“Those aren’t the ones that haunt you. I became more determined than ever not to quit after that. Haven’t lost anyone since then. Maggie used to help guide me to the lost ones, especially children. But I don’t feel her presence anymore. I think she’s moved on.”
Cassie had not sensed her around him, but did not know for certain.
He met her gaze. “When I went in search of you, I begged her to help me.” Seeing the tears in his eyes and tearstains on his face broke her heart.
“But you found me.”
“Thanks to Pic.”
“No, you deserve much more credit than that. Picasso would not have been on that mountain if not for you. You trained him to find the lost.”
He shrugged. “His former owner did a lot of the training. I just gave him a refresher.”
“I will not hear another word about this. You saved us with help from Picasso. That is all I will ever believe. You have saved many others in your years as a rescue worker. Do not ever doubt that.”
“I took the wrong path.” He looked at the wristband again. “When I found this, I thought I must be close. But I came to a fork and took the wrong path.”
“You are human. How can you be expected to find a lost child in the dark?”
“It was my job.”
“Were you the only person out searching that night?”
“Of course not. We had every available person looking for her.”
“Lucas, you did your best with what you knew at the time. Now with Picasso, you will do even better in the future.”
He nodded. “That’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about training horses for SAR work. He’d have been able to track her even in rough terrain like that. He could have covered more ground than the search dogs, too.”
“May I ask why you torture yourself by wearing that band every day?”
He shrugged. “I can’t let myself forget her death. By wearing this, I not only remember her and what she taught me, but I think her parents wanted me to keep it so I would never let down another family like that again.”
“I do not think they would be that cruel. I think they just did not want the reminder. They were in shock. No parent would blame you for trying.”
“I was the one who eventually… I had been within feet of her at one point during the night, but she didn’t answer when I called her name.”
Cassie could stand it no longer. She wrapped both arms around him and held on tightly. He returned the hug, squeezing the breath from her lungs.
“Lucas, she was probably terrified and taught not to speak to strangers. Perhaps she was already unconscious and succumbed to hypothermia without being aware what was happening.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “I’ll never know. But I’ll never forget, either.”
Cassie learned long ago not to have sentimental attachments to material possessions. They were not what mattered in life. Even her studio and altar could be resurrected. People could not, well, not in the same body anyway.
Losing someone you loved—or someone you felt you needed to protect—those losses could never be replaced.
Even though her cabin had been her sanctuary for years, since Lucas left, it had seemed more like a prison. But she would not survive long down here in the valley, especially having to deal with the stress of being around Lucas Denton all the time.
She dreaded the thought of having to start over. What if her landlady would not rebuild the only home Cassie had known for the past four years? The woman was up in years and might not want to undertake such a daunting task just to have a rental property.
If forced to move, Cassie would miss the spirit of the place she had found in the mountains of her adopted state.
Please, Goddess, do not take my home away. Not again.
* * *
Luke decided Cassie needed her space. She seemed a little fragile. No surprise given what she’d been through today.
“Why don’t I show you around before I go out to the barn to settle Picasso down for the night?”
“That would be nice.” She stood.
Luke showed her the kitchen first, in case she was hungry. “I have some ready-to-eat stuff in the pantry. Simple fare, but we won’t starve. Just choose what looks good to you, and I’ll fix supper when I come back in.”
“I can fix us something.”
“No way. You’ve been through a lot today. Just relax.”
The wariness never left her expression. Luke sighed. This girl had some serious trust issues. Pissed him off that after all this time she still didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, even though he’d never done anything to disrespect her boundaries.
Her wounds must be bone-deep. If he ever got his hands on the asshole who hurt her…
After explaining the idiosyncrasies of the old appliances he’d inherited with the place, he guided her toward the bedroom door. Knowing she’d probably freak out if he was with her in there, he opened the door and pointed. “Bed’s all yours.” Good thing he’d made it this morning. “Bathroom’s over there. I have plenty of western shirts in the closet and T-shirts in the dresser if you want to change into something clean. Just leave your clothes in the laundry basket, and I’ll put in a load of wash before we go to bed.”
At the mention of them going to bed, she glanced at the only bed in sight, nibbling her lower lip. Damn it, how was he going to make her see she had nothing to worry about?
Show her. Don’t tell her.
Trust building took time. He’d continue to be patient. God, don’t ever give her a reason to doubt his trustworthiness.
Cassie walked into the room and turned, her hand on the knob. “Thanks for everything, Lucas.” Without waiting for him to say anything, she closed the door.
Well, now…
Luke shook his head as he carried their empty glasses into the kitchen and set them by the sink before heading for the front door. Grabbing his Stetson, he left the house and glanced up at Cassie’s mountain. Smoke covered half the west side of the mountain, just where they’d been a couple of hours ago. A shudder passed through him as he thought what could have happened if Pic hadn’t tracked her down. That horse was in for a bonus scoop of oats tonight and an extra-long rubdown.
He’d try to keep Cassie busy in the house so she wouldn’t watch the progression of the fire toward her cabin, but Luke knew the chances of her place being spared were slim now. When he was eight, their rental house had burned to the ground. Luke had learned then not to become too attached to material things. Had Cassie taken everything of sentimental value with her?
More than likely, the studio held the most sentimental value for her. Maybe it would survive. There wasn’t much in his studio Cassie could use. Her artistic talents took a different form than his. Maybe they could get through to Breckenridge tomorrow. She could stock up on new art supplies. Best medicine for her would be to get back to creating art.
Of course, she’d be headed to Karla’s again in a few days for the baby shower. Then came her gallery opening. Still, he would have at least a few days with her.
Inside the barn, he heard the cria clicking. Funny how he recognized Millie from the others. They had a special bond, though. He poked his head inside and found the youngest alpaca poking at Gracie’s tit for some milk. Did alpaca moms have milk production problems when stressed? Luke let himself inside and walked over to the two. He stroked Gracie’s long neck.
“There now, girl. You’re safe now. No one’s gonna hurt you here as long as I have anything to say about it.” The soulful eyes of the new mamá searched his, and then she nodded almost imperceptibly. Smart animals. It was as if she understood as much as his horses did.
“She’s never handled change very well.”
Luke turned to watch Cassie let herself inside the stall and lock it behind her. The girl didn’t following instructions well. She should be resting. He noticed she wore one of his plaid shirts and a pair of his jeans, rolled several times. He wondered what
she used to hold them up around her tiny waist, but didn’t ask. She let the shirt cover her down to her thighs.
They needed to go shopping for clothes, too.
Gracie moseyed over to her. Almost sounded like she was crying. Cassie wrapped her arms around her neck, nuzzling her cheek against the animal’s soft fleece.
“Todo va a estar bien, estamos seguros aqui.”
Luke smiled. He’d been around enough Spanish speakers in Texas to translate her “Everything’s gonna be okay. We’re safe here.” Would she have admitted that she felt that way to him? Probably not. He ought to ’fess up about his limited Spanish skills, but it might be interesting to see—and hear—what he’d learn about her.
“I’ll just leave you to take care of these girls while I check on Pic.”
Cassie glanced in his direction and nodded. He waited to see if she’d say anything, disappointed when she didn’t.
As he turned away, he heard her whisper, “Lucas is our hero, girls.”
Pride swelled in his chest. He was glad he’d heard those words. He wanted to be a hero in her eyes. Luke wore a sappy grin the entire time he took care of Picasso. The horse barely flinched when he came into his stall now. “You were amazing today and a great sidekick. I’m so proud of you.” He stroked the horse’s neck. “Thank you for finding Cassie and her girls. They needed us, and you were there for them.”
The horse nickered and dipped his muzzle into his feed bucket. Luke picked up the comb and grooming spray and began to work the brambles out of his tail. He’d worked his way almost halfway up the tail when he heard the stall door hinges squeak.
“May I help? I owe Picasso a lot.”
“Sure. Why don’t you grab the currycomb and start on his mane? He picked up a lot of dirt and debris out there today.” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Cassie eye the assortment of combs and brushes on the table. “It’s the blue rubber one.”
She nodded and picked it up, going to work with a persistent but gentle hand. “Here, spray on some of this. Makes it easier to remove the tangles and will keep them away a few days. We may get called out again.”
She nodded and accepted the bottle from him. Their fingers touched, and he felt electricity spark between them. Damn, he’d gone too long without a woman if the mere touch of their fingertips turned him on.
Not that it was any surprise he found her attractive. He’d been aware of her in that way since they met last fall at the hospital. Hell, even before Karla had shown him the sketch Cassie had drawn, he’d been watching her for hours as her hand flew over the sketchpad, never realizing she was sketching an image of Maggie and their unborn baby.
He and Cassie worked side-by-side on Picasso’s grooming in silence. He instructed her in how to make the small, circular motions, and she curried the right side of his neck working her way toward his tail. Cassie reached out a few times with a comforting pat to Picasso’s neck if the horse became agitated. She understood animals and had a natural connection with them.
She softly crooned in some language he wasn’t familiar with. He felt left out. “What’s that song you’re singing?”
“Punulla Waway.” She avoided making eye contact. “It is something mi mamá used to sing to me. A traditional lullaby from the Peruvian Andes.”
“I like it. Very soothing. I think Pic liked it, too.”
After finishing with Picasso’s tail, Luke grabbed another currycomb and began to work on the horse’s loins, bumping against Cassie’s arm accidentally before she retreated. He didn’t apologize, but tried to keep a little more distance between them so as not to spook her. Working beside her like this was too enjoyable to screw up.
“You came when I called you today.”
Luke’s hand slowed to a standstill. He gave her a puzzled sidelong glance. Something was being sorted out in that beautiful mind of hers. Maybe she’d come to realize not all men were unworthy of her trust. “Nothing could have kept me away. You needed me. I’d been worried sick for days already with all these fires.”
She met his gaze. “I have not been so frightened in…well, a very long time.”
He hated the thought that she’d been through worse at some point, but someone as skittish as Cassie must have been in the bowels of hell at least once.
The lady didn’t talk much about her past. Everyone faced some kind of adversity in their lives. Part of the reason they were here on earth, he supposed, was to learn from those trials. Some spent their lives running from their fears. Others faced them head on. Hell, when he heard what Marc had done while Luke was stranded up at Cassie’s place, he’d been floored. The man was impulsive and a risk-taker, but no way in hell would he have risked his sanity like that for anyone, not even Cassie.
Of course, maybe he shouldn’t say never until he was in a situation where he felt he had no other choice, the way Marc had been. He hadn’t thought about his own safety today when he went after her.
“Thank you for making that call, Sweet Pea.” Asking for help was not something Cassie was comfortable with doing.
After they had worked the dandy brush and body brush through on both sides and Luke had taken care of Pic’s legs and hooves, he cleaned out the brushes with the metal currycomb.
Cassie moved to stand beside Pic’s head and began whispering to the horse. “There you go, Picasso. All done.” Luke walked cautiously around the back of the gelding careful to watch for any sign he might kick him and tried to look busy while surreptitiously watching the two of them. She made eye contact with the horse and began to speak in another language. He tried to decipher what she was saying. Not Spanish. Sounded more like Native American. Then she became silent and seemed to “speak” to the animal through her eyes and the touch of her fingers and palms.
Suddenly, Pic leaned forward and nuzzled Cassie’s cheek. Luke smiled. He didn’t know what communication had passed between the two, but clearly they had made a heartfelt connection.
Luke tamped down an unexplainable sense of jealousy. Where had that come from? He was thrilled Pic was able to connect with Cassie—and Cassie with the horse, as well. Maybe he envied the horse’s ability to break through her defenses so quickly. Luke had barely been able to touch her without sending her into a retreat.
Sack the pity party, Denton.
Maybe Cassie would find peace here like Luke had found when he first started taking in the abused horses. He sensed the same vulnerability in Cassie that he’d seen in his horses. He wished he could heal her wounds, but she wouldn’t let him that close.
As if coming out of a trance, Cassie blinked and shifted her gaze to Luke. He rubbed his hand over Pic’s shiny coat, trying not to appear as though he’d been eavesdropping, as if he could understand anyway.
“Picasso told me how much he loves you.”
Luke furrowed his brow. “Beg your pardon?” Pic communicated with her? “You’re a horse whisperer?” Cassie smiled. He wasn’t sure if she was teasing or dead serious.
She continued. “He said you’re much more caring than his last owner. You give him space when he needs it, but you also provide a sense of security when he wants to venture beyond the safety of his stall.”
His chest practically swelled to hear Pic felt that way. “I thought you said you hadn’t been around horses before.”
Cassie shrugged and returned her attention to Picasso. “I have a telepathic connection with most animals. I am sure Picasso has never heard my Quechua language before, but he understood my words on the heart level.”
Dayum. The girl was full of surprises.
Luke could meet the needs of these animals, keep them safe, help them heal, train them for a new or renewed purpose, but he’d never communicated with them like that. Now he had an opportunity to change his relationship with them, with Cassie’s help.
“Would you tell him something for me?”
Cassie gazed at him and nodded.
“Tell him…” Luke cleared his throat but spoke in an almost reverent whisper. He
felt like he was back in church. This was a very spiritual moment for him. “Tell him I won’t let anything bad happen to him ever again, if I can help it. That I’ll protect him and give him shelter for as long as he needs. Just tell him he’ll always be safe with me.”
Cassie closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, making Luke realize she might just have taken the words to heart as if meant for her, as well. He hoped so, because they applied to her, too.
Picasso would be a good surrogate, though. His words would be less personal or intimidating when he spoke to the horse. Cassie would be uncomfortable with declarations like that from Luke to her, but maybe she’d see she shared a bond with the horses and could heal alongside them.
Surely she could see Luke would never hurt her, either.
She opened her eyes again and stroked Picasso’s cheek as she stared into his eye, apparently passing along the message in a mixture of her native tongue and mental telepathy. When a tear trickled down Cassie’s cheek, he figured he’d broken through to her, too.
Maybe there’s hope yet.
Cassie stroked Picasso’s neck, and once again, Luke couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that her gentle hand wasn’t touching him. Before he let himself become too sappy or flat out embarrassed himself, he figured he’d better hightail it inside. “I should be startin’ supper. I’m sure you’re hungry by now.”
“Let me do that. I am sure I can find something, and you still have your other horses to take care of.”
He watched her leave the stall and turned his focus back to his horse. “Well, Pic, I think you’ve made a new friend.” The horse nickered and nodded his head. Luke smiled and patted his rump. “Good thing. She could use a few more friends.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cassie entered Luke’s bedroom again carrying the backpack and poncho she had left in the truck earlier. She scanned the room more slowly this time. The double bed covered in an off-white chenille coverlet dominated the room. The bedspread looked well-worn. Vintage, no doubt. She wondered who it had belonged to before. She marveled again that the bed had been made. What single man made his bed when he could not possibly have been expecting company?
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 33