Page 93 of Stockman's Showdown

He didn’t want to.

‘Marcus and Porter are here. They want to talk to Charlie in the boardroom.’ He then said to Charlie, ‘It’s to do with Harry.’ It was all part of the plan.

‘We shouldn’t keep them waiting, son.’ Charlie brushed past him, heading down the stone path that wound through the thriving vegetable garden.

‘Is it time?’ Bree asked Ryder quietly.

Ryder nodded. They’d elected not to tell Charlie of their findings last week, leaving it to the police. But Ryder made sure he’d sped up the process, calling in favours, hoping that what they discovered would fall in the right direction, for Charlie’s sake.

‘Are they here to discuss Leo’s matter, too?’ Bree dragged off her black skullcap that contained the long thick plait that rested over her shoulder like rich rope.

‘Only after Charlie leaves.’

‘Got it.’

‘Hey.’ He pulled her back to duck behind the wall of assorted bean varieties that grew thickly over an arched trellis, effectively shielding them from the house. ‘I want a kiss.’

‘My grandfather is just there.’

‘I don’t care.’ Sneaking around had been hot, but he’d rather their relationship was out in the open. But he’d learned fast that wasn’t what Bree wanted, so he took any chance he could, like this one. Wrapping that thick plait around his wrist to control her head, his lips met hers and kissed her like she was his air, his light, his life.

He’d never get sick of kissing her, especially when he watched her glassy green eyes shimmer to gaze at him as her body sighed against him.

She did that in those quiet moments, where the only sound was their breaths or heartbeats. Those moments just after he’d made love to her, and she’d gaze at him with wonder. In that small window of time she wore no shields, only pure open emotion showing on her face, filling her eyes, it was beautiful. All of her was beautiful.

But then she’d blink. Andbam, reality set in and so too those shields that protected her heart.

‘Why are we hiding this?’ He hated how she retreated from him, starting down the path while untying the back of her apron. ‘You said it was because of Charlie, but he likes me.’

She slid the strap of the welding apron over her head. ‘Charlie would shoot you.’

‘Would not.’

‘He threatened to shoot Finn, and all the others.’

‘How many others?’ The fire burned in his chest.

‘Don’t judge, cupcake. It’s not that many. Most men were either too scared of me, or not good enough to get an invitation past the front gate.’

So, Finn—that’s definitely over? Because the weekend he was here it didn’t seem like it.’

‘Isn’t it obvious already?’ Bree rolled her eyes, the sigh exaggerated. ‘Finn was a rerun, cupcake. Just because I revisited a chapter doesn’t mean I’m rewriting the whole book. That story’s done.’

Didn’t that make him grin with pride.

‘But Finn and I are still friends, okay?’

‘Whatever. Just know, no one is good enough for you—except me.’

‘Ah huh, and what brand of gun glue have you been sniffing today?’ She rolled those pretty green eyes that contradicted the smile she was trying to hide.

‘Come on, we’re not children. We have no reason to keep hiding like this. I’m not ashamed to be with you, Bree.’

‘I’m not ready. Okay?’ She said it over her shoulder, while walking away from him. ‘Hey, this is new for me, too. Why rush?’

He stopped to watch her disappear inside the cottage, where she hung her leather apron and gloves at the back door.

Even though he was ready to rush in with both feet, he’d forgotten how Bree had been burnt in ways he couldn’t comprehend. He needed to exercise patience. He’d been patient with her this long.

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