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17
Ian
Somehow something had switched. Ian could sense it in every glance Jessica gave him. He couldn’t narrow down what exactly had happened. Perhaps it was the ride they took earlier in the day. Or the way he’d been there for her when they retrieved her things at her apartment.
It could have been the kiss.
His insides heated up just returning to that memory. There had been so much wasted time from the moment he’d met her to how things had changed in the last twenty-four hours. On the one hand, he wanted to charge forward with this newfound relationship they had going, but on the other, he had this squirmy little feeling that it wasn’t going to last. He had to be careful, much like he was with the skittish animals on the ranch.
They spent dinner sneaking glances at one another across the table while his brothers filled the rest of the family in on what occurred that afternoon. Even though there was so much going on around them, it was like they were in their own little world. And Ian couldn’t be more thrilled.
“Ian, are you listening?”
He jumped and turned wide eyes to his mother. “What?”
“Sheriff Donahue needs a statement from the two of you regarding Jessica’s break-in. I don’t know if you should be headed to town when they could be anywhere.”
Ian shook his head as he pushed around a few peas on his plate. “I’m not leaving the ranch any time soon. I think it’d be best if Jessica and I lie low for a little while.” He shot her another glance. She smiled and dropped her eyes to her plate.
“I agree with Ian. From the looks of it, these people are after Jessica for some reason. If Ian goes into town and starts yapping about what he saw at the diner, it wouldn’t take much for people to put two and two together. Even Donahue was able to figure out Ian was there.” Brock swirled the can of soda in his hand. He didn’t lift his eyes, but if he had, he would have seen the gratitude Ian felt.
Ian’s mother picked up a napkin from her lap and dabbed at her mouth with it. “Perhaps you can write your statement down anonymously for now. One of the boys can drop it off.” She set the napkin down. “It’s only a matter of time before they find whoever did this and put them in a lineup. You can’t hide out here forever.”
His mother had a point. There would come a time when the perfect bubble he’d put around Jessica and himself would pop. The real world would come calling far too quickly. Ian frowned. “I guess we’ll just have to make sure we’re ready when that time comes.”
Jessica had put down her fork, and her hands were now placed in her lap. She’d been quiet for the majority of dinner. Their eyes met. He could almost read the discomfort she was feeling as if it were his own.
Ian set his fork down, tossed his napkin on the table, and pushed his chair back. “If the sheriff wants anything from me, it would be best he come to us.” He took a deep breath and expelled it. “I’m going to get some fresh air before I head up for bed. Jessica, would you like to join me?”
She nodded, pushing out from the table. They gathered their dishes and took them to the sink before Ian led her from the room. The first step out into the crisp, night spring air released all the tension he felt in his shoulders. The smell of pine and hay mingled around them, grounding him.
Jessica’s hand found his, sending a fresh wave of energy through his body. Ian grinned at her as they headed away from the house.
“How soon do you think they’ll find the guys who did it?” Jessica’s quiet voice was laced with an emotion he couldn’t put his finger on. It wasn’t happy nor eager. It was almost like she was dreading it.
He could relate. His stomach knotted, and he tightened his hold on her hand. “I don’t know. It depends on how notorious they are. Not only that, but you have to consider whether or not they’ve got the police in their pocket.” Ian shrugged. “It could take days, or it could be months.” Or it might not happen at all. In a worst-case scenario, Jessica might be on the run for the rest of her life. But he couldn’t tell her that.
Jessica frowned. “Do you really think it could takethatlong?”
The knots in his stomach constricted further. She wasn’t dreading leaving; it almost sounded like shewantedout. Ian turned to face her, holding both her hands in his. “What’s the matter? Are you second-guessing your choice to stay here?”
She lifted a shoulder, her eyes darting away from him. “You guys are all sacrificing so much to keep me safe. I feel like I’m just this big burden. What if those guys show up here? They could hurt you or do damage to your property. What if they hurt your mom? None of you know me well enough to make that kind of sacrifice.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “Let me tell you something. My dad raised us with a deep understanding of helping our neighbor. This could have happened to someone who just wandered in off the street, and I bet eventually the consensus would be to help.” A wry smile tugged at his lips. “See? You’re nothing special.” Then his features grew serious. “Except maybe to me you are.” He placed his palm against her cheek, his voice lowering. “You can stay as long as you want.” He gave her a pointed look. “And I meanas long as you want.”
It was as close to saying “stay here forever” as he could get without sounding like some creepy guy. This relationship was still too new. It didn’t matter that instinctively he could feel it in his gut that she might be the one. He’d never met a girl he couldn’t get out of his mind. Jessica checked all the boxes.
She pursed her lips to the side and met his gaze. It was like she wanted to say something to him but didn’t know how to say it. What he wouldn’t give to just tell her how he felt right in that moment. It wasn’t like he fell for girls easily. He’d had only a handful of girlfriends in his life. But when he knew, he knew. It was just hard for people to understand what made him tick. Truth be told, he didn’t even know what made him tick.
Ian let out a sigh, dropped his hand to grasp hers and led her farther away from the house. They strode in silence, the air getting heavier with everything he wanted to say but couldn’t. What would she do if he just blurted that he already knew he loved her?
Run.
Of course she would run. Jessica was a smart, sensible girl. Just because the last boyfriend she’d picked turned out to be a dud didn’t mean anything. She’d been stuck in a rut. She wasn’t stuck anymore. And one wrong phrase could send her heading for the hills. The few glances he shot in her direction didn’t reveal anything. She continued to hold his hand, not saying a word. If only he could read her like he read everyone else in his family.
They passed a corral with a few goats, then moved on toward the ones with the cows they’d seen earlier. The sky was finally getting darker, turning deep colors of blues and purples. Pine and other scents mingled in the air, carried by a cool breeze. The dirt crunched underneath his boots. If he could freeze this moment, he would. Of course there had been multiple moments he’d spent with Jessica over the last few hours he would have loved to save. Their kisses were at the top of his list. There was just something about walking by her side in the evening—like they’d been doing it forever—that made his heart sing.
The herds were quiet, having been fed just before suppertime. The only sound in the area was that of crickets. Jessica hummed a soft sound, her lips forming a smile.
