Second Chance Lion (Cedar Hill Lions Book 4) Read online

  Maybe I should go round and see him.

  She wanted to – but she was concerned he might not want to see her. Maybe she’d have to find some kind of pretext, like kidnapping one of his cows and having to lead it back to the ranch, or pretending she’d found some old shirt she thought he’d left here the other night, or, or…

  Stop! This isn’t some sappy chick flick!

  Faye shook her head. She must’ve been going crazy!

  Thankfully, the hamster wheel in her head was brought to a sudden halt as she heard the sound of a truck pulling up around the front of the house.

  Charlie must be a little early, Faye thought to herself, as she yanked on her clothes. She was glad, though – it’d give her something to do, and hopefully stop her from focusing on crazed thoughts of Lincoln.

  She was shocked, therefore, when a few moments later she opened the front door to find him standing awkwardly on the curb, a box in his hands and a small frown on his face.

  For a long moment, they simply stared at each other, neither one of them apparently able to muster up the power of speech.

  Then, finally, Lincoln shook his head.

  “Look, Faye, I’m no good at this,” he said, raising his head to look her in the eye. “I wish I was – I wish I could’ve explained things to you better, or swept you off your feet with some fancy words. But that’s not me. So… I’m just gonna ask you. Would you have dinner with me, sometime?”

  Faye blinked, her mouth popping open. Her mind whirled, and for a moment, she thought she couldn’t have possibly heard him right. He’d been so forceful and growly the other evening that it was almost impossible to reconcile it with the hesitant, almost boyishly shy man she was looking at now.

  Her chest tightened, her heart pounding, and a smile swept across her face.

  Suddenly, she felt like she was sixteen again.

  “Lincoln Whittaker, how long have you been waiting to ask me that question?”

  He glanced up at her. “Too long. Way too long. I should’ve done it back in high school – ah, hell. I should’ve done it when I saw you back in the hardware store, instead of just… well, you were there. You know what happened.”

  Faye laughed, coming down the old steps at the front of the house toward him.

  Maybe she was being stupid, getting involved with him. There was so much they had to talk about, and so much she still felt she didn’t understand about what it would mean to be with a shifter – and an alpha.

  She should’ve insisted on them taking it slow, rather than jumping straight into bed with him, but at the time, it had all felt…

  … Well, it had felt right. It hadn’t been until later that the doubts had crept in. At the time, she had barely been thinking at all, too overpowered by her need for him to get her thoughts in order.

  She knew she should be doing the same thing right now.

  But just at this second, she could only feel the adrenaline surging in her veins, the happiness in her heart.

  A second chance. We’ve both been given a second chance.

  “Well, I guess I could find some room in my schedule,” she said. She gestured behind her at the massive structure of scaffolding, encasing the mansion. “Turns out I’m not going to be much use until the experts have finished looking it over. Painting, I can do. Demolition, safety checks, wiring… not so much.”

  “So maybe breakfast would be better?” Lincoln asked.

  Faye smiled. “Well, I sure could eat.”

  It was true – after yesterday’s long hours of hard work, she felt she could eat for about a week. She glanced down at the box Lincoln was still awkwardly holding, and was surprised to see her own name on it.

  “Is that… my mail?” she asked, confused.

  Lincoln grimaced. “Dammit. I feel ridiculous. This is some fool thing my daughter-in-law and niece-in-law cooked up. I’m sorry. Yes – it’s your mail.” He passed it to her, shaking his head. “They said it got mixed up with theirs, but… I think there may be more to it than that.”

  Faye raised an eyebrow. “Some subterfuge to force you to come over here with your breakfast offer, is that it?”

  “Something like that,” Lincoln muttered, as if he was an errant schoolboy.

  “They must know you well. You always were a stubborn one.”

  For a second, Lincoln looked down at her, surprise writ large over his features, as if he couldn’t quite believe what she’d said. But then, he laughed.

  “All right. You got me there.”

  Grinning, Faye took the box from his hand – she wasn’t sure what it was, but it was probably some of the wallpaper samples she’d ordered. She wanted to see them in person before she made a final decision.

  “Let me just put this inside, and leave a note for Charlie,” Faye said, squeezing Lincoln on the arm.

  “Charlie?”

  Faye glanced up at him, and saw curiosity swimming in his eyes – but also jealousy.

  “Look,” she said, turning fully to face him. “That’s one thing we’re going to have to get straight right away. If you’re going to get that look on your face every time I associate with another man, we’re going to have a problem.”

  She didn’t mention just now that, of course, Charlie was not even a man – it was beside the point. Lincoln had just assumed that she was, and his immediate reaction had been to narrow his eyes, as if assessing a threat.

  Lincoln swallowed. “I just want to make sure –”

  Faye cut him off with a firm shake of her head. “But nothing. Either you trust me and know I can take care of myself, or you don’t. Which is it?”

  Lincoln hesitated, before opening his hands in a gesture of appeal. “It’s not about not trusting you,” he said, his voice low. “It’s just that –”

  Whatever he was about to say, he was cut off as a sudden peal of thunder cut through the air, loud enough to make Faye jump.

  The storm.

  In the midst of her joy and then irritation, she’d forgotten all about it – but it was clearly making its way rapidly across the sky now, and announcing its presence in the most dramatic way possible.

  Faye looked up at the sky, biting her lip. Above them it was still blue, but she could see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon, thick and dark gray.

  “If we’re going, I guess we better go,” Faye said. “But I still want to talk about this. We still haven’t resol—”

  Once again, the conversation was cut off – but this time by the sound of Lincoln’s cell phone, ringing in his pocket.

  He hesitated, but Faye waved her hand. “Take it. We can talk over breakfast.”

  Lincoln pulled his phone out of his pocket, answering the call without a second’s further pause. Faye would have been tempted to roll her eyes – if she hadn’t grown up on a ranch herself, and known how urgent these things could be.

  She scribbled a quick note to Charlie letting her know she’d be back soon, as Lincoln began to speak.

  “Hey, Sasha. What’s up?” Lincoln frowned, his brows drawing together as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. “Isn’t Jordy there? … What?”

  Faye glanced up at the sharp rise in Lincoln’s voice, concern clouding her face.

  “No… I see. Well, I guess that’s that then. Tell Joe I’ll be there as soon as I can. All right. Bye.”

  When he looked up at her, his eyes said it all.

  “I guess breakfast is off, then?” she asked, but she wasn’t really surprised. Work on a ranch could take sudden, unexpected turns. She felt disappointed – both at the loss of the date and at the chance to talk things through properly with Lincoln – but she tried not to let it show too much on her face.

  “I’m sorry, Faye.” Lincoln ran his hand, frustrated, through his hair. “I wouldn’t, but it’s an emergency. My ranch hand’s got his truck bogged down and can’t make it. My son and nephew are trying to get the cattle undercover before the storm rolls in, but the animals are spooked as hell and they need so
meone else. Usually Sasha, Joe’s wife, would jump on a horse and head out, but with her pregnant…”

  Faye shook her head. “Lincoln, I get it. Don’t apologize.” She paused, looking him in the eye. “I could come and help. Four is better than three, right?”

  Lincoln looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing. “Faye –”

  She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “No, I’ve made up my mind – I’m coming.”

  “It could be dangerous. Spooked beasts are –”

  Faye just laughed. “Lincoln Whittaker, do you think I’ve forgotten everything I used to know about ranching? I was out helping my dad as soon as I was old enough to sit straight in a saddle. And once a rancher, always a rancher. You know that as well as I do. I can still ride just as well as you. Better, probably.”

  Faye hadn’t stopped riding just because she’d moved away from Cedar Hill – it’d been the only way to get around in some of the places she’d lived, up and down mountains on the back of a mule. Of course, it was hardly the kind of riding she’d used to do out on the ranch – but there was no need for Lincoln to know that.

  Lincoln hesitated again, but her determination must have shown in her face. He shook his head. “All right,” he said, and then grinned. “It’ll be a treat seeing you back on a horse. I never got sick of watching you ride when we were kids.”

  As they climbed into Lincoln’s old truck, Faye smiled. She’d always loved riding. Her own childhood horse, a sturdy American Quarter Horse named Lulu, had had to be sold when they lost the ranch, since there was no way for her to keep her in their new life in the city. Faye had bawled her eyes out the day the buyer had come to take her away.

  But she’d never forgotten her love of horses, even if life hadn’t provided her with as many opportunities to ride in the intervening years.

  Lincoln started up the truck, his gray eyes intense as he pulled away from the curb and drove at speed out of town, and Faye just had to hope what she’d told him about still riding as well as she ever had was true.

  Chapter Nine

  Lincoln

  The first fat, heavy raindrops were beginning to spatter over the ground as Lincoln pulled his truck up in the driveway of the ranch.

  Sasha, forward-thinking and practical as ever, had the horse, a sturdy and reliable old girl named Jenna, all saddled and waiting for him in the yard – though of course, she hadn’t known they’d need two.

  Lincoln caught the surprised look on her face as Faye got out of the passenger side door, but she recovered herself quickly, nodding at him before heading back to the barn to fetch another mount.

  “You can ride Jenna,” Lincoln said, turning to Faye. “She’s good with people she doesn’t know. I’ll just head in to help Sasha saddle up a ride for me.”

  Faye nodded, her face set, before heading over to where the horse stood, calm despite the cracks of thunder and the rain, which was growing steadily heavier around them.

  Lincoln came in just as Sasha was lifting the thick saddle pad onto the horse’s back.

  “I only had time to give him a quick brush down,” she said, without turning to look at him. “But it should be okay, I hope.”

  Lincoln nodded, despite the fact Sasha’s back was turned to him. He grabbed the saddle from the stand, swinging it over the horse’s back. Long years of practice meant he could tack up a horse quickly and efficiently, his hands moving without him having to think about it. The horse, Rudy, waited patiently as the two of them fussed over him, until he was ready to ride.

  Lincoln pulled himself up into the saddle the moment the last strap was buckled, nodding to Sasha in thanks for her help. He didn’t miss her grin as he turned Rudy to head out of the barn.

  I’ll hear about this later, he thought to himself, feeling a little exasperated – but at the same time, he could feel his lion within him, giving a deep-throated roar.

  Our mate is here, on our land – at last.

  The feeling sent a surge of something deep and primal through Lincoln’s veins. This was as it was supposed to be: his mate and his pridelands, the two most profound connections he had in his life, were finally joined.

  As alpha, he had cared for his lands and protected them with his life, making sure they would be a place that could support the future of the pride for years to come.

  And now, his mate, the one he was made for, was here too.

  The feeling was indescribable.

  Lincoln wished he could shift immediately, to lose himself in the sheer animal sensation of it – but he knew he had work to do. As per usual, his duty had to come first.

  He kicked Rudy to a canter and rode out into the yard, where Faye was waiting for him. He didn’t need to wait for her – she joined him at once, her riding just as sure as it ever had been. She looked beautiful in the saddle, her hair disarrayed, her wet clothing clinging to her and outlining her curves. She looked wild and free: just as he had always pictured her.

  She was perfect.

  Faye gave him the barest of nods before they set out over the muddy ground, cantering side by side. The rain was coming down in torrents now, soaking them both to the skin, but Lincoln had no time to worry about it – they had to reach the west paddock and help Joe and Mason move the cattle.

  Lighting split the sky, followed almost immediately by a deafening crack of thunder – the storm must have been directly overhead. Rudy tossed his head, his gait faltering a moment, but Lincoln knew the horse well. He was dependable and not easily spooked, and Lincoln let him have his moment, before they continued on as before.

  “We should hurry,” he called across to Faye, through the sound of the pounding rain.

  Faye flashed him a grin – white in the semi-darkness of the storm – before putting her heels into the horse’s sides and speeding up to a gallop.

  She was as fearless as ever.

  Lincoln watched her back as she moved away, admiring her beauty and confidence, just as he always had done.

  How could I ever have imagined she couldn’t take care of herself?

  The thought was in his head before he had time to think about it – and he knew then that it was right. No matter what his intentions might have been, or what role his alpha instincts might have played, it was clear to him that he’d been an overbearing ass.

  Old habits die hard, he thought bitterly.

  But the things he’d said and done to Mason when he’d become sheriff had been different. They hadn’t involved his mate.

  No, no. Time to be honest with yourself.

  The rain whipped his face as he rode, the mud splashing up from his horse’s hooves.

  It wasn’t really the time or place for self-reflection, but Lincoln had always found it easiest to think when he was on horseback. There was something soothing about the movement of the horse beneath, the regular sound of its hoofbeats on the ground. Even at a time like this.

  Faye might have been his mate, but she was also capable and strong. She’d carved out a life for herself that had obviously involved hardship and heartbreak – and she didn’t need him standing over her shoulder, questioning her every decision and vetting the people she spent time with.

  And maybe – just maybe – he could live with that.

  “There!” Faye’s voice interrupted his thoughts, and he turned his head in the direction she was pointing.

  Visibility was low in the driving rain, but he saw the big cluster of nervous cattle at once. He could see Joe riding along the flank of the group, keeping them together, and keeping them moving toward the shelter at the far side of the paddock.

  They steered the horses in that direction, Lincoln going to the left and Faye to the right.

  Lincoln felt a surge of adoration – she still knew what she was doing, even after all this time. He hadn’t had to say a thing. They were a perfect team.

  He found Mason riding across the back of the herd, keeping them moving, his face clearly showing signs of frustration.

  “Lincoln, not to impugn your
stock, but you must have the dumbest herd this side of the border,” he called, as Lincoln approached. “I know you’ve given them higher ground, but were any of them standing on it? Were they hell.”

  Lincoln shook his head. “They’re just beasts, Mason. They’re spooked. Calm down.”

  Lincoln knew from long experience that getting frustrated while working cattle could only lead to trouble. Despite appearances, cattle were perceptive animals – and their senses would be on high alert at a time like this. They wouldn’t like being pushed.

  “Hang back a little,” Lincoln told him. “They’re moving. Ease off.”

  Mason nodded, accepting that Lincoln was right without argument. There was no need to rush them: the main thing Lincoln wanted to prevent was having the animals clustering under a tree – if lightning struck it, it could be deadly to them. An old friend of his had lost tens of cattle that way during the last storm season, and it had damn near ruined him. But rushing them or pushing them would only make them more scared, and more likely to try to break away from the herd.

  Maybe he was overprotective of his cattle, but they were his – and the pride’s – livelihood. Without them, they had nothing.

  He moved around to the left, keeping his distance, watching the way the cattle moved, looking for any potential breakaways.

  Despite the rain and the thunder, the cattle were moving steadily, nervous but obedient. They knew what was expected of them, and Lincoln was always careful when he worked his cattle.

  Lightning momentarily lit everything in blinding white, the thunder once again clapping loud enough to startle even Lincoln. It was so loud that for a second, his senses were filled with it, his lion taking over his brain with animal sensation, looking around wildly and baring its teeth.

  Lincoln had his animal side under control within a moment. He normally didn’t have such issues – but with the recent discovery of his mate and the slow process of accepting that there were other ways to be an alpha than what he’d been taught in his youth, he had been clashing with it more often than usual.

  The momentary distraction was all it took, however.