Chapter 16
Last night’s wind blew so many trees down over my fence line, and cows got out, got lost in the woods, and it’s been a goddamn clusterfuck all day.
“More storms blowing in,” Spike says, lifting his chin at the clouds on the horizon.
“Yeah, I know.” I want to know if my girl is okay, but I haven’t had time to text her, and there’s definitely been no time to go to the house to check in with her. “How’s that southern border coming p>
“We got the fence patched and the cows back in the pasture,” he says. “But the north side is a fucking nightmare p>
Wincing, I brace my hands on my hips, looking out to where Dusty’s wielding a chainsaw, working to get trees moved.
Aiden and Micah are both on horseback, guiding cows back into the pasture.
“I don’t like the boys being up that high with lightning coming p>
Spike nods. “I’ll get them off. I think those are the last three cows we lost p>
We ride over to where the others are, and I start barking out orders.
“Those clouds look nasty, and there’s a lightning warning for this whole area,” I tell them. “Let’s patch this fence and barricade what we can’t fix, and then I want everyone to head to the barn and get the horses put away before this storm hits. Spend the rest of the day safe in the bunkhouse p>
They nod, and we work together to patch the fence. Thunder rolls over us as we ride back to the barn, and just as we’re getting the horses brushed and put into stalls, the sky opens up in the loudest downpour I’ve ever seen.
I glance at Aiden, and he looks nervous.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, setting my hand on his shoulder.
“I am,” he says, shaking his head, “but Aunt Wills won’t be. She hates storms, and this will freak her out p>
I nod, already feeling like shit that I’m not with her.
“As soon as I finish putting Billy away, I’ll go to the house,” I assure him.
“I’ve got Billy,” Aiden replies. “I’ll take care of it p>
He licks his lips and watches through the door as more rain pelts down.
“Thanks. I’ll head in. You go to the bunkhouse, you hear me? Go ride this out with the others p>
“I can come to the house to check in on Aunt Wills p>
“I’ve got her. If anything’s wrong, I’ll call you p>
He doesn’t look happy about it, but he nods. “Yeah, okay p>
I quickly check in with Dusty, and then I’m running for the house in an all-out sprint, through rain that feels like it’s trying to tear the skin from my body.
My poor cattle.
By the time I run up the stairs and onto the front porch, I look and feel like I’ve been swimming with my clothes on. I’m fully drenched. My jeans are heavy as fuck, but I don’t give a shit.
“Wills?” I call out as I burst through the front door. I stop to listen, but the only sound is my heart hammering in my chest. So I try again. “Wills p>
Nothing.
I run back to the kitchen, but she’s not here, and it’s dead quiet because it occurs to me that the power is out.
Shit, I have to get the generator running, but not until I find my girl.
I rush through the downstairs, and when I don’t find her, I take the stairs two at a time and poke my head into every room.
When I get to the bathroom off her old bedroom, I find a bucket with a bunch of cleaning supplies. Obviously, she was in here cleaning, but there’s no sign of her now.
“Willow!” I hurry down the hall and check our room. The bed is made, and the bathroom is sparkling and smells like cleaner. She obviously scrubbed this one first.
But no sign of her.
I rush back out and notice her studio door is closed, so I walk inside, and at first I don’t see her, but then movement in the corner catches my eye, and my chest feels like it cracks open and my heart stumbles right onto the floor.
She’s crouched in the corner, rocking, hugging her legs to her chest. Her headphones are on, and she’s mumbling with her eyes closed.
How am I supposed to get her attention without scaring the shit out of her?
I squat about three feet away from her. Everything in me wants to scoop her against me and hold her tight, consoling her.
But she’s shaking, in only a bra, and there are tear tracks on her cheeks, and I don’t want to startle her. Before touching her, I go find her a shirt and then return to the room, squatting before her once more. She hasn’t moved, and her bottom lip quivers.
Jesus, she’s breaking my heart.
Gently, I reach out and slip my fingers into hers, and her eyes open. She doesn’t jump or startle, so I pull her to her feet, quickly tug the T-shirt over her head, and then scoop her into my arms and carry her to my office next door so I can sit on the couch along the wall and cradle her in my lap.
I take her headphones off, set them aside, and then cup her cheek.
“Hey. I’ve got you. You’re safe. I’m so sorry, sweetheart p>
“This storm isn’t your fault,” she whispers, but she clings to me, buries her nose in my neck. “I was fine until the rain got so loud p>
“Crazy, isn’t it?” I glance to the window, where the rain continues to dump, although a little lighter than before. “I don’t remember the last time it rained this hard p>
Pressing my lips to her hair, I breathe her in. I’m soaked, and I’m getting her wet, too, but she doesn’t seem to care.
Or maybe she just hasn’t noticed.
“The power’s out. I didn’t know how to start the generator p>
“I’ll show you in a minute.” I kiss her forehead and then her nose before she buries her gorgeous face back in my neck. “I need to hold you first p>
“No complaints here. Shit, this makes me feel so weak. It’s so stupid. The storm isn’t going to hurt me. I know that, but p>
“You’re not weak or stupid.” I hook her chin on my finger and make her look at me. “Do you hear me? Don’t talk about my girl like that. You’re one of the bravest people I fucking know. So you have a thunderstorm phobia. We all have something we’re scared of p>
“What’s your thing?” she asks, not taking her eyes from mine, and I swallow hard.
I don’t want to admit this.
But she’s already being vulnerable with me, and I need to give some openness back to her.
So I take a breath. “I have a couple. One, the thought of something happening to you makes me lose my shit p>
She blinks rapidly.
“Always has, since we were teenagers. It’s one of the reasons I always stuck to you like glue, and I made you and Gid travel with me p>
“Wait.” She’s ignoring the sound of the storm now, frowning up at me. “I thought you just liked having the Three Amigos together p>
“Sure, that was part of it, but I had to have you close by because I didn’t want something to hurt you when I couldn’t be near you. I know it’s irrational p>
“Ry.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t even live in Seattle p>
“I know. I told you, it’s irrational. I was going to buy you a condo in Seattle so you’d be closer, but then everything happened with Aiden p>
“Do you know what that’s called in dark romance novels p>
Of course I do.
“Obsession,” she says before I can answer her.
Was I always obsessed with Willow? I’ve listened to all her audiobooks over the years, but I attributed that to being homesick and wanting to hear her voice. Is it really because I’ve been completely gone over her since the day I stepped foot on this ranch?
It’s possible.
All I can do is shrug at her.
“Okay.” She blows out a breath. “What else p>
“What do you mean p>
“You said there were a couple of phobias. What else p>
“That’s not enough of a confession for you p>
She narrows her eyes, waiting.
“That’s all you’re getting for today. Feel better p>
“Yeah.” She stands and pushes her hands through her hair. “Come on, I’ll make us some food. I skipped lunch p>
“For you to do that, I have to show you how to get the generator running. It’s easy p>
With her hand in mine, I lead her out to the garage and over to where the box is mounted on the wall.
“This is not what I remember from when we were kids p>
“I know. It’s solar.” I open a panel. “I had it installed last month but haven’t needed to use it. You just flip this switch p>
I show her, and her whole face lights up as we hear the house whir to life.
“It’s attached to the whole house? Not just the fridge and stuff p>
“Whole house,” I confirm. “I’m fancy, remember p>
“You are fancy p>
We return to the kitchen, and Willow pulls out ingredients for what looks like spaghetti.
“Hey, speaking of Seattle,” I say, leaning on the counter. “We’re going in a couple of days p>
She pauses what she’s doing, and her gaze darts up to mine. “We p>
“Yeah, we. I have to go to wrap things up with the team, give a press conference, all that stuff, and I’m not willing to be away from you for that long p>
“How long will you be gone?” she asks.
“We will be gone for about four days p>
“Ry, I have to work p>
I shake my head and step closer to her, pull her against me as I wrap my arms around her waist. “Are you telling me that we can’t figure something out, sweetheart p>
Her hands slide up my chest to my neck, and I want to growl. I fucking love it when she touches me.
“I guess I could see if I can juggle some things. Work longer days before and after, if it’s that important to you p>
“I don’t want to be without you that long.” I press my lips to her forehead.
“Okay—Seattle, here we come p>
“You’re going to Seattle p>
Our heads jerk to the side, to where Aiden’s standing in the doorway, wet from the rain still coming down, his eyes full of hurt.
“We were just talking about it,” Wills says, trying to pull out of my arms, but I hold firm.
We are not a fucking secret.
“Oh, cool. Glad to see you’re okay. I’ll head back out to the bunkhouse p>
He turns to leave, but I call out, “Stop p>
He doesn’t turn around, but he does stop walking.
“We’re all going to Seattle,” I add. “The three of us p>
Now, he does turn back. “We are p>
“Yeah. I have some business to see to, and we’ll have some fun too p>
His eyes drop to where I’m still holding his aunt.
“Are you two—” He swallows hard. “Uh p>
“Yeah,” I reply, just as Willow rests her forehead on my shoulder with a little moan. “It’s new, but yeah. Is that okay with you p>
“Sure.” He frowns.
“What would you like to say p>
“Nothing p>
I kiss Willow on the top of her head and then gently push her away. “I’ll be right back p>
I cross to where Aiden is and then gesture for him to join me in the living room. When we’re alone, I cross my arms over my chest and face him, man-to-man.
“What’s on your mind, kiddo p>
Aiden runs his hand through his hair and scowls at the floor. “I like you, Ry, but if you hurt her—” He shuffles his feet, and my respect for the kid has just intensified by about a thousand percent.
“Now you know how I felt that day that you punched the wall p>
He swallows hard. “I’ll punch more than the wall if you hurt her.” He firms his chin and looks me in the eyes. “Even though you’re bigger than me, and you can kick my ass, I’ll get some swings in first p>
“Fair enough. So do you want to go to Seattle or not p>
He lets out a breath. “Yeah, I wanna go p>
“Good p>