Her Rocky Mountain Protector Read online

  She looked up with those moss-green eyes. “Thank you for that, but I can’t help but be overprotective.”

  “You have good reason to be. But now, you know you and your son are safe from your ex.”

  She sighed. “You can’t imagine how good that feels. We can finally concentrate on making a life for ourselves.”

  He wondered if that included finding someone to share that life. It wouldn’t take long for the men in this town to come sniffing around.

  She smiled. “Like you are,” she added.

  He nodded, but he wasn’t sure what his permanent plans were. “Thanks to my grandfather I have a place to live for now. On the downside, Old Fletch is a packrat—my immediate future is filled with a lot of work clearing out the place.”

  “Your grandfather is a man after my own heart.” She rubbed her hands together excitedly. “So what did you bring me?”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t know if this stuff is even worth bringing in.” He walked to the truck bed and unfastened the tarp and pulled it back, then let down the gate.

  “Oh, my,” she said, and began to climb up on the bumper. Grady reached out, gripped her waist and boosted her up into the truck.

  Gina froze momentarily, but then realized this was Grady touching her. She trusted him—as much as she would ever trust a man—not to hurt her. What truly scared her were the feelings that he did stir in her.

  She quickly concentrated on the treasures he’d brought her. Another rocking chair, a cedar trunk, a Tiffany lamp. But it was a small pedestal table that got her attention. She pulled back the tarp further and was rewarded with a leather top in nearly perfect condition.

  “Where did you find all this?”

  “Buried in the shed out back.” He climbed up and stood next to her. “Why?”

  Gina examined it more closely, pulling out the single drawer to see the name stamped inside. “It a Mersman pedestal table with a leather top.” She ran her fingers over the camel-colored softness. “How is it in such perfect condition?”

  “Like I said, it was protected by a tarp and buried under a lot of stuff. I think it belonged to my grandmother. Maybe after she died, Fletch just put her things away.”

  She gave him a questioning look. “Are you sure your grandfather is okay about selling these things?”

  “I saw him yesterday. He agreed that the cabin needs to be cleared out. He gave me first pick on these things. Except his bed. He wants me to keep my hands off that bed.”

  She smiled. “Your grandfather seems to be quite a character.”

  “Joe Fletcher was a miner, which wasn’t an easy life. He once lived in Destiny, but after my grandmother passed away, he moved up to the cabin to work his claim. My father didn’t like the life there so he didn’t hang around after he turned eighteen. He didn’t come back here much, either.” Only to drop his kid off so he didn’t have to deal with him, he added silently.

  Gina studied him. “But you like it here.”

  “Old Fletch wasn’t so bad.” Their gazes locked, and he found himself saying more than he’d planned. “I was sent to spend my summers here after my parents divorced.”

  “It’s nice you had him, but it must have been hard...” Her face brightened, and he could hardly draw a breath. “I bet those times were fun.”

  Yeah, he loved the old guy. “No one taught me more.” He glanced around at the mountain range. “I hiked this area a lot of summers.”

  “Must be some nice memories,” she said and sighed. “I want that for Zack. I want him to be able to erase all the bad that has happened to him.”

  Grady studied her pretty face. He found the need to reach out and touch her, but he fought the attraction. Making any kind of connection was a bad idea. “You have a good start here.”

  “I hope so,” she said. “And I bet Fletch is happy that you’re back here.”

  Honestly, he’d always felt a connection to this place. “Since the army sent me packing, I need to make a living. So it’s back to Texas and my business.”

  She nodded. “But you have family here. I learned it’s not the structure that makes it a home, it’s the people. My son and my sister are my family, and we added Jace and Cassie. I’m lucky to have all of them.”

  This discussion was getting far too involved. “Yes, you are. Look, I need to get going. Scout has been in the truck a long time.”

  “Oh, of course. Just tell me what you want me to do about the table. Do you want to sell it on consignment? I’m not sure I can afford to buy it outright.”

  He moved the table to the end of the truck bed, then jumped down. He needed to put some distance between them. “Whatever you decide. I just need to clear out things to make room for when Fletch comes home.”

  Gina nodded. “How about I clean it up for you?” she suggested. “You might want to keep it. After all, it belonged to your grandmother.”

  “Whatever. You can go ahead and sell the trunk and rocker.”

  They moved the items out of the truck bed, then he helped her down. He didn’t want to make a big deal about touching her, but when he put his hands on her tiny waist, his reaction became one. As hard as he tried, they ended up too close. Then their eyes met and he saw she was just as affected as he was. Great.

  He placed her on the ground and she stumbled. He reached out and pulled her to him before she fell. Her softness pressed against his body was torture, the best kind.

  “Ah, sorry.” She regained her balance and moved back. Way back. “If you help me get these things inside, then you can be on your way.”

  He didn’t say a word, realizing it had been a bad idea to come here in the first place. He needed to stay away from Gina Williams.

  As he lifted the table off the truck, Marie came out. She called to Gina, “The school called.”

  “Oh, no. Did something happen with Zack?”

  The blonde smiled. “No, but it seems he has a visitor. His name is Bandit.”

  * * *

  Ten minutes later Gina and Grady with Scout on a leash headed to the school office. He’d brought the dog along in case they needed some extra support to corral Bandit.

  A middle-aged principal came outside to greet her. “Hello, Ms. Williams.”

  “Hello, Mr. Markham. This is Grady Fletcher.

  “Mr. Fletcher.” The principal nodded, then turned back to Gina. “It seems your son’s dog came to school.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Markham. The last I checked Bandit was in the backyard.” She looked at Grady. “How could he find his way to the school?”

  Grady answered, “Either he followed the scent, or the sound of the kids’ voices. He has more potential than I thought.”

  Gina didn’t care how the dog got there. Just that she had a problem if he kept getting out of the yard.

  “Well according to Zack,” Markham began, “Bandit is a very smart dog. Outside of a German shepherd named Scout, Bandit is the smartest dog in the whole world. And he was in the army.”

  “Meet Scout,” Grady said and Gina noticed a hint of a smile. “I’m the one who gave Bandit to Zack. Where is the dog now?”

  “Zack is with him on the playground.”

  Together they all walked back to the area behind the building. “Mr. Fletcher,” the principal began, “Zack has told me a lot about your dogs, Beau, Rowdy and Scout. He said you’re training them to be search-and-rescue dogs.”

  “I’ve only been working with Scout so far.” He glanced down at his obedient shepherd. “He’s coming along. Bandit hasn’t had as much training. But I’m thinking he should get a gold star for finding little boys now.”

  “We all hear that Scout found Zack when he was lost,” the man said.

  Grady nodded. “He played a big part in it.”

  The principal
caught Gina’s attention. “I know you and your son have been through a rough time this past week.”

  Gina hated that everyone knew what had happened. She’d hoped that she could leave her past behind in Colorado Springs. “Yes, we have. Thank you for understanding.”

  The man nodded. “I noticed how much Zack responded when his dog showed up today. Even though I can’t have Bandit at school every day, maybe a little show-and-tell with the two dogs wouldn’t hurt.”

  Grady hesitated, then said, “After today, I’m not sure Bandit is ready for prime time.”

  “Maybe in a few weeks then?”

  “We’ll see.”

  They reached the playground and found the boy and the dog along with Claire Keenan, an aid from the class.

  Zack spotted her. “Mom!” he cried and came running to her. “Mom, look, Bandit found my school. He followed my scent. He came to my classroom door. He really did.”

  “I heard,” she said, wondering how to fix this problem. She looked at Mrs. Keenan. “Claire, thank you so much for staying with them.”

  “Oh, I was happy to do it.” She looked at Grady. “Hi, Grady. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Hello, ma’am.”

  The older woman smiled. “I just love how respectful these soldiers are. But you can just call me Claire.”

  He nodded then snapped a leash on Bandit. “Thanks, Claire.”

  Mrs. Keenan was starting to leave, then stopped. “We’re having a little get-together Sunday afternoon at the inn, just family and friends. We would love it if you all would join us.”

  “Thank you, Claire,” Gina said. “That would be nice.”

  The older woman looked at Grady. “You could bring Scout, and Zack can bring Bandit. There’s a wooded area behind the inn—maybe you can work the dogs. The kids would love it.”

  Grady was barely able to keep from squirming. Great, the good citizens of Destiny were trying to bring him into the fold. “Thank you for the invitation.”

  “Any time. We want you to feel a part of this community.”

  That was the problem. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be part of anything. “I’ll try and make it.”

  “It’s an open invitation, Grady.” Claire walked back into the classroom, with a promise from Gina that she’d bring Zack.

  Zack’s smile faded as he looked up at Grady. “Is Bandit in trouble?”

  “He’s your dog, son. But I suggest he has some reinforcing discipline. It sounds harsh but you don’t want Bandit to get hit by a car—which he might do if he’s forever wandering about the town. So it looks like you’ll need to work with him. Teach him his boundaries.”

  Gina watched as her son leaned against the dog in question. The two were already so close.

  “Will you help me, Grady?” Zack asked. “I want Bandit to be as smart as Scout.”

  Grady went down to Zack’s level. “Then he needs you to teach him. You need to show him who is the leader of the pack.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  “It means you’re the boss.”

  Gina watched the exchange between the two. Her son was hanging on to every word Grady said. Even with Lori’s husband, Jace, it had taken Zack a long time to warm up to him. Not true with this man. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

  “Hey, Mom, I’m the boss of Bandit.”

  “Well, right now, I’m the boss. And you need to go back to class. So say goodbye to Bandit.”

  Her son hugged the dog, then stopped in front of Grady. “Will you come to my house and teach me how to be the boss?”

  Gina held her breath. She didn’t want to step into this, even though she knew that Grady had done so much for them. More than she could ever repay.

  “How about I make sure the backyard is secured?” he told the boy. “I’ll give you some exercises to help show Bandit his boundaries. But you have to do the work.”

  That seemed to make her son happy. “Okay.”

  Gina saw the change in Grady from earlier when he’d opened up to her. Were they becoming too much of a burden? Of course they were. Grady was a single man who didn’t need a kid hanging on him. She kissed her son goodbye and watched him head off to class.

  The ride back to her house with Grady was a silent one. When she climbed out of the truck with Bandit in tow, she expected Grady to drive off. Instead he followed them to the backyard. He searched the area until he found the hole under the fence where the dog had escaped.

  “Do you have any extra wood?”

  “There’s some in the garage.”

  When he started to walk off, she tied Bandit to the post and went after Grady. “You don’t have to fix it. I can do it.”

  “Not a problem.”

  She unlocked the door to the structure, turned on the light and led him to the neatly stacked boards that Jace had left after doing some house repairs.

  “This is only a temporary fix,” he told her.

  “Then let me help,” she insisted.

  “There’s no need.” He started past her, but she refused to be ignored as she followed him.

  “There’s every need. I’m not helpless,” she argued, then suddenly ran into the back of the man’s hard body.

  With a gasp, she backed away.

  The wood hit the ground as Grady cursed and turned around.

  His gaze met hers. “You okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were going to stop.”

  He just stood there staring at her, those dark eyes piercing.

  “I don’t know why, but I’ve made you angry.”

  He glanced away, then back at her. “I’m not angry at you, Gina. I’m angry with myself.”

  “Why?”

  He took a step closer to her. “Because I can’t stop thinking about doing this.” He leaned down and his mouth closed over hers.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  GINA jumped back quickly. “Why’d you do that?” She fought to keep her composure.

  Grady shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

  “Well, next time try to control yourself.”

  “I’ll be sure I do that.” He turned, grabbed the long piece of wood and stalked out of the garage.

  Gina sagged against the workbench and tried to slow her breathing. She ran her tongue over her lips. Oh, God. She could still taste him. Stop. It was only a kiss.

  No. She wasn’t going to get involved with a man. Not again. Never again. She already had the life she wanted for her and Zack. She didn’t need a man in it. Besides, who would want to deal with all her hang-ups? She was so afraid of being touched, she’d never have a normal relationship.

  She thought back to her old life. Eric had never treated her like anything but an object. She’d met him as a teenager when she had been so eager for attention. At that time, she’d been willing to do anything to have someone love her. Problem was, she’d confused sex with love, and had let Eric talk her into whatever he wanted. He never cared about her, only the power he had over her. And then the control had begun.

  Too late, she’d realized she’d never had a voice about anything. At nearly nineteen, she’d become a bride and a mother. She knew nothing. When Eric had started pushing her around she was too ashamed to tell anyone. It had been Lori who had rescued her and Zack.

  Even after counseling, she still had trouble with self-esteem, especially when it came to men. Could she handle a man’s touch? She wondered if she’d ever be able to enjoy the physical part of a relationship. Could she hold the interest of a man like Grady Fletcher? As good looking as the man was, he had to be used to women’s attention, experienced women. She was far from knowing how to please a man...how to keep a man.

  Gina walked to the garage doorway and looked out. She saw Grady
as he knelt down at the base of the fence and went to work at boarding up Bandit’s escape route. Big and muscular, she had no doubt Grady was a take-charge guy. Yet, he’d never made her feel any fear. She touched her lips with her fingertips. The yearning was still there, making her want something she couldn’t have. A normal relationship with a man.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later Grady drove his truck along the dirt road to the cabin, still cursing his bad judgment. Damn! Why couldn’t he just keep his hands off Gina? He didn’t need this complication. He’d come back here to take some time to heal and rebuild his life. He didn’t need Gina Williams distracting him, making him want things again. Especially not a woman with a child reminding him of everything he’d lost.

  Grady parked the truck in front of the cabin and climbed out. He got Scout from the backseat and walked up to the porch. After unlocking the door, he went inside and glanced around at Gina’s handiwork.

  A woman’s touch. Something he’d taken for granted during his marriage. Even though he and Barbara had been together only four years, he’d got used to coming home to all the comforts. Even with the short time they’d had together as a couple, he’d missed the things that only a woman could give.

  In the end, he hadn’t been there enough. Okay, so she had signed on as a career army wife, but two tours of duty overseas during a marriage had taken a toll.

  Although he’d warned her, Barbara still hadn’t deserved the heartache. He’d given it a hundred percent when he was stateside, but that hadn’t been enough to make it work. He’d learned too late—he was never the marrying kind. He should have saved them both the heartache.

  He walked into the cabin’s one bedroom and went to the scarred dresser, then opened the top drawer and took out a small box. The only thing he’d taken from his home after the divorce. He felt his heart begin to pound and his hands shook as he raised the lid on the treasure box he’d had since he’d been a kid. But it was what was inside that tore him apart. He looked down at the grainy photo. The only picture he had of his son.

  A sonogram.

  Grady sank onto the bed as he studied the image of a child that had never been born.