Cowboy Protector. Margaret Daley

“I think the milk’s working for me, too. Good night,” she quickly said and hurried toward her room before he pursued the reason for her wanderlust.

      She closed the door and leaned back against it, breathing deep inhalation to calm the galloping of her heartbeat. It was too easy to talk to Austin when he wasn’t in his interrogation mode. For a while in the kitchen she’d forgotten her past and was totally into the moment with him.

      I can’t do it. I’ve got to keep my guard up.

      For a second she thought of praying to the Lord for strength to keep going with her charades. But then, why should she? He hadn’t answer her last prayers in Los Angeles or when she’d first come to Montana. Obviously she wasn’t worthy of His attention.

      As the first rays of light spread across the landscape the next morning, in the barn Misty presented her flat palm with a piece of an apple in it to Candy. When the horse plucked the treat from her hand, the little girl giggled. “She always tickles me with her nose.”

      Hannah inched closer to the stall door. In an area no bigger than ten by ten feet being confined with a horse, even a small one, wasn’t her idea of something fun to do. But it was Misty’s and that was why Hannah would stay. Her heart tapped a mad staccato, however, against her chest.

      “This was the bestest idea, Hannah.”

      “We’ll probably need to be getting back before your dad and Caroline wonder where we went before breakfast.”

      “Can we come back later today? I like coming to the barn better than Daddy bringing Candy up to the house.”

      “Yeah, that is if it doesn’t snow. The sky was pretty gray. And of course, if it’s okay with your father.”

      “It’s not gonna snow, and Daddy will be fine about it.” Misty’s expression mirrored all her hope that sounded in her voice. “Before the wreck, I always got to feed Barney. Can we before we go?”

      “Sure. Where’s the food?”

      “In the storage room.” Misty nestled her face against Candy’s head.

      “Will you be okay while I go get it?”

      Misty laughed. “Nuthin’ gonna happen with Candy here.”

      Although Hannah had tried to keep her fear of large animals she was unfamiliar with from her voice, the amused look the little girl gave her along with what she said underscored her failure. At the stall entrance Hannah glanced back over her shoulder at Misty and Candy. The mare kept her head lowered so the child could continue to pet her as if the horse knew something was wrong with Misty, that the child couldn’t stand. No, Misty would be fine, and Hannah would have to get used to Candy because weather willing she planned on bringing the girl down to the barn a lot. Misty came alive in here.

      When she checked her watch, Hannah realized they had stayed longer than she had planned. She could picture Austin combing the house for them, anger building on his face when he didn’t find them. Hurrying toward what she believed was the storage room, she burst through the closed door and came to an abrupt halt.

      A small, wiry man with his back to her stood in the corner by some boxes. As he swung his gaze to her, surprise flittered into his expression. He made a scraping movement with his foot then whirled around. “What are you doing in here?”

      His furious tone caused her to step back into the doorway of the storage room, the faint odor of smoke accosting her. “I’m getting Barney’s food,” she said and spied the bag several feet from the man. “Misty’s going to feed him.”

      Some of the tension in him deflated. “Oh, I just didn’t expect anyone to come in here at this hour. I’ll bring it out to you.”

      His dismissal of her heightened her suspicion. He was probably the hired hand who was smoking in the barn. She couldn’t ignore the faint odor of cigarette smoke. This wasn’t any of her business. She needed to back out of the room and dismiss what he had been doing. Getting involved and doing the right thing five years ago ruined her life. Austin would discover the guy soon enough.

      What if Austin didn’t and something happened? For the past years, she had done what she needed to survive, but she couldn’t turn a blind eye to what this man was doing. If the man flicked the cigarette into some hay, the barn could be destroyed. Animals killed.

      “That’s all right. I can get it.” She headed toward the bag on the floor, forcing the hired hand to move.

      His glare chilled her. He stepped to the side, planting one foot and dragging the other to him. The scent of smoke hanging in the air was stronger the closer she came to him, confirming her suspicions.

      Hannah bent over to lift the twenty-five-pound bag but almost instantly dropped it back to the floor. “On second thought, could you please carry this bag out to Misty? It’s heavier than I thought.” Straightening, she watched his every action.

      Austin’s employee pawed the wooden planks with the toe of his boot, then reluctantly covered the space between them and scooped up the bag as though it only weighed a few pounds. “After you, ma’am.”

      Near the entrance Hannah stopped. “Oh, I forgot the cat food. You go ahead. I can manage that bag.” She sidled away, backing up toward where she saw the cat food.

      The man grumbled something under his breath, but he left. Hannah rushed to where he had been standing and searched the floor. Nothing. He had to be smoking. Unless he came in right after someone had just finished. Doubt began to nibble at her when she zeroed in on the tip of the cigarette butt under the shelving where he’d shoved it with his booted foot.

      She pulled it out and murmured, “Gotcha.”

      Someone cleared his throat behind her.