She turned to me, her warm brown eyes wide, lips berry-red from biting it. “Rafe, there’s no edge. Everything just drops.”
Yeah, I could tell the moment the ocean grabbed her. I held her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “Breathe, City. You got this. Stop strangling the wheel. Feel the dirt beneath you. It will guide you. And trust I am here no matter what.”
That last line just popped out. I knew I could grab the wheel if needed. I knew we were safe. But I wanted her to turn the corner without my assistance. As much as I needed her to trust me, I also needed her to trust herself.
Rory took a deep breath, put the car back in gear and hit the gas. She moved forward and slowly made her way around the sharp corner. There was no lingering, no more overthinking. She checked the mirrors, once. Likely to make sure we were not holding up anyone behind us. And then made the turn. It was a good thing we were not relying on her momentum, because there was none. It was a slow crawl as we moved around the bend known as Devil’s Elbow.
Once we hit the straight section and onto the bridge where there were guardrails, she let out a long deep breath.
“Fuck, that was scary.” She let out a giggle I guessed was from nerves as she continued along the bridge.
I nodded over at her. “Well done.” I was so proud of her. She’d be driving these roads by herself in no time. Which reminded me. “We’ll do the errands together until you are confident. You don’t do that turn with anyone but me or Calvin in the car with you until then.”
“Sure.”
The rest of the drive was less eventful. Rory could talk about anything and everything. It was like a thought popped into her head and she needed to share it immediately. At least, that was the impression she gave. I knew she had secrets. The details of what she was hiding from was still a mystery but I knew her family was the reason she was here.
I stopped at the post office first and collected my mail. It wasn’t like I received a lot of personal shit, but some of my suppliers still sent their invoices in the mail. When I climbed back into the truck, I handed the entire bundle over to Rory.
“These are mostly bills and other ranch stuff.” Our fingers brushed against each other, and heat spread up my arm. I swallowed hard at the pull of her. “Sort what needs to be paid and what can be tossed.”
She pulled her hand away first, gripping tight onto the bundle of mail. “What’s next?”
“I need to get to the Feed and Seed. Then I need to get the vineyard and help Calvin set up. I’ll drop you off at the Ranch or the cabin first. Whichever you prefer.”
Confusion marred her pretty face as her brows knitted together. “What’s happening at the vineyard?”
“Midnight Harvest.” The event was a lot more glamorous than the name suggested. “Cal and his men will pick grapes all night. There are not enough men so I’ll head over tonight with my men and hope there are enough hands for what needs to be done.”
I gave her directions to Miller’s Feed and Seed, and stepped out before she even switched it off. I was at her door and helped her out. “Come, let’s get these treats for your menagerie.”
Before we reached the door, someone called my name. “Rafe.”
Both Rory and I turned, my shoulders relaxed when I spotted Alicia, Calvin’s fiancée. “Allie. Good to see you.”
“Nice to see you. And the person who stripped me of mynewest resident in townstatus. I’m Alicia Powers. But you can call me Allie. I’m Cal’s fiancée.”
Rory took the other woman’s hand and smiled. “I’m Rory. Rafe’s new employee.”
Again, she didn’t give a last name. She had asked to leave it off the paperwork she had filled out as well.
Allie darted her gaze between Rory and me. “Can I borrow her for a little while?”
“Why.” I narrowed my eyes on her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. Allie was Abe’s sister, she understood the situation. Probably understood it better than me.
She smiled. “She needs girl time. And clothes that don’t scream ‘out of towner.’ We’ll get what you need from inside, too.”
I turned to Rory, ready to put my foot down if she was not comfortable with Allie. “It’s up to you.”
Rory darted her eyes around before giving Allie a once over. “You know what? I can do with some girl time.”
“If anything happens to her, your brother and his friends will come after me. Be careful.” I nodded and then looked over to Rory. “I’ll meet you both at the vineyard. Drive carefully.”
As I stepped into my truck I watched as she laughed with Allie. Fuck, I was an idiot. Of course, someone as out-going as her needed more friends.
Disappointment flowed through me as the realization hit. She was laughter and light, even with everything she was going through. I was a man drowning in debt, holding onto a sinking ranch. I would only pull her under with me.
CHAPTER 4
