The Wolf on Her Doorstep
Author: Kate Pearce
Date: 2021-04-27 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Contemporary; Romance; Adult
Description: *Previously appeared in the anthology Lone Wolf In Morgan Valley, two wary loners discover they’re perfect together . . . Beth Baker can tell that her summer tenant wants to be left to himself, and that suits her more than fine. Conner O’Neil is a brooding, retired Navy SEAL whose only friend seems to be his pet half-wolf, Loki. But Beth becomes concerned when Loki turns up on her doorstep, demanding she follow him back to Conner’s cabin . . . Ailing, Conner would rather stay holed up like a wounded animal than allow anyone to nurse him back to health. But he quickly learns that resisting Beth

Books by Kate Pearce

The House of Pleasure Series

SIMPLY SEXUAL
SIMPLY SINFUL
SIMPLY SHAMELESS
SIMPLY WICKED
SIMPLY INSATIABLE
SIMPLY FORBIDDEN
SIMPLY CARNAL
SIMPLY VORACIOUS
SIMPLY SCANDALOUS
SIMPLY PLEASURE (e-novella)
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE (e-novella)

The Sinners Club Series

THE SINNERS CLUB
TEMPTING A SINNER
MASTERING A SINNER
THE FIRST SINNERS (e-novella)

Single Titles

RAW DESIRE

The Morgan Brothers Ranch

THE RELUCTANT COWBOY
THE MAVERICK COWBOY
THE LAST GOOD COWBOY
THE BAD BOY COWBOY
THE BILLIONAIRE BULL RIDER
THE RANCHER

The Millers of Morgan Valley

THE SECOND CHANCE RANCHER
THE RANCHER’S REDEMPTION
THE REBELLIOUS RANCHER
THE RANCHER MEETS HIS MATCH

Anthologies

SOME LIKE IT ROUGH
LORDS OF PASSION
HAPPY IS THE BRIDE
A SEASON TO CELEBRATE
MARRYING MY COWBOY
CHRISTMAS KISSES WITH
MY COWBOY

Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

The Wolf on Her Doorstep

KATE PEARCE

ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

ZEBRA BOOKS are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

Compilation copyright © 2021 by Kensington Publishing Corp.

The Wolf On Her Doorstep copyright © 2021 by Kate Pearce

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-5491-7 (eBook)
ISBN-10: 1-4201-5491-5 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page

THE WOLF ON HER DOORSTEP

CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN

THE WOLF ON HER DOORSTEP

KATE PEARCE

CHAPTER ONE

Morgantown
Morgan Valley, California

“Beth? Have you got a second?”

Beth Baker groaned inwardly, released her grip on the door handle of Maureen’s General Store, and turned to face the owner. Maureen was a lovely woman, but she did like to chat, and Beth had been hoping to get away without the usual friendly, weekly, interrogation. Not that she minded sharing her business with Morgantown, but there were still things she was reluctant to talk about, and Maureen had a way of extracting information that was almost magical.

“Sure!” Beth smiled. “What’s up?”

“That man.” Maureen looked at her hopefully. She wore a red T-shirt that clashed with her bright auburn hair, jeans, and well-worn cowboy boots. “The grumpy one.”

“You’re going to have to be more specific, Maureen,” Beth said. “There are quite a few grumps in Morgantown, let alone in the whole valley.”

“The one in the cabin.”

Beth considered the options. “Do you mean Conner O’Neil?”

“Yes.” Maureen nodded eagerly. “Definitely that one.”

Beth couldn’t disagree with Maureen’s description. Her first, and second, impression of the guy who’d come to rent a cabin on the far edge of the Garcia Ranch where she had her day job, was that he was a miserable old grump. Not that he was old. She’d guessed he was in his late thirties like Jay Williams, the friend who had recommended he come to live in the valley for a while.

Beth had met Conner at the Garcias’, given him a detailed map of the local area and directions to the cabin, a radio in case the cell network went down, and a week’s worth of provisions to get him started. He’d barely said a word to her, so she’d ended up petting his huge dog and chatting to fill the silence while his expression closed down even more. He probably thought she was an airhead. She hadn’t bothered to correct that impression on their subsequent meetings because if the gods were kind, after summer ended, she’d never have to deal with him again.

Except now there was obviously a problem and, as the entire Garcia family were away, she was in charge of the ranch and its one isolated guest.

“What’s wrong with him?” Beth asked warily.

“He didn’t pick up his weekly supplies.”

“Maybe he’s just been delayed?” Beth suggested hopefully. “It must be hard to keep track of time in the middle of nowhere.”

She visited the cabins on a regular basis to keep them clean and aired, and they were pretty basic. They were also about as far away from the town as you could get in Morgan Valley. Conner probably viewed that as a feature, seeing as he didn’t like to communicate with anyone—or maybe it was just with her.

“This is the second time he hasn’t shown up,” Maureen said. “I tried to call him, but I couldn’t get through.”

Beth frowned. Whatever she thought of the way-too-hot-for-his-own-good grump, that was worrying.

“Do you have the supplies ready to go?”

“Yes, of course.” Maureen brightened considerably. “Can you take them up to him? I hate driving out that far with my bad eyesight and ability to get lost in my own backyard.”

“I don’t see why not,” Beth said. “He is our guest, so I am partially responsible for him.”

She’d just come back from an early morning visit to the ranch and had been expecting to spend the rest of the day with her kids. There were hands hired to keep an eye on the cattle, but she was definitely in charge of the house. She valued her job and liked her employer way too much not to turn around and go back again.

Maureen went to retrieve the supplies, added fresh milk from the refrigerator, and ice packs to make sure everything stayed cool, and handed the box over to Beth.

“Thank you, dear. Now, make sure you let me know if he’s okay, or if you need anything, all right?”

“Will do.” Beth picked up the box, went through the door Maureen held open for her, and put everything in her car. “I’ve got to go home to see the kids, but I’ll be up at the ranch again by this afternoon. If Conner calls in before I go, can you text me?”

“Sure.” Maureen nodded. “Take care now and thank you.”

Beth made sure the passenger door was firmly shut and went around to the driver’s side. Her car might be ancient, but having a brother who was a mechanic meant it was still going strong. Not that it would get very far on the roads toward the cabins, which were described as “off the beaten track” for a reason. When she reached the Garcia Ranch, she’d have to borrow one of the trucks.

She drove home, which only took a couple of minutes, and took a left past her family-run gas station to the new homes Ted had built the previous year. There was one for him and Veronica, and one for Beth and her boys. Their father, Kevin, lived in the apartment above the mechanics shop. She insisted on paying Ted rent, which he reluctantly accepted. Her ex might not be sending her money, but she had a housekeeping job up at the ranch caring for Juan Garcia, her private physical therapy clients, and she worked the occasional shift at the gas station when Ted was shorthanded.

Life was good—even with two teenage boys to feed and help navigate through life. She parked around the back of the house and went in through the gate, wrinkling her nose at the smell of burning fat as she opened the kitchen door.

“Oh crap!” Wes, her almost-son, jumped like he’d stuck his fingers in an electrical socket, which was totally something he would do. “You’re back early.”

“What are you burning?” Beth looked at the frying pan.

“I’m not burning anything.” Wes rushed the smoking pan over to the sink and threw it in, making Beth wince. “It’s just a little browner than I meant it to be.”

She followed him over and watched as he frantically squirted dish soap into the pan and turned on the hot water.

“What was it before you cremated it?”

“French toast.” Wes sighed. “It was going really well, and then I got a text, and I forgot about it.”

As Wes lived on his phone, Beth wasn’t surprised.

“You’d better clean that up properly,” she warned. “Or you’re buying me a new pan.”

“Like I have any money,” Wes grumbled even as he filled the pan with cold water and set it to soak.

“You earn money,” Beth pointed out. “You have a full-time job as a carpenter’s assistant, and you’re always busy.”

Originally Wes had found the move to a small town from the city suburbs hard. After a series of unsuccessful career choices, he’d ended up working for Kaiden Miller as an apprentice carpenter. Not only did Wes enjoy the work, but Kaiden had managed to knock a bit of sense into his head as well. Wes was now a full-time employee and Beth couldn’t have been prouder.

“Where’s Mikey?” she asked.

Wes pointed up the stairs. “Sleeping, I think.”

“He’d sleep his life away if I let him.” Beth sighed. “I need to talk to you both, so don’t go anywhere.”

“That sounds bad,” Wes said as he scrubbed energetically at the pan. “And I’m going to say upfront that whatever it is, it’s all Mike’s fault.”

Beth couldn’t help but smile as she climbed the stairs. There was only a year between Wes and Mikey, who shared the same father—her ex—but had different mothers. She’d taken Wes in after the court case that had left him without both his parents. At first he’d been angry and resentful, but years of patience and understanding had paid off, and he was well on his way to becoming an amazing individual.

Her smile died as she knocked on Mikey’s door. Her son had come back from college for the summer and barely had time to talk, let alone confide in her. More worryingly, he seemed angry all the time, which set off all kinds of alarms in her head. She’d spent years dealing with his father’s unprovoked rages and she dreaded having to deal with them in her son.

She knocked harder and went in to find him sitting at his desk staring at his laptop screen. He was taller than Wes and had darker hair and eyes like his dad.

“What’s up?” He didn’t bother to turn around when he spoke.

“I need to talk to you. Can you come downstairs for a minute?” Beth asked.

He sighed and swung around like he was doing her a big favor.

“Sure.”

She set off back down the stairs. If he didn’t want to speak to her, she wasn’t going to keep pushing him. The last thing she wanted was for him to get mad, but what he might be mad at her for was a mystery.

Wes had finished cleaning the pan and had made her a cup of coffee, which she accepted gratefully.

“So, what’s up?” Wes asked as he also handed Mikey a mug.

“I have to go up to the ranch this afternoon, so I won’t be able to get dinner with you guys. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so you’ll have to fend for yourselves. I’ll leave you pizza money, okay?” She went to find her purse. “The guy who rented the hunting cabin hasn’t picked up his supplies from town for over a week, so I have to go and check up on him.”

“Why?” Mikey, who had sat on the couch, looked at her directly for the first time.

“Because I offered to keep an eye on things up at the ranch while everyone was away,” Beth explained. “I check in on the cabins every two weeks anyway, so I’m just bringing my visit forward a couple of days.” Not that Conner O’Neil was ever pleased to see her.

“But why is it your problem?” Mikey shrugged. “It’s not like they’re going to pay you extra to go traipsing off into the valley to spy on a guy who probably doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“I don’t expect them to pay me extra for doing my job.” Irritated by his dismissive tone, Beth held his gaze. “And, by the way, aren’t you supposed to be getting some kind of summer job? There’s plenty of work up at Morgan Ranch or in town.”

“Ranching and waitressing?” Mikey pulled a face. “Not really my thing.”

“I don’t care if you think those things aren’t good enough for you anymore, Mikey, you still need to be contributing to this household.” Beth kept her tone even. “I can’t afford—”

“You’re the one who wanted me to go to college, and now you’re complaining about the cost?”

Wes frowned. “Mike, you’re being a real jerk right now.”

“What’s it to you?” Mikey swung around toward Wes. “You get to stay here full-time with my mom while I—” He suddenly stopped talking and headed for the stairs. “I’m done with this crap.”

Beth set her cup down on the table, motioned for Wes to stay exactly where he was, and set off after her son. This time she didn’t bother to knock when she went into his bedroom.

“Michael, that was totally out of line.”

He was sitting on his bed, his hands clasped between his knees, his gaze on the floor.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She stared at his bent head for a frustrated minute. Should she back off, or was it time to have things out with him? She knew she avoided confrontation, but he wasn’t his father, she had to remember that.

“You wanted to go to college. It was all that you talked about your whole senior year.” Beth leaned back against the door, arms crossed over her chest, and studied him. “Is something wrong? Don’t you like it anymore?”

“College is fine.” He let out a breath. “It’s just . . .”

“Just what?”

“Dad wrote to me.”

Coldness settled like a fist in Beth’s gut. Of all the problems she had anticipated helping him with, this was not one of them.

“From prison,” Mikey added, like she didn’t know where her ex-husband currently resided.

“Okay.” She managed to nod, even though she was screaming inside.

“He said that he’s had loads of time to think while he’s been incarcerated, and he realizes what he did was wrong, and he wants me to forgive him.”

There were so many words Beth wanted to say, but choosing exactly where to start was proving way more difficult than she’d anticipated. She tried to remember her therapist’s advice about taking deep, calming breaths through her advancing panic.

“Do you want to read the letter?” Mikey offered.

Beth shrank back against the woodwork as though he’d thrown a bomb at her. “No thanks.”

“Look, I know he was awful to you, but you believe in forgiveness, right? That’s what you always told me.” He looked hopefully up at her. “He wasn’t always bad; you must have had some good times together.”

“Mikey, when I was pregnant, he choked me so badly that I almost lost consciousness and then he kicked me down the stairs.”

Pain flickered in his eyes at her stark words.

“How could you expect me to forgive someone who did that to his own wife and unborn child?” Beth asked. “Or is this really about you asking me for permission so you can forgive him?”

“I don’t need your permission.” He looked away from her.

“You’re right, he can be very charming, which is why Wes’s mom and I ended up in relationships with him, but he was also controlling and violent when he didn’t get his own way.” She forced herself to take a breath. “You know what he was like. You were there.”

“I wrote back to him.”

“Mikey . . .” Beth slowly shook her head, her heart hurting for him so badly.

He suddenly looked up at her. “I just wanted to talk to him, you know? To try and understand.”

“Understand what, exactly? That he was a drunk and an abuser?”

“He’s trying to change, Mom! He’s staying sober and he’s working on his anger issues. Why won’t you give him a chance?”

“You . . . do what you have to do, okay?” Beth knew her voice was shaking, but she was doing the best she could. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

She was already halfway down the stairs when he called her name. For once she had neither the intention nor the ability to turn around and talk things out. She pressed her hand over her mouth as nausea rolled over her. If she lost Mikey to Sean, she would never . . .

“Hey.” Wes, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, pulled her in for a giant hug. “Look, he’s being a dick. I’ll talk some sense into him while you’re gone, I promise.”

“You knew?” Beth looked up at him.

“Yeah, he told me a while back. I told him he was an idiot, and that Dad would never change.” He rubbed her tense shoulders. “Sean tried it with me once, but I saw through his shit.” Wes’s normally pleasant expression disappeared. “Mike had you to protect him against Dad, whereas my mom”—he swallowed hard—“wasn’t very strong.”

Beth patted his cheek. “You are a good person, Wes.”

“I try to be.” He stepped away from her. “I promised myself I’d never end up like my old man, I can tell you that.”

“You won’t.” Beth smiled through her gathering tears.

“If Mike is stupid enough to want a relationship with Dad, you can’t stop him, but we both know Dad only wants to use him to get at you.” His mouth twisted. “And probably me because I won’t have anything to do with him. God, I hate that guy.”

Beth nodded and sucked in a breath. “Wes, do you think Mikey used this address when he wrote to Sean?”

Wes raised an eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure Dad knows you would’ve come back to Morgantown the moment you could, so what’s the problem if he did?”

“But not to this specific house.” Beth felt her panic rising again. “He doesn’t know—”

“Don’t stress, okay? It’s not like he’s getting out anytime soon.” Wes took her hand. “I think Mike said our grandma gave Sean his college address. He wrote back when he was there, so you should be fine.”

Beth mentally reminded herself to send a stern email to Sean’s mom to tell her never to do that again.

Wes squeezed her fingers. “You definitely need a break. Why don’t you go and check on that wolf guy up at the ranch and let me worry about Mike?”

“The wolf guy?” Beth was happy to be diverted into talking about anything other than her ex. “I call him the grump.”

“His dog, Loki, is half husky, half wolf.”

“How do you know?” Beth forced herself to keep moving by tidying up the kitchen, setting out the pizza money, and chatting to Wes as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“I talked to him one day when he was in town.” Wes loaded the dishwasher and put the frying pan away. He’d never met a stranger. “Back in the day, he was in the same Navy SEAL team as that badass Jay Williams.”

Beth considered tall, bearded Conner O’Neil anew. “That makes sense.”

“It would be really cool if I could find a wolf cub to raise,” Wes mused.

“Not in my house,” Beth said firmly.

“I knew you’d say that.” Wes’s expression brightened. “I bet Conner’s just gone off hunting and forgotten the day.”

“You’re probably right, and he’ll get all pissy because I came to check up on him.” Beth sighed. “But I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t go, so he’ll have to make the best of it.”

She found her backpack, filled it with some basic supplies, and took her warmest coat out of the back of the closet. It was hot in the valley during the day, but at night the cabins at the higher altitude could turn cold.

By the time she returned to the kitchen, Wes had made her a fresh batch of coffee for her travel mug.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Beth asked as she headed for the back door.

“Duh, I’m almost twenty.” Wes rolled his eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

“The cell reception up there can be spotty, so if there’s a problem, I’ll use the radio to call Nate Turner and he can let you know what’s going on.”

“Great, that’s all we need—the local sheriff turning up in the middle of our wild party.” Wes sighed.

Beth went to speak, and he winked at her. “No need to get salty, I was just kidding.” He held the door open for her and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “And don’t worry about Mike. I’ll keep an eye on him, too.”

She drove up to the ranch and tried not to think too much about Mikey’s choices. Technically, he was an adult now, and she couldn’t stop him from forming a relationship with his father, but even the thought of it stressed her out. Sean could be charming as hell as long as he held all the power, but God help you if you disagreed with him. She still had the scars to prove it.

She parked her car in the shelter of the barn and went into the house to pick up a set of keys for Juan’s truck. She paused in the immaculate kitchen. Should she let the Garcias know what was going on with Conner, or leave them to enjoy their trip to Las Vegas in peace? Juan hadn’t been away from the ranch for five years and had been really looking forward to watching the rodeo. Even as she pictured Juan’s excited face, she already knew she wasn’t going to bother him.

A scrabbling sound at the back door made her spin around and clutch the keys to her chest.

“Who is it?” she squeaked like some kind of too-stupid-to-live actress in a horror flick.

A low whining sound reached her straining ears. She rushed toward the door and opened it, only to be bowled over by a huge gray and white wolf.

Even as she shrieked, the wolf licked her face and she recognized Conner’s dog. Her trembling fingers found his collar and eased him off her chest.

“Hi, Loki, what’s up with your master? Have you come to get help?” she whispered as she crouched beside him and stroked his head. “Or maybe I should start calling you Lassie?”

CHAPTER TWO

Where the hell was the rest of his team? Conner O’Neil peered through the thick, choking smoke and tried to make out anything that looked like a person. Even as he started to retreat, the oil refinery blew up, sending him up into the air like he weighed nothing and slamming him against the cliff wall. His whole body shuddered as the screams of his fellow soldiers reverberated in his ears and he desperately tried to work out which way was up again.

“Mr. O’Neil?”

He jerked upright, his heart pounding so hard it was about to crawl out of his chest, and stared blankly around. The sound of his panicked breathing smothered everything until he forced himself to control it. He wasn’t in Afghanistan, he wasn’t in danger, and he wasn’t at war.

He focused his wavering gaze on the cabin door and the constant knocking sound. Did he have the energy to get out of bed, walk over to the door, and tell whoever it was to have some respect and shut the hell up? He decided he did and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Even as he struggled to right himself, the door flew open and Beth Baker came charging in.

“Are you okay?” She rushed toward him.

He put out a hand with the intention to ward her off, but she grabbed hold of it instead.

“Oh my God, you’re burning up! How long have you been sick?”

She gently pushed him back down on the bed, which was fine by him as he was about to fall at her feet anyway. He retained just enough energy to glare at her.

“What are you doing here?”

She pulled up the only chair and sat beside him. “You didn’t pick up your supplies. Maureen was worried about you.”

“So what?”

“As you’re on my employer’s ranch right now, I decided to come and see how you were doing.” She placed a hand on his forehead and frowned. “You’ve definitely got a fever.”

“It’s goddam hot in here.”

She fixed him with a penetrating stare. “There’s no need to curse, okay? I get it.”

“Then why don’t you turn that pretty little ass of yours right around and go the hell away?”

She blinked hard and stood up. For a second he couldn’t decide whether to be elated that she was going, or ashamed of his behavior. He closed his eyes, aware that his strength was disappearing, and contemplated what he’d do if she really did walk out. Loki needed food and water. Maybe if he asked her nicely, she’d take his dog back to the ranch with her when she left.

Even as Conner made plans, he was aware of something being off. Where was Loki? He cracked open an eye and looked around the cabin. The door was open, and sunlight was streaming through, but there was no sign of his dog. He tried to remember when he’d last seen Loki. Had it been last night when he’d managed to stumble over to the door and let him out?

He jumped as Beth came back into the cabin carrying a large box and set it on the kitchen countertop.

“Hey.” He forced himself to sound reasonable. “Have you seen my dog?”

“Yes, he’s in my truck.”

“You’ll take him back with you? Great. Thanks.” He let out a shuddering sigh. “I was just going to ask you—”

She walked over and looked down at him, her usual smile absent, her gray eyes filled with concern despite his behavior. “Actually, Loki came to find me at the ranch.”

“What?” Conner croaked.

“He’s obviously a lot smarter than his owner because he knew to ask for help. I’ll go let him out of the truck.”

Before he could even think of a way to reply, she turned on her heel and marched away from him. He lay still, listening intently, until Loki bounded into the cabin and leapt up on the bed right onto his chest, making his breath whoosh out.

He wrapped his arm around the dog’s massive neck and hugged him hard.

“What were you thinking, bothering our neighbor for nothing, buddy?”

As Loki licked his face, Conner thought he heard Beth mutter something about fools, but he couldn’t be sure. Eventually, Loki settled down beside him and Conner was forced to turn his attention back to his unwelcome visitor. She was now in his kitchen putting the supplies away. While she wasn’t looking, he had time to appreciate the way she filled out her jeans, the indent of her waist, and the lush curve of her breasts. Not that he hadn’t noticed them before, but seeing her here in his personal space somehow made it way more intimate

“Would you like something to drink?” she asked without turning around.

Conner glanced over at his bedside table where his empty water glass stood, and swallowed hard.

“Yeah, that would be great.”

She brought over a clean glass filled with water, and a mug of coffee, which made his mouth water. How long was it since he’d been upright enough to make his favorite beverage? He went to sit up and she placed a hand on his chest.

“Before you drink anything, stick this in your mouth.” She slipped a thermometer under his tongue. “I need to know if you can stay here, or if I need to take you down to Morgantown to see Dr. Tio.”

He went to speak, and she gave him such a look that he clamped his lips together and endured the endless minutes until the thermometer beeped and she deftly removed it.

Her eyebrows shot up. “One hundred and two. That’s high.”

“I’m fine. I always run hot.”

“Why do men do this?” She rolled her eyes. “You either act like every sniffle is the man flu or pretend you’re fine when you’re dying.”

“I’m not dying,” Conner insisted. “It’s just a temporary thing.”

“So temporary that you haven’t managed to get down to town to pick up your supplies for two weeks?”

“Eight days. Maureen shouldn’t have bothered you.” Conner wasn’t giving in. “If you just leave me here with the supplies, I’ll do great.”

“Why did you end up with a fever in the first place?” Beth continued talking as though he hadn’t objected to anything, her gaze moving over his body. “Is it the flu?”

He set his jaw. “I might have got an infection when I was out hunting. I tripped over some barbed wire and it ripped through the leg of my pants. I cleaned it up when I got back, but I guess it might have gotten worse.”

“You guess.”

He glared at her. “Will you stop treating me like I’m five?”

“Maybe if you stop acting like it, I will.” This time she didn’t even attempt to hide her annoyance. “Let me take a look.”

He grabbed hold of the covers like a spinster aunt and held them to his chest as she sighed.

“Conner . . .”

* * *

Beth shook her head at her reluctant patient, who was currently acting all outraged because she’d dared to ask to look at his leg.

“Seriously?” Beth asked.

“Look, just let me get washed up before you start on me, okay?” Conner’s voice was hoarse. “I stink like the devil’s armpit.”

Beth wrinkled her nose. “I currently live in a house with two teens. I don’t smell anything new.” She rose from her chair. “Let me get my medical kit.”

“But—”

Man, he was as argumentative as Wes on a bad day. Beth went back into the tiny kitchen, poured what remained of the boiled water into a bowl, added soap and a towel, and brought it back to Conner.

“I’ll help you get comfortable first, okay?”

He opened his mouth, probably to disagree with her, and she held up one finger.

“Just stop and admit that you need help, dude. I promise I won’t tell anyone in the big manly man club.” She set the bowl down, dropped the washcloth in it and wrung it out. “I won’t hurt you. I do this for a living.”

He slowly shoved the rumpled covers down to reveal himself. Apart from his sweaty T-shirt he wore black boxers and nothing else. She persuaded him to take the T-shirt off.

“You wash men for a living?”

“Only if they ask nicely.” She gently pressed the cloth against his neck and let the water trickle down over his lightly haired chest. “I originally trained as a physical therapist, so I know my way around a human body.”

His faint sigh as she soaped his chest made her want to smile, but she quickly repressed it. She felt like she was taming a wild animal and she definitely didn’t want to scare him off.

She rinsed out the cloth and went for his armpits, which were definitely ripe. He lay back against the pillows, his eyes half-closed as she continued her work. She might be used to dealing with bodies, but she rarely saw such a ripped and splendid specimen of manhood. If she had any criticism it was that he was almost too thin and could do with a few hearty meals inside him.

She also noted the scars and nicks his previous career had left on his flesh. If he had served with the Navy SEALS alongside Jay Williams, he was one tough nut. The fact that even when he was exhausted and unable to get out of bed he couldn’t completely relax his guard, told her all she needed to know. She wondered what he looked like under his black beard and whether he ever smiled.

His hand closed over hers and, startled, she looked up at him. He had vivid blue eyes just like his dog.

“I can take it from here, thanks.”

She glanced down at her fingers, which were perilously close to the bulge in his boxers.

“Sure.” She eased her hand free, aware that she was blushing. “Let me fetch my medical kit and then I’ll get you something to eat.”

She helped him sit up against his pillows and set the bowl of water and towel on the bed where he could easily reach them.

“Do you have any fresh clothes?” she asked.

“In the top drawer.”

“Then I’ll get some out for you.” She glanced at the rumpled bed. “I know there are clean sheets in the closet because I brought them last time I was here. We’ll have you feeling much better in no time.”

He didn’t respond to her smile. They might be pretty, but he had the coldest blue eyes she had ever seen. She repressed a memory of her ex in a blind rage when it had been like staring into the black pits of hell. During her work at the women’s shelter she’d learned that the quiet ones were often the most violent. With Conner‘s elite military background, she would need to be extra vigilant. She reminded herself to stop obsessing. In his current state she’d easily be able to outrun him.

After locating the clean sheets, she turned her attention to his clothing. He had four T-shirts, two black and two green, and four pairs of black boxers. In the closet he had a camo hunting jacket and pants, a fleece, two pairs of jeans, and two plaid shirts. Seeing as he’d rented the cabin for three months, she could only admire his economic packing skills.

When she returned to the bed, he had his eyes closed and his head was back against the pillows. His skin was covered in a fine sweat and he was shivering.

“Okay, what do you want to do first?” she asked briskly. “Shall I take a look at your leg, or do you want to change the sheets?”

“I don’t want to do either of those things,” Conner murmured. “I just want you to go away and leave me alone.”

“For goodness’ sake. Don’t be such a baby.” She put her hands on her hips. “You’re on ranch property. If you die up here, I’m going to be the one explaining your corpse to Nate Turner!”

His eyes snapped open and he turned his head to look at her. “Who’s that?”

“The deputy sheriff.” She held his gaze. “And your family would probably sue us for negligence or something, so it’s just not going to happen.”

“I don’t have any family.”

“Which makes it even worse because you’d probably expect me to dig your damn grave for you.”

He stared at her for a long moment and then the side of his mouth kicked up. “Who’s cursing now? You look quite sweet, but you’re tough, aren’t you?”

“As I mentioned earlier, I have two teenage boys living in my house right now. It’s like pushing a huge boulder up a steep hill every single darn day.” She pointed at his leg. “Now, let me take a look at this.”

He sighed. “Okay, fine.”

“Thank you.” She glared at him, unwilling to be gracious even in victory, and pulled on a pair of gloves from her medical kit. “Let me know if I hurt you.”

She placed a towel under his leg and took her time peeling away the bandage he’d wrapped around his calf. There were four or five ragged puncture wounds and all of them were red and inflamed.

“Ugh.” Beth said.

“Yeah. I was taking care of the wounds, but the last couple of days I’ve been sleeping a lot and I didn’t get to it.”

She wanted to ask him why he hadn’t called for help, but now wasn’t the time. From what she could see, the infection hadn’t progressed too far, and he was a good healer. Although his leg was pouring out heat there were no ominous streaks stretching away from the wounds.

“Can you wiggle your toes?” she asked.

He obliged and she felt her way down to his foot, checking the temperature as she went. His circulation appeared to be holding up well. She carefully cleaned out each ragged cut, making him curse quietly under his breath, applied a lavish dose of antibiotic cream, and wrapped a light layer of gauze around his leg.

“That looks a lot better already.” She stripped off her gloves and studied him carefully. She knew she must have hurt him, but he had hardly moved an inch. “Would you like me to help you sit in the chair while I change the bed?”

“Can you give me a minute?”

He looked absolutely terrible, his teeth set in his lower lip and his hands clenched into fists. Maybe the strain of pretending nothing was wrong had finally gotten to him. Aware that her sympathy would be unwelcome, Beth resorted to briskness.

“Sure.” She picked up the bowl of bloodied water. “I need to clean up anyway.”

She also needed to check in with Dr. Tio and Nate, but she’d do that when she was outside the cabin. There was no need for Conner to hear her airing her concerns. Knowing him, he’d insist there was nothing wrong with him and that she should wave him a cheery goodbye and leave.

She threw the water away, rinsed out the bowl, disposed of her gloves, and checked the bars on her cell phone, which were nonexistent. It was already late in the afternoon and the sun was throwing out enough heat to make the air shimmer and crackle over the barren golden hills like a living thing. The radio she’d brought with her was working and she checked in with Nate Turner, who patched her through to the doctor.

“So, should I bring him into town or not?” Beth asked after explaining what had happened to Conner and detailing his symptoms. “To be honest, he looks like he’s over the worst of it, but I’m not a medical expert.”

“If you’re okay to stay with him, I’d leave him where he is overnight,” Dr. Tio said. “And see how he is in the morning. You’ve got pain medication with you?”

“Yes, I’ve got my full medical kit.”

“Then make sure he takes anti-inflammatory pain pills, acetaminophen for the fever, and get lots of fluids inside him. You know the drill. If he suddenly gets worse, call my emergency service and we can airlift him out to Bridgeport.”

“Okay, got it, but I think he’s healing up nicely.” Beth turned away from the glare of the sun and looked at the cabin, which was still in the shadows. “Can you put Nate back on the line?”

“I’m still here,” Nate said. “What’s up?”

“I need to let the boys know I’ll be staying at the cabin tonight.”

“Not a problem, Beth. I’ll pop around and tell them.”

“Or you can call Ted,” Beth suggested. “I don’t want them getting the wrong idea.”

The last time the police had come to Wes’s front door had been in response to his frantic 911 call about his parents. Beth didn’t want him worrying unnecessarily about her or freaking out if Nate suddenly appeared on the doorstep.

“I’ll see if Ted’s around.”

“Thank you,” Beth said gratefully. “If Conner is feeling well enough to travel tomorrow, should I bring him to see you, Dr. Tio?”

The doctor chuckled. “Good luck getting that man to come anywhere near me, but if you can persuade him to come in, I’d definitely like to check him over.”

“What if he won’t come with me?” Beth asked.

“Then you just leave him there and go home. Dr. Tio and I will keep an eye on him,” Nate said firmly. “You’ve already gone over and above.”

“Okay.” Beth eyed the cabin and considered its obstinate occupant. “I’ll do my best.”

She ended the conversation and walked slowly back down the slope, enjoying the hint of a breeze rustling through the dried-up grass. If she wanted something to do to keep her away from Conner’s grumpiness, she could always wash the sheets. It was so hot they’d probably be dry by morning.

She reentered the cabin and stopped dead. He’d somehow managed to get himself into the chair, dressed himself, and was looking right at her. She fixed a bright smile on her face.

“Good, you’re up!”

“I couldn’t manage to get the sheets off,” he said gruffly.

“That’s fine.” She dealt with them and eyed the mattress. “If you’re okay sitting up for a bit, I’ll let the bed air out before I put the new sheets on.”

“Is it that bad?” He grimaced. “I lost my sense of smell a long time ago, which is probably why I didn’t notice my leg wasn’t doing too well.”

Beth went into the kitchen and set the radio down on the wooden countertop. Was that the first time he’d actually admitted he might have been at fault for not asking for help earlier? Maybe he was thawing toward her a little.

“When did you lose your sense of smell?” she asked.

His expression closed in again. “Some kind of explosion.”

Yikes, so much for him easing up. Beth turned her back and opened the newly stocked cupboard. “What would you like to eat?”

“I’m not hungry.”

Her shoulders dropped. He was sounding more and more like Mikey every second. If he wanted to be salty, she’d treat him like a sulky teenager and tell it to him straight.

“It’s too hot for soup, so you can either have eggs, or some kind of sandwich. Which would you prefer?”

While she waited for him to get over himself, she checked out the small refrigerator and made some more coffee, her indignation rising. If he couldn’t be bothered to reply, she’d make her own damn sandwich and leave him to get something for himself.

She grabbed a can of tuna and a jar of mayo and found the loaf of bread she’d brought with her from Maureen’s. There was also fresh lettuce and tomatoes from Victor’s organic farm. She hummed as if she didn’t have a care in the world as she constructed her sandwich. If he didn’t want to talk to her, so be it. She was done rushing around trying to make the men in her life comfortable.

Eventually, he cleared his throat.

“I’m not trying to be rude, here, Beth, but shouldn’t you be getting back? It’ll be dark before you know it.”

She sat at the small table with her plate and mug. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“I mean, I appreciate you coming out here, but—”

“No, you don’t.” She raised her head and looked him right in the eye. “You couldn’t have made that any clearer if you’d tried.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m not at my best right now, and I probably could’ve been nicer, okay?”

Beth snorted and returned her attention to her sandwich and her cell phone. “Let me know when you’re ready to eat and I’ll make you something.”

“I’m not—” He inhaled slowly and shook his head. “I’ll make my own sandwich when you’re gone.”

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere.” Beth offered him her sunniest smile.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Conner growled.

“I’ve already spoken to Dr. Tio. He said to keep an eye on you overnight and to check in with him tomorrow morning.”

He stared at her like she’d grown another head and slowly rose to his feet. She set her mug down and warily watched his stumbling approach.

He placed both palms flat on the table and leaned toward her, rocking slightly.

“You are not staying here.”

“Yes, I am.”

His expression narrowed and she rose to her feet, suddenly aware of how tall he was, and automatically calculated his reach.

“Go home, Beth.”

She raised her chin. “I am not a dog.”

His right hand fisted and he hit the table hard. “And I do not need a goddamn babysitter!”

Even as his words reverberated off the rafters, Beth was already ducking, her arm held up to protect her face as she stumbled backward.

CHAPTER THREE

Conner blinked hard and tried to straighten up, as Beth recoiled as though he was going to hit her. She ended up on the other side of the kitchen, her intention to run as clear as the flash of fear in her gray eyes. He took a moment to get his breath before he made himself look right at her. He went to speak but she cut across him.

“Sorry about that.”

“You’re apologizing to me? I’m the one who frightened you!”

“Who says I was frightened?” She shrugged unconvincingly. “Maybe I just don’t like being shouted at when I’m trying to help you.”

Conner considered his options. Whatever she was saying, he’d seen her fear, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, he wasn’t going to push her. It wasn’t as if they were friends or anything. Even as he made his decision, his stupid brain was still asking a million questions. Who had put that look in her eyes and what kind of person hit a woman like Beth Baker?

Aware he was near the end of his strength, he pulled out the second chair and sat down on it.

“If you pass the sandwich fixings over, I can make myself some lunch.”

“No worries, I’ll get it for you.”

He wanted to argue, but after his last attempt to dictate to her he was too wary to try it.

“Thanks.”

He sat in silence watching her move competently around the kitchen, her calm good humor restored, and began to wonder whether he’d imagined what had just happened. But no, he knew what terror looked like—had seen it in his own reflection more than once after a nightmare—and he couldn’t forget.

She put a plate in front of him with two halves of a sandwich on it and his stomach growled.

“Take it slowly, okay?” She placed a couple of pills on the table. “And take these after you’ve eaten. Dr. Tio’s orders.”

He studied the pills suspiciously “What are they?”

“Just over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, nothing special.”

“What else did Dr. Tio say?”

“That he’d love you to drop in and see him at some point, but that he wasn’t holding his breath.”

Conner started on the first sandwich and devoured it in three bites. “He’s a good guy for a medic. He doesn’t get bent out of shape when you don’t follow his every word.”

“That’s because he’s used to dealing with stubborn cowboys and ranchers who only come and see him when they’re practically dying.”

She set a glass of water beside the mug. He noticed she wasn’t retaking her seat and wondered whether she didn’t want to get close to him again. He gestured at her unfinished food.

“You should eat. I’m good for a while.”

She chuckled. “Seeing the speed that you ate that first sandwich, I suspect you’re going to need another one. It feels just like home. I’ll bring it over.”

“Thanks.”

She delivered his second sandwich and sat opposite him, her chair pushed slightly away from the table and angled toward the open door.

“You don’t have to stay here,” Conner said quietly. “I’m doing good. I’ve got Loki for company, and I’m sure you have better things to do than look after a miserable jerk like me.”

“Dr. Tio said it would be better if I stayed to keep an eye on you overnight. If you’re fine in the morning, I’ll leave as soon as I can, okay?”

“But what about your kids?”

“They’re old enough to take care of themselves, and a night without their mom nagging them to clean up, get out of bed, and stop gaming will be a treat for them. My brother and his girlfriend live right next door, and my dad has an apartment over the workshop, so I think they’re okay.” She sighed. “Sometimes I need a break from all that testosterone.”

“You’re a single parent?”

“Yes. I’m raising my son, Mikey, and my stepson, Wes.”

“Wes . . .” Conner took a long drink of water. “I think I met him in town. He works with Kaiden Miller.”

“You did. He loves to chat to everyone. He really liked Loki.” She looked over at the hearth where the huge dog was sleeping. “Of course, I had to talk him out of trying to find a wolf cub of his own.”

“I found Loki when I was in Alaska working on a fishing boat.” Conner tried to remember the last time he’d held an actual conversation with someone and came up blank. For some reason, talking to Beth came easily. “He’d been left in an alley behind the hotel. I brought him back with me and we’ve been together ever since.”

Sometimes he thought finding Loki had saved his sanity. Taking care of his dog had finally given him a purpose and a reason to keep getting up in the morning.

“You’re a fisherman?” Beth asked.

“I drift around and take seasonal jobs.” He shrugged. “I like to try new things.”

“How long since you were in the military?”

Even as he tensed, he was also aware of her instant response to a potential threat by the way she eased fractionally away from him. She reminded him of his SEAL team or a boxer bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to defend himself. He deliberately sat back and tried to look relaxed.

“I retired five years ago.” He grimaced. “It’s been hard to find my place in the world. I don’t have a family; I don’t have a base, and most of my military friends are scattered all over the country.”

“That’s tough.”

The sympathy in her voice made him feel uncomfortable. “It’s fine. I’m not exactly what you’d call a people person anyway.”

“Really?” She shook her head, making her braid bounce. “I would never have guessed that.”

“Yeah, I’m real warm and cuddly.”

She hid a smile as she sipped her coffee, and he couldn’t look away from her mouth. He wanted to lean in and trace the curve of her lips to see if they were as soft as they looked, but he didn’t want to invade her space again. That hadn’t gone well.

“Don’t forget to take your pills,” Beth reminded him, drawing him out of his tangled thoughts, which was something of a relief.

He picked them up, put them in his mouth, and chased them down with the entire glass of water. A yawn shuddered through him and he instinctively covered his mouth.

“Not sure why I’m so tired all the time,” he murmured, aware that she was studying him closely.

“Your body is busy fighting off an infection. That takes a lot of energy.”

She rose from her seat, gathered up both plates and her mug, and took them through to the kitchen.

“Give me five minutes and I’ll get those clean sheets on the bed and you can get back in.”

He frowned as something occurred to him. “If you insist on staying, where are you going to sleep tonight?”

She pointed at the couch. “It’s a pullout bed. I’ve got my sleeping bag in the truck. I’ll sleep in that.”

“It doesn’t look very comfortable. Maybe you should take my bed.”

She swung around to look at him, her eyebrows raised. “Dude, you’re way too tall to sleep on there. I’ll be fine. It’s only for one night.”

He went to argue and was caught in another huge yawn.

She went over to the bed and quickly dealt with the sheets. She threw the two pillows at him to put on the fresh covers, but he suspected it was only to make him feel like he was being useful. He turned in his seat to watch her work and meekly handed over the pillows when he’d finished with them.

“Thank you.” She hesitated. “Do you need to go out and use the bathroom?”

He wanted to say no, but he wasn’t that stupid. She probably wouldn’t appreciate his alternate method of pissing in a bottle and dumping it down the sink.

She regarded him doubtfully, her teeth worrying her lush lower lip in a way that drove him crazy. He’d obviously been alone for way too long this time because all he could think about was replacing her teeth with his own. “Or I can get you some kind of receptacle if you don’t think you can make it that far.”

“I’ll make it.” To prove his point, he stood and braced one hand on the countertop. He’d dug himself and two team members out of the ruin of an exploded oil refinery, he could get to the damn bathroom.

* * *

Conner set his jaw, and Beth knew that however bad he was feeling he would get himself there and back with her help. She’d been trained to support bodies and knew the best way to get him moving and keep him moving, but he was a big guy. She was tall for a woman, but he topped her by at least four inches. She thrust from her mind the uncomfortable thought of being that close to him and not being able to get away.

She reminded herself that not all men were like her ex and that even if Conner turned violent, she was strong enough to deal with him. Despite his military background she instinctively felt safe with him, which made no sense. She had her own truck, she could move faster than he could, and as long as she remained aware of her surroundings and didn’t let him trap her in a corner, she’d be fine.

The very basic bathroom facilities backed onto the cabin and were accessed from the outside. There were plans in the works to remodel the cabins and make them more user-friendly, but nothing would happen until Conner moved out. Luckily, the overhang from the roof protected guests from the rain, but that was about as good as it got.

Even before they made it through the door, Beth realized they had a balance problem.

“Stay there.”

She propped Conner up against the doorframe and ran to her truck to retrieve the walking stick Juan had left in the passenger seat. She offered it to her patient, who looked affronted.

“I don’t need that.”

“Yes, you do. Use it to balance your weight on the other side,” Beth advised. “Otherwise, if you go over, you’ll probably take me with you and then I’ll never be able to leave in the morning because I’ll be very flat and two dimensional.”

He grunted, but did as she suggested, making her job way easier.

“Awesome.” She eased him along the path, his arm slung over her shoulder. “Almost there.”

“Great,” he muttered. “And don’t even think about coming in with me.”

“Like I’d dare.” She offered him a sweet smile as she pushed open the door. “Holler if you need help, okay?”

“I won’t.”

He shut the door firmly in her face and she turned back to the cabin, grinning. Knowing that men loved to spend hours in the bathroom, she left him alone and went to set the cabin to rights. The sun was beginning its descent now and the shadows were lengthening. It was still hot, which was unusual for this end of the valley. She certainly wouldn’t need her warm coat. Beth considered what a night without air conditioning would be like. It wasn’t as if she could strip off her clothes and sleep naked like she did at home.

She glanced down at her boobs. Not that Conner would care. She could probably run around the place nude and all he’d do was stare at her like she was nuts. She hadn’t been naked with anyone for years. Trusting someone to see her in such a vulnerable state hadn’t happened with any of the men she’d cautiously dated over the past five years.

But Conner O’Neil was different. For some strange reason she was attracted to him, and there was nothing she could do about it. With a sigh, she gathered the dirty sheets, pulled out the old washtub and soap, and dragged everything outside. She was too tired to wash the sheets now, but she could at least let them soak overnight and deal with them in the morning.

There was dinner to fix, Conner’s injuries to check, and a whole evening ahead trying to make conversation with a man who gave her lustful thoughts and who wished she’d just go away and leave him in peace.

* * *

Conner had considered shaving off his beard while he was in the bathroom, but he hadn’t had the energy. Despite insisting to Beth that he was one hundred percent fit, he knew he wasn’t. He also knew he should be grateful to her for showing up and taking care of him, but after the way he’d behaved he doubted she’d believe him even if he told her.

“Is the chicken okay?” Beth asked.

He looked across the table at her. “It’s great, thanks.”

She smiled and he was struck yet again by the openness and strength of her expression. She wasn’t beautiful by any standards, but he’d never seen a more interesting and mobile face. He kept wanting to touch her, to reassure himself that someone as vibrant as Beth could exist in his cold and lonely world. But why would she be interested in a man like him? She deserved so much better.

“It’s my son Mikey’s favorite.” Her smile dimmed slightly. “Or it used to be. Ever since he came back from college, he’s been making his own meals, taking them up to his room and shutting the door.”

“And you let him get away with that?”

“I suppose I do.” She studied her plate. “I guess I’m afraid of confronting him right now.”

Conner slowly put down his fork. “You’re afraid of your own son?”

“No, of course not, it’s just . . .” She hesitated. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Try me.” Conner wasn’t letting it go. The vibe he was getting off her was all wrong.

“It’s stupid.”

“If he’s making you feel afraid in your own home, that’s not cool.”

“He’s not.” She finally raised her gaze to his face. “I don’t want you getting the wrong idea, here.”

“Then tell me the truth.”

She took a sip from her water glass. “Why have you suddenly decided to become all chatty right now?”

He picked up his fork and ate more of the creamy chicken and mashed potato. He felt better than he had in days, and if he could somehow help the woman who’d stepped up for him, he’d do it.

“Do you need me to come and talk to your son?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” She frowned. “My brother and my father live right next door. Mikey’s got plenty of good male role models in his life already.”

“Maybe he needs to hear from someone who’s not so nice,” Conner said.

“Like you?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes boys need to hear things differently for them to get through.”

“So, you’d what . . . beat the shit out of him because he’s disrespecting his mother’s cooking?” She wasn’t smiling now. “Like I need another man offering him violence. Why do you think I left his father in the first place?”

“Ah, right. Got it.” After a stunned moment Conner nodded like the fool he was. “It still doesn’t explain why you won’t confront him.”

She stared at him for so long that he almost forgot how to breathe.

“Mikey looks like his dad.”

“And?”

“He hardly talks to me and I’m reluctant to ask him what’s wrong.”

“Because you’re scared he’s going to react to confrontation like his father did.” Conner made it a statement rather than a question. “If it’s any consolation, I look just like my dad and he never believed in sparing the rod. I promised myself I would never, ever be like him.”

She nodded but didn’t speak, her gray gaze fixed on his face.

“Have you asked Mikey how he feels about looking like his dad?”

“Of course I haven’t. What do you think I could say? Like, hey, Mikey, you look just like Sean, how violent are you feeling today?” Beth snorted. “He’s a teenager. I can’t even ask him what kind of cheese he wants in his sandwich without worrying how he’s going to answer me right now.”

Conner finished his glass of water. “Maybe you guys need some kind of therapy or something, because this doesn’t sound healthy.”

“You think?” She glared at him. “We’ve been to therapy.”

“Then you should keep going.” Conner wasn’t backing down. “It did me the world of good.”

“So good that you drift around the country taking seasonal jobs and hide up here in a cabin all summer?”

“Wow.” He opened his eyes wide at her. “Did I hit a nerve or something?”

“I think I liked you more when you didn’t talk,” she muttered. “Would you like some more chicken?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

Aware that he’d pushed way too many of her buttons for one evening, Conner offered to help clear up. She waved him away like the nuisance he was and banged around in the kitchen for a while, which he hoped helped her release some of her feelings. Eventually, he got into bed and sat back against the stack of pillows that now smelled like a spring meadow rather than him.

So, Beth’s ex-husband was the jerk who’d hurt her.

Conner’s hands flexed into fists as he fondly imagined meeting the asshole in a dark alley somewhere and making him beg for mercy. Yeah, he knew violence wasn’t the answer, but sometimes it was the only way to get your point across. He wasn’t naïve. He knew how to kill in a thousand different ways and had the nightmares to prove it.

“Would you like another drink?” Beth called out to him from the kitchen.

“Not unless you want me waking you up to go to the bathroom at the ass crack of dawn.”

“As to that.” She brought over a large glass jar. “This should work if you really get caught short.”

“Thanks.” He placed it under the bed. She didn’t need to know that it was the very jar that he’d been using for the last few days. “That’s a great idea.”

“Lucky you, having the plumbing to use it.” She wiped down the countertops. “I guess I’ll still need to fight my way through the spiders.”

Jeez, he almost smiled at her, his relief that she’d gotten over his intrusive comments far greater than he’d anticipated.

She took his temperature and then brought him over a large glass of water and some more pills. “Take these, and hopefully you’ll have a peaceful night and feel much better in the morning.”

He made himself look her in the eye. “Thanks for helping me out. I really mean it.”

She shrugged. “You’re welcome.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to take the bed?” he offered again.

“Nah, I’m good.” She pointed at her sleeping bag, which she’d left on the back of the couch. “I’ll just fold out the bed and I’ll be fine.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Beth lay in the darkness and listened to the even sound of Conner’s breathing. His temperature had gone down and he was no longer sweating and shaking, which had to be good. She’d checked his leg just before turning out the lights and everything looked a lot less angry.

She turned carefully onto her side, aware that the sofa bed creaked, and studied Conner’s outline in the moonlight. She still couldn’t get over how he’d suddenly decided to weigh in about how she should manage her own son. The fact that he had made some good points didn’t help. She knew she was avoiding talking to Mikey about a lot of important things and that they needed to go back into family therapy.

She’d hoped that Mikey being away from home and forging his own life would’ve changed things for the better. Sean deciding to write to Mikey and ask for his forgiveness hadn’t been on her radar, but it should have been. Her ex never gave up on an opportunity to pursue his vendettas, and never forgot a slight. If you weren’t one hundred percent on team Sean, you were the enemy and were offered no mercy.

Beth sighed and cautiously unzipped the sleeping bag. She was way too hot. Even though she’d left the windows open and Loki was outside guarding the door, she still felt vulnerable. Talking about Sean brought back all the bad memories. The fear that he’d suddenly turn up and upend her life again never quite went away. And now that she knew what he was capable of, that dread had only intensified. She determinedly closed her eyes and told herself to go to sleep.

A slight noise alerted her to the window, and she froze in place as a shadowy face pressed itself against the glass. She knew who it was and went to scream but could make no sound. She tried to sit up, but it was as if her limbs were made of jelly.

“Beth.”

He spoke her name and she whimpered, trying to turn her head away from the hot breath on her cheek.

“Beth, honey, you’re having a bad dream. You need to wake up now, okay?”

As if she’d suddenly been released from a vise, Beth sat up and threw herself against Conner. His arms closed around her and he rocked her back and forth.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

She pressed her ear against his chest and concentrated on the steady sound of his heartbeat, counting each strong beat as she struggled to control her breathing and bring her world back under control.

He slid one hand into her hair and stroked her with the other, his strong, low voice murmuring nothings as she shook and cried.

Eventually, she eased away from him, shoved a handful of hair behind her ear and addressed herself to his bearded chin.

“God, I’m so sorry. I’m the one who’s supposed to be looking after you!” She tried to laugh, aware that she was basically sitting in his lap. “I don’t usually behave like this.”

“As I said, it’s no big deal.”

He still had his arm around her, and she didn’t want him to let go. She only realized she was hanging on to his shoulder when he tried to straighten up and she clung onto him like a limpet.

“I’m sorry,” Beth repeated helplessly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

He hesitated. “How about you come and lie down in my bed? We can talk, or maybe you’ll just sleep better?”

She wanted to say no, to assure him that she was fine, but she just couldn’t do it.

“I’d like that—if you’re okay with it, I mean.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” Conner took hold of her hand and maneuvered himself back across to the bed. “I’m no stranger to nightmares myself.”

“I bet.” God, her voice was still shaking. What must he think of her? “I can’t even imagine . . .”

“Best if you don’t try.” He held back the covers, the note of steel back in his voice. “You okay on the inside so you’re not close to my bad leg?”

Beth crawled past him and lay back against the pillows until he climbed in beside her and slid his arm around her shoulders.

“You good like this?”

“Yes.” Beth turned on her side and curled against him, her hand coming to rest on his chest. She had her panties and T-shirt on, so she was decent.

He murmured something and went quiet, allowing her the time and the space to regain her composure. She wished she could go back to sleep.

“Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him at the window again,” Beth whispered.

“Your ex?”

She nodded.

“You know that even if he was here, I wouldn’t let him hurt you again.”

“That’s not your job. I can take care of myself,” Beth stated.

A low chuckle reverberated through his chest, surprising her.

“I’m sure you can, but I’d be more than willing to help out, and why not use all the resources on hand?” He paused. “It’s a lot harder to kill someone than you realize.”

“I know.” Beth shivered. “There was one time when Sean came home drunk and tripped up on the kitchen rug when he lunged at me. He went down like a stone. I stood over him for what felt like an eternity with my cast-iron pan shaking in my hands, but I couldn’t do it.”

“Because you’re a good and decent person.”

She frowned up at him. “So are you.”

“No, I’m not.” She went to speak but he kept on talking. “It’s okay, Beth. The way I look at it is that some of us have to be prepared to take on the dirty work to keep everyone else safe.” He shrugged. “It was also a way to channel my natural aggression and learn how to control it rather than let it control me.”

She rubbed her palm over his biceps. “It still left its mark on you.”

“Yeah, but I can deal with it.”

Beth had her own thoughts on that, but now wasn’t the time to get into it, when he was being so kind.

“Sean’s unlikely to turn up here, so I’m not sure why I dreamt he could.”

“The human brain is weird like that,” Conner murmured, his eyes slowly closing. “I know I won’t get blown up again in a war zone, but it still keeps happening in my dreams.” He sighed and drew her closer against his side. “I assume Sean’s still alive then?”

“Yes. He’s in San Quentin.”

His fingers tightened on her skin. “Good riddance. I hope he never gets out.”

“I’d kicked him out, so Sean was living with Wes and Wes’s mom, Sharon. He came home drunk and took a swing at her. When she backed up to avoid him, she fell, hit her head on the marble fireplace and lost consciousness.” Beth swallowed hard. “Wes hid in the closet and called 911, but by the time they got to the house, it was too late to save her life, but they did arrest Sean. I kept thinking it could’ve so easily been me and Mikey.”

Conner didn’t say anything, but he continued to hold her tight while Beth couldn’t stop talking.

“Sean and I were divorced by then, but he kept coming to the house because he had visiting rights with Mikey. I was always afraid he’d get back at me for daring to divorce him. I got my brother Ted to come and hang out with us whenever Sean was expected.”

“Ted’s the mechanic in town, right?” Conner asked. “He’s a big guy.”

“Who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but Sean didn’t know that. When I found out what had happened to Wes’s mom, Sharon, I was physically sick.” Beth shuddered. “I took Wes in as soon as the courts would let me, not that he wanted to be anywhere near me at that point. He hadn’t known Mikey and I existed until Sean and I got divorced and Sean went to live with Sharon full-time.”

“Wes seems to be doing okay.”

“He is.” Beth smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. Not having to look directly at Conner and the darkness around them was encouraging her to talk about things she normally kept locked deep inside her. “I’m so proud of him.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” Conner said gruffly.

“I think it goes both ways. He and Mikey get on really well now, and they’re company for each other when I’m working.” She absently smoothed her fingers over Conner’s furred chest. “Am I making you too hot, pressed up against you like this?”

He didn’t speak for a moment and then he cleared his throat.

“You’re definitely making me hot.”

“Oh!” She went to move away from him. “Do you need more pain medication? I can get you some.”

In reply he came up on one elbow and looked directly down at her.

“Beth, I’m not in pain.” His smile was crooked. “And I’m hot because being close to a beautiful woman like you is making me hard and horny.”

“Beautiful?” Beth stared at him.

“Yeah.” He licked his lips. “Absolutely.”

She reached out, cupped his bearded chin and stared into his pale blue eyes for what felt like forever.

“You’re very sweet but obviously still feverish. I’m too tall, too broad, and I have too many freckles to be beautiful. My dad always says I’m built like a Clydesdale.”

“And?”

She sighed. “Okay, I’m not going to argue with you about something so silly.”

“Good.”

She realized she was rubbing her thumb along the hard line of his jaw.

“Have you ever wanted to do something really stupid?” Beth asked softly.

“Like take on hell week and become a Navy SEAL?”

“Yes.” She took in a slow breath. “Or kiss a guy who is usually grumpy as hell, but thinks you’re beautiful?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You know this is the adrenaline talking, right? Next comes the big crash, so don’t do anything you’d regret.”

“I don’t care if I’m being stupid,” Beth retorted. “I’m sick of always doing the right thing and being the good person.”

“What if I don’t think that’s stupid at all?” Conner murmured, slid a hand around her neck and rolled onto his back, bringing Beth with him. “Kiss me as much as you like.”

Beth righted herself, aware that she was now straddling his hips and that he was definitely horny.

“Before we get into anything, I just want to remind you that I’m not the kind of guy who sticks around,” Conner said.

Beth snorted. “That’s why you’re so perfect. Like I could have a relationship with anyone with two teenage boys in the house, who would react like Victorian maiden aunts if they thought their mom was having sex.”

“We’re having sex now?”

Beth smiled down at Conner. “Maybe. Let’s see how good you are at kissing first.”

* * *

Conner gently drew Beth’s head down toward his and touched his mouth to hers. She tasted of coffee and toothpaste, which struck him as just about right.

“What about your leg?” Beth asked.

“It’ll be fine,” he reassured her. “It’s feeling a lot better already.” Mainly because all the heat and blood in his body was currently heading for his dick. He wasn’t about to complain. If there were any consequences, he’d gladly deal with them in the morning.

She kissed him again and, deep inside him where the last remnants of the decent guy he’d once been resided, something stirred.

“You sure you’re okay about this?” Conner forced himself to ask.

“Yes.” She frowned at him. “Do you know? I liked you a lot better when you weren’t talking all the time.”

Conner obediently shut up and let himself enjoy exploring her mouth as he slid his hands over her body. She felt amazing. He murmured his approval as she touched him, rocking his hips against the heat pressed against his groin.

“I’m going to take my T-shirt off,” Beth said.

Conner lay back as she did just that and presented him with one of his most favorite views ever. She leaned back over him until her nipples touched his chest and he groaned.

“May I touch?” He knew she didn’t want him talking, but he had to be sure they were both still on the same page.

“Please.”

He cupped his hand and eased it around her breast, bringing her nipple to his mouth. All thoughts of being gentle and respectful went out of his head when she gasped and writhed against him. He settled his other hand on her hip, holding her down over his hardening dick and let her roll her hips.

“Wait!” She tore her mouth away and he tried to catch his breath.

“Having second thoughts?” He immediately took his hands off her body. “Adrenaline finally crashed? It’s all good.”

“No! I need to go and get a condom out of my medical kit.” She grinned at him. “At least you know this wasn’t premeditated.”

As she crawled over him and off the bed, he decided it wouldn’t be a good time to tell her that he’d been imagining having sex with her for weeks. From their first meeting when she’d ignored his grumpiness and radiated sanity and light, he’d been captivated by her. Of course, realizing that had made him behave even more badly every time they’d met up over the past few weeks, when she’d brought him new sheets or deep-cleaned the cabin.

“Got it.” She waved a foil-wrapped packet at him. “I even checked the date, because if it was the one I usually carry in my purse it would definitely be suspect.”

He couldn’t believe she wasn’t in a long-term relationship, because if he was the kind of guy who stuck around, he would be all over the opportunity.

“You don’t date?” The question popped out before he thought it through.

“I do occasionally, but sex is another thing altogether.”

He just looked at her and she sighed as she got back into bed.

“I know. This is a complete anomaly for me. If I stop and overanalyze myself, I’ll probably end up sleeping in my truck.”

Conner moved swiftly to put an end to that kind of negative talk, drew her back into his arms, and kissed her soundly. She responded with an enthusiasm that quickly had him sliding his hand under her cotton panties to caress her rounded ass.

“Mmm . . .” she breathed into his mouth. “That’s so nice.”

“Can I persuade you out of those panties?” Conner asked. “Because—”

She was already wiggling out of them before he’d finished his sentence and was now completely naked in his arms.

With some effort, he raised his gaze to her face. “You still good?”

In answer she pointed down at his boxers. “Take them off.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Conner totally forgot about his wounded leg as he rushed to comply. Not that he cared about any damage he might do. It was all relative and he was good at assessing risk. He cupped her between the legs, found she was already wet for him, and almost lost it like some teenage boy.

“You okay being on top?” he murmured as he touched her intimately.

“Like we could do this any other way right now.” She rolled her eyes and straddled his hips again.

“Can you do one more thing for me?” Conner asked.

“Be careful of your leg?” She nodded. “I’ll do my best. Are you sure you’re okay doing this?”

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes as he opened the condom packet and covered himself.

“What I meant was, can you let your hair out of the braid?”

Beth considered him. “If you like getting hair in your mouth and stuck all over you, then sure.”

He held his breath as she raised both arms and let down her hair. It was long enough to curl around her breasts.

“Beautiful.”

She met his gaze, hers a little shy for the first time. “Thank you.”

“Come here.” He drew her over him. “I want you right now.”

* * *

When Beth woke up, she was pressed up against Conner’s right side, her hand on his chest and her knee riding his hip. She allowed herself a moment to just enjoy the sheer pleasure of being so close to another person. To her surprise she didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. They’d both gone into their night together with the same desire and honesty, and she still felt the same. She doubted Conner would have changed his mind either. He was one of the most straightforward guys she’d ever met. Maybe that was why she’d been able to let her guard down with him. He wasn’t a charmer or a liar. What you saw was what you got, and she craved that kind of honesty so badly.

His skin was a lot cooler than it had been the day before and he wasn’t sweating. She angled her gaze down his body to his wounded leg and could detect no signs of further swelling or excessive seepage from the wounds. Would she be able to persuade him to come down to Morgantown and see Dr. Tio? He was as stubborn as all the other men in the valley, so it seemed unlikely, but she didn’t want to leave him here alone.

Beth decided that was a battle to be faced later in the morning after she’d dealt with the more basic stuff, like getting to the bathroom. She contemplated her escape route. There was no way around it. If she wanted to get out of the bed, she’d have to climb over Conner. She eased the covers down, grabbed the first T-shirt she found and carefully knelt up.

“Running out on me?” Conner murmured as she climbed over him. He didn’t even bother to open his eyes. “Was I that bad?”

“Way to make it all about you.” Beth had known getting past a Navy SEAL would never happen and carried on moving. “I need to use the bathroom. I promise I’ll be back.”

He nodded but didn’t move, so she grabbed her backpack and hurried outside. It was way colder than she’d anticipated and completely, stunningly quiet. Loki rose to greet her when she emerged on the steps and she stopped to pet him. The sun was just peeking over the heights of the Sierra Nevadas, throwing an ever-increasing circle of light over the shadowed valley. Beth paused to appreciate the sight. Living in the town meant she rarely had such a view of nature’s amazing bounty.

She hurried into the bathroom and took a very quick shower in water that was barely tepid. She didn’t attempt to wash her tangled hair. That would take time, expensive conditioner, and an hour of combing when she got home. Her body felt different, the roughness of Conner’s beard evident on her skin, the slight bruise on her throat where he’d nipped her when he climaxed. Beth hadn’t felt so gloriously female in years.

She went back into the cabin to find Conner was up and ready to take her place in the bathroom. She smiled foolishly at him and offered her hand.

“Do you need help to get out there?”

“No, I think I’m good.” He gestured down at his leg. “If you give me the medical kit, I can take care of this after I shower.”

“Sure.” She opened up the box, found the necessary supplies and handed them over. “I’ll start breakfast while you’re out there. Do you want me to feed Loki?”

He limped over to the door and turned to look at her.

“Thanks. His food’s in the pantry, bottom shelf. Just fill up his bowl.”

After she fed Loki, Beth put on a pot of coffee. Conner was back to his gruff self, but she didn’t mind. It wasn’t as if she’d been expecting him to change overnight. They were both responsible adults who knew what they’d been getting into and could still remain friends.

She checked the refrigerator and took out some of the eggs she’d brought with her the day before. If Conner had ordered them from Maureen’s store, then he had to like them. She took a moment to wonder how Mikey and Wes were doing at home and reassured herself that if there had been any problems, Ted would’ve contacted her immediately. Just to make sure, she checked both her phone and the radio, but there were no messages or attempts to contact her.

When Conner came back and sat down heavily at the kitchen table, she offered him fresh coffee, half a cheese omelet, and some toast. She didn’t point out that the trip to the bathroom had obviously exhausted him, and concentrated on small talk about the valley and Loki as he ate his way steadily through the food. After topping up his mug for the second time she finally asked a question.

“How was your leg?”

“Much better.” He observed her over the rim of his raised coffee mug. “You can take a look if you don’t believe me.”

She shrugged. “You’re neither five nor one of my kids, so if you say it’s healing nicely, then I believe you.” She paused. “Dr. Tio will still want to see you, though, just to make sure.”

“And what if I don’t want to see him?”

“Why wouldn’t you?” She met his gaze. “He’s a good guy.”

“I don’t like being . . . fussed over.”

“I’d never have guessed that.” Beth shook her head. “I know you like your hermit lifestyle up here, but what if you don’t get yourself checked out, and you get sick again? Do I have to come up here every other day just to do a wellness check on you?”

His slow smile was a revelation. “That’s supposed to make me want to leave?”

She mock-frowned. “If you make me have to come out here, I can guarantee you would not be getting any sex at all.”

“Oh, I think I can make you come all right.” His wicked grin took her breath away. He leaned forward and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Like you’d be able to resist me for long.”

She grabbed hold of his wrist. “Please come and see Dr. Tio. I’ll drive you down there and right back again today. You’ll hardly miss any hunting.”

“Like I can currently hunt anything.” He eased free of her grasp. “You trying to guilt me into going?”

“No.” She refused to look away. “I’m asking you as a friend.”

He considered her for a long moment and then nodded once. “Okay.”

She let out her breath. “Thank you.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Conner didn’t like other people driving him, but he was way too tired to do anything but buckle up and let Beth take him to town. She was a good driver, her gaze everywhere as they bumped down the uneven track toward the more regularly used ranch road. He still held on to the strap because it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride.

He’d braced himself for Beth to get weird on him that morning. He’d found that even after he tried to be honest and upfront about his lack of availability, some women read way more into sex than he did. But Beth was her usual cheerful self, which didn’t explain why he was now the one feeling disappointed. If he was honest, he’d enjoyed everything about her unexpected visit—her humor, her determination to do the right thing by him, and the way she’d thrown herself into having sex.

She was a bright light in his miserable existence, and just being with her made him want things he’d sworn off years ago.

“You okay?” She glanced briefly over at him. “We’re only about fifteen minutes out from town now. I radioed ahead to let Dr. Tio know we were coming in.”

“Great,” Conner said. “Can’t wait.”

She chuckled as she turned the wheel to the right and the truck finally hit level ground. He noticed she’d tied her hair up in a messy ponytail rather than her usual braid. He imagined her combing it out as he watched, and then letting him slide his hands into it, and . . .

Jeez. He really needed to get away from her before he screwed things up. She didn’t want a guy like him in her life, a man hardened to violence. Hadn’t she suffered enough from her abusive ex?

“You can just drop me off in front of the doctor’s office. I can call you if I need a ride back,” Conner suggested.

“If ? You planning on walking home or something? So not happening.” She increased her speed as the road flattened out. “I promised Dr. Tio I would come in and give him my report.”

After that, Conner shut up and just watched the scenery fly by. The summer heat had scoured most of the color out of the landscape, leaving it dirt brown, gold, and brittle-looking. He imagined the risk of fire was high and that getting water to the cattle grazing on the hillsides was a full-time job.

Morgantown was a thriving little place with an old-fashioned look to its downtown that harkened back to its roots as a gold rush town. The valley also had an abandoned silver mine and a ghost town called Morganville up on Morgan Ranch. Just before he’d injured his leg, Conner had accepted an invitation to a trail ride to those sites from BB Morgan, a retired marine who was good friends with Jay.

BB had also offered him a job as a trail guide, something Conner had done in the past and enjoyed. He tried to imagine his life if he settled in Morgan Valley and still couldn’t get his head around it. He was a loner, a man who made few friends and who didn’t need anyone. Even as he reminded himself of that, his gaze kept sliding back to Beth and how good it felt to get close to her.

But she didn’t want a relationship. She’d made that very clear. She had teenagers to bring up and a secure loving family around her. Why wasn’t he simply able to enjoy that fact and move on like he normally did?

* * *

After checking in with Dr. Tio, Beth spent a few minutes chatting with his office staff about potential clients for the physical therapy business she ran in tandem with her job up at the Garcia Ranch. It gave her some additional income and she enjoyed helping people recover their strength and physical abilities. Most of her clients tended to be older, which suited her just fine.

“Do you know Craig Cameron?” Meghan, one of Dr. Tio’s admins asked.

“I know there’s a Cameron Ranch right out near the boundary of the valley, but I don’t know Craig personally, why?”

“He called yesterday looking for someone to work with his mother, Esther. She slipped and broke her arm last month and she needs some physio.” Meghan lowered her voice. “He was super bossy on the phone. In all the years I’ve lived here, I can’t say I’ve heard anything good about the man or his family. My dad worked for him at one point and he didn’t even stay a month.”

Beth frowned. “I don’t need the work right now, but if there’s no one else available, I’d be happy to give it a shot.”

“Thanks for that.” Meghan wrote herself a note. “You obviously have a way with the difficult ones. I never thought we’d get Conner O’Neil back in here.”

“I threatened to go and check up on him every day if he didn’t come in. I guess that scared the crap out of him,” Beth confided, making Meghan chuckle.

“I doubt he’s that easy to scare, but he certainly is easy on the eye.” Meghan winked. “I’ve always had a thing for retired military guys.”

Beth tried not to blush as she looked back toward the interior door of the clinic. How long was Conner likely to be? If she was quick, maybe she could nip home, check on the boys, and be back before he even realized she’d gone.

Neither Wes nor Mikey had replied to her text telling them she was on her way home, but that wasn’t unusual. They both tended to sleep in, and it wasn’t yet time for lunch.

“Meghan?” Beth made a decision. “I’m going to check on Wes and Mikey. If Conner comes out before I’m back, can you tell him where I’ve gone?”

“Sure.” Meghan looked up from her keyboard.

“He has my cell number, or if he wants to get moving, show him how to get to my place, okay?”

She went back out and headed across the street to where the town’s only gas station was located. There was no sign of her brother Ted, but she waved at Mano, who was working his shift, and walked on. Even as she approached her dearly loved house, her smile dimmed. She’d allowed herself to forget her problems with Mikey for a short while, but it was time to face them again.

When she went back to the clinic, she’d ask Meghan for some referrals to family therapists and would make sure that she, Mikey, and Wes went to get some help. Sean’s reappearance in Mikey’s life was too disruptive to ignore. Mikey was an adult now and free to make his own decisions, but as his mother she would do everything in her power to help him make good choices.

As she delved into the pocket of her jeans to find her house keys, she yawned so hard she almost cracked her jaw. After she’d dropped Conner back at the cabin she would come home and sleep for a week. The Garcias were due back in two days and she hoped everything would be back to normal by then. Conner was leaving at the end of August, which meant he’d still be around for another month or so. Not that she would be seeing much of him; she only went out there every second week. If she asked Kaiden Miller, the part-time ranch foreman, he’d probably deal with Conner’s needs at the cabin, leaving her with no contact with him at all.

She fitted her key in the lock and went through the front door. Would that be for the best? She didn’t want to spoil their amazing night together or make him feel like she wanted a repeat or something . . .

Not that she’d say no if he was interested.

Beth grinned as she walked through into the family room. An open pizza box sat on the floor by the couch along with an abandoned game controller and two cans of soda. The drapes were still shut and the whole room smelled like essence of teenage boy. Wrinkling her nose, Beth opened the drapes and the window and set the empty pizza box back on the countertop.

Apart from the humming of the various appliances and the ticking of the kitchen clock, the house was silent. She checked the time and decided to go upstairs, stick her head in both of the boys’ bedrooms and let them know what was going on.

Wes’s door was slightly ajar. He’d made his bed and his laptop and backpack were missing, meaning he’d either gone to community college for his advanced carpentry course or to work with Kaiden. Beth mentally replayed what day it was in her head and realized he was definitely headed to Bridgeport for college and would be back late in the afternoon.

Beth went along the hallway to Mikey’s room and knocked on the door. There was no response, which was typical, so she went in. To her surprise, Mikey’s bed was also made, and his blinds were up. As Beth paused to consider where he might have gone, her gaze fell on his desk where a note with her name on it was propped up against his lamp.

She picked it up, her fingers suddenly shaking, and started to read, only to have to stop and start twice over because her brain refused to make sense of what she was seeing.

“No,” she whispered. “Mikey . . .”

A knock on the front door had her sprinting down the stairs and rushing to open it.

“Mikey?”

* * *

Conner frowned at Beth. “Nope.” He took a second look at her panicked face and reached for her. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone where?” Conner took hold of Beth’s elbow, gently led her back inside the house and closed the door behind them.

“To his father.” She thrust a piece of paper at him. “But how does he think he’s going to get there? Is he going to hitchhike?”

Conner read the short note and looked up at Beth, who was pacing the room, her hands twisted together.

“Mikey’s gone to see his dad?”

“So he says.”

He’d never seen her so agitated, but he could only imagine what she was going through, worrying about her kid.

“Does he have any money?” Conner asked.

“He has his own bank account and he has a job at a pizza place near his college, so he might have some. I try not to pry into his finances. I only get a notification if he goes overdrawn, and he’s never done that yet.”

“Okay, so he could’ve bought a bus ticket online?”

“Yes, that’s how he got home after the last semester. I picked him up in Bridgeport. But how could he have gotten there this morning?”

Conner shrugged. “Taxi, Uber, someone at the gas station he could hitch a ride off.”

She went still. “Or Wes took him.”

“Would Wes do that if he knew where Mikey was headed?”

“Probably not, but Wes does go to Bridgeport for college, so if Mikey came up with a reason to tag along, Wes wouldn’t have said no.”

“Why don’t you text Wes?” Conner suggested. “And, as your ex is in San Quentin, how does Mikey think he’s going to get in and see him anyway?”

Beth made a face. “Mikey probably thinks you can just turn up and ask to see someone.”

“What do you have to do?” Conner asked, intrigued, and she threw up her hands.

“I don’t know! Maybe you could google that while I’m texting Wes.”

“Sure.” He got out his phone, pulled up the website and started to read. “Wow, there’s a lot of stuff you have to go through before they’ll let you visit.” He looked up. “Do you know if he submitted a visitor application?”

Beth didn’t answer, her attention fixed on her cell as she typed fast with her thumbs. Eventually, she looked up.

“Wes gave him a ride this morning. Mikey said he had a job interview in Bridgeport and that he’d hang around until Wes finished his class, and they’d come home together.”

“And are you sure that Mikey won’t just do that?”

Beth stared at him like he was stupid. “If he was going for an interview why wouldn’t he have mentioned it in his note? He said, he’s going to see his father.”

“Okay.” Conner nodded. “So how do you want to play this? Do you want to head out to Bridgeport and see if Mikey’s hanging around waiting for a bus? Or do you want to stay here, call San Quentin, and give them a heads-up that he might try to get to speak to his father, and let him learn by his own mistakes?”

“Conner . . .” Beth came over and put her hand on his arm. “You don’t have to worry about any of this. I’m sure that when I explain the situation, Nate will take you back to your cabin, or I can call Ted and ask him—”

“Not happening.” He put his hand over hers and squeezed hard. “I’m coming with you. I can’t let you do this alone.”

“But . . . you’re still not one hundred percent fit, and this has nothing to do with you, and—”

He stared her down. “And I’m still coming. Think of it as repayment for all you’ve done for me over the past twenty-four hours.”

“You don’t need to pay me back for any of that.” Beth looked steadily back at him and he couldn’t resist dropping a kiss on her nose.

“Not your decision.” He took a step back. “Now, do you need to grab anything before we go, or shall we move out?”

She sighed as if finally giving up the fight. “We should let Ted know what’s happening just in case Mikey gets in touch with him rather than me.”

“If you give me your phone, I can text him and Nate from your truck while you drive,” Conner said. “Do you need ID, cash, or supplies for the journey in case we’ve missed him in Bridgeport?”

“Seeing as he left here about three hours ago, he’s probably already gone.” She bit her lip. “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah.” He took her by the shoulders and pointed her toward the stairs. “Why don’t you get ready while I make some coffee for the trip?”

Fifteen minutes later they were back in the refueled truck and heading out on the county road. Ted had arrived back at the gas station just as they were leaving, and Beth had filled him in on what was going down. He’d promised to tell Nate and keep an eye out for Wes if he came back before them. He’d also said he’d ask one of the hands up at the Garcia Ranch to check in on Loki.

As Beth drove toward Bridgeport, Conner looked up the route Mikey would have to take to get to San Quentin using public transport.

“Basically, Mikey will have to take a bus to Gardnerville, then one to Reno, then a Greyhound to Oakland. After that he’ll have to get on the BART to San Quentin and walk the rest of the way to the prison.” Conner whistled. “Google says that’s going to take him around one day and four hours. It would be quicker for us to wait, get on a plane tomorrow, and meet him there.”

“You’re probably right.” Beth overtook a truck full of tomatoes. “Any idea what time the bus leaves from Bridgeport?”

Conner consulted his phone. “There are a couple of buses a day. One at nine thirty and the other at one thirty. Do you think he might’ve made the first one?”

“It depends what time Wes got them there this morning. His class doesn’t start until ten and he usually arrives about a minute before it begins.”

“Sounds just like me.” Conner set his phone in the center console.

Beth glanced over at him. “I know I haven’t said this yet, but I really appreciate how calm you’re being.”

He shrugged. “I learned patience and strategy in the SEALs. No one wants you panicking in the middle of a battlefield.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” She half laughed. “It’s not like me to get all agitated.”

“I know.” He put on his sunglasses and sat back. “But, if my kid had done a runner, I guess I’d be a little upset, too.”

When Wes sent her a text, Beth handed her phone over to Conner to read it out and type in her reply. Despite her earlier words, she was really glad he’d decided to come with her. She was definitely capable of dealing with Mikey on her own, but having Conner’s quiet support was more reassuring than she’d anticipated.

“Tell Wes not to hang around if he’s done for the day, and to go home,” Beth said as Conner typed.

“He says he’s on his lunch break and he’ll meet you at the bus station,” Conner reported back. “It might be worth talking to him before you send him on his way. He could have some additional intel we’re missing.”

“Good point,” Beth conceded as they came close to the outskirts of Bridgeport and she headed for the parking lot behind the bus station. “But then he definitely will be going home.”

Even as she was parking the truck, she saw Wes approaching, his expression uncharacteristically grim. She knew he’d be blaming himself for what had happened. His loyalty to her and his half brother was central to who he’d become as a person and he took his big brother responsibilities very seriously.

“What’s up?” Wes asked as she and Conner got out of the truck. “I haven’t heard a peep out of Mike since I left him in the college parking lot.”

“He left me a note saying he was going to see your father in San Quentin,” Beth explained. “Did he say anything about that to you?”

Wes recoiled. “Hell, no, because if he had I would’ve sat his stupid ass down and told him all the reasons why that was the dumbest idea on earth!”

Beth noticed Conner fighting a smile.

“Did he seem okay on the drive in? Did he say anything that sounded weird?” Beth asked.

“No more than usual,” Wes said. “Although he wasn’t saying much at all, to be honest.”

“What time did you get here?”

“Earlier than I like, because I had to pick up a book from a friend, so just after nine.”

“What was Mikey wearing?” Conner asked. “And did he bring a backpack?”

Wes glanced over at Beth as if asking her permission to answer Conner’s question, and she gave him a tiny nod.

“White T-shirt with his college name on it, black and orange baseball cap, jeans, and red sneakers.”

“So pretty much the same as every other person getting on the bus,” Conner muttered.

“Pretty much.” Wes nodded. “He had his black backpack with him. He definitely had his laptop because he had a hissy fit when I tried to throw his bag in the trunk of the car.”

“And he didn’t say anything at all to you about not waiting around for him, or where exactly this job interview was taking place?” Beth asked.

“Nope, but I didn’t ask for details. I was just glad he was looking for work after being such a jerk about it to you.”

Conner glanced briefly at her but didn’t add to the conversation.

Beth shielded her eyes and looked toward the ticket office. “I suppose I can ask if they saw Mikey this morning. At least we think we know which bus he was trying to get on.”

Conner patted her shoulder. “Maybe he’ll still be sitting there, and you can just take him home.”

“I didn’t see him when I walked through,” Wes said dubiously. “But I guess he might have been hiding.”

The sun was at its highest point in the clear blue sky and the heat from the sidewalk was blistering. By the time she’d traversed the parking lot, Beth was already sweating. She was genuinely amazed to see an actual person sitting in the air-conditioned stillness of the tiny office behind the thick glass.

“Hi!” she said brightly. “I’m trying to check if my son got on the bus to Gardnerville this morning at nine thirty?”

The elderly lady smiled at her. “I’m afraid I’m not allowed to give out information about our passengers, ma’am.”

“Even to their mothers who are worried about their babies going out into the world?” Beth asked. “I mean, I know you can’t tell me ‘officially,’ but maybe if I show you his picture you could just nod if you saw him, set my mom’s heart at rest, and I can go home happy without him having any idea I was checking up on him?”

Even as the woman hesitated, Beth noticed her name badge.

“Are you by any chance related to Andy Ferraro, Dorothy? I went to school with Andy when he lived in Morgantown, and you look just like him.”

The woman beamed back at her. “He’s my great-nephew.”

“That explains it. I’m Kevin Baker’s daughter. My dad and brother own the gas station in town.” Beth offered another friendly smile. Sometimes living in a small town had its advantages. “I heard Andy’s living in Bridgeport now, but I’ve seen him at church with his parents on Sunday in Morgantown.”

“He’s a good boy.” Dorothy hesitated and then gestured at Beth’s phone. “Show me the photo, then.”

Beth held it up to the glass and Ms. Ferraro nodded. “He definitely got on the bus to Gardnerville.”

“Thank you so much.” Beth put her phone in her pocket. “I feel so much better now. Give my regards to Andy when you next see him.”

“Will do.”

Beth turned away to find Conner watching her intently while Wes stared down at his cell. He met her gaze and she walked toward him.

“He’s on the bus?”

“Yup.” Beth took a shaky breath and turned to Wes. “Look, after you finish up classes for the day, I want you to go straight home.”

Wes frowned. “It would be way better if you went home and I went to look for Mikey.”

Beth put her hand on his arm. “Wes, I need your help on this. If Mikey comes back by himself, I want someone there to let me know he’s safe, and I trust you to do that.”

“What about Uncle Ted?”

“If Mikey’s failed to get to see his father, the last thing he’ll want is an adult telling him all the things he’s done wrong. He’s way more likely to confide in you, and I want him to stick around until I can get back and talk to him, okay?” Wes looked unconvinced, so Beth kept talking. “Please, Wes.”

“Okay.” Wes glanced over at Conner, who had been listening quietly. “But only if you take this guy with you.”

Beth tried not to roll her eyes. “I’m perfectly capable of traveling on my own, Wes.”

“Sure you are, but I guess if I can’t be there, Conner’s a good man to have your back.” Wes turned to the man in question. “You’ll keep an eye on her, won’t you?”

“I absolutely will.” Conner nodded. “I give you my word that I’ll do everything I can to make sure she and Mikey make it home safely.”

“This isn’t some kind of disaster movie,” Beth reminded them both. “All I have to do is locate Mikey and bring him back. It’s not exactly rocket science.”

“I know.” Wes grinned. “It’s just way more fun and dramatic my way.”

Beth poked him in the arm. “Get along with you.” She watched as he sauntered out of the building and disappeared in the direction of the college.

“Do you think he’ll do what you asked?” Conner asked.

“Yes,” Beth said. “He’s a smart kid.” She hesitated. “Can we talk about what to do next?”

“Sure.” Conner got out his phone. “The bus to Gardnerville takes a very circuitous route, but I still think he’ll arrive before we can make it. Our best bet, in my opinion, would be to drive directly to Reno, which is roughly two-and-a-half hours away from here, and meet him there before he boards the Greyhound to Oakland.”

“You’ve already worked it out?” Beth stared at him.

He shrugged and showed her the information on his phone. “You don’t have to do it that way if you don’t want to. We can stop off in Gardnerville to make sure he didn’t get stranded there, and still get to Reno before he will. The bus is that slow.”

“Okay.” Beth nodded. “If you’re still willing to come with me.”

“I promised Wes I’d keep you safe. I’m not the kind of person who breaks his word.” He glanced down at her as they headed for the door. “Do you want to find someplace we can have lunch or get takeout? We’ve got time.”

CHAPTER SIX

There was no sign of Mikey in sleepy Gardnerville and no one around to ask if he’d gotten on his next bus. The town was so small they only spent twenty minutes checking out every possible place he might be. Beth topped up the gas tank and settled in for the drive to Reno with Conner at her side. For once she really appreciated his disinclination to chat, as inwardly she wrestled with a thousand questions and increasingly scary scenarios.

“Would you like me to drive?” Conner finally broke his silence about an hour into the journey.

“I’m good at the moment,” Beth said. “It gives me something to concentrate on rather than wondering if Sean set up a prison visit for Mikey and neither of them bothered to tell me.”

“It’s possible.” Conner nodded. “From what I read on the Department of Corrections website, the inmate has to send the visitor a questionnaire to fill out and return before they can be approved to come in.”

“So, Sean would have instigated this.” Beth nodded. “Of course, he would. What gets me is that Mikey didn’t mention it.”

“Maybe he just heard back that he’d been approved and grabbed the opportunity to go for it when you were out of the house?”

Beth groaned. “Don’t make me feel even worse.”

“I’m the one who dragged you away,” Conner reminded her.

“You didn’t ask me to come and interfere in your life. That’s totally on me.”

“True.” Conner stared out of the window for a long while. “But I’m glad you did.”

Beth snorted and used the opportunity to check her route on the navigation system.

“If Sean is in general population, and Mikey has his visitor clearance, he can visit over the weekend,” Conner added.

“I don’t know where Sean was placed,” Beth said. “I’ve tried not to have anything to do with him or his mother since our divorce and when I formally adopted Wes.”

“I can see why.” Conner shifted in his seat. “If you don’t need me to drive, do you mind if I take a nap?”

“Sure, why not?” Beth said.

He set his coffee down, leaned his seat back and instantly fell asleep, a skill Beth could only envy. She rechecked where she was in relation to the outskirts of the city, mentally plotted the best route into town to avoid any crowds, and settled in to finish the journey.

* * *

“We’re here.”

Conner woke up as Beth spoke and cast a bleary eye over the flashing lights of Reno. He’d been there many times during his navy career, and couldn’t really distinguish one visit from another. He’d gambled, drunk too much, watched some dubious shows, and occasionally gotten laid, but none of it had really helped with the stress of his job. He hadn’t been back for about ten years, but it didn’t look like much had changed.

“Where exactly is here?” Conner reset his seat to the upright position.

“I’m parking in the Greyhound bus station lot.” Beth checked her cell. “Wes and Ted say Mikey hasn’t turned up at home, so we’ll just have to assume he’s still on his way.”

She turned toward him, and he could see the worry in her eyes.

“He’s going to be mad at me, isn’t he?”

“Probably.” Conner wasn’t into lying. “But you’re still his mom and he lives in your house, so he needs to hear what you have to say.” He paused. “What are you going to say?”

“I don’t know.” She grimaced. “I suppose it depends on what exactly he’d planned to do when he got there and whether the idea came from Sean or is something Mikey totally thought up by himself.”

Conner nodded.

“If he really did just decide to take off, I’m still going to be mad,” Beth continued. “But if Sean manipulated him . . .”

Conner reached out and cupped her chin. “You’ve got this.”

“I don’t, but that’s okay. One thing I’ve learned as the mother of teenagers is that you have to think on your feet and be prepared to hear the dumbest reasons for doing things ever invented.” She sat back and fumbled with her seat belt. “Shall we head out? The Gardnerville bus is due in soon.”

Conner followed Beth to the center of the bus station, checking the arrival time for Mikey’s bus as he walked. It was due in way earlier than he’d anticipated and they wouldn’t have long to wait. When the bus swung into its berth, he took a step back into the shadows as Beth went to stand by the opening door. He spotted Mikey at about the same time the kid spotted his mom and tried to back up.

“Mikey?” Beth spoke up clearly. “I need to talk to you.”

Her son sighed, hoisted his backpack higher on his shoulder, and came toward her.

“I suppose I should’ve guessed you’d tried to stop me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Mikey shrugged. “Because I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions?”

“Such an adult that you couldn’t even sit down and tell me to my face what you intended to do?” Beth asked.

Conner winced at Mikey’s stubborn expression.

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d make a scene—and I’m right because here you are, doing it in public anyway.”

Conner took an instinctive step forward and then restrained himself. This wasn’t his fight, but the disrespect in Mikey’s voice grated on him. Instead he cleared his throat.

“Beth, why don’t we head to the nearest place where we can get coffee and you can talk it out there?”

Mikey’s attention swung to Conner.

“Why are you here?”

Conner met Mikey’s indignant gaze. “Because your mother was worried about you and needed some support. I’m Conner O’Neil. I’ve been renting a cabin up on the Garcia Ranch.”

“I know who you are. I’ve seen you in town. What I don’t understand is what you’re doing hanging out with my mom.”

“That’s none of your business, Mikey.” Beth stepped in between them. “And if you really want to know the truth, I’m damn glad he stepped up to help me.”

She looked over at Conner. “That’s a great suggestion about getting a coffee. There’s a place right on the corner.”

Even as Mikey opened his mouth to object, Conner spoke over him.

“You’ve got two hours until your next bus leaves, son. You can spare the time to talk to your mother.”

Without a word, Mikey followed Beth out of the bus station with Conner bringing up the rear. None of them spoke until they were in the air-conditioned interior of the coffee shop. Conner located a table and indicated to Mikey that he should take a seat.

“What can I get you both?” Conner asked.

Well aware that he was a spare wheel, Conner was keen to give them as much time together as possible. His leg was aching; his temperature was climbing, and if Beth’s son continued to disrespect his mother, Conner might just have something to say about it.

He joined the line, mentally repeating the coffee orders, and waited patiently for his turn, one eye monitoring the intense conversation going on at his table. Even from a distance he could tell that things weren’t going well. Mikey had crossed his arms over his chest and was leaning back in his chair while Beth was gesticulating wildly and getting pink in the face.

Man, he was glad he hadn’t had kids.

By the time he reached the table, a frosty silence had descended. He sat down and distributed the drinks.

“Thanks, Conner.” Beth offered him a tight smile. “Mikey says Sean set up the visitor approval thing and that he’s planning on visiting him Saturday.”

“Okay.” Conner sipped his drink and let the caffeine roll through him before taking a couple of painkillers.

“Why are you telling him?” Mikey asked. “He’s not part of our family.”

Beth opened her mouth and then abruptly stood up. “Excuse me. I’ve got to let everyone back home know that we found you, and I really need to use the bathroom.”

Conner looked up as he caught the hint of tears in her voice. From the stricken look on Mikey’s face as she turned away, so did her son.

As Mikey added way too much sugar to his coffee, Conner considered what to do. It was none of his business, but seeing Beth upset hurt his soul.

“She’s really mad at me, isn’t she?” Mikey broke the silence.

“I think she’s madder at your father for putting you both in this position.”

“He’s trying to change and all she can say is that he’s a bad guy and a loser.”

“That’s her truth.” Conner shrugged. “Just because you don’t feel the same doesn’t make it wrong. She lived with the man, she protected you from his rage when you were a kid and she’s trying to protect you now.”

“So, you think I should just go back home like some kind of loser just to make her happy?”

“Not my job to tell you what to do.” Conner raised an eyebrow. “I’m just asking you to show some respect for the woman who raised you.”

Mikey’s cheeks reddened and he looked down at his drink as Beth returned to the table.

“Ted and Wes were pleased to hear you were okay,” she reported as she sat down, her voice unnaturally cheerful. “Wes said several other things, but most of them aren’t repeatable in polite company.”

Mikey checked his phone. “Is it okay if I go use the bathroom before I return to the bus station?” He pointed at his backpack. “I’ll leave this here so that you know I won’t run out on you.”

When Mikey was out of earshot, Conner reached across the table and took Beth’s hand.

“You holding up okay?”

“Not really.” She grimaced. “Legally he’s an adult, so I can’t force him to come home with me.”

“You know I could knock him out without anyone noticing.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think that will work.” She straightened her spine. “I guess I’ll just have to try the begging and mom guilting again.”

Conner studied their linked hands and then looked up at her.

“How about you just let him get on the bus?”

She stared back at him, her eyes widening. “I thought you were on my side.”

“I am.”

She tried to ease her fingers free and he held on to them. “Let him meet the guy, let him make his own mistakes.”

“You just don’t get it, do you? When he wants to be, Sean is really persuasive and charming. What if Mikey falls for that?”

Conner frowned. “Do you think he will?”

“I did.” This time she managed to pull out of his grasp and sat back, her arms folded. “Mikey’s at a very vulnerable age, he—”

“But you brought him up, and he’s had great role models since you moved back to Morgantown.” Conner wasn’t willing to back down. “Why won’t you give him a chance to prove it?”

She raised her chin and glared at him. “I know I’ve said this before, but I’m really starting to prefer it when you don’t talk to me.”

An unaccustomed stab of hurt hit his heart. “Okay. I’ll shut up and keep my nose out of your business.” He picked up his coffee. “I’ll meet you back at the truck—unless you want me to find my own way home?”

“You’re really going to act all butt hurt now, when I’m dealing with my runaway son?”

There was a lot he wanted to say about that, but she was right that this wasn’t the time. He pointed at his cell. “Text me when you’re ready to leave.”

She flung up her hands and muttered something uncomplimentary as he walked out into the sticky afternoon air. If Mikey’s bus left on time, she had just over an hour to convince her son to come home with her. Conner’s gaze fixed on the flashing lights of the nearest casino. As he definitely wasn’t needed, maybe he’d go and chance his luck somewhere else.

* * *

Beth followed Mikey all the way back to the bus station, still arguing, until Mikey refused to even answer her. She waited with him as the bus pulled in. He set his backpack on his shoulder and looked at her, his gaze determined.

“I’m going, Mom.”

“Mikey . . .”

She reached for him but forced her hand to fall to her side. She nodded, let out a shaky breath and took a step back.

“Okay, take care and let me know that you got there safely.”

She turned and walked away, her eyes filling with tears, and refused to look back. She didn’t wait to see the bus pull out, but made her way back to the parking lot to find Conner sitting in the bed of the pickup truck, his expression unreadable.

She opened the truck, got in, and started the engine. Conner climbed in and settled into his seat, his gaze straight ahead. Neither of them spoke as she paid the parking fee and they set off back to Morgantown.

Beth waited for Conner to make some comment about her inability to make her son come home, but he didn’t say anything, which somehow made her feel even worse. But what could he say? He’d made his position clear and so had she, and that was the end of it. Sure, she’d alienated her son and the man who’d gone out of his way to help her on her frantic journey, but that was on her.

She’d told Conner to keep his opinions to himself and he’d done what she’d asked, so why was she still upset? She cleared her throat.

“Let me know if you want to stop for coffee or anything. There are a couple of places along the way that stay open late.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

He didn’t bother to turn his head to reply, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. He looked even more exhausted than she felt, which made her guilt kick up.

“You look terrible.”

“Thanks.”

“I told you it wasn’t necessary to come with me.”

“I heard you the first time and I came anyway.”

Beth sniffed. “If you get sick again, Dr. Tio’s going to blame me.”

“I doubt it. He knows how stubborn I am.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t think I should force Mikey to come back with me, because that’s what a good mother would do, wouldn’t she?” Beth said.

“Actually, I’m the one who suggested you should let him go.”

“Well, of course you did, and you’re probably secretly gloating that he made me look like a fool.”

He slowly turned his head toward her. “Beth, what exactly are you trying to do here?”

“Nothing.”

“It sure sounds like you’re trying to drag me into an argument.”

“Why on earth would I do that?”

“Because you’re mad as hell about everything and spoiling for a fight?”

“I am not—”

He spoke over her. “It’s not going to work. Your fight is with Sean and I’m not going to act as his substitute.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

All Beth really wanted to do was burst into tears and let him hold her. If he was too stupid to realize that, then more fool him.

“Whatever you say.” He looked out of the window. “Wake me up when we reach Morgantown.”

* * *

Conner opened his eyes as they pulled up in front of Beth’s house. He hadn’t slept much, but pretending was far easier than trying to work out exactly how to deal with Beth. How was it possible for someone to be furious about something and yet almost in tears? How was a guy supposed to handle all that being thrown at him at once? And more importantly, why did he suddenly care?

“We’re here,” Beth announced.

“Yeah, thanks for the ride.” Conner opened his door and got out into the coolness of a Morgantown night. “Let me know how things shake out.” He paused. “If you want to, otherwise forget it.”

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?” Beth demanded.

He pointed vaguely toward the dark slopes of the valley. “Home.”

“There’s no one to take you at this hour except me.” She took out her keys. “Just let me check on Wes and get some more coffee and I’ll drive you up there.”

“I don’t expect you to do that, Beth,” Conner said firmly. “I can ask—”

He was speaking to thin air. He followed her into the house because she obviously wasn’t in the mood to stop and chat. She still hadn’t answered him as Wes came toward them and gave her a huge hug.

“Did you get him? Is he sulking in the truck or did Conner tie him up nice?”

Beth gently detached herself from Wes. “He decided he wanted to go through with his plan to see your father.”

“And you let him?” Wes’s startled gaze flicked toward Conner. “Like he’s on a bus right now?”

“There wasn’t a lot your mother could do about it,” Conner spoke up as Beth went into the kitchen and started fussing around with the coffeepot. “Mikey’s an adult and he made his choice. Your mother chose to respect that decision.”

Wes opened his mouth again and Conner shot him a pointed look.

“I’ve got to take Conner back to Garcia Ranch, but I’ll come straight home after that.” Beth spoke from the kitchen. She looked absolutely wiped out and miserable and Conner wished he could go to her. “We probably won’t hear anything from Mikey until tomorrow, so if you want to head up to bed that’s okay.”

“It’s way too early to sleep, Mom.” Wes shook his head. “How about we do this? I’ll take Conner, and you go to bed.”

“That would be great.” Conner turned to Wes. “I’m ready when you are.”

Beth looked at them both and set her keys back on the countertop. “Fine. Okay.” Her gaze flicked toward Conner but didn’t reach his face. “Don’t overexercise your leg.”

“I won’t.” Conner’s hands flexed as he resisted the urge to stride over and take her in his arms. “I hope Mikey works out who the good guys are soon.”

Rather than driving his own car, Wes took Juan’s truck so he could pick up Beth’s car from the ranch and bring it home. Conner relaxed as Wes drove him up through the darkened streets of the town and out on the county road toward the foothills surrounding the valley. He’d grown fond of the area with its extremes of weather and stunning scenery and already felt quite at home.

“Mom’s just tired right now.” Wes suddenly spoke up. “So, like, don’t take anything she says to heart.”

“She has a right to be upset,” Conner responded. “I totally get it.”

“Mikey doesn’t really understand what Dad is like because he’s younger than me and doesn’t remember the worst of it. And Beth, like, really protected him. My mom wasn’t so strong, and Dad treated her like shit.”

There was a hard note in Wes’s voice, the sound of a survivor Conner immediately related to.

“Dad might be able to charm Mikey for a while, but eventually, when he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll turn on him. I tried to tell Mikey that, but he didn’t believe me.” Wes sighed. “Some people just have to work things out for themselves, right?”

Conner grimaced. “I certainly had to learn everything the hard way.”

Wes cut him an amused glance. “You’re like a fricking Navy SEAL. You’re, like, a number-one badass.”

“It’s nothing to be proud of.” Conner shifted in his seat. “And it took a long time for me to learn how to channel my anger with my own father into something positive.”

“Mikey doesn’t think he’s angry, but he is,” Wes said slowly. “Maybe seeing Dad will make him realize where that anger should be directed.”

“Man, I wish I’d worked that out when I was nineteen,” Conner said, which made Wes smile.

They completed the rest of the journey in silence as Conner struggled to stay awake and deal with the throbbing in his wounded leg. As the truck approached the cabin, he heard Loki barking.

“Thanks for the ride, Wes.” Conner opened the passenger door. “I can take it from here.”

“Okay.” Wes nodded. “Have a great night.”

Conner got out with some difficulty and stood still as Loki bombarded him with love and almost knocked him on his ass. His dog had obviously been well taken care of by the ranch hands as his bowl was full of fresh water and he’d been fed. As Wes drove away from the cabin, Conner couldn’t quite believe everything that had happened in the last thirty-six hours. He managed to make it up the steps and opened the front door.

The faint smell of coffee and Beth’s flowery perfume drifted out to greet him and he swallowed hard. Without her the cabin felt both too big and too lonely.

“Stupid fool,” Conner muttered to himself as he felt in his pocket for the painkillers and antibiotics Dr. Tio had given him that morning. “Get over it.”

It wasn’t like him to be sentimental, but maybe he was just worn out and needed a good night’s sleep to set his mind at rest. He swallowed down the pills with a glass of milk and the rest of Beth’s chicken, used the bathroom, and got himself ready for bed. Dr. Tio had dressed his wounds and told him to leave them alone until the morning.

He lay down and listened to the sounds of the night—the distant howls of a coyote pack and the much louder song of the grasshoppers. In the all-encompassing silence he tried to work out when things had gone wrong with Beth and still couldn’t put his finger on it. For the first time in his life he didn’t know how to fix things because in the past he’d never bothered and had just shrugged his shoulders and moved on. But something about Beth had changed him.

He had only known her for a couple of months, but everything inside him was yelling at him to stop dicking around and pay attention. And he’d learned to listen to his gut in the military. There was something there—something tantalizing and new. He wanted to reach out his hand and find Beth’s waiting for him.

Even as he considered what to do, the painkillers kicked in and he was suddenly asleep.

* * *

“You didn’t need to wait up for me,” Wes said as he came into the kitchen and found Beth sitting at the table.

“I know.” She shrugged. “I made the mistake of having more coffee and now I’m wide awake again.”

That was partially true. Wes didn’t need her to spell out that she’d needed to see him return safely unlike his half brother.

“Mikey will be okay,” Wes said.

“I’m sure he will,” Beth agreed.

It was rapidly becoming clear to her that her boys didn’t need her as much as they used to, which was both a blessing and a curse. Her father always said that the best thing a parent could do for their child was give them the tools to become responsible functioning adults, so she supposed she’d done her job. She’d always be there for them, but she definitely needed to let them live their own lives and make their own mistakes.

Which sounded great in principle, but was obviously a lot harder to put into practice than she’d realized.

“Are you mad that he wouldn’t come home?” Wes asked.

Beth sighed. “Yes. I wish I wasn’t and could be a better person, but I can’t seem to manage it right now.”

“Maybe Mikey just needs to work things out for himself,” Wes suggested.

“That’s what Conner said.”

Wes paused at the bottom of the stairs. “I know it’s none of my business, but you were pretty salty with Conner, considering what he did for you today.”

“I didn’t ask him to come with me,” Beth said. “And I did say thank you when we arrived back here.”

“I kind of told him you were probably overtired.”

“Why?”

“Because he was obviously worried about you and trying not to let you know.”

Beth snorted. “Conner O’Neil doesn’t worry about anyone. He’s a tough guy who likes to keep people at a distance and that suits me just fine.”

“But he didn’t keep you at a distance,” Wes said slowly. “In fact, he went out of his way to help you.”

“Wes.” Beth rose to her feet. She really wasn’t going to discuss everything that had gone down between her and Conner, but she could see from Wes’s perspective that she might have come off as cold. “I don’t need a lecture from you right now. I’ll call him up in the morning and apologize, okay?”

She moved toward Wes, who was blocking the stairs.

“You like him, don’t you?”

She rolled her eyes even as her cheeks heated up. “Sure, like a woman who has two teens in the house would have time to get involved with anyone right now.”

“Mikey and I wouldn’t care.”

She cupped his chin, aware of the softness of the new stubble he was so proud of. “I was just kidding.”

“Okay.” Wes stepped out of her way. “Let me know if you hear from Mikey.”

“Same.” Beth went up the stairs feeling like she’d aged a hundred years. “He’s way more likely to contact you than me.”

“Maybe.” Wes didn’t sound convinced. “Night, Mom.”

Beth dragged herself to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, and took herself to bed. The desire to cry constricted her throat and made her chest hurt, but she couldn’t seem to let her tears flow. Mikey was on a bus in the middle of nowhere, she’d chased Conner away, and even Wes wasn’t completely on her side.

Was she wrong about everything?

She was so used to having to deal with what life threw at her by herself and protect those she loved, that the idea of letting anyone go it alone was frightening. She turned onto her side and looked out at the moonlit sky. Up at the Garcia Ranch, Conner was probably already sleeping without a thought in his head. She’d told him she didn’t want a relationship and to butt out of her personal life.

And Conner, being a man who was used to taking orders and following them through, would definitely leave her alone, just as she’d asked.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Beth took another unnecessary tour of the house, making sure everything was in order for Mikey’s imminent return. To her great relief he’d contacted Wes on Sunday night and asked if he would mind picking him up from Bridgeport after he got off the bus Monday afternoon. Wes had asked Beth what she thought, and she’d been happy to relinquish the task. She had no idea what she was going to say to Mikey, so the longer she had to think about it the better.

She checked through the front window, but there was no sign of Wes’s car. As promised, she’d called Conner and had immediately been put through to his voicemail. She assumed he was sleeping in, and she couldn’t blame him. She’d offered him her thanks for helping her out, apologized for being short with him, and explained that Mikey had arrived safely at San Quentin. She’d wanted to say a lot more, but talking to thin air had never been her favorite thing, and how could she express what she was feeling when he’d be leaving town in a few weeks anyway?

Even as she continued to worry about Mikey, part of her was thinking about Conner, how it had felt to be herself for a few hours, to be desired, and free to share an intimate moment with an incredibly hot man. The idea that she deserved that—that for the first time in her life she had the opportunity to move beyond parenthood and think of herself—was both terrifying and alluring,

Beth forced herself to focus on Mikey. She’d see Conner if he came down to Garcia Ranch or if she went out to service the cabin, and she’d treat him just the same as she always had. Her cell buzzed and she went over to where it was plugged in on the kitchen countertop.

Back in 5

Beth put on some fresh coffee and headed upstairs to her bedroom. The last thing she wanted was Mikey thinking she’d been so desperate to see him again that she was lurking behind the front door ready to pounce. She’d go for calm and casual and not ask the thousand and one questions that had kept her awake half the night.

“We’re back!” Wes called up the stairs.

Beth waited another three minutes and steeled herself to go down to the kitchen, where Mikey was taking off his jacket and setting his backpack on the countertop.

“Hi!” Beth said, and immediately couldn’t think of anything to say as she anxiously scanned her son’s tired face. She grabbed her keys from the hook. “Sorry I can’t stop to chat. I’ve got to go up to the ranch to make sure everything is okay for Juan’s return tomorrow.”

“I’d really like to talk to you, Mom,” Mikey said.

“Then we can do that when I get back and you’re all settled in, okay?” She gave him a bright smile and turned to Wes. “There’s half a chicken pie in the refrigerator if you guys get hungry.”

“Mom . . .” Mikey blocked her exit. “Is this how it’s going to be? You’re too mad at me to even discuss things?”

She forced herself to meet his gaze. “You know what, Mikey? I’m just as entitled as you are to be given space to work out how I feel about things. Maybe it’s your turn to back off and not expect me to instantly be ready to do what you want when you want it.”

He blinked and swallowed hard. “Okay, I mean I’m sorry, I just . . .”

“Thank you.” She nodded and went past him, her keys clenched in her fist. “I’ll see you both later.”

Even as she drove up to the ranch, she began to doubt herself. She’d always gone out of her way to make sure her kids felt listened to and validated, like her parents had done for her. When she’d first told her dad about Sean’s abusive behaviors, he’d believed her one hundred percent and done everything he could to make sure she felt safe and could get out.

But maybe Mikey needed to learn something, too; that his actions had consequences, and that she wasn’t a machine but a real live human being who had a right to feel hurt by his behavior. She wasn’t mad at him anymore. She just needed some space.

She pulled up outside the ranch and went inside to make sure everything was ready for Juan’s return. She’d stopped at Maureen’s and gotten fresh milk and produce so Julia, Juan’s daughter, wouldn’t have to stop in Morgantown after the long journey home. Cleaning had always soothed her. Her therapist said it was a way of maintaining control over something when everything else was in chaos, and she couldn’t disagree.

Eventually there was nothing left to do. Beth sent a text to Julia to let her know she’d come by at the end of the week. In return, Julia sent her a picture of Juan watching the rodeo and grinning like a fool.

Beth was still smiling as she locked up the house and went toward her car. The sound of a horse neighing made her look over toward the barn and the paddock behind it. She stuck her keys in her jeans pocket and marched over to the fence, shading her eyes against the sun.

“What the heck are you doing here?” she called out.

Conner turned the horse around, his face shadowed beneath his hat, and came slowly toward her.

“It’s okay. I asked Mr. Garcia for permission.”

She pointed at his leg. “You’re supposed to be resting up!”

A smile kicked up the corner of his mouth. “That didn’t seem to bother you a couple of nights ago.”

She felt her skin heat up and it wasn’t entirely due to the sun. “I didn’t know you could ride.”

He shrugged. “I worked as a hired hand in Texas one summer. I was just trying to see if I remembered how it all works.”

As usual he was underplaying his ability. He looked damn good on a horse to her. Suddenly aware that she was chatting away with him like nothing had happened, she straightened up.

“Okay, I have to go now. Mikey came back.”

“And you came out here?”

His penetrating gaze cut right through her and she sighed.

“I didn’t know what to say to him. I needed to think.”

“Understandable.”

“So, I’d better get back there and try, I guess.” She smiled. “See you around, Conner, and thanks for your help the other day. I really appreciated it.”

She turned toward the barn. Man, he looked good on a horse, but why wouldn’t he? He looked good all the time. She wanted to lick him all over like an ice cream.

“Beth?”

She wished she had the resolve not to turn around, but she didn’t.

“What?”

He gestured at the gate. “Could you open that for me?” He rubbed his injured leg. “I’m not sure I can lean over right now without falling off.”

She stomped back toward him and unlatched the gate. “I told you this was a stupid idea. If you can’t bend down to reach the gate, how the hell are you going to dismount?”

His smile was crooked. “Er, I was hoping you’d help me with that, too.”

He didn’t sound very apologetic, but as Beth already knew how much it cost him to ask for help for anything, she didn’t take offense.

“Fine. Come over to the mounting block.”

He clicked to the horse and walked over to the newly renovated barn. Beth waited as he lined up the horse and then took hold of the bridle.

“You’ve got this.”

“I damn well haven’t.” He grunted as he slid his booted feet out of the stirrup. “Me and my big, stupid ideas.”

“What would you have done if I hadn’t come up here?” Beth asked as he placed one heavy hand on her shoulder and attempted to swing his leg over the saddle.

“Ridden around until one of the hands came back to the barn or I found a hay bale or a grassy patch to fall off onto?”

“Idiot.” Beth sniffed as she braced herself to help him down.

“Yeah, well, you already knew that.” He reached the ground, one arm still anchored on Beth’s shoulder, and buried his face against her neck. “Damn.”

She was in no hurry for him to let go as her knees wobbled not with tiredness, but with complete lust.

He kissed her throat and she sighed. “That’s so unfair.”

“Can’t help myself.” He did it again. “Here you are again, saving my ass when I don’t deserve it.”

“Seems to be becoming a habit,” Beth whispered against his cheek. “I really should stop—”

“Don’t.” His mouth covered hers and she kissed him back without reserve.

After a long while he framed her face with his hands and looked down at her, his expression serious.

“I want to tell you something.”

“Okay.”

“I think we could be good together.”

Beth frowned. “We were—unless you’re saying you didn’t have a good time the other night because—”

“Not just sex—although that was awesome. I mean all the other stuff, like hearing you laugh, seeing you with your kids, or getting you mad enough to tell me off.”

“Like everyday stuff?” Beth asked suspiciously.

“Yeah, exactly.”

“What are you saying here?” Beth realized she was trembling.

“BB Morgan offered me a trail-riding job at his place.”

“And?”

For the first time he looked down at his boots rather than at her. “I was thinking I might take the job. It comes with accommodation and everything.”

“And . . . does that mean you’ll stick around?”

“Yeah. I mean, only if you were okay with it, because you said you didn’t want a long-term thing—”

She put a finger against his lips. “You said you were leaving at the end of the summer. I didn’t want you to feel like you were beholden to me.”

He looked deep into her eyes. “Maybe I want to be.”

“You do?” Beth whispered.

“Yeah.” He hesitated. “You make me feel like I’ve finally found my home.”

Even as she went in for another kiss, he stiffened and raised his head.

“We’ve got company.”

She turned in his arms and saw Wes’s car coming to a stop behind hers.

“Dammit!”

“Talk about bad timing,” Conner said dryly.

“This is the problem with living with teenagers and trying to have any kind of relationship,” Beth muttered as Wes and Mikey emerged from the car, arguing so fiercely that she hoped they hadn’t noticed what was going on right in front of their eyes.

“Mom!” Mikey’s shocked voice made her clutch onto Conner’s arm. “What the hell? I thought you were coming up here to clean the house!”

Wes stepped forward. “How about we put the horse away before this gets too dramatic?” He frowned at Conner. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks.” Conner removed his arm from around Beth’s waist. “Why don’t you guys talk while I put the horse back?”

“I’ll help you,” Wes offered. “You look like you’re about to face-plant the ground. Aren’t you supposed to be resting up?”

Conner sighed as he held on to the bridle and limped toward the interior of the barn. “Man, you sound just like your mom.”

Beth waited until Wes and Conner were safely out of earshot and turned back to Mikey.

“I asked you to give me some space,” Beth said evenly.

“I know.” He shifted his feet.

“So why did you drag Wes up here to bother me?”

“I didn’t know you’d be cuddling up to Conner O’Neil, did I?”

“That’s got nothing to do with it and you know it,” Beth retorted. She gestured toward the house. “Seeing as you’re here, why don’t we get out of the heat and you can tell me what you want to say.”

She led the way into the quiet house, knowing that the Garcias wouldn’t mind her using their space for something so important. Family was essential to Juan and Julia and they were both very fond of Mikey.

She fixed two tall glasses of ice water and pointed to the kitchen table. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Not really.”

Beth took a seat anyway. It meant he’d be towering over her, but she was too tired to worry about that.

“I saw Dad,” Mikey said.

“Okay.”

“He was super pleased to see me. He said he doesn’t get any visitors.”

Probably because he’s alienated everyone in his life who’s tried to help him, and beat up his girlfriends, Beth thought, but didn’t say the words out loud. Sean was still Mikey’s father.

“He looked a lot thinner and older.” Mikey took a slug of his water. “He said he wished things had gone differently, and that he was learning to deal with his rage issues, and was in therapy.”

He looked at her as if seeking approval, which she wasn’t prepared to give him. It dawned on her that she really didn’t care what Sean thought or did anymore. Sometime over the past few years he’d lost his hold over her. The only concern she had right now was how he would influence Mikey.

“Don’t you care?” Mikey asked.

“Not really.” Beth decided to be honest. “Do you?”

“Of course, I do. He’s my dad.” Mikey set his glass down on the countertop. “You taught me that everyone is redeemable.”

Beth had nothing to say to that, and Mikey took a quick lap around the extensive kitchen, his expression troubled.

“I went back on the Sunday morning before I had to get on the bus. He tried shit-talking about you and Wes’s mom and I shut him down. He didn’t like that.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Then he asked if I had any money to spare.”

Beth bit her lip and looked up at her son, who swallowed hard.

“He got all salty when I said I was at college and not earning much. He said that if I had nothing to give him, then he didn’t really need to see me again.”

Mikey finally sat opposite Beth. “He was like two different guys. He was so funny and charming the first day, and then when I wouldn’t agree with him about you being a bad person, or give him money, he just flipped and got real mean.”

Beth instantly wanted to reassure him that maybe Sean had just been having a bad day, or . . . and remembered that she was done making excuses for her ex.

She nodded and Mikey frowned at her.

“Haven’t you got anything to say about any of this?”

“It’s not my place to comment on your relationship with your father,” Beth said.

“Why not? You commented about it plenty at the coffee shop in Reno.”

“Which was wrong of me.” She paused. “You’re an adult now. If you want to see Sean that’s entirely up to you.” She reached over and patted his clenched fist. “I trust you to make your own decision about this, Mikey. I’m happy to listen if you want my opinion, but I’m no longer going to tell you what you should or should not do.”

Mikey didn’t look any happier, so she continued talking. “I’ve spent so long protecting you that it’s been difficult for me to let you make your own choices, because I get scared. But when you got on that bus to Oakland, I finally realized I had to let you find your own way. I could’ve forced you to come home with me, but what would that have achieved? Just more resentment and misunderstandings, and I don’t need that in my life again.”

“So, what happens if I want to see Dad again?” Mikey asked.

“You do what seems right to you. I’m certainly not going to stop you.” She smiled at him. “The only thing I’d ask is that you don’t tell me anything you talk about. Keep it between yourselves.”

“But what if I need your advice?”

“Then, as I said, within reason I’m willing to listen to you.” Beth met his gaze. “You need to understand that I have boundaries, too, Mikey. It’s taken me years to deal with the impact Sean had on my life, and I’m no longer willing to immerse myself in his chaotic existence.”

“Boundaries are good.” Mikey nodded. “I remember my therapist talking about those. Maybe I should go get a refresher course.”

“Maybe we all should go.” She squeezed his fingers. “I love you, Mikey.”

He offered her a hesitant smile. “Wes said I could talk to him about Dad whenever I liked because he remembers him way better than I do.”

“Wes saw a completely different side of Sean, the side I tried to keep from you,” Beth reminded him.

“I still remember him yelling and breaking things and us hiding in my bedroom until he passed out on the couch.” Mikey shivered. “It was terrifying, but even then, I knew you’d protect me.”

Beth winced at the pain in his voice.

“Wes said his mother died protecting him from Dad,” Mikey said. “I never knew that until today, did you?”

Beth nodded. “If Sharon hadn’t confronted Sean, he could easily have turned on Wes, so I get what he’s saying.”

“Wes said Dad started beating him, and Sharon got in the way and told Wes to go upstairs and hide until she called for him. Wes hid in the closet, dialed 911 and stayed on the phone so the cops would believe him and come quick.”

Beth met Mikey’s anguished gaze. “I always thought what happened to Sharon would happen to me. The first time Sean turned on you, I realized it was time to leave. I was lucky enough to have family who believed me and gave me somewhere to run to. Sharon didn’t have that.”

Mikey reached out and grabbed her hand. “Thanks, Mom. I probably don’t say it enough, but I really am grateful.”

She shrugged. “It’s what good parents do.” She squeezed his fingers. “I think we should definitely all go back to therapy and talk this through, don’t you?”

* * *

Conner leaned against the side of his truck and prayed to God his leg would hold up. Wes had taken one look at him and decided to deal with the horse himself, which was highly embarrassing but well deserved. He had no business being out here trying to ride a horse. He should’ve stayed in his cabin and rested up like Dr. Tio had told him.

Wes came to find him. “You should go home.”

“Yeah.” Conner agreed, even though he wasn’t moving an inch until Mikey and Beth emerged from the house.

Wes nodded at the house. “They’ll be okay. Mom is an awesome person and she really gets Mikey and me.”

Conner grunted. “Not sure Mikey appreciates that right now.”

“He does. He was gutted when she wouldn’t talk to him. It made him, like, think about her as a real person for the first time, as apart from his mom.”

“About time,” Conner said.

“We’re also both good about you dating her.”

“I didn’t realize I needed your permission.” Conner raised an eyebrow.

“Well, you kind of do because Mom won’t do anything if me and Mikey have a problem with it.”

“You might be surprised about that,” Conner said. “And, as I’m getting my own place out on Morgan Ranch, we won’t be cramping your style.”

Wes looked at him. “What does that even mean?”

Conner sighed. “Stop making me feel old.”

“You are old.” Wes straightened up. “Hey, they’re coming out. Try not to look like we’ve been talking about them.”

Beth’s gaze went straight to Conner and she frowned. “Why are you still here?”

“Wow, nice,” Conner said. “I feel really appreciated now.”

“It’s okay, Mom, you don’t have to pretend anymore.” Wes intervened. “We know you’ve hooked up with him and we’re okay with it.”

“Not that I asked you, but fine.” Beth’s cheeks flushed. “Would you like to come and eat dinner with us, Conner?”

“Sure.” He nodded. “That would be great.”

“And you can stay the night if you like.” Wes winked. “Mikey and I won’t hear a thing while we’re playing Death Avenue Seven.”

Conner didn’t think it was possible for someone to get that red and not expire, but somehow Beth was managing it.

“You can drive down with me, Conner,” she said repressively. “And pick your truck up later.”

“Great idea.” He rubbed a hand over his leg and limped over to her car. “I’m not sure I can drive anyway.”

She snorted as she got into the car. “I have no sympathy for you at all.”

He waited until the boys had driven off in a cloud of dust and put his hand on her thigh. “Not so fast.”

“What now?” She turned to face him, her expression suddenly apprehensive. “Oh God, have you changed your mind already? Did Wes say something truly awful? Do I need to kick his—”

He wrapped a hand around her neck and drew her in for a kiss. Eventually, she stopped spluttering and kissed him back. When he had her attention, he cupped her chin.

“I haven’t changed my mind. I still want to be with you, and I have no intention of sleeping with you at your house with two teens in it.”

“Okay.”

“You good with all that?”

“Yes.”

He smiled. “We’ve both got good reasons to be gun-shy, Beth, and we’re old enough not to have to rush into anything. Let’s take our time, get to know each other, and enjoy the ride.” He paused. “And I want you to know that I will never, ever lift a finger against you or your kids.”

Beth’s smile was both sweet and full of teeth. “If you did, I’d kick your ass out the door so fast and so hard you’d think you were flying.”

“Noted.” He nodded and kissed her nose. “I think I could fall in love with you.”

“Really?” She raised her eyes to meet his. “That’s amazing.”

“Beth . . .” In this new landscape, he struggled to find the right words, but he didn’t need them as she carried on talking.

“I love your strength and the way you offered me your support without question. I love the way you get along with Mikey and Wes and what you’ll teach them and me about how to be a good man.”

His conscience stirred. “I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.” She refused to let him look away from her. “Okay, you’re also grumpy, stubborn, and inclined not to listen to good advice, but I can live with that because according to my sons I can be that way, too.”

Conner shook his head. “Can’t say I’ve noticed.”

She beamed at him. “Which is obviously why I like you.” She glanced at the exit. “Shall we head out before Wes decides to come back and look for us?”

“It’s just the kind of thing he’d do, isn’t it?” Conner commented as Beth set off down the track leading to the county road.

“Wes likes to be in the center of the action and he really does look out for those he considers family.” She looked both ways before easing out on the main road. “When do you start your job up at Morgan Ranch?”

“Whenever I want. BB had someone quit unexpectedly, so the sooner the better.”

“You’d better wait until your leg is healed.” She gave him a hard stare.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Conner sat back with a contented sigh. He’d found a woman who cared about him and wouldn’t take any shit, a place to settle down, and an occupation he enjoyed. What more could any man ask for? Everything in his past life had brought him to this place and to this woman, and he was no fool. When it felt this right, it was time to reach out, grab hold of his chance of happiness with both hands and hold on tight for the rest of his life.

KATE PEARCE