He turned to tell the driver of the car to slow down; they didn’t want to hurt her if she was here. Yet, as his gaze settled on the spot behind the wheel, horror gripped him. It was empty. An arctic blast of panic sunk deep in his chest.
His hands shot to the seatbelt clasp. He needed to get into the driver’s seat so no one got hurt. But his belt didn’t have a simple lever to press for release; it had a padlock. He tugged at it while setting his sights back on the view ahead. They were approaching the bridge now. And there, just beneath the light post, stood Shell. Her elbows rested on the frame of the bridge as she looked out over the water. No, no! Please, no!
The car swerved as they approached, and Trey leaned far over to grab the wheel. The tips of his fingers grazed the smooth leather just as the car slammed into the opposite side of the bridge. The vehicle had grown wider in size, the wheel impossibly farther away with every effort. It veered toward the other side of the bridge next, right where Shell stood.
“Shell, watch out!” he hollered. He struggled with his belt once more, desperate to reach the wheel, but failed yet again. With gripping hands he yanked the strap, trying to shrug the top half of his body free. At last he gained slack and secured the wheel in his hands, his gaze darting out the windshield once more. The wheel turned, but the car didn’t change its course, as if they weren’t connected at all.
Shell watched as the out-of-control vehicle sped toward her, not a hint of fear in her expression. Suddenly her face changed until it wasn’t Shell’s face at all. It was Ann’s. She gave him a peaceful grin, waved goodbye, and then she was gone.
“Ann, no!”
The sound of Trey’s scream stayed trapped in his sleep as he shot up from his bed, breaths coming frantic and pained. A tremor rocked his body as the images from his nightmare flashed before him. He couldn’t possibly conjure a worse dream. Losing Shell to the terrible accident was bad enough. Why the shift in events? Why—in the wretched dream—had he been the one in the car? And why for the love of all things holy had Ann stepped into Shell’s place?
With the shake of his head, Trey climbed out of bed and made for the hallway. And then the patio. He needed some fresh air. He needed a change in scenery. Anything that could rescue him from the images in his head.
The night was cool against his sweat-drenched skin. He filled his lungs while looking over the moonlit barn. The horses in the corral. All welcome sights. But as he shifted his gaze to a streetlamp in the distance, he could see her waving to him once more. Why did that have to happen? Her life, over so soon?
It wasn’t that Trey wondered what might have been between him and Shell. He’d stopped doing that long ago. Chances were, they would have gone their separate ways and been friends at best. He only wondered why her life had to end so soon. Why she couldn’t have lived out her years in peace. And why he had to get so close to her before she went.
It was a selfish thought, he’d admit, but it was there just the same. He’d rather people came with a warning sign. Caution: don’t get too close. I’ll be leaving this planet in exactly three years, and you’ll be on your own and sorry you met me.
Sorry you met me.
Was he sorry he met Shell?
No. How could he be? They’d had a great relationship. Shared their first kiss. Confided in one another—things Trey hadn’t dared tell his best friends. It was foolish to let the experience rule his future. To let it determine just how close he got to people now. Heck, any member of his family could die at any time.
Yeah, so why let more in?
After one last deep breath of cool air, one last glance at the stars, Trey made his way back toward the house.
The floor was cool beneath his feet. The carpet soft and worn. And as he neared the end of the hallway, he made a split-second change. Veering toward Ann’s room instead. Three small taps.
“Ann, you there?” Dumb thing to ask. Of course she was.
He heard a soft swish on the other side of the door. A short click, and a line of light appeared beneath the door. A series of light padding sounds followed, growing closer to the door with each beat. And then it opened.
Glowing light outlined the curves of Ann’s form, a contrast to the black silky nightshirt she wore. The vision brought a question to his mind: just what was he wearing?
He scrubbed a hand over his face as he realized he wore boxers and nothing more.
“Hi.” Concern was thick in her tone. “Is everything okay? Do you want to come in?”
Wordlessly, Trey stepped into the room, wrapped his arms around her warm, welcoming body, and buried his face in the long, fragrant strands of her hair. “Hi.” An image flashed through his mind: Ann waving beneath the streetlamp, the car speeding on its path. “I don’t want to lose you.”
He breathed in her scent, suddenly distracted by how good she felt in his arms. Her body, separated by only a thin layer of silk. He had no right to be thinking that way, but all Trey wanted in that moment was to make Ann his. To make her belong to him in a meaningful, undeniable way.
Ann leaned back, meeting his gaze in the lamplight. “You’re not going to lose me, Trey,” she said softly. “Not if you don’t want to.”
His hands moved up her back, the silky straps looped gently over her shoulders. When his palms met her skin, he groaned, and pressed a series of heated kisses to her throat. As he moved up to her lips, Ann sighed, her breath grazing his mouth.
Yes. This is what he needed. Ann. Warm and wonderful and safe in his arms. There would be no letting go. Not tonight. He’d stake his claim on her, and forbid the heavens to take her away.
With his hand cupped around her bare shoulder, Trey slipped his thumb beneath the dainty strap of her nightdress. It slipped the slightest bit, the loop falling over the back of his hand. A fire roared in his belly. He moved his mouth to that shoulder, pressed a hot kiss to her skin, and reveled in the way her head tipped lazily to one side. Her eyes closed. And he marveled in the rare picture of surrender.
He should close her door, secure the lock, and make sure there were no interruptions. Yet as that thought came to mind, a second thought came right behind it: too fast. He might feel more than ready to take things to the next level, but he had no right to do it.
Trey considered that while his lips trailed a path over her collarbone. Ann wrapped a hand around the back of Trey’s neck, threading the tips of her fingers through his hair.
A million things warred in his mind. Loving Ann. Losing her. Keeping her forever. Making her his tonight.
At last he moved his hands to her hips and stepped back.
An arms-length apart, the sound of their breath filling the night, Trey clenched his eyes shut. Heaven help me. I have no idea what I’m doing.
“Goodnight,” he managed, and walked out.
Chapter 30
“So what’s his family like?”
Ann held up a finger as she took a pull from her straw. “Wonderful,” she said, setting down her glass.
Cassie flashed that wide grin of hers. “When I talked to Shane’s parents and his brothers, I learned all sorts of things I never would have known.”
Ann glanced up as the waiter brought their food, thanking him before answering. “Totally,” she said. “In fact, my favorite one was about a time he got his pants ripped off by a bull in the middle of a rodeo!” Laughter filled the space between them.
“Oh no!” Cassie cried, “That’s great.”
“Totally. But you can’t tell the ranch hands. He doesn’t want them razzing him about it.”
“Gotcha,” Cassie said. “So what’s his mom like?”
“Beautiful,” Ann said. “She’s really classy. And she has great taste in clothes and decorating. She’s kind too. She has a a genuine quality.”
“That’s nice. I picture her being that way. With as charming as Trey is. And handsome,” she added with the lift of a brow.
Ann nodded, but the truth was, she was preoccupied. Three concerns had been cycling through
her mind since she woke up this morning. 1. What was going through Trey’s mind when he came into her room last night? 2. Why hadn’t Trey mentioned losing his high school girlfriend? She stirred at her soup, daring herself to speak the third thing on her mind. “Do you think it’s bad that I haven’t mentioned the article to Trey?”
Cassie dipped a steak fry into her ranch dressing, a flitter of surprise passing over her face. “So he still doesn’t know about it?” She took a bite and dipped the thing again.
The discomfort Ann had felt at the BBQ flared up in her chest. A fraction compared to what she’d felt then, but it was the same sort of panic. “I’ve been meaning to, but I don’t know how.”
Cassie nodded, reached for her drink, and paused with the straw close to her lips. “Yeah, that’s probably a hard thing to bring up. You don’t want Trey to think you’ve been lying to him the whole time. Which you haven’t…” She took a pull of her drink and set the glass back down. “I’d go ahead and tell him about it. If it upsets him, then just tell him that I’ve known about it from the beginning. I can assure Trey that what you’ve felt this whole time is real, and he’s got nothing to worry about.”
Ann nodded. If it upsets him? Ugh. This was awful. Please don’t let it upset him.
“So what’s the latest from Tom?” Cassie asked.
“What’s that?” Ann asked, but then it registered. “Oh, he said that I scored one of his top choices. He’s just waiting to see if he gets any other bites before accepting.”
“Wow, this is so exciting! He still hasn’t told you which magazine?”
Ann shook her head. “Nope. But I’ve already signed a release form, so there’s no hold up on my end.”
A dreamy smile came back to Cassie’s face. “I’m so happy that you’re hitting it off with Trey. What do you think you’ll do after you go back? Plan another visit?”
That was a good question. “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t have a hard time leaving Seattle behind if it came to that, but I wouldn’t want to do it any time soon. We’re still getting to know each other.”
Cassie dipped another fry while nodding in agreement. “Yeah, long-distance relationships are tricky that way. It’s hard to know when you should get more serious about things.”
“Mm, hmm.” One of the other questions bothering her came to mind. “Hey, did you know that Trey’s first serious girlfriend died?”
Cassie’s eyes widened. “What? No, how terrible.”
“Yeah. They were in high school at the time. I think they dated their junior and senior years until she died in a car accident.” Ann recalled the look on Trey’s face after his dad had brought it up. “He really clammed up after the conversation,” Ann said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that he’s not exactly over it.”
Cassie dabbed her mouth with a napkin as she chewed. “I’m sure something like that leaves a pretty decent scar.”
It got quiet for a while, Cassie finishing her burger and Ann thinking back on the bedroom incident from the night before. Her face flushed at the mere memory. Trey’s heated mouth at her throat, his parted lips gliding along her bare shoulder. And the magnificent caress of his hands as they rounded her hips. She’d been so captured by the rapture of it all that she hadn’t paused to think about how quickly things were moving.
The oddest part wasn’t his advance, it was what he’d said beforehand. I don’t want to lose you. Lose her, the way he lost his high school girlfriend. Also odd was the way he backed away and left her room. So sudden, and with nothing more than a goodbye.
“You know,” Cassie said, “Trey has always seemed to hold back a little. In fact, I remember Shane mentioning it one time. That he shied away from getting serious with anyone. You’re the first woman he’s been this interested in since I’ve known him.”
Cassie’s comment did two different things to Ann. On one hand, it made her feel special, grateful that he saw enough potential between them to give it a shot. On the other hand, it made her nervous. Had Trey gotten to this point with other women, too? Brought them home to mom in an attempt to move on, only to find that he couldn’t?
“It’s funny,” Ann said. “In some ways I feel closer to achieving my happy ending than I’ve ever felt. But I also feel seconds away from disaster. Like one little thing could make it all go awry. It’s scary.”
“Aw…” Cassie lengthened her arm across the table, setting her hand on top of Ann’s. “You’re right. It is scary. And wonderful. And amazing. And…”
Ann chuckled. “And new.”
Cassie gave her hand a few pats. “Yes, new. I remember getting to know Shane’s family, and as much as I liked him, I swear I fell in love with his family, too. They’re all so incredible. And suddenly I went from having no family to having more than I could’ve imagined. It was like a dream.”
Ann gave her a nod. “Yeah. I’m so happy for you, Cassie. This place is perfect.”
“I’ll be even more happy for me if you can join me one day. Can you imagine?”
“Almost,” Ann said. She glanced at the clock on her phone before stuffing it back into her purse.
“How much time do we have?” Cassie asked.
“Let’s see…” Ann tapped it out on her fingers. “Trey said they’d meet us at the theatre at 4:00, and it’s 1:30 now. We’ve got a few hours to shop before we meet up.”
Cassie grinned. “Can’t believe we’re going on a double date.” She picked up her glass and extended it toward her, gesturing for Ann to do the same.
The glass was cool against her palm as she picked it up and straightened her arm, stopping just before they touched.
“Here’s to our first double date with Shane and Trey. May it be the first of many.”
Ann pushed her recent doubts aside and stretched until their glasses clinked. “Cheers.”
Chapter 31
A sharp sting sunk into Trey’s cheeks as he slapped on his aftershave. He dragged his palms down the sides of his neck, stepped back from the mirror, and let out an anxious breath. Why did he feel so unsettled? Perhaps it was the horrid dream lingering in hidden parts of his mind.
He flicked off the light switch, strode down the quiet hallway, inwardly doubting it had anything to do with the dream. It wasn’t fear for Ann’s life that disturbed him, but it was fear. Fear that something was going to come in and ruin it all. Everything he hoped he had in her—the great potential where she was concerned—it just seemed as if something was chasing them. Working to catch up. And when it did, things between them would be over.
As he rounded the kitchen, Trey patted at his pockets, realizing he’d left his phone back in the bedroom. He needed to call Shane, see if he was ready to go. He spun on one heel to head back down the hall when someone spoke up from the dining area.
“Hello, stranger.”
Trey froze. That voice. It was… Jenessa. Of course it was her. He glanced over his shoulder to see her sitting at the kitchen table. One arm rested along the back of her chair, the other fiddled with the end of one braid. Her crossed leg bounced restlessly as she chewed her gum.
“Oh, hi,” he managed. “How uh… how are you?”
“Not very good, to be honest.”
No surprise there. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jenessa.” He tilted his head, looking for any sign of the ranch hands, and came up empty. He couldn’t hear any evidence of them rumbling in their quarters below, either. “Are you here by yourself, or did someone let you in?” He hoped that she’d say she was waiting for Max.
Jenessa came to a stand, took a long stride toward him. “I let myself in through the back. It was unlocked.”
Ah, Trey would have to get even with the ranch hands for that one. “Well I hate to say it, but I’m actually on my way out of here. I’m sure Betty and Grant might be home, if you’re looking for someone to talk to.”
Jenessa took more steps, hurried ones. A fast shimmy in high heels. “You’re actually the one I need to talk to, since it has something to do with Ann.
”
A frigid stone sunk low in his belly. Had the thing that was chasing them finally caught up? He tightened in preparation, the way he would if someone were about to deliver a great blow to the gut. When he gulped, it felt like a knife was sliding down his already strained throat. “What is it?” he asked. He’d known this was coming. Had felt it only moments ago. An inner voice told him not to give up so easily. He hadn’t even heard what Jenessa had to say. Why was he so willing to throw Ann and everything they might have under the bus so fast?
Jenessa twisted the end of her braid around her finger. “Ann isn’t here for the reasons you think she is.”
“What do you mean?” Fight, Trey. Fight whatever Jenessa has to say. Give Ann the benefit of the doubt. His heart clapped, one thunderous beat after the next. Pulsing in his ears as the room turned hot and stuffy and smaller than it’d been only seconds before. “She came for the ring ceremony. That’s the reason she came.” It sounded like someone else had spoken the words. They were distant, muffled.
“Yeah but did you know she was writing an article about you?”
Confusion seeped in, buffering the anxious pain that prodded at him from the inside. “About me? I doubt that.” He stepped over to the kitchen sink, grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it up. It might look like a casual act, but Trey felt as if his throat might dry up all together.
Jenessa followed him over to the sink. He watched from his peripheral as she leaned a hip against the counter. She drummed her fingernails while he tipped back his head, draining the glass.
“Ann showed me,” Jenessa said. “She’s trying to land some prestigious writing slot so she can impress her family because they think she’s nothing compared to her siblings.”
The storm in his chest raged anew. That last part was true. Ann had told him herself. “What kind of article? What does it have to do with me?”
How to Catch a Cowboy in 10 Days Page 14