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“Was X in the marines?”
“No, he was an Army Ranger, but his connections in the government go all the way to the top.”
Jacob nodded. “I guess they would. Do you wish you’d been able to stay in the marines? Would you have signed up for another tour?”
“I don’t know. I missed home. I missed the horses and working with my brothers. I wanted to bring us back together. I didn’t mean to do it like this, but here we are.”
Jacob pressed a gentle kiss on my lips. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” Despite all the things I might have changed, ways I would have directed my life differently if I’d been able to, I was glad to be back home, close to where I’d grown up, working horses with my family. While I loved the routine of tending horses and making runs for feed and hay, I probably would get bored if there wasn’t something else to do.
I’d gotten very used to danger hanging over me. I’d been a protector since I was old enough to make any difference in the world. Even though the people I was now protecting were not the finest in society, I had financial freedom I’d never imagined. I didn’t have to worry I’d lose the ranch, and best of all, I’d met Jacob. That was more important than anything except being there for my family. I thought I couldn’t handle anything else, that I was completely maxed out on responsibilities, but it turned out I could make room because I needed to have Jacob in my life.
Tell him that.
I ignored that voice. This wasn’t the time. I needed to take care of our FBI problem and Trey so Jacob could choose to stay here when his life wasn’t in imminent danger.
Keeping him here will put him in danger again and again.
“Grant.” Jacob ran a hand up and down my arm. “It’s going to be okay. This whole situation. I’ll get a confession from Evan if he brought the FBI here, and we’ll all help you defend the ranch.”
I reached up to cup his face. “I won’t let you get hurt. I… I couldn’t handle it if that happened.”
He smiled. “It won’t. I trust you, remember?”
I’d kept my brothers safe, and I’d done everything I could to keep my men out of danger in the marines. I wasn’t going to stop fighting now.
“Come here.” I pulled Jacob back down to my chest and held him tight. He caressed me, featherlight touches moving down to the waistband of my pants, teasing along it, then moving back up.
If I let him keep that up, he was going to lull me to sleep. I’d taken enough risks bringing him out here. I had to stay awake.
I grabbed his hand, pulled it up to my lips, and brushed a kiss over his knuckles. “You said you weren’t sure if you really wanted to go to culinary school.”
Jacob frowned. “Yeah.”
“So once you’re completely free of Trey, what do you want to do?”
He sighed. “I’ll have to do whatever I can to pay rent.”
“But what if you didn’t have to? What if money didn’t matter?”
“I used to dream about going to vet school, but I’m not sure I could handle all the work.”
“You could handle anything you wanted to.”
He rose and frowned at me. “How do you know that?”
“Because I see you. I see how determined, how smart, how caring you are. You’d make a great vet if you wanted to, but you can do anything you want.”
He huffed. “I wish. Have you seen the price of vet school?”
“Money doesn’t have to be an issue.” The words were out before I really thought about it.
“I won’t have you—”
I would absolutely pay for him to do whatever he wanted. X was paying me an obscene amount of money, more than I would ever figure out how to spend, but I knew he wasn’t going to accept that easily. “You’ve got a job here for as long as you want, one with good wages.”
“No, I’m working to pay you back for protecting me, for letting me stay here.”
