Page 92 of Live for Me

I looked at the young woman sitting at the table with a notebook and a textbook. She was younger than Abbie, or hell, even Harmony. She had dark brown skin and braids that wentdown to her waist, dressed in jean shorts and a faded Harvard t-shirt. My eyes met her ember ones, respecting the absence of fear within in them. “Long way from Massachusetts, aren’t you?” I said.

“I’m right where I want to be,” she replied, her voice smooth and confident.

And fuck me, I couldn’t help but give her a wide smile. “That right?” I asked with a laugh.

She nodded once.

I put my hat back on and looked over to where the twins stood. Lance looked bored with Denver’s lecture, but Lawson…Lawson looked angry. “We have a rule about damn strangers,” Denver growled. “I shouldn’t come into my bunkhouse on my goddamn ranch to find a fucking stranger sitting at the table.”

“She’s not a stranger, Den,” Lawson replied, his voice cold.

Denver stepped up to the young cowboy. “She’s a stranger to me, to my family. Get her out of here.”

“Thought we were your family, Denver,” Lance noted from behind his brother, leaning against the wall, putting his hands in his pockets. He pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders. “Or was that just a load of horse shit?”

Silence filled the bunkhouse then, the tension wired.

“It’s alright, Lance,” the woman said, rising from her seat and gathering her things. “I’ll find someplace to work in town.”

Denver had demons, like every other cowboy on this ranch, but Denver was the only one who’d come close to losing everything he ever had. He had trust issues, especially with strangers coming onto Hallow Ranch. The twins should’ve known better than to bring her here.

The woman moved away from the table, her belongings wrapped tightly in her arms. I stepped aside and held the door open for her. I should’ve felt sorry for her, but I had too muchshit of my own to worry about, and right now, we couldn’t trust anyone.

“Wait.”

Her head snapped over in Denver’s direction. Keeping his eyes on her, he pointed at the twins. “Who is she to you, boys?” he quipped.

“An old friend,” she answered for the twins.

Denver’s eyes narrowed underneath the brim of his hat. “Old friends usually bring trouble. Is that what you’re bringing to my ranch today, miss? Fucking trouble?”

“No, sir,” she answered, her voice strong and unwavering. She wasn’t afraid of him, and fuck, if that wasn’t impressive.

Denver looked over to the twins. “Why is she here?”

Lance spoke up first. “We just thought—”

“I’m not asking for bullshit, I’m asking for an answer. Why. Did. You. Bring. Her. Here?”

Outside, I heard an engine coming down the hill and looked up to see Harmony’s car. “This conversation was none of my business anyways,” I muttered under my breath, stepping back outside again. I waited somewhat impatiently for Harmony to park in front of the barn before making my way over to the car. I reached out, grabbing Abbie’s door handle, and just as I was about to pull it open, it was shoved into my legs.

I grunted, biting off a curse as my wildflower folded herself out of the car, her brown eyes cold, her mouth tight.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, shutting the car door.

She said nothing to me as she bent down, muttering a thank you to Harmony through the passenger window, quiet until Harmony’s SUV was headed back up the hill.

“Wildflower,” I murmured, coming to stand behind her. “What’s going on?”

She carefully turned to face me, keeping her laptop close to her chest, her knuckles getting lighter by the second. I was half-convinced she’d break the damn thing if her grip got any tighter. My eyes flicked up to her face, my gut twisting at the sight of angry tears.

“How could you?” she pushed out quietly.

“Baby, I’ve done a lot of things in my thirty-one years on this Earth, and not one of those things were with the intention of hurting you,” I said roughly, grabbing her chin. “What’s wrong?”

She jerked out of my hold, stepping back. “Tell me right now that you’ve only killed one man,” she demanded, her voice shaking. I opened my mouth, but she beat me to the punch. “I’m not talking about the men Denver and Mason have killed. I know they’ll do anything to protect Hallow Ranch.”

My jaw clenched.

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