by Dora Hiers
****
Balancing the ladder over a shoulder, Mason surveyed the results from today’s efforts. They’d repaired fencing and replaced dangling wires. They’d made repairs to the barn, freshened up the stalls, and replaced the shutters and some loose boards on Remi’s house.
She hadn’t agreed to any house construction, yet. Give him time to persuade her. She’d come around.
Smiling, he hung the ladder on the hooks, satisfaction with their efforts swelling his insides, and headed out to check on the animals one last time for the day. Yep. It had been a good day. Remi had talked with his friends, even smiled, but she’d never completely ditched that slightly panicked look since the others showed up.
He stepped outside the barn, Goliath at his heels, and draped his arms over the llama enclosure holding Snickers and Reesie. The late afternoon’s light waned into soft evening. He stood there, watching the two animals munch on hay, the sweet smells of the farm drifting over him. He was beginning to love this place as much as the shop.
No need to disturb those two. They had survived all the commotion and appeared settled for the night.
He sauntered over to the male llama pen and slipped inside to check on their water supply. Five giants all lumbered over to see what he was doing. Goliath trotted along the outskirts of the crowd, grinning as if he knew what was coming.
Jumbo stuck his big head over Mason’s shoulder. He stroked the llama’s neck. “What’s this? You playing nice today, big guy?”
“You’re a glutton for punishment.”
He angled over his other shoulder to see Remi standing a few feet away, his dog now sitting at her feet. How had he not heard her sneak up on him? “You caught me.”
He moved away from the fray of animals, closer to Remi. Her spicy scent seeped into his pores and set his heart to wishing for things he was better off not wanting, but he couldn’t seem to resist the pull. He inched forward, giving her space, but needing to be near.
She waved a piece of paper in the air, but in the disappearing light, he couldn’t make out what it was. “I can’t accept this, you know.”
Ah. He didn’t need to see the writing to know what she held.
The check from the foundation.
“Especially not after all you’ve done today.”
“What? Organize some volunteers for one of my favorite non-profits?”
She angled her head, her lips quirking up on the side. She might’ve even rolled those gorgeous eyes. “Mason. Really?”
“So I made a few phone calls.” He shrugged and edged even closer to her. She didn’t back up. That was a good sign.
“I appreciate those phone calls. And everything else.”
“I know you do.”
Another step. Goliath wandered away, his head to the ground.
“But I can’t keep this check.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s from you.”
“Technically, it’s from the Mason Mulrennan Foundation.” But even if it was from him, what was wrong with that?
“People would talk.”
“Let them.” He took another half a step closer.
She shook her head. “You’re a public figure.”
He understood her aversion to media attention now. Not so much the logic behind that statement. “So is the foundation.”
“You’re—”
“It’s not about me, Remi. The foundation is dedicated to the protection and humane care of animals. I’ve seen firsthand how important that is to you here at the sanctuary. And, if I was a betting man, I would bet that I wouldn’t find another organization that treats their animals better than you.”
She sighed, her brows furrowing. “Mason, thank you, but—”
“Why does there have to be a ‘but?’”
“Because you’re—”
This time he took a giant step closer, until only the piece of paper separated them. That, and her anxiety. He stared down into gorgeous green eyes, wide and afraid. Didn’t she know by now that she could trust him? “I’m what?”
“You’ve done enough already.” Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say more, but then her lips clamped together. What had she been about to say?
“I don’t think so.” Not by a long shot. His fingers slipped around her arms, and he lowered his head until he felt like he was wading through a forest of luscious green foliage. “Remi?”
“Yes?” Her breathing came and went in short spurts, tickling his lips, heightening every nerve in his body.
“You know I would never hurt you, right?”
Her only response was the shuttering of her lashes. What could he do to put her mind at ease?
Her lips tasted sweet, flavored with the sweetened iced tea from earlier. Unsure and hesitant at first, but definitely yielding and soft, she responded to his slight pressure with an intensity he hadn’t expected, curling her arms around his neck.
A moan of pleasure escaped his throat. Somewhere in his subconscious, he felt palms brace against his chest, pressing him back. His eyelids flickered open to see fat teardrops trickle down her cheeks.
“You might not want to hurt me, Mason Mulrennan, but you will. It’s inevitable because of who you are.” Remi tore away from his grasp, and then she turned and dashed toward the house.
Stunned, Mason could only watch, his limbs refusing to cooperate. Finally, he forced his voice to work. “Remi, wait! Please!”
A hum sounded from behind him. Then a hiss.
Mason blinked. Oh, no. He’d forgotten about being within Jumbo’s firing range. He lunged—
A fresh coat of llama gunk splattered across his back.
He closed his eyes and sighed, exhausted and emotionally drained, scrubbed a hand across his jaw.
Goliath barked at Remi’s retreating figure. When she didn’t turn around, he whimpered and plopped on the ground, tucking his head between his giant paws, his expression morphing from happy to miserable.
“I hear you, boy.” Mason squatted on his heels and stroked the top of the golden’s head. “Come on, Goliath. Tomorrow’s another day.”
He went to rise and spotted a piece of paper in the grass. He picked it up.
The check from the foundation.
His gaze darted to the converted stable, but Remi had already disappeared inside.
She’d rejected his money. The first girl to do that. Ever.
Gratitude and hope bloomed in his gut.
Thank You, God, for leading me to a woman who doesn’t want me for the thickness of my wallet.
So she definitely wasn’t after him for his money, but it didn’t appear she was interested in pursuing a relationship with him at all.
Please, God, soften her heart. She’s carrying around a deep wound, one that I can’t heal. Only You can. Lord, You know that I won’t hurt her, that I wouldn’t allow her to be hurt like she was in the past. Help her to see that, and to know that I’m nothing like her father.
****
Remi eased through the front door and locked it behind her. She pressed her spine against the cool wood, freezing clear through her sweater down to her bones. Her breath came in short, quick pants. Her heart pumped fear through her veins at rocket speed.
What just happened outside? Why had she let him kiss her?
Her head wobbled back and forth. He might have initiated the kiss, but she’d definitely kissed him back. She put a hand against her heart, hoping to calm the frantic beating.
The first time she’d allowed a guy to kiss her, and he had to be a popular sports figure? A guy whose face was plastered all over the Internet and television? What was she thinking?
Obviously, she hadn’t been thinking, or she never would have let Mason drive onto her ranch in the first place. Or allowed him to keep coming back.
And now he’d raced his way into her heart.
She was in trouble.
She scrubbed a hand across her face and moaned. Oh, God, if You’re listening, I could use some help here. I
can’t fall for a racecar driver and suffer a repeat of life with my father. Please, please set me free from this fear!
God hadn’t heard her heart’s cry about her father. Would He hear her prayer now?
10
Six o’clock on Halloween evening. Like clockwork, tires crunched the gravel driveway outside.
Remi lifted the curtain and peered out the window, avoiding the truck that had been parked out there since this afternoon. And the good-looking man that had stepped out of it.
Good. Camdon was here, toting a large sack. He came bearing dinner, as usual.
Time to face the music, er…the driver.
Remi pulled on a sweater and opened the front door, the chilly breeze penetrating straight through the fleece. She shivered, more from facing the racecar driver than the frosty temperature and the unusually frigid wind.
Her boots pounded the wood slats on the porch. She met her brother at the bottom of the steps. “Hey, Camdon.”
“Hey, sweetness.” Camdon planted a kiss on her forehead. “How are you today?”
She hadn’t given much thought to the significance of the date until Camdon showed up. Why was that?
She gulped. Because a racecar driver had taken over her brain and her heart today, that’s why. “Actually, I’m good.”
One dark eyebrow hiked high on his forehead. “That’s awesome. So you mean I brought all this grub for nothing?” He brandished the white takeout bag in the air. “Two whole baskets of crispy fried chicken with extra sides of slaw and rice. And lots of biscuits.”
She smiled. “Enough for one more?”
“Of course. You know I always bring extra for Jillian. Is she here?” His gaze jerked to the spot where Lightning was usually tied up. Confusion crinkled his forehead.
“Not yet.” She flicked her head toward the pickup still parked on the other side of the barn. “Mason’s here.”
His gaze followed hers. Both eyebrows hiked, and his head moved in a slow, thoughtful nod. “Ahh.”
She didn’t have time to ask what all that meant. She wanted to catch Mason before he disappeared, to apologize for not coming out to greet him earlier.
Who was she kidding?
She just wanted to see…
Goliath. Yep. She hadn’t seen the cute Golden all day.
“Go on. I’ll start unloading everything.” Camdon’s brown eyes encouraged. His head bobbed toward the barn.
“Thanks.” She didn’t need any more coaxing. She practically sprinted, her heart tripping out an anxious rhythm.
At the barn door, a deep voice belted out the tunes to a song, what sounded like a praise song.
Remi halted outside. With eyelids pressed tight, she listened to the words. Worship. Soul. Holy. The message in the song, and the heart of the messenger, floated in the air like a leaf, whispering words of love directly to her heart. The song ended, and Mason’s voice faded to a hum.
She took a slow step into the barn, her heart hammering against her chest. “Hey.”
The brush resting along Pocono’s back stilled. Goliath, who’d been slumbering against the wall behind Mason, stretched and meandered her way, his tail curling high above him. She leaned down to scratch behind his ears, avoiding Mason’s eyes as he slid an appreciative gaze over her.
“Hey yourself. I was wondering if I was going to have to go inside and drag you out.”
Her lips curving at that prospect, she rose and mashed her hands in her pockets. “I’m sorry I didn’t come out earlier.”
“Scared?” His brown eyes dared her to say otherwise.
“Yeah.”
“Scared and honest.” He tilted his head back, his laughter loosening the anxiety that had coiled all afternoon.
How could he have this effect on her? One minute she dreaded seeing him, the next, her entire body tingled with anticipation.
“I wish the other drivers were as scared to see me coming as you are.” His cheeks, still scrunched with humor, relaxed. “But you know there’s no reason to be frightened of me, Remi. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
He kept saying that, but he didn’t know anything about her or why she was so nervous around him. Was it time to tell him the sordid details of her past?
But, if she did, he’d hightail it to that fancy truck of his and race right out of her life.
Isn’t that what she wanted? Remi didn’t know anymore.
She took a deep breath and mustered her courage. “My brother is here. Camdon. You met him at the funeral for your friend.”
Mason nodded, and the brush continued sliding along Pocono’s back. “I saw his car drive in.”
“He brought some fried chicken. Would you like to join us for dinner?”
The brush stopped abruptly. Mason stepped away from the horse and brown eyes bored into her. As if he ripped her chest wall away and revealed the nightmarish fear that kept her captive all these years.
Gripping the brush in one hand, a curious expression flitted across his face. “Dinner with you and your brother? Are you sure?”
She cocked her head, considering his question. It was just dinner. And Camdon and Jillian would be around, so there wouldn’t be a repeat of yesterday’s kiss. Why did she find that slightly disappointing? She shook it off. “Yeah. I’m sure.”
He stared at her for all of thirty seconds, his eyes warming, his lips curving into a delicious smile.
She struggled to keep her breathing even. “My friend is also coming.”
His smile turned into a laugh. “Reinforcements, huh? That’s probably a good thing.”
Remi turned to leave but couldn’t resist another glance over her shoulder at the attractive man. The way his muscles rippled underneath his long-sleeved shirt. The powerful slant of his jaw. The caring, tender expression on his face whenever he looked at her. Which he was doing now.
She gulped and scrounged up the remnants of her courage before she backed down. “Come on in when you’re done. And bring Goliath.”
“Give me a minute to clean up, and we’ll be there.”
****
Mason leaned back in the chair and sipped the sweet tea, enjoying every minute of being included in Remi’s tight circle of family and friends. Sharing dinner and fellowship with her brother and best friend gave him a better glimpse into her life.
“Well, sis, I’ve got an early morning meeting tomorrow with the City Manager, so I need to hit the road back to town.” Camdon pushed his chair back and rose to his full six-foot plus height.
“Yeah, me, too.” Jillian scooted out of her chair.
“You’ve got a meeting with the City Manager?” Shock resounded through Remi’s voice.
He narrowed his eyes at the alarm blaring from her face. Or was that dread or fear of being left alone with him?
Chuckling, Jillian slipped her arms into a sweater, allowing Camdon to help her with the sleeves. “Hope not. But I do have a shift tomorrow, so I need to get going.”
Mason rose, too, although he had no intention of leaving just yet.
Camdon stepped away from the girls’ goodbye scene. “Mason, I’m glad you decided to join us tonight.”
“Yeah. Me, too.” His gaze darted to Remi. She glanced back at him, smiling, that cute little dimple showing off.
Camdon caught the exchange. His forehead scrunched, and he lowered his voice. “I appreciate your help around the sanctuary.”
“No problem.” Mason couldn’t tear his gaze from Remi.
“I don’t know how you manage your shop and volunteering here.”
Volunteering? He no longer considered his work here as volunteering. Hmmm…why was that? He swung his gaze back to Camdon. “I guess a person does what’s important to them, right?”
Camdon stared at him. Questioning his motives? Finally, Remi’s brother shrugged. “Well, thank you. And I know my sister appreciates it as well.”
“I’m happy to do what I can, but it’s not nearly enough. Remi needs more volunteers during the week.”
>
“You’ve done a lot, especially rounding up all your friends yesterday, but I’m not sure Remi would feel comfortable with that many volunteers around the place very often.”
“Yeah. I get that,” Mason agreed.
“Take care.” Camdon extended his hand, and although his expression was kind, Mason heard the hint of stern warning in his voice.
Message received. Loud and clear. Take care of his sister.
“I intend to.” Mason acknowledged the warning with a nod. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
Camdon’s eyebrows narrowed, his concern for his sister obvious. “Yeah? You plan to stick—”
“Yeah, what?” Remi slid in next to her brother and snaked an arm around his slender waist, her face tipped adoringly up toward Camdon.
Mason tamped down the envy. Come on, man. This is her brother.
Camdon slipped his arm around Remi’s shoulders and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Yeah. I’m just leaving. I’ll walk Jillian to her car, er, horse. Will you be all right tonight?”
Remi’s face darkened briefly, but she mustered a sweet smile with watery eyes and nodded.
Camdon pulled her into a hug and whispered something in her ear. Her dark head bobbed again.
Sudden waterworks and a secret message. What was up with that?
Mason wandered into the kitchen and busied himself with making coffee while Remi followed Camdon and Jillian to the door.
He twisted over a shoulder. Remi stood, staring out into the darkness for a few minutes before closing the door and pressing her forehead against the wood. Something was definitely up tonight. What was it?
“Thanks for inviting me to dinner. Hope you don’t mind if I stay for coffee.”
She startled. As if she’d forgotten he was there. “No. That’s fine. Coffee sounds great.”
He handed her a cup.
“Thanks, Mason. Come. Sit down.” She parked herself on one end of the couch.
He debated for about ten seconds on whether he should take the armchair. Maybe she wouldn’t be so nervous if he wasn’t sitting right next to her. And that might be the only way he could keep from pulling her into his arms. From attempting a repeat of yesterday’s kiss.