AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Goddamn it, Ford,” I snarl, my pulse slowing its panicked tripping. “What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
Ford gives me a crooked grin. “Gun in the glove box?” Ignoring my under-the-breath curse, Ford’s eyes dip to Dakota’s cast but all he says is,“Hey, Koty.”
“Hey, Ford,” Dakota says weakly, mustering a smile. She tucks a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “Good to see you.”
“You too, honey.”
Ford elbows his way around me. All I can do is watch the affectionate reunion as he pulls her in for a hug. I clock her reaction, resisting the urge to yank her back to me, to make sure she’s okay with the contact.
No one will ever touch Dakota again without her permission.
“You back to stay?” Ford asks when he releases her.
Dakota’s shoulders sag. “Looks like it.”
Ford arches a brow, his expression settling into cool curiosity. Uncertainty. “You staying here?”
I give Ford a shove. “Yeah, she’s staying here. Now shut the fuck up and get lost.”
With a look that tells me we’ll talk later, my twin lopes off.
Dakota sees right through me and tilts her head back to apprise me. “You’re the only one who gets to play interrogator, is that right?” She arches a brow.
My jaw flexes. “That’s right.”
We climb the porch steps. I open the door and let her in. It’s pitch black, and I flip on the overhead lights, a great chandelier of antlers that cast a soft glow over the room.
Dakota slips off her parka, and my gaze drops to the small bud of her belly. It’s more noticeable without the jacket, and my heart twists. The thought of her carrying another man’s baby burns me from the inside until my emotions feel charred.
A selfish, stupid thought. There’s no good reason to be acting like this.
I rub a hand over my jaw, getting my bearings. “This is the lodge,” I tell her. “For guests. We’re off-season right now. Open back up at the end of May.”
Her gaze narrows as she looks around the place. “So, this is Runaway Ranch, huh?”
“This is it.”
“What made you decide to fix it up?” Dakota brushes her fingers over one of the stained plank walls.
You.
“I needed a project,” I grunt, glossing over the real reason for turning the 17,000-acre piece of land into a working ranch. “Charlie needed a life.”
“And let me guess, you put everyone to work.”
A rare smile tugs at my lips. “Something like that.”
“It looks so different, Davis.” She takes a step, eyes on the ceiling. “It was just an old building that Fallon and I played hide and seek in when we were kids.” She squints at a spot near the stairs. “You ever find that trap door with the slide?”
I chuckle. “We did. Think Wyatt even gave it a spin or two.”
She turns toward me. Her bright smile’s a shock to my system. “Show me around?”
And I do.
Dakota examines each space with a curious expression, gracefully touching furnishings with her fingertips. There’s awe in her eyes as she sees the hard work of the last six years. Timber beams in the cathedral ceiling. Wood plank floors. Cognac couches with plaid loveseats arranged in a U-shape. The massive stone fireplace in the great room. The pine bar with the neon BAR M sign blinking bright pink behind it.
Dakota presses her good hand to her chest. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
