Page 48 of Protected By the Mountain Man

“Taking care of you is the manliest thing I can do right now,” he retorted without missing a beat.

How do you argue with that?

I didn’t know how long it had been when I finally got the strength to get back out of bed, but a quick glance at my phone told me it had been several days. Shit. That was too long, and my horses had been out in the elements that whole time. I crawled out of bed and dressed as fast as I could, steeling myself to get a lay of the land.

Nobody was home, though I could hear Bandit whining somewhere in the house.

“Bandit?” I called, my voice hoarse from disuse—but the dog was already bounding down the hall towards me when I came out of my room. He whined, pawing at the front door like he was trying to dig his way to China.

There was one hell of a racket outside, but I couldn’t make sense of what it might be.

Given my luck lately, probably someone else here to destroy our lives.

I shuffled to the door, my body protesting every movement. I unlatched the door and swung it open, squinting against the light that spilled into the dim hallway.

Only to find cars.

A whole mess of them, cluttering up the gravel driveway.

“Jesus, Bandit, what kind of party did you throw?”

I watched as he dashed outside, his tail a furious pendulum. Following his lead, I stepped out onto the porch, hugging my arms around my middle. It was cool, October making its presence known. And the barn…

The old barn—or where it used to be—was a hive of activity. My gaze fixed on it, not quite believing what I was seeing. New wood structures rose from the ashes, beams stretching up to the clear sky.

This…there was no way it was real. It would take weeks of work, thousands of dollars…

I shuffled down the stairs then into the field, my bare feet cold against the dewy grass. I was only wearing a set of mismatched pajamas and an oversized hoodie, but I didn’t care; there was something happening on my land that I hadn’t approved.

Now to figure out the culprits.

As I scanned the field, I caught sight of Gabe with his back to me, hauling lumber like it weighed nothing; Sheriff Callahan, surprisingly, in work clothes rather than his uniform; Deputy Langley was there too, hammer in hand. And on the roof, a mountain of a man with a beard and hair the color of autumn leaves.

My heart thudded unevenly as I realized just how many people were here. Lisa Morales, our park ranger with an affinity for lost causes—apparently, including my family's ranch—nodded to someone, and a couple of faces I couldn't place were busy measuring and cutting.

This wasn't just a few hands helping out; this was a community, coming together.

Bandit bounded over to Gabe, tongue lolling, and that attracted Gabe’s attention to me—at which point he put down the wood he was carrying and set off toward me. He met me halfway to the barn, taking in my disheveled appearance and bare feet.

“Kat! You shouldn't be out here!”

“Too late for that,” I retorted. “Where are the horses?”

He looked at me like I was insane—I guess because any ordinary person would’ve asked about the barn first. “They're safe.”

“Safe where, Gabe?” I pressed.

“Jake O'Hara's got them. Just up the road.” His tone was gentle, reassuring. “You saved every last one, Kat. They're fine.”

I sighed in relief. Now I could figure out what the hell was going on with the barn.

“And…this,” I waved a hand at the new structure, “how much is this going to cost me?”

“Actually,” Gabe started, scratching the back of his neck, “Me and Sheriff Callahan got the ball rolling on a collection for you, seeing as he felt responsible for dropping things in the first place. The whole town pitched in. It's all funded.”

“Really?” My gaze drifted past Gabe and sure enough, there was the Sheriff, edging closer with a sheepish look. I crossed my arms and nailed him with a look that would've made my mama proud.

He flinched, just slightly.

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