With This Pledge (Windswept Bay Book 8) Read online

  Today, she was making a grocery list, but her mind kept wandering to Max instead of the needed items she was trying to think of and write down.

  She pushed Max from her thoughts, telling herself that she was barking up a dangerous tree…and an unwanted one. But maybe it didn’t hurt to at least think about the guy. She was, after all, single, unattached, and available. But she wasn’t.

  Not to a military man. Especially someone in Special Ops.

  Salad. She needed salad, tomatoes, ranch dressing—she loved ranch dressing. She loved it with everything: carrots, chicken strips, French fries… Does Max Sinclair like ranch dressing?

  Stop thinking about the man!

  It didn’t matter whether he liked it or not; the man was off-limits.

  She frowned and tossed her pen on the table. She stared at the ocean as so many thoughts of the time spent after learning her dad had been killed in action spun through her.

  It wasn’t Max’s fault that she couldn’t forget what she’d sacrificed for her country. But that didn’t matter. Turning away, she headed inside. It was time to go to town and get her groceries. It was time to stop thinking about Max.

  She’d eaten all of her meals alone since coming to town, except for the night she’d gone to the engagement party. Maybe it was time to start thinking about getting out more. But right now, she was getting out by going to the grocery store.

  Max was getting crosstown to play pool with Jake again tonight. They played the night before and had such a good time they decided to play again tonight. It had helped getting out of the house and it would help him once again to not let his brain obsess over the pretty girl training horses at his brother’s business. Kelsey Malone was off-limits, period.

  He was telling himself that as he drove to the parking lot and parked in front of the pool hall. He saw that he’d missed a call from Jake. He hadn’t heard it ring so he checked and saw the sound was turned down. He listened to the message.

  “Hey bro, sorry to do this to you but I’m not going to make it tonight. You’ll have to find someone else to take money from instead of me. Sorry this is last minute but couldn’t be helped. Had a boat break down and had to go pick everyone up. Talk to you later.”

  He had no desire to go inside and find strangers to play pool with. Instead, he cranked his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. Feeling restless and more tempted than he wanted to admit, he had to fight not to turn his truck in the direction of the stables. He forced himself to turn the opposite direction. Maybe he’d go see his folks…too many questions might meet him there, though, so instead he’d go home. He stopped at the red light on the corner, thoughts of Kelsey on his mind again. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music as he stared across the street to the grocery store parking lot. He guessed he could go to the store.

  Then, suddenly, he saw Kelsey. It took a second to realize that the woman striding at a determined pace across the parking lot was Kelsey. It was as if she’d walked out of his head and onto the pavement. She did not look happy. He concentrated; yes, she looked upset. And then he saw the man stalking twenty paces behind her. He picked up his pace as Max stared. He wore a white button-up shirt, jeans, boots, and a Stetson. Just before she reached her truck, he reached her. He talked to her and she said something over her shoulder as he grabbed her arm.

  “What the—” Max sat up straight as the man yelled something at Kelsey and she began trying to pull her arm out of his grasp. The light turned green and he stomped the gas. He would have run the light if he’d needed to. He shot across the intersection and into the parking lot, screeching tires as he turned the corner, and drove straight at the man. Kelsey was struggling with the man as Max slammed on his brakes. He bailed out of the truck just as Kelsey broke free from the man’s grip and fell to the ground. The man bent over her. Max did not hesitate as he blasted out of the truck. Stepping on his bad knee without care, a sharp, jagged pain ripped through him. He grunted; his knee buckled but he stayed upright as he shot across the few feet between him and the man. Max tackled him and they both flew to the ground. Max was seeing red as he quickly flipped the man to his back and yanked his arm back and up, making it so the man couldn’t move. He could yell, though, and was doing plenty of that.

  “Get off me. Let me go.”

  Max ignored him. “Kelsey, you okay?” He watched as she scrambled up from the ground and rubbed her arm.

  She looked dazed as she stared from him to her assailant. “I, I’m fine. He just, he just grabbed me.”

  “Call 911.”

  She just stared at the man, who yelled threats at her.

  “Kelsey, look at me. Are you okay?” he asked again, wanting to reach out to her. “Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

  “I didn’t hurt her,” the man growled.

  “Stop struggling and shut your mouth. You’re lucky I took it easy on you. Kelsey, answer me—are you okay?” His heart thundered as he pulled his phone from his pocket and punched Levi’s number in with his thumb. He punched his knee into the man’s kidney harder when he squirmed. Max never took his gaze off Kelsey and finally she nodded her head.

  “Sorry. I’m just…shaken up.”

  Levi answered the call. “Hey, Max—”

  “Levi, I need you at the grocery store on Main. A man attacked Kelsey in the parking lot. And I’ve got him but you’ll need to get here.”

  “I’m not far. I’m on my way.”

  Max rammed the phone back into his shirt pocket.

  “You’ll hear from my lawyer,” the man threatened.

  “You’re really going to threaten that? I saw you grab her. I saw you follow her out of the store.” Sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Maybe this is a bad idea,” Kelsey said.

  “Yeah, it’s a bad idea,” the man growled. “She won’t press charges.”

  Max stared at Kelsey. “Do you know this guy?”

  She nodded. “He’s Alton Harrison, my ex-boss.”

  Chapter Four

  Levi stood Harrison up, having arrived and directed Max to let him take over.

  Max stood to the side and struggled to understand what was going on. Kelsey’s ex-boss? What was that all about?

  “Are you going to press charges, Kelsey?” Levi asked.

  To Max’s surprise, she shook her head. “No. I just want him to go away and leave me alone. Go back to your wife and your business. There is nothing for you here, Harrison,” she told the guy, staring at him with hard eyes.

  Max glared at her. “It’s none of my business but it seems to me if the guy is harassing you that you need to press charges so he’ll leave you alone. He can’t just do this and get away with it.”

  “You don’t understand, Max.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Levi let the man go. “You understand that she could press charges. Come with me and hand over your driver’s license. I’m writing you a warning for disturbing the peace. And if you come back in my jurisdiction and cause trouble again, I’ll book you. Got it?”

  “I’ll have my lawyer sue every one of you,” Harrison snarled.

  Max stepped closer, the pain in his knee almost unbearable. “You better get in your truck and get out of here while you can. I won’t go as easy on you next time.” He should have broken the piece of dirt’s arm. He looked at Kelsey. “You’re sure you’re not pressing charges?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sure. I just want this to go away.”

  It probably wasn’t that easy, he wanted to tell her, but kept his mouth zipped so he wouldn’t say more than he should. He leaned against his truck and waved a hand at Levi. “Get him out of here.” He said nothing to Kelsey.

  She wrapped her arms together and could not look at him as they waited for Levi to get his info. Then, after another warning and the man spouting off more threats, they watched him storm to his truck and drive away.

  Max could feel steam billowing out of his ears, he was so furious. Kelsey had be
en attacked and she’d backed down. It was not what he’d expected.

  Levi stuffed his hands on his hips and watched the man go and then turned back to Kelsey. “He may be back. Call if you need help. It was your call but I don’t like it. I better get back. You okay, Max?”

  Max was pretty sure his brother could see the steam cloud hovering around him. “I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty hot. But I’m fine. Thanks for coming.”

  “We’ll talk later.” Levi got into his patrol vehicle and drove away.

  Max pushed away from his truck and his knee buckled. He grabbed the truck bed to steady himself.

  “You’re hurt,” Kelsey gasped and rushed to him.

  “I’m fine,” he gritted between teeth.

  “No, you’re not. Here—put your arm over my shoulders and let’s get you in the truck. Can you drive?”

  “I can drive.” He hated the focus on him now but he slipped his arm over her shoulder and let her help him get to the driver’s seat. She wrapped her arm around his waist and helped him.

  “I am so sorry,” she said.

  He sank onto the seat and supported his knee as he pulled his throbbing leg into the truck. “Care to get in and explain to me what that was all about?”

  She nodded and then hurried to the passenger side and climbed in. He closed his door and cranked the truck, letting the air conditioning cool the interior. Nothing could cool his temper, but he kept his voice even and his opinion shut down. For now.

  “He was my boss. I lived on his property and he thought, obviously because I lived there and I worked for him, that I was his. At first, I just tried to do my job and ignore the disturbing signals I was getting from him. I ignored his suggestive comments and made sure to avoid being alone with him or moved out of range of his hands…as best that I could. He’s married but that hadn’t seemed to matter to him. I finally came right out and told him I was there to do a job: train his horses. I thought he would back down. Max, I am good at what I do. I’d hoped that I had the job based on that. But he had other ideas and started showing up at the house. It’s embarrassing.” She looked away. “I didn’t let him in.”

  Max’s jaw tightened. He wanted the man back here so he could teach him a lesson on how to treat a lady. He could tell Kelsey was disgusted by the whole idea but why hadn’t she pressed charges? It didn’t make sense. “Go on.”

  “Rumors started that we were an item. At the shows, I realized what people were thinking and it disgusted and embarrassed me. When I confronted him about it, he said he would put a stop to them. And like a naïve child, I believed him. And then he showed up one night and let himself into the house with his own key.”

  “Did he attack you?”

  “No. I locked the bedroom door and he finally left. I quit the next morning and then the rumors really did start. Thanks to your brother, here I am and I have a job. I thought it was over. Obviously I was wrong. But I have just been drug through the mud already. I can’t go through that again. That’s why I didn’t press charges.”

  “Maybe but if you want this to stop, you need to take him to court,” he urged, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white.

  She blinked hard; he saw tears in her eyes and then down her cheeks. She wiped them away. “You’re hurt and it’s my fault. I am so sorry. This is such a mess.”

  “I was already hurt. I just wasn’t telling anyone. I was going to. It’s just overstressed. I probably need to go home and ice it down for a while.”

  “I’ll go with you and make the ice pack for you. I’m not ready to go home.”

  He nodded. “Then buckle up. This is a little bit of a drive.”

  Kelsey could not believe that because of her Max was hurt. She couldn’t believe that her ex-boss had followed her here. She thought she was over that nightmare. And she could tell that Max and Levi both were not happy about her decision. But they didn’t understand.

  They traveled in silence for several miles. She wanted to ask Max about his knee but she didn’t want him to ask her more about her ex-boss.

  Finally he said, “He didn’t force himself on you, did he?”

  She stiffened as she remembered the night he tried. “No, he tried but I got away from him and locked myself in the bedroom and threatened to call the cops.”

  “Something tells me you’re not telling the whole story. And I guess I know it’s not any of my business. I guess you can do what you want but it doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “Can we talk about something else?” She could see tension lines in his forehead and knew his leg was hurting him pretty badly. “Are we almost there? You really need some ice and you probably need to see a doctor.”

  “I’m fine. And we’re here.” He pulled into a dirt road that was short with a locked gate. He pulled a key off the console and handed it to her. “Do you mind unlocking it?”

  She took the key; their fingers brushed and she felt a tingle of awareness. She curled her fingers around the key. She didn’t need to feel the thrill running through her. “I’ll be right back.”

  She jumped out of the truck as if wildfire were chasing her and strode over to the gate. She had it unlocked quickly and then slung the gate open and waited as he drove through.

  “No need to relock it. I’ll be taking you home in a little while,” he called out the window.

  Why did he have a gate like this and not a remote gate?

  She climbed back into the truck and he drove around the bend. Immediately the beach glistened before them. It was a beautiful spot. His own private oasis.

  The sun was almost gone but still, even in the low light it was gorgeous. “It’s beautiful. I’m sure in daylight it’s amazing.”

  “I found the spot years ago and grabbed the land immediately. I haven’t had time to make all my improvements but it gives me something to do when I’m home. I like the seclusion of it.”

  He pulled to a halt in front of a small faded blue house, a tiny place. It was a beachside hut, really. On one side was a covered area with a grill and chairs. Outdoor lights were on, illuminating the colorful chairs. It was his own little paradise. The perfect place to get away…and for a single guy, it probably worked perfectly.

  She climbed out of the truck. The moment her foot touched the sand, a horrible screeching erupted and a short, fat pig charged from the shadows, straight at her.

  “Does it bite?” She looked back to find Max laughing.

  “No, it doesn’t. Charlotte is just full of hot air. She’s my watch pig.”

  “Your what?” she asked as the pig reached her, skidded to a halt and looked up at her with beady eyes.

  “Charlotte is a bit territorial, so she just needs to get used to you. Be nice, Charlotte,” he said in a firm voice. Immediately, the pig looked up, trying to see him over the edge of the seat. Max leaned over toward Kelsey so that Charlotte could see him. Immediately, the squiggly pig’s tail began to wag.

  Kelsey laughed; it was so absurd. “Is she going to bite my hand if I try to pet her?”

  “No, she will adore you if you scratch her ears.”

  “I am truly surprised.” She shot him a smile before she reached down to scratch Charlotte’s ears. The pig practically smiled as it stretched to keep contact with Kelsey’s fingertips. “Well, you’re cute, I’ll give you that. But I need to go help the man in your life out of the truck.”

  Charlotte trotted beside her as she rounded the front of the truck. Max had the door opened and was already standing, with his hands on the door.

  “You’ve made a friend for life. She’ll be your buddy now.”

  “That’s good to know.” She smiled at him. “Now, let’s get you inside. Then you’ll have to tell me how you came to own a pig. And don’t be all Mr. Macho because I know you’re in pain.”

  “I’m not in too much pain to know that when a certain beautiful horse trainer offers to step into my arms I should let her.”

  She laughed as he placed his arm over her shoulders and
she wrapped her arm around his waist.

  “Ready?”

  “Anytime.”

  He was looking at her and she caught her breath as she looked up at him and had the overwhelming wish to kiss him. Not what she needed to be thinking about.

  “Let’s go.”

  He gave a low, sexy chuckle as they started toward the house. It almost covered up the grunt she heard escape him as he took the first step.

  Charlotte trotted beside them, very curious about what they were doing. She reached the door first and nudged it with her nose.

  “I take it she’s used to opening the door sometimes?”

  “Yes, though not often. She knows that sometimes it doesn’t latch all the way and she can sneak inside.”

  He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked it. “You can go lay back down, Charlotte,” he told her as they maneuvered through the door. The pig snorted and trotted away obediently.

  “You not only have a pig but a trained pig.”

  “Yup. She’s a watch pig and takes her job seriously. She was a quick learner.”

  “I’m amazed.”

  He switched on a light and the room lit up. It was colorful and the furniture was plain but unique. It looked handmade.

  “I like this room.”

  “Thanks. I try.”

  She helped him to the couch and he eased down onto it. “I’ll get the ice. Do you have some painkillers?”

  “Cabinet by the refrigerator.”

  She headed into the small adjoining kitchen separated from the living space by a bar and chairs. “So how did you get Charlotte?” She opened the freezer. An assortment of ice packs were chilling inside. “Goodness, you’re prepared.”