Rancher Under Cover

“As far as I’m concerned computers are the devil’s work,” Esmeralda exclaimed. “And it’s the same with cell phones and all the other electronic geegaws that suck the brains out of our youth.”

Rhett laughed and then looked at Caitlin, surprised to see that she had paled to the point that the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose appeared darker than they had moments before. “Are you okay?” he asked curiously.

“I’m fine.” She wrapped her fingers around her coffee mug, as if seeking the warmth. “You needed to discuss something specifically with me?”

It was obvious she wanted him to state his business and then get out of her kitchen. “I don’t know what your previous foreman did with his time, but it’s obvious he wasn’t paying attention to the health and welfare of your horses.”

Her lovely eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“The horses are too lean, and yesterday afternoon I found one down in a bramble patch on the west side of the property. I don’t know how long she’d been there, but she’d gotten tangled up in some old rusty barbed wire and she has a couple of festering wounds.”

Caitlin’s cheeks flared with color. “That good-for-nothing Garrett. I knew Dad should have fired him a long time ago. Where’s the mare now?”

“I managed to get her up and into the small corral, but I haven’t been able to tend to her wounds. She’s scared and so thin I’m afraid the stress might kill her.” A touch of anger lit up inside Rhett. Garrett Simms had obviously been a piss-poor foreman who hadn’t regularly checked on the welfare of the livestock.

“Why don’t I meet you at the stables in fifteen minutes,” Caitlin said. “We’ll ride the pasture and then I want to see that mare.” She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, her gaze going to the nearby window.

Rhett knew it was a dismissal and he got out of his chair and headed for the back door. “I’ll see you out there,” he said and then left the house.

As he walked back toward the small corral his thoughts raced with his impressions of Caitlin. Beautiful and sexy, there was no question about that, but she wasn’t some bubble-headed woman riding on her outer appearance. There had been a keen intelligence shining from her amazing eyes.

What had shocked him more than anything was the swift kick of lust that had momentarily flared inside him when he’d been near her.

She’d certainly seemed unaffected by his attempt to charm her with his smile. In fact, she’d appeared reluctant even to touch his hand for a quick shake.

Her presence here could either be a gift from fate or a complication. He’d been intent on charming Esmeralda to get the information he needed in case Caitlin didn’t show, but he knew the best way to find out about Mickey O’Donahue’s whereabouts was through his daughter.

He’d use whatever means necessary to achieve his goal. He could be an accomplished liar and a pleasing lover if his role called for it.

Despite the fact that he’d felt a kick of desire for her, he didn’t worry about getting his heart involved. He didn’t have a heart to worry about. It had been trampled years ago and had never recovered from the wounds.

As far as he was concerned this was just another job and Caitlin was simply a hot, sexy mark to be used to get what he needed.

Chapter 2

Caitlin wasn’t sure why she was reluctant to meet Randall outside. Although she was worried about the horses, the tall man with the shaggy blond hair and the five-o’clock shadow that darkened his firm jaw was too sexy, far too male for her comfort.

His brief laughter moments before had sounded nothing like the laughter of the men in the jungle, but for a moment sick memories had slammed into her and she’d felt an internal tremble.

She lingered over her coffee as Esme left the kitchen to attend to some household chores in another room. Caitlin felt fragile and weariness weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Terrible nightmares had plagued what little sleep she’d gotten and she’d awakened feeling no more rested than she’d felt before going to bed the night before.

Glancing at the clock on the stove, she reluctantly got to her feet and carried her cup to the dishwasher. There was a part of her that didn’t want to do anything but go back upstairs to her room and hide. Anxiety simmered inside her, threatening to explode into a full-blown panic attack.

She’d had enough psychology classes to recognize that what she was experiencing was normal for a woman who had been through what she’d endured. She suffered from more than a little bit of post-traumatic stress disorder. She understood the symptoms, but didn’t feel as if she were in control of any of them.

She’d also learned in the past two weeks that the easiest way to cope with the emotions that churned just beneath the surface was to completely ignore them. She’d rather be numb than feel anything because she was terrified of what she might feel if she allowed herself.

With another glance at the clock she drew in a deep, steadying breath. She couldn’t put it off any longer. She walked into the living room and to the ornate desk in the corner where a fat ceramic leprechaun smiled from his perch on the top. His stomach was hollow and stored paper clips, thumb tacks and the key to the gun cabinet.

She plucked out the key and moved to the large glass-enclosed cabinet and withdrew a revolver. After checking that it was loaded and the safety was on she tucked it into her jeans waistband and then returned the key to the leprechaun.

She knew how to handle a gun, was a good shot. Although her father often encouraged her to carry a gun when she was out riding the range because of wild critters like mountain lions and coyotes, Caitlin rarely did. She’d always figured any animals she might encounter would be more afraid of her than she was of them.

Today she wanted the weapon with her. She didn’t know what kind of critter Randall Kane might be and she was determined never to be vulnerable again.

She stepped out the back door and into the warm November sunshine. The air smelled of earth and grass and horse, a familiar scent that momentarily filled her with a sense of home, of safety. However, the sense of safety vanished as she saw Randall Kane near the stables with two saddled horses.

You can do this, a little voice whispered inside her head. A ride around the pasture to check out the livestock didn’t sound threatening in any way. Still, it would be the first time she’d been all alone with any man since the horrible event in the jungle.

As she approached him a lazy smile curved his lips and his hot, slightly scruffy handsomeness slammed into her chest with a force that surprised her.

She ignored the tightness in her chest and instead focused on the fact that one of the horses he’d saddled up was her favorite, Buttercup.

The horse greeted her with a soft whinny. “Hey, girl,” she said as she stepped closer and rubbed Buttercup’s nose.

“She looks happy to see you,” Randall said. “One of the other hands told me she’s the one you usually ride.”

“She’s definitely one of my favorites.” She mounted the horse in a fluid motion that came from years of practice and then looked at Randall expectantly. “Let’s ride.”

He mounted his horse, Samson, with equal ease. “Are you expecting trouble?” Those gorgeous green eyes of his gazed pointedly at the gun she’d shoved in her waistband.

“No, just prepared for it if it comes,” she replied and then with a flick of her reins headed toward the distant pastures.

He rode like a cowboy intimately familiar with the saddle, and she found herself wondering how he’d shown up at the O’Donahue ranch at such an opportune time.

Caitlin knew her father had been dissatisfied with the former foreman, Garrett Simms, for a long time, but had felt sorry for the alcoholic who played the victim card each time Mickey had tried to fire him.

But even Mickey wouldn’t be able to overlook the abuse or neglect of any of his beloved horses, and there was no way Simms would be welcomed back this time. If nothing else she’d make sure of that.

She glanced at the man next to her and told herself not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Who knew why his timing was so perfect? The fact of the matter was, he was here and he seemed competent, and that would do until her father got home.

All thoughts of the man fled from her mind as the herd of horses came into view. Mickey O’Donahue had never wanted to raise champion race horses; rather he’d made part of his massive fortune raising good-natured saddle stock that was sold to individuals and various stables around the country.

The herd consisted of Tennessee walkers, mustangs and American quarter horses in a variety of colors and sizes. Caitlin pulled the reins to bring Buttercup to a halt and Randall reined in next to her.

“The pasture is a bit thin from lack of rain,” he said. “What I’d like to do is add some oat hay into their diets until spring.”

The horses did look lean … a little too lean. “Sounds reasonable,” she agreed. “We work with Wilson’s Feed Store. I’ll call them when we get back to the house and place an order. They should be able to deliver it first thing in the morning.”

He nodded and then pointed into the distance. “Over there by the fence is where I found the mare tangled up in the barbed wire.”

She headed for the area with Randall close behind. Once again they came to a halt and she looked around with a frown. “I can’t imagine how any barbed wire got here. Dad has never used it anywhere on the property.” Despite the higher cost, solid wooden fences surrounded the pastures on the O’Donahue ranch. Mickey had never considered the cheaper alternative of barbed-wire fencing.

“It looked as if somebody had just driven by and tossed it out of a truck or something,” he replied. “After I got the horse loose I pulled it all out and took it to the dump.”

She slid another glance his way, once again wondering where he’d come from and how he’d wound up here. “I’d like you to bring me that résumé we discussed earlier sometime this afternoon,” she said.

“Not a problem,” he replied agreeably. He shifted his weight in the saddle. “I understand you’ve been out of the country for a while.”

“For a couple of months. I’m a plastic surgeon and was working in South America with Doctors Without Borders.”

“Wow, must have been an amazing experience.”

A sudden surge of emotion rose up in the back of her throat and she swallowed hard against it. Amazing wasn’t exactly the adjective she’d use to describe her experience.

“I’m ready to see that mare now.” She turned Buttercup around and as she headed back to the house she allowed the horse full rein. Buttercup responded by breaking into a run.

Caitlin hunkered low, the breeze in her face, the power of the animal beneath her easing some of the tension that had coiled tight inside her in the time since the attack.

She was vaguely conscious of her hair coming loose, flying wildly around her head as Buttercup raced like the wind. A sweet exhilaration filled her.

She’d needed this … the wild abandon that coursed through her as she became one with the powerful horse. She gave herself to the moment, giving up any effort of control as she raced across the pasture.

All too quickly the small corral near the house came into view and she pulled on the reins to slow her gait, the moments of thoughtless pleasure now gone.

She pulled Buttercup to a halt and dismounted as Randall caught up with her. “That kind of riding is what I call chasing out the demons,” he said as he dismounted, as well. His gaze slid the length of her, a lazy perusal that instantly jacked the tension back inside her. “So, Caitlin O’Donahue, exactly what demons were you exorcizing?”

There was a gleam of intelligence in his vivid green eyes and for some reason she felt as if he was attempting to peer into her soul.

It was a soul so shattered, so damaged that she wasn’t sure she would ever let anyone in, especially not some hot cowboy she didn’t know.

“No demons here,” she replied as she broke eye contact with him. “I just enjoy the wind in my face.” She tied up Buttercup and then looked at the mare in the corral.

The horse had run to the far corner of the enclosure when they’d shown up. Painfully thin, it was obvious she was both undernourished and frightened.

“Garrett Simms should be shot,” she exclaimed, not hiding her disgust.

“My sentiments exactly. I have no idea how long she was trapped in the wire, but from the look of her it was quite a while.”

“Part of his job was riding the pasture to check on the health and well-being of the horses and it’s obvious he wasn’t doing his job. Good riddance is all I can say.” She opened the gate and stepped into the corral with Randall following her.

The horse, a young mare she recognized, pawed the ground nervously as her ears went back flat. “Her name is Molly,” Caitlin said. “Is she eating okay?”

“She’s eating fine,” he replied.

“You said she has some wounds on her?”

“On her backside,” he replied. “I’d like to wash them out with some saline water and maybe get some antibiotic cream on them. I was hoping she’d calm down, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen and she really needs to be tended to. I can probably lasso her and maybe you could hold her head while I work on the wounds.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Caitlin agreed.

“I’ll be right back.”

Caitlin watched as Randall left the corral and headed for the nearby barn. He walked with a loose-hipped gait that screamed of sex appeal, and it surprised her that in her present state of mind she found him more than a little bit attractive.

She didn’t want to go there, not with him, not with any man, not for a very long time. The very thought of a man touching her in any way filled her with a sickening revulsion and made her realize just how wounded she’d been left.

It didn’t take long for him to return with a length of rope, the saline solution and antibiotic cream, and a lightweight navy towel. He placed everything on the top of a fence post except the rope, which he gathered in his hands as he reentered the corral.

“This might take a few minutes,” he said. “She’s really frightened.”

It was obvious Molly was scared to death. Her ears were pinned back and her tail was tucked between her legs as she backed away from Randall.

“Hey, baby girl,” Randall said, his deep voice smooth and low. “Hey, Molly girl.” He handled the rope as well as he’d ridden in the saddle.

As Molly sidestepped nervously and rolled her eyes, the terror the mare was obviously feeling resonated deep inside Caitlin.

Trapped.

The mare felt trapped, and Caitlin knew exactly how that felt. Caitlin’s heart began to thunder with frantic beats as a shaking began deep inside her. Her throat narrowed, making her feel as if she were choking. Her chest ached as she tried to keep breathing.

Hands holding her down, men jeering and laughing at her terror. No way to fight back. No way to free herself from the danger.

She watched, frozen, as Randall cornered Molly against the back rails of the corral and tried to lasso her once … twice, both times without success.

Trapped.

The memories exploded again and again in her head, hands holding her arms, her legs, making it impossible for her to move, to fight. Help me, a little voice cried in her head.

Leave her alone, she wanted to scream at Randall. Can’t you see she’s terrified? Don’t hurt her, just get away from her and let her go.

“It’s going to be all right. Everything is going to be just fine.” Randall’s soft voice broke through the memories that threatened to consume her.

Just breathe, she told herself, hoping to ward off the panic attack that was poised to spring. Thankfully, at that moment, Randall managed to lasso Molly around her neck.

“Grab that towel and the rest of the stuff,” he shouted to her as he kept Molly’s head tight against his chest.

Grateful for something to do, Caitlin quickly grabbed the items and hurried toward him. “Cover her eyes,” he instructed and then began sweet-talking the horse once again.

The blindfold of the towel appeared to calm Molly somewhat. Although her body remained tensed, she didn’t try to fight against him.

“Now, if you can hold her head, I’ll take care of those wounds,” he said.

Caitlin nodded and grabbed the rope from him. She held Molly’s head close to her chest as Randall grabbed the saline and antibiotic cream and moved to the back of the horse.

“It’s okay, girl. I know you’re frightened, but the worst is over now,” Randall crooned to the horse. “You got through the scary part and now it’s time to heal.”

His words, coupled with the gentleness of his tone, seemed to reach inside Caitlin and drag a gentle finger over the ragged pain that knotted inside her.

A haunting vulnerability swept over her, as unwelcome as the agony that had been her companion over the past two weeks. She could listen to him forever, and the fact that his soft, soothing voice got to her also scared her.

He worked quickly and efficiently, Caitlin noted with relief, because she felt her composure slipping and needed to escape from Molly and, more importantly, from his soft, soothing voice that touched her, that somehow made her want to listen to him forever.

“That should do it,” he said as he stepped away from the horse.

She let go of the rope, the need to escape from him overwhelming. “I have to get back to the house.” She didn’t wait for his response but ran out of the corral, determined not to break down where the hot, handsome cowboy might see her.

Rhett watched her go with narrowed eyes. There was something bubbling just beneath the surface of Caitlin O’Donahue. He’d seen it first when she’d taken off hellbent for leather across the pasture.

Chasing out the demons. Although she’d said she just liked the wind in her face, he was sure that’s what she’d been doing. And it begged the question, what kind of demons could possibly be lurking inside the lovely Caitlin?

He’d sensed a seethe of emotion coming from her again as she’d held Molly’s rope. Tension had rolled off her in waves, a tension that was out of place with what was going on in the corral.

He was definitely intrigued, and it had been a long time since any woman had intrigued him. Of course it didn’t hurt that the woman gave new meaning to the word sexy.

Still, when she’d taken off, riding fast and furious across the pasture, his heart had leaped into his throat as a sense of dreadful déjà vu shot panic through him.

He loosened Molly from the lasso and removed the towel from over her eyes. Instantly she danced away from him, wariness once again in her gaze, in her very stance.

He left the corral and his thoughts once again went back to that moment when Caitlin had dashed across the pasture. For a moment he’d been flung back in time, back to when he’d raced across a pasture with another woman, a woman who had tragically died in his arms.

That had been eight long years ago, when he’d been twenty-seven. At that time all he’d wanted in life was to work his ranch, love his wife, Rebecca, and have a couple of kids to add to his joy.

A wild ride across a pasture had destroyed it all, had nearly destroyed him. He glanced at the house and thought again of Caitlin. She intrigued him, and he definitely felt a kick of desire each time he saw her, but all he wanted here was to do his job, to get her father into custody.

The man had to show up sometime or at least let his daughter know where he was holed up. Rhett intended to get close enough to Caitlin to learn any information she might get about Mickey’s whereabouts.

Rhett would do whatever it took to achieve his goal. He wasn’t a happy, laid-back cowboy anymore. He’d spent years as a Detroit cop before being recruited by the FBI. As a federal agent he was doing his best to protect the President of the United States and he wasn’t about to forget it.

The day passed quickly with chores that had to be done in order to maintain his undercover position as foreman of the ranch.

There were four other ranch hands and Rhett found them pleasant and competent men. They went about their business with little prodding from him and none of them seemed inclined to idle chitchat.

At noon the men all disappeared for lunch and Rhett headed for his cabin, where a microwavable pizza awaited him.

He’d just pulled it out of the refrigerator’s tiny freezer when a knock fell on the door. He opened the door and looked at Caitlin in surprise. She appeared uncomfortable and held a covered plate in her hands. “Esmeralda made some extra fried chicken for lunch and thought you might like some. I figured I’d bring it out here and pick up that résumé you promised me.”

Once again he noticed that she smelled of clean, minty soap and some sort of exotic flowers, and the scent fired a tiny flame in the pit of his stomach. Her glorious hair was confined sedately at the nape of her neck instead of flowing free as it had done when she’d ridden Buttercup.

“I was just about to zap a pizza for lunch,” he said as he took the plate from her. “I imagine Esmeralda’s chicken is a much tastier choice.”

He set the dish on the small table and noticed that she didn’t cross the threshold into the room and that the gun she’d brought on the ride that morning was still stuck in her waistband. Interesting, he thought, that she felt she needed the weapon with her when delivering chicken to his doorstep.

“You want to join me?” he asked. “It looks like Esmeralda sent enough for five people.”

“No, thanks, but if you could just get me your résumé I would appreciate it.” She shifted from one foot to the other, obviously ill at ease.

“No problem.” He went to the duffel bag on the floor and set it on the twin bed. “You make the business decisions around the ranch?” he asked as he rummaged in the bag.

“For now. At least until my father gets home.”

“I would have thought he’d want to be here to welcome you back home. How long were you gone?” He pulled out one of the copies of the résumé that had been specifically prepared for him when he’d been assigned this job.

“A couple of months, but he didn’t know I was coming home.” Tension was evident in her voice. She glanced back toward the house, as if wishing she were back inside and not on his little doorstep.

“Can’t you call him on his cell phone or something?” Rhett handed her the résumé and then offered a charming smile. “I mean, I hate to get all settled in here and then find myself fired the minute your father comes home.”

“Unfortunately he’s not answering his cell phone and, in any case, if you do your job well then you don’t have to worry about getting fired,” she replied and took a step back from the door. “Thanks for this,” she said as she held up the résumé. “If I have any questions about it I’ll let you know.”

Once again he found himself watching her as she walked away from him. She had a sensual sway to her hips that would naturally draw a man’s eyes, but he still sensed a certain darkness in her … and a toughness. She definitely didn’t seem to go all soft and gooey beneath the charm of his smile and dimples.

She probably had a boyfriend. He couldn’t imagine a woman like her being alone, without any love interest in her life. A woman like her surely didn’t want for male company.

Was she aware of what her father had gotten himself involved in? How much, if anything, did she knew about the secret society? She’d been out of the country for months. It was possible she knew nothing about anything that had come to light recently. It was also possible she knew and that was the stress he sensed in her.

Rhett was accustomed to women wanting to get close to him, finding him attractive, but Caitlin seemed to be the exception to the rule. She appeared as skittish and wary as Molly, but he was determined to get beneath her defenses.