Her Rugged Rancher (10 page)

His throat tightened as the urge to kiss her, make love to her began to tie his muscles into knots. “No. That's not what I want to do, Bella. But then you already know what you're doing to me. I imagine that makes you feel pretty damn good, doesn't it? Knowing you can make a big man like me weak in the knees.”

Her eyes narrowed and then her head shook back and forth. “Why would you think such a thing? I have no desire to wield power over you. Or anyone else for that matter. That's one of the reasons I like being a lawyer. Because I believe everyone should be on equal ground.”

“Well, in my case—”

“In your case, Noah, you're thinking too much. Worrying too much. Why can't you simply let yourself feel?”

“Because I'm feeling things that aren't good for me.”

Slipping her arms around him, she nestled her cheek against the middle of his chest. The gesture of trust melted the cold chunk of reasoning inside him and without thinking, he stroked a hand over her dark hair.

A soft sigh slipped past her lips to mingle with the sound of the whispering pines. “After Marcus upended my world, I didn't think I'd ever want another man. Instead of thinking forward, I kept thinking in the past and all that I'd lost.” She lifted her head and looked up at him. “But I'm beginning to see how that mindset was cowardly and stupid. I want more for myself than just wishing and hoping that things could be different.”

“I'm not afraid, Bella. I'm practical.” And that sensible side of him had kept him very cautious around any woman he met. If by some miracle he ever decided to take a wife, she needed to be cut from the same tough rawhide as himself. Not delicate lace, like Bella.

She said, “Being practical has no connection to falling in love. I might get hurt all over again. But so be it. I have to try to reach for my hopes and dreams.”

Her words were like a battering ram, pounding at the door to his heart. Inch by inch he could feel the protective barrier caving and the fear that she might actually break through had him thrusting her gently away from him.

“Then you'd better go try to find all those dreams with another man,” he said roughly.

A crushed expression momentarily froze her features and then her jaw went firm and resolute.

“Yes, I think I should do just that.”

She turned and began walking back to the house. Noah stared after her, while telling himself he was doing the right thing. She would eventually find a good man to love. Yet even as he was struggling to convince himself, the image of some other man kissing her, holding her, making passionate love to her hit him like an avalanche.

Jealousy, or something much deeper, pushed him to go after her and in three long strides, his hand was on her shoulder, halting her steps.

“Noah, what—”

Whatever she was going to ask halted as he yanked her into his arms and brought his mouth down on hers. At first there was no response in her, but after one long second her lips parted and with a low groan, she flung her arms around his neck. Her reaction fueled the desperation and hunger that had gripped him from the moment she'd placed her hands on his chest and he crushed her body tight against his, while his tongue thrust past her teeth and into the warm cavern beyond.

Like a leaf sucked into a whirlwind, his senses spun in a vicious circle until he lost all thought. Nothing mattered but the pleasure that was pouring from his head to his toes, filling up every empty spot with soft, warm emotions he'd never felt before.

But the need for air finally forced him to lift his head and he opened his eyes to see she was gazing up at him, her expression dazed and confused.

“What does this mean, Noah?” she asked in a soft, husky voice. “You just told me to go find some other man.”

“Damn it, I don't know what anything means anymore! But I'm certain about one thing—I don't want you with another man.” His hands slipped down her back until his palms were cupping the fullness of her bottom. “Not like this.”

“Noah.”

His name came out on a soft breath and when her hands gently cradled his face, the notion that she could consider him as something precious was all it took for unbridled emotions to swell his chest and tighten his throat.

“I can't make you promises, Bella.”

“I don't expect any. I'm just asking you not to put a wall between us.”

Sighing, he lifted his gaze from her face to the dark shadows surrounding them. “You have your sights set on the wrong man, Bella. But you'll figure that out sooner rather than later.”

Her warm body stirred against him and heat burned like red hot coals in the pit of his belly. If he listened to his body instead of his head, he'd lead her straight into the house and make love to her. But he wasn't brave enough to take that reckless leap. He understood that once he took Bella to his bed, there would be no turning back. No chance to catch himself before the fall.

“I think I should warn you that I'm rarely wrong.”

Her smile was a light in the darkness and Noah could resist it no more than a drink of cool water on a hot day.

“We'll see,” was all he could manage to say before he bent his head and sought her mouth again.

This time he kept the kiss brief. Even so, just having her lips next to his was enough to leave him shaken and wanting more.

“I have to go, Bella.”

“Are you sure?”

Her whispered question made it clear she was inviting him into her bedroom and into her life. The idea was beyond tempting, but thankfully it was also just scary enough to give him the strength to ease her out of his arms.

He let out a long breath. “Yeah. Sure.”

“When will I see you again?”

“I can't say. We'll be busy moving cattle all next week. I'll try to stop by one evening on my way home.”

She smiled again. “Okay. Unless something keeps me late at the office, I'll be here.”

“Good night, Bella.”

Before his resolve could crumble, he walked straight to his truck. But once he started the engine and turned the vehicle toward his cabin, the headlights swept across the backyard to illuminate Bella's silhouette. She was standing where he'd left her and now as she watched him pull away, she lifted a hand in farewell.

Pain squeezed the middle of his chest and as he drove the short distance to his place, he wondered how this thing with Bella had happened and exactly what he was going to do about it.

Chapter Six

B
y the time the middle of the work week rolled around, Bella had acquired three more cases to her already busy schedule. Two involved women seeking divorces, both from very wealthy husbands. The third was a young man accused of stealing valuable jewelry from a home where he was employed as a gardener.

Normally, Bella didn't deal in criminal cases. Nor did her brother, Jett. Both siblings usually focused on family law. But in this instance, the accused was the brother of an old schoolmate of Bella's and she'd not been able to turn away from her friend's plea for help.

Rising from her desk, she left the small room that made up her office and into an area where a young Hispanic woman sat typing at her desk.

Pepita Alvarez, better known as Peta to all her friends, acted as secretary to both Jett and Bella, which made the woman's workload enormous. Yet each time Bella or Jett made noises about hiring more help for her, the young woman insisted she could handle the job on her own. Bella marveled at her efficiency.

As her shadow crossed Peta's desk, the black-haired beauty looked up. “Oh, Ms. Sundell, I didn't hear you. Do you need something?”

Bella smiled. “I was just wondering if Jett has anyone with him right now.”

“No. I think Mr. Taylor left a few minutes ago. That was his last appointment for the day.”

Bella chuckled. Mr. Taylor was an eccentric old man, who gave Jett fits by wanting to make changes in his will nearly every week. Her brother had finally given up on reasoning with the man. Instead, he merely followed Mr. Taylor's wishes and sent him a bill for services rendered.

“I wonder what changes he wanted made to his will today?” Bella mused out loud. “Bet the five thousand to his cat won't change.”

Pepita shook her head. “Last week he wanted to make sure his twelve chickens went to his granddaughter. Poor old man. He's a hypochondriac. He believes he's going to die any minute.”

“If that were to happen, Jett would really miss him. Not to mention the old man is contributing to the college funds for Jett's kids.” She gave the secretary a conspiring wink. “I'll go see if he survived the meeting.”

Her brother's office was located on the left side of the building and, like Bella's, had a picture window overlooking a busy street of Carson City. Up until a few years ago, Jett had worked exclusively as the Silver Horn's attorney, but after marrying Sassy, he'd made the decision to cut down the hours he put in at the ranch and start a practice for himself.

Jett appeared to juggle both jobs without any problems—although Bella didn't know how he kept up with the workload, especially when he had his own ranch to deal with, too. But Sassy had taken on a large responsibility of handling the day-to-day running of the J Bar S, while Noah made sure everything that needed to be done got done.

“I see you lived through another visit from Mr. Taylor,” she said to her brother as she entered his office. “Or would you like two aspirin and the shades lowered?”

Chuckling, he tossed aside a manila folder and looked up at her. “If that little man was all I had to deal with my job would be easy. So what's up with you? We've not talked all day.”

She took a seat in one of the polished wooden chairs in front of his desk. “I've been busy. And I took on a case earlier today that has me a bit worried.”

Surprise arched his dark brows. “Worried? That's not like you, sis. You're always confident.”

She closed her eyes and massaged the burning lids. Jett understood that Marcus's infidelity had hurt her terribly, but no one, not even her brother, realized how much the experience had trampled her self-worth. Even now, after acquiring a law degree and proving herself competent in the courtroom, she still had moments when she doubted herself. And her effort to get close to Noah wasn't helping matters. He was the only man she'd ever tried to pursue and his reluctance to have anything to do with her was making her feel like a pathetic kitten trying to catch a fierce bald eagle.

Trying to shake the image of Noah from her mind, she looked at Jett. “Remember Valerie Stanhope? She was a friend of mine in high school.”

“Short girl with mousy brown hair and glasses?”

“That was her. Although the years have turned her into a very pretty woman. Anyway, her brother, Brent, was arrested on theft charges and I agreed to represent him. I've only handled one other criminal case in my life, Jett. What if I bungle this thing and he ends up serving time in prison? I'm not sure I could deal with that on my conscience.”

Thoughtful now, he picked up an insulated coffee mug and took a long sip. “What sort of theft? If it's petty, just make a plea deal and forget it. He'll probably be right back in trouble again.”

Bella shook her head. “Not petty, thousands. Jewels from the home where he worked as a gardener. Brent swears he never knew about the jewels and Valerie believes the whole thing is a case of insurance fraud.”

That caught Jett's attention and he whistled under his breath. “You better have someone do some deep investigating, sis. And that won't be easy or cheap. Did you warn Valerie about the cost?”

“No. I told her not to worry about it. I'll do the digging myself.”

Jett groaned. “Oh, Bella, how do you ever expect to make money if you're going to work pro bono?”

“There are more important things to me than padding my bank account.”

“Where money is concerned, you've always been more like Dad. It's never ranked very high on your wish list.” Shaking his head, he said, “Well, you do only have yourself to support, so I guess it doesn't matter.”

Cutting him an annoyed glance, Bella rose from the chair. “Thanks, brother, for reminding me that I'm thirty-two and still have no family.”

“Sis, I'm not trying to rub salt in the wound. I happen to believe you're going to find the man of your dreams. In the meantime, you have a new house. That's something to feel good about.”

Her house was beautiful. But without a husband to share the place with, the rooms were nothing more than hollow spaces. She'd give up every square foot, every last stick of furniture if Noah would invite her to live with him in the line-cabin. Did that mean he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with? With each day that passed she was beginning to think so. But was she chasing a fool's dream?

“Yes, my house talks to me every night,” she said with bitter humor, then turned to leave the office. “I think I'll call the sheriff's department and see if Evan can give me anything on the Stanhope case.”

Jett snorted. “Just because Evan is Sassy's brother doesn't mean he can share department info with you.”

Pausing, Bella twisted her head around and frowned at him. “As the guy's lawyer I already have the police report. I want to know what's been written between the lines.”

“Good luck. You're going to need it.” Jett's mocking chuckles were suddenly interrupted by the telephone. “Just a minute, Bella, it's the ranch calling.”

Expecting the caller to be Sassy, who always kept her conversations brief, Bella decided to stick around for another minute, just in case her brother had something better to offer than sarcasm.

After a short moment passed with the phone jammed to his ear, Bella watched his features grow tight. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

“Barbed wire,” Jett repeated. “How did that happen?”

Moving back to his desk, she waited anxiously for him to wrap up the call.

After another long stretch of listening, Jett said, “Yeah. Sounds just like Noah. I'll make sure he gets a tetanus shot. Don't worry. You tried and he's stubborn. Thanks for letting me know, honey. I'm closing shop now, so I'll see you in a few minutes.”

As Jett hung up the phone, Bella realized her heart was hammering with fear. “Noah has been hurt?”

Although she'd made an effort to keep any note of panic from her voice, the concern she was feeling must have shown on her features because Jett shot her an odd look.

“Sassy tells me the men were mending fence and a piece of barbed wire popped loose of the stretcher. It whacked Noah across the back before finally wrapping around his arm. She says some of the gashes were pretty deep. He refused to go to the doctor, so she stitched up three of the worst wounds and ordered him to go home.”

Sassy would be able to do that, Bella thought. The woman was a tough-as-nails ranch hand. She could pull a calf or stitch up a wounded animal as well, or better, than Jett. Still, Noah needed professional medical attention and the urge to race to him was like a storm building inside her.

Telling herself to remain calm, she said, “I thought the guys were moving cattle this week. What were they doing mending fence?”

Jett's eyes narrowed shrewdly. “How did you know the men were moving cattle? You been talking to Sassy?”

Bella quickly turned her gaze to the window and the busy traffic beyond. “Uh—that's right. We talked a couple of nights ago. She must've told me. Or maybe you mentioned it.”

Bella actually had spoken with her sister-in-law, but nothing had been said about cattle or horses. The two women had discussed the children and the celebration Sassy was planning for little Skyler's upcoming birthday. It wasn't that Bella cared if Jett knew about Noah having supper with her a few nights ago. She and her brother had always been very close and they shared their thoughts and feelings about things with each other. But she instinctively knew that Noah wouldn't appreciate her saying anything about their encounters to Jett. Noah was a deeply private man and until he gave her a signal otherwise, she wasn't going to let on to Jett, or anyone, that the two of them had spent time together.

Besides, she thought dismally, five days had passed since Noah had kissed her good-night and she'd not seen or heard from him. Twice she'd heard his truck rumbling by her place as he drove to his cabin, but he'd not stopped either time.

Because he didn't want to get involved with her, she thought glumly. Not on a meaningful level. He seemed to have enjoyed kissing her and if she really tried, she might seduce him into her bed. But that would be as far as he'd let his feelings toward her go. That's why she needed to face facts and move her attention to a man who might really love her.

You'd better go try to find all those dreams with another man.

If she'd use some common sense, she'd follow those cutting words Noah had thrown at her, Bella thought sadly. But the memory of his kiss and the way her heart melted at the mere touch of his fingers were enough to convince her to not give up on the man.

While thoughts of Noah had been churning inside her head, Jett had shut down his computer and was now gathering a slew of papers he'd strung across his desk.

“Well, the hands have been moving cattle, but a fence got torn down in the process and that's where the barbed wire came in.” He glanced over at her. “I'm finished here. I'm going to head on home so I can check on Noah. The stubborn mule-head. If I didn't care about the guy so much, I'd kick him in the rear.”

“I realize you stay in shape, brother, but you might have a little trouble doing that. Noah's not exactly puny.”

Laughing, Jett stuffed a few papers in a briefcase and jammed the worn leather holder beneath his arm. “That's why I'm not going to try it, dear sister.” On his way to the door, he pecked a kiss on her cheek. “Are you working late this evening?”

“I have another appointment in thirty minutes. I'll see you tomorrow.”

He left through a back entryway and locked the door behind him. Once he was gone, Bella realized her legs were wobbly and she sank into one of the chairs in front of Jett's desk.

Noah had been injured. She'd not expected the news to affect her this much. Especially when it wasn't a life-threatening issue. But it could have been, she thought sickly. If the wire had hit his eye he could have been blinded. Or if it had slashed an artery he could have easily bled to death before reaching a medical facility in town.

A light tapping noise had her looking around to see Peta's face peering around the edge of the door. “Is anything wrong, Bella? I heard Jett leaving and he didn't say a word.”

“There was a little accident at the ranch. He's left to make sure everything is okay.”

The secretary walked into the room. “Oh, I hope it wasn't serious.”

“Don't worry. Everything is under control.”

Except her emotions, Bella thought.

Moving closer, Peta carefully scanned Bella's face. “I'm glad to hear that. But are you sure you're okay? You look pale and, well, tense.”

Forcing a smile, Bella waved her hand in a dismissive way. “Oh, that's just because I'm dieting. The more I think about not eating, the more it wears on my nerves.”

The secretary laughed. “I know the feeling. But Bella, you have a fabulous figure. You don't need to diet.”

Rising to her feet, Bella attempted to put a cheery look on her face. “You're too kind, Peta. Now, let's get back to work. The Morrison divorce case is on the court docket tomorrow. I need to make certain my paperwork is in order before I face the judge. Would you get that file for me?”

“I'll have it for you in just a minute.”

Bella returned to her office and, as promised, Peta appeared almost instantly with the file in hand. She thanked the secretary and after Peta left the room, Bella opened the file and tried to focus on the legal documents. But all she could see was Noah, his flesh ripped and bleeding.

Everything inside her was screaming to go to him. But Jett was already on his way to Noah's cabin. It would look ridiculous for her to follow. And since Noah had never offered to share his cell phone number with her, she couldn't even call him.

Something between a disgusted groan and a helpless sob slipped past her throat and she dropped her head in her hands. She was either turning into the biggest fool of the century or a woman in love. Either way, Bella had a feeling she was tumbling straight toward a heartache.