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He put his shoulder into the effort, and she stared at the rippling motion of his muscles flexing and releasing. His elbow grazed her right breast, and she tensed. He didn’t seem to notice or else purposely ignored the contact. Her nipples tightened, and she realized that in her hurry to squeeze in a shower, she’d forgotten to wear a T-shirt bra.
The door opened, startling her into taking a step backward on the uneven ground. Lucas steadied her with his large hand briefly on her arm. The frantic pace of her pulse really annoyed her. She wasn’t going down that road again. This was business and she really wasn’t that starved for a man’s attention. No, that was a lie. She’d been suffering a drought for a while now. Usually she was just better at ignoring it.
“Yep, it’s a tight space.”
She followed his gaze to the battered old recliner pushed against the wall and the small scarred table Annie had used as a desk and for everything else. The kitchen was nothing more than a sink and a counter with a microwave, a toaster oven and a coffeepot. Underneath was a mini fridge on its last legs.
“I don’t know how Annie managed,” Melanie said and moved inside. “The loft has a bed, a small dresser and that’s it. But the worst thing is the tiny shower. It’s almost criminal.”
Lucas ducked his head, spotted the door to the bathroom tucked under the stairs. “How long did she live here?”
“Two years.”
He let out a low whistle. “That’s dedication.”
“There isn’t a word for how hard Annie worked. Without her the sanctuary would’ve folded by now.”
He joined her at the counter, where she was looking through a plastic bin of dry goods. “Won’t be easy for anyone to follow in her footsteps.”
The cabin felt even smaller with him standing so close. “I wouldn’t even try. I’m not that selfless,” she said, grabbing a box of crackers. “Still, Shea and I are willing to go to any lengths not to let Annie down.”
“Understood,” he said, his faint smile indicating he’d taken her words as a warning.
She averted her gaze and returned to inventorying their picnic options.
“Peanut butter.” He picked up the jar she’d set beside the crackers, studying it as if he’d struck gold. “Man, I haven’t had this in years.”
“I wouldn’t last two weeks without peanut butter.”
“I ate it every day when I first bought the ranch. The old place needed so much work I was too exhausted to shop or cook.” He started to twist the cap. “You mind?”
“Go for it.” She smiled when he got the top off and took a big whiff. “Where’s your ranch?”
“Wyoming.”
That surprised her. She’d assumed he lived somewhere near Denver, where Prison Reform Now was headquartered. She brought out deli turkey and cheese and mayonnaise from the fridge. Two apples were left over from the other day, so she grabbed them, too. She straightened and saw him searching the counter. Assuming he wanted a knife, she handed him one.
He dipped it into the jar, scooped out a mound of peanut butter and offered it to her. She shook her head, and he used his finger to sweep the whole glob into his mouth.
Melanie grinned. “Okay, I might be going out on a limb here...but I’m thinking we can skip the trip to town.”
Looking like a kid trying not to talk with his mouth full, Lucas nodded enthusiastically. He pointed to the food and gave her a thumbs-up.
Okay, she didn’t need him looking that adorable. What she did need, however, was a dose of common sense. She’d bag the food and take it to the office. No reason they couldn’t eat there. “How about a horseback ride?” she asked instead, evidently channeling Chelsea, which was a terrifying thought. “I know just the spot.”
He agreed, so she gathered their dinner, while he found napkins and washed the knife. It would have been downright cozy if she hadn’t been caught stealing looks at him. Of course, she’d caught him looking back.
When Kathy saw them saddling the horses, she gave her a blanket and a wink. Melanie volleyed with a glare normally reserved for boys who loitered outside the girls’ locker room. Thank goodness Lucas had missed the exchange. But that hadn’t stopped her from blushing like a lunatic.
The silent ten-minute ride went quickly and comfortably, considering the storm brewing in Melanie’s head. The sun was sinking, the air wasn’t too warm, and in fact, the crisp breeze hitting her cheeks felt refreshing. It would’ve been perfect if only her mind hadn’t kept circling back to the same question. What on earth was she doing? They couldn’t have that much to discuss. It would’ve made more sense to have eaten in the office while they talked and then gone their separate ways. She still had a lot of work to do. He probably had a long drive to wherever he was going next.
And yet she wasn’t sorry. She didn’t feel bad for not doing the sensible thing. She was enjoying Lucas. That wasn’t a crime or a sin. Though to ignore the broad stretch of his T-shirt across his shoulders might be.
“Is that it?” He pointed to the grassy knoll protected by a thicket of aspens.
“How did you know?”
“That’s where I’d go.” He twisted around in his saddle and looked back toward Blackfoot Falls and the distant Rockies. “Great view.”
“You can even see part of Safe Haven.”
He swung off Sergei, the gelding he’d chosen, and tethered the black to a sapling.
Before she could dismount, Lucas caught her by the waist and helped her down. She shoved the hair out of her eyes, about to tell him he didn’t need to do that, but he had strong hands and all she could manage was “Thanks.”
He smiled and turned his attention to the mare. “Is she your favorite?” he asked and stroked the horse’s neck.
“Candy Cane is everyone’s favorite. Someone abandoned her two years ago. Can you imagine? She’s so sweet and gentle I never worry when the kids want to ride her.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t found her a home.”
Melanie grinned at the mare, who nudged Lucas with her muzzle when he stopped stroking her to gather the reins. “You shameless hussy,” Melanie said, taking over pampering duty as they walked to the sapling. “Safe Haven is her home now. We’ve never tried to place her.”
His thoughtful frown warned her that he’d switched to business mode. “Last year I heard you had to move close to a hundred horses because you were overcrowded.”
Nodding, she watched him tether Candy next to Sergei. “Annie was still here then. It was bad. No funds, very little feed to get through winter. Luckily, two other sanctuaries took them in.”
“Some were mustangs that eventually ended up in the prison system.” He collected the blanket, and she grabbed their dinner. “That’s how we learned about Safe Haven. Your operation is small and out of the way, so you hadn’t been on our radar.”
“Small? Are you kidding? Sometimes it feels as though we’re drowning.” She stopped in the shade, though the sun was low and weak. “I’m not complaining—”
“I know. You don’t have someone here full-time, and you and Shea have other jobs. Volunteers mean well but you can’t count on them. This is a remote area, so new volunteers aren’t coming out of the woodwork. And with this economy, donations are down. I get it.” He shook out the blanket. “Yet look at what you two are accomplishing in spite of everything.”
“No, not me. I have limited involvement. It’s people like Kathy and Levi—” She watched him crouch to smooth out the wool blanket, smiling. “What?”
“You’re being modest.”
“I am not.”
He took the bag of food from her and set it down. “I like the way you think outside the box. What you’re doing with your students is commendable.” He studied her for a moment. “Did you grow up here?”
“Yes.”
“On a ranch?”
“No, not really. We always had a few animals. Mostly chickens, two mares, a milking cow...”
“You’re teaching those kids valuable life skills. And they’re learning to have a healthy respect for animals. You’d think that wouldn’t need to be taught. That any decent human being would understand their responsibility to—” He stopped, cleared his throat and looked away.
His voice had sounded strained; his jaw was still clenched. The blue eyes she’d found so appealing had turned cold, sending a shiver straight down her spine. He kept his gaze averted and stared at the Rockies—to hide the sudden darkness that had come over him, she suspected. She was guessing he’d had a bad experience with someone mistreating an animal. That was enough to push her buttons.
She moved closer. He was a stranger, a man she’d met only a few hours ago. What was wrong with her that she didn’t feel some modicum of fear? Did she have no survival instincts at all? His tension all but blasted her like heat from a furnace. His mouth was tight-lipped and grim, cautioning her to give him space. And yet the warning had an opposite effect.
The curse she’d hidden since hitting puberty was to blame. That was the only explanation. Why else would quiet Melanie, Pastor Ray’s obedient daughter, feel this stirring inside her, feel a deep longing to touch Lucas? Good girls stayed away from bad boys. They didn’t go looking for trouble.
She hesitated, giving herself a final chance to sync with reason, but it was no use. She touched his arm.
He slowly turned and glanced at her hand. “Sorry, did you say something?”
For the life of her, she couldn’t come up with an excuse for touching him. Or for standing this close. She moved her hand to her side and focused on the Big Belt Mountains. “Would you like me to point out landmarks? There’s Mount Edith over there. And on the right—”
Lightly brushing the back of her hand, he said, “How about we eat?”
She curled her fingers into her cold palm. And then realized he hadn’t initiated contact at all. Her trembling hand had grazed his. Keeping her gaze averted, she inched away. “Sure, let’s— I’ll set out the food.”
He caught her wrist, just to get her attention, then released her. “I got carried away there,” he said. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”
“You didn’t.” She shook her head. “I was concerned.” She rubbed her arms and saw the skepticism in his faint smile. “Okay, and maybe a teensy bit nervous.”
His mouth lifted in earnest, and just like that, there was the man who’d changed the bus tire. “Are you always this forthright?”
“I try to be.”
“No matter what the consequences?”
“I’d like to think so,” she said, mesmerized by his bold stare. The demons were gone, if that was what had drawn him briefly into darkness. Now he just looked curious. “You sound so serious. Please tell me you aren’t setting me up to play Truth or Dare.”
He laughed at that. “I’ve never played and don’t want to know how.”
She relaxed and smiled, surprised that for a second she’d been afraid he’d admit something she didn’t want to know. Something that might change her opinion of him. Which was crazy. She barely knew him. “It’s just a dumb college pastime also known as study avoidance.”
She needed to move, not just stand there staring at him. To stay put would invite him to...
His gaze dropped to her mouth, and her pulse leaped.
* * *
SHE STOOD THERE, watching him with a mix of want and fear. This was...unexpected. Different from the way the Chelseas of the world eyed him like a stud up for auction.
Lucas had first started seeing that look as a teenager and had been quick to take advantage of it. But he wasn’t that reckless, carefree kid anymore, and a woman like Melanie? He stayed clear of women like her.
He could tell she was a nice small-town girl. Curious about him but uncertain what she wanted. He might’ve been out of circulation for a while and still a little rusty, but some things a man didn’t forget. Like the look of a woman who wanted to be kissed or silky skin and a soft mouth. He’d bet Melanie tasted real sweet. She’d likely be a little timid at first, but not for long.
Those thoughts had to stop. If he had a shred of decency left in him, he’d leave her alone. Leave her exactly how he’d found her when he eventually drove away from Blackfoot Falls. She wasn’t anything like the women he’d slept with in Denver, the rich ones affiliated with the reform program. Hell, he’d been nothing more than a novelty to them. It hadn’t taken long to figure that out. Not that that was a deal breaker. Uncomplicated sex was all he wanted or expected from a woman. He couldn’t say why, but he had a feeling that sex with Melanie would be anything but simple.
She finally turned away, knelt on the blanket and started setting out their picnic. He didn’t miss the slump of her shoulders or the blush staining her cheeks.
He crouched beside her. “Need help?”
“I think I can handle this. Here.” She offered him water.
A beer would’ve been more to his liking but he took the bottle. “Is there a bar in town?”
“I doubt there’s a ranching community in this country that doesn’t have at least one.”
“I don’t know.... There might be a few dry counties left.”
“Huh. The Watering Hole is the go-to place for the local ranch hands. Some prefer to head over to Kalispell, but I can’t imagine them not having someplace close to blow off steam.”
“Is the Watering Hole where you go?”
“Me?” She laughed. “No.”
“You telling me teachers don’t need to unwind or vent?”
“Oh, we have student voodoo dolls for that.”
Lucas smiled. “What else?” He watched her try to shake free a stray curl that clung to her cheek. Since her hands were full, he tucked the lock behind her ear. “What do you do, Melanie?” he asked, reluctant to lower his hand. Her skin and hair were as soft as he’d imagined. “To relieve the pressure?”
“I guess I’m lucky,” she said, a trace of huskiness in her voice. “I’m always too exhausted to think about it.”
He took the mayonnaise from her. “Not good. Stress seems to have a habit of turning the tables one way or another.” He opened the jar and set it aside.
“What do you do?” She busied herself with pulling napkins and silverware out of the bag. “You have to travel and meet new people, lobby for their help. It might be rewarding but I can’t imagine it’s fun.”
“No, most times it isn’t. As a rule people don’t care about prisoners. They figure inmates are getting what they deserve.”
“I can understand the bias. Do folks ever worry about the safety of the horses?”
“I’ve been asked that more than a few times.” He noticed the small frown forming between her brows. “Is that your concern?”
“No, not at all. I mean, of course I know everyone in prison claims they’re innocent,” she said with a small dismissive shrug. “But no, I’m not worried.”
He smiled despite the twist in his gut. “Some prisoners actually are innocent.”
Too bad he hadn’t been one of them.
4
AFTER THEY’D EATEN and the leftovers had been stowed, Melanie glanced at her watch. Lucas had explained more about the Wild Horse Training Program, and so far she saw no reason why Safe Haven couldn’t participate. All PRN wanted to do was use the sanctuary as a stopgap between the gathers and moving the horses to the various prisons. It wouldn’t cost Safe Haven anything. Food, transportation, even manpower would be completely covered. Not only that, but PRN might be interested in taking some of the strays Melanie had been unable to adopt out. Naturally, she had to lay out everything for Shea so they could make the decision together, but Prison Reform Now seemed to be very well funded.
What did concern her was the time. Another hour and it would start getting dark, though Lucas didn’t seem to be worried.
She watched him straighten the wool blanket, then sit down again so that he faced the orange glow of the sun sinking behind the Rockies. What she’d expected him to do was roll up the blanket and stuff it into the saddlebag along with their sack of trash.
Her gaze fell on his rounded biceps, then followed the cords of muscle to his wrist. He didn’t wear a watch. And though she knew he carried a cell phone, he hadn’t brought it out once. If he wasn’t anxious to get on the road, then why should she care?
No denying she was enjoying herself. The fresh air was nice and the quiet soothing. Working at Safe Haven was rewarding but seldom relaxing. Between grading papers and doing the shopping and cooking for two elderly church members, Melanie rarely had a moment for herself.
