Rustlers and Romance [Saddle Creek 1] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Read online

  Lauren tracked his progress toward the barn. A fist of doubt squeezed her heart. Amos’s words stung. Why did the longest speech she’d ever heard come out of his mouth have to be a warning? Was she just a mark on Chase’s bedpost, one woman in his long line of conquests? Her stomach cramped. She wanted to be as special to him as he was to her. She took relationships seriously and thought he was the kind of man who did the same. Her gaze shifted to Chase.

  Now she wasn’t so sure.

  Chase headed out to check the fence line once more. When he reached the area where it had been cut previously, he saw a nice repair job. He hadn’t heard from the Sheriff or from his neighbor Duffy, and decided to go have a talk with him himself. They’d been friends for years, and neighbors forever.

  He turned his horse around and took a shortcut to Duffy’s house. His longtime neighbor didn’t rise when he rode in, just sat quietly on one of the rockers on his front porch. He’d aged a lot in the few weeks since Chase had seen him at the last quarterly Bureau of Land Management meeting. He had a full head of silver hair and watery blue eyes that appeared to have seen too much. He hadn’t been active in the ranch for the last couple of years due to his age and failing health, but he knew what needed to be done and how to do it.

  Chase got off his horse and tied the reins to the bar across the front porch. “Mornin’, Duffy.” He held out his hand. Duffy placed his hand in Chase’s and pumped his arm once. Chase was surprised at how weak the old man had become. His hands were dry and warm and his handshake belonged to a girl. “How’s everything goin’ around here?”

  “Pretty good. Can’t complain, and even if I did, no one’s around to listen. Take a seat. I think we need to talk.”

  “I think a talk would do us both some good.” Chase removed his hat, ran his hand through his hair, sat his Stetson on his knee, and then sat on a nearby rocker. He leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees, and twirled his hat in his hands.

  “The sheriff paid me a visit a few days ago.” Duffy stared off into the distance. “He’s claimin’ I stole some of your horses. Even said he could prove it. Don’t that beat all? After all these years he really believes I was horse stealin’ and from you of all people.”

  “You have to admit the evidence is overwhelmingly stacked against you. I could take you out on the four-wheeler and show you the repaired fence and the tire tracks on your property where it butts up to mine. If you’re not doin’ it, someone is using both of us for their own gain. Any ideas who it could be?”

  His neighbor didn’t say anything but kept rocking slowly, staring off into some faraway time. Chase waited patiently for Duffy to gather his thoughts.

  “I know it’s hard to believe, boy, and we’ve known each other a long time. Iffin’ I’d wanted to steal your horses I wouldn’t do it on my own property, now would I?” He turned his head and looked straight into Chase’s eyes. His gaze never wavered.

  “I’m thinkin’ you’re telling me the truth, old man, but who’d do this to me?” Chase didn’t wait for an answer but continued, “If you didn’t, who did? Who has access to your property?”

  He didn’t answer, only glared at the horizon again. Chase got the impression Duffy would tell him something in his own time, so he leaned back in the rocker and relaxed. He stared at the same point Duffy did but didn’t have a clue what the old man was thinkin’. They kept rockin’ until Duffy picked up a nearby glass of something and took a long swig. He looked at Chase.

  “Sometimes, boy, the truth is right under your nose and you can’t smell it, see it, or even touch it. But it’s there, just the same.”

  Chase looked at the sun. He needed to get back to work instead of trying to decrypt the old cowboy’s puzzling words. Those horses weren’t going to train themselves. He stood to leave. “It sure is quiet and peaceful around here. Where’s Edie and all the hands?”

  Duffy stopped rockin’. He took another long drink. “I don’t rightly know for sure. She hasn’t been comin’ home at night and I barely see her anymore. Not since I turned the ranch over to Lincoln to handle, a month or so ago. She’s got a burr under her saddle, that’s what I’m sure of. I was really hopin’ she’d have feelins’ for Lincoln like she does you. I thought they’d settle down together and both of them would run the ranch. But it don’t look like that’s goin’ to happen.”

  Chase studied Duffy’s tired, worn, and wrinkled face. He had been quite a character in his younger days. Duffy could match you word for word and prove it day and night. Chase wanted to say something to the aged man to help him get out of his negative slump, but nothing came to mind. “If you need anything, you know where to find me, right, Duff?”

  “Yeah, I know how to reach you.”

  Chase walked down the two steps of the porch and made his way to Midnight. He stuck his boot toe in the stirrup, swung his leg over the horse’s haunches, and settled onto the saddle. As he headed back to his spread, Duffy’s words rang in his head.

  “Sometimes, the truth is right under your own nose.”

  Chapter 12

  Lauren sat at the kitchen table, listening to the slow splash of coffee dripping into the carafe in the early morning quiet. She loved the smell of fresh brewed coffee. She daydreamed about Chase’s arms, spending possibly the most special afternoon of her life with him. The pressure of his sweet lips on hers, the touch of his hands as they caressed her, and the woodsy smell of his aftershave.

  Chase startled her when he set a cup of coffee in front of her. The fresh scent of pine and forests filled her nostrils as he seemed to fill the room.

  “Good morning. You look great.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek, continued to kiss her neck downwards, then pushed her hair aside and nibbled on her ear. Her body quivered with excitement and warmth.

  “You’re not looking so bad yourself.” She smiled at him and gazed into his pretty blue eyes, then lowered her eyes to his soft lips. She wanted those lips on hers. Sparks ignited in her center. She wanted him. She turned her eyes away. “Did you get any sleep last night?” She blew on her coffee and took a careful swallow.

  “Only a few hours, but that’s all I need. Are you looking forward to going to town today?”

  “Yes, I am. I love it here at the ranch, but I could use a break. I left Susan at the diner with her hands full, and I want to apologize to her. I should have called her when I first got here but didn’t have her number and with everything that’s happened, I kept forgetting.”

  Chase leaned toward her, resting his arm around her shoulders. The warmth of his palm settled in her center core. She bent into the lean hardness of his body.

  “Well, Saddle Creek’s the closest town, sweetheart. It’s small, but they’ve got a dress shop. You’ll be able to find something and we can get whatever supplies we need for the ranch at the same time. I also want to catch up with some friends at the diner. I can give your apologies to Susan while I’m there, if you want?”

  “Oh, all right. That’s fine with me. Anyway, I last saw Clint at the diner, and I don’t want to take any chances I might run into him again.” She frowned up at Chase and couldn’t help the shudder of revulsion that slipped down her spine. Her blood ran cold. “I hope he’s long gone by now. Which reminds me. I know you’ve been busy with all these odd happenings on the ranch, but have you had a chance to check out his computer or show it to your friend?”

  He shook his head. “I did the same things to it you did and got the same results, but I’ll drop it off at my buddy’s when we go to town, and he can take a gander at it, if that’s all right with you?”

  “Sure. I’d love to be able to check my e-mail, but I don’t think I should send any.” She finished the last of her coffee, stood, and turned toward the sink and the nearby coffee pot. She poured another cup then returned to the table with the pot.

  “Why not?” Chase looked her in the eye and studied her face.

  “I’m afraid he’d be able to trace it somehow. The last thing I want to do is leave
a trail so Clint can find me.” She sipped her coffee and, with a wince, remembered the cruel look on his face the day he’d beaten her so badly. “Maybe I shouldn’t go with you today after all. Maybe I’d be safer right here, just in case he’s still looking for me.” Her stomach flip-flopped. If Clint saw her in town, he was sadistic enough to grab her off the street or to follow her back to the ranch. Chase laid his hand on her shoulder. A feeling of calm came over her. He made her feel secure, especially when he held her in his arms.

  “No, Lauren, you need a change of scenery. Even though I already know you’ll be the prettiest girl at the dance, I want to buy you something nice. You’ll be safe with me, even if we do run into Clint. I’m pretty sure I can handle him, but if you’re scared, I won’t let you out of my sight.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, taking another sip of coffee.

  “Absolutely. Most men, about ninety-five percent, who beat on a woman do it for domination and the thrill of it. They don’t usually mess with men. But even if he does, I’m ready for him. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” He took her hand and helped her to her feet and kissed her lips. His arms slipped around her shoulders, pulling her closer into his body heat. Her mouth opened beneath his demand. He tasted like coffee and his skin smelled like a spicy forest. She moaned and shifted closer, unable to resist him. She ran her hand through his silky, thick hair to the back of his head and increased the pressure of her lips against his. Butterflies exploded in her stomach, her heart raced and she couldn’t breathe.

  Chase grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms from around his neck. He stepped back and gave her a strange look for a second. He let go of her and walked to the counter. “I’ve got some work to do before we leave, so give me an hour or so.” He refilled his coffee cup. “I’ll come around front with the pickup.” With his steaming cup in hand, he walked out the backdoor.

  What the heck was that about? Lauren reached for the back of the chair to steady her wobbling legs. She tried to catch her breath. One minute he was sucking the life out of her with his kiss and the next, he was shoving her away. The look in his eyes burned in her mind.

  What did I do to spook him?

  Tears moistened her eyelashes.

  Maybe Amos was right about him, after all.

  Chase had to walk away from Lauren or they’d end up spending the day in bed.

  He wanted to be in bed with her, but she wasn’t a neighborly rancher’s granddaughter he was trying to entertain, or some random date for the hell of it.

  I’m hooked, damn it.

  He didn’t understand his feelings for her and didn’t know if he ever would. When near her, he felt like the king of the mountain, savior of the world…Superman. He groaned. And Lauren was his Kryptonite. She sapped the strength from his body. When she turned her gorgeous green eyes on him, his knees grew weak. He broke out in a sweat when she was anywhere in his vicinity. Just thinking of her left him heaving for air like a racehorse.

  What was wrong with him? No other woman had such an effect.

  He reached the stall of the buckskin he was training and led the colt out of the barn and into the round pen. He swung the lead rope above the horse’s head like a lariat, sometimes touching the animal’s legs, chest, or sides. When the colt no longer shied at the twirling movement, Chase switched lessons and placed a lightweight riding pad on his back and loosely cinched the girth.

  “You oughta be about done with him for the day, right?” Amos leaned one booted foot on the bottom rail.

  “Just a little bit longer,” Chase insisted as he continued.

  “It ain’t gonna change a thing, boss. Your tension and frustration ain’t gonna vamoose by workin’ that poor colt to death.”

  “What do you mean?” He stopped trotting the horse around the ring.

  “You know no matter how long you stay out here playin’ with this horse, you’re still gonna want that filly, and she’s still gonna have her heart set on you. Ya may as well go ahead and get her out of your system so’s we can get some real work done ’round here.”

  Chase’s grip on the lead rope tightened. He unbuckled the cinch, threw the riding pad on top of his shoulder, and counted the ten steps he took to the fence. “You think you know everything, old man? Just because you’ve been around the block a few times doesn’t mean you know what’s best for me.”

  “Boy, I’ve known you since you were a young’n. Hell, I practically raised you, and I’m telling you, this one is different. I don’t think you’re gonna want to let her go, even when it is safe for her.”

  Chase removed the halter from the colt and hung it on a fence post. He opened the gate and shooed the animal out to run in the green pasture and graze for a while. Crossing his arms on the top rail, he faced Amos. “What do you mean, when it’s safe for her?”

  “C’mon, boss! You know he’s a-comin’ after her, don’t ya?”

  “What makes you think that? Have you seen him or any signs of him being here?” He took off his hat and gave it a couple hits on his thigh to get the dust off.

  Amos sighed and rolled his eyes. “Of course not, but I’m sure a man like him is a sneaky son of a bitch. Any man who’d hit a woman ain’t much of a man at all and has got to be plum crazy. He probably wants to punch on her all day long. He ain’t never gonna let her go willingly, unless somebody stops him.”

  “I’ve increased the security here with the extra patrols, given his description to the sheriff and all the hands. What else can I do?”

  “You could always marry her and make her yours.”

  Chase’s mouth hung open. He took a step backward, shocked by what he’d heard.

  Amos shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time for something like that to happen, and it won’t be the last. And who knows? It might just work out.”

  “Now I think you’re nuts, you crazy old coot. How would that possibly work out? We barely know each other, and—”

  “Boy, these eyes might be old but I’ve seen how she looks at you, and I’ve seen you looking back at her like you wanna gobble her up. That’s why it’d work out just fine. I ain’t never seen you look at no other woman like you do her, and you don’t never bring them to the ranch. Heck, half the courtin’s been done, since she’s already living in your house.”

  “Like I said, you’re loco.” He wasn’t the marrying kind. Chase turned and stalked away, slapping his hat on his legs. He had work to do, places to go, and people to see. He didn’t have time to listen to an old fool’s idea of a solution.

  Marry her? Yeah right! The thought had barely skimmed his mind.

  Chapter 13

  At the loud beep of a truck horn, Lauren missed the bottom step on the stairs. Cursing, she wiggled her ankle to see if she’d twisted it in her heeled sandals. She grabbed her purse and a light jacket from the hallstand and headed to the front door, expecting to find Chase’s truck.

  Through a cloud of red dust, Edie’s truck screeched to a halt at the barn door. Curious, Lauren continued out onto the front porch and sat in one of the rockers.

  Chase stepped from the barn and stopped beside the driver’s side door.

  “What are you doing here?” Lauren heard Chase say in a loud and somewhat angry voice.

  When he glanced over his shoulder to the house, Lauren thought he might be looking at her.

  Edie poked her head out the truck’s window and looked her way, too. “Big plans for the spring dance, huh?”

  “What about you?”

  “Not yet, that’s the reason I’m here. We’ve been going together for a couple years. I’d hate to disappoint all the neighbors and town folks by not showing up together.” Edie reached out and laid her hand on his chest.

  Lauren started to jump from the rocker but smiled when Chase sprang back like Edie had touched him with a sizzling branding iron.

  “We’ve been through this before, Edie. We’re not a couple, never have been and never will be. Just because your granddaddy encouraged us to get together
to join our two ranches doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. In fact, I have other plans.” His gentle, but firm voice floated across the lawn to Lauren.

  Edie jerked her head back inside the window and threw the truck into reverse. “You’ll be sorry. I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done to me,” she screamed as she backed up and then ground the gears into drive. The truck fishtailed down the road with dirt, stones, and dust flying in its wake.

  Chase waved his hat in front of his face to clear the dust as he crossed the drive to the front porch. “I suppose you heard.”

  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but sound travels. What did she mean when she said she’d make you pay for all you’ve done? What’s she talking about?” Lauren pushed her hair behind her ear and watched Chase settle into a rocker beside her.

  “To tell you the truth, I’m not really sure.” He sighed. “Maybe I broke her heart when I told her we had to go our separate ways but we could remain friends. I thought at the time she accepted it but maybe she hasn’t. I really don’t know what’s gotten into her lately.” He twirled his hat around in his hands and leaned back in the rocker.

  “I hope I wasn’t the cause of your breakup. If I was, I’m truly sorry.”

  Chase reached for her hand. “There’s nothing to be sorry about. You haven’t done anything wrong. Why don’t we forget all this? I’m going to go get the truck and let’s head on into town.”

  She nodded and he slid his hand to her elbow and helped her out of the rocker. His touch scorched her skin as they walked to the edge of the porch and down the steps.

  “Wait here. No sense in getting your pretty pink sandals all dirty.”

  He squeezed her arm before he let go and swaggered, like only he could, to his truck.

  When she climbed into the vehicle, the air inside was stagnant. Lauren rolled down her window to let the fresh breeze in. She concentrated on bracing for the ruts in the long, dirt driveway, but once they’d turned onto the smoother highway, she got antsy.