Protecting You (A McCord Family Novel Book 1) (18 page)

"You dated Jimmy?" Chief Tanner asked confused.

"No. I'm dating none of these McCord men." She turned to Austin, poking him with her finger. "Quit defending her, Austin. You may have dated her, but she isn't worth your time. She gave her sympathies over Jimmy and then told you she would have said that sooner if you had only called her," Ava said in a mock tone, imitating Dani. "Last time I checked, when someone dies, the family doesn't call for condolences from people. It's the other way around."

Austin sighed. "You make a good point, Ava."

"Yes, I do. So, please kindly give Chief Tanner, Sandra and Dani's last names so he can check them out. I would've already, but I don't know them," Ava snapped, annoyed how this entire conversation was going.

"Sandra Cole and Danielle—Dani for short—Westlen," Zane said with a slight anguish in his tone.

"Westlen, you say?" Chief Tanner perked up.

"Yeah, does that name ring a bell?" Austin asked, surprised.

"As a matter of fact, it does. If she's related to Frank Westlen then we might have a good lead here. He has priors for drug possession, dealing it as well, a few resisting arrests and assaults on his record. Not a nice fellow," Chief Tanner said. "He's a frequent flier through our jail."

"What do you know—a real suspect who has a criminal record. What a shock," Ava said sarcastically to Austin.

"I already said you made a good point," Austin said, pulling her into a hug. "I would hate to tangle with you in New York when you're working."

"I second that opinion," Chief Tanner said with a grin at Ava. "I'm going to leave you guys for now and check all this out. We may have something here. Hopefully we'll find evidence in the woods to tie them to it as well."

Zane and Austin shook hands with the chief and thanked him. He said goodbye to Ava and left the farm.

"Well, that was exhausting. I'm going to go lie down now," Ava said, turning around to the house.

"I can—"

"I'm fine by myself," Ava interrupted Zane as she twirled around to glance at him.

He looked pained at her words. Or was it something else? She didn't stick around to find out as she headed into the house and closed the door with an ominous click.

Chapter 10

"Zane, how do you know when you love a woman?" Jimmy asked, wringing his hands.

"You're fifteen, Jimmy, why are you asking that kind of question?" Zane replied as they swung together outside on the porch.

"No reason. Austin seems to float from woman to woman and says he loves them all. What does that mean?"

Zane laughed and ruffled his hair. "Don't listen to Austin when it comes to women. He doesn’t love love them—like Dad loved Mom—or still does really, even though she's gone. He just…appreciates them. Enjoys them, let's say that."

Jimmy smiled. "I guess that makes sense for him. He does date an awful lot."

"What's going on in that head of yours? You like a girl?" Zane asked with a grin.

Jimmy blushed. "I don't know. Maybe."

"So you think you love her—this girl?" Zane asked. Why was Jimmy asking him? He wasn't an expert either. He rarely dated, not like Austin.

"I don't know. That's why I asked. She makes me smile when I see her. My heart races a little. My body, you know, responds a little," Jimmy said softly. "This is dumb. Forget I asked."

Zane pulled him into his side for a quick hug. "Hey, what are brothers for if you can't ask the hard questions? You wanna have sex with this girl, don't you?"

Jimmy blushed again. "Maybe." He paused to find the right words. "Should you be in love first before you, you know, have sex? How do you know when you're ready?"

Zane laughed. "I don't know, you just know I guess. It's different for every guy I would say. Austin's horny as hell, so I would assume he gets it all the time."

Jimmy laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right. I didn't think I could talk to him about this. That's why I came to you. Have you had sex yet?"

Zane sucked in a breath. "Yeah, I have. It was good, I guess. Did I love her? No. Do I wish I waited for the right woman? Yeah, I think so. But who is that right woman? I guess it's different for everyone. I think you should wait, if you're asking me. Don't let Dad find out because he'll kick your ass for it. It should be special, Jimmy. It's the joining of two people, creating something magical. Does this girl you like, fit that description?"

"I don't know. I guess I have to think about it."

"Well, don't do anything until you know. And if you do, always use protection," Zane said seriously then grinned. "Dad would kill you if you knocked up a girl at this age."

Jimmy laughed. "I promise I will, Zane. I imagine you would kill me, too, even as you're joking with me about it. Have you ever been in love?"

"Besides loving my family—with a woman—no. Love is forever, Jimmy. I think love smacks you in your face when you're least expecting it. It crawls through you, sucking you dry, and all you have left is a deep, abiding love for that one special woman. You would do anything for her. Make her smile at the littlest thing. Make her happy with every breath in your body. Keep her safe from all harm. That's what love is to me. I've never felt that before, and who knows, maybe that kind of love doesn't exist. I'm still waiting, Jimmy. I'm hoping I get smacked in the face someday."

***

Zane held Ava in his arms as she peacefully slept. He had waited a few hours before he decided to risk joining her in bed. He had seen her expression when she turned around and denied him. Her face had been devoid of the glare, but that exact moment reminded him of when he first met her. The way her hair swept around her face in a graceful sweep, her eyes staring deep into his. He had been an enemy then, a wide distance between their beliefs. In that moment, he had felt a wide distance again. This time for an entirely different reason.

He hadn't been sure what her expression meant, but knew she didn't want him to come to bed with her. She confused him. The words spoken between everyone outside had him wondering what was happening. He wasn't sure about anything, and yet, when he was lying here with her in his arms, it all made perfect sense.

He had tentatively crawled into bed, scooting closer to her with trepidation. The minute she sensed he was near, she wrapped herself into his embrace and curled into his sweet frame. He had sighed in contentment, knowing she belonged in his arms. He laid there for a while, breathing her in—the delicate scent of flowers he had come to treasure.

He briefly relaxed for a while, falling asleep, waking up an hour later, not knowing why. She still slept beautifully in his arms, the nightmares yet to plague her. He assumed they hadn't while he had been gone because she had been sleeping when he walked in.

Panic threatened. If she could sleep without him, he would have no leverage to keep her on the farm. Not that he wanted her to experience those horrifying nightmares. Because he didn't. Never.

What else could keep her here? She had sounded so confident and in charge this afternoon with Chief Tanner. Did she finally miss her job? He knew he could sleep peacefully knowing she wouldn't leave until whoever started the fire was caught. The way she spoke, she would walk to the ends of the earth to find who did it. He couldn't wait himself, as the rage at the destruction to his farm crushed him.

She had been stunning as she stood up for them. Protected them. She was so small to him, still a little frail looking, yet, so strong. It made him want to laugh at her fierceness, grateful she had become Jimmy's friend and guided him through life while he lived in New York. He realized Jimmy had been in good hands with her.

He kissed the top of her head. She shifted a little at the contact, pressing closer to him. The movement made him ache for her as he nestled perfectly with her body, knowing all he needed is one little push to make them connected as one. If only the layer of clothing would suddenly disappear.

He lightly rubbed her back. His hands gradually started to move without thought. A rough hand grazed down her thigh, caressing her gently. He grabbed the edge of her nightgown and inch-by-inch moved his hand back up, stroking her curves, making his way to her breast. Caressing her tip with quiet ease, she arched into him again with a slight moan escaping. With his other hand still on her back, he held on tightly, pressing back into her, wishing those damn panties were off. One little push is all he needed.

He continued his arousal of her, playing with her tips, meeting her body each time, as she would lovingly press into him.

"Zane," she whispered breathlessly. "You're being extremely naughty right now. This is pure torture."

He kissed the top of her head again without stopping his treacherous assault on her gorgeous body. She lifted her head to meet his eyes and he went in for a kiss before she could say another word. She kissed him back without hesitation.

As the kiss increased into fury, so did their movements. Zane rolled gently to nestle deeper into her. He continued to push into her, moving his mouth to her neck, trailing kisses as he went down. Sucking in a deep breath, he cursed softly as he ground into her one more time and rolled to his back, breathing heavily.

Ava laid her head onto his chest. "Zane? Are you all right?"

He took a few breaths before he answered. "I'm fine. Just got a little carried away for a minute. I'm sorry. I had to stop. I…I never made it to the store yet."

Ava smiled. "I know, silly. It's been crazy around here. It's a nice way to wake up, that's for sure."

Zane looked down at her smiling face and kissed her on the lips. "Good. I'm glad you're not mad at me. I can't help myself when it comes to you."

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"You seemed mad at me outside. Did I say something wrong? You wouldn't let me lay down with you. I wasn't sure you wanted me in here anymore."

"I'm not mad. I was exhausted from it all and needed a moment by myself. It's nothing you did." She placed her hand on his cheek, softly caressing. "Trust me when I say, you'll know when I'm mad at you. I'll let you know point blank. I can't rely on you forever to comfort me to sleep, can I?"

This was his moment. The perfect opening to express how he felt. Could he do it? "You're still here. Why not rely on me? I enjoy laying here with you."

Ava sighed quietly. "I enjoy it, too."

He smiled, trying to keep his misery out of it. "Are you hungry? It's past suppertime and I never ate before I climbed in here with you. I could use some food."

"I guess I could. I'll meet you out in the kitchen. I need to get dressed and use the bathroom."

He placed a quick kiss on her lips and left the room before he spilled his guts on how he truly felt.

***

Ava scooped flour into a cup when Austin walked into the kitchen. Some of the flour filtered onto the counter, blowing a small cloud of white powder onto her shirt. It wasn't the only part of her that was messy from her dubious baking skills.

"What are you making?" Austin asked as he eyed her shirt full of—everything. "Looks like you are really bonding with the ingredients."

Ava raised an eyebrow and glared as she made a motion as if she was going to throw the cup of flour at him. "I'll have you know baking is not as easy as it looks. I'm attempting those biscuits you two just love. And another apple-pie. It's not as easy when Eleanor isn't here."

Austin laughed. "Making more of Zane's favorite things? How sweet." He backed away a little with his hands up in an innocent gesture when Ava came closer with the flour. "Okay, I'll stop. Where's Eleanor?"

"She ran to the store for some groceries. We ran out of some things for the chicken dinner she wants to make tonight. What are you two up to out there?" Ava asked, trying to calm her emotions down inside without making it obvious how his words affected her.

"Just working on removing all the debris from the barn so we can start building a new one. It's not easy. I have some good and some bad news. Which one do you want first?"

"Good news, please. I hope it's that they found Frank Westlen. I have had enough of this waiting around crap." She started measuring another cup of flour after tossing the first one in the bowl.

"No, sorry, it's not that. It's only been two days since they brought Dani in and she confessed to asking her brother Frank to
teach us a lesson,
as she so elegantly put it," Austin said with irritation. "I can't believe I dated a woman who would be so callous and try to hurt us like that. This could hurt us for the winter. We lost money." Austin shook his head in regret.

"You can never fully know someone sometimes. You can't blame yourself that she's a bitch or that you didn't know she had a brother with serious issues with the law."

"Yet, you knew something was wrong with her with just one brief meeting," Austin pointed out.

Ava smirked. "First of all, mister, I wasn't thinking with the head in my pants when I met her. Women sense things about other women than men do. I could see her jealousy of me within seconds. It just screamed warning bells to me, that's all."

"All good points. At least Sandra wasn't involved. Chief Tanner said she was hanging off the arm of another guy when he went to question her."

Ava laughed. "I'm not surprised. Good for Zane. Not that I'd let her within a hundred feet of him."

Austin smiled. "So, my good news. Do you still want to guess what it is?"

Ava started mixing her dry ingredients, slowing her stirring a bit when flour started to spill over the sides. "I'm done guessing. Just tell me."

"I found Gerta earlier. She was out in the north pasture with some of the cattle. She seemed happy and content. Not sure the cows felt the same way about her," Austin said with a grin.

Ava beamed at him. She put her bowl down and ran over to him, grabbing a hug. "That is good news. I was worried about her. It took too long to find her."

Ava pulled away from him and started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"It looks like you've been baking with me now. Oops," Ava said as she pointed to his shirt, where her ingredients transferred to him.

Austin looked down and laughed. "Thanks a lot."

Ava walked back over to the counter. "So, what's the bad news? You just said she's good and happy."

Austin looked grimly at her, creating instant concern. "Well, I brought her to Zane and told him I found Gerta. That all our pet goats were safe and sound. He told me that they weren't pets. Can you believe that? He still won't accept them as pets."

Ava gave him a goofy grin and laughed. "That's not bad news. You had me going there for a second. That's just not nice, Austin."

Austin cracked up. "You should've seen your face. I swore you would find that bad news. I know how much you think of them as pets. And most pets are family to people, which in turn makes the goats family. I explained all of that to him, and well, let's just say he threatened another shovel of manure at my head so I walked away."

Ava joined him in laughing. "You are devious, Austin. Leave him alone. He'll come around."

Austin grinned. "Yeah, you think so? Think you can convince him they're pets and call Gerta by her name?"

Ava looked at him. "I don't know. He can be stubborn."

"He can be, that's very true. It would take a brave woman to take on that kind of man."

"Are you getting at something here, Austin?"