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“Then why aren’t we going to check it out?”
Brock snorted. “There’s a difference between protecting ourselves and looking for trouble. Besides, Ian would kill me if I took you on some suicide mission.” He shook his head. “My first priority is to get you and the horses back to the ranch safely. Then I’ll come out here with Sean and Ian and find out what it is.”
He dropped his apple picking bag with the other apples and herded Jessica toward the horses.
She dug her heels into the ground and folded her arms. “I can handle myself. I’m not some damsel in distress despite what you and Ian might think.”
Brock stopped, his features darkening. “Doyouhave a gun? Do you even know how to use one? Because if the answer to either of those questions is no, then you don’t have a choice. You’re going back.” His eyes softened. “Please, Jessica. If you care about Ian, you’ll do what I say so I can keep you safe.”
Jessica threw her arms down. “Fine. But when we’re back at the ranch, someone is going to teach me how to use a gun so I can protect myself.”
He fought off a smile, but not before she noticed it. Brock might be rough around the edges and a pain in her behind when it came to making friends, but they could relate on some small level. She could understand him.
Jessica heaved up into her saddle. Rusty was still barking, the hair raised along his back.
Brock leaped onto his saddle and pulled his horse around. He jerked his head toward the trail. “You first.”
She gave the horse a little kick with her boots and the horse took off in a trot, jostling the apples in the bag she still wore around her shoulders. After a harder nudge, she was able to get her horse to a more manageable canter. Whatever was back there didn’t follow them on the trail. Rusty even seemed to settle the farther they went.
Regardless of what it was, she refused to allow something like that to happen again. Ian or Brock or one of the other brotherswouldteach her the basics of operating a firearm before she went to bed tonight.
By the time they arrived at the ranch, Rusty was happily wagging his tail. Brock was still on edge, but his expression was more neutral. He slipped from his horse and led it by its reins toward the barn. She got down from her saddle and followed him. They didn’t speak a word about what had happened. The more she’d thought about it, the less thrilled she was about the prospect of telling Ian.
Based on his earlier behavior, he might actually flip his lid. She followed Brock into the barn and led her horse to the stall she’d gotten it from earlier that morning. Brock came into the stall after her and loosened the straps of the saddle. He reached for the saddle, and she placed a hand over his. “Brock?”
He stilled and shot a look at her.
“Do you think we should tell Ian about what happened?”
“Tell me about what?” Ian’s hard voice caused her to jump.
Jessica yelped and yanked her hand from Brock’s. Ian’s eyes didn’t miss the action and his mood darkened.
“What happened today?” His voice was a low growl that sent shockwaves of discomfort down her spine.
Brock hefted the saddle from the horse and nudged past Ian. “Chill out, Ian. It was nothing.”
Ian scowled. “Doesn’t sound like nothing. Anything you two might want to keep from me is definitely notnothing.”
Jessica didn’t meet Ian’s gaze, which only seemed to irritate him further. “Tell me what happened.”
Brock returned to the stall with a brush and held it out to Jessica. “Rusty freaked out a little, that’s all.”
Ian’s gaze bounced from Brock to Jessica and back. “What did Rusty see?”
Brock shrugged. “Whatever it was, it didn’t follow us.” He left the stall and moved into the adjacent one. “I’m taking the truck down there to check it out. You want to ask Sean if he can come too?”
Ian nodded. “Have you seen any animals poking around the orchards lately?” He was all business now. It was like he’d flipped the switch on his own. He had a job to do, and he was going to get it done right. This was the Ian she’d seen the night of the shooting.
Brock shook his head. “The last time I saw a pack of wolves was in April. Coyotes too. You?”
Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t remember. We could call the Callahans. They might have seen something.”
Jessica listened to their conversation as she brushed the horse’s hair. She’d been wrong. Ian didn’t need shielding from stuff like this. He’d dealt with it for years. If she planned on staying for the long haul, she’d need to be capable of dealing with it too. She cleared her throat. “I want you to teach me how to shoot.”
Ian whirled around to face her. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh yeah. There’s that.” Brock snickered.
