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“Why does my solution matter so much to you?”
Seriously? Shouldn’t it matter to anyone with common decency? A new mother and infant should not be in such primitive conditions. “It’s a brother complex,” he hedged. It had to be a sibling thing, because Jarvis didn’t do involvement, romantic interest or relationships. Those ended badly.
Her gaze narrowed. “What did you do? Did you tell someone about me hiding here?”
“No.” His denial didn’t help matters at all. Her fingers curled into fists and her eyes blazed. If she had the stick, he’d be on the floor by now. “I haven’t done anything to expose you, Mia. I just called my brother.”
She muttered an oath under her breath and then bit down hard on her lower lip. “Let me guess—whiny stepdaughters can’t file complaints with the police.”
Granted, they’d only had two conversations, but he hadn’t heard her whine once. “I was asking about how death threats might be reported.” Damn it. Her brown eyes narrowed and her lips firmed. He kept saying the wrong thing. She was clearly ready to bolt. And then what? If she’d thought she was safe here, he needed to make sure she was safe here. “And adultery is a crime in Arizona,” he added.
“Good grief.” She rubbed her
temples. “That’s probably an accusation that carries more weight when the injured party files the complaint, not the stepdaughter of the unfaithful partner. Forget about me, Jarvis. I’ll just go.”
“Stay.” His primary goal was to help her feel secure. Even here. He stepped forward and caught her hands, holding them loosely between their bodies. He rushed to full alert at the contact. Her skin was silky under his rough thumbs. He didn’t crowd her, but he felt her pulse racing under his fingertips. “I’m saying this all wrong and I’m sorry for making you worry. I was trying to be transparent and reassure you.”
She stared at her wrists, caged by his fingers. “That failed. Not that I want to be left in the dark, either. I’ve had enough surprise attacks for a lifetime.”
“Noted. On both counts.” A ghost of an amused smile slipped across her lips. “No one knows anything about you here. No one will. Not from me,” he vowed.
“What about the rest of the crew?”
He’d manipulated the weekly schedule of responsibilities to accommodate his search. In his view, this was a happy coincidence, with her crisis and his search intersecting. “Won’t be a problem. I’m the only one who is scheduled to be out this way.”
She gently extricated herself from his grasp. “Okay.”
He immediately missed the warmth of her skin. The wall she built between them was practically visible and plastered with no-trespassing warnings.
“I’d still prefer you move to the bunkhouse. Tomorrow,” he added when she started to argue. The baby stirred, because of the conversation or because he had some other issue, Jarvis didn’t know.
Mia sighed, scooping up her son before he could really work himself into a crying jag. She was lovely with or without the baby in her arms. That was one more strange new awareness in a day filled with oddities. Watching her struck a chord deep in his chest and resonated through his system. He’d developed a crush on her when she was modeling everything from swimsuits to eyeliner. Watching her devotion as a mother was like opening a safe expecting cash and finding a stash of priceless gems. This side of her was so unexpected, this facet of her beauty so raw and unpolished and alluring. Since when did he find mothers alluring?
He wasn’t that kind of guy. He’d never wanted the hearth-and-home deal. Losing his parents was proof that life was too fragile and the world too fickle. Better to have some fun and move on before the good stuff got ripped away, leaving bloody knuckles, bruises and painful scars behind.
“Jarvis?”
She’d caught him staring like an idiot. “I’ll, um, I’ll keep watch tonight so you can rest easy.” The statement made, it felt exactly right. How else would he make sure she didn’t disappear without a trace? It was the practical thing to do, he argued with the voice in his head accusing him of being hopelessly infatuated.
“Stop it.” She shook her head. “That will only draw more attention.”
“From who? Nothing but coyotes and owls out here when the cattle are elsewhere.”
Her lush lips twisted to one side. “I don’t have much to fear from an owl, and a coyote has no reason to wander close enough to trouble me. Go home and get your own rest. I hear cowboys have to get up early.”
“Just like mothers and models,” he said. She rolled her eyes. “I live on the ranch,” he added, hooking his thumbs in his pockets. “Call me if a coyote gets out of line.”
“I promise.”
Her smile was relaxed, natural, and the sparkle was back in her eye rather than frustration and fear. Promising he’d be back in the morning, he walked out of the warming hut and climbed into his truck. But he didn’t go all the way back to the ranch. Instead, he retreated only so far as the service road and parked. Now he was effectively blocking anyone trying to take an established road toward her hiding place. It also meant he was less than a minute away if she did need him tonight.
As he adjusted the seat to get comfortable, he wondered which outcome would make him happier—an undisturbed night or one in which she called him for help. What was wrong with him? He didn’t wish trouble on her or the baby. She’d been through too much already.
His brother would chide him for not verifying her story before siding with her. His sister would accuse him of being more interested in her face than her predicament. Although his siblings knew him best, neither of them would be entirely correct about this. Oh, he was plenty attracted to Mia and he hadn’t vetted her claim with a source beyond her cell phone.
But he was running on his instincts and her reputation. That was more than enough to justify a few bucks in supplies and spending the night in his truck under the expansive sky.
Just as he was settling in, lightning slashed across the sky and a deep rumble of thunder chased it. So much for stretching out in the bed of his truck. Knowing rain was imminent, he cracked the windows and braced himself for a cramped and uncomfortable night.
