He made it several steps away before he stopped, too, his back still to her. His shoulders slumped, his head falling forward until his chin nearly touched his chest. And then he was spinning toward her. Her eyes met his, that wild, fierce light in them back.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded roughly, his voice breaking. “You put yourself in danger instead of telling me what was going on. Why?”
She shook her head, tears stinging her nose. “This wasn’t your fight—”
“Try again, Red,” he growled.
“I couldn’t bear the thought of you getting hurt because of me,” Roxy whispered through clenched teeth, her lower lip trembling. “He threatened to hurt you. I couldn’t let him hurt you.”
“Did you really have such little faith in me that I couldn’t protect you, baby girl? That I couldn’t take care of myself?” he asked, stepping forward until he towered over her. His long hair fell over his brow and down his shoulders as he stared down at her. His voice was rough, but his eyes were gentle.
“I didn’t know what lengths he would go to, and—”
“Don’t ever doubt my ability to protect myself, or you, Roxy. I have been a fighter my whole life, you know better than anyone that I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Try again.”
“You already know why,” she whispered through clenched teeth, tears tracking down her cheeks.
“I’m going to need you to spell it out for me,” he murmured, raising his hands to cradle her face in them. “I want to hear the words.”
A sob caught in her throat, and she squeezed her eyes shut, then she gasped when she felt his lips brush across her cheeks, her lips.
“Because I fell in love with you, you big bully,” she whispered miserably. “And I figured you would think I wasn’t worth the trouble.”
She felt his lips lift into a smile against hers, before he pulled away and she opened her eyes to find his.
“I never thought love was worth the fight. But when I found you, baby girl, I was ready for war.” Those large hands, capable of inflicting so much damage when he wanted them to, were infinitely gentle as they cupped her cheeks. His thumb rubbed along her cheekbone, and his gold flecked eyes searched hers. “Do you understand what I’m telling you, Red?”
“I might need you to spell it out for me,” she whispered, her voice cracking around the words as more tears stung her nose.
One corner of his mouth quirked up and she could see the indent of the dimple in his cheek as a chuckle rumbled out of him. She cupped the side of his jaw in her hand, running her finger over his bottom lip.
“You are worth everything, Roxy. I don’t ever want you to think you have to fight alone,” he murmured, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. “Where you go, I go. Your fight is mine.” Trapping one of her hands in his, he pressed it to the left side of his chest, and she could feel his heart beating beneath her palm. “And this heart is more yours than mine. Because no matter how hard I fucking tried to fight it… losing my heart to you was one fight I was powerless against. I love you, Red.”
“I love you,” she breathed against his lips, tears steadily tracking down her cheeks. “I didn’t want to. I tried not to…” Pressing soft, sipping kisses to his lips, she took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. “We were set on a collision course from the start. There was no stopping the free fall I was in, Travis. I love you so much.”
Her hand still trapped beneath his, palm pressed to his chest, he stroked the back of her hand with the pad of his thumb. “Does this mean I can stay?”
“I never wanted you to go,” she whispered, flexing her fingers against his chest. She reveled in the steady thrum of his heart beneath her palm. “I want to be wherever you are, Travis.”
Curling his arms around her, she sighed when their bodies aligned, and she pressed her cheek to his chest. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me now, Red.”
Lifting her chin, she smiled up at him, and he kissed her forehead gently. “I can live with that.”
Epilogue
One Year Later
“Okay, y’all, we’re going to start from the top all the way through!” Tapping her teal cowgirl boot on the hardwood floor, she called out, “Five, six, seven, eight!”
Boot heels tapped, laughs rang out over the music, as Roxy led the beginner line dancing class through an easy version of ‘Copperhead Road’. By the end of the song, the group applauded and laughed, high fives ringing out amongst many of them. She grinned at the group around her.
“That was great you guys! You’re really getting the hang of this one!” she said through the microphone. “Why don’t y’all take a water break, and then we can give ‘Freight Train another try from last week!”
There was a mix of hoots and hollers and groans at that announcement, and she laughed again. The hall was dimly lit by colorful, rotating dance lights attached to the rough wood beam ceiling. The Junction was a quaint little tavern nestled on the outskirts of Walloon Lake, about ten minutes away from Petoskey. She had gotten a job as a bartender, the old-timey tavern reminding her so much of Lawless back in Texas. It felt like home.
The community interest had been incredible, the lines forming out the door on lesson nights. Who would have thought the little northern Michigan town would have such a passion for line dancing?
The skill levels ranged from novice to pretty dang good, and Roxy had been impressed with the outpouring of support. She’d had to add extra lessons in different skill levels, and instead of just once a month, she had weekly classes.
