“I’d let go of her if I were you,” came Seth’s low, controlled voice, as Micky and Red stepped up behind him.
Ryan tore free and stared at Sean. “Do not,ever, touch me again.”
She met his gaze fiercely and saw Seth’s jaw clench. “Mr. Hayes, you’ve got enough from me about the feed. You can get your ass off my property.”
Sean sneered. “Sure. You bet I’ve got enough.”
“Good, and if I see anything about me in that article that shouldn’t be there, I will make a trip to California to kick your ass.”
“You’re not so nice now, are you, Harrison?”
“Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I’ll put you down in a heartbeat. Touch her again, and I’ll make you regret it.”
Sean glared at Ryan. “You’re just leading Harrison on. He’s not what you want in a man. You just wanted to fuck a cowboy. I knew you were a cu—.”
At that, Seth’s fist shot out. The sound as Sean went down echoed in the barn.
“I warned you. You’d better think really hard before getting up because if you do, I’ll put you right back down,” Seth snarled as he stood over him, fists clenched.
Cull came running in, concern etched on his face.
“Get him out of here, Cull. Micky, Red, you two make sure he leaves.”
Cull seized Sean by the elbow and hauled him to his feet, half-dragging him toward the open doors with Micky and Red following him. A spray of dust settled in their wake.
Ryan watched as Sean drove away and hoped she would never see him again.
Seth turned to Ryan. “Are you all right?”
Her chest heaved. “Yes. Thank you.” She brushed her hand through her hair.
“You’re welcome.” Seth shook his hand. “Prick.”
“Oh, my God, Seth! Your hand. Are you alright?”
“It hurts, but it’ll heal.” He looked at it, flexed his fingers and winced.
She squared her shoulders. “I’m telling Doris about this, too.”
Seth’s gaze softened. “Good. You should.” He looked back at Ryan, earnest. “I wanted to punch him when he grabbed you.”
Ryan managed a shaky smile. “So did I.”
“Go ahead and leave. Soak some of that tension away. I’ll see you tomorrow.” His tone was gentle but firm.
“Will you?”
Seth hesitated but shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said, then walked from the barn.
She studied him for a moment, his broad shoulders, the way his boots scuffed the floor, then nodded. Without another word, she walked out, climbed into her SUV, and drove off toward the B and B, the barn’s warmth receding in her rearview mirror.A luxurious soak in the jacuzzi awaited her, its promise of hot bubbles and lavender-scented steam calling her name where she could have a good cry.
Once she arrived at the cabin, she knew she had to call Doris before anything else. The pine-scented air inside couldn’t mask the knot of dread in her stomach. She hated being a snitch, but what Sean did, the slur that had fallen from his lips, the bruising grip of his fingers, was unacceptable.
After plopping onto the sofa, she called Doris and recounted the incident, her voice catching on the ugliest details.
“He did what?”Doris’s voice crackled through the phone like a lightning strike.
“I didn’t want to tell you...” Ryan traced a finger along a pattern in the sofa.
