Bride Protector SEAL (3 page)

He was an excellent horseman, having ridden in competitive dressage since he was a teenager. His parents had spared no expense in his education, sending him to private schools and then Yale. As a child, he’d traveled all over the world, and then again for the business he’d built for himself in contracting.

The tension slowly released from her shoulders. Maybe she knew more about him than she thought. So, she didn’t know the particulars about his contracting business, only that he made a lot of money doing it. He had building projects all over the world, with a concentration in the rebuilding efforts going on in Afghanistan. He’d been there twice already that year, and maybe he was headed there now. When he called to check in, she’d ask.

A pickup pulled in behind the fire truck and emergency vehicles. Will Franklin got out, his eyes rounding. He walked up to where Allie and Swede stood near the sheriff and the fire chief. “What happened?” he asked.

Allie filled him in on the explosion.

Will started toward the stables. “The horses?”

Placing a hand on the man’s arm, Allie answered, “Swede and I got them out.” She turned to her bodyguard. “This is Will Franklin, Damien’s foreman. Will, this is Swede Svenson. A…friend of mine.”

Will shook hands with Swede and then glanced around. “Where’s Mr. Reynolds?”

“He left shortly after the explosion,” Allie said. “Apparently, he had to take care of business before the wedding.”

“I’d better check the horses.”

“I’ll help.” Allie followed Will through the gate to the pasture.

Swede followed with Ruger trotting alongside.

The horse he’d sweet-talked came trotting up to him.

Grinning, Swede held out his hand, and the horse nuzzled his open palm.

“Has he been around horses much?” Will asked Allie.

“No.” Allie shook her head.

Will’s lips twisted and he shook his head. “That horse doesn’t usually come up to anyone.”

Swede held the gelding’s halter while Will and Allie looked over the animal. Other than smelling like soot, he seemed to be okay.

They performed the same inspection on the other four horses. When Will and Allie were satisfied they hadn’t suffered any lasting ill effects, Allie checked in with the fire chief and sheriff once more.

“If you need us for further questions, we’ll be at the Bear Creek Ranch.”

Without waiting for her escort, she crossed to her truck, climbed in and left the Double Diamond.

Swede, with Ruger, stayed right behind her all the way to the ranch house.

As Allie drove up to her family home, she wondered what sleeping arrangements she’d have to make for her new bodyguard. She snorted. Her father would be thrilled to know she was bringing a man into his house. As her bodyguard, he couldn’t sleep in the barn. Nor could he sleep in the foreman’s quarters, as that was already taken. Unlike larger ranches, they didn’t have a bunkhouse for ranch hands. It was up to her, her father, and Eddy, their foreman, to manage the herd. During cattle roundup days, they hired extra hands who slept in the barn, and Mrs. Edwards cooked for them.

No, Swede would have to stay in her brother’s old bedroom. A tingle rippled down her spine at the thought of the big SEAL sleeping in the room next to her. But then, he was a bodyguard. What good was a bodyguard if he wasn’t close to the body he was guarding?

She parked the truck beside the old house with its wide porches. Yeah, the paint was peeling and the steps needed repair, but the place was her home. At least, for the next week. Allie’s heart squeezed in her chest. It wasn’t as big and fancy as the mansion at the Double Diamond, but it had a helluva view of the Crazy Mountains, and it had been the house where she’d lived for the past twenty-seven years.

Allie supposed she’d get used to living on the Double Diamond. She’d be with Damien, when he was home from his trips. She’d have Miles, the butler, and Barbara, the cook, to talk to in the big house. She’d spend most of her time outside, tending horses and the cattle she hoped to bring onto the three-thousand-acre ranch.

She opened the door to her truck, pushing aside thoughts of her future home. First things first. Her father couldn’t know Swede was her bodyguard. He’d flip if he knew Damien was having trouble. Her father would find out soon enough when word got around about the explosion and fire that consumed the stable at the Double Diamond.

Swede parked beside her, got out and rounded the front of his truck with Ruger.

“I think I can get a room in the house for you, but my father isn’t keen on dogs inside.”

He glanced at the porch. “Which room is yours? I can toss a sleeping bag outside your window.”

“Seriously?” Allie shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. I’ll see what I can do to bend my father’s rule.”

“I’m not here to cause you more problems. I’m here to keep you safe. And I’ve slept in worse places than on a porch.”

As a SEAL, he probably had. Still… “You can have Hank’s old room. Grab your stuff, you can stow it inside.” Allie started up the steps. When she realized Swede wasn’t following, she turned back to him. “You and Ruger can have Hank’s old room. There. Are you satisfied?”

Swede walked around to the side of his truck, grabbed a duffle bag and an old blanket and followed her into the house.

“Georgia?” Allie called out.

A gray-haired woman wearing jeans and a short-sleeved plaid shirt stepped into the hallway. “Allie, I’m glad you’re here. I heard there was a fire out at the Double Diamond, and I was worried you might be there.” She studied Allie before hurrying forward and hugging her. “Oh, dear. You were, weren’t you? You’re all covered in soot and smell like smoke. I’m glad you’re okay. What a terrible thing.”

Allie almost laughed. News traveled fast in small communities. She should have known it had already made it home. “Do Dad and Eddy know?”

“Not yet. They’ve been out repairing fences all day. I haven’t seen them since breakfast.”

Good
. She’d get Swede installed before they got back. “Georgia, this is Swede Svenson, a friend of mine from college, who came early for the wedding. He was going to stay in Eagle Rock, but I told him we had room here for him and his dog.”

Georgia smiled at Swede and held out her hand. “Nice to meet you. There are fresh sheets on the bed in Hank’s old room.” Her smile wrinkled into a bit of a frown. “As for the dog, well, you’ll have to take it up with Mr. Patterson. He doesn’t like animals in the house.”

Allie nodded. “I’ll take care of it. Could you show him to the room so he can toss his bag? I need to ride out and check on that sick heifer.”

“I’m coming with you,” Swede insisted.

Allie sighed. “Fine. I’ll wait.” Again, she didn’t want everyone to know Damien had hired a bodyguard. In order to keep that little bit of information on the down-low, she had to play the hostess to her “friend.”

This bodyguard business was going to be a big pain in the ass. And having a hunky SEAL following her around might be more difficult than she ever imagined.

S
wede followed
Georgia up the stairs and across a landing to the first door on the right.

“You can use this room. The one next to it is Allie’s, and at the end of the hall is Mr. Patterson’s.” She opened the door and stepped aside. “The bathroom is across the hall. If you need anything, let me know. Dinner is at 6:30. Mr. Patterson doesn’t like folks being late.” She smiled. “Where was it you met Allie, again?”

“In college,” he said.

“At Montana State University?” she queried.

He swallowed hard. “Yes, ma’am.”

“How did you like Missoula? I have a sister who lives there.”

He shrugged. “It’s okay,” he said, hating that he was lying to a very nice woman. But, Allie had started the lie and he wouldn’t be the one to spill the beans.

“Uh-huh.” Georgia’s eyes narrowed. “And what was your degree?”

“Engineering,” he replied. At least this was the truth. Working on his degree online and in a classroom the semesters he was Stateside, he’d earned a degree in engineering. He dropped his bag on the floor and turned to leave the room, only to find Georgia standing in the doorway with her arms folded over her chest.

“How long have you known Allie?” An eyebrow cocked high.

“Five, maybe six…If you don’t mind, she’s waiting for me.” He started toward the woman.

She didn’t budge for a moment and then snorted. “Uh-huh.” Georgia stepped out of the way. “Remember, supper’s on the table at 6:30.”

He hurried past her and down the stairs. Ruger fell in step beside him as he pushed through the door onto the porch where he found Allie.

“Is there a reason you lied to Georgia about who I am?” he asked, his voice terse, anger simmering low in his belly.

Allie glanced at the house where Georgia stood in the window of the kitchen, watching them. “I didn’t want them to worry about me.”

“Well, you need to tell me more about yourself before you commit me to being an old school chum. In what city is Montana State University?”

“Bozeman.”

Damn
. “Not Missoula?”

“No. That’s University of Montana.”

He winced. “You’ll have to do some damage control with Georgia. She’s on to me.” He left it at that and walked down the steps.

“I’ll square up with her before dinner.”

“Which is at 6:30 sharp. She told me twice. I take it that you don’t want to be late.”

Allie caught up with him and fell in step. “Welcome to the Bear Creek Ranch. My father likes things the way he likes things.”

“And he likes the man you’ve chosen to marry?”

Allie’s steps faltered for a moment. “That’s none of your business.”

“While I’m your bodyguard, everything about you is my business.”

“The hell it is.” Allie walked faster. She reached the barn first, and turned to face him. “Remember, it wasn’t my idea to hire you. If I had my way, I’d have you sent back to the White Oak with Hank, looking for some rich celebrity to follow around like a lap dog.” She shot a glance at the animal beside him. “No offense, Ruger.”

She spun toward the door and reached for the handle.

Swede slammed his palm onto the wood, keeping the door from budging. “Look, princess, as long as I’m being paid to protect you, I’m following you around like a lap dog. Only, this lap dog bites. So don’t push me.”

She turned in the small amount of space between the barn door and his chest and stared up into his eyes. “I’m not a princess, and if you call me that again, I’ll show you just how not a princess I can be. Now, move your arm.” Her green eyes flashed and color rose in her cheeks.

God, she was beautiful and fearless. Swede had scared newbie SEALs with his full-on glare. Not this ranch woman with fire in her eyes and bright auburn hair. He held his ground for another second, his pulse pounding and his breath mingling with hers, fighting that sudden desire to kiss her.

Her eyes widened and she licked her lips.

As though she could read his mind.

As soon as the thought struck, he dropped his arm and moved away.

Allie lifted her chin, turned and ducked into the barn.

Swede followed at a slower pace, wondering what the hell was wrong with him? Bodyguards weren’t supposed to kiss their clients. Especially one who’d told him multiple times she didn’t want him around. He found her in the tack room, a blanket and bridle over one shoulder as she hefted a saddle from a wooden stand.

“Here, let me,” Swede said, because his mother had raised a gentleman, and gentlemen lifted heavy objects for ladies.

He reached for the saddle.

But, she jerked away. “You’ll need to get your own.”

He glanced around the room at the seven saddles resting on stands. “Which would you suggest?”

Her lips twitched, and she tilted her head to get a look at his backside. “One big enough for your butt.”

His groin tightened at her playful look. Immediately, he turned away before he started thinking about her as anything other than the person he was assigned to protect, who happened to be engaged to the man who’d hired him. At first glance, the saddles all looked pretty much the same. Upon closer inspection, he selected a dark brown one he hoped would fit, grabbed a blanket from a stack and hurried out of the tack room.

Allie had her horse tethered outside a stall. She’d already placed the blanket and saddle on the horse and was reaching beneath the horse’s belly for the girth.

Swede knew what these were because, as a kid, he’d dreamed of learning to ride and studied what he could find in his grade school library. He watched carefully as she looped a long leather strap through the metal ring on the girth, pulled it tight, and then looped it again. When she’d used most of the strap, she tied the remainder in a single knot. Then she let the stirrup down.

“Is there a particular horse you want me to ride?” he asked.

She gave him an assessing glance. “Little Joe. Last stall on the left. You get the horse and I’ll get his bridle.”

Swede walked to the last stall on the left and opened the gate. The horse nudged his way through and would have taken off, but Swede slipped his hand through the animal’s halter before he’d gone two steps and brought him under control. He spoke to the horse like he’d done with the spooked one at the Double Diamond. Within seconds, he was able to walk him to the spot next to Allie’s horse where a lead rope was tied to a metal loop. He snapped the lead on the halter and quickly laid the blanket and saddle in place. Then he reached beneath the horse and pulled the girth up, looping the leather through the ring, like he’d seen her do.

“Make sure you get it tight. Little Joe likes to blow out his belly while you’re saddling him. And you’ll need to adjust the stirrups to fit your longer legs.”

Following her advice, he tightened the girth and adjusted the stirrups, while Allie slipped the bridle into the horse’s mouth.

Once they were out of the barn, Allie led her horse to a gate, opened it and waited for Swede to walk his horse through. She followed and closed the gate behind them.

Then she swung up into the saddle from the left side of the horse. As he’d told her, he was very observant. He mimicked every one of her moves until he found himself up in the saddle. Then the horse danced sideways, whinnied and took off running as fast as the goddamn wind. Where were the damned brakes?

Swede held onto the reins and the saddle horn and sent a desperate prayer to the heavens. He’d almost rather be shot at by a dozen Taliban than be at the mercy of a crazed horse. Over the thunder of his horse’s hooves and blood pounding in his ears, he heard a shout.

“Whoa!” Allie, atop her mare, raced up beside him, leaned dangerously toward Swede, grabbed the rein closest to her and pulled back. “Whoa!”

Both horses slowed until they came to a halt. Allie handed back the rein and shook her head. “You really haven’t ridden a horse before, have you?”

His heart still pounding, he shook his head. “Never.” He wiped the sweat off his brow and breathed. “But I learn quickly.”

“Tap the flanks with your heels, gently, to make him go. Pull back on the reins to make him stop.” She demonstrated as she spoke. “If pulling back on the reins doesn’t do the trick, the horse might have the bit between his teeth. Then you pull back on one side only and make him turn in a circle until he stops.”

Swede nodded. “Got it.”

“Now, I really need to check on that heifer.” She tapped her heels against her horse’s flanks, and the animal lurched forward.

Swede did the same.

Little Joe leaped after the other horse.

Swede slipped backward in the saddle, but he righted himself and rode after Allie. Several times, he slowed the horse by pulling back on the reins. The animal didn’t like being left behind, but he slowed. Feeling a little more confident, he settled into the rhythm of the horse’s gallop. Thankfully, Little Joe was perfectly happy following Allie, giving Swede the opportunity to relax and look around.

The Crazy Mountains were undeniably beautiful, with towering trees and jagged peaks capped with remnants of winter snow clinging to the higher elevations.

Allie led him through a narrow valley, across a stream, up and over a ridge, and then stopped near a copse of trees overlooking a grassy valley.

Swede rode up next to her, pulling back on the reins.

She nodded toward several cows grazing in the field beyond. “She seems to be doing better today. At least she’s up and eating.”

They all looked pretty healthy to Swede. “Which one is she?”

“The brown and white Hereford at the edge of the others.” Allie pointed to one that was a bit smaller and not as filled out. “She’s okay, for now. I’ll check on her tomorrow.”

Allie glanced across at Swede. “How are you?”

“Fine.” He shifted in the saddle, knowing he’d be sore later. But he’d never admit it to her.

“Trotting is the hardest gait on the butt. If you stand up in your stirrups every other bump, you won’t be beaten to death. It’s called posting. Like this.” She tapped her horse’s flanks and the animal took off at a trot. Allie rose and fell in rhythm with the horse’s steps.

Swede nudged his mount and the horse broke into a trot. He tried what Allie demonstrated, but ended up standing in the stirrups the entire time, not quite getting the rhythm.

“When you get it right, it stops hurting,” she said. “Then the movement becomes natural.”

“How long have you been riding?” he asked.

“Since I was big enough to sit up on my own, so my father says. I think I was about four years old when my father put me on a horse by myself.” Squinting in the sun, Allie turned back in the direction from which they’d come. “It’s getting close to dinner time. We’d better get back.”

They crossed the ridge and eased down the other side into the narrow valley with a stream winding through. Everything seemed so peaceful and different than the hills of Afghanistan, filled with Taliban fighters waiting to blow off his head.

Just when Swede thought it couldn’t get more placid, the roar of a small engine echoed off the hillsides.

Swede looked around for the source, but the echoes made it hard to determine. Then a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle erupted out of the tree line and raced straight for Allie.

Swede urged his horse forward, creating a barrier between the oncoming vehicle and the woman he was supposed to protect. He reached beneath his jacket and pulled out the nine millimeter Glock he’d purchased before he’d left the military and aimed for the man on the ATV. He’d give him five more seconds to turn away.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Just as Swede pulled the trigger, he saw Allie’s horse rear, throwing her from the saddle. Spooked by Allie’s horse and the oncoming ATV, Little Joe bucked.

Swede’s shot went wide of its target.

The sound was enough to make the rider swerve to the right and cross the stream, heading up into the hills.

Swede yanked the reins, turned the horse and trotted back to where Allie lay on the ground, her own horse long gone.

The woman lay perfectly still, her eyes wide open.

Swede started to dismount when Allie said, “Don’t move.”

“Why? Are you okay?”

“I will be, as long as you don’t move a muscle and keep Little Joe from coming any closer.”

Then he heard the telltale buzz of a rattlesnake’s tail. Wound into a tight coil, lying in the dirt near a rock, lay the biggest rattlesnake Swede had ever seen.

The slightest move on Allie’s part could make the snake strike her in the face.

“Be very still,” he advised.

“Duh. You think I don’t know that?” she said, barely moving her lips and whispering softly so as not to disturb the creature.

“I’ll slide down off the horse.”

“Any movement could make him strike. I’d rather you didn’t.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. Feed him a mouse. Wait until he leaves. Shoot him. Something.” Her voice was soft and calm for having a huge snake in her face.

Little Joe appeared unfazed by the snake lying nearby. He stood still, waiting for Swede’s next command.

Still holding the nine-millimeter in his hand, he raised it and aimed down the barrel at the snake.

“What are you doing?” Allie said, through gritted teeth.

“Close your eyes,” he said.

“Oh, no, you are not…” She squeezed her eyes shut and tensed.

Swede pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the snake in the head, flipping it over in the dust.

Little Joe danced to the side, but didn’t bolt.

Allie rolled away and jumped to her feet. “Are you crazy?”

Swede holstered his weapon and dropped down out of the saddle. Holding onto the reins, he approached Allie and gripped her arm. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, despite the fact you could have killed me.”

“But, I didn’t.” He looked into her eyes, checking her pupils. “Did you bang your head against the ground?”

Allie rubbed her bottom. “No, I hurt my pride more than anything else. I haven’t been thrown from a horse in years.” She glanced at the snake lying still on the ground. “I guess Major had a good reason to spook.” Brushing the dust off her jeans, she looked out across the stream and up the hill on the other side. “Who the hell was on the ATV?”