“He didn’t threaten me, D. Didn’t barge into our house ready to assault me all over again. I…invited him. Why do you think there were no signs of a break-in?” I was too focused on Dakota at the time to notice, but Tiffany was right; there were no signs, not even of a struggle.
“Are you telling me that you tried to set him up? Lured him into our home to—to what? To murder him?” Heat began building between the two of them, and Trent must’ve sensed something; adjusting his position to wrap an arm around his wife’s waist, holding her back from potentially launching herself at mine. Just because they were close didn’t mean they couldn't turn things physical.
“Oh, come on. Don’t act like the thought of that psycho out there,somewhere, waiting to come back and fuck up our lives all over again didn’t consume your nightmares as it did mine.” Tiffany fought against her husband’s hold, pointing a finger at Dakota in accusation. “You may have been able to shut out everything that happened, but I refused to be burdened by it any longer. Quietly suffering in silence for all these years. Killing him would’ve been like coming up for air after nearly drowning under the weight of his existence.”
“You could’ve died—”
“I couldn’t sleep!” Her breath had turned ragged, nearly winding her as she escalated into shouting. “And I know you said no secrets after he skipped town, but I needed this for my own peace of mind. I wanted him gone; for good… I’m sorry I betrayed your trust, D, but Ineededclosure.”
Dakota’s little sister turned out to be bold, brave, and less innocent than she appeared. Trent had known it, too; the look in his eyes and the way he continued to hold her tightly against his chest, not out of protection but out of admiration.
For a man who initially wanted nothing to do with Tiffany because of her age and their maturity gap, he damn sure seemed invested now.
“Tiff…” Dakota’s voice cracked at her name, and it broke my fucking heart.
“Let’s all just take a quick breather. C’mere, sweet pea. I wanna show you somethin’.” As Trent walked Tiffany away, I wrapped an arm around my wife and led her in the opposite direction, toward the truck.
“I never—she never told me… How could I have been so blind?” Tiffany’s words cut her like a knife, and I could hear the pain in her tone. Feeling as though she’d failed her sister by not paying close enough attention, and I knew that guilt all too well.
“You should be proud of your sister.”
“For what? Nearly getting herself killed because she didn’t feel safe enough to confide in me? Not telling me that she was still suffering from nightmares plagued byhim.” I hated seeing my wildcat like this.Hurt. “And here I thought she was always out late partying with friends when she was really learning how to handle a gun.”
“She was willing to sacrifice her life to protect you and your peace.”
“But she—”
“Darlin’, what matters is that the air between you is clear, and in a few hours, you’ll need that trust to eliminate your target. Don’t let this destroy everything you two have built, not now.” Holding her from behind, I leaned against the tailgate and pressed my lips to the back of her head, savoring her scent. “Reckless as she was, her heart was in the right place, and you’ve got to give her credit for that. You’re not her mother; you’re her sister.”
Dakota relaxed into me, the tension slowly melting away the longer I embraced her. Looking out into the distance, storm clouds had started forming, the sky turning a darker shade of gray by the minute; a foreshadowing of what was still to come.
“No, you’re right… And I know I’ve been acting like a helicopter parent ever since he showed up…” She looked over to where Trent was talking with Tiffany, the two of them having a moment of their own underneath one of the willow trees. His knuckle tucked under her chin while she shot him an inviting smile; clearly flirting with each other. “I need to stop trying to protect her.” Dakota sighed in admission.
“She’s in good hands now… And so are you.”
Cowboys protect their wives,whatever the cost.
Therewasn’tasingledoubt in my mind that our wives couldn’t complete their assignment tonight. Trent and I worked with them for hours on gun handling, with Tiffany stepping in to teach her sister the way she learned from their mutual friend,Tae.
We ate dinner at the same table, like a true family, and it made everything feel even more surreal. That soon we would be exactly that.
“Well, the girls are next door getting ready and should be done any minute now. How are you holdin’ up?” Trent joined me on the back porch, watching as the sun set behind the treeline.
“Better than ever. They’ve got this—we’vegot this.” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, handing over a second glass of whiskey that I’d poured, knowing he’d rather be out here with me than listen to Dakota and Tiffany talk about girl shit.
“I still can’t believe I’m doing this for you. Marrying a woman I’ve never really met, bringing her into a world darker than she’s ever known it to be. Tiffany is gorgeous; don’t get me wrong, but… she’s far too innocent for the lives we lead. Are you sure this was the right call?” It wasn’t like Trent to be cautious about anything, but I already knew where this discussion was heading, and it killed me that he continued to carry a weight that should’ve lightened over time.
“That’s not the issue here, and you know it. You’re worried about what’ll happen if she fails.The punishment.” My tone softened. This was no small favor that he did for my wife; for me, and he had every right to say no from the start.
“The memory of her haunts me any time I even consider dating a woman… The look on Chloe’s face when Leighton pulled that trigger… the light leaving her eyes while he cradled her cooling body in his arms as she slipped away…”
We were all there that night. A wake-up call that our choices had consequences. How quickly the things we love could be taken away if we weren’t careful enough.
“That won’t happen again… I promise.” I could tell Trent was brooding with the way he stared off into space. It was the same expression he’d held for days after her passing. Here but not at the same time.
“She deserved so much better—”
“And you can redeem your sister’s death by protecting Tiffany from the same fate. Don’t think that I didn’t know who she was to you.” Trent gave me his full attention, almost shocked but not entirely surprised that I’d figured it out. “You may’ve acted like she was just some woman who’d gotten caught in the crossfire of our rules, but you cared for Chloe—deeply, and I knew the looks you always gave her were out of a love that ran thicker than water...”
