Page 34 of Dust Storm

I tightened my grip on his shirt. “Is that how you talk about my momma?”

He gritted his teeth. “No, sir.”

I let go of his shirt, letting him fall backward against the fence. “Then that sure as hell isn’t how you talk about Miss Parker.”

“She ain’t a Griffith,” he spat.

I pointed a finger at him. “Neither are you, son. You’d better remember that.” I eyed the cluster of ranch hands as I pointed toward the office. “She carries the weight ofmyname. She’s a Griffith to you.”

They nodded in agreement.

I turned back to Jackson. “If you so much as look at her wrong and she wants you gone, you’re gone. Have I made myself clear?”

8

CASSANDRA

My hand was sweaty around the doorknob as I peeked through the crack, watching Christian from a distance.

Something had gone down around the enclosure where the ranch hands had turned out the horses.

I’d never seen him like this. So rough and brusque.

I almost turned to go back to the desk, then Christian said my name.Miss Parker.

He didn’t call me Cass.

Truthfully, I didn’t mind it coming from him.

Growing up, I was Cassie to my friends and family. But I let go of shortening it after the millionth lecture where Tripp hounded me about using my full name.

Cassandra is much more professional. You want to be taken seriously, don’t you?

So I became Cassandra.

My attention was glued on Christian as he spat fire and brimstone at some kid who had been running his mouth within earshot of me for most of the day.

It’s not like I hadn’t heard it all before.

“She carries the weight of my name. She’s a Griffith to you.”

I froze, paralyzed with shock.

I hadn’t heard a man talk about me likethatbefore.

Crickets serenadedme as I checked the time … again.

I had skipped the picture-perfect family sitcom dinner Christian had invited me to partake in, and waited out the dinner hour in the privacy of the office.

To my dismay, Mickey slept soundly in the corner.

I pored over stacks and stacks of financial statements, building a reasonable working budget for my pet projects while eyeing my phone every few minutes.

I had finally gotten Tripp to respond to a message I sent to his work email, where he said he would give me a call at five. It would be the end of my work day and midnight for him.

But my phone never lit up.

Tripp never called.

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