Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Tyler
It’s been four solid days since I brought Delaney home after she called me about the fire.
She hasn’t gone back to work yet. She couldn’t.
Not while dealing with figuring out everything she needs to replace.
I put her up in my room and slept on the couch the first two nights, but the couch, though comfortable to watch TV on, wasn’t meant for sleeping.
I ended up waiting for her to fall asleep before joining her, last night and the night before. I keep telling myself it’s better this way. I’m able to keep a better eye on her.
Both nights have been torture with her right next to me, mostly because every morning, I woke with her in my arms. Her petite body pressed against me, that perky ass of hers against my cock. I made sure I was out of bed before she woke.
I didn’t want her to catch my son or me walking in and be confused as to what’s going on here. I wasn’t sure myself. Delaney baffled me more than any woman has in the past. Not that any of them caught my attention the way she has.
It’s unnerving in a lot of ways.
With all the shit she’s had to put up with the past few days, she hasn’t fought me much about her staying in my room. The first night she protested, but it didn’t take much convincing to get her to sleep in my bed.
Every morning she slept through me doing what I had to do to get ready for the day.
Even my shower, where I had to relieve the pressure in my dick because of her.
That was something else that irritated me.
I couldn’t get off with just a simple jerking off, it had to be images of her playing in my head.
It hadn’t been hard to imagine her on her knees.
I’d been able to bring up some good visuals of her with just the one time I had her beneath me.
Not to mention seeing her walk around my house wearing nothing more than jersey shorts that barely cover her ass, and tank tops don’t help my situation.
Even the few times I’d seen her in oversized tees that hide what she’s got on underneath.
Lexy thought I was crazy at first when she came home and found Delaney in the house.
I had to tell her what was going on. To say she lost it on me at first, demanding to know what I was thinking, bringing a woman that I’d knocked up into the house.
We ended up in a heated argument where she claimed I didn’t learn my lesson the first time around.
However, it seems in a matter of days Delaney won Lexy over, and they’ve become friends. It was Lexy who offered her the shorts and tank tops to wear until Delaney was able to go shopping to replace the clothes she’d lost in the fire.
Something she’d done yesterday after her brother came by the house after getting back from handling something for the club.
I don’t think I’d ever seen the man as freaked as he’d been over the fire.
The two of them ended up in a heated argument of their own.
All because she hadn’t sent him a text or left a voicemail.
He had to hear about it from the fire department instead.
I wanted to intervene between the two of them, but it wasn’t my place.
I simply sat back and listened to them. Some of the colorful words Delaney used were hilarious for the most part, as she didn’t use cuss words toward her brother, and I found that when directing his anger at her, he didn’t either.
By the end of the argument, he pulled her into a hug and held her close, whispering something I couldn’t hear.
Mammon did try to get her to go to the clubhouse with him, but I put my foot down and said she’d stay here.
He hadn’t liked it at first, but I wanted her here and wasn’t going to back down.
I shouldn’t have backed down the first time I offered to let her stay with me.
Delaney reluctantly agreed with me that she was fine here.
We still hadn’t talked much. I went to work, and she stayed at the house while Dash went to school and Lexy went to the hospital.
One thing I quickly learned about Delaney is that she doesn’t sit still for long.
Tuesday after work, I came home and found the entire house clean, top to bottom.
There wasn’t a spec of dust to be found.
Wednesday evening, she washed all the laundry that was built up, including the sheets off all of the beds.
Last night, I stepped inside my house to the smell of her cooking a chili with five different beans in it and jalape?os.
It was so good it rivaled Judy’s, and she’s won contests at the local fair.
Now, this morning, I find myself conflicted about her. I like having her here. Dash seems to as well. Even Lexy likes having her here.
After dropping my son off at school, I return to the silent house, regretting my thoughts about her, and head to my room to get my forgotten Stetson from the dresser. If we weren’t running late this morning, I wouldn’t have forgotten it in the first place.
The moment I step into my room, I hear Delaney in the bathroom gagging, and my steps falter. Should I go in there? Make sure she’s okay? Leave some crackers out for her? Maybe some of the ginger tea I found she likes?
I shake my head, grab my hat, and head back out. It’s not my place. We haven’t gotten to that place yet. Though on my way out, I stop in the kitchen, grab a mug, set it down on the counter next to the water kettle, and set a tea packet in front of it.
I stand there for a moment, staring at the mug, wondering what the hell I’m doing. This woman has me twisted up in ways I never thought possible. Not even my ex ever had me tied up in knots, and she was one vindictive bitch with issues.
I’m thirty years old, for Christ’s sake.
I should have my shit together more than I do.
I knew the risks when that condom broke all those weeks ago when we slept together under the stars.
I should’ve manned up and talked to her about it then.
She even confirmed she knew it broke without me telling her.
She opted not to take any preventative measures.
That was her choice to make, and I can’t say I don’t agree with her, ‘cause I wouldn’t want her to have done that.
Shaking my head, I grab a travel mug and pour myself a cup of coffee.
Thankfully, it is still hot since the brewing happened hours ago.
I check my watch and grimace. Maddox is going to be pissed I’m running this late.
I should already be at the barn. I’m never late.
Not without a damn good reason. Thankfully, Maddox has always been understanding, knowing I’m a single dad, but even that comes with limits.
It’s one of the reasons I don’t like being late for work.
He put his trust in me, promoting me to ranch manager, and I don’t take it lightly. I never have.
With coffee in hand, I head for the front door once again as my phone rings in my pocket. Unless I’m on my horse, I keep the ringer loud for emergency purposes.
I pull it out to find Maddox calling me.
“I’m just heading to the barn,” I say, putting it to my ear, thinking that’s the reason he’s calling.
“We’ve got a problem at the front gate,” he states. Even through the phone, I can hear the anger in his voice. “You need to get down here.”
“I’m on my way,” I tell him and disconnect the call. He’ll know that I’m back on the ranch when I came through the gates. He gets a notification anytime the gate opens.
I rush down the steps and to my truck. I climb in behind the wheel, shoving the key in the ignition. My mind goes through all the scenarios of what could be going on while I head down the lane and park behind Maddox’s truck.
I find him standing at the gate facing off with . . . my step falters at the sight of the woman on the other side.
“What the hell are you doing here, Megan?” I demand, shaking off the surprise and stalking toward the gate.
“She refuses to leave without speaking to you,” Maddox grunts, stepping back.
“Tyler,” she breathes my name, her eyes lighting with glee.
“What do you want?” I want nothing to do with this woman. I don’t want her here or anywhere near where my son lives. It’s a good thing she can’t get past the gate and that Dash is at school. Not that he would know who she is if he saw her.
“I wanted to see you. Let you know that I’m back in town,” she says, batting her lashes at me. “I’ve missed you and Dash so much.”
“I don’t want to hear that shit from you. You need to get off this property and not come back. You’re not welcome here.”
"It's like beating a dead horse," Maddox grunts. "I told her to leave six fucking times. I'm too much of a gentleman to put my hands on a woman, even one as vile as her, but I don't have an issue calling the sheriff down here."
I nod, not taking my eyes off the woman. He’s willing to do it, which I appreciate, but it’s my responsibility to report it.
“I just want to talk.” She pouts.
“And you have nothing I want to hear,” I snap, clenching my fists at my side.
“You’re my husband, Tyler. I want to come home.” Cue the tears, as if those will work on me.
“I’m your ex-husband, Megan. You don’t have a home here. Dash and I aren’t anything to you. You aren’t allowed anywhere near us, not with the protective order in place. I will call the sheriff’s office, they will see that you are taken back to prison. You don’t want that, do you?”
I would love nothing more than to see her thrown back in prison. I hate the bitch for what she did to Dash.
Megan’s eyes clear of any tears, and she narrows her them. “You won’t keep me away. I always get what I want, and you know it.”
“Not this time you won’t,” I inform her, done with this conversation. I pull my phone back out of my pocket and make the call to the sheriff’s department. After asking them to send a deputy out to Fallen Meadows Ranch, I hang up and look at Maddox.
“They're sending someone out,” I tell him.
Maddox nods, "Good. Why don't you head back to your place? I'll stay here until one of the deputies arrives, and show him the footage from the cameras here at the gate. If he has any questions for you, I'll send him over."
“I’m sure he’ll have questions. I appreciate you waiting for them.” I don’t want to be around Megan any longer than I have to.
"Not a problem." He pauses for a beat. "You should take the day. I got the ranch. You just worry about how you're going to handle this mess."
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s a good thing Maddox isn’t just my boss, but my best friend. I’ve not once taken him for granted, and I never would. I might call him out on his shit when it’s needed, but I’ve always respected Maddox as the boss. Before he took the reins, I did the same with his granddaddy.
I nod and move back to my truck. I need to get back to my house and gather the paperwork for the deputy. They’ll be able to look up whatever documents they need, but it’s always good to have the physical copies on hand to show.
Reversing my truck just enough to turn around, I head back to the house, glancing in the rearview mirror, seeing Megan hightailing it for her little beater of a car.
Guess she isn’t going to wait around for the deputy to show.
Pity. I wouldn’t have minded. She’d have made it that much easier for them to take her back where she belongs.
Within minutes, I pull back up in front of the house, park my truck, turn the key switching the engine off, and head back inside.
“What’s going on?” Delaney asks when she sees me rifling through a file folder.
“Are you feeling better? I heard you earlier in the bathroom.” I speak up without glancing at her. I need to find what I’m looking for before the deputy gets here.
“So, it was you that set out the tea for me. Thank you. I’m just heading out to sit on the porch swing and enjoy some fresh air,” she huffs. “Fresh air always seems to help after . . .”
I lift my head as I pull what I need out of the folder to see she has showered and is now dressed in a pair of leggings and a tank top that molds to every curve of her body.
“That’s good.” I nod. “I’ve got something to handle, but why don’t I join you when I finish?” I don’t know why I offer to do this, but being around her seems to ease something inside me. The very something that calls to her.
Delaney draws her bottom lip between her teeth and nods. I watch her from where I stay standing, as she moves to the kitchen and grabs the mug from the counter. It was clear she’d already been in there and prepped her tea at some point.
With the mug in hand, she heads for the front door.
I follow after her, barely stepping outside when a deputy car pulls up next to my truck.
They arrived here quicker than I thought they would.
I guess they didn’t need much from Maddox.
He probably gave a quick recount and forwarded the necessary footage to the deputy to make things easier.
“Why are they here?” she asks, glancing from the car to me.
“I’ll fill you in after I talk with them.
Just do me a favor and stay up here for now.
” I know I’m going to have to tell her about Megan.
She has a right to know all things considered.
First, I have to deal with this, then call my lawyer’s office and tell them about this stunt.
I hope with Megan’s appearance here today, the courts will view this as a violation of her PO, and return her to prison for the rest of her sentence.
“I’ll just be on the swing,” Delaney says, taking a step in that direction.
I reach out, snagging her around the waist, pulling her to me. “Thank you,” I tell her and press a kiss to the top of her head.
What the hell is wrong with me? It’s like I get around her and I do stupid shit like kiss her like that. I shouldn’t, but I can’t seem to stop myself.
Letting her go, I move to the deputy. Hopefully, this won’t take long, and I can go on to figuring out what needs to be done next.
I don’t like that Megan just popped up at the front gate refusing to leave, but I should have expected it.
Honestly, I think a part of me forgot about her for a little while.
I mean, I knew from Barnes she was in town, but I hadn’t seen or heard from her as I expected, so she went to the back of my mind. I shouldn’t have let myself do that. Megan is a vindictive bitch, and I should have planned on her doing something like this and not been taken unaware.
But I let my head be filled with another woman altogether. One that seems to be working her way under my skin in a way that I like. The worst part is, she’s not even trying to do it, she just is.