Page 73 of On His Ranch

She shrank back on the bed. “I-I don’t know… I… please, Daddy.”

Chase scowled. “Why were you downstairs?”

She had never seen him like this—it made the hard-ass she’d met in the barn seem like a teddy bear. Her heart was pounding and she found herself tongue-tied. “I… I just… I heard a noise.”

He snorted, his eyes narrowing. “I just bet you did. Your buddy you let inside? Or did you take the matches yourself and set the fire?”

Piper’s eyes widened to a point where it was physically painful and her heart slammed into her chest. “Wh-what? What are you talking about?”

With a roar that was pure rage, he turned away from her. His muscles were taut and she could see he was breathing hard

She scooted up until her back was touching the headboard, her heart beating a rapid tattoo as she tried to figure out what to do. She was pretty sure he would catch her if she tried to make a run for it, so it looked like she was pretty much out of options.

Chase chose that moment to turn and face her, causing her to draw her breath in sharply. “So, let’s go over this. You show up on my property, hiding in a shed.”

“I wasn’t hiding. I—”

“You claim to have been on your way to your aunt’s, but you haven’t mentioned her in all this time.”

Piper couldn’t help but feel wounded. “That’s because I thought you… we… I thought you wanted me here.”

“Ithought you were bein’ honest with me, against my better judgment!” he snapped.

She reeled from the words like a physical blow. “Chase? I don’t understand. I want to understand.”

He glowered at the carpet like he wanted to burn a hole in it, but he didn’t answer.

Piper took a deep breath, trying to summon up her courage. “Daddy?” The word came out a whimper.

“Explain it to me,” he ordered, the words succinct, but without the sting. “We fell asleep together. What happened? How did you end up downstairs?”

She swallowed over the bit of her that wanted to curl into a ball and cry. She’d gone from the most wonderful night she’d ever had and woken inside of a nightmare. “I-I told you,” she whispered. “I thought I heard a noise.”

Chase propped his hands on his hips. “Okay, let’s say I believe you. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“Because… you have to get up early. I thought… I was just trying to be nice.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she determinedly fought them.

“So, you walked downstairs, and then what?”

“Um…” She was distracted by the way he tapped his foot, clearly annoyed. Which totally made sense, given the fire and everything, but what she didn’t get was why he was upset withher. She felt certain it had nothing to do with the fact that she was taking a while to answer his questions. “I didn’t realize there was a fire. I thought maybe I’d imagined whatever had woken me up, but then there was another noise.”

“What kinda noise?”

“I don’t know. Kind of a pop? And then there was a flash of light.”

“And?” he prompted, his voice a study in barely restrained frustration.

“I walked toward the light. I saw the fire. It was, um, it was small, at first, and I thought I could put it out, but…” She shrugged helplessly. “I’m sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”

His jaw clenched as he considered her, still through narrowed eyes.

“I… I’m sorry,” she uttered again, at a loss of what to say.

Chase chuckled, the sound soft and dark. “Not as sorry as you’re ‘bout to be.”

He watched as her eyes grew wide, feeling perversely pleased. She was hiding something. He didn’t know what it was, but he was certain he wasn’t getting the entire truth. It just didn’t add up. Why had she decided not to attempt to put the fire out? Why hadn’t she called out for him? Why had she just stood there and watched?

But he didn’t want to interrogate her further. He felt sure it wouldn’t do a bit of good. She’d said all she intended to say.

---