When It's Right (19 page)

“I didn't mean to get you into trouble with the police.” His eyes glassed over, and his bottom lip trembled.

She rubbed her hand over his soft hair. “I'm not in trouble, honey. I owe you an apology. I punished you, and you didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry I overreacted. You can watch TV tonight, and I'll take you down to see Honey.”

“Really?” He bounced onto his knees on the bed.

She could leave things alone, and he'd be happy with his privileges back, but she owed him an explanation.

“It must be confusing why your teacher wouldn't let you talk about why you think I'm your hero.”

“You are my hero. You stopped him from hurting me. He can't hurt you anymore either. He was going to kill you. He said so. The police said you didn't do anything wrong.”

“I didn't. I protected myself. I protected you. I didn't have a choice.” Their father took the choice out of her hands when he pulled the gun on her.

Justin's steady gaze met hers. “I wanted him to die. I didn't want him to hurt you ever again.”

“Oh, honey. I can understand that, but it isn't right to want someone to die. He needed help. He was not himself when he took drugs and drank all the time.”

“Taking drugs is bad,” Justin confirmed.

Proud of him for remembering that lesson, she hoped it held through his teenage years, when he'd be at risk for starting a habit that could ruin his life, like it had ruined both their parents'. She worried about that and would remain diligent about reinforcing the lesson over the years.

“Miss Crane was concerned today because talking about how our dad died might scare the other kids. They don't know what it's like to live with someone like him. They didn't understand that he was trying to hurt us. Miss Crane didn't know what happened in San Francisco, and she wanted to make sure you were safe.”

The pictures he'd drawn told Gillian that he still had a lot stored up inside him.

“Are you still scared? Do you think about it a lot?”

“Not really. Not anymore. I like it here with the horses and Blake.”

“Is there something about what happened with Dad that you don't understand, or that you want to ask me about?”

“No. I'm glad he's gone, and we live here now. It's better.”

“I like it here, too.” So, he wasn't harboring anything inside him that should concern her. He'd drawn the pictures of what happened and wanted everyone to know that she'd helped him. Sometimes it was that simple. She hoped it was that simple in this case.

“Okay. I think it would be a good idea if you didn't tell the other kids or anyone about what happened anymore. You can always talk to me or Grandma and Grandpa, but other ­people might not understand what happened. Okay?”

“Okay.” He sat up and hugged her. “When are they coming home? Blake said he'd take me fishing at the river.”

“They should be home tomorrow night. About Blake, does it bother you that Blake and I are getting close?”

“He's your boyfriend.”

She hadn't thought of it in those terms. Every day, they'd find as many moments as they could to be alone on the busy ranch. Blake was great at kissing her senseless. Boyfriend? Yeah, he was her boyfriend.

“We like being together. He's very nice to me.”

“He watches you.”

“He does?”

“All the time. When you aren't looking, he stares at you. He told me that he likes you a lot. He said he wouldn't take you away from me and that it would always be the three of us.”

“He said that to you.” News to her. Such a thoughtful thing to do, reassuring Justin he'd always have a place with them. It made her heart ache even more to see him. If she hadn't loved him before, she loved him just for that.

“He wanted to be sure I knew that I'm the most important person to you.”

Her eyes filled with tears. Blake knew her so well. Justin was her child even if he was her brother. That Blake got her, understood her, made all the difference. When that man got home, she'd make sure he understood how important he was to her.

“You are and will always be the most important person to me, buddy. I love you. Let's go see Honey?”

“I promised Grandma Dee I'd pick the green beans and tomatoes in the garden.”

She ran her hand over his hair and kissed his forehead. “I'll go down and check on Boots. We'll see Honey after you do your chores. Maybe one of the grooms will saddle a horse for us. We'll go for a short ride in the south pasture.”

“Awesome!” Justin scrambled off the bed. He headed for the door but rushed back and hugged her. She held him tight.

Now, she needed Blake to come home so they could clear the air and she could get her hands on him.

 

Chapter 20

T
he horses in the stables kicked at the ground and at their gates, huffing and making strange, distressed whinnies. Gillian ran inside the huge doors. She stood for a second, letting her eyes adjust to the darker interior. One horse's upset agitated the other horses. She swept her gaze along the aisle and all the horses poking their heads over the gates. Ken stood in Boots's stall door, a rope in one hand and a whip in the other. The rope was looped around Boots's neck. Every time Ken pulled, the rope tightened. He tried to pull Boots out of the stall, but only succeeded in choking the immobile horse. Frustrated, he struck Boots on the shoulder with the whip. Boots tried to rear up and use his hooves to strike Ken. He pulled tighter on the rope around Boots's neck and kept him down on the ground. Boots's eyes went wide and wild as he struggled to back away.

Ken held the whip high to strike Boots again. “Stop!” Gillian ran between Ken and Boots. The stick whip caught her on the shoulder and sliced her skin. Blood ran down her arm, but she ignored the piercing sting. Adrenaline masked the pain. Her focus sharpened on Ken's surprised and irritated face.

He grabbed her forearm and tried to pull her out of the way. “Are you crazy? This horse could kill you. You can't get in front of him like that when he's trying to rear.”

“Let him go.” She stood her ground between him and Boots. She grabbed his hand and tried to pry his fingers from the rope, but he kept his grip tight. She gave up the futile attempt to free Boots and stepped closer to Ken, getting right in his face, despite being several inches shorter than him. Size never stopped her when it came to her father, and it wouldn't stop her with an arrogant asshole animal abuser.

“Boots is my responsibility. He doesn't like anyone handling him but me. Back off.”

“No. This horse comes from champion stock. He used to race well before he was dumped in a pasture to rot. He's healthy now. You've got him working well on a lead. It's time he got back to racing. I'm putting a rider on him today. I'll work him back to the track.”

“No, you won't. Boots is mine. He won't do anything for you, especially if you hit him into submission. Can you really be this stupid? Boots was abused. Do you really think hurting him more will make him cooperate? Idiot.”

Darkness filled his eyes. They settled on her, but she didn't back down.

“It's not your call. I'm the trainer. He's a racehorse, and it's time he earned his keep. Back off, woman. You don't know anything about training and racing horses.”

His hot, angry gaze swept over her and landed on her breasts for too long before he met her gaze again. The man didn't respect her. He just wanted her on her back, kowtowing to his every dirty need. Her stomach soured, but she held her ground, not giving an inch, because he'd take it and back her into a corner if given even a glimpse of weakness.

“I said no.”

Ken pulled the rope from Boots's neck and walked out of the stall with Gillian on his heels. He turned, and she came up short. He reached over her shoulder and slammed the door closed at her back. She expected another argument about Boots. She never expected him to walk toward her and make her stumble back, smacking into the stall door. He loomed over her, only a few inches separating them. She planted her palm on his chest to keep him back and glared up at him, hoping her bravado lasted.

“I love it when your eyes flash fire.”

Gillian's arm vibrated from the thrill that went through his body. Her gut burned and her heart raced.

“That's right, baby. I like seeing that heat in your eyes. I'll bet you're a hellcat in the sack. Does Blake have what it takes to make you burn? Tell me, baby, does he make you come until you scream.” Her eyes shifted away, making him laugh. He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “No. He hasn't put his hands on your skin. I can feel you tremble. You want it, don't you? You want me. I can make you burn, baby.”

“The only thing you make me want to do is throw up.”

“Liar. Blake's not here. Stop pretending you don't want me, like you do when he's around.”

Delusional, asshole.

She kept her eyes steady on his, hoping he saw her anger and not the fear rising from her gut to choke off her throat.

Jeff, the trainer who helped her with Boots, walked into the stables. Ken heard his footsteps and stilled. His eyes narrowed, and he scrunched his lips. “Too bad, time's up,” he whispered. “Maybe another time.” Disappointment and a promise filled his eyes, giving her the willies.

Jeff drew closer, his eyes narrowing on her legs, the only part of her he could see behind Ken's body while she peeked out at him from between Ken's arm and body. “Gillian, Blake's on the phone in the office. He wants to talk to you.”

Gillian tried to sound normal. She hoped the fear she felt didn't come out in her voice. “I'm coming.”

Ken kept his back to Jeff. She planted both hands on his chest and shoved. Surprisingly, he didn't budge. A knowing smile bloomed on his face. More feral than tame. His taunting chuckle made her blood boil.

He finally stepped back. His gaze dipped to her shoulder, and his eyes went wide. “Damn, baby, I didn't think I hit you that hard,” he whispered, his voice hesitant. The first sign he might actually be nervous about what he'd done.

Gillian glanced at the blood running down the outside of her arm to her pinky and dripping on the concrete.

“I didn't mean to hit you. You know that.” His initial apologetic tone turned to ice. “Say otherwise, and I'll make you regret it. Keep your damn mouth shut.”

“What's going on here?” Jeff stood to the side of Ken, his gaze sweeping over her face and bloodied arm. He narrowed his eyes on Ken and the long stick in Ken's hand. “Where the hell did that come from? We do not use whips on this ranch.”

Ken's bravado returned, and he faced off with Jeff. “It's mine. It's a tool for the way I train horses.”

“Blake won't approve you using that on any of the horses.” He made a point of looking at Gillian's bloody arm.

Her stomach tightened with dread. The last thing she wanted was for this to turn into a fight. Her grandfather would fire them both. She liked Jeff and wanted him to stay. Even though she disliked Ken, the last thing she wanted to do was make Ken an enemy.

“Blake hired me to do my job. He never specified how he wanted it done, so long as the horses win. I believe my horse, Kit, placed third. Blake and Bud will both be happy. That's what matters.”

Jeff eyed Ken, making it obvious with a frown he didn't like the man. Gillian agreed. She'd given him the benefit of the doubt up until now. A little too cocky for his own good, Ken didn't take direction well and thought he could make others do his work for him. If the way he treated her was any indication, he had no respect for women.

“Blake's horses all placed first or second, and he never uses a whip or anything else that will harm the horses,” Jeff pointed out.

“Yeah, well, Blake won't let anyone work with the best horses on the ranch. He gave me Kit, but it isn't like Kit is a top-­of-­the-­line Thoroughbred. Third is better than anything he's ever done.”

Jeff kept his mouth shut. All the horses on the ranch came from impeccable bloodlines. “What are you doing in here? You've got a rider waiting in one of the training rings.”

“I came in to get Boots, but Gillian has a soft spot for the beast and had a hissy fit about me taking him.”

“Boots belongs to her.”

“Boots belongs to Three Peaks Ranch. He's a racehorse. He's only three and can be trained to race again. His bloodlines are some of the finest on the ranch. He should be racing and making this ranch money.”

“You mean you want to train him. If he comes through and is as good as his lines, you want your share of the purse. You don't want Blake getting his hands on Boots and making him a champion while you're working with horses that only place third.”

Ken closed the distance and got right in Jeff's face. “We both know who the better trainer is.”

Jeff smiled and held his ground as Gillian had done with Ken. “Yes, we do.” He turned to her, his eyes wide when he realized they'd blocked her in against the gate. “Gillian, go into the office and take your call. Blake's waiting and anxious to talk to you.”

More than ready to bolt, Gillian held her hands tightly together in front of her and rushed past the two men, heading for the office door, thankful Jeff had come along when he had.

“That's a nasty cut. There's a first-­aid kit in the office. Clean that up and put a bandage over it,” Jeff called as she continued to walk away.

“What were you two doing?” Jeff asked.

Ken ignored Jeff's glare. “Nothing,” he hedged, unwilling to explain himself.

“You better hope Blake doesn't hear about
nothing
. He'll fire you. He and Bud made it clear, Gillian is off limits.”

Ken stabbed his finger into Jeff's chest. “You should keep your nose out of other ­people's business. You walked in on something, but you don't know what really happened. It's between Gillian and me, so leave it alone.”

Ken stormed out of the stables.

Jeff walked into
the office and stopped several feet away, staring at her cut arm.

“I thought you said Blake was on the phone.” She staunched the blood with a tissue.

“You saw me walk in from outside. I only said that to get Ken to leave you alone. What's going on? Why are you bleeding?”

“Ken tried to take Boots out of his stall by force. I got in the way.” Jeff's frown deepened. She shrugged his concern away now that she'd had time to calm down. “Blake will be back tonight, and Ken will mellow. He was just trying to take advantage of Blake's absence.”

She thought about what Ken had said about Boots. Bloodlines meant a lot in horse racing. “Let me ask you something. Is Boots really capable of becoming a champion racehorse?”

“Sure. He raced when he was a one-­year-­old. I understand he did quite well before he was bought and used for stud. You've seen him run in the training ring. That's nothing. He wants to race. You can see it.”

She could see it. She felt it every time she let him take the lead and go as fast as he wanted. A good horse, he minded her commands with little coaxing.

“Do you think Blake would let me work with him? Maybe I can get him saddled and put a rider on him.” Jeff had taught her what she needed to do, and she'd spent weeks watching Blake.

“Boots is yours. At least, that's how Blake put it. Bud agrees. His only intention when he rescued Boots was to make him healthy. I don't see why you can't try. I'd say that you'd have a better chance of getting up on him than anyone. You're a good rider. Even the first time Blake got you in a saddle, you seemed to have been born to it. I saw you last night with Justin. You look like you could handle anything.”

“I love to ride. Who knew a city girl like me could take to horseback riding so easily?”

“You're a country girl through and through. There's no city shine on you. Not when you've got dirt on your boots and hay in your hair.” When she reached up to clean her hair, Jeff smiled. “Just kidding about the hay.”

He leaned against the desk. Relaxed, her hands steadier, she didn't feel the need to back away.

“I don't like the way Ken had you backed up against the stall door.”

“I didn't like it either. Trust me, it won't happen again.” That was the second time he'd managed to back her into a corner. Next time, she'd come out fighting.

“Things looked pretty intense when I came in.”

“Why did you come in?” She wanted to distract him from talking more about Ken.

“There's something wrong with one of the trucks. Blake mentioned you'd worked in a garage. I thought maybe you could take a look. You seem to be good at everything you do.”

“I don't know about that.” But she appreciated the compliment. “I'm not exactly a mechanic, but I'll see what I can do.”

Jeff left her alone to finish cleaning up her arm and wrapping a bandage over the cut. Done and feeling her confidence return, she headed out to the truck Jeff left parked out back. She figured out the problem fairly quickly and found what she needed inside the toolshed. She spent an hour replacing the blown spark plug, adjusting the timing belt, and changing the oil.

She screwed the oil plug back on. Someone grabbed her feet and pulled her out from under the truck.

Ken dropped on her hips, grabbed her hands, and pinned them on the ground by her head. He leaned over and blocked the sun from her eyes. She struggled, but the worst she could do was glare.

“Aw, there's that fire.”

He leaned down and took her mouth in a hard, demanding kiss. When he pulled back and stared down at her with a smug smile on his face, she dipped her head and wiped her mouth on her shoulder.

“I knew you'd taste like honey.”

She'd heard him spout off about his conquests. The man truly believed he was God's gift to women.

“Get the fuck off of me, you bastard!” She struggled to get him off her, but the more she moved her hips to buck him off, the more he laughed. With a supreme act of will to control her fear, she went limp and lay still, waiting to see what he would do. She could scream, but he was just the type to pop her in the mouth if she did.

Justin should be here any minute, his chores done, ready to go for another ride like they did last night after their talk. She didn't want him to find her screaming her head off. She didn't want Ken to remind him of their father.

“Get off, or I'll scream.”

“Justin finished working in the garden and ran up to the house to wash his hands. He'll be here soon. You'll keep your mouth shut because you don't want him telling Blake how cozy the two of us look right now.”