Just as I turn to go inside, a truck pulls into the driveway. My body tenses up. I start to run inside. I’m not good at meeting people—especially strangers. I have the doorknob turned to hurry inside but stop myself. I’m so fucking sick of being weak. My brother and his buddies have destroyed me over and over. I can’t allow them to keep taking everything from me. It takes everything I have not to run away. I wring my hands together and stare at the truck, my eyes squinting as the headlights shine directly at me. I worry I’m in my nightgown, but it’s down to my ankles, and my breasts could probably be seen through the silky fabric. At least that’s hidden under the throw that I grabbed to chase away the chill of the night air.
“Evening,” an older man with salt and pepper hair and a muscular frame says as he gets out of the truck. He appears to be in his forties, but I can’t be sure. He has a scar along his cheek, and he’s wearing a black Stetson, faded jeans, and a blue buttoned-up shirt with long sleeves.
“Eve …” I stop when my voice comes out squeakier than I’d like. I clear my throat and try again. “Evening.” It’s sad that saying one complete word would feel like a victory, but it does.
“Is Winnie around?”
“No, she went into Cherokee. I’m not sure when she’ll get back. Can I tell her who came by?”
“You must be Olivia. I think Winnie may have told you about me. I’m Carson Wells.”
I look at him in surprise. You look different than your picture Winnie showed me.”
“You mean I look older,” he laughs.
“No, I didn’t mean that—not exactly,” I stammer, blushing with embarrassment.
“I’m just kidding, Olivia. I wanted to see if Winnie had talked to you about our offer.”
“She told me you offered to let me stay at the ranch and protect me until Douglas was found.”
“Have you decided?” he asks.
I sigh and go back to my chair. “Would you like to sit down? I could have Mrs. Dynes bring you some coffee.”
He shakes his head no, lumbers up onto the porch, and sits down in the white swing across from me. “Nah, if I drink coffee this late at night I won’t sleep, and Lisa will kill me.”
“Lisa?” I ask.
“My wife. I think you’d like her.”
“How do you figure? It’s not like you know me that well.”
He lets out a self-deprecating laugh. “This is true. Still, the two of you have a lot in common. You’ve both survived hell and managed to keep standing.” I look at him blankly, refusing to ask the question that starts swirling in my brain. He seems to understand. “I actually wanted her to come with me to talk to you, but she’s pregnant and since she was sleeping, I didn’t want to disturb her.”
“Congratulations,” I answer automatically.
“Thank you. We’re happy. It was unexpected. Lisa is younger than me. I did worry I was too old to be a father, but I’m looking forward to it. Anyway, I did tell her I was going to try to talk to you tonight, and she gave me permission to tell you a little of her story.”
“You asked for permission?” I question.
“Always. My wife gets to decide who knows her past and who doesn’t. I won’t betray her by telling people she doesn’t know or want to know.”
“You love her.”
“More than anything in the world,” he admits at once. “She had a stalker. He held her for weeks before I was contacted to find her.”
“Contacted to find her?”
He lets out a sigh and nods. “I didn’t know her. We met for the first time when I rescued her,” he confesses.
“Oh. She’s very lucky to have you, then.”
“I think I’m the lucky one. I’d be lost without her. Anyway, I wanted to personally extend my offer to you. You’d be safe at the ranch, but more than that, we’re like a giant family there. I think you’d grow to love living there.”
“Aren’t you worried I’d bring Douglas and whoever is stupid enough to follow him to the ranch? If they tracked me down, your wife would be in danger. I can assure you my brother doesn’t care who he hurts. In fact, he takes great pleasure in it,” I say, twisting Bear’s ring on my finger.
“If he shows up on my ranch, he’ll die before he ever gets close to you or Lisa. I can promise you that. There is one thing that you might not like.”
