Page 68 of Deceit & Desire

“Thanks, Rick,” I said, my voice rough. “For everything tonight.”

He shrugged, but the weight in his eyes didn’t lift.

“Don’t mention it. Just glad she’s okay. I—” He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure how to say what he was thinking. “I’m not cut out for this kind of thing, Roman. Nights like tonight… they make you think about life. About what you really want.”

I frowned, shifting slightly to keep one hand on Zoe’s. “What are you getting at?”

Rick let out a short, almost nervous laugh. “I’m saying I think my time here’s about done. It’s not the ranch or you guys—it’s me. Watching you almost lose Zoe tonight, seeing how much she means to you… it made me realize I’ve been running from something I shouldn’t be.”

He paused, his dark eyes distant, like he was seeing something far away.

“There’s this girl back home,” he said finally. “She was my everything in high school, even if she didn’t know it. She’s about to graduate college in a year, and I want to be there when she does. Hell, maybe I want to be there before that. I’ve been spinning my wheels out here, trying to figure out what’s next, but I think I know now.”

It took me a second to respond. Rick wasn’t usually the kind of guy to open up like this, and I could see it was costing him to say it out loud.

“You’re serious?” I asked, keeping my tone steady.

He nodded, a ghost of his usual grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah. Serious as hell. I don’t know if she’d even give me the time of day, but if there’s a chance—any chance—I don’t want to miss it. I’ve wasted enough time already.”

For a moment, the barn was quiet, the only sound the faint rustle of hay and Zoe’s soft breathing. Then I nodded.

“I get it,” I said. “You’ve done right by us, Rick. If this is what you need to do, I won’t stop you.”

Rick exhaled, like he’d been holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Thanks, man. Means a lot.”

He glanced at Zoe one more time, his expression softening again. “Take care of her, Roman. You’ve got something special there.”

I looked back at Zoe, my chest tightening. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “I know.”

Rick turned toward the door, his boots loud on the wood floor as he started to walk out.

As Rick reached the barn door, Zoe’s faint voice called after him. “Rick?”

He stopped and turned, his hand resting on the doorframe. “Yeah, troublemaker?”

She managed a weak smile, her voice still hoarse but steady. “At least stay for our wedding. The official one. At the ranch.”

Rick hesitated, then chuckled softly, tipping his hat toward her. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, ma’am.”

I didn’t say anything else, just watched him go, the faint outline of his hat disappearing into the night. For all his usual bravado, Rick had a good heart—and if anyone deserved a chance to chase something real, it was him.

Miss Smith placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s get her inside. She needs rest and warmth while we wait for Landon to take your statements before he takes Cody in to the station.”

I nodded, sliding one arm under Zoe’s shoulders and the other under her knees.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured as I lifted her.

And as I carried her out of the barn, I silently swore to myself that no one—no one in the world—was ever going to hurt her again.

Chapter27

Too Heavy to Carry

PLAYLIST: “ALL I WANT” BY KODALINE

ZOE

The steady humof the hospital’s machines wasn’t loud, but it felt deafening in the silence. Each beep reminded me of how raw my throat felt and how much my body hadn’t forgotten the damage done—not just in the past few days, but in the past ten years.

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