Cocky in a Cowboy Hat (Crossroads Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  He couldn’t help.

  Placing his palms on either side of her face, he looked into her eyes. “Liberty, tell me what happened so I can do something about it.”

  “I-I wanted to buy the Windswept with that money. The ranch was a way to regain my soul after I gave so much to that man all those years. Then the horrid divorce and not even a child in my life for comfort.”

  He stared at her. “It isn’t too late to have that, sweetheart. You’re young.”

  “That isn’t what I mean.” She slashed a hand through the air. “Redding had no right to touch my inheritance money!”

  “Wait—he what?” The deadly calm in Aidan’s tone jolted her from her deep swamp of despair.

  She met his eyes. “It could only be Redding. Nobody else would ever be able to guess at my account information. I changed passwords and usernames, and somehow…I don’t know how…he stole half my money! Money meant to buy my ranch.” Her tone faltered, and she struggled not to break down in helpless tears.

  “But your divorce is final, right?”

  She nodded.

  “How could he do this? He has no right to half of anything anymore.”

  “I know! That was mine. The money came to me at the very end of my divorce, but my attorney assured me that the inheritance couldn’t be touched because of the terms of the divorce and so on.”

  “You need to call your attorney right away, Liberty. This is a criminal thing.”

  She shook her head. “He’s doing it to get a rise from me.”

  “You can have the state prosecute.”

  “I don’t have any fight left in me, Aidan. It will probably take up the rest of the money I have too. Believe me, I know. Anything I did gain in the divorce, I had to sell to give me enough to battle him. So in the end…he gets it anyway.” Her words trailed off in stunned silence.

  He searched her face.

  “I…I have to ride.” She stood so quick that Aidan stumbled out of his crouch in order to get out of her way. She took a few hurried steps to the porch steps and leaped off. As she bolted toward the barn, she heard Aidan calling out for her. But she ignored him and went straight for a saddle.

  “Liberty, wait. Can you even ride? It’s not safe.” His tone burned with worry, but she ignored him as she swung into the saddle and took off across the field.

  Toward the Windswept—the land that should have been hers and wasn’t and now no land ever would be. Without that big nest egg, she would never come up with a down payment to purchase any ranch and live out her dreams.

  Hot tears flooded her cheeks and her nose ran. She turned the horse into the wind and galloped across the field.

  Damn Redding to hell. He knew that fighting him would require more attorney fees, more of her money down the toilet. More bitter fights, sleepless nights filled with anxiety. He banked on her not coming after him, and he’d be right that she was tired of fighting.

  Tired enough to give in and let him have what rightfully belonged to her?

  Maybe. She wasn’t able to tell through the ice block of emotions freezing up her insides.

  She rode on until they crossed the boundary. Up ahead she saw the fence she and Aidan worked so hard on. In the distance, the house that required updates Aidan claimed bordered on a money pit. But still, it made her cry to think about how much she wanted that house and never would have it or any other.

  * * * * *

  Aidan watched Liberty launch off the steps and fly across the yard. He’d come to care whether or not she was happy—and after last night he felt insanely protective of her.

  So how can I help her?

  He paced the porch several times, his boots thudding with every angry stomp.

  It hit him. For a moment, he stopped walking, fist pressed to his lips.

  He couldn’t break the man’s neck, but he could cut him off.

  Leaping the steps too, he landed with both feet planted on the ground before he sprinted after her. He reached the yard, unable to stop her before she spurred the horse. They galloped out of the yard, setting off for the field.

  “Dammit.” He went for his own mount, and though he’d been saddling a horse since the age of six, he fumbled with the straps in his haste. He rushed through the last steps and gave it a final tug.

  “Ready, girl?” He swung into the saddle and sent the horse sailing after Liberty. Up ahead, the woman headed for the Windswept. Of course she’d go there—she wanted that land. She said herself that it would be a refresher for the soul, and he hated himself for taking that from her.

  Of course, if her ex could take money, what would prevent him from taking her land? He must be stopped.

  “Yah!” He pushed his horse faster to catch up to her. As she crested a small rise, she dropped out of sight for a moment. Dammit, why did he picture all sorts of awful catastrophes befalling her? Her horse stumbling, both of them going down and Liberty injured.

  He reached the incline and breathed out in relief when he saw her galloping ahead of him. The woman could win races with her riding ability. He’d rarely seen anyone so fast.

  His heart drummed in his chest, seeming to thump his ribcage and jar him with each beat. Only one way to fix this mess came to mind.

  Was he really going to suggest it?

  “Liberty!” he called after her.

  She glanced over her shoulder but didn’t slow for him to catch up. She was like a wild animal, running out of fear. Running to the one place she dreamed would mean peace and safety.

  Goddammit.

  He stole the ranch from her. The least he could do was save her now.

  He closed the gap. When he drew close enough to catch her, he pulled ahead to cut her off. Her horse drew up fast to keep from careening into his mount. It wheeled to the side, and he reached out to snag the reins from her. “Whoa!”

  “Damn you, Aidan.”

  His heart flexed. Was she cursing him for winning that bid? Hell, nobody could curse him more than he did. He’d give anything to go back in time and change the number on the bid.

  “Talk to me, Liberty. Don’t run.”

  He walked the horses a minute to cool them down, and she remained seated, allowing him to take the lead.

  Next thing he knew, she leaped off the moving horse. She hit the ground with the agility of a cat.

  “Son of a—” He reined up, jumped down and followed her. Luckily, his horses were trained well and stayed put.

  “Liberty!” Damn, the woman even walked fast. His legs were longer, though, and he caught her by the shoulder, whirling her to face him.

  The anguish on her pretty face ripped his freakin’ heart out. He clamped his fingers on her upper arms and ducked his head to capture her gaze. “Let me help you, baby.”

  “There’s nothing to help. Redding took the money, and to get it back means I have to spend more. Knowing him, that was his goal. He got wind that I had an inheritance and set out to get every last penny, one way or another. It’s over. I can’t win.”

  “Yes, you can. Listen to me.”

  She turned her face aside, but he continued anyway. “I know a way.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t know that man. He spent a year doing everything in his power to ruin my life. Whatever your idea is, it won’t work.”

  “Marry me.”

  The words dropped like two asteroids from the sky.

  She whipped her head around to look at him. “You’ve lost your damn mind, Aidan Bellamy.”

  “No, I haven’t. Your ex thinks he can touch your money, but if we’re married, it becomes partly my money.”

  “Oh no. No, no, no.”

  He tightened his hold on her to keep her in place. “Liberty, it’d be a fixed arrangement. You keep your money no strings and you can save to buy another ranch somewhere…if that’s what you want.” The idea of her leaving twinged in his chest.

  “You’re crazy. I don’t want to marry you. I don’t want to marry anyone ever again!”

  “I won�
��t take offense to that, knowing what you went through with your ex. But listen to me—this can work.”

  “I can’t fight the man anymore.” Her voice came out as a wail.

  “I understand, and I don’t blame ya. You’re tired, drained emotionally, spiritually and everything between.”

  Tears swam in her eyes, and his urge to shield her amplified.

  He smoothed his touch down her arms and caught her hands in his. “You don’t have any fight left, but goddammit, I do. I’ve got the resources to break your ex into a million pieces that we can scatter right here on the Windswept if you want.”

  Her eyelids fluttered and then she closed them, blocking Aidan out.

  Squeezing her fingers, he went on, “Marry me and it protects your money from him. In the meantime, let me consult with my attorney and see what can be done to make him return the funds to your account.”

  She still didn’t open her eyes. The woman was shutting down before his eyes, and it killed him. He wouldn’t let her be broken anymore.

  He cupped her face and brought her into his arms. She didn’t fight him when he kissed her between the eyes. “I can help. Let me help.”

  “Aidan, you don’t know what you’re getting into by fighting Redding. He’s got an empire’s worth of money backing him.”

  He drew back to hold her gaze. “Who says I don’t?”

  “I can’t allow you to put yourself on the line this way. The man will take everything from you too.”

  At that, he let out a barking laugh. “I’d like to see him fucking try.”

  She went silent, staring off across the Windswept. “I can’t marry you, Aidan.”

  He cradled her face and searched her eyes. “I promise it would be a business deal. No strings. I won’t force you into my bed or make you run the sweeper.” His attempt at a joke fell flat.

  When she withdrew from his hold, he closed his hands on the emptiness. He watched her pace off, his hopes that she would take him up on his offer crumbled like a tower collapsing on itself until it lay as rubble at his feet.

  With her spine to him, he noted the slump of her shoulders and the bow of her head. In a blink, she’d gone from a strong, confident woman to a cracked shell of herself. What that bastard ex of hers had taken from her, Aidan would give back—if she only gave him the chance.

  He walked up to the horses, grabbed the reins and started walking them to give her time to think. The least he could do was give her space.

  * * * * *

  Shock fogged Liberty’s brain, creating a haze she could hardly see through. The rich green fields seemed dulled. The house in the distance actually took on the look of a dilapidated structure. Maybe she’d been hasty in trying to make a grab for the property. Her need to find peace and settle meant she hadn’t looked close enough.

  But she was looking close at Aidan.

  Marriage…dear God, what made the man offer for her hand? They weren’t living in an era where women couldn’t hold property.

  Yet, she heard the merit in his idea. Redding would come after her without a second thought, but an affluent rancher with a big family backing? Her ex would most likely run the other direction from that fight.

  No strings.

  She could think of worse things than being married to a hot man who wanted to help her. But she’d been down the wedded bliss road before and look how it turned out.

  Redding would never stop. More of her money would swirl down the toilet, wrapped up in fees and retainers and court costs. Even if she let him have that money without battling him for it, he’d find something else to come after her for. There didn’t seem to be a place on Earth where he couldn’t place his finger on her and dig it in to leave a bruise.

  She believed she put that all behind her.

  Pivoting, she sent a glance at Aidan walking the horses.

  He was a good man. He had absolutely nothing to gain from his offer.

  She walked toward him. Catching her approach from the corner of his eye, he stopped.

  When she got within ten feet of him, she met his gaze. The ice blue depths burned with anticipation.

  “I need some time to think, Aidan.”

  He gave a nod. “I understand.”

  “I’m going to walk a bit.” She waved toward the wide open space.

  “Want me to leave your horse?”

  “It’s okay. Go on to the house. I’ll walk.”

  The tendon in his jaw twitched as he clamped off whatever he wanted to say to her. She appreciated his silence more than he’d ever know.

  Without a word, he took a rope he often carried looped to his belt and hooked the horses together so he could easily lead her mount home. She watched him a moment before turning to go.

  Only when she heard the hooves pounding turf did she glance back at the man who was coming to her rescue—her knight in dusty boots.

  Chapter Eight

  Night had fallen hours ago. Liberty had sat on the porch of the old house and watched the fireflies light up the fields. She’d also gained a fair amount of mosquito bites.

  After long hours of solitude, she walked to the ranch. Aidan left the porch light on for her, along with a small lamp burning in the living room. As Liberty opened the door, her throat clogged with emotion.

  Everything in her life felt like one big tangled up knot. What she’d come to realize while sitting for most of the day just thinking, was that one strand of the knot extended to Redding. One was her own baggage, still not totally worked through after therapy or a couple weeks doing the work she loved here on Aidan’s ranch.

  And one thread ran straight to Aidan. All the mixed-up feelings the man brought out in her were far too much to dismiss as a casual one-night stand. His friendship meant more to her than anything in her life right now.

  She closed the door quietly behind her and listened for Aidan. She only heard the tick of the clock and the hum of the refrigerator. After shedding her boots, she drifted into the kitchen. At the old house, she’d discovered some glasses left behind in the outdated kitchen, and outdoors she found a spigot that still worked. After allowing the water to run for a solid five minutes, had drank on and off during her long day of thinking. But she wanted a cold, refreshing sweet tea before she went in search of Aidan.

  Maybe she should add a shot of whiskey to the tea—it might give her the courage to say what she wanted to Aidan.

  With the glass in hand, she opened the fridge and blinked at the light. She shifted a pot with the spoon stuck in it to the side. Some congealed mess of beans, ground beef and some tomatoes seemed to have been Aidan’s dinner.

  Not only was the man a slob but he was no chef. A small smile formed on her face as she poured the tea. She leaned on the counter and drank the entire glass. The tick of the clock had a soothing effect on her. A glance at it told her it was just past ten.

  She felt guilty that Aidan took responsibility for the chores all day while she sat alone having a mini mental breakdown.

  Funny, though, most of the day she’d thought about Aidan.

  She set the glass in the sink, replaying their spats about who would do the dishes and how he’d lost several times.

  It occurred to her that he let her win some of those arguments.

  As she navigated the dark hall leading to his bedroom, she drew in deep breaths to find some calm. She stopped in front of Aidan’s door. Heart thumping, she had a moment’s panic. Did she really want to wake him? Did she really want to tell him she’d made a decision?

  It would change everything between them.

  She steeled her spine and rapped lightly on the door.

  He whipped it open in seconds, as if he stood just on the other side waiting for her to come to him.

  Liberty dropped her stare to his bare chest that she’d braced her hands against while she rode him the night before, and then ticked her gaze up to his. He swallowed hard.

  “You all right?” he rasped.

  She nodded.

  “Do you
wanna talk?”

  She was thankful he understood without her asking. Yet another thing she liked about Aidan Bellamy.

  She nodded, and he stepped aside to allow her into his room. When her gaze landed on the bed where he’d given her numerous orgasms, her nipples bunched up. She turned aside, thinking there were better places to hold this conversation and that having a bed so close would be a distraction.

  He didn’t bother to close the door but turned to her. “You wanna sit?”

  On the bed? No, she wanted to curl up next to him.

  “I don’t think so. I only came to tell you that I made a decision regarding your offer.”

  He drew his shoulders back and waited, his hands opening and closing at his sides. Tension rolled off him.

  She offered him a nervous smile. “I accept your offer.”

  He twitched his head as if in disbelief. “What? You accept?”

  She nodded.

  His shoulders rolled forward, and he released a huff of air.

  “You seem surprised.”

  “You were gone all day. I figured you took off. Then you knock on my door and tell me that you’ll marry me.”

  She spread her fingers. “I thought a lot, and it seems like a solid plan.”

  He stepped toward her. Her insides melted at his closeness and the scent of man and leather that never seemed to wash away no matter how much he showered. While she didn’t move, he did, leaning in and gently brushing his lips across her forehead. The tender caress warmed her through, and she was glad he didn’t make more demands on her body.

  “Better start planning a weddin’.”

  She moved a step from him. “What? I thought a simple exchange at the JP—”

  “No way. Not good enough for a Bellamy. My family will need to be there. Something small—fifty people? Here on the ranch. We’ll clean out the garage together and hang some balloons.”

  She blinked up at the man, as shocked by his whirlwind plans as she was with the excited butterflies taking flight in her belly.

  “When”—she paused to clear her throat—“when would you want this to take place?”