Page 67 of Unguarded

I’m sitting on the front porch of the bunkhouse, the gentle morning breeze cooling my cheeks. I can hear the shouts of cowboys herding up bulls in the distance, over near the arena, which is blocked from my view by the main house. I type out the words on my phone.

Nothing compares to the feel of his arms wrapped around me.

There is no beauty like the protective glint in his eyes when he looks my way.

I’m the object of his desire, and he makes me see all I could be,

That I’m more than a body, more than what they say.

The front door opening behind me brings me to a stop. I turn around in the old rocking chair to see Cash standing there, two coffee mugs in his hands. He’s already dressed in a straw cowboy hat, worn Wranglers, cowboy boots, and a faded blue T-shirt, which stretches over his broad shoulders deliciously.

I accept the mug of coffee he holds out and type out another line to the song.

His green eyes see right through to my soul.

He wraps my battered heart up in his gentle hands,

Filling up the gaping hole

That’s pierced through my chest like a brand.

The warmth from the mug spreads through my chilled fingers. “Thank you.”

He nods, eyes peering out across the field. “How’d you sleep?”

I shrug. “Okay, I guess. It’s so quiet here.”

He responds with a chuckle. I confessed to him on the plane ride here that when the stalker came into my room posing as a janitor, I froze. My body shut down in a pure state of panic and terror. He told me it’s not my fault, but I still feel weighed down with guilt.

We sit in silence, sipping our coffee for a few moreminutes. My body goes motionless when I see a tiny baby bird with a yellow breast land on the porch railing. There’s a bird feeder hanging above him. He flies up to it, pecking at the seeds before flying away.

“I’m gonna go break in the bulls. Dolly will be there, watching. Do you … do you want to come?” There’s hesitation in his words.

We’re in unfamiliar territory. I’m not here as a friend. I’m his client and a guest in his home, but we’ve got a buzz of sexual tension around us that he seems to feel a level of guilt for.

I feel myself nodding. “I need to get dressed.”

He nods. “I can wait. They’re just now rounding them up. I wouldn’t wear anything too fancy over there. It can get pretty filthy.”

My eyes trail down over him. He seems more at ease since we got here. The tense, reserved man with the constant concern in his gaze is now relaxed and less stressed.

“Okay then. I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”

Dolly hollers next to me,“You look like a wuss! My granny could hold on longer than that, Jensen!”

She collapses back on the bench, her cheeks flushed. The long, dark hair spilling over her shoulders is thick and shiny. She has barely any makeup on, but she’s stunning. She couldbe a model. I can see the familial resemblance between Cash and all his siblings in the olive skin and dark hair they share.

“You doing okay over in the bunkhouse? We tried to make it welcoming for you, but I know it’s a little rough. The guys never finished out the trim work in the hallways.”

People always do this with me. They think because I’m rich and famous now, I’ve never lived in a place with creaky floorboards and loose faucets. The trailer park I grew up in was ten times more worn down, with moldy ceilings, threadbare furniture, and water that only ran hot half the time.

“It’s perfect, and the bed is very comfortable. I appreciate your hospitality. I know me being here was … unexpected.” I fidget my hands, trying to find something to do with them besides holding them in my lap.

The urge to make Cash’s sister like me is suddenly overwhelmingly strong. I shouldn’t care, but I do. She smiles, lifting her hand up to block out the sunlight shining in her eyes.

“Oh, no worries about that. We’re glad you’re able to feel safe here. Trust me, there’s nowhere on earth a woman is more taken care of than on Redford Ranch. Just ask Rosie.” Dolly shakes her head, pursing her lips.

“Is that Holden’s girlfriend?”

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