Leopard 03 - Burning Wild

children.
    Evan smiled and waved at her as she approached. He was a big man, muscular, a former prize fighter, fast on his feet with tremendous upper body strength and quick reflexes, but he had a major speech impediment. Often he signed rather than spoke, and both Andraya and Kyle were learning to sign. They liked their “secret” language with him. He seemed to genuinely care for the children and never tired of pushing them on the swings or catching them sliding down the winding tube slide.
    Emma watched him for a minute as Susan chattered away in French, which he clearly didn’t understand. He smiled a lot, flashing a ready grin, but his attention was clearly on his surroundings. He dressed like an authentic cowboy and he probably could ride, but he wasn’t babysitting and he wasn’t working the ranch. He was watching over his charges and taking his job very seriously.
    She crossed her arms, a sudden shiver going down her spine. What did Jake know that she didn’t? Who was he afraid of?
    “Ma’am?”
    She spun around so quickly she tripped and nearly fell. Hard hands caught at her arm, fingers biting deep to prevent her from falling. Ordinarily she had acute hearing and a heightened sense of smell, but she hadn’t realized anyone was near her.
    “I’m sorry, Miss Emma.” The man released her immediately. “Jake told me to introduce myself when you came out. I’m Conner Vega.”
    The man stood straight, his large frame too thin, his hair shaggy and thick, one half of his face quite beautiful and the other covered in four deep scars that ran from his hairline to the side of his jaw, as if something had tried to rake his face from his skull. She forced herself to look at him, at the masculine beauty on one side of his face and the horrendous damage done to the other. He was quite pale and gaunt, as if he’d been ill for a long time. He didn’t look like a cowboy or a bodyguard, and he certainly wasn’t a businessman, not with the merciless slash of his mouth, yet Jake had hired him.
    Emma held out her hand. Her arm hurt where he’d grabbed her, and she knew she’d have bruises. He was enormously strong for someone so gaunt. “It’s good to meet you. Are you hungry? There’s always coffee ready in the kitchen and I usually have fresh bread baked or cookies to grab on the run.”
    “Jake gave me one of the cabins with a kitchen. I brought a few things with me so I’m good, thanks.”
    “He keeps food supplies for the men in the common pantry. Did he show you where? When you take anything from there, just check it off the list. It makes it easier for me to replace the supplies so we keep them from running low.”
    He nodded, then stepped back and lifted his hand slightly. “I just wanted to introduce myself to you so you wouldn’t think a stranger was hanging around the children.”
    “Thank you, I appreciate that,” Emma said.
    She watched him walk away and rubbed at her arm again. Along with the bruises there was a long scratch, as if his nail had caught her when he’d pulled her upright. She sighed, realizing the latest addition was just like everyone else on the ranch. Drake with his bum leg; Joshua with his pretend smile and the pain in his eyes; Evan with his speech problem; Conner with his scars; and of course, Jake’s biggest rescue—Emma, with her lost husband and difficult pregnancy. Jake collected strays whether he knew it or not. She’d met several of the people who worked for him. One was an older couple, intensely loyal to him, and she’d heard Jake on the phone with them on several occasions, sorting out some fund for them and getting back a house that had been repossessed.
    Jake had so many personalities. He could be difficult and at times even cruel, yet he was so generous.
    She spent far too much time thinking about him. As hard as she tried not to, throughout the rest of day she found herself daydreaming about Jake, puzzling, worried, annoyed, frustrated—so many emotions.
    At least her body wasn’t going up in flames at his mere scent as she cleaned the house and played with the children. There was some relief in that.
    Susan was a big help, although she talked a lot, mostly about Jake and Evan. At the end of the day, after Emma had listened to Susan for hours and put the children to bed, she really wanted to just sit back with her feet up, but she made herself take a shower and do her hair. She wore it down her back, the way Jake liked it most. She’d always had