The Cattleman (13 page)

“Seriously? Based on what exactly?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. No insult intended. I’m just all talked out.” He threw up his hands and strode away, shuffling a little more than he had ten minutes earlier.

In the direction he’d pointed, she could see that more of the sky was clear. Now that the wind had picked up, the cloud cover had blown away. She noticed his movements were a little jerky or frustrated. His strength seemed to be ebbing, but he was determined to stay on his feet.

What had given him the impression that she wouldn’t understand? Hadn’t she already shared that her parents hadn’t supported her decision not to follow in their footsteps? It was hard to follow him with the unwanted tears in her eyes. She thought they had something in common. That the experience of the last few days had brought them closer.

The past six months hit her. Hard. Out of the blue. Mistakes. Consequences. How much everyone wanted her to fail and how well she was succeeding at accommodating them.

Embarrassing as it was, it felt cleansing to let it out. Her cheeks were as wet as Nick’s had been after he’d climbed from the pool. She couldn’t get the tears to stop and for once, she didn’t care. Her parents weren’t around to see or tell her to grow up. She held in the sound until she hiccupped.

And hiccupped.

Nick ignored her, or at least he pretended not to notice. They walked up a small hill and down the other side. A path barely wide enough for one boot couldn’t really pass for a trail. Right?

“Good grief, is there no flat trail to follow anywhere in West Texas?”

“Technically, this is Mexico until we cross the Rio Grande.”

She let the smart-alecky remark pass. She wasn’t in the mood yet for a real conversation. “How much farther?”

“You need a rest?”

“To be quite honest, I’m exhausted and it’s getting harder to keep my feet from slipping on every small pebble in the way.”

“Stay here. Let me check on something.”

“Nick, don’t—” But it was too late. She couldn’t follow and wanted nothing more than to lie down where she was and sleep. The narrow path had no place to really rest. If she sat where she was she’d never get up on her own.

Stakeouts had never been this rough. If she could just close her eyes for a few minutes...

“Okay, let’s go.”

Beth jumped out of her skin at the sound of Nick’s voice. Apparently she had closed her eyes and was lucky she hadn’t fallen off the narrow path, down the steep slope.

“Were you asleep standing up?” he asked, steadying her shoulders and smiling for the first time since they’d eaten cactus. “Good thing I found us a place to rest awhile. It’s right around the next turn.”

They were both done in, but that didn’t stop her next words from slipping from her lips. “I can keep going, but if you need to stop...”

With the raising of one eyebrow, he suggested her statement was ludicrous, which it was. “If I wasn’t so beat up, I’d carry you around the bend. Afraid you’re going to have to walk.” He scooted her past him, put his hands on her waist and walked in sync with her.

“And here I thought you were my own personal superhero.”

Chapter Sixteen

Nick wanted to lift Beth in his arms and play the hero. If it were up to his head, he’d carry her the remaining miles to the border. But it had taken everything in him to remain upright and get them this far from Bishop’s camp. Half the reason he’d been able to stay awake was that he was cold, but that was working against him now. He was frozen to the bone and craving some shuteye himself.

A few feet farther and they’d be safe for awhile. Just a few feet farther...

He spotted a place to stop on the side of the slope. Only an indentation, but it would have to do. He pointed, but she stood there, eyes almost closed and looked about ready to pass out on her feet again. He grabbed her waist and guided her to their cover.

With his boot, he scooted the loose pebbles from where they would sit and then brought the brush up closer to pull on top of them. The wind had really picked up and the scrub would block some of it. At least the sky was clearing.

“Will Bishop’s men catch us? I’ve sort of been expecting someone to start shooting for the last hour or so.”

“They will eventually. Will they do it here? I’m not sure.”

In no time at all, they were wrapped inside her coat, arms and legs tangled. He was used to the way her body molded to his when it was close.
God, she’s warm.

“Good grief, you’re an iceberg. All you need is a sharp point and you could rip the
Titanic
in two.” Beth shivered, then began to briskly rub life into his arms.

“No sharp points on me. Yet.” He tilted his head back and winked, receiving a tap to his chest when she finally got the crass implication. But she kept running her hands up and down his arms and over his chest.

The pain when she glided over his bruised ribs was worth it. Her hands had new calluses from working in the barn, but he didn’t mind. Dirt from their captivity and their escape stained her fingers. The only reason his were clean-ish was because of the soak in the pool. She’d looked like a warrior standing up to Bishop and his men. Defending Nick and taking her job more seriously than he’d thought possible when they’d first met a month ago.

He’d been an ass back then. Complaining about her lack of horse skills, about her attitude, when all along it had been a simple case of fright. As scared as she was, she’d never cried about it. So what was different this time?

“Why were you crying?”

“I wasn’t. Totally your imagination. And if I was, it’s none of your business.”

“Beth.” He took her chin between his fingers and tilted it toward his. “I couldn’t stop and ask what was wrong earlier. But I’m asking now.”

“I’m just tired.”

“And you’re lying.” He rubbed at her cheeks, smearing the evidence of tear trails. “Come on, you know all my deepest darkest nightmares.”

“I told you mine.”

“That you were a foot model. Right. But that’s not the reason you were sent to West Texas.” With the first rays of sunshine coming over the hill, he could finally see her brilliant eyes as they clouded over in sadness.

“Oh, when everyone found out, it was absolutely brutal.” She attempted to shrug it off. “I probably should have told you when I first moved in, but the time never seemed right.”

“It couldn’t be worse than the past two days.”

“It depends on what happens if we finally make it to the border.”

“
When
we make it to the border. The river’s just over that ridge. Hard to see from here, but it is.” Pressed against her, wrapped in her arms, he was warm and relaxed for the first time since they’d made love two days ago. He wanted to encourage her to share. “Tell me.”

“You’re right. I messed up and was sent here to fail.”

“What happened?”

A long sigh, followed by some shifting away from him, then another long sigh, and Nick scooted her back into the crook of his arms. Avoidance. He recognized it and had become an expert at it in the past year. But she hadn’t given up on him and he wouldn’t just forget about her crying.

“You aren’t going to let this go, are you? Is it payback for me prying into your nightmares?”

“Nope. More like, I want to know why you were crying, and sort of hoping it wasn’t because of me.”

“Well, it was, in the beginning. I wanted to be there in case you needed to talk about the men dying and it made me remember. I do every day—remember, that is—but then it sort of hit me and it all came bubbling to the surface.”

They needed rest, sleep. Not to dredge up memories of why she’d been sent there to fail. He pulled her in tight and held on. There’d be plenty of time to talk after this was over. He didn’t know what had come over him, insisting that she talk. Maybe it was because he was curious or felt guilty for ignoring her crying earlier. It wasn’t—couldn’t be—because he was in love with her.

Damn. It had already happened. There was no use trying to ignore it. He was head over heels for Beth Conrad. Somewhere between teaching her to ride a horse and flipping her into the hay during defense training, he’d slipped from attraction to caring. Definitely before they’d made love in the cabin, and then more since they’d spent two days in a hole where she hadn’t complained.

“Never mind. Let’s grab some rest while we can. Close your eyes, hon.” He hugged her as reassuringly as he could.

They’d been walking all night and his brain was foggier than it had been in a long time. He couldn’t remember what they’d been talking about or even if they’d had an argument. Sad, but true. He was just that plain tired.

“Your country is pretty, but it’s such a dangerous and desolate place. I’d rather be on the beach. Where do you want to be?”

He followed her line of sight into the small valley. The last vestiges of the stars were disappearing as the sun peaked fully over the hills. He pressed his lips against her hair before he remembered he probably shouldn’t. Hell, why shouldn’t he?

“Other than having you safe, why would I want to be anywhere else? I’m watching the sunrise with my girl.”

And that’s what he got for having a conversation when he was so blasted tired. Even though he meant to show his concern, he shouldn’t have brought it up now.

“I’m your girl?” She turned her beautiful, dirt-smudged face toward his.

“You aren’t?” He didn’t have a clue what to say next. She hid her face again and he wondered if his face reflected his surprise.

“I thought we were just having some fun while you waited out my assignment,” she said into the coat covering his shoulder.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Thanks for setting me straight.” What the heck? She was a woman, right? Didn’t they want commitments? To her credit, she’d never asked for one. Never hinted at anything more than a good time.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I don’t think you left much room for interpretation.” It was his turn to shift, trying to put a couple of inches between them.

“Oh, no you don’t. I am freezing half to death. You don’t have a shirt on. I can feel how cold you are, so get yourself as close as possible and huddle for warmth.” She rubbed her palms up and down his back, keeping him in place next to her. “I can’t believe I’m wishing to be all tangled up with you again like back in that horrible cave. But I am. It was warmer there.”

“Clouds are gone. It’ll be warmer once the sun’s fully up. No snow for a while.” He was not returning to the bungled question about her being his girlfriend. Enough was enough. A guy’s ego could only take so much.

“There’s really nothing around as far as you can see, is there? Are you certain we’re heading toward civilization?”

“No reason to worry. We’ve been mirroring the main trail most of the night.”

She pulled back and gave him a sharp, questioning look. “Are you saying there’s a better, easier path down there? One that might have been quicker?”

“Sure, but it would be quicker for Bishop’s men, too.”

She covered her face with both hands. “I should be able to think of that. I know things like that. Why can’t I think and say what I mean? I need to clarify why you surprised me a minute ago.” She yawned big, letting out a sleepy sigh.

“Close your eyes, Beth,” he said a second time, encouraging her to lay her head on his shoulder. “Neither one of us can think straight when we’re this tired.”

“But you asked why I was crying and I should tell you,” she paused, yawned deeply. “An agent died because I...hesitated. They couldn’t fire me, so they sent me here. I just want to—” she yawned again “—to get...home...”

Seconds later she was deep asleep.

Hesitated? Then that was the real reason she’d been so fast to protect him. He couldn’t fault her for that. He’d do the same. Had done it last night in order to escape.

Nick supported his head on Beth’s and closed his eyes. They were taking a risk with both of them asleep. But without rest they’d be unable to function, especially if Bishop’s men found them. He’d taken every precaution that he could. They wouldn’t be spotted from the air because of the slight rock overhang. It would be difficult to see them from a distance with the brush in front of them. And they were off the main trail, so no one would stumble over them.

He’d done everything he could to protect Beth.

He wished he’d done more to protect his heart. Just his luck that he’d fallen in love with a woman who was totally unavailable. Beth said she wanted to go home, but she hadn’t been talking about the Rocking B.

* * *

B
ETH
SEARCHED
FOR
the edge of the covers, wanting to pull them closer around her neck and cut the chill. A few more minutes and she was certain the alarm would sound. She’d really like to cover her head and finish the intoxicating dream she’d been having about Nick.

Nick?

The faint stinging smell of chlorine forced her to blink herself awake and away from the heady images swirling around in her vision. She stayed put, wanting to remember the musky, earthy smell that was the man still in her arms. His skin might be masked with a stringent chemical, but she’d never forget the way her body chose to remember his.

Speckles of sunshine drifted through the leaves across them both. A new day. A new chance to make things right. She’d flubbed their last conversation terribly. She couldn’t really blame it on exhaustion—though she would until her dying breath. The whole thing had just taken her by such surprise.

I’m watching the sunrise with my girl.

Maybe he’d been exhausted and hadn’t meant to say it. No, that was the woman in her, trying to make an excuse for how badly she’d reacted. He’d meant to say it. In fact, he’d repeated it and almost seemed hurt that she hadn’t thought about it.

Quite the contrary. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about it. From the moment she’d asked him for permission to stay on his ranch, she’d forced herself to think of it as an assignment. Not a relationship.

Each time his father taught her something about the garden or even mucking a stall, she’d swallowed hard and pushed her feelings aside. So, yes, she’d been surprised by his admission. And now she needed a clear head to think about it. And to think about the consequences their current adventure would have on her career.

If she still had a career with the DEA. But first things first. They still needed to get back to civilization.

The branches at the edge of their makeshift enclosure wiggled. Beth slowly drew up her leg, bending it so that her thigh pinned Nick’s arm between them.

“Wake up, Nick,” she whispered urgently but as softly as she could into his ear.

Whatever was rustling the branches was getting closer. Beth’s first thought had been that Bishop’s men had found them. But if those movements were human, it was the quietest human on the face of the planet. So it had to be a small animal.

What if it was one of those wild javelina things he’d mentioned? All he’d said was that she didn’t want to mess with one. She hated to wake him, but just in case it wasn’t something that could be scared away with a shout, she placed her finger across his lips. “Nick?”

His eyes popped open and darted back and forth. There was no question that he remembered where they were. She felt his hand tighten around the hilt of the knife she’d been attempting to ease from his fingers.

“Something’s getting close.” She moved her hand to his shoulder.

“Get behind me,” he whispered.

The space was bigger than their cave so it wasn’t nearly as hard to switch positions as it had been for the past two days. The trick was being quiet about it. Nick crouched at the opening of the shelter and listened. The rustling was closer. She could see the branch nearest to Nick moving.

“It’s just a blue quail.” He rolled back and sat. “You really had my heart pumping for a minute.”

“What a relief.” Her stomach growled, interrupting whatever thought she was about to share as the bird got startled and flew away. “Do you think there’s more cactus availa—”

Nick’s hand in her face cut her off. She listened for movement as intently as her partner. The faint sound of pebbles peppering against other rocks grew louder.

That wasn’t an animal sound. It was boots scuffing rock. Footsteps. It was Bishop’s men.

Knife in hand, Nick shook his head, painstakingly retreating nearer to her in amazing silence. An electronic ping of a cell phone split the void. Neither she nor Nick moved or even twitched. No one walked on the path in front of them. No one answered the cell and no one stuck a gun in their face.

Her muscles had ached before this. Now the faint beginnings of another cramp was about to seize her calf. If she pointed her toe, she’d stretch into the branches hiding them and give away their location.

She tapped on Nick’s bare shoulder, pointed to her leg, then cupped her hand over her mouth. He shifted the knife to his left hand and firmly gripped her calf and massaged it, relaxing the tense muscle. She kept her eyes wide, waiting for their intruder to find them. Nick asked her silently if her leg was okay, and she nodded. Then her stomach growled. A ginormous roar that put a priceless look on the cattleman’s face. At any other time she would have snapped a picture and used it for social-media fun.