Chapter 4
Malachi “Radar” Stone
Class continued almost as normal. The only notable difference was knowing Gracie was here, watching me.
Her presence still made my heart race. I wondered what she saw when she looked at me.
Did she want to get to know me again? I never stopped thinking about her.
She was with me, always. I shifted as I flexed my fingers on my thigh, over the one and only tattoo I had.
The tattoo that was of my Wildflower. My only solace since leaving, had been writing to her every chance I’d gotten since.
Even after she married Cain. I longed to learn if she was okay; if she was safe, what she was up to, if she’d gotten out. But she’d never responded.
I can guess why now.
Obviously, she hadn’t been safe, but she’d finally escaped.
She was taking steps to get stronger, and I was so proud of her.
She’d changed so much and had grown into a stunning woman.
I wondered if my Wildflower was still in there somewhere.
I desired to reconnect with her, simply relishing any time near her.
We finished class with our usual cooldown, and most people went their separate ways.
I broke down the mats and moved them to the storage under the stage.
This space needed to be cleared for bridge club as soon as possible, and if we didn’t hurry, those ladies would be here soon to rip me a new one.
Once all the mats and pads were wiped down and put away, I slowly approached Gracie.
She was still sitting on the bleachers, lost in her phone.
Kath was chatting animatedly with Emily on the other side of the room.
I cleared my throat to get her attention, knowing better than to sneak up on any of the people who attended my classes.
“Hey.” I shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say but needing to say something. “Mind if I sit?”
“Sure.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, but her posture stayed relaxed, so I figured my presence wasn’t entirely unwelcome.
“How are you feeling?”
She turned to face me, her gaze assessing. “I’m fine.” She said it like a question, and the little divot that formed between her brows was adorable.
“I just meant…are you okay, seeing me and now knowing I teach this class?” Pausing, not sure how to word the next part, I braced myself to be direct. “I hope you’ll come back…I ah…I mean, I hope my being here won’t interfere with your desire to take part in a class like this.”
“Oh no, Kai, never.” She reached out and gripped my arm through my shirt.
Her touch sent shivers down my spine, and my cock twitched in response.
My heart beat double time at her finally saying my name again.
Her voice, calling my name, was a sudden burst of sunshine after a long storm, warming a forgotten corner of my soul.
“I was just completely shocked to see you, and my first thought was, what if your family was here or visited or you mentioned me? I’m terrified of Cain knowing where I am, so my fight-or-flight response kicked in.
But it was never about you.” She picked at her cuticles as she shifted in her seat.
“I missed you.” Her soft whisper made me unsure whether I had heard her correctly.
Gently, I lifted her chin with my fingertip, prompting her to look at me as I confessed some of my truth.
“I never stopped thinking about you. I wrote to you every chance I got, but I’m guessing you never received them.
” Fully aware of what her parents or Cain would have done with them, I held onto hope, believing one might reach her.
She was my best and only friend when we were teenagers, and I held onto that connection for as long as I could, even when some letters were returned to sender.
She gasped as tears welled in her spring-green eyes.
“You did! Oh, my goodness, Kai, I had no idea. I hoped and prayed you were safe and I listened to any and all news I could get about you from your parents. Cain never spoke about you unless it was to insult you, or our friendship. I learned quickly it was best not to talk about you. That way you stayed safe in my mind, and I could imagine you out there fighting for our country and living the life you deserved. To be free and happy.”
This woman was still amazing; the depth of care she had for those around her was unparalleled.
“That means a lot to me. I was free, and I wished you could have been, too. Father always spoke of how well you and Cain were doing, so I thought everything was fine. I should have known better. I’m so sorry for all you’ve suffered, and all my brother did to you.
” Tentatively, I reached for her hand and placed it in both of mine.
Her skin was soft, but her hands were as cold as ice.
I flinched as I rubbed her hand to warm it up.
“Your hands are so cold. Are you okay? Do you need a jacket?” I rose, intending to fetch mine for her.
Her musical laugh stopped me in my tracks.
How long had it been since I’d heard that sound?
My heart was racing in my chest as I slowly lowered myself back down as she tugged on my arm.
“I’m fine. My hands and feet are always cold lately.
Poor circulation, I think.” She smiled at me as she bumped her shoulder into mine. “You were always so thoughtful.”
We shared a secret smile as Kath approached us. “You ready to go?” Her gaze flicked between us. “I’m guessing you’re both fine now,” she added, smiling at Gracie.
“Yep, ready when you are.” Getting to her feet, she collected her bag, towel and drink bottle before turning to me. “It was nice to meet you, Malachi. I look forward to joining in next time.” She sent me a wink that nearly stopped my heart.
I sat rooted to the spot as I watched Gracie and Kath leave, and her musical laughter bounced around the room as they exited.
“Earth to Mal,” Emily snapped her fingers in front of my face, causing me to jump. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for ages. You were a statue. Are you okay?”
As I cleared my throat, I forced my gaze to Em. “Yeah, sorry. What did you say?”
She rolled her chocolate-brown eyes at me. “I asked if you needed anything else or can I take off?”
“No, nothing. You’re free to go. See you next time.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling out of sorts as I too stood to leave. “Let me walk you out.”
The drive to Riverrun Ranch was only about ten minutes, but I spent the whole time hung up on Gracie.
She was as kind and captivating as I remembered.
Something about her put me at ease; I could tell her all my secrets.
She saw more than what was on the surface, always had.
It was why it’d been so easy to tell her all my truths back when we were kids.
Her kindness and care radiated like an aura around her.
If given the chance, she would have drawn people to her and been a source of hope and a helping hand.
If it hadn’t been for our toxic church, her father’s beatings and Cain’s control, she’d have made an amazing doctor, counselor, or teacher.
She would be a truly amazing mother one day.
I was both thankful, and concerned, that she and Cain hadn’t had kids yet.
It was unheard of in our church to be married for more than a year and not have a child.
It wasn’t a rule per se, but it was more than expected.
If my math was right, they’d been married for over four years.
I hoped there was nothing wrong, but I was also thankful that she didn’t have to suffer through a pregnancy with Cain and be stuck with him forever through a child.
If that had happened, she might never have escaped.
Turning off the main road and onto the dusty gravel drive, I took in the well-worn, wrought iron welcome sign that said Riverrun Ranch and signaled home for me.
Everett, the owner, made it in his teens with his Pa before he died.
It was discolored with age, but it holds so much meaning to Ev and his family, and now all of us, too.
The silhouette to the left of the words featured a horse and rider that were modeled after his Pa and his prize stallion, Boone.
As I drove through the archway and up over the rise, I saw the expansive view of the ranch.
Acres upon acres of land, with paddocks, rolling over the hills and stunning mountains and forest in the distance.
Stables, bunkhouses, guest cabins and plenty of livestock dotted the fields.
This ranch, these men, they saved my life, in more ways than one.
They were my chosen family, my brothers in arms, and I was so thankful for them every day.
I continued up the road until the expansive main ranch house came into view.
It was a two-story log cabin with high cathedral ceilings and historic touches that showed its age, but also gave it character.
With eight bedrooms, two lounge rooms, a massive dining room with a galley kitchen leading onto a generous back deck with stunning views, this entire house had been our first home when we returned from what had been our last mission.
After parking my Chevy in the circular drive, I grabbed my gear and jumped out. I needed some food and to hit the bag to get my head on straight before starting on ranch chores.
Everett and his much younger brother, Oakley, were at the kitchen island making sandwiches.
“Yo, how was class? Did Emily ask about me?” Oakley joked in his gruff voice, waggling his eyebrows.
My exasperated tone was unavoidable as I rolled my eyes.
“When are you going to take the hint? She’s not interested.
” I really don’t think he was her type. There seems to be something more significant at play between her and Kath, I kept getting the vibe that there’s more there than meets the eye with those two.
Sure, women can be close, but there’s something about how Em watches Kath and vice versa.
You could almost see the electricity crackle in the air when they’re together; it gets awkward sometimes, like I’m invading a secret moment.
But there is no way I would say anything to Oakley—I would never out anyone, ever—but in this case, it would just cause Oakley to say or do something wholly inappropriate, I was sure.
He was the group jokester and loved testing every boundary he came across.
“Hey!” he screeched indignantly. “I’m everyone’s type,” he bragged then shot me a wink as he finished making his fourth sandwich.
Oakley was objectively attractive with his dark hair, silver-blue eyes and dimples, but it was his playful personality that drew just about everyone to him like a moth to a flame.
He never had to work for attention and usually had his pick of bedroom partners.
It got frustrating sometimes though, especially for his twin, Oliver, who was always along for the ride, mostly to keep Oakley out of trouble.
Even though they were identical, their personalities couldn’t be more different. They were like chalk and cheese. Oakley was boisterous and wild, fearless and an adrenaline junkie, whereas Oliver was stoic and serious, studious and sensible. Yet, he was always there for his brothers’ shenanigans.
And then there was Everett. He was more like Ollie than Oak but still had a playful edge.
Everett was fourteen years older than the twins and was more like a father to them than a brother.
They lost their Pa because of complications from a riding accident, and their mother had died birthing the twins, so Everett had stepped up as much as he could with his granddad, who we all called Gramps.
Gramps was the heart and soul of the ranch.
He lived in the guest suite on the ground floor and still worked all aspects of the ranch, even into his late seventies.
The ranch had been owned by his family for generations.
It started as a prize-winning cattle ranch, then expanded into a destination guest ranch.
Now with the introduction of equine therapy, the ranch was thriving.
“Ignore my brother; he’ll learn the hard way, one day,” Ev added as he offered me one of his sandwiches. I took it as we all headed outside to sit around the huge rustic table on the back deck.
“I hope I get to witness this hard lesson,” I chuckled, taking my seat opposite Ev.
“Hey! There will be no lessons. Women love me,” Oakley defended.
With an eye roll, I turned back to Ev. “Class was…ah, good.”
“Only good? What happened?” Ev asked with his sandwich halfway to his mouth.
I hesitated, not sure how to say what happened or if I even wanted to share Gracie with anyone. Ev was the only one who knew the truth about my past, the only one who’d heard about Grace.
“Oooh, what happened? Wait, is this an incident we should be ready for? Do we need to assemble the team?” Oakley started off teasing and quickly switched into protective mode. He knew the class I taught, and we had all helped at the shelter a time or two since our discharge.
“Nothing like that. Or not yet…but there was a new student. Her name’s…Grace.” As I spoke, I held Ev’s gaze, imploring him to hear what I was not saying.
Oakley may act like the class clown, but he was also very astute, and as his gaze flicked between me and Ev, I knew this was going to be a longer conversation than I was ready for.
“Who’s Grace?” Oak asked.
Groaning, I rubbed the headache forming behind my eyes. “She’s my asshole of a brother’s wife.”
The look on Oakley’s face would have been comical if Gracie’s situation weren’t so fucked up.
“She’s your what? I’m so confused. Wait…” His face blanched. “Does that mean your brother abused her? Is she okay? Did you know her, like before they married? Wow, what a fucked-up blast from the past!”
“You could say that. And yes, to all. My brother is an evil, vindictive piece of work—”
Before I could continue, the rest of our team came crashing in.
“Yeehaw!” Hunter exclaimed as he forced Walker’s wheelchair to do a wheelie up the ramp and onto the deck.
Walker and Hunter were best friends who enlisted together and worked through all the ranks together.
They were inseparable; you couldn’t have one without the other.
While Walker lost much of his spark after we were wounded in action, Hunter did everything in his power to make him smile.
Even with silly things like pretending to make his chair buck like a horse.
Oliver and his four-year-old daughter, Everly, and twenty-year-old, Maisie—who was Everett’s daughter and Oak and Ollie’s niece—brought up the rear, and for now, any talk of Grace and my story was put on hold.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing, as my brain was in freefall and I wasn’t sure what to do about any of it.