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Without thinking about it, she strolled to the window and looked toward the house. She’d heard Tyler’s truck pull in a few minutes ago but saw no sign of him, the little girl or any possible wife now. But a strange pull tugged at Leah. Despite the fact that she’d been most comfortable behind locked doors since the attack, she suddenly felt as if those protective walls were closing in on her. Desperate for air, she jerked open the front door and stepped out onto the porch, leaving the door open behind her.
Despite the fact the heat of the day was still cloaking the ranch, the porch sat in the shade. She inhaled a slow, deep breath as the wave of uncharacteristic claustrophobia ebbed. A bird sang nearby, hidden somewhere in the trees across the drive. She closed her eyes and focused on the notes of its song, which found their way into her and allowed her muscles to relax and a sort of peace to soothe her. For the first time since arriving at Tyler’s ranch, she thought maybe it hadn’t been a mistake after all. She’d wanted peace, and this moment of connection with nature provided it.
She kept her eyes closed, afraid if she opened them the feeling would evaporate. But after several moments, the bird’s song stopped. Leah opened her eyes in time to see a flash of yellow as the bird took flight. Though the bird hadn’t been loud, the quiet it left behind was remarkable. As she listened, all she heard was an almost undetectable breeze rustling the leaves. The absence of traffic noise told her more than the knowledge of its distance that Houston and what had happened to her there were indeed far away.
When the air-conditioning unit for the bunkhouse clicked on, she jumped at the interruption of the quiet. Then she remembered that the front door was standing wide open, letting all the cool air outside.
Leah spun on her heel and walked back inside the bunkhouse. She actually thought she might be able to work now, but not inside. Despite the fact that the songbird had left, she found she wanted to sit outside and soak up more of what this slice of the Hill Country had to offer.
Thinking about what Gina had said earlier at the grocery, Leah selected the necessary supplies to replicate the necklace the other woman had admired. As she placed the materials around the rocking chair on the porch and took a seat, a whiff of her normal joy at immersing herself in work flirted at the edge of her mind, but was quickly gone, so quickly she actually wondered if she’d imagined it. Maybe the simple act of going through the familiar motions would lead her back to where she wanted to be.
Though she wasn’t yet able to capture the usual excitement of creation, it felt good to be doing something productive. Her experience let her put together the necklace without a ton of thought. When she finally finished it, she held it up so that she could examine how it hung on the chain and make sure she hadn’t made any mistakes.
Movement from down the drive drew her attention. The little blonde girl she’d seen with Tyler stood next to one of the farthest trees, about two-thirds of her body hidden behind the trunk of the red oak. When she saw that Leah had noticed her, she stepped farther out of sight.
Not wanting to scare the child, Leah didn’t make any move toward her. Instead, she simply gave her a little finger wave. The girl didn’t respond, instead staring for a couple of moments longer before turning and hurrying back toward the house.
Smart girl, not talking to or coming close to a stranger. Or perhaps Tyler had told her to keep her distance. Leah could totally understand that. Though she was harmless to the girl, Tyler couldn’t know that. He’d barely spoken to her, knew not nearly enough about her to trust allowing his daughter to be alone with her.
Leah watched until the girl disappeared around the back of the house, then returned her attention to her work. A sense of accomplishment, that she’d taken what felt like a huge and important step in her recovery, settled in her chest. Hoping to build on that, she selected the appropriate pieces to make a set of earrings to complement the necklace. If Gina didn’t want them, then Leah could always put them up for sale on her site or offer them as part of the replenishment stock for India’s store.
She was midway through wrapping the wire for the second earring when her phone rang. A quick look at the display showed it was her aunt Charlotte calling. Leah exhaled, afraid she was about to be bombarded with questions despite Conner’s assertion that he’d head that off at the pass. She supposed she was lucky she hadn’t had to face her aunt and uncle before now.
Knowing that she couldn’t avoid them now that they lived in the same town, she answered on the third ring. “Hey, Aunt Charlotte.”
“Hello, dear. How are you settling in?”
“Fine. Just doing a bit of work.”
“Well, hopefully you have time to spare for dinner tonight. Your uncle is grilling steaks.”
Leah wasn’t sure she was up to socializing yet, but then she told herself she needed to be. The quicker she resumed normal activities, the sooner she could truly get her life back and not think about what had happened all the time.
“Sounds great.” Yeah, so great her stomach chose that moment to start spinning in circles.
When she hung up, she spotted Tyler striding from the house to the barn. He glanced her way and after a moment’s hesitation, he lifted his hand for a single wave.
She waved back, her stomach tumbling in a very different way. How was it possible for her to feel flutters of physical attraction so soon after her attack? That question sent awful chills racing over her skin, stinging her everywhere Garton’s hands had touched her flesh.
Her peaceful afternoon shaken, she gathered up her supplies and carried them back inside. When her phone rang again, she startled and nearly dumped everything in her arms. Just the thought of hearing beads fall against the floor and spread out in all directions made nausea rise up within her.
Thinking it was her aunt again, she eased the plastic containers onto the table then pulled the phone from her shorts pocket. Instead of Charlotte, the name on the display belonged to her best friend, Reina.
Anxious to hear her friend’s voice, she quickly answered before the call could go to voice mail. “Hey, there. How’s the mom-to-be?”
“Fat and craving things that shouldn’t be fit for human consumption.”
Leah smiled. “You know you’re beautiful.”
Reina snorted. “That’s a lie but I’ll take it. But the real question is how are you? How’s life in the boonies?”
“I didn’t move to the Australian Outback, you know.”
“Close.”
Leah laughed a little, and it felt foreign and welcome at the same time. “I’m completely unpacked.”
“Good, but that’s not what I mean. Do you still believe it was the right decision?” Reina might tease her about her choice of new home, but she was the one person who’d supported her decision with no questions asked. She also hadn’t pressed for details about the attack, knowing that Leah wasn’t at a place where she could share that yet.
“It will take some getting used to, but I think so, yes.”
“That’s good. Maybe I’ll challenge my GPS to actually find where you live once this beach ball I’m carrying decides to make an appearance.”
That would mean she wouldn’t see her best friend for at least another five months. “I look forward to it. Now, tell me, have you chosen a name yet?”
“Taylor and Caleb.”
“Well, at least you’ve narrowed it down from the grocery list of names you had the last time I talked to you.”
“No, that’s the final names. Seems I’m having twins.”
“Twins?” Leah nearly squealed. “How are you just now finding this out?”
“One of the little boogers has been hiding. If I figure out which one, he’s grounded as soon as he’s born.”
Leah laughed again, and it filled more of her this time, reminding her of how much she’d laughed with Reina over the years.
After they talked about the babies some more and how Reina’s husband, Jacob, was working more hours in order to save up for buying twice the amount of baby supplies than they’d expected, Reina shifted the topic of conversation back to Leah.
“So, tell me about your place.”
“It used to be the bunkhouse on a ranch. Tyler said his father and grandfather used to have a bigger operation and their extra hands lived here.”
“Tyler’s your landlord?”
“Yeah.”
“Good guy?”
“Conner says so. I’ve honestly not had much contact with him. He has a little girl, but I’ve not talked to her at all. Cute little thing, though.”
“So this Tyler isn’t some old coot wearing overalls?”
“Hardly.”
The line was silent for a long moment before Reina said, “Oh?”
Leah heard the caution in her friend’s voice but also the curiosity. The way she’d responded to Reina’s question echoed in her head, revealing more than she’d intended, more than she’d truly realized. Despite what had happened to her and how nervous she’d been around men ever since, especially someone the size of Tyler, she couldn’t deny that she found him attractive. But that didn’t mean she had to go into details with her friend. More than likely, her reaction to Tyler was just a reminder that she could still be attracted to a man. Now if she could just stop being so riddled with fear around them. She had to find the appropriate level of caution that lay somewhere between fear of all men and unconcerned, but right now it felt like finding that place was as likely as her scaling Everest.
“Just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean everyone here is a yokel.”
“I know. I just thought... Never mind. I’m glad you like it. I really do look forward to visiting you there.”
“Well, for now I think you just need to take care of yourself and those babies.” Leah shook her head. “Wow, two. That’s kind of wild.”
“Tell me about it. Though it does explain why I’m the size of a football stadium.”
They talked for a few more minutes before Reina said she had to go. Leah hated to end the call but understood. She’d just tapped the end button when knocking at the door caused her to yelp and fumble her phone so much she dropped it. She picked it up then crept toward the window, her heart beating so hard she felt the pulse against her eardrums, and looked out.
Tyler stood outside with another man. When she looked closer, she realized the second man wore a uniform. Then she remembered about the internet installation. Trying to slow her heartbeat, she crossed to the door and opened it.
She managed to meet Tyler’s eyes, his lovely blue eyes, and her breath caught. Then he took a step closer and the fear that was her constant companion shot up like a puck in a strong-man game at a fair. She gripped the edge of the door, ready to slam it in their faces.
But Tyler stopped moving, and his eyes narrowed a fraction as if he’d noticed her reaction and wondered at its cause. Her concern shifted directions, now causing her to worry that she’d offended the man who provided a roof over her head and a place to start over.
He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. “Cameron is here to hook up your internet service.”
Leah mustered a smile and forced her fingers to relax on the door, though she didn’t release it entirely. “It’s nice to meet you. Please come in.” She hoped she sounded hospitable even if she felt as if she might pass out from the overload of fear coursing through her.
Cameron came inside and asked her questions about what she’d be using the service for and told her something about download speeds. They made sense in the moment he said the words but disappeared in the next. She’d thought Tyler would leave once he’d introduced Cameron, but he didn’t. Instead, he stood in the corner next to the front door, not saying anything but just...being.
Nerves of a different sort started dancing inside her. She honestly wasn’t sure if she was glad he’d stayed or not. On the one hand, his presence seemed reassuring, able to easily protect her should the need arise. The height and breadth of the man were truly impressive, and a flicker of attraction tried to assert itself inside her. Honestly, it did more than try. Tyler Lowe was an attractive man. Really attractive. But he also made her feel so incredibly small and breakable.
But she was intensely aware that she was alone with two men she really didn’t know, in a place where she could cry out for help in her loudest voice and never be heard.
Common sense nudged its way into her thoughts, asking how likely it was that Tyler would attack her when he had a small daughter not far away. He’d seemed to take care with the child, so that indicated he was a decent human being, right?
The cacophony of questions and concerns competing for primacy in her head made her want to scream for them all to shut up and just leave her alone.
“You okay?”
The sound of Tyler’s deep voice drew her out of her thoughts.
“Uh, yeah. Just have a bit of a headache.” Not exactly a lie.
Tyler’s gaze left her and scanned the room. “Looks like you got settled quickly.”
“Yeah, the positive side of insomnia.”
“Takes a while to get used to a new place, I guess.”
“Have you lived here your whole life?” What happened to keeping her distance? But it would be rude to not try to converse with him, instead standing there not even acknowledging his presence.
“Yep.”
She searched frantically for an appropriate response, made more difficult by the simple fact he seemed to take up so much space. “You’re lucky. It’s a beautiful area.”
“Yeah, it is.”
They fell into a silence so awkward that she had to concentrate on not fidgeting.
“Well, I’ve got work to do,” he said. “Let me know if you need anything.”
She glanced toward him, meeting his eyes for a moment before he stepped out the door. After a few thuds of her heart, she moved to the window and watched Tyler’s retreating form. As his final words before leaving replayed in her head, a crazy response coalesced in her mind. In those couple of seconds when their gazes had met, a part of her mind whispered that she wanted him to be her protector, to banish all the darkness that haunted her.
But that was weakness talking, and she needed to be strong. If she was to move beyond what happened, she had to find a way to banish the darkness and fear all on her own.
Chapter Five (#ulink_42d36c4f-1383-5e85-99d5-de55dfd996c6)
Tyler walked into the cooler interior of the barn, intent on trimming the hooves on his horse, Comet. He spent so much time caring for other people’s horses that he had to carve out time for the care of his own. But when he reached Comet’s stall, he stopped outside and gripped the top of the stall door.
His insides were still rattled from his encounter with Leah, and he wasn’t even sure why. Yes, she was pretty, but seeing a pretty woman wasn’t so rare an occurrence that he should feel as if all the cells in his body were swimming around in confusion, unable to find their rightful place.
Add to that the powerful urge to protect her, and he had the crazy thought that maybe all this was an intense dream and he’d wake up and not even have a tenant in the bunkhouse.
He shook his head and scratched Comet’s forehead along the white, comet-shaped blaze that had inspired the horse’s name. The feeling of warm, living horse beneath his fingers told him this wasn’t a dream. He really was having unexplainable reactions every time he was near Leah.
Tyler reasoned that any decent man would have had the protective feelings when faced with the look in Leah’s eyes. She’d been scared, but he couldn’t figure out why. Did he scare her? Or was it Cameron? What reason had they given her to feel that way? Or was she just the nervous type, especially around men? He supposed that made sense considering how small she was, how difficult it would be to fight off unwanted advances.
He certainly hoped she didn’t think he’d take advantage of her. Steering clear of any unnecessary interaction seemed more important than ever when faced with that possibility.
He retrieved his tools and got to work. Because he’d done it so many times, trimming more hooves than he could possibly remember, his thoughts drifted back to the way Greg had teased him. That was the main drawback of a small town: how people felt free to comment on or tried to steer your life the way they thought it should go. Not that Greg cared one way or the other, but there were those who did, those who would assume that a single man his age living in close proximity to a woman who looked like Leah would naturally lead to romantic involvement. He had to make sure those types of rumors didn’t get started or were quashed quickly if they did. He wasn’t sure what his legal status would be with Maddie if someone decided to question how fit he was to be her unofficial guardian. He didn’t need anyone asking where her mother was, when she was coming back, because he had no idea. Part of him wondered if he’d ever see Kendra again.
He knew he should be sad at the possibility of never seeing his sister again, but more than anything he was angry. What kind of person abandoned her child, especially one as young and vulnerable as Maddie?
The sound of an engine starting, followed by the crunching of gravel, told him that Cameron must be finished with the internet installation. Only a few minutes went by before another engine started, indicating that Leah was leaving, as well. He couldn’t help wondering where she was going. Did she get a job?
He glanced up as she drove past the entrance to the barn, and he sighed. It didn’t matter where she was going. The only thing he needed to wonder about Leah Murphy was whether she would pay her rent on time. Not where she was going. Not how she spent her time at home. And not whether she was involved with anyone.
* * *
“LEAH, HONEY, CAN you help me in the kitchen?”
Leah sighed inwardly, knowing that her aunt’s request probably had very little to do with her need for an extra set of hands to carry food to the table.
Why hadn’t she put this gathering off a while longer? She could have claimed she was still busy getting unpacked, or too tired, or trying to finish filling an order for jewelry. As she followed her aunt into the kitchen through the French doors that led out to the patio where her uncle was grilling, she told herself she might as well get this conversation over with instead of continuing to dread it.
In fact, maybe it would be better to bring it up herself instead of letting Charlotte direct things.
“I know that Mom has probably told you what happened despite the fact that I asked her not to,” Leah said as she stepped up to the marble-topped kitchen island.
“She’s worried about you, dear.”
“I know. And before you ask, I’m fine.”
“So fine you picked up and moved.”
Leah met her aunt’s gaze. “I’m not going to stand here and lie to you by saying that what happened hasn’t affected me, because it did. And my way of getting past it is to make some changes in my life. But I didn’t move to somewhere sight unseen. You know I’ve always liked Blue Falls.”
