Chapter Two
Diana
I stared at Val.
For how long, I didn’t know.
I didn’t—I couldn’t. I’d missed all that?
“Diana?” she called out softly, leaning towards me slightly, concern coating her beauty. “Diana, what is it?”
“Denver told me not to worry about it,” I murmured, trying to wrap my mind around that very fact.
Why didn’t he want me to worry about it?
Val, my friend, and Harmony, someone I was slowly becoming friends with, had both been in danger. I could’ve helped. I could’ve--
“It wasn’t your problem to worry about. The boys got it taken care of,” my friend whispered, cutting off my thoughts. The tone in her voice compelled me to meet her gaze once more.
“You’re my friend. It is absolutely my problem to worry about,” I countered sharply, pulling my hands from hers. “You had a gun pointed at you, Valerie!”
She pressed her lips together, knowing I was right. If the roles had been reversed, she would be acting just how I was.
My throat thickened as I looked out the window, hoping the beauty of this ranch would somehow calm my nerves. “This happened last month,” I murmured in disbelief. “Weeks, Val. Weeks, and no one filled me in.”
Truth be told I wasn’t mad at Denver for not telling me, but he should’ve.
How the hell was I supposed to be his lawyer if I didn’t know what was going on?
I was more upset my friend had gone through something traumatic and I hadn’t been there for her. I’d spent the last few weeks in my own little world, worried about my own problems, blissfully unaware of the horror my favorite people had endured. I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth and looked down to my lap, closing my eyes.
“Diana—”
“ Last month! ” I repeated, louder this time as my head snapped up. Out of the corner of my eye, on the floor, I saw movement. Turning my head, I found out NJ’s attention on us now, her green eyes wide and unknowing. I winced. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”
Valerie looked puzzled, her brows scrunched together now. “You don’t need to apologize for expressing your emotions, girl. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. In all honesty, I thought Denver would’ve told you.”
I had the urge to kill that man. Truly, I did.
Shaking my head, I reached for her hands again, squeezing. “I just—I didn’t know it was you and Harmony involved in that. I’d heard about it and brushed it off.” A new sense of guilt fell over me then.
Valerie’s shoulders fell, her brows coming together slowly. “Diana—"
The ring blaring from my cell phone on the coffee table cut the conversation short. We both twisted our necks to look at the phone vibrating on the kitchen island while the shrill ring tone blasted from it. With a soft sigh, I excused myself and swiped the device up.
“This is Diana,” I answered, heading into the foyer, praying it wasn’t a client.
“Hey, Diana. It’s Dale up at the Weatherford Ranch.”
Just my luck.
Holding my tongue, I looked over my shoulder and pointed to the front door.
Valerie nodded and mouthed, “Take your time.”
As I stepped out onto the porch, I replied, “Ah, Mr. Weatherford. How are you?” My eyes shot over to the porch swing, finding it empty. Caleb must’ve gone back to work—or to hide somewhere else.
The old rancher sighed, and instantly, I knew it was going to be a long night. “Got a problem up here, Diana.”
I stood in the middle of the Langston porch, looking down at my feet, focusing on the hot pink polish on my toes. “Well, don’t sugarcoat it for me, Dale,” I said kindly. “What’s going on?”
For the next few minutes, the rancher began explaining the horrid situation that occurred during his afternoon horse riding lesson with an eleven-year-old boy.
“Did the parents sign the waiver?” I asked once he was done, ignoring the way my stomach twisted as my mind painted the picture for me.
My client sighed, and I could hear the worry in his voice. “Yes, but they don’t care. You know how it is. They want to sue.”
I said nothing, already assuming they might. However, the waiver had been solid, drafted by me. There was no way the parents would win in court.
“That’s not all,” he added, almost as if he was afraid to say it.
I closed my eyes, bracing for it. “What else do they want?”
“They want me to put the horse down. The mother said she would go to ends of the Earth to make sure that would happen.”
As his words hit me, I let my head fall back, keeping my eyes closed as my brain conjured up different ways to solve this problem. A jury—one filled with parents—might agree with the mother.
The old man’s voice changed then, shaking slightly. “He’s a good horse, Diana. The kid was rough with him. It was his third lesson, the first time he would ride to the other end of the corral and back to me. He just…That damn kid started hitting the horse and yanking on the reins. It came out of nowhere, and by the time the horse bucked the kid off, it was too late.”
So, the kid was an asshole, didn’t listen to instructions, and abused the horse. Great. This was just—
Did I just mentally cuss?
Did I just break my resolution? After eight months?
On the other end of the line, panic began to take over my client, his anxiety causing him to second-guess every single decision he’d ever made.
Okay, I could worry about my resolutions later.
“Mr. Weatherford, take a breath for me,” I urged, looking out to the field in front of the house and putting my hand on my hip. “How bad were the kid’s injuries?”
“He walked away, but I’m fairly certain he had a concussion.”
“No broken bones or bruising?” I pressed.
“No. He landed on his back in the dirt, had a helmet on and everything. He was only on the ground for a moment or two. By the time I got the horse settled and away from him, he was already starting to sit up.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Okay, we can—"
“I can’t—I can’t lose the horse. I can’t lose the horse lessons…or the ranch. Dammit, am I going to lose the ranch?”
“No,” I said firmly, walking down two of the porch steps, the sunlight hitting me. “You aren’t going to lose the ranch or the lessons. I promise. The parents signed the waiver, they were informed of the risks.” My client brought in extra income with those horse lessons and he had good standing throughout the county. They were essential to his livelihood now.
“They said they have some hot-shot lawyer,” Mr. Weatherford said, fear and anxiety lacing his voice.
I ran my hand through my hair, tossing the length over my shoulders, letting out a soft sigh. “Well, you have a hot-shot lawyer too,” I told him plainly. He was silent for a moment, my words and the truth within them settling on the line. I hoped it was enough to curb his anxiety, at least until I could get in contact with opposing counsel. “Take another breath for me, Mr. Weatherford.”
As I looked down to my feet again, he did as I asked. “Alright, what’s the plan?”
“First, I need their names and information. Second, did you give them my card?”
“No, they didn’t give me chance,” he answered.
Of course, they didn’t. “Alright, so I need you to sit tight. Until they officially serve you papers or their lawyer reaches out to you, I need you to sit tight .”
“Diana—”
“No, Mr. Weatherford,” I said firmly, cutting off his protests. “I can’t do what you hired me to do if you don’t do as I say. Understand?”
He was quiet for a moment. “What do I need to do with the horse?”
“For now, start using your other horse for lessons,” I instructed.
We chatted for a few more minutes before I ended the call, fairly confident the rancher would actually listen to me. Sighing, I checked some notifications on my phone, pulling up the text thread between me and my paralegal, Thomas.
Me: I need you to pull the Weatherford file before you leave today. You can just leave it on my desk.
Thomas: Done. What’s going on?
Me: Kid abused the horse during his riding lesson and the horse bucked him off. No major injuries, but the parents are wanting to go after our client and everything he has.
Thomas: Okay, I can take a look at the waiver.
My lips turned down into a frown, knowing he had a date with his girlfriend tonight. It was their one year anniversary. I’d had it on my calendar for months.
Me: No, you have a big night tonight. I got it.
Thomas: Are you sure?
Me: Positive. Drop that file on my desk and lock up before you leave.
I let my hand fall to my side as I tipped my head back, closed my eyes, and took a slow, deep breath. Inhaling for three, holding for ten, releasing for five. I repeated this process four more times, and when I finished, I righted myself and turned to head back inside—
A scream left me as I jumped back against the railing, my hand flying to my chest, eyes wide.
The cowboy standing ten feet from the porch said nothing, his perfect lips in a flat line, his eyes, dark as night, barely visible underneath the shadow of his hat. Still, I could feel them on me, holding me hostage as they always did.
“Mr. Mags,” I breathed out. “I’m so s-sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Or hear him, but then again, he was as quiet as a mouse, always had been, despite his size.
Mags said nothing, and it took all my willpower to look away from him. His dark beauty was sometimes too much for me to bear, and today,—it was definitely too much. His hair was longer now, covering the back of his neck, hanging over his shoulders by an inch or two. That sharp, strong, knee-weakening jaw was dusted with dark hair. He’d shaved his beard since the last I saw him, but I knew it would be back within a few weeks’ time. He was tall, towering over me even when I had heels on. He was only a few inches shorter than the Langston brothers, but he had more muscle, and the black button up he was wearing did nothing to hide them. Neither did his wranglers.
Slowly, he reached up, touching the brim of his old, black cowboy hat to tip it to me.
My nipples hardened instantly, my heart crying out for him.
The screen door flew open, snapping me out of it, and I turned my head to find Valerie running out onto the porch, shouting my name. “ Diana —oh. Mags, hi!” She stopped short, her chest heaving.
Her green eyes bounced over to me, and I realized I was still plastered to the railing with my hand against my chest. “I heard you scream, and I thought—well, I didn’t know what to think.”
Quickly, I righted myself, heat flooding my cheeks.
I could still feel Mags’ eyes on me.
I kept my focus on Valerie and apologized. “Sorry. I was—I didn’t see Mags. He gave me a fright, that’s all,” I stammered.
“A fright?” Val parroted, looking over to the cowboy as her brows rose.
A fright? Really, Diana?
Suddenly, every curse word in the history of man was on the tip of my tongue and I was ready to unleash them all. Unable to handle the embarrassment, I looked at my feet again, wishing I was anywhere by here. I could handle coming to Hallow Ranch. I could handle the dark things these cowboys did, things the eyes of the law wouldn’t like. I could handle knowing that, on Denver Langston’s mountain, there were ashes of cruel men scattered in the dirt, men who thought they could take whatever and whoever they wanted. I could handle going to court. I could handle winning and losing cases.
I was Diana Harper.
I could handle almost anything, but not the cowboy in front of me. I couldn’t handle anything about him. Not his eyes, his beauty, his presence, or his--
“Just here to drop these off,” he said, the jagged edges of his voice slicing me open, seeping into my bloodstream, tainting it with everything that was….him. His beauty. His darkness.
Yeah, I couldn’t be here. I needed to leave.
I heard Valerie move down the steps, the scent of her perfume floating in front of me. “Oh. Thank you, Mags. You didn’t have to do that today.”
I couldn’t bear to hear his voice again, so before he could speak, I raised my head and looked at Valerie. “I have to go,” I told her, holding up my phone. “There’s a client emergency.”
My friend looked shocked, blinking a few times before reminding me of my promise. “So you’re not staying for dinner?”
Mags’ eyes were on me again, heating every single inch of my body. My heart rate picked up, my mouth suddenly dry. I shook my head. “Sorry. Maybe some other time.”
Before she could get another word out, I was heading up the porch steps and pulling the screen door wide open. I didn’t waste time, grabbing my purse and keys before slipping on my heels. NJ was in her playpen, clapping her hands and chanting, “Di! Di! Di!”
I chewed the inside of my lip for a moment, looking to the door and then into the living room where she was. Mags was still out there, but Valerie’s body blocked my view of his face. NJ squealed, and my feet were moving then, leaving the kitchen and carrying me to her. I leaned over the railing of the playpen, pressing my lips to the top of her head, the smell of her coconut baby shampoo filling my nostrils. “Bye-bye, my sweet girl,” I whispered. “I’ll be back soon.”
As I walked out the front door, all I could here was my heart pounding, and I kept my head down as I walked by Valerie. “I’ll see you soon, Val,” I murmured, rushing down the steps.
“Oh. Okay. Bye, Diana!” she called out to my back as I walked by the dark cowboy, my body humming now.
I didn’t even raise my hand over my shoulder like I usually did. I kept walking, and when I was a few feet away from the porch and that damn cowboy, I lifted my head to focus on my car.
Keep walking, Diana.
Don’t look back.
Ignore the heat on your back.
Keep walking.
Almost there.
I rounded the back of my car, clicked the locks, and yanked the door open. I tossing my bag and keys into the passenger seat as I folded in. With a shaking head, I pressed the start button, and when the familiar purr of the engine filled my ears, I wasted no time hightailing it out of there, leaving Hallow Ranch on the cowboy who’d had my heart for the last decade in the dust.
Forty-five minutes later, I was back in my the sanctuary of my office. The building was quiet and empty as the sun began its descent, the town of Hayden slowing down for the evening as everyone drifted back into their homes for the evening. A pitiful sigh left me as I dropped by bag in the plush purple chair in the corner of my office and plucked the Weatherford file from my desk. I opened it with a sense of urgency, walking around to my chair, my eyes scanning over the words on the first page, not retaining a single detail.
I couldn’t focus.
All I saw was him—all I felt was him.
My butt landed in the cushion of my sage green office chair as a rush of air left my lungs. I looked up from the file, staring at everything in my office yet nothing at the same time. The lump in my throat had grown since leaving Hallow Ranch, and my heart, well, she had no intentions of slowing down anytime soon. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if I went into cardiac arrest right here and now.
The blaring sound of my office phone ringing cut through the air, causing me to jolt.
“Crap!” I breathed out, my eyes darting for the ugly, clunky black device perched on the corner of my marble desk. It rang two more times before I managed to answer it.
“Harper Law. This is Diana,” I answered.
The line was silent for a few seconds, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. “This is Harper Law Office. How may I help you?” I asked, steadying my voice, the Weatherford file forgotten.
The person on the other end started breathing heavy, and I opened my mouth again, but they beat me to the punch. “Diana.”
Goosebumps scattered across my skin like frost in the night, covering every inch of me in coldness, seeping into my soul. “What do you want?” I asked through clenched teeth.
The man scoffed. “That’s no way to talk to your father.”
“You stopped being my father years ago when I cut you off. What do you want?”
“Blood is blood, Diana,” he said, growling at the end. “I’ve about had it with your games.”
None of this had ever been a game. However, both my parents seem to think that my decision to cut them off was a cry for attention. Then again, apparently everything I did that didn’t suit them was.
“Is anyone dying?” I asked calmly, taking this time to focus on my breathing and calculate my responses. My father didn’t deserve to hear or witness my emotions.
“What? No, of course not. That’s—”
“If no one is terminally ill or dead, then there is no reason for you to be calling me,” I replied, crossing my legs and leaning back in my chair. All thoughts and desires for the cowboy had vanished the second I heard my father’s voice.
“It’s time for this little act to end, Diana. What’s it going to take for us to be a family again?”
“There’s nothing on this Earth that would make that possible. Have a good day.” I leaned forward and calmly put the phone back into the receiver. Then, silently and swiftly, I packed up my things I needed to work from home for the next few days, locked up the office, and headed home for the night.
Once there, I sent a text to Thomas.
Me: My father called the office this evening. When you get there in the morning, please block that number. I’m going to be working from home for the rest of the week.
His reply was almost instant.
Thomas: Yes, ma’am. Whatever you need.