Page 52 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

The problem was she didn’t have anywhere to run to. She had no clue how he’d managed to find her here, but he had.

Shutting her eyes against the painful emotion that threatened to escape, she attempted to flood her mind with images of Daniel’s handsome face. The man she loved. The man she’d do anything to keep safe.

Even leave him so he didn’t become a pawn in Cayden’s narcissistic ways.

At some point she’d fallen asleep, though she didn’t sleep well at all. Once again, she woke early, antsy, and upset about how she’d left things with Daniel.

What was she going to tell him about missing dinner tonight? If she simply didn’t show up, then he’d likely come track her down. If she told him she needed space—who was she kidding? The man would come find her and make her talk to him. She was surprised that he hadn’t done exactly that when she’d stormed off last night.

Her eyes were red and itchy. Whenever she blinked, pain laced the space where her lids rubbed against the dry surface. Maybe she should bail on Cayden. She could skip her dinner with him and pray that he didn’t do anything rash. That was exactly what she was going to do.

Bolstered, she got up out of her bed. Aria didn’t spend a single moment out of the house. She forced herself to do some freelance work, choosing to steer clear of the cowboy she knew would be as grumpy as she was.

Then she fixed their supper and took it over.

Seated across from Daniel, she kept her eyes on her plate. He hadn’t asked her about their argument last night. He didn’t pry into her meeting with Cayden. Strangely, he didn’t even ask the guy’s name. Had Daniel been paying attention to her lack of movement today? She wouldn’t be surprised if he noticed that she hadn’t left the house. It would make sense.

Her appetite hadn’t returned. There was so much she wanted to say to him. The words were burning a hole in her chest.

But she couldn’t.

Not until Cayden was gone. There was too much risk. For how awful her father had been, Cayden scared her more. His evil ways felt more sinister—like he took joy in torturing a person mentally.

Daniel’s chair creaked as he shifted where he sat. The air was strained and tight. She couldn’t breathe. Every few minutes, she’d glance at the clock, waiting for her phone to ring or chime indicating that Cayden had grown tired of waiting.

But the call never came.

When the dishes were cleaned up and she headed for the door, she wasn’t surprised that Daniel stopped her with a hand on her wrist. She glanced down at where his gentle fingers wrapped around her, and then slowly she lifted her eyes to meet his expectantly.

“Aria,” he whispered, that one word filled with so much pain and uncertainty.

She shook her head. “Right now isn’t a good time.” It wasn’t a good time to talk. It wasn’t a good time to sit in silence. It just… wasn’t a good time for anything. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

His brows creased, and she flushed as he continued to scrutinize her. She half-expected them to start another argument, but all he did was lift her hand to his lips. He pressed a kiss to her palm, then released her.

Aria’s heart shattered for no other reason than knowing she was causing him grief. She dipped her head and slipped out the door to head back to the house.

When Cayden didn’t message her, call her, or make any sort of additional threats, Aria allowed herself to breathe a little easier. She still didn’t sleep well, but today she knew she couldn’t stay away from Daniel.

She needed him. His strength. His love. She needed to be in close proximity so she could start to feel a little better about what was going on in her mess of a life.

Seated on the edge of the corral, she watched him work. Every so often he glanced in her direction and she offered him a shy smile. Maybe they were past the worst of it. Cayden had brought a challenge to her life, and she’d made it out with a few bumps and bruises—but alive.

The sound of tires crunching along the gravel road toward the barn drew her attention. She didn’t recognize the car, but immediately, her heart went into overdrive.

It was one of those pompous models—a hybrid or some nonsense that had no business being on a ranch where petrol was king. Before the door opened, she knew who would be emerging.

She scrambled down from her perch and charged toward the vehicle and the man waiting beside it.

Cayden had on his smooth, nonplussed expression, but his eyes smoldered with fury.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed. “You need to leave.”

His eyes flicked over to where Daniel was working. “You stood me up. So I’m here to make good on my promise. You’re coming out with me.”

She shook her head. “I’m not. Get it through that thick skull of yours. I will never come back to you.”

Cayden’s expression never changed as his focus shifted to her. Then one side of his mouth quirked upward, and in a flash of his arm around her waist, he yanked her flush against him. His lips pressed near her ear and he whispered, “When are you going to understand that you have no power here? You’re nothing, Aria. You belong to me.”

---