Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
T ildi blinked hard and tried to bring the onion on the cutting board into focus. She hadn’t slept well last night. The texts pinging her phone hadn’t stopped. They hadn’t even slowed down. Her phone had lit up all night long and her stomach hurt more with each alert. At least it hadn’t woken Boone up.
“Ouch!” Tildi stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked like some kind of baby vampire. That was the second time she’d cut herself trying to chop up onions for the stuffing. If she kept this up, she wouldn’t have any unbandaged fingers left. Then she wouldn’t be able to help get ready for tomorrow’s Friendsgiving Feast.
“Don’t do that, poppet. Let’s put some antibiotic ointment and a bandage on it.” Ruby guided her to the sink and ran cold water over Tildi’s thumb. Just like she’d done thirty minutes earlier when Tildi cut her middle finger.
And just like the last time, Ruby put on the ointment, then blew on it gently in case the medicine burned before wrapping a cowgirl Jessie bandage around her thumb. Had her mother ever stopped what she was doing to take care of Tildi for anything? Not that she could remember.
Once her bandage was in place, Kenzie hugged her and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. “I really need your help deciding which toppings should go on the hot chocolate bar tomorrow. Can you look at what I have and tell me what I’m missing?”
Great. Now they didn’t trust her with a knife. She didn’t blame them. She felt like she was back in middle school and didn’t make the track team, so the coaches asked her if she’d do something even more important than sprinting and be the water girl.
Here she was, twenty-four and still unable to make the team. Trying to smile, she sat at the bar and studied the different hot chocolate toppings. All the standards were there – marshmallows, whipped cream, crushed peppermint. “I think you have everything covered. Sometimes I like to add Red Hots candy for the cinnamon.”
“Oh, I love that! With your help, we’re ahead of schedule. Would you like to run into town with me and get some?”
Tildi had been wondering about the town of Wilder. She’d heard Grif and Dutch mention it several times on the yacht and it sounded amazing. Then there was the hope she’d be able to keep from hurting herself again walking around the small town.
She gave Kenzie a nod. “I’d love to. Let me grab my coat.”
It turned out Wilder wasn’t, at least on the surface, much different from any other sleepy country town across America.
The town centered around a large domed courthouse of brick, cornered with white mortar. The multiple police cars parked behind the courthouse showed it doubled as the police department. Two large flags flew from the flagpole centered on the top of the dome. The red, white and blue of old glory billowed just above the Wyoming state flag with its large, white bison and state seal.
It was a pretty town, and it would be prettier in the spring and summer. Large stone planters made to look like hollowed out logs lined both sides of the street. They were filled with snow right now but come spring she bet they’d be brimming over with colorful flowers of all kinds.
Across from the courthouse, a small city park had clean swept, paved paths with plenty of benches for people to sit and chat or have lunch outside. Several towering lodgepole pines provided shade. Giant iron bison statues guarded both the entrances to the park. They were probably mortified by the huge Christmas wreath collars and jaunty Santa caps they wore, but they were adorable.
Christmas garlands dusted with snow wound every streetlamp pole and strings of colorful light adorned the face of every building along main street. Flyers on every flat surface advertised the upcoming town Christmas parade.
A shrieked, “Shit!” from Kenzie was the only warning Tildi had before the car skidded to a stop, barely missing a girl and then a man who had stepped onto the street.
The seatbelt bit into Tildi’s shoulder when the sudden stop flung her toward the dash. Luckily neither girl was hurt. Out of the corner of her eye, movement caught Tildi’s attention.
A curvy woman stared up at a tall, strong jawed man who was obviously upset with her. He spoke to her. And when she shook her head, the man grasped her arm, spun her to face away from him, and brought his hand down on her bottom with a firm smack.
Wait. Was that man spanking the woman? On the street? Out in the open where everyone could see? Holy guacamole.
In the time it took Tildi to decide if she should try to intervene, the man had turned her back toward him and now held her in his arms. The woman’s response to the episode calmed Tildi’s frayed nerves.
Not only was the woman hugging him back, but she did it with a smile on her face. Her cheeks glowed, and though Tildi didn’t think the rosy color had anything to do with the cold weather, she didn’t think it came from anger at the man’s reaction, either. Embarrassment maybe, but not anger.
Tildi turned to ask Kenzie if what she had seen was a normal occurrence, but a rapid tapping on her window had her facing the sidewalk again. The spanking man and his spankee stood next to her window.
Unsure if she should, Tildi lowered the window. The man leaned over to look at them. “You girls all right? Were either of you hurt slamming on the brakes? Sorry we stepped out in front of you like that.”
She liked the way he’d said we instead of she. “Um, thanks, but I think we’re fine.” Wanting to be sure she’d read the situation correctly, Tildi asked the woman, “Are you all right?”
With a bright smile, the woman curled into the man’s side, tucking her arm around his waist. “I’m fine,” she answered with a smile. “Sorry I made you almost wreck. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“No harm, no foul, Maddie,” Kenzie said with a grin. “Although it looks like Derrick here might disagree. I’m just glad we didn’t hit you.”
“That we can agree on,” the man said. Holding his hand out to Tildi, he added, “I’m Derrick Hughes, and this is my wife, Maddie. We were on our way to The Fudge Factorium for a treat, but now we’re going home to discuss when we do and do not listen to music on our phone, aren’t we, princess?”
Maddie’s gaze dropped to her feet. “Yes, Dadd—I mean, um, yes.”
“You have a Daddy, too?” Yep. That’s what came out of Tildi’s mouth.
She just blurted it out, as if they were talking about the phone Maddie held rather than her calling her husband Daddy.
Daddies weren’t like phones. Everyone didn’t have one. Well, most places anyway. Had she wound up finding the one town on earth, other than the one she’d grown up in, where everyone had a Daddy? Or at least wished they did.
“I do. I’m so glad you understand. I didn’t mean to just blurt that out.”
Kenzie laughed. “Oh, she understands all right. Tildi is with Boone.”
“That’s wonderful. So, you do understand then. I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of you.”
Derrick made a show of clearing his throat. “I’m sure Kenzie and Tildi came into town for a reason. You can talk more tomorrow at the Friendsgiving Feast. We need to get home and have that discussion.”
Maddie scrunched her nose. “I guess I have to go. I may be feasting while standing up, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Nice to meet you, Tildi. I think you’re going to fit in here in Wilder just fine.”
Derrick led Maddie back in the direction they’d come from.
Kenzie headed back down the street, but Tildi had questions. “Okay, spill, Kenzie. I knew most of the men on the Ranch were Daddies, but does that extend to the town of Wilder, too?”
Kenzie shrugged. “Sure. The men that settled here originally were Daddies, and the town just kind of drew people who lived the same lifestyle.”
They pulled into the parking lot of a quaint grocery store called The Mountain Market. On the outside, it looked like a huge mountain cabin. It had to be owned by someone local. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen a single chain store on the drive into town. “Do you have any big box stores around here?”
“Oh, sure. We shop there sometimes, but I like to buy local when I can. I love the people here, so I want to do my part to help them stay in business. Now, let’s go grab those Red Hots to spice up our hot chocolate.”
As they put the groceries they’d bought in the back of the SUV—because no one ever left a grocery store with only what they went in for—a woman in a bright red coat called out to them. Looking up, Kenzie smiled and waved. “Hi, Maggie. You’re going to be at the house tomorrow, right?”
Maggie smiled back. “I wouldn’t miss the Daniels’ Friendsgiving. You know that.”
Kenzie grinned. “Outstanding! Maggie, this is my new sister, Tildi. Tildi, this is Maggie O’Byrne.”
Tildi did her best not to jump and squeal at Kenzie introducing her as a sister. Smiling at Maggie, Tildi wondered not for the first time just how big the Daniels’ annual Friendsgiving was.
If hearing Kenzie describe Tildi as her sister surprised Maggie, she didn’t show it. She just reached into the shopping cart and started helping them load the bags. “It’s nice to meet you, Tildi. I didn’t know Kenzie had a sister. Just a butt ton of brothers.”
Kenzie didn’t hesitate to explain. “She’s Boone’s girl. He rescued her on his latest mission. It was love at first sight, so he saved her life. It’s all very romantic, don’t you think?”
Tildi braced and waited for the questions to start, but Maggie just laughed. “I don’t know if it sounds romantic, but it does sound very interesting.”
Kenzie nodded. “Hey, I know you’re coming tomorrow, but would you like to come out today, too? We’re finishing up the baking and looking for expert taste testers. Say you’ll come.”
Maggie grinned and patted her own rounded bottom. “I think you can tell I never turn down the opportunity to taste test yours and Ruby’s baking. Let me grab my car and I’ll meet you at the ranch. It’s nice to meet you, Tildi. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.”
Kenzie led the way back to the ranch with Maggie following in her car. The next few hours were filled with laughter, good coffee, and fantastic tastes of what had to be every dessert known to man. Maggie was fun and easy to talk to. She fit right in.
If only Tildi’s phone would stop blowing up with texts, life would be perfect. The messages were growing more and more threatening as the day progressed. They were still general threats and insults. There was nothing particular to Tildi and her past. No reason to assume they were sent by Nico Midnight or one of his men.
But what if they were? What would it mean? Was he trying to scare her, or would he be escalating from words to actions?
She didn’t want to think like that. Didn’t want the answer to that question.
If she knew Nico was coming for her, she’d have to leave. She couldn’t draw danger here when everyone had been so nice to her. She’d never be able to live with it.
Even if he were coming after her to get to Boone, Nico would probably follow her rather than take on the men of Wild River Ranch. It just made sense. She’d be alone and on the run, maybe for the rest of her life.
Tildi jumped when Maggie put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right? You look like something is bothering you.”
No way was Tildi drawing anyone else into her crazy drama. “Sorry. No, just tired, I guess. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
Maggie grinned. “I’ll bet. You are still in the honeymoon stage, right?”
Yeah, but that had nothing to do with it.
“Do you mind if I ask why you were in a position to be rescued while Boone was on a mission?”
And there it was. She’d known the questions would come as soon as Kenzie had told Maggie how she and Boone had met.
“Boone came to the island where I was being held to kill Nico Midnight, a Cosa Nostra boss. When he found me, he ditched his mission and got me to safety.”
Maggie nodded. When Tildi didn’t offer any more information, Maggie asked, “How long were you held captive before he found you?”
“Not that long, relatively speaking. Nico is a sex trafficker. I’m one of the lucky ones. Boone rescued me after just a year. Most women are never heard from again.”
Maggie showed a reaction to Tildi’s words for the first time. “Maybe. I mean, you were abducted by the Cosa Nostra and kept prisoner for a year? That must have been terrifying. How are you coping now that it’s over?”
That was the million dollar question, now wasn’t it. Not how she was coping, of course. She was coping fine, right? She had made it out of hell and found the love of her life and the Daddy of her dreams. It would be selfish to feel anything but grateful.
The real question, the one that kept her awake at night worrying about stupid texts, was the fear that it wasn’t over at all. She'd give anything she had to know the answer to that.
Before she'd started getting those texts, she’d have said yes. But now? Now, she wasn't so sure. Now she needed to put the wonderful people here first and at least come up with a plan for leaving if Nico turned out to be behind the threats.
Luckily, she didn't have to answer Maggie’s question because Boone and his brothers entered the kitchen, stomping their feet on the rug in front of the door to knock the snow off their boots.
Boone scanned the room until he saw her. Fire lit his gaze, and he headed straight for her. Scooping her up, he tossed her over his shoulder and kept right on going.
“Daddy!” she shrieked. “Where are we going?” Thankfully, since Mother Nature was in her frigid biatch stage, Tildi had opted for leggings today instead of a skirt.
He answered without breaking his stride. “Some place private so I can give you a proper greeting.”
Ducking into the laundry room, he lifted her to sit on the large oak table in the middle of the room. Before she knew what he was about, he’d pulled her toward him until his hips spread her legs wide.
His normally sage green eyes darkened to a deeper emerald. Catching her hands in his own, he pinned them to her hips, rendering her immobile.
Her lungs decided breathing wasn’t important as everything in her stilled in anticipation of what he would do next. Desire tickled her abdomen before sliding lower to tickle much more reactive parts of her body. The rest of the world went silent as she narrowed her focus to the man standing before her, invading her space.
Leaning into her, he feathered kisses along the soft curve of her cheek. When he reached her ear, he whispered, “Close your eyes for Daddy, babygirl.” The caress of his breath on her sensitive ear pebbled her nipples as she obeyed.
As soon as she did, his lips glided across hers. The moan that drew from her parted her lips, and without hesitation he deepened the kiss. More than that, he took control of her mouth and possessed it without mercy. He dominated her without her offering a single protest.
A current of need traversed from her breast to her core at the speed of hummingbird’s wings. She relaxed her fingers so her nails didn’t carve grooves in the tabletop. Her clit pulsed to life, throbbing with such intensity it bordered on pain.
He took the kiss deeper still.
She forgot where she was. She forgot who she was. Her mind became nothing more than a whirlwind of sensations and emotions.
And just when she thought she would burst into flames that would consume them both, he gentled his kiss and released her mouth.
He stared at her, his need still apparent as it pressed against her pussy. She was so wet her panties had probably soaked through to her leggings. If he didn’t move, she was going to leave a wet spot on the fly of his jeans, too. The thought of that both thrilled and mortified her.
He ran his thumb along her swollen lips and grinned. “Now that’s a welcome home kiss.”
For a moment, it was all she could do to try and normalize her breathing. He’d promised her a riding lesson this afternoon, but she was ready to skip that and ride him instead.
Before she could suggest doing just that, his phone rang. She wanted to growl and throw it into the trash. Whoever it was, they could call back later.
Releasing her hands, he pulled out his phone and frowned. “It’s Sev.”
She untucked his shirt so she could run her fingers along the ridges of his chiseled abs. Catching her hands before she could touch his warm skin, he shook his head and frowned, though his eyes still twinkled.
“Hold on a second, babygirl. I need to find out what he wants. He wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.”
She didn’t care what Sev thought he needed to tell her Daddy. She had needs, too. And she’d be willing to bet hers were a lot more fun.
Ignoring her efforts at distracting him, he took the call while she tried to tug her hands from his hold. The least he could do was let her play while he talked boring business stuff.
“This better be good, Midnight,” he growled. Sev said something she couldn’t catch, and Boone stilled. “Why?”
Argh! This was going to take forever.
Boone’s already rock hard abdominals went rigid. “Hold on. You found what?” He paused for Sev’s reply then his eyes focused on her. His very angry eyes. “For how long?” he demanded, his glare unwavering. “Two and a half days? And how many texts?”
Uh oh.
Boone’s lips narrowed to a thin line. His jaw clenched so hard a vein pulsed up the center of his forehead. “Thanks for letting me know. We need to make a plan, but I’m gonna have to call you back. Right now, I need to have a chat with a naughty Little secret keeper.”
Glaring straight into Tildi’s soul, Boone ended the call.