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THEY RODE BACK to Kate’s ranch, and Charles stayed close to her side, still worried for her.
It almost crowded out his rage, and his desire to cause great bodily harm. If it was the last thing he did before he left, he would make Kransky pay for laying hands on her.
“How was your first day, Charlie?”
He looked over at her, surprised by the light tone in her voice. Her face still looked pale, the bruises on her jaw more pronounced. Sight of them let some of the rage slip free. With an effort, he clamped it down again, and answered her question. She was most likely searching for a distraction.
“Would you prefer honest, or polite?”
A dimple appeared in her left cheek. Charles gripped the reins, to keep from tracing his thumb down that dimple. The last thing she needed was another man pawing at her. “Let’s save polite for when you feel like swearing at me in your sleep.”
“Honest, then. It was exhausting. I believe there may be dust in crevices I had no idea existed.”
Kate’s laughter had him gripping the reins tighter. “I’m glad I found you, Charlie de Witt. I haven’t laughed this much in too long.”
They didn’t talk again until Kate stopped at the barn. It hurt to watch her ease out of the saddle, knowing he could not offer assistance. He knew she would want little attention drawn to her. But, as often happened on his estate, news traveled faster than the wind.
Ranch hands appeared, led by Sally.
“Are you all right, Miss Kate? Oh—your face—”
“Is fine. I’m fine.” She raised her voice, and lifted her chin. “Stop frowning at me. Evan will get his comeuppance. Sally, I’m going to need your help with that.”
“Whatever you need me to do.” The cook sounded positively fierce. Charles fell a bit in love with her. Glancing over at Mike, he did not seem to be the only one. “Let’s get you inside.”
“Give me a minute.” She walked over to Mike, framed his face with her hands, and pulled him down until they were eye level. “Thank you, for coming to my rescue.”
She kissed him, and Charles wanted to punch the man. Then she moved to Charles, and pulled him down, standing on tiptoe to reach eye level without bending him in two.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her warm breath brushed his lips a moment before she kissed him.
He tried to keep it light, since they had an audience, but Kate had other plans.
She deepened the kiss immediately, and his body responded. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet. The catcalls finally penetrated, and she eased back, a smile on her face. It left him more aroused than her kiss.
“Kate—”
“Thank you for replacing the memory of my last kiss.” Now he saw the lingering fear, and wanted to crush Kransky for putting that fear in her eyes. He settled her to the ground, and she stepped back, facing a group of people who clearly cared for her deeply. “Thank you all, for your support. It means more to me than I can tell you—”
“Katie, girl—” She closed her eyes at the sound of her father’s voice. “Let me through—”
Charles moved away from her, giving her one less thing to explain to the man limping toward them. Anger turned his face red.
“Pa—”
“Where is he? You let him off the hook, didn’t you?” He did not give her time to answer before he pulled her into his arms. “That boy won’t step foot on this property again—not as long as I’m breathing. I’m so sorry, girl. Sorry that I judged him so wrong.”
“We didn’t know, Papa.” She rubbed his back, soothing when she should have been the one to receive it. “I didn’t know—not until Evan attacked me.” She lifted her head, and met her father’s tear-bright eyes. “But he’s going to pay. In an uncomfortable and very public way.”