Page 46 of Legacy of Lies
“I, um ... oh hell.” She wrapped her hands over her upper arms and burst into tears.
Son. Of. A. Bitch.
What the hell was he supposed to do? Was Sara manipulating him, like Tiffani had?
And how screwed up did a guy have to be to doubt the sweet woman in front of him?
In daily ranch life, he strode through knee-deep horse hockey and made decisions without doubt or hesitation.
Now? What should he do with this woman going to pieces in front of him?
No idea. Drew a blank.
Shit.
He paused. Tears rolled down her face, reappearing even as she wiped them away.
Shit.
Fuck it all. He hadn’t comforted her last night, which was the wrong decision. Time to try the opposite approach. He yanked her into his chest and wound his arms around her back and neck, absorbing her sobs with his body. Sliding his fingers into her hair, he eased her head to rest on his chest.
When a truck roared down the street, she startled and clung tighter to him.
What the hell?
Muttering to herself, Sara pulled out of his arms and ran to the kitchen and living room windows, pulling all of the blinds. He followed her, noting the cardboard duct-taped over the broken window, which of course didn’t provide any security against anyone who wanted to enter the house. Sara, unsafe in her own house. Unacceptable.
When she stood back in front of him, her hands shook, and she didn’t meet his eyes.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “All right. I know you don’t want me here—”
“No, it’s not—”
Damn him if he didn’t want to wipe her soft cheeks until they were dry again. “I got it. Not me. Not sure I believe you. But something isn’t right here. What sort of trouble are you in?”
She brushed a tendril of hair back behind an ear. “Can I get you something to drink? Want to sit down?”
“No, I’ll stand, thanks.” He planted his feet.
Her complexion paled as her eyes widened. “Okay. Mother of God, where to start? So you know about Hank?”
“Uh, yeah. We’ve all met. Remember?”
“Yeah. Sorry.” The tip of one manicured thumb tapped her lower lip. His mouth went dry.
“What about him?” Damn it, his tone made her flinch again. “Last night, was that him?”
“Maybe.”
Before he could stop himself, he touched her shoulder. Thank God she didn’t skitter away. He rested his hand there until she began talking again.
“The night after you and I had dinner ... he came here and threatened me. He said there’d be trouble if I saw you again. He threatened my job.” Her voice cracked. “Because Butch is his brother and all. I don’t know what to do.” She held up a hand. “And I’mnotleaving my students, and especially not Zach.”
The set of her jaw and tough stance made him want to cheer and then protect her, surrounding her with his body so nothing and no one could hurt her. Her fist on her jeans-clad hip made his hands itch to ride over those curves.
“So that’s why I didn’t return your calls, why I kicked you out last night. I took the coward’s way out, and I’m sorry.”
“No one would blame you for staying away from me,” he said.
