loved them in his own way, Ella thought defensively. She’d always felt the need to protect her father. But he wasn’t the problem this time.
Thinking made her brain cramp.
Ella eyed the stranger carefully. By nightfall, she’d be done with him. He’d be out of her life forever. She should be happy about that, and yet the thought tugged at her heart. Maybe it was because she’d lost so much already with her father’s death. Or it could be her soft spot for lost causes. There’d been countless stray animals that she’d made space for in the barn only for her father to tell her they had to go. Usually, they were injured and she knew they’d never survive on their own. Her brothers or sister would come to her rescue and help her keep them hidden until she’d manage to nurse them back to health and then find a new home.
A few were worked into the menagerie of pets on the ranch. Oftentimes one of the hired hands would end up with a new pet to take home to his family. And many of the employees at Hereford Ranch covered for her to help with her causes. No one went against Maverick Mike’s wishes directly, but everyone pitched in behind the scenes to help Ella.
Looking back, it was probably difficult for them to turn away such a persistent little girl. Ella had been told more than once that she had the campaigning abilities of a politician.
Her gaze drifted to the wounded person standing before her with no name. If anyone needed to find his way, it was the man across the room. She told herself that was the reason she felt an unexplainable draw toward the mystery man and it had nothing to do with the inappropriate surge of attraction she felt every time she glanced his way.
“What will you do once you drop me off? You can’t stay here anymore, can you?” she asked.
“You need to worry about yourself. Use some of that money you have to hire extra security,” he snapped.
Ella bristled.
His voice softened when he said, “You’re in danger and you owe it to your father to be careful.”
“Why do you care?” she asked.
“I don’t,” he said. “But you should.”
A noise sounded outside and Blue Eyes dropped into a crouching position in half a second flat. The remarkable thing was that he made no noise with his movement, and that made her think he might have a military background.
His gaze locked onto hers and the look he shot her warned her to be quiet. She froze, fearing that whoever had tried to kill her was back. Would they have returned to verify that she was dead and then go hunting for her when they didn’t find a body?
Her pulse raced.
With effort, she slid off the chair and made herself as small as she could on the floor. Movement hurt despite the couple of pain relievers he’d supplied earlier. Ella knew Blue Eyes had this under control. And it struck her as odd that she felt safe with the stranger.
Thinking about the attempt on her life made her realize that there could be others coming to town to get a piece of her father’s will. Hadn’t his attorney, Ed Staples, warned that there could be a lot of surprises forthcoming? Even though he couldn’t possibly have meant this, Ella was beginning to fear that the actions of her father would haunt her and her siblings long after his death.
When the silence had stretched on for minutes, Blue Eyes moved to the window and checked outside. Without speaking a word, he slipped out the door.
Ella moved to the window to get a look for herself, watching as he moved stealthily. There was a certain grace about him.
Despite his untamed appearance, his muscles gave the impression he maintained a disciplined workout schedule. In fact, looking around the room, it was obvious that he liked things tidy. Something had made him want to drop out of civilization for a while. He couldn’t be a doomsday prepper because he seemed to have on hand only what he needed for a couple of days. She wanted to offer him some type of reward for saving her life but he’d already refused work. What else could she do? Offer a reward?
Ella thought about her two brothers, Dade and Dalton, and sister, Cadence. She wasn’t kidding before. They’d be frantic with worry about her by now. Even though her siblings had left town to escape the media circus in Cattle Barge, one of the employees would’ve contacted them about her disappearance. She’d been out of communication for two days...and with a total stranger. He could’ve done anything he’d wanted to her. A shiver raced through her. But he hadn’t.
For that reason and a few others that she didn’t want to overanalyze, Ella intended to figure out who this man was and why he was running.
Blue Eyes walked back into the cabin, glanced around and then picked up his duffel bag. “Finish your coffee. We’re leaving ahead of schedule.”
“Everything okay outside?” Ella asked.
He didn’t respond.
“Is someone out there?” Her heart rate jumped a few notches higher.
“Not now. There will be,” he said and mumbled, “I should’ve gone a long time ago.”
That statement implied he wouldn’t have been around to help her and she didn’t appreciate the sentiment. “Well, I, for one, am glad you outstayed your welcome. I wouldn’t be alive otherwise.”
She was getting indignant. She couldn’t help herself. He wouldn’t tell her anything about himself and she wasn’t trying to take advantage of him or turn him in to the FBI. All she wanted to do was find a proper way to thank him. The guy was working her last nerve and her head still pounded.
“Why don’t you come to work for me on the ranch?” she asked while watching him pull out bleach wipes from his bag. He wiped down the dishes before placing them inside the duffel. Now he really had her curiosity heightened.
“I already said that I don’t need a job.” For the irritated sound that came out of his mouth next, she would’ve thought she’d just asked him to scrub the toilet with his toothbrush.
Ella made a production of glancing around. “Are you being serious?”
He shot her a warning glance. It said to tread lightly.
She ignored it.
“Because as far as I can tell, you very much need a paycheck. And a decent place to sleep.” She waved her hand around.
“I had one until you came along and messed it up for me,” he quickly countered.
“You can’t be serious,” she said.
“Try me.”
“Is that a threat?” She planted her balled fist on her hip. It was probably the fact that she’d almost been killed that was giving her this new bravado. She didn’t care. The guy had some explaining to do and he was squatting on her family’s land.
“No. If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m trying to help you,” he said, opening up a knife and cutting the rope he’d used to hold together the table. The metal sparkled in the light. He wiped down each leg.
“Why won’t you let me return the favor?” she asked.
Another frustrated noise tore from his throat. “You don’t have anything I want.”
That sounded personal. She tried not to take offense. “I’d like to offer a financial reward. Surely, you could use some money.”
He didn’t look up but waved her off.
“At least tell me your name,” she persisted. Why was he being so obstinate? Was it really that difficult to give her something? Granted, she was used to getting what she wanted and with enough persistence she was sure that she could wear this guy down, too. She didn’t have the luxury of time and she wanted to send a proper thank-you