Sorrows and Lace (8 page)

Mac slid his foot back and forth on the ground, watching Kelsey. She motioned to him. “Come here. Can I see your super cool shirt?” And like a little man, he moved toward her, puffing his chest out and craning his neck to see the front logo of his shirt.

Close enough to touch, but far enough away to be safe from a stranger – which Kelsey understood even more at her age – Mac pointed at the white bucking bronco silhouette on his bright blue t-shirt. “That’s my dad. Or Uncle Slate?” He raised his eyes to her. “I don’t know.”

“Well, what if it’s whoever isn’t with you? Then you can always have them around.” She didn’t reach out to touch him even though she wanted to grab him and hug him.

“But they’re both with me, now.” He studied the front of his shirt, chewing his bottom lip. After a moment of serious contemplation, he looked up, excited. “I know
. It can be Uncle Ronan. He’s strong and rides horses. He’s not with me right now.”

Kelsey’s heart melted. Ronan had a champion in his nephew. Even though adults bristled at his mannerisms and abrupt business dealings, his little nephew loved him.

Robbie growled and came up behind Mac. He reached forward, notably with only one hand, and tickled his boy at the waist. Over the giggling, Robbie spoke. “That’s a great idea, buddy. Next time you see Uncle Ronan, we’ll make sure and tell him to get his butt on a bucking bronco. I would love to see that.”

Amelia shushed him. “Robbie.” And her expression was soaked in amused tolerance.

“What? I didn’t do anything.” Robbie glanced at Kelsey and wiggled his eyebrows as he continued tickling Mac. Amelia laughed.

The ease in the room would be hard
for Kelsey to leave. Every moment with Ronan had a charged expectation, one that Kelsey anticipated and dreaded at the same time. She’d need to get out and check on the horse, as well, before too long.

Speaking of the horse, s
he snapped her fingers. “Did you guys know R.J. named his horse after my last name?”

“
The sorrel mare? The one you rode over? I didn’t know that. She’s beautiful. I’ve been eyeing her for a while as a mate for Pig. They would make beautiful foals.” Slate reentered the conversation after observing from his seat, eating a scone.

“You’re not the only one thinking about breeding, seems to be in the air.”
She clamped her mouth shut. The correlation hit her. Ronan was acting like she was a damn broodmare and he was trying to amp his line.

Being bred didn’t sit well with her.
And the realization was enough to push her from irritated to downright pissed off.

Kelsey didn’t need any more coffee. She had enough fuel to get her back to Lacey Caverns.

A knock at the door drew Ronan’s attention
from the contract he’d worked on for thirty minutes.

One of the newer ranch hands turned his
dusty hat over and over in his fingers. Stray grass blades littered the floor at his feet. “Mr. James, sir?” The soft English accent from the new-hire contradicted the roughness of his appearance.

“Yes, Dan, what can I do for you?” Ronan paused with his hand in midair. He’d been signing and reading documents for well over an hour and the break was appreciated.
The grass on his hardwood flooring was not welcome, however, and Ronan made a mental note to remind Smith to tell the guys to kick their boots off before coming in his house – if they needed to speak to Ronan.

The younger man stepped further into the office.
His faded, stained jeans showed he worked hard, either that or he rolled around in a lot of mud and grease. “I just got back from my watch at the southern corner abutting Lonely Rivers, sir, and the woman on your horse was being followed. I’m not sure if she was followed back to Lacey Caverns, but she just got here and is putting your horse away.”

Ronan shoved his chair back
as he stood, dropping his pen on the desktop. “Did you recognize the person following her?” Immediately, worry pelted his heart. What if Sonny had found her and all because Ronan had brought Kelsey here? His stomach clenched.

“No, sir. It was a man, though. H
e had a dark horse with saddlebags and a bedroll. Um, I couldn’t see very much of him, because of his duster and hat. I’m sorry.” Dan turned, leaving the door open for Ronan to follow.

At the front door, Ronan grabbed his hat and shoved it on as he left the house.
His mouth dried. He wouldn’t completely believe anything until he could verify with his own eyes Kelsey was safe. He’d given her time and promised to keep whatever they did as a trial. It didn’t matter though, knowing that she was considering the prospect had left a small giddiness in his chest.

He’d never admit it to another person alive, but Kelsey Redbird had always been wh
o he’d wanted most for a wife. His parents had flattened that dream by threatening him with the loss of Lacey Caverns – his first love.

Taking Bethany instead had b
een the worst move of his life, one he hoped to fix. A small piece of him was grateful for the ultimatum Robbie MacAllister had thrown his way.

Another thing he’d never tell a living soul
– gratitude toward any MacAllister wasn’t an option.

Outside, the warmer breeze swirled around Ronan’s boots. The thing about Montana weather that most people didn’t understand was its mercurial mood at the change of the seasons. Nights were still fairly cool but the days warmed quickly once Mother Nature made up her mind to get things going
into summer. The snow would be completely melted in a few days.

Barn doors blocked open on both ends of the building allowed
the warmth inside to air out the winter dustiness. He’d kicked Bethany’s ass out as soon as Robbie had left after revealing her duplicitous actions.

Ronan had
reclaimed the house. Felt good to stake his claim in more areas of his life.

Partitioning off the bar with plywood built into a tight cover, two of his workers pounded hammers and placed the wood according to his instructions.
Almost complete, the cover would protect the bar with its mirrors and crystal items from any weather or other disturbances that might come through the soon-to-be-busier outbuilding. The stall with his office/bed had been emptied and closed off, and for the first time in a long while, Ronan could see the building for what it was – a barn.

No matter
whom he took on as a wife to satisfy the deal that Robbie gave him, Ronan would never be run out of his home again.

Long strides carried him through the barn as he glanced in each stall,
searching for Kelsey and Redbird. Frustration filled him. Where the hell was she? Dan had said she’d made it back okay.

Laug
hter and muffled voices reached him from the watering troughs on the outside of the barn, opposite the house. Leaving through the back doors, Ronan turned the corner and stopped. Slate, Robbie, and Kelsey had tied off their horses to the poles above the water and were standing at the rears of their horses talking, completely at ease with each other like they had kept in touch over the years.

No small amount of jealousy ripped through Ronan’s gut. Damn those MacAllisters. He held his anger in check, controlling every footfall and every facial expression. He might be disgusted with his neighbors and want to seriously maim them, but he needed their help – hell, they might be the reason Kelsey was being followed.

Even though Ronan doubted they were the only reason.

At the sound of his approach, Kelsey turned, genuine happiness lighting up her face. “R.J., the boys rode me back. Something about you missing a meeting at the bank with them?”
She pointed her finger at him and lifted her eyebrows. “You and I have to discuss some things as well.”

Shit, the bank.
“Right, sorry guys. I was indisposed. If you’d like to come to my office, we can discuss the matter as well as some new developments in our current joint business venture.” Hopefully, they’d pick up on the hint that he wanted to discuss the Caracus gang. Other than the ultimatum from Robbie, Ronan’s only business relationship with the MacAllisters involved taking their money as interest on loans. They didn’t have anything he wanted.

And what could he and Kelsey have to discuss, unless it was when they were to be married and how soon
they could consummate the legalities. That damn kiss had been on his mind all morning. He’d reread the same contract four times. “Kelsey, leave Redbird. The guys will get her. She needs to be fed and brushed.”

Kelsey passed by him to get to the barn door. Slightly shoving his shoulder, she whispered. “I’m serious. I’m not a damn bro
odmare.” And then she stomped inside.

Petulant? Or perky and stubborn? Or maybe it was beautiful and needing a damn lesson on respect? Either way, he didn’t mind watching her ass move in her tight-as-sin jeans as she
walked away. He afforded himself another moment before turning back to the twins. “Men, if you’ll come inside?”

Slate and Robbie trailed behind Ronan. He didn’t invite them into a conversation and he didn’t really
give a shit about being a good host. As far as he was concerned, they were a means to an end.

With the door to the office shut firmly behind them, Ronan indicated some seats and claimed his own. He sprawled his legs out and leaned an elbow on the armrest. Once it
appeared his
guests
were settled, he lifted a finger and pointed between the two. “Have either of you seen anyone outside your property or on it? Did you see anyone on your way here today?”

They glanced at each other and then back
at him. Quizzical expressions, almost comical, if the situation weren’t so serious upon their identical faces. Slate spoke first. “No, Ronan, what’s going on?”

Sighing, Ronan sat up and steepled his fingers above
the desk, his elbows set apart just so. He liked to call his position the Reveal-and-Reel stance. He shared specific information and then got whatever he wanted based on what he gave out. And what he needed right now involved access to Lonely Rivers as well as riders experienced in the area – them. “Well, I’ve set up some of my hands to watch the perimeter of Lacey Caverns. They aren’t supposed to go after anyone or seek anything out, just observe and report.”

He held up his hand for a pause. “Nothing is more important than safety at this point. However, as Kelsey made her way to your place today, one of my men witnessed a rider following her. He had a bedroll and saddlebags but was too covered for
a more detailed description.” He gave them a moment to take it in.

They
nodded, as if to say go on.

“
My concern is high. But something neither of you know, is Kelsey
is
married…
is
as in she is still married to this guy and can’t get free of him. He’s been extremely abusive and the only protection up to this point was the fact that she was at her dad’s place on the reservation. You know how those boys are up that way, you don’t mess with theirs.” Ronan pressed his lips together, as if in deep thought when he actually already had every word planned out. “Her husband has been stalking her and I’m afraid he’s found her which wasn’t hard since you, Robbie, brought him this way.”

Robbie jerked back as if Ronan had punched him in the jaw. “Me? What are you talking about? I don’t even know who her husband is.”

Time to drop the bomb. “Sonny Caracus.” Just knowing that the slime ball had had his hands on Kelsey in any way – gentle or rough – sent acid roiling through Ronan’s veins.

Jaws dropped, Slate and Robbie stared in disbelief at Ronan.

Robbie gave a slight shake to his head. “What? Sonny is married? He never acted that way in games or on the trail.”

“Knowing those men like you do, do you actually expect them to behave like men or worthless piles of shit?” Ronan
stood, slamming his chair into the desk. “Seriously, Robbie, this has me more pissed than I can say.” He jerked his hat from his head and roughly hung it from the hook behind his desk. He rested a hand on his hip, staring at the wall before turning back to the men and speaking with forced calmness. “I know you didn’t mean for this to happen. I get that. But now that it has, we need to take care of this situation before it gets out of hand.”

“How much more out of control can it get?” Slate crossed his arms, keeping an eye on Ronan for which Ronan was glad. If
Slate suspected Ronan of something, then it would end better for Ronan when he didn’t deliver and Slate felt like an ass for making assumptions.

“Do you really want to wait and see? I just want to call the local officials and get some men out here and find those damn Caracus brothers. They’re wanted in most of the state, as well as Idaho, Washington and Wyoming. We know they’re nearby. Let’s get them when they’re least expecting us.” He opened his hand toward them as if in supplication. “This way no one gets hurt and we get rid of both our problems.” Hinting at Robbie’s debt to Devlyn Caracus as well as
reminding them of the constant fear that the Caracus gang was nearby, waiting for someone to slip up, was the lasso around the calf.