Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style (Sweet Montana Bride Series)

by Kimberly Krey

  He walked over to the door, put his ear up to it, and heard movement. The sound of things being put on the dresser, perhaps. He gave the door a light tap.

  “You about ready?” He couldn’t help but let frustration taint his tone.

  “Yes. I just,” her voice grew louder as she came toward the door, “wish they would have grabbed what was in my hamper.” The door swung open. “I had two pair of Levis …” and she kept talking. And talking. But he didn’t hear a word of it. He’d expected her to be dolled up more than before. Make up. Business suit. Maybe some jewelry. But she wasn’t.

  “…so all I had was my work suits or these sweats and I knew there was no way I was going to wear heels for another minute and so the sweats won out.” Tempting scents wafted from her room to his. Her hair, still slightly wet, had been pulled into a high ponytail. The long length of it surprised him.

  The baggy sweatshirt revealed a generous part of her collar bone, the slender lines leading to a glimpse of her light, smooth-looking shoulder. He smiled once he looked at her shoes. “Nice,” he said.

  “My running shoes?” She looked pleased.

  Shane nodded.

  “I know. I was so happy when I saw them. I could have like, kissed the face of whoever threw these babies in that bag, because I would not be able to wear these without them.”

  “You mean you didn’t get to pack for yourself?”

  She shook her head.

  His heart sunk. “And they didn’t pack all of your clothes?”

  “Well, I’m sure they tried to get most. Plus the entire contents of my medicine cabinet was dumped into one bag and they didn’t leave a thing out.” She stepped past him and into his room, sighing as she strode to the window. As if the view might be any different than hers. “They just forgot about my dirty clothes hamper. I have my business suits dry cleaned, which I’d just had done. But my comfy stuff – almost all the clothes I wear when I’m not at work – were in that hamper. I hadn’t done laundry for over a week.”

  The baggy clothing somehow made her look smaller, weak even, though he knew she wasn’t. He could tell there was a fire inside her, a part that would fight if she had to. But she wouldn’t choose to. She was kind. Forgiving. Not even angry at the fools who’d forgotten half her things back home and even he was mad at that.

  Shane watched as she lifted her chin and pulled in a deep breath, wrapping her arms around herself. The window offered a gorgeous view of the Montana sky, one of his favorite sights in all the world. Yet all he could see was her – Cassie.

  He ached to stride to her side, wrap his own arms around her. Instead, he reached for his gun case and slung the strap over his shoulder. He’d been planning on taking her for a bite to eat, but he knew women well enough. She wouldn’t want to go out for dinner in those sweats. Well, if it was new clothes she needed, he’d get her new clothes. Shane rarely had reason to spend money, which meant he had plenty of it in the bank. Whatever it was Cassie stood in need of, he’d see that she had it.

  When she looked at him over her shoulder, he forced himself to speak up. “You ready to go?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “I still can’t believe that place sells Levis for twelve bucks,” Cassie said, thrilled with her recent finds. She glanced over the horizon as they made their way to the truck. Beyond the small stretch of shops and restaurants, barren-looking fields basked in the orange light from the setting sun. The words Big Sky Country echoed in her mind; the guy on the airplane wasn’t kidding. Montana’s sky – untainted by Seattle’s constant clouds – seemed to go on forever. Something about the open feel of it made her want to run in the wide space with her arms stretched out to catch the sunlight and let it sink into her skin.

  She tossed the bag full of clothes at her feet as she stepped into the truck, her attention brought back to her recent finds. “I always knew places like that sold clothes. I just didn’t think they’d be so cute. And tee-shirts for five dollars – that’s amazing to me.”

  “I’m just glad I could talk you into the boots,” Shane said. “You’ll be strutting ‘round like my little country cowgirl.” He gave her a wink before closing the truck door. As he walked around to the other side, placing the remaining sacks in the backseat, Cassie pressed a hand over her swooning heart. Shane’s flirtatious gesture had sent a dose of heat to no doubt redden her face like that of a bashful schoolgirl.

  Once he was settled into the front seat, Shane handed Cassie a small, paper sack. “The rings.”

  Cassie slowly unfolded the top edge and peeked inside. Two velvet boxes sat in the shadows. “I guess we should put these on then,” she said in a whisper. The first box she pulled out was Shane’s. “Here’s yours,” she said, holding it up.

  Shane glanced at the ring. The afternoon sun was sinking quickly, casting a warm glow on his heavenly face as he backed out of the parking stall. He directed the truck toward the main road before taking his left hand off the wheel. Wordlessly, he stretched his arm across, straightening his fingers expectantly.

  Cassie paused while she looked down at his tan and rather masculine hand. “You want me to put it on for you?”

  Shane smiled. “If you’re up to it. Won’t make you a trapped woman, I promise.”

  She let out a nervous chuckle. “Okay.” The gold ring caught a beam of glistening light as she slipped it onto his finger. And for a reason Cassie couldn’t begin to fathom, the action caused a slight thrill to flitter through her body.

  “I do,” Shane blurted. He gave her a wicked smile and laughed.

  With the dismissive shake of her head, Cassie pulled out the other box, recalling the way Shane had refused to let her pay for either of the rings. He insisted he could return them once it was all said and done, but Cassie wasn’t so sure. Still, she asked, “You’ve got the receipts for these, right?”

  He nodded. “Right.”

  Her ring, a delicate band of gold, held a modest-sized diamond in the center. And though Cassie had argued she didn’t need any diamond at all, Shane had insisted she have it. If she’d learned anything in the last hour it was this: Shane Emerson was stubborn. He was also generous to a fault. The man even offered to pay for her clothing. Something she’d never dream of letting him do.

  “You afraid to put that on?” Shane asked. “Or are you just waiting for me to do it?”

  A rash of embarrassed heat rushed over Cassie’s face. She pushed the ring onto her finger before Shane could get another word out. It looked nice there on her wedding finger, and Cassie had to force herself not to stare at it in Shane’s presence. It seemed he enjoyed teasing her, and she didn’t want to become an easy target.

  “I was thinking,” she said after a bit of quiet. “We should do take-out.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Lots of food, a few desserts and drinks. Park in front of the TV and watch movies all night.”

  There was that dimple again. “Sounds good to me. What kind of food do you like? Guess I should know this anyway, right?”

  “I eat out a lot,” Cassie said. “Fast food mostly, but that’s just because I don’t like to go to restaurants by myself. I actually wouldn’t mind it if I didn’t have people giving me pity looks the whole time. Makes it awkward.”

  Shane nodded, a smile creeping over his face once more. “Okay, did you say what it was you liked to eat in there? ‘Cuz I’m afraid I missed it.”

  She laughed. “Probably not. Umm, sushi and seafood are my favorite – and since the fish is so fresh there, it’s amazing. I love the other stuff too – hamburgers, pizza, tacos, Chinese, Italian. You pretty much can’t go wrong with me. Unless…” she paused, wondering if he’d be offended at what she was about to say. He raised cattle, after all.

  “Unless, what?”

  “I was going to say, unless it’s a steakhouse. But that’s just because I’ve never had a good experience with a steak before. I’ve tried, I swear. But it’s either tough and gristly, or leathered and gnarly, or sometimes
they bring it out in a pool of its own blood and when I act disgusted they offer to cook it more but who wants that after the whole blood thing?”

  Shane narrowed his eyes. “Hmm. We’re going to have to fix that, aren’t we? The fact that you’ve never had a decent steak. At Emerson Ranch, we do it right. But for now, let’s round up some take-out, should we?” He slowed as he approached an oncoming traffic light that had just faded from yellow to red.

  “So what do you like? To eat, I mean?” she asked, catching a quick glimpse of her ring – enjoying the feeling it gave her.

  “I like me some good, home cooking. Meat, potatoes, home-baked bread. The women trade off feeding all the men certain days of the week. The rest of the time we fend for ourselves.”

  “What do you eat when you’re fending for yourselves then?”

  He watched the traffic as it sped by, gunning the truck once it was all clear. “Not a lot of businesses out close to the ranch. We usually eat at home. Ramen Noodles. Canned stew. Burritos. Just a bunch of guys microwaving crap so they can eat and go to bed.”

  Cassie let out one, short laugh. “That’s depressing.”

  “It’s life on the ranch.” He shrugged. “Most seasons we’re out from sun-up to sun-down. If we’re not roping and herding, we’re fixing fences, working the hay crop. Don’t have a lot of time to mess with meals, you know? It’s a good life though. Being out on the land.”

  “So you’re going to be out all day?” she asked.

  Shane nodded. “Most days. Though the new interns, if they’re any good, should really take a load off. Might make things different this season.”

  “Hmm.” She eyed the small city as they drove, not really seeing what was before her. “What will I be doing? You know, to be useful and help out.”

  “I’m guessing you can take on one of the cooking days. Cook for the men once a week. You can take care of the house chores. But not for the guys downstairs. They can take care of their own stuff.”

  She nodded again. He’d told her about the living situation. Separate rooms, divided by a joint bathroom. Seven ranch hands lived downstairs. From what he said, they had a small kitchen in the basement but they weren’t used to using it. He’d make sure they did now. And that they kept to their own separate entry as well. Shane didn’t like the idea of the guys being too close to her. She sort of liked the protective nature she’d sensed in him. There was something comforting about it.

  There was only one problem. “I’m not a good cook,” she blurted.

  He smiled. “No?”

  “No. Not at all. I don’t cook. I mean, I’ve lived on my own for years now, but I wasn’t kidding when I said how often I eat out. I practically live at Ivars – this seafood place down the street from me. I know everybody there by name.”

  “Well, don’t worry about the cooking thing. Reese and Jade will help you out there. Betty, too.”

  “Who’s Betty?” she asked.

  He glanced over at her. “Your new mother-in-law.”

  “Wait. Is she going to know?”

  “Of course,” Shane said. “My entire family will know you’re under protection. Except distant relatives. The nephews will believe we’re married too. They’re too young to understand or keep anything like that a secret.”

  “Wow,” she said, realizing how much this would really affect him. “Shane, thank you for doing this. I can’t believe what an upset this is to you and your family.” It was then Cassie recalled what he’d told her before she’d dozed off. That his brothers had both met their wives this way. Was he expecting the same kind of result? And why was it she hadn’t brought up the fact that she had a boyfriend? But what was she supposed to do? Blurt out, just so you know, I have a boyfriend. How presumptuous. He most likely didn’t care.

  Shane hadn’t replied. Only nodded as he stared at the road ahead. A strip of fast-food joints stood clustered beyond the next traffic light. He slowed as the light changed from yellow to red, turning to her once they were stopped. “Well, sugar, where to?”

  ~+~

  The girl knew what she wanted, he’d give her that. And boy did she insist on paying for things herself. City girls didn’t know how to let a man take care of them. Another reason he was meant for a different type of gal. Shane Emerson would take care of his girl so long as the Lord was willing and the creek didn’t rise.

  At least she’d let him pay for the food. Not that he’d given her much choice. He glanced over at her, arms folded proudly across her chest, a pretty pout playing on those lips of hers.

  “I’m buying the dessert,” she announced, turning her head away from him. Shane bit back the comment that leapt to the tip of his tongue – something about her being the dessert. He’d been around the wrong company for too long, was afraid of what type of things might come from his mouth if he didn’t stay on guard.

  As it was, they had more food than the two of them could consume in one night. What sort of dessert could she possibly have in mind? To him, desserts were things that were pulled hot from the oven and topped with glaze, whipped cream, or icing.

  “The gas station,” she whooped. “Perfect.”

  He glanced at the wide smile on her face. “It is?”

  An anxious nod caused her ponytail to bounce at the back of her head. “Yep.”

  “Okay,” he said, pulling into the nearby station.

  Cassie was out the door before he could get to her side of the truck, so he met her at the front, resting his hand at the small of her back. “May as well start looking the part, right?” Having her so close sent that lovely smell of her to toying with his senses again. Dang, she smelled good.

  Cassie’s eyes were soft and guarded as she glanced up at him. Shane gulped as she looked over his face before meeting his gaze. “You’re right,” she said softly.

  He opened the entrance for her, and there she went, racing ahead of him and into the store. Dessert from the gas station. This should be good.

  She stopped at a glass box, eyeing what lay inside. “Doughnuts,” she said.

  Shane tipped his head back. “Ah – doughnuts.”

  “And hot chocolate.” Cassie spun around and darted to the coffee counter, picking up a container resting there. “With marshmallows.” She was showing off that perfect smile again.

  The small lumps in the jar she held didn’t look a thing like marshmallows, but he nodded his head just the same. “Looks… tasty.”

  She giggled as she set to work, mixing the hot drinks. She threw in a few small cups of cream he was sure were meant for coffee, but kept quiet, only watched the girl in what seemed to be her element. A home away from home.

  “You are going to love this,” she assured, sipping at one of the drinks. “I have to check yours too, but I’ll use a spoon so I don’t gross you out.” She grabbed a plastic spoon before he could tell her not to bother. He imagined placing his lips against the spot where hers had rested – had she drank right from his cup – and scolded himself for being so desperate. What had this woman done to him?

  Shane carried the hot cups as Cassie filled a flimsy box with doughnuts. There was no denying they smelled delicious. He eyed her figure once more, wondering how she managed to stay so thin on a diet such as this.

  “You exercise a lot?” He hadn’t exactly meant to say it aloud; it was more of an inward thought that somehow slipped through his lips.

  Cassie shrugged indifferently. “When I feel like it. Usually I run on the weekends. Hit the gym every once in a while. I’m not a die hard.”

  He blew out a relieved breath, glad she hadn’t taken offence to the off-handed question. While she paid for dessert – as she’d called it – Shane gritted his teeth, hating to see a lady pull out her wallet while a man was present. In his family, it just wasn’t done. ‘Course Cassie wasn’t his wife, and probably never would be. Fact, she was nearly a stranger to him. Still, she was a woman in need. One who’d been ripped away from her home and placed in his protection. He’d be the one to see he
r needs were met whether she liked it or not.

  “Ready?” Her smile was wide as she spun around, carting the box of fresh goods. He was amazed by her high spirits. And warmed by them too. Shane had planned to stay angry for the duration of her stay, but Cassie had already made that impossible.

  Being away from the ranch always had him chomping at the bit, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t enjoying himself at the moment. Let the men rope in the restless cattle, mend the broken stretch of fence at the west pasture. For now, he’d enjoy his evening with his new little ranch bride, and wonder what it’d be like if it was more than just an act.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Cassie covered a yawn as she stretched, surprised to see it was nearly ten o’clock. “We are going to be hating it tomorrow.” She watched as Shane sunk back into the couch, eyeing the array of take-out boxes and bags sprawled over the coffee table.

  “From all this food?” he asked.

  “No, from lack of sleep.” She laughed. “We didn’t eat too much.”

  He gave her a sideways glance before leaning on one elbow to face her. “Well, I did.”

  “But you still have this.” She reached for his cup, frowning when there was no hint of warmth beneath her palm, and handed it to him. “Your cold chocolate.”

  “It’s cold now?” His dark brows raised.

  “Yep,” she said, grabbing her own cup and lifting it to his. “Cheers.”

  He nudged the foam cup against hers and brought it to his lips. After a few gulps he nodded. “Still good.”

  “Mmm. You’re right.” The room had slowly slipped into darkness as they’d watched their movie, and now, only the muted TV screen lit the space between them. Though the two were sharing the same couch, Cassie sat nestled snuggly on her side, legs tucked beneath her, while Shane had settled into his corner, a couch cushion away. The box of doughnuts rested between them. “So what is it like, back at the ranch?”