AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I spin on my heel, facing Ryder with narrowed eyes, and stab a finger into his bare chest. “There is no we.”
“Go ahead and lie to yourself, sweetheart.”
“Stop calling me that.”
I steal a hoodie too and rush for the kitchen door, swiping keys from the countertop. Ryder stands with folded arms, blocking my exit.
“Move.”
“You’re scared.”
Damn right I’m scared. “No. I’m leaving.”
“So that’s it then?”
My being trembles with the finality of this conversation. My heart begs me to be brave and fix this before I break it all the way. But my fear-charged brain marches on like the idiot soldier she is. “I was always leaving, Ryder.”
With those final words, I push past the grumpy cowboy I’ve reluctantly come to love and march right out of his life. Forever.
CHAPTER 16
Macy
“Leaving so soon?” Wyatt leans in the doorway, arms folded across his chest, as I fling clothes into my suitcase. I refuse to look him in the eyes because I know I’ll start to cry. I can’t cry. I need to stay calm and focused.
“They need me back at the clinic,” I lie.
Thor trots into the room and nudges my elbow, causing me to drop my makeup bag. It topples onto the floor. The Great Dane and I go for it at the same time. I’m not quick enough to save it from a solid coating of slobber. The pup looks at me, his sad puppy dog eyes damn near breaking me.
“They need you here, too.”
My eyes fall closed as I inhale deeply, trying like hell not to fall apart at the truth in his words. It’s more than Ryder who wants me to stay. Dr. Garrison said as much when I stopped by the stable to check on Molly’s foal before I ran away from Stone Ranch. I hold enough guilt for leaving without saying goodbye to Paps and Gina—not that I’d dare wake them this early. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Emerald Creek without at least seeing Molly’s foal once more.
“You’ll have to tell me what they name him,” I say, “the foal.”
“Go ahead and run, then,” Wyatt says, pushing off the doorframe. Thor sneaks a pair of socks from my suitcase and dashes toward the door with his pillaged treasure. I glance at my brother before I can think better of it. The jerk wears a sly grin. No wonder he and Ryder are best friends. They’re both asshats. “You’ll be back.”
“Not for a long time.” I’m forced to yell after him as he disappears down the hall.
“Whatever you have to tell yourself.”
I hurry through the rest of my packing and brace for another round of arguing when I drag my luggage through the kitchen. But Wyatt and Thor are nowhere to be found. It’s when I notice the missing patrol truck in the driveway that the dam of emotion I’ve been fighting to hold back finally breaks.
CHAPTER 17
Ryder
There’s not enough coffee in the world to drown out my pissy mood. If it wasn’t for the premature foal born late last night, I’d happily keep my ass in bed for the day. Surely I could guilt one of my brothers into picking up the slack and covering some of the chores.
I’m pissed at myself because I knew how Macy would react when real feelings were laid out on the table. It frustrates me that the best thing I can do is give her space right now. In the short time I’ve come to know her, I understand that she needs time to hibernate and allow her spinning thoughts to calm. It’s only then that she’ll be able to process what’s really happening between us. Paps was right about her.
“Still got two days to change her mind,” I say to a stretching Barney as I grab my Stetson and head out the door to relieve Dr. Garrison. The gaggle of misfits trails behind me. I briefly note that Gertie is not among them, but I’m too exhausted to care if she’s in the bedroom eating my socks.
I’m surprised to find not one, but two of my brothers, in the stable. I never counted on Colt showing up—he’s nothing if not predictable when it comes to his unreliability. But I’d given up on the other two when they went radio silent the night before. Maybe the family meeting they begrudgingly attended a few nights ago has knocked some sense into them. I might not be all alone in the fight to save the ranch after all.
“Has hell frozen over?” I ask, refusing to express any outright gratitude in their excessively late response to my call for help.
“Is he always this cheerful in the morning?” Weston asks Liam.
