Page 41 of Rancher's Pride

“Good night, Fallon.” he said as he stood and walked out of his room. I heard a phone chime as he walked down the stairs. The sound of his steps faltered, and then grew closer and the door flung open. “You and the girls are going to Pop’s. I know it’s a shitty time towake them both up, but you can’t stay here.” His words were whispered, and he held up his finger to his lips for me not to say anything.

He looked around the room and found a piece of paper, then pulled me into the closet to see what he was writing. His horrible penmanship hadn’t changed, and I watched him scrawl.

Ryder found cameras and listening devices when he scanned the living room. They weren’t here when he checked before, so they’re new. Pop’s should be safe. This guy seems focused on you and hasn’t figured out he’s my dad.

I nodded and took his hand as we went back downstairs. I was thankful the diaper bag I carried had enough diapers for a few days, and a change of clothes for both girls. Wanda also had made sure she had things the girls would need. When she’d told me during supper one night, I couldn’t believe someone would want my girls to feel comfortable in their home without really even knowing them.

Andrew’s family had always treated Josie like the plague. They never wanted her around and made sure she wasn’t welcome in their home. Andrew would go for family supper and I would stay home with Josie. I wish it had just been Andrew that had been a shit human being, but he’d learned from the best.

The furnace kicked in and the whir made mewonder if it was enough to drown out the sound of us leaving. I met Nash in the hallway, Lottie in my arms, Josie in his. He tried to smile, but worry was etched on his face. “Ryder has everything scrambled, but can’t keep it that way for long. It should be enough for us to leave, and when I get back, we’ll wipe this place.” Nash was speaking barely above a whisper and I nodded.

Headlights shone out the large window, and I looked over my shoulder. “It’s Kipp. He’s going to take you to town.”

“I thought you’d take us in.”

“Honey.” I frowned at the term of affection and he smiled then shook his head, “Toots, I’m going to be here hoping he doesn’t suspect anything. You know you're just as safe with your brother as you’d be with me.”

We walked out to the porch and Nash buckled Josie into her car seat and I snapped Lottie’s carrier into the base. “I’ll come get you as soon as we have the house cleared,” he said as he wrapped me up in his arms. I shivered in his arms. He let me go, but still held my hands. Lowering his head, he brushed a light kiss on my lips. Kipp cleared his throat behind us and heat flushed through me.

“Here’s a phone. I’m keeping yours, so we know when he texts. All the numbers you need are programmed in.” He handed me the burner phone, and I tucked it in the diaper bag.

“Thanks,” I said, trying to smile as I looked up athim, making him believe I was being brave when all I wanted to do was hide under the covers for the rest of my life.

Climbing in the truck, the door slamming and the double tap on the box letting Kipp know to drive away made my heart break. I was leaving the ranch again for an unknown amount of time. While it was all I could think of after Lottie was born, I didn’t want to leave now. A tear rolled down my cheek, and I blinked it away quickly.

“So you’re kissing Nash now?” Kipp finally spoke as we bounced over the Texas gate. I could see him even in the dark thanks to the glow of the dash. His expression was blank and I couldn’t read him.

“This isn’t any of your business, Kipp.” I snapped.

“No? It’s eleven-thirty at night. I left my pregnant wife and son at home alone and I’m driving you to town because your apparent psycho husband is trying to get to you. Pretty sure it’s my business now.” He turned to look at me and in the dark, in the confines of the truck, I couldn’t keep it in.

More tears rolled down my face. “I wanted to hate him, Kipp. He left and told me I wasn’t worth fighting for, but I’m like a moth to a flame. I can’t avoid even if I want to.” Using my sleeve, I wipe at my eyes. The engine hums, the radio is barely audible, and my sniffles are all the noise in the truck. “Kissing him wasn’t planned, but it’s happened a few times.” I stared downat my hands, and bit the corner of my mouth, waiting for whatever lecture he was conjuring in his mind.

“Has there been more?”

“Some, yes, but we both agreed not to take things further until I have divorce papers in my hands.” I rolled my eyes because I felt like he knew I wasn’t telling the entire truth. “Okay, we didn’t agree. He told me nothing more would happen and I guess I’ve had to accept it.”

My brother was silent beside me. I knew he didn’t like the idea of Nash and I but he was accepting of the fact that Josie was Nash’s. I’d spent too many years caring what people thought of me and that included Kipp. “Kipp, I’m not a kid anymore. You don’t have to protect me.”

“Fallon, you’re my baby sister. I will protect you until the end of my days.” He didn’t look at me, just stayed focused on the road, but I knew his words were spoken sincerely and with conviction. I could be eighty years old and Kipp would still think he had to protect me, and I’d let him.

CHAPTER THIRTY

NASH

Ryder, Griff and I combed the house all night looking for cameras and bugs. We worked in silence and when we were done; we stared at the pile on the dining room table. We’d taken all the batteries out, removed them from their power source and would drown them in the sink.

Once we’d taken care of them, we all grabbed a beer from the fridge and flopped on the furniture in the living room. “He’s been in my fucking home,” I said before taking a pull of my beer when all I really wanted to was throw it across the room.

“We need to draw him out.” Griff said, putting his feet on the coffee table and crossed them at his ankles. “But it’s going to have to be when the girls are safe.”

“You still have Fallon’s phone, right?” Ryder said as he let his head fall back on the back of the couch.

“Yeah, I have it. What are you thinking?” I ask as Istare into the flames blazing in the fireplace. The cracks and pops from the logs were mesmerizing, and for a moment, I was lost in the dancing flickers.

“We could make him think she wants to meet, and it’s us instead of her.” He shrugged. It was too simple, we didn’t do it. Unless he was asleep, he’d know all his bugs were found and when he did, it would probably set him off.

“I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long. He’s already going off the deep end. I’m sure this will be the nudge he needs.” I cross my arms and suddenly feel the overwhelming emptiness in my house. “We’ll talk to Phil in the morning and see what he knows.” The man had been like a dog with a bone. He’d done a deep dive on the entire family and I didn’t like what I was seeing.

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