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“Don’t hurt me,” he mimicked her. “God, you’re pathetic. Always playing the victim. Poor little Natalie. Boo-hoo. My daddy died when I was little. I had to go into foster care and live with strangers and they were so mean to me. Boo-hoo-hoo.” He brought her forward and thrust her back again. She hit her head against the wall. She clawed at his hand, desperate for release, desperate for a full breath of air. But he didn’t let up.

“You’re mine, got it? You’ll always be mine. You’ll never get away. Ever. And if you try, I’ll kill you, and I’ll make it painful.” Once again, he brandished the knife, tracing it down her cheek, cutting her ever so slightly so that warm blood trickled down from a stinging wound.

He released her and backed away. He pointed at her with the knife. “Don’t you forget it.”

Allen walked out, letting the screen slam shut behind him. Knowing her life depended on it, she ran to the door and bolted it shut.

She turned and slid down to the floor and cried. Boomer peeked out from the bedroom where he’d run to hide. He meowed at her, but it sounded faint, and different. Not at all like a cat.

He did it again, and again.

She couldn’t place it but….

The noise grew louder, and Natalie turned over in bed, confused. She opened her eyes and tried to focus. Again, the noise. This time she recognized it. It was a rooster. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, searching her surroundings. Her heart rate slowed as she remembered where she was.

“I’m at the ranch,” she breathed, palm to forehead. She hugged herself as she made her way to the bathroom, the AC now a little too cold for her. She’d run it all night, desperate for the house to cool and now it seemed it was. Too much so.

After she relieved herself and brushed her teeth, she walked to the thermostat and thumbed it up a bit. She slid into her jean shorts and an old worn tee. Next, she stepped into her sneakers and headed for the door. The light of dawn greeted her with rays of golden sunshine as she stepped outside. The rooster crowed again and she smiled, never having heard one so close before. She breathed in the warm morning air as she walked farther out, following an overgrown stone footpath. She caught sight of the rooster along the fence to what she assumed was the chicken coop. He called out again.

“Morning,” a voice said from the other direction.

Natalie turned and saw Vaughn approaching in a rugged-looking four-wheeler with two bench seats. It said Gator along the side. She was pulling bales of hay by way of a small trailer. “Wanna ride?”

“You bet.” Natalie climbed on board thinking that this was better than a ride on the Quadrunner Vaughn had used last night, and they zoomed around the chicken coop to the main corral. Two men were there filling the troughs with fresh water. When Vaughn pulled inside, the men slid on gloves and began snatching small amounts of hay and placing them in large tubs that hung along the metal bars of the pen.

“This here’s Benny, and that’s Greer,” Vaughn said, introducing the men. “Fellas, this is Natalie. She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

The guys nodded, tipping their cowboy hats at her. One offered his hand but Natalie chose to wave instead. She was wary of men now, even ones that had done nothing to her. She had Allen to thank for that. She briefly closed her eyes as she recalled her dream and the way he’d choked her and threatened her with the knife. She’d left the knife out of her explanation to Vaughn and Gram, too ashamed to mention it. She knew it was awful, that he’d gone way too far. But she still hadn’t wanted to see their reactions in hearing about it. Mainly because there was a part of her that still somehow felt responsible for his behavior. Like maybe she’d brought it on herself. That’s what Allen had always told her anyway and she realized now that she’d started to wonder if it was true.

“We’re getting ready to turn the horses out,” Vaughn said, giving her a glance. “You okay?”

“Hm? Yeah, fine.”

“You sure?

Natalie met her gaze and forced herself back to the present. “I’m good. What do you mean by turn the horses out?”

“Let them outside.”

“Oh.”

Vaughn stared at her for a moment longer, as if to confirm she was really okay, and then climbed out of the Gator to unhook the trailer, leaving it with Benny and Greer. She crawled back in the four-wheeler and drove them to the entrance of the stables and got out. Natalie hurried to follow her inside. Vaughn moved quickly and Natalie knew she’d have to be more mindful of that. Vaughn had things to do, important things, and it seemed she didn’t want to dillydally around. Natalie had just caught up with her when they came to a stall with a woman inside with a tawny-colored horse.

“Morning,” Vaughn said to the woman.

“Morning.”

“Suzanne, this is Natalie. Natalie, Suzanne.”

“Hello,” Natalie said, feeling comfortable enough to extend her hand. Suzanne took it and shook heartily.

“Hi.”

“Natalie is going to be staying in the guesthouse for a while,” Vaughn said.

“Great.” She smiled and continued petting the horse. “Welcome.”

“Thanks.” Natalie reached up and stroked the beautiful horse. “Who’s this?”