Stealing Hearts (Wild at Heart #1)

46. RHETT

46

RHETT

I curse under my breath as my truck skids across the gravel road.

Jace braces himself against his door. “Bro, don’t kill us. I have a big gig coming up.”

He’s trying to lighten the mood, but I don’t laugh. I can barely fucking breathe. “What if something happened to her?” I’ll never forgive myself for upsetting Paige like that.

“She’s probably sleeping in her car again. Calm your ass down. The park is just a few more blocks.”

Something’s wrong with that assumption, but I can’t put my finger on it. As I turn down the road that will take us to the park, I remember her telling me about Danny’s funeral.

She slept at the cemetery that night.

I yank the steering wheel and make a U-turn.

“Whoa.” Jace slaps the dash. “The park’s that way.”

“She’s not there.” I can’t explain why I know this. It’s just a gut feeling.

A sense of dread gnaws at my chest. Please let her be okay.

About a mile down the road, I spot her car. My heart thunders as we pull up to it.

I unsnap my seatbelt and lean over my brother, who shakes his head. “She’s not here.”

“She’s at the cemetery. It’s only a block away.” I throw my truck into drive and gun it.

“Why would she go there?”

“I’ll tell you later.” We pull up to the locked gates, and I screech to a halt in the driveway. “Come on.”

I slide between two pillars, and my brother follows. Then I sprint for my best friend’s plot.

I’m sorry, Danny. I said I’d take care of her, and then I fucked up royally.

As we crest a small hill, my heart sinks because I can tell she’s not here.

But then my eyes snag on a backpack.

I pick it up. “This is hers.” Frantic, I scan the area.

A shrill scream cuts through the silence.

Jace and I look at each other, and then we’re both in a dead sprint toward the forested area that butts up to one end of the cemetery.

“Paige!” I shout. “Paige!”

“Help!” she screams.

There’s a small path that winds through the trees and shrubs, and we follow that as I call out to her. “Baby, where are you?”

“Over here.”

I spot the body first and nearly have a heart attack until I realize it’s not my wife. Paige is huddled a few feet away.

I kneel in front of her and cradle her face, which has cuts and scrapes. “Are you hurt?”

“N-no.” With a sob, she leaps into my arms.

“It’s okay, baby. I got you.” I look over at my brother, who’s checking out the body. “Don’t touch anything. If I have to bury this guy, I don’t want you involved.”

Paige sniffles and leans back to look at me. “You’d bury a body for me?”

“This asshole here who obviously tried to hurt you? Fuck, yes, I would.”

She grabs my face. “I love you. I’m sorry we argued.”

I don’t bother responding. Just press my mouth to hers. “I love you, Paige. I’m so fucking sorry I was an asshole last night. Please forgive me. I don’t want you to move to Florida. I know that’s your dream, to coach at that camp. If you give me some time to figure out things here, maybe I can move there with you.”

She hiccups. “You’d… you’d do that?”

“To be with you? Yeah.” With my thumbs, I gently wipe her tears. “I’d do anything for you and our baby.”

Her smile fades. “You know.”

“That you’re pregnant? Yes.”

A frown mars her beautiful face. “Is that why you want to stay together? Because I don’t want to?—”

“No. I was gonna beg for your forgiveness before I realized you were pregnant.”

“How did you find out? Did Baylee tell you?”

I explain how the boys knocked over the trash.

Her voice cracks. “You’re not upset about the baby? I know that’s not what you want. I think it happened the day I went to the ER because I threw up after I took my birth control. I’m so sorry.”

I kiss her again. “Don’t apologize. I was a dumbass. Of course I want this baby, if you’ll do me the honor of having a family with me. A bigger one, that is.” I have no fucking idea where we’ll live since I’m probably going to lose the ranch, but I have a feeling that with Paige by my side, I can weather any storm. I stroke her hair. “I’m just glad you’re okay. That’s all that matters right now.”

Her bottom lip quivers. “Because of the physical therapy you got me, I was able to outrun this asshole. Look at the path.” She points behind us. “I never would’ve been able to run that a few months ago, much less at full speed. My ankle held up.”

Turning, I take stock of the terrain and realize she’s right. It’s rocky and full of tree roots and rocks. Fuck. What if she hadn’t fully rehabbed her ankle? What if she hadn’t been an elite cheerleader and in amazing shape? “Jesus. Wildflower, I can’t imagine?—”

Before I can say anything else, she throws her arms around my neck and kisses me. I let out a groan and pull her closer.

Jace coughs dramatically. “I hate to break up this happy reunion, but we have a situation over here.”

The guy moans, and I smirk. “Look at that. He’s not dead. Guess I don’t need my shovel.” I look at my wife. “Who is this guy? What did he do to you? Because I can still break both his legs.”

Paige bites her bottom lip. “Call the sheriff. It’s bad.”

A growl rumbles through me. “If this son of a bitch touched one hair on your head…”

She shakes her head. “I’m fine. This isn’t about me. It’s about the ranch.”

I let out a sigh of relief and reach for my cell. With my other arm, I hold her close and kiss her forehead. I don’t let her go as I call the sheriff.

In fact, I’m never letting her go.