Page 3 of Saving Jared

"No. But it was the straw that finally broke this camel’s back. Especially once I started looking back over the last eight or so years of my very limited dating life and started seeing a pattern." Guilty expressions surrounded her as they looked anywhere but at her. "Yeah. See, that’s what I thought. So, I figured what better way to show you I’m all grown up, than to show you."

"We’re just looking out for you," Eric said, leaving his spot. Her brother was known for not taking much in life seriously. But as he took hold of her shoulders and peered down at her, she couldn’t doubt the sincerity in his earnest, cornflower blue gaze. "We love you and we don’t want you hurt."

And that was one truth she would never question.

These three men had never shown anything but a fierce love of her for as long as she could remember. But ever since their parents had died in a stable fire when she was twelve, they’d gone into some kind of hyper-protective mode. And she was in real danger of being smothered by it.

"I understand that. I truly do. And I love all of you too—more than I could ever express. But the whole treating me with kid gloves and hovering has to stop. You have to let me live my life."

She’d thought she had gotten over that particular hurtle when she’d become a firefighter. At the time, her decision had given her brothers an apoplexy of monumental proportions. But they’d eventually accepted it and took pride in her work. Unfortunately, it had changed nothing else. In their eyes she was still the baby sister they had to Mother Hen over.

But enough was enough. It was time for some tough love.

"So, until you three realize I am in fact a twenty-four-year-old woman who can make her own decisions, I’m out of here."

* * *

About an hour later, she’d finally managed to leave their log cabin-inspired ranch house behind with most of the things she had to have stuffed in her Jeep. Getting away hadn’t been an easy feat. Not with Darin’s badgering, Eric’s cajoling, and one mean game of keep away—with her keys as the prize—courtesy of Ben.

She glanced in her rearview mirror at the three of them standing on the porch. Varying degrees of sadness filled their expressions. Ben in particular had her slightly choking up as she dragged her gaze from them and pulled away.

She blinked hard and refused to acknowledge how her vision blurred the lines of fencing separating the fields from the road on their 323,000-acre cattle ranch. This was the right thing to do. She took in a deep, cleansing breath and wiped her eyes.

The timing for her little escape worked too. She’d taken a double, twenty-four-hour shift, plus a few extra hours prior to taking seven vacation days. That meant for the next few days she could look forward to sleeping in a bunk, sharing a bathroom, and scheduling shower time with eight men. It was what she was used to while on shift. So, not a problem at all.

But for an unknown-termed living situation? She let out a sigh. There had to be another solution.

As soon as she could, she’d need to look into some place local to stay. Her brothers had to know she was serious. Meaning, all she had to do was remain strong and not let anything they might say or do sway her back into their arms. The situation had to change.

Would it be easy?

No.

But the three of them would get her point.

Eventually.

She hoped.

"Call from Kinsley McComb"

"Answer call," she said succinctly, then waited until the line picked up. "Hello?"

"You’ve run away from home?" her best friend asked, laughing.

"Please tell me they didn’t call you."

"Ben did. Why didn’t you call me?"

"I was going to." She stopped under the white stone and iron archway with R&S Acres affixed to it, then looked both ways before turning right onto the empty country road. "But I figured I’d wait until I got settled in at the station."

"You can’t live there." Willa could almost see Kinsley’s disgusted expression. "Why don’t you just stay at the Big M until your brothers stop being idiots?"

"I guess that means I should move in permanently?"

Kinsley laughed while Willa thought about her offer. She wouldn’t be averse to staying on the ranch. But…

"What will Jared say?"

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