The Dangerous Gift (10 page)

***

Jared

Jared pulled into the Pegasus Ranch and parked the truck close to the ranch house. He slammed the cab door with a little more force than was strictly necessary, but he was beyond angry. He leaned against the door and breathed deeply, striving for calm. Confronting Ryder with guns blazing would satisfy his caveman protective urges but reduce the chances of finding out the reason Ryder was pursuing Jen. Ryder was skilled at deflecting responsibility. Jared thought back to the meeting he and his father had with Ryder shortly before the plane crash. A few weeks before the meeting, a mutual associate had told Ralf that Ryder was “getting into bed” with the oil company, despite Ryder’s previous assurances to the contrary. A laid-back Ryder had offered them a beer as he calmly denied the rumor and said neither he nor Darleen would allow oil prospecting on the Pegasus’s land. This time, Jared would have to ruffle his seemingly impenetrable exterior and discover the truth.

Jared thumped his fist hard on the ranch house’s oak door to expel the last of this anger before he saw Ryder. A few moments later, Darleen opened the door.

“Jared, this is a surprise. Why are you trying to break my door down? Tired of Jennie already?” Darleen smiled, but her grey-eyed gaze was steely and cold.

“Darleen.” Jared remembered his manners and removed his Stetson as he crossed the threshold. “Is Ryder in?”

Jared saw a flicker of fear in Darleen’s gaze, which she quickly masked. “No, he’s out. I’ve not seen him all day. He’s checking the stock with the ranch hands…does it have to be Ryder, or is it something I can help you with?” She stroked her soft hand across his face as her gaze heated.

Jared stepped back out of her reach and shook his head. “Not unless you know why he’s following Jen around like a hungry dog.”

Darleen’s gaze cooled with arctic intensity. “I wasn’t aware that he was. How gallant of you, Jared, protecting your little princess.” Heat rose up his neck and into his face. Jen would be livid if she knew he was doing this. “Oh, she doesn’t know. How touching, honey. If I make Ryder behave, what will you give me in return?”

Darleen closed the distance between them and coiled her long arms round Jared’s neck. Her intense, musky perfume stole his air as her mouth homed in on his.

Jared turned his head and pulled her arms away from him, pinning them against her body. “We aren’t doing this anymore, Darleen. Tell Ryder to stop sniffing around Jen. If I catch him near her again, I’ll rearrange his pretty-boy looks for him.”

Darleen nodded, her eyes full of hurt and something that looked like hate. Jared needed to get out of here. Darleen’s temper had a short fuse, and he didn’t want it unleashed in his direction. “See you around, Darleen.”

He turned and walked out of the house, eyes focused on the truck and freedom from the tinder box he’d left behind. He climbed in the truck and gunned the engine as he left the Pegasus’s yard in a dust cloud, wiping Darleen’s lipstick kisses off his face with his sleeve. Her screams and curses drifted on the breeze in his wake, followed closely by breaking glass, but he didn’t look back. Rex growled softly and put his large paws over his equally huge ears.

“We’re well out of that, boy,” Jared said to his sympathetic dog.

The inky, cloudless sky, full of shimmering stars, cooled his temper. At least he’d delivered his message, and no doubt Darleen would confront Ryder. Relief outweighed any regret he felt at hurting Darleen. Jen and he may not be lovers yet, but Darleen didn’t know that. Jared no longer wanted Darleen, if he truly ever did. Before the accident and Jen’s homecoming, Darleen had filled a gap in his life. He’d liked her then, but now her jealous outbursts and simpering apologies grated on him. He’d berated his poor judgment when his hasty choices came back to bite him. They should have remained friends and colleagues. Sleeping with a friend complicated matters when the attraction waned.

Hopefully, she got the message now and would leave him alone to pursue Jen, who dominated his waking thoughts and erotic dreams. They’d almost become lovers the previous day, and his body regretted her reticence, but his mind disagreed. He wasn’t surprised she’d ended their passionate encounter so abruptly. Ever perceptive, Jen knew his desire for her was tied to his despair over Harry’s death. When they made love for the first time, they should have no regrets or outside influences weighing on their decision.

Still, her waiting until they were both naked and vulnerable before calling a halt to their lovemaking mystified him. It was almost as if she didn’t want to stop, and that thought gave him comfort.

His body tightened with desire, and he shifted, uncomfortable now on the hard truck seat. His powerful attraction to Jen had remained intact despite the geographical distance between them, as if she’d put a spell on him years ago when she declared they should be lovers. None of his intimate relationships had satisfied him beyond the physical gratification they ensured, and that was a sobering thought.

As he drove closer to the Unicorn Ranch, the sky changed. The stars were uncharacteristically obliterated by dark clouds. As Jared pulled through the outer gates of the ranch yard, a burning smell drifted into the truck, and he killed the air conditioning. As he drove closer to the ranch yard, smoke blighted the sky. Its lethal coils licked up from the downstairs windows of the ranch house, where Jen lay asleep and alone.

Jared floored the gas pedal, and the truck spluttered as it raced into the ranch yard at breakneck speed. The screech of brakes echoed in the empty yard. Desperation clawed at him. Jen might be hurt or even dead with no one but him aware of her plight.

Rex picked himself up from the floor of the truck, jolted from his seat by Jared’s erratic driving and emergency stop. He growled low in his throat, and his tail wagged almost imperceptibly between his legs.

Jared patted his head. “You need to stay here, boy. I don’t want to have to rescue you too.”

The dog whined but stayed where he was as Jared leapt out of the truck and ran towards the house.

Chapter 9

Jared

Jared couldn’t see any flames, but obsidian smoke masked the ranch house’s deck. He coughed, his breathing labored this close to the acrid smoke. The house itself appeared deserted. No lights were visible, and all the windows and doors were closed. Jared bargained with the fates for Jen’s safety.

Doors opened and closed behind him, and heavy footsteps pounded towards the ranch house. His noisy arrival had roused the ranch hands from the bunkhouses and surrounding properties.

“Jen, Jen, wake up. Come to the window,” he shouted.

No response.

“Jen.”

Rod appeared at his side. “Is Jen in there alone?” The ranch manager’s weathered face couldn’t hide his anxiety.

“I think so. She must be in bed asleep. I can’t rouse her.” Jared scanned the smoke-covered house for movement as he tuned out the shouts of the ranch hands. No cries for help came from Jen, the house ominously silent. “I’m going in.”

Rod searched the burning house for a safe entrance. “Try the office doors. The smoke is less dense there.”

Jared nodded and ran in their direction, glad Rod appreciated the futility of stopping him. The office appeared smoke free. He hoped Jen’s room above shared the same good fortune.

Jared searched for something to smash the glass panels in the locked office doors. He grabbed an ornamental stone from a pot and hit the glass panel in the door repeatedly. The safety glass shattered but remained impenetrable.

Break, damn you.
He tried again.

Outside the kitchen, the ranch hands were dousing the emergent flames with endless buckets of water. He spared a thought for his poor mother’s kitchen, another set of memories lost. It saddened him, even though she would never know.

Jared channeled his resultant anger against the door’s glass panels. He hit them repeatedly, like a battering ram, until finally the glass splintered into tiny, razor-sharp pieces. Careless of the damage he was inflicting on his hands, Jared rammed his hand through the jagged glass shards and unlocked the door. He stormed into the thankfully smoke-free office. The crackle of the flames on the wood in the kitchen spurred his ascent towards Jen’s bedroom. The heat from the barely contained fire threatened the destruction of everything in its path. His body drenched in sweat, Jared ran along the galleried landing, his gaze searching for Jen.

Please let her be alive.

A blur of movement forced him back against the wall. He dodged a near-lethal blow from his mother’s best earthenware vase and focused on his attacker. “Jen!”

Jen’s confusion and laboured breathing alarmed him, and Jared peeled her rigid fingers away from the sturdy vase.

“Fire…intruder.” Jen’s gaze fixed on Jared, betraying her fear.

“You should have got out. Come on.” Jared grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs. Thick smoke stole their breath as they neared the kitchen door. When they were safely past the potential inferno, Jared opened the office door, which was hot even to his calloused hands, and pushed Jen towards the doors onto the porch. They must get outside before the fire’s heat intensified.

Dressed for sleep, Jen shivered in the cool night air beyond, a stark contrast to the heat of the fire. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it round her. “We’re outside. You’ll be safe here,” he said as they gulped in fresh air.

***

Jennie

Jennie finally breathed clean air again, free from the terror of the unseen intruder or perishing in the inferno. Secure in Jared’s strong arms, she breathed deeply and berated her cowardice. A braver person would have tackled the intruder and stopped the fire before it caused any damage. Harry’s murder made the threats against her impossible to ignore. The “well-wisher” had become a dark, powerful fear, a relentless stalker.

Jared lifted her off the porch, and they walked towards the hordes of makeshift firefighters. The smoke had covered the ranch hands in grime, but they’d nearly extinguished the fire.

“Looks like you’ve beaten it, Rod.” Jared pulled Jennie closer as they neared the others.

“Yeah, it’s almost out. You’ll only have to repaint. The fire started in the middle of the kitchen. There are remnants of fuel-soaked rags.”

Rod’s inference that someone had started the fire deliberately supported her intruder theory. The person who had set it had done it deliberately and left her to die. Jennie shuddered and snuggled closer to Jared. He couldn’t be behind the other accidents. Someone who wanted to be rid of her wouldn’t rush into a burning house to save her.

Jennie swept her doubts aside. She mustn’t overthink this. She must find the real intruder to exonerate Jared in her mind. Could she find the culprit alone? Her skin crawled and her stomach churned at the idea, but she couldn’t trust Jared until she proved his innocence.

“You’re very quiet.” Jared leaned in. His warm breath tickled her ear and set off pleasurable sparks elsewhere in her body.

“We must stop this person before we die too,” Jennie said, despite her misgivings about Jared.

“That’s the sheriff’s job.” Jared frowned.

“Maybe he needs a little help,” Jennie suggested reasonably.

“Not from you. This person’s a killer.” Some of the assembled ranch hands looked up at the sound of his raised voice.

“I agree if it’s the same person.” Jennie looked away. She didn’t want to betray her thoughts. “All my accidents have been near misses, whereas Harry died.”

“Maybe the incidents aren’t connected. Harry worked as a criminal lawyer in his younger days. Perhaps someone he prosecuted wanted revenge.” But Jared’s reasonable explanation didn’t ring true.

“I guess.” Jennie didn’t add, “It could be you.” Her heart wanted to believe Jared wouldn’t hurt her. Her mind couldn’t face the emotional fallout if her suspicions proved correct.

“Jen, I know you want to help, be proactive. I know being a victim doesn’t sit well with you, but investigating who is behind this is dangerous. You mustn’t take unnecessary risks.” Jared’s concern showed in his anxious gaze as he ruffled her hair, an affectionate gesture reminiscent of her younger days.

Jennie didn’t argue. She would investigate in secret. “Yeah, you’re right, we’ll leave it to the sheriff.”

“Rod’s contacted him and informed him about the latest incident. He’ll be out here as planned first thing tomorrow.” Jared yawned.

“You mean later today; the sun’s almost up. Is it safe to go back inside?” Jennie’s legs trembled more from exhaustion than fear now.

“Yes, I think so. Come on, let’s get some sleep.” Jared put his arm around her, and they returned to the house, which was free of smoke now but not from the smell of burnt rags that still pervaded the house’s atmosphere.

***

Jennie evaded a faceless assailant in her restless sleep and woke exhausted. She dressed quickly. Unable to shake her grouchy mood and fueled by her crawling, itchy skin, she went downstairs. Jared stood talking to the sheriff and another official in the damaged kitchen, and the unknown official’s expression was grim.

Jared excused himself and beckoned her into the room; his bright smile didn’t reach his arctic gaze.

“What’s the verdict?” Jennie directed her remark to the stranger, who she guessed was the fire investigation officer.

“The fire was set deliberately. Unusually, there’s no attempt to disguise the seat of the fire. Off the top of my head, I’d say this fire was not intended to cause too much damage or any loss of life. A kind of warning perhaps?”

Unsettled, Jennie left the men talking in the kitchen and went to mull over the fire investigator’s findings in the fresh morning air. Not meant to kill but scare. Coupled with Jared’s behavior last night and his timely rescue, the idea he might be the intruder gained more credence in her confused mind.

Jared thanked the sheriff and fire investigation officer and joined Jennie outside. “Come on, Kitten. Joanie, Rod’s wife, has made breakfast for us. We need to eat; there’s a lot to do today.”

Jennie plastered the expected smile on her face, not sure if she could eat anything. She grabbed his offered hand and headed towards the ranch manager’s house in the bright sunshine.

***

Jared

The golden eggs and crispy waffles covered with mushrooms and beans hardly touched his sides as Jared shoveled the food into his mouth. His leg tapped monotonously under the table, the rhythm increasing as he thought about the what-ifs of the early morning drama. What if Jen had gone downstairs and confronted the intruder? What if the fire had gotten out of control and she’d suffocated or burnt as she lay sleeping?

He reached out and squeezed Jen’s hand. She held the fork in a death grip as she picked at her food, an indication of her own stress, perhaps. “Not hungry, Kitten?”

“Not really. Every time I try and eat, I can taste the smoke and my stomach rebels.”

Jared covered the hand Jen had rested on the table with his much larger one. His food churned in his stomach as his rage grew. He should have protected her. He was furious that Jen didn’t feel safe at the ranch. He would find the intruder before there were any more incidents.

Jen moved her hand from under his and pushed her wild hair from her pale face. “I meant to say earlier I found a geological survey report pushed behind some file boxes in your office. Did you know about it?”

“I made you some more coffee in case you need a refill.” Joanie placed the steaming coffee on the table between them and returned to her range.

“Thanks, Joanie. We really appreciate the food.” Jared smiled, glad the ranch staff were more family than employees. Jen smiled her thanks at the older woman too and fixed Jared with an inquiring stare. Something was clearly bugging her, but he had nothing to hide.

“Yes, I knew about it. Dad commissioned it to get the oil companies off our backs. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, but you’ll know the details if you read it.” Jared didn’t elaborate.

“I only read the summary, but I know about the oil we share with Pegasus.” Jen’s intense gaze disturbed him. She didn’t believe him.

“Yeah, you’re right, but we both agreed not to drill, and the oil companies looked elsewhere.” Jared didn’t know what else to say.

“I’m surprised Darleen turned down the potential financial rewards.” Jen tapped her foot as she waited for his answer.

“They didn’t run Pegasus then, but the decision can’t be reversed. I checked with Harry.” Jared’s gut churned at the mention of his friend’s name. “We both have to agree to exploration, and I never will.” He hoped he’d convinced her.

***

Jennie

Jennie released the breath she’d been holding while waiting on Jared’s response. She smiled at Jared. If he didn’t want the oil, he wouldn’t need her out of the way. She patted his hand and started to eat her food. Now she was calmer, breakfast lost its sawdust taste and she enjoyed it. Her plate was soon as clean as Jared’s.

“You should have quizzed me before if it worried you. I love this land and wouldn’t harm it for financial gain.” Jared’s face relaxed into a smile. There were no hidden secrets in his blue-eyed gaze as it held hers.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Jennie realized she meant it.

“I thought you realized my focus is on the dude ranch.” Jared indicated the barns in the ranch yard that he’d adapted for guest housing.

“Of course.” Her worries allayed, Jennie rolled her stiff shoulders and released the tension. Jared couldn’t be her pursuer. He had no reason to be. So that left Ryder. She shivered. Thinking about him made it all seem real and frightening.

Jared picked up their plates and loaded them in the dishwasher. “Thanks again, Joanie. Do you fancy a walk, Jen? Rod’s got cleaners in the house. If we give them an hour or so, it will look and smell much better.”

“Thanks, Joanie.” Jennie smiled at him. “Yes, okay, can you show me the new buildings? Harry told me about them at the wake.” She wiped a stray tear from her cheek as she recalled Harry’s demise.

The hot sun bathed them in dry heat as they walked towards the new wooden bunkhouses. Along the way, Jennie quizzed Jared about the dude ranch and how many visitors they could expect, then voiced her ideas for attracting even more visitors. She didn’t comment on the incredulous, sideways glances he sent her. Jennie had learnt a great deal in her years in England about hiding her emotions.

They walked past the corral of excitable horses still spooked from the fire and resultant mayhem. Jared stopped at the new building farthest away from the ranch house and yard, unlocked the double doors, and pushed them open. He stood back to let her precede him and shut the door behind them. Jennie walked farther into the tall building comprised of two large rooms downstairs and a mezzanine level partitioned into sleeping quarters. The kitchen was simple but well kitted out, and large leather sofas dominated the living area. Jared pulled her onto the closest one. Too surprised to resist, Jennie fell back against the cushioned upholstery, her gaze captured by Jared’s hot stare.