Wind River Cowboy

by Lindsay McKenna

  Ray glared at all of them. “How could you?” he snapped at Shay.

  Shay reacted as if shot. She straightened, opened her mouth, then closed it. Her eyes went wide with shock.

  Garret started to speak just as Reese stepped in. “Ray, if you can’t be kind to your daughter, if all you can do is yell at her, then you yell at me. I won’t allow you to continue to hurt her. She’s your daughter.”

  Crawford glared at Shay. “This is all your fault. You did this!” and he jammed his finger down on the table.

  “No,” Reese said, “I did. This was my idea, Ray. Look at me.”

  Garret had to give Reese a lot of credit under the circumstances. He could feel his gut tie into a painful knot. He felt Kira quivering like a frightened deer next to him. He saw Shay look as if she’d been gutted. Noah and Harper’s faces were hard, anger in their eyes, but they remained silent.

  Only Reese, his steely reserve and patient-sounding voice, broke through the anger at the table. Garret’s protective mechanism was working overtime. He wanted to shield both women from this out-of-control bastard.

  Ray jerked his gaze to Reese. “You? Who the hell do you think you are?” He jabbed his finger at Reese. “You’re nothing but a broken-down military vet. You couldn’t take care of yourself. You had to come crawling to Shay for help. You’re just like all the rest of them!” and he jabbed his finger toward Garret, Kira, Noah and Harper. “I don’t have to do a damn thing here. I own this ranch!” he roared. Ray shoved to his feet, breathing hard, glaring at them, his hands flat on the table. “You all listen to me. You are not the owners of this ranch. You never will be! I’m the owner, by God!” and he slammed his fist down on the table.

  Garret started to release Kira’s hand, springing out of his chair.

  Reese instantly grabbed at Garret’s left arm, forcing him to sit back down. He slowly unwound and rose to his full height. “Ray, you’re out of control. And we’re the legal owners of the Bar C. Nothing is going to change that. Now you have a choice here: You can stop drinking, start acting respectfully toward everyone on this ranch or you can leave. It’s your call.”

  Garret was controlling himself, feeling every cell in his body going into fight mode. Kira sat there, frozen, her face etched with anguish. He saw Shay had tears rolling down her cheeks, her hands gripped in front of her on the table. He heard Crawford’s loud, raspy breath. Saw the man’s face turn a bright red color, hatred for all of them in his small, brown eyes.

  “None of you,” Crawford grated, “deserves my respect!” He shoved the chair violently back and it went flying across the floor with a bang. Turning, he grabbed his cane, heading for the hallway. Every line of his body was stiff and jerky as he moved. His mouth was set, his jaw jutted forward.

  Garret sat there watching Crawford disappear down the hall. They heard the door open and then slam shut. He turned, seeing the man limping down the cleaned sidewalk, heading back toward the other houses down the slope.

  He heard Kira sniff and turned, frowning. He saw such devastation in her wounded eyes and automatically slid his arm around her, hauling her against him. He saw Reese move toward his wife, opening his arms to her. Shay sobbed and got up, flying into his waiting embrace.

  Sitting there, smoldering with rage, wanting to hurt Crawford as much as he’d just hurt these two women made Garret grind his teeth. Shay’s sobs filled the air and he winced inwardly. Kira had buried her head against his shoulder, her hand on his chest, curled into him, her whole body tense.

  “Garret?” Reese said in a low voice, “Take Kira home. This intervention is over.”

  He nodded and gently unwound Kira from his embrace. “Come on,” he urged her quietly. “Let’s go home.” Noah and Harper nodded toward him, their faces stony and grim.

  Nodding jerkily, Kira gave Reese and Shay a worried look.

  “We’ll be okay,” Reese assured her quietly. “Go home and take care of yourself, Kira. Let Garret help you.”

  Garret rose and took Kira’s hand and pulled the chair out for her. When she stood, he drew her beneath his arm, giving her a sense of protection. He wished he could do so much more for her. He held Reese’s eyes, alive with unspoken anger as he held his weeping wife.

  “What are your plans?”

  Reese gave him a flat, hard look. “Crawford’s gone. And he’s going to know it very shortly. I’ll take him off the ranch myself.”

  “Let me help you.”

  “Need more help?” Harper asked.

  “No, thanks, we have it,” Reese told him and Noah.

  Reese nodded. “I’ll drop over and get you later, Garret.” He kissed Shay’s hair, soothing her with soft words.

  “Come on,” Garret coaxed Kira gently, leading her toward the hall.

  * * *

  Kira couldn’t stop the tears as she sat down on the couch with Garret at their house.

  He got her beloved pink afghan and wrapped it around her shoulders. She didn’t want that; she wanted Garret. Giving him a pleading look, she whispered, “Will you be my blanket instead?” She saw his hardened face melt with so many feelings that it choked her up. In a heartbeat, Garret sat down on the couch, opened his arms and pulled her against him, holding her tightly. It was exactly what Kira needed. His strength. His mountainlike stability in a world that was in chaos outside as well as inside her.

  She buried her face against his neck and jaw, her eyes shut tight, one arm winding around his waist. Just the way he kissed her hair, her temple and her wet cheek, sent a powerful longing through her. Garret could be so tender with her, as he was right now. Each stroke of his fingers through her hair, across her shoulder and down her back took a little more of her rampant anxiety away from her.

  “T-that was an awful meeting,” she muffled against his chest. “Ray’s a horrible person. But he’s still Shay’s father . . .”

  “Don’t feel sorry for the bastard,” Garret breathed savagely, grazing her arm. “He brought this on himself through his own choices. No one did this to him. He took it on himself, Kira. All I care about right now is you. Just you. Forget him. He’s not worth your time or care.”

  Quivering, she felt as if her entire insides were made of jelly and she couldn’t stop it from happening. It was all part of her PTSD; when severely stressed, that unsettling symptom appeared. Garret held her, cosseted her, made her feel safe in a world that wasn’t. “What do you think Ray is going to do?”

  Garret pressed a kiss to her temple, gently wiping the tears from her cheek. “Reese and I will go over to talk to him. I think he’ll tell Crawford he’s not welcome here any longer.”

  Kira sniffed and raised her head enough to meet Garret’s gaze. “What does that mean? Legally? Can Reese do that?”

  “He and Shay are the owners of the Bar C, Kira. It’s his right to throw anyone off this ranch he wants to.” Grimly, he added, “I think Reese has had it. He’s a man of a lot more patience than I am. He kept giving Crawford a long rope to hang himself on and he finally has.”

  “I-I felt so sorry for Shay. My God,” she sniffed, wiping her eyes. “That hurt her so much, Garret. I’m crying for her, too. How awful she must feel.”

  “I know, I know, sweetheart, but right now, you’re my focus. I want to take care of you, help you through this. I know how hard it was for you to sit there and take Crawford’s shit.” His mouth flattened. “It’s not going to happen again. Not ever,” and Garret leaned down, caressing her lips in a butterfly-light kiss.

  A soft moan caught in Kira’s throat as Garret’s mouth glided across her lips. She tasted him: the coffee he drank, the salt of her spent tears flowing between where their mouths clung to each other. And as he cupped her jaw, bringing her more surely against his lips, her skin tingled wildly. She clung to Garret for solace, out of love for him and because she needed the safe harbor he offered her. She felt the moisture of his breath against her cheek as she opened her lips, telling him she wanted so much more from him. Her body ached for him a
s his mouth rocked hers open and took her more deeply. She pressed herself more surely against his chest, wanting more of his mouth on hers, wanting even more contact with him.

  Slowly, Garret disengaged from Kira. He looked into her half-opened eyes. “Kira, if we keep going . . .”

  She nodded, easing away from him, touching her mouth. She had his taste on her lips. Seeing the burning look in his eyes, the arousal, she understood what she was saying. “Yes . . . you’re right. I’m sorry—”

  Garret reached out, cupping her chin. “Don’t ever be sorry for kissing me, sweetheart. It’s just that you turn me on, turn me inside out, and I don’t want to stop at just kissing you.” He held her gaze.

  Kira felt her lower body melting with need for Garret. She saw he wanted to make love to her. It was right there. Right in front of her. Clear. No guesswork. Sitting there, legs tucked beneath her, she felt her whole world tilt and change. Whether she wanted to or not, Kira whispered, “I understand . . .”

  “Maybe,” Garret grimaced, “another time. But not right now. I know Reese isn’t going to wait long before confronting Crawford. Once he gets Shay taken care of and settled down, he’ll be coming over here to pick me up.”

  Feeling tortured by so many emotions—her feelings toward Ray, her hurt for Shay and Reese—she nodded. “Of course. You’re right. God, what a mess this turned out to be.”

  “No one said interventions were fun,” he growled. Garret eased her away from him and stood up. “I’m sure Reese is going to remove him today. I don’t know to where, but from the look in his eyes, he’s no longer willing to subject Shay to her father. Not when he’s like this.”

  “Right,” she whispered. Rubbing her face, she placed her feet on the floor. “I should go over to be with her, once you two get Ray off the ranch.”

  “That would be a good idea. She needs someone.”

  There was a knock at the back door.

  Garret turned. “It’s probably Reese.” He looked down at her. “You’ll be okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she said, lying. Right now Shay was far more hurt than she was. And Kira wanted to be there for her. And she didn’t want to concern Garret, who had worry in his eyes. “Go. I’ll be with Shay until you guys get back.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kira fixed Shay some lunch even though she said she wasn’t hungry. Just the act of puttering around the kitchen helped calm her anxiety. An hour earlier, Reese and Garret had left with Ray in the truck. There were three suitcases in the rear. Hearing the door open and close, she looked up to see Noah and Harper sauntering in.

  “Thought we’d drop by to see if we can be of help,” Noah said, taking off his coat and hat and hanging both on a peg.

  Harper was next, nodding hello to Shay and taking off his coat and hat. “You’ve had a stressful morning. Can we do anything for Shay or you?”

  Kira felt warmth and gratitude toward the two vet wranglers. She motioned to the table. “I’m doing okay, thanks. You guys have a seat. Shay is lying down, so let’s keep our voices low. I’m making tuna sandwiches for lunch. Would you both like some?”

  Noah wandered over, peering over her shoulder at the bowl of tuna. “Let me help you.” He rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands at the sink.

  Kira smiled a little, thinking Noah was like a wolf in a pack. He was a team player. “Sure.”

  “Can I make coffee for everyone?” Harper volunteered, coming up and standing on the other side of Kira.

  “Perfect,” she murmured. Giving him a quick smile, Kira saw the concern in both men’s eyes.

  Cutting up the sandwiches, Kira placed them on a large platter that she handed to Harper. Noah grabbed a sack of potato chips off the top of the fridge. Kira brought the pot of coffee over to the table. As she poured each of them a mug, Harper distributed the sandwiches and Noah dropped a handful of potato chips on each plate. It wasn’t much of a lunch, but it would do.

  Kira sat down, Noah sat beside her and Harper sat opposite her. “Had Reese filled you in about the upcoming intervention?” she asked them.

  “Yes,” Noah said. “I didn’t think it would go well, if you want the truth.”

  “Me neither,” Harper agreed. He studied Kira. “You look pretty peaked to me. How are you holdin’ up, gal?”

  She loved Harper’s soft Appalachian drawl. “Stressed out, but nothing like the way Shay is feeling right now. She got hit broadside by her father’s attack. I feel so bad for her.”

  “It’s gonna take her time,” Harper said between bites. “She’s a strong woman; got more grit than she realizes. She’ll pull through this rough patch okay.”

  “Reese did the right thing for Shay,” Noah muttered, anger in his tone. “Crawford’s a mean dog. Even dogs don’t do that to one another. Crawford treats her like hell. It’s not right.”

  Harper chuckled a little. “Yeah, Crawford could learn a thing or two from your horses, couldn’t he?”

  Kira felt surrounded by their warmth. No one was more gentle than these two men. Noah, because he worked with horses, and Harper, because he’d been a combat medic. Each had sensitivity and she could feel them circling the wagons around her and Shay. She didn’t want to look in a mirror, knowing she probably looked pale and drawn.

  “Where’re they taking the old man?” Noah wondered.

  “I don’t know. We’ll find out a lot more when they get back.” She wished Garret would call her, but that was being selfish.

  “Reese had a plan,” Harper told them, giving them a quick glance.

  “Oh?” Kira asked, curious.

  “Yeah,” Harper said quietly, reaching for a chip. “Reese asked me and Noah a couple of weeks ago what we’d do if we were in his shoes.”

  “Really?” Kira raised her brows.

  “Hey,” Noah said. “He was a company commander, taking care of a hundred-plus Marines, Kira. And judging from what we see, he was a damn fine CO. He’s treating us like his company now, and that’s not a bad thing.”

  “He wanted our ideas and opinions,” Harper confided. “How Crawford being here was impacting us and our jobs. The man cares, that’s obvious.”

  “Yeah,” Noah said, “even about us.”

  “I wonder if he talked to Garret. Reese never spoke to me about it,” Kira said.

  “You’re close with Shay. Reese probably knew from her how you were feeling,” Noah pointed out. “Plus, you were in the bulls-eye, Kira. You had to see Crawford three times a day, seven days a week. I’m sure Reese probably had a pretty good handle on how you felt about things. Garret would certainly give him observations and feedback on how it was affecting you on a daily basis.”

  Harper reached out and patted her hand. “Kira, you wear how you feel on your face. You know that, don’t you?”

  It was her turn to grimace. “I know.” She sighed.

  Noah finished off his sandwich in quick order, ate all the potato chips and dumped more onto his empty plate. “I think Reese looks at all of us as Marines under his care. As the CO, it’s his job to take our temperature, ferret out how we feel and to get ideas from us. He’s done that before and he’ll do it now and in the future.”

  “So,” Kira said, “Reese probably knows exactly where he’s going to take Ray.”

  Harper grinned. “Bingo. Now you’re catchin’ on, gal.”

  She smiled a little. “That makes me feel better, actually. I had horrors of them dumping Ray back at the nursing home back in Jackson Hole or something.”

  “Naw,” Harper said, giving her a wink. “My bet is he’s already got a condo or apartment rented for Crawford. I think he’s seen this coming for a while. As a CO, you do long-range planning where and when you can. You know your people and you create strategies accordingly. Plan B, C and D. Crawford just got handed Plan B, whether he knew it or not. Reese is a good tactician and strategist.”

  “I think after he talked to us weeks ago,” Noah chimed in, “Reese decided to get Crawford out of here as soon as he
could because of how it’s continued to take Shay down.”

  It made sense to Kira and she actually relaxed a lot more, realizing how strategic Reese had been. He was protecting Shay because he loved her. He wasn’t going to keep putting her into the line of fire with her father, who refused to be decent to everyone. “Well,” she uttered in a hushed tone, looking toward the hallway to make sure Shay wasn’t nearby, “I’m personally glad he’s gone.”

  “I’d be, too, if I were in your shoes,” Harper said, giving her a sympathetic look. “Now you can focus on doing translations.”

  “And photos,” Noah reminded him. “How’s that going for you, Kira?”

  “Much better than I ever hoped,” she admitted. “I’m not making a huge amount of money, but every little bit helps. I think as I expand my portfolio over the next year, I can bring in a nice, tidy sum every month for the ranch and for myself.”

  “That helps all of us,” Harper agreed.

  “Hey,” Noah said, stretching his neck and looking out the front window, “the guys are back.”

  Instantly, Kira’s heart beat faster to underscore her relief. “Is Ray with them?” She was sitting at the wrong angle to see the truck pull into the driveway.

  “Nope,” Harper said. “He’s not with them.”

  Kira bit back a sigh. She heard a sound and turned. Shay was coming down the hall, rubbing her face, looking drowsy. She got up and went to her.

  “Reese and Garret just got back,” she told her, quietly guiding her to her chair at the table. “Would like something to eat, Shay?”

  She shook her head. “No, thank you. Maybe some coffee?”

  “Coming up.” Kira headed to the kitchen. She heard the front door open and close. Reese and Garret’s voices were low, but carried down the hall. Pouring three cups, she met the two men as they walked into the warm kitchen. Her gaze went immediately to Garret, who nodded slightly at her. She saw anger and darkness in his eyes as he shrugged out of his jacket and Stetson. Reese’s face was unreadable and Kira wasn’t sure what that meant.