Chapter Fifteen
“C as,” Dale greeted, answering on the second ring.
“Why the hell do I have six missed calls from you?” Caspian’s voice was sharp, tinged with a mix of concern and irritation that only a brother could muster. “What’s going on?”
Barely knowing where to start, he inhaled and ran his free hand through his hair. “Not long after you shipped out on your mission, I got a call from Gabe, who told me Dad was in an accident.”
“Accident?” Caspian’s tone darkened. “What kind of accident? Is Dad okay?”
Dale glanced over at Sadie, who was quietly slipping out of bed and gathering her clothes. The sight of her glorious, naked body momentarily blanked his mind.
She caught his gaze and smiled, giving him a reassuring nod before disappearing into her bathroom and shutting the door.
“Dale? What the hell? Answer me,” Cas demanded, anxiety deepening his tone, regaining Dale’s attention.
Oh, yeah, right.
“Dad’s okay,” he quickly replied, then went into detail about the accident and all their father’s injuries.
Cas cursed in his ear so loud, Dale momentarily moved his head away from the phone.
“It could’ve been much worse,” he stated, after brining the device back to his ear. “He’s getting released from the hospital today.”
His brother blew out a breath, and the sound rustled through the phone. “You and your intuition. Good thing you dropped your packet, huh?”
The guy had no idea.
Dale debated on whether he should tell his brother the rest, especially since there wasn’t anything Cas could do about it at the moment. He was active duty, and Texas was too far from the Virginia base for him to travel if his team caught a mission while he was here.
The only reason Dale had called his brother’s phone that remained on base during missions, was because he knew Cas would want to know about their father’s accident, just as Dale would have if the boot was on the other foot.
He’d also want to know the rest.
“Yeah.” Dale cleared his throat, hoping Cas didn’t do anything stupid once he was up to speed on the events. “I’ve convinced him to stay at a safe house for now.”
There was a brief silence on the other end, and Dale could practically hear his brother’s mind racing.
“Safe house? What the hell, Dale? What aren’t you telling me?”
Exhaling, he hit the speaker button and set the phone on the bed before he started getting dressed. “There’s more to it, Cas. Someone’s been screwing around at the ranch, spooking the horses and trying to stir up trouble.” He quickly recounted every incident, including Sadie in his truck. “We’re not sure who it is yet, but the sheriff, Mac, Cooper, and the rest of the guys are helping me keep an eye on things.”
“Damn it, Dale. You should’ve told me sooner.” Caspian’s voice was tight, and Dale could tell he was struggling to keep his composure.
A smirk tugged at his lips, and he shook his head as if his brother could see him. “I did try, about six times , plus I contacted some higher ups to try to reach you, but they said since it wasn’t a death in the family, it would have to wait until you returned to base.”
Cas spewed several curses at that information, and Dale cringed, knowing Sadie probably heard his brother’s outburst through the closed bathroom door. “I’m coming home. To hell with it.”
“No, Cas, listen to me,” Dale said firmly, trying to keep his brother from making a stupid decision he knew the guy would regret later. “You’re still active duty. Either drop your packet when your anniversary date comes up in a few weeks or try to get a few days of leave. But I swear, you don’t need to come home right now. We’ve got it under control.”
“Under control? Dale, this is our dad we’re talking about,” Cas stated unnecessarily. “Plus, they’re screwing with my horse.”
The guy hadn’t seen his horse in nearly sixteen years. But Dale knew his brother had formed a deep bond with Triton the three years Cas had owned him before leaving for basic training after graduating high school, two years before Dale.
“I know,” he replied, retrieving his ankle holster and gun from the top of the nightstand, then securing it in place. “Look, both Dad and the horses are safe, and we’re handling it. I need you to trust me on this. We’re doing everything we can to find out who’s behind this, and we’ll take care of it. You don’t need to jeopardize your position. I just wanted you to be aware of what was going on.”
There was a long pause, and Sadie, who had just come out of the bathroom completely dressed, walked over to Dale. She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. “I’m putting coffee on,” she whispered, giving him a gentle smile before heading downstairs.
Dale watched her go, feeling a renewed sense of determination. “Cas, I promise you, I’ll keep him safe. You just focus on what you need to do.”
Caspian exhaled slowly. “All right,” he said, the fight slowly draining from his voice. “But if anything changes, I want to know immediately.”
“You will,” Dale assured him.
“So, was that the Sadie from the truck incident you mentioned that I just heard?” Cas asked, curiosity and amusement lightening his tone.
Damn guy always had the best hearing.
Dale scratched his temple. “Yes. She lives next to Dad in town, but has no security system. Yet.”
“Ah, so you were her security last night.” Cas chuckled. “Hope you brought protection to your protection detail.”
Swallowing a curse, Dale quickly took the phone off speaker and pressed it to his ear, hoping she hadn’t heard that downstairs. “Jesus, Cas, really?”
His brother chuckled again. “Hey, isn’t she that cutie who used to make puppy dog eyes at you at Connor’s corral?”
Damn guy also had good recall. Of course, it was an operator’s necessity.
“Yes, she is,” he reluctantly replied, not in the mood for his brother’s teasing. “She’s been taking care of the horses and Dad’s dog.”
Shit.
“Sadie, don’t let the dog out,” he called down, his heart rocking as he raced shirtless down the stairs. Relief rushed through him when Ranger bounded over to him.
Thank God.
He didn’t want her stepping foot outside without protection.
“I didn’t,” she called out from the kitchen. “But you’d better, because he needs to do his business.”
Cas chuckled again. “On that note, I’ll let you go take care of business .”
Dale smiled at the poor joke. “Thanks.”
“I’ll let you know if I’m shipping out again. Just keep me informed,” Cas said.
Exactly what he’d been trying to do. “Of course,” he stated. “Give Dad a call. He’ll want to hear from you.”
“Roger that,” his brother said. “And Dale? Take care of Sadie.”
A smile twitched at Dale’s lips. “I will, Cas. I will.”
He was still smiling when the call ended, and he bent down to retrieve his shirt off the floor where it had fallen from his grasp last night.
Sadie’s proposition had knocked him off-kilter, and even though he definitely shouldn’t have taken her up on it until this mystery was solved, Dale didn’t regret one wild, hot, incredible minute of it.
He did, however, regret not picking up his shirt first. Several long pieces of gray hair were plastered on the now wrinkled clothing. Apparently, Tesla had used it as a bed last night.
After shaking it out, he slipped the shirt back on. He hadn’t thought to grab a change of clothes while Mac and Coop were around yesterday. It wasn’t important, though. He’d go to his dad’s and change later when the guys were here. They were due to arrive soon, anyway.
“Pretty sure Ranger is trying to cross his poor paws,” Sadie said, walking into the room.
Shit, right. The dog.
He gave her a quick walk-by kiss on the nose because if he went anywhere near her mouth, they’d have missing time and Ranger’s mess to clean up. A quick glance out the back door told him nothing was amiss, so he let the whimpering dog outside. While Ranger did his business, Dale stood watch on the back deck and surveyed the area closer.
For a brief moment, the air held a faint crackle, but it dissipated a moment later. In fact, it was so fleeting, he chalked it up to his imagination. Sadie’s yard, as well as both of her neighbors’ yards, were clear.
The sound of a door opening had his attention turning to the back of Sadie’s house.
“Coffee’s done,” she informed with a smile. “Come on, Ranger. It’s time to eat.”
The cattle dog stopped sniffing flowers and sprinted straight inside the house. Dale followed, debating if he should scold the woman for opening the door and exposing herself to danger or let it go.
Deciding on the latter, he entered the house, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“Have a seat,” she said, motioning to the island stools. “I’ll get us some coffee.”
Doing as instructed, he settled down and enjoyed the view.
The morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, casting a warm, golden hue over everything. He watched as Sadie poured two mugs of coffee, moving with a quiet grace, a soft smile on her lips, and her hair pulled up in another messy bun he found sexy as hell. The simple domesticity of the moment filled him with a warmth he never expected to feel.
But he did. Because of this woman.
Today, she wore a pink T-shirt with “Craftiness is Happiness” on it. For him, Sadie was happiness.
“Sleep well?” she asked, setting their mugs on the counter before sitting next to him.
“Better than I have in years,” he replied, holding her gaze. “You?”
A blush filled her cheeks and messed with his pulse. “That was the best sleep of my life,” she admitted. “Actually, it was the best night of my life.”
Basking in her beauty and her words, he smiled. “Mine, too.”
“Good,” she said, her blush deepening.
Dale sipped his coffee, savoring more than the fresh brewed taste. He was savoring the moment. No drama, no danger…no company. Just the two of them and coffee. “I think you might be the best part of my morning routine now.”
Her eyes sparkled as her lips turned upward at the corners. “Well, if that’s the case, I’ll make sure to have coffee ready for you every day.”
His chest swelled. The sensation was new but welcome. He set his mug on the counter and reached out to gently brush a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “I could get used to this, Sadie. Waking up with your gorgeous, naked body draped over me, sharing quiet moments like this…”
“Me, too.” Her smile softened, and she placed a hand over his, giving it a squeeze. “Most definitely.”
Dale cupped her face and leaned in to brush her mouth with his, holding his instant desire at bay, determined to kiss the sweet woman gently and slowly and not let it get out of hand. Of course, their bodies had different plans, because she made a sexy sound and pressed closer, sliding her hands into his hair before grazing his lip with her tongue.
He grunted and tipped her face for a better angle as his tongue met her wicked one.
An instant later, Ranger began to bark and bounded for the front door.
They broke apart a second before a knock sounded at the front door.
Shit.
Dale sucked in air, working to get his body back under control.
“Those guys have the worst timing,” Sadie muttered between breaths.
He agreed.
If it was them.