Chapter Seventeen

Emily stood next to her vet truck in her driveway and glanced over when she heard the sound of Rick’s boots against the concrete. She gave him a smile when she saw him carrying two cups of coffee. “You sure know how to start a Monday morning off right.”

He gave her an exaggerated wink and then kissed her head. “I thought you didn’t want to discuss the dirty things I do to you behind the bedroom door.”

She took the coffee cup from his hand and rolled her eyes. “You know I was talkin’ about the coffee delivery.”

“Oh, my bad. I thought you were referring to waking up with my head between your legs and the double orgasms I delivered with a smile.” He took a gulp of his coffee and hitched his shoulder. “Guess it doesn’t matter as long as you’re happy.”

She looked around and frowned. “You might want to use your inside voice the next time you decide to discuss our morning activities in the driveway.”

“Why?”

“Because Ms. Dee who lives across the street is already smitten with you, and if she knew how…talented that mouth of yours is, well…things could get interesting.”

“Afraid of a little competition?”

“Nope, since nothing will make a man loyal except his own beating heart. If you’re the kind to get your head turned every time a woman looks your way, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“We both know the only woman’s gaze I care about is yours, so that takes care of that.”

Letting the sweetness of his words settle, she wondered how long it would be true. She grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt and pulled him close. “If that ever changes, you come tell me first.”

“I will, Em.”

She pressed herself up on her toes and gave him a good kiss. “Now that we’ve got that settled, what is on your schedule today?”

“Jack and I are taking the helo down to Woodsboro to check on the wells. We put in a new security protocol last month and want to pay a surprise visit to make sure the men are following it.”

“Well, look for my truck on Highway 77 because I’m heading over to Sinton today.”

“You working with the Garrisons?”

“Yes, and I’m expecting it to be a full day.”

“Anyone from the clinic going with you?”

She took a step back and crossed her arms. “No, since I usually travel alone.” She lifted her coffee cup and took a sip. Rick better have meant all the promises he’d made about respecting her independence and trusting her judgment. Not able to get a read from his semi-fake innocent expression, she eyed him over the rim of her truck. “Why do you ask?”

“I see you getting that mean squinty look and don’t want to get you riled up, but…”

“Just spit it out, Rick, so I can yell at you and get on with my day.”

“I don’t like you being on that stretch of the highway alone. We still don’t know who broke into your house and why.”

“And we may never. I appreciate your concern, but I won’t stop working just because someone decided to get a peek into my drawers and bookcases.”

“And your truck apparently!”

“What?”

Rick flicked the jacked lock on the compartment where she kept meds.

“I hadn’t noticed that when I parked it here the other day. I don’t keep anything interesting in there unless you’re a horse with colic.”

“When did you last check the lock?”

“Probably last Thursday. I worked at the clinic on Friday and haven’t needed to restock until today.”

“That means anyone could’ve gotten to it at any point over the weekend.”

“You’re right. But I don’t keep anything a human would find interesting, so it doesn’t make sense.” She ran her hand down her braid and let out a sigh. “I’m going to have to let Willy know, along with my bosses, which means I’m going to have a lot of paperwork to fill out tonight.”

“Is there any chance you can reschedule your day? I’ve put off checking on the wells for a week and can’t go with you today.”

“I’m not canceling my schedule. For all we know, the lock could’ve been hit by a piece of heavy equipment. Or a mad cow.”

“I don’t like it, Em.”

“Nothing I can do about it.”

“There sure the hell is. You’re just not going to do it.”

Telling herself not to lose her temper, she prayed for God’s wisdom. “You’re a little on the side of unreasonable when it comes to worrying about the what-ifs, and I don’t have the luxury of placating you in this particular situation.”

His lips flattened as he glared at her. “Are you playing this fast and loose so I get off your back, or does this situation really not bother you?”

“I deal with animals twice my size on a daily basis, and a lot of them are not real happy when we spend time together. I deal with a certain level of fear most days, and waiting until it disappears isn’t a luxury I can afford. Do I like the idea of someone messing with me? Of course not. Am I going to cower in the clinic or stay under your watchful gaze until it stops? Absolutely not. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, and I’m a decent shot, so if someone decides to get in my way today, they better be ready to become acquainted with the barrel of my gun.”

Frustration marred Rick’s handsome face. Was he even capable of backing off when she asked? Not liking the swirl of uneasiness in her stomach, she let out a breath and hated how vulnerable she felt. Maybe he wasn’t going to be able to handle her independence, after all. “If you want to forget about this thing between us, then I’ll understand.”

He took her coffee cup and set it down on the hood of the truck along with his own and then pulled her into his arms. “Ain’t nothing going to change my mind about you and me. The fact I have to work extra hard to impress you just makes it all the more satisfying when I do.”

She rubbed her cheek against the soft material of his shirt and gave him a good squeeze. “I’ll be extra vigilant, I promise.”

“Thank you.”

Tipping back, she looked up and noticed his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t be a nervous nelly.”

“I’m a concerned boyfriend and want my woman to be safe.”

“I get that, but your idea of safe is a little extreme.”

“Just because I want to roll you in bubble wrap, put you in a cocoon of marshmallows, and have a fire team surrounding you twenty-four seven doesn’t mean I’m unreasonable.”

She let out a snort and told herself that him being aware of his level-ten concern was a move in the right direction. “Maybe you should give me a kiss and quit talking, because nothing you’re saying is helping.”

“I should be offended by that remark, but I’m not going to be since kissing you is one of my favorite things to do in this world.”

“Good answer,” she murmured right before his mouth landed on hers. Focusing on the pleasure of kissing and not the irritation of Rick’s proclamations, she prayed he used some self-control and respected her wishes.

…

Rick glanced over at Jack as he guided the helo low over the flat brown hills that surrounded the wells on the south end of the ranch. Adjusting his headphones, he leaned forward and pointed toward the highest-producing well. “The geo fencing we put in place is active, which is good news. I wasn’t sure if the boost we installed to carry the signal would be enough, but it looks like it is.”

Jack nodded and lowered the helicopter slowly. “You want to land and then cross the perimeter to see if the men are following the procedures you put in place?”

“Sure, set this baby down and let’s take a little hike and see what happens.” He bounced his knee as he looked out the window and tried to quit grinding his teeth. Everything with Em was probably fine, and giving into his overactive imagination would be about the worst choice possible.

“Roger that,” Jack confirmed as he set the bird down and began shutting down the engines. “You wound a little tight today for any particular reason?”

Sliding the headphones off, he shook his head. “Half my mind is on Em. Seems someone broke into her vet truck at some point over the weekend, and my gut is telling me it’s linked back to the break-in at her house. Weston is still gathering intel and has nothing actionable to move on, and Willy is waiting on results from the lab in San Antonio. We’ve got a whole lot of nothin’, and in the meantime, my woman is traveling down to Sinton. By herself. She’s easy pickings for anyone who wants to bother her, and I don’t like it.”

“From what I remember, Em is decent shot, so she’s got that going for her.”

His gut churned, and he fisted his hands. “Fuck you! Would you be saying the same thing if Nessa was riding solo to San Antonio?”

“No, because Nessa couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. Em, on the other hand, was trained up by her daddy and brothers and can outshoot half the men in this town. She also deals with animals three times her size and doesn’t take any guff, so I imagine she can handle whatever comes her way.”

“I don’t want her to have to handle anything. As far as I’m concerned, it’s my damn job to do it for her.”

Jack let out a loud snort and opened the door to the helo. “I hope to God you never say anything like that in her presence because it will kill that budding romance of yours faster than anything else.”

“I might’ve already tried.”

“And how long did it take her to shut you down?”

“There’s no measurement for something that short.”

“Figured as much.”

Rick climbed out of the helo and grabbed his SAT phone and a bottle of water. “I want to fly along Highway 77 on the way back to the ranch.”

“Of course you do.”

“You can’t shame me out of wanting to make sure she’s okay.”

“I wouldn’t waste my energy, since I know it would be impossible.”

He shoved a baseball hat on his head and gave his friend a wide smile. “I love the shit out of the little bit of happiness we’ve made over the last week and plan on defending it with my dying breath. It’s taken us a long-ass time to get here, and I’m not letting anyone mess with the chance we’ve been given.”

“I know, man, and I completely understand.” Jack tipped his head toward the well. “Ready?”

“Always.”

Rick lifted his nocs and scanned the strip of highway and prayed he’d get a glimpse of Em’s truck before too long. Based on the conversation they’d had an hour ago, she should be passing through the area any minute. Not that he planned on tailing her ass in the helo all the way back to Victoria, because that would just be…really unacceptable.

Mentally patting himself on the back for recognizing where a hard line might be crossed, he let out a breath. Nothing was going to wrestle the sanity he’d worked so hard for from his hands, and that included his own worst impulses.

“Ten clicks to the west,” Jack said into his mic. “No way to miss that big red truck barreling down the highway.”

“And the beat-up brown one following it too closely.”

“You got any fancy SEAL skills that’ll allow you to guestimate how fast Em is driving?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t.”

“Because from up here, it looks like she’s hauling ass.”

“The only time she drove fast back in high school was when she’d drank too many Diet Dr. Peppers and needed to make a pit stop. I know Mabel is in the truck most days, and she’d never do anything to endanger an animal.”

“The asshole in the junker is trying to pass, isn’t he?”

“And she better let him,” Rick said as his spidey-senses went on alert. His gut was telling him something bad was about to happen. They’d never failed him once, and he had no reason to believe they’d start now. Leaning forward, he trained his nocs on the truck moving out in front of Em and prayed it was just a driver juiced up on too much coffee.

“Fucker,” Jack spat out.

“Set the helo down,” Rick said in a low tone as the truck passed in front of her vet truck and made a wide swerve, effectively cutting her off. Emily skidded to a stop, leaving a long line of black marks, and he let out a string of curses as the brown truck rocked to a stop less than a quarter of a mile away. He ripped the headphones off his head, slid the gun out of his boot, and was ready to drop off the skids the moment Jack hovered. “Land on the other side of the truck. I don’t plan on letting the asshole get away.”

“Roger that.”

As they closed in on the X, Rick let muscle memory take over and set his mind to operating in a three-foot world. He wasn’t going to let the what-ifs of the situation cloud his judgment. The threat would be handled efficiently, just like he’d done thousands of times before.

He let the sound of the rotors beating the air settle his mind and waited as Jack set down the helo on the highway. Then he pushed open the door and jumped out immediately.

Not sure what he was in for, Rick took in long breaths and watched the door of the vet truck swing open and Emily’s long legs hit the ground. The moment her body was out of the truck, her arm shook out the rifle, readying it for whatever asshole got in her way.

Rick couldn’t help but admire his kick-ass girlfriend as she raised her gun and pointed directly at the man who’d dared cut her off. He took note of her cocksure attitude and deep frown as her boots cut across the asphalt and couldn’t deny the fact he was a little turned on. The woman was damn perfection.

And pissed, if the look of disapproval she threw him was any indication.

Emily turned her back on Rick and focused on the man who climbed out of the truck. “You better be about ready to die, you dumb son of a bitch!” Emily shouted. “I don’t care for people riding my ass on the highway. My dog is in the truck, and it’s unsafe to speed.”

He nodded Rick’s way. “So is landing a freaking helicopter on the highway.”

“That helo and the men in it are not something you need to be worried about.”

“Whatever.” He jabbed a finger in Em’s direction. “I got a message for you, bitch.”

“You don’t know me well enough to call me a bitch or anything else.” She lifted her rifle, closed an eye, and shot off a round close to the man’s feet. “And if you had something to say, there are better ways to communicate.”

He jumped back, eyes wide. “Fuck, you’re crazy!”

“Might be. But not as much as the man who just jumped out of a damn helo because he didn’t think I was capable of handling my business.”

Rick tipped his chin and kept his gun pointed at the man’s heart as he moved closer. “I’m what some people might call overprotective.”

“I’ve got this handled, Rick, and don’t appreciate your impression of a white knight.”

“Darlin’, you just shot a rock less than half a foot away from that man’s feet. No one would ever say you don’t have things handled. I’m just here to watch the show and run backup. You know team guys like to work together, and that’s all I’m doing.”

Emily let out a groan and then rolled her shoulders. “You’re lyin’, but I can’t be dealing with that right now.”

The messenger looked back and forth between them and edged a few steps back. “I’m not making enough scratch for this shit.”

“Who sent you, and what the hell do you want?” Emily shouted.

“The boys want the lists back. We know you and Nash are tight, so hand over the zip drive and we’ll leave you alone.”

“Nothing you just said makes sense,” Emily said firmly.

“You take a message back to your crew,” Rick said. “Nash has nothing to do with Em. And the men at the Blakely Ranch don’t care for the insinuation.”

“Fuck you!”

Emily shot off another round and moved closer. “You tell whoever it is that paid you some piss-amount of money that I don’t have what they want, and if they don’t get their facts right, I’ll be happy to treat them just like all the bulls I castrate.”

The man hightailed it to his vehicle and got the hell out of there, tires screeching on the asphalt. Rick knew letting him deliver the message was more important than burying a bullet in his ass. He had the plate memorized and knew Jack had gotten photos of the man that they could run through facial recognition. They’d have a nice long list of the players before too long, and as far as he was concerned, that was damn good news.

What wasn’t good news was the frown on Em’s face. It was pointed in his direction, and he had a pretty good idea that he’d once again crossed that invisible line that landed his ass on the wrong side of things.

Which meant their evening wasn’t going to be peaceful.

Something he’d probably best get used to.