Chapter 15
Darcy hadn’t gone back to bed at all.
Not just because the whole house smelled like smoke and burned wood, but because she was too keyed up to sleep. Everyone got to work once the shock and anger at the attack had subsided.
She’d never had anyone throw a flaming bottle of gasoline at a house she was inside before. It was terrifying on a level she couldn’t really articulate.
She’d been trying to sneak a peek at Ford and ended up being in the right place at the right time to battle the flames in the kitchen.
She’d been calling for help but she didn’t think anyone could hear her over the screech of the farmhouse’s fire alarms as well as the roar of the flames.
She shuddered as the image of the flames shooting up from the floor replayed in her mind.
“You okay, hon?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah, just trying not to think about what could have happened.”
Nancy was human like Darcy, and so was Tatum. She liked not being the only one who wasn’t a shifter.
And she still couldn’t get over knowing that there were people out there who could turn into animals!
“It’s easy to get caught up in the what-ifs in these situations,” Nancy said.
They’d been working for hours, washing linens and clothes that smelled of smoke, and now they were side by side in the kitchen, washing the walls and cabinets so Dexter could see what needed to be replaced and what could be salvaged.
Nancy wrung out her rag into the bucket and scrubbed at a streak of soot on the wall. “When I first met Dexter, it was just him and Khyle in the herd. I had to keep the secret from Dani, which was hard as heck, but it wasn’t until she met Neo that she learned the truth and that was such a relief.”
“My friend Rhomi is mated to a lion at the park. She must have hated not being able to talk to us about it. I’m thankful I have her to talk to, plus everyone here in the herd.”
“The herd already loves you because you’re Ford’s mate. They’ll become family to you too, the way they are to me and Dexter.”
It was already happening. When the fire had started, she’d worried about Ford, but also about everyone in the house.
Nancy dried off her hands on a towel and said, “Even when things have gotten messy—like what’s going on right now with Colton and his herd—the herd stands together. None of us are alone anymore, you included, sweet girl.”
“I really needed to hear that. Thank you.” Darcy and Nancy hugged and it made her eyes sting with tears.
They returned to their work, and Darcy found the steady rhythm of cleaning almost soothing.
She was going to ask Nancy about her life with Dexter when there was a sharp knock on the front door.
“It’s a little early for visitors,” Nancy said.
They both dropped their rags into the bucket and headed to the front door.
The knock came again, harder.
She wasn’t sure why she knew who was at the door, but she had a feeling in her gut that she did.
The door opened before they reached it, Cruz’s frame filling the doorway, his eyes filled with fury. “Darcy. We need to talk. Now.”
* * *
“Cruz? What are you doing here?” Darcy asked. He looked like he was ready to fight someone.
“When I got home from work this morning, I realized you hadn’t come home at all.
I called and you didn’t answer, so I used the app to locate you.
You’re just skipping work today?” His gaze swept around the foyer where soot covered the walls she and Nancy hadn’t had a chance to clean yet.
“And what the hell happened here? Don’t tell me nothing, because you’re right here in the damn middle of it. ”
Boots pounded across the porch and then Ford was there, pushing Cruz back from the house and standing in the doorway. Once more, Ford stood between her angry brother and her, and Darcy thought that was incredible. He had a sixth sense for when she was upset.
Freaking sexy man.
Focus!
“Back. Off,” Ford said, practically growling the words.
Cruz scoffed. “First of all, don’t tell me to back off. That’s my sister. She’s moving way freaking too fast and you’re going to break her heart when it all comes crashing down. And second, you clearly can’t keep her safe. She’s in danger with you. Look around!”
Darcy moved to stand next to Ford, wrapping her hand around his biceps.
She looked at her brother, seething on the front porch, and realized that she’d always seen him as her protector.
And maybe when they were young, his brand of pushy I know everything protection had served a purpose.
But standing there with Ford, who was like a sentry between her and danger, she felt something deeper, something stronger than what she and her brother shared.
Protection was one thing, but feeling safe? That was entirely different.
And Ford made her feel protected and safe.
Plus, she loved him.
She lifted her chin slightly and said, “I’m not leaving, Cruz. You can’t control me, and I don’t care if you think things are moving too fast. What happened last night doesn’t concern you. I’m safe with Ford, and that’s all you need to know.”
“So that’s it? You’re just throwing me away?” She could see hurt in his eyes, but he was still so angry.
“I’m not throwing anything away. My life is just changing.
When you find someone again, your life will change too.
You don’t get to dictate who I’m with or how fast things go, and for the record, Ford and I are doing just fine on that front, so you can take your opinions and kindly keep them to yourself.
Now go home, Cruz. I’ll talk to you later. When I’m ready.”
She could tell that Cruz didn’t like being told no. He’d expected to ride into things and be the rescuer, but she didn’t need rescuing. She had Ford and the herd.
He stared at her for a long moment, and then he turned and walked off the porch. Ford put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“Are you okay?” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.
She waited to answer until Cruz was gone, his engine revving as he gunned it onto the main road and then disappearing to nothing as he raced away.
“Yes and no. I’m okay because I’m here with you and that’s where I want to be. But I’m not okay because my brother is a giant jackass and can’t stand that I’m not doing what he thinks is right.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s not your fault.” She tilted her head to look at Ford. His eyes had little amber striations in them. “I just hate that he can’t be happy for me. But I’m not going to let him ruin things between us. Not when I’m so crazy about you.”
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Darcy.”
“I feel the same way.”
They took a walk to the pasture to get out of the house for some fresh air. He’d been busy with the other herd members working on the exterior of the house, so she hadn’t seen much of him once the sun had come up.
They talked for a while about the repairs, watching the cows and just enjoying the quiet morning. Then they headed back to the farmhouse to get back to work.
“Do you want me to run you to the apartment?” he asked when they reached the porch.
“What?”
“Well, I’ve been wondering if you still feel safe here. We haven’t talked much about what happened.”
“I feel very safe with you,” she said. “But I would like you to run me to the apartment later so I can pack a bag.”
He rested his hands on her hips and smiled, the one smile that made her knees feel all wonky and her heart pound. Sexy guy.
“I can absolutely do that.”
“I like being here. Fire bombs notwithstanding.”
He snorted, then he leaned down to kiss her. “I like you being here.”
They parted ways with a kiss, him going to the exterior to pick up where he left off, and her to where Nancy was still scrubbing away at the walls and cabinets.
“All okay, hon?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah. Cruz is a butt.”
“Brothers can be like that sometimes. I’m sure in his mind it’s justified, and he probably doesn’t realize how heavy-handed he’s being.”
“Yeah. I need to talk to him, but not today. We both need to cool down.”
“He’ll come around, I’m sure. He’s family.”
“I hope so.”
But Darcy also knew that it was okay if he needed some distance from her while she started a new chapter of her life. She still wasn’t ready to move into the farmhouse, but it would happen soon enough. She didn’t want to lose Cruz, but the ball was in his court right now.
She was just going to concentrate on cleaning and getting to know Nancy and the others in the herd. They were Ford’s family, and they were hers now too.