Heart of Rockies 03 - More Than a Feeling (15 page)

“Thefts?” Avery gasped. “What thefts?”

Uh-oh.
Though her hand still trembled, Ruby went back to slicing apples, hoping someone else would answer. No one did.

“Ruby?” Avery peered over at her. “What thefts?”

“Someone broke into the lodge?” Paige asked.

Ruby shared a look with Elsie, but it was too late to backtrack. Bryce may have wanted to keep the thefts a secret, but it seemed that secrets at the Walker Mountain Ranch were getting much harder to keep.

“Um. Well. I guess some money was stolen,” she muttered, turning to face Avery and Paige. “And maybe your bracelet.”

“Oh my god.” Avery seemed to breathing heavily. “Oh. My. God.”

“Now, Avery.” Elsie scurried to her daughter-in-law’s side. “There’s nothing to get upset about. Bryce didn’t want to worry you, that’s all.”

“It sounds like whoever did it had a key,” Ruby offered. “So it’s not like it was just some random person off the street.”

“A key?” Avery shrieked. “They have a key to our home?”

Okay, that didn’t help.

Baby Lily startled and stretched her arms, hands balled into fists.

Ruby set down the knife and hurried over to take the baby so Avery could digest the news. “Come here, little one.” She snuggled the powder-scented sweetheart close against her chest and swayed her until the precious girl’s eyelids started to droop again. She hadn’t held many babies, and she was struck by the miracle of it. Her heart gasped in surprise at how this tiny beautiful form could hold so much life and love. Closing her eyes, she memorized it, the feeling of that warm weight in her arms. She’d made her peace with never having a child of her own a long time ago, though it still stung, but she wanted to remember that sweet feeling of holding something so precious close to her heart.

While she reveled in baby bliss, Avery paced the kitchen with Paige and Elsie close behind trying to console her.

“I’m sure it’s no big deal,” Paige insisted in that confident tone of hers. “Bryce probably figures you already have enough on your mind.”

“I’m sure he was going to tell you eventually,” Ruby added. “But maybe he wanted to figure out who was behind it fir—”

“Hey, ladies,” Sawyer said, and Ruby tightened her hold so she didn’t drop the baby. When had he come in?

“Wanted to check the ETA for lunch.”

Ruby didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. A mounting sadness swirled into anger. After everything he’d said to her, everything they’d done last night, he wanted to do background checks? How could he have neglected to mention that to her?

“You…” Avery waved her pointer finger at Sawyer, “…are on my list.”

He staggered back. “Pardon?”

“I think I have a right to know about thefts in my own home!” Avery strutted over to him like a hen who’d had a feather plucked. “I can’t believe you two kept it from me!”

Sawyer shot a disbelieving look in Ruby’s direction, a silent
how could you tell her?

Still cuddling the baby, she shrugged and stretched her lips into a thin look of indifference. This morning she’d told him that she trusted him. She did. She trusted him with her whole heart. But apparently he didn’t trust her. Since she’d elected not to tell him anything about her past, he was going to force it out into the open. And she couldn’t let that happen.

“Who is it, Sawyer? Who’s been sneaking into my house? Stealing things?” Avery’s angry voice had turned watery. Her eyes were filled with tears.

Yikes.
She’d been a bit hormonal since the birth…

“And
we
already know it wasn’t Ruby,” Paige huffed. “Unlike some people, we don’t go around accusing our
friends
of stealing.”

Sawyer’s head tipped back in a gesture of understanding. She heard his deep sigh all the way across the room, and while she did feel slightly bad about creating this firestorm he’d walked into, he kind of had it coming.

“I didn’t accuse her of anything,” he said, looking only at her. “I simply asked some questions.”

Ruby shifted the baby in her arms, heat pouring from her face. Her stomach did that traitorous flip it did every time he looked at her that way, all intense and confident, like he knew exactly how he made certain parts of her throb.

“If you won’t tell me anything, I’m going to find Bryce,” Avery spat. She stalked over to Ruby, taking the baby gently back into her arms.

“That’d probably be best,” Sawyer agreed amiably, as though completely unfazed by her anger.

Avery stomped to the door, glaring at him the whole way, then left.

Elsie bustled to the picnic basket that now overflowed with sandwiches. “Paige, dear, why don’t you help me serve these to the kids?”

“I’m on it.” Her friend gathered up the apple slices and winked at Ruby. Then both women hightailed it out of there before Ruby could beg them to stop. And she would’ve, too, because she didn’t want to be alone with him. Anger lingered, but it had dwindled to a thin veil covering her heartache. How could she walk away and leave the Walker Mountain Ranch behind?

“What happened?” Sawyer crossed the room the same way she’d imagine he did when apprehending a suspect, determined and sure, his eyes locked on his target.

He stopped not more than six inches away.

She peered up at him, at his tender blue eyes, at the stubble shadowing his jaw, at the sturdy structure of his face, and hated the way he made her want him. “How could you say all those things to me last night?” Her throat was as raw as her heart.

“What things? That I’m attracted to you?” He inched closer. “I said it because it’s true. This morning I thought maybe the feeling was mutual.”

She held her breath, desperate to hold on to the anger so she could stay strong. “You convinced Bryce to do background checks on the employees?” It came out as an accusation. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

“That has nothing to do with you.” Even though his voice lowered with sincerity, she backed away from him.

“It has everything to do with me.” If he went through with it, she’d have to leave. She couldn’t let him unravel the ugly layers of her past. “I told you I didn’t take the money. Or the bracelet. I—”

“Ruby.” His hands jutted like he wanted to touch her, but for some reason he held back. “We talked about implementing that as a policy to protect Bryce. That’s all. We still don’t know who’s behind the thefts, but I know it wasn’t you.”

“Then why—?”

With a frustrated grunt, Sawyer leaned down and covered her lips with his.

A surprised squeal slipped out, but Sawyer silenced it by gently caressing her cheeks with his hands, running his tongue along the seam of her lips, melting her surprise into a warm throb of desire. How did he do it? How did he carry her away from reality like this, crossing out every protest that scrolled across her mind. Somehow Sawyer’s touch was a remedy against the fears that had branded her heart for so long.

Her mouth opened again, all on its own to let him in because he tasted so delicious, hot and wet and minty. She swept her tongue over his, bracing her hands against his chest when her knees threatened to give.

A hungry grunt resounded in Sawyer’s throat. Kissing her deeper, his hands lowered to her rib cage, strong and powerful, feeling their way up her body, and he nudged her against the refrigerator, which was a good thing because it was getting harder to stand.

He kissed his way across her cheek, then down her neck and she let her head fall to the side so he wouldn’t stop.
Never. Stop.

But he did. Instead of kissing his way back up her neck, he traced his lips over to her ear.

“Now you don’t have to wonder if I’m suspicious,” he whispered, his hot breath making her quiver. “I don’t kiss women I don’t trust.”

A kiss. Is that what that was? Because it felt more like an electric shock, which was still resonating in her toes, by the way. “Okay,” was all she could manage.

A smile brought light to his eyes. “Okay,” he said.

Then he let her go, turned around, and left her alone in the kitchen.

S
awyer bolted from the kitchen, body enflamed with want. Need. It pulsated through in the steady beat of his heart, which he felt a lot stronger whenever Ruby was close.

God, when he’d walked into the kitchen and saw her holding Lily, cuddling the baby like she was completely comfortable, disbelief had slammed into him. Why couldn’t he hold the baby like that? He was her godfather—a blood relative. At first it’d made him angry, to see her doing what he couldn’t do so easily. But then, the longer he’d watched her, the more he saw that nurturing instinct in her. The one that lets mothers know exactly how to hold a baby, how to soothe, that lets them anticipate exactly what the baby needs. Then the anger had shifted to fascination, the trampled hope he’d once had for a family piecing itself back together and rising up.

He felt this crazy pull to Ruby, and seeing her with Lily amplified it about a hundred times.

When he’d walked over to her, he’d only meant to kiss her the way she’d kissed him that day on the street—a light brush of the lips, innocent and careful. Whoa, had that backfired on him. At first she’d flinched like she was afraid of him, but then she’d melted into him, opening up, pressing her tongue against his. And her taste…the sweetness of cinnamon. That was the moment he’d given over control, letting himself groan against her. Letting her feel his desire. It flashed through him, white hot and fierce. That’s why he had to pull away. They’d gotten lost in that kiss. One more minute and he would’ve done her right up against Aunt Elsie’s refrigerator. Then there’d be hell to pay, especially if he mucked up the perfectly polished stainless steel.

“Sawyer!” Aunt Elsie cruised past him with an empty basket balanced in her hands. Paige was sitting at one of the patio tables hanging out with the kids.

“Is everything all right?” Aunt Elsie asked, her white eyebrows lowered with concern.

“Yeah. Everything’s great.” His lips still burned. If that kiss told him anything, it was that Ruby had forgiven him for not mentioning the background checks. He wasn’t surprised she’d reacted that way. She had every right to be suspicious. She knew he had ulterior motives. He wanted to help her, which meant he had to figure out her secrets. If she’d stop fighting him, he
could
help her.

“You cleared things up with Ruby, then?” His aunt beamed.

“You could say that.” He cleared his throat. “She’s um…finishing up some things in the kitchen.”

“Wonderful. I hope she’ll bring down those cookies. I’ve never seen kids eat like this! It’s hardly enough to fill them.” She brushed past him and headed into the lodge. “Make sure those sweet kids eat as much as they want, won’t you? Some of them look so scrawny. Wouldn’t hurt to beef them up.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Not like he’d have to try very hard to convince the kids to eat. The Walker Mountain Ranch kitchen served up the best grub in town. No one ever left a full plate behind. Thinking about the food made him think about Ruby again. Maybe he could convince her that tonight was the perfect night for an adventure on the town. He checked his watch. Waiting all day for a date with Ruby could sure make the minutes crawl by.

In need of a serious distraction he sauntered to the table where Javon and Brooklyn sat. As he approached, Javon hid something underneath the table.

“Whatcha got there?” he asked, trying to get a look.

“My phone.” The kid reluctantly held up the latest model of a pretty sweet iPhone. Then he slipped it back into his pocket like he didn’t want Sawyer looking at it too closely.

Huh.
Javon had a brand-new phone. One of the most expensive phones on the market. His thoughts shifted into detective mode. Because it didn’t seem to fit.

Shit.
He pulled out a chair, trying to keep his expression easygoing. “Where’d you get that?” he asked, helping himself to the sandwich Aunt Elsie had left for him, even though he suddenly wasn’t hungry. Not like he wanted to dwell on the bad feeling that’d put a cloud over the bright sunlight, but the first theft could’ve easily started the day the kids arrived. No one knew for sure how long Avery’s bracelet had been in the kitchen before it was stolen…

“What d’you mean where’d I get it?” Javon demanded. “I bought it, man.”

His lips tightened. Where would Javon get the money to buy the latest smartphone?

“Do you have a job?” He hoped it didn’t sound like an interrogation. Hell, he didn’t even want to ask, but if he didn’t, no one else would.

“I got no car, man,” Javon said like Sawyer was an idiot. “How’d you expect me to find a job?”

“I used to deliver papers.” He shrugged. “I always rode my bike.”

“I don’t got no bike, either,” the kid grumbled. “But I’m saving up for one.”

“That’s great.” He did his best to sound genuine, but he’d heard Javon talk about his foster parents. They didn’t have much. And they didn’t sound like the kind of people who’d drop a bunch of money on a smartphone, even for themselves. Damn it, why’d he have to be the cop? Sometimes he wondered why he hadn’t become a ski bum instead. Would’ve been so much less complicated. “So how much did it cost?” he asked casually, finishing off an egg salad sandwich on wheat.

Javon wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I don’t know. Don’t remember. Why?”

“I was thinking about getting one. Wondered how much it’d set me back.” It wasn’t a lie. He’d thought about replacing his phone for a while now.

“It was a couple hundred, I guess.” The kid suddenly seemed starving. He shoved a whole apple slice into his mouth.

Sawyer blew out a whistle. “That’s a chunk of change. If you don’t have a job, where’d you get the money?”

“My real grandma sent it to me,” he shot back, his eyes hardened with anger. “You got a problem with that?”

Once again, he’d pushed too hard. He tried to backtrack with a shrug. “No. Of course not. That’s great that she sent you money, Javon. Really.” He wanted to believe the kid, but suspicion seeped in anyway. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t let this go. If Javon had stolen from Bryce, the kid had to be held accountable. How else would he learn? Today it was petty thefts, but tomorrow it could be a felony conviction that’d ruin his life.

Nope. He couldn’t let Javon get away with this.

So, like it or not, his investigation had just taken a new turn.

Ruby wiped the last dinner dish and carefully tucked it away in Elsie’s china hutch. Rather than facing Sawyer, she’d spent the afternoon in her safe zone—helping in the kitchen, cleaning up after lunch, and prepping dinner with Elsie while Bryce and Sawyer took the kids on an early-evening hike.

Letting out a slow breath, she leaned into the counter. Yes, she was definitely avoiding a certain officer of the law. What could she say? She’d never been good at figuring out men. How else would she have ended up with a man like Derek? It wasn’t like she’d seen any evidence of a healthy relationship growing up. Mama’d had a revolving door of men coming and going, hardly even noticing her or Grady. Most of them came from the bar or the streets where Mama got her supply. Sometimes they’d yell at Mama and get rough. That’s why she’d been so drawn to Derek. In those early days he’d never even raised his voice at her.

There’d been a time she thought he’d loved her. A time when she thought she’d loved him. But even Derek’s kiss had
never
struck her like Sawyer’s, piercing down deep, making her ache in ways she’d never experienced…

“Hey there, Ruby.”

She spun and watched Thomas wheel himself into the kitchen.

Instantly she straightened, praying her face wasn’t as red hot as it felt. “Thomas.” She hurried over to help him maneuver around the island. “Does Elsie know you’re wheeling yourself around?”

He chuckled. “Nah, I snuck away from the fire. Thought I’d come up and get the s’mores stuff.” After dinner Sawyer had suggested a campfire, complete with stories and songs. And roasted marshmallows, of course. He’d looked just as excited as the kids when he’d come to invite her. She said she had too much work to finish up because what good would it do either of them to continue building the bond they shared? Especially if Sawyer did background checks on all the employees. She’d make sure she was long gone before he could dig into her past.

“Most of those kids down there have never even roasted a marshmallow,” Thomas said.

“Well, you’re in luck.” Ruby slid the tray filled with marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars off the counter. “I’ve got everything ready to go. Why don’t you hold the tray and I’ll push you so you don’t get into trouble with Elsie.”

Thomas’s smile bounced his mustache. “She’s a feisty one, that woman.”

“She sure is,” Ruby agreed, positioning herself behind his chair. Elsie was about the feistiest woman she’d ever met, but she was also compassionate and wise. The mother she’d never had. Everyone’s mother, it seemed.

“Does she ever talk about me?” Thomas asked, and Ruby had to lock her jaw tight so an
awww
wouldn’t slip out. Thomas was sweet on Elsie…

“You don’t have to answer that,” he muttered gruffly.

“Oh. Well, actually…” She steered him across the dining room and out the French doors onto the back porch. “…Elsie did mention something about how good you are with the kids. I believe her exact words were,
he’s such a doll
.” Okay, maybe she was exaggerating slightly, but she’d noticed Elsie’s cheeks tended to get pink whenever she talked about Thomas.

“A doll… ,” Thomas mused, as though he had a hard time decoding it.

“I think that means she likes you, Thomas.” She eased the chair down the sidewalk. “Maybe you should ask her out. Take her to dinner someplace nice.” Normally Elsie played the matchmaker’s role, but she seemed to be so busy taking care of everyone else, she’d never pursued a relationship for herself. “I bet she’d love to go on a date with you,” Ruby whispered, hoping her voice wouldn’t drift down to Elsie. The woman would kill her.

“You think so?” He peered up at her with another side smile. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Never too old for a second chance at love, I suppose.”

A second chance at love. Her heart grasped hope. Could it happen for her? Even with her all her secrets? Maybe.

Hopefully someday.

She pushed Thomas to the outskirts of the bonfire, smiling at the voices and laughter that floated on the night air. Something about the Walker Mountain Ranch made her believe a second chance at love was possible.

“Thomas! There you are!” Elsie rushed over, hands flapping. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going somewhere? I would’ve pushed you—”

“Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night, Elsie,” the man interrupted.

Ruby slapped a hand over her mouth.

Shock froze Elsie’s face. Ruby had never seen her eyes so wide.

“What on earth has gotten into you?” she demanded.

Holding back her laughter, Ruby drifted closer to the fire so she could give them a moment alone.

Laughter and voices hummed around her, and she felt the warmth of the friendships that had developed between all these wonderful people who had come from such different places.

Her smile grew weighted. The kids only had two more days at the ranch; then they’d go back to their foster homes. Maybe that was another reason she’d hidden herself away all afternoon. She was avoiding that, too. Over the past few days, she’d gotten so attached to them. Especially Brooklyn. The girl was her twenty years ago, except sweeter, not so hardened by her circumstances, yet. Ruby hated to see her go, to see her disappear back into the system, moved from place to place with no one to keep her safe.

God, she’d give anything to change things for them. For all of them.

Shuddering from the thought more than from the brisk night air, she zipped up her fleece all the way to her chin. There was a lull in the laughter, then Sawyer’s deep voice carried over to her. He sat on a bench with some of the boys, telling them some story that required a lot of exaggerated arm motions.

Her body warmed from the inside out and she wasn’t shivering anymore. He had the best voice, especially when he spoke to kids. It was deep, but full of humor, like he could hardly contain his laughter.

Edging into the crowd, she opted to stand safely behind one of the benches on the opposite side of the fire. After that kiss earlier she couldn’t even be near him without infatuation zinging through her, colliding with her nerves, spiraling heat down through her core.

“Hey there,” Avery whispered.

Ruby tried to smile at her friend. Little Lily was wrapped up like an Eskimo baby, safely tucked into one of those wrap contraptions while she slept contentedly against Avery’s shoulder.

“Hi, sweetie.” She touched a finger to Lily’s perfect little nose. What was it about baby noses, anyway? So tiny and sweet. She had a hard time looking at that nose without touching it.

Avery never seemed to mind. The woman was happy to share her baby with the world.

Ruby leaned her head closer. “So how are things with you and Bryce?” She hadn’t seen Avery all afternoon, either, but she figured she and Bryce must’ve had a discussion about the thefts, given how she’d stormed out of the kitchen.

A girlish smile flitted on Avery’s lips. “We’re good.”

Envy flashed through her, but it didn’t take hold. Everyone dreamed about finding what Bryce and Avery had. They were just one of those couples you could tell were made for each other.

“So I’m assuming, based on your expression, you two made up?” she asked, feeling that ping of jealousy again. Avery never quit talking about the great sex those two had. Even after being married for more than two years. God, it’d been a long time for her. And she wouldn’t say the sex in her last relationship had ever been good. Making love to Derek had made her physically ill. She’d avoided it as much as she could get away with.

“We made up.” Avery shifted Lily’s head to her other shoulder and faced her. “I didn’t let him off the hook, though.”

Knowing Avery, she wouldn’t. She was kind and compassionate, but she didn’t let go of things easily. Still…Ruby thought it was sweet how Bryce always tried to protect her. “I get that he kept something from you, but he didn’t want you to worry.” Wasn’t that a good thing? What would it be like to have someone protect you that way?