Chapter 40
Kade
John’s number was flashing.
“It’s done. I’ve got someone lined up who’s going to come clean tonight. He was involved in the delivery end. Should clear her name. It’s going to cost you, but by tomorrow, I expect you’ll be hearing from her lawyer.”
“What about her stepfather?”
“I’ve got a pile of dirt on him. We could bury him in some hellhole of a prison for the rest of his life. What do you want me to do with his dirt?”
“Sit on it for now.” Prison might be too good for him. I was going to have to sit and think on this one.
“I got you.”
“There’s no links back to us?” If I did decide there was a better end to Edwin, I couldn’t have it coming back to me.
“You know me better than that.”
I spotted Missy heading toward the office, wringing her hands, her ponytail a mess.
“Gotta go.” I hung up.
“Kade? You got a minute?” she asked. Missy’s cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavy.
“What’s wrong now?”
“I screwed up bad.”
“What did you do?” I waved her in and shut the door, having the feeling I wasn’t going to want any interruptions if I could help it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it.” She bit her lip and then her nails while she paced across the room and then back.
“Just tell me what happened.”
By the time she finished, I wished I hadn’t heard. Adam was an asshole, but I couldn’t be mad at him. I’d been the one who’d said those things.
I didn’t even know why I’d said it to them in the first place. Like Chuck had said, I’d set them up to think the worst. Why bring Leah here and then do that? It was lousy.
Early on when we were going at each other like mortal enemies, it wouldn’t have been so bad. If I’d brought it up in a joking manner before now, still not so bad. Like this, at this moment? The timing couldn’t be worse.
“I’m so sorry,” Missy said.
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine for saying those things in the first place. How did she react?”
“She blew it off like it was no big deal, but I could tell it hit hard.” Missy was wringing her hands together.
“Do you know where she is now?”
“No. She walked off and then I came here.”
“I’ll go find her.”
“Kade, I’m really sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. This is all on me, Missy.”
Leah wasn’t in the old barn or at the creek. I found her in Princess’s stall. As I stood there, I didn’t know what to say. Maybe I shouldn’t have rushed here until I figured it out, but I’d felt the need to find her as quickly as I could.
“I’m sorry. I know that falls short, but I am. I never should have said that.”
“Why not? It’s what you think of me. At least you were being honest.”
“Leah, I was wrong. I should’ve known better.”
She nodded, almost in a perfunctory way. Nothing I said was going to matter, and could I blame her?
“Please tell me how to make this right.”
“Move my things into the bunkhouse.”
“ I’ll move to the bunkhouse. You can take the house.”
“I don’t want to stay there. Either help me move my things or call the court and tell them to expect me in prison.”
She couldn’t possibly mean that. It would be crazy, but I felt too panicked at the prospect to push her. She was hurt, and a hurt Leah was a stubborn Leah.
“So where does that leave us?”
“There is no us . I’m a felon working off my sentence for a rancher named Kade. That’s it.”
I nodded. The wall I’d managed to knock down was firmly re-erected around her, and there was no getting through it tonight. Considering she’d be a free woman soon, I doubted there’d be time to make a crack in it going forward. I’d obliterated what we could’ve had. My only shot was to tell her what I’d done, tell her how I ignored her wishes not to get involved, and tell her I had a PI investigating her.
Somehow, that didn’t bring me any optimism at the moment.
“You’ll never know how sorry I am for this,” I said.
She didn’t reply, and I tried to respect her wishes, walking out of the stable and heading up to the ranch to move her things.
I’d fallen in love, and it was more gut-wrenching than I’d ever been prepared for, especially when it could’ve been the greatest thing in my life.
* * *
Leah
I was almost at the bunkhouse when Missy walked over, looped her arm with mine, and tugged me with her.
“I know Kade moved your things, and I moved them again to my cabin, now our cabin.”
“What—”
“Don’t you dare try to argue with me. You want to see stubborn? You haven’t seen anything yet.”
She steered me to her cabin and then shoved me in. In the corner, she’d already gotten another bed moved in.
“You’re staying here, and I don’t care what you say.”
I didn’t say anything as I walked over and sat on the bed. Finally, with a shaking voice, I said, “Thank you.”
She sat next to me, handed me a box of tissues, and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“I locked the door. No one will know but me if you have another good cry.”
For only the second time in my adult life, I bawled like a baby.