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Chapter 42
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Cattenach Ranch Chapter 43
Every instinct told him to run, to get as far away from the pain as fast as possible. But he'd given his word, had made a promise, and he'd keep it. Though it wouldn't be right under her nose on the ranch, Nate would protect Olivia just the same. Pain be damned.On his Hog, he tore down the road, heading for town with two goals to accomplish by day's endto find a way to stay in Meadowlark and to make sure he'd never be in a position to hurt Olivia again. He'd barely made it out of the Cattenach Ranch gate and his chest pinched from missing her. And he'd better get used to it. Not that he ever would. Christ, he never should've touched her, never should've let her try to...heal him. His own misery was something he'd grown familiar with eons ago, but this particular level went beyond that to an amplified version of hell.The look on her face, the hurt in her voice, the way she'd tried to justify...No. No, no, no.Pulling off the main road a few minutes later, he parked in front of
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 44
Shit. Closing his eyes, Nate skimmed his hand over his clenched gut."And I also know Olivia better than anyone." Nakos's determined gaze nailed Nate to the couch when he refocused on the foreman. "She's a pain in the ass, stubborn as hell, and has a heart bigger than a church full of saints, but she's not stupid. If the goal is to not hurt her, you're going about it back-asswards. You told her the truth. All your secrets are out. And what was the first thing she did?" He tipped his bottle at Nate. "She went after you."Well, Nate had wanted the foreman's insight. He'd gotten it. Hell, he didn't have a clue what he'd been expecting to hear, but shock blew him away nonetheless. This place, these people, were like being dropped in another dimension with no compass or instructions. Another world he never fathomed could exist.Nakos stood and glanced around. "Kind of downsizing your life, if you ask me. Smells like someone's great-grandmother's attic, too." Despite the chaos in his he
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 45
Olivia pulled her truck in the driveway and cut the engine, then pounded her fist on the steering wheel a trillion times. Not that it helped her frustration level, but it beat screaming through town like Wee Willie Winkie after a meltdown.All day yesterday, she'd torn Meadowlark apart trying to find Nate. After little sleep, she'd headed out to do the same thing this morning. Nothing. Nada. All Rip would tell her was Nate started work on Monday and that, last he'd heard, Nate was fine. The good ole boys club, protecting each other. Rip must've assumed Nate needed time.She wasn't fine. And she didn't believe for one second Nate was, either.Helpless tears of concern and fear threatened again, so she climbed out of the truck and stalked toward the barn. Perhaps Nakos had heard from Nate. Sunlight beat down and the grass was damp with dew. Spring clung to the tepid air and birds chirped. A breeze whirred the leaves budding on the trees. Flowers poked through the defrosted ground, r
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 46
"You!" The cemetery gate squeaked open and slammed shut.Nate spun at the feminine shriek and found one purely pissed off and furious Olivia Cattenach stomping toward him. Homicidal eyes red-rimmed, lips firm, auburn hair flying around her head, and a fierce wrinkle between her brows, she launched at him. He barely had time to set his feet and her fists were pounding his chest."You...jerk!" Punch. "How could you take off like that?" Punch. "I looked everywhere for you." Punch, punch. "All day, half the night, and this morning."Christ. He lifted his hands, not to fend her off because, well, she wasn't actually hurting him in the slightest, but he was worried she'd hurt herself. "Olivia" "No. You don't get to speak. You said enough yesterday. It's my turn." And...she was back to wailing on him. "I was worried sick." Punch. "I thought you were dead in a ditch..." Inhaling suddenly, she straightened, her pretty eyes bugging into something downright scary. "You're laughing at me?"
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 47
VOLUME TWO: BENEDICTIONRibs screaming in agony, blood dripping from her nose and lip, and her right eye swollen almost shut, Amy Tarcher stumbled through the Cattenach Ranch iron gate onto her best friend's property. Her legs cramped, barely holding her up, and the vertigo was screwing with her balance. Loose gravel over the brick-laid driveway grated under her shuffling flip-flops, but they were all she'd been able to manage when she'd fled home.Amy's own postage stamp of a house was in an older subdivision on the other side of Olivia's sprawling ranch. Which meant, somehow, she'd walked three miles to get here. Her car hadn't been an option. Before her husband had gone mental and put her in this current black and blue state, he'd slashed her tires, smashed her cell phone, and had taken a hammer to her photography equipment. That hurt almost worse than the beating he'd inflicted.An end in sight, she forced her feet to keep moving and headed up the driveway at a drunken snail's p
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 48
Quick as lightning, Nate strode forward, shoved his revolver in his waistband, and planted Chris face-first in the dirt. With a knee between his shoulders and a firm hand on the back of his neck, Nate toed the gun farther from them.He whipped his attention to Olivia. "Did he hurt you?" He scanned her for wounds as if he might expire on the spot if she had any.She shook her head repeatedly, tears leaving tracks on her cheeks. Her gaze dropped to Amy. "She's pretty bad, though."Amy opened her mouth to reassure her friend, but Nakos set his rifle behind him and squatted next to her. Familiar midnight eyes traced her face with frenetic concern in their depths. The dark skin of his Native American heritage grew ashen the longer he stared. Eyebrows wrenched in a frown and jaw tight, he reached for her with a shaking hand, but swiftly drew back. "You've looked better, Ames." The tension cracking his voice nearly felled her.She tried to smile, but it reopened her lip and sent blood t
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 49
Three months later...Today was going to suck. And not the good kind. Nope. The big, sweaty, hairy donkey balls variety. He thought he'd been prepared for this, but the shift in his gut said otherwise.Biting back a sigh, Nakos Hunt glanced from the two men standing beside him to the wide open expanse of Cattenach Ranch. Two-thousand acres of rolling grasslands and high plains. The Laramie Mountains just to the south were little more than a bluish mirage in the distance, but a slightly cool breeze wafted across the basin to provide some relief from the heat. A rare hot Wyoming sun beat down from a cloudless sky as prairie grass crackled in the wind. He shoved his index finger between his neck and the white collar of the button down shirt Olivia had forced him to wear, trying to get liberation from the upper eighties temperature. With his dark skin, courtesy of his native Arapaho tribe, he was roasting. At least she'd let him wear jeans and cowboy boots, but he felt naked without hi
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 50
Up went Nate's hands. "I didn't say a thing."Would this day never end? "Are you nervous?" Nakos side-glanced the groom, wishing the dude had at least a bead of perspiration from anxiety. But no. A pillar, this one."Hell no. I can't wait."Figured, not that Nakos could blame him.They assumed their positions based on the pithy rehearsal the day before and waited for the music to start. If anyone thought having the nuptials right outside the wrought iron gate of the Cattenach's private cemetery was odd, they didn't know the family very well. Olivia's parents, along with three generations of relatives before, were buried there. As was Justin, someone who had meant the world to both the bride and groom. It was only fitting they'd want to be closer to him on their day, if merely to have his spirit nearby.Situated off to the right, Meadowlark's high school band began to play, notes from guitar strings and flutes floating on the breeze. Moments later, Amy stepped into view at the base
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Cattenach Ranch Chapter 91: Epilogue
In the main house's kitchen, Amy flipped through the pictures she took last week, Olivia next to her at the island looking on. They had plans to take a ride up to Blind Man's Bluff as soon as Nakos was finished with the horses. It was a gorgeous Saturday, the sun bright and warm, and Amy was looking forward to enjoying it. The past couple weeks had been rough between the trips to Casper for pre-trial hearings and retelling the rape to a bunch of strangers. But her friends had been beside her the whole time, a silent show of support.Aunt Mae set her tea on the table where she'd been watching them. "So, Clint took the plea bargain.""Yeah." Amy put the photos back in the envelope. "The district attorney called yesterday. I'm shocked, actually." There was no physical evidence to credit her accusations against her uncle. They'd both taken lie detector tests, which wouldn't hold up in court, but it had given authorities something to go on. She'd passed. Her uncle had failed. And when
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 90
He was about to beg her to shut up until sunrise, just a few measly hours to give his shattered heart a reprieve, but she opened her mouth first. "Will you go with me to the police station tomorrow?" Stunned stupid, he stared unblinking."To give an official statement so they can hold my uncle on charges. Nate said he'd be there the whole time, but I want you with me, too. Please?""Yes." Was she kidding? "Of course, I'll go with you." He always knew she was brave, fearless, but he'd underestimated her level of courage. And damn, he was buying the whole auto lot out of motorcycles for Nate. Seriously, no lie. "I'm debating whether we should have us surgically joined. It might be my only peace of mind."She laughed, and nothing sounded sweeter. "How about I promise to love you forever instead? Less awkward than going under the knife and we wouldn't have to get insurance involved."In answer, he sealed his lips to hers, sank deep with a slow glide until he was under the influence
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 89
With violently shaking hands, Nakos held the gorgeous face he feared he'd never see again and kissed her with all the pent up, avid torment he'd had gutting him for hours. When that wasn't enough, he kissed her eyes, her forehead, her cheeks, and pressed against her, trapping her to the door."Hihcebe, I was scared to death." Unimaginable things had scowered his mind. All the scenarios she might've been in. Or done. After revealing such a horrible memory, he had no clue where her head was at, what she might do in the wake. His ribcage had been pried open by steel claws and his insides shredded until there was nothing left. For. Hours. "Scared to goddamn death, anim."He'd barked orders at the men. Had ridden on horseback to every place he could conceive she may have gone. Stood helpless in the rain, searching, searching. Each second had been an eternity. And then Nate had radioed she was all right. But Nakos hadn't seen with his own eyes, touched with his own hands to gain proof. So
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 88
He squeezed her fingers. "Victim doesn't equal weak. Regardless of what you decide, remember that much. You are ten times stronger than he is, and he'll never touch you again. You have my word." He suddenly looked a little distressed at her new stream of leaking tears. His eyes widened and his brow furrowed. "Or I could just kill him. Nakos told me once he knew where to hide a body so it'll never be found. Of course, he was threatening me at the time."Laughing, she dropped her head on his shoulder. "I'll think about it. The pressing charges part, not murder.""Open offer."She laughed again, then sighed as they slipped into a comfortable silence. Animals scurried in the night and leaves crackled. She breathed in heavy humidity, the scent of wet grass and fertile soil, feeling calmer. A damp, rain-tinged quality hung in the air, and it had a strangely cleansing effect. Or maybe it was the company."You're a good guy, Nate.""Didn't used to think so, but I'm a work in progress." He
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 87
Drenched, shivering, Amy huddled in the corner of Olivia's old tree house and tried to breathe. She hadn't been able to take the emotional assault and just needed to get away. Fast. The frenetic panic had almost been worse than the fear. After Nakos had stalked out of the barn, she'd gone the long way around so no one spotted her and had stumbled onto their old stomping grounds by accident. A brief storm had come through, but the tree house had no roof, thus she'd been caught in the worst of the rain. From her perch on the northern side of the main house, she could barely make out the dim glow of lights since there was enough distance to give the illusion of privacy. The small structure was built high in an oak and was roughly seven feet long at most. Old pine boards were scarred, a tad musty, but sturdy. Branches formed a canopy overhead, stars and a sliver of moonlight peeking through the leaves. She hadn't been in here since she was a kid, had forgotten all about it.It had see
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 86
Roaring, he held her head in his shaking hands and slammed his eyes shut. Awful, tormenting visions cut through his mind, sliced like a blade. Shredded. Releasing her, he stumbled back, clutched his stomach.Ragewhite hot, sadistic ragewhipped through him. Lashed. Violent in the intensity, it surged as if summoned by the very bowels of hell. Blood boiled and pressure built in his skull, rammed his temples. Someone, that thing out there, had dared to hurt his Amy. His beautiful, courageous angel. A growl tore his throat, and he pivoted. Stormed out of the barn. A quick glance around, and he found her parents, Kyle, Nate, Olivia, and the soon-to-be dead man in the same spot as moments ago. He was going to kill him. Several times. Limb from goddamn limb, he'd tear him to pieces.Marching up to the group, Nakos zeroed in on the bastard. He had a blip of a second to make out a brown comb-over and fat paunch through a red haze of wrath before he shoved his forearm into the guy's collarb
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 85
Leaning against the barn's open carriage doors, Nate crossed his arms. "Things seem to be going well with Amy. Why do you look irritated?"Nakos gave a last pat for Midnight, their three-year-old stallion, and closed the stall. Unsure how to answer, he searched the expanse behind the ex-soldier as if the land might provide answers. A front was rolling in, the sky to the west black with ominous clouds. Static charged the humid air and smelled like rain. They'd called it a day just in time to avoid nature's wrath. Nothing sounded better than sinking into Amy's warm body in front of a fire while a storm raged outside.Except... "She's holding back. From me, from..." He lifted his hand, let it slap his thigh as he dropped it. Frustration pounded his temples. "I don't know. She's stopped fighting me, so there's that. But she's got something in that head of hers keeping her from fully engaging. I wish to hell I knew what. She looks at me like she's gearing her courage to tell me, then cl
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 84
It seemed silly to get worked up over something so mundane as his behavior when sick. Yet she could no more control her reaction than she could deny him what he wanted. Here he was, feverish and achy, but he still thought of her. Saying nice things, needing her close. He was half-buried in a mind fog, and his first instincts were to cuddle with her, not bark orders or push her away. It cemented her experiences with him as legit, proving he wasn't only saying or doing what he'd thought he should.They laid in bed all day and evening. In the early afternoon, he'd managed to rouse long enough to eat half a bowl of soup, and sometime around midnight, his fever had broken. He woke up Tuesday morning with the sun, only mildly sluggish for the encounter, and Amy was grateful he was better.On Wednesday, after they were done with work, he wanted to test out the new horse he and Olivia had acquired, and asked Amy to go for a ride. With her on Pirate, a two-year-old gelding, and him on the new
Cattenach Ranch Chapter 83
Just before dawn, Amy slipped out of Nakos's bed and snatched her clothes off the floor. She padded across the hall to her room, changed, and headed downstairs to start coffee. He'd wake up soon for work, but she needed a few minutes to herself.The past weekend ping-ponged around in her skull as she measured dark roast and filled a carafe of water. Their lovemaking? It may have started off as sex, two bodies coming together in mutual need, but it hadn't finished that way. He'd taken her like a man who'd come unraveled, and she was the only one holding the frayed end to maintain his sanity. Thenoh, thenafter they'd had dinner, he'd gone slower, worshiping her body like he had something to prove. He'd put the beast back in the cage. Not only had she orgasmed, many times, he'd made the experience all about her. Holding her afterward. Cooing phrases and stroking her hair with endearing tenderness.And telling her he loved her.God, the L-bomb. Her throat seized remembering. She and Oli
