Chapter 5
FIVE
Ethan
“Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Mason crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
“Let’s start with the bad.” I lowered myself onto the other chair in the workshop and stretched. I’d scrubbed the kitchen from top to bottom while Mason checked out the oven, and now everything ached. How Mae kept the place as spotless as she did eluded me.
I reached for my phone, intending to check for an email from my contact, but Mason’s words had me freezing.
“Someone tampered with the stove.”
My gut twisted. It had been months since we’d seen signs of sabotage. And now that Hannah was here, it had started up again? I wanted to get to my mate. Protect her. The urge to keep her in sight was overwhelming. As I battled with my bear, I asked. “Are you sure?”
“Positive. The electrical components were a mess, and the wiring was exposed.”
I shoved my chair back and paced, ignoring the ache of my muscles and the desire to shift. “Why now? There’s been nothing for months.”
“I don’t know. Could be because we’re getting close to opening the dude ranch.” Mason’s gaze remained steady on me, as if watching to make sure I stayed in control. “I doubt they were targeting your mate specifically.”
I growled. “Doesn’t make me feel any better. You’d know that if you’d found your mate.”
His lips tightened, and something flashed across his eyes, but it was gone before I could decipher it. “The real question is how someone broke into the house without being seen?”
“Did Mae use the oven this morning?” I thought back to breakfast but couldn’t remember.
“No.”
I didn’t question Mason’s answer. His time in the military had left him with stellar observational skills. “She definitely used it yesterday. She made cookies for Hannah and Jonah.”
“Someone must have snuck in overnight.”
I frowned. “I didn’t hear anything before I left for my run, and I was awake all night.”
“Do you remember what time you left the house?”
“I was gone a few hours, so subtract that from when I joined you and Declan in the kitchen.” I shoved my hand in my hair. “Around three, maybe?”
“I was up around five,” Mason said. “That leaves a couple hour window to get in and get out. Plenty of time to mess with the oven.”
“Still, it’s not easy to sneak into a house full of shifters.”
Mason nodded. “Whoever did this is a pro. They may even have known the smoke would cover up their scent. There’s no way we can track them.” He growled, a frustrated sound that resonated with me. “I’ll ask Luke to check it out, but even his wolf’s senses will probably struggle to pick up a trail.”
That only escalated my driving need to see Hannah. Mason was right that she probably wasn’t the saboteur’s target, but it didn’t change the fact that having a saboteur on the ranch put her in danger. And Jonah.
“Go see your mate.”
“I can’t. I need—”
“To see your mate.” Impatience colored Mason’s tone, catching me off guard.
Ever since he returned from the military, he had been a closed book, seldom displaying anything other than a measured steadiness. Whatever happened had changed him in more ways than just leaving him with a leg injury that had never healed properly.
He rubbed his thigh, massaging the muscles of his injured leg in a rare sign of vulnerability. His voice, when he spoke, was rough. “I can take care of this. Spend time with your mate.”
I stared at him, but his expression closed, and he was back to his normal demeanor. I wondered if he was longing for his own mate. If anyone could get him to open up, it would be her. I hoped he found her soon. I hoped all my brothers found their mates soon.
I was almost out the door when I stopped and turned back to Mason. “What’s the good news?”
His face was grim. “The fire could, and probably should, have been worse.”
My thoughts raced as I walked to Hannah’s cabin. Should I tell her what Mason had discovered? It would ease her worry that she’d caused the fire, but it might also make her want to leave. We had no way of knowing when the saboteur would strike again, and where.
“Someone looks deep in thought.” Chloe joined me on the path, her camera swinging from her shoulder. She nudged me with her elbow. “I’m guessing it’s about your mate.”
“Always.” I mustered up a grin.
“Want me to watch Jonah for a while so you and Hannah can have some time alone?”
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’m meeting Austin and Gabriel to take some pictures of them working the horses.
Jonah can be my assistant.” She stopped, her hand on my arm to hold me in place.
“I’m so happy for you, Ethan. I know how badly you wanted to find your mate.
That it’s my friend only makes me happier.
She deserves some fun in her life, and you’re just the shifter to give that to her. ”
That settled it. Hannah didn’t need to know about the sabotage just yet. I couldn’t keep it from her forever, but I would at least give her the rest of the day. Then I’d explain what had happened, so she’d understand why I was going to be sleeping on their couch for the foreseeable future.
Hannah
Tank was bigger than I expected. When Jonah mentioned it was the horse he’d learn to ride on, I pictured something closer to a pony. This was a grown man’s horse. I watched as Ethan saddled Tank, wondering the entire time how I was supposed to get up there.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? I haven’t ridden in years.”
Ethan flashed me a grin. “Tank’s the best. He’ll keep you safe. And I’ll be right beside you.”
He tightened the last strap and laced his fingers, forming a step for me. “Up you go.”
A hint of a dare lingered in the curl of his lip.
I squared my shoulders and took a deep breath before grabbing the reins and putting my right foot in Ethan’s hands.
He boosted me up, and I grabbed the pommel and slipped my left foot into the stirrup.
I swung my leg over Tank’s back and found my balance, trying not to look down at the ground.
Ethan adjusted the stirrup length before practically vaulting into the saddle of his horse.
“We’ll start off walking until you’re more comfortable.
” He nudged his horse forward, and I followed.
The steady rhythm of Tank’s gait soon had me relaxing, though I still kept my gaze forward instead of down.
Ethan pointed to our right at a bull swishing its tail in a pen.
“That’s Havoc. You’ll want to steer clear of him. He’s a menace.”
“Why do you keep him?”
“He’s a great stud. Unfortunately, he hates people.” Ethan led us away from the bullpen. “We sometimes talk about selling him to the rodeo, but it’s not realistic. He was never trained to buck. He’s just plain mean.”
Ethan studied me as I rode. “You’ve got a good seat. Are you up to picking up the pace?”
My stomach flipped, but I stayed steady in the saddle, not wanting Tank to sense my unease. I moved my shoulders, readying myself for the speed change. “Bring it on.”
We moved first to a trot, Ethan guiding me through how to sit through the rougher gait.
Though Tank’s trot was far smoother than I expected.
Ethan didn’t stay long in the trot, quickly switching us over to a canter.
The wind blew through my hair, making me feel cooler under the hot sun, and the smooth motion of the horse beneath me had me relaxing deeper into the saddle.
We rode to the top of a hill that overlooked where the cattle were. The herd of cows spread over the grassy pasture, and I noticed Declan and Luke were weaving among them on horseback. I looked at Ethan. “Am I keeping you from work?”
“My chores for today are done.” He waved at his brothers before turning his horse back the way we came.
His horse sidled up next to Tank, close enough our legs were almost touching, and faced me.
His hat shaded his face, but I could still see the deep brown of his eyes focused on me.
“I get a bit of a pass since I just found my mate. They know it’s important for us to spend time together. ”
“I still don’t know how I feel about that.” I decided honesty was the way to go. “It’s not at all what I expected.”
“Of course not. You’re human. I’ll give you all the time you need to get used to it.
But I’ll also stay as close to you as you’ll let me.
” Ethan tipped his hat back as he wiped his forehead where a thin layer of sweat had formed.
“But for now, we should get out of the sun and cool down. I’d hate to see you burn. ”
He led me back the way we came but veered off when we passed a tall rock formation.
He just grinned when I asked where we were headed.
A few minutes later, we stopped at a small pond surrounded by leafy trees.
Ethan dismounted with ease, then came to help me down.
I was glad he didn’t leave me to get down on my own, as my legs wobbled the second they hit the ground, my muscles screaming from the unusual activity.
His firm hands lingered on my waist, holding me steady.
My fingers twitched as they rested on his biceps, lightly squeezing the powerful muscles.
We stood close enough for the brim of his hat to shade both of us, making it feel like we were in our own little world that the outside couldn’t touch.
I wanted to soak in the moment, savor this sensation that nothing else mattered besides him and me.
“Race you to the pond?”
“What?” My jaw dropped as he stepped back and yanked his shirt over his head, his hat tumbling forgotten to the ground.
My mouth watered over the sight of his bare chest, my gaze wandering lower over his sculpted abs to the V that disappeared into his jeans.
His fingers dropped to his belt buckle, and I reached out to stop him, my hands dangerously close to the bulge in his pants.
“What better way to cool down than to take a swim?” He raised a brow but stopped undressing, as if waiting for me to catch up.
“I’m not skinny-dipping with you.”
Despite the suspicion I had over his motives, my protest was weak, and he grinned a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with humor. “Unless you’re going commando, there’s no need to skinny-dip.”
My thoughts raced as I tried to remember what I was wearing under my clothes.
I grimaced internally when I recalled the utilitarian bra and panties that were verging on granny underwear.
I was torn between relief—the undergarments covered more than a bikini would—and disappointment that they would hardly inspire attraction.
I told myself that was best, but my pride wanted Ethan’s eyes to fill with desire when he saw me.
I slid my gaze to the pond. After the lengthy ride, I was dusty, sweaty, and hot, and the cool water looked incredibly tempting.
Tempting enough to have me reaching for the hem of my T-shirt.
I toyed with it for a minute as I studied Ethan.
He didn’t look away, the humor in his eyes morphing into a challenge, daring me to continue.
Before I could overthink it, I peeled my shirt off and kicked off my shoes. Ethan’s grin heated, and he kept his eyes trained on me as he undid his belt. We both pushed our pants down at the same time, our gazes locked.
I shouldn’t have worried about my underwear. Ethan’s boxers had little cartoon images of teddy bears wearing happy face T-shirts. He shrugged when I arched a brow. “Christmas present from Austin. They’re very comfortable.”
We stood there, stripped down to our undergarments, Ethan’s gaze as hot as I was sure mine was. He was a spectacular specimen, with massive muscles that somehow weren’t too much and bronzed skin that told me he wasn’t a stranger to spending time shirtless in the sun.
He held out his hand, and I took it. After lacing our fingers together, he tugged me toward the pond.
Any idea of racing forgotten. The cool water lapped at my ankles as we waded in.
It got deep fast, and I ducked my head under the surface.
When I came up, Ethan was underwater. Then he slid up, moving closer to me.
Water droplets fell from his hair as he raked it back with his free hand.
I bit my lower lip. Guests would flock to the dude ranch if they posted pictures of Ethan like this. Shirtless, with water dripping over his muscles. A suggestion I knew I would never make, as jealousy flared at the idea of women ogling my man.
My man. When did I start thinking of Ethan that way? I didn’t know, but it resonated with me. Everything else fell away; my grief, my guilt, my mistrust of men. Regret might come later, but right now, in this moment, I wanted to lay claim to him. To my man.