Page 23 of Romeo

I reach up and grip the handle just inside the door and pull myself up, pain shooting through my side as I do.Every movement is painful, my muscles stiff from two days of doing nothing.

As soon as I’m inside and he shuts the door, I take a deep breath.Then instantly regret it.The inside of his truck smells absolutelyamazing.Like mint and leather.A combination that shouldn’t go well together but makes me feel warm from the inside out.

He opens the door and buckles himself in then turns to me.“Are you feeling okay?”

“Fine.”

He doesn’t respond, just turns the truck on and pulls away from the hospital.With every second that passes, every inch of distance, a bit of stress eases away.I’ve spent far too many years in and out of rehab centers, which look an awful lot like hospitals.

Honestly, they might as well be hospitals.

Then there was the incident that landed me in the emergency room and psychiatric ward after—I shake it off.No sense in living in the past.Not when my future is uncertain enough.

The driveto Riley’s family ranch only takes about fifteen minutes, but it might as well be a world all to itself.We make our way up a long gravel drive flanked by blooming magnolia trees and pastures on either side, both with thick, green grass.

A quaint ranch house sits off to the right while two barns stand directly across from it.A woman with her blonde hair in a thick braid is in the center of a round pen, working a horse with sweat glistening on its brown body.

“This is my parents’ house,” Riley says, gesturing toward the house.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s home,” he replies easily, as though everyone has a place to call home.

We continue driving then take a left down a secondary road that leads us through pastures.

“That’s my brother Bradyn’s place.”He points to a home with a wraparound porch and a floral garden right off the front.

We keep driving, and I can’t help but stare out the window.This place ismassive.Acres and acres of grassy hills and tree lines that likely lead to more of the same.

A few minutes pass, and then he’s pulling into the drive of a sprawling single-story home.Light stone siding is paired with dark wood pillars supporting a gorgeous wraparound porch.Plants hang from the roof of the porch, and pretty hydrangea blooms are dotted in the midst of dark mulch, lined in the flower bed just in front of the home.A huge tree sits front and center with green grass planted all around the base.

It’sgorgeous.Who wouldn’t want to live here?

“This is it,” he says, turning off the truck.

“It’s really pretty.”

“It’s not an estate, but it’ll do.”His reply snaps me back to reality.This man sees me as a chore, and pretending otherwise is even more dangerous than the man hunting me.

I don’t even respond as I grab my bag and open my door.

Riley jumps out and eats up the distance around the truck in long, easy strides.But by the time he’s there, I’ve already turned and taken a deep breath in preparation for getting out of his truck.

This is going to hurt.

I refuse his offered hand, sliding off of the seat instead.But before my feet hit the ground, I lose my balance and fall forward.“Oh!”

I hit his hard body, and strong arms come around me as the scent of mint and leather assaults my senses.“Are you okay?”He settles me back on my feet.

Taking a step back, I hug my bag and force a smile even though my side feels like it’s on fire.“Fine.”

The worry on his face vanishes, replaced by the mask he’s worn since the moment I met him.“Good.Come on in, and I’ll show you around.”Without waiting to see if I follow, he turns and heads for the door.“Romeo is with my brother right now, but he’ll be here later.I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Not at all.I like dogs when they’re not trying to eat me.”

“He wouldn’t have eaten you,” he replies smoothly.“Just would’ve made sure you didn’t feel the urge to go anywhere.”

“Yeah.”

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