Page 41 of Rusty

Hugging both Little Miss Giggles and Little Miss Hug, she approached Rusty at the corral. His tall frame was outlined by the setting sun, his salt and pepper hair ruffling gently in the breeze. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she prepared to engage with him.

"Hey, Rusty," she called out, trying to sound casual despite the anxiety tightening her stomach.

"Janice," he acknowledged, before glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. "What brings you here?"

"Thought I'd see how Snickers is doing," she replied, attempting to keep her voice steady. Her gaze remained locked on Rusty, hyper-aware of every nuance in his body language, searching for signs that he was pulling away from her.

"She's doing well," Rusty answered, gesturing toward the mare who was contentedly munching on hay. "I think she's enjoying the extra attention lately. The massage has worked wonders."

"Good, I'm glad," Janice said, forcing a smile. "Say, Rusty," she ventured tentatively, "have I . . . have I done something wrong? We haven't been talking much lately, and I can't help but feel like I've upset you somehow."

Rusty hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly before answering, "It's not you, Janice. It's just been a long week, and I've got a lot on my mind."

"Is it about us?" she asked, her fear of abandonment consuming her.

"Let's not talk about this here," Rusty suggested, quietly. "We can talk properly in a couple of days, okay?"

A couple of days?

"Okay," Janice agreed, her heart sinking. She tried not to look heartbroken.

Rusty sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for the awkwardness, Janice. I really am. I just need a little time, that’s all. I promise we’ll talk more very soon.”

She gave Rusty a weak smile before retreating, hugging Little Miss Giggles and Little Miss Hug close to her chest for comfort.

As she walked away, intrusive thoughts did everything they could to squeeze into her anxious mind. Was she about to lose Rusty again, just like she had ten years ago? What if Rusty was already plotting with Chuck to get her thrown off the ranch?

Try to relax. Try to not worry. Everything's going to be okay.

Little Miss Giggles and Little Miss Hug seemed to offer silent support as she walked away, their stitched smiles unwavering despite the tears that threatened to spill from Janice's eyes.

"Please don't let this be the end," she whispered to herself. As the first tear made its way down her cheek, Janice knew that she couldn't just let go of Rusty without a fight—no matter how much it scared her.

"Tomorrow," she promised herself, wiping away the tear with the back of her hand. "I'll try again tomorrow."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Rusty

Rusty's boots thudded againstthe worn wooden floor of his cabin as he paced back and forth. Shadows danced on the walls from the flickering flames in the hearth. His mind raced with thoughts of Janice. Despite the warmth of the fire, a chill ran down his spine.

Ever since reading that old letter, Rusty had been contemplating contacting Angus, Janice's controlling father.

He couldn't let it go on any longer—Janice deserved justice. She deserved more than a life of forever hiding from him, afraid that he might show up and make her life hell with no warning. She deserved to feel like the amazing person she was, free from the constraints of her father's manipulation.

Rusty knew Angus, after all. He wasn’t the sort of man to accept defeat. It was only a matter of time before he found his daughter and dragged her back to Scotland, or dragged her name through the dirt, or did whatever it was he planned on doing to her. He probably already had a dozen privateinvestigators on the case, closing in on Littlecreek Ranch by the second.

Plus, and maybe this was even more pressing, Rusty wanted the chance to stand up to Angus. For the past ten years, Angus had been bailing out Rusty’s family ranch in Colorado. His cousins still lived out there, and Rusty’s heart broke at the thought of them no longer having a place to live. But Rusty was fed up of feeling like a coward. He was fed up of living in fear of Angus and what he might do to destroy Janice’s life and his own.

He wanted to do something he should have done ten years ago: man up and fight Angus.

He clenched his fists, determined to give his love for Janice a fighting chance, no matter the consequences. He glanced at a photo of him and Janice, taken years before their abrupt breakup, and he sighed. He needed to help the two of them find their way back to that place—safe, secure, happy.

If he didn’t, it would eat them both up. The guilt, the worry, the insecurity. The last few days, Rusty had been so preoccupied with the worry and stress of how to deal with the situation that he’d clearly upset Janice. He didn’t want that to happen anymore. He needed to set things right.

He grabbed the phone, his heart pounding in his chest. He dialed Angus's number, ensuring he used a withheld number to avoid being traced. The dial tone buzzed in his ear, each second feeling like an eternity. Finally, Angus answered.

"Hello?" Angus's gruff voice echoed through the line. “Who is this?”

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