Cassie's Cowboy Crave: Witness Protection - Rancher Style (Sweet Montana Bride Series) (24 page)

Just why had he been so certain she cared for him?  

Damn his stupid, bone-headed brothers. And the bet that got him into the mess in the first place. One stupid bet Shane was willing to make because he was so sure Natasha wouldn’t leave him for the city. Positive that she’d never turn down his proposal. And she had. The good thing was, Natasha had rid him of the toxic element she was in his life. On the down side, she’d sentenced him to a far worse fate of falling in love with someone worth loving, only to lose them in the end.  It’s what he’d feared from the very beginning, and here it had come to be.

Cassie didn’t want his declaration of love or soft-spoken words. She wanted only to get back to her life as soon as the circumstance would allow, gladly leaving the ranch and everyone on it. Shane only hoped he could take a lesson on how such a thing was done. He wanted to know, from an expert, just how to let go of a person he loved.

While risking a glance into the kitchen, Shane saw Cassie at the sink, a glass of water in hand as she gazed over the pasture. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear she was waiting for something. Waiting for him.

His breath quickened as he moved forward in slow and hesitant steps, his mind racing in all directions.

Cassie dumped the remaining water from her glass, set it on the counter, and met his gaze once more.

What did she want? What was she waiting for? Hadn’t she been the one to silence him only moments ago?

Releasing a deep sigh, she strode past him, making her way down the hall where she spun on one heel. “Where’s Shay?” she asked him.

Shane gulped the thick knot of regret in his throat. “Who?”

“Shay,” Cassie said, striding back down the hall and into the kitchen once more. “She isn’t out there.”

Shane stepped toward the window, feeling like his mind must be drifting somewhere beyond the glass. “What do you mean?”

“Well I was noticing that somebody left the light on out there, and realized Shay wasn’t in the corral. At least, I didn’t see her.”

Cassie was right. Shay wasn’t in there. He reached for the phone. “Hate to call my parents this late, but I have to rule those guys out before I wake up the ranch hands.”

As the phone rang, Shane eyed the corral once more. “That light’s bright enough to keep the whole town awake. We rarely turn the thing on.” The strength of it was no doubt seeping through the blinds in Shane’s room; had Cassie not noticed that Shay was missing, he would’ve discovered it soon enough.

“What is it, Shane?” His dad’s voice sounded gruff with sleep.

“The floodlight’s on out back and Shay’s not in the pen. Were you out at the corral tonight?”

“No, Son. But I’m sure one of the ranch hands just took her out for a joy ride. Must know if they took Drake you’d crush ‘em flat.”

“You don’t think there’s any foul play?” Shane asked, thoughts of the Lawson brothers swimming through his head.

“No. Check with Trey. I’m sure he’ll know what’s going on.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Shane ran a quick gaze over Cassie. Her arms were folded, and she was running one hand over her forearm.

“What did he say?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just that he’s sure one of the ranch hands must’ve taken Shay for a ride. I’m going to go find out who. You can go on to bed. I’ll lock things up behind me. If you get scared,  there’s always the revolver next to my bed.”

Cassie’s eyes widened. Bringing up the gun might not have been a great idea. He’d shown her the thing after she’d arrived, but hadn’t brought it up since. “Not that you’re going to need it. Just wanted to make sure you remember.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Night, then.” And with that, Shane headed downstairs. He wasted no time flicking on lights and checking beds. The four interns shared rooms, two in each. The first two were there, tucked beneath the covers. Randy and Max were in their own rooms, sleeping soundly even through the glare of light. Trey’s room was next, and Shane stepped inside, hitting the light along the way.

“Someone took Shay,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

Trey sat up quickly, squinting as he looked around the room.

Shane continued onto the next room, eyeing the two beds while turning that light on as well. “Who’s in this room?” he asked, noticing an empty bed.

Trey was pacing the floor and rubbing his eyes. “Shay’s gone? I thought he was taking the truck.”

“Who?”

“Reynold.” Trey sighed, shaking his head. “Guess his mom’s going downhill fast. They don’t expect her to make it through the week.”

The news relieved Shane in one sense, and disturbed him in another. The poor kid. “Does he want to go home? We could arrange for him to fly out tomorrow. Have Max take him to the airport.”

Trey nodded. “I think that’d be best.” Trey shook his head in wonder. “He said he was going for a ride, but I thought he meant in the pickup. I never told him he could take Shay. Hope he doesn’t do something reckless out there.”

The concern in Trey’s eyes triggered that nervous thump of his heart to pound once more. “Let’s fire up the trucks and the four-wheelers. We need to bring them back.”

Within minutes, the ranch hands were loading up the pickups and ATVs. Shane locked the mudroom door, the back door, and the front door too. His conversation with Cassie – or lack thereof – would have to wait. For now, he had to help Reynold, the quiet, hard-working intern in his time of need.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Cassie stepped into Shane’s room, eyeing the dresser at his bedside. She’d never considered the handgun he’d shown her upon her arrival. But there was no denying the draw she felt toward it then.

Only moments ago, she’d watched out the front room window as the men piled into the trucks and headed over to the barn. There, some hopped onto four runners and made their way to the main road just behind the trucks. Cassie was certain Shane had everything under control, but she couldn’t quite calm the maddening race of her heart as she stepped closer to the dresser.

The brass handle felt cool and smooth beneath her fingers as she pulled open the drawer. And there it was. Dark, cherry wood handle, the remainder cased in dull silver. She gulped before closing the drawer, unnerved by the sheer sight of it. She recalled what he’d told her – that he kept only two bullets in the thing, and that he’d have to either pull the trigger a few times or rotate the barrel before getting to them. This, he said, might save him from getting shot by an intruder in his sleep.

Just as Cassie turned to step out of his room, the phone rang, loud and startling. Her hand trembled as she reached for it. “Hello?”

“Cassie?”

“Yes.” She loved the rugged sound of Shane’s deep voice. 

“I just wanted to settle your mind. One of the ranch hands took Shay for a ride, is all. We’re fixing to round him up now. With all of us on the lookout, we should have her back in no time.”

“Which ranch hand took her?” she asked.

“Reynold.”

Cassie’s skin seemed to register the name before she did – a great wave of chills rippling up her arms. “Why would he do that?”

“Guess he got an upsetting phone call ‘bout an hour ago. His mother’s dying and they don’t expect her to make it through the week. Kid just needed to work out his thoughts, is all.”

Cassie sunk onto the bed. “Oh.”

“Go ahead and get some sleep. Won’t be too much longer before we’re back.”

“Okay. Bye.” She was stunned. Too stunned to move while she held the receiver to her ear, staring into Shane’s closet. Soon the phone started to beep, and Cassie reached to set it back in the cradle, eyes still pasted on Shane’s clothes. Reynold’s mother was dying. She felt sorry for him. For the way she’d been so frightened by him and his strange ways. He couldn’t help that he was socially inept, could he? And now he was hurting.

Without much thought, Cassie reached out and pulled a shirt off its hanger. The one Shane wore on the day he’d picked her up from the airport. And as she stepped into the bathroom, flicking on the light with her elbow, Cassie inhaled the scent on the shirt – just as she’d remembered. The clean smell of his detergent. She eyed the bottle of aftershave on the counter, dabbed a bit on her fingers, and rubbed it over the fabric. There. Smelled just like him.

The bathtub faucet squeaked as Cassie turned it on, anxious for the warmth and comfort it would lend. She had a lot to consider, and the heated water and soothing steam would help clear her mind. She was going to let go of Shane, kiss all hope of a future together goodbye; may as well spend a night reminiscing first. Sleeping in his shirt was sure to keep dreams of him coming, of time they’d spent together, of new encounters too. If Cassie was destined to say goodbye to Shane forever, at least she’d enjoy a few final moments in his arms.

~+~

“You there, Shane?”

Shane reached for the CB resting on his lap as he scanned the field ahead. “Yep.”

“We found Shay,” Trey said, “but not Reynold.”

Shane grunted in frustration, ready for the late night to end. “Where is she?”

“Tied up to a post out here along the creek. Think we’re at about 12th east or so.”

“Where the hell is that kid?”

“No idea,” Trey said. “The creek’s hardly deep enough for a swim. Or for anything else for that matter.”

Though Trey hadn’t spoken it, Shane guessed he’d been making reference to the disturbed ranch hand trying to drown himself. “Damn it. Just how bad off do you think the guy is? Is he looking to off himself?”

“It’s hard to say. As quiet as he is all the time.” After a long pause, Trey spoke up once more. “Should I have Max ride Shay home? We could load the four wheeler in the back of the truck, and I could wait here for Reynold to come back.”

Shane didn’t know how to answer. He knew the kid was suffering, but this was ridiculous. “Didn’t you say Reynold doesn’t have a cell phone?”

“He doesn’t. Can’t afford one.”

“So how’d he hear about his mother? What number do they call to reach him?”

Trey paused in answering. “The main line. The receiver downstairs. But they don’t call him. He always calls there to check in.”

Something about the situation felt off. Like he was missing something important.

“Hey, where’s Cassie?” Trey asked, as if echoing the thought that came to his head.

Shane was already spinning the truck around, heading back the way he’d come. “At home.”

“Alone?”

“Yes, alone. What do you think? Everyone’s out here with us.” He shifted gears. Accelerating before flooring the clutch once more. Reynold had come to the ranch before Cassie, meaning he couldn’t be connected to the Lawson brothers, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. “I’m headed back there now. If you see Reynold, call me. In the meantime, you better pray he hasn’t laid a hand on Cassie. He touches her and I’ll kill him myself.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

The last of the water slipped down the drain as Cassie rested in the tub, welcoming the air against her damp skin. She’d let herself soak in the heat for so long she needed to cool down.

As she got out of the tub at last, patting herself dry with a fresh towel, Cassie eyed the shirt she’d wear, looking forward to the feel of it. The smell of it too.

The tangles in her hair loosened beneath the brush as she stood before the mirror, its surface steamed up despite valiant efforts from the loud ceiling fan clanking overhead.

With one twist of the doorknob, she unlocked Shane’s door to let him know it was safe to enter, in case he’d returned during her bath. She kept the fan on, switched the light off, and headed slowly into her dark room, anxious to look out the blinds for Shane’s truck. Surely he’d be home by now, perhaps saying goodbye to Reynold and wishing him well. Cassie wished him the best too, but couldn’t help but feel relieved about having him gone.

The thin edges of the blinds slid up as she nudged them, creating a small gap to see. Her hopes of spotting Shane’s truck were lost as she eyed the dirt driveway. Still not home. Great. Perhaps she could read in bed while she waited. Being in Shane’s shirt and all, she didn’t really want to be seen by him. But at least she could listen for his truck. Once he returned she could fall asleep. Until then, she’d be left to wonder.

Her eyes worked to adjust to the darkness as she shuffled across the floor, flipping off the fan in the bathroom. As she spun back around, heading for her lamp on the dresser, Cassie heard something in the corner of the room. Her back stiffened before she realized the cats must’ve snuggled up on the rocking chair instead of the bed.

“Ollie,” she called. “Oscar.” She leaned forward as she walked alongside the bed, the outline of the white lampshade coming into view. Just as she reached for the small switch, one cat nuzzled against her arm and purred. Followed by the next. The switch twisted beneath her fingers. The bulb made a shallow pop as it glowed to life.

“Rather dumb animals,” a voice spoke from the corner of the room.

Cassie started as she spun around to see Reynold reclining in the chair. His face, ominous and grim . She eyed her cats next, gulping as she considered what to do. A jar lay on the bed next to the cats while a brown spider scurried about inside.

“Reynold,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “The guys are out looking for you. We need to let them know you’re here.”

He shifted his gaze to the cats. “They’ve been pawing at that jar for the last hour, assuming that if they wait long enough, their little friend will come out and play.” The topic seemed innocent enough, but the expression on Reynold’s face screamed words that were anything but. “They don’t realize,” he continued, “that when you want something, you have to go in and get it yourself.”

A shallow breath escaped her lips. “Well, I’m glad they can’t get it. From what you said, those things are dangerous.” Cassie wasn’t sure what the best move would be. For now, Reynold sat on the rocking chair, calm and motionless. Was it safe to assume he was only looking for an escape from the sad reality of losing his mother?

“He’s not dangerous to
everyone
.” Reynold’s elbows rested on his knobby-looking knees, his sharp features growing more severe under the deep shadows of lamplight. “See, males don’t like entering homes per se, but there’s a certain time of year where they’re willing to do it to get what they want. What they need.”