was he waiting for her? Only an idiot would not call for some kind of backup so she wiggled behind the expanded air bag, turned her head and saw that her handbag had landed on the floor on the passenger’s side.
Impossible to reach from this position.
The only thing to do was to climb out and make her way around the truck until she could grab her cell phone. Easing out of the driver’s side door, she was engulfed in sticky, jagged, dry weeds that scratched her arms and hands, but she ignored the discomfort and, clinging to the body of the vehicle, inched her way around the front until she could open the passenger door.
Stuck.
Pulling again with her foot planted firmly on the truck, she cursed as the door failed to budge, and then she yanked again. Finally the door creaked open. She managed to stick her arm inside and grab her purse to find her cell phone. Glancing up from the deep ditch, keeping an eye out for Dusty, she pressed Ransom’s number on speed dial, unsurprised when he answered immediately.
“Dusty just ran me off the road about a half mile from the ranch entrance.”
There was an instant of hesitation, then, “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I don’t know if Dusty drove on or if he’s still out there waiting for me. I’m in a deep ditch.”
“Stay the fuck there. Hide behind the truck if you have to. I’m on my way.”
Lynn tucked the phone in the back pocket of her jeans and leaned against the truck as she tried to calm her breathing. Hearing nothing but the sounds of wind whishing through the weeds, she guessed Dusty must have driven on.
Unbelievable.
She’d never done anything to this man yet he seemed determined to hurt her. When the sheriff hadn’t located him, she’d figured he’d taken off to parts unknown in an attempt to evade the law, but this wouldn’t be the first time she would be dead wrong about something.
Ransom should be here at any moment and, knowing he would no doubt contact Jack McDougal, she ignored his order to keep hidden and cautiously climbed her way out of the ditch. She’d just managed to lumber up the embankment when she caught sight of Dusty’s old red pickup. It sat at a crazy angle, nose down in a ditch on the opposite side of the road from where she stood. The hood was crunched into a mangled mess, the windshield was shattered and the driver’s-side door stood agape. She couldn’t see him from this vantage point but if his head had hit the windshield, he might be unconscious inside the truck.
Her medical instincts kicked into gear as she started cautiously across the road. He could be dead or injured. Just because she’d been lucky didn’t mean that Granger had been. In the distance, she heard the roar of engines but she didn’t stop to speculate, knowing Ransom was on his way. She’d reached the center of the road when Dusty moved away from his wrecked truck. His eyes were narrowed and blood ran down the sides of his face as though he were the unfortunate victim in a horror movie. Relief that he was, in fact, alive warred with fear.
“You bitch. Because of you the law is after me,” he hollered. He lurched forward, obviously unarmed as he fisted his hands and weaved drunkenly. Was he intoxicated or just feeling the effects of a head injury? It was impossible to know.
Lynn rushed up, ignoring his ridiculous statement. “You’re hurt. I’m a doctor. Let me look. As much as I detest you, I need to check you out.”
As she got closer, his eyes narrowed and he shoved her, sending her reeling back a few steps. “Leave me the fuck alone! The only problem I got is you.”
Lynn saw red.
Ignoring her doctor’s oath, she rushed him and, putting her hands on his beefy chest, shoved him back. Her eyes watered at the blast of whiskey fumes pouring off the man. “You are the problem,” she yelled. “You! How dare you blame me for what you’ve done?” His eyes went wide and she shoved again, fear dissipating beneath a flash of rage. She’d had it. “You, my man, are a pig!” She shoved again and he reeled drunkenly to fall against the side of his truck, then she poked his chest with one finger. “I was so stupid letting you get inside my head. For years, I let what you did to me back in high school haunt me, but you are nothing, mister, nothing! I’m ridiculous for not seeing that this was just one more attack by a worthless bully.”
Unafraid, she stood nose-to-nose with her old tormenter. “How dare you blame me for what went down here today or out in the parking lot at the motel? Are you nuts? When they toss your as
s back in jail, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. And me?” She leaned in and sneered at him. “I’m ashamed of myself for letting someone like you make me feel bad. I should have been a stronger person and shaken it off. People like you thrive on causing pain and I just thank God you’ll be locked away and that’ll be the end of it. Got me?”
A pulse beat heavily in her ears and as if from a distance, she heard a rapid pounding against the pavement. Startled by the touch of a hand on her shoulder, she looked up. Ransom was one pissed-off cowboy. His face flushed with fury, Ran took her arm and pulled her behind him. He didn’t say a word but grabbed Dusty by the front of his shirt and planted his fist in the man’s face. Dusty slid down the side of the truck to land on his butt in the dirt, but Ransom grabbed him again and jerked him upright.
Obviously he wasn’t finished.
Lynn wasn’t going to quiver and hide behind Ransom so she moved to the side and saw that his jaw was clenched, a muscle throbbing there, and his eyes were narrowed as he doled out punishment, but then others rushed up, effectively pulling Ransom off Dusty. The sheriff hauled her tormenter to his feet, spun him around and quickly cuffed him as sirens sounded in the distance. An ambulance and another police vehicle jolted to a stop as law enforcement and paramedics rushed into the mess.
Ransom stood there, hands fisted at his sides, then glanced her way. Putting his arm around her, he ushered her to the middle of the road as the sheriff did his work and paramedics hurried to check Dusty’s head. Lynn didn’t believe he was seriously wounded. Head wounds tended to bleed like crazy but yes, he should be checked out before he was hauled off to jail.
Several cowboys from the Double D stood around in the road watching the scene wearing various levels of disgust on their faces, but Lynn had eyes only for Ransom. He settled his hands on her shoulders and sent his gaze down and back up her body. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Not a scratch.”
He looked at the streaks of red on her hands and arms and lifted his brow but she shrugged. “It’s nothing, Ran, I promise. That happened after I crawled out of your truck. Some antiseptic will do the trick. Trust me, I’m a doctor, I know these things.”
Ransom blew out a breath and hauled her into his arms. “Don’t try to joke with me, woman. He could have killed you.”
“But he didn’t. I’m okay. It’ll take a lot more than a high-speed chase and the local bully to bring me down.”
She tried to laugh but Ransom wasn’t in the mood to be placated. She felt his lips in her hair and the warmth of his body against hers as he tightened his hold, and Lynn could do nothing other than cling, fully realizing this could all have ended much differently. She was very thankful that it hadn’t.
Chapter Eleven
“Looks like that’ll do it, Lynn,” Jack said as he stood and prepared to leave. He’d given her and Ransom a lift back to the ranch and now they all sat together on the back patio while she filled them in on exactly what had occurred with Granger. Ransom had leaned against the wall as she’d talked with the sheriff, his face stony as the tale unfolded. “I’m really glad you’re okay. Things could sure have been worse. My deputies have him locked up so he won’t be bothering anyone for a long time. He’ll appear before a judge tomorrow and will be on his way back to prison before the ink is dry.”
“That’s good to know. Thanks for everything, Jack.”
“My pleasure. When are you heading back to Dallas?”
Lynn glanced at Ransom. “Probably tomorrow. I need to unpack and kind of settle back into my routine before work on Monday.”
“Well, it’s been good seeing you. Don’t wait until the next class reunion to come back for a visit, ya hear?”
She smiled. “I hear.”
Jack turned to Ransom, who stepped forward and held out his hand. “Thanks for getting there so fast.”
The sheriff nodded. “It’s just pure dumb luck that I was nearby when your call came in. I’m really surprised Dusty didn’t get the hell out of town when he knew I was looking for him, but the man never had a lick of sense. It made my job a whole lot easier. I called for a tow for your truck. Want me to give you a lift to the scene so you can talk to them?”
“It won’t be necessary. I have a couple of extra ranch trucks and an SUV, so I’m good. I’ll meet with them in a few minutes. Again, thanks.”
When Jack pulled out of the drive, Lynn smiled. “He’s a good man.”
“He is.” Ran lifted the bottle of bourbon from the table and added a splash to her glass. The second they’d arrived back at the ranch, he’d poured her a drink, no questions asked, and told her to sit down before she fell down. Lynn hadn’t argued but now she widened her eyes and put her hand over her glass.
“Hey, no more. I’m fine, Ransom, I promise; and now that Dusty is in jail, I’m downright giddy.”
Ransom frowned. “You could have died out there.”
“But I didn’t, honey.”
Ransom grunted, then shoved the brim of his Stetson back with the tip of his finger. “If you’re okay, I’ll go on out and meet the tow-truck driver.”
“I’m fine. I’ll finish this drink then head up for a shower. After climbing through all those weeds and dealing with Dusty, I feel positively unclean.”
Unsmiling, he leaned down and kissed her. Caging her into her chair, a hand on each armrest, he took the kiss deep. Lynn’s toes curled and her body reacted as the magic of his touch once again reeled her in as though she were a fish on a hook, and then he stood. “I’ll be back soon.”
Lynn watched him move across the backyard and to the six-car garage that was set near the other outbuildings. Earlier he’d told her that a pickup was a tool to a rancher, a necessary business expense to ensure work ran smoothly, so it was no surprise to her that he had more than one vehicle parked in the massive garage. In a few minutes, she heard an engine rev as he backed out and drove away.
She let out a huge breath as the close call she’d had today sank deep. Yes, Ransom was right, she could have died today. As a physician, she knew that bad things happened to good people and a smart person accepted that as fact. Still, the close brush had left her shaken. Hiding it from Ransom had been tricky. For him, the whole incident had to bring back memories that he lived with every day, and she certainly didn’t want to add to that.
Lynn swallowed the last of her drink, turned to go inside, then gasped at the sight of herself reflected in the glass of the door. Her hair stuck out in a million directions, most of her carefully applied makeup was smeared and her clothes were filthy.
Crawling through ditches could do that to a girl.
Rushing inside, she went straight to her room and, after stripping out of her dirty clothes, got into the shower. The warm water worked its magic on her frazzled nerves and soon she turned her thoughts to the coming night. Knowing this would be her last night here, her decision firm, she soaped and shaved. After she’d finished, she applied lotion, along with a heavy dose of antiseptic to her scratches. One particularly angry welt concerned her a little, so she dug into her cosmetic bag for a packet of antibiotics. Salesmen often left medication samples with her when making their rounds, so she was always prepared in case of emergency. She swallowed one of the heavy-duty pills and, staring into the bathroom mirror, she examined the angry red stripes that trailed down her arms.
Battle scars.
She could live with that.
Lynn dried her hair, then looked around the steamy room to realize she’d not brought a robe in with her. Shrugging, she wrapped a big towel around her body, then stepped into the shadow-drenched bedroom. Night had arrived quickly and only a hint of moonlight trickled in from the partially open shutters at the windows. Ransom sat at the foot of the bed as if he’d been waiting. She went still, clutching the towel against her.
“Ransom?”
“You scared the hell out of me today,” he said. “I don’t like feeling this way.”
“I’m sorry.”
&n
bsp; Silence fell and tension rose sharply to fill the space between them. Ransom stood and moved closer, the heat of his body wrapping her up. He didn’t touch her. “The only other time I’ve been this scared happened ten years ago. I’m not a guy who freaks out easily, but I think I aged a hundred years when you called to tell me what happened.”
Lynn shook her head. “Again, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for something that was beyond your control.” He took her hand and started walking, giving her no alternative but to follow. Shoot, she’d follow him anywhere. They stepped into the hallway and her eyes widened when they approached his bedroom door and then together stepped through it. She’d always known why they’d never had sex here but it seemed a good idea to her that Ransom come to grips with those old ghosts, so she’d stayed quiet on the subject.
When she stopped in the center of the room and looked at his king-sized four-poster bed, noting the spread neatly folded down, she frowned a little, afraid to hope that he was ready to move on and embrace life again. “Why are we here, Ransom? Why now?”
He turned to her, the dim light from the nightstand casting his face half in, half out of shadow. “Figured it was past time I got a grip. Today, I hauled Cassie’s old things out of here.”
“I heard. That’s a big step.”
“For me it was. A man can’t live in the past, and I figure that’s what I’ve been doing. Guess I wasn’t ready to let go.”
“And now you are?”
Ransom moved in on her to send his hands over her bare shoulders and down her arms until he finally gripped her hands lightly. He nodded. “Yeah. It’s a hard thing for a man like me to admit that he’s been wrong, but I’ve said it. I’ve thought a lot about what you said the other night. She wouldn’t want me to stop living and now I think I’m ready to start.”
“No more guilt?”
He shook his head then released her hands to trail his fingertips over the edge of the towel covering her. Ransom flipped his thumb against the cotton and it fell to the floor. His eyes darkened. “Have you ever had a man tell you how beautiful you are?”
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