Disarming the Rancher Page 7
“You and the guys could take over the west wing of the main house. I’ll grab a room next door to yours, so we’d have a wall in between us,” he continued. The spark in his eyes said he knew he was making progress with her. Why did he have to have such pure blue eyes? And be so damn tempting?
“I mean, it’s possible. It could work. I have a few songs due or we’ll have to push back my next album’s release. That’ll upset a whole lot of people, and I hate the idea of letting down my fans.” Could she stay at the Firebrand Ranch? The guys in the band would love it here. No question. They’d each have their own room—which she knew they’d see as a definite plus—and there was enough security that Hardy would have backup.
“I’d have to talk it over with the guys…my security guy would have to give final approval.” She didn’t want to make Hardy’s job any harder than it already was.
“Does that mean you’ll seriously consider it?” Again, that spark in his eyes made turning down his offer next to impossible.
But it didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t sure that she could sleep in the room next to his without wanting to knock on his door…
8
“I’ll talk it over with the guys,” Raleigh promised and Brax’s heart stirred. Being the one to ease her fears felt a little too right.
“Invite ’em over now for Mom’s meatballs,” he said. “That would seal the deal.”
She laughed and his chest swelled with pride at being the one to break some of the tension for her in what had to be one helluva week.
“I’ll call and see what they say.” She let go of his hand and fished her cell phone out of her back pocket.
As she walked away, he had to force his gaze off her sweet, round bottom.
Great job keeping it in check, buddy.
What could he say? Raleigh had grown into a beautiful woman. She had always been sharp and smart women were sexy as hell. Her feistiness only added to her appeal. What was it about redheads?
Brax had a soft spot for a sexy, smart, feisty woman. Too bad Raleigh fit the bill to a T. He had no plans to settle down anytime soon but could see himself with someone like her at some point way down the road.
Of course, Raleigh would be long gone by then. Heck, she’d be out of Dodge in a week give or take, so there was no threat this attraction would go any further. It sure felt good for now. Inconvenient as all get out that he found himself drawn to someone he knew better than to try to date.
Besides, she was most likely propositioned every night of the week while on tour, which was practically all the time. He wasn’t certain his ego could take the hits.
She spun around with a smile on her face that would melt ice in the freezer. She nodded and he took it to mean she got approval. A few seconds later, she ended the call and tucked her phone in her back pocket. A pair of jeans and boots had never looked so good on a person. Legs that went on for days. Legs he could envision tangled in bedsheets on a lazy Sunday morning.
Brax gave himself a mental shake.
“I take it your security detail approves,” he said.
“Yes.” She walked right up to him and placed her hands on his chest. With a big smile, she said, “I love being at Nana’s but waking up to the scene right outside my window this morning wasn’t good. Being here is the next best thing and the first time I’ve felt truly safe in a very long time. So, thank you.”
Those words were the equivalent of standing next to a roaring campfire on a cold day.
“If you want me to stop kissing you, it would be a good idea to keep your lips as far away from mine as possible,” he teased.
“Who said I wanted to stop? I believe I said it can’t happen again. Two totally different things,” she quipped with a wink before heading toward the backdoor.
He stood there, mute. A whole bunch of unholy thoughts roared through his brain.
She stopped at the door and turned around.
“Are you coming with me, or are you set on standing out here all day?” she asked.
Brax bit down on his bottom lip to stop from saying the first thing that popped into his mind about what he’d like to do that involved her.
“On my way.”
The woman seemed to know exactly what to say to torture Brax in the best possible way. This seemed like a good time to remind himself they weren’t dating, and nor would they be. They were nothing more than ships passing. He was providing a safe haven in a storm and she would be back on the road in no time.
He opened the door for her and she rewarded him with another one of those incredible smiles that was a sucker punch, square in the chest. She took his breath away.
Brax followed Raleigh inside to the small family gathering that had developed as soon as word got out she was home. She walked over to Corbin.
“Mind if I borrow that?” She pointed toward his guitar.
He handed over the acoustical piece with a ready smile. “Be my guest.”
Brax leaned against the counter, preferring to stick to the back of the room near the door. He fired off a few texts to clear the way for her band with front gate security. His next text was to Steven Paine, head of security. Brax requested reinforcements after explaining there was a high profile individual staying at the main house with a few of her friends.
Paine’s response was immediate.
On it.
As Brax looked up, he saw Raleigh sitting on the solid wood table with her boots on the seat of a chair. She started strumming the guitar and then broke into one of his favorite songs. Her voice trailed over him and through him, leaving nothing untouched. She might be worried about a fan breaching the gates of Firebrand Ranch, but the only real danger for Brax was the woman who sat in front of him, strumming the guitar.
The song ended and the room erupted. Her cheeks turned six shades of red before she went into another one of her biggest hits.
Adam strolled over, cradling Angel in his good arm. He had that Cheshire cat grin.
“Before you get too excited, nothing really happened,” Brax said to his brother.
“Not what I saw.” Adam stopped next to Brax and leaned against the same counter. They both faced Raleigh.
It didn’t help matters that she glanced up, caught Brax’s gaze, and smiled one of those knowing smiles that made it seem like the two of them were in on a secret.
“Shelter in a storm,” Brax said under his breath, but loud enough for his brother to hear.
“That was some shelter,” Adam teased.
“You should have seen the storm,” was all Brax said before smiling back at Raleigh.
She cocked a brow, her movements so subtle he doubted anyone else realized what was going on between the two of them. Well, everyone except for Adam who picked that moment to elbow Brax in the ribs.
Corbin walked over about the same time. Now, his eyebrow raised.
“What’s going on over here?” he asked.
“You see,” Adam started, “there was this big storm.” He stopped and elbowed Brax again. “He’ll tell you all about it.”
“Not me,” Brax pushed off the counter, pocketed a shiny red apple from the basket on the counter, and slipped out back. He needed to check on Bullet anyway.
Besides, he needed to clear his head so he could think. Getting Raleigh alone to talk, especially once her band arrived, might prove more difficult than he wanted it to be. He also just remembered he hadn’t called Sheriff Lawler yet.
He made the call as he headed to the barn. Lawler didn’t pick up so Brax left a message stating what had happened and describing the ATV driver to the best of his ability. The truth be told, Brax didn’t get a good look at the guy’s face. He was on the thin side, though, and he wore a hoodie despite the ninety-degree temps. Other than that, he had on jeans. Maybe the sheriff could get some DNA from the trees and get a positive ID.
It was possible this guy could be the bomber, coming at Raleigh with a more direct approach this time. Every muscle in Brax’s body tensed at the thought of someone trying to harm her. Again, what could a random person have to gain from killing her?
A sick kind of fame, he guessed. Whoever got to her would make headlines. The click-bait practically wrote itself.
Bullet needed exercise. He didn’t bother to bridle her. She would follow him anywhere, especially when he had an apple in his pocket. He fished it out and shined it on his shirt after opening the gate to her stall. She whinnied and rocked her head up and down. She stamped her right hoof and then took a couple of steps toward him.
He held the apple in the air on his flat palm.
“This what you want?” he asked, taking a couple of steps backward.
Bullet nickered.
“Come and get it.” He stepped back again and she followed. He walked her to the corral, easily accessible by the back door of the barn. Outside, the sun caused him to squint as he held out the apple for her nibble on.
Bite by bite, she polished off her favorite treat.
“Now, go on,” he patted her back side and she took off in a trot. She circled the corral a few times, head high.
Brax walked over to the fence, climbed up, and perched. He sat there, watching his horse stretch her legs.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the glint of metal. Instinctively, he reached for his pistol before realizing he wasn’t wearing his holster. No one would leave a gun lying around in the barn. Gun safety was important on the ranch.
He bit out a curse as he hopped down, figuring he didn’t need to give this jerk a clean shot. He whistled for Bullet to return. There were times she was too spunky to listen. The apple bribe had put her in a good mood. She trotted over.
Brax grabbed
onto the base of her mane and jumped on, bareback. “Let’s go.”
Raleigh searched the room for Brax. Concern tightened her chest when she couldn’t find him.
Normally, she would keep on playing. This was home. She didn’t have to play through. So, she finished the song and handed Corbin his guitar.
“Has anyone seen Brax?” She climbed off the table.
“I saw him leave twenty minutes ago,” Mom Firebrand said. “Does anyone know if he came back?”
Heads shook in unison.
“Meatballs are ready. How about everyone sit down for lunch?” Mom Firebrand motioned toward the table with a bowl filled to the brim.
“If these taste half as good as they smell…” Raleigh’s gaze flew to Adam as he checked his phone.
He glanced up at her and gave a small headshake before firing off a text.
The doorbell rang. She smiled at Mom Firebrand.
“My guys never miss a good meal,” she said, following Corbin down the hallway.
Raleigh strode up beside him. “I didn’t see Fallon. Is he here?”
“He signed up for the military and then went into Spec Ops.” Corbin shook his head. “Said he didn’t want to stick around here with all the fighting.”
She shot him a questioning look after nodding.
“Special Forces operations,” he clarified.
“As in a Navy SEAL?” Fallon had always been one of the popular guys, much like the other Firebrands. Corbin was different, when she really thought about it. He always seemed more serious about school. At least, from a distance.
“Yes. On the rare times he graces us with his presence, he doesn’t talk about it though,” Corbin said.
“That’s pretty cool actually.” She wondered what he must go through that kept the subject off limits. To be fair, he might just want a break. To really be home when he visited and leave work behind. She couldn’t fault him for that.
“I had no idea things were that bad with your family,” she admitted. To be fair, she was a visitor and spent most of her time with their mother.
“Yeah, it’s a shame. Our father and uncle disagree more often than not, and the Marshall seemed content to stoke the flame.” He paused at the front door before opening and inviting her band in. “A lot is about to change and I doubt in a good way.”
Corbin welcomed the guys inside.
“What is that smell?” Randy would be the first to notice.
“Homemade meatballs,” she said. “Follow me to the food.”
She purposely led to avoid being stuck in the back with Hardy. She’d met his eyes once already and there was a big conversation coming based on the intensity in his. Yes, they needed to sit down and have a one-on-one. Right now, she wanted everyone to be safe and to figure out where Brax had gone.
Slipping outside while everyone was distracted and eating wouldn’t cut it. She’d learned her lesson after the ATV incident earlier.
The minute she set foot in the kitchen, she searched for Adam. Now, he was gone too.
Panic squeezed her chest but she forced a smile. She thought about sending Brax or Adam a text, and realized she had neither number. Asking Mom Firebrand for it seemed out of place.
She took in a slow, deep breath and then had everyone introduce themselves. Kenny took the seat next to hers.
“How’d you get out of the house so fast this morning?” he whispered.
“Got up early,” she said.
“That’s strange. You’ve never been an early riser,” he pointed out. Being on tour together meant everyone knew each other’s habits.
“Nope. Things are changing,” she said as she accepted the big bowl being passed around. She plunked a couple of meatballs on her plate and then kept the bowl moving. Next, came spaghetti noodles and sauce. She turned to Mom Firebrand, who sat on Raleigh’s left, and said, “You must keep a batch of these made up at all times. There’s no way you just fixed these.”
Mom Firebrand winked and threw her hands in the air.
“With this many mouths to feed, you learn a few tricks,” she said. Raleigh had seen Mom Firebrand work her magic in the kitchen. Whenever she made sauce, she made tons in a huge pot, spending hours cooking it before leaving it overnight to settle. Then, she added grappa before portioning up and freezing, so that she always had some available in case of emergencies.
Raleigh could believe it. She’d never really seen herself as having a large family. In fact, had she ever really seen herself with a family at all?
It sounded crazy, even to her, but she hadn’t given it much thought. Being too busy was a copout. It was true but everyone had five minutes here and there to contemplate life. She usually took a nap or wrote a song. The desire for kids had never really struck until the moment she saw Angel. Having Brax in the same room with a newborn caused a maternal reaction internally that she hadn’t known she was capable of.
Could ovaries actually ache?
Because suddenly, she was envisioning him holding their newborn and that was exactly the moment she realized she’d lost her mind. The pressure of constantly being on the road or in the studio, plus now with the bomb threat, must mean she was hitting a hard wall. Having a husband or a family hadn’t occurred to her. Besides, she had the band and the road crew. They were like family.
At times, she already felt like a mother with seven boys. In that way, she could relate to Mom Firebrand. In fact, while Raleigh was here, she might as well get some tips from an expert.
“Is there something wrong with the food, honey?” Mom Firebrand’s forehead creased with concern.
“No. It’s even better than I remembered.” The comment shocked her out of her deep thoughts.
“Then why are you pushing the meatball around with your fork instead of eating it?” Mom Firebrand could be counted on for stating facts. It was one of many things Raleigh loved about the older woman.
“Oh. I didn’t realize I was,” she said by way of defense. She lowered her voice when she added, “I’m just a little worried about Brax. It’s not like him to miss a meal.”
9
Brax hopped off Bullet. His cell was going crazy, buzzing in his pocket every two seconds and he needed to find out what was on fire. His mind snapped to the ATV driver or the bomber getting to Raleigh. Fire licked through his veins.
The screen said there were four missed calls from Adam and multiple text messages. Brax skimmed the texts. Realization dawned that he hadn’t told anyone where he was going. He wasn’t used to telling anyone his whereabouts but that needed to change.
There was a serious threat on the loose. Brax bit back a curse at worrying his brother. Besides, whoever was in the trees must’ve fled. That, or he was seeing things.
He called Adam.
“Hey, sorry. I’m good. Thought I saw something in the tree line so I came out to investigate. Now I’m not so sure anyone was out here in the first place,” he explained.
“Good to know. I can back you up next time.” Adam’s offer was a polite way of saying Brax shouldn’t be chasing anyone without backup.
“You’re right. I should’ve clued you in. My bad. Won’t happen again.” Brax wouldn’t run off chasing any more ghosts without a heads-up. It was the reason they had a group text.
“Cool.” Adam lowered his voice and said, “Someone else hasn’t stopped looking for you.”
“Really?” He was caught off guard.
“That’s right,” Adam said. “You might want to make an appearance so she can stop watching the backdoor.”
“On my way.” Brax ended the call.
Bullet had had enough exercise. She’d be ready to munch on hay and hydrate. Brax took it easy on the ride back to give her a chance to cool down. It had been a while since he’d ridden bareback and he was reminded how much he preferred it. There was something pure about riding without a saddle or tack.
He led her back into the barn and then hopped down.
“We still got it, old girl.” He patted his Paint horse on the neck.
She whinnied in response. There were times, like this one, where Brax would swear she could understand everything he said.
After taking care of his first love, he walked to the main house. Raleigh’s concern was nothing more than her conscious feeling like she’d put his family in harm’s way. She’d been concerned about bringing the bomber to the ranch.