Chapter 3

After an early hour spent working on her book, with a teasing, yet sweet text from Cole midway, Tabby knew it was time to implement her plan. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but anyone that took lodging and kindness from people when they were broke without wanting to contribute wasn’t the kind of person she respected.

She worked to put the memories of last night—holy hell, what a night—out of her mind, and get on with what adults did. Or, what women who’d pulled up their big girl panties did.

They sorted out their debts, took care of what they owed to others. No excuses.

After replaying one of the most romantic and hottest nights she’d ever enjoyed, that was. With Cole Dawson. She definitely wasn’t done revisiting the memory. But right now, there were more important items on her to do list.

The jolt of pain, as she moved, surprised her. Accident residue. She scrunched up her shoulders, held the muscles, gritted her teeth. Worked to remove the harsh kinks that had crept in after only one hour on her laptop. Things were definitely harder now. Her muscles needed constant maintenance, though she always took care of them as unobtrusively as possible. She didn’t care to advertise how she felt. It was her problem. She got that.

“Oh well,” she muttered to herself. “Deal with it.” An extra-long hold, and there it was. She groaned as muscles and ligaments, whatever, unkinked, popped, and a measure of relief flowed back into her body.

Well, it’s going to be fun taking a menial job.

Yet, if that was all she could get at the moment, she’d made up her mind—it was happening.

She turned off the cute, vintage lamp beside her bed—cowboy riding horse, vintage in the kindest definition of the word—and got up, needing more movement. She padded into the small but welcoming living room of the tiny cabin, through it to the small kitchen and put the kettle on, with Sheba following, as she usually did.

The scrawny calico cat was one shining gift from the book-signing tour she’d just completed with Cole. She’d found the animal in a motel parking lot late one evening. After a few nights of worrying, the little thing had landed in serious trouble, and she and Cole had rescued her.

They’d been inseparable since. Sheba was pretty much perfect and Tabby couldn’t imagine her life without her.

Not the least reason why was, as Sheba watched her, Tabby had the oddest feeling the creature knew what she was thinking. She felt that the cat, crazy as it sounded, was fully committed to watching out for her.

Tabby leaned down, rubbed the top of her furry head, saw again the half ear on one side, the tail with a permanent crook in it, and smiled.

Battle scars, Cole had asserted. She’s a warrior, and a damn good one. She’s still here.

“We take care of each other, right?” she whispered, as Sheba pointed the tip of her dark nose upward, and sought her palm.

Tabby finished making her drink, then wound her way back to the bedroom. She sat cross-legged on the bed, placed her steaming tea on the rustic end table, under the cowboy. Sheba jumped up beside her, a light, airy, bounce on the sturdy mattress. Tabby rubbed her face, the kitty leaning wholeheartedly into her touch. “There you go, sweetie. We’re a team, right? Now, back to business. Job-hunt time.”

She’d told herself she’d go straight to the job site. But somehow, with Sheba purring beside her, her fingers flew to the bookmarked link despite her promise to herself. Then to the special folder in her email to see if there had been any response. The folder was marked M, and only she knew what it stood for.

Miracle. 

She clicked on it, and her breath hitched. A new message. She quickly opened the email from the institute in Sweden and scanned it hyper-fast, as she took in the gist.

Progress update: We have processed your doctors’ reports. Our team of elite scientists and researchers are determining if you are a candidate for our research. The fact you have made it this far means you have passed all but the final level. We suggest caution. This last level is very thorough. Be patient. We’ll be in touch.

Tabby leaned back against the plump feather pillow, heard the big poof of air that escaped from it. Her hand stilled on Sheba’s back.

“I’ve got a shot, Sheebs,” she muttered. “I’ve actually got a shot.”

At a new world, without this violent network of lines on her face. Without the dedicated chunk of time, every morning, to apply the makeup she’d never needed before. Making sure no one saw what was beneath.

I could get my life back.

She realized she was shaking. After months of Please be patient. You are in the system. There are no additional updates at this time, this was stunning progress. Could this be the first step of undoing the mess her life had become since that fateful accident?

Visions of her old life flew through her mind. A beautiful woman with glowing skin, she’d never suffered from lack of attention. Her looks hadn’t been her focus, but still, when she’d lost them, she’d mourned deeper than she thought possible. It had made it all the more surprising to her, and sweeter, when Cole continued his attentions so faithfully.

Be careful. You’re not out of the woods yet.

The thought made her chuckle. She definitely wasn’t out of the woods, on any level. The little cabin was smack in the middle of them.

“There’s got to be some kind of metaphor in there, doesn’t there, Sheebs?” She resumed stroking the cat. “I suppose I should be grateful for what I have, right here and now.”

Cole.

The man had been a miracle in her life. Hell, she knew she was a valuable human being completely on her own, but the dark night she’d entered into after the accident had shaken her. Her looks were altered. Drastically.

She raised a hand to her face, touched the skin. The purple and pink writhed up her cheek on one side, snaked down her collarbone and was her new companion. Permanently etched into her skin like a grotesque Halloween costume she was forced to wear, year-round, she could never take it off. When she wanted to be pretty, when she wanted to be feminine. When she wanted to have a serious conversation, no matter. It was always there. She didn’t even know who the hell was staring back at her when she looked in the mirror these days. Instead of the pretty woman she was used to, it was a stranger.

She never looked for long.

With the accident and the new appearance had come the loss of her steady job, her fiancé, and a place to live. Which made Cole’s offer to stay at their ranch all the more miraculous.

Then, after she’d felt her lowest, realizing her second book hadn’t been picked up by the publisher and that she had nothing to contribute for her lodging or for the fabulous, home-cooked meals she ate here every day, another miracle had happened between her and the rugged cowboy.

Cole had turned her pain into laughter. Into a sense of really being seen for who she was, while feeling incredibly protected, in the bargain. And after writing all that hot sex about skilled cowboys who knew how to please a lady right down to her toes, that handsome man and she had gotten together. 

There’d been a few, eye-opening surprises in their night together. Not the least of them was that reality was way better than her fantasies. Turned out those were only the opening credits.

But the best part of all, she had to admit, was the tenderness after. The togetherness. His determination to give her a place to recover, for as long as she needed, with the offer of…love. There’d been talk of their future, together. He’d had no hesitation there.

It had been a miracle, no matter how she looked at it.

Now, it was her turn to ante up.

She’d learned that all the time he’d taken care of her on tour, he’d had big worries of his own. Ones that wouldn’t go away unless there was another miracle, now, for him. Not only was he worried about his Dad’s surgery, but in a strong second place were the issues around this breath-taking ranch.

Because the Dawson family, the one that had birthed this magnificent spread and loved it for six, strong generations—were a damn hairsbreadth from losing it.

Issues had plagued them, and grown. Serious ones. Would there even be a home for the elder Dawson to return to once he’d recovered, to take his place again, as patriarch? No one knew.

Now, Cole had come back from his overseas military service, to save Dawson Ridges.

She’d also learned that he’d been the leader of the Delta North Team, during his service in Afghanistan. He actually hadn’t told her that himself. Seemed he didn’t make a point of broadcasting his service. Simply did it. Quietly.

It made her respect him all the more. Made her see how important discharging his responsibilities was to him, whether as a platoon leader, or a rancher. Or a family member.

It made her damn glad he’d come into her life.

The biggest surprise, though, had been that her brother Dare, also military, had actually served under Cole. Dare had been in Afghanistan twice, for two separate tours, and served under two different leaders. They’d both been shocked when they’d learned of the connection, though to be fair, her and Dare had been out of touch, and Cole had only been aware of his official name, not the name he went by, daily, in their unit.

Now, both were back. Dare was attempting to pick up his life and struggling. Cole was working crazy hard to keep Dawson Ridges afloat.

Well, now it was her turn to do something to help. Tabby clicked to the local job site. She was determined to do everything she could, whatever it cost her physically.

A new text from Cole came in, and snagged her attention.

-Saw another field of salvia, out in the back pasture. Let’s go tonight, get you some. C.

She smiled. Purple salvia was one of her favorites. All the mess he was in, and Cole was still thinking of her.

She sent back a thumbs up and a smiley face, when all she really wanted to do was send a whole row of hearts.

Something, though, from long experience, stopped her. The vision of the warm welcome one of the local women, Raine Gradney, had given Cole when they’d gotten back slammed into her mind. Right in front of the family, the western beauty—poured into her jeans and sexy top, with riots of bedroom curls everywhere—had practically fused her body with Cole’s, on the porch. And Cole had walked, head-on, into the embrace…with his ex.

She hadn’t heard of the woman since, and she did trust Cole. She didn’t believe he was the type of man to play doubles, and especially, not in secret.

Nonetheless, she gave herself an order.

Just wait, she told herself, and see. Just wait.