Kayla & the Rancher Page 8

  moment, thinking that one of the men had gotten in front of her somehow. But then she breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the big bay. Cord! she thought.

  Cord’s worst fear had been realized as he rode into the valley and saw the two men shooting at Abigail. She was pushing her horse as fast as she could, but they were gaining on her. Ignoring the urge to simply ride straight for Abigail, he pulled his gun from its holster and rode right past her at full speed, firing at the two men as he did so.

  At the sound of Cord’s pistol going off so close to her, Kayla’s mare came to an abrupt halt, skidding to a stop so fast that the animal’s back legs buckled beneath her, and she had to fight to keep from being thrown over the horse’s head. But she pulled back so hard on the reins that the horse came to a stop in a sitting position and she completely lost her balance. Unable to hold on, Kayla’s feet came out of the stirrup and she slid down the horse’s back,

  landing on the ground with a thump. Lucky for her, the grass was deep

  enough to be soft, so she hadn’t hurt herself. Freed of its burden, her mare quickly righted itself and galloped off.

  Kayla immediately turned to see what had happened to Cord. Relieved to see that the shooting had stopped, Kayla hurriedly got to her feet as Cord came riding back to where she stood. The two men that had been shooting at her

  were nowhere in sight; apparently Cord had chased them off. Brushing off the seat of her riding skirt, she started to walk toward Cord.

  Cord had wanted to pursue the two men, but when he had looked over his

  shoulder to check on Abigail and seen that she’d taken a tumble from her

  horse, he forgot all about the men and immediately turned his horse around.

  He was worried that she had been injured, and he sighed with relief when he saw her get to her feet and brush herself off.

  Slowing his horse, he stopped beside her, but didn’t dismount. “Are you

  okay?” he asked her.

  She nodded, but looked slightly embarrassed that she’d fallen off her horse.

  “I’m fine. The gunshots spooked my mare and she took off. I hope she’s all right.”

  He glanced around, but the horse was nowhere in sight. “Don’t worry about it.

  She probably just went back to the barn. She’ll probably be back before we are.” He frowned down at her. “What happened?”

  She looked up at him, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. “I was out riding when I saw those men up by the fences,” she explained. “I thought they worked for you and were out here doing repairs, but when I rode closer, I realized that they were cutting the fences. When they saw me, they chased

  me.”

  Cord’s mouth tightened, but he said nothing, though she could tell from the scowl on his handsome face that he was annoyed with her.

  Kayla opened her mouth to speak up in her defense, but could think of

  nothing to say, so when he held out his hand to help her onto his horse, she took it without a word. She put her foot in the stirrup, expecting Cord to seat her in front of him, but instead she found herself hauled up and thrown

  unceremoniously over his well-muscled thighs.

  “Cord!” she protested, the word coming out in a gasp as her breath whooshed from her lungs.

  His hand smacked her upturned bottom hard. “I told you that I didn’t want you riding out this far, Abigail,” he said.

  “But...Owwww!...Cord!” she yelped as his hand came down again and again

  on the seat of her riding skirt.

  His spanking quickly made her forget the fact that she had just been shot at.

  The smacks didn’t sting that much through al of her clothing, but her position got her immediately aroused, and when Cord pulled her upright to sit in front of him side-saddle after only a few more slaps, she almost asked him not to stop.

  She looked up at him, her face flushed to find Cord gazing down at her, and she caught her breath at the expression in his golden brown eyes.

  “You have got to be more careful,” he told her, brushing back a strand of

  loose hair. “And you’ve got to start doing what I tell you.” He caressed her face. “You really came close to getting yourself killed today, you know that?

  Just the thought of you being hurt scares the hell out of me.”

  She suddenly felt terrible that she had worried him so much. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, looking up at him from beneath lowered lashes.

  Cord said nothing for a moment, and then, lowering his head, he kissed her.

  She kissed him back, one hand reaching up to curl around his neck. They

  kissed for some time and Kayla would have enjoyed it even more if it weren’t for the saddle horn digging uncomfortably into her bottom. Cord lifted his head at the sound of approaching horses. Her breath caught for a moment

  until she recognized the foreman and several other ranch hands.

  “Two men were cutting the fences to the north of here,” Cord said to them.

  “Ride up that way to check and make sure they’re gone, and then get at least one strand up by nightfall.”

  They rode back in silence, Cord holding the reins with one hand, his other arm around Kayla. Though she relaxed against him, she couldn’t help but

  think about how close she had come to being killed that day, and she gave a little shiver.

  Instinctively, Cord’s arm tightened around her. This was their ranch, and

  Abigail should be able to go anywhere that she wanted on the property

  without fear of getting shot.

  He swore silently. He had no doubt that Jeffries had put those two men up to it. The man had practically threatened Cord the other day when he’d been at the house, so it wasn’t difficult to believe. Cord seriously considered going over to Jeffries’ place and confronting the man after seeing Abigail safely home. Though he would enjoy going after Jeffries after what the man’s thugs had almost done to Abigail, Cord was smart enough to know that it would

  accomplish nothing. Dalton Jeffries would deny it, and Cord could prove

  nothing. But he could put in a complaint with the sheriff. Perhaps if Abigail could give him a description of the men, it would be enough to connect

  Jeffries.

  Kayla, however, hadn’t seen the men well enough to describe what they

  looked like when Cord asked her. Though she had to admit she was only

  mildly surprised to hear that Dalton Jeffries was probably behind what had happened. After they had gotten back to the house, she was concerned when

  Cord announced that he was going to ride into town to talk to the sheriff.

  “Perhaps you should have one of the men go with you,” she suggested when

  he told her. “Like Lucas,” she added, referring to the foreman.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “Besides, Lucas is going to be up fixing the fences for a couple of hours.” The corner of his mouth curved. “I’ll be home before dark.”

  She chewed on her lower lip as she watched him mount his horse. “Be

  careful.”

  He gave her a lopsided smile. “Always,” he said, bending to kiss her before riding off.

  Still concerned, Kayla watched him go. If Cord was right, and Dalton Jeffries was behind what had happened that afternoon, then there was no telling what lengths the man would go to get Cord’s ranch.

  With a sigh, Kayla turned and went into the house. Thinking to occupy herself, she made dinner, and then when that was done, she took out her sketchpad

  and tried to concentrate on her designs. As she put the finishing touches on a day dress, she couldn’t help but smile. Not so long ago, she would have been up in Cord’s room trying to pry open the lock on that metal box while he was out. But ever since she had decided to stay with Cord, rifling through his things couldn’t be further from her mind.

  Cord got back just as the sun was setting, and she cou
ld tell from the

  expression on his face that things hadn’t gone well in town.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  He glanced at her as he hung his hat on a peg by the door. “That damn sheriff is good for nothing,” he told her. “If he’s not in Jeffries’ pocket, then he might as well be.”

  “He wouldn’t do anything?” she asked in surprise.

  Cord scowled. “Said he couldn’t prove Dalton Jeffries was behind the

  shooting, even though everyone in this town knows he is. Hell, every rancher in the area has been harassed by Jeffries and his thugs at some point.”

  Her brow furrowing, she hugged her arms around her middle. “What do we do

  then?”

  “Protect ourselves,” he said without hesitation. “Which means that you need to learn how to use a gun.”

  Her eyes widened. “A gun?” she protested. “But I’ve never even held one.”

  “Which is why I’m going to teach you,” he told her. Coming over to where she stood, he put his hands on her shoulders and gazed down at her. “Most of the time you’re alone here while I’m out on the ranch, and I don’t like the idea of you not knowing how to protect yourself.”

  She chewed on her lower lip. “Do you real y think Dalton Jeffries would

  purposely come after me?”

  Cord’s mouth tightened. “He doesn’t exactly hold women in high regard. So, yes, I certainly think he would come after you if it got him what he wanted.”

  The next day, she and Cord rode out to a section of the ranch where there

  was a large hill. Tethering the horses to a tree, they let the animals graze while Cord instructed her on how to use a pistol.

  “This is a single-action revolver,” he explained, holding the weapon to show her. “Which means that you have to pull back the hammer before you pull the trigger.”

  He had placed several tin cans along the hillside a short distance from where they stood, and Kayla stood back while Cord demonstrated. She watched as

  he thumbed back the curved portion he called the hammer, and then carefully took aim before squeezing the trigger. The gunshot echoed off the

  surrounding hills, and Kayla jumped at the sound. The tin can he’d targeted fell off the piece of wood it had been sitting on.

  “It’s louder than I thought it would be,” she observed when he turned to her.

  He nodded. “Here,” he said, holding out the gun to her, butt first. “You try.”

  She eyed the pistol warily, but then reached out and took it. It felt awkward and heavy in her hands. As she turned to face the tin cans, Cord stepped

  around behind her to put his arms on either side of hers. It was difficult to concentrate on anything with him standing so close, and her gaze was

  transfixed on his hands as he slowly lifted her outstretched arms and helped her aim at one of the cans.

  “Okay,” he said, his voice soft in her ear. “Now, thumb back the trigger.”

  She did as he instructed, trying to hold the gun steady, but it was shaking all over the place even with Cord supporting her hands.

  Behind her, Cord nodded. “Good. Now, take aim, take a deep breath and let it out slowly, then slowly squeeze the trigger when you’re ready. Don’t jerk it.”

  Easier said than done, Kayla thought. She never realized that there were so many steps involved in firing a pistol. And it didn’t help to have Cord standing so close to her. She could feel the contours of his body pressing up and down the length of her. Concentrating hard, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She tried to keep her eyes on the target, but instead she shut them tightly in anticipation of the noise, and squeezed the trigger.

  The revolver jumped in her hand, which in turn made her jump, and she

  would have dropped the pistol if Cord’s hands hadn’t been supporting hers.

  Afraid to look, she turned her head to talk to Cord. “Did I hit anything?” she asked.

  Soft laughter drifted to her ear. “I’m pretty sure it’ll it hit the ground...someday.

  If it doesn’t hit a bird first.”

  Her eyes flew open and she gave him a sheepish look. “You don’t think...?”

  He laughed again. “No. At least you didn’t drop the gun,” he said, and then added. “I’m just teasing you, sweetheart. It wasn’t bad for your first time. But you might want to try keeping your eyes open next time.”

  Kayla blushed. Lifting the revolver again, she aimed it at one of the cans and slowly squeezed the trigger. She still jumped a little, but her hand was

  steadier this time. Keeping her eyes open definitely helped, too. Though she didn’t hit the can she’d been aiming for, she was at least able to see where the bullet hit when some dirt kicked up along the hillside.

  The next few shots were the same and Cord had to reload so that she could

  try again. After putting more bullets in the pistol, he once again took up his position behind, which only made it more difficult to concentrate, and she couldn’t resist rubbing her bottom up against him in between shots.

  “Hey,” Cord admonished gruffly, lightly smacking her behind. “This is serious stuff. Pay attention.”

  Knowing full well the effect that she was having on him, Kayla only smiled as she aimed at her target again. This time, the bullet pinged against the can, knocking it off its perch, and she laughed with delight.

  She turned to see Cord grinning at her. “Maybe I should spank you more

  often,” he said.

  Blushing at his teasing, Kayla turned back to try her hand at shooting the rest of the cans. Much to her delight, she managed to hit all of them, and when she was done, she turned to Cord, a smile on her face.

  “That was actually more fun than I thought it would be,” she said, handing him the pistol. “Can we come out and do it again?”

  He laughed. “Whenever you want,” he agreed.

  He spent a little bit of time teaching her how to load and unload the pistol before announcing that they were done for the day.

  As she watched him place the gun back in the holster that was belted around his trim hips, she couldn’t help but notice that he was hard beneath his

  denims. Dragging her gaze away, she lifted her head to find him regarding

  her intently. Blushing, she looked away, but he caught her chin with his

  fingers and gently forced her to look up at him. He made no other move, but stood gazing down at her, and she held her breath. Then, finally, he bent his head to kiss her.

  Kayla melted against him with a sigh of pleasure, her lips parting under his, and they were both breathing hard when Cord lifted his head.

  “I’m so hot for you that I don’t think I can wait much longer for our wedding night,” he said, his hoarse with need. “When is that dress of yours going to be finished?”

  Kayla, still heady from his kiss, looked up at him with fluttering lashes. “I should have it done in a day or two,” she said breathlessly.

  He kissed her again, tugging gently on her lower lip. “Then what do you say to getting married on Sunday?”

  Smiling, she nodded in agreement, but before she could speak, he kissed her again.

  It was a long time before they got on their horses and went back to the house.

  Happier than she would have thought it possible for one person to be, Kayla went into town the following day to put the finishing touches on her wedding dress. As was usually the case, Rachel was busy with customers when she

  walked into the store, so she went directly upstairs, eager to get to work.

  Attaching the lace to the hemline was an easy task and after she was done, she tried on the dress, excited to see how it looked. It fit perfectly, the design accentuating her slim waist and curvy figure, the fine lace barely skimming the floor as she moved. She was just studying her reflection in the full-length mirror when Rachel walked in.

  “Kayla, you look beautiful,” the blond girl said as she came into the living
room. “And that dress is absolutely amazing. Cord won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”

  Kayla smiled, exhilarated by the thought of Cord seeing her in her wedding dress. “I certainly hope not,” she said, admiring the way the dress swirled around her feet when she moved back and forth. “We’re getting married on

  Sunday.”

  Rachel walked over to the sofa and sat down, her brow furrowing as she

  looked up at Kayla. “You haven’t told Cord the truth yet, have you?”

  Kayla turned to look at her friend. “I’ve thought about it, but I just can’t. Not yet. Maybe not ever.”

  “You’re not serious!” the other girl exclaimed. “Do you really want him calling you Abigail on your wedding night?”

  Kayla’s heart ached at the thought, and she bit her lip. In the beginning, pretending to be Abigail had been easy, but now every time Cord said the

  other girl’s name, Kayla felt as if a knife was being plunged into her breast.

  That alone was enough to make her want to tell him the truth. But then she thought of the alternative. If she told him the truth, and he rejected her, she didn’t think she could take it. It would be better to let him call her Abigail for the rest of her life.