Double Wow

By Shellie Green-Baker

Chad is the foreman of Holt Cattle Ranch, and with the recent death of Mr. Holt, Mrs. Holt has come to rely on his help with the ranch and her unruly children.

Katrina, being the oldest of the Holt children, is a tomboy. Her three younger brothers play practical jokes on her all the time. There is never a dull moment in the Holt household. The most recent practical joke puts Katrina in harm’s way.

Katrina is kidnapped, and it’s up to Chad to find her. During captivity, she blossoms into womanhood in the blink of an eye. When Chad finds her, he can’t believe he is seeing the same person.

Katrina has a crush on Chad, but he feels she is too young for him. Can Katrina convince him differently, or will she choose to go away with her captor who has fallen in love with her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984509376

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Shellie Green-Baker.

Library of Congress Control Number:               2018902390

ISBN:                  Hardcover                      978-1-9845-0935-2

                            Softcover                        978-1-9845-0936-9

                            eBook                              978-1-9845-0937-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/13/2020

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Chad is the foreman of Holt Cattle Ranch, and with the recent death of Mr. Holt, Mrs. Holt has come to rely on his help with the ranch and her unruly children.

Katrina, being the oldest of the Holt children, is a tomboy. Her three younger brothers play practical jokes on her all the time. There is never a dull moment in the Holt household. The most recent practical joke puts Katrina in harm’s way.

Katrina is kidnapped, and it’s up to Chad to find her. During captivity, she blossoms into womanhood in the blink of an eye. When Chad finds her, he can’t believe he is seeing the same person.

Katrina has a crush on Chad, but he feels she is too young for him. Can Katrina convince him differently, or will she choose to go away with her captor who has fallen in love with her?

CHAPTER ONE

Chad stood and watched the three young riders head in for supper. They were all laughing at the little prank they had just pulled off.

She’ll be madder than a wounded bear by the time she gets back here, Chad heard the oldest rider say.

Ya, and I don’t aim to be ’round when she gets back neither, the youngest chuckled.

Chad watched as the young men tied off their mounts and started off for the house. You men will eat after you take care of those horses and not a minute sooner, he hollered out to them.

Ah, Chad, we need some grub. We be starvin’, this came from the oldest of the group, James, who was fifteen. Next to him stood his two younger brothers. They were the youngest set of twins, Tom and Tim, who were thirteen. All three boys had their hands on their hips, trying to defy Chad.

Not a minute sooner. Chad’s voice had his authority tone to it, so the matter was dropped as the young men turned back to their horses, grumbling all the way.

Chad stood there, shaking his head with a grin across his face. He had been with the Holt family for four years now. When he came to work for them, he had been twenty-five. In that four years’ time, he had become very attached to every one of them. They were as close as a family could get and not be blood related.

Chad stood six feet three inches tall, with wavy blond hair. His build was like a brick from all the hard work that comes with running a five-hundred-acre-plus ranch in Rescue, California. Chad was on the quiet side. He minded his own business most of the time. He didn’t like butting in too much, but he found that as the boys got older, he had to be more of an authoritative figure.

Now that the boys were taking care of their horses, Chad decided to go wash up in his separate quarters of the bunkhouse.

Twenty minutes later, Chad came around the corner of the main house and heard a shouting match going on. It seemed he was going to have to intervene again. His heart went out to Mr. Charles Holt’s wife, Evelyn. Since her husband’s death three months earlier, she was running into all kinds of heartache from her boys.

She turned to Chad at her wit’s end. Chad, they done it again. The strain in her voice was evident.

What’s that, ma’am?

Those boys are up to their tricks again. They gone and dropped off Katrina out by the ole watering hole. The frustration and strain showed in her eyes. Chad couldn’t help but feel a bit of her frustration. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but chuckle either. He knew Katrina could take care of herself, and now it was clear—the snickering as the young men rode in a bit ago was at Katrina’s expense. It seemed they were always pulling pranks on each other, and Katrina was just as good, if not better than the boys, in dishing it out.

What ya find so funny, Chad? Evelyn snapped. She ain’t got a horse or pistol with her. This time, things have gone too far.

Chad’s face fell with this bit of information. As a matter of fact, he was beginning to scowl. It was one thing to leave her out there as a joke, but to leave her totally defenseless was altogether another matter.

Why those … Chad ground out.

Evelyn thought quickly while pushing and shooing the boys inside the house with one hand as she was holding Chad off with the other.

I’ll let you tear into those boys’ hides when ya get back. Just get out there and bring her home—her voice started to crack—before a rattler gets her or … She couldn’t finish, and Chad knew just what she was thinking.

Three months ago, he was the one to ride up on Charles Holt, who was lying facedown in the dirt, with an arrow at the back of his skull. Chad shuddered at the memory. He looked down to see Mrs. Holt holding back a sob.

Before she could remember any more of that nightmare, Chad spoke up. I’ll find her, ma’am. She’s fine. No one would have the guts to go near her. She’s too mean.

He was trying to lift her spirits, and she knew it. Chad had been such a rock since her husband’s death, and to be honest, if he hadn’t taken charge of everything, and she meant everything, she didn’t know what would have become of the ranch. With Chad there, she didn’t have to worry about too much, but this was something he had no control over. She just hoped he could get to Katrina before it was too late. With a heavy sigh, she said, Thanks, Chad.

He was just turning to leave when the screen door opened. Chad, I’ll go with you, James spoke up.

I think you’ve done enough.

Well, she deserved it.

Chad had a flashback of the morning before. He had seen the sparkle in Katrina’s eyes when she headed for the barn yesterday, struggling with two buckets of water. He had asked her if he could give her a hand, and she had told him this was up to her. He just figured she was giving the horses some water and went back to work.

Ten minutes later, Chad witnessed that as James came out the left barn door, the bucket of water that had been resting on the ledge came pouring down on James’s head, and if that wasn’t enough, the bucket hit him so hard he went down on his knees.

Chad had to admit that his gut ached from laughing so hard, and he literally had tears in his eyes when Tom walked through the right barn door and was also soaked. She’d gotten them both back in one act. Chad remembered thinking, She would have to pay for that one.

Look, James, the jokes are good and well. We all never have a dull moment around here because of you and your siblings, but when it turns to someone being put in danger, the fun is over. You not only left Katrina without a horse but you also took her gun, and in case you haven’t noticed, it’s getting dark.

James started to realize the danger that was his fault. I’m sorry, Chad, Mom. I guess we just didn’t think.

Chad turned to Evelyn. I’ll be back. Then he turned to James. If I were you, I’d find a safe place to hide. He headed down the steps. Better take Tom and Tim with you. Katrina won’t let this one slide. She will have your hide.

Chad mounted his horse and headed out. The sun was already setting. If he knew Katrina, and he thought he knew her pretty well, she would be spitting nails. He had to smile. Katrina was like no other nineteen-year-old woman he had ever met. And yes, at nineteen, she had to be called a woman, but you wouldn’t know it from a distance. She was built small all over. She barely reached five feet. She wore the boys’ jeans all the time, along with their shirts. She never wore her hair down and kept it pulled up in a hat all the time. Chad couldn’t remember the last time he had seen it down. He couldn’t even tell how long it was. Yes, from a distance, she looked like a boy. But up close was another matter altogether. She was too damn pretty to be a boy.

Chad noticed the sun going behind the hills. The ole watering hole was a good half hour on horseback at a good pace. Come on, Streak, let’s get to her in record time. Chad spurred Streak on.

Katrina sat and watched her brothers ride off with her horse and gun. They were all laughing at what they were going to get away with. She laughed too; she deserved this one. The only drawback she saw was that she was starving. They had all skipped lunch to round up a few calves that had strayed. She watched as her three younger brothers rode out of sight.

Katrina got up from where they had dumped her and brushed off the dust. She filled her canteen from the watering hole and took a huge drink, hoping it would fill the void.

She laughed again then slapped her hat on her head, tucking her hair up inside, and started to put one foot in front of the other to get home.

It wasn’t bad for an August afternoon; it was actually pretty mild, weather-wise. Katrina loved this country. The range went on for as far as you could see. The sky was clear. She knew the sun would be going down before she got home, so she picked up her pace. She figured she would be home in about three hours if she were lucky.

Katrina was deep in thought but not deep enough to not hear the snap. She stopped dead in her tracks. She slowly looked around. There was nothing that she could see and no more noise, so she went on but kept very alert. She scolded herself for taking this so lightly; it really wasn’t safe for her to be out here without her gun. When I get home, she cursed her brothers.

When she heard another twig snap, the hairs at the back of her neck stood up. She started to laugh. Okay, you guys, I knew you would not leave me out here alone. Come on out. She expected one of them to jump out at her. No one did. This was getting scary. She didn’t like not having her gun. It could just be a deer. The sun was starting to go down, and they liked to feed at dusk.

Nevertheless, Katrina’s pace was picking up; she wasn’t enjoying this prank anymore.

There was a thud. Oof! Katrina had been attacked from the back. She was eating dirt and trying to spit it out. Get off me, you jerk. She thought it was one of her brothers.

Katrina was rolled over abruptly and was looking at the face of an Indian. He looked at her closely, his eyes squinting at her as if he was questioning her. Then he started undoing her shirt with swift fingers. Katrina began slapping and hitting him. Get your hands off me.

That didn’t stop him; he didn’t stop until he had her unveiled. Then he grabbed her hat and pulled it off. Beautiful thick blonde hair fell out all over. What? Seeing my breasts bound was not enough proof I am a girl? You idiot, get off me.

Katrina could see the shock on his face. He obviously had thought she was a boy. She was still struggling to get free of him, especially now that he knew she was a girl. He might try to rape her. His expression changed, and she thought he was going to do just that. Not on your life. She spat and began to kick and push. Just when she was loose enough, she tried covering herself, but he yanked so hard on her shirt he pulled one of the sleeves off.

Hey! What are you doing? That is a new shirt. Her words were for naught as he roughly pulled her to him and tied her hands behind her back with her shirtsleeve. What are you doing? Stop! Nothing was getting to him.

He had to push her hair out of the way as he was tying her hands together. He had never in his life seen so much hair. The color was also striking. It glowed in the sun, and because it had a natural wave, it picked up the red as the sun started to set. It didn’t look real, so he ran his hands through it. Katrina yanked away.

As he hoisted her up on his horse, she continued to kick him. He thought she didn’t weigh much more than his wolf. When she started to protest and fight him again, he decided he liked her spirit. What he was going to do with her, he didn’t know.

What he did next surprised Katrina. With swift fingers, he buttoned her shirt. Then he straddled the horse behind her and put a death grip around her waist.

Katrina didn’t like this one bit. Where are you taking me? You cannot just ride off into the sunset with me. There was no answer. Ew, just wait till I get my hands on you, James, she fumed. Look, let’s be sensible here. Just let me go, and no one has to know about our little meeting. There was still no response.

As they rode on, Katrina began to have this overwhelming fear sweep over her. Then she realized that she had never felt fear like this before. She was his prisoner, and at the moment, she had nothing to help her. She could not believe this was happening to her.

They rode on for what seemed like hours. He was having second thoughts about taking her with him. He had only one use for a woman, and it had been a long time. And she had spunk, so the fight would be worth it, but his day didn’t start out with the plan to kidnap a white woman.

As they rode, her hands became very bothersome. With them tied behind her back and her seated in front of him, they were cradled in his crotch. He shifted a couple of times, but it was of no use. He was going to have to rearrange things, or he would no doubt become very uncomfortable.

Katrina felt him squirming behind her. She was mortified when she realized what his problem was. She tried not to move her hands at all, but they were getting cramped and the sleeve he had tied her with was cutting off her circulation.

She spoke up. I know you do not understand what I am saying, but if you could just loosen up the ties on my wrist, I would appreciate it. My fingers are going numb. She moved her fingers as little as possible at this point and looked down behind her so he would get the idea. He just pulled her tighter up against him. She could feel him growing against her hands; she couldn’t believe it. This was not a good sign.

Of course, he was reacting to her like this. He hadn’t been with a woman for two years. They were nothing but trouble. It was because of a woman that he left his tribe two years ago, only visiting if necessary. He was going to allow himself to be aroused, take this woman, and be done with her.

Fortunately, five minutes later, they were at the spot where he had been camping for the last two days. His wolf ran up to greet them. He told the wolf in his language, Good boy, we have a guest.

Katrina saw the wolf approach them and heard the softness in his voice. He couldn’t really be talking to the wolf, as if he was a pet, could he? She looked around and saw he had a small camp that the wolf had been guarding.

Nice place you have here, she exclaimed, as he took her down from the horse. But I do not think I will be staying. So if you will just untie me, we will just pretend this never happened. She waited a few minutes to see if she would have any response from him.

It had been dark for over an hour, but with hands untied or not, she was determined to leave. After all, the moon was full, and she could find her way home. She had lived in this country all her life; it wouldn’t be that hard.

Feeling very uneasy, she spoke up, It has been nice knowing you, but I really need to get home. My family will be worried about me. With that said, she started to walk away from camp.

She didn’t get too far. Silver Ghost grabbed her arm and turned her around. In his language, he said, You stay with me tonight!

Something in his voice told her she should be afraid. He guided her back to the camp. As he bent to start a fire, Katrina made a run for it. She scurried as fast as she could to climb up the rock and jumped onto the back of his horse. With a swift kick, she yelled, Ya! Unfortunately, his wits were too good because the horse hadn’t even moved a foot from the rock, and he had jumped on behind her, turning the horse around.

Katrina had a few choice words she wanted to spit out. He was going to get an earful, but she was so angry at the moment she couldn’t even speak. What made her angrier was she felt tears well up in her eyes, and she never cried, not easily anyway.

Damn you. She breathed heavily and jerked from him. You are not going to be that easy to get away from, are you?

He almost laughed but kept it under control. He put her down on the ground and walked over to his belongings. Katrina got as good a look at him as she could in the full moon. He seemed very tall with a strong build. He’s too strong for her to take on. His hair was straight, and under the moon, it looked blue. It was shoulder-length, and two small braids were at his temples.

As he approached Katrina, he held out a bundle to her. She couldn’t take it with her hands tied. Oh, something for me. You should not have. No problem. Just let me take that with my teeth, she sarcastically scolded him. Silver Ghost wanted to burst out laughing at her sharp tongue, but he hid his humor.

Silver Ghost just dropped