Bucking Bronc Lodge 04(30)

“Dammit. Did he hurt you?”

“No, I’m just shaken.”

“Did you see who he was?”

“No, it was too dark.” Now that the adrenaline was waning, Jordan’s knees buckled. She slumped down onto the bed, massaging her neck with one hand. “He ran through the woods on foot but he must have had a car parked nearby because I heard an engine... I thought you should know.”

“Let me ask Ms. Ellen to stay with Timmy and I’ll come over.”

“No, I’m fine, Miles—”

“I’m coming,” Miles snapped. “Maybe he left some evidence behind.”

Jordan sighed. She wasn’t thinking straight, acting on emotions. “You’re right.”

“Stay put. I’ll be there soon.”

Jordan retrieved her pistol and hurried to the front window to watch for Miles. If the intruder returned, she’d be ready.

* * *

MILES YANKED ON HIS JEANS and shirt, and hastily buttoned it. He holstered his gun on his belt, then went to check on Timmy. For a moment, his heart tripped as memories of his son’s nightmare crashed in on him.

Thankfully he was sleeping peacefully now.

All because of Jordan.

His failures as a father were mounting.

The wind rattled the roof, and he startled, listening again for trouble. But the sound of Ms. Ellen’s car rumbling up the drive to his cabin gave him comfort.

He rushed to open the door for her. The curly-haired chubby woman with her perpetual smile and loving hugs for the kids seemed to have boundless energy. Yet her mouth was pinched with worry.

“You said Jordan’s in trouble?” she asked as she lumbered up the steps.

Miles nodded. “She had an intruder. She chased him away, but I want to check on her.” He gestured toward the bedroom while she fumbled with her coat and scarf. “Timmy’s sleeping. He had a nightmare earlier and was awake for a while, so he may sleep in, but I should be back before you have to start breakfast.”

“Don’t you worry none, I’ll take care of your boy. You see about Jordan. She’s a sweetheart, that one is.”

He couldn’t argue with her there, and he didn’t have time to analyze whether or not she was trying to play matchmaker, so he simply nodded again, then hurried outside to his Jeep. Dust spewed from his wheels as he cut a circle in the drive and flew toward Jordan’s. He kept his eyes peeled for trouble but the ranch seemed quiet, at peace, everybody and every animal sleeping.

He clenched the steering wheel and took the shortcut off the road, making it to Jordan’s cabin within two minutes.

The outside of her place looked dark, the woods desolate behind the cabin. He parked, scanning the area as he rushed up to her door. Jordan opened it just as he raised his fist to knock.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded, although she looked pale, and he couldn’t resist pulling her into his arms for a moment. His heart pounded at the way she shivered against him, a sign she was more rattled than she wanted him to know.

Hell, why wouldn’t she be? She’d been shot at earlier, and now someone had broken into her place in the middle of the night. She sighed, shaking, then seemed to compose herself and pulled back. Memories of their earlier kiss taunted him, but he reminded himself not to have a repeat performance.

He was a mess. A failure at his job, with Marie, with his son.

Jordan ran a hand through her hair. It was disheveled and she looked tired.

“Tell me exactly what happened,” he said.

“I was asleep and heard a noise,” Jordan replied. “When I looked up, I saw a figure in my room.”

Miles frowned. “What did he look like?”

Jordan twined her fingers together. “I...don’t know, it was too dark for details.”

Miles rubbed her arm. “Just think, Jordan. Was he big, heavy, tall?”

Jordan closed her eyes and pressed a finger to her temple, a frown deepening the space between her eyes. “Tall, wide shoulders...big but not fat. Like he was fit.”

“What about a smell? A cologne? Cigarettes? Booze?”

Jordan shook her head, then seemed to rethink her response. “Yes, he did smell, but it wasn’t a bad odor. It was...subtle. Like an aftershave.”

“Dugan always wore a mint aftershave,” Miles said. “Subtle.”

“You think it was him?”

“I don’t know but we can’t take any chances.” Miles’s chest constricted. “Dammit, what if he broke in here as a diversion to lure me away from Timmy?” He dug his keys from his pocket. “He could be going after him now.”

He didn’t wait for Jordan to respond. He took off toward the door. If this was a setup by Dugan, he had fallen right into the man’s trap.