Page 9 of The Recluse & the Fugitive

Now that he wasn’t looking at or touching her, he felt unsettled by her unusual situation. Who was she? Who was she so scared of? She could be a mass murderer for all he knew and faking the amnesia. Sheryl had faked loving him, and he’d sworn not to trust his heart to a beautiful woman again.

This woman had blown his calm, boring world apart in a matter of moments. He had to admit nobody could fake that wild ride down the side of the mountain and the knot on her head and her thigh. Nobody could fake the light in those blue eyes. Whoever she was, she needed him. The past year, being retired from the military and up here alone most of the time, only his horses and cattle had needed him. It felt incredible to be needed. Especially by the most captivating woman he’d ever met.

He should protect her and keep her here and … could he really do that? He’d been a breath away from capturing her straight, full lips with his, and she’d been arching for the kiss as well. He’d known her less than an hour. If she stayed with him, she might capture his heart like nobody but Sheryl ever had. What about his promises not to fall into that trap and go through that pain again?

The rap on his door and a call of, “Cade!” broke him out of his messed-up thoughts.

The Coleville twins. Interesting timing.

He strode over and swung the door wide, his smile faltering when he realized it wasn’t Easton and Walker; it was Sheriff Clint and Walker. They each took their hats off and nodded to him.

“Sheriff,” he gritted out. Clint had never stepped foot on his property. Any other day, Cade would’ve demanded he leave or fight him. A knot of chilly discomfort twisted his gut. If Clint was willingly coming here, this woman was either a criminal or in grave danger.

Clint only nodded, glancing past him and into the house. Looking for the woman or checking out his brother Rhett’s impressive handiwork? Cade was proud of his comfortable and high-quality home. He’d poured all his money and time into the house, barn, corrals, and livestock. Of course it was nothing compared to the Coleville’s spread, but they were the wealthiest ranchers for miles around.

“Walker,” Cade greeted his friend.

“Hey, man.” Walker reached out and shook his hand.

They both stayed on the porch.

“What are you boys doing up this early in the morning?” Cade tried to tease. Being around that intriguing stranger, who could make him laugh and laughed with him, had made him think he was a jokester.

Clint raised his eyebrows. The two of them hadn’t spoken a cordial word in over a year.

Walker smiled, but it dropped quickly. “We’ve got trouble, Cade. We have a protection detail at the ranch.”

He nodded. The Coleville Ranch was huge, off the beaten path, and all the brothers and ranch hands could fight and shoot and were loyal, good guys. They’d had witness protection people come through before.

“She’s been with us and in hiding for a year.”

A year? A year ago, he’d come home from the military and been dumped by Sheryl. He’d tried to fight Clint all over town, but he hadn’t stepped foot on the ranch.

“The threat went low a couple months ago,” Walker continued when he didn’t speak up. “The perp was in prison and our … friend was safe. She just escaped.”

“She?” His neck tingled. His beauty had been afraid of a woman coming after her and hurting him.

“Have you heard of Catherine Oliver and Quaid Raven?”

“Of course.” It had been huge news a few months ago. Catherine Oliver had horribly abused her son, Lieutenant Quaid Raven, or Thomas Oliver. She’d kidnapped her own son as a full-grown adult, had her mercenaries thrash him, and almost killed him. None other than Sutton Smith, Aiden Porter, Mercedes Belle, and the talk show host Jessie had exposed Catherine and rescued Quaid.

“Quaid served with Miles.”

Cade’s stomach twisted, his muscles tightened, and the pieces clicked into place. “You’ve been hiding Jacqueline Oliver.”

They both nodded tightly. And he knew exactly why the beauty that had slid off the mountainside and into his life an hour ago looked so familiar. Her gorgeous face had been plastered all over the television, magazines, and social media a year ago. Her mother claimed she’d been kidnapped. Then when the truth about Catherine came out a couple months ago, Jacqueline’s face had gone viral again.

An absolutely exquisite face. The face he’d been gazing at for the past hour. She’d looked different with no makeup, hair in a ponytail, banged up from her slide through dirt and into trees. Even more beautiful to him because she was real and they’d connected.

“Is she here?” Clint peered into his eyes.

Cade would as soon deck the man as talk to him. If not for the heap of trouble they had in common, he’d take a swing and claim Clint was trespassing.

Jacqueline had been terrified. Now he understood why. Her mother was the devil reincarnated.

“Catherine Oliver escaped?” he asked instead of answering them.

“Yep.” Clint looked around, clearly trying to see where he was hiding Jacqueline.

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