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“The daylight hours are gone. The only thing I’m going to do when I get home is feed the horses and tend to a sick cow.”
He didn’t say anything until the traffic cleared enough for her to pull into the street. “Okay. Go to 395 and head north.”
Noelle didn’t know why she’d made it her responsibility to see this man to the doctor and then home. She could have let a coworker deal with him. But something about finding him on her property and rescuing him from hypothermia, or worse, had left her feeling a bit possessive. Like finding a wounded animal and not wanting to let go until she was certain it could survive without help.
“A deputy has already gone out and collected my truck and trailer from where I parked them on the side of the road,” he informed her. “Someone will pick up my horse tomorrow. And don’t worry, it won’t be a lawman. It’ll be someone from the ranch.”
She darted another glance at him. This time his eyes were shut, his head resting against the back of the seat. Even with that angry wound above his ear and a pale face, he still managed to look incredibly strong and handsome.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “You have a ranch?”
“It belongs to my family.”
“So you do ranch work along with being a detective for the sheriff’s office?”
“Since about ten years ago, I haven’t done much cowboy work. That’s when I started working as a deputy.”
He was telling her that he lived on the ranch but didn’t work there. How did that situation sit with the rest of his family? she wondered. And what kind of family did this man have? Did it include a wife and children? Somehow she didn’t think so. He didn’t have the look of a man who’d been roped and tied by a woman.
What the heck has come over you, Noelle? Whether this man, or any man, is married should mean nothing to you. You don’t want one in your life. He wouldn’t be worth the heartache.
Shutting her mind to the mocking voice in her head, she asked, “What did the doctor say about your injury? They kept you back there so long I thought you must’ve been going through brain surgery.”
“Sorry you had such a long wait. After the doc finally studied the scans of my head, he said I have a concussion. He prescribed something for the pain and ordered me to take it easy the next few days. And not to get another lick on the head. I told him I wouldn’t be riding Lonesome anytime soon.”
Lonesome. The horse’s name fit Noelle perfectly, she thought. Aloud she said, “I liked your paint. You wouldn’t think about selling him to me, would you?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him looking at her with comical surprise. “Are you kidding me?”
“I don’t do much kidding, Detective Calhoun.”
“My name is Evan. Call me that, will you?”
In her mind, she’d already been calling him Evan. But he hardly needed to know she’d been thinking about him in such a familiar way. “All right, Evan. Now what about the horse? While I was unsaddling him, I looked him over. He has big strong bones, great withers and a nice soft eye. The two of us have already decided we like each other.”
He studied her for a long, thoughtful moment before he finally replied, “I’ll have to ask my brother. He handles the ranch’s remuda.”
She frowned as she maneuvered the truck into the passing lane. “Your ranch has a remuda?”
“Why, yes. Every ranch has a remuda.”
She supposed he was technically right. Even a small spread like hers needed a horse. Only the word remuda meant a collective string of them. And her string consisted of three.
“Now that we’re talking about ranching,” he went on, “I’m still trying to figure out if I heard you right today. You work that place of yours all by yourself?”
“That’s right. I can’t afford help. And even if I could, I prefer doing things my own way and at my own pace.”
He lifted his head to look at her. Though she could see him only in her peripheral vision, the sight was enough to rattle her senses. Without even trying, he was one of the sexiest men she’d ever crossed paths with. Being confined in the truck cab with him reminded her just how long it had been since she’d felt a man’s arms around her.
“How do you manage it all alone?” he asked. “As we rode to your house, I spotted a fairly large herd of cattle.”
He sounded clearly astounded. Noelle figured the women in his life were probably a different breed from her. Most likely they were the soft, delicate sort who looked great in lingerie but acted helpless in a feedlot. Sometimes in the quiet darkness of the night, she wished she could be that woman, if only for an hour or two. But that wouldn’t pay the bills or put food on the table. She had to be strong and capable. Always.
“Only a hundred fifty head. Doesn’t take much work to feed that many cattle in the winter. In the summer, when grass is available, I can concentrate on other things. And when it comes time for branding and working, I call on the day hands who work over on the Double X.”
“Hmm. So how long have you had your place?”
Ever since her beloved aunt and uncle had died and her snake-in-the-grass ex had shown his true colors, she thought grimly. To Evan, she said, “Four years—give or take a few months. My aunt Geneva and uncle Rob willed it to me with the stipulation that I use it to produce livestock. And that I never sell the property.”
“You said ‘willed it.’ Did they die?”
She winced as a pain of regret traveled through her. “Together. In a car accident.”
“That’s too bad. They must’ve thought a lot of you.”
“They didn’t have any children, and the three of us were always close. To be honest, I was shocked when I found out they’d left the place to me. They owned a little ranch of their own in the Prescott area, but I had no idea they owned land here in Nevada.”
“So Prescott is where you’re from originally?”
“No. I lived in Phoenix. But I spent every summer and weekend I could with my aunt and uncle. That’s where I learned about horses and cattle. Uncle Rob had done that all his life. He taught me a lot.”
“I see. So you decided to take on the challenge of turning the land here in Nevada into something.”
Actually, she’d first thought of her move from Phoenix to Nevada as an escape, not a challenge. She’d wanted to get away from the crushing pain of her divorce and her clueless parents. But it hadn’t taken long for her to begin to see the property as the future instead of a refuge.
“Something like that,” she murmured.
He didn’t say anything more. After a few moments passed, she looked over to see he’d closed his eyes and was once again resting his head against the back of the seat. No doubt his injury was causing him some misery. Talking probably made it worse.
That was okay with her. She’d already shared more about herself with this man in the past few minutes than she’d ever told anyone. What in the heck was that about? Since her brother, Andy, was killed five years ago, looking at any person wearing a law-enforcement badge had left her cold. So why was she spilling her personal life to this one? It didn’t make sense. Except that he seemed different somehow from the cool, professional policemen who’d tried to explain away an eighteen-year-old’s death.
Doing her best to shove the confusing doubts and questions from her mind, she concentrated on the traffic and hoped Evan didn’t drift off to sleep before giving her directions to his home.
As if reading her thoughts, he suddenly spoke. “Before you get to the Washoe Lake turnoff, there’s a gravel road that goes west. Take it. Three miles in, you’ll see the entrance to the Silver Horn. Cross the cattle guard and stay on that road until you reach the ranch house.”
“Got it.”
Twenty minutes later, Noelle was wondering whether she’d made the correct turn a few miles back or she was driving them deeper into the wilderness. In the past half hour, the only thing she’d seen was a dark dirt road. But she was loath to wake her passenger and question him. He needed the rest. And the absence of his low, rich voice made it easier for her to keep her mind on driving.
Eventually, she spotted a cattle guard up ahead. As she drove closer, she could see it was flanked on either side with rock pillars. A sign that simply read Silver Horn swung from an arch of metal pipe spanning the entrance. She steered the truck over the metal ridges and hoped the ranch house wasn’t far off.
Another fifteen minutes passed before Noelle finally caught a glimpse of lights on a far-off hill. When Evan had told her it was a long drive from town to his place, he hadn’t been exaggerating. But that hardly mattered now. In a few minutes, she’d finally be rid of Detective Calhoun. The idea left her torn between extreme relief and unexplainable sadness.
* * *
Someone was beating the side of his head with a hammer. Evan fought as hard as he could to defend himself until the nightmare eventually had him bolting forward in the seat, causing the seat belt to latch tight against his throat.
“What the hell?” he muttered as he struggled to thrust the nylon strap away.
“You were having a dream. You’re okay.”
The feminine voice was strong and steady and enough to break through the last vestiges of the disturbing dream.
He opened his eyes and looked at her. Suddenly everything came rushing back to him. “Oh. It’s you. Noelle.”
“That’s right. You’ve been asleep. But I think you’re almost home now.”
Wiping a hand over his eyes, he drew in a long breath and scooted up in the seat. Ahead of them, he could see the tall pines and poplar trees lining the driveway to the Silver Horn ranch house. For a few moments today, after Noelle had found him in the gulch, he’d wondered if he would ever see this place or his family again. But now that he realized he was going to live, he dreaded the berating he would surely get from his grandfather Bart Calhoun.
Realizing the truck was slowing, Evan glanced over to see Noelle gazing past the trees to the three-story brick house and the blaze of Christmas lights decorating its face, the lawn and the long walkway.
“This is where you live?”
“Ever since I was born,” he answered easily. “Why? Is anything wrong?”
She turned her attention away from the house and back to the circular driveway. “No. I’m relieved that I didn’t make a wrong turn and you’re finally home.”
He said, “Just park at the end of the sidewalk and I can make it the rest of the way.”
She stopped the truck at the walk lined with low-growing juniper bushes. The evergreens were threaded with tiny, twinkling lights, turning the walkway into a dazzling trail.
“I’d be honored if you’d come in and meet my family,” he said. “Greta, our cook, will have leftovers from dinner. After everything I’ve put you through today, you must be hungry.”
Her tight hold on the steering wheel never lessened. “No thanks,” she said bluntly. “I have to be getting home.”
Even though the effort caused the gash in his head to hurt, he attempted to smile. “I promise I’m the only lawman that lives here. The rest make their living off cattle and horses.”
Clearly not finding his remark amusing, she stared straight ahead. “I’m sure your folks are fine people. But I have chores waiting on me.”
For some reason, the thought of her going back to that windswept hill and modest little house struck him hard. There wasn’t much there but a barn full of hay, a handful of horses and a small herd of cattle. Why had she chosen such a hard, isolated life for herself? he wondered.
That’s none of your business, Evan. And she clearly isn’t about to let it become your business. So forget it and let her be on her way.
He reached over to shake her hand. She dropped the steering wheel long enough to oblige him. Her grip was strong, but brief.
“Well, thank you for all your trouble, Noelle. I can truly say I’d rather we met under different circumstances, but I’m very grateful you came along when you did.”
“Forget it,” she said curtly, then looked at him. “You never did say what you were doing out there riding in the hills. It had to be more than following four-wheeler tracks. Don’t you think I have a right to know?”
“Actually, you should know. A few weeks ago, a body was discovered just a few miles from your place. I was following up on some leads regarding that case.”
Her brows lifted slightly. “I read about it in the newspaper. But I didn’t think it was that close—and the article didn’t say anything about it being a homicide.”
“I’m not saying it was a homicide, either. That detail hasn’t been determined yet. But it’s a fact that gangs sometimes meet out in the area not far from your property. To avoid the law coming down on them, we think. Have you ever seen anything suspicious? Especially around the dry gulch where you found me?”
“No. Never. Sometimes when the weather is nice, there might be a few teenagers sitting around smoking and drinking beer. Not far off the county road, on the property next to mine, there’s a rock formation with a cave beneath. The kids use it as a place to hang out.”
Feeling the need to caution her, he said, “Those might not be innocent teenagers, Noelle.”
She turned a hard look on him. “I might’ve known you’d say something like that. A group of kids, cigarettes and beer. That instantly makes them gang members, thieves or murderers, doesn’t it?”
There was more than sarcasm in her voice. There was downright anger. Her reaction made him wonder whether, as a teenager, she’d been targeted by the law. Though the notion hardly seemed likely, it was clear that something had hardened her toward police officers.
“No. I’m only saying it would be wise of you to use caution. A woman alone is—”
“No different than a man alone,” she finished briskly. “Now, do you think you can get to the door under your own steam or do I need to help you?”
In his line of work, Evan was used to dealing with belligerent people. Some reacted out of fear, others out of downright meanness. No matter the reason, he’d been trained to keep his patience and let the barbs and jabs hit the invisible armor he always kept around him. But in Noelle’s case, he found her unfounded resentment hard to take.
“I think I can manage,” he said stiffly, then reached for his wallet. “Let me pay you for bringing me home and tending to my horse. I’d like to believe the rest of your help was a Good Samaritan act.”
“I don’t want your money. And as for being a Good Samaritan, I don’t walk away from wounded animals. Or humans.”
“Fine.” He opened the truck door and climbed out. “Thanks again. Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime. I know that would make you happy.”
“Deliriously so,” she muttered, her eyes focused on the windshield in front of her.
“Goodbye, Noelle.”
She didn’t reply, so he simply shut the door to the truck and started walking toward the house. But halfway there, he glanced over his shoulder at her disappearing taillights and wondered why it even mattered that she hadn’t told him goodbye.
Chapter Three (#ulink_7c282f84-5e66-5706-b8b1-d47ee4dd35ee)
During the long drive home, Noelle cried so hard the flood of tears made it difficult to see the road. She’d always prided herself on being emotionally stable. Not once since she’d moved to Nevada to start a new life had she shed a tear. Not for the death of her beloved aunt and uncle. Nor for the divorce, the break with her parents or even the loss of her brother. None of those things had melted her resolve to stay strong and in control.
So, damn it, why was she crying tonight? Why had a lawman with a lump on the side of his head and a goofy grin on his face turned her into a ball of jumbled emotions?
She was ashamed of herself for many reasons. If she was half the woman she wanted to believe she was, she would turn the truck around, drive back to that big mansion and apologize to the man. But tonight she was discovering she wasn’t nearly as strong as she thought, and that jolted her. Whether he knew it or not, Evan Calhoun was forcing her to look at parts of herself she didn’t want to see. Tonight or ever.
When she finally arrived home, she left her truck and walked straight to the barn. The horses were hanging their heads over the top rail of the corral, waiting impatiently for their supper. Earlier this evening, before she’d driven Evan to the emergency room, she’d turned his paint into the corral with her horses, and so far they weren’t trying to kick or bite each other to death. Which was a relief. If his horse came up lame or injured while under her care, Evan’s family would no doubt hold her responsible.
The fact that she’d asked him about selling the animal stung her cheeks with embarrassment. She’d recognized the horse was from good bloodstock, but she’d never imagined he’d come from a ranch like the Silver Horn. A horse of Lonesome’s quality would carry a hefty price tag. One that would never fit into her budget.
At one time, she could’ve bought dozens of horses like the paint and never made a dent in her bank account. Money had been at her fingertips to buy anything she’d desired. But the cost of living the same sort of lifestyle as her parents had been too high for Noelle. Especially when she’d learned that her father, Neal, had earned a portion of his millions by not-so-honest business practices.
The best decision Noelle had ever made in her life was to turn her back on all that wealth, and the phoniness, and move here to Nevada. Even if it meant she ate canned tuna for dinner instead of beef steak and wore work boots instead of stilettos.
At the barn, she wasted no time pouring grain for the horses and filling their hay manger. The cow she’d penned next to the horses had been recuperating from a respiratory infection. Noelle injected her with a shot of antibiotics, then spread hay for her and the calf.
Once her chores at the barn were finished, she returned to the house and went straight to the bathroom to shower. It wasn’t until she was standing in front of the vanity that she caught sight of her image in the medicine-chest mirror. The reflection shocked her. Her eyes were swollen, and tears had marked tracks down her dusty cheeks.
Disgusted by her unreasonable attitude toward Evan and her emotional breakdown, she pulled a washcloth from the vanity and stepped into the shower. But even after her face was drenched clean from the warm water, she still couldn’t shake the memory of Evan’s wounded expression.
He’d been not only offended by her sharp retorts but also hurt. Why had she said all that to him? Why had she deliberately set out to make him dislike her?
You know why, Noelle. Just when you’d started thinking he might be different, he’d talked about teenagers as if they were all potential criminals. He dug up those painful memories you’ve been trying so hard to bury. You might as well face it now. Evan Calhoun is no different from the officer who shot and killed Andy. And the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.
Trying to shut out the terrible voice in her head, Noelle finished her shower, then wrapped herself in a heavy robe and walked out to the kitchen to fix something to eat.
