Page 38 of Passion in Bloom

Chapter 13

Heather

“Ahem.” I raised mybrows as I waited in front of Todd’s first step.

Roarke flinched, not paying attention and listening to the old man so intently that he wasn’t aware that I’d come up here.

When I didn’t see Roarke at the ranch, another man told me that he had the day off. Janelle texted me back that I could just finish my workday at home, and I was glad for that exception.

Before I headed home to tackle the few minor things that needed to be done, though, I thought I’d drop off my check here. Todd was old-fashioned like that, wanting an actual paper check.

I hadn’t counted on walking into a conversation about me though.

“Oh.” Roarke turned fully, furrowing his brow at me.

A slight wince of discomfort crossed his face as he likely realized I’ve overheard a fair bit of gossip about me.

“Who’s there?” Todd leaned up from his rocking chair as I climbed the few steps to his old farmhouse, probably another former ranch rental.

“Oh.” He nodded at me. “We were just talking about ya, hunny.”

That hun ya never failed to make me smile, but it was a weak one now.

At least you’ll own up to the fact you were gossiping about me.

Roarke rubbed the back of his neck, like he wanted to look anywhere but at me. And he should feel that embarrassed. Caught red-handed. After all the times I’d told him that I wanted him to butt out of my business, it seemed he just couldn’t help himself.

“I heard,” I quipped dryly, casting a long, withering look at Roarke. “Anyway, while I am still renting that cabin, here’s my rent.”

“Ah. Thanks, hunny,” Todd said, accepting the paper without seeming to suffer under any shame or regret to be talking about me. He appeared oblivious, unaffected by the potential of gossiping about me.

“Yep.” I dipped my chin at him and headed back down the steps.

Seeing that slight swelling on Roarke’s cheek bothered me. It was all the reminder I needed for why I had left the workday to seek him out.

But I wasn’t in the mood to scold him in front of Todd about interfering in my life and picking a fight with David.

Actually, the fight left me altogether. I doubted he’d picked a fight with David as a grandstanding act of looking like a bigger guy or a stronger man. It wouldn’t take long for David to say something that would stir up heat. If I had to guess, he’d said something bad about me, and Roarke simply hadn’t liked it.

As I walked back to my car to leave, without a word for Roarke, I realized that the sensation of being defended like that should’ve impressed me. It should’ve made me feel good that I had someone in my corner like that. And not only that, but from someone who as of yet was agreeable about not making demands of me.

Still, I couldn’t take complete faith that his intentions wouldn’t get me back in the position of being owned. Obligated.

Trapped.

I kept my eyes open as I drove toward my cabin. Once my car struggled over the bumpier road, I lost the ire and frustration that pushed me to hurry to find Roarke.

Roarke is not David.

He’s not the same.

I shook my head when I parked and got out of my car. I wasn’t sure when that mantra would actually stick, but now wasn’t the time to focus on any man in my life. Feeling guilty for taking off, I sat down in the comfy armchair, pulled out my laptop, and got to work on the few essential things that needed to be completed for this day’s worth of work.

With those tasks finished, a restlessness filled me.

Cleaning and tidying my cabin didn’t preoccupy my mind. No matter what I did and how busy I kept my hands, I kept replaying the memory of all that Roarke had said and done.

Texting Fergus and Nance like we usually did in a group thread didn’t distract me either. I was lost in there anyway, not following what the heck they were joking about with someone in the Star Wars universe of knowledge.