AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Burke didn’t answer, just went quiet. When Garret turned and cast him a glance over his shoulder, Cookie was taking a seat next to Burke. Great. A bigger audience.
“She wrote about things I can’t give her,” Garret muttered.
“You running?” Cookie asked.
“Chhh. I don’t run.”
“Taking aim at her as she adjusts is a way of running,” Burke said.
God, he hated everyone here right now. “That don’t make any sense,” Garret growled.
“You’re firing at her so she’ll leave you alone,” Cookie said.
“Well aren’t you both just fuckin’ geniuses,” Garret said testily.
“Never been accused of that,” Burke said. Smartass.
“Lenny told me about Wyatt scarin’ them,” Cookie said. “Do you know Eliza pulled a rifle on him? Aimed it at his chest. It was loaded. Lenny said she would’ve pulled the trigger. Would’ve fallen apart after, but she would’ve pulled it if Wyatt hurt this place, or Lenny. You know what she did right after?”
Garret turned and leaned his back against the fence, shook his head. “No. What?”
“She wanted to come find you. She was scared, and she came to find you. If a fancy woman like that comes to you for safety?” Cookie stood and walked away. “You aren’t the devil you think you are.”
Garret swallowed a curse and scrubbed his hands down his face.
“You know if I met my wife now?” Burke asked. “The way I am right now. We would’ve been fine. I know right and wrong. I could use my words and explain the animal to her. I could get her used to the mood swings, if only I had a chance to be kind to her in the moments I have my mind. You take care of a woman enough in the good moments, she’ll be patient when you’re bein’ an asshole. If she cares about you enough. You make her hate you, she’ll leave.” Burke gave an empty smile. “Trust me, that part isn’t as fun as you think it’ll be. For you, or for your animal.” He stood and smacked his hat on his thigh, dislodging a layer of water. He put the rain-soaked hat back on and gave him a two-fingered wave. Didn’t say another word as he disappeared around the corner of the barn in the direction Cookie had taken off.
Garret chewed the side of his lip and stared off in the direction Lenny had taken off. Oh, he knew he’d hurt Eliza. He’d hurt her, and there was now this strange, dark, thick sensation unfurling in the pit of his stomach. Was it guilt? Regret?
Maybe it was both.
He loved kissing her, and hated that she looked at him like he was a better man than he really was.
Fuck, Roy! He needed to go visit him soon and see if he had his mind yet. He missed him. Missed his advice. Missed his understanding, and now, for some reason, he was missing his insight on the woman his wolf was softening toward.
She’d lifted a rifle to Wyatt Jennings’s chest to stand up for this place in his absence.
Okay. Okay, woman. Attagirl.
A woman who cared enough to defend his territory like he protected his territory definitely had his attention.
Chapter Thirteen
Garret had the mules hitched to the wagon to haul feed by the time Eliza returned to the house. Lenny had found her out there by the oak tree, but on the way back she hadn’t said much. Instead, she sidled her horse close to Buck and squeezed Eliza’s hand in comfort twice on the ride back. They were both drenched to the bone by the time the cabins came into view.
Garret was working in the barn when they arrived. Without looking up into Eliza’s face, he strode toward her and held Buck’s reins as she dismounted. “If you leave your horse there, I’ll take care of him and you can go on inside and get warm,” he offered. “I have a fire started for you.”
She didn’t know why, but his thoughtfulness drew another tremble to her lip and made her eyes burn with emotion again. She didn’t want him to be nice to her when she was so mad at him. To hell with him.
“Thank you, sir, but I can take care of my own horse,” she told him coldly.
Bedraggled and soaked to the bone, she proudly wiped a sopping tress from her face. Her eyes were undoubtedly puffy and red from crying, but there was nothing to be done about it, so she did her best to avoid his gaze.
There was stretch of silence as he seemed to struggle for something to say.
“What she means is, we don’t need you,” Lenny told him in English.
There was a huff of breath, and then Garret told Eliza, “I’ll warm you up some dinner,” and walked toward the big house.
