The next morning Annie rose with a smile on her face. Burke had been right. It took more than an hour to put her belongings back into the master bedroom especially with Cat helping, but they were back where they belonged. Burke cleaned the kitchen and Annie had no idea what Alice did. She didn’t care. She’d been the recipient of some good ol’ cowboy lovin’ last night. At least that’s what Burke had called it. As far as she was concerned, her cowboy could give her some lovin’ anytime. Not even Alice’s sour face could bring her down. She felt too satisfied.
True to form, Alice didn’t know how to cook and wanted Annie to wait on her. Annie made her eggs, toast, and served it up with a smile. Somehow, it seemed to infuriate Alice, but Annie didn’t care.
Walking toward the back door Annie heard Alice call to her. Fixing another smile on her face, she turned around. “What?”
“I heard that a mama cat gave birth last night in the hay loft. I just thought that you’d want to see them.”
Annie studied the other woman. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned and left. It seemed almost too tempting to run to the barn and see the kittens, but she could see Alice watching her from the window. Walking over to her pitiful garden, Annie pretended to be looking it over, bending over and picking what she hoped was a weed.
That woman was dictating her every move, even when she wasn’t ordering her around. Annie decided that if she wanted to see the kittens then she’d do just that, no matter who watched. How Burke ever put up with that barracuda she would never know.
It was quiet at the ranch this morning. The only sound was the rusty old metal windmill turning. It creaked something awful. She hadn’t really noticed before. She would have to ask Burke what it was used for.
Smiling she went into the barn. She’d become quite comfortable with all the animals. She loved greeting each horse and she didn’t care who laughed. The horses seemed to enjoy her attention.
She made her way over to the ladder that led to the hayloft. She was a bit suspicious. After all, why would Alice be so nice? And for that matter, she seemed to hate cats.
Annie examined each rung of the ladder before she climbed up it, shaking her head at how paranoid she’d become. It was going to be hard, but she’d just have to ride hurricane Alice out. It was the only thing she could do short of leaving the ranch.
Confident that the ladder was completely safe, she climbed up into the hayloft. Hay was everywhere, bales, and bales along with loose hay on the floor. A small aisle appeared between the piled bales. Annie started down the aisle and felt something snap painfully around her ankle.
Crying out, she reached down and felt metal, agonizingly clamped around her foot. She could see blood from her broken skin and she felt like swooning. Tears filled her eyes and she was afraid to move.
The more she looked, the more she realized that it was some sort of animal trap. Reaching down she tried to pry the trap open only to have it open slightly and reclose on her ankle. Her heart raced and she began to panic. Were there more traps up here? Damn that Alice! She’d been after Burke from the very first.
She honestly didn’t know what to do. She yelled until her throat was raw, but no one answered. Burke said he’d be back for lunch and she hoped to God that he kept his word. Anything could happen to delay him. Suddenly she heard a noise from below. “Help!”
“Annie is that you?” Alice called.
Annie gritted her teeth and put a lid on her temper, she needed help, and it didn’t matter who gave it to her. “I’m up here I’m stuck!”
Alice’s blonde head finally became visible as she climbed up the ladder. “What in the world?”
“Just help me get this thing off.”
“Well, how am I supposed to do that? What the hell is that thing?”
Annie’s patience ended. “It’s an animal trap. I need you to help me pry it open!”
If she hadn’t been the one in pain, she would have laughed at the way Alice looked at the trap and then at her long nails.
“Just get over here and help me!”
“You don’t have to yell you know.”
“Listen if you don’t get over here and help me I’m going to pull out every hair on your head!”
“What in God’s name is going on up there?” Burke shouted as he quickly climbed the ladder. He took one look and pushed Alice out of the way. “Oh my God. How did this happen? What are you doing up here?”
“Just get it off!” Annie yelled.
“Hold still, love.” He got down on his knees and used all his strength to pry it open. Gently, he took Annie’s ankle in his hand and examined it.
He helped her to a sitting position and he wrapped her ankle in his red bandana. He kissed her cheek and spoke soothingly to her. “At least it’s not broken.”
Turning to Alice, he frowned. “Alice, you’re here in heels? Really?”
Her mouth started to look pouty. “I heard screaming and I came as fast as I could. I’m here to help. Don’t yell at me!”
“Well, could you please go down the ladder and get Nash? He should be up in my office,” he asked.
“Well, of course. I’m here to help,” she reiterated as she gingerly made her way down the ladder in her spiked shoes.
“I can’t believe you use traps like these!” Annie accused tearfully.
“Oh, sweetheart, I don’t. Heck I don’t even know where this one came from.”
“I hear you need some help,” Nash said, coming up and looking from Burke to Annie. “What happened?”
“Have you seen this trap before?” Burke asked him.
Nash took off his hat and scratched his head. “Seems to me that’s the one that was hanging on the wall in the tack room. It’s always been there. I figured it was a tribute to older times.”
“You’re right we do have all the old tools and stuff hanging on the wall. Help me get Annie down the ladder.”
It wasn’t easy, but they managed to do it. Burke swept her up into his arms and took her to the house. He bypassed Alice and went straight into his office, nodding Nash in and Alice out.
He gently placed Annie on the couch. “Nash, get the first aid kit and some ice, will you?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
“Don’t let Alice in here when you come back.”
“You can count on me.”
“Annie, what happened?”
“I don’t know. Alice told me about kittens in the hayloft and you know me. I’m a sucker for a kitten. I was a bit wary since it was Alice’s idea. I checked the ladder.”
“The ladder?”
“I figured she rigged it so that I’d fall or something, but it wasn’t until I started down the aisle that I stepped on that trap.”
Burke looked pensive as he sat on the couch with her feet in his lap. “I know you want to blame Alice, but I don’t think she did it.”
Annie was astonished. “Why not?” she demanded, feeling hurt that he didn’t believe her.
“She simply isn’t strong enough to set the trap. It’s that simple,” he explained.
“Well, if she didn’t do it then who did? What about the kittens she told me about? There aren’t any kittens in that loft. She knew she was sending me into danger,” she insisted.
Examining his face, Annie realized that Burke didn’t agree with her. She could tell that he didn’t think it was Alice. It didn’t surprise her, but it hurt.
“It’s a good thing that the foot trap didn’t have teeth. It would have torn your foot to shreds.”
Shivering at the thought, Annie agreed. Her ankle was cut and bruised, but she didn’t think it was sprained. It just hurt.
A day with ice on it should do it
,
she mused. It still galled her to no end that he didn’t believe her about Alice’s involvement. It could be that she wasn’t strong enough, but Alice sent her up there. However it happened, she had to be a part of it.
Nash came in and handed Burke the first aid kit. He put a bowl of warm water on the table and a bag of ice next to it. “Well, if that’s all you need, I want to check around in the barn. If there was one trap there may be more. It could have happened to anyone who was up in the hayloft. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Me neither. Thanks for taking care of it, Nash. Let me know if you find anything,” Burke said.
Nash tipped his hat to Annie and left. “He’s a nice man,” she commented.
Burke grinned at her. “Do I have reason to be jealous?”
“Just fix my ankle. Day’s ’a-wastin’ you know.”
Burke laughed a deep rolling laugh. Then he grew serious. “This is going to hurt,” he said, putting the antiseptic on her ankle.
Annie stiffened and she cried out. After a minute, she finally relaxed, and Burke propped her leg up on a pillow, covering her ankle with ice.
“It’s not that I don’t believe you, Annie. Someone hurt you and I’m going to get to the bottom of it. In fact, I’m going to talk to Alice now.” Leaning down he kissed her on the lips, lingering a bit before he stood back up. “I’ll be by later to check on you.”
“Thank you.”
“Day’s a-wastin’.” He smiled at her.
Her smile left as she watched him leave the room. Why didn’t he take her word? He acted as though she was a crazy old cat lady. Alice did this, she just knew it and her phony help wasn’t going to fool Annie.
Burke would find out she was right. Annie felt confident that he would.
*
*
*
*
Burke didn’t know what to think. Alice claimed that she hadn’t said a word about kittens to Annie. She kept insisting that she hated cats. Burke knew that was true, but if she hadn’t done it, then who?
His frustration was deep. Alice looked sincere, yet Annie insisted that Alice sent her into the barn. He and Nash had examined the trap and they both agreed that Alice wouldn’t have been able to set it herself. It left them both with a very uneasy feeling. Someone had set it, maybe not to hurt Annie, but they had planned to hurt someone.
“It worries me, Nash. I don’t know one man on the ranch that would have done such a thing.”
“I know, Boss, it’d be easiest to blame Alice, but dang it, she couldn’t have done it, not with her long nails and high heels. All we can do is keep our eyes open. I’ll talk to the men when they come in later.”
“Thanks, Nash. I appreciate your help.” Burke said, running his fingers through his hair. “I have to go and try to convince my wife that Alice didn’t try to kill her. I have a feeling that she’s not going to take it well.”
“I don’t envy you there, that’s for sure.”
“Talk to you later.” Burke walked back to the house. He dreaded having to tell Annie that Alice couldn’t have done it, and he still wasn’t sure about the whole kitten story. Nothing made sense.
Alice met him at the door with a bright smile on her face. “Did you find out who put that nasty trap in the hayloft?”
Burke shook his head.
“You don’t believe it was me? Annie must have heard something wrong. I never mentioned ki
ttens to her. In fact, I really
don’t remember talking to her much this morning. You know she wishes me gone. Maybe she did it herself.”
Burke gave her a long stare. “No, she didn’t do it. You didn’t do it. Neither of you are strong enough to set that trap. Maybe you did tell her that they were kittens. I don’t know what to think. Just stay out of my wife’s way.”
“Sure, Burke. Whatever you say, darling.”
Burke wanted to roll his eyes at her, but he just nodded and walked down the hall to his office. His heart turned over as he saw Annie asleep on the couch. The ice bag and pillow were on the floor and her beautiful auburn hair looked so sexy all tousled around her. He liked her disheveled look. It made him wonder if her ankle would interfere with making love. His body swelled with desire. Slowly he bent down and kissed her, nibbling at her bottom lip.
A small sigh of pleasure escaped from her as her eyes opened. Burke smiled into her green eyes and took her into his arms. Her lips were so soft, so pliant, so amazing. The kiss was breathtaking.
He felt her trying to talk under his lips and he pulled away. “What?” he groaned.
“Let me sit up,” she said.
Burke pulled away and helped her to sit up on the couch. He sat down next to her when she made room for him. He moved closer to her intending to kiss her again.
“Wait! What about the trap? Did you send Alice packing?”
“Well, not exactly,” he began.
Annie looked at him as if he had two heads. “I’m afraid to ask, but what in the name of heaven does that mean?”
Burke winced at her outrage. Whatever happened to his concept of a nice easy uncomplicated marriage for the production of children? “There is no physical way Alice could have set that trap. It takes a lot of strength to open it. I know she isn’t strong from doing any work.”
“
Harrumph
. So she walks away clean. It was my imagination that she told me about the kittens. I’m the crazy one. I guess I imagined the painful trap too. Well, at least I know where I stand. As far as pecking order or anything else, I am at the very bottom! No, don’t even say anything, Burke. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you don’t believe me. Somehow, I thought my life with you was going to be different, but it’s not. No one ever believed me before, thanks to Sonny. Now, I don’t even know what to say. I suppose I shouldn’t say anything.”