Texas Cowboy's Protection, - [books you need to read .TXT] 📗

Mom had been right about one thing, though. Everly needed as much family to surround her as possible, even if it was down to an overbearing mother and her friends.

Thinking about the piles of unopened boxes lining the walls of the family’s cabin on the lake, Gina already felt defeated. She would get there, she reminded herself on almost an hourly basis. It had become her mantra.

The boxes would eventually be unpacked. She’d make the two-bedroom cabin feel like home. It might take some time, especially considering she had a little one to care for and was starting right in with the family restaurant tomorrow, but the work would get done. It always did.

It was good to remind herself of her other favorite mantra in moments like these. Chin up. Smile on. Power through. God, she was so damn tired from ‘powering through’ the past year-and-a-half.

Plus, she’d always planned to come back and take over the family business at some point. It’s what her mother had done. And her grandmother before that. The restaurant had been operating in Gunner for three generations already. Gina would be number four and she hoped Everly would want to carry on the tradition someday. But only if she wanted to. Gina wouldn’t force her daughter into a life she didn’t want.

For Gina, the restaurant gave her a connection to family. There was so little of that left. Another benefit now that she was a single mother came in the form of extra time with her daughter. A breakfast-only job would make Gina more available to Everly and after losing Des so suddenly, she was never more aware of just how precious time could be.

Those thoughts were too heavy for this early in the morning. She cranked up the volume but even the loud drum banging and screech of a metal guitar couldn’t distract her today. She hated days like this where missing Des was an ache. There were too many days she didn’t want to get out of bed. In times like these she felt the dark clouds hanging over her head might never clear.

The sun comes out in every season, even spring. How many times had her mother repeated the mantra? It obviously gave her mother great comfort. For Gina, not so much. The only bright spot in Gina’s past year was asleep in a crib while her new babysitter hovered.

Gina rounded the corner onto a country road and finally hit her stride. At least her run was working for her this morning. The runner’s high kicked in, temporarily abating her need for a caffeine IV, although she wouldn’t turn one down. The move had brought on plenty of additional stress. Then there was leaving her job—a job that had been her lifeline in recent months.

The heavy metal band, RockSlam, pounded her ears, penetrating her thoughts, numbing her. A half hour into her run and it had finally hit. This was the point that made the whole get-out-of-bed early bit worth it. The point when she took control of her thoughts and could bury the heartbreak. The moment when she believed she’d actually be able to get through the day and maybe somehow be okay.

Her thighs no longer burned and her head stopped hurting for a few glorious minutes that, when she was lucky, turned into hours. It wasn’t exactly peace, but her brain was still. And that was the best she could hope for under the circumstances.

Rounding the next bend, she was in top form. She let go of the belief she was crazy for forcing herself out of bed. She let go of all the thoughts that constantly churned in her head. She just let go.

And then something hit her, knocking her out of her rhythm. A pungent smell blasted her nostrils. At the rate she was breathing, it hit hard. She coughed hard enough to break her stride.

The acrid smell could only come from a dead animal. Out at the lake, that wasn’t uncommon. Whatever it was, it must’ve been dead for days. Gina pulled the collar of her cotton T-shirt up and over to cover her nose and mouth. A few more steps in and her gag reflex engaged.

A side cramp stopped her, doubling her over. She took her earbuds out and glanced around, searching for the cause of the stench. She could make a call to animal control if she could figure out where the smell came from.

Checking underbrush, she heard a sound—like a dog whimpering—to her left. She steeled herself for what she might find and headed toward the noise.

Yesterday’s rain had everything soaked. Her running shoes were swamped with mud as she pushed closer to the wounded animal. And then she saw something move under a scrub bush. As she got closer, she saw a black Labrador retriever on his side.

Gina made slow and deliberate movements toward the animal. “You’re okay, buddy.”

The dog cried as he rolled onto his belly and tried to crawl toward her. She could see his tail wagging. He was friendly. Someone’s pet?

Gina had only moved in two days ago. She hadn’t had five minutes to introduce herself to the neighbors. Being on acre lots made privacy even easier and that was part of the reason she’d taken over the family cabin. That, and the fact rent was affordable. The restaurant did okay, but there was just enough money to set her mother up with retirement and give Gina enough of a salary to raise her daughter.

“You’re a good boy.” Gina bent down, making herself as small as possible so the dog wouldn’t see her as a threat. He hadn’t give her any indication that he would bite. At least not so far. Still, a wounded animal could be unpredictable.

Labradors were great dogs, though, and he seemed to know on instinct she was there to help. He moved again and that’s when she saw the blood. A lot of it. Gina moved to his side and smoothed her hand along his body.

And then she found it. Bullet hole. Who in God’s name would hurt such a beautiful animal? And how could she live right down the street and not hear it? The storm. Thunder pounded last night. It must’ve muffled the noise. “Hold on, buddy. We’ll get some help.” Anger raged through her as she pulled out her cell.

Gina took off the jacket tied around her waist and put pressure on the spot where the animal bled. Her first call was to her mother. The woman had half the town on speed dial. She knew everyone. Gina quickly explained where she was and what she’d found. The second call was to her babysitter to let her know she’d be running late.

The dog stirred. He was trying to get up.

Stroking the animal’s fur, tears blinded her. Who could be so cruel?

And then it dawned on her. The acrid smell. It wasn’t coming from the animal. She cursed.

He kept trying to get up. Was he trying to take her to his master?

From out of nowhere, Gina heard a twig snap right behind her. She made a move to whirl around. The strike to the back of her head barely registered. Everything went black.

Gina blinked blurry eyes open. Her head pounded and she felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. Her stomach roiled as she bounced up and down. Panic gripped her. Her first thought was Everly. If something happened to Gina what would happen to her daughter?

Moving was next to impossible. She struggled to gain her bearings. It didn’t take long for her to figure out she was in the back of a vehicle. Some kind of SUV. The driver was speeding, too. A getaway?

Her wrists hurt and so did her ankles. She was bound in some way. The cold metal cutting into her wrists gave her the answer. Cuffs.

The dog. Her heart ached for the Labrador she’d been trying to save. Was he just left there to die? That poor animal. A sob escaped against the tape covering her mouth. Gina stuffed her panic down deep. Call it survival instinct. She’d gotten good at denying her emotions in the last eighteen months. Hell, she could go further back than that, but Des was gone. She was a widow. There was no use thinking about the shortcomings in their marriage now.

Right now, all she cared about was getting home to Everly. Determination welled inside her as she took a mental inventory. Hands tied behind her back. On her side. She maneuvered, slipping her hands around her legs and in front of her without drawing attention.

Then she paused, listening for any clues about who was in the vehicle with her. From what she could discern, there was only one person in the car. She didn’t want to think about what that meant for the Labrador who’d been left all alone. She couldn’t think about that right now if she wanted to live. And she needed to live.

Was there anything inside the vehicle she could use as a weapon?

Gina tried to twist out of the metal cuffs. They were generic, the kind anyone could buy off the internet so she doubted the man driving was in law enforcement. She managed to squeeze the left cuff off her wrist and then the right. Her hands immediately flew to her ankles.

No such luck there. Those weren’t coming off so easily.

At least her hands were free. She had no idea how long she’d been out of it. The sun was still rising, so she couldn’t have been out for long. She flattened her palm on the floorboard and felt around. There had to be something she could use against her assailant.

Cell phone.