Chapter 6

Her heart skipped a beat.

Justin, it was him. What was he doing out here in the rain?

She would recognise the way he sat in the saddle anywhere. He might not be a typical cowboy, but he certainly rode like one. The rain quickly fell heavier, and Allena suspected she should head for the cabin, but watching him ride through the storm, his swagger so familiar, nothing could make her drag her gaze away. He wore a raincoat, and the tail flapped as the horse jogged towards her. He came to a halt about ten feet away, his expression as dark and thunderous as the sky above them. And then he spoke. Well, more like he yelled. “What the hell are you doing?”

The moment Justin saw Allena heading off on her horse, he realised she would get stuck in the rainstorm. He knew enough about the weather to suspect the storm would be a bad one. And he certainly didn’t want Allena stuck out alone on a trail ride while a storm raged around her. She should have known better. As Rudy should have, something he said to the older man when he’d barked out the instruction to saddle up King so he could follow her and bring her back to the stables before the storm hit. But too late.

He spotted her racing back from the creek, her hand on her hat to stop it from blowing off her head. Of course, he knew she’d head for the old cabin. She made no secret of the fact that it was her favourite place on the ranch. His too, once upon a time, but he rarely got down to the place anymore. There were too many memories, too many reminders of the woman he’d loved and lost. “I’ve been riding,” she yelled over the rain now pelting over them.

Justin dismounted, grabbed King’s reins in one hand, and strode towards Star, then quickly untied the horse. “Now! Get up to the cabin!" he shouted, leading the horses towards the small barn at the side of the house. He tethered the horses inside two stalls and quickly raced back towards the cabin. She frowned. She was on the porch, hat off, her hair plastered to her head, her chest heaving, and her hands on her hips. “What are—”

“Exactly,” he shot back as he took the steps and stood in front of her. “Why on earth would you go riding when you knew there was a storm coming?”

“I didn’t think it would be this bad,” she said quickly, her blue eyes flashing. “And I’ve ridden in the rain before. Star doesn’t spook in bad weather.” Thunder clapped loudly, and she flinched. “Remember the rule, Allena?” he reminded her.

“I left my cell back at the stables," was the rule. His only stipulation, really. Call someone when things go wrong. Like if the car breaks down on the side of the road. If a date goes awry. If a headache turns into a migraine. If you get stuck in a thunderstorm. If the aeroplane you’re in has an unexpected mechanical failure. The memory struck him deep down. And as always, he wondered what he would have said had he had the chance to say some final words to his wife and also to his mother. Justin ran his gaze over the woman in front of him. “You’re soaked through, Allena.”

“I’m fine,” she said as the wind whipped across the porch and she shivered. “I'm okay.”

“You think you are okay?” he shook his head as he pointed to the door. “Let’s go inside until the rain clears.” He extracted the hidden key from its spot and unlocked the door. The scent of Cesar hit him immediately, and he opened the door wide to allow her to pass. She hesitated for a moment, then took off her boots and crossed the threshold. Justin did the same and shrugged out of the raincoat, then hung it on a peg near the door. The cabin was small and open-plan, with only a separate bedroom and tiny bathroom, which relied on a septic tank out the back. It was sparsely furnished, but there was still a table and chairs in the kitchen, an old brocade sofa near the fireplace in the living area, and a few rugs scattered over the floor in various places.

“I’m sorry I barked at you before,” he said flatly. “I was worried, that’s all.”

She shrugged fractionally. “I know, but I can take care of myself. And I love it here. I always feel safe in this cabin.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, though, for making you worry. I just needed to get away.”

“From me?”

She nodded. “This place always helps me think.” Justin understood. The cabin held some great memories. He’d spent time with Jayne in the cabin when they were first dating. It was part of the reason he ensured the place was kept clean and tidy. The memories were not something he wanted to fade away. The cabin meant a lot to him, and he realised it was the first time he’d been inside the place, alone, with a woman since Jayne had died.

Not that he thought of Allena as a woman. Well, of course she was a woman. He might need glasses or contact lenses, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see the obvious. She was, in fact, incredibly attractive. She had flawless skin, for starters, and her hair was the colour of warm treacle, and her eyes were vivid cornflower blue. She had curves, for sure, and since he wasn’t made of stone, it was impossible at times to not notice the way she moved or the way her hips swayed when she walked. It was just that he’d successfully programmed himself to ignore those thoughts because she worked for him, and it was inappropriate to think of her as anything other than the nanny.

And he never, ever crossed the line.

Once the door was closed, he figured he’d light a fire to warm them up. Heading to the fireplace, he pulled together the kindling, got the fire started, then turned and found Allena standing by the kitchen table, her wet clothes dripping water onto the floor. “I think there are a few towels in the bathroom,” he said, suddenly struck by the way her shirt clung to her curves, the thin cotton almost seeming translucent and clearly outlining her breasts. It kicked at something low in his gut, creating a kind of hazy awareness that somehow made him suck in a sharp breath. Justin quickly shook the feeling off and frowned. “And a few of Leah’s clothes in the wardrobe. There is no point in you catching a cold.”

Her hand came to her throat, and she pulled the shirt collar together. “Sure.” He watched as she scurried towards the bathroom and waited until she was out of sight before he took another breath. Something didn’t feel right. He usually knew exactly what he was feeling and thinking. But in the last few hours, his thought processes had become uncharacteristically skewed.

No doubt because he was mad with her for the way she’d disrupted his day, and potentially his

children’s lives—and his—with her plan to leave the ranch. Justin pressed a palm to his chest, felt his heart thundering behind his ribs, and took a few long and calming breaths. The rain on the metal roof was usually a sound that relaxed him. But now he felt agitated and restless.

He grabbed his coat and headed back outside, quickly pulling on his boots before racing across the yard to the small shed. He cranked up the temperamental generator so they at least had some light. By the time he was back in the house, the rain was heavier, and he quickly ditched his coat and shoes again and shut the front door. He spotted a couple of his sister Leah’s pottery mugs on the draining board in the kitchen and smiled. The mugs were moulded in the shape of farm animals, and he had an entire set of them up at the main house. His sister often spent time in the cabin and had a small workshop and kiln out the back where she created her art. Mostly, she sculpted pieces from metal, but she also dabbled in clay and ceramics. She was incredibly talented, and he was immensely proud of her.

Perhaps Leah would be able to talk some sense into Allena since they were friends. Or maybe he could prevail on Tess to set her straight. There was no one’s opinion that mattered more to Allena than her sister’s. Whoever it turned out to be, the situation clearly required an intervention. Only, what if Tess couldn’t get through to her? What if she really was in a serious relationship? What if? He hated those two words.

What if the plane hadn’t crashed? What if he had asked his wife to skip flying that day? What if he’d taken the time to notice how unhappy Allena really was? He knew one thing for sure. He had to figure out a way to convince Allena to stay.

And fast.