Chapter Six
Willow took pride in her morning coffee. It had become a ritual that grounded what was sure to be another hectic day in a whole string of them that made up a year.
She filled the grinder with whole dark roast beans and set it to the perfect grind. Then she padded across the kitchen and filled a copper pot with milk, whisking until tiny bubbles formed.
The house was dead silent, giving her mind space to breathe. That didn’t mean her mind was blank—far from it.
In fact, it was consumed with the memory of the kiss she shared with Decker the previous day.
Each time she relived the moment, tingles spread to every corner of her body.
The way his eyes darkened…the tender yet almost desperate way he cupped her face before he moved in to press his mouth to hers…
It wouldn’t quit playing on repeat through her mind.
Caught up in her daydream, she leaned against the counter as the coffeemaker burbled to a halt. She poured the dark brew into a rustic artisan pottery mug that gave her all the cozy vibes and topped it with a cloud of frothy milk.
She listened to the house wake up by degrees. The simple hum of the furnace turned into the faint murmur of socked feet on the wood floor. Before any of her siblings shattered her moment of peace, she hurried to her room, coffee in hand, to get ready for the day.
Every day she rolled out of bed and performed her chores in the glimmer of light between full dark and dawn, then took a hot shower, then made her coffee.
Her usual routine involved throwing on whatever was clean and functional—jeans and boots with her hair scraped back in a practical braid that kept it out of her way while she worked.
But this morning, she found herself standing in front of her closet a little longer. Her fingers lingered over a soft sweater instead of her usual flannel, and she chose jeans that actually fit well rather than her older, looser pairs. Nothing dramatic but…nicer. Put-together.
She caught herself in the mirror applying a hint of berry lip stain—something she rarely bothered with for ranch work—followed by just a touch of gloss.
When had she started caring about looking polished at six a.m.?
The answer, of course, was yesterday. Ever since Decker had cupped her face in his hands and kissed her like he’d been holding back too long.
Instead of her usual braid, she left her hair loose, the strands air-drying into soft waves that fell almost to her waist. She told herself it was just a change of pace, but the truth was harder to ignore.
She was hoping to run into him. Hoping he’d notice. Hoping for another one of those heated looks that made her stomach flip. She was being ridiculous, primping like a teenager with her first crush.
More worrisome was the fact that her brothers noticed every change in her attire. But as she headed toward the security office to get started on her morning’s work, she couldn’t bring herself to care.
A new note was left on her keyboard about ordering gear. She skimmed the list that included a bulletproof vest, holster, tactical belt, earpiece with throat mic, emergency medical kit, zip ties, flashlight, backup weapon holster and tactical boots in size eleven.
She stared at the list. Which brother had damaged or lost his gear this time? Then added at the bottom: Rush order.
Pushing aside the flutter of curiosity, Willow opened their supplier’s website and began adding items to the cart, her mind already calculating delivery times and costs. Whoever this was for, they’d be properly equipped within forty-eight hours if she had anything to say about it.
When Carson walked through the door, she looked up.
“Did you get my note?”
“Yep—just completed the order. Rush delivery like you asked. Is there a reason we need all this stuff? Tell me Gray didn’t leave his in Memphis.”
Carson’s lips twitched but he rarely smiled until he had his third cup of coffee. Dropping to his desk chair, he eyed her.
How many mornings did they start together, the oldest Malone sibling and the youngest? They were both early risers, but most of all, they were determined to jam-pack as many tasks into a single day as possible. The workaholics of the bunch.
They worked through the morning together then dispersed to the different parts of the ranch that required their attention. So when he continued to study her, Willow’s senses prickled.
Carson had caught her and Decker in the middle of their kiss.
“Your hair’s different.”
She blinked at his observation.
“Didn’t get a chance to braid it yet.” She had to shift his focus from her. “So who’s the gear for?”
He settled back in his chair, gaze never lifting from her. “We have a new member on the team. Probably.”
“What does probably mean? And don’t you need me to write up a contract?”
“We’ll get to the contract later. First, he needs field clearance.”
“Who is it? Do we have another brother I don’t know about?”
He huffed in amusement. “Would not surprise me at all. Our father was a bastard.”
“If there’s not a long-lost brother, who is this mystery team member—probably?”
“Decker.”
His response almost wiped her off her seat. If he’d told her that his horse was joining Black Heart Security, she would be less surprised.
“You look stunned,” he observed.
She gave a small shake of her head to clear it. “I am. Decker… Wow. He’s making a lot of progress fast.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “He’s motivated.”
Her mind raced through all the implications while she tried to keep her expression neutral. But this changed everything.
This was huge for Decker. He’d come here broken, couldn’t speak for months. And now he was potentially joining the team? That wasn’t just progress—that was a complete transformation.
Which meant she absolutely could not mess this up for him.
This was his shot, his chance to have a real future and a career that mattered. The last thing he needed were distractions, complications…or a woman who didn’t know how to keep things professional.
A man whose job was to protect people couldn’t afford to have his focus split. And if things went south between them, he’d probably want to leave the team to avoid the awkwardness. Then where would he be? Back to square one, except then he’d have lost this opportunity too.
He’d worked so hard to get here. He deserved this chance without her potentially screwing it up just because she got butterflies whenever he came near.
Maybe she needed to be more careful. More…distant. At least until he was established on the team and didn’t need to worry about workplace drama.
The thought made her chest ache, but wasn’t that what someone who truly cared about him would do? Step back so he could succeed?
Yesterday’s kiss had felt like a beginning, but maybe he was just caught up in the moment. Now that he had a real shot at joining the team, he’d be relieved if she backed off.
She wanted what was best for him. Even if that meant staying away.
Even as the thought formed, Willow couldn’t shake the feeling that she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life.
“Well,” she managed, forcing her voice to stay steady, “that’s wonderful news. He’ll make a great addition to the team.”
Carson tapped a blunt fingertip on the desk as if everything was settled. “We have another matter to discuss.”
She stilled. Over the years, her brothers gave her a lot of crap about her choices. Whenever one of them told her they had something to discuss in that tone of voice, she braced herself for a fight.
“Oh? What’s that?” She kept her tone nonchalant.
Carson’s stare pinned her. “I need a list.”
Lists she could do. She grabbed a notebook and a pen, prepared to jot down anything he told her—as long as it wasn’t directly related to her.
“A list of what?”
“Of every man you ever dated. Anyone who’s ever sent you gifts, business or otherwise.”
Her mouth popped open on a gasp. “Oh my god. You can’t be serious.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
She didn’t need to glance at his face to know he was dead serious.
“There’s not enough paper.”
He issued a low groan.
“Joking. Sort of.”
“Willow,” he growled.
“You know how boys liked me. This could be a long list.” She tapped her pen in thought. “Thirty-four lines on a legal notepad. Fifty sheets.” She nodded. “That should do.”
“Jesus Christ, Willow.”
She set pen to paper but paused. “Are we talking about every guy I ever danced with at the bar? Or what about that sweet guy who talks to me at the feed store? Do you need his name too?”
“Yes. And I want you to write down how they hurt you.”
Her head snapped up. She met her brother’s stare.
It wasn’t just a substantial list—it was a walk down the thorny path of her past. The last thing she wanted to do was revisit how any of those guys hurt her.
Unable to tolerate Carson’s watchful gaze another moment, she twisted toward her desk and began writing names.
One thing she was sure of—she couldn’t let Decker’s name hit this list. She wouldn’t cost him the future he’d fought so hard to gain.
* * * * *
Decker went to Rhae’s office the night before, but she wasn’t there. According to the note on her door, an emergency with one of the vets had her tied up. So he’d spent the night in a strange limbo—cleared for duty but not yet officially cleared by the one person whose approval he needed most.
Now, standing outside her office again, the weight of everything that had led to this moment pressed down on his shoulders. The tests, the kiss with Willow, the possibility of finally belonging somewhere again.
He rapped on the frame.
Rhae smiled and waved him in. “I heard you had quite the day yesterday.”
“Carson told you about the tests.”
“He did. But that’s not why you’re here.” She gestured to the chair across from her. “The only way onto the team is through me, Decker. You know that.”
He remained standing, old habits keeping him upright when the conversation felt this important. “I know.”
“So talk to me. Really talk to me. Not the surface-level responses you’ve been giving in our sessions.”