Chasing Clovers (15 page)

"
To find your
boss
, and ask him what the hell is going on." She stormed out onto the back deck.

She
wished she could move faster, but with her leg, one boot and these damnable crutches, she was forced to go at a snail's pace. She stopped twice to catch her breath before she got to the tack barn. She hopped inside and paused in the doorway to let her eyes adjust to the dimly lit area.

The sun peeked through the uneven boards of the barn, and tiny specs of dust danced in the bright rays. Her boot sunk into the soft dirt, and she held her stocking foot high, so she wouldn
't get it dirty. Straw and feed littered the floor of each stall.

She
soon realized she was alone in the barn. She inhaled the leather from the saddles mingled with the sweet scent of the straw. Boards creaked and whined from somewhere nearby, and she stepped toward the door. The air felt heavy.

She
made a beeline for the barn door and almost toppled over when pigeons flew out from the loft. She was rearranging the crutches under her arms when she heard a crunching sound near one of the empty stalls in the back. She squinted, hoping to get a better look.

D
ark shadows lurked in the corner.

Deciding not to wait and see what was there, she high-tailed it to the back door. The bright sun almost blinded her, and she held up her hand to shade her eyes.
She stared over her shoulder into the dark barn, jumping when she saw someone run out the front door.

Curiosity getting the better of her, she tried to see who it was and where he was going. Was it someone she hadn
't met yet? Maybe she startled him as much as he did her. Whoever he was, he had disappeared behind one of the other buildings. With no chance to see his face, she turned back to find John.

She noticed a few cowboys sitting on the fence at the far corral. Taking one more look around for John, she took a deep breath and limped
toward them to ask where their boss was.

Halfway there she heard a loud bawl from behind her.
She turned, and nearly lost her balance on the crutches. The bull John had ridden stood twenty feet from her, out of its pen. She watched the black monster paw at the ground, head down, ready to charge―at
her
.

Sh
e searched her surroundings for somewhere to go. The fences on either side of her were too far away to get to with her crutches. She tried to scream, to alert the cowboys on the fence, but nothing came from her mouth.

With wide eyes, she stared
back at the bull. He snuffed while he raised his head. She was sure he could smell her fear. The massive beast stomped his hoof once more and then charged straight toward her. She froze and squeezed her eyes shut.

John was rounding the corner of the tack house on Midnight, when he saw Livy standing in the middle of two corrals, a panicked look on her face. He followed her frightful gaze, and his stomach pitched when he saw the bull heading toward her.

"
Yaw," he yelled, kicking Midnight hard in his sides. Afraid he might not make it to her in time, he kicked again. "Come on. Yaw."

He was hunched low in the saddle as Midnight
cleared the fence and raced alongside the bull to the gap between Livy and the beast. Once they were ahead of him, he bent down and scooped her up. Midnight's back legs cleared the gap as the bull crashed into the falling crutches. He held her tight under his arm, and kept Midnight a safe distance from the loose bull. Until the crazed beast stopped chasing them, turned around and meandered back to its pen.

He
tugged on the reins to slow down his horse. Once the animal was at a trot, he dragged her up to sit in front of him. He could feel her heart beating against his arm as he held her tight to his chest, and he loosened his grip so she could breathe. His own heart raced from the burst of adrenaline he'd had.

He
rode Midnight over to the pen where the bull was lounging inside the open gate. He slid off his horse and closed the gate. While he was there, he decided to inspect the wooden closure. The rope had frayed, leaving nothing to hold the fence closed. All the animal had to do was lean on it, and the gate would've opened.

He tipped his hat back and glanced up at
her. She was still trying to catch her breath. He shook his head. What the hell had she been doing out here? He secured the gate the best he could, and walked over to retrieve her crutches a few feet away. He picked them up and inspected them. One was broken. The wood split right down the middle. He tossed the wrecked crutch back onto the ground, and headed over to Livy with the other one still in his hand.

"
I hope you're able to get along with one crutch," he said holding up the prop. "The other one's broke."

She didn't say anything, instead took the wooden stick when he handed it to her and clutched it in her hands. His eyes narrowed. He had a few things to say to her, but that would have to wait. Back on Midnight, he made his way over to where some of his men were taking a break on one of the fences.

"
You boys didn't happen to notice that the bull got loose?" he asked them, pointing at the bull now safe inside his pen.

The three men scrambled off the fence, each one shaking their head.
"No, Boss."

"
Well, go on and fix that gate," he ordered.

Heads down, the cowboys hurried to do what they
'd been told.

John pivoted toward
her. "What the hell were you doing out here?"

She didn
't answer, but swiveled in her seat to stare down at him, a dazed look on her pale face.

"
Well?" he demanded.

She cleared her throat, and he watched as the shock faded from her pretty face.
"I was looking for you."

"
Well you found me." He was vibrating with anger, and had to restrain from paddling her backside. She could've been killed. "Why didn't you run?"

"
How was I supposed to run with my leg?" she said, as if he should've known.

"
Fear would make anyone run," he shouted at her. "You're damn lucky I was there."

"
Oh, well let me thank you for that. Thank you so very, very much!"

He shook his head, confused. Why was she being so damn hard to get along with? She should be grateful to him for saving her life.
"What's got your feathers all ruffled?"

"
Why did you fire Rusty?"

He
got back on Midnight and headed toward the house. "I had my reasons."

"
What reasons?" she persisted, trying to swivel in her seat and look at him.

"
They don't concern you."

"
Oh, yes they do. You fired Rusty because I fell from that horse and I want to know why."

He was in no mood for her attitude, but if she wanted a fight, he'd give her one. "This is my ranch and if I fire someone I don't owe you or anyone else a damn explanation."

"
I'm so sick of hearing that. Why won't you tell me?"

He
hadn't seen her since the night she'd questioned him about why he wanted to marry her. He didn't trust his lips when he was alone with her not to lose control and kiss her senseless. He had to restrain his desires, had to concentrate on figuring out why someone wanted to hurt her. "Look Livy, you'll find out when I'm damn good and ready to tell you."

"
I am not a child, Mr. Taylor."

"
Then quit acting like one." He lifted her from his horse, and all but dropped her onto the front porch. Guilt washed over him as he watched her fumble to catch her footing.

She cradled her one crutch under her arm, and when she
met his stare her eyes shot fire. "You, John Taylor are an arrogant… stubborn… bossy…jackass." Turning on her good heel, she hopped into the house almost ripping the door off its hinges as she entered.

He
tipped his hat back and blew out a long whistle. No one had ever talked to him like that. Not even Becky when she'd been madder than hell at him. He shook his head. She sure was a prickly one. He sat there a moment longer, still stunned.

Well, at least her leg was healing, but he couldn
't say the same for her head. She'd gone completely loco. Why the hell would she care if Rusty was fired? He clicked his tongue and rode Midnight back to the barn.
Unless,
he scratched the stubble on his jaw,
she knows something I don't.
His mind raced with all sorts of possibilities. After all, how well did he know her?

He flex
ed his jaw. If he found out the little vixen was keeping something from him, she'd be on the next stage out of here―wife-to-be or not. He dismounted and led Midnight into the stall. He had a feeling there was something amiss, but he'd be damned if he could figure it out. She was hiding something from him. He was sure of it.

He took
the bucket from a nail on the wall, pulled out a brush, and began grooming his horse. The smooth even strokes calmed him, and his mind was soon invaded with pictures of Livy. Her soft lips, round bottom, and flashing green eyes. He sure did like that kiss they'd shared―had thought about it several times these last few days―and couldn't help but wonder if she did the same.

He hadn
't been able to go to her room, and see how she was after he'd yelled at her. The daily reports he received from Ezekiel, Shorty, and the kids were all he needed.

But at night, when she was asleep, he
'd sit with her for a while and watch her chest rise and fall in peaceful slumber. He had been there when her sleep was interrupted by nightmares too. He'd watched in dismay as her pretty face changed from calm and serene to frightened and panicked.

She woke from one last night.
He wanted nothing more than to go to her, to hold her, but something held him back. Instead, he'd stayed hidden in the dark corner until her eyes closed and she'd fallen back to sleep. When he was sure she wouldn't wake, he tiptoed to her side, and peered down at her. He saw that her lashes were wet with tears. Too much for him to take, he'd left the room.

He
knew she suffered from something. He had heard her across the hall every night since she'd been here. He wished she'd trust him enough to tell him what it was.

He took off his hat and ran his forearm across his forehead. These long days were getting to him, and his shoulders ached like hell. The pressure in his lower back reminded him that he wasn't getting any younger and, much to his annoyance, there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. That was why he'd sent for her in the first place.

H
e didn't want to admit it at the time, but he'd needed her, and still did. He needed the reassurance that if something ever happened to him, Ben and Emily would be taken care of and, most importantly, loved.

He had no choice but to use
her for his own benefit. And if he had to be honest, he hadn't thought about her feelings when he'd sent for her. His kids were more important. He never lied about his expectations. He'd told her what he wanted from her―a wife and a mother. His conscience criticized him. He might've forgotten to mention to Livy when he'd written that there would be no love between them.

At the time
, he didn't think it was important. Besides, what more could a woman want? She'd have a home on one of the largest ranches this side of the Rockies. Children to care for, and a husband who…

He frowned.
W
ho what?
What do I think of her? Do I
even care for her…a little?
Ah, hell. It didn't matter. What mattered was that she fit in and made a pleasant family atmosphere. And so far, that hadn't happened.

Damned if he could figure her out. She was nice to look at, and she kept the house clean. Her cooking left something to be desired, but he hoped Ezekiel would be able to fix that. She seemed to do well around the children―what he'd seen of her anyway.

She often wore a scowl on her face, turning her pretty features hard and unreadable.
Come to think of it, he'd only ever seen her smile a few times in her two weeks here. He didn't even know if she liked it here. He laughed miserably. He sure didn't know much about her, given the fact that the woman was soon to be his wife.

He put Midnight
's brush and hoof pick away then made his way out into the warm afternoon sun. A wagon pulled up to the house, and he recognized Alice and Hank.

"
Thought we'd come by for a visit," Hank said with a smile on his weathered face.

He
liked the elderly couple. They reminded him of his own mother and father. He missed them, and often wondered what they'd think of the small farm they'd left him now crawling with cattle and five times its original size.

"
Nice of you to stop by." John helped Alice down from her seat.