Back in the Beast, Sean pulled at his new shirt’s too-tight collar. It was made from scratchy, unlaundered material. He looked ridiculous in it, but in the big scope of things, he didn’t mind a beat-up truck and a silly tourist T-shirt. He had Deanna beside him, and they were finally heading in the right direction: home.
His shoulders relaxed. He could breathe easier. There was still plenty to worry about. But the memory of kissing Deanna and the knowledge that she was coming home with him to the ranch gave him peace. He wouldn’t have to guess if she was safe. He would know it.
Now if he could keep his mind on the road and off how much he wanted to kiss her again.
And again.
* * *
A few minutes later he turned the Beast into her driveway and parked in front of the double-wide trailer she shared with Arlene. Deanna would pack a bag and feed and water her horse, Star, for the night, and then they could finally get out of town so he could fulfill his promise to Uncle Paul. He would get there before the flames did.
Sean grinned as he turned off the ignition. Things were turning around. It was about time.
Deanna fiddled with her seat belt and then kissed Sean on the cheek. “This shouldn’t take long,” she said.
But movement outside the truck caught Sean’s eye. His internal radar pricked.
“You expecting someone?” he asked. He squinted into the darkness where the truck’s headlights illuminated a dark figure sitting on the front porch. “Get your gun out.”
Sean went to put the truck in Reverse, but he recognized the man waiting. Blake Ransford stood up to his regal height and set his Stetson on his head. He lifted his hand in a slight wave.
“What’s he doing here?” Sean said through his teeth.
Deanna leaned her head back against the seat. “Oh. I’m pretty sure he’s here for me.”
The heaviness returned to Sean’s shoulders. Maybe things weren’t so settled after all.
* * *
Deanna shut the truck door but kept her hand on the cool metal. She was stalling. Avoiding the hard stuff once again. She’d successfully postponed this conversation with Blake for so long she’d almost forgotten she still had to have it.
Sean leaned across the seat and placed his hand on top of hers through the window. “I don’t like this. Why can’t I come with you?”
She let go of the door and put on a phony grin. “Give me five minutes to smooth some ruffled feathers in there, and then I’ll be right back.”
Walking toward Blake, she dragged her feet like a little girl on her way to the principal’s office. She glanced back at Sean. She’d insisted he stay back because she didn’t want some testosterone-fueled conflict between the two men, but she missed Sean’s steadying presence already. Maybe she should have let him come with her.
This was getting silly. She was a grown woman. She hadn’t really done anything wrong other than decline Blake’s invitation, and she didn’t need Sean to hold her hand when she talked to him. If Blake Ransford was making her nervous, it was her own fault for letting him have that kind of power over her.
One of her dad’s old maxims echoed in her head. People will want to ground you, Deanna. It makes them feel bigger than you when you let them. Don’t let anyone clip your wings.
As always, there was some truth mixed into his endless supply of cheesy clichés. She squared her shoulders and called out, “Blake, is that you?”
Blake hopped down from the porch and closed the gap between them. His mouth was a hard line, his chiseled jaw set. He was a rock and despite her internal pep talk, Deanna shrunk before him.
“What’s going on with you today?” Blake asked. He glared over her shoulder at the truck. “Are you still with Loomis?”
“I’m sorry about missing our...meeting,” she stammered, unable to bring herself to say date. Although she knew that’s what it had been to him.
He held up a hand and silenced her. He stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. Leaning in, he said in a soft voice, “That’s not what I meant, Deanna.”
She’d expected anger, but Blake’s voice was low and kind. Sweet. He reached for one of her hands and held it lightly. Even in the dim porch light, she could see the clear blue of his eyes as they searched hers.
“Are you okay?”
She blinked back tears. She pulled her hand back and squared her shoulders again. “It’s been a rough day, but I’m handling it.”
“Come here,” he said. He slipped an arm around her shoulders and his cologne went straight to her head. The scent wasn’t overwhelming, nor was it understated, either. It was the perfect amount, as if it emanated from Blake naturally. If confidence had a smell, this was it, and the bottle of the stuff had probably cost him more than she would pay for a piece of furniture. Deanna was keenly aware of her sticky, sweaty skin and her dust-covered clothing. It really had been a long day.
Blake led her toward her front door. He cleared his throat. “There’s something you need to see.”
“Let me guess,” she answered in monotone. “Someone broke in.”
Blake stiffened and stopped walking. “You’ve been home already?”
“I’ve seen their handiwork all day—the coffee shop, Sean’s truck. I can only imagine what it looks like in there.”
“Who did it?”
“Long story.”
The feel of Sean’s kiss lingered on her lips, and Blake’s arm around her shoulders felt wrong. What did this look like from Sean’s vantage point? She wriggled free and tipped the potted plant by the door. Her spare key was gone. “Have you been inside?”
“Yes,” Blake said without apology. He held out the key and said, “I was worried about you. And I went to the barn and took care of Star for you while I waited, too. He was hot, so I hosed him down.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, putting the key back in its hiding place. “Thank you.”
She thought of her sweet horse. She longed to lean against Star’s back, to inhale his leathery comfort. To let her mind go as she groomed him for the night, releasing more stress with every brushstroke. But Blake had done it all for her already.
Because he was her landlord, this was technically his property. He even owned Star. Another of their many arrangements. Deanna earned the use of the horse and a trailer for her rodeos in exchange for Star’s upkeep and training.
Deanna sighed. For someone who cherished her freedom and independence as much as she claimed to, she sure was dependent on Blake Ransford. How had that happened? She’d met Blake at another friend’s barbecue several years ago. She’d known all about Blake, the town’s football star who had played for the University of Washington, but it was his first introduction to her. After that, their business dealings had evolved slowly over the years. With all of his real estate success and expertise, Blake had been a lot of help to her, but they obviously needed to set some new boundaries now.
She cast one more quick glance back at the Beast before she reached her shaking hand toward the doorknob. Sean should be here walking through this door with her, helping her face the disaster on the other side. He’d been such a comfort at The Hangar. She turned back, ready to wave him in, but Blake’s broad chest blocked her.
“Here, let me.”
He reached over her head and pushed against the unlocked door, shoving debris out of the way as the door swung open.
Unshed tears blurred her vision as she looked inside. The destruction wasn’t a surprise. She’d expected it, but it still hurt. She and Gram didn’t own much, but what they had either held sentimental value or had been earned by a lot of hard work. It was all in shambles before her now, reduced to a pile of garbage, a match to the coffee shop.
She swiped at the escaping tears quickly before Blake saw her weakness. “That’s what I expected,” she whispered.
“This is unacceptable,” Blake said, his voice granite hard. His anger was palpable. He squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll fix this, Deanna. It will be as if it never happened. You’ll see.”
He turned her around by the shoulders. “I’ll take care of you.”
His words vibrated through her, reaching the lonely little girl buried deep. She’d been struggling to keep afloat for so long. If she stopped fighting his advances, Blake had the means to truly take care of her, and Gram, too. He could provide a lifestyle she could only imagine. He was offering a security she’d craved for so long. She didn’t love him. Did that matter? Yes, it did.
“I appreciate your help, Blake, but I’m okay.”
“The evidence says otherwise,” he said and began listing all of the ways she was struggling. He would know. He was financing most of it. He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Men like Loomis? They are a dime a dozen in this town, Deanna.”
Blake grabbed her hand again and gently played with her fingers. “He can’t give you the life you deserve. Not like I can.”
“Sean and I aren’t together,” Deanna protested, blushing.
Blake grinned. “Glad to hear it. So you won’t mind me telling him he can take off, that I can take over from here?”
“No!”
The force of her protest startled them both. Blake frowned, his demeanor hardening. “I see.”
Deanna scrambled to smooth it over. “Sean and I have some unfinished business, is all,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot together today.”
Blake wrapped his muscular arms around her, pulling her in tight. His breath was warm against her hair, leaving her dizzy, claustrophobic. “Yeah, well, you and I have some unfinished business, too, don’t we?”
She pushed her forearms against his chest, fighting for extra space. “You’re hurting me, Blake. Let go.”
“I think I’ve been patient long enough, Deanna,” he said into her ear.
She tried to pull away again, but he held her even tighter. Her pulse accelerated. She tried to scream for Sean, but Blake clasped a firm hand across her mouth, stifling the words.
The cologne she’d admired earlier was suffocating her now. “What do you want from me?” she said through his fingers.
“Him or me?” Blake’s voice was thick with emotion, hardly above a whisper, but the icy chill it sent through her was powerful.
“I told you, we aren’t seeing each other.”
“Enough!” Blake yanked her hair hard, forcing her face up to make eye contact. The soft blue of his eyes darkened as his pupils dilated. He spoke through gritted teeth. “I’ve offered you the world twice now. This is the last time I ask.”
He shoved her away from him and crossed his arms. She moved to run, but he blocked her escape.
“Sean! Help me!”
“He can’t hear you in here.”
Her whole body trembled. “How dare you!”
He chuckled. “I’m not going to let you run away from me. After all I’ve given you, you owe me the words at least. You can accept my generous offer or if you think he’s better suited for the job, let Loomis try to protect you,” he said, pronouncing Sean’s name with a hiss.
Blake held out his hands, palms up like a scale. “So what’s it going to be? Him or me?”
She saw it all. Everything she’d gain if she could only say yes to him, if she chose to ignore how rough and cruel he’d just been and what that could mean for her future. She also saw everything she’d lose the second she fell out of Blake’s favor. Her house of cards was toppling.
“I choose him,” she whispered.
Blake’s nod was slow and deliberate. “Wrong answer,” he said, drawing a gun from a holster on his belt.
But she’d seen him reach for it and had anticipated his move. She’d matched his speed.
Deanna’s own gun pointed right back at him.