Page 29 of The Trail Boss

The room went quiet as the implications sank in.

Gavin’s fists clenched at his sides. “So, to recap: Kessler stole Roxie’s money, Jeremiah’s debts put her on Dugan’s radar, and her in-laws might’ve hired Kessler to steal from her and probably someone to make sure she stays silent.”

“Pretty much,” Reed said grimly.

“Shit,” said Gavin. “I need some air.”

“Really?” teased Jesse. “Reed assured us you’d done that when you were gone so long.”

“Enough,” said Reed.

Gavin stepped out onto the front porch, needing a moment to clear his head. The cool breeze was welcome against his heated skin, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside him.

The door creaked open behind him, and Roxie stepped out, her expression guarded.

“You and I are going to have to come to a meeting of the minds about you doing what you’re told.”

“Perhaps, but that’s a discussion for another day,” she quipped. “What’s going on?”

Gavin turned to face her, his chest tightening at the sight of her standing there, vulnerable but still so damn strong. He knew he couldn’t keep the truth from her.

“We’ve got answers…well, at least some of them,” he said, his tone gentle but firm.

Her brows knit together. “What kind of answers?”

Gavin took a deep breath. “Your lawyer, Kessler, forged documents to steal your inheritance. He’s been working with the same people your husband owed money to as well as your in-laws if we are correct. And speaking of your in-laws… they may have hired someone to hurt you.”

Roxie stared at him, her face pale as the weight of his words settled over her. “My in-laws?” she whispered, her voice cracking.

Gavin nodded. “We found payments to a private investigator with ties to some dangerous people.”

She sank onto the porch railing, her hands trembling. “I knew they hated me, but… to do something like this? To hire someone to…” She trailed off, her voice breaking.

Gavin stepped closer, crouching so they were eye level. “Roxie, I know this is a lot, but we’re going to get through it. We’ll make them pay for what they’ve done.”

She shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “And Jeremiah? The debts? The lies? He wasn’t who I thought he was, was he?”

Gavin hesitated, hating the pain in her voice. “No,” he said honestly. “He wasn’t. But that doesn’t mean you deserved any of this.”

Her shoulders sagged, and she buried her face in her hands. “I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

“You don’t have to figure it out tonight,” Gavin said softly. He reached out, his hand hovering near hers before finally resting lightly on her shoulder. “But you’re not alone in this, Roxie. I’m here. We all are.”

For a long moment, they sat in silence, the energy between them shifting into something deeper, more intimate. Gavin’s hand lingered on her shoulder, his thumb brushing gently against the fabric of her sleeve.

When Roxie finally looked up, her eyes held the remnants of her tears, but a bright, fierce flame burned within them. “I will not be anyone’s victim,” she said, her voice steady despite the tears.

“You’re not,” Gavin said, his voice low and intense. “You’re a fighter. And you’ve got people in your corner now.”

Her lips curved into the faintest smile, and she shook her head. “You’re really something, you know that?”

Gavin grinned, the tightness in his chest easing just a little. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Roxie let out a soft laugh, the sound bittersweet but genuine. “I guess I don’t have a choice but to trust you, do I?”

“You do have a choice,” Gavin said, his tone serious again. “But I hope you’ll trust me anyway.”

She met his gaze, and the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them. Gavin felt the pull between them, the unspoken connection that had been building since the moment they met.

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