by J. S. Scott
When the property next to Blake’s cattle ranch had gone up for sale, Gabe hadn’t hesitated to liquidate his interests in Texas and settle down in Colorado to make a new start. He’d needed it after losing both his parents.
His father had been an icon in Texas, and Gabe had never quite been able to fill his shoes. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps, but that he could never quite be the man his father had been.
Gabe had been in the process of closing the deal on the Colorado ranch and taking care of his business interests in Texas when Chloe had left for college. Gabe had never run into her again, even on the rare occasions that she had been home on break from school.
Seeing her again as an adult had been a shock. He’d remembered her as a girl; she’d returned to Rocky Springs a beautiful, spunky, intelligent, sexy woman.
Don’t even think about it, Walker. You’re Blake’s best friend. Help Chloe through this tough experience and forget about your horny inclinations.
Obviously, his buddy would want Gabe to take care of Chloe since Blake was currently in DC until Congress took a break for the holidays—at least, that was what he was telling himself. But he didn’t think taking care of Blake’s sister would include screwing her until neither one of them could walk, which was exactly what he wanted every time he looked at her.
It’s not just sexual. I like her…I more than like her.
There had been very few women in his life who hadn’t wanted something from a relationship with him, and it was always material things. It seemed pretty damn strange dealing with a female who was as rich as he was, and didn’t need a single damn material thing from him.
He grinned and his heartbeat accelerated as he saw her big red pickup truck winding down his driveway.
She came. She really gave up her position in the community practice to come to me.
Her actions implied that she believed she was making a good decision, and there was nothing Gabe wanted more than for Chloe to believe in herself, to trust her own judgment. To believe in him. Hell, she needed to trust a guy other than her brothers someday; she might as well start with him. Why he coveted her trust he didn’t understand. He just knew it was essential that she felt like she could count on him.
Maybe I just want to fill in for Blake while he’s gone…
Naw…that was complete and utter bullshit, and Gabe didn’t believe in telling himself a bunch of crap, even though he’d been trying to rationalize his behavior. The plain truth was that he wanted Chloe for himself, and that was exactly what was motivating him at the moment.
He wanted to see her smile again.
He wanted to make her laugh.
He wanted to make her happy.
He wanted to experience her untapped passion that he sensed was waiting to be set free.
He wanted to bury himself inside her and brand her as his. To sate them both.
Christ! He hated himself for his random sexual thoughts about Chloe, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d been drawn to her since the day she’d come back to Rocky Springs.
He rose from his chair as her truck approached the house, still grinning because for such a feminine, curvy—womanly—female, she certainly drove a very big, very badass truck. The vehicle was actually similar to his—except his was black.
Gabe watched as Chloe came to a stop and hopped down from the seat. His grin grew broader as he realized she didn’t dress to impress. Not that it mattered. She looked so damn beautiful that his heart started to race. Dressed in an old pair of jeans that hugged a shapely ass, she’d covered her upper body in an old sweatshirt with her college logo on the front. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and as he viewed her from the camera on his doorstep, he could tell she wasn’t wearing a ton of makeup.
Didn’t matter! He was still so hard he could hardly walk.
One thing he liked about Chloe was the fact that she was unpretentious. She might come from a family with money, but one wouldn’t know that just by seeing and talking to her. She was smart, but she wasn’t a snob, and she was obviously the most comfortable exactly how she was right now. Nope, there were no airs and graces about Chloe. What you saw was what you got.
“She’s too damn gorgeous for her own good,” Gabe grumbled, wondering how fast it would take another guy to see exactly what he saw when he looked at her.
He didn’t like the thought of any other guy getting her attention.
Chase, his six-year-old Border collie, jumped up excitedly from his spot near Gabe’s feet.
“Let’s go, buddy.” Gabe snapped his fingers to make the ballistic, exuberant canine pay attention. “Mind your manners,” he warned the dog.
His dog was usually well-behaved, but got a little overzealous occasionally.
Chase sat and looked up at him with soulful eyes.
“This is no time for treats, buddy,” Gabe rumbled, knowing exactly what the canine wanted. Ever the sucker for Chase’s pleading gaze, even as he said the stern words, he pulled a piece of doggy jerky from his pocket and tossed it to his dog.
Chase caught it in midair, and it was gone in seconds.
Gabe finally heard the doorbell ring, and tried to contain his enthusiasm at seeing Chloe again. It was bound to be a little bit awkward after she had spilled her guts about her relationship; he hadn’t seen her in person since that night.
Despite reminding himself not to be impatient, Gabe sprinted up the stairs to answer the door.
Chloe was nervous.
She hadn’t told Gabe every little detail about her relationship with James, but he knew most of it. There were just a few things that were so vile that she couldn’t discuss them with anybody except Natalie. When she’d finally revealed the worst few incidences to her counselor yesterday, Natalie had been relieved that Chloe had finally made a complete break from James. Dr. Townson was supportive of Chloe’s decision to make a new start outside of town so she wouldn’t have to see him on a daily basis.
Chloe’s conversation on the phone with Gabe about the job had been brief, and she wasn’t sure how to react to him in person.
I am a damn professional. I’ll be businesslike. I’m not here as a friend; I’m here as an employee.
It was hard to remember that Gabe was now her employer after she’d pretty much sobbed through most of her explanation to him about why she was breaking off her engagement to James.
This is a new start for me. I’m going to treat it like an exciting experience.
She took a deep breath, enjoying the crisp, cool air of fall in the Rocky Mountains. Her back to Gabe’s door, her eyes scanned the mountains and the vivid red and orange of the leaves still left on the trees. Most of them were falling now, but traces of Colorado in autumn still remained.
“It’s so beautiful here,” she whispered to herself, feeling like after so many years, she was finally…home.
Gabe owned a lot of property, and his acreage spread farther than her eyes could possibly see. The barns and buildings were nicely maintained, and the fenced pastures held some of the most gorgeous horseflesh imaginable. She’d done her equine residency at a prominent horse farm, and at first glance, she could already see that Gabe’s place was state-of-the-art, and he hadn’t worried about cost when he’d built his home or his ranch.
Not that he needed to worry about money.
He didn’t.
And it showed in all of the little details she could visualize.
Quit stalling, Chloe. Ring the damn doorbell.
She turned and determinedly put her finger on the button to summon someone to the door, wondering curiously if he had staff for his enormous mansion.
Strangely, the home wasn’t pretentious. It was definitely big, but Gabe had used natural colors and native plants, and the well-kept mansion seemed to complement the landscape rather than stand out like a sore thumb. Other than the fact that the place was gigantic, it seemed to belong here.
She startled as the door suddenly swung op
en and she saw Gabe grinning at her.
“I’m glad you came,” he said simply in that husky drawl that always made Chloe’s female hormones do a happy dance.
“Me, too,” she answered honestly. She was glad to be here, away from town, ready to do a job she’d always wanted to do. Chloe was almost certain she’d feel guilty about taking the large salary Gabe had offered.
He opened the door wider and motioned for her to come in. She smiled back at him because it was nearly impossible not to. His mischievous grin was pretty infectious.
Almost the moment she stepped through the door, she was met by more than forty pounds of muscles and fur. A Border collie barked enthusiastically as he jumped from the ground and bounced off her body several times.
“Chase! Down!” Gabe commanded sternly.
Chloe was delighted, and she dropped to her knees and let the intelligent black and white dog sniff her before she stroked a hand over his fur. “He’s adorable.”
“He’s a pain in the ass sometimes,” Gabe grumbled.
The canine calmed quickly, laying down and rolling over so Chloe could scratch his belly. She wasn’t fooled for a minute by Gabe’s negative comment. The fondness in his tone was evident. “I take it his name is Chase?”
“He got that name because the fool chases just about anything from rabbits to bears. He doesn’t exactly know his limitations. Or his size. Or his strength.”
“He’s sweet,” Chloe cooed as she gave the dog a final scratch before rising to her feet. “I’m sure he’s very intelligent.” The breed was exceptionally smart.
“He is,” Gabe confirmed before adding, “When he isn’t chasing after something that’s likely to get him killed.”
Chloe laughed, charmed at the relationship between Gabe and his dog. The man obviously liked to complain about the canine, but his affection and concern for Chase was pretty evident in his tone.
She followed him as he motioned her forward, leading the way to the kitchen.
“You want coffee?” Gabe pulled a mug out of the cupboard and then hesitated.
“I’d love some, thanks. I didn’t have a chance this morning. Zane called, and we talked for so long I didn’t get a cup before I left.” She stepped forward. “I can get that.”
Gabe gave her a stern look. “You’re a guest. Sit down and relax.” He motioned toward the kitchen table.
She sat, but answered, “I’m not a guest, Gabe. I’m an employee.”
“You’re a vet, more of a consultant than an employee, and I don’t pay you to get coffee.”
Chloe propped her elbows on the table and watched as he prepared her mug of desperately needed caffeine. It was nice to have a man do something for her. She’d fetched most everything for James when they were together.
Gabe looked pretty comfortable in the kitchen. For a man his size, he did everything with a slow, natural grace that surprised her. He had to be a few inches over six foot, and his body was bulky—all of it pure muscle. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a casual gray pullover shirt that was obviously donned for warmth, he looked amazingly handsome and irresistibly touchable.
He wasn’t attractive in a sleek, wealthy sort of way. He looked like a rugged, masculine guy who was comfortable with himself no matter what he was doing.
“Cream and sugar?” he asked.
“Just a little bit of creamer,” she answered automatically. Although she preferred her coffee loaded with cream and sugar, she’d learned to drink it almost black. James had conditioned her to take in less calories and refined sugar.
She thought about that for moment before she retracted her answer. “On second thought, load it with both.”
Gabe turned and grinned at her, as though he knew exactly why she changed her mind.
“How do you really like it?” he asked curiously.
“Loaded,” she affirmed.
“Good girl,” he said in a supportive voice, scooping more sugar into her coffee. “Old habit?”
“Yes. A habit I don’t need to adhere to anymore.” Some of those old rituals might die hard, but they were going to bite the dust eventually. It was time for her to realize what she liked, and to please herself.
Gabe handed her a mug, and sat down across from her with his own coffee in his hand. “Check and see if it’s okay.” He nodded at her cup.
Chloe sipped, letting the taste of sweetened coffee roll over her taste buds. “Perfect,” she said with a satisfied sigh of pure bliss. It had been a long time since she’d tasted coffee this good.
“Good. Now tell me how you’re holding up. Any regrets about the broken engagement?”
Chloe looked into Gabe’s beautiful green eyes, which were currently registering a deep concern that showed in his entire expression. Something about his demeanor wouldn’t let her lie to him, or omit any truths.
“No regrets,” she answered carefully. “But I need to tell you something because I’m working for you. I’m not going to be in peak physical condition for a week or so.” Chloe kept her eyes locked with his, her heart melting as she saw him frown, appearing worried now.
“Why?” he asked gruffly. “Are you sick?”
She shook her head slowly. “No.” There was no easy way to say it, but she needed to explain. “Gabe, I was pregnant. I had an early miscarriage and I’m still recovering. I lost the baby a few days ago.”
Chloe thought she’d gotten over the initial shock and trauma of the incident, but she realized that she probably hadn’t when she broke down in tears and started to cry.
Chloe sobbed out her sorrow while she was seated on Gabe’s lap, sheltered in his arms in the living room. He’d lifted her from her seat at the kitchen table and had been cradling her body on his lap in a recliner as she’d cried ever since.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed.
She’d barely noticed when he’d transported her in his arms to the living room.
Now, she was finally becoming aware of her surroundings again.
“I’m so sorry,” she choked out as she swiped at the endless barrage of tears on her face.
“Don’t, Chloe. Let it all go,” Gabe said huskily as he stroked her mass of tumbled hair that he’d released from its confinement.
She wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck and rested her head against his chest. “I thought I was okay with it. I was barely pregnant, about five weeks. Sometimes I think I feel guilty because part of me is relieved, but another part is grieving over the loss. I don’t know how to feel,” she said breathlessly, exhausted from crying. “I think the worst part of it all is James’s manipulation. He gave me my birth control. He said he had plenty of samples.”
“What happened then?” Gabe asked gruffly.
“They were placebos. Zane tested them for me. He just called me with the results this morning. James wanted me to get pregnant. Maybe he sensed that I wanted out, or he wanted to get on with the wedding faster.” She’d been horrified, but not necessarily surprised. She’d been suspicious from the moment she’d realized that she was miscarrying.
“You need to see a doctor.” Gabe’s voice was suddenly demanding.
“I already did. I went to Denver. I didn’t want anybody to know. I couldn’t go here.” Once the cramps and bleeding had started, she’d been pretty certain what was occurring. She’d never had heavy periods or cramps, even in her teen years before she’d gone on birth control. “I went to Zane because I needed his help. I wanted to know if James had switched my pills. The ones he gave me for the last few months looked different, but he said they were just a different brand. Zane took me in to see a doctor friend of his who specializes in gynecology to make sure everything was okay.” Chloe took a deep breath and finished shakily. “Everything was fine. The miscarriage was complete. Zane took the bottle James gave me to analyze the contents, and the doctor gave me a birth control shot instead of the pills.”
“You needed somebody to take care of you,” Gabe answered fiercely. “You shouldn’t have gone th
rough this all alone in Denver. You could have called me, Chloe.”
Strangely, she’d wanted to call Gabe because she’d been so horrified. But in the end, she knew it was something she had to handle herself. She’d talked to Natalie about it, and she’d tried to work through the emotional pain and confusion of miscarrying. Judging by her reaction this morning, she obviously was not quite over it yet.
“It happened naturally. It happens to women all the time. I think it was the shock that really threw me.” Chloe couldn’t believe she was actually discussing all of this with Gabe, but somehow it seemed easy to share it with him when she couldn’t seem to discuss it with anyone else except Natalie.
“Does Aileen know?” Gabe tightened his arms around her protectively.
“No. Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not ready for that yet. Zane is the only one in the family who knows, and he promised to keep quiet.” She’d made excuses to Lara for skipping their morning sessions for the last several days, telling her sister-in-law she was busy getting ready for her new job.
“You can trust me, Chloe. I’ll never tell anybody anything you don’t want to be known. But we do things my way. No work right now. You can familiarize yourself with the ranch, but you let me take care of you for a while,” Gabe demanded.
She let herself relax against Gabe’s heavily muscled body, wondering what it would be like to have a man take care of her for just a little while. It would definitely be…different. “Gabe, I don’t need to be taken care of. I’m ready to go back to work. I just needed you to know that I’ll probably be a little slow.”
“You’ll be sitting your gorgeous ass in a chair or resting somewhere,” he growled.
Chloe shuddered at his command. Maybe she should be angry because he was giving her orders, but his voice was so wonderfully concerned, and his comment about her butt being gorgeous pretty much negated any sense of anger she might have had. He was being protective, and his unnecessary concern for her well-being was kind of sweet. “I’ll do it your way for a little while,” she conceded.