Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
“That’s kind of you, Taylor, but I need to get back home. Barb and I have plans for the rest of the day, actually.”
“Okay.”
My heart aches watching her trying her best to put things right.
“How about tonight? A game of cards? Bring Barb,” I say.
“Thanks, but not tonight. I need to be off but let me know if anything needs my attention here.” He doesn’t wait for a response and is already lumbering back to his truck, forcing me to focus on his broad back as he retreats. We all watch him heft himself inside before the truck becomes a speck and then disappears out of sight.
I turn to Taylor, finding her eyes sad, then to the men who are watching everything with their laser focus, assessing for weaknesses they can exploit. My skin prickles.
“Let’s get you in. It’s all ready for you.”
“Hey, Tay. You look like a kid. What’ya doin’ shacking up with a cowboy already?”
I swivel around, narrowing my eyes at Brian. Rage threatens to spill, but I know that I can’t lose control with him at this point. “It’s Taylor to you. You’re here to work and to mind your own damn business, or I’ll get Mr. Lackey right back here to cart you off!”
“Yes, boss!” Brian’s dark smile and gruff, sarcastic tone are designed to enrage me further, but I don’t take the bait.
The shade of the bunkhouse is welcome after standing in the direct sun. Weasel emits a high-pitched whistle. “Will you look at this place? I don’t suppose Taylor wants to get us a few beers for a little welcome party.” He reaches out to high-five Taylor, and she almost responds, but then thinks better of it and leaves him hanging.
“Last warning, Brian. I’m serious!” With my finger almost in his face, he steps away, bending to pick up his bag where he had dropped it onto the floor.
“We’ll leave you to make yourselves comfortable. You can settle in now, and we’ll be out later this afternoon. The big stuff starts at the crack of dawn. I’ll come down with Clint and Maverick later, so you know what you’re expected to do.”
“Yes, boss!”
They’re tagged with tamper-proof trackers, so there’s no point in them trying to leave the ranch.
I’m going to have to find a way to block out this guy. He’s pushing my buttons, but I can’t lose my cool when Taylor is so clearly already feeling on edge. There’s a disturbance behind me, and Michael steps away too quickly for comfort.
“What the hell just happened, Taylor?”
She’s flushed red and clearly uncomfortable. “Nothing, it was nothing.”
“Don’t give me that. It was something.”
Taylor doesn’t respond but flees from the bunkhouse and is out of sight before I can stop her.
“Any of you lay a hand on that girl, and I promise you, I’ll knock you from here to Kingdom Come. God knows what Clint will do to you. You’ve been warned.”
Shaking with rage, I leave them behind. My priority has to be Taylor. When I catch up to her, tears are already streaming down her face.
“Taylor, stop!” I grab her shoulder and pull her into me. She sinks into my chest and trembles against my firm grip.
“Ssh, ssh, it’s all right. No one’s going to hurt you. I….we won’t let anyone touch you. You don’t need to have anything to do with them. They won’t ever come near the house. Okay?”
She tries to speak but her words are muffled as she presses herself further into my shirt. “What is it, Taylor?” I wait for her to compose herself, my heart pounding with a desire to take care of her and to protect her from all the darkness of the world.
“Can we just go back to the house? Please?”
“Come on. Maverick and Clint will be back soon. We’ll make sure that the ranch hands won’t trouble you.”
When Taylor pulls away, her eyes are glazed. She has been triggered by what just happened, and her reaction is more extreme than I would have expected unless she has prior trauma. I know Clint believes she does, but she’s too shut off to tell us the truth.
“I’ve got to ride back on Bristol. You can ride with me.”
We walk back to the bunkhouse in silence, and I mount Bristol before pulling her up to join me. Taylor nestles in front of me, and riding back to the house with her between my arms and legs feels like a slice of heaven. Clint brought her here this morning on Hermes, but he had to make a hasty exit.
She smells of peonies and roses, and at this moment, I hope that being close to me makes her feel safe. The silence is comfortable and companionable. But I know that we’ll have to have a difficult discussion because I realize that until I’m totally clear of what Taylor has been through in her past, the future will be something out of reach for all of us.