Page 38 of Rancher's Pride

“Get your rear ends up on this wagon, or I’m leaving you here.” He called, grinning like a fool.

Helping Wanda and Fallon up, I handed Lottie back to Pop when he got on, and I took my spot next to Kipp. “Everyone ready?” I called and was answered with a resounding “yes” from everyone on the sleigh.

Kipp shook the reins, and the horses moved, the sleigh lurching and everyone laughing. The Christmas carols started before we even got turned out of the yard. Fallon was right. There weren’t many neighbors left, but we headed for the first one. Kane and Maggie Watson were good friends and always willing to lend a hand when needed and vice versa for us.

We pulled into their yard, and their smiling facesmet us on the porch. Surely, the commotion hadn’t been easy to miss. “Are you hopping on?” I yelled and, as if they’d all been hit with a cattle prod, they ran back into the house and got their winter clothes on.

The chatter and laughter was a buzz through the occasional carol. We went around to the houses where some of the ranch hands lived and dropped them off cookies, fresh cinnamon rolls and a Christmas bonus. It was what Miller and Julie used to do, and everyone seemed to get a kick out of it.

As the sunset, the sky turned pink, and we dropped the Watsons back off at home before we headed back to the ranch. Glancing behind me, I watched Fallon grab her cell phone. I thought she was going to take a picture, but she stared at the screen, her brows growing closer together the longer she looked at it. As if she felt me staring at her, she tucked the phone away and looked up at me, pasting a smile on her face. To everyone around it would have looked sincere, but to me I knew something was up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

FALLON

How could I have forgotten in a few brief hours what a hellscape my life was? All it took was one text from the unknown number to bring me back down to earth.

Unknown: Looks like you’ve got a happy family there. I would hate to see anything happen to any of them. How’s the antidepressant working?

My blood ran colder than the temperature out on that sleigh. I needed to know where he was, who it was. How did he know what was happening if he wasn’t on the ranch? What if he came after Josie and Lottie?

My brain was yelling that I needed to talk to The Five, but I couldn’t bring myself to involve them. They wouldn’t be rational. They’d go off half cocked and end up in more trouble than I am right now. If thisstranger, who I doubted was a stranger, knew about my brother and his men, they wouldn’t be messing with me, so at least I have that on my side. I hope so.

The house was finally quiet and, other than the interruption of the text, today hadn’t been bad. Having all my family in one place was right. It’s how we were supposed to be. Lying back on the bed, I finally took a breath for what felt like the first time today. I couldn’t wait for the day when I didn’t have to think about breathing. “Fallon, what’s on your phone?” Nash asked as he walked into my room.

“Nothing. What are you talking about?” I locked the phone and tossed it down beside me, and I watched Nash’s eyes narrow as he stared at it.

“I watched you turn into the shell of a woman you were the night you showed up here while we were out on that sleigh ride.” Before I could beat him to it, he grabbed my phone. “What’s going on?” He held it up and I saw another notification come through on the screen.

Unknown: You think you’re safe in that house, I know all the ways to get in.

Nash’s face went from mildly angry to furious. “How long has this been going on?” He asked through gritted teeth.

“Someone’s been watching me since just after I got here.” My words were quiet, barely above a whisper.

“For over a month we’ve sat here being watched,and you hid it from me? The safety of our girls, your safety, this entire ranch.” My phone landed on the bed and bounced to the floor with a clatter. Nash ran his hands through his hair before sitting on the bed. The dip in the mattress from his weight made me roll toward him. “Is it him?”

“I think so.” I nodded. Kicking my legs off the bed, I sat beside him and tucked my hand into his and I watched his knuckles go white as he grasped it, and in that instant a sense of calm washed over me even though he was holding on to me so tightly. My pounding heart slowed. The fear I’d carried for the last few weeks subsided, and I knew we’d be okay. Letting my head rest on his shoulder and we sat in silence. My head moving up and down with his breathing almost lulled me to sleep.

“I have to go,” Nash said, interrupting the stillness of the moment. He shifted and stood without another word and began to leave.

“No, wait Nash. Please don’t go. We need to talk about this.” I reached for his arm and tried to pull him back down to the bed, but he shook me off and walked out of my room.

The sound of a door shutting was unmistakable. I’d heard it more times than I cared to admit, but this time was different. I didn’t feel relief wash over me in a wave. I felt the dread of what was to come, what was being planned.

Pacing the living room floor wasn’t how I thoughtChristmas Day would end, but the clock ticked past midnight and here I was, walking back and forth with only the glow of the tree lighting up the room.

Nash had been gone for two hours, and I was ready to climb the walls. Looking at my phone every five seconds, I was hoping he would text, or let me know what was happening.

The door opened, and I froze. Staring at him, I needed him to talk, just to say something. “You can’t keep me out, Nash, I will go crazy.” I closed my eyes and let my shoulders slump. He walked to me without even taking his coat off and wrapped me in his arms. The chill from the winter night was still on him and I tightened my grip, hoping to take it away.

“I just talked to the other guys, and we came up with a preliminary plan to keep you and the girls protected. Then we had to make sure the ranch is secure.” He didn’t let me go, and I was thankful I needed him close. “I’m sorry. I just walked out. I saw red and needed to make sure you and my girls are safe.”

“We have to stop leaving Nash. If something’s wrong, we have to talk before walking out the door. I know what’s going on in my head is only temporary, but I couldn’t help but think you weren’t coming back.” Tears piqued my eyes, and the tip of my nose burned as I confessed my deepest thoughts to him.

“I thought the same thing when I walked out the door. We’re good together, Toots. We just need to do better at being good to one another.” He kissed the topof my head and a sense of calm washed over me. This was all going to be okay and no matter what happened, I had a co-parent that I could trust and who would look out for the three of us.

“Ryder’s going through all the security we have around the ranch to see if he spots anything, and the five of us will take a rotating watch and make sure he doesn’t set foot on the property.” He’d finally let go of me and taken off his coat before leading us to the couch. He let his head rest back on the couch and he sighed. “You have to let me know every time it happens, okay?” I nodded and wondered if it would actually ever stop.

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