Chapter 4

Chapter

Four

Cade was a mess. That refined and sassy lady had gotten under his skin quick. When she'd been close and especially when he'd touched her, he felt protective of her and unreasonably drawn to her. He loved the way she spoke, and her blue eyes captured him completely.

Now that he wasn't looking at or touching her, he felt unsettled by her unusual situation. Who was she? Who was she so scared of? She could be a mass murderer for all he knew and faking the amnesia. Sheryl had faked loving him, and he'd sworn not to trust his heart to a beautiful woman again.

This woman had blown his calm, boring world apart in a matter of moments. He had to admit nobody could fake that wild ride down the side of the mountain and the knot on her head and her thigh. Nobody could fake the light in those blue eyes. Whoever she was, she needed him. The past year, being retired from the military and up here alone most of the time, only his horses and cattle had needed him. It felt incredible to be needed. Especially by the most captivating woman he'd ever met.

He should protect her and keep her here and … could he really do that? He'd been a breath away from capturing her straight, full lips with his, and she'd been arching for the kiss as well. He'd known her less than an hour. If she stayed with him, she might capture his heart like nobody but Sheryl ever had. What about his promises not to fall into that trap and go through that pain again?

The rap on his door and a call of, "Cade!" broke him out of his messed-up thoughts.

The Coleville twins. Interesting timing.

He strode over and swung the door wide, his smile faltering when he realized it wasn't Easton and Walker; it was Sheriff Clint and Walker. They each took their hats off and nodded to him.

"Sheriff," he gritted out. Clint had never stepped foot on his property. Any other day, Cade would've demanded he leave or fight him. A knot of chilly discomfort twisted his gut. If Clint was willingly coming here, this woman was either a criminal or in grave danger.

Clint only nodded, glancing past him and into the house. Looking for the woman or checking out his brother Rhett's impressive handiwork? Cade was proud of his comfortable and high-quality home. He'd poured all his money and time into the house, barn, corrals, and livestock. Of course it was nothing compared to the Coleville's spread, but they were the wealthiest ranchers for miles around.

"Walker," Cade greeted his friend.

"Hey, man." Walker reached out and shook his hand.

They both stayed on the porch .

"What are you boys doing up this early in the morning?" Cade tried to tease. Being around that intriguing stranger, who could make him laugh and laughed with him, had made him think he was a jokester.

Clint raised his eyebrows. The two of them hadn't spoken a cordial word in over a year.

Walker smiled, but it dropped quickly. "We've got trouble, Cade. We have a protection detail at the ranch."

He nodded. The Coleville Ranch was huge, off the beaten path, and all the brothers and ranch hands could fight and shoot and were loyal, good guys. They'd had witness protection people come through before.

"She's been with us and in hiding for a year."

A year? A year ago, he'd come home from the military and been dumped by Sheryl. He'd tried to fight Clint all over town, but he hadn't stepped foot on the ranch.

"The threat went low a couple months ago," Walker continued when he didn't speak up. "The perp was in prison and our … friend was safe. She just escaped."

"She?" His neck tingled. His beauty had been afraid of a woman coming after her and hurting him.

"Have you heard of Catherine Oliver and Quaid Raven?"

"Of course." It had been huge news a few months ago. Catherine Oliver had horribly abused her son, Lieutenant Quaid Raven, or Thomas Oliver. She'd kidnapped her own son as a full-grown adult, had her mercenaries thrash him, and almost killed him. None other than Sutton Smith, Aiden Porter, Mercedes Belle, and the talk show host Jessie had exposed Catherine and rescued Quaid.

"Quaid served with Miles. "

Cade's stomach twisted, his muscles tightened, and the pieces clicked into place. "You've been hiding Jacqueline Oliver."

They both nodded tightly. And he knew exactly why the beauty that had slid off the mountainside and into his life an hour ago looked so familiar. Her gorgeous face had been plastered all over the television, magazines, and social media a year ago. Her mother claimed she'd been kidnapped. Then when the truth about Catherine came out a couple months ago, Jacqueline's face had gone viral again.

An absolutely exquisite face. The face he'd been gazing at for the past hour. She'd looked different with no makeup, hair in a ponytail, banged up from her slide through dirt and into trees. Even more beautiful to him because she was real and they'd connected.

"Is she here?" Clint peered into his eyes.

Cade would as soon deck the man as talk to him. If not for the heap of trouble they had in common, he'd take a swing and claim Clint was trespassing.

Jacqueline had been terrified. Now he understood why. Her mother was the devil reincarnated.

"Catherine Oliver escaped?" he asked instead of answering them.

"Yep." Clint looked around, clearly trying to see where he was hiding Jacqueline.

Cade puffed up and folded his arms across his chest, stonewalling Clint. If the Sheriff wanted to search his house, he'd need a warrant and a posse. These two wouldn't get through him. He would protect Jacqueline Oliver. She'd come to him. Not to Clint .

Clint looked him over, and Cade could see it cost him to clear his throat and say, "If you haven't seen her, we need to keep looking. Appreciate the help searching if you have time. The last place her phone tracked was on the switchbacks south of your valley."

Appreciate the help. Clint had humbled himself to offer those words. Cade should let down his guard. He wanted to protect and be there for Jacqueline, but he hardly knew her. If her mother's henchmen were anything close to what the media portrayed, she was in a dangerous predicament.

He knew these two men weren't the enemy. Jacqueline's mother was. Clint and Walker would do everything in their power to help and protect an innocent lady. Clint had been his enemy in the past, but Sheryl had dumped and ditched Clint six months after she'd broken Cade. They'd eventually have to work that out. Not today. A momentary truce could be allowed.

Lowering his voice, he stepped forward onto the porch with them, shutting the door behind him. "She's in my laundry room."

Clint moved as if to go around him and retrieve her.

"Stop," he said, still in a low tone.

Clint flinched and balled his fists. He didn't like to be bossed around.

"She slid down the mountainside headfirst," Cade continued rather than posturing against Clint like he'd grown accustomed to doing this past year. "She has amnesia, doesn't even remember her own name. I didn't know who she was until you started explainin' and I put the horse and cart together."

Clint and Walker exchanged a look and then focused on him. He and Clint might be at odds, but the Colevilles knew what kind of man he was, knew he told the truth .

"She's absolutely terrified," Cade continued. "She kept saying, ‘she will find me and injure you.'"

"That adds up," Walker said, pushing a hand through his hair. "So do we try to shock her into remembering, or leave her here and let her remember gradually?"

Clint's eyes narrowed. "She's our responsibility, not Cade's."

Cade's chest swelled. He could still remember Clint telling him that Sheryl was ‘my responsibility, not yours.'

"Sheriff." He tried for cordial, proud of himself. His mama and the good Lord would be proud too. "She's asked me to hide her and protect her. You know I won't in good conscience push her away." He gave him a challenging look, which Clint matched. "Her mind isn't right, and she's terrified. I don't know the right path, but dragging her out of here won't help her right now."

"Her mother is extremely dangerous and proficient in killing, manipulating, and blackmailing," Clint threw back at him, folding his arms across his chest. "She's out there somewhere and has connections and resources not even my family can can match. This is bigger than the both of us. Even the tough lieutenant with a Silver Star."

The tension between them was high. Not quite as high as when Sheryl pitted them against each other, but they might get close to that if they both refused to stand down. Jacqueline Oliver wanted Cade as her protector, not Clint. He couldn't lie and say that didn't feel good, but if this was bigger than the two of them … what was the solution?

"So do we call Sutton Smith?" Cade tried to joke, as if he had the famed billionaire security specialist on speed dial. He wouldn't mind another fist fight with Clint, but Jacqueline's health and safety was more important to him right now. That alone showed him how invested he was in a woman he'd discovered an hour ago. It had nothing to do with her fame and everything to do with her blue eyes, sweet smile, and stimulating touch.

"Quaid's been in touch with Aiden Porter," Walker said. He grinned. "Almost as good."

"Oh." Cade was impressed. Aiden Porter loved to claim he was the ‘second-best security expert in the world' behind Sutton Smith.

Quaid Raven. Aiden Porter. Jacqueline Oliver. Names and faces off the television or cell phone screen. Not real people. But Jacqueline was real. He'd felt how real she was in his arms. Why did the first woman he considered breaking his self-made vow of bachelorhood for have to be in danger and infamous?

"Can one of you call Doc while I call Quaid?" Clint asked, taking control, as always. "Get Doc's take on the amnesia situation and what's best for her that way, either staying or coming with us. I'll see what they think security wise. You can't get more remote than this place."

Cade thought that was a shot.

"I can monitor the entrance to your canyon with sensors and regular patrols, put some cameras and sensors up here if she insists on staying with you." Clint didn't ask if that was all right.

Cade met Walker's gaze, and he knew his friend could see how close he was to telling Sheriff Clint off.

"Can you call Doc?" Clint asked them both, not oblivious to the tension but clearly trying to skirt it for Jaqueline's sake.

"My phone's in the truck. It's almost dead," Walker said, looking to Cade.

Cade wanted to retain his pride. He wanted to tell Clint he didn't need his help, his sensors, or him taking charge. But Jacqueline Oliver and the danger his beautiful fugitive was in was bigger than both of them and their past. Was Clint interested in her? His stomach churned. What man wouldn't be interested in a teasing beauty like Jacqueline who needed protection from a powerful criminal? Especially an overprotective man like Clint.

He dropped his pride, held Clint's gaze, and admitted, "My phone is in the lake."

"Excuse me?" There was laughter in Walker's voice.

"Jacqueline threw it in the lake seconds after she woke up, when I offered to call for help." He shrugged.

"Threw it in the lake. Of course Jacey would do that. She's the best." Walker stopped laughing. "Because you offered to call for help? She really is scared." He rubbed his jaw. "She's a feisty tease and has a brave shield up. I haven't really seen her admit she's scared, except when Quaid was captured by his mom."

A feisty tease with a brave shield . That fit Jacqueline perfectly. Absolutely intriguing and appealing to him. Dang, he knew how to pick them. First Sheryl, a two-timer with the face of an angel who had destroyed him, his pride, and his relationship with Clint. Now Jacqueline Oliver, one of the most famed and mysterious women in America.

"Let's get a bead on how to help her," Clint asserted. He nodded to them, stepped down off the porch and placed the call.

The cocky sheriff was admitting he shouldn't make this decision. He was calling Quaid Raven. Jacqueline's brother. Notorious, wealthy, classy people. He'd teased with and almost kissed Jacqueline Oliver. That was mind-blowing. His sisters would never believe him. Heck, he could hardly believe it himself. If only he could go back to the innocence of his unexpected guest having amnesia and needing him .

Walker rolled his eyes at his big brother, hurried to his truck to retrieve his phone, and placed the call to Doc.

Cade shifted his weight, wanting to rush back into his house, gather Jacqueline into his arms, and reassure her she was safe with him, welcome to stay, and her famous and twisted mother would never find her here.

But that was not his place. Clint was here now. He'd take Jacqueline away, as he probably should.

Cade listened impatiently to the Coleville boys talking on their phones, Walker carefully asking Doc some ‘hypothetical' questions about amnesia and Clint speaking in rapid tones to Quaid Raven, one of the most famed men in America.

Clint told Quaid about Cade's military service, his medals and accolades, how he was ‘tougher than any man knew'. It was shocking to hear Clint building him up, turning his back as if Cade couldn't hear him then. Maybe his former friend just didn't want to look at him while he said something positive.

It was intriguing and embarrassing. Clint bragging him up? That was a switch. It was almost as if Clint wanted to push Jacey to stay up here. Were they tired of the burden of protecting her? Did he think this remote valley was a safer spot than the Coleville Ranch?

Clint kept repeating, "You want her to choose?"

Cade liked that. Her brother wanted her to choose. Would she choose him?

Personally, he longed to keep Jacqueline here with him and be reassured she didn't want Clint or any of the Coleville brothers. He'd keep her safe and pray for a chance with her. He would fight for her, do whatever needed to be done to keep her safe.

A chance? A hick cowboy hermit having a ‘chance' with Jacqueline Oliver? Not only was she one of the most beautiful women in the world, but she was also classy, educated, and wealthy. The way she spoke alone yanked him in like a dog on a leash and proved she was from a different world than his.

A chance? He rubbed his jaw.

His mind was more messed up than hers right now.