Page 29 of Wandering in Love

Scrubbing a hand down my face, I get up and head to the shower. I need to get my head on straight before I go after her. I have questions, and she needs to fucking answer them. I’m done playing this damn cat and mouse game with her. She’s mine, God damn it.

Since I didn’t get up at my normal time, again, everything is thrown off. By the time I’m ready to head to the ranch to find her, it’s damn near lunchtime and I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet. Grabbing a thermos, I fill it with coffee and head out.

Frustration is making an appearance today. Anger. Hurt. If she was pregnant, why didn’t she tell me? I can’t imagine she’d abort a pregnancy, but is that what happened? Was she was so damn scared of my reaction that she literally got rid of my kid?

By the time I’m at the ranch, I’m fuming. My chest is damn near heaving with all the air I’m sucking into my lungs to try to keep calm. Spoiler alert: it’s not working.

The truck has barely rolled to a stop when I open the door and stalk into the barn. She’s showered and changed, but she’s there, feeding Bandit an apple. Probably sucking up for leaving him last night.

Stomping toward her, I grab her arm and push her against the wall, getting in her face.

“I’m gettin’ real tired of you running away from me to my brother.” My voice is barely more than a growl.

She shivers against my chest, a blush climbing up her neck to her cheeks.

As quickly as the arousal hit her, it’s turned to anger, and she’s shoving both hands against my chest.

“I really don’t give a damn. You have no say in what I do.”

Gripping the nape of her neck, I crush my lips to hers, desperate for her fire. I hate that I don’t know what’s going on with her. I hate that I don’t know why she left. I hate that she keeps running to my fucking brother.

Her hands fist my jacket, pulling me flush against her for just a moment. Her fire licks my veins. With the grip she has on my coat, she shoves me away, then slaps my cheek. Stinging heat explodes on my face, but I hold her gaze.

“Stay away from me.” She’s trembling with rage when she grabs the lead for Bandit and storms past me.

Spinning on my heel, I stomp out of the barn and back behind the wheel of the SUV.

“Ian!” Will is jogging toward me and for a second, I consider slamming my door in his face and running him over. “What the hell are you doing, man?”

“Stay the hell out of my business!” I yell. “And stay away from my girl.”

“At the rate you’re going, she ain’t yours.”

I fume in my seat for a minute, letting all the frustration boil over before taking a deep breath and forcing it back.

“You know anything about a baby?” I can’t look at him, but out of the corner of my eyes, I can see him stiffen.

“A baby?” he asks, a look of concentration taking over his face. “No. I don’t know anything about a baby.”

“I think she was pregnant when she left.”

That possibility breaks my damn heart. Do I have a kid out there somewhere?

“I didn’t know, man. What happened?” Will places his hand on my shoulder.

His comfort almost breaks me. Almost.

“I don’t know. She said something about a baby last night right before she passed out. I was going to ask her about it this morning, but she called you before I was awake.” I pin him with a glare.

It fucking hurts that he keeps coming to rescue her. She’s mine. I should be the one to help her, but apparently I’m what she needs rescuing from.

“I gotta go. Snow’s coming.”

Will steps back and I pull the door closed. I flip the SUV around and head down the driveway. Bandit and Eva are going the opposite direction. My gut clenches as I watch her ride away from me once again.

In the few minutes it takes me to get back to the office, it’s snowing, big fluffy flakes that will take no time to cover everything. It’s beautiful, in a way. Once everything is covered and before people start moving, it looks like a fresh start for the town. Everything is clean and bright. At least, that’s how it feels, until the calls start coming in and I’m ass-deep in ice pulling a cow out of a ditch.

Shaking my head, I head inside to make sure everything is ready. One of the deputies is sitting at Stacey’s desk on the phone. I don’t pay him any attention as I close the door to my office and drop down into my chair. Dropping my elbows onto the desk, my face falls into my hands.

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