Ranch Refuge

He nodded grimly. “I’d say that’s a fair assessment of what’s happening.”

She pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her scrub top. “I’m calling the police.”

He couldn’t allow that, either. He snatched the phone from her hand and tossed it out the open window.

“Hey, that’s my phone!”

“They can use that to track you. Better safe than sorry,” he said, keeping his eyes trained on the road. “I’m taking you to my ranch in Compton. It’s about an hour’s drive. My buddy is the sheriff there. I’ll have him meet us and you can explain to him what happened.”

She reluctantly sat back in the seat and her manner softened. “Look, Colton, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but what good can a small-town sheriff in Compton do? No one can help me.”

“I trust him. He’ll be able to help.”

“This is not your problem. It’s mine.”

Her knew her story and saw the truth on her beautiful but sad face. It was a heavy burden she was carrying.

But she no longer had to shoulder it alone.

* * *

The hum of the highway and the soft sound of country music spilling from the radio greeted Laura as she awoke. The cab of the truck was dark except for the lights of the dash. She rubbed sleep from her eyes, surprised that she’d nodded off so easily. She shouldn’t be surprised. She hadn’t slept well in more than two weeks, not since she’d discovered the predicament her father had placed her in. She’d found herself triple-checking the doors of her apartment and even then sleeping fitfully in case someone tried to break in. But tonight, in the cab of Colton Blackwell’s pickup truck, she’d slept soundly.

She stared at the black road stretching out in front of them, lit only by the bright lights of the truck. “Where are we?”

“About twenty minutes from my ranch in Compton, Louisiana.”

She took a good long look at the man who had been her rescuer tonight. His face was sharp and angled and the stubble on his face appeared as rough-and-tumble as he seemed to be.

She turned away her eyes. She shouldn’t be examining any part of this cattle rancher except his intentions toward her. “Why were you following me?”

“I heard you were in trouble. Whenever I hear of someone in trouble, I try to help if I can.”

“What makes you think you can help me?”

“It’s kind of what I do, Laura. I used to be an army ranger. When I got out of the service, I looked around for something else I would be good at. This is where my skills lie, so I try to lend a hand if I hear of someone in trouble. Think of me as your very own private security.”

“But how did you know I was in trouble? Who told you about me?”

“Your father told me about your predicament. He was worried someone might be after you. It looks like he was right to be worried.”

“My father hired you? I don’t think so. He doesn’t have any money. He can’t afford to pay you.”

“I didn’t ask for anyone to pay me.” He shrugged. “I only want to continue to protect and serve.”

She sat, tense, uncertain what to do. On the one hand, Colton had saved her from a kidnapping. Those men had undoubtedly belonged to Randall. In his last communication with her, he’d told her he was tired of waiting. But on the other hand, Colton was a stranger and just another man making assurances to her he might not keep. How could she trust him?

He turned off the road and Laura saw a two-story ranch house appear in the headlights. As they approached, she glimpsed a barn off to one side and a large metal shop to the other side. He parked in front of the house and cut the engine.

“I know you don’t know me, but I really do just want to help keep you safe, Laura. This isn’t my first time involved in something like this, and I’m good at what I do. You’ll be protected here, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She glanced around at the house and barn. No one else appeared to be around. There were no other cars in the driveway and no lights on inside the house, but she did hear the sound of dogs barking in the distance. They were all alone out here together. If circumstances were different, she knew she could be in real trouble. She was reminded of one of those movies that claimed that no one would hear you scream.

Still, she couldn’t be too careful. “I want to call my father.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. No one knows you’re here and I’d like to keep it that way. That means you don’t call friends, family or coworkers. Those men will keep searching for you. Don’t make it easy for them to track you down.” He slid from the truck and walked around to open her door.

Laura slid from the truck and let him lead her toward the house. Everything he said made sense, but his words had dual meaning. If no one knew where she was, then no one would know what had happened to her if Colton Blackwell turned out to not be what he seemed.

He flipped on light switches as he entered the house, illuminating simple yet comfortable furnishings. It wasn’t fancy, but Laura wasn’t used to fancy.

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes. I bought this place two years ago, after I left the service.”

She spotted a photograph on the mantel of Colton with a group of men all in uniform. “You said you were a ranger. Was this your unit?”

He nodded, but a terse look crossed his face. “It was.”

She saw his pained expression before he pushed it away. She recognized that look. She’d seen it many times during her stint as a nurse in the ER. It was the look of someone whose loved one had passed away. She’d heard about the Army Rangers and knew the work they did was dangerous. He’d lost men, probably one or more of the men in the photograph, and probably in battle.

“The one on the end is Blake Michaels. He’s the deputy sheriff I told you about.” Colton started for the staircase. “I’ll show you where you can sleep.”

He opened a door at the top of the stairs and Laura looked around at the simple bed, dresser and chair. It wasn’t fancy, but it was cozy and clean. She glanced at the dresser drawers and realized she had nothing to put inside them. She hadn’t had time to pack a bag and her extra scrubs were in her backpack, which she assumed was now lying abandoned in the hospital’s employee parking lot.

“You’ll have your own private bathroom,” Colton continued, motioning toward a closed door. “There should be some extra toothbrushes in the cabinet and we’ll go into town tomorrow to buy whatever else you think you might need.”

He kept extra toothbrushes? That meant this wasn’t the first time he’d intervened to help someone. It seemed to confirm what he’d told her in the truck. “I take it I’m not the first person you’ve helped to stay in this room.”

He stared at her, his brown eyes filled with dismay. “You don’t trust much, do you?”

His words were true if unwelcome. “I’ve never had much reason to trust easily.”

“Well, you can trust me, Laura.”

She wanted to believe that, but she’d been burned too many times before.

“I’ve already moved my stuff downstairs. I’ll be sleeping on the couch while you’re here, so you’ll have the entire upstairs. If you need anything, holler.”

After he left, Laura locked the bedroom door. She glanced around at the room. This was her safe haven for now. No one knew where she was or what had happened to her. A phone sat on the end table and she considered phoning her father to let him know she was safe, but she decided against it. Would her father worry about her? A part of her was happy to think that he might spend a few restless nights fretting about her. Or would he simply assume she’d taken care of his debt? No, Colton had said her father had been the one to hire him. He was trying to fix the mess he’d gotten her into.

It was small consolation.

She shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her if Colton Blackwell hadn’t been there. And, despite the fact that she didn’t know if she could really trust him, she was thankful for his help.

* * *

Colton headed downstairs. He felt better having Laura under his roof. If anyone was coming after her, they would have to face him on his own turf.