Chapter Eight Bree #2
“Whatever.” I pulled my blankets up to my chin, not addressing what he’d just stated, because he was right.
“Just stay over there.” I waited to see what he’d do.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted him to do. My stomach clenched at the thought of him above me, and my body heated with desire.
I could hear him breathing, but as I lay there and argued with myself over what I wanted, I felt my own eyes grow heavy.
I slipped off to an uneasy sleep.
The frozen ground pained my feet. The branches ripped at my skin as I whirled around to see if he still followed me.
Condensation puffed a misty cloud in front of my face as I tried to catch my breath.
I knew he was there; I could feel him. I strained to listen, but the ringing in my ears blocked out my ability to hear.
Keep moving! I screamed at myself and suddenly tuned into what I was wearing.
I was in her white dress. The woman from the river.
I could see her open, unblinking eyes even as the water flowed over one of them.
My hands were covered in blood, then I felt the warmth from the blood on my neck. Wait, what?
“Bree!” The Barbed Wire Killer hissed at me like a snake, and I jolted awake with a yelp.
Arms reached out to touch me, and I fought back, still consumed by my dream. “No!” I screamed, but a hand clamped over my mouth and pushed me back into the bed. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed that whatever was about to happen would happen quickly.
“Hey,” Brad’s voice cut through my panic. “Stop. It’s me.” Slowly, his words registered, and I felt my heart’s rhythm break its wild pace. “Bree, look at me.” He pushed my flailing arms above my head and pinned me there as he eased onto my bed.
“Yeah.” I blinked away the horrific dream and let the tears of relief flow. “Sorry.”
“Sorry?” He looked at me, confused, as he kept a tight hold on my wrists.
“Sorry you had a nightmare?” He spoke quietly.
“You’ve nothing to be sorry about except maybe for giving me a black eye.
” He smiled in the low light and slowly released my wrists.
I brushed my hair off my face. “Want to talk about it?”
“No,” I whispered.
“Okay.” He reached down and pulled the blanket up over me. Then, to my surprise, he leaned over me to turn down the lantern to a soft glow, then settled in next to me.
I forced the painful lump down my throat as the darkness crept back in around us. “I don’t . . .” I barely had a voice. “I don’t normally sleep after this point,” I confessed. I could feel the warmth of him where he lay against my frozen body, and I fought not to roll over into him.
“Is this an every-night thing?”
I tensed up again because I’d lived alone with the truth for so long. I’d tried to even keep it from Dale—not that it ever helped. It only caused more problems in the long run. The unsteady breath that shot from deep inside gave him the answer.
“Christ, Bree, you must be exhausted.” The bed shook as he turned on his side toward me. I could feel his warm breath in my face, and his bare chest touched my arm. “Can I ask you something at the risk of upsetting you?”
I didn’t answer; I didn’t want to. I realized it was the first time since that day at the river that I didn’t feel completely alone. It was so nice to have him there when I woke from that terrible nightmare.
“Kennedy told me that the guys brought up the whole Barbed Wire Killer thing.” Brad’s voice sounded tentative.
I studied him for a moment. “Don’t you struggle with it?”
“Well, no, I’ve found a way to deal with it.”
“By marrying Sherry?” I snapped but instantly regretted it when he looked away. “Sorry.”
He leaned his weight on his elbow. “By playing hockey.” His tone was less than impressed with my insult. “Are you all right? Bree? Kennedy said—”
“I’m fine.”
“Sure.” He just cleared his throat, and it pissed me off.
I let myself ask before I could stop the one question that had been on my mind for years. “Have you ever heard from him?”
“Him, who? The killer?” His eyes widened out of his head. “No! Why? Have you?”
“No.” I pulled my chin in. “I only ask because he got a good look at us, and I always wondered if he followed us that day. You know, followed us home.”
“No,” he repeated, “I’ve never seen him since that day. Same goes for you, right?”
“Right.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, Brad, it was just a curiosity thing. Let it go.” I felt myself shut down.
This was the reason I never spoke about the topic, because look where it got me.
Now he’d doubt me and wonder if I was all messed up.
And why did I have to bring up fucking Sherry?
She’d always been a sore spot for me, a wound that had never healed.
Here I was in bed with a man I’d loved nearly my entire life, and I brought her up.
“I wish I could read your mind sometimes.” He flopped back on the bed with a heavy puff. “Because you’re maddening, woman.”
“I know.”
“You’re such a stubborn woman,” I heard him whisper, then he suddenly reached out and pulled me into him, then wrapped his leg over mine as his arm went around my waist. “You can push me away emotionally, but you’ll have to fight me physically if you want me to leave you alone.
” He chuckled because we both knew he could pin me down and I couldn’t wiggle free.
He moved his hand into my hair and held my head in place.
“I will break you down, Bree.” He was serious, but his eyes softened in low light.
“Because I don’t want you living with all that fear. ”
“I’m really okay.” I pulled myself together. “I think it’s just you and me here, where we are—it’s just bringing back all those emotions and memories.”
“I can understand that.” He yawned and moved his warm hand to my hip. “Let’s see about getting some sleep.”
“Okay,” I whispered. I tried not to focus on the heat caused by his touch and let my gaze drift to the side walls of the tent.
The shadows from the branches were dancing around the canvas when suddenly, they morphed into a silhouette of a man, and I squeezed my eyes shut tight and wrapped my fingers around Brad’s arm.
You’re fine, Bree. He’s not out there . . .
The next morning, I was happy to overhear a few comments about how much fun the guests had had. I knew my sister would want satisfied customers who’d give good reviews.
“Storm’s coming in, quick.” One of the ranch hands pointed to the dark sky. “I think we should head back.”
“I agree.” He went to tell the others while I quickly gathered my things and went to get my horse. Brad was already mounted as I drew close.
“Morning.”
“Morning.” I avoided eye contact, feeling a little uncomfortable about him witnessing my night terrors.
He pulled back on his reins as his horse started to move. “Don’t pull away from me, Bree, just because you were vulnerable.”
I didn’t answer, but he was right. I was good at keeping people at a safe distance. I put my foot in the stirrup and hiked myself into the saddle as the others joined us.
“Ready?” I asked. “We’re going to go a little faster to make it back before the storm.” I led the way, and they fell in behind me.
Once we got home, the ranch hands gathered the horses, and the guests raced to get out of the wind that had picked up. Brad and I quickly helped Charley and the others put the horses away.
I finished up and headed outside. “You feel like working?” I whirled around to see Brad’s fit body as he leaned against the door. Why did his T-shirt have to be so tight on his arms? Nothing was left to the imagination, and I was totally all right with that.
“I feel like a shower more than working.”
“All right.” He pushed off the wall. “Let’s get cleaned up then, and I’ll meet you back at your cabin in, say, an hour.”
“Okay.”
He moved to stand in front of me and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I resisted the urge to lean into him.
“If you overthink things and don’t answer the door, I might be inclined to come looking for you. So unless you want some company in that shower . . .” He winked playfully, and I let out a light laugh and started to walk backward as my heart thumped against my rib cage.
“I’ll see you soon, Brad.”