* * *
He shouldn’t have held her. Now he’d never get the imprint of her soft breasts and feminine curves out of his head. Add to that, it was completely out of line. He was her boss. She was his employee.
Aside from satisfying his physical needs once in a while, he didn’t have time for a woman. He had plans for the ranch, goals, ambitions. And he was still coming to grips with the changes in his life, the transition from being a soldier to a civilian.
On the surface, he had everything under control, but every once in a while, he had a disturbing flashback or a nightmare. It wasn’t uncommon for soldiers who’d been in combat.
Eventually it would fade away, but until that time, he needed his space, his privacy. The last thing he wanted was a woman living right there on the ranch.
But damn he felt sorry for her. She’d been sure he was going to fire her, and he could see her desperation. He’d told her she could stay. Unless there were unknown factors, he wouldn’t break his word. But as he had said, they needed to talk.
Tory shoved the screen door open and stepped out into the cool evening.
“I need a beer,” Josh said. “You want one?”
She looked up at him. “Sure. I’d love a beer.”
“I’ll get them.” A woman who liked beer. That was a plus.
He returned a few minutes later, twisted off the top to a Lone Star, and handed it over. Twisted off the cap to the other one and took a long swallow.
Tory took several sips. “Thanks. After a long day, that really tastes good.”
They sat down on the porch, she in the swing while he took a seat in a wire mesh chair a few feet away. He tipped up his beer and took another long swallow, felt the relaxing burn of the bubbles going down his throat.
“Here’s the thing,” he started. “I know you’re in some kind of trouble.”
She opened her mouth but he held up his hand. “I know you’re on the run. I don’t need to know what happened to you in the past or why you’re here. The way your little girl reacts to a man pretty much gives me the story. What I need to know is if the sheriff or the cops are going to come pounding on my door. I need to know if you’re running because you’ve done something illegal.”
Tory sat up straighter in the swing. “No. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve never even had a speeding ticket.”
“Be easy enough for me to find out. Howler’s a small county. Police Chief Logan over in Pleasant Hill owes me a favor. I could have him check you out.”
“Seriously? Do I look like a criminal to you?”
Amusement slipped through him. With her petite frame and fine features, Tory Ford looked as far from a crook as he could imagine. “No, but looks can be deceiving.”
“I’m not wanted by the police. At least I don’t think so, since I didn’t really do anything wrong.”
He didn’t even want to know what that meant.
“I admit there are people I’d rather not know I’m here,” she finished.
“Your husband?”
She swallowed, shook her head. “Jamie died in a car accident right after Ivy was born.”
Maybe that was the sadness that crept into her face every once in a while. “So an ex-boyfriend.” He knew by her expression it was true. “He hurt your little girl?”
“No.”
“Just you then.”
Her chin came up.
“You must have family somewhere. You can’t go to them for help?”
“No family. My mother died in the crash that killed Jamie.” She glanced away, an instant of pain in her eyes. “My dad ran out on us and I haven’t seen him in years.” Her fingers tightened around the bottle of beer. “I thought you didn’t care about my past.”
