Page 39 of Unforgettable Cowboy
“Hayes?Chance came to my place.”
“What the fuck?Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, but I’m not going home.”
*
Hayes’s blood pressurespiked as a red Chevy sped past him toward Marietta, the opposite direction Hayes was traveling.It was all he could do not to turn around and chase the asshole to town, where he could get a piece of him.But first he had to make certain that Bailey was okay.
Bailey who’d better damned well be chilling at the Reed Farm like she’d promised.
He roared down the drive to the Reed Farm, where he found Bailey sitting in her truck.He pulled to a stop next to her rig and she got out.He’d never seen her so pale, but the first words out of her mouth were: “I’m okay.”
Hayes didn’t argue with her.Or mention that she looked like she was in shock.Or that she was shaking when he pulled her into his arms.She knew.
“Reaction,” she said against his chest as a shudder went through her.Her body stilled after that, but Hayes kept his arms around her.
He stroked her hair, closed his eyes, wondered if he might be shaking himself as he contemplated what he was going to do to Chance Meyers.
“No one home here?”
“I haven’t seen anyone.I don’t think they’ll care that I let myself in.”
“No,” he said on a choked laugh.“I doubt they will.”
“Don’t,” she said, pulling back so that she could see his face.
“What?”
“Smear Chance into the ground.”
“What makes you think that I’m thinking that?”
She managed to smile, that Bailey I-can-handle-anything smile.He was not fooled, but he was impressed that she was snapping back.The thing was that snap-backs were often followed by relapses.
“You got him in the jewels?”He’d found a deep measure of satisfaction in her explanation of how she’d escaped the man.
She nodded before stepping out of his embrace.He let his hands fall loosely to his sides, knowing that she needed to handle this in her own way.
“He curled up like a bug.”She gave a sniff, then looked in the direction of her place, hidden by a thick belt of timber.“I don’t know if he left.I thought he’d follow me, so I didn’t go to your ranch.”
“You should have.”
“Then he would have seen Dakota and had you guys arrested or something.”
“Bailey—”
“I’m not giving him the horse.Especially not now.But I will get her off of your property.I mean, he wouldn’t come looking on my place again, right?I could—”
“Leave her right where she is.”Her gaze slowly came up to his.“Maybe Chance will stop by my place, and we can…deal with the matter.”
“Not physically, right?”
“No promises, Bailey.”His jaw shifted sideways as he stared down at her.“Don’t make me promise, okay?”
She shook her head, then pressed her lips together.“What if he’s still at my place, waiting?”
“He passed me on his way to Marietta.”
