Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

After they watched Easton get thrown off of bulls for almost an hour, Autumn was relieved the practice was finished. She wasn’t drawn to Easton like Jarom, but she didn’t want to see him gored by a massive animal. He was tough and brave; she’d give him that. She could appreciate and respect Easton, but she was attracted to the tall, handsome man who stood by her side, watching and saying positive comments about Easton and quietly flirting with her. Was Jarom not threatened by Easton’s flirtations with her? Most likely not if he was only interested in a fling.

They explored the barn yard and then Easton ran home to shower before lunch as he was dusty and sweaty from his training. They all had lunch with Millie and Jared. Millie seemed to be warming up to Autumn and had been nothing but kind to her. After how many decades of avoiding mother figures, it only took a couple meals with Jarom there protecting her to become comfortable around Millie. Jarom was a miracle worker .

After lunch, Easton offered to take them on a horseback ride. She’d never been on a horse before. Jarom had, so Easton gave him a more ‘spirited’ ride. Easton held onto her reins and led her gentle horse as they traversed the beautiful property. She’d traveled around America and Mexico with security details but thought the Montana mountains were glorious arching up to the heavens. Most of the fall color was gone, but there were plenty of green pine trees covering the mountains and the bare branches of the other trees waved at her with a stark beauty all their own.

Easton led the way on his huge black horse, holding onto her reins as she clung to the ‘horn’ he’d called it. Jarom rode behind them. Jarom had seemed a little withdrawn since watching the bull riding. Was he worn out, or was something wrong?

They plodded along quietly, admiring the views and not saying much. Suddenly Autumn heard a rattle. A very distinctive rattle. She was no country girl, but she’d encountered rattlesnakes in Mexico on a job and was terrified of them.

“Whoa,” Easton said softly. “Calm down there, girl.”

Was he talking to her or his horse?

Autumn whipped around, trying to see if there really was a rattlesnake and how close it was. Jarom’s horse was shying away, and she could see the venomous monster in the brush, far too close to Jarom’s horse.

Jarom was trying to calm his horse, but the rattler struck at its hooves. The horse reared, launching Jarom into the air.

Heart racing, Autumn held onto the horn with one hand and yanked out her pistol. Jarom landed hard but didn’t so much as groan as he rolled away from the snake.

Aiming, she shot the snake before it struck again; this time it wouldn’t be the horse’s hooves but Jarom, and she doubted it would miss.

The rattler’s head exploded.

Jarom’s horse took off and Autumn’s mount shifted uneasily. Her stress spiked. She wanted off this perch. Easton was talking soft and quick to his horse, still holding onto her reins.

Autumn launched herself off the horse, hit the ground in a crouch, and ran for Jarom.

He rolled up to a seated position as she dropped to her knees next to him.

“Are you all right?” she exclaimed.

“Fine. Embarrassed.” He gave her a chagrined smile and looked over at the decimated snake. “That was an impressive shot.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, but it felt unsteady. What if that snake had struck before she blasted it? Jarom would be injured, possibly disfigured, maybe even dead.

“I get thrown off a bull’s back dozens of times and you cheered. He gets thrown once and you flip out?” Easton said from above her. His voice was good-natured.

“Sorry. He’s the protection detail and my paycheck.” She smiled at Easton, but he’d obviously seen what she was trying to hide. Jarom was much more important to her than a protection detail.

“You all right?” Easton asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Jarom responded.

“You got him? I’ll go get the other horse.”

“We won’t move,” she reassured the cowboy. “Unless another snake comes to visit.”

Easton chuckled, shook his head, and led her horse away.

Autumn looked at Jarom. She wanted to check him for injuries and then hug him tight. For a very long time.

“You almost broke my arm last night,” Jarom said, smiling slightly, his blue eyes studying her. “Now you’re worried about me being hurt.”

“If I hurt you, I’ll know exactly what I’m doing and it will only be to teach you a lesson or keep you safe.” That wasn’t the whole truth, as she’d felt cornered and struck out at him. Now she felt awful about her reaction. “The horse or snake could’ve killed you.” She shrugged even as her hands quivered. She tried to cover her reaction. “I’d … miss out on my bonus for this job.”

Aiden paid her generously. There wasn’t a bonus for this job, but Jarom didn’t need to know that.

The look in his blue eyes said he knew she was lying.

Standing quickly, she looked around and hugged herself, trying to calm her trembling limbs. “How far did that horse go?”

“Autumn.” Jarom stood, staring down at her. He looked incredibly handsome in the T-shirt, flannel jacket, jeans, and boots. The jacket was dirty, his jeans ripped. Even with his hair mussed, his model-gorgeous face and bearing were too distinguished to ever be a true, rugged cowboy, but he wore the look well. Too well.

She glanced away, sliding her pistol back into her pocket.

Jarom stepped around in front of her, gently tilting her chin up with his fingers. The skin of her neck warmed.

“Autumn,” he said softly, no teasing in his voice or his eyes. “I’m all right.”

She focused on him and then she shuddered. She’d seen and inflicted pain and death. What was wrong with her? Flipping out over Jarom being thrown from a horse and a snake almost biting him?

“You’re sure?” she managed. “You landed hard.”

“Yes, Athena.” His voice was low and husky. He gently gathered her in his arms and simply held her.

Autumn kept her arms clenched tight around her own body, didn’t allow herself to release them and hug him fiercely like she wanted to. She did, however, let herself lean into him, rest her head in the crook of his neck, and simply feel him. Jarom surrounding her. Jarom all right after a traumatic event. Jarom wanting to hold her and comfort her.

Horses approached through the trees.

She straightened away from him and muttered, “You don’t smell like yourself.”

“Oh?” His lips quirked but his eyes were still too serious, blue as a summer’s sky. “Forgive me. A beautiful angel rescued me from my house and didn’t allow me to grab a bottle of my Confident Man Cologne. She did save my life though, twice. Thank you, love. I’m forever in your debt.”

Easton was upon them. She luckily didn’t have to say anything, but she could certainly feel, and all she felt and saw was Jarom. Confident man. Appealing man. Jarom was so many things she’d known but some unexpected and intriguing surprises as well. She wanted him to be her man and get to know even more about him.

They loaded back up and the rest of the ride was uneventful. They went back to the house and helped Millie get dinner ready. Autumn was grateful to Millie and Jarom for how comfortable she felt. Millie was feisty, but she was also kind and as mother-like as Autumn thought she would be.

As they put dinner on the table, Jared walked in with Walker and Marci.

“Autumn,” Marci exclaimed, rushing forward for a hug .

Marci was an author and as exuberant, delightful, and guileless as anyone Autumn had ever known. She hugged her back.

“It’s great to see you,” Autumn said. “Are you staying here for a bit?”

“Yes. Walker needs to work on his roping so we can make the PRCA finals in Vegas in December. What am I saying? Of course he’ll make it and Abuelita is doing well and I can write from anywhere and I just adore my mountains and my family and …” she trailed off.

Jarom had come to stand beside Autumn. “Hello,” he said in his deep, inspiring voice.

“Ah … ah … you had me at hola ,” Marci cried out, clapping a hand to her chest. “You’re Jarom Love. Oy, oy! Walker, come hold me, lover. I am going to pass out.” She startled rattling off more Spanish.

Walker rushed to her side.

Jarom quirked an eyebrow at Autumn.

“Do you get this fan-girling a lot?” she asked drily, remembering Millie’s reaction to him and the dozens upon dozens of texts that kept spilling from his phone to hers.

“Would you hate me if I said yes?”

“Yes, I would.”

He chuckled and then slid his arm around her waist, cupped her hip with his large palm, and pulled her in tight. Autumn wanted to melt against him. She should elbow him hard instead. She stayed rigid until he leaned in close and whispered, “You’re the only fan girl I want, Autumn Cardon.”

She gazed up and met his blue, blue eyes, and then she did something so un-Autumn-like it would’ve shocked everyone who knew her. She melted. She leaned into him, brought her hand up to rest on his lovely chest, and blinked up at him like any besotted female would do with this perfect and charming gentleman. But Jarom wasn’t just any charming gentleman. He wasn’t just some hot, famous billionaire bachelor. He was the man she’d been longing for. It didn’t matter at the moment that she had an impenetrable heart of iron and no future with any man, especially a man like Jarom.

“Autumn?” Easton was standing right in front of her, next to his twin brother and Marci. All three of them were staring at her like she’d grown horns.

“I thought you were his bodyguard,” Marci said, her eyes wide.

“Oh,” she managed. “Um. Well, it’s time to go, isn’t it?”

“Go?” Walker asked. Even Marci looked confused.

“It’s time for dinner, my dears,” Millie called. “Everybody come sit and let’s pray. Thank the good Lord for His bounty and family and friends.” Millie beamed at all of them, even at Autumn.

Was that because Autumn was cuddled into Jarom still and Easton was looking upset? Millie had warmed up to her, but she still didn’t want Autumn with her boy.

“Sounds great.” Walker escorted Marci over to the large table. Even with seven of them, they wouldn’t fill it.

Easton gave Autumn an injured and pleading look and followed his brother. She gazed up at Jarom. “Let’s go eat and let your fans gush over you.”

“Ah, thank you very much.”

“I’m sure that’s your favorite thing.”

“No.” He held her close still and he held her gaze, his blue eyes magnetic. “Not even close.”

She should walk away, not engage. “What’s your favorite thing?”

He lowered his voice and his head closer to hers. “Being close to you,” he whispered huskily.

Autumn was getting lost, and she couldn’t let herself be found. Marci was right. She was his bodyguard, not his favorite thing.

Terror rushed through her at how easily Jarom had broken down her resistance. His charming lines helped, but it was him that got to her. His confidence, patience, understated toughness. She had to get some distance.

She elbowed him in the gut and was rewarded with a slight grunt. Smiling, she said, “You forget, Mr. Love, I know all the smooth-talking lines. They don’t work on me.”

She whirled away before he could say anything, but the look in his eyes begged her to believe he wasn’t using any lines on her. That he was genuine.

Autumn could never let herself believe that.