Rein looked at her. She’d gone from being on another planet, to seducing him in record time. Visions of being handcuffed to her headboard caused his entire body to come alive. Quelled as quickly by her sudden change in demeanor and the urgency he’d heard in her voice. He sensed she was keeping something from him. Yet another reason they needed to get everything on the table.
“Listen I came by because we need to discuss a few things.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. Carefully inching away when she tried to snuggle with him. He’d never be able to do this if he allowed her too close. There was no easy way to say what he had to tell her.
“Wyatt knows.”
She stared at him, a questioning gaze in her dark brown eyes. Eyes he’d seen fill with the heat of desire when they made love. She blinked as reality hit her. Her eyes widened.
“You mean, he knows…about us?”
Rein nodded. “Yeah.” He all but heard the gears rolling in her beautiful head.
“How’d that go?”
“About like you’d expect.”
Her face clouded. “I’m old enough to make my own choices. It’s really none of his or anyone else’s business. What matters is the agreement we made, right? Although I have to say, I’m surprised you didn’t wait until we were both present to talk about this with Wyatt.”
He understood and maybe it would have been better had she been there, but he doubted Wyatt would have been as free to say what he had. Besides, it’s not like they were ready to make some grand announcement about their relationship.
There was that word again.
He studied her face, realizing he knew every freckle, knew where she was ticklish, and knew what made her sigh. Hell, what had he been thinking? He took her hands in his. “You know I never wanted this to get complicated. I never wanted to hurt you, I still don’t.”
She squeezed his hands. “I know what I agreed to, Rein. I’ve never had any illusions.”
Her words stabbed at a small piece of his heart. Thus far he’d been able to keep his emotions out of the equation. “We need to take some time to think about what we’re doing. No more secrets, somebody’s bound to get hurt, maybe not today, but eventually.”
“Meaning when it’s time for me to leave?” She held his gaze.
Part of him desperately wanted her to say she’d come to love the ranch. That she’d found something here that made her content, but he had no intention of risking that assumption again. Fool me once—had become his philosophy.
He swallowed. “Maybe it’s better this way.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her delicate hands, hands that had touched his body, driven him to delirious insanity. Already a hole had formed in his gut. He’d done the one thing he’d sworn he wouldn’t do again—he’d gotten too close. Better to end this now on a pre-emptive strike, than for either of them to suffer the consequences later.
She glanced at him, released a quick sigh, and let go of his grasp. Pushing quickly to her feet, she scooped up her phone as she walked toward the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a few things I need to take care of.”
Of all the reactions, he imagined, her total lack of concern surprised him. She opened the front door and waited for him to leave. Confused by her sudden mood changes, he hesitated a moment then rose to leave. Hadn’t this been what he wanted? A clean break? It seemed pretty clear to him, anyway that Wyatt’s assessment of her had been terribly off. While Rein knew all the reasons that they should end this affair before someone got hurt, he hadn’t expected the undeniable ache in his heart. “You’re okay, then?” He reached out to touch her shoulder and she inched back.
“Absolutely. I think it’s better this way—like you said.”
“No regrets.” He reiterated the mantra of the glorious secret they’d shared between them all summer.
“None.” She held his gaze. Her phone rang and she glanced at the caller. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to take this.”
“Sure.” He stepped outside and turned to say he’d see her at dinner, but the door had already been closed. And just like that she’d shut him out of her life.
***
With Dalton doing chores, and Aimee checking her purchases from the day, Rein found himself helping Wyatt clear the supper dishes. Liberty hadn’t showed up, calling Aimee to tell her that she’d started a project she needed to finish and not to hold supper.
“You get a chance to talk to Liberty?” Wyatt rinsed off another plate and placed it in the dishwasher.
Rein glumly stuffed leftovers into plastic containers, setting them in the fridge. The fact that she’d not shown for dinner bothered him. And while he hadn’t expected cartwheels about their break-up, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something else seemed wrong. Maybe it was nothing more than his badly bruised ego. The fact that she’d been able to quickly end the affair made him feel guilty, angry, and confused. Hell, he didn’t know what to think. “Yeah,” he answered. “It’s for certain that your concerns about Liberty’s feelings were severely misguided, in fact, she took the news much better than I’d expected.”
Wyatt looked at Rein, and then continued loading the dishwasher.
“She’s never talked much about her past, has she?”
Wyatt raised a brow and shook his head. “Nope. I know she and Aimee have talked a little bit. Mainly girl talk stuff, I’d guess.” Wyatt stopped, leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. He looked at Rein. “So, what did she say?”?”
Rein closed the refrigerator door and stared at the family pictures Aimee had started to attach to the surface with magnets. There was the whole group taken at the wedding, with Wyatt and Aimee on the horse, the rest of the family surrounding them. He thought of that night. The first time he’d kissed Liberty and how from that moment he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. “To be honest, she seemed totally fine with ending things between us. Guess maybe it didn’t mean as much as I thought it might. Kind of strange.” He shrugged.
“Rein?”
He faced his brother. A myriad of thoughts assaulted him. So much had changed since that happy group picture. He and Aimee were expecting a child in a few weeks. With Liberty’s help, the cabins were nearly finished and would be ready to rent by next spring.
“Rein, did you want it to mean something to her?”
The question gave him pause to consider what it was he wanted. He lifted his shoulders. “I don’t know. We had fun. She’s a beautiful, amazing woman.”
“Enough.” Wyatt shot him a pointed look. “I don’t need to hear details.” His gaze narrowed and an odd smile formed on his lips. “Maybe the thing you should be asking, is did this mean something more to you? More than you want to admit?”
Oh, Rein had thought about it. Each time they made love and listened to her sleeping softly in the crook of his arm. He didn’t want to face the reality that he’d not been able to keep his side of the bargain…that somewhere along the way he’d fallen in love with her. Rein looked up, aware that Wyatt stared at him in disbelief.
“I’ll be damned,” Wyatt said. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
***
She stood at the back door and stared up at the black velvet sky awash with stars. She knew what she must do and that Rein would think the worst of her. But what choice did she have? How many times in the past few weeks had she gazed up at the sparkling night sky, amazed by her fortune to have found this place? If such beauty could exist, surely it was by design and not merely by coincidence. That realization gave her a glimmer of hope. Hope that Providence had finally smiled down on her, given her the family she’d always dreamt of, given her security, purpose, and yes, someone to love. Love.
She’d been infatuated with Rein Mackenzie from the first time she laid eyes on him. And though he didn’t feel the same, she didn’t regret one moment they had together. When she realized her feelings ran deeper, she hoped that he’d discover something worth fighting to keep. Unfortunately, he hadn’t. Instead, he confronted her
with the truth and ended whatever it was they had. Maybe she’d been a fool to think that working together, sharing similar ideas, and working on the cabins during the day, then going to his bed at night would evolve into something more.
The truth was, he’d been honest with her from the start, making it clear that she didn’t really belong here. But she’d let that earlier trait go by the wayside and hadn’t been honest with herself, allowing his perfect body to dominate her thoughts night and day. She’d crossed the line and now she’d pay the price.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and stuffed what few belongings she had in her duffle. Without a backward glance, she stepped out into the pitch-black night. A cool breeze touched her face, cooling the brief tears she’d cried as she packed. Her boots crunched the gravel beneath her feet as she walked up the lane, past the barn. For a moment, her gaze settled on the main house, where most of the windows were dark now. Inside, Wyatt, Aimee, and Dalton slept. They were a family—along with Rein and Michael Greyfeather and his kin. She pressed her lips together, holding back an onslaught of sadness. She’d never truly fit in.
She wondered if Wyatt’s warning to Rein had been out of concern for the two of them, or simply watching over Rein’s reputation regarding the future of the cabin project. After all, what would happen if word got out that the tawdry Vegas half-sister had slept around with Jed’s nephew? An owl hooted in one of the tall pines near the house, and she stumbled, catching her bag and clutching her heart at the same time. The array of wildlife wasn’t something she’d miss, but there was much that she would. It would take time to bounce back from this change, but she knew it was best for everyone that she go.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?”
A gasp tore from her throat and she whirled on her heel to face Rein. He emerged from the shadows of his workshop, wiping his hands on his jeans. As he stepped beneath the yard light, his features seemed sharper, focused. “It’s a long walk to town.”
“I didn’t think anyone else was awake.”
“Clearly. Guess that saves time on messy goodbyes?”
Her spine stiffened. Some nerve this cowboy had. He’d been the one to end things and in truth she should be grateful. While she had planned to leave to protect her family, he’d simply given her the green light not to tarry. “The cabins are nearly done, Aimee’s ready for the baby, and I have a plan to go back to school. I only said that I’d stay until the time came to move on.” She shrugged. “It’s time.”
“And what about us?” he asked taking a step closer. She could see the fire in his blue eyes and frankly, it puzzled her. She backed up until she smacked into the tailgate of Dalton’s truck.
“We’re over. You made that perfectly clear.”
He crossed his arms and regarded her. “How’d you plan to leave?” He sidestepped her comment.
“The main road’s not that far.” She volleyed. “Once there, I figure a friendly trucker will come along sooner or later.”
“Right. And in the meantime, how did you plan to stave off a wolf or bobcat?”
She hadn’t thought of that. “I have pepper spray…if necessary. Besides, Michael says that most wildlife is more afraid of us.”
“Tell that to a hungry mountain lion.”
She sighed and adjusted the bag over her shoulder. “Well, I’m leaving and if you’re that worried about it, you could offer to take me to Billings.”
“Does this have anything to do with the phone call you received earlier today?”
The less he knew the better off they’d all be. It had been almost two hours since she’d given Angelo her flight information. He’d be expecting her soon, telling her again what a bright girl she was in doing what’s best. Yes, best for him, best for Elaina, and more importantly, best for her newfound family. But “best” for her? Hardly, but she had little choice until she could meet Angelo face-to-face. “It’s none of your concern, Rein.” She shifted the bag and turned to leave, jerked back when he grabbed it from her. She stumbled, righting herself and then faced him. Fury seethed through her. “What the hell do you want from me?”
Rein held her bag captive. “Let’s start with the truth. Why are you sneaking off in the middle of the night?”
Despite her desire to keep her emotions in check, her eyes pooled. Damn him. She blinked away the tears. “Okay, you’re right. I didn’t want any messy goodbyes.” She reached for her duffle and he yanked it out of reach. “Are you enjoying this? You were right. Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
He shook his head. “No, Liberty. I want the truth. This isn’t about me ending things between us, or that the cabins are done. It’s not even about you wanting to move on. There is something else and we can stand here until sunrise, but I swear I’m going to get it out of you.”
She planted her fists on her hips and stared at him. “It’s my life. I can handle it.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” He continued to prod her, though for the love of all that’s holy, she couldn’t understand why.
“Look, when we started this,” she waved her hand in the air, “this, whatever we had, we both agreed not to discuss our past or the future. It was fun. I had a blast. Now give me the damn duffle bag.” An errant tear escaped and she swiped it from her cheek in haste.
He hesitated as though debating whether to relinquish her bag. “And this is what you want—to just leave?”
She released a weary sigh and nodded. Hopefully, he was done asking questions. “Yes, I do. I think it’s best for everyone…if I leave.” She held her hand out waiting for him to hand over the duffle.
“What about you? What’s best for you? Going back to the life you had? The one that you risked everything in order to seek out the half-brothers you hardly knew?” He shook his head. “You’re running scared, Liberty. Maybe it’s time you stopped trying to handle things alone and trust your family.”
“Family or you? Because from the first day you’ve made it clear that I don’t belong here.”
He at least had the decency to look at the ground. She’d nailed him to the tree.
“Guilty.” He raised his eyes to hers. “I admit being hard on you at first. I carried around some prejudices that I didn’t realize were there and I’m sorry about that. I was wrong. I’d never met anyone like you before, Liberty.”
She offered a quick laugh. “Until you wound up in my bed. Amazing how fast perspectives can change, right? Well at least you got the curiosity out of your system.” She saw the flash of hurt in his eyes, but she wouldn’t knuckle under. He’d gotten what he wanted hadn’t he?
“Stop it.” He demanded and took another step toward her.
“Aw come on, Rein. Admit, you were curious. I’m an unusual distraction. Look at me. I’m nothing at all like Aimee or…Sally. That’s the kind of woman a man like you is looking for. The kind that will settle down. Be happy to have the white picket fence and a fairytale ending.”
“That doesn’t speak highly of Aimee, or Sally, but I’ll let it go because you’re upset. And for the record, how the hell do you know what I need?” He dropped the bag to the ground with a thud and closed the gap between them.
“Because I know your type. You, Wyatt and Dalton—you’d sacrifice anything for the woman you love. You’re just built that way.” She closed her eyes and turned her face from his piercing look. She couldn’t look at him in the eye. She didn’t want him to see her vulnerability. She didn’t want him to see that she wanted to be the woman he’d sacrifice anything for.
He brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “Maybe you’re exactly the type of woman I need, Liberty. Have you given any thought to that?” His fingers lifted her chin, turning her gaze to his.
She blinked away new tears. “Please don’t do this.” Her warning lacked any punch. She couldn’t take much more. Especially since she’d convinced herself she had nothing left for her here at End of the Line. Her chin quivered.
“Don’t leave us, Liberty. Aimee’s going to need you af
ter the baby comes. Wyatt and Dalton haven’t had near enough time yet to get to know you. You haven’t even experienced a Montana Christmas yet.” He softly touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, sending a familiar tingle up her spine.
“And what about you, Rein? You haven’t said why you don’t want me to leave.”
He searched her eyes. “I’d miss you, Liberty. I know what I want, and god-love them, it’s not anyone like Aimee or Sally. But there’s a lot to consider, Liberty. For starters, our difference in age. There are more than a few years between us. I’m settled here. This is my life. You’re just starting out, trying to find your place, what you want in your life. I can’t, no, I won’t ask you to give that up, just so you’ll stay here with me.”
“You’re going to have to give me a better reason than that, Rein.”
He released a sigh. “Because if I do, I won’t know if you stayed because you wanted to or because you thought you might just give this a test run and then leave.”
“You really think I’m that flighty?”
His lips curved into a smile. “Darlin’, you’re taking off in the middle of the night.”
She placed her hand over his. “I didn’t think you’d care. We had an agreement. I tried to hold that up.”
He took her face in his hands. “To hell with the agreement. The truth is I thought I’d be able to keep you and my emotions at arm’s length. But I fell in love with you and the thought scares the hell out of me.”
“Why? Because you think that I’ll drag you along like Caroline did, then drop you for something better? I may be younger than you, Rein Mackenzie, but I’m not stupid.” She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on his mouth. “I’m just glad that Caroline’s not only a snob, but stupid.”
Rustler's Heart Page 14