Chapter 4 #2
The standoff stretches between them, father and daughter locked in a battle of wills while I watch from the sidelines. For the first time, I see where Savannah gets her stubbornness. The same unyielding determination glares back from both sets of eyes.
Sheriff Parker breaks first, turning his fury on me instead. "What did you do to her? Blackmail? Manipulation? Some kind of sick revenge against me?"
"He didn't do anything," Savannah interjects before I can respond. "This was my idea."
Her father's face registers shock, then disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
Savannah takes a deep breath, her fingers finding mine and intertwining. "I love him, Dad. And we're getting married. With or without your blessing."
The lie rolls off her tongue so convincingly I almost believe it myself. Almost forget this is all an arrangement, a business deal between two people using each other for mutual benefit.
Almost.
But the weight of her hand in mine reminds me this is real in all the ways that matter. For the next six months, Savannah Parker is mine to protect. Mine to champion against the world.
Even against her father.
Especially against her father.
Sheriff Parker stares at his daughter like she's grown a second head. "Love? You've barely spoken two words to this man before yesterday. This is ridiculous, Savannah."
"You don't know everything about my life." Savannah's grip on my hand tightens.
"I know enough to recognize when my daughter is making a catastrophic mistake." He turns to me, eyes cold. "Whatever your game is, Reeves, it won't work. I'll make sure of it."
Something in me snaps. The barely contained anger I've been swallowing for years rises to the surface, not in a roar but in something more dangerous. A quiet certainty.
"There is no game, Sheriff." I step forward, gently moving Savannah behind me. "Your daughter is an intelligent, grown woman capable of making her own decisions. Decisions you should respect even if you don't agree with them."
"Don't you dare lecture me about respect." He jabs a finger in my direction. "Not after you corrupted my daughter."
"Corrupted?" I laugh, the sound devoid of humor. "Is that what you think? That I'm some villain twirling his mustache, plotting to steal your precious daughter? Wake up, Parker. The world isn't divided into good guys with badges and bad guys with records."
"Dad," Savannah tries to interject, but I squeeze her hand, silently asking for a chance to finish.
"I've spent years proving myself in this town despite your constant harassment.
" My voice remains level, controlled. "I run a legitimate business.
I teach at-risk kids valuable skills. I pay my taxes and keep to myself.
Yet you've never given me a single chance to be anything but the criminal you decided I was. "
Sheriff Parker's face flushes darker. "You think a few years of good behavior erases what you are? What you've done?"
"I think a man should be judged by who he is now, not who he was at eighteen." I stand taller, using the height advantage I have over him. "I'm not that kid anymore. And Savannah sees that, even if you refuse to."
"Savannah is young and naive."
"Savannah is standing right here," my fiancée cuts in, moving to stand beside me instead of behind. "And I'm neither young nor naive. I'm a grown woman who knows exactly what she wants."
Her father's expression softens slightly when he looks at her. "Sweetheart, think about what you're doing. There are plenty of good men in this town. Men with futures. Men without records."
"Men you approve of, you mean." She shakes her head. "I'm not interested in living my life according to your approval rating system, Dad. As I said, I love Colt. We're getting married."
The conviction in her voice sends warmth spreading through my chest, even knowing it's all pretend. But maybe not everything needs to be an act.
"Sheriff Parker," I say, deliberately softening my tone. "I understand your concerns. I'd be worried too if I were in your position. But I care about your daughter. More than I expected to, if I'm being honest."
His eyes narrow in suspicion. "You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't expect anything from you." I place my arm around Savannah's shoulders, drawing her against my side where she fits perfectly. "But I want you to hear this clearly. I will protect her. I will support her dreams. I will give her the freedom to be exactly who she wants to be.”
His eyes narrow.
"Unlike you," I add, unable to resist the dig.
Savannah pinches my side subtly, but there's a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.
"This conversation is over." Sheriff Parker reaches for his daughter. "Savannah, let's go."
"No." I step between them, my patience finally exhausted. "Savannah isn't going anywhere. She's staying here, with me."
"The hell she is."
"Dad, stop." Savannah's voice cuts through the tension. "Colt and I have discussed this. I'm moving in with him today."
This is news to me, but I don't miss a beat. "That's right. Savannah lives here now. She doesn't need your protection anymore. She has mine."
The sheriff looks like he might have a stroke right there in my living room. "This is insanity. Complete insanity. Savannah, at least come home to get your things, to talk about this rationally."
"I'll pick up my things tomorrow." Her voice is gentle but firm. "With Colt. We can talk then, when you've had time to process this."
For a moment, I think he might actually draw his weapon. His hand twitches toward it before he visibly restrains himself.
"This isn't over, Reeves." His voice drops to a threatening growl. "Not by a long shot."
"It is for today." I move to open the front door, a not-so-subtle invitation for him to leave. "Goodbye, Sheriff."
He hesitates, looking at Savannah one more time. "Think about what you're doing, sweetheart. Please."
"I have, Dad." She doesn't move from my side. "I'll see you tomorrow."
With a final glare that promises retribution, Sheriff Parker storms out. I close the door behind him, listening to his angry footsteps on the porch, the slam of his car door, the gravel spraying as he accelerates away.
Only when his engine fades do I turn to Savannah. "Moving in with me today, huh? That wasn't part of our discussion."
"I panicked." She drops onto my couch, suddenly looking exhausted. "But it makes sense, doesn't it? If we're supposed to be a convincing couple, we should live together."
"I have no complaints. Like I said earlier, I'll take the couch." I sit beside her, careful to maintain space between us despite wanting to pull her close again. "Are you okay?"
She nods, twisting the ring on her finger. "I'm sorry about him. About all of this."
"Don't apologize for your father." I reach for her hand, stilling its nervous movement. "And don't apologize for jumping into this crazy plan either. We're partners now, remember?"
"Partners." She looks up at me, those big brown eyes filled with uncertainty and something else. Something that makes my heart beat faster. "This is really happening, isn't it?"
"It is." I run my thumb over the ring on her finger, the metal warm from her skin. "For better or worse."
She laughs softly. "Are we practicing our vows already?"
"Just stating facts." I smile, surprising myself with how natural it feels. "Welcome home, Savannah Parker. For the next six months, at least."
"Thank you." She leans against me, her head resting on my shoulder like it's the most natural thing in the world. "For standing up to him. For doing this crazy thing with me."
I allow myself to wrap my arm around her, to breathe in the scent of her hair. This isn't part of the act. There's no one here to convince. Just the two of us, taking comfort in each other after the storm.
"Get some rest," I tell her softly. "Tomorrow, we face the rest of the town."
Her breathing deepens as she relaxes against me, the tension of the confrontation draining from her body. I should move. Should establish boundaries before this gets complicated. But she feels right in my arms, like a missing piece I never knew was lost.
Six months of this. Six months of pretending to be in love with a woman who already fits against me like she was made to be there. Six months of fighting my growing attraction to someone who sees me as nothing more than a means to an end.
Fuck, I'm already in trouble.