He promised to stay in touch and then phoned Rio.
“I haven’t been to the office today,” Rio said, yawning.“I’ll go in tomorrow.”
“No, stay home with Becca,” Ben said.“She’ll need you now.”
“I know.I’m not gonna lie.Things are in turmoil in the office.The advent of the new guys due in has turned the place upside down.”
“Crap.It’ll be a lot worse once they arrive.”Ben tapped a pen on the table.
“How are things going up there?”Rio asked.“Have you found that asshole yet?”A baby wailed in the background.
“No.”Ben felt it prudent not to mention the escalating violence and decided for now to keep that under his hat.“But I’m stuck to Sarah’s side.”
Rio chuckled.“How’s that working out for you?”
Ben scratched his chin.“She’s got your ornery streak, all right, but not nearly as bad.”He glanced into the adjacent kitchen and saw an aproned Sarah stirring something on the stove.“Listen, handle things as best as you can.I’ll be back when this jerk is thrown in jail.”
Ben disconnected and felt the pressure of his growing business missing its linchpin: him.When he wasn’t there, things often went to hell, even with the capable Rio left in charge.Adding to the mix were the births of Rio’s children, andhisabsence as well.
Ben rubbed his forehead.So far, except for the attack on Annie, the perpetrator threatening Sarah had taken no false steps, but he would.Criminals always did.He just hoped it would be soon.
Again, he glanced into the kitchen, saw Sarah dip a spoon into a sauce and taste it.Delicious scents of cooking ground beef and bubbling tomato sauce filled the house.She set the spoon aside and added more herbs.
Light from the window fell on her face.Her profile was flawless, and her head-on look was flawless ...and her sideways look was ...well, she was perfect all the way around.Her beauty notwithstanding, Sarah was tough and bright.She took care of her dad, the ranch, and did everything she could for the townspeople.Their devotion to her was obvious.He liked her more every minute they spent together, and he’d only been there two nights.What would he feel like after spending more days with her?Or weeks?
Or nights in bed together?
Abruptly, he found he really wanted to have that time.He wanted to with a desire approaching desperation.
She wasn’t just a person—albeit a wildly attractive one—to protect anymore.A glow from within seemed to animate her.She was unique.Alive.Nothing bad could be allowed to happen.So tomorrow night when that asshat Travis Butler arrived to take her on a motherfuckingdate, yeah, he’d be right there every step.
At dinnertime, Sarah served homemade spaghetti sauce over pasta, a green salad, and fragrant garlic bread.“You’re an amazing cook,” Ben told her and meant it.She was incredible.
The next day he spent shadowing her as she performed chores around the ranch.She helped Willie build the chicken coop, so he pitched in.She made certain the alfalfa field was properly watered, so he wrangled the watering system.She wanted to varnish the front steps, so he grabbed a paintbrush.
As evening approached, she disappeared into her room.She showered and changed into a sundress which showed off her tanned arms and slender shape.She did her hair in a loose messy bun at her nape, leaving several silky tendrils escaping to dust her shoulders.
Seeing her emerge from her room, Ben felt the green monster rise up and take a massive crunching bite.He didn’t like to think he hated anyone, but in that moment, he truly hated Travis Butler.
Sarah had prettied herself up for another man.Thatstung.He wanted her to freshen herself, do her hair, wear a nice dress forhim.All those things a woman did when she wanted to please a man, he wanted that for himself.
He wanted her.Nothing new there.He gazed at her hungrily.
Carrying only a small handbag, she said to Big Jim, “There’re plenty of leftovers in the fridge for you and Ben to warm up for your dinners.”She dropped a kiss on Jim’s cheek and waved casually to Ben.
He watched as Butler pulled up to the driveway in a four-door sedan, got out to open Sarah’s door, and make a U-turn.
Ben waited only a moment to grab his rental truck’s keys.Sarah didn’t want him along, but that was tough.She was his charge and by damn, he’d go.She didn’t have to know everything.
As the tail end of Butler’s sedan disappeared down the driveway, Ben hopped in his truck.He waited, out of sight, until they’d passed through the gate and it closed behind them.Then he followed.
Because there were few vehicles on the road and dusk was descending on the evening, the road was open, which meant Ben had to keep more concealing distance between them than he liked.
Butler’s sedan was a good hundred yards in the lead when out of nowhere, Ben saw a big, double-cabbed pickup truck with enormous tires suddenly pull onto the road.The windows were tinted dark and gleaming, like the eyes of a hunting beast.The oversized fiend advanced on the car in front with all the intent of Saharan lion pursuing a gazelle.
Alarm bells blared.
Stomping on the accelerator, Ben gripped the wheel.
