Aurora's Cowboy Daddy (Rescue Ranch) Read online

  Chapter 2

  Aurora let her gaze roam over the absolutely beautiful countryside that spread out around her. Things here were just stunning, and that included the cowboy sitting next to her in the UTV. He’d given her a lesson on how to drive it before he’d started for the cabins.

  “There will be a UTV there for you to drive back up,” he said over the sound of the wind whipping around them. She’d forgotten how much wind there was in this part of Texas. She put her hands on her hair to hold it down as they went past a line of trees and the cabins came into view. They were in a square, three facing each other on either side. In the middle was a circle with several large trees and what looked to be a picnic bench, and was it her imagination or was there a swimming pool there? As they drew closer she saw that’s exactly what it was. Off to the left was a garage with a car parked next to it.

  “That’s Mercy’s car,” Holt said. “She and Nina, our only occupant at this time, are at the grocery store right now. I called her to let her know we were on the way. She said to put you in cabin three, and she’d come to see you when they got back.”

  “Thanks.” Then realizing she’d given a one-word answer she said, “I mean, thank you very much for bringing me down here.”

  He chuckled and patted her knee. “Good job. You have a beautiful voice. You need to use it more often.”

  No one had ever said anything like that to her. In fact she could count on both hands the number of times people had said something nice about her. Unless it was the correctional officers who had thanked her for being a quiet and well-behaved inmate—even though she was a murderer.

  Holt parked the UTV near the cabin marked three. He got out and hurried toward her side, but she was already out and trying to get her hair into line.

  “Never get out of a vehicle without my help,” he said. “You have to let me use my cowboy manners.”

  “Okay,” she said. She wasn’t sure what to add to that one-word answer. Was he going to be the sort of demanding boss that made her toe the line? Even though she was out of prison she was used to doing what she was told. But she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of being ordered around.

  She glanced at the houses, but hesitated before she started toward number three. Would he get on to her for checking it out without permission? Like a good little girl waiting for instructions she stayed near the UTV while he gathered her overnight bag from where he’d secured it to the back of the vehicle.

  When he was back he indicated she should walk down the path before him. She got to the door and reached for the knob on the screen door.

  “What are you doing?” he asked. He didn’t sound angry, just inquisitive. She wondered if there was a right or wrong answer to this question.

  “I was going to, um, open the door?”

  “With a man around?”

  Aurora stared up at him. “What does that even mean?”

  “It means ladies wait for men to open the door, house door or car door.” He pulled back the screen and turned the knob on the inner door.

  “No lock?” she asked.

  “I asked Mercy to leave it open,” he said. “Go ahead.”

  After being told off for trying to get out of the UTV on her own, and trying to open the door on her own, Aurora had waited for a command to enter, despite the fact the door was open. The inside of the cabin was light, and seemed airy.

  “Each one has two bedrooms,” he said. “There is a master bedroom and a second one with a set of bunk-beds and a twin bed for ladies who have children. There are also two bathrooms, one attached to the master and another next to the second bedroom. There is a fully stocked kitchen. When ladies arrive, the den mother takes them to the store so they can stock up on what they want to cook. Each lady is given a hundred dollars a week for food, which is mostly meats, dairy products, and such. We keep the kitchens stocked with the basics. Doing that will be your job.”

  Aurora nodded before she said, “I can do that. What else will I have to do?” She didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t much of a cook.

  “The ladies will come to you with any issues they have,” he said. “Deal with them the best you can, and if they have questions you can’t answer, you come to me.

  “If someone shows up here that is not supposed to be here you call me immediately.” He stepped in front of her. “If you can’t get me you call one of my brothers. That is crucial. If our guests have someone after them, and they are found out and the person comes here, it could spell disaster.”

  He didn’t have to remind her of that. She’d taken a life over that disaster. Because of that she also had a man after her, who if he found her would, as he’d said in court, torture her and take off her head. She must have had a terrified look on her face because he gently touched her arm and said, “Are you all right?”

  Tell him, tell him, tell him, a voice inside her head screamed. But another voice said, if you do, you won’t get this job, and you desperately need it.

  “Fine,” she said. When he cocked his head and raised one eyebrow, she said, “Fine, I mean I’m fine.”

  “How many fines is that?” he asked. There was a twinkle in his eyes. “We’re going to have to start counting.” He walked toward the back door. “There is a lake just behind that copse of trees. Its depth depends on the amount of rain we’ve had. But it makes a nice place to sit at night and enjoy the evening air.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Aurora said with a sigh. “Except for the bugs.”

  Holt laughed. “We spray for bugs. Speaking of bugs, there are animals that live out here.”

  “Um, what sort?”

  “There are coyotes, of course. Snakes, opossums. We have a problem with mice, which is why we have three cats that patrol the area. There are also roadrunners that help with the snakes. Just don’t kill anything you see. If you’re concerned, call us.”

  “I can do that,” she said.

  “There is one other thing,” he said. “In the event that someone who is not supposed to be here is here, there is a shotgun in your unit. I feel insensitive to ask, but do you know how to shoot?”

  “It’s been a while, but yes,” she said.

  “We have a shooting range set up not far from here and I’ll take you out there one day.” He opened the back door and Aurora stepped onto the deck. “We want it to be peaceful here for families who have faced trauma,” he said after he’d joined her.

  “It is,” she said. She imagined sitting on the deck with a glass of iced tea and a book. “May I ask a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “You said there was only one cabin filled right now. How many are usually filled?”

  “It depends on law enforcement,” he said. “If a lady needs to hide, and they think she is a good match, they call us and we go pick her up. We collected our one occupant today, when we picked up the horse. She has two children with her, a three-year-old, and a nine-month-old. Her husband is a habitual abuser, and she finally decided to get herself out of the situation.”

  “I wish someone had given me that chance,” Aurora whispered.

  “You’re getting one now,” Holt said.

  He had been talking as if she already had the job. “Don’t you and your brothers vote on it?”

  “Nope.” He sat down in a chair at the outdoor table. Aurora took the one opposite him. “The job is yours if you want it.”

  A job. He was actually offering her a job. She could make money. She could move out of Dana and Jake’s house.

  “You can think about it this afternoon while—”

  “I accept,” she said. “I’ll take it.”

  Oh she loved the smile that appeared on his face. She’d noticed how handsome he was before, but right now he seemed even more so. It was the first time she’d found herself attracted to a man in years. It was a frightening thought, and she pushed it down deep inside her. This wasn’t about falling for a man. This was about starting her life again, about finding her place and where she needed to b
e.

  “I’ll show you were the UTV is parked. You can rest this afternoon if you like, or explore your new home. Be at the house before supper. Dinner is at seven on the dot, and Austin is making steaks. He’s very good at it.”

  After he’d given her the keys to the UTV, and showed her where the one kept at the cabins was parked, Holt departed for the house. Aurora went back into the cabin and glanced around. Then she dropped her head into her hands and started to cry tears of joy. She sniffled and coughed, and then lifted her head and looked around. She had a job. She had a home of her own. She needed to be careful, to make sure she did everything the right way.

  This was the first step in a new life, and she planned to walk the straight and narrow, which meant she would concentrate on her job and helping women find their way out of a bad situation.

  She would not fall for Holt Coleman.

  She would not.

  She would not.

  She would not.

  Holt entered his office to find Hawk sitting in a guest chair, his legs stretched out and his boots on the edge of the desk. He was swiping his finger up the screen of his phone. Holt sat down in his chair and assumed the same position.

  “Get your damn boots off my desk.”

  “Up yours,” Hawk said as he continued to focus on his phone. After a few seconds he put it on his chest and said, “So, how’s the new girl? Austin says she’s a looker, old but very pretty.”

  “Old to him maybe,” Holt picked up the application Aurora had filled out online and he’d printed out to show his brothers. “She’s thirty-one,” he said after he’d found the date of her birth.

  “A three-year sentence? In prison for six months, and now off two and a half years of parole? On what charge? Murder? That seems like a very light sentence.”

  “Involuntary manslaughter,” Holt answered. “She calls herself a convicted murderer, but that’s not what she was convicted of. I told her she’d get a chance to tell her story tonight, but her parole officer said she was defending herself. It’s why the sentence was so low.”

  “How’s her personality?” Hawk asked.

  “Skittish,” Holt said. “She answers questions with one or two words, and twice I saw her jerk away as if she were afraid I was going to hit her.”

  “Bastard,” Hawk said. Then he held up his hand. “Her husband, not you.”

  “Yeah, right,” Holt said with a laugh. Of his six brothers, Holt was the closest to Hawk, the only lawman in their small town. They traded jabs and insults and let it roll off each other’s backs with laughter.

  “So is she spank worthy?” Hawk asked. “Or more to the point, is she Daddy worthy?”

  “I didn’t notice,” Holt answered.

  “Liar.” Hawk chuckled. “Maybe she needs your guiding hand to bring her out of her shell. I can see the twinkle in your eye when you talk about her.”

  Holt thought he was right, but he didn’t intend to go down that path. “Don’t we have a rule about not messing with our charges?”

  Hawk leaned toward his brother. “She’s not one of our charges, is she? She’s an employee. How long has it been since you’ve been laid?”

  “None of your fucking business.” Holt picked up a paperclip and threw it at his brother. “Unlike you, I don’t see every woman I meet as a potential sex partner.”

  “You should,” Hawk said. “You might have a better attitude toward life if you fucked someone every now and then.”

  “Shouldn’t you be on patrol?” Holt asked.

  “To do what, help Mrs. Pascel across the street with her groceries?”

  “At least you’d be earning your salary.” Holt indicated his desk. “I have paperwork to do.”

  “Jerk face,” Hawk said as he stood. “Maybe I’ll be able to get cozy with Aurora while she’s here, since you’re not interested.”

  “Keep your hands off her,” Holt said.

  Hawk strode toward the door. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Hawk laughed deeply as he left the office. Holt stared at the spot where his brother had sat. He was right when he’d said he had work to do, plenty of it. The state required copious amounts of paperwork on each of the charges that came to visit the Rescue Ranch, and he needed to start the process on their current charge.

  He sat at his computer and started to fill out the forms, grateful for the ability to use the computer and not have to do it all by hand. As he worked he thought about Aurora, and those beautiful green eyes and that heart shaped mouth. He imagined kissing her, caressing her, taking care of her and punishing her when necessary. He finished the last page and hit print. As the machine whirled to life and started to print out pages, he settled back in his chair.

  Was Aurora the sort of woman who would want to be taken care of, or was she the sort who wanted nothing more than to take charge? He was sure her time in prison would have changed her, as would the abusive years before, make her vulnerable. He didn’t want that for her. He wanted her to be strong, to know what she wanted out of life and get it all.

  He also wanted to take care of her, to guide her on the right path. Those thoughts had started to build in his mind before he’d ever met her. When he’d read her application he’d wanted to hold her, comfort her. He couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through, how she’d faced the pain of killing someone, and then faced the consequences of her actions.

  The night she’d applied for the job he’d read the form over and over, and then he’d called Hawk, who had been out patrolling the streets, and had him read it, too. His brother had said the same thing then that he’d said now.

  “Do you want her for an employee, or as your Little?”

  Holt had answered him the same way then as he’d done today, telling him to go to the devil. But he knew now that those feelings were seventy-five percent of why he’d contacted her. It was why he’d taken the unprecedented step of offering her the job without consulting his siblings. True he was the manager of the rescue part of the ranch, but they always made decisions together. He didn’t think they would be upset when he informed them at dinner tonight, but he did think Wyatt, his one brother who tended to offer dissenting opinions on most matters, would demand to know why Holt had made the decision on his own.

  Should Holt tell Wyatt the truth, or should he lie? If he did lie what would be the best one to tell? His mind spun as he thought about Wyatt telling Holt he was thinking with his dick instead of his brain. Wyatt had been the only one of them who was concerned by Aurora’s past. She was unstable, he’d said. His exact words had been, “We need to do a psych evaluation on her. Or maybe we should just look for someone else.”

  Instead of taking Wyatt’s advice, Holt had offered her the job and she’d taken it. The meeting after dinner tonight should be interesting.

  Chapter 3

  Aurora took a deep breath and knocked on the French doors that led to the main part of the house. To her relief Holt answered. He still wore jeans but his chaps were gone, and he had on a different shirt.

  “Come in,” he said. “You don’t have to knock, you’re pretty much family now.”

  Her heart swelled at his words. Even her parents didn’t think of her as family anymore. “I’ll remember that,” she whispered.

  “Good.” Holt indicated the room. “You know Austin, and this is Hawk, my second in command, and there are the triplets, Reed, Kyle, and Wyatt.”

  Every one of them nodded in her direction and tipped an imaginary hat, since they weren’t wearing any. Hawk wore a lawman’s uniform, and she had to admit it startled her a little. Men in uniform were not what she liked to see. She thought all the Coleman brothers worked on the ranch, and only the ranch.

  “So I’ll give you the breakdown,” Holt said. “Reed and Kyle are the local veterinarians. They are good and attract clients from several towns over. Hawk is the local constable. Wyatt and Austin work the ranch, as I do when I’m not working on paperwork for the rescue part of the ranch. Hawk helps me with a lot of it. Guys, this is ou
r new den mother.”

  “Welcome,” they all seemed to say at once. Everyone stepped forward to shake her hand, except for Wyatt, who stared at her as if she were about to set the house on fire. Finally, Wyatt inclined his head in her direction and said, “Ma’am.”

  Aurora figured that was as close to a welcome she was going to get from Wyatt. She glanced at Holt, to see him glaring at Wyatt. When Holt started to turn his head in her direction she glanced away.

  “Dinner’s ready,” Austin announced loudly. “Hawk, would you take the potatoes out of the oven for me? And the asparagus is in the top oven.” He pointed tongs at her. “I hope medium rare is okay with you. If not I’ll leave yours on the grill a little longer.”

  “That’s fine with me,” she said.

  “Which one?” Holt asked. “And don’t say medium rare’s fine if you don’t care for it.”

  Aurora cleared her throat. “Medium is better for me.”

  “Got it,” Austin said. He went to the kitchen, then came back and exited the French doors with a platter and tongs in his hand. Hawk went into the kitchen, and the triplets stayed where they were.

  “So you trade cooking duties?” Aurora said when the room grew quiet. Who said she couldn’t use her words?

  “The only day we don’t cook is Sunday,” Holt answered. “We take Sundays off from each other. We all feed the animals, and then try to stay away from each other as much as possible.”

  “Which isn’t easy to do when you live in the same house,” Kyle said.

  “And work together,” Reed said with a snort.

  Kyle tossed a throw pillow in Reed’s direction, and Aurora couldn’t help but smile.

  “Could one of y’all come help me?” Hawk called out from the kitchen. Kyle and Reed both stayed where they were, but Wyatt took off for the kitchen like his rear end was on fire. It was obvious the two of them were not going to get along, at least not at first. Hopefully, she would be able to avoid him as much as possible.