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Bree regarded him thoughtfully. “Do you ever turn an animal away?”
He looked shocked. “Why would I do that when I can help them?”
Bree mentally adjusted her perception of Rylan from strong, hard security professional to compassionate animal rescuer. But hadn’t she always known there was this other side to him? The one that would never leave a fellow creature in distress? Underneath all those muscles was a huge heart. She just wasn’t sure Rylan understood why that made him special.
She stepped into the room. It was bright and sunny, with a huge wood-framed bed, matching closet and chest, and an adjoining shower room.
“This is perfect,” she told Rylan. “As long as Nance doesn’t mind?”
As Rylan stooped to lift Nance up, the cat meowed and shifted position. A different noise from the cushion drew Bree’s attention.
“Oh, my stars. Does she have kittens?” she asked.
“No.” Rylan rolled his eyes. “She has ducklings.”
He raised the cat slightly to reveal a group of five fluffy yellow ducklings clustered together beneath her. After giving him an offended look, Nance stretched, then flounced from the room. The ducklings waddled after her in a little line.
Bree sat on the bed and, placing her head in her hands, gave way to the laughter that had been threatening to overwhelm her. When she sat up, Rylan was watching her with a bemused smile.
“Their mother abandoned them when they were a few days old. Dinah has been hand-rearing them, but, when they saw Nance, they decided she was their new mama. She doesn’t seem to mind.” He jerked a thumb in the direction the cat and the ducklings had taken. “In fact, I think she likes it.”
“You didn’t tell me I would be walking away from a crazy stalker and onto the set of a feel-good movie,” Bree said. “What next? Dancing ponies?”
He grinned. “Nothing so attractive, I’m afraid. The best I can offer you is a donkey with attitude.”
“Let me guess. His name is Peter from Admin?”
“Of course not. That would be silly.” He waited for a moment or two, keeping her in suspense. “Her name is Wonkey. She’s lame.”
“Wonkey the Donkey.” Bree shook her head. “This day keeps getting better.”
“Wait until you meet Wonkey before you say that. She’s a shaggy, bad-tempered rescue ass with one ear so bent out of shape it looks like a crowbar.” He reached out a hand, and Bree took it without thinking. “Ready for the rest of the tour?”
“Why not?”
It was hard to explain the difference just being there had already made. From the moment Rylan had driven through those gates, Bree’s heart felt lighter. It was as if she didn’t have to hide behind a mask of tightly controlled efficiency. She could be honest here at the Mountain View Ranch. And honesty meant admitting she was scared. She needed this beautiful, peaceful, safe place with its assortment of funny characters to lift her out of the darkness that had been dragging her down.
Her gaze went to the man at her side. Did that mean admitting that she needed more from him? She looked down at her hand in his. Carefully, she eased her fingers away, noticing the way his features tensed as she did.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It would take a lot more than kindness to animals to mend the trust he had shattered.
* * *
Rylan had known Dinah Murphy for a few years. Her ex-husband had worked for his security firm. When they split up, and Dinah was down on her luck, Rylan had given her some office work. It had soon become clear that they shared a love of animals, and when he bought the ranch, he’d offered her a place to live and her dream job.
Dinah’s cabin was in a private location, close to the boundary of Rylan’s land and the abandoned ranch, but he found her cleaning out the kennels. She was short, plump and freckled, with a smile as big as the Colorado mountains and an even bigger heart.
“Hey.” She held out her hand in greeting to Bree, then thought better of it. “Um...you know.” She indicated the scrubbing brush she’d just been using.
Bree laughed. “Do you need some help?”
Rylan could almost read Dinah’s mind. Didn’t you say your name was Colton? Bree’s family didn’t have a reputation for rolling up their sleeves and lending a hand with the dirty chores. From what he’d seen, it was unfair, but perceptions still lingered.
