Ranch Refuge

“What does he want you to do, Laura?” Colton asked, his face already grim in anticipation of her response.

A sob caught in her throat and her calm began to unravel. Her hands shook and he could see voicing the truth was painful and bitter. “He wants me to marry him. And if I don’t, he will kill my father.”

Colton was stunned. This went beyond just getting payment for gambling debts. It had already escalated into something much more sinister. Money could be paid back, but if Randall had set his eyes on Laura and she’d rebuked him, she could be in real danger.

“I tried to tell him I wasn’t interested, but his advances only got worse. He phoned me constantly. He sent me flowers and gifts. He even showed up at my work. I begged him to leave me alone. Why would he want someone who doesn’t want him?”

Colton wasn’t surprised. “Randall is used to getting whatever he wants. He’s used to owning people through his money. It’s about power. When he couldn’t control you with money or threats or gifts, he became obsessed with having you. He sent men after you, which means either he’s decided to take you by force or else he wants you to pay for what he would consider the ultimate betrayal.”

She shuddered, rightly frightened by the situation she was in, and he had the sudden urge to take her into his arms and comfort her. He pushed back that feeling and instead steeled himself with determination to keep her safe from Randall and his crazy demands.

“How do I convince him to stop? I’ll give him the money. I’ll pay him whatever he wants to leave me alone.”

“You can’t, Laura. It’s no longer about money. It’s about control.”

She shuddered again and he rushed to reassure her, placing his hand over hers and relishing the softness of her skin. “I told you, Laura, this is what I do, and I’m good at my job. Don’t worry. We’ll find you a way out of this mess.”

She turned those wide green eyes full of hope on him. He’d seen situations like this before and knew they didn’t often work out well, but he didn’t let that sway his resolve. He would keep her safe no matter what it took.

“What about my father?”

“Randall will put pressure on him to uncover your whereabouts, but he can’t tell what he doesn’t know. Bill doesn’t know where I live. I never even told him my last name. Did you call him?”

“Yes,” she replied.

Narrowing his eyes, he gave her a look. “You didn’t tell him where you are, did you?”

“No, I didn’t tell him.”

* * *

She shivered at the thought that Randall might hurt her dad just to get to her. A tear slipped from her eye. She wiped it away quickly. The last thing she wanted was for Colton to feel sorry for him.

“You’re worried about him?” he asked gently.

She pushed away that worry and shook her head. She was done crying for him. “He brought this on me. He placed my life in danger so he could try for his next big score. He stopped thinking of me as a daughter a long time ago.”

“Gambling is just like any other drug. It’s a crutch—”

Laura stopped him before he continued. She was sure he meant well, but she’d heard it all before. “Spare me the ‘gambling is an addiction’ spiel, Colton. I can’t tell you how many people have tried to tell me my dad has a sickness and that he can’t help himself. I tried to help him. I tried everything I knew to do to help him, but he didn’t want my help.” Her anger rising, she blew out a frustrated breath. “All he wanted from me was another handout, and when I stopped giving them, he stopped coming around. I’m sorry for the hole he’s dug himself into, but now he’s dragged me into it with him, and if only one of us can get out of it, it’s going to be me. I won’t continue to let his problem control me.”

She turned away from him, walked back into the den and plopped down on the couch, sinking into the cushions and hoping Colton wouldn’t continue to try to justify her father’s actions. She needed to stay mad at her dad. It was the only thing that was holding her together. But if Colton kept pulling at that string, her entire demeanor might unravel. She couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t do herself any good if she became a hysterical mess.

Colton obviously took the hint. “It’s late and I realize you haven’t had anything to eat since you got off work. Why don’t I whip you up some eggs?”

She appreciated all he’d done for her, all he was trying to do for her, but there was no point in him cooking for her. She hadn’t eaten since her lunch break, now nearly eight hours ago, but the pit in her stomach would prevent her from keeping anything down. “I appreciate the thought, but I’m just going to go upstairs and try to get some sleep.”

He was by her side in an instant. “Laura, I’m sorry if I upset you.” His handsome face was full of kindness and concern. For one crazy moment she imagined stepping into his embrace and weeping against his strong shoulders. But that was only a pipe dream.

“None of this is your fault, Colton. In fact, you’re the one bright spot in all of this.”

In fact, she didn’t know what she would have done without him and his intervention. She should never have doubted him. She’d prayed for a way out of this mess, and God had sent her Colton. For that, she was grateful, although she would have preferred that God make the entire mess go away so she could continue on with her life.

Would she ever have a normal life again? She realized she’d taken normalcy for granted when she’d had it. When her mom had gotten sick and died, her father had turned to the casinos for comfort. Laura’s life had not been the same since.

She longed for the assurance of a job where no one knew how dysfunctional her family was, and the stability of a home that didn’t include having to sneak out in the middle of the night because her dad had gambled away the rent money. Mostly, she longed for a loving relationship. That one day she’d have someone who would stand beside her and share her burdens, and she could share his... A lump rose to her throat. But who would ever want to share the burdens she carried? Any man in his right mind would run screaming for the hills when he discovered her twisted family ties.

She swallowed hard, determined not to let her vulnerability show. For now, she had Colton, and she would take what she could get for as long as she could. Because eventually he would realize the depth of the hole her father had dug for her, and he would realize the futility of trying to help her out of it. He would be gone, just like the rest, because the load she carried was too heavy for anyone else to bear.

He stopped her before she reached the stairs. “Laura, we all make choices that have consequences. Some of those consequences are worse than others. I’m sure your father never meant to do anything to cause you harm.”

“He’s getting what he deserves. He brought this on, not me. I can’t concern myself with him right now.” She rushed up the stairs and locked herself in the bedroom before the tears began to fall.

* * *

Colton leaned against the sink. Laura might as well have punched him in the gut. It felt the same. Her words had hit him. Hard. She didn’t know it, but she could have been talking about him when she’d spoken about her father. She was a living, breathing, in-your-face reminder of all the people he’d hurt through his dark time.

If she knew the truth about his past, she would turn tail and run as far from him as she could get...and then Chuck Randall would get to her.

But if Colton could rescue her, then maybe he could gain a bit of redemption, too.

TWO (#ulink_c6b07ee6-0f84-5969-98c0-d90ecefdfb7c)

Laura’s eyes fluttered open. Sunlight filtered in through the curtain. She lifted up onto her elbows and glanced at the bedside clock. It was already afternoon. She’d slept most of the day and had to admit she felt rested for the first time in a long while.

She owed it to Colton and his presence. But even though she felt safe here, she knew she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. She heard his voice from outside her window. Glancing out, she saw him walking toward the barn, several dogs following along behind him. She raised the window and heard him talking to them. It caused her to smile that he talked to his dogs. She liked that about him. Then her face reddened as she realized that wasn’t all she liked about Colton. She enjoyed the way his shirt pulled tight against him, revealing broad shoulders and muscles for decades.

Transfixed, she watched him kneel and pet one of the dogs that jumped up on him, rubbing him affectionately. He suddenly glanced her way. She reddened again, this time at being caught staring. But he good-naturedly raised his hand in a wave to her.

She moved away from the window. Trusting Colton to keep her safe was one thing, but finding herself drawn to the man was another. Still, she couldn’t deny the attraction. But then, why wouldn’t she be affected? A good-looking man had swooped in and rescued her from the bad men. Her feelings were probably natural, but she couldn’t act on them. She didn’t have a great track record with men. Her last serious relationship had ended ugly, causing her to realize the idiom that girls fall in love with men like their fathers wasn’t just a saying. It was true. Lance liked the casinos as much as her father did. Once she’d realized this, she’d quickly ended the relationship. She already had one gambler in her life and certainly didn’t need another.

* * *

Before she went downstairs, she took a few moments to phone her neighbor Mrs. Duncan. Laura told her she was going to be out of town for a few days and asked her to check in on her cat, Misty, and to make sure she had food. Mrs. Duncan agreed and wished her a good trip. Laura hated not being honest with her, but she thought this was the best way. Colton hadn’t even wanted her to phone, but she couldn’t go into hiding while her kitty starved.

Next, she called her friend Denise Jenkins, another nurse in the ER. She wanted to let her know she was safe and ask her to pass along the message to the nurse manager that she’d had to go out of town unexpectedly, so they could remove her from the work schedule and find someone to cover her upcoming shifts.

Denise sounded groggy when she answered and Laura remembered that her friend had worked the graveyard shift. She’d begun her shift while Laura was finishing hers. Laura glanced at the clock and realized her friend had probably just gotten home and into bed an hour or so ago.

“Denise, it’s Laura. Are you awake?”

“I am now,” she moaned. “Why are you calling me so early? You know I just got off work.”

“I know. I wouldn’t have called, but it’s important. Something happened last night. A group of men tried to abduct me in the employee parking lot.”

“What!” Denise’s voice cleared and Laura could tell she was now fully alert. “Are you okay? Are you being held captive? Should I call the police?”

“No, no. I’m fine. Another man was there and he rescued me. I’m safe, but I don’t think I’m going to be returning to River City for a while.”