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“W for Westbrook?”
He grinned, pleased. “Yep. Are you ready?”
At her nod, he turned the truck toward the gap in the fence. “Hang on.” The tires rattled as they crossed the metal crossing guard. “The road’s kind of rutted in places, so get ready to bounce.”
He’d barely gotten the last word out when they hit the first of many crevices. Once they were over, he turned to glance at her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” One hand gripped the door handle, the other the dashboard in front of her. “My teeth are clattering, but I’ll be fine.”
“Good. Because we’ve still got a ways to go.”
By the time they reached the turnoff that wound up the hill to his small ranch house, Kaitlyn appeared weary.
“We’re almost there,” he told her. “And my driveway is much better, I promise.”
She nodded. “Great.”
Finally, they crested the hill and his headlights illuminated the frame building. It was small, but he’d always found it homey, especially since he and Tim had come here often as kids to visit his uncle. He supposed the memories of his childhood here made the ranch feel more like home than anywhere else.
“Very nice,” Kaitlyn commented. “It looks like you keep it up well. Or do you have a ranch foreman or someone living there while you’re gone?”
“My ranch foreman has a mobile home on the other side of the property. I try to come out here at least once a month. Sometimes more.”
She turned and touched his arm, surprising him. “Are you sure no one in town knows about this place?”
“I have a friend or two,” he replied. “Brock McCauley and his wife Zoe. But they won’t say anything without checking with me first.”
“Zoe?” Kaitlyn appeared surprised. “Brock and Zoe finally got together?”
“Yes.” He couldn’t help but smile. “They’re among a handful of people who don’t treat me like a leper, as though serving time tainted me with poison.”
He knew he sounded bitter but he didn’t care.
“I’m sorry,” Kaitlyn said, touching him again. He had to force himself not to twist away.
“Come on.” Killing the engine, he left the headlights on so they could see the front door. “I’ll turn them off once I can get the porch light on.”
“You should get a motion-sensor light,” she said.
“I’d thought about that, except then any critter crossing my yard would activate it.”
“Good point.”
He got out and crossed around to her side, intending to open her door for her. The manners his mama had taught him ran deep, but Kaitlyn had already gotten out by the time he reached her.
“Come on,” he said, leading the way to the front door. “I’ve put in one of those locks where you just enter a code.” That said, he punched it in, waiting until the dead bolt had turned before pushing the door open and flicking the light switch to On.
“Here we go.” He couldn’t keep the pride from his voice. Inside were oak hardwood floors, with matching baseboards. The furniture looked comfortably worn, a sort of cowboy shabby chic.
“Wow.” She walked around the living room, examining the display of Western art he’d carefully displayed. “Nice.”
“Thank you.”
He showed her the guest room, which did double duty as his office, along with the hall bathroom. “It’s only a two-bedroom house. That couch makes out into a bed.”
She nodded, her expression pensive. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to freshen up and then turn in. It’s been a long day and it’s late. I’m exhausted.”
“I understand.” He pointed the way to his linen closet, where he kept extra towels as well as linens to make up the sofa sleeper. “If you’re thirsty or get hungry, help yourself to anything in the fridge. I keep it well stocked.”
Her tired smile underscored her earlier statement. “Thank you.”
He wasn’t sure how to reply, so he settled on a nod. A moment later, she quietly closed the door, shutting him out.
Which was good, he told himself, turning to head back to his kitchen. He needed to do some thinking so he could formulate some sort of plan.
Chapter 3 (#ulink_f14fd12c-ddbc-54e2-820a-362010b1bc66)
Despite the prominent hump in the middle of the sofa bed, Kaitlyn slept deeply. More deeply than she had in a long time. She was free, and she’d finally taken charge of her destiny. If everything worked out, Alex would finally face justice and Reed’s name would be cleared once and for all.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds covering the window. She jumped up, turned the blinds to open, and peered outside, squinting into the brightness. She couldn’t see much, just a medium-sized, live oak tree.
Fine. She’d explore the ranch after she’d had a shower and breakfast.
Reed. Just the thought of him, broad-shouldered and muscular, had her heart skipping a beat. There was a new edginess to him that he didn’t have before, a darkness lurking in his eyes. Oddly enough, this only made him more attractive.
No, she reminded herself. Reed was part of the past, the past she wanted to forget. As soon as she was free, she planned to make a new future, as far away from Texas as she could get.
Later, with her hair still damp from the shower, wearing a clean T-shirt and jeans, she emerged from her room, following the tantalizing scent of coffee to the kitchen. Reed sat at the kitchen table, his laptop open before him. He looked up as she entered, and smiled absently.
His masculine confidence made him beautiful. Mesmerized, she froze. Only when she reminded herself to stop being foolish was she able to move forward. “The coffee smells wonderful.”
“I hope you like it strong.” He pointed to a cup he’d set out on the counter for her. “There’s some powdered creamer, too, and sugar if you need it.”
“I do and I do.” She took a deep breath and told herself to relax. Preparing her coffee helped, since the relatively normal act was something she’d had no control over for the past three years. If she got coffee, she’d had to drink it black, and Alex had seemed to delight in making it as bitter as possible.
Her first sip of Reed’s brew had her humming with pleasure. “It’s good. I like it.”
Nodding, he barely looked up from his computer.
She took her mug, crossed over to the table and pulled out the chair across from him, even though this meant she faced the back of his computer. “Are you working on birdhouse orders?”
He shook his head, still not looking at her. “Not right now. I’m trying to get down some sort of basic plan. I’ve been outlining what we might try. I confess, what you said about Alex having people everywhere is hampering my efforts to plan. It’s not like I can just approach anyone in law enforcement. Especially since, as far as they’ll be concerned, I’m an ex-con.”
At his words, her insides twisted. “We’ll figure something out.” She waited until he finally looked up and met her gaze before continuing. “I want to thank you for taking a chance and helping me.”
Staring at her, he didn’t reply at first. When he did, his serious expression told her he meant his words. “Kaitlyn, I’ll do my best to keep you safe. You’ve offered me something I thought I’d never have—the chance to avenge my brother’s murder. For that, I owe you.”
Relieved, she started to respond, but realized he hadn’t finished, so she took a deep drink of her coffee instead.
“One thing you need to know,” he told her. “What happened between us before was a mistake, and I’ve spent the past three years regretting it. You were Tim’s girlfriend and we betrayed him.”
Harsh words, but she deserved them. Dipping her head, she knew she couldn’t tell him how many times she’d tried to break things off with Tim, and how badly Tim had reacted. She’d realized early into the relationship that it wasn’t working, and not just because of Tim’s substance abuse issues. Because all along she’d wanted someone else.
She’d wanted Reed. From the instant she first laid eyes on him she’d realized she’d chosen the wrong brother. She’d believed they were meant to be together forever. What a foolish, naive woman she’d been.
She’d paid penance for that indiscretion during her captivity. She’d survived what Alex did to her body, but she knew it would be a long time before she could let anyone touch her that way again. Even Reed. Especially Reed.
“Go ahead and get settled,” he said.
“Thank you.” She exhaled, for what felt like the first time in years. “This is very nice.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Looking satisfied, he snatched his truck keys up off the coffee table. “I’ll be right back. This place is pretty isolated, so I’m going to run into Breckenridge and hit up the Walmart there. Wait here.”
“I’d like to go with you.”
“You can’t. I’m sorry, but we haven’t got your disguise yet. We can’t take the chance that you’ll be seen.” He pointed in the direction of the kitchen. “Make yourself at home. There’s plenty to eat and drink, if you’re hungry. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Defeated, she nodded quickly. She couldn’t fault him for being thorough. Even though the chance of running into one of Alex’s people might be virtually nonexistent out here, as long as a possibility existed, they couldn’t risk it. She’d have to wear a disguise when she wanted to leave, and she would.
One last quick glance to make sure she understood, and Reed left. He locked the door behind him on the way out. The sound of the dead bolt turning made Kaitlyn tense up again. She was all too familiar with that sound.
More shaken than she cared to admit, she began exploring. Though she didn’t want to be intrusive, she couldn’t help but check out the place where she’d be staying for a little while. Hopefully not too long. She knew she couldn’t really begin healing until she’d left everyone and everything from her past behind.
Trying to settle her tension, she wandered the compact house. She wasn’t hungry—her nerves had taken care of that—so she once again checked out the other rooms.
The guest room where she’d spent the night looked a bit utilitarian, with the sofa sleeper for a bed and a small dresser. It had the look of never having been used, as if Reed didn’t have a lot of visitors out here in the back of beyond. She guessed she might have been the first to stay there.
In the guest room, she inspected the wide oak desk and computer and wall-to-wall bookshelves, packed floor to ceiling with books. She moved closer, checking them out. Everything from classics to modern thrillers, nonfiction to horror stories by New York Times bestselling authors.
Thrilled despite herself, she found several titles she’d been meaning to read and, eyeing the overstuffed chair in one corner, knew she’d spend a lot of time in this room during her stay. She’d never pegged Reed as a reader, but then she’d never really gotten to know him.
Except for that one night, when passion had exploded between them and they’d made a mistake that would impact both of their lives forever.
Again, the past. Resolutely, she pushed the memories away.
Next she moved down the hallway toward what had to be the master bedroom. She felt oddly nervous about venturing in there, but also felt Reed’s most personal space might give her the most insight into the man she’d just agreed to trust with her safety.
After all, she’d already made enough missteps to last a lifetime.
At the doorway to his bedroom, she paused, taking it all in. In typical masculine fashion, the comforter was dark, a pleasing combination of browns and maroon. Several framed photographs hung on the wall, black-and-white landscapes, making her wonder if he’d taken them himself or simply purchased them.
Either way, they were beautiful, in an eerie, haunting way. She stood, absorbing each one before moving on to the other. Something about them called to her, and for a brief, glorious second she felt connected to the man who’d hung them. Her chest tightened and her throat stung, even as she realized her own foolishness. She could no more afford to indulge in romantic fantasies about Reed than she could expect to emerge from a confrontation with Alex unscathed.
And then she saw it. A familiar sight, as Alex had several in various locations all over his house. A gun safe, one of the larger ones, with a keypad locked entry.
Stunned, she stared. A rancher would need guns, right? Just because Alex had used his for nefarious purposes, didn’t mean Reed did.
Still, she backed away from the gun safe, her heart pounding.
Back in the living room, trying to calm her pulse, she clicked on the television. The five o’clock news had just begun, and she was startled to see a photo of herself, with the words Possible Abduction underneath. Listening in disbelief, she realized Alex had made up a story about an intruder, and even doctored surveillance video to show her—actually someone playing the part of her—being taken forcibly from her bed, clearly unconscious, and carried out the side door.
“Authorities are on the lookout for a woman matching this description—five-two, 110 pounds, long blond hair and blue eyes. Caution is advised since the man who took her may be considered armed and dangerous. If seen, please contact your local authorities.”
She stared at the screen, not even noticing that the program switched to another story. When she finally roused herself to click the off button on the remote, her fingers were shaking and she couldn’t catch her breath.
Aware that if she kept hyperventilating she’d pass out, she forced herself to slowly inhale and then exhale. Deeply, striving for calm. While she’d known Alex would go on the offensive, she hadn’t expected him to take it public right off the bat. In her mind, she’d guessed he’d send a few of his goons out snooping around before taking a chance with the media.
Proof she’d been wrong. How could she have forgotten the rock-solid confidence Alex placed in his ability to manipulate everyone and everything?
Still feeling dizzy and jittery, she pushed to her feet and began to pace. The sooner Reed returned with her disguise, the better she’d feel. Or so she hoped. Good thing she’d listened and hadn’t gone with him to the store.
Her stomach growled. She remembered Reed telling her to make herself something to eat. Even though she wasn’t sure she could, she welcomed the distraction. A quick search of the refrigerator revealed nothing she could use to put together a salad, but a loaf of bread, sliced cheese and cold cuts would enable her to make a sandwich.
She checked the cupboards and found a can of creamy tomato soup—her favorite. As soon as the soup was hot, she ladled out a bowl and carried it to the table to eat with her sandwich. The announcer’s words kept playing over and over inside her head: armed and dangerous. Which made it even worse for Reed. A crooked law enforcement officer like George could say he felt justified for shooting Reed on the spot. Thank goodness they’d gotten out of Anniversary.
Still, she’d never intended to put Reed’s life in danger. She needed to make sure he understood the risk. Despite what she’d told him about Alex, she wasn’t sure he did.
After eating, she’d just finished washing out the dishes when she heard the sound of a vehicle in the drive. Despite being ninety percent sure it was Reed, she ran to the window and peered out.
Alex had surprised her with his first move. She didn’t want to take a chance on being surprised with a second.
Of course it was only Reed returning from his brief shopping expedition. She still started trembling. She took several deep breaths and tried to think calming thoughts before greeting him. She didn’t want him to see how rattled she’d gotten.
He walked in the doorway, his shoulders reassuringly broad. Glancing at her, he smiled as he placed two plastic bags on the kitchen counter. “I got most of your disguise,” he said. “Except for the colored contacts. I’ll order those on the internet, but they’ll take a few days to get here.”
Though she managed to nod, she didn’t immediately reply.
He went still when he caught sight of her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Alex,” she said, and then told him what she’d seen on the news.
After she’d finished, he simply nodded. His strong profile spoke of strength. His broad shoulders and muscular arms should have made her feel safe. Instead, she felt uneasy.
“That’s all right,” he reassured her. “Don’t worry. No one will recognize you once we’re finished. Here.” He handed her a box of hair color in a shade that could only be described as mousy brown. “After I cut your hair, you can get started on this.”
“You’re cutting my hair?” The thought made her nervous again, not because of vanity, but because the act would be far too intimate. She eyed his big hands, and his fingers, long and strong, and shivered.
“Yep. It might not look like it was done by a professional, but that’s kind of the point.”
Trying for resigned, she only managed to squash down nervous anticipation, even though the thought of his hands on her head made her entire body quiver. She really needed to get this attraction from the past under control.
“Let’s get it cut so I can color it,” she said, managing to sound completely normal. “The sooner I can change my appearance, the better.”
Handsome face expressionless, he nodded and then reached into a kitchen drawer for scissors. “Take a seat.” He indicated a chair at the table. “Remember, the goal is to make you look as unattractive as possible.”
Was it her, or did he sound as if he might be enjoying this a bit too much?
“Just don’t go so overboard that it’s obvious,” she warned, dropping into a chair. “If you give me a mullet or something, it’s not going to be believable.”
