Montana SEAL (7 page)

“You miss them, don’t you?” Hank glanced her way, his gaze softening.

Sadie nodded. “My folks were what kept me grounded. For the first year after they passed, I felt completely lost. My career had taken off, but I couldn’t find the joy I thought I’d feel in it. I didn’t have anyone I cared to share my success with.”

“What about your brother?”

She smiled. “Fin was too busy picking up the slack on the ranch. He held down the fort, working through his grief. At least he had Carla.” Sadie sighed. “I worked through the toughest time, throwing myself into making movies. I’d make myself so tired, I’d fall into bed, too numb to feel.”

The road continued up into the hills, the light of day fading as the sun dipped below the peaks of the Crazy Mountains.

“What about you? I take it your father never forgave you for leaving Bear Creek Ranch.”

“No. He was highly disappointed when I didn’t choose to stay in Montana and work for him.”

Sadie laughed without humor. “He never understood how difficult a man he was to work with.”

“No.”

“How does Allie do it?”

“Thankfully, he isn’t as hard on her as he was on me. I think it’s because she looks so much like my mother.”

Sadie nodded. “I remember the photos your father kept on the mantel. Allie does look a lot like her.”

“She tells me she’s getting serious about someone she’s been dating from Bozeman. A lawyer she met when she went skiing with the church group up in Big Sky.”

“I’m glad she’s found someone.” Sadie sensed Hank wasn’t as happy. “Are you concerned?”

“I haven’t met the man. I don’t know if I should be worried.”

“You’ll be here a while. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to meet the guy who’s stolen your sister’s heart.”

“We’ll see.” The road grew steeper and curved around a bluff. Hank slowed the SUV before he entered the curve, and then slammed on the brakes. “Damn!”

The seatbelt kept Sadie from sliding forward and crashing face-first into the dash or windshield. She yelped and clutched the armrest. “What the hell—”

Two rocks, each the size of concrete blocks, lay in the middle of the road.

Hank swerved to miss them, careening off the road and down the steep embankment.

Bounced, jolted and thrown against the door, Sadie held on, her heart banging against her ribs, as the SUV raced toward a stand of trees in the ravine at the bottom of the incline.

“Brace yourself!” Hank yelled. He pulled hard to the left. The SUV tilted on two wheels and teetered a moment before coming to a halt on all four tires.

Sadie sat for a moment, trying to remember how to breathe, her body bruised and her breath coming in ragged gasps. Then she turned toward Hank.

He sat with his fingers gripping the steering wheel, his face white beneath the tan. When he met her gaze, he asked, “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. Are you?”

His hand went to his leg and he rubbed it, wincing. “I am.” He glanced up the hill. “Guess we’ll find out if this vehicle has what it takes to climb a hill.” He pressed the button to engage the four-wheel drive. “Do you want to climb out on your own two feet or risk the ride up?”

Sadie wrapped her fingers around the oh-shit handle above the door. “Go for it.”

Hank eased his foot onto the accelerator. At first, the tires spun on the loose rocks and gravel, then they gripped the terrain and propelled the SUV up the hill.

Sadie closed her eyes, the angle of the slope on the way up feeling even steeper than it had on the way down. She practically lay on her back as the vehicle climbed. Any minute, she fully expected the SUV to perform a backflip and tumble back down to the line of trees waiting at the bottom.

Only when they crested the top and leveled out did Sadie open her eyes and let go of the breath she’d been holding.

Hank pulled the vehicle forward on the very narrow shoulder and shifted into park. He pointed at Sadie. “Stay here and stay low, while I move those rocks.”

She swiveled in her seat to peer out the back window, watching Hank as he studied the two big rocks before lifting and tossing them over the embankment he and Sadie had been down moments before.

When he climbed back into the SUV, he shifted into drive and headed toward the ranch, his jaw tight, his hands gripping the wheel. He drove much slower than before, creeping around every curve.

Sadie touched his arm. “You couldn’t have done anything different than what you did, if that’s what has you worried. If I’d been driving, I’d have swerved off the road, too.”

His lips pressed into a tight line before Hank responded. “If I had followed you home, you would have either hit those rocks and crashed, or you would have driven off the side of the hill in your Jeep. Although I’m sure you can handle a vehicle in rough terrain, keeping us from crashing into those trees took all of my strength.”

Sadie frowned. “It’s one of the hazards of living in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains. Rocks fall on the road all the time.”

“Those rocks didn’t fall from that bluff. They were placed there, deliberately.”

Sadie’s stomach clenched. “Do you think it was another attempt to hurt me?”

“No. I don’t
think
it was.” Hank stared across at her. “I
know
it was.”

T
he White Oak Ranch
nestled in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, bordered on one side by the Bear Creek Ranch and on the other by protected national forests, with an abundance of wildlife. The ranch house was a two-story, mountain cabin in stone and cedar with a wide, wraparound veranda and windows overlooking the mountains on one side and the valley on the other.

Sadie had always loved her home. It was the root of every great memory of growing up with her brother Fin and her parents. Memories, she wouldn’t have traded for all the fame and fortune in the world. This place had been her sanctuary. Until her parents died. Fin had given up his career as an architect to return home and take over the running of the ranch.

He’d brought his bride from Bozeman and settled her in the house. Carla had made so many changes, it made Sadie wince, like someone was poking at an open wound. She realized it made sense for a bride to make her house her home, but nothing felt the same without her parents.

Carla had moved the four-poster bed from the master bedroom into Fin’s old room and decorated the master suite in a modern style of stark white and tan. The pale, tan fabric-covered headboard had been screwed to the wall. A king-sized bed had replaced her parents’ queen-sized sleigh bed, and a sterile white comforter and pillows gave more of the appearance of a hotel suite than a cozy bedroom at home.

The redecorating hadn’t stopped at the bedrooms. The living room had been converted to a modern style as well, which clashed with the exterior of the mountain cabin. The sofas were stiff and white, hardly conducive to relaxation after a long day in the saddle.

Fin had insisted she leave his leather recliner alone so that he didn’t have to shower and change clothes before he could take a load off his feet and rest. Sadie almost felt sorry for him, but he’d allowed the changes.

Hank parked on the gravel drive at the side of the cabin and stepped out.

Before he could round the front of the SUV, Sadie had already climbed down to avoid any physical contact with the man. The less they touched, the less chance she had of falling completely under his spell. When she left Montana, she couldn’t take Hank with her. He had his life with his team. She had her life as a celebrity. Her chest tightened. After all the years of struggling to make it in the movie industry, now that she was there, she found it to be as lonely, if not more so, than when she was a nobody living in Montana. In fact, she’d felt more like somebody when she’d been with Hank than she’d felt with anyone else.

He waited for her to join him before climbing the steps to the porch.

The sound of voices arguing came to them through the screen door.

Sadie paused and glanced at Hank.

“Should we give them some privacy?” Hank asked.

“Maybe we can help.” Sadie squared her shoulders and entered the house. “Fin? Carla? Is everything okay?”

Carla stalked toward her, carrying a suitcase, her face set in an angry scowl. “Just peachy.” She pushed past them and slammed through the front door.

Fin appeared in the entryway, carrying a suitcase, his lips twisted. “Sadie, Hank. Carla said you’d be here soon. It’s great to see the two of you together again.”

Sadie wanted to correct him, but Hank slipped an arm around her waist at that moment. Sadie swallowed the words she’d been about to say, opting for something else. “Are you going somewhere?”

Fin glanced down at the suitcase. “Carla’s mother called and wants her to come stay with her for a couple weeks in Reno. I can’t leave the ranch right now. There are a couple of cows still up in the high country that need to be brought down before the snows start.”

“Carla didn’t seem happy about it,” Sadie commented. “Did she want you to go with her?”

“No. It’s just that her mother drives her nuts. Even so, she takes her shopping, and they have fun at the casinos.” Fin glanced away. “She’s upset because she didn’t want to miss being here when you were here.”

“Could her trip wait until I leave?” Sadie asked.

“No. Trust me. When her mother calls, Carla needs to go. It gets her out of the country life and back into more of an urban setting for a while. I think she’d be happier if we lived in the city. She’s never much cared for the ranch life.”

Sadie frowned. “I thought you two were happy living here?”

“I’m happy. Carla, not so much.” Fin ruffled Sadie’s hair like he had so many times when they were kids. “She’ll get over it. The main thing is that you take time to unwind and relax. Your schedule has been insane.” When Carla’s car horn blared, Fin grimaced. “I’ll be right back.” He carried the big suitcase down the steps and loaded it into the back of the vehicle. He’d barely closed the hatch and backed away when Carla shifted into reverse and swung around. Without a kiss or a wave goodbye, she spun up gravel as she headed down the driveway.

Fin stood for a while watching his wife, a frown denting his brow. Then he turned to Sadie. “I’m going to take care of the animals before I call it a day.”

“We’ll help,” she offered.

“No need.” He waved, and started around the side of the house. “Just enjoy your time off. Sadie, you do enough by funding this place to keep it running.”

Alone again with Hank, Sadie felt panic rise up inside. Her natural inclination was to lean into his arms and kiss him in the light of the fading sunlight. The scent of pine and pinion and the cool, crisp air reminded her too much of when they would sit on the porch, wrapped in a warm blanket, watching the sun set over the top of the mountains.

Life had been so much simpler then.

Hank’s arm dropped from around her. “I’ll get the groceries.”

Sadie turned. “I’ll help.” She followed him to the back of the SUV. They bumped into each other several times collecting the bags. Each nudge sent a shower of electrical sparks through her, and she nearly dropped a carton of eggs.

Hank dove to catch them, his lips quirking at the corners. “You seem nervous. Is something bothering you?”

She glared up at him. “You.”

He raised his brows, all innocence, making her want to crunch the eggs against his chest. “I’m just playing the part. Nothing else. Unless, of course, you prefer to take it a step further.” His gaze challenged her.

“No.” She jerked the carton of eggs out of his hand. “I meant it. We live in different worlds. You would not be happy in my world. I won’t drag you into it.”

“Spoken like a true snob.” He winked. “Don’t worry. I’m just the bodyguard. I know my place.”

Sadie’s heart skidded to a halt. “Is that what you think? That you’re not good enough for LA?” She set the eggs down in the back of the SUV and cupped her hands around his face. “Oh, Hank. You have it all wrong. Hollywood isn’t good enough for
you.
It’s a terrible place with all the backstabbing, money-grubbing catfights, everyday of the week. The press never leaves you alone, and they make up stories if their ratings fall. They can be so vicious and insensitive. One minute, you’re a rising star, the next, they’re tearing you down or printing disparaging lies about you.”

“Then why do you do it?”

Sadie laughed. “I ask myself that question often.” She looked out at the pastures with the mountains rising up behind them. “I love acting. The idea of taking a script and bringing the character alive is like a form of art to me. That drive came from my love of adventure and fantasy when I read books during the long winters. I could feel everything the characters felt. The physical as well as emotional obstacles were just as much mine as the fictional characters in the stories. When I acted in school plays, I found I enjoyed bringing those characters to life, helping the audience see and feel the struggles through the way I portrayed them. I felt that if the audience laughed or cried, it was like giving them a gift, inviting them into another world, if only for the length of the show.”

When she turned back to Hank, heat rose in her cheeks. “It sounds silly. I know.”

Hank set his grocery bags aside and took her hand in his, drawing her closer. “Far from it. You have a passion for acting. It shines from your face and in your work. It doesn’t come from wanting to be rich and famous. You give your characters the voices they deserve. They’re rich in emotion and feeling. Just like you.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm. “You’re amazing. And that’s why everyone loves you.”

Sadie’s breath caught and held, waiting for him to say that he loved her, too. When he didn’t, she hid her disappointment. What did she expect? She’d told him his services would no longer be needed once she left Montana and returned to LA. Their limited time together would be strictly platonic.

What kind of stupid was she? Platonic with Hank was like throwing a shark into a tank with a seal and expecting the shark not to eat the seal. Not loving Hank went against every grain of her nature. Separated by years and distance, she’d never stopped loving the cowboy she’d grown up with. Never stopped measuring other men by the standard he’d set. Now that he was a grown man, with years of military service behind him, hardened by battle, he was even more desirable. She was doomed to fall in love with him all over again.

“Sadie—”

She dropped his hand. He had his life. She had hers. “Let’s get these groceries in. I’m cooking dinner, since Carla won’t be here.”

He stared at her a moment longer. “I’ll help.”

Together, they unloaded the SUV and stowed the items in the refrigerator and pantry. Hank carried his duffle bag into the house and set it on the floor in the entryway.

Her heart fluttered, and a deep ache pressed hard, low in Sadie’s belly. If they were just two people who lived in Montana, and didn’t have other outside commitments, she’d tell him to park his things in her room, where they’d make love until the sun came up. Oh, sweet Jesus, how she wished she could go back to being that simple girl from Eagle Rock, Montana. She could feel the words on her lips and imagine Hank’s reaction.

With a sigh of resignation, she headed for the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. “You can put your things in Fin’s old room. First door on the right at the top of the stairs.” They’d both come too far to go back to the simple life.

H
ank ditched
his bag in Fin’s old room, which didn’t look anything like the room he remembered. Gone were the football trophies, rodeo buckles and posters of his favorite bull riders. In their places were abstracts with splashes of red, tan and black. The walls had been painted a flat tan, and the solid wood four-poster bed sat at an angle in the corner of the room. Hank had the urge to center it on the wall where the bed used to be when Fin had been in high school. Instead, he turned and left the room as it was.

He found Sadie in the kitchen, settling steaks and chicken breasts on a tray. “Grill?”

She nodded, handing him the tray. “You know where to find it.”

Hank cranked up the gas grill and placed the steaks and chicken on the grate. When he returned to the kitchen, he stood at Sadie’s side, chopping lettuce, tomatoes and sweet onions for a salad, while she cleaned the ears of corn on the cob and wrapped them in foil to go on the grill.

“When did you learn to cook?” Hank asked as he tossed the salad in the bowl.

She smiled. “When I was a starving waitress in LA, trying to break into the movie industry. I couldn’t afford to eat out, and I needed all my tip money to pay my rent. I even learned how to make Ramen Noodles taste good.”

“Hey.” He twisted a damp dishtowel and popped her bottom. “Don’t be talking bad about Ramen Noodles. I’ve eaten them more times than I can count, out of pure self-preservation.”

They talked and moved in and out of the kitchen checking the food as it cooked. By the time the chicken breasts and steaks were ready to come off the grill, Fin showed up.

He stopped beside the grill and sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”

“Go get cleaned up while we put this on the table,” Sadie said.

The pure domesticity of working in the kitchen with Sadie made Hank long for more experiences just like it. It was what it would be like if they were married. Living under one roof, cooking in the same kitchen, sleeping in the same bed…

“Why the big sigh?” Sadie asked.

Hank hadn’t realized he’d even done it. “Just that it’s a beautiful evening, and I can’t think of a place I’d rather be.”

She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” She took one of the plates full of steak and chicken up the steps of the back porch.

Hank followed. As they entered the house, the telephone rang. Fin’s voice sounded in the hallway, “Hello…Oh, hey, Joe… Tonight? Sure, I’d love to meet you there… I’ll check with them. Either way, I’ll be there after supper. See ya.”

Sadie set the bowl of salad on the table and glanced up as Fin entered the kitchen, shaking the water out of his hair. “I jumped in the shower since I smelled more like a horse than a man.” He padded to the table barefooted, buttoning his shirt. “That was Joe on the phone. He’s off duty and headed to Blue Moose Tavern for a beer after dinner. He wanted us to join him. He said something about the state crime lab identifying the bullet slug they pulled from Patterson.”

“We’ll go,” Sadie answered, then looked to Hank. “If that’s all right by you.”

“I’ll go wherever you go,” he said, without adding,
After all, I’m just your bodyguard
.

She gave him a grateful smile and waved at the table. “Gentlemen, don’t let the food get cold.”

Hank held her chair while she seated herself. Then he and Fin took their seats and dug into the food. The steak was so tender it melted in his mouth. “Is this from one of your own?”

Fin nodded. “It is.”

“Best I’ve ever had.” Hank went into a long discussion with Fin over the merits of different breeds of cattle. Sadie joined in, laughing and smiling as they shared memories of growing up on ranches. By the time they finished the meal and cleaned the kitchen, darkness had settled around the ranch house while the stars made their grand appearance.

Fin patted his belly and stretched. “I just have to pull on a pair of boots and a jacket, and I’ll be ready.”