35. Dallas
35
DALLAS
The wind whips at my face and pulls at my clothes as I tear through the farm, pushing Flynn’s bike to its limit.
I should be taking it slower because the last thing I need is to come off the bike. I need to get to Katie as soon as possible, not end up in a ditch.
But every time I try to ease off the throttle my hand won’t let me.
It feels like I ride forever. Why does this waterfall have to be at the far reaches of the farm. I hope Flynn recently refuelled his bike.
Eventually the bush block comes into view. It’s a fenced off area of native trees and shrubs that sits on the back boundary of the property. The stream that gives the back stream paddock its very original name emerges from the bush block, but I’ve never ventured past the fence line to explore further.
I skid to a stop beside the fence where the stream passes under it and kick down the bike stand. Leaving it there, I scramble over the fence and follow the stream up the hill.
It’s gorgeous in here, everything is lush and green. Sweeping fern fronds crowd the ground while towering trees dapple sunlight over mossy rocks. The sun is starting to fade, so the light is slightly gloomy, but I imagine in the middle of the day this place is a haven, especially for someone in the middle of an emotional upheaval.
As I work my way up the stream, the trickling sound slowly gives way to crashing water. I step around a bend in the creek, careful not to slip on a particularly mossy rock, and the waterfall comes into view.
I stop and stare at it. How have I been here all this time and not known about it?
When Flynn said waterfall I assumed he was meaning a little fall, half a metre or so with a small trickle of water. The reality is over two metres tall. The water spills over the edge of a boulder and plummets into a small pool at the bottom before swirling down past where I stand. It doesn’t look like the flow is usually very high, but after the rain we had earlier in the week, it’s currently gushing fast and free, the splashing echoing through the trees.
I tear my gaze away from the sight, making a note somewhere in my brain to bring Sadie here one day.
I need to find Katie. She isn’t immediately obvious. She’s not screaming into the rock face or standing out in the open waiting for me.
After a moment of scanning, I spot her, the white of her shirt out of place in the greens and browns of nature .
She’s sitting on the ground near the pool, curled into a tight ball with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head is across her knees as she stares into the tumbling waterfall.
I slow as I approach her, not wanting to startle her. My plan fails when I’m too busy watching her and I step on one of those extra slippery rocks I’ve been so careful to avoid. I shift my weight to it and my foot disappears from under me, ending up in the creek. The splash and my muttered curse breaks Katie from her zoned out stupor and she lifts her head.
I drag myself out of the stream, shaking off the worst of the water. Luckily I managed to stay upright so it’s only my foot that got wet. I’ll have to deal with my soaked boot later.
“Katie,” I say as I approach her.
Her eyes are following my movements, but I don’t think she’s fully registering my presence.
I kneel on the ground in front of her. She’s sitting close enough to the waterfall that the spray is hitting us and the side of her body is soaked and chilled. Her white shirt is plastered to her arm.
“Katie,” I say again, reaching out to rest my hand on her arm.
She flinches at my touch and I try not to let that shatter my heart completely. I pull my hand away and settle back on my heels. The knees of my jeans are already soaked through.
“Why’re you here?” she asks in a harsh whisper, her voice raw and raspy.
“I needed to find you,” I say.
“You didn’t follow me.” Her voice cracks and a tear runs down her already tearstained cheeks .
“I did,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I told Max what I thought of him, then followed you.”
“I waited but you didn’t come outside,” she says. “I understand though. It’s okay.” She sucks in a breath and I can hear it shaking.
“There was a … complication that delayed me. I was coming after you, Katie. I promise.” I reach out and lace my fingers through hers, squeezing tight. It’s a relief when she lets me touch her, but she doesn’t respond in any way and it causes my heart to clench.
“It’s okay,” she says again. “I figured you just realised the same thing I did.”
“What’s that?”
“That I can’t stay here. I was right from the start. I can’t stay here, even though I really want to.” The waver in her voice collapses and she’s sobbing, pressing her face into her knees. She cries and cries, never releasing my hands, which I take as a good sign. I want to take the pain away, but there is nothing I can do right now except hold onto her. I need to wait until she can hear me properly before I start talking.
Eventually her sobs subside and she lets out several huge, body wracking breaths. “I’m so sorry,” she says.
“Can you tell me why you think you can’t stay?” I reach up and use our joined hands to wipe the fresh tears from her cheeks.
“I can’t live here having to see Max all the time. You know him and Toby were identical? Every time I see Max I’m reminded of everything Toby did and how I stupidly went along with it all. I just bought all his lies and manipulations. That was the worst of it. That I could be so stupid.” She spits the word. “I thought he was the love of my life, so I let him get away with all of that.”
“You’re not stupid, Katie. Far from it. And he wasn’t the love of your life, princess,” I say, my voice rough. “Because you’re mine and the world isn’t cruel enough to make you that, if I wasn’t the same for you.”
Her breath stutters and catches. A fresh wave of tears spilling from her eyes. “You can’t say things like that to me.”
“Why not? It’s the truth.”
“Because, didn’t you hear me? I can’t stay here.”
I shrug and slide a little closer to her. “Katie.” I wait until she meets my eyes. “Remember that picture of Sadie’s? Our family portrait? That’s what I want … It doesn’t matter where.”
Her mouth drops open, shock striking her silent for a long moment. But I’m not shocked about my statement. It’s the truth: I’ll follow her anywhere, if she’ll let me.
Katie works her jaw, as if trying to find the words to respond to my admission. Finally, she whispers, “I can’t ask you to give up your lives because I’m a complete mess.”
“We wouldn’t be giving up our lives. We’d be getting you and I can one hundred percent guarantee that Sadie will agree with me on this one. You belong with us, no matter where we are.”
Katie slips her fingers from mine and I’m bereft at the loss. She presses her hands to her face, hiding her expression from me.
Seconds pass, stretching into minutes, and with each one, my heart slowly begins to disintegrate .
I thought we’d be enough for her, but I was wrong. She doesn’t want this. She probably wants a clean break with no reminders of Kauri Creek or the Sheridan brothers.
I’m about to push up to my feet, to give us both some space when she drops her hands, twists around so her knees are no longer pulled up between us, then she throws herself into my arms.
I barely manage to catch her—and myself—before we go tumbling backwards.
“I want that more than anything,” she whispers against my chest as she buries her face in my shirt.
I exhale a long, hard breathe. Thank fuck for that.
She makes a sound halfway between a sob and a giggle and I realise I’ve said it aloud.
I hold her close as she clings to me and I breathe in the scent of her. To hold her is all I want for eternity, but this kneeling position is about to break me.
“Princess, as much as I always love having you in my lap, perhaps we could reposition, otherwise my legs are going to riot on me.”
She giggles again, the sound still thick with tears, and shifts away. I spin around and settle in the spot beside where she was sitting, my back resting against the rock wall, then I scoop her up and place her back in my lap. I expect she’ll curl into me sideways, but she turns herself so her knees fall to either side of my hips. The position pushes her skirt up and my cock proves it’s incapable of reading the room when it goes hard. “God, you’re going to be the death of me, princess,” I grumble as she leans her head against my shoulder and presses a soft kiss to my throat.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine. I haven’t managed it yet.”
“You’ve damn well tried though, haven’t you?”
She snorts out a laugh and the lightness in it shoots me straight through the heart. She’s back with me. I haven’t lost her.
But I need the certainty.
“Katie, I need to know for sure … are you in this with me?”
She sits up and I try not to notice the way her weight shifts in my lap and what it does to me. Her face is tear-stained, with smudged makeup beneath her eyes, which are still watery. She looks exhausted, but also beautiful, because this woman never looks anything other than beautiful. She studies my face, takes several deep breaths and then nods.
“You’d move for me? You and Sadie?” Her voice is hesitant, like she can’t quite believe I’m being straight with her. Maybe after the things Toby did to her she doesn’t trust anyone’s word.
I nod and Katie releases a shaky breath.
“I’m all in, Dallas. I want you more than anything. You and Sadie.” She cups my cheeks with her palms and looks me straight in the eye. There’s determination there, but also a whole lot of fear.
I hope my next question doesn’t change her answer. “So, even when I tell you things you probably don’t want to hear, you’ll stay with me?”
She sighs and bites her lip. Her eyes drop away for a moment and I stay stock still, waiting for her decision. “Yes,” she whispers finally. Then her serious expression fades and the sassy, confident, sexy-as-hell one slips onto her features. “I still might not listen though.”
I shake my head and press a kiss to her forehead, my lips curved by a smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“What awful truth are you going to tell me?” She’s trying to be teasing, but I can see the fear in her eyes, feel it in the way her body is lined with tension, hear it in the slight wobble of her voice.
I lift my hands and rest them on her hips. “I think we … should stay here.”
She flinches, then her mouth slowly curves into a smart-ass smirk. “We could stay out here all night, cowboy.” She gives her hips a quick twist and I catch my breath as heat shoots down my spine.
I suppress my instinctive groan and despite really, really wanting to let her run the show, I shove the feelings away and refocus on my point. “I’m serious, Katie.” I hold up a hand to forestall her objections. “Please, just hear me out.” After a long moment she nods and I gently cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her lips. “You love this place. You’ve told me over and over. The only issue here are the Sheridan’s and they’re just going to have to get over it. Your family is here, Katie, and while Sadie and I will follow you anywhere, the rest of your family can’t. This is their home, like it should be yours.”
Katie keeps opening her mouth to interrupt me, but never actually goes through with it. I take it as a good sign so I continue.
“You told me once that you wanted a place you could put down roots and grow. This is that place, surrounded by people who love you. You can live here, at Wildflower Ridge, in full bloom.”