Momma and Dad’s Jeep was parked in the drive. As he approached the front porch, he saw three silhouettes through the window at the dining room. Hell. Dad would think he was a lazy slouch for sleeping in so long. He hoped his folks hadn’t arrived too early and awakened Cassie before they needed to. No doubt Momma would have a full-on breakfast for them, but he wasn’t going to eat too much knowing it would all be coming right back up after a few attempts to mount O’Keeffe.
He walked into the house to the sound of Momma’s laugh. He’d missed hearing that. One thing a good ol’ country boy never did was stop needing his Momma. When he entered the dining area, he saw Cassie’s face with a big smile across it. Her eyes danced with humor.
God, I missed you, too, Sweet Pea.
“Mornin’!”
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Luke’s attention turned to his dad, expecting some kind of censure, but Dad just smiled. “Your girlfriend here was telling me how you gave mouth-to-snout to a baby alpaca.”
A quick glance at Cassie indicated she hadn’t taken any offense at being referred to as his girlfriend. If Dad only knew. She cast her gaze down at her plate, though.
“I couldn’t sit by and let Cassie lose her first cria if I could do something.”
When his stomach growled at the smell of bacon and eggs, he turned his attention to the spread Momma had placed on the table. Then his gaze went back to Cassie’s plate where he saw a bowl of cereal with milk and a slice of buttered cinnamon bread. He hoped that was enough for her.
“I wasn’t going to eat much before we do the deed, but Momma, how can I pass on trying some of this at least?” He kissed her cheek and gave her a hug before pulling out a chair and sitting down. “You sit and eat, too, Momma.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can eat while you all are out working.”
She returned to the kitchen to do Lord knew what. Momma rarely just sat down with them for an entire meal. She was always remembering to grab something else she’d made. This time she returned carrying a large bowl of fruit.
“Cassie woke up early and made a delicious salad for us.”
“I thought it might set better on your stomach than something…heavier.” She glanced around the spread on the table, everything from biscuits to bacon. Bless her heart, she was trying to keep him from upchucking his breakfast.
“Thanks, Cassie.” Luke reached out for the bowl. “This looks great. Really healthy, too.”
He loaded up on fruit, but couldn’t hurt his Momma’s feelings either, so grabbed two biscuits and four crispy strips of bacon. The eggs he decided to go easy on. That could be a disaster waiting to happen.
Sure didn’t want to embarrass his wife by puking his guts out.
Twenty minutes later, as he and his parents exited the barn, Luke picked up the football. He tossed it over the railing before opening the gate to the corral, gesturing for his folks to enter first. Once the gate was latched again, Luke turned and kicked the ball in the direction of O’Keeffe who was maintaining her distance at the opposite end. Soon, though, she took a few steps forward and kicked the ball back toward them.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Luke glanced over and saw his dad grinning. It had been a while since he’d seen that response from the man about anything he had done.
“That’s some trick. How’d you manage that?”
“Dumb luck. But it’s the first thing that connected the two of us.” Luke walked over to the ball and gave it another kick.
His dad shook his head. “I guess all those years of practice with the Longhorns paid off after all.”
Here we go with the football career regrets.
Luke turned to his dad, who hadn’t put on his sunglasses from when they were in the barn. His old man’s eyes didn’t appear to be nearly as disappointed as Luke remembered them being most of the time when he looked at his only son. Luke thought he saw approval there now, but that might just be overly optimistic.
O’Keeffe kicked the ball back toward them, but it bumped against Dad’s shin. Luke watched in surprise as Dad took a step back and then sent the ball sailing toward O’Keeffe.
Please don’t let it hit her.
The ball landed a few feet in front of the horse. The old man had always had a steady kick, probably even better than Luke’s when he was at the top of his game.
“Well, Bill, I guess you haven’t lost your touch, either. Maybe you should have taken that Ohio State scout up on his offer back in high school.”
Dad glanced at the ball and the horse, but remained silent for the longest time. Luke didn’t know his dad had ever dreamed of playing college football. Then his dad said, barely above a whisper, “My father thought football was foolishness. Better to find myself a job in the oil fields or work the pipeline, like he did.” Dad faced Luke. “I guess I lived out my dream of playing by watching you make it to the college level.”
Luke had no clue what to say. This was a side of his father he never knew existed. Sure explained a lot about why performing well for recruiters while in high school was so important to him.
“Guess I pushed you where you didn’t want to go.”
“No worries, Dad. If not for football, I might not have been able to go to college at all. That degree helped me reach where I am today. Besides, being at that college brought Maggie into my life.” He thought a minute about Cassie and her talk of karma and the interconnectedness of souls. Whoever orchestrated the Universe left him in awe. “I’m real happy with my life now, Dad.”
He almost thought he saw tears in his old man’s eyes before his dad turned back to O’Keeffe. Dad never cried.
“Proud of you, son.” His voice was more gravelly than usual.
Momma brushed a tear from her cheek. She’d tried to play peacemaker between the two of them for as long as Luke could remember. A sense of acceptance came over Luke for the first time ever with his dad. Maybe this visit wouldn’t be as bad as he’d been expecting after all.
“Day isn’t getting any longer,” Dad said. “Let’s get to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Cassie joined the Dentons after leading her alpacas out to pasture. Lucas gently introduced O’Keeffe to the feel of something on her back using only the flick of the rope in his hand. The rope almost caressed the horse’s back and hindquarters before slipping away. He repeated the motion over and over. O’Keeffe jumped the first few times, but she seemed to be enjoying the stroke of the rope now.
“’Atta girl.”
Something tingled in the pit of Cassie’s stomach at his encouraging words. He’d been working with the horse all morning, and she knew he’d performed these steps many times over the week before as he had prepared her for today. O’Keeffe didn’t fight him as much as she did the first time Cassie had seen Lucas working with her.
Bill—he insisted she call him Bill—brought the blanket over and handed it to Lucas, who placed the folded cloth lightly against O’Keeffe’s midsection. The horse danced away, trying to dislodge the foreign object from her back. But with the lunge rope in Lucas’s gloved left hand and a firm command, she settled.
“Good girl.”
Again Cassie’s stomach quivered. She probably shouldn’t have eaten this morning. Her nerves were right on the edge. How long would it take him to break this horse to the saddle? She hated that term. Lucas called it training, which was better, but she knew O’Keeffe was not happy with all this attention.
Lucas stroked the mare’s withers and came close to O’Keeffe’s face, rewarding her with one of his endearing smiles. Without warning, he glanced over the horse’s nose and shared that smile with Cassie.
She was going to lose her heart to this man if she did not take precautions.
“How’s she doing?”
Cassie had nearly forgotten she had a job to do here, so wrapped up was she in the sensual dance of man and horse. She shifted her focus to O’Keeffe’s right eye and stepped close enough to whisper to her.
“How a
re you doing, baby? You are such a good girl. Daddy is going to be gentle with you.”
Lucas chuckled, bringing her up short.
“What’s so funny?”
“Daddy?”
“If I’m Mamá to my alpacas, I just assumed you are Daddy to your horses.”
“Go ahead. Sorry to intrude.”
Confused, she shook her head and went back to work speaking softly to O’Keeffe. “Promise you will let me know if you become frightened or confused, but Daddy would never hurt you. You understand that, right?” The horse nickered and expressed her trust in Lucas.
Cassie gazed at Lucas. “She is ready now.”
He kissed her on the cheek for no reason and went back to work applying the weight of the blanket to O’Keeffe’s back.
What on earth was that all about?
She returned to the fence to give them the space they needed. The dance between trainer and horse continued for another hour, and O’Keeffe accepted greater and greater weights.
“Ready to break her, son?”
Cassie’s vision narrowed enveloping her in a black vortex. Her throat closed, forcing her to draw ragged breaths. Stale beer. Sweaty bodies. Smelly breath. Pedro’s body pressed hers into the pool table, his breath moist on her neck.
“Now I will break you, puta.”
Run, Casandra!
She had escaped once. She would this time, too. Cassie maneuvered him off her and followed her instincts, turning to run. Immediately she hit a wall but reached out and searched until she found an opening to slip through. She continued to run. As she dragged air into her lungs, her vision cleared. The ground beneath her feet was brown and scrubby. She didn’t recognize this place, but knew her only hope was to escape.
“Cassie, stop!”
A familiar voice with no hint of a Peruvian accent tugged at her consciousness.
Pedro’s voice pierced her confused memory dragging her back down into the memory of that horrific night. “Casandra, stop fighting me.”
No one would ever hurt her like that again.
The sound of pounding feet behind her increased her panic. There was no place to hide, only the open expanse of a field before her. She must escape them!
Run faster!
Strong arms surrounded her, pulling her against a hard body.
Diego!
No!
* * *
What the hell had happened? Luke wondered. They’d been making great progress, almost ready to apply the saddle, when Cassie tore off like a bat out of the bowels of hell. So focused on O’Keeffe, he hadn’t been aware of her running away until Momma called out to him. He watched as Cassie’s body slammed against the round pen fence as if blinded before she hurried through the slats. Something had to have triggered her.
Goddamned bastards.
He threw the lunge rope to Dad and took off after her, but she ran as if her life depended on it. He was having a devil of a time catching up with her, but feared she’d hurt herself running at a break-neck speed like that. The ground out here was uneven. God, he needed to catch up to her before she took a tumble.
“Cassie, stop!”
His words only made her run harder. Would she ever come to realize he would never hurt her?
Just a few more yards and he’d have her. A few seconds later, he closed the gap and wrapped his arms around her upper body and pulled her against his body. Her feet lifted off the ground and kept moving as if running, only succeeding in kicking at him. The heels of her boots dug into his shins above his own boots.
“Ow. Cassie. Stop fighting me.”
“¡Nunca más!”
She spoke the word ‘never’ in Spanish, but he had no trouble translating. Never again.
“Cassie, it’s Luke. Lucas. You’re safe. I have you.”
She continued to fight, butting him with the back of her head and nearly knocking his front teeth out. Employing some of the techniques he would use with a panicked horse, he loosened his hold enough to ease her panic, but not enough to let her hurt herself. Clearly she was lost in a traumatic memory from the past. He needed her to know he was the one holding her. Not those animals who had hurt her.
“Shhh, Sweet Pea. I’m not going to hurt you. You know I’d never hurt you. You’re too precious to me.”
She continued to scream at him in Spanish, fighting against his hold, calling him a liar. She even warned him that Eduardo would kill him if he did this.
Fuck. She definitely was back in that bar in Peru in her head.
His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, trying not to escalate her panic. “Baby girl, you’re safe. You’re with Lucas in Colorado. That’s all in the past. Those men can’t hurt you ever again. I won’t let them near you.”
Were her struggles lessening? He hoped so.
Keep whispering to her.
“’Atta girl.” He kissed her temple. “You’re safe. I have you now. Everything’s going to be okay, baby girl.”
She shook her head wildly and released an anguished sob that ripped out his guts. If he ever came across the fucking bastards who hurt her, he’d make sure they never hurt any other girl.
Without warning, Cassie’s body went limp. She’d passed out or was just too worn out to fight any more. He lifted her into his arms and stared down into her face. Eyes closed, facial muscles lax. Unconscious. He placed her gently on the ground. Streaks of tears had made a path down her dusty cheeks. He checked her respirations and pulse. Racing still. She seemed to be out of the panic attack. Wanting to take her back to the house and let her rest, he lifted her into his arms again and began walking across the field.
Momma waited for him on the lane with the Jeep and held open the passenger front door for them. Luke sat with Cassie in his lap and swung his legs inside.
Momma reached out to stroke Cassie’s hair. “Is she okay?” Luke couldn’t speak past the rawness in his throat and the adrenaline pumping in his veins, so he merely nodded. “Poor thing. I wonder what spooked her like that.”
Luke glanced down at her as they drove back to the house. “Something bad happened in her past.” He didn’t elaborate, because it wasn’t his place to share Cassie’s story. He brushed her hair back from her face and tucked a strand behind her ear. So peaceful now. What would happen when she came to?
Oh damn. O’Keeffe. “Is O’Keeffe okay?” He’d abandoned her like a hot potato to go after Cassie. Not the way to train a horse to saddle.
“Dad’s with her. I’m sure she was fine with ending the session before you got that saddle on her.”
“Yeah, probably. Glad you all were here.” He’d have to start over with her again tomorrow. O’Keeffe, sure, but also with Cassie. What the hell had he said or done to send her running in terror? She said she had made a lot of progress since her appointment with the therapist in Denver. He remembered the article he’d read, though. It never completely went away.
“Happy we can help out.” Momma pulled up to the front porch. Luke opened the door, swung his legs out before easing her head past the doorframe, and stood up with Cassie. She hardly weighed anything and felt so good in his arms. Momma rushed ahead and opened the screen door for him to pass through.
“What can I do to help?”
“Maybe some herbal tea.”
“I saw some chamomile in the cabinet. I’ll fix her a mug.” She headed toward the kitchen.
“Thanks, Momma.” Luke carried Cassie to the bedroom. Not wanting to let go of her yet, he sat on the edge of the bed and held her tight. He gazed down at her now serene face.
“You’re safe now.” Luke had to tamp down the rage festering below the surface. How could a man call himself a man after raping a girl like those three had done to Cassie?
At least they couldn’t hurt her again. And he’d be here to pick up the pieces and help Cassie reclaim her life. With him, he hoped. But even if she chose to move on without him, he wanted her to be happy. Not hiding away from life, but embracing it fully. Her passion simmered beneath t
he surface just waiting to explode for the right man. He wanted to be that man.
“Come back to me, Sweet Pea. You’re safe now.”
“Here you go.” Momma set the mug on the nightstand and stroked the top of Cassie’s head. “Poor baby.”
Cassie stirred at either Momma’s touch or her voice. She grimaced and her left arm flailed out, clocking him in the chin again. “Let me go, Pedro!”
* * *
Strong arms held her tight against a hard body. Smothering. Never again! She fought, and the arms loosened but did not let her go. Would he rape her? Or let one of his friends do so again? Diego seemed determined he would have his turn.
She pounded against the one holding her, screaming her rage at him, but could not escape. After a time, all fight left her as exhaustion set in.“Por favor, let me go.” Had she spoken the words or only thought them? She had no strength left. This time, without a doubt, she would die at their hands. The first time, she had not known what Pedro and his friends were capable of, but this time he had to know she would go to the authorities. And tell her family. Pedro’s own father would kill him if he shamed his family’s reputation in this way. She was not that same scared girl he had raped and silenced the first time.
And yet she could not totally give up. Her will to live was too great. “I will not tell. Do not do this to me again.”
“Shhh, Cassie. It’s Luke. You’re at my ranch in Fairchance, Colorado. No one here wants to hurt you, Sweet Pea.”
Her brows furrowed, and she blinked several times until his worried face came into focus above her.
“Lucas?” She struggled to sit up, and his firm arm against her back helped her. She scooted off his lap and faced him—and his mother. “What happened?”
“Some of those demons came knockin’ again.”
Her face burned with embarrassment that Lucas’s parents had witnessed her insane behavior. “I am so sorry, Mrs. Denton.”
Nobody's Dream (Rescue Me Saga #6) Page 47