“I had a feeling you were hiding something. Thank goodness my son isn’t here to see this. You know how he felt about animals indoors.”
Jesus Christ almighty. A stray cat, she’d nicknamed Bodacious, strolled through the kitchen, curling his long black and grey tail up her leg. He must have come in last night. He normally preferred the old barn and its plethora of fat mice. Amy didn’t have to pretend to care, she dropped to her knees and grabbed Bodacious to her chest, relief robbing her of breath and muscle strength.
“I hope you had him wormed. He shouldn’t be around Chloe unless the vet cleared him,” Mavis said.
Amy still couldn't get her mouth to work. Her heart was too busy trying to hammer through her chest.
Mavis took a step forward held her hand out to pet the cat, but he recoiled and leapt to the chair.
“I thought a pet would help cheer the place up some.” Amy rediscovered her voice and stood.
“I can't blame you for that. Why, I was walking past the pet store the other day and stopped to look at one of Mr. Tom’s kittens for sale.”
Amy suppressed a cringe and quickly crossed her arms over her chest, silently thanking Bodi for saving her ass. “You should really give it a try one day Mavis. I think you’d be surprised at how easy it is to fall in love with a pet.” Just as easy as Amy had fallen into Ranger’s arms.
Chapter 14
Ranger rolled over in bed and grabbed nothing but cold sheets. The only proof Amy had been in his arms was the indentation in her pillow and the lingering smell of flowers and heaven. He rolled to his stomach and gathered her pillow to his face, inhaling her scent.
His chest tightened and he felt the loss of her presence. He needed to touch her. To talk to her and make sure she was okay with last night. He’d taken her so thoroughly, his every intention to replace her thoughts with nothing but him. What if he’d been too rough? What if he scared her?
His heart skittered and he pushed up from the bed, uncaring he was naked. If she ran, he might not get her back. She had his heart.
And he wanted hers.
Ranger ripped open the bedroom door, ready to run through the house to find her. To apologize, grovel, whatever it took to make her happy.
But when he opened the door, he froze. The deep down knowledge that this was one of those moments that could forever change his life settled in his gut. And he'd royally fucked up.
Mavis Carter, stood in the kitchen, her perfectly coiffed hair and tailored suit had no hope of restraining the unbridled rage growing with the ferocity of an atomic bomb. And he knew without a doubt the explosion of anger she was about to unleash would be on Amy, not him. Not the one who deserved it. Ranger grabbed for the sheet and wrapped it around his waist, ready to tell Mavis his thoughts.
But Mavis beat him to the punch. “You little slut. How dare you desecrate this house with your filth. After I came over, ready to accept you.”
Amy paled to a shade he'd never seen and her bleak eyes turned to him. Ranger cringed, knowing he was the reason behind her please kill me look. His own anger rose and he clutched the sheet tight to keep from throttling Mavis. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
Mavis straightened her shoulders and glared at him. “I always knew you'd be trouble. I tried to warn Shane to stay away from you. From both of you. And look, both of you standing in his house. Naked. Cavorting in sin. And my son is cold in the ground because of both of you.”
Mavis might be spiteful but she aimed true, her arrow of guilt shot straight to his soul. But no matter how much Ranger regretted not saving Shane, he’d come to realize he wasn't totally at fault either. “A terrorist killed Shane. I tried to save him.”
Mavis stepped toward him, her body visibly shaking. “The terrorist might have killed him, but you left him. You left him behind. And I hope it haunts you for the rest of your rotten days.”
Ranger straightened from the doorway, his own fury rising to match that of Mavis’s. “You better watch what you say to me woman. You being my best friend's mother will only protect you for so long.”
But Mavis didn't back up. And she didn't shut up. “You think I worry about your threats? I died the day my boy died. You can't do anything else to hurt me. But by God, I can hurt you.” Mavis turned towards Amy. “And I can destroy her. Your slut.”
“Mavis, please. It's not like that. Ranger and I... We never...” Amy trailed off and Ranger knew she was struggling to find the words.
He wanted to stride to her, take her trembling body in his arms and tell her it would be okay. Everything would be okay.
“You mean to tell me you and Ranger never slept together? Never cavorted in my son’s bed?” Mavis bit out.
“We, please...” Amy paled even more.
Rage rolled through Ranger. He’d be damned if last night was their last.
Mavis cut Amy's words off with a slice of her hand through the air. “No. I see that it isn't. So, when did you start betraying my son? Was it when you were still with him? While you were still married?” She seemed to swell. Her rage palpable.
“It's none of your business. We don't owe you any explanation. You know that Amy is an honorable woman, just like you know she would never betray your son. And you know, deep down, that she was too good for Shane.” Ranger’s chest constricted. His heart swelled. He met Amy’s broken gaze. “Just like I know she's too good for me.” But he loved her anyway. He had loved her since he first met her. He didn't know why she ended up marrying Shane, and he didn't know why they’d been given a second chance, but he wasn't going to waste it. Not one minute.
Ranger strode across the room and took Amy's hands. Her pulse beat wildly at the base of her throat. Her gorgeous chocolate eyes, the color of spring in full bloom, watered.
“I know you're scared. I'm scared too.” Ranger tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, wanting to touch her more. “I loved Shane like a brother. I will always love him and miss him. And I know you will too. But I love you too. I've always loved you Amy.”
She shook harder and he cupped her face. His stomach tight, knotting and twisting.
“I cannot believe what I'm hearing. Traitors, both of you.” Any façade of calm completely disappeared from Mavis Carter’s face. Her voice rose sharp and grating. “I'll make sure everyone knows. You’re ruined Amy. If it takes the rest of my life, I'm going to make sure you suffer.”
Ranger held Amy’s face between his palms, attempting to shield her from the gross fury. The need to protect her strong and righteous. His woman. His heart. He turned to face Shane’s mother, restraining his violence by a steadily fraying thread. “Get out. Get out of this house and don't ever come back.”
Mavis didn’t move. Ranger let go of Amy and grabbed Mavis's arm and pulled her to the door. She yanked back. “You can't kick me out of my son’s house.”
He grabbed her arm again, pulling her hard and yanked open the door, “I can. And I did. Don't come back. And if you do anything to hurt this woman I'm going to make you regret it.” Ranger slammed the door in the older woman's face and turned to Amy.
Her pale face turned parchment white, all the color completely leeched away. His heart twisted at her pain. Ranger took her in his arms, wrapping her close and tucking her head against his chest. “It's okay. She's not going to do anything.”
The possession. The growing need to protect her rose. She was his. And he would take care of her. Love her. And destroy anyone who threatened.
“She will tell everyone. No one will want to hire me.” Amy shook in his arms. Hard jerks rocking her entire frame. Damn Mavis. She hurt Amy, the girl who’d never done anything wrong to anybody.
“I won’t let her. I promise.”
Amy’s breath was hot against his bare chest, her palms searing the skin on his ribcage. She pushed away from him and felt the loss immediately.
Her eyes were wild with unshed tears. “I'm ruined. You ruined everything.”
Ranger rocked back on his heels in shock. He’d been expe
cting her to cry, to worry, to need him to calm her. “What? What are you saying?”
Ranger reached for her, but she yanked back out of his reach. “This is a mistake”
“No, it’s not. We are not a mistake. Last night was the best night of my life.” Ranger struggled to hold on to her, to find the right words.
Amy flinched. “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I was wrong. Mavis will tell everyone that I betrayed my husband.”
The tightness knotting Ranger’s chest grew. Amy took another step back, pulling away from him. “No. You didn’t. We were never together when Shane was alive.” Ranger closed the gap between them and took Amy’s shoulders in his hands, anchoring her in place. “Shane is dead. He’s gone and not coming back. You are alive and have every right to move on. He would want you to be happy.”
Amy shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. “I can’t believe we did this. I can’t... You need to leave. Now.” Her words ripped through him, sharp and ragged.
“You don’t mean that. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Mavis doesn’t care. She’ll make it look like we’ve been having an affair.”
“I won’t let her.” Ranger wanted to shake the wild look of panic off Amy’s face.
“You can’t stop her. I can’t stop her. I can’t believe I let you stay here when I knew she’d be here this morning. I’m so stupid.” Her words came out broken.
Ranger felt fear ripping at his insides. She was pulling away from him. He could see her visibly withdrawing. The progress he’d made last night slipping away. “I promise I will make things right. No one will blame you for moving on. For us.”
Amy yanked back, pulling her arms free from his grasp. Her sobs breaking his heart. “There is no us. There can never be an ‘us.’ I was stupid to think we had a chance.”
He couldn’t live without this woman. He wouldn’t. “You don’t mean that.”
Amy hugged herself and closed her eyes. He needed her. Loved her.
When Amy opened her eyes again, Ranger sucked in a breath. Her gaze was...empty. “Please. I want you to go.”
“Amy...” Ranger reached for her one last time, but she kept her distance and shook her head.
“Please, Ranger. If you really care about me and Chloe, you will leave.”
The perfection of last night shattered inside him. He’d gotten close enough to touch her. Hold her. And now, because Amy was ruled by fear, they would never find that happiness. “You will regret this, Amy. Don’t let her win.”
“I can’t fight this.”
“You’re too scared to fight. Stand up for yourself. For your family. For what you want.” Ranger didn’t try to hide the edge of anger in his voice.
But Amy held silent, unwilling to take that step forward. He might love her more than his next breath, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to stand here, naked and begging. Ranger grabbed his clothes off the floor and let the sheet drop. Amy averted her gaze as he pulled on his jeans. Misery crawled up his body from her rejection. Misery and anger.
“I know you’re scared and confused right now. Dammit, I’m confused too. But at least I’m willing to give the future a chance. You’re spending all your energy focused on the past.” Ranger grabbed his shirt from the floor and pulled it on. “When are you going to wake up and realize you can’t live in the past?”
Chapter 15
How could a door opening destroy her life so many times? Amy leaned her head against the front door, listening as Ranger roared down her driveway. Tears burned hot trails down her cheeks. She balled her fist and punched the door, rattling it on its frame.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She’d let Mavis in to her house. Her life. And let her destroy the fragile thread of happiness Ranger had created. Instead of fighting for him, Amy blamed him. Yelled at him. And even worse, she’d hurt him.
Ranger wasn’t some playboy looking for an easy lay. He wanted her and he hadn’t been bashful about the fact. He told her he’d fight for her, but she was too scared to let him.
He gave her his heart and she stomped on it.
Her own heart twisted in response, the pain bowed her forward and sent her to her knees. Sobs wracked her body. Why did it have to be so hard?
She had to live with the repercussions of her choices. Shane’s choices. Amy had made the decision to get drunk all those years ago. She’d seen Ranger kiss Tonya Lee Swopes and gotten jealous. She’d made out with Shane in an effort to make Ranger notice her. But they’d both had too much to drink. They went beyond kissing and petting to pregnant and married.
The miscarriage came after the vows. But Amy had made a promise before God to honor Shane. She’d made her bed and she wouldn’t just lie in it. She would live in it.
Her tears fell faster and she curled into a ball on the floor. The pain, the grief, the anguish so much she could no longer support her own weight.
Amy had just ensured that Mavis’s persistent nicks and pinches to her emotional state would transform into an all-out assault, intent on total annihilation.
Mavis hated her, always had. Shane abandoned her, always had. And then the one man who came back for her - she pushed him away.
Amy had gone from letting others hurt her to hurting herself. But wasn’t hurting herself better than letting Ranger get too close and losing her business? Losing him?
Who was she kidding? She didn’t let Ranger James do anything. He was as unstoppable as the mighty Mississippi. Driving forward, slowly and surely eroding her battered shores of defense, chinking away at her dams of resistance. He didn’t accept anything. He fought for what he wanted, and he’d made it more than clear he wanted her.
And her daughter.
Amy was the weak one in the equation. She’d never been indecisive a day in her life, but now...now her decisions didn’t just affect herself.
Chloe cried out from the nursery and Amy forced herself to stand. To wipe away her tears. Her baby needed her. Needed her mother.
What Amy needed didn’t matter where her daughter was concerned. She would do what it took to ensure Chloe had a roof over her head and food on the table. If that meant Amy couldn’t have Ranger, so be it. She’d made tough decisions before; she would do it again. Alone.
So why did the walk to the nursery feel like death row?
A few hours later, Amy had changed and fed Chloe, swept the kitchen floor and cleaned up as best she could, considering her back door was held up by two-by-fours. She’d just sat down for a glass of tea on the couch, watching Chloe play on the living room floor.
“Amy, open up. It’s Evie.” Her best friend, called from the front door.
Amy got up and unlocked it, allowing Evie, followed by Hayden James, inside. Hayden was Ranger’s much younger adopted sister and had babysat for Amy in the summer.
“I heard what happened. Are you okay? Are you hurt? Chloe?” Evie didn’t pause but pulled Amy into a tight hug.
The action caught Amy off guard and unexpected tears pricked her eyes.
“I was so scared. What if something happened to Chloe?”
“Hush, it’s okay. Chloe is just fine.”
As if to signal her agreement, Chloe squealed from her mat on the floor and kicked her toy puppy. Amy laughed and stepped back, wiping her eyes. “Yeah, you’re right. I am trying to block it out. I mean, they kicked down my back door. I even went to the hardware store and had new locks put on.”
Evie scooped Chloe off the floor and went into the kitchen, Amy followed. The sight of the boards nailed across her door looked even worse.
“Geez, you weren’t kidding,” Evie said.
“Yeah, how crazy is that? Why would someone try to break into your house?” Hayden hovered near the door, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
“I don’t know for sure, but I am so tired. We were up half the night.”
“We?” Evie arched a brow before returning to the living room and plopping down onto the couch.
Amy could have kicked hers
elf. Of course Evie would pick up on that one little slip. “Um, yeah, I called Bo. He brought his deputies out.”
“I know. Ranger told me.” Evie dropped that grenade and let it sit for a minute before continuing. “He also said he was out here all night too.”
A blush heated Amy’s chest and cheeks. “Ranger has a big mouth.”
“Spill. Now.”
No way, no how. Especially with his little sister hovering near the front door. “He slept on the couch. Said no way was he leaving us here alone after a break-in.”
Amy glared at her friend, silently telling her to shut her big fat trap. Evie smiled in response, the kind of smile that said there was no way she was letting this drop.
Before Evie could open her mouth, Amy said, “Hayden, you okay? Need something to drink? Some food? I haven’t made lunch yet, but I’ve got some cold turkey for a sandwich.” Hayden didn’t move from her stance at the door, avoiding looking directly at anyone in particular.
“Um, no thank you. I’m fine.” Hayden’s reply was awkward, like they were strangers.
“Well, you’re acting weird. Do you need to talk? Something I can help you with?” Amy said.
Hayden stared at the floor. The wall. The furniture. “No. I’m sure.”
“So give me the dish girl. What the hell happened?” Evie asked.
“The damn Mexican cartel is what happened.”
Silence. Her living room went completely quiet.
“The cartel?” Hayden asked, her voice more of a squeak.
“And they want to break into your house because?” Evie said.
“One of their thugs was threatening Pedro. In my airplane hangar. Then he threatened Artie.”
“And…” Evie juggled Chloe over to her other arm and gestured at Amy to continue.
“And I told him to get the hell off my land.”
“So you showed your usual sweet southern charm and told a Lobello to kiss off?”
Amy froze, staring at her friend in surprise. “I never said anything about the Lobellos.”
Evie met her gaze, her clear blue eyes widening. “Yes, you did.”
Men of Mercy: The Complete Story Page 33