7. Braxton
brAXTON
I caught her halfway down Evie's driveway. She spun toward the sound of the truck, her hand on her chest, her eyes wide.
“Hey, slow down.”
She turned. “How did you know I was here?"
"Tracked your phone." I stepped out into the rain. "I didn't leave. I was in the parking lot outside the community center the whole time."
“So you followed me?"
"I stayed close enough to respond if something happened."
"That's not the same thing as being there."
"No. It's not." I moved toward her. "Can we get out of the rain? I need to tell you something."
She looked back at Evie's house. At the warm light glowing behind lace curtains. Then at me. “Let’s go back to the ranch."
The drive back felt longer than it should have. Addison sat pressed against the passenger door, phone clutched in her hand.
"You got another message."
"Yes."
"On the number only a few people have."
Nodding, she stared out the window.
"Can I see it?"
She handed me the phone at the next stop sign.
He'll leave. Men like him always do.
I read it twice before handing it back. "I did leave."
"You came back."
"Because I was wrong." I turned onto the ranch access road. "Not about the danger. About how I handled it."
She didn't respond.
I parked near the house and killed the engine. Rain drummed against the roof.
"Eli didn't just die in that barn," I said finally. "He ran into it during a lightning storm because one of the horses was trapped in a collapsed stall."
Addison turned toward me.
"He was fourteen and thought he was invincible. Thought he could get the horse out before the fire spread." I stared through the windshield at the dark outline of the house. "I saw him go in. Called his name. Ran after him."
"Braxton—"
"The roof came down before I made it through the door. Trapped him and the horse. I tried to dig through. Burned my hands and half my forearms pulling boards away. Found him under a support beam." My throat closed. "He was already gone."
Addison's hand found mine in the darkness.
"After the funeral, my father told me I should have stopped him."
Her fingers tightened.
"He apologized three days later. Said grief made him cruel. Said he didn't mean it." I looked down at our joined hands. “It didn't matter. I'd already decided he was right."
"He wasn't."
"I know that now. Probably even knew it then. But I built my whole life around those words anyway." I turned toward her. "I chose this line of work because I decided that warning someone about danger wasn't enough. I had to control the situation so they couldn't make the wrong choice."
"Like Eli did."
"Like Eli did. Like you were trying to do tonight." I lifted her hand and pressed it against my chest. "You were right earlier. I wasn't protecting you. I was trying to control you because I can't survive someone else getting hurt because I didn't stop them."
"You can't stop people from living their lives."
"I know."
"Or making their own choices."
"I know that too.”
"Or deciding what risks are worth taking."
"I'm sorry.” I met her gaze. “Not sorry that I worry. Not sorry that I want to keep you safe. I’m sorry that I tried to take your choices away instead of trusting you to make them."
She studied my face for a long moment. "You really mean that."
"Yes."
"You’re not just saying it to get me to calm me down."
"No."
"Then prove it."
I released her hand. "How?"
"Ask me what I want to do."
Those were simple words and at the same time, harder than they should have been. "What do you want to do?"
"I want to finish Rodeo Royalty Weekend. All of it. Every appearance, every event, every photo." She straightened. "And I want to catch whoever is doing this."
Everything in me wanted to argue, or list the reasons that plan was dangerous. Explain why she should leave town until we had answers. Instead, I nodded. "Then that's what we’ll do."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"You're not going to tell me why it's a bad idea?"
"It's a terrible idea. Someone is escalating. Has access to your new number. Was inside the community center tonight and watched us while we were there." I held her gaze. "But it's your life. Your choice. Your risk to take."
"And you'll help me?"
“Hell, I’ll stand right next to you while you do it. Keep you as safe as I can without taking over. And trust that you know what you're capable of."
She let out a slow exhale. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yeah." She reached for the door handle. "Let's go inside. We need a plan."
We spread everything out on the kitchen table. Addison's calendar. A list of suspects. My notes on everyone who had access to her equipment and information.
"We’ll set a canary trap," I said.
"What's that?"
"Give different false information to different people. See which version comes back as a threat."
Addison leaned forward. "Like what?"
"Tell Ruby you'll be staying with Morgan tonight. Tell Orville you're here at the ranch. Tell that photographer—what's his name?"
"Kyle."
"Tell Kyle you'll be rehearsing privately in the arena." I tapped the table. "Give each person a unique piece of information. Wait and see which one shows up in the next message."
"What about Evie?"
The question hung between us.
"You think it's her."
"I think she has access and motive. And she was in the community center tonight when the album went missing." I intentionally made my voice go softer. "I also think she's taught you for years to perform through fear and not trust your instincts."
Addison's jaw tightened. "She's been my mentor from the beginning."
"I know."
"She believed in me when nobody else did."
"I know that too."
"So what do I tell her?"
I held her gaze. "Something nobody else hears. Something specific enough to prove she's the leak if it shows up in a threat."
Addison thought for a moment. "The stock office behind the main arena. I could tell her I heard there’s a copy of the missing album in storage there. I could tell her I'm going in tomorrow night to look for it."
"Perfect."
"And if the threat mentions the other album…”
"Then we’ll know."
She wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't want it to be her."
“For your sake, neither do I."
"But you think it is."
"Yeah." It wouldn’t do me any good to continue to try to convince her. Addison wanted proof and she deserved it. So despite the warning bells going off in my head and the tightness in my chest when I thought about something happening to her, I’d support her while we got the proof she needed.
She stood and walked to the window. Stared out at the rain still pouring down.
I stayed at the table to give her space.
"Make the calls," she said finally. "Set the trap."
“Are you sure?"
"No. But let’s do it anyway."
It took an hour to reach everyone and plant the false information.
Ruby clucked and fussed and said she'd check on Addison at Morgan's place tomorrow.
Orville confirmed extra patrols would pass by the ranch overnight.
Kyle agreed to meet at the arena tomorrow, sounding way too excited about private time with Addison.
Evie was last. I watched Addison's face as she made the call.
"Hey, Evie. Sorry I ran out like that earlier.
" Pause. "No, I'm okay. Just needed some air.
" Another pause. "Actually, I wanted to ask you something.
You know that album that went missing? At the meeting with everyone yesterday, Morgan mentioned there might be a duplicate in the stock office behind the main arena.
I'm going to check tomorrow night after everything winds down. "
I could hear Evie's concerned voice through the phone but couldn't make out the words.
“I’ll be fine by myself, yeah. I just want to see if there's anything that explains the Cedar Draw connection." Addison's voice stayed steady. "Nobody needs to know. It'll only take a few minutes."
More talking from Evie's end.
"I will. Promise. Talk to you tomorrow." She ended the call and set the phone on the table. "Done."
"How do you feel?"
"Like I just set up my mentor."
"Or proved she's innocent."
"Maybe."
I stood and moved toward her. "You did the right thing."
"Did I?" She turned to face me. "What if I'm wrong? What if it's not her and we just wasted time while someone else—"
I leaned down and kissed her. It wasn’t planned. I’d just felt the need to stop the spiral I could see building behind her eyes.
She made a small sound and melted into me. This kiss was different from the one we’d shared earlier… softer… steadier. A promise instead of a question.
When I pulled back, her hands were fisted in my shirt. "What was that for?"
"You needed to stop thinking for a minute."
"Did I?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe I needed more than a minute."
My pulse kicked up. "Addison—"
"You said you don't get involved with clients."
"I don't."
"What am I, then?"
I looked at her flushed face, bright eyes, the way she was looking at me like I was the only solid thing in a world that kept shifting. "Something different."
"Different how?"
"I don't know yet. But you’re not someone I can walk away from when this is over."
"Good." She pulled me down for another kiss. "Because I don't want you to."
I'd forgotten what it felt like to want someone like this. Not just physically—though that hit hard enough to make my hands shake—but completely. Every sharp word. Every stubborn choice. Every moment she refused to back down or let me take over. I wanted all of it.
Addison stopped at the top of the stairs and turned toward me. "Ask me."
"Ask you what?"
"What I want."
I stepped closer. Ran my hands down her arms. "What do you want, Addison?"
"You. Here. Now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Not because you're scared or need distraction or—"
Her kiss cut me off.
"Because I want you," she said against my mouth. "Is that a good enough reason?"
"Yeah."
We stumbled into the bedroom. I'd been sleeping on the couch since she arrived, giving her the only bed worth sleeping in. Seemed right that we ended up here together.
I kissed her slowly at first, giving her time to change her mind.
She didn't.