Oh, who gives a shit? Right then, Amanda felt too numb to care. She had a long walk home in clothes itchy with filth and a body stinking slightly with the sweat of sleep.
First gotta call the boss, before I lose the job. Amanda couldn’t afford that, and thankfully Gina understood with almost no explanation needed. With at least one worry put to bed, Amanda clicked her phone closed and took the first step down Main Street.
“Well, isn’t it shocking just which Johnson spent the night in jail.”
Oh, my God. The gates of hell must have opened up, and she was getting her due for all her evil ways. Nothing else explained how Davey came to be standing on the sidewalk right in front of the police station. Surely, it was a place he’d like to avoid.
“So, you ready to finish that conversation now, little girl?”
Amanda clenched her jaw tight and stepped around her father. The move dared him to touch her, right there. He could go on and lay her out, it would be a short trip to his cell, and Amanda would at least have a night’s worth of rest. Not dumb, never that, Davey just held his ground, letting her bang off his shoulder.
“You can’t avoid talking to me forever, Amanda.”
She could damn well try.
“Besides, I could just ask your boyfriend for the money. From the size of his truck, I’d say he has some to spare.”
Twenty feet away, that’s as far as she got before Davey reeled her in. The problem was she knew he wasn’t just threatening. Turning slowly around, she looked at the man she’d been cursed with from birth and wondered what it would take to get rid of him.
“I don’t have thirty thousand dollars, Davey.” Amanda snorted. “Shit, I don’t even have three, so I don’t know what it is you want.”
“But your boyfriend does.”
“You leave him the hell alone, Davey.” She shouldn’t have shown him she cared, because now her dad knew her weakness. The bastard gloated over it.
“I got to say, honey, I am impressed. I grant you ain’t as ugly as some dogs, but that man looked a might out of your league. Must be spreading them legs often to keep him around. You might as well go ahead and put a price onto that, honey.” Davey winked at her. “Make it an honest deal.”
“You can have your money when I’m dead,” Amanda spat. Using it as her exit line, she turned to storm off, not bothering to respond to Davey’s holler.
“That can be arranged, honey.”
She made it two blocks down to the streetlight before it dawned on her she was walking in the wrong direction. Not about to cross over her father, she turned to make a wide U-turn around the bastard. It meant going one block over before heading back in the right direction.
Less than a minute later, Amanda found herself feeling like a rat in a trap as she ducked down the small service alley to hide. The bright rays of sun winked off the lights on top of the Bronco trolling down the street.
Tony. He was the last person she wanted to see. The bastard had laughed at her last night. Not to mention she cringed at Tony running into Davey. If possible, Tony hated her father more than Amanda did. Tony had his reasons, things Amanda still felt guilty for.
That was kind of her dad’s thing, making her friends suffer as a way of controlling Amanda. Now Davey had set his eyes on Cody or Jace, whichever one he saw her with. Amanda stumbled to a stop. And just when would that have been?
Amanda couldn’t figure it out. Sure enough Davey wasn’t above lurking and spying, but he’d only mentioned one. The last time she’d been with one Reese brother, she’d been with two. If Davey had seen that, he would have said so. It brought Amanda back to wondering just when her dad had gotten into town and how much he had seen.
It didn’t really matter. Amanda shook her head and started back down the road. Soon enough, Davey would figure out whom she’d been seeing and how much he was worth. Davey was about to make life hell for her. Worse, he could easily succeed at destroying whatever she had going with Jace and Cody.
Amanda’s grim thoughts got cut off by the ringing of her phone. Not really in a good enough mood to be social, she ignored it for the first three minutes. Whoever called, they didn’t give up, and she pulled the phone out half expecting to see Cody’s number on the screen.
Tony? He’d probably just finished with Davey, calling to warn her. A sweet gesture, it didn’t improve her mood. Why should it? Thanks to Tony, she now knew what it was like to spend the night in jail. Man has to know he’s on my shit list right now.
If not, Amanda would be happy to inform him. “What? What the hell do you want?”
“Amanda. Oh, thank God.”
Amanda stumbled to a halt. “Cindy?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Look, I need—”
“What are you doing calling me from Tony’s?”
“Tony—”
“Never mind.” Amanda cut Cindy off. “I don’t care.”
“Please, Amanda, I need your—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Amanda snapped. “Whatever Tony did, you deserve.”
“I know you’re mad, but—”
“Mad? Mad?” Amanda gasped. “Do you even comprehend how incredibly pissed off at you I am right now?”
“Yes. I understand, but—”
“Thanks to you, I now have a record. I have a fucking mug shot because of you. And where is yours? You’re the guilty one, and I’m the idiot sleeping on a flea-infested cot!”
“I know and I’m really sorry, but I—”
“Sorry?” Amanda laughed, unable to believe Cindy’s pathetic apology. “You think that’s going to get me to forgive you? Because I’m thinking begging and lots of gifts and maybe—”
“Will you shut up for a moment? Please!” Cindy yelled.
“That’s not begging,” Amanda snapped. “So I’m going to hang up this phone.”
“I swear to God, you hang up and I will tell everybody you know you fucked two brothers at once,” Cindy snarled.
“Ah!” Amanda shrieked. “You’re blackmailing me?”
“Yes. I am that desperate.”
“This is so not over.”
“Fine. We’ll settle it at a later point. Right now, I need your help.”
“Of course, you do.” Amanda sighed. She didn’t believe for a moment Cindy would tell anybody Amanda’s secret, but the fact she would threaten spoke volumes of how much trouble her friend was in. That might force Amanda to help, but it didn’t make her happy about it. “What is it you need?”
“I need you to get over to Tony’s house and get me the hell out of these cuffs before he gets back.”
Amanda blinked. “Say what?”
* * * *
Jace slammed the chute down, closing off the end of the run. The last of the herd pounded down the little alley made of fencing and spilled into the corral. The day was almost half over, but they weren’t even close to being half done. They needed to sort the cows, have them examined before being moved into the feedlot or sent back out to pasture. With another herd being driven in behind them, it didn’t leave a lot of time to clear out the first one.
Among the hollers of men and the yaps of excited dogs, the herd grumbled around the corral, cranky and annoyed. Occasionally some of the more frisky heifers blared at the men ringing the corral, giving the wranglers a good old-woman’s nag for upsetting their day.
The gesture reminded him of the woman who pretty much told him to go “fuck off” last night. Amanda had skipped out on them, so it probably wasn’t terribly bright to expect her to call today. Reasonable or not, Jace jumped back down to the ground and looked at his phone. Eleven twenty-five.
Like an idiot schoolboy, Jace had been dumb enough to hope the girl he liked would actually make life easier for him. What a waste of effort. There really was no point hoping Amanda could just simply accept the obvious. Women couldn’t do that. They had to question everything, worry every detail to death, and then, maybe, they might make their decision. Only once they’d preened and fussed enough to drive a
man insane. Even once settled down, women still preen and fuss.
“Man.” Cody jogged up beside him. “That was a hard morning’s ride.”
Jace lifted his hat to bang the dust out against his thigh. “I think Knox is trying to exhaust us for the night ahead.”
Cody smirked, but the small gesture faded quickly away. “Speaking of, she call you?”
“Nah.”
Jace settled his hat back, angling the brim down just so it blacked out the sun’s harsh glare. He could almost guess the words about to come out of Cody’s mouth. All morning Cody had been like a kid asking if they were there yet. If he didn’t stop pestering Jace over Amanda, Jace just might have to hit him.
“You gonna call her?”
“Nah.”
“Well then I will.”
“Give her time.” Jace caught Cody’s wrist in his hand. “Just give her some time.”
“Stop dawdling, you two.” Dirt kicked up as Knox brought his horse in close. Jace stepped back as the horse circled around. “Get your asses in gear. We need to get out to the west pasture and help them boys bring in the second herd.”
Knox didn’t wait to see if his command would be obeyed. Bending his knees into his horse, he shot off in a rain of dust. Jace and Cody exchanged a look, both shaking each other free. The argument came to an artificial stop. It would be a good, hard hour-long ride before they reached the second herd. Nobody would be calling anybody for a while.
* * * *
That didn’t mean anybody forgot he intended to call Amanda. Cody had enough of following Jace’s lead. He had come to a solid conclusion last night as he sat outside Amanda’s house, waiting for her to show up.
Right, wrong, whatever, all Cody knew was he had to have Amanda. The woman had done something to his head and his heart. Now he intended to do something back to her. If he could find her.
Every spare second, he hit the speed dial on his cell, knowing it would eventually annoy her into answering. It took about a half hour and fifteen tries before the ringing finally stopped and the shouting began.
“What?”
She did not just yell at me in that tone. Cody responded with the same harshness. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Sucking cocks. Where have you been?”
Cody’s teeth clenched down on his growl. “I’m not in the mood for the attitude, Amanda. I want to know where you were last night.”
“Didn’t I just answer?”
“Amanda—”
“Cody.” She shot his name back at him with the same warning.
“Listen here, little lady, I spent the better part of the evening searching this town for you. We had a date, and I don’t take well to being stood up.”
“Listen here, you big prick,” Amanda snapped. “I’m not some bitch in heat who is at your beck and call. If I don’t feel like seeing you at night, then that’s my prerogative. You have a problem, maybe you should go harass some other woman.”
Cody worked his jaw in one single rotation trying to loosen it up before it broke. “You are walking a fine line here, Amanda.”
“Like I give a shit,” Amanda snapped back. “I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m sweaty. I’ve been walking over this damn town like a damn fool. Between Cindy, Tony, and my father I’m ready to hurt someone. If you don’t want it to be you, I suggest you back off until I get into my house and at least get to take a damn shower!”
“Fine,” Cody snarled. “You get your shower and some rest, because when I get over there tonight we’re going to have some words, unless of course you plan on running and hiding again.”
“I didn’t run and hide. I went out with my girlfriend, you bozo.”
Cody didn’t let the relief of her answer show in his growl. “Whatever. Just be there tonight.”
“Fine. I’ll be here. Now if you don’t mind, I just got home and I’d like—ahhhhh!”
Cody pulled tight on the reigns as a scream pierced his ears through the cell phone. Instantly his horse jerked back, rearing up and sending him and his phone crashing into the ground. The horse threw Cody and he reacted instinctively, rolling out of the path of the horse’s legs as they slammed to the ground. He gained his feet and swooped in to pick up his cell phone.
“Amanda!”
He could hear her in the fading distance of the phone, screaming and cussing. He strained to hear what she said, listening for another voice or any indication of a struggle. All he could hear was Amanda on the rampage.
“Damnit, Amanda, pick up the phone!”
He didn’t know why he bothered. She’d dropped the phone. That much was obvious. In that moment of chaos, Cody wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t even figure out if Amanda needed help or someone needed saving from her.
The sun’s glare blinked out as Jace rode up beside him, casting a large shadow all around Cody. “What the hell happened?”
Cody didn’t even know where to begin. Instead he let the screaming litany of profanity pouring out the phone do it for him. Jace snatched the phone out of his hands, lifting it to his ear to almost immediately hold it back with a scowl.
“What the hell is wrong with Amanda?”
“I don’t know.” Cody grabbed back on to his horse’s reins and mounted in one, smooth motion. “She said she was going to go inside and get a shower and a nap. Then she just started screaming.”
“She’s at home then?”
“Best as I can figure.”
Even as Cody answered, Jace already unclipped his phone from his belt. By the time Jace called an SOS to the police station, Cody kicked himself for not thinking to do the obvious.
“You two are lagging behind.” Knox rode up in a cloud of dust and barking dogs.
“I gotta go,” Jace stated, turning his horse, not in the direction of the ranch, but toward town.
“You aren’t leaving me behind.” Cody nudged his own steed into motion.
“What the hell are you two doing?” True to form, Knox maneuvered his horse around and sideways to block both his brothers from just riding off. “We got work to do.”
“Then call some hands down,” Cody snapped. “We have to go.”
“Go where? What the hell is so important?” Knox’s jaw clenched so tight it cut off the flow of his words for a moment. “Oh, God. Don’t tell me this is about Amanda.”
Chapter 27
The plains separating Jace from Amanda seemed endless. It felt like it took forever for the grass to give over to dirt and dust. Finally asphalt clipped beneath Winston’s hooves, and the outskirts of town loomed into the horizon.
Driven by the memory of Amanda’s screams, Jace knew he was probably overreacting. No matter how much he tried to assure himself Amanda would be fine, Jace wouldn’t be convinced until he saw her safe and whole. He just had to get there to see it with his own eyes.
When Winston’s hoofs finally clopped around the corner and onto Amanda’s street, the first thing Jace saw were the police cars. Parked in front of Amanda’s house, the sight jacked the fear up in him. Things could not be fine if the cops were still here.
The sickening feeling of panic overwhelmed Jace. Time and place disappeared until the sound of Amanda calling his name cut him free. Jace’s eyes swooped over the yard to find where she sat on her front porch swing, some blonde woman at her side.
She pushed off the swing, and by the time Jace’s feet hit the ground, Amanda was there, throwing herself into his arms. Soft breasts, warm body, arms clinging to him with the strength of steel bars pressing into his sides, she was all right. Jace closed his eyes and squeezed her back, grateful to have his imagination make a fool of him.
Kind of smells funky though. The brittle texture of Amanda’s hair chafed against his cheek, forcing him back. Jace leaned away, taking in the strain he could see darkening the skin under her eyes. Her pert little features were drawn tight with tension.
None of it mattered, not if she smelled like poo and looked like she’d rolled in the mud. She was st
ill the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. He tightened his hold and simply soaked in the comfort of having her pressed against him.
“You all right, baby?” Jace asked when he found his voice again.
“Yes.” The soft answer was smothered into the fabric of his shirt.
“You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“When I heard you screaming through the phone…Oh, baby, I love you so much.”
The air stilled the minute the words came out of him. Amanda leaned back a second time and looked at him as if he’d suddenly mutated in her arms, but Jace didn’t regret what he said. He spoke the truth. Just as he knew he couldn’t let it go without saying everything his heart demanded him to. Cupping her face in his hands he leaned down and whispered, keeping the moment for them only.
“I know you probably think it is too soon, but I can’t deny what I feel. I felt it last night alone in my bed, missing you, wanting to feel you if only just sleeping beside me. I don’t want to ever be there again, Amanda. I love you.”
She swallowed hard, and he could see the fear growing in her gaze. “I—”
“You’re making a scene.” Cody ripped Amanda clear of Jace with his harsh complaint.
Amanda didn’t struggle when Cody folded her into his embrace. She didn’t even look in Jace’s direction, just buried her face into Cody’s chest with a pathetic murmur.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you, doll.” Cody rested his cheek on Amanda’s head. “I’m just really glad you are all right.”
It took a moment, but Amanda responded. “I’m really glad you are here.”
Cody’s hands lifted up to cup her cheeks and force her head back enough to pull her gaze out of the shadows.“You want to tell us what happened?”
No. Jace could see the answer in the way she hesitated. “About last night?”
“I think it’s best we just put that discussion behind us,” Jace retorted. He broke into their conversation and, with his words, broke them apart. Amanda stepped back, straightening as she tensed.
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