Read The Cattle Drive [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek] (Siren Publishing Classic) for Free Online

pulse was racing. Sweat was dripping from her forehead. Chris knew he had to get her out of there quick. He quickly put his arm around Rachael and ushered her toward the door, leaving Henry looking confused.
    “Henry, I have to take Rachael home. She isn’t feeling well. Maybe you can have her over some other night. I hope you understand.”
    “Well, yeah. Is Rachael all right?” he asked, concerned.
    “She’ll be fine. Do you know how to ride?” Chris asked the kid.
    “Ride what?”
    “Horses?”
    “No, but my dad and uncle do.”
    “Can you have one of them ride Mystic over to her house when they get in?” Chris asked, trying to get Rachael’s feet to move. She wasn’t budging. She stood there like a statue, frozen in her moment of terror.
    Michael made his way downstairs, hearing more voices as he entered the kitchen. Michael saw her with that same look upon her face as he did that day in the courtroom.
    Fear.
    Smiling, he walked toward her.
    Rachael’s eyes diverted to the stranger who just walked in. There was something about him, something familiar. As he walked closer, her stomach knotted as that feeling of déjà vu flooded her senses. He was tall, standing about six foot three, his midnight-black hair contrasting against his tanned skin. His high cheekbones and firm jaw set his face out from all the others in the room. His broad chest looked hard and muscular. His torso was lean, with strong legs and when he smiled at her, his deep blue eyes glimmered, conveying to her that everything was going to be all right.
    She blinked, trying to focus. “I know you. You were there. You stayed with me, holding my hand. It was you,” she whispered.
    He quickly shook the realization from his mind and looked at her. Her beautiful porcelain face was one of an angel. Her full, luscious lips looked like rose petals against her pale skin. Their eyes met, and he felt like he had just been punched in the gut. As if being thrown back into time, he was there once again, looking into those emerald-green eyes filled with so much sorrow and pain. He wanted nothing more than to engulf her in his arms and make her pain go away. It was then he knew.
    It was her.
    He did know her. He stopped in his tracks as he took in all of her, from her smooth curvy figure to her long, beautiful hair. She was just as he remembered from that fateful night. Though no longer writhing in pain and gasping for breath, she was once again whole and was more beautiful than anything he’d ever seen.
    Rachael stood there unable to move as her vision of terror started to fade.
    “Yes.”
    Chris stiffened.
    Looking from Michael to Rachael, he knew something wasn’t right. How did they know each other? What the hell did I miss ? Confused about what was happening and what she meant, he walked over to Michael and introduced himself. “Hi, I am Sheriff Chris Mason. Sorry I interrupted your dinner, but I just wanted to check on Rachael to make sure she was okay.”
    “No problem, it’s nice to meet you. Will you be joining us for dinner?” Michael asked, never taking his eyes off of her.
    Walking over to the stove, Henry said, “I asked the sheriff to stay, Dad.” Turning, he smiled and said, “Well now he has to. I just put his steak on the grill.”
    “Well, I guess I can’t let a good T-bone go to waste, now can I?” Chris said, taking off his jacket.
    Michael looked down at Rachael. Taking her hand in his, he said, “It’s nice to meet you again, now that it’s on better circumstances.”
    For the longest time after the accident, Rachael lived her life day to day, moment by moment, second by second. Just trying to get out of bed in the morning was hard enough, let alone allowing herself to feel the fierce emotions she tried to keep at bay. Closing herself off from everyone, including herself, she managed to live in a world with no emotions, no feelings, and no regrets. Just the simple, mundane act of breathing in and out was what she focused