Chapter 20
Peeling himself away from Vanessa was akin to torture, but it couldn’t be helped. He escaped into the bathroom and cleaned himself as quickly as possible before returning to her with a warm washcloth. “I wasn’t sure if you needed to clean up or not.”
She sat to take the offering, and her full breasts jiggled with the motion.
Desire stirred in his gut, preparing for round two. He’d give his right arm to climb into bed and repeat what they’d just finished—maybe with a few different moves—but he didn’t want to place expectations on her.
And, hell, he was just as happy to hold her for the rest of the night.
“Thanks,” she said. “I appreciate it, but I think I’ll use the bathroom.”
“Take your time.” He debated putting his boxer briefs back on but opted to climb under the covers without them.
He might not want to make Vanessa feel uncomfortable or obliged to continue with more sexy time, but he also didn’t want to encourage her to put on her own clothes.
If it were up to him, he’d keep her naked all the time.
Emerging from the bathroom, she hesitated in the doorway.
“Is something wrong?”
She glanced toward the closed door and twisted her lips. “Frankie’s in the hall. If we fall asleep without letting him in, I’m not sure what we’ll wake up to in the morning.”
He fought not to cringe. He understood her dilemma but damn it to hell and back if he ever thought a dog would end up being a potential cock block. “Go ahead and let him in. But do me a favor first.”
“What’s that?”
“Toss me my boxers.” Snuggling naked with Vanessa sounded like heaven. Snuggling naked with Vanessa while her dog was in the bed sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
She threw him his things then put on her T-shirt before opening the door.
Frankie bounded in, barking twice as if to tell them what he thought of being locked out of the room, then leapt onto the bed.
Dax rubbed the top of his furry head. “Okay, boy. Nice to see you, too, but you’re in your mama’s spot. Move your little butt.”
“No way he’ll move by himself.” Vanessa rounded the bed and climbed in. She picked up the dog, giving him a little squeeze, then set Frankie on the edge of the bed.
Sliding into his boxers, he rested one arm around Vanessa and the other behind his head. He skimmed his fingertips along her biceps. “I have to say, this is the best damn job I’ve ever had.”
Giggling, she shifted to her side and gave his arm a little pinch. “Hey now. What we just did better be more than part of your job or I have some reconsidering to do.”
“Don’t you dare.” He stared down at her and any sarcastic comment he had flew right out the window.
He tucked his thumb and forefinger under chin, lifting enough so their faces were inches away.
“What we just did was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
It was special in a way I don’t even know how to explain.
I’m not sure what I did to deserve you walking into my life, but I’ll be grateful every day you did. ”
Her lips parted in a small O before the corners of her mouth lifted. “I agree. I know this is moving fast, but it just feels…”
“Right,” he said, finishing her thought.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Right.”
He wound a long strand of her silky hair through his fingers, struggling to put his thoughts into words. “You have a lot on your plate. I want to lighten that load, not add any stress. I don’t want to put pressure on you. We can take this at whatever speed you’re comfortable.”
She snorted. “I’m clearly pretty darn comfortable with lightning speed, but I am looking forward to getting to know you better. I want to understand your past and learn more about what makes you who you are. You’ve gotten a crash course in my life. I’m excited to see more into yours.”
A familiar punch of anxiety slammed against his gut. His past wasn’t something that was easy to remember let alone discuss. But she was right. He’d learned so much about her in such a short time, and he hadn’t offered her much about what had shaped him into the man he was today.
He was so used to covering his scars with sarcasm, he’d forgotten sometimes he had to shine a light on them for the people he cared about. At least, if he wanted to deepen their relationship.
“My life’s had its ups and downs,” he said, continuing to play with her hair.
He kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling. He didn’t want to drag down the moment by bringing up all his former issues but wanted her to see he’d get there eventually.
“Things got bad when my brother was injured while serving overseas and my dad sold a large part of our land. I’d always planned on running the ranch then, all of a sudden I found my future sold right out from under me. ”
Vanessa propped her head up on her hand and frowned. “That had to be difficult.”
“Yeah.” He scratched the whiskers that needed shaving on his chin. “And confusing. Pops and Madden made all these decisions without me, destroying my plans and pissing off the whole town in the process.”
“Is that why my uncle called you trouble?”
“Probably. Tons of rumors swirled around about why the McKays betrayed our family name. I spent a lot of time being angry. Not always making the best choices. But it forced me to grow up fast and develop a low tolerance for other people’s bullshit.
Madden and I have worked through a lot of our issues, but as I’m sure you can see, we can still rub each other the wrong way.
But we’re trying, and that’s more than we’ve done in a long time. ”
“And what made you start trying?”
“He finally told me the truth.” Dax sucked in a steadying breath, hating the emotion sweeping in to clog his throat.
“Pops has Parkinson’s. I didn’t know until last year.
He wanted to sell the land before it was clear he couldn’t manage it any longer.
He doesn’t want everyone he knows pitying him or treating him any different.
I might not agree with what they did, but I respect why they did it. ”
She traced her fingertips along the side of his arm. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I know those words don’t really mean anything and they change nothing, but I understand what it’s like to watch someone you love decline.”
“I want to be there for him. Take care of him as his health deteriorates. He deserves that.” He cleared his throat, needing to shift gears. “When I found out you took care of your mom, there was this instant connection.”
The prettiest smile touched her lips. “I felt it, too. And if you need someone to talk to about what’s happening with your dad, I’m here. Taking care of someone you love can take a toll.”
“I’m not worried about me, and he’s fine. A little shaky and some little slip-ups, but he’s the same pain in the butt he’s always been.” He winked, softening his words with a little chuckle.
“He’s lucky to have you, and so am I.” She kissed his forehead then snuggled back in beside him. “I’m also exhausted. I think I could sleep for a week straight.”
“Go for it. I won’t stop you.”
Sighing, she closed her eyes. “I wish I could. I actually tracked down Garrison’s mom’s information through Lily while you were in the shower. I left her a message. I’ll be on pins and needles until I hear from her.”
He shifted to gather her even closer against the curve of his body. “I bet, but let’s wait to worry about that tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan. Good night.”
“Good night.” He let his eyelids drift shut as he reveled in the feel of her in his arms and fell asleep to the sound of Frankie’s soft snores.
* * *
Sunlight poured through the window and forced Vanessa awake.
She’d rather snuggle up against Dax and stay in bed for the morning, but Frankie had a sixth sense about when she woke and would soon whine to be let outside.
She allowed herself one more second to rest in the comfort of Dax’s embrace then opened her eyes.
She found herself staring into his blue eyes and smiled.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she parroted back.
“This is a much better way to start the day than yesterday. Frankie’s sweet and all, but I’d much rather be looking at you than his ugly snout.”
Frankie barked then jumped over Vanessa to land on Dax’s chest.
She laughed, not knowing which was funnier—the wide-eyed horror etched on Dax’s face or the sound he made when the solid ball of fur caught him off guard. “Frankie!”
Dax rubbed the top of the dog’s head. “My fault. I deserved it.”
She opened her mouth to tell Frankie to get up when the blast of the doorbell broke into the moment. Frowning, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Who’d be here before eight a.m.? Are you expecting anyone?”
“No,” he said. “But we can open the app and see who it is.”
Sitting up, she scooped her phone off the nightstand. She spotted a new text message, and her breath caught in her throat. “Mrs. Steele said she’d talk to me later this morning, but that she’s headed out of town in the afternoon.”
He rested a hand on her knee. “Then we’ll see her today. But first we need to figure out who’s making such an annoyingly early house call.”
She inhaled a large breath, steadying her nerves as she pressed the buttons to bring the doorbell camera up on her screen. Dread tightened her stomach. “It’s my uncle.”
Dax glanced over her shoulder, his whiskers scraping against her skin. “What the hell does he want?”
“There’s only one way to find out, although a conversation with Chip isn’t the ideal way to start my day.” She climbed out of bed and threw on her clothes. By the time she was ready to head downstairs, Dax and Frankie were both out the door ahead of her.
Insistent banging hurried her pace down the steps. When she reached the foyer, Dax stood with his expression pinched and hands fisted at his sides. She leveled him with her stare. “I can handle this, okay? Don’t let him get you all riled up. He’s not worth it.”
Ignoring his response, she opened the door and aimed her no-nonsense look at Chip. As much as she wanted to throw in a snarky comment or two, she held herself back. “Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you. Can I help you with something?”
“Yeah. You can stop telling the police to talk to me and my wife. I don’t know what the hell your problem is, or why you’re dragging my family into your mess, but it needs to stop.”
Frankie growled and pushed his way in front of Vanessa. He stood over the threshold, baring his teeth.
Chip snorted. “What? This little mutt supposed to intimidate me?”
“No,” Dax said, taking a step so he stood beside Vanessa. “But if that’s what’s needed, I will.”
Disgust twisted Chip’s lips. “Didn’t take you long to make a move. I shouldn’t be surprised, but who my niece chooses to spend time with isn’t my concern. What I am concerned with is how she’s moved into town and is trying to smear my good name.”
Vanessa lifted her nose. “I haven’t smeared anything.
It’s not my fault that you’ve done nothing but put a target on your back as far as the sheriff’s department is concerned.
No one else has bullied, threatened and yelled at me.
No one else has made it clear, over and over, that they want me to leave town.
Someone has attacked me multiple times. I can’t think of anyone who hates me as much as you. ”
His eyes widened for a beat, and he worked his jaw back and forth. “I don’t hate you. You just don’t belong here. This,” he said, throwing his arm wide, “shouldn’t be yours. All I’m doing is trying to right another wrong and you’re standing in the way of that.”
She tilted her head, studying the stiff set of his shoulders and defeated tone of his voice. For the first time, the defensiveness he carried around like a shield slipped away. “What do you mean ‘another wrong’?”
The shield snapped back into place. “Never mind. Just do me a favor and stop sending deputies to my house.”
Snorting, Dax shook his head. “Do you think she’s the one pulling the strings? That she likes knowing someone out there is plotting against her? If you’re not behind this mess, maybe you could stop being a total ass and try figuring out who the hell is.”
Chip aimed his narrowed gaze at Dax. “Is that why you’re here? Helping? You might have fooled her, but I know all about you and your kind. You don’t care about anyone else’s well-being but your own.”
Dax stiffened and took a step forward.
Vanessa rested a hand on Dax’s arm. She appreciated knowing he was there, but she could handle Chip herself. She wouldn’t stand by and let him insult the man who’d been there in every way since she stepped into town.
“Enough,” she said. “Get off my porch. Now. I don’t care if you think me being here is a mistake or not. This is my house, my property. I won’t let you stand here and treat someone I care about like garbage. You’ve made your point, now leave.”
Red climbed up Chip’s neck and consumed his face. “I’ll be watching both of you. I won’t let you ruin this family.” He stormed away and climbed into his truck.
When his taillights disappeared into the hazy drizzle, she sighed and sagged against Dax. “I’m sorry for what he said. He was just trying to get a reaction out of you.”
Dax circled an arm around her shoulders and dropped his chin on the top of her head. “I’m used to it. Trust me, I didn’t take any of it personally. All I care about is what you think of me.”
She turned into him and wrapped him in a hug. “I hope I’ve made that clear.”
“Abundantly.”
Frankie whined and stared up at them.
“Go ahead, buddy,” she said. “Do your business. We’ll wait right here.”
She’d have to head into another dreary morning soon enough and officially start her day. But first, she’d soak up a few more minutes of being held by Dax to combat the icky feeling her uncle had left in the pit of her stomach.
His parting words stuck in her brain. Were they a threat to start watching her now that he’d been pushed over the edge, or had he been keeping an eye on her since she’d arrived in Cloud Valley?