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Rebecca’s accident was freaky bad luck. Carter jammed a drawer shut and tossed an extra shirt on top of his bedroll. And obviously he was a piss poor instructor. He shouldn’t have ridden off with Janet but he’d let Allie get under his skin. He’d needed to escape before he was just another besotted wrangler falling under her spell. Dammit though, it hurt to look at her. She was all smiles and light and he couldn’t keep his eyes off her pink mouth, and everything he wanted to do to it.
He’d been shocked that she had volunteered for Man Tracker. A woman like that shouldn’t be running through the wilderness unprotected. She barely knew what it was like to go without a bathroom. And she wouldn’t have her usual bevy of admirers around. As it was, their boss was furious.
“Please explain again how Rebecca was kicked?” Sharon had asked, as soon as she hauled Allie and Carter into her office. Her icy blue eyes had leveled on Carter. “And why you left the guests alone?”
“Rebecca wasn’t alone.” Allie had spoken before he could reply. “I was with her. And she dismounted to retrieve my phone.”
“Non-riders hardly count,” Sharon had snapped.
Carter didn’t need Allie defending him but Sharon had already moved into damage control, talking about media buildup and liability and how it was important that Janet still be able to compete.
“You’re not the ideal contestant, Allie,” Sharon had said, blowing out a sigh. “But Janet wants a female partner, and now she’s locked on you. Evidently she thinks winning will be a more impressive feat if she has you slowing her down.”
Allie had winced at the comment and that had bothered him. But it had disturbed him even more that Sharon would allow Allie to fill in. This wasn’t a dance-off contest where the biggest risk was breaking some sweat. The Montana backcountry could be cruel and inhospitable and it wasn’t a place for her, no matter that she’d shown surprising determination while riding earlier that day.
“Allie just has to start the race, right?” he’d asked. “If we catch her the first hour, Janet can compete alone?”
“That’s correct,” Sharon said. “Once Allie is captured, it’s Janet’s race to win or lose.” She’d leveled that searing gaze on him again. “Let’s hope you perform better on Man Tracker than you did today. Allie doesn’t know anything about horses but you and I both know that gelding should have been kept away from the mare.”
She gestured at her office door. “Now both of you need to go and join Janet. She’s requested updated photos for the event.”
Carter hadn’t immediately followed Allie out the door. He’d lingered, needing to set something straight.
“Allie may not know much about horses,” he’d said, “but she has plenty of common sense.”
“Pardon?” Sharon’s head had shot up, as if surprised to see him still standing there.
“Allie knows horses can kick. And it wasn’t her gelding that caused the problem.” He didn’t know why it was important to stay and make that point other than he didn’t appreciate Sharon’s dismissive attitude. It was apparent it bothered Allie. So it bothered him.
“And that’s about all she knows,” Sharon had said. “So make sure you catch her before sundown tomorrow. I don’t want her out there overnight.” Sharon’s voice softened in a way he’d never heard before. “She’s our star employee. And she’s saving your ass by volunteering to do something way out of her element.”
Carter relaxed when he realized the woman wasn’t demeaning Allie. She was truly worried about her. “Yes, I realize that,” he said. “But I imagine we’ll catch her before noon. Or that she’ll quit.”
Sharon had snorted. “She won’t quit. So I’m relying on you to bring her home safely.”
Carter had nodded and left the office, but now Sharon’s words echoed as he packed. He’d catch Allie quickly so she would only have to rough it for a few hours. Still, she probably had no idea what to pack, even for a two-hour hike. He and Monty would be on horses but the contestants had to carry their supplies. She probably didn’t own a decent backpack or even a sleeping bag. And a thirty-pound load could quickly turn heavy, maybe not for Janet but Allie would have trouble.
On the other hand, she wouldn’t be out there long enough to need a sleeping bag. So a good water bottle and some energy bars were the most important things.
He scooped up a collapsible water bottle and gathered some of his favorite trail bars, ones with fruit, oatmeal and nuts that didn’t melt in the heat. Then he swung open his door and strode down the hall.
He didn’t know her exact location—had resolved to stay far away from her room. But this end of the dorm always seemed to be the center of activity, and she was probably in the middle of it.
The dorm was quiet this evening, with only muted chatter. Most of the doors were closed but a few were open.
“Hey, Carter,” a feminine voice called. “Come on in. Join me for a beer!”
He gave a polite head shake and kept walking. If it had been someone he trusted he would have stopped and asked for Allie’s room number, but he’d learned his lesson about walking into a woman’s hotel room and the media mess that could ignite.
He’d find Allie’s room on his own. No doubt she had her door decorated with purple rainbows and unicorns—something suited to her but totally inappropriate for a ranch. He gave a rueful sigh. She was far sweeter than he’d expected, to both animals and people. She’d even lingered by the corral, helping him put away the tack and picking Panda some fresh grass as a reward for not letting her fall off.
He snorted. There’d never been any danger of that. He’d been too aware of her every twitch, every reaction: her solemn nod when he pointed out the difference between shod and unshod hooves, the genuine enjoyment in her intelligent eyes, and the way her shirt had tightened around her breasts whenever she lifted her phone. He’d almost wanted her to fall off so he’d have an excuse to snag her in his arm. But she was a heartbreak waiting for a place to happen, and no way would he allow himself to be weakened by lust.
This job was too important to lose because of a fling with a Barbie cowgirl. If he needed a woman, there were plenty he could hook up with from the circuit, ladies who were tough, focused and would race him out the motel door in the morning. They didn’t make his blood pound like Allie, but they were much more suitable.
He gave a frustrated sigh then jerked to a stop, puzzled by the packs piled outside a closed door. It seemed that one of the staff was arranging a hiking expedition. The ranch facilitated overnight trips for guests who were experienced and wanted to camp without a guide, but he’d never seen an assembly station within the dorm before.
A variety of equipment had been gathered, from high-tech backpacks to filtered water bottles and wool socks. A lightweight sleeping bag and nylon tent were propped against the wall alongside a mesh fly hood, three baseball caps and bear spray. There was a battery pack and a solar-powered flashlight and a pocket book on the constellations, along with a poster crammed with more signatures than employees.
Give them hell, Allie, it read.
He blinked in surprise then stooped and placed his meager offerings beside the others. Obviously he’d found her room. But it was disconcerting to see the avalanche of supplies. Clearly Allie’s co-workers expected her to be out there much longer than an hour. And that put her under unnecessary pressure. Lugging a heavy pack didn’t make sense either, not when she’d be home before noon. And if the straps weren’t adjusted properly, the pack would strain her back and leave welts on her skin.
He dragged a hand over his jaw, wishing she were around so he could give her a little advice.
“Looking for Allie?” someone asked.
He turned to see Nikki striding toward him.
“She’s probably still by the pool,” Nikki went on. “Do you think she’d eat dried seaweed?” She waved some crumpled blue bags. “This is my last bit of dulse but it’s great for restoring electrolytes. It’s light too, something she might want to save for the last day.”
Carter’s eyes narrowed. Nikki was usually sensible. They often talked about horses and hockey; she should know Allie would never make it to the last day. “Why are people leaving all this stuff?” he asked.
“Same reason as you. Allie mentioned over supper she was filling in for Rebecca but that she didn’t have any hiking gear. She’s always the first to help everyone else. Now it’s our turn.”
“But she’s not going to be out there very long. And if she’s carrying a heavy pack, she won’t be able to keep up with Janet beyond the first fifty feet.”
“Bullshit. Have you ever seen her dance?” Nikki shook her head in admiration. “She never stops. Goes until two every night. And that’s after she pulls lifeguard duty, water aerobics and whatever office stuff Sharon piles on her. She might not be able to leap as high as an Olympic hurdler but I figure she’ll last a day or two.”
Carter squeezed the bridge of his nose. Gyrating in a dance hall couldn’t be compared to an athlete’s superb conditioning, and he expected Nikki to show a little sense. “But being in the woods,” he said, “being pursued, can make most anyone panic. And Allie’s not used to the wilderness. Being chased.”
Nikki laughed. “Sure she is. She’s always dodging overeager men.” Then she sobered. “I know the odds are against her lasting. But she’s smart, a good listener and her best friend is Kate Miller. I imagine she’s learned a lot by osmosis. Anyway, I’m betting she lasts at least twenty-four hours. So she’ll need all this stuff.” Nikki stooped and placed three bags of dulse on top of his energy bars.
“Besides,” she added, “Janet Bailey isn’t the type of person to share. She posted on Instagram that the ranch stuck her with a hothouse flower but she’s determined to win in spite of the handicap.” Nikki raised her fingers in mocking air quotes. “She’s using Allie to get more publicity but in the process she’s making the ranch sound like a Mickey Mouse operation. So I hope Janet is the one who doesn’t make it to the end.”
Carter stiffened. He didn’t appreciate that Allie had been called a hothouse flower even though he privately agreed with the assessment. But Allie would be hurt. And he didn’t like to imagine her tight smile, the one she hid behind whenever she was feeling vulnerable.
When they were riding today, that careful smile had vanished. Once she realized he wasn’t going to let her fall off, she relaxed and let loose with that deep-throated laugh that filled him with all sorts of carnal thoughts. And the appreciative look she gave him when he helped her find some privacy had made his chest swell. It was obvious she’d expected him to rip into her about the foolishness of drinking too much coffee. After all, last night he’d said there would be no need for refreshments.
He hadn’t told her the reason though. Hadn’t wanted to be around her any longer than necessary. And today it had been impossible to tamp down the persistent bulge in his pants. He’d never been in the habit of denying his dick, but his last girlfriend had fixed that.
No doubt, glamorous women would always leave him suspicious but the more he saw of Allie, the less she resembled Jenica. At least Allie had been worried about his cat.
He still couldn’t figure out why Lynx had been out in the open like that, leaving him an easy target for Dwight’s lariat. The cat didn’t trust humans, and the only reason he was still alive was because Jenica hadn’t been able to catch him. Yet this morning he’d been hanging around, bumming food like a house cat.
He’d have to adjust Lynx’s diet, give him something more appealing than dry food. Monty wouldn’t like it if the mice overran the barn, but Carter didn’t care. Lynx was his cat, his responsibility, and the only animal he’d brought along after he sold his ranch.
A man wasn’t worth much if he couldn’t keep the things he loved safe.
