Chapter Twenty-Four
Henry and Etta’s felt different that afternoon. The usually peaceful hum of the place—the occasional whinny of a horse, the rustle of the breeze through the fields—was all drowned out by the discomfort of being in a room with everyone staring her down.
June’s stomach was a ball of nerves, churning and lurching with everything it had.
She gripped the edges of her shawl tightly, as if it were the only thing keeping her on the ground.
It wasn’t just that the room felt uncomfortably crowded—it was that she was about to let the cat out of the bag about what the women had just seen earlier that day.
She tugged at the shawl, a nervous sweat starting at her neck and collarbone.
It’s too warm in here.
All three of the men were already gathered inside the living room with them. Their postures were rigid, their faces grim—ready for the worst.
Jack and Seth seemed the most stiff, clearly knowing there was a reason they were all summoned there on such short notice. June felt the weight of every pair of eyes in the room. Ada and Etta were afraid, she could feel it, and they looked to her to tell the men what they’d seen.
And the men also looked to her… for a different reason.
Like it was somehow her fault—all of it. Like she was the reason for their lives being turned upside down. Maybe that was just her own guilt talking.
Her fingers tightened around the back of the maroon armchair at the far corner of the room, near the fireplace. She cleared her throat, their stares all on her.
Just as she was about to speak, Henry cleared his throat. “Well? Are you going to tell us what’s got you all so spooked?”
Etta hesitated, her hands trembling as she gripped her dress fabric. June could see the war in her eyes, how much she was supposed to tell him.
“He’s here…” Etta said, almost so quietly that no one heard her.
But Henry did. His jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, ‘He’s here?’ Who?”
“Trey is here,” June blurted, getting to the point. “We have seen him, with Asher Burns. Hazel Hamilton’s new interest…”
She watched as Seth nervously leaned forward, kneading his hands as his jaw clenched.
After a moment of intense silence, Jack let out a low whistle, leaning back against the wall, as if to take it all in. “And what exactly does he want?” he asked.
June opened her mouth to speak, but Etta, surprisingly, spoke instead. “We don’t know exactly what he wants, but it won’t be anything good.”
“He wants us,” June said simply—more matter-of-factly than she had intended.
“June!” Etta cried. “You don’t know that exactly—!”
“It’s not just him wanting revenge,” Ada interjected, her tone more resigned than fearful.
“It’s about control. June is right. He’s here for us.
Trey has to have his way, and we’re his property.
If he thinks we’re all happily married, and some other men have intruded on his property, he’ll be riled up. ”
Seth’s gaze darted to June, his eyes filled with concern. “How long have you known?” he asked softly.
“A few days,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to say anything to you until I was sure—”
“And now you’re sure?” Seth interrupted, his tone sharp.
“We’ll take care of it,” Henry declared, standing up and brushing his hands as if clapping away dirt. He grabbed his gun and flicked his badge.
June felt herself growing impatient. Each of them still looked fairly impassive, and she wondered if they truly understood what kind of trouble they were all about to face.
Could they even really understand what this means?
“This isn’t your fight anymore. It’s ours now,” Jack declared.
June’s patience snapped. “You don’t get to decide that,” she shot back. “This is our fight. Trey doesn’t care if you’re the sheriff. You have no idea what he can do to all of you!”
Henry sighed. “June, I get it. You want to fix this. And Trey’s dangerous. We understand, but if he gets anywhere near any of you—”
“He won’t,” June interrupted. “I can get him to go away and leave everyone alone.”
Seth stepped forward then, and his eyes were locked on June. “And what happens if you get hurt? Or worse?” His voice cracked. “I can’t let that happen.”
June’s heart twisted at the vulnerability in his voice, but she refused to back down. “I don’t want to see you hurt, either, or Etta or Ada or Henry or Jack. That’s why I need to do—”
Seth shook his head, his frustration evident. “You don’t understand—”
“I do,” June interrupted.
The room fell silent—but only for a moment.
Finally, Seth’s low growl broke through. “We’ll handle it.” His jaw was so set that it was nothing but sharp angles. He turned to Henry and Jack. “The three of us can keep you all safe.”
June bristled, feeling frustration rising up in her chest. Why won’t he listen? Why is he being so stubborn?
“This isn’t your problem to fix!” she insisted. “We brought this here and you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
The room erupted into a myriad of voices, arguing with each other—mostly the men with June. Henry was pacing, Jack muttering under his breath, and Seth’s fists were clenched tightly at his sides.
Finally, Henry crossed his arms, his expression unreadable, but his voice soft now. “June, we get that you’re all scared and that you feel some sort of responsibility over the other two girls, but this is our fight now, too. No one’s touching any of you while we’re here.”
June threw her hands up. “You’re not listening! He’ll kill you all. Three bullets. That’s all it’ll take. He’s not afraid of the law, and he’s not afraid to claim what’s his.”
“June’s right,” Etta said, almost too quietly.
She was anxiously tugging at her dress, her eyes aimed down at her feet.
June barely heard her. “We lied to you all. This is our fault. We knew we owed Trey money, and we tricked you all into marrying us. This is our fight. This is our problem. We’ve caused enough grief to your life—enough for a whole lifetime. ”
Every word she uttered was more sorrowful than the last. By the time she’d finished speaking, tears streamed down her face as she choked on her syllables.
Ada nodded, her chin lifting proudly. “We’ll do whatever it takes to stop him, but we’re not sitting back and letting you risk everything for us.”
For some reason, that seemed to unite the men. All three faces became stern.
“You listen here!” Seth demanded almost angrily, waving his finger at June as his eyes blazed with more emotion than she’d ever seen. “You’re my wife, and you’re in trouble, and I’m gonna take care of this!”
“Seth, you—” June started but was quickly interrupted as he took a fiery step towards her.
“Don’t you understand?” His voice cracked with raw emotion, startling her as he threw his hands in the air. “I don’t care what it takes. I’m protecting you! All of you!”
His chest was heaving as he struggled for breath.
He was so riled up—so much so that June’s own breath caught in her chest. Seeing him unravel like this made her chest ache.
“Seth…” she began, her tone softening.
“I mean it,” he said with a hint of finality, the tail end of his words in almost a whisper. “I don’t care if he thinks he can kill me. You matter too much for me not to protect you, no matter what it takes.”
***
Neither June nor Seth spoke again until they reached the barn as they rode back to the ranch.
Henry had adjourned whatever meeting was happening in his home and suggested they all go home, rest, and discuss what to do together—with each of the men promising to protect their wives.
It was probably for the best, if June was being honest with herself.
She wasn’t sure how much more she could listen to.
How much her heart could handle.
Part of her hoped they’d never speak of it again, but when Seth dismounted, he waited for her, and although his expression wasn’t readable, she knew he was about to break down any and all walls she had left.
She slid off her horse and turned to him, unsure of where to start. Maybe there was something to say to keep them from talking about this right now.
“Seth, about earlier—”
He cut her off, stepping closer. “I meant what I said.”
June’s heart thudded painfully in her chest. She knew what he meant. She could see it. It was all over him.
It was in the way his green eyes softened when they looked at her. It was the way he kept her in his home, knowing that she had broken his trust—what little of it he had given her. It was in everything—and she was finally seeing it.
Her breath hitched as his hand brushed her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. He didn’t touch her much, but when he did, it felt like her skin was on fire.
“You don’t have to…”
“I do,” he insisted. “Because it’s true. I’d do anything to keep you safe. Not just because you’re my wife, either. Because this man is a coward, and I care about what he’s done to you. You mean somethin’ to me. More than I ever realized until now.”
June’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her heart raced as he stepped even closer. “I know I’ve been stubborn,” he admitted. “But I want you to know I’m done holding back. If there’s a chance that you want this too, I need you to know that.”
There was definitely more than a chance. Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered his name. “Seth…”
He cupped her face, his strong calloused hands burning as they held her. His thumb brushed her cheek. She shuddered.
“There’s something between us. Tell me I’m not wrong.” His eyes were so green.
She shook her head as a small laugh escaped her lips. “You’re not wrong.”
He leaned in, his forehead resting against hers for a brief moment. She could feel the warm breath of his lips cascade gently over her lips before they brushed gently over hers.
When they finally pulled apart, June smiled through her tears. “We’ve got a lot to figure out.”
Seth nodded as his hand rested still on her cheek. “We will. Together.”
She closed her eyes. For the first time that she could remember, she nodded, agreeing to let a man take the lead with her. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she felt true and genuine hope.
Trey Bishop better count his days.