Chapter Thirteen #2
She’d encountered her fair share of lewd men. But she couldn’t shake this time, somehow. At least Clara was going to spend some time inside with her. Help take her mind off it. And having someone with her inside while the boys were working felt…safer.
By the time they reached the ranch, Josie was even more tense than when she’d left. Which defeated the purpose of the entire trip. And she was no closer to any answers to the paramount question.
What does Grayson Remington want with me? Why was he watching me so closely?
And she got the feeling that company with Clara likely wasn’t the saving grace she needed. She needed time alone. To clear her head. To think through what had happened and why exactly she was feeling so on edge.
“Clara,” she began slowly, “you don’t have to stay. You said you have work you need to get done.”
“Oh, Josie, I don’t mind at all—” Clara began, but Josie interrupted quickly.
“Nonsense. You should get a start on those dresses. I was just being a worrywart. Thank you for today—you’ve already spent so much time with me. And you brought me home.”
Clara looked a little uncertain, but she nodded. “Well… if you’re okay, then… I suppose I’ll head back.”
Josie hopped off the wagon, wrapping a hand carefully around Samuel in his sling, and waved an absentminded goodbye to Clara. Then she turned and quickly went to the barn to grab Red. She still felt restless. Maybe a long ride would help to clear her head.
She sighed heavily as she opened the barn door. I need to figure out what to do. I need to—
“Josie!” Cash’s gruff voice from inside the barn shook her out of her thoughts. Mind still reeling, she glanced around confused until she caught sight of him. He was standing at the other end of the barn, against one of the stall doors, his bulky arms crossed over his chest.
“Where you been?” he asked, brow furrowed.
There it was again. That brusque tone. Josie bristled. “Town,” she said shortly, brushing past him toward Red’s stall, winding a protective arm around Samuel.
“Where you goin’ now?” he asked.
She shrugged. “For a ride.”
“Somethin’ wrong?” he asked, ignoring Red’s soft snort. The gelding appeared to be growing restless. It made sense—he could doubtless sense the tension between the two humans. The anger.
It was one of the reasons Josie had always loved horses. They could sense everything.
Unlike humans.
She didn’t want to turn and look at Cash, so she kept her eyes on Red. “Nothing is wrong.”
“Don’t lie to me.” Suddenly, his hand gripped her arm, and he was whirling her around to face him.
“Get off me!” Josie shook him away roughly, a twinge of fear flashing through her. She clutched impulsively at Samuel, locking both arms around him now. Inside his stall, Red whinnied and jerked away from the door.
“What’s wrong?” Cash demanded, anger laced through his voice.
“I don’t owe you an explanation!” she shot back, watching as his jaw ticked.
“You do when you get home and immediately come in here to take one of my horses,” he seethed, his teeth gritted. “That’s my horse, and if there’s a problem with my wife, I’d like to know about it.”
Josie could tell he was trying to simmer down, but he was clearly losing the battle fast. His face was red, and his brows were twisted. He had every reason to be questioning her, but she didn’t want to tell him she had run into Remington. She didn’t want to cause problems for them.
It was already clear that Remington wanted something.
Something with her. Something that very well might have had nothing to do with the ranch at all.
She was afraid that if his conversation with her at the store was any indication, then he was going to have even more of a reason to pick a bone with the Montgomerys.
“Josie…” Cash began in a warning tone. “Tell me what got you so spooked.” He looked like he was about to boil over.
Fine, then. Let him boil over. Josie was boiling over, too. “I said I’m fine. Just leave it.”
His expression darkened. “Josie—”
“Not everything is your business!”
Samuel began to cry, wiggling relentlessly in her arms—just as aggravated as Red. She half-turned away from Cash, rocking him, but it was halfhearted. The words she’d spoken had come out harsher than she’d intended, but she was too rattled to take them back now.
And she almost didn’t want to. Because that would mean having to explain herself, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to explain herself.
She wasn’t even sure herself what was happening.
There was no use telling Cash something that would only upset him more when it very well could have just been her imagination.
“We need to settle down,” she said stiffly, glancing back at him. “Samuel and Red are both trying to tell us…” Her voice trembled inadvertently.
Cash’s mouth pressed into a tight line. A long, tense silence settled between them.
“Fine,” he said coldly, before walking away.
Leaving Josie standing there with a crying Samuel—angry, scared, having to saddle up Red alone. But right now, she didn’t care that he wasn’t around to help.
She was going riding. Whether he liked it or not.