Page 49 of Stay for Me

“I just—Lucas isn’t the gentlest when he’s high. When he’s drunk, I can usually handle him,” I blurted, laughing slightly. “Hell, in law school, I was either studying or dealing with his antics. I guess I’m kind of a professional.”

Lucas’ upper body twisted then, and he slowly raised his fist, plopping it against the door. “Babe, please,” he called, doing the best he could to make his voice sound sweet again. “Please, open the door.”

“Please get Denver, Mags,” I pleaded. “I just—I need someone to take Lucas back into town.”

Nothing. I pulled the phone away from my face to see if the call had ended.

It hadn’t.

A lump grew in my throat as I hoped Mags muted his end to go tell Denver.

“Its going to be okay,” I whispered to myself. “It’s going to be okay, Diana.”

I put the phone back against my ear and called out for the cowboy I couldn’t have. “Mags?”

Nothing. Complete and utter silence. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the wall, knowing I was going to be okay.

The Hallow Ranch cowboys protected their own.

Minutes later, the sound of an engine roared outside, and my head snapped towards the door, seeing a flash of headlights in the window above it. I opened my mouth to speak, but the phone call ended. I pulled up the live feed from the driveway to find Denver’s red truck, and my shoulders sagged with relief.

Mags had gone to Denver.

The driver’s side door popped open, and a dark figure emerged, a black cowboy hat on his head. I wanted to smile, but the disappointment inside my heart wouldn’t let me. I wished it would’ve had been Mags. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d dreamed of seeing him outside Hallow Ranch, walking through town, having a meal at the diner or getting a few groceries from the store. Hell, I’d even imagined him sitting at the bar, having a beer with the twins whenever they came into town.

But all of that was just a dream, a silly little dream formed inside my head.

Mags never left Hallow Ranch. He’d been there for over a decade now.

The figured prowled by the garage door, following the front path to my porch. When he rounded the corner, I switched to the porch feed and—

That wasn’t Denver.

That.

Wasn’t.

Denver.

My chest began to heave, my mouth falling open at the sight of Mags rushing up to Lucas. Lucas looked over his shoulder just in time to see Mags grab him. My eyes widened at Mags lifted my ex off the ground, twisted, and tossed him off the porch like he was a bag of garbage.

I moved then, running to the door, unhooking the chain and lock before yanking it open. Mags’ back was to me, his shoulders rising and falling with each powerful breath, the porch light above him highlighting the muscles of his back underneath his black T-shirt.

“Mags,” I rasped, ignoring Lucas groaning on the ground.

Mags was here.

At my house.

Off Hallow Ranch.

The dark cowboy twisted his neck, the shadow of his hat hiding his face, but I could feel his eyes, the heat in them—the anger. “Get back inside,” he ordered, his voice cold.

I looked down to Lucas. “But—”

“Don’t make me fucking carry you in there, Diana,” Mags growled.

I opened my mouth but closed it when my cell started ringing. As I lifted it to my ear, Mags snatched it out of my hand.

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