Protecting Her Daughter (Wrangler's Corner) (5 page)

Aaron wanted to ask more questions. She could see them in his eyes, rolling onto the tip of his tongue, and weariness swept over her. She didn’t want to answer any more questions. Not now. She stood. “I’m just going to check on Sophia.”

He nodded. “Sure.”

She went to Sophia’s room, her mind spinning, emotions scattered. She had to get herself together. Talking about her past had shaken her. She didn’t need to reveal any more of herself to this man. She was leaving. She had to take Sophia and they had to run. There was no sense in pouring her heart out to Aaron in her den. No point in getting to know him or letting him get to know her. Being vulnerable didn’t sit well with her. She wasn’t comfortable with it.

She walked into Sophia’s room and found her daughter asleep, arms wrapped around her favorite stuffed animal. She looked so peaceful Zoe didn’t bother her. She just backed out and shut the door leaving it cracked so she could hear if Sophia called out to her.

For a moment she simply stood in the hallway and pressed her forehead to the doorjamb.
Lord, please show me how to protect my child, help me to be wise in the choices I make and the people I trust.

Because she knew that if she didn’t have some divine intervention, things were not going to end well for her or Sophia.

* * *

Aaron fielded the numerous texts from his family members while he waited for Zoe to return. With sadness in his heart, he realized she’d texted and called no one to tell about her ordeal. His family might drive him crazy sometimes, but at least they were there. It was a huge comfort to know he could count on them and that they loved him unconditionally. Just like they all loved his sister, Amber, and were glad to see her when she put in an appearance, but didn’t expect her to be around much.

He couldn’t imagine being so terribly alone in the world. And he wanted to help Zoe, he really did.

He’d meant it when he said that she had help, that he and Clay and Lance would work with her to figure out who was behind the attack here at the ranch, but he needed to put the brakes on his attraction for her. No, more than that, he needed to bury it. Deep. He’d picked up on her reticence to share about herself with him and he couldn’t help but wonder why. She was hiding something, but what? He rubbed his eyes. It didn’t matter. Falling for the single mom would be a huge mistake. Hadn’t he already learned that lesson?

She stepped back into the den and took her seat on the couch. She’d changed into sweats and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her sleeves hung midpalm, and she looked comfortable. And vulnerable. And incredibly attractive. “Sophia fell asleep,” she murmured.

“She’s had a long day.”

“Mmm. Yes. A traumatic one. I pray she doesn’t have nightmares.”

“Or you, either. Are you going to be able to sleep?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I might doze, but I’ll probably sit in the recliner with Mr. Updike’s .45 Winchester.”

“You know how to use it?”

“I wouldn’t touch it if I didn’t.” Her eyes flashed. “And I won’t be caught without a weapon again.”

He lifted a brow, and a deep respect started to build. She might need help, but she’d do her best to help herself, as well. Looking at her now, he couldn’t imagine he’d thought her fragile or helpless. The vulnerability had disappeared with the lift of her chin and now he thought she looked strong and capable. As well as intensely determined. “Good,” he said and stood. “I guess I’ll head on home.” He spotted a pad and pen by the recliner and snagged the items. He wrote on the top sheet of the pad. “Here’s my cell number and my parents’ landline number. And here’s Clay’s personal cell number.” He set the pad back on the table. “If you need anything at all, just call and someone will be here before you can hang up, all right?”

He saw her blink back tears. She nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Zoe.” He grabbed his coat. Once he had his gloves on, he looked back at her and swallowed. Her eyes beckoned. He could see the fear still lingering. “You’ll be safe tonight.”

“Yes, tonight.”

He backed toward the door. He had to get out of there before he did something stupid like take her in his arms and hug her. Or kiss her. He nearly tripped, righted himself and closed his hand around the door knob. He cleared his throat. “I’m just going to check on the heifer and the calf, and then I’ll be on my way.”

“Of course. Thank you again for everything, Aaron. I know how much I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me a thing. Get some rest.” He forced his gaze away from the shimmer of her dark eyes. With supreme effort, he opened the door and walked out.

The sharp wind hit him full in the face and he shivered. He might be used to the bitter cold, but that didn’t mean he liked it. Picturing himself on a tropical beach, playing in the sand with Sophia or swimming in the surf with Zoe, he pulled his scarf from his pocket and wrapped it so that the cold didn’t cut as bad. Then he blinked the images from his head. If he was going to bury his attraction for Zoe, he couldn’t be imagining beach days with her. He looked around. But if they did wind up somewhere, it would definitely be a beach. No skiing. He was ready for warm weather. But not with Zoe. No way. That kind of thinking would only lead to heartache.

The snow had stopped for now, but the way the air smelled said there was more to come.

He spotted the Wrangler’s Corner police cruisers. One was positioned strategically near the barn with a view of the back of the house and one right out front. He squinted and waved. Ronnie Hart, who had a good view of the back of the building, waved back. A new deputy who’d been hired about a month ago, Ginny Garrison, also lifted a hand in acknowledgement then typed something into the computer she had open on the tray attached to the dash.

Probably making note of his departure. He walked over to Ronnie, and the man lowered his window. “Thanks for watching out for her.”

“No problem. Nice job out there on the mountain.”

He still couldn’t believe he’d shot the man. Pete. The man had a name. “I couldn’t let him shoot Lance.”

“For sure. Maybe you should hang up your stethoscope and go to the police academy.”

Aaron laughed but it had little humor. “No way. I’m happy being a vet.” He nodded in the direction of the barn. “I’m just going to check on Lily and then I’m heading home.” He glanced back at the house and saw the flickering of the television through the curtains. So sleep wouldn’t come any time soon for her. He wondered if she would actually be able to doze off.

“You think those guys will be back?”

Aaron looked back at Ronnie. “Yes. Unfortunately, I do.”

Ronnie nodded and patted his weapon. “Then we’ll be ready.”

Aaron’s jaw tightened and he felt for the weapon he’d retrieved from the kitchen table where it had been left when everyone scattered from the house earlier. The weight of it against his side brought comfort, reassurance. “Yes. Yes, we will.”

SIX

Z
oe couldn’t bring herself to sleep in her room. Instead she’d lain down beside Sophia and figured she’d spare the child waking in the middle of the night to come find her. Careful not to disturb the still-sleeping Sophia, she rolled over to check the clock.

Seven forty-five.

So she’d actually slept. She really hadn’t thought she would, but having the two deputies outside had allowed her adrenaline to settle down. She slid out from underneath the covers. Goose bumps pebbled her skin, and she shivered. She needed to bump the heat up a notch.

On sock-covered feet, she padded to the window and pushed the curtain aside to peer out. She could see Lance sitting in the cruiser sipping coffee from a thermos cup. A light dusting of snow covered the car. Ronnie must have left and Lance had taken over sometime during the night. He glanced up, saw her looking and lifted a hand. She waved back, then released the curtain and let it fall back into place. She walked to the thermostat, knocked the heat up two degrees then hurried to her room at the opposite end of the hall.

After a quick shower, she went to her room and pulled on warm clothes, a hat and her boots. As she dressed, she thought about her situation. How had she gotten to this point? Whom had she made so mad that he or she wanted to kill her? It made no sense and only made her brain hurt to think about so she switched gears to breakfast. She mentally ran down the list of the items in her refrigerator and decided she had enough food for everyone. The least she could do was feed the two deputies who’d spent the majority of their night watching over her house. But the animals came first. When she stepped outside, Lance opened the door to his cruiser to join her. “Everything all right?”

She shot him a smile and let her gaze roam the area. “Yes, as of right now, everything is fine. I just have to take care of the animals.”

As they were speaking, Aaron’s SUV pulled into the drive. Her heart flipped and she had no choice but to acknowledge that she was glad to see him this morning. He parked next to Lance, climbed out and shut the door. When he turned, his blue eyes landed on her and flashed with pleasure. “Morning, y’all.”

So. He was as glad to see her as she was him. Butterflies swarmed and she crossed her arms even as she nodded. “Morning.” She couldn’t fall for him. She couldn’t. He was a good man. A good man who deserved a good woman. A woman who didn’t bring danger and heartbreak with her. She cleared her throat.

“I haven’t heard otherwise so I’m guessing you had a quiet night?” he said.

He’d been worried. “It was quiet, thanks. I’m just headed to the barn to take care of the animals. If you’ll give me about thirty minutes, I’ll fix you all breakfast.”

Lance’s brow rose. “Sounds good to me. If Aaron and I help you, you’ll finish faster.”

She smiled. “Hungry?”

“Starved. I’ll do just about anything legal for a home-cooked meal. Just ask Mrs. Starke.”

Zoe laughed. “Come on then. We can knock this out in no time.”

The three worked together in the barn caring for the animals. She let the horses out into the pasture, filled the barn cats’ bowls with water and food and made sure most of the stalls were clean for the horses’ return. There were two horses who needed a little extra attention, but she had hungry men on her hands so she’d do the other two later. They could wait an hour or so.

Aaron checked on the calf and the new mother. The little one nudged up against his mother looking for his breakfast. Zoe watched them and smiled. “I love animals. They have so few expectations, want so little. Food, water and a warm place to sleep.”

He looked up. “We should all be that way, huh?”

She shrugged. “Maybe. Right now, all I want is my child to be safe and I want to stay alive so I can take care of her.”

“We’re going to make that happen.”

She blinked against the sudden surge of tears and drew in a deep breath. She needed a change of subject. “Sophia’s excited to come out and see the calf. They seem to be doing well.”

“They’re doing great,” he said. “When it warms up a bit, we’ll let them out in the pasture with the others.”

Aaron ran a gloved hand down the calf’s back, his touch gentle and caring. She wondered what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that tenderness.

Actually, she already knew the answer to that question. Hadn’t he held her in the cave when she’d been afraid? Hadn’t he treated Sophia with the utmost gentleness and caring when she’d been so afraid?

Zoe rubbed her head where the beginning of a headache threatened. What was she thinking? She needed to focus on keeping Sophia safe and figuring out who was after her, not daydreaming about romance with a man. And this man in particular. She looked up and his gaze snagged hers. “Thank you, Aaron. For everything.” She knew she sounded like a broken record with her thanks, but she wanted to make sure he understood how much she appreciated him and his efforts.

His eyes softened further. “You’re welcome.” His gloved hand ensnared hers, and he gave it a little squeeze. Her heart thudded a little faster, and she returned the squeeze even as her brain sent warning signals about getting too close to him. “Come on, I’m starving,” he said.

“Me, too. Let’s get cleaned up and we’ll eat.”

She stood at the kitchen sink, letting the water warm up as she tried to steer her thoughts from the fact that the good-looking vet had stolen his way into her heart in such a short period of time. She sighed and finished washing up then let the men do the same while she got started on breakfast. Twenty minutes later she had bacon, eggs and pancakes on platters. Pitchers of orange juice sat on the table and the coffee finished dripping into the carafe. She pulled the plates down and set the table. Then she hauled down enough glasses and placed them next to the plates.

Aaron entered the kitchen and lifted his nose, testing the air. “Something sure smells good.”

“There’s plenty, too. Could you get that bottle of syrup from the pantry for me?”

“Sure.” He crossed to the room and opened the pantry door. She moved to grab the salt and pepper from beside the stove, and they both turned at the same time. Her nose bumped his hard bicep, and she lost her balance. His free arm came around her waist and kept her from bouncing back into the stove. “You okay?”

His musky scent wafted over her. The strength of his arms gave her security. His nearness made her yearn for things she’d been trying to put from her mind. And now it was all back and she had to ignore it all again. She swallowed. “I’m fine.” He let her go. Reluctantly, she thought. “Let’s dig in.” She moved away from Aaron and stepped to the window to wave to Ginny who still sat in the cruiser watching the area.

Ginny came inside, and Zoe started moving the platters of food to the table. She was reaching for the pitcher of orange juice when Aaron’s hand brushed hers. She froze for a slight second and let the sensation wash through her. When she looked up, he gave her a faint smile. “I’ll get it.”

She gave a little nod. He’d done that on purpose. He knew he unsettled her and was having a little fun with it. She couldn’t say she minded. “Okay. Thank you.”

Sophia came into the kitchen rubbing her eyes and yawning. She stopped mid-yawn when she saw everyone at the table. Zoe walked over and smoothed her child’s bed hair. “We’ve got company.”

Sophia shrugged. “Hi.”

Aaron slid out of the chair beside him. “Wanna sit with me?”

“Sure.” Sophia climbed into the chair next to him and studied him. “How’s the baby calf?”

“She’s doing just fine. Her mama is taking good care of her.”

Sophia scratched her nose and looked at Zoe. “Just like my mama takes care of me.”

“Exactly.”

“And you do, too.”

“I do?”

“Yes. You protected us from the men shooting at us so I think that qualifies as taking care of us.” Zoe choked on a laugh and turned away to hide her grin. Then she heard Sophia again. “Did you stay outside of my house all night?” She shifted her gaze slightly and saw that Sophia was talking to Ginny and Lance.

“All night,” Ginny said as she dumped a helping of eggs onto her plate. She licked her lips. “And it was worth it. I’d take this in place of my regular paycheck any day.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that on to Clay,” Lance said.

Ginny snickered. “I’ll deny it.”

Lance grinned. “Too late. I’ve got witnesses. Right, Sophia?”

Sophia’s gaze darted back and forth between the two. “I’ll take the fifth.”

Lance, Ginny and Aaron cracked up and Aaron tweaked Sophia’s nose. “Where did you hear that?”

“My daddy said it one time when mama asked him if he liked the new dish she’d fixed for dinner one night.”

“Smart man,” Lance murmured.

“He’d have been smarter if he’d just said he liked it if you ask me.” More laughter, and Sophia beamed at being the center of attention.

Zoe heard their banter and even smiled at Sophia’s precociousness. But she couldn’t help the shudder that ripped through her at the memory of why the deputies were needed at her home. It was all well and good to be friends with them, but friendship wasn’t why they were here.

Zoe sat at the table and stared at the people who surrounded her. Good people. People who didn’t even really know her, but had fought to keep her and Sophia safe. A lump of gratitude wanted to form in her throat, but she forced it back and took a bite of the eggs.

“Mmm, this is amazing,” Ginny said. “My sister would love this.”

“Who’s your sister?” Sophia asked.

“Her name is Tracy.”

“Where is she?”

Sadness flickered in Ginny’s eyes, making Zoe curious. Ginny finally said, “She’s at a special home in Nashville.”

“What kind of special home?” Sophia asked.

“It’s for people who have special needs.”

“Like what?” Sophia asked.

“Honey—” Zoe tried to stop the line of questioning, but Ginny shook her head.

“It’s okay. I don’t get a chance to talk about her much. Tracy is mentally disabled, which just means her brain works in different ways than yours and mine.”

“I know what you mean.” Sophia nodded. “There’s a boy like that in my class. My teacher says he’s special needs. His name is Todd and he’s got Down Syndrome plus he stutters. But I like him cuz he’s nice and he picked up my paper for me when Jordan pushed it off my desk.” Sophia stabbed her eggs. “I like Todd a lot better than Jordan.”

Ginny’s eyes softened. “Then you understand. Tracy’s a great girl. You’d like her.”

“How old is she?”

“She’s twenty. She’ll be twenty-one next month.”

“Maybe you can take me to meet her some day. We can take her some of my mom’s cooking. She’d probably like that.”

Ginny let out a small laugh. “You’re right about that.”

Sophia turned her attention back to her food, and Ginny continued to express her pleasure at the breakfast treat.

But Zoe couldn’t seem to relax and enjoy the food. In fact, if she were eating sawdust she might not recognize the difference. Indecision and uncertainty swarmed within her. What should she do now? She looked up and found Aaron watching her.

He gave her a small frown. “You okay?”

She nodded but couldn’t answer. She looked away then back up. Glanced between him and Lance and Ginny. “So what happens now? I mean you can’t stay outside my house all night every night. What are my options?”

Lance put his fork down and wiped his mouth with the napkin. “Clay’s asked me to head the investigation. His wife is due any day now so he’s sticking close to home. We need to look at your background, any enemies you might have formed. Is there anyone who’d come looking for revenge for any reason?”

Zoe swallowed hard. Her background. How she didn’t want to have to go there. “I had a few pretty wild teenage years,” she said softly, “but nothing that would send someone after me after all this time. I haven’t been in touch with anyone from high school in years.”

“What about college?”

She shrugged and shook her head. “No, by the time I got to college, I’d cleaned up my act and had my head on straight. My parents’ divorce was ugly. I was messed up and confused about a lot of things. And then I met Nan Livingston. She saw something in me that she decided was worth investing in. Because of her, I was able to dream, develop goals and plans and I knew that if I wanted to achieve those then I had to focus. So I did.” That was the simple version, but all truth. Thinking about Nan brought a pang of grief, sharp and fast. It pained Zoe to think of what Nan would say about her current spiritual state.

“What about your husband?” Aaron asked. “He was killed in a wreck a year ago, right?”

“Yes.”

“Was he involved in anything that he shouldn’t have been a part of?”

She was shaking her head before he finished the question. “No way. Trevor was as straight as they come. A rule follower to the nth degree. There was only black and white for him, and he never deviated from doing the right thing.” She knew now that was why she’d been so drawn to him. She’d craved the stability she saw in him. “I met him in college, and we hit it right off. We got married six months after we met and then had Sophia. He was a good man.” She looked at Sophia who was listening with wide eyes. “And a great dad.”

“I miss him,” Sophia said with a sigh. “I miss going with him and Grandpop to see Thunderbolt race.”

“I know, baby.”

“Thunderbolt?” Aaron asked.

“Our horse,” Zoe said. “Or rather, Trevor’s. He enjoyed owning a racehorse. Trevor and Alexander, Trevor’s father, would take Sophia to the racetrack to cheer on Thunderbolt. It was something they all did together.” She smiled. “There was no gambling involved, Trevor didn’t believe in it. But he loved to watch the horses race.”

“Grandpop told Daddy he should sell Thunderbolt and get his money while he had a winner, but I’m glad he didn’t.”

“I am, too.” Zoe ran a finger down her little girl’s cheek. “Trevor took a lot of pleasure in that horse. The fact that he got to spend time with his father and Sophia doing something he loved just made it that much sweeter.” She gave a little shrug. “So, no. This has nothing to do with Trevor. I don’t know
what
it has to do with, but it’s not him.”