by Kate Pearce
From what she’d observed, the two old-timers were doing it cow by cow because that was all they could handle. Not that she was complaining. It was better than nothing.
“So, would you be okay with me going up there this afternoon?” Julia asked. “I can make sure the cabins are secure, and report back to you this evening.”
“If you really wish to go, then be my guest.” Juan sipped his coffee. “I’ve got plenty of company today.”
“As to that.” Julia took the seat opposite him. “Do you remember Beth Baker?”
“Ted’s sister? Yes, of course.” Juan frowned. “She moved back recently, didn’t she? Some trouble with her marriage.”
“Well, she’s looking for a job as a home helper during school hours. I wondered whether you’d like to talk to her about coming up here and taking care of the cooking and the cleaning for you when I’m gone?”
Julia held her breath as her father studied her.
“You’re really not staying, then?”
“I can’t, Dad.” She held his gaze. “I will come back more often though, I promise. At least once a month.”
He looked away from her. “What does Miguel think of this plan of yours?”
“Miguel will like anything that doesn’t involve him having to lift a finger to help.”
“That’s not fair. He’s a good boy.”
Julia pressed her lips together hard and counted to thirty before speaking again.
“So, would you like me to ask Beth to come up here so you can have a chat with her?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” Julia said way too enthusiastically. “Or speak to her after the church service on Sunday.” She rose to her feet. “I’ll just make sure there’s something ready for lunch for everyone, and then I’ll leave for the cabins.”
* * *
Kaiden had just dropped Wes home after a long day up at the Garcia Ranch and gone back to the theater to pick up the rest of his tools when his phone buzzed. He took it out and studied the unfamiliar number and text message.
Julia not home yet and it’s getting late.
Kaiden frowned and hit the call button. “Mr. Garcia? What’s up?”
“Hey, Kaiden, thanks for calling. Julia went out to check up on the cabins in the northern section of the ranch, and she hasn’t returned yet. I’m getting worried about her.”
“Has she called or texted you?” Kaiden asked.
“No, I haven’t heard anything, although the reception up that way is pretty rough. I know I’m probably worrying over nothing, but you never know if there are bad people up there who have taken over the cabins.”
Kaiden mentally drew a map in his head of where Julia had gone and silently agreed with Juan. There was a problem with small pot farms springing up in isolated spots in the valley and there was a lot of illegal hunting and poaching.
“Do you want me to check up on her?” Kaiden offered.
There was a long pause and then Juan finally spoke. “That would be very kind of you. I wish I could go myself, Kaiden, but I can’t, and I don’t want to worry the emergency services if this is just because we can’t connect with each other.”
“I’m in town right now, so I’ll let Nate Turner know what’s going on before I head up there. If you don’t hear from me, then assume all is good. If there is an emergency, I’ll talk to Nate, and you’ll hear from him, okay?”
“Thank you, Kaiden. I really appreciate it.”
“No worries, Mr. Garcia. I’m glad to help.”
Kaiden packed his toolbox in the back of his truck, stopped for gas at Ted Baker’s, and called in at the sheriff ’s office beside the post office.
Nate was already shutting up shop ready to go out on patrol when Kaiden came in the front door. He stopped long enough to approve of Kaiden’s plan, and gave him a radio pack to take with him, which would work anywhere in the valley.
Kaiden took the bulky radio. “Thanks, Nate.”
“You’re welcome. There’s a late storm coming in tonight over the mountains so watch out for that.”
“Will do.” Kaiden walked out into the parking lot behind the sheriff ’s office with Nate. “I’ll keep you in the loop.”
He checked to see that he still had his winter gear stowed in the truck along with a few basic supplies and decided to head out. He’d already texted his mom so she could tell everyone at home where he was. He still wasn’t ready to talk to his dad, and the urgency of his mission gave him the perfect excuse not to go home.
“Coward,” Kaiden chided himself as he turned onto Main Street. “Conflict avoider.”
He checked his phone again, put the map coordinates Juan had given him into the truck navigation system, and hoped to hell the signal would last long enough to get him close enough to Julia in the dark.
* * *
“Damn!”
Julia shivered as her attempt to light the fire in the stone hearth of the cabin failed once again. She got a firmer grip on the lighter and this time managed to create a flame, which immediately flickered out as she tried to set fire to the crunched-up newspaper in the grate.
She sat back on her heels and took a deep breath.
“You can do this, Julia. You were a Girl Scout, remember?”
She finally connected the flame to the kindling and, sheltering it with her hands, managed to coax the small, curling strands of wood she’d stripped to take fire. Five minutes later the smaller twigs started to burn vigorously and she sat back on her butt to monitor further progress. She glanced out of the window noticing how quickly it was getting dark. With a groan, she got to her feet and went back outside, carefully closing the door behind her. She knew her dad usually kept some supplies in the truck. She just hoped he’d replenished them recently.
The sound of an approaching vehicle had her backing out of the interior and turning to face the rutted track. She eased the hunting knife she’d found in the glove box out of the back pocket of her jeans and held it behind her back. With the glare of the headlights directly in her eyes she couldn’t see a thing.
“Hey!”
She blinked away the spots of vivid color behind her eyelids and stepped cautiously to one side.
“Anyone need help around here?”
Her breath tumbled out as she pocketed the knife and practically ran toward Kaiden, who was smiling. His expression changed as he took a good look at her, and he drew her in for a hug.
“It’s okay, hon. We’ve got this. What happened?”
“The rear tire on the truck got a puncture.” Despite her best efforts, Julia’s voice shook.
“I’ll help you change it, then.”
“I might have lived in the city for years, Kaiden Miller, but I still know how to change a tire.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I got the truck jacked up, found the spare, and put it on. Ten minutes later, it was also flat, and I had to come back here.”
She didn’t tell him that it had taken her well over an hour to get the job done and that watching the sun disappearing behind the Sierras had made her as anxious as hell.
“That at least explains why you smell like a mechanic,” Kaiden said.
She gave in to temptation and leaned into him, rubbing her cheek against his jacket.
His hand settled gently over her hair. “It’s okay,” he said again. “We’ve got the same truck, and I definitely have a working spare tire. We can put it on your truck so we both can leave.”
“It’s too dark to do that now,” Julia said against the solid warmth of his chest. “And, it’s just about to start raining.”
“Then we’ll stay the night here and get it done in the morning.”
She nodded as he steered her toward the cabin and opened the door.
“Looks like you’ve already got this place all warmed up.”
“There are a couple of lanterns and I brought some wood in,” Julia said as she surveyed the one-room log cabin. “There wasn’t much there.”
“I can
fix that.” Kaiden turned around the compact space, his presence making it feel way smaller. “Any food here?”
“Three tins of canned chili and beans,” Julia reported. “Still in date.”
“Cool.” Kaiden walked her over to the small couch. “How about you keep an eye on the fire while I go and get some stuff from the truck?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve got a blow-up bed in there.”
Kaiden grinned and glanced back at the bare mattress and bed frame. “Nope, but I do have a sleeping bag.” He pointed at the couch. “Sit. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She grabbed his hand. “Wait, what about my dad? He’ll be worried sick.”
“How do you think I knew where you were?” He gently rubbed her palm with his thumb before releasing her hand. “He called me, I talked to Nate, and when I’m outside, I’ll call Nate and let him know the situation.”
“There’s no reception out here.”
“Which is why Nate gave me a radio.” He pointed at the couch. “You look worn out. Stay put and tend the fire.”
Julia only realized how exhausted she was when she didn’t mind Kaiden giving her orders. The thought of her father knowing she was safe was a huge relief.
Eventually, Kaiden came back through the door with a pile of stuff that he dumped on the small table. “I think there’s still some coffee left in my flask, if you want it.”
Julia was already on the move before he left again searching through the pile to discover the promised coffee. Not that she considered herself an addict or anything, but six hours without caffeine had been horrible. After finishing the dregs of the coffee she took an inventory of what he’d brought inside.
He took quite a while to come back the second time, but as the wind was rising, and the fire needed help to survive the gusts coming down the chimney, she was too busy to be worried. When he finally returned, his jacket was dark from the rain, and he carried a huge stack of wood.
“This should see us through the night.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Julia said. “You’re soaked through!”
“And now I’ll have a fire to warm me up and dry my clothes with.” He set the wood down and straightened with a groan. “I haven’t chopped wood that fast for a while. I’m going to be stiff tomorrow.”
“How come you have so much stuff in your truck?” Julia asked.
“Because you never know when you’ll need it out here.” Kaiden dusted off his hands and came toward her. “Is the water on?”
“Yes.” She showed him how to work the pump. “Just cold. We’ll have to boil it on the stove.”
“Sounds just like home.” He stripped off his jacket and shirt, washed his hands and face, and dried them on the sleeve of his flannel shirt. “My dad didn’t believe in wasting hot water when we were kids.”
Julia shivered at the thought.
“He said it toughened us up.” Kaiden studied her. “You might want to wash up yourself. You’ve got a streak of oil on your forehead.”
“Really?” Julia groaned. “I got so busy starting the fire that I forgot about how I looked.”
“Well, you weren’t exactly expecting visitors, were you? You’d look even better minus the oil. I left some soap on the side of the sink.” Kaiden walked toward what passed as the kitchen. “Are you hungry? Where’s the chili?”
* * *
The can opener was rusted and useless, so he used his knife to open two of the cans of chili, dumped them in a pan, and heated them on the stovetop, which still had gas. He’d packed some sandwiches and chips he’d picked up from Maureen’s in town for the journey and set them out, too. Julia washed up some bowls and silverware and they were ready to eat.
Despite its obvious age, the cabin had been well put together, and apart from the wind whistling down the chimney, the fire managed to keep the small space warm. To his relief, Julia appeared unharmed by her experiences. He tended to forget she’d spent the majority of her life in Morgan Valley and had the necessary resources to survive among the elements.
He’d spoken briefly to Nate, who had seconded his decision to stay put. Hearing the rain now beating down on the cabin roof and the thunder and lightning made him glad Julia wasn’t stuck out in a thunderstorm in a metal truck. He’d fetched all three of his spare jackets from the truck and persuaded her to add his fleece to her thin sweater. He kind of liked seeing her wearing his stuff.
“I wish we had more coffee.” Julia sat on the couch and drew her knees up to her chest. “Why didn’t you think of that when you packed your emergency supplies?”
“I promise I won’t forget next time.”
He sat next to her because there was nowhere else to sit and laid his arm along the back of the couch. The fire had taken hold and was crackling away nicely, filling the room with the scent of pine. The drapes shut out the rain and he’d folded up the mat and pushed it against the crack under the door to keep the wind out. All things considered, he was happy where he was right now.
“This happens to you a lot?” She arched an eyebrow in his direction. “This rescuing thing?”
“All the time.” He shrugged. “Damsels in distress gonna damsel.”
“I was managing quite well without you, you know.”
“You were.” He wasn’t going to argue with her, but he couldn’t resist a quick tease. “What was your plan for getting home tomorrow? Were you going to walk?”
She pinched his chest. “I hadn’t decided whether to walk down the valley until I could pick up a signal and call for help, or drive the truck anyway and see how far I could get on a flat tire.”
“Both good plans.” He nodded and made as if to rise. “I might as well just head back out and leave you to it.”
She came up on her knees and wrapped an arm around his neck. “Not so fast. I don’t want you getting struck by lightning or anything.”
He smiled down at her, bringing his hand to her waist. “I’m not stupid. I’m not going anywhere.”
She smoothed her thumb over his jaw. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Coming all the way out here to make sure I was all right.”
“That’s what neighbors are for.” Kaiden reminded himself to keep things light. “I didn’t want your dad worrying unnecessarily.”
She sat back down again and he followed her.
“Do you think we’ll be okay?” Julia asked.
“I don’t see why not.” Kaiden looked around the cabin. “We’ve got food, shelter, and warmth, transport for tomorrow, and each other.”
“I am glad you are here.”
“You would’ve managed without me,” Kaiden said. “But I’m glad I came.” He hastily covered his mouth as he yawned. “Sorry about that. It’s been a long day.”
“What time is it?” Julia gestured at her phone. “My cell ran out of battery.”
Kaiden slowly rolled up his sleeve. “Then it’s a good job I wear one of these old-fashioned watches on my wrist. As long as I keep moving, it keeps ticking.”
He checked the time. “It just turned nine, which explains why I’m so tired. That’s usually when I turn in.”
“That early?” Julia asked.
“Remember, I have to squeeze in two or three hours of ranch work before I leave for my day job or Dad gets on my back.”
“That’s tough.”
“That’s the life of a rancher. Long days, low pay, and no one to blame but yourself and the current government if things go south.”
“Dad can’t do it anymore,” Julia said flatly. “Miguel won’t, so what am I supposed to do?”
“Hire a competent manager until your dad either makes his mind up to sell the place, or Miguel comes home?” Kaiden suggested.
“Yes, that’s what needs to happen, but the place isn’t profitable enough to pay anyone a decent salary right now. I’ll have to subsidize it.”
“Which means you have to keep working with pond slime like Blaine.” Kaiden’s hand d
ropped onto her shoulder and he automatically started working the kinks of tension out of her muscles. “I don’t know what the answers are, Julia. I just admire the hell out of you for trying to keep everything afloat.”
“Thank you.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. “This is kind of nice.”
“It is until you need the bathroom, which we both do before we turn in.” Kaiden deliberately didn’t take advantage of the moment to kiss the top of her head. “You’ll need to put on your rain slicker and head off out back to the lean-to.”
“You’re right.” She sat up. “Oh God, do you think there are spiders in there?”
“Probably.” Kaiden hid a grin.
“Will you go first, and get rid of them for me?”
The mixture of horror and hope on her beautiful face undid all his resolve.
“I might if you are willing to pay a forfeit.”
“Anything.” She clasped her hands together like she was praying.
He pretended to consider all the more outrageous things he could ask for, and settled on the simplest.
“A kiss.”
“Just the one?” She knew him well enough to be wary, and she was also a lawyer.
“That’s up to you. I’ve noticed in the past that you don’t seem to want to stop at one. But for the record, just one kiss on whichever part of my anatomy I ask for.”
Her gaze immediately dropped to his dick and then shot back up to his face.
“That’s way too much territory.”
“Then you go first to the bathroom.” He rose to his feet. “I’ll find you a flashlight.”
He was already smiling when she tapped him on the back and he swung around.
“All right. One kiss wherever you want it.” She stuck out her hand. “Deal?”
“Deal.” He shook her hand. “Let’s get our jackets.”
He went in first, armed not only with a stick, but also with a ton of disinfectant, and made sure the place was okay for his ladylove before she went inside. He even stayed and shone the flashlight over the door so that she could pee and continue to monitor the spider situation while he got soaked in the rain again.