Freedom Ranch

Chapter 11

Dakota closed the back door behind her and shook off the excess snow as she shed off all the layers of clothes. The vet had left, the crisis was averted, and all the horses were doing fine. Now she had time to think about what Colt had said earlier this evening. Her ex was back.

She threw her arctic bibs to the side as she pulled off her clunky boots. She glanced up to see Colt was sitting in the living room. He had pulled a recliner close by the front door and was staring out the window.

"Colt," she groaned, "I told you not to worry about it."

"I'm just merely admiring the snow."

Dakota shook her head and groaned again. This time in pain. She was on her feet far too long. She hobbled to the couch and plopped down. Colt hadn't taken his eyes off of the blowing snowflakes outside. They were nearly blinding against the pitch black background.

"It has been nearly two hours since you told me about his return. If he hasn't shown up yet, he won't."

"You need either a large gate or an automatic key-coded one at the entrance of your property. That is something I can install for you. I'll even cover some of the costs."

"You should know that won't keep people like him out. Besides, this storm is going to make everything a standstill here for awhile."

"Do you really think the storm will slow him down at all?"

Dakota couldn't deny he had a point. Colin may have been a Texas boy without any snow experience. But, she had no doubt in her mind that wouldn't keep him from hunting her down. She knew he had never stopped searching for her.

"I just wonder how he found me," muttered Dakota to herself.

"Your aunt."

She looked up from her hands and met Colt's dark eyes.

"How do you know that?"

"That's what the old man told me at the bar. Colin had said your aunt told him you were here."

Dakota let out a hiss in despair. She should have known her aunt would have tipped him off.

"I don't understand. Does she not know how Colin treated you?" asked Colt.

"She does. And, she doesn't care. She set me and Colin up when I had retired from the military. Every time I doubted if I should be with him, she would remind me marriage isn't always happy and I needed to give him another chance. Second chance turned into third then fourth. When I showed up on her doorstep bloody and bruised, she didn't even blink when asking me why I left him. I haven't spoken to her since. She might be the only family I have left but I won't be guilt tripped into staying with a man like that."

"That's why I left my ex wife all those years ago. I was tired of being shamed for not wanting to be with her."

Dakota felt her mouth open slightly in surprise.

"I didn't know you were divorced too," she blurted.

Colt chuckled, "It's not something that comes up with small talk or really any talk. I try to keep that past in the past."

Dakota nodded in understanding. She knew that feeling all too well.

"I will say this though. It sounds like we should set up both of our exes together. Two peas in a pod that would leave us alone if they found happiness together."

Dakota snorted before nodding approvingly. Colt smirked and took one last glance out the window before standing up.

"I know we will have a long day tomorrow cleaning up this mess so I'm going to take your advice and leave it alone. But, if you need me, say something."

Dakota watched Colt leave before struggling to get on her feet. She didn't want him to see how much physical pain she was in. The last thing she needed was anymore pity from him. After a goodnight's rest, she was sure she would be back to herself.

*****

Dakota felt her chest burn as she continued to run. The overwhelming feeling of fear and adrenaline was drowning her. She hid behind a building and looked down at her hands. An assault rifle was clutched in them.

"Taylor!" yelled a man from around the corner.

Dakota sprinted to the voice and felt her hands drenched in warmth. She looked down to see blood dripping from her. She was covered in it. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to relive this nightmare. Not again. She felt her throat convulse trying to hold back all the emotions.

"Dakota."

"No. No. No," she whimpered keeping her eyes shut.

She squeezed her hands, immediately wishing she hadn't moved. She felt the blood ooze in between her fingers making her stomach flip with nausea. She didn't want to go through this again.

"Not again," she growled as she tried to ignore the smells of copper reaching her nostrils.

A man's dying breaths met her ears as she felt her shoulders shake uncontrollably.

"DAKOTA!"

Dakota's eyes fluttered open as she took in a deep rattling breath. She blinked a few times trying to focus them in the darkness. A shadowed figure hovered over her. She swiftly pushed herself in an upright position and reached for the nightstand drawer for her handgun.

"Dakota, it's me," said a familiar male voice.

She rubbed her eyes trying to rid them from the mist of sleep and tears. She suddenly caught a whiff of something familiar, clearing her nose of any remnants of the dream filled with blood she just had. It was Colt.

"What are you doing here?" she asked hoarsely.

"I heard you screaming. I thought someone had broken in."

Dakota squinted in the darkness as her eyes adjusted with the small amount of light coming from the bathroom. Her mouth fell open as she struggled to hold back a gasp.

"What's wrong? What is it?" asked Colt in concern as he moved closer to her.

Dakota shook her head trying to tear her eyes off his broad bare chest. To her dismay, her eyes traveled curiously down the trail of dark hair that disappeared under the waistline of his flannel pants. She had never found a man's body so enchanting. She forced herself to pull her head down to keep from staring at him and noticed the sheets around her were a twisted mess. She quickly pulled the comforter over her low cut tank top as she cleared her sore throat.

"Thank you, Colt, for checking on me. I'm sorry to have woken you up."

She raised her eyes and met his. He still hadn't moved and his shadowed face was unreadable.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

"No. It's okay. Just another nightmare. I'm sorry again for waking you up. That was one of the reasons why Colin couldn't sleep even remotely close to me."

"Ever?" asked Colt as he cocked his head to the side.

"Pretty much."

Dakota stared at Colt in the darkness. He looked to be quietly thinking to himself. She was struggling to keep her eyes from wandering down to his body again. Her cheeks started to grow warm as she thought about how soft his dark chest hair must be over his bronze skin.

"Do you need anything? Would it help if I slept on the couch?"

She shook her head feeling a new wave of embarrassment. She realized how loud she must have screamed for Colt to hear her on the other side of the house.

"I'll be in my room if you need me," said Colt quietly.

She watched him leave before tucking herself into bed again. She stared at the dark wall, biting her lip as anxiety start to build. Instead of dwelling on the events that just occurred, she pushed everything out of her mind and forced sleep to come. Maybe this time there would be nothing in her dreams.