Share

Chapter 5

Author: Kelly Moran
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
Olivia sipped coffee at the kitchen table while Aunt Mae flipped strips of bacon at the stove. Sizzles and pops filled the room in a sound as comforting as it was familiar. A large stack was piled on a draining plate and two of the men had already stopped by for a bite.

"Have you seen Nate this morning?" Olivia moved scrambled eggs around her plate, hoping it looked like she'd eaten more than she had, else Aunt Mae would fuss.

"No, but he's probably comatose if he drove straight from Illinois."

No doubt. "I should've discussed him living here." It had been an impulsive offer after she'd read Justin's letter, but she couldn't bring herself to regret the decision. According to her brother, he suspected Nate had no family and wanted him to find a place to call home once he was out of the service. Justin had said other things, stuff she didn't want to dissect yet, but she'd process later. "Is it okay with you?"

Up went Aunt Mae's brows. "I don't get involved in your hiring, baby girl."

"I know. But it's different since he's staying in the house."

Her aunt transferred bacon and added more to the skillet. "Well, our boarding houses are full, so I don't know where else he'd go."

"True." They had two large farmhouses edging the northern property line that her ranch hands occupied. Part of their salary was rooming because it was easier than driving in from town at all hours.

"Justin wanted him here. Besides, he's not bad to look at."

Laughing, Olivia set her coffee aside. "He's a giant, isn't he?"

"Pfft. Mountain, I'd say."

With a smile and a sigh, Olivia laid her head back on the chair. She'd been enveloped by that "mountain" last night for a few brief moments, and the safety he'd invoked had carried her through the night straight into this morning. Odd, since she'd never considered herself in need of protection.

"I didn't stick around long, but it seems to me he was a little smitten by you." Aunt Mae grinned. "Didn't take his eyes off you, in fact."

Lord. "Don't tell me your getting dirty speech again. It didn't go over well yesterday."

Her aunt laughed. "If you weren't already thinking dirty thoughts with that hunk around, there's no hope for you."

The hunk himself strode in the back door, wearing lose sweatpants on his lean hips and a gray t-shirt soaked in sweat. His bald head and bulging arms glistened with perspiration, and Olivia nearly swallowed her tongue.

Bones trotted in behind him and sat at Aunt Mae's feet, begging for bacon.

Olivia forced her gaze to Nate's when it really wanted to wander. Man, he made her skin hot. "I didn't realize you were awake."

He pulled a set of earbuds out of his ears and glanced around. "I run a couple miles every morning." When Aunt Mae handed him a bottle of water, he stared at it in confusion. "Thanks. Am I late?"

"Nope." Olivia took her plate to the sink. "I just got up. Nakos will be doling out assignments to the guys soon. We don't have to meet him for another ninety minutes or so."

Nate nodded and drank from the bottle, looking like a pornographic version of a sportswear ad. "I'll take a quick shower and meet you back here."

"Eat first." Her aunt handed him a plate and, again, he stared at it like he'd never seen eggs before.

"You don't have to feed me."

"Room and board." Olivia smiled and reclaimed her seat. "You'll want protein. Trust me. The men come and go all day snatching food."

"Okay." He stood where he was and ate a few bites as Olivia and her aunt exchanged concerned glances. "That reminds me. Where can I pick up a few things?"

"I'm going shopping today. What do you need?"

He blinked at Aunt Mae. "Gatorade. It's an electrolyte thing since my injury. Keeps the leg from stiffening. I can get it, though, if you tell me - "

"I'll add it to the list." Her aunt waved her hand when he tried to object.

Rico, one of the ranch hands, rushed through the door, kissed Aunt Mae's cheek, and grabbed two slices of bacon. "Love you."

Her aunt tsked. "You love my bacon."

"That, too." He turned and stopped dead, wide gaze roaming over Nate. "Uh, hello."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Rico, meet Nate. I just hired him. He's an Army buddy of Justin's."

"Gotcha." Rico held out his hand. "Thanks for your service."

Silent, Nate shook his hand, his dark eyes assessing as they ran over Rico's blond hair, jeans, and denim shirt.

"Remind me not to piss you off, yeah?" Rico kissed Aunt Mae again, high-fived Olivia, and rushed out the door.

Nate's gaze slowly traveled to Aunt Mae's back as she resumed cooking and then to Olivia. Poor guy seemed a little overwhelmed and unsure what to do next. After his first tour, Justin had been like that for a few days once he had returned home.

She got the impression Nate was forcing himself to breathe, judging by the wrought expression and tightening of his jaw. She didn't know what had him out of sorts, but she tilted her head and offered him a reassuring smile.

He shook his head as if to clear it, quickly ate the rest of his breakfast, and walked the plate to the sink. "Thanks for...feeding me."

While her aunt nodded and Nate left the room, Olivia got tripped up by his odd phrasing and the humble note to his tone. Perhaps he wasn't used to people or their ways here on the ranch yet, but she was beginning to suspect no one had ever been kind to him before. The same inkling had hit her last night on the porch when she'd complimented him on the box he'd made, offered the job, and showed him to his bedroom.

"I think you should take him with you on your walk." Aunt Mae spooned eggs into a warming plate and washed her hands. "It might give him some closure."

Olivia nodded. "I will." He'd been unable to attend Justin's funeral, but she could take Nate to see her brother's grave. She'd planned on it, anyway, if only to show him where the cemetery was located.

He came downstairs ten minutes later, wearing jeans, a black baseball cap, and a sweatshirt. She led him outside and they walked in silence up an incline, Bones trotting at Nate's side. Her dog typically didn't accompany her to the cemetery.

"I think you made a lasting impression." She jerked her chin toward the sheepdog.

He glanced at Bones. "I found him outside my bedroom door this morning. He followed me on my run."

"Really? He likes you, then. They say dogs are an excellent judge of character."

He sent her a disbelieving look. "He seems very mild-mannered. Doesn't he sleep in your room?"

"Sometimes." She shrugged. "He kind of does what he wants. You're a great companion, aren't you, boy?"

Bones barked as if he understood.

Nate's lips curved as he glanced from the dog to his surroundings. "This place is massive. How many acres do you own?"

"Two-thousand."

"Christ." He shook his head. "I can't fathom."

She laughed. "It's all I've ever known. To the north," she pointed to give him a sense of direction, "is mostly wheat crops. We keep some of the harvest for feed, but the rest goes to suppliers. There's two farmhouses the ranch hands live in beyond the field. And before you ask, they're full, so you're stuck with me."

He grunted, but otherwise kept silent.

"To the south and west are pastures. We have about a thousand head of steer and five hundred sheep. The east side is mostly the main house and barns. We have twenty-five horses, plus a large storage structure for equipment. A lot of the guys prefer ATVs to horseback."

He rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly uncertain.

"I'll teach you everything you need to know. You're a smart guy. You'll catch on quick."

His gaze whipped to hers and he studied her like she was an alien life form. "You remind me so much of your brother."

There was no higher compliment in her book. "Thank you. We were very close. More like best friends than siblings."

Frowning, he jerked his gaze ahead, leaving her to wonder what she'd said to upset him. He'd spent a lot of time in precarious and dangerous situations with Justin. Perhaps being around her was difficult or brought up painful memories.

After a few moments of silence, she chewed her lip. "How did you sleep? I'll bet you were tired after the long drive."

Appearing to mull that over, he took a deep breath. "I caught a couple hours. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No." Her chest pinched. She wondered if he had some PTSD or if it was the change in setting that had disturbed him. "Too quiet around here for you?"

"Yeah, maybe." He adjusted his hat and stopped walking to face her. Head down, he set his hands on his hips. "I'm going to be honest with you. I don't sleep much, not for long stretches, anyway. I tend to wake suddenly and..." He closed his eyes, jaw tense.

Her stomach bottomed out. "From nightmares?"

He didn't open his eyes, but his brows pinched. "Yes." The reluctant tone belied his discomfort with the situation, and a hint of embarrassment tinged his cheeks. "This is why I prefer to stay somewhere else." With a sigh, he refocused on her, and the torment in his gaze was gutting. "You should be aware of the situation if you hear me. Or if I wander around."

Lord. He sleepwalked, too? "You must've seen some terrible things over there," she whispered.

In answer, he pivoted and continued ahead as if they'd never spoken.

She strode quietly beside him, her heart aching. Justin had never said much about his time overseas, but he hadn't had the walls in place like Nate did. He didn't know her, either, so maybe he'd talk about it in time.

Related chapters

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 6

    At the cemetery fence, he paused. "He's buried here?""Yes, along with four generations of Cattenachs." She faced him, watching the hard edges of his profile. "Our parents died in a car wreck when we were eight. I didn't sleep well for a long time afterward and I refused to get in a vehicle for a year, thinking I'd die, too. I won't pretend to understand what you're going through, but what helped me was coming here, talking to them." He turned his head and looked at her, gaze sweeping over her face like a caress. Understanding and respect shone in his eyes before he broke the connection and glanced at the cemetery again.Bones nudged his hand and, with a blink of surprise, Nate looked at the dog."I think he senses what troubles you. Maybe you should let him sleep in your bed, see how it works out." She opened the gate and walked to Justin's grave.Nate's quiet footsteps padded behind her, but he said nothing. He spoke very little, actually, but his eyes gave a lot of him away. G

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 7

    After the foreman's temper tantrum yesterday morning, Nate had spent the day ten feet from Olivia while she'd shaved wool off sheep. Many, many sheep. At least he knew what shearing meant now. It looked exhausting. A week ago, he wouldn't have said so, but since watching her and Nakos for nine solid hours, Nate would've rather done eight-hundred push-ups than partake.And he'd tried damn hard not to think about how great her ass looked in jeans every time she'd bent over. Which had been a lot. Or the way sunlight had lit her cornflower eyes and auburn hair on their walk. Or the way she'd smiled sweetly at him as if she could chase away all his dark simply by wishing it.Justin had been like that, too - worked his way past Nate's defenses and burrowed deep. Didn't matter how many times he'd told Justin to go away or gave off fuck-you vibes, the guy had just kept at it with charm and smiles and blah, blah, blahing Nate to death. Until he'd found himself liking the fellow soldier so much,

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 8

    She grabbed the reins of two horses and walked them out the opposite end and into a clearing. Long prairie grass stirred in the wind as the pink sky faded to navy. She tied the brown horse to a post by a fence and held the black one in place.Nate eyed her, then the animals. "Never ridden one of these.""This is Midnight. He's a three-year-old stallion and very mild-mannered. Come on over here." When he did as asked, she took his wrist and had him run his hand down the horse's nose. In turn, Midnight nudged Nate's shoulder, and Olivia laughed. "There, he likes you."She instructed him how to mount, and he climbed onto the saddle. She did the same on hers, looking way more graceful about it, and settled her horse next to his."My guy here is Pirate, and he's a two-year-old gelding. Now, you know how to ride a motorcycle, so you're at an advantage." She set one hand on his stomach and the other on his forearm, and he inhaled hard. "Driving a bike requires using your core and arms. Yo

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 9

    Olivia spent the next few days riddled in guilt and feeling stupid. And insensitive. And then more stupid. While they'd finished the week shearing and getting the wool loaded for the supplier, she'd done everything in her power to avoid all physical contact with Nate. She hadn't realized how often she used her hands until she'd been forced to think about every move. The best way for her to teach him was by demonstration.In bed, she flopped from her stomach to her back and stared at the ceiling. She was going on three nights of restlessness and nothing was working. She'd tried everything but the obvious path to assuage her wrongs. Because she was a coward.Top of the list? She needed to have a conversation with Nakos to clear the air. Which was darn impossible with Nate underfoot. Nakos had been a friend since as far back as she could remember. She may not share his romantic feelings, but he was entitled to respect from her.Lord. And Nate? What the heck was she supposed to say, to

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 10

    "Are you cold?"He dropped his forehead to her temple. "The opposite." His nose brushed her cheek as he lowered his head, and she emitted a full-body tingle. "Just the opposite," he repeated, his rough voice barely above a whisper.Shaking his head, he shut off the faucet and reached for a paper towel. He dried her hands like she were a toddler in need of assistance, then held up her hand to examine it. Only a small half-inch knick on her outer palm, but it had created a lot of blood. He pressed the paper towel to the cut and held it there. "It's not deep enough for stitches."She nodded, recalling his initial response. "Does the sight of blood bother you?" Half her ranch hands passed out cold at the hint of red. It was a pretty common phobia and men could be babies."Not usually." "You seemed a little rattled before.""Justin died next to me. My mind flicked back for a second." He straightened suddenly and cursed, then muttered something that sounded like filter. "I'm sorry.

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 11

    While Olivia talked with Nakos outside the barn, Nate leaned against an ATV a few feet away and crossed his arms. Several sections of pre-cut pine were lying in a trailer attached to the vehicle, and he was supposed to be heading out to the southern pasture to replace fence posts with Olivia. Except, just like she'd been doing a lot lately, she was hedging on working with him. For the past two weeks, while he followed her around doing this and that, getting familiar with the ranch, she'd barely spoken to him, never mind looked him in the eye. If learning a new skill required a hands-on approach, she'd delegated it to her foreman to teach Nate. It was starting to piss him off, but he'd mucked this up all on his own. Put them alone together, and she high-tailed her perfect ass from the vicinity. Accidentally bump one another? She jumped like she'd been electrocuted and created more distance than the Grand Canyon. Try to start a conversation, and he swore she bit her tongue to force o

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 12

    Christ, they were twenty minutes from the house. He'd never heard that tone in her voice and damn if nothing in all his experiences sounded worse. The radio silence was almost more frightening than her frenzied request. What in the hell could've happened? She was supposed to be in the barn putting on horseshoes.He drove them as fast as the vehicle would allow over hills and across the prairie, but Nate could almost run faster than the damn thing. Nakos keyed up all the ranch hands on the walkie-talkie, but none of them were closer than they were."Hell." Nakos growled. "She's not responding and Mae's not answering the house line.""I'm going as fast as I can." Not fast enough, though. Some protector Nate turned out to be. The first time he wasn't within spitting distance of Olivia, and she was in trouble. The most ungodly scenarios shoved through his mind and acid burned a path from his gut to his throat.Finally, he rounded a bend and parked not far from the barn. Both he and

  • Cattenach Ranch   Chapter 13

    After the doctor left and assuring herself Amy was okay in the guestroom, Olivia took a shower and made her way downstairs. Comfy in a pair of loose sweats and a tank top, she figured she'd heat a cup of tea and crash. Her limbs were as useless as Jell-O and, any second, she was going to collapse. The house was quiet and dark, but a light shone from the direction of the kitchen, along with the murmur of muted voices. Heading that way, she found Aunt Mae, Nakos, and Nate at the table drinking coffee. They all looked up at her and started talking at once.Olivia waved her hand. "I helped Amy get washed up. She's trying to relax. Her brother Kyle's with her now." She leaned against the doorjamb and rested her head. "Hank says she doesn't think any ribs are broken, just bruised. Same with her face. She gave Amy a shot for pain and a script. I'll fill it tomorrow when I grab clothes from her house.""Think she'll eat something?" Mae rose and went to the fridge. "Soup?""Sure. That's so

Latest chapter

  • 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

DMCA.com Protection Status