His Old Lady - Debra Kayn Page 0,96

of McDougal Ranch series

Chantilly's Cowboy

Val's Rancher

Margot's Lawman

Florentine's Hero

Single Titles

The Sandbar Saga

The Higher You Fly

Suite Cowboy

Hijinks

Resurrecting Charlie's Girl

Betraying the Prince

Love Rescued Me

Double Agent

Breaking Fire Code

Enjoy the 1st chapter of Chasing His Fox, book 1 in the completed Choices: Tarkio MC series that is available at all retailers!

Chasing His Fox by Debra Kayn

Part One

Chapter 1

Scarlett

May 1982

TWO DROPS OF BLOOD landed on the plywood board. Scarlett squeezed her hand, trying to stop the flow from where the nail pierced her skin. Fear rolled through her, staunching the tears.

"Scarlett, get down from there," yelled Nelson.

She scooted on her bottom to the corner of the treehouse, away from the opening. "This is all your fault, Nelson Steel."

"You can come down. I put Butch in the garage."

Not believing him, she pulled her knees up to her chest, hiding her hand against her stomach. She hated Nelson's dog.

Butch was mean and scary like Nelson's dad, who always glared at her whenever he spotted her hanging around Steel Mechanics. She sniffed and lifted her hand to inspect the cut. The bleeding only bubbled on the surface of her skin.

"Come on." Nelson stuck his head into the opening of the treehouse and looked around. "It's not safe to be up here."

His dark hair fell in front of his eyes, and he whipped his head back to move the strands. His brown eyes softened in concern. He wasn't mad at her.

She scooted over to him. "You told me Butch was tied up."

"He must've gotten loose."

The boards underneath her creaked. He slipped his hands in her armpits and lifted her to the edge. She dangled her legs over the board, and trusting him, leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him pack her down the skinny ladder rungs.

Nelson's foot slipped, and his arm came around her as they slid to the next board. "I should tear this damn thing down."

As long as she'd lived next door, the treehouse had been in the vacant lot between her house and Steel Mechanics. Though she'd never seen anyone climb the tree. Nelson and his two brothers, Ollie and Josh, were too old to play.

He put her down and grabbed her hand. She held still while he inspected her cut.

"I'm going to have to cut your arm off."

"Nuh-uh." She jerked her arm, but he refused to let it go. "It's only a scratch."

"Yeah, fox." He stepped closer and used the bottom of his shirt to wipe the blood away. "You'll live."

She careened her neck around Nelson, looking for Butch. One of the garage doors in the back of the building banged, and she grabbed his shirt, hiding her face in the material. He might've closed the two exits in the back, but there were three garage doors that were open during business hours in the front of the building.

Butch could sniff her out and run around the side if he wanted to bite her.

Nelson reached behind him and grabbed her by the back of the neck, bringing her around to the side of him.

Wrapping her arm around his waist, she hugged herself to him. Butch hated her.

Nelson had told her Butch was around to keep people from ripping them off and taking tools out of the garage. She couldn't believe anyone would steal from them, but the big, black dog with the tan markings would keep anyone away.

She worried about Nelson getting bit because the dog would even growl at him.

"I'll walk you home." Nelson's hand eased on her neck, and he urged her to walk.

She stumbled beside him over the large pieces of gravel, refusing to leave his side. Mr. Steel, Nelson's dad, liked having the dog loose on the property. If the dog's barking bothered him, he'd look outside and then yell at her as if it was her fault for interrupting the dog's day.

He'd done it before.

In the back lot, only three other cars parked in the area. That wasn't many places to hide if Butch broke out. With the dog behind her in the garage, she hurried Nelson to go faster. She would never have snuck over to see Nelson, but Chuck, her stepdad, was home and drinking.

Chuck worked the graveyard shift at the local mill. When he wasn't sleeping, he stayed in the garage and drank beer. Because those were the only two things he liked to do at home, he was tired and grouchy most of the time.

Luckily, once she'd turned twelve years old earlier that year, her mom let her play outside in the backyard