“When you tricked her into the Zoom call and attacked me?”
That was close to bratting, but Blaze wasn’t going to follow the distraction. “Yes, Sarah. That time. And because she saw your robes and your studio onthatcall, she’ll know they’re the samethistime. She’ll know you’re here at your farm.”
“Maybe not. And besides, livestreams aren’t recorded and posted. Once they’re done, they’re gone. And it’s midnight in New York. She’s probably asleep and missed it.”
Blaze had no faith that Mary Varvara Bell would somehowmissthat one of the people she was hunting had been livestreaming online. “Maybe so, but the odds are that this farm is now ground zero for the White Russians. We need to leave. Pack your bags.”
“No.”
Her quiet refusal didn’t sound like bratting, but it did make Blaze want to run headfirst into the damn wall.
10
CASTLES IN THE CORNFIELD
SARAH
When they woke up again, Blaze started up with the argument right where their bickering had left off like he hadn’t even taken a breath, which was when they’d fallen asleep in the guest bedroom the night before with his huge body spooned around hers. “Get packed. We need to leave.”
“No.” Sarah wasn’t being contrary for the sake of it. She’d just made up her mind and was as stubborn as a barnyard mule sometimes. “I’m staying right here.”
“They’re coming. Last time, they were going to kill you.”
“I’ll be more alert. I won’t be distracted by some hottie in a tight tee shirt.”
“I—that’s not—You can’t be alert every minute!”
“Remi will help me. Maybe I’ll sleep in the barn so they won’t find me in the house.”
All morning long, Sarah started the chores and Blaze finished them—washing the breakfast dishes, weeding the garden, haying the stock, collecting the eggs—and Blaze yammered on about how she had to pack and leave the farm.
Lord, he acted like he hadn’t told her just the night before that they had no future together, that he was planning to return to Chicago as soon as possible.
Not that that was a problem.
He could stay or go as he pleased.
And she shouldn’t get her panties in a wad about how he’d said helikedher a few days before, but now, for some unknown reason, he’d changed his mind.
Wasn’t that just like a man, really,changing his mind.
“We need to take the animals back over to Abigail Yoder’s,” Blaze told her in his annoyingly commanding deep tone as they were each currycombing one side of Charlie and talking over the big Quarterhorse’s chestnut-haired back.
She retorted, “I’m not keeping you here.Yougo.”
“I won’t leave you alone!”
“No one’s saying you should stay.”
“Of course, I’m staying.”
“You don’t have to.”
Charlie twitched his withers at their arguing, as he was a peaceful horse who preferred soft speech and nose rubs.
Blaze growled, “I got you into this mess, and I’m going to make sure you’re safe before I head back to Chicago.”
The barn straw crunched under Sarah’s boots as she moved down the horse, scraping the dead hair and skin cells out of his coat with the currycomb. “I’m not your responsibility.”
