Page 20 of Wyoming Bodyguard
She watched Charlie walk back to his truck, his head down and a defeated air swarming him.
“Well, that was interesting,” Madden said. “Has a bit of a temper.”
She bristled, unwilling to hear any negative comments about a man she’d known and respected most of her life. “He’s a good guy. He wouldn’t hurt my dad.”
“What about Daniel? He stayed later last night and skipped out of work early today. Could mean something.” Madden leaned his arms on the split-railed fence and stared at the horses.
“Or could mean nothing.” She wouldn’t make assumptions. But even as she clung to the hope that nothing was happening under her nose that had brought danger to her home, one simple truth remained.
Someone wanted her father dead, and there had to be a reason why.
Chapter 8
Madden followed Lily into the barn. The musty scent of hay and animal feed spiked his pulse. It’d been years since he’d done farm chores.
Years since his body worked the way he needed it to in order to do his part to keep McKay Ranch afloat.
“All right, McKay. Time to do some chores.” Lily handed him a pitchfork. “Throw down some fresh bedding while I clean out the stalls. The hay’s up in the loft. Toss it there,” she said, pointing to a spot on the ground. “Once I’m done, you can help me lay it out.”
He swallowed his apprehension. No way he wanted Lily to witness his weakness. He could chuck hay down from the loft. He just needed to take it slow and not overwork his shoulder. Hopefully she’d be too busy with her own assignment to notice his struggle.
Before he could think too much, he climbed the ladder and scooped a pitchfork full of fresh hay. A stabbing pain in his shoulder gritted his teeth. The tool twisted in his faltering grip, spilling the contents on the wooden planks of the loft.
Shame climbed the back of his neck, heating him more than the muggy air trapped at the top of the barn. He should just plop on the hay bale and admit defeat. Confess to Lily that he wasn’t capable of doing the damn chores, even something as simple as helping her lay new bedding for her horses.
A gentle humming caught his attention, and he peeked down the wide aisle. Lily chugged along with a soft smile on her face and sweat beading on her forehead. She wheeled the dirty straw to the far end of the aisle and dumped it in a giant barrel before heading to the next stall.
Admiration pressed against his lungs. He’d thought of her as a spoiled, entitled brat for years. Imagined her lounging around the big cabin while others ran her ranch. He’d never pictured her getting her hands dirty, hauling shit around a hot-ass barn.
She was hands-on, cared about the people who worked for her and the land she tended. It was in her blood, in her heart.
A familiar ache made it hard to breathe. He understood her. Understood the love of a place that held so many memories.
As if sensing him watching her, Lily glanced up, fisted a hand on her hip and smirked. “Come on, cowboy. You’re not going to make little ole me do all the work, are you?”
Her humor was infectious, and damn it, he’d never seen a more beautiful woman. “Just enjoying the view for a minute.”
She scrunched her nose. “Are you feeling all right? Not enough oxygen up there or something?”
He laughed. “Yeah, that’s it. Lack of oxygen.”
Lily rolled her eyes and disappeared down the aisle, the sweet melody of her hum reaching him once more.
Madden blew out a long breath and steeled his resolve. A simple chore might take him three times as long as it should, but he’d do it. Heneededto do it.
With a firm grip on the handle, he scooped a smaller pile of hay and let it rain to the spot Lily had requested. Little by little, the pile on the ground grew. Sweat poured down his face. His muscles throbbed, and no doubt he’d need to ice his shoulder tonight, but pride puffed his chest in a way it hadn’t in years.
Unable to stand the suffocating heat, he stripped off his T-shirt and wiped the damp material across his brow. Good thing he’d brought a bag full of fresh clothing. He’d need a shower and an entire gallon of water once he finished.
“All right, cowboy. That’s plenty. I’ve got most of the bedding laid. You can head down, then we’ll see to the horses.”
He peered over the side of the loft, and his heart puttered like a stalling tractor.
Lily stood by the now dwindling pile and leaned on her pitchfork. Strands of wheat-colored hair had slipped out of her ponytail, and was plastered to the side of her face with sweat. Streaks of dirt slid over her cheek. And a look of peace softened her features in a way he’d never seen.
She sent him a tiny salute, filled her wheelbarrow and disappeared into a stall at the end of the aisle.
“I’ll be right there.” He grabbed his stuff and tossed it on the barn’s floor then descended the ladder. He concentrated on each rung, not wanting to slip and give away that his shoulder was like jelly. With his feet firmly on the floor, he stretched his aching muscles and turned to find Lily staring at him, mouth open and eyes wide.
