Chapter 8

Chase waited by his study door until Lauren entered, then closed it securely behind her. It was a very manly room with dark wood walls and furniture. A fireplace made of dark gray stone rose tall and solid, like the man of the house. He sat on his high-backed leather chair behind a dark cherry-wood desk and motioned for her to take a seat on one of the chairs in front.

"First, Lauren, I want you to know I don't cotton to any woman-beater. Never have, never will, so you can relax. I'm gonna protect you from that bastard as well as I can. Also, whatever you tell me in this room stays in this room. Other than filling my workers in on who to keep an eye out for, your past is nobody's business but yours and mine at this point. Is that all fine and dandy with you?"

"Yes." The rich, smooth sound of his voice and the way her name rolled off his tongue lit a fire in her belly. A fire that melted the knot of anxiety she'd had since Clint's first assault.

"Sowhat can you tell me about this Clint?"

"You mean as far as his appearance?"

"Yeah, but let's start with his full name and description."

"All right. His name is Clint Jackson. He's about six feet tall, well built, with black hair and dark eyes. As you might have guessed, he's mean and loses his temper very easily." Her lips trembled and her knees began to shake as the vile memories coursed through her mind. She shook her head.

"Does this guy carry any kind of weapon?"

"Not that I'm aware of, noexcept his fists."

"Right. Well, don't you worry. I ain't scared of them. But tell me, how long have you been on the run?"

"About two weeks now."

"Do you know for certain he's still following you?"

"Like I said, I saw him outside Rosie's Diner, looking in my car's window. He must have followed my credit card receipts or something."

"Have you seen him since?"

"No. I have a restraining order on him, but it may only be good in Michigan. Besides, it's really nothing more than a piece of paper. He doesn't care about following rules. If he really wants to get to me, he'll keep trying, no matter what the court or the law has to say."

"We'll have to talk to the sheriff about the validity of the restraining order. Is there anything else you can think of? Anything else I should know about him?"

"He drives a red truck, a Ford F-150, if it helps."

"Every little bit will help. We'll all keep our eyes and ears open. This is a ranch with lots of acreage and places for a man to get lost in, so I'll make sure everybody's staying on their toes at all times."

"I'm not sure he's after me as much as he's after something I picked up by mistake." She explained the mix-up with the computers. "Even if there is something damaging stored on it, it doesn't matter. The thing is password protected, and I couldn't even log in to check my e-mail."

"Well, let me take it to a buddy of mine who knows a thing or two about computers. Maybe it's nothing, but we won't know till we have it checked out. He might be able to get past those barricades your old boyfriend set up. Obviously, the man had something to hide."

"Sure. I'll go get it right now." Lauren jumped up from her chair and headed to her bedroom. When she reached her room, she was a little puzzled and concerned to find her door ajar, since she'd purposely made sure to close it. She pushed it open slowly to find Edie, rifling through her backpack.

"Umexcuse me. Are you looking for anything in particular? Maybe I can help you."

"Uhwhat? Huh? I meanno." Edie dropped whatever it was she had in her hand. "I was justlookingfor something I lost." She stared haughtily at Lauren.

"Maybe you wouldn't mind looking somewhere else. I'm sure whatever it is you're after, you didn't lose it in my bag."

The housekeeper sauntered to the door, keeping her bitter eyes on Lauren. She walked out without another word. Lauren raced to the door and locked it. She went to the armoire, opened it, reached into the back for the computer case, and pulled it out, relieved to find it still there. Next, she hurriedly perused her backpack to see if anything was missing. For the life of her, she couldn't imagine any viable reason why Edie would search through her things. She didn't have very much with her to begin with.

When she left the bedroom, she made sure to close the door firmly behind her, and then made her way back downstairs. Once inside Chase's study, she stood against the closed door and spoke quietly. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but I had another altercation with your ex-girlfriend."

"What about this time?" he asked, louder than she expected, as he crossed his arms on his chest and leaned back in his chair.

"I've no idea why, but I found her in my room, going through my things. I don't think she took anything, but she wouldn't tell me what she was looking for."

He sighed and shook his head. "That girl! I'll talk to her. In the meantime, you oughta head on out to see Amos. You can help him check on the fillies about to become mares. You'll fall in love with the new foals." He stood from behind his desk and motioned for her to leave. "Go. I'll take care of Edie."

"Chase, don't be too hard on her. I don't mean to get anyone in trouble. Like I said, she didn't take anything. I think she's just trying to protect what she thinks is hers. Can't blame a girl for that." She smiled, placed Clint's computer on Chase's desk, then turned and left the room. She exited the house without running into her jealous nemesis again.

Lauren found Amos in a birthing stall in the barn. The filly was having a hard time with delivery. "Anything I can do to help?" She watched with concern while Amos dipped a cloth in a water bucket and wiped down the mother-to-be.

"Nope. I done did about everything I can do. She's a strong girl. I think she'll be all right now." Amos got up from his knees and stood beside the horse. "Some of 'em just have a harder time than others, and this is her first time. She's not sure what to expect neither."

Moments later, the mare delivered a beautiful, chestnut-colored foal with a dark tail and mane. It immediately tried to stand but fell without grace while the mother rose to her feet and began cleaning her new baby with her tongue. Lauren was awestruck seeing her first animal birth. Peace blanketed her soul at the wonder of it all. She'd witnessed the miracle of birth. She glanced at Amos. Even though she was sure his old eyes had seen numerous foaling, they were filled with moisture.

Their solace of watching God's creatures was disrupted when harsh yelling came from the house. Lauren looked toward the front porch and saw Edie in the yard, screaming at Chase, who stood at the front door. She stomped off, dust flying out from under her boots with each step to her vehicle. Slamming the car door so hard it should have shattered the window, she tore off, sending a wave of stones flying through the air as she swerved down the dirt drive.

"What the?" Amos said to no one in particular.

"It's my fault."

"What's wrong with you, girl? Why do you think every bad thing that happens in the world is on your shoulders?"

"Well, it's just that II told Chase I found Edie in my room going through my things." She looked away, pulling her hair away from her face. "I feel like a tattletale, a snitch. I shouldn't have said anything to him about it."

"Oh, horse puckey! It's about time somebody give that girl an earful. She walks around here like she owns the place and the man who owns it!"

Chase stepped off the front porch and stalked toward the barn. When he reached them, he looked from one to the other, his fisted hands on his hips. "So I guess you heard."

"Not exactly, but ain't nobody's business but yers anyway, boss," Amos said as he turned to go into the barn.

Lauren shoved her hands in her pockets. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down at the dirt and kicking the small stones at her feet.

"Aw, she'll get over it and be back in a few days. She always comes back." Chase put his arm around her shoulders.

"Well, I still feel bad for causing you all this chaos. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Are you much of a cook?"

"Hmm. I suppose I do all right in the kitchen."

"In that case, after your riding lesson, you can lend a hand with supper, if ya don't mind. We all work up a pretty hearty appetite around here. Be right back." He tipped his hat, then turned and went into the barn.

A moment later, he returned with Lucy, saddled and ready to go. He helped Lauren mount and led the mare around inside the round pen, all the while talking to the horse in a soft, gentle voice.

"How about we speed it up a little into a trot? Think you can handle it?"

"Sure. Let's go."

The cowboy hastened the lead rope into a comfortable, faster gait. Lauren giggled, and thought about how happy she felt, but couldn't help wondering how long it would last.