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Ransom
Orchard Advice
This was the part that reminded me why I stayed in my own goddamn lane when it came to women. She didn’t see reason and now it was my fault for pointing it out.
The ride to the orchard was a silent one. Well, except for the sound of Chaos aggressively swiping on her iPad. I didn’t even know that was possible.
Then again, when it came to Chaos anything was. Including making me sex-stupid. The orgasms had obviously gone to my head. I had to remember that protecting her was the most important part. As well as turning the sniper scope back on me.
She was not going to become the target again.
I slapped the eco-option off on the Jeep and gunned the engine as we hit the hill just outside the tree farm. As we zipped by, I noticed a lone truck in the field. It was the off-season for the Christmas Tree Farm, which meant that Clay would have all his attention on the wedding as well.
Jim Townes handled the off-season time of planting and irrigation. For now, it was easily a one-man operation. Well, two, if you counted his feisty wife. Did Mary give Jim as much trouble as Chaos had given me in less than a week?
I doubted it. Mary Townes seemed pragmatic.
I glanced over at Chaos who was juggling a notebook, an iPad, and her phone. She also had her headphones on to make sure I knew not to talk to her.
As if I couldn’t take the hint.
I wrapped my hands tightly around the steering wheel. I liked silence. Craved it even, but dammit, it felt like a wet horse blanket right now.
As we crested the hill, the orchard came into view. It butted up against the tree farm with a row of apple trees in full bloom. The sweet scent of the pink flowers infiltrated the truck even with the windows up.
Willow perked up and lowered her window, lifting her face to the breeze. She clutched her digital life to her chest and simply closed her eyes.
My chest tightened. There was something about her that could embrace the moment even when she was angry or scared. I’d witnessed the phenomenon a half dozen times in just a few days.
She must’ve felt my gaze because those big greenish-gold eyes opened. She gave me a cursory glance then went back to whatever it was that had consumed her throughout the ride.
I opened my own window and hoped that some of my shitty mood would go out with the stale air.
As we came up to the main entrance, I caught sight of Beckett Manning on his gray gelding, racing along with us. He tapped the brim of his black hat before disappearing into the thicket of trees.
I hadn’t ridden a horse since I was a teen, but suddenly, I wished for a hard ride. Alone. Maybe then I could get her out of my head.
Then again, another kind of hard ride had effectively put her in my brain for the rest of my goddamn life.
A quick flash of her astride me in my bed and on my couch made me blow out a slow breath.
Finding someone who matched me and affected me so much at the same time was a first. My time in the military meant I’d enjoyed satisfying, sweaty, near-nameless sex for a good portion of my life. Scratch the itch, bring down the stress, move on.
Emphasis on the move on.
Chaos didn’t fit the mold in any-damn-thing.
My tires hit a rut, jarring me out of my navel-gazing. Christ, she was turning me into a headcase.
I took a left to where the lodge and bakery cut a wide swath of open space. The sun was high in the sky and there were plenty of vehicles in the parking lot.
It left me feeling unsettled. More people meant more potential problems.
I reached under my seat for the holster I’d retrofitted for myself. I wasn’t one to carry a gun all the time. I had a concealed carry permit, thanks to my work with Clay and some of the bodyguard assignments I’d had over the years.
I engaged the thumbprint lock to make sure everything was secure.
Chaos had already slid out and gathered her things. She stilled as she lifted her massive bucket bag. “What’s that?”
