Chapter 10
Rory
The Storm
It wasn’t that Rafe was argumentative. Not really.
But he had a strong resistance to change.
Two days of being given more freedom to dig him out of the hole Argent had pushed him into, and he fought me on every change I suggested.
Even using the stack of pink sticky notes instead of his usual yellow ones had him pulling his shoulders stiff.
At least he let me change to the affordable accounting software instead of doing everything in spreadsheets.
By the time Tuesday evening came, I was ready for a steamy hot bath and an even steamier romance novel.
Relaxing shoulders deep in getting lost in a world with some fictional couple’s troubles and happily ever after was exactly what I needed.
I would need to avoid any workplace romance books, also ones with cowboys.
Unfortunately, my cabin was a shower only zone and turning on my kindle and using the account was out of the question.
I would need to settle for a long hot shower, then snuggling under the covers with one of Rafe’s sci-fi action books.
Or maybe even one of the biographies he loved.
I also didn’t have any candles, but that was hardly an issue worth complaining about.
The rain outside didn’t make the situation any better. While I looked forward to it pelting on the window and roof of my cabin as I burrowed into my bed a little later, I was not looking forward to driving in it.
Still, I needed to get going. I had worked a little later hoping the rain would calm.
Rafe invited me to stay for spaghetti and meatballs and I got the impression he was hoping for the same thing.
Well, that never happened. The rain didn’t make things impossible, but I had not driven in it yet. The thought sent a shiver through me.
I stood to clear the table while Rafe poured the leftover spaghetti sauce into a plastic container. As he closed the fridge, he looked over at me. “Let me grab the keys and I’ll take you back to the cabin.”
Part of me wanted to be grateful for the offer. I had never driven in the rain before. Still, I knew if I had any intention of sticking around, I needed to learn to drive in the rain.
“Grouchy. I’ll be fine. If I want to stick around, I need to learn to handle the elements.
If I want to live on the high road, I need to drive on the high road.
” I repeated his words from the very first time he wanted me to drive.
Was I nervous? Yes, but I would never tell him that.
I waved my burner phone at him “I’ll have this with me. I can call if I need to.”
God, I hoped I didn’t need to call him. The last thing I wanted was for him to rescue me once more. The man was already hiding me from my disgusting brother, and he refused to put my life at risk to save his ranch. The least I could do was get myself home. Easy peasy.
He stared at me for a little while. “It’s not safe out there, City.”
“From what you said, it's likely to be unsafe for a good while. It's rainy season.” I hoped my face conveyed my plea. “Please, I need to learn to do this.”
I was tempted to bat my eyes but I thought it would be laying things on a little thick.
Instead, Rafe shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. But if you have any trouble, call me immediately. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Sir.” I gave him a mock salute.
Something flashed in his eyes but it was gone before I could get a handle on it. It wasn’t concern. I knew what Rafe’s concern looked like. It was his second favorite emotion after annoyance. No, the look was something else entirely. Something I should ignore if I knew what was good for me.
I pulled my wax jacket on and Rafe zipped it all the way up. He pulled a hat off the hook and placed it on my head. “Cute. Let’s get you in the truck.”
Instead of grabbing the keys to his blue bronco, he took the set for the bigger black truck.
“Why are you taking those keys? That’s the one the men use in the morning if they need to.”
He opened the front door without worrying about a jacket and hat for himself.
“They can fucking wait until you get here. It will make me feel better. The tires are better, and while you’re still learning the roads, you’ll take the bigger truck.
If the worst case scenario happens, you’ll be safer. Don’t fight me on this. Please.”
And I didn’t. If me driving the bigger truck would give him peace of mind, then that’s what I would do.
As usual, Rafe opened the door and lifted me into the truck. After giving me a few moments to adjust the seat and the mirrors, he pulled the seatbelt over my body and buckled me in. “Drive slowly and text me when you get to the cabin.”
While I tried to do as he said, I did not drive too slowly since some small hills did require a little bit of momentum.
And in the bigger truck, I needed more than usual.
I had driven the road between the main house and my cabin a good many times so I was more than familiar with the route.
Even though the weather had been turning, it hadn’t rained this badly since the night I arrived.
I took a turn at the dip and the movement of the car did not match what I was doing.
And that’s when panic set in. As much as I tried, my left foot pushed hard on the gas, I couldn’t force the damn monstrosity forward.
Slowly, the truck slid back, and nothing I tried would allow it to go forward. I shifted gears and nothing changed.
I needed to check if there was anything I could do.
Without giving it much thought, I stepped out of the truck.
My bright yellow boots sank into the clay.
Beyond my ankles. I was trapped. The back tires were almost halfway sunk into the ground.
There was no way I would get out of this without help.
My first thought was to call Allie to send Calvin, but that would be foolish.
Rafe had told me to call him, and not doing it would be a sign of stubbornness, not strength. He trusted I would call him if anything went wrong. I tried to turn around, and I found Rafe was not exaggerating when he said I was likely to lose a boot if I was not careful.
With one hand resting on the door, and the other holding onto my boot, I slowly turned around and reached into the passenger side. I pulled the phone from my handbag.
I found his name and didn’t waste any time calling. He picked up on the first ring. “City?”
“Rafe, I’m stuck on the road by —”
“There’s only one road between here and your cabin, sweetheart. Stay in the truck, I will be there soon.”
He killed the call and I attempted to do as he said and get back into the truck.
Easier said than done. Holding on to my boots was the easy part.
Or the easier part since it took more strength and patience than I knew I had.
Keeping my balance was a different story.
It wasn’t like I had wandered away from the truck, still lifting the one booted foot without holding onto anything was enough to end up on my ass. Twice.
By the time I was back in the cab, I was cold, wet, and miserable.
I was also painfully aware of how alone I was.
What if my brother knew where I was? What if Vance figured out who I was and told him.
What if he came after me? I was a sitting duck in the rain waiting for the villain to kill me.
I was a cliché and I would go down like the stupid woman in a bad horror movie.
What if Julian was already on his way. He could be in town already, waiting for his chance to pounce.
And I gave him one on a silver platter by being too stubborn to let Rafe drive me.
Because I wanted to be independent and have him not see me as a victim.
I wanted him to view me as a capable employee.
Not as someone he needed to save and protect and babysit. I wanted him to —”
Bright lights pulled me from the downward spiral I had found myself in. I squinted and shielded my eyes with my hand. I let out a long sigh of relief as the blue Bronco pulled to a stop, a little while away.
Frantically, I wiped away the tears that had streamed down my face while I envisioned all the worst case scenarios.
Not to mention I actively wanted to push down the last thoughts I had.
Obviously, I needed rescuing. That was the whole point of me being at the ranch.
And as if to prove its point, the universe made sure I was stuck and in need of rescue.
Before I could belabor my feelings for too long, The door flung open, allowing the rain to mask my wet face.
Rafe stood there in nothing but a T-shirt and jeans and his black rain boots.
“Come on, City.” He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment before he continued. “Let’s get out of here. We’re not dragging this beast of a truck out tonight. I’ll get my men to do it in the morning.”
He pulled me toward him, and lifted me. Something he had done many times before, but this time was different. He held on to me. Automatically, my legs wrapped around his waist, and my arms around his neck. I clung to him like he was a life line.
His one hand rested against my back as he bent down to grab my purse and phone with the other.
“Thank you for coming.” My murmur was low and I wasn’t sure if he heard me, at first.
Only until he answered me in the most gentle tone. “Always, sweetheart. If you call, I will always come.”
His words hit me deep in my chest. Somehow, I knew he meant them. We may only have known each other a few weeks, but we knew each other. It was the reason he knew not to argue with me about driving home. And the reason I called him as soon as I needed help. Well, almost.
I tucked my head in his neck as he carried me through the mud.
I was grateful my crying-jag was done and at least he wouldn’t see what a soppy mess I was.
By the time we got back to his truck, my overall legs were soaked.
He placed me into the passenger seat and pulled on my seatbelt before he made his way to the drivers side.
“You okay staying at my place, or do you want to get home?”
A thought occurred to me and I swallowed hard. “Do you have a bathtub?”
Rafe’s brows knitted together at the random question.
“Yes.” He nodded at me, concern written across his face. “Two actually. One in the main bathroom off my bedroom and one I shared with my brother when we were younger. “Why?”
“I… I —” I let out a loud sob, and the tears flowed down my face once more.
The louder my sobs got the more Rafe seemed to settle in his seat. He didn’t ask me what was wrong, and he didn’t assume anything. It took me several minutes to figure out he had not moved and it was still raining.
“Why haven’t we moved.”
“I was waiting for you to answer me. I assume by your question you want to go back to the house and get into a bath. But I wanted to be sure.”
I nodded. “Yes. Before I left your place I thought about how good it would feel to get into a nice hot bath with some candles and a good book.” I let out a sigh. “But the cabin doesn’t have a bath, I cannot use my kindle account and there are no candles at the cabin.”
“Yes, there are.” He started the truck, slowly turning it around and driving in the direction of his house. “In the bottom pouch of the emergency kit. First aid in the top part, candles, flares, flashlight and space blanket at the bottom.”
“For real?”
“City, there is always a chance the power goes out around here, candles are kind of a necessity.”
By the time we arrived back at the house my mood had lifted, despite still being cold and wet.
A lot better, actually. I hadn’t had a good cry since I left home.
Of course I had mourned my dad, but even at the funeral, I could hold myself together.
Then again, a lot had happened since then.
I had to be separated from my sisters, I met my long lost brother, then found out he dragged my father into a money laundering scheme and was trying to kill me.
The drive back to the house took longer than I was used to. As usual, Rafe helped me out of the truck. All thoughts of devious brothers and mudslides disappeared as he lowered me to the ground, and my gaze met with his very transparent shirt.
“Rafe.” I looked up at him. I knew what I wanted. I was almost sure I knew what he wanted. But he wouldn’t let himself have it.
I lifted my hand to his jaw and his face leaned into my touch. “Fuck it.”
He pulled me close and crashed his lips to mine again.