Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style (Sweet Montana Bride Series) (11 page)

Jade reached down, grabbing the big wheel by the handle. She took the scooter in her other hand. “Hop off,” she said, “I’ll bring them down for you guys.” She carried them out as the boys obeyed.

“Thanks, Aunt Jade.” They followed like anxious puppies, Luke at their heels.

“Honeymoon over so soon?” A friendly voice spoke.

Cassie glanced up to see one of the men who’d broken away from the large group. His smile stood out against his rich, dark skin as he reached for her hand. “I’m Trey,” he said. “And you’re Shane’s new bride?”

She nodded, pulling in a giant breath of courage. “Yes.” Already she hated the lie. Hated saying something that wasn’t true. She was certain the deceit was plain on her face as the stranger, probably the same age as Ryan from the jury, held eye contact.

“Glad to meet you.” His posture was relaxed and easy, like he felt right at home. “I work full-time here at the ranch, along with Randy and Max. The other guys were brought on to help through spring. Come on over here and you can meet them.”

She knew it was crazy, but something about the kid reminded Cassie of her recently deceased friend, and it wasn’t just the age. They didn’t look much alike, with as different as their complexion and features were, but something in that smile reminded her of him. Plus he had the same friendly manner Ryan had. He was charismatic. Genuine.

“This here is Reynold,” Trey said, starting with what seemed to be the quietest of the bunch; the others were caught up in conversation with one another. “Reynold, this here is Shane’s pretty little secret and brand new bride, Cassie.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cassie said, stretching her arm toward him.

In a moment of unsettling delay, the quiet man ran a crude gaze over her body, a near savage expression on his bony face. At last, in what seemed to be an afterthought, he lifted a hand to meet hers, the feel of it wiry and strong. “Likewise,” he muttered.

She glanced at the guy next to him, anxious to pull her gaze away from the awkward stranger. And as Trey introduced her to the other men, calling her Shane’s internet babe one minute, and his hot new bride the next, Cassie smiled and shook their hands as well. There were too many names to retain all at once, but all of the others were friendly.

“What if I told you that
I
was the one you met online,” the guy named Randy whispered in her ear. The overly muscled flirt proceeded to flex his arms for her. “Don’t these babies look familiar?” he asked.

Cassie smiled. She may not remember all the guys’ names, but she certainly wouldn’t forget Randy or Trey.

As she rounded the corner, the ranch hands close behind, Cassie spotted Betty in the kitchen, setting out napkins and silverware. Reese held a large bowl lined with a white cloth as Jade piled steaming rolls into the center.

“And this here’s your new father-in-law, I suppose.”

It took a moment for Trey’s last comment to register in Cassie’s mind. She turned to see the man Trey had referred to walking in from the hallway, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He was lean, tall, and rugged. And though his face wore the lines of weather and time, Shane’s father was handsome enough to be on the big screen. In fact, if his hair were blond instead of peppered brown, he’d resemble a middle-aged Robert Redford.

“Is this my new gal?” he thundered, breaking through the crowd.

A few of the ranch hands chuckled. Cassie felt her face flush with heat.

“Why, hello there, doll. I’m Grant.”

With all eyes pasted on her, Cassie had a hard time acting the part. The circumstances were ridiculous. This was not how people met their fathers-in-law for the first time. She forced herself to speak. “I’m so glad to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Grant said, shaking her hand before pulling her in for a hug. “I can see why Shane wasted no time in marrying. A beauty like you could slip away real fast if you don’t play your cards right, I imagine.” The men rumbled a few words of appreciation, causing Cassie to blush.

She chuckled. “Well, thanks.” In some small way, Grant’s comment, along with his hearty embrace, had helped her feel at ease. He’d managed to bring normalcy to a situation that was anything but.

“I hear you’re an editor,” Grant said, lowering his voice.

Cassie nodded. “Yes.”

“Was wondering if you wouldn’t mind proof-reading the letter I’m fixin’ to send the editor of the newspaper here. Got a problem with our ditches and the city wants to ignore the whole thing. Figure if I can sound a whole lot smarter than I am, somebody oughta listen.” He patted her back. “That’s where you come in.”

Cassie was flattered. “I’d be happy to read over it.”

“And fix the parts that have me sounding like a dummy?” he added.

“I’ll fix whatever’s needed,” she said with a laugh.

“That-a-girl. Glad to have you in the family, doll.”

A loud clanking caused the chatter to cease impossibly fast. Betty stood next to an iron pot holder, gripping a wooden spoon. “Let’s have our little guest of honor and her new husband come this way,” she said proudly, scanning over the room.

Grant spoke up before Cassie had the chance. “Your son’s not back yet, Betty. But we’ve got his better half here and that’s all that matters.”

“Nobody wants to look at Shane’s ugly mug anyway,” another voice spoke.

Cassie glanced around the corner to see a man who resembled Shane. By the way he was pulling Kate from the baby carrier, Cassie placed him as Jade’s husband, Gavin. His dark blond hair was spiked the way Luke’s was, and a sleeve of tattoos covered one, toned arm. “Hi,” he said to Cassie, lifting a brow. “Guess the honeymoon’s over?”

No sooner had the words left Gavin’s mouth than a roll smacked him upside the head. The oldest brother, Cassie assumed, stood beside a large bowl, one hand around Reese’s back. He held a fixed glare at his younger brother.

Cassie shouldn’t have been surprised by the handsome appearance of the two brothers, but she couldn’t help but stare in appreciation. It was no wonder Jade and Reese found themselves drawn to the men; they were almost as handsome as Shane.

Betty wrung her hands while she eyed the boys. “Let’s say grace, and then we’ll track down Shane.”

“I’ll say it! I’ll say it!” Jonah stormed up the stairs, huffing as he reached the top.

“Well go on, then,” Grant said.

Blake removed his hat, along with the few other men who wore them.

“Dear, gracious Lord,” the little guy started, his voice surprisingly strong and certain. “This food smells so delicious, and we hope you’ll bless Grandma’s hands since they fixed it. And bless Grandpa, and the dads and uncles, and the ranch hands, that they can take good care of the cattle since they’re going to have their babies soon.” He paused there to clear his throat. “And thank you for sending Shane a wife. She looks nice and pretty, and help her to like us so she likes it here. And bless her cats too. Amen.”

The mumbled amens followed, Cassie’s among them, as she fought back the tearing in her eyes. What sweet words had been spoken by that little boy all on his own. He met her gaze for a moment, and she flashed him a smile. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

With one proud motion, Jonah gave her a thumbs-up, before speeding to the line forming at the counter. “Cassie,” Betty said, looking over the spread once more, “you come dish up first. Blake and Gavin will see if they can’t track down your man. ‘Tween the cell phones, pagers, and radios, I’m sure they’ll get hold of him soon enough.” The look in his mother’s eyes told Cassie there was nothing to worry about.

“Thanks,” she said. And though it sounded as if Cassie was thanking the kind woman for the meal, she was really thanking her for something much more precious – a sense of belonging at her new place of refuge. She only hoped Shane would return soon.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A massive beam of light flashed over Shane’s back as he loaded up the truck. It’d been a messier job than he’d thought, but he’d finally gotten the dang thing fixed. At least in one spot. Tomorrow he’d check for more weak areas.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” It was Blake.

Shane spun around, wondering why his brother’s voice carried the anger
he
felt? “Fixing the damn fence like
you
were supposed to do. How hard is it to mend the thing before you herd the entire lot out here?”

“We haven’t brought the cattle out yet, Shane. There were posts down along the entire south side, and then on the northern side too. We’ve been working on them all day.”

Shane slammed the truck bed closed. “So what’d you do yesterday?”

“Same thing. Plus we’re still training the new guys.” Blake tucked his hands in his pockets, puffing out his chest. “You’ve kept your woman worrying back home. Never do that.”

An image of Cassie jumped to the forefront of his mind. He shook it off and glared at his older brother. “She’s not my woman. And mind your own damn business.” He strode past, bumping him in the shoulder.

“She’s your woman as long as she’s here. And leaving her to worry about you is no way to treat the poor thing.”

Shane stopped in his tracks, slowly spinning around. “Worry?”

“Hell yes, she’s been worried. It’s nearly midnight, Shane. We’ve been calling your phone for hours. Driving around looking for any sign of you for another hour. Thought you’d be out in the far field checking on the cattle or helping birth an early calf at the east barn. We had no clue you’d be clear out here.”

Shane cranked open the truck door and climbed in. “Well let’s stop talking about it and get back then.” He slammed the door shut, hoping to cut him off. It didn’t work.

“Watch it, or you’ll make that woman think she’s nothing but a thorn in your side.”

With the annoyed shake of his head, Shane waved him to get back into the Durango and get out of his way. He was only slowing him down. Shane wanted to ignore Blake’s comment, but inwardly he knew it was true, and it made him feel like dirt.

The night appeared darker than ever as he sped back toward the house. Shane could hardly believe he’d left Cassie all alone on her first night there, meeting everybody and all. What a jerk he’d been. Why hadn’t he just grabbed one of the walkie-talkies and asked the crew how far they’d gotten. Find out if the cattle had been moved yet or not.

The lights were on in the house. Shane clenched the cool leather of the steering wheel, dreading what lay ahead of him. “Time to face what you’ve done,” he muttered to himself and shut off the truck.

~+~

Cassie sighed as she hung up the phone. Shane’s brother, Blake, had called the second he’d spotted Shane, and it was a good thing he had. She’d been ill with worry over where he could have gone. What he could have been doing out there in the dark. There’d been another fear flittering tirelessly beneath those as well – what if he’d left for good? Decided he wanted nothing to do with playing her husband and the demands that came along with it. Like she could chase the rancher right out of him with her presence alone.

She scrubbed at the tin loaf pan, washing invisible crumbs as she waited for Shane to enter the house. How humiliating it was to play the newlywed whose husband was already bored of her. It was a good thing the people on the ranch were so kind. In honesty, it may have been a decent night had she not been sick with worry over Shane. And even still, Trey and Randy, along with Jade and Reese, had managed to ease her discomfort, make her forget even for a while that Shane wasn’t answering his phone, returning their calls, or showing up for dinner. Or dessert.

Her shoulders stiffened as the front door creaked open. She eyed the plate she and Reese had put together for him, piled high with the delicious food from the night’s meal. “There’s your dinner,” she snapped, as she heard his boots scuffle across the floor. She rinsed the dish before adding more soap to it, hoping to calm the sudden quiver of her lower lip.

The slow and steady steps came up close behind her. Through the corner of her eye, Cassie watched Shane’s hat plunk onto the counter top and skid to a stop. The muted sounds of snaps unfastening had her picturing the slow removal of his shirt. After a quiet rustle, it landed on the counter next to his hat.

He stepped closer, and she felt the heat of him through her thin night shirt, a warmth that had her eyes closing against the intoxicating feel of it. Of him and his presence.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.

Cassie reached for the water, shut it off. “What?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

The slightly calloused tips of his fingers caressed her elbow, sliding gently down toward her wrist. “I said, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone tonight.”

She’d had all sorts of speeches prepared for the man. Perfect words and thought-out phrases, but every one of them took flight as her breath escaped. A wave of goose bumps rose on her skin as his hand slipped back up and down her arm where he circled the inner part of her wrist with his thumb.

The involuntary reaction made her feel weak. She no longer had the will to confront him. Couldn’t bring herself to do it. To chew him out over not being the perfect husband. He wasn’t hers at all. He didn’t want to be. It was enough that he had to act like he’d shoved away from his family all to marry some girl off the internet who nobody knew. Now she expected him to treat her the way Blake and Gavin treated their wives? They were married. Really married.

“It’s fine,” Cassie said. She stepped to the side, slipping between the sink in front and the temptation behind. She didn’t stop to look at him, only strode out of the kitchen toward the hall. “I’m going to bed.”

“I don’t want you to rush off just yet.” His voice was low and even.

Cassie spun around, unnerved by the sight of him. Shane’s well-defined muscles bulged through the thin tee shirt hugging his broad chest. Streaks of dry dirt marked parts of his arms and neck. The dark waves of his hair, boyishly mussed, tasseled freely beneath his fingers as he ran a hand through it. And those eyes – loaded with a smoldering combination of frustration and heat.

“Well, I didn’t want you to be gone all night and you were anyway. I sat there looking like some … some idiot who just married a guy who wants nothing to do with her.” The words nearly got stuck in her throat, but she forced them out. “Your family is kind and gracious. The ranch hands welcoming and friendly. But even still, I was humiliated – tormented with ideas of what they must have in their heads.” She coughed to make her voice go low, “
Oh, uh, geez. Looks like the honeymoon didn’t last long.”
She sneered and rolled her eyes.