Page 79 of Seaside Cowboy's Second Chance

The words replayed in Skylar’s head.

He regretted what he’d done.

Was it true? And could she ever forgive her father? Well, she might not have time for that, anyway.

It was remarkable how in the instant when life could be over, all the unimportant parts fell away and revealed what mattered like grains of sand revealing a hidden treasure. Clarity could be sharpened by adrenaline.

Her treasure was under her nose all the time. Dallas. She’d never stopped loving him, no matter how hard she’d tried. And another treasure, the one she’d buried in the sand for years was her artistic talent. The two passions she’d left behind.

Would she have the chance to come back to them?

Her gaze slid to the easel with the paints Dallas had given her. Her throat closed up. Somehow, even after she’d hurt him, he’d managed to give her backherself.

She wouldn’t forget it for the rest of her life, even if the rest of her life would be only a few minutes. Deep longing unfurled inside her. She longed for him to know she loved him even more than she needed to stay alive.

Staying alive would help, though.

And for that, she needed Earl to keep talking. She nodded to him. “I get it. We fall in love when we least expect it.”

Would Dallas hear her over the phone in her pocket? Would he be able to help? She wanted him to, but not at the cost of his life. And he should know what she should’ve told him a long time ago.

She raised her voice. “I didn’t want to fall in love with Dallas again, either. I did my best not to. I tried so, so hard. But I couldn’t help it. He’s the most remarkable man I’ve ever met. Or ever will meet.” And the latter wasn’t just because she probably wouldn’t be walking out of here alive. “And knowing my grandma, she’s the most remarkable woman you've ever met.”

“Thank you, my Little Miss,” Grandma whispered.

Earl’s expression softened, and guilt settled in his eyes as he glanced his fiancée’s way, but only for a minute. “True. You’re a remarkable woman.” But then he frowned again. “If only your son had let sleeping dogs lie.”

If only you didn’t blackmail my father or get him mixed up in your wrongdoings to start with.

Of course, Skylar kept the thought to herself. Aggravating Earl wasn’t in her best interests. “It’s not too late to walk away from it all.”

“Right.” He sneered. “The moment I let you go will be the moment you run to the police.”

He had a point there.

“You shouldn’t have put your nose where it didn’t belong,” he said again, his tone weary. “But he told me you knew what he’d done, so I tried scaring you off. You should have gone. Then it wouldn’t have come to this. I didn’t want to hurt you, either of you. Now I have to.” A whiny, not-fair tone filled his voice.

So it wasn’t Dad who’d run her off the road. Relief loosened something tight in Skylar. She couldn’t help feeling glad for that.

Earl turned to his fiancée. “We could’ve been happy.”

“How could you?” Tears ran down Grandma’s face, making Skylar suffer for her.

Skylar sensed the instant Earl changed. He looked dejected but determined, and his grip on the gun tightened. A shiver ran down her spine. He’d made a decision, and it wasn’t a favorable one.

Then she had an idea as she edged closer to the easel. While she still wanted to shield her grandmother, she had no choice. Skylar was a bigger threat. Earl would take her out first.

He’d also expect her to go for her gun in the purse on the floor. So she might have an element of surprise. But for her and Grandma to have even a minuscule chance of survival, Skylar would need much more. She’d need a distraction.

She silently begged her grandmother to keep talking. Skylar had inherited her chatterbox character from her grandmother, but one wouldn’t guess it now.

Finally, Grandma let it out, shrieking, “I loved you! I loved you so much! We were going to get married! Did all that mean nothing to you? Did it?”

You go, Grandma!

Would that be enough of a distraction? Skylar wasn’t close to the easel yet when the front door flung open and she had no time to decide. As Earl spun toward the door and the new threat, she lunged for the heavy easel and smashed it at him with all her might. Shots thundered in the air.

Hot pain erupted inside her, blinding her. Voices and movements around her barely filtered through the crimson fog. She slipped to the floor.

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