High-Stakes Colton

by Karen Anders

Before she could take another step, Jake grabbed her by her arm and hauled her around. “Are you mixed up with something involving Henry Swango?” he said, his voice a harsh rasp, showing he meant business.

  “I do not consort with the hired hands, Jake. I don’t answer to you.”

  She shook him off and rushed to her car. Her wheels churned up gravel and dirt as she left. He waited a few minutes and went back to the house and was soon easing back into bed with Alanna.

  He lay there caressing the bare expanse of her back, enjoying the weight and the heat of her, mulling over the information he’d gleaned tonight. It was Marceline who’d hired Ella to lie, so the accusation against Alanna was bogus, which dropped her way down the suspect list in his book. But his work wasn’t done there. He had to keep an eye on Marceline and Henry. Whatever plan they hatched was probably not on the up-and-up.

  There was no way he was leaving Colton Valley Ranch until he knew Alanna was safe.

  Chapter 14

  Alanna woke at dawn, tucked into the curve of Jake’s body, his arm secure around her waist, his breath warm against her neck, and she let her eyes drift shut, loving the feel of waking up in his arms. She could get used to this every day.

  She bit her lip. It was time she faced some facts. She’d looked at herself the last few days and she hadn’t liked what she saw. She’d been so afraid of taking a step closer to Jake, she’d driven him away.

  In the past she’d had boyfriends, but they hadn’t been anything like Jake and they hadn’t run in his circles. She’d been with some playboys when she’d been younger, bankers, Wall Street types and big oil. None of them suited her as much as this solid man did.

  She was in love with him.

  That was the bottom line. That’s what she was running from. Not sure what she was going to do about it at this point, she smiled when his arm tightened around her. All she knew was she wanted him to stay in her life even after the training of Zorro was complete.

  “What time is it?”

  “Five forty-five,” she said.

  “Damn, I’d better get going,” he rasped.

  She looked up at him and smiled. “We should really talk, Jake.”

  He pulled her closer to him. “Yeah, I know.”

  “Becca, my real estate agent, has some properties for me to look at and I was wondering if you’d like to do that...today...with me.”

  “It’s my day off.” His voice gave her no clues about what that meant. Did he want to cool it? No, that couldn’t be, not after last night, not the way Jake comforted her after her stepmother had made such a terrible accusation, not after the way he’d made love to her.

  She propped herself up on his chest and said, her voice as light as she could make it under the circumstances, “Oh, did you have plans?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “With you looking at properties.” He had that desperado look this morning. His dark hair tousled, that stubble lining his face and giving an edge to his dangerous good looks. He looked like he was ready to strap on his shooting iron and go rob a train.

  “You are such a tease,” she laughed, nipping at his bottom lip, loving the warm glimmer in his eyes.

  “I’m glad to be back to this place with you, Alanna.” His voice grew hoarse and she was so darn mad at herself for treating him like she had. She stretched up and kissed him, loving the way his mouth went soft and lax beneath hers. He cleared his throat. “We can take my truck if you like.”

  She pushed away from his seductive heat, reluctantly. “As long as you’re not one of those men who can’t take a little direction.”

  His mouth hitched up and the light that came into his sexy blue eyes made her whole body weak. “Oh, babe, I can take plenty of directions,” he deliberately drawled. “I think I proved that last night when you were directing all over me.”

  “Jake,” she said softly, and he dragged her against him. She breathed deeply of his scent and kissed his neck as he hugged her tight.

  He gave her one more quick squeeze and rolled out of bed.

  “Okay, I’ll get cleaned up and meet you over at the apartments,” she said as he offered his hand to help her off the mattress.

  “That’s a deal.”

  She donned her robe and walked him to the door. He stood there in the light, waiting for her. She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, the pensive quality in his eyes making her heart beat a little harder. What if he didn’t feel the same way about taking their relationship public or about getting involved in her crazy, drama-filled family? She wasn’t sure he wanted to handle all this, but she was sure of one thing. He was solid and down-to-earth, kind and gentle, made love to her with a passion she’d never known before and she’d be a fool to let him go because of her own insecurities. If she didn’t give him her trust, this man who had given her every reason to trust him, who could she ever trust?

  He tipped up her face and stared down into her eyes for a few minutes. Swiping his thumb along her cheekbone, he sighed. Slipping his hand into her hair, his fingers tightened and he covered her mouth with a warm, firm kiss that went all the way down to her toes. The man did know how to plant one on her.

  “Thirty minutes?”

  “Make it twenty,” she murmured. “I can’t wait that long.”

  He smiled and there it was again, that shadow in his eyes. Her heart lurched and she had to prepare herself for him to back out. That was only fair as she would be asking a lot of him. With her father missing, the media coverage of their lives was even more intense. With a new man in her life, one that was a ranch hand, there would be talk and speculation. Fowler would hate it and she could imagine how Marceline would turn up her nose, but she didn’t give a damn about any of that. Jake was worth it.

  As she was waiting for him, she saw Clay coming out of the apartments and she waved to him, but he didn’t see her. She took in his face and her heart lurched. Was that a...black eye? Without hesitation, she headed toward him just as Jake came out the door.

  “Clay?”

  He looked up, startled, and the eye seemed worse up close. “What happened to you?” She stepped forward with concern, but he stepped back.

  “Wasn’t watching where I was going,” he said with a self-deprecating smile, avoiding her eyes. Jamming his hat on his head, he turned away. “I’d better get to them stalls. They aren’t going to clean themselves.”

  She gave Jake a worried look and they walked toward the underground garage and his truck.

  “Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

  “I don’t know,” Jake said, the brim of his hat offsetting his striking features. “Clay keeps to himself.” But she could tell. Jake was worried, too.

  “Unless he needs advice about women.” She’d never forget the advice that Jake had given Clay. How his words had settled deep inside her like blood, bone and muscle. Intricate and necessary. He would make such an amazing father. Her stomach jolted at the thought.

  Jake chuckled. “I was just trying to steer him in the right direction and he was the one who asked.”

  “Did I say there was anything wrong with your advice?”

  “No.”

  Now that they were alone and this was going to get real, Alanna’s mouth got dry. The first tentacle of fear uncurled in her belly. She wasn’t quite ready. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be. She didn’t know how to let go of the fear. She didn’t know how to get from the place where she was and cross over to the other side.

  They entered the garage and the light dimmed as they walked side by side. When she felt him slip his hand around hers like he knew she was wrestling with herself, she melted.

  She gave him a glance and he said, “Talk to me, Alanna. That’s all it takes. We don’t have to make any heavy-duty decisions. We don’t have to make any plans if that scares you. It’s just that my job here is almost done.”

  “I know, and when it is, well, what will you do after that?” He opened the door for her and she slipped into the passenger seat. Closing
it firmly he walked around the front and she watched him move. She liked so much about him...just about everything.

  He got behind the wheel and stuck the keys in the ignition. His eyes unreadable, he said, “What I’m trained to do.” He smiled.

  She nodded. He should train horses. He was a master at it and she’d let her bias show. For that she was heartily sorry.

  He navigated out of the garage. She had her tablet with the directions and all the properties listed. There were three in this area and three others that were about an hour away. Her heart twisted thinking about being that far away from her family and Colton Valley Ranch Stables that she’d built up from a few horses and barns into a fully functioning training and breeding facility with a stellar reputation in Texas horse circles.

  He followed the back road out of the ranch and onto the highway. “Alanna, I need to talk to you about what happened last night while you were asleep.” He tightened his big hands on the wheel.

  From the subdued tone of his voice and the solemn look in his eyes, what he had to say wasn’t going to be good. “What?”

  Jake clenched his jaw and stared straight ahead. “I followed your sister Marceline.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You told me that she might be responsible for this whole witness thing. I had a gut instinct.”

  “And I was right? She set me up?”

  “She was meeting with Ella Wilson at the lake. I confronted Marceline and she denied everything. She told me she was trying to get the witness to give up the person who hired her. But it was too late, babe. I’d already heard her trying to convince Ella to stick it out. I’m sorry.”

  A jolt of adrenaline and anger swept through her with pure, energizing force, and she was suddenly so furious she couldn’t see straight. “Don’t be,” she said. “We’ve always had a terrible relationship. Maybe part of the blame has to go to me. I wasn’t ever close to Marceline.”

  “She’s jealous of you?”

  Maybe. Who could say? Marceline had never opened up to her about how she really felt. There were a lot of trust issues in their family and everyone, including Alanna, had learned to live with them. It was hard to break out of that mold. “I guess, or maybe it’s because I have a father and she lost hers.” Flustered and sad over what Marceline had felt the need to do to a family member, her hands twisted in her lap. “She never let Eldridge in and I don’t know if that’s because she was just scared of losing another dad.”

  Jake reached out and covered her agitated hands, his warm and soothing. “You have a big heart to be able to see that after what she’s done to you. Alanna, that could have gone badly for you if your alibi didn’t come through.”

  She blew out a relieved breath and laced her fingers through his. “Yes, I guess it could have. But now, I should be in the clear, right?”

  “I’d say so.” He tightened his fingers. A feeling of anxiety clutched at her. He then said, with more of that solemnness in his voice, “There’s something else I need to mention to you and I don’t know what it means.”

  “Just tell me.”

  He glanced at her. “I found Marceline’s bracelet on the second floor of the apartments. There are only two hands on the second floor. Dylan Harlow and Henry Swango.”

  She frowned. “Why is that alarming?”

  She could feel the tension in him and her apprehension turned to dread. If Jake was worried, she had to heed that warning. He wouldn’t mention it unless it was significant. “Dylan says he doesn’t have a relationship with your sister.”

  Alanna laughed without mirth. “I can’t see her giving Henry the time of day.”

  Jake nodded his agreement. “Maybe not, but she was doing something shady by hiring that witness. Could she have hired Henry to do away with your dad?” This time his look was intense.

  Alanna closed her eyes. “Oh, God. I don’t know, but she did hate him so much. Jake, it’s heartbreaking, but it could be true.”

  “I think Henry’s a bad guy. I’ve had my problems with him. Those popping noises that day with Zorro. It was Henry bursting balloons in his pockets to spook Zorro.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “You don’t want to know. But, I would suggest you let him go.”

  Firing someone was a delicate matter, but if Henry was a threat to the ranch, he would be gone in an instant. “Are you sure about this?”

  He flexed his jaw. “Yes.”

  “I’ll look into it. I wouldn’t want to fire a man without being sure about the facts. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just have to cover myself in case of lawsuits, that type of thing.”

  “I understand. But the sooner the better. I don’t like the idea that he’s around impressionable kids who are trying to get their lives back on track.”

  She’d taken on this project because she saw the need and wanted to be a part of helping those kids see there was something other than a life of crime. A normal life filled with ambition and hard work that would give them a sense of pride and accomplishment. If Henry Swango was on her property to subvert her efforts, he would most definitely get the boot. “No. That wouldn’t be healthy for them at all.”

  “Speaking of that. I was wondering. Now that Zorro is doing so much better, I’d like to help you with the kids, if you’re interested.”

  She turned to look at him, a smile breaking across her lips. The first one since they’d started having this heavy-duty discussion. “Yes. I would love that. Thank you, Jake, so much. Clay has responded to you really well. It feels like you’re getting through to him.”

  “You think? That means a great deal to me, Alanna.”

  “Because of your brother,” she said, touching his arm.

  He nodded, emotion thick in his eyes. “Yes. Because of that.”

  They pulled into the driveway of the first property. Becca waved to them and Alanna waved back.

  They spent the morning looking at all the properties and when Jake was checking out one of the barn’s lofts, Becca said, “This one seems like quite the keeper,” she said, and Alanna blushed.

  “Stop. He’s a valued ranch hand and knows what’s what. Since I have to keep this secret from my family, especially Fowler, I couldn’t very well ask his advice.”

  “Sure,” Becca said. “Just a ranch hand. The way he looks at you? I’m a happily married woman for twenty-five glorious years and I know when a man finds a woman irresistible. And, the way he supports you, thoughtfully answers and asks questions. Touches you gently on the small of the back. I’d say he’s got it bad.”

  All the way back to the ranch, Alanna couldn’t help thinking about what Becca had said. But something held her back from telling Jake right now how she really felt. She knew she had to take the first step for it to be meaningful, but her insecurities piled up on her.

  “Would you be interested in a ride before dinner?” he said when they emerged from the garage.

  “I would love that. We could ride around the lake. It’s beautiful this time of year.”

  Suddenly two tussling forms emerged from the barn. Alanna looked at Jake, but he’d already took off at a run. Several people were milling around watching and, to her shock, Clay punched Mike right in the face. Mike gave as good as he got and then they ended up on the ground.

  Jake reached the struggling teens and grabbed Clay only to get an elbow in the face. Dylan jumped into the fray and managed to get ahold of Mike’s arm. He hauled the kid off and Clay got in one last good punch before Jake made him back off.

  “Take your hands off me,” Clay said, his lip bloodied, his cheekbone and his jaw were red and swollen. His already black-and-blue eye was puffing up.

  Jake held up his hands as Clay backed up. Daring Jake to touch him again.

  “My office,” Alanna said as Dylan brought along a docile Mike, but Clay’s face was contorted and sullen. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there.

  Jake said, “You heard her, Clay. Move.”

  Clay bent down a
nd picked up his hat. Something sick and torn coming into his eyes. Eyes that were now full of despair.

  They went into the arena. Tamara was working a horse and she watched them as they passed. “Hold Clay out here until I talk to Mike. This is so unlike him.”

  She went inside and Dylan set Mike into the chair across from her desk. With a firm voice she said, “Mike, what happened?”

  “He didn’t like the way I was hanging the bridles. He started pushing me, then it got intense when I told him to back off.”

  “Has he ever acted hostile to you before?”

  “No, never. I thought we were friends. Then he gets in my face and, well, I had to push back.”

  “You know fighting is grounds for termination of the program, Mike.”

  “I know, but please, Miss Alanna.” He looked at her, his face solemn. Then his eyes filled up, and his mouth started to tremble. “Don’t send me back,” he whispered, knuckling his eyes. “I like it here. I like the work. I don’t want to go back there.”

  She set her hand on his shoulder, struggling against an awful pressure in her chest. “All right, Mike, calm down,” she said softly. “I will think about this and let you know what I decide to do after I talk to Clay. Violence is never a good response, but I understand you have to defend yourself. The usual recourse in these situations is that both boys have to be released from the program.”

  “Mike’s a good kid, Miss Colton,” Dylan said, his voice thick. “I will vouch for him if need be.”

  Mike gave Dylan a grateful look and Alanna’s heart contracted some more.

  She nodded. “Go ahead and take him back to his room and get him cleaned up.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Mike rose with hope on his face. “It’ll never happen again. I’d rather have the stuffin’ kicked outta me than have to leave. I’m real sorry, Miss Alanna.”

  “I know you are, Mike.” She smiled. “Go with Dylan now.”

  After Mike left, Jake ushered a rebellious Clay into the office. “Clay, did you start hassling Mike?”

  “He wasn’t doing the bridles right,” Clay said, his eyes downcast, his shoulders slumped. He looked like he was going to the gallows and that bothered Alanna more than Mike’s teary plea to stay. It was as if Clay had somehow given up. He had been so full of promise and now he seemed defeated. What had happened to him to cause this?