Free Tina Leonard - A Callahan Outlaw's Twins by Tina Leonard Page A
Authors: Tina Leonard
they wished.”
Sloan turned. “What was his name?”
“Storm Cash. We found ID on him and Ashlyn was pretty good at getting information from him.”
Sloan grimaced. “Was he Kendall’s attacker?”
“Yeah. He meant to take her hostage. Figured she knew something about the family he could use. She fought harder than he expected, so things got a bit out of hand. I don’t think he really meant to hurt her, but she’s tough.”
Kendall was tough. Tough-minded, tough in spirit.
He admired that.
“You like her.”
Sloan didn’t glance at Galen. “I like everyone. Haven’t you heard? I’m a really friendly guy.”
His brother laughed. “That’s a new one.” He went off whistling. Sloan ignored Galen’s assertion—or he tried. The truth was that he’d known Kendall for all of three days and he’d been unable to resist her.
She was clouding the mission, his mind, his heart.
After he finished his chores, Sloan went to the house to check on Kendall. He felt fairly safe with her being in the house during the day, because Fiona and Burke were always around. There was safety in numbers. Wasn’t that what the chief had said?
Sloan hoped the nagging sensation would cease once he laid eyes on her.
Kendall wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in the kitchen, nor her bath. Ignoring a flash of anxiety, he checked in the library.
“She went out,” Fiona said from behind him. “Not that we wanted her to. I told her that Burke would go get whatever she needed. She said she was going stir-crazy.”
“The roads are closed.” Sloan frowned. “Where could she go?”
“Oh.” Fiona waved a hand. “She’s on the ranch. She went to take some photos of the area where the new bunkhouse will be. Said this was the perfect weather and conditions to show her how the light falls at certain times. Kendall said it was important to see that.” Fiona nodded. “Light is very important to a home.”
Sloan swallowed hard. “How did she go?”
“In the military jeep, although she talked about riding. I told her perhaps her leg wasn’t healed enough for fighting through the snow on a horse, as stalwart as most of ours are.” Fiona placed a fresh blackberry cobbler on the table. “Don’t worry. Kendall’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. She won’t do anything to endanger herself. Mind you, I told her she should be resting, but Kendall’s never in her life been in a bed for more than two consecutive days. Still, the intruder’s been caught, so there’s no danger at the moment. Right?”
Sloan shrugged on his oilskin. He went out the door without another word.
In his opinion, Kendall had already endangered herself. Fear stewed inside him, warning him that trouble was closer than he wanted it to be.
* * *
S LOAN SAW K ENDALL right where she’d told Fiona she’d be. Staying back, he watched her, keeping himself hidden. She wouldn’t take kindly to interference.
To her credit, Kendall stayed in the jeep as she took photos. She had a zoom lens on her camera. Every once in a while she checked the sky, factoring the light into her calculations.
He could almost hear her mind whirring with plans for the new bunkhouse. Jonas wouldn’t have hired her if she wasn’t the best. She would completely understand and execute his vision for Rancho Diablo and his other ranch, Dark Diablo.
She fascinated Sloan.
After ten more minutes of photographing the cold, snow-covered landscape, Kendall started the jeep and drove away. Sloan took a deep breath and turned his horse to follow the jeep tracks packing the snow.
He was going to give her hell for not noticing the hoofprints already in the jeep tracks as she returned to the ranch.
But he underestimated her. All of a sudden, the vehicle halted, then drove in a wide circle. She pulled up beside his horse, glaring at him.
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Maybe you don’t.”
“You’re carrying this caution too far,” Kendall said. “The man who attacked
Sloan turned. “What was his name?”
“Storm Cash. We found ID on him and Ashlyn was pretty good at getting information from him.”
Sloan grimaced. “Was he Kendall’s attacker?”
“Yeah. He meant to take her hostage. Figured she knew something about the family he could use. She fought harder than he expected, so things got a bit out of hand. I don’t think he really meant to hurt her, but she’s tough.”
Kendall was tough. Tough-minded, tough in spirit.
He admired that.
“You like her.”
Sloan didn’t glance at Galen. “I like everyone. Haven’t you heard? I’m a really friendly guy.”
His brother laughed. “That’s a new one.” He went off whistling. Sloan ignored Galen’s assertion—or he tried. The truth was that he’d known Kendall for all of three days and he’d been unable to resist her.
She was clouding the mission, his mind, his heart.
After he finished his chores, Sloan went to the house to check on Kendall. He felt fairly safe with her being in the house during the day, because Fiona and Burke were always around. There was safety in numbers. Wasn’t that what the chief had said?
Sloan hoped the nagging sensation would cease once he laid eyes on her.
Kendall wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in the kitchen, nor her bath. Ignoring a flash of anxiety, he checked in the library.
“She went out,” Fiona said from behind him. “Not that we wanted her to. I told her that Burke would go get whatever she needed. She said she was going stir-crazy.”
“The roads are closed.” Sloan frowned. “Where could she go?”
“Oh.” Fiona waved a hand. “She’s on the ranch. She went to take some photos of the area where the new bunkhouse will be. Said this was the perfect weather and conditions to show her how the light falls at certain times. Kendall said it was important to see that.” Fiona nodded. “Light is very important to a home.”
Sloan swallowed hard. “How did she go?”
“In the military jeep, although she talked about riding. I told her perhaps her leg wasn’t healed enough for fighting through the snow on a horse, as stalwart as most of ours are.” Fiona placed a fresh blackberry cobbler on the table. “Don’t worry. Kendall’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. She won’t do anything to endanger herself. Mind you, I told her she should be resting, but Kendall’s never in her life been in a bed for more than two consecutive days. Still, the intruder’s been caught, so there’s no danger at the moment. Right?”
Sloan shrugged on his oilskin. He went out the door without another word.
In his opinion, Kendall had already endangered herself. Fear stewed inside him, warning him that trouble was closer than he wanted it to be.
* * *
S LOAN SAW K ENDALL right where she’d told Fiona she’d be. Staying back, he watched her, keeping himself hidden. She wouldn’t take kindly to interference.
To her credit, Kendall stayed in the jeep as she took photos. She had a zoom lens on her camera. Every once in a while she checked the sky, factoring the light into her calculations.
He could almost hear her mind whirring with plans for the new bunkhouse. Jonas wouldn’t have hired her if she wasn’t the best. She would completely understand and execute his vision for Rancho Diablo and his other ranch, Dark Diablo.
She fascinated Sloan.
After ten more minutes of photographing the cold, snow-covered landscape, Kendall started the jeep and drove away. Sloan took a deep breath and turned his horse to follow the jeep tracks packing the snow.
He was going to give her hell for not noticing the hoofprints already in the jeep tracks as she returned to the ranch.
But he underestimated her. All of a sudden, the vehicle halted, then drove in a wide circle. She pulled up beside his horse, glaring at him.
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“Maybe you don’t.”
“You’re carrying this caution too far,” Kendall said. “The man who attacked