Rancher's High-Stakes Rescue

by Beth Cornelison

  His adrenaline spiked just a bit, making his heart thump harder when he considered how much he cared for Kate, the natural ease of his rapport with her. She was unlike any woman he’d known before. Or at least he related to her better than any other, wanted more from her than anyone else. So...what did that mean?

  He’d teased Piper about having a fling with Kate, but what he was feeling was deeper than that. He could see himself in a long-term, committed relationship with her. He could fall for her.

  The truth surprised him. Maybe it should have even scared him. Josh McCall, whose superpower was avoiding responsibility and anything that required a commitment longer than the expiration date on his milk, was not the settle-down-with-one-woman-for-the-rest-of-your-life sort. Or so the stories around town went. He’d been fine with living up to that reputation until now. He’d not met anyone that challenged that concept.

  But Kate was different. Kate—

  “Josh,” she said now, pulling him from his musing, “you keep saying ‘he’ when you talk about the vandal. But couldn’t the perpetrator be a ‘she’?”

  Josh blinked his surprise. “A woman?”

  She spread her hands as if to say, why not? “One of you sexy cowboys at the Double M could have attracted a femme fatale. A jilted lover? A jealous secret admirer? Couldn’t it as easily be a woman trying to drive you out of business as a man?”

  His grip tightened on her, and he angled his head, gaping.

  A woman? He turned the notion over in his head. “I—But who?”

  “Well, that is still the $64,000 question, isn’t it?”

  He sat up and narrowed a squinty-eyed frown on her. “$64,000 question? What does that mean?”

  She pushed up on an elbow. “You know...the quiz show from the ’50s?”

  He gave her a wry look. “A little before my time.”

  “But the saying has endured. My grandmother used to say it all the time. And they made that movie about the scandal...” She waved a hand. “Never mind. My point is the same. You should consider that a woman could be getting her revenge for a broken heart or—”

  “What are you implying about my brother’s and my love lives?” He curled his cheek up in a half-teasing grin. “What kind of guys do you think we are?”

  “Hey, no judgments. I’m just saying maybe a woman has a beef with you—”

  “No pun intended?” When she gave him a blank look, he added, “Beef? Cattle ranch?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Will you be serious?”

  He wanted to tell her just how seriously he took the unknown saboteur. How the threat haunted his sleep at night and ate at his gut by day. That teasing and humor were how he kept his sanity. Instead, he gave her a nod. “Sorry. You were saying?”

  “Just offering a different perspective. Maybe the preconceived idea that it is a man is what’s holding up the investigation.”

  “I suppose a woman could be involved but...a few months back, when this guy was stalking Piper—”

  “What!”

  Another truth he hated to dwell on, because knowing how close he’d come to losing his sister drove ice to his bones and made him want to put his hand through the jailhouse wall to get at the lowlife who’d terrorized Piper. Instead, he raised a hand to put Kate off. “Another story for another time. Anyway, this cretin, when the sheriff’s department interrogated him, copped to certain things, but swore up and down he wasn’t guilty of burning up our field with the winter feed. But he says he saw a man in the area just before the fire started. He could only give a vague description. Cowboy hat. Jeans. Dark hair. Nothing that doesn’t describe every guy at the Double M, but it’s our only lead.”

  She stared at him, her brow furrowed. Her gaze shifted slightly to nothing in particular, but the crease at the bridge of her nose remained, telling him she was deep in thought. Processing. Analyzing.

  A weird sensation, both light and expansive, filled his chest as he studied her by the firelight. He could see pink on her cheeks and a few new freckles on her face thanks to their day in the sun. He wanted to kiss the delicate sun spots, smooth away the wrinkle of consternation in her brow. He wanted to make love to her, but he would respect her no for what it was.

  After a moment her eyes found his again, and she said simply, “Wow. I wish I knew what to tell you. You gotta believe that the police will catch the guy before anyone gets hurt.”

  “Do I? Don’t forget, if not for a lot of luck on our part, either one or both of us could have—” He caught himself. Why was he reminding her how badly the zip-lining had gone? He wanted to embolden her, not keep her locked in her fear. He muttered a curse darkly and lay back on the ground.

  She said nothing, but she curled next to him, her hand on his chest and her cheek on his shoulder.

  He inhaled deeply, just...savoring. He liked having Kate there, next to him. She anchored him, soothed the rough edges of his frustrations and anger concerning the vandal. The babble of the water over the rocks in the river, the stars overhead, the scents of earth and smoke and the woman beside him...this was his idea of paradise. He could almost draw a box around that moment, isolate himself and Kate in this place and time, separate from the rest of the world, the events of the last thirty-six hours, the concerns that weighed on his family. For a little while.

  “Jason,” Kate said without preamble.

  He arched an eyebrow. “Uh. It’s Josh.”

  She patted his chest. “Jason is the name of the guy who taught me not to indulge in vacation flings.”

  He snorted. “I hate him already.”

  She fell silent again, and after a moment, his curiosity got the better of him. “What about Jason?”

  “I was just remembering him. Reminding myself why it would be a bad idea to have sex with you like I want to.”

  “You want to?” Parts of his anatomy took notice.

  “You really have to ask? I’d have thought the way I was climbing on you at the swimming hole put that question to rest.”

  Josh couldn’t help it. He smiled. “So there’s hope? It’s still a possibility?”

  She chuckled. “Oh, Josh...if only...” Her fingers curled into his shirt, and she said, “I met Jason on a business trip. We were on the same flight from Dallas, and it turned out we were attending the same conference. I was there to learn, and he was there repping his company at one of the vendor booths. When we saw each other at an opening night cocktail party, we ended up talking for a while, then going to dinner together, and then...”

  The and then made Josh tense. He didn’t want to think about Kate with any other man. Especially when he knew the story ended badly for her. He clenched his back teeth and kept quiet as she continued.

  “One night led to another and another. Basically, we spent every free minute of the weeklong conference together. Dinners out. Wine. Sex. By the last morning, I figured we’d started something we would take back home with us. I raised the question of where things would go, and he—”

  “Said it was over?” Josh guessed. An easy enough blank to fill in.

  “Actually, his phone rang at that exact moment, and he took the call...from his wife.”

  Josh couldn’t contain the groan of disgust that rolled from his throat. “Aw, Kate...”

  “He’d never given me a clue. Wasn’t wearing a ring. I was stunned. Sick to my stomach.”

  “I hope you kneed him in the family jewels and gave him some scratches on his face to explain to his wife.”

  “I wish I had, too, sometimes. But me being the chicken I am, I snuck out of his room while he was in the bathroom on the phone with her. I never saw him again.”

  Acid pooled in his gut, not just because this bastard had used and hurt Kate, but because he was unable to do anything about it. Not punch the guy in his piehole, not take away her humiliation and heartache. Nothing. That inability chafed his
innate protective instinct.

  Instead, all he could think to say was “There you go again with that chicken label. You chose the less confrontational response to the situation, but...you were in shock, hurting, angry. Maybe you made the wise choice. Have you considered that?”

  She harrumphed her disagreement.

  They lay quietly for another moment or two, though he could feel a new tension and distance stringing her tight. He vibrated with pent-up frustration, as well, as if that Jason punk had come and wedged himself between them, ruining the peace and happiness of their private campsite haven.

  Fix this. Maybe he couldn’t erase Jason the cheater from Kate’s past, but he would do what he could to neutralize the power he had over her in the present. Squeezing his eyes closed, he tried to think about what the people in his life that he trusted for advice would say. His parents, Roy, his siblings...what would they tell her? After a moment of dwelling on the subject, one truth more than any other filtered its way to the top.

  He cleared his throat. “You realize that by letting your bad experience with Jason guide your choices, he’s still hurting you.” Yep, that’s what his mom would say. And Piper would add, “You’re...still giving him power, letting that old heartache hold you back from what could be your destiny.”

  She stilled, then slowly sat up, twisting her body to face him. “If I didn’t know you were using that line to get me to sleep with you, I’d say that was one of the most perceptive arguments I’ve ever heard.”

  Josh rolled to a seated position and threaded his fingers through her hair. “Yeah, I want you to sleep with me, but...not because of any line I give you. And I’m not saying I’m your destiny. I just hate to see you squander opportunity because of something that happened in the past.” He paused, ducking his head a little to meet her gaze straight on. “Remember, you only live once.”

  “YOLO...” She tipped a grin at him. “That really is your motto, isn’t it?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “Never really thought of it as my motto. I just don’t want to live a life where I end up with regrets.”

  She hummed thoughtfully as she slid a hand along his jaw, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “You really are something, Josh McCall. For someone who claims to be the less scholarly twin, you’re very deep. Wise.” She met his skeptical look with a smile. “Thank you.”

  Drawing him closer, she leaned in and gently kissed his mouth. At first tentative, then harder, deeper.

  He let her set the pace. As he’d told her, anything that happened would be because she wanted it, not because he’d cajoled or pressured her. He didn’t want Kate to have any regrets either.

  But when her tongue teased his lips and she canted against him, he wrapped an arm around her and eased back on the ground, holding her as she settled against him. Desire pounded in his blood, but he lassoed the wildness and held it back. He’d be patient if it killed him. And judging by the heat that licked his veins and the pulsing pressure that built inside him, he just might die from unspent need. He grunted a short laugh. Die... Those Shakespearean-era poets and playwrights might have been onto something.

  Kate moved her kisses from his mouth to his chin, then along the curve of his jaw to his throat. The sexy nibbling of her lips left a trail of heat that sizzled and sparked every nerve ending. His entire body hummed and pulsed. Her fingers wound in the hair behind his ears and teased the nape of his neck.

  An owl hooted, and with a flinch and breathy gasp, she raised her head to listen. “What was that?”

  “Just an owl.”

  She released the breath she held. Nodded. “Cool.”

  “I know. Right? There’s all kind of wildlife out here. All around us. It’s one of the things I love about outdoor sports—being out in nature.”

  In the glow of the firelight, he saw her brow dip, and she cast a wary gaze toward the dark beyond their campsite and shivered. “All around us, huh?”

  He chuckled and caught the back of her head, lifting his lips to hers for a smacking kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

  The corner of her mouth twitched, and she snuggled close to him again. “No doubt. I’m just not a fan of things that go skitter and growl in the night.” Her fingers bunched in his shirt. “Did I mention earlier the mice that were in the silo with me as a kid? If the pain, hunger and isolation weren’t enough, I had to share my little prison with horrible beady eyes and scrabbling claws that would climb on me at night.” She gave a full-body shudder.

  He shifted his gaze to the backpack he’d strung up from a tree branch, a few paces beyond the circle of the campfire light, in an attempt to keep critters of all sorts from the gorp and other snacks that would be his and Kate’s breakfast tomorrow. He wouldn’t tell her that, even now, he’d wager animals of all sizes were lurking around them, drawn by the scent of their dinner and the food in their backpack. Instead, he pulled her closer, stroked her hair and whispered, “I’ve got your back, Kate. I promise.”

  * * *

  Kate woke the next morning to the music of songbirds and the early rays of sun peeking through the branches overhead. She was cold, but she was still snuggled next to Josh, her head pillowed by his shoulder. In the grand scheme, not a bad trade-off. She hated to move, to stretch her stiff muscles, knowing it would wake him. She tipped her head back and angled her gaze to study his perfect profile. Full lips. Straight, narrow nose, scruff-dusted jawline. A wisp of his raven hair fell over his forehead and tickled his closed eyelid. Silently, moving slowly, she reached up and brushed the hair back, smoothing it into place with the rest of the hair tucked behind his ears.

  He opened one eye, and his mouth curled up in a smile.

  “G’morning,” she whispered, surprised to realize she meant it. She, who usually hated mornings, was happy to greet the new day. And especially happy to greet the man beside her.

  “Hi.” He inhaled deeply and stretched his arms over his head before drawing her close again. “See. Told you I wouldn’t let any critters get you.”

  She grinned. “My hero. Though I did hear some odd, rather frightening noises in the night.” She placed a finger on her pursed lips. “Oh, wait...that was you snoring.”

  He winced. “Sorry. Hope I didn’t keep you awake.”

  “Not much. And I think it helped scare the wildlife away, so...”

  He laughed.

  Flashing an unrepentant smile, she leaned in for a kiss. Then another that lingered and stoked something wild and hungry in her core. Oh, yes. She could learn to love mornings if she were to wake every day to Josh’s stubble-darkened mug and tempting kisses.

  But you won’t. The cold voice of reality jarred her like a clanging bell shattering the calm. In a few days, she’d be back home, and he would just be a pleasant memory. No more.

  With that stark reminder washing away the golden haze she’d draped over the moment, she pushed away from his grasp and stiffly climbed to her feet. “I guess there’s no coffee today, huh?”

  “No.” He eyed her with a disappointed look she knew had less to do with the dearth of coffee and more to do with her abrupt departure from his arms. He rolled to a seated position and pointed to the backpack hanging from the tree. “But chocolate has caffeine if you want to eat all the M&M’s out of the gorp.”

  She finger combed her hair, and finding leaves and moss clinging to her, she plucked the bits of nature from the mussed strands. “Naw. I’ll survive. I’ll be grumpy for a while, but I’ll survive. Now, if you’ll excuse me—” She cast an eye around the wooded area, deciding the best path to take to find some privacy. “Nature calls.”

  “Avoid the plants with three leaves,” he called to her as she marched away from their camp.

  “Got it!” She called back. Poison ivy was not what worried her as she walked a short way into the cover of the trees and scrub brush. Snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlies were her main c
oncern. Along with her own foolish heart.

  She’d been alone with Josh less than two days, and she could already feel herself falling for him. She sighed and batted a branch aside as she waded deeper into the woods. Kissing Josh had been a mistake. Knowing how tender his touch could be, how sweet his lips tasted, how she thrilled with the press of his body against hers, that was the real danger. Because he left her wanting more. So much more.

  And the deeper personal connection she felt with him following their fireside conversations and late-night confidences made her attraction to him much more than physical. She saw his caring heart, his sense of humor, his earnestness and passion that radiated from his core. A loyal family man, a protector and hard worker, Josh was an intriguing mix of rugged cowboy, daring adventurer and soulful charmer. Her first impression of him had been so wrong. Josh was complex, and she longed to spend days, months, years peeling back his layers.

  She grunted and kicked at a rotting log, irritated with herself for dwelling on what couldn’t be. Hadn’t Josh as much as said he wasn’t looking for anything long-term last night? I’m not saying I’m your destiny.

  Shoving her frustrating line of thought aside, she hurriedly finished her business and returned to the campsite. Josh had dumped water on the lingering coals of the fire and seemed eager to start their hike. He donned his cowboy hat, shouldered the backpack and glanced around the small clearing. “Did we leave anything?”

  “Doesn’t look like it. Lead on.”

  He swept a hand downriver. “After you. We’ll largely follow the river, only leaving the bank for the woods in a few spots where the terrain gets tricky.”

  She set out, picking her way along the edge of the water, careful not to slip on the damp rocks or mud. She saw now why he thought the hike would take most of the day. Their progress was slow, at times arduous, scaling boulders and tree roots along the river or struggling through dense underbrush and vines in the woods. Either way was rugged, but beautiful. Even though the day had grown overcast soon after they started walking, the clouds couldn’t tamp Kate’s enthusiasm for the wildflowers and majestic landscapes. She was charmed by the animals they encountered including chipmunks, marmots, a beaver, butterflies and two eagles. On one occasion a wood frog startled Kate as she answered nature’s call midmorning.