Chapter Eight
Colby
There’s nothing like a trip to town to remind me why I avoid it. Too many people, too much noise, and not enough whiskey to drown out the circus. But today, I’ve got a good reason for putting myself through the torture: River Thurston.
She’s sitting beside me in the truck, tapping her fingers on the armrest, while her other hand toys with the silver ring on her thumb. She does that a lot when she thinks no one is watching. I think it helps her stay focused.
I glance at her, and she looks away. That seems to be a common theme with us lately. Neither one of us knows where we stand with the other. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still interested. Quite the contrary.
That’s why I asked her to join me on this little outing. It’s been a while since she’s gotten away from the ranch. I figured a trip into town would help her relax. So, I claimed I needed a few things and asked if she wanted to ride along. Surprisingly, she said yes.
“What do you need to get in town?” she asks, breaking the silence.
“I’ve gotta stop by the feed store, and then I was gonna stop and get something for lunch. Maybe grab a drink or two. You up for a night out on the town?”
She snorts. “Is this your way of asking me on a date, Burke?”
“Not a date. Just a night out with the boss.”
“Right. Well, as long as there’s booze and greasy food, you’ve got yourself a date, boss.”
I chuckle. “All right, darlin’. Let’s go get you a drink.”
Missoula is about as big as it gets in these parts, but it’s still a small town by most people’s standards.
There are a few bars, a couple restaurants, a hardware store, and the feed and tack store.
A few of the big box stores are located just off the highway, and they have a large grocery store, a movie theater, and a few shopping plazas, but most of the locals prefer the local shops.
It’s not busy, since it’s the middle of the afternoon, but there are a few people milling around the square. Most everyone stops to stare as we walk by. Whether it’s because I’m Colby Burke or because I’m walking next to River, I’m not sure, but I’d put my money on the latter.
River Thurston has a tendency to draw attention wherever she goes.
I push open the door to the saloon and step aside to let her pass. “After you, darlin’.”
“Such a gentleman,” she teases, rolling her eyes, but the smile on her lips could light up the damn night sky.
As soon as we walk in, the bartender, an old friend of mine named Hank, lifts his chin. “Hey, Colby.”
“Hank. How’s the missus?”
“Oh, she’s just as mean as ever.”
“Good. Wouldn’t want you to get complacent. Can I get a whiskey neat and whatever the lady wants.”
Hank leans his forearms on the counter and winks at River. “What can I get ya, sweetheart?”
“Just a beer is fine,” she tells him.
“You sure? You can get whatever you want. On me.”
“Thanks, but I’m easy.”
Hank nods and turns to the taps. He pulls her a beer and slides it across the counter. “Here you go, darlin’.”
“Thank you.”
“You two sit wherever you’d like. It’s a little dead tonight. Not much happening.”
“Thanks, Hank.” I tip my hat to him before I lead River over to a corner table and pull her chair out. She gives me a look but doesn’t comment. “They’ve got your basic bar food. Burgers, fries, wings, that sort of thing.”
“Sounds good.”
“Yeah? Want a burger or something?”
“Sure. And a basket of onion rings.”
“You got it. Hey, Hank! Two orders of wings, an order of onion rings, and a cheeseburger.”
“Got it!”
While Hank gets our food, River and I make idle conversation, talking about the ranch and her parents’ farm. She tells me a few stories about her life on the farm, and I share a few of mine. We both grew up working the land. That’s something we’ll always have in common.
When our food arrives, we eat and drink, and she tells me about the time her brother caught her making out with a boy in the hayloft.
“My dad was so mad,” she tells me. “I had to cut the lawn all summer and shovel horse shit for the better part of a year.”
“But was it worth it?” I ask.
“Oh, absolutely.”
I laugh and take a sip of my whiskey. It burns on the way down, warming my stomach.
“Growing up, I always imagined I’d raise my kids on that ranch. I was so in love with the land, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But that’s the thing about dreams. Life happens, and sometimes, things don’t go the way you planned.”
“I really am sorry to hear about your father losing that place. I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”
“It sucked. It really did. Especially since it happened right after my mother passed. Everything went to shit so fast. Dad was devastated. And I didn’t know how to help him. All I could do was watch the light leave his eyes.”
I reach over and put my hand on her knee. “Sometimes, shit just happens, and you can’t do anything but keep moving.”
She sighs and looks down at the table. “Why did you hire me, Colby? I know damn good and well you had no interest in bringing a woman into the mix. You told me as much. So, why’d you do it?”
“Truth?”
“Always.”
“Because I owe your father a lot. When he asked me to look out for you, I couldn’t say no.”
“So, you’re only keeping me around because my dad asked you to?”
“No. I gave you a shot because I was honor bound to. But you’ve earned your place. You’re a hard worker, and you know your way around horses.”
“Gee, thanks. You’re really buttering me up, aren’t you?”
“Would you stop? What I’m saying is, I wouldn’t have kept you around if you weren’t good at your job. And you’re good. Better than I expected.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“You bet your ass, it is.”
River shakes her head and sips her beer. “Thanks, I guess.”
“Anytime, darlin’.”
The next hour flies by as we eat and drink and talk about everything and nothing at all. The crowd starts coming in, and the volume inside the bar rises, but we hardly notice at all. At least, I don’t. River has captivated my every thought.
I want her. Plain and simple.
But I can’t push her. I have to let her come to me.
“You about ready to call it a night?” I ask her.
“Yeah, sure. Let me run to the bathroom real quick, and then we can go.”
“All right.”
River scoots her chair back and stands. “Be right back.”
I watch her walk off, admiring the view. That girl has the sexiest legs, and that ass—damn, I could write poetry about it. But it seems I’m not the only one who notices.
A man sitting at the end of the bar is watching her too, and something in his stare makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I throw back the last of my drink and wait for her to come back, keeping an eye on the guy.
He’s still watching her, and when she caches sight of him, her face turns whiter than a ghost. She stumbles, tripping over her own feet, and that’s when I know something is very, very wrong.
I stand, knocking my chair back. It falls to the ground, and several people look over at me. But my focus is solely on River and the man reaching out to grab her arm.
I move so fast, everything blurs. I’m around the table, between them. “Everything okay, River? Do you know this guy?”
“N-no,” she stammers. “Never seen him before in my life.”
“What the hell, River?” the man asks, reaching around me to grab her arm again.
“Get your fucking hands off her, or I’ll rip your goddamn arms off.”
He drops his hand. “Look, I just want to talk to her. We go way back.”
“I said no.”
“This doesn’t involve you, old man. So, if you’d kindly fuck off—”
“The lady doesn’t want to talk, and unless she says otherwise, I suggest you find someone else to bother. Understand?”
His eyes hold mine for a long minute, and then, without warning, he’s moving. His fist connects with my jaw, and stars dance behind my eyelids. The taste of copper coats my tongue.
“Colby!”
I shake it off and tackle him, shoving him against the bar. My fist slams into his cheek, and blood splatters. The bastard has a glass jaw. Good to know.
He tries to hit me again, but I’m too quick. I duck out of the way and come up swinging. This time, I nail him in the side. He doubles over, and I bring my knee up, nailing him in the nose.
There’s a sickening crunch, and his nose flattens.
“Colby! Stop! Please!”
I’m too far gone to listen. I grab him by the collar and drag him outside. People are staring, and Hank is telling me to cool it, but I can hardly hear any of it. All I can think is, if this asshole gets his hands on her, I’m going to kill him.
I shove him into the middle of the street, and he falls flat on the pavement. Blood drips down his chin, and he wipes his nose on his sleeve.
“Stay the fuck away from her, you got that? If I ever see you near her again, I’ll end you. Do you understand?”
“You’ve fucked up, old man. She’s not yours. She’s always been mine, and one day, I’ll come for her. And when I do, you’d better be out of the way, or I’ll kill you myself.”
“Colby. Please. Just leave it. Let’s go.”
River’s voice cuts through the red haze, and I look over to see her standing a few feet away. Her eyes are red-rimmed and filled with tears, and Christ, it breaks my heart.
I let the guy go and walk toward her. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you out of here.”
I wrap an arm around her shoulders and usher her toward the truck. When we reach it, I open the passenger door and help her inside, and then I rush around to the driver’s side and jump behind the wheel.
“Put your seat belt on, River.”
Her hands are shaking, but she does as I ask. Once I hear the click, I start the truck and take off, tires squealing.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“You want to tell me who that guy is?”
“Not really.”
“That’s too bad. Because you’re going to tell me.”
“It doesn’t matter, Colby. He’s no one.”
“He’s not no one. That bastard put his hands on you.”
“And you broke his nose.”
“Damn right, I did.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that?”
“Because I saw that fear in your eyes, and I wasn’t going to let him hurt you. Not while I was around.”
“I was handling it. You had no right to get involved. He could press charges, Colby.”
“And I’ll tell him exactly where he can go. Now, are you going to tell me who that asshole is or not?”
River’s silent for a long time. When she finally speaks, her voice is a whisper. “He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“The one you’re running from? Did he hurt you?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Yes, okay? Yes. He hurt me. More than you could ever imagine.”
“River, look at me.”
“Colby—”
“No, dammit, look at me.”
When she doesn’t, I put my hands on either side of her face and tilt her head up, forcing her eyes to mine.
“If that son of a bitch ever comes near you again, you tell me, and I’ll handle it. Do you understand?”
I expect some comment about how she can handle her own problems, but instead, her lip trembles, and a tear trails down her cheek. Right then and there, I know it without a doubt. She needs me, and God help me, but I’m not going to let her down.