Skeeter waited as Coach summoned Garrett and Storm from the office, and then she and the crew walked side by side to the barn, where Robert Crown waited along with Meredith and the girls. The horses were saddled and ready to go.
Watching Garrett mount Pegasus with ease reminded her of their first meeting. Falling into his arms—any man’s arms—had been the worst thing to happen to her. If not for her dad, brother, Robert, Coach, and Storm, she would have given up all hope that there was a decent man alive.
As usual, Robert led the way through the field to the edge of the woods, then onto the winding trail that would lead to the stream. There were several trails to pick from, and all of them either bordered or crossed the stream at some point. She was sure the animals had walked these trails hundreds of times and could probably do it blindfolded.
Sassy Girl, the horse she rode, had fallen into line behind Pegasus when they left the barn. Why did the horse do that? She normally fell into line behind Gunner, Coach’s horse. It was like the animal had hesitated intentionally, waiting for Pegasus to get into line. Maybe it was a previously established order. But now, when the entire group rode, Robert always led, followed by Meredith, Iris, Frannie, Coach, then her, then Peyton, and last, Storm.
A warm sensation floated through her as she thought about the watchful men in this line. Coach always followed his new family to watch over them, and Storm always followed Peyton to keep a close watch on her and their unborn child. Except today, Peyton was not along and probably wouldn’t be doing any more riding until after the baby came.
Tears formed as she thought about her overprotective brother, who now watched over her from heaven. Her heart ached. God, she missed him. She glanced over her shoulder. Storm smiled. She did the same before refocusing forward. She appeared to have two bonus brothers in him and Coach.
She closed her eyes briefly and let the warm spring breeze wash over her face. It soothed her skin. She drew in a deep breath, and the earthy fragrance reminded her it had rained in the wee morning hours. The tension eased from her body.
Skeeter drew in another long, cleansing breath and opened her eyes. The budding vegetation would soon be in full bloom. Kentucky was beautiful in spring.
Effortlessly, the horses climbed the damp path up the hill that would take them to the narrow wooden bridge spanning high above the slender river that snaked through Robert Crown’s property. Within minutes, they’d started up the second hill. The terrain switched from lush vegetation to hardwoods with rocky formations.
Her gaze focused on the man in front of her. His dark hair touched the neckline of the black T-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders that led to a slim waist. The Crown family was excited he’d returned home. They’d talked about it for weeks. What they hadn’t talked about in front of her was the why. Why had he returned home after all this time? What was his story?
When they got to the creek, Robert stopped and dismounted his horse. He always stopped at this spot. It seemed to be everyone’s favorite place to take a rest while the horses lapped up some water.
She slid off Sassy Girl and looked up the river to the small waterfall she’d ridden to yesterday with Storm. Water cascaded over the rocky steps. It was a beautiful, mesmerizing sight.
Iris and Frannie stood at the water’s edge, dipping their hands in and giggling as they flicked water at each other. Meredith and Coach stood on either side of her horse, speaking quietly while gazing at each other like starstruck teenagers. Since they hadn’t been married all that long, Skeeter wasn’t surprised to see them looking at each other like that. She’d noticed their shared glances before.
Storm and Robert stood a short way away from her, chatting about the upcoming Kentucky Derby and contemplating who would win. That left her and Garrett. Speaking of him, where was he? She spun around to find him sitting on a large, flat rock abutting the cliff. The very spot she sometimes sat to enjoy the view and the sound of the soothing falls. The man’s eyes were closed, and his head was leaned back against the cliff. His chiseled jaw jutted out. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest. Overall, he was muscular, but not too bulky. Based on her brief time with him in the home gym, she knew he was more of a runner than a serious weightlifter type.
She watched him as his gaze shifted to the girls by the water, then to his dad and Storm, then over to the loving couple before it returned to her. He shrugged and patted the spot next to him.
“Come over. Take a seat.”
She hoped that since Garrett was made from the same mold as Coach, she’d be able to place her trust in him as well. Living under the same roof would make it near impossible not to, especially after the incident this morning with the package.
She swallowed hard. Since she’d slid off of Sassy Girl a few minutes ago, she hadn’t given a thought to the lock of her hair in the clear, plastic bag now at the sheriff’s department.
As if her feet had a mind of their own, she walked toward the handsome man resting on the rock. She sat next to him. Her body heated from the sun-warmed surface, or maybe it was from the heat emitting from Garrett’s body. Either way, the warmth soothed her, but the proximity to him made her feel uncomfortable, yet comfortable at the same time. How did that make any sense?
Garrett leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “This is nice,” he whispered.
Skeeter did the same. Her long, thick hair cushioned her head against the hard surface of the rock. The beaming sunrays warmed her cheeks. It felt good, relaxing, and for the briefest of moments, it took her mind off of Kolter, but her ugly memories of him resurfaced, ruining the moment. Instinctively, her body tensed, and her eyes popped open as she tried to rid herself of the movie-like image of Kolter on the insides of her eyelids. She reached for her hair and slid her fingers through the long strands that flowed over her shoulder to remind herself that it had grown out.
Garrett lifted his head and sat up straight as he reached over and patted her forearm.
She flinched and sprang to her feet.
His eyes widened, and he drew his hand back and held it up submissively.
“Sorry. You’re safe here. You know that, right?”
His dark gaze held hers.
She was embarrassed and relieved at the same time. Of course, she knew she was safe with her brother’s friends. Or so she’d thought until her lock of hair had arrived in a box today. Assholes like Kolter were untouchable, and the guy knew it. Why, though, couldn’t he just leave her alone? He’d won. She was out, and he still had his position in the Army.
“Skeeter?”
She refocused on Garrett. Embarrassment scorched her cheeks. This was the second time in two days that he’d seen her act like a crazy person. All he’d done was try to comfort her, and she’d gone all batshit crazy, inside and out.
She clasped her shaky hands together to hide her nervous anxiety from him, but it was of no use—he already knew she was unstable—broken.
A large hand holding the reins of a horse broke the invisible shield between her and Garrett.
“It’s time to go,” Storm said in a tone softer and more soothing than normal for a man of his size and stature as he handed her Sassy Girl’s reins.
So, he’d just witnessed her behavior as well. Had the entire family seen? One glance at Robert, and she got her answer.
With her free hand, she stroked Sassy from her forehead to her muzzle. Sassy, her pseudo shrink. The small horse with a big heart understood her. After a couple more strokes, Sassy neighed, letting her know it was time to go.
Skeeter glanced around to find the crew mounted and waiting for her. Her gaze landed on Garrett, seated high on Pegasus. He looked away. She really needed to pull her shit together, but between the incidents with Kolter and her brother’s suicide, she just didn’t seem to have the wherewithal. For Chrissake, why not? She wasn’t a weak person. She’d been in the Army for twelve years. She could hold her own.
Her lungs drained. At least she used to be able to hold her own.
She shook her head to clear her mind of her unwanted thoughts and climbed into the saddle. Sassy Girl fell into line behind Pegasus. Leaning forward, she hugged Sassy. The horse’s warmth against her torso felt nice. As if the animal understood, she offered a consoling neigh.
For the rest of the ride, Garrett never looked back. Why would he after her reaction to his simple touch? She probably scared the hell out of him.
When they returned to the barn, Coach summoned two ranch hands to take care of the horses. Normally, whoever rode the horse tended to the cooling, untacking, and grooming processes, but she supposed, like her, Coach was eager to plan their next steps regarding Kolter now that he knew where she was and evidently couldn’t stop harassing her.
She knocked on the door and, without waiting for a response, entered the room. Three sets of dark gazes clamped onto her from their huddle around Coach’s monitor.
“What are you looking at?” she asked.
“Garrett found a picture of the person who sent the package to you.”
Adrenaline rushed through her veins, and her heart hammered.
“Is it him?” she squeaked in a tone she hardly recognized as her own.
Coach shook his head. “No.”
“One of his buddies, then?”
“No,” he responded again.
Well, then, who could it be? She stepped around the weathered, wooden desk, and as if on cue, the three tall men stepped back, giving her access to view the large monitor. Leaning closer, she studied the image of a tiny-framed person in a dark hoodie handing a small package matching the size of the package she’d received this morning to the clerk. Clearly, this person was not Kolter or any of his cronies. This person was too thin and too short. It was hard to tell their height, but if the counter was of average height and the female employee was, too, the customer couldn’t be much more than just over five feet tall. Though the person’s frame was slender, it wasn’t gangly like a thin teenager. It must be a woman.
“He probably paid someone to send the package for him,” Storm said.
The comfort from the heat of the three men surrounding her let her know it would take a lot for someone to get his hands on her now. Still, someone from his inner circle, if not Kolter himself, knew where she was.
She craned her neck to look at Garrett. “How did you find this so quickly?”
His gaze darkened. “Don’t ask.”
A tinge of unease snaked up her spine. She’d heard the man possessed unrivaled computer skills. The last thing she needed was for Garrett Crown to risk getting into trouble on her behalf, but the steadfastness in his gaze told her not to ask again and to let him do his thing, because if he was anything like his brother Coach, protesting would be no use. He’d do what he needed to do to right wrongs, no matter the personal risk.
Her heart fluttered. This man, a stranger to her, would risk his reputation for her. If he got caught hacking into things he shouldn’t, would he lose his job? Probably. She couldn’t let him continue.
“Garrett, it’s not worth…” she started to say, but stopped when he held his hand up.
“This topic is not up for discussion,” he stated firmly.
Her heart beat out of control. Garrett made six—six men to prove her wrong in her assumption that all men were scum. Her dad, brother, Coach, Storm, Robert, and now Garrett. So, there was hope.
“Still, we don’t know who this is and if there is truly a connection to Colonel Kolter,” Coach said.
“Someone mailed my hair to me in a box. When the men…” She paused and swallowed hard. “When they beat me, they cut my hair. Who else would have my hair? And if it isn’t my hair, someone would have to be close to the group to know about this and then be able to find such an exact match in color. That wouldn’t be easy to do.”
“I know. I’m just saying we need to consider the option that it could be anyone—not necessarily one of the actual crew that assaulted you. We need to keep our eyes wide open,” Coach responded.
She zoned in on Garrett. “So, you got this video before we left for the horse ride?”
He nodded.
“Less than an hour after the package came. Did you get any other information? When I send a package, they ask for the recipient’s phone number or mine. Was there a phone number attached?”
Garrett looked at his brother. Coach’s gaze hit the floor for a couple of beats before he lifted it to meet hers. “Yeah, we’re going to need your phone. Garrett’s going to upload some apps that will help him trace incoming calls and remote access to your phone—and one that will track your whereabouts.” He paused and waved his hand through the air. “Never mind about the details.”
Her pulse pounded, and a quiver shook her body. She’d been using a phone on the Crown family plan. How in the hell did this person get that number?
Reluctantly, she pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it to Garrett, knowing a different phone and number would be of no use. The asshole would just get that number as well.
It pissed her off to no end that her life had come to this—that she needed tracer and tracker apps on her phone, that she was monitored every moment, that her freedom had been lost, and none of this by her own doing.
A picture of her parents flashed in her mind. She worried about them, the only people she ever called. Would Kolter eventually use them as pawns in his little game?
“Did the shipper pay with a credit card?” Skeeter asked.
“No, cash,” Garrett replied.
“Figures.”
“I know. Right now, I don’t have much more to go on.”
His grim tone matched his grim facial expression.
“So, right now we just wait for another move from him, or whoever this is?”
Garrett held up her phone. “I won’t need this long, and I have a few ideas I need to follow up on.”
Coach cleared his throat. “I have to go. Meredith, the girls, and I have to run some errands in town.”
“I’m going up to the house to check on Peyton,” Storm said.
Storm and Coach left her standing alone in the office with Garrett.
“I’ll get your phone back to you when I’m finished,” Garrett said.
At least his dismissal of her was polite after the way she’d treated him earlier.
Exiting the office, she entered the long center section of the barn lined with stalls, the office she’d just left, and several storage rooms for equipment and food for the horses. She wasn’t sure what to do with herself. This was all too much. She’d hoped the worst was behind her, but maybe not. Sassy’s neigh called out to her. She swore the horse knew her every thought and what she needed at any given moment.
After a few moments of pouring out her soul to Sassy, as she’d done several times in the past, she went outside for a breath of fresh air. She could get used to the peaceful pastures, but this wasn’t her home, and at some point, she’d have to leave this place. When that would be, she didn’t know yet, but the time would surely come.
A few minutes later, Sassy’s familiar neigh sounded and then repeated as if she were holding a conversation. That part wasn’t surprising, as the horse tended to do that. But who did she talk with?
Curiosity pulled her back to Sassy’s stall, and as she reached for the gate handle, she caught a glimpse of Garrett through the crack between the boards. He stroked Sassy’s face from her forehead to her muzzle. The horse’s big, brown, adoring gaze stayed on her suitor. She practically purred like a cat when he leaned forward and gave her a peck.
Skeeter’s heart fluttered at the sight of this man showing such affection to this horse. She knew every member of the Crown family adored this old horse. She’d belonged to their matriarch, Olivia Crown, who’d passed away many years ago.
Skeeter had come to realize the magic of Sassy Girl firsthand, having spoken to her as if she were a person more times than she could count. She’d bet her life on the fact that this horse knew and understood every word. When she cried her eyes out in this stall, the aura emitting from Sassy was like a motherly hug.
Garrett leaned back. “You’re a sweetheart, old girl. I know I’ve asked you for a lot over the years, but I need one more favor if you have it in you.”
Good heavens, the horse nodded.
“Skeeter. She really needs you.”
The second her name rolled off the man’s tongue, her eyes watered and her heartbeat kicked into high gear.
“You’ve worked wonders with all of us at some point. I know I talked to you yesterday about my problem, and I know you must be getting tired by now, but if you have one healing miracle left in you, please use it on Skeeter. If you had seen what I saw early this morning, you’d know what I mean. Forget about my earlier request. Help her instead.”
Skeeter threw her hand over her mouth to stifle her sob and ran out of the barn, not stopping until she rounded the back of the barn so no one would see her break down.
She sat on the grass with her back pressed against the barn, pulled her knees to her chest, and sobbed. She cried over her problem with Kolter and over her brother’s death, and she cried for Garrett Crown. What bothered the man so much that he’d sought solace with Sassy Girl? Her heart swelled, knowing he’d offered to put his problem aside for her.
As much as she was sick and tired of crying these days, she couldn’t seem to stop.
“Skeeter?” Garrett’s soft voice sounded.
She lifted her head to find him standing just a couple of feet away. His calming, dark gaze held hers. She sprang to her feet and threw herself into his arms, burying her face against his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
Clamping his hands at the small of her back, he held her firmly and kissed the top of her head.
“Shh, it’s okay. Everything will be fine,” he assured.
When she pulled her cheek from his torso, he followed her lead and loosened his grip, but only slightly. She leaned back and studied him. Those warm, coffee-bean-colored irises of his darkened even more.
After the way she’d responded to him when he’d touched her earlier in the day, she knew she’d have to make the first move. She stretched onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. His response was in her favor, but she wanted more than the light reaction she got, so she unclasped her arms from around his waist, gripped his shoulders, and pulled him tighter to her.
His hands cupped her face, and he tilted her head for better access. His light kisses turned firmer. She parted her lips, and he took the bait. Warmth filled her mouth and eased her pain.
Adrenaline rushed through her veins as they kissed, and kissed, and kissed. Her nerve endings hummed with delight. After what she’d experienced in the past six months—all the horrible sensations of loss, grief, inadequacy, and depression—not to mention the torment of the physical abuse, she’d give almost anything to stay in this blissful moment forever.
Garrett pulled back. “Are you okay…sure?”
She yanked him back to her, and his fabulous kisses melted her worries away.
