by Barb Han
“The question is who would benefit from framing my family?” Corbin said after a thoughtful pause.
“Or hurting me,” she stated. “Your family might have been caught in the crossfire.”
“Which doesn’t defend their actions. Their part in this is inexcusable,” Corbin said.
She wouldn’t argue there.
“We don’t know their exact involvement at this point,” she stated. “It’s unfortunate their names came up at all.”
The clock on the wall read seven o’clock. Exhaustion was settling into her bones, weighing down her limbs. “We should probably eat dinner and then go to bed.”
She caught how that might sound and her cheeks flames.
“I didn’t mean it to sound like…”
Corbin stood up with a smirk. She could have sworn she heard him say, too bad.
Granted, the kisses they’d shared in high school had imprinted her heart and invaded her thoughts—thoughts she didn’t generally have a difficult time controlling. But this was Corbin and those kisses were probably made better by the fact they’d been cooking up in her memory for more than a decade. Like a stock that had been simmering so long the ingredients melded together creating the perfect spice blend.
And that was exactly what the kisses were…perfect. There were other ‘P’ words that came to mind. Potent. Passionate. There’d been so much heat she feared she’d burn from the inside out if they kept going, and yet the urgency building inside her made it impossible to stop. She’d wanted more and felt no shame in taking it. She had no doubt they would be even better now.
Corbin was perfection. For his sake, she could only pray his uncle was telling the truth. Kellan had made no secret out of the fact he couldn’t stand her when she told him it was over. She’d probably hurt his ego more than anything else, but she really did feel truly felt awful for realizing she didn’t love him, and never would. He would never be Corbin and that wasn’t Kellan’s fault. The perfect person was waiting for him out there, somewhere. She’d told him so straight out, which only proved to make matters worse.
Then, he’d called her out for being in love with Corbin. She’d denied it, of course, going with the whole, “It’s me and not you,” speech. It was true, though. She was the one who was broken and couldn’t bring herself to love an otherwise perfectly good person. There was something wrong with her and now, looking at Corbin as he fixed a cup of coffee, she knew exactly what it was. No one could fill the void after losing their friendship.
Plus, Kellan had brought on all the charm when they went out. But after their marriage he’d turned into a jerk when he didn’t get his way.
Someone needed to tell him that she wasn’t a prize to be won. And the heart wanted what it wanted. She was relieved she’d seen Kellan’s true colors quickly after they’d separated. Guilt might have convinced her to give their relationship a second chance.
Her only regret was agreeing to a relationship when she’d been so devastated she could scarcely breathe. Lesson learned. And now the whole nightmare was about to end, and she…
The paperwork. She needed to sign the divorce decree. Would that make the nightmare go away?
“Any chance you have a lawyer who could review my divorce papers right now?”
12
Liv shouldn’t be divorcing Kellan to Corbin’s thinking. To be clear, it’s not that he wanted her to stay married to his cousin, but rather that she never should have married him in the first place. And yet a piece of Corbin blamed himself for letting it happen. He was beginning to see just how much she’d been in mourning and how much that likely clouded her judgment two years ago. Another stab of guilt pierced his chest that he wasn’t there for her. The fact she’d pushed him away should have made him double down. Dani’s pregnancy scam had distracted him and he’d let Liv down in the worst possible way.
“Can I ask a question?” Corbin probably shouldn’t go down this road, but he needed an answer.
“You can ask anything you want but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer.” She shrugged non-committal and refused to look at him. It had been a long day. Her shoulders slumped forward and she exhaled like she needed a minute.
“Never mind,” he said, realizing she didn’t need him rubbing salt in that wound. There was no going back to change the past now, so what was the use in talking about why she’d turned her back on him and married Kellan? “You’re tired and need a good night of sleep.”
She nodded, pushing off the table to stand. “It has been a day. All I want right now is a shower, food, and a bed. Not necessarily in that order.”
“I’ll heat up some of Mom’s leftovers and bring them upstairs if you want,” he said.
“You would do that for me?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“Yes,” he said, thinking he’d do just about anything for her.
“Give me fifteen minutes.” She stifled a yawn before heading into the adjacent room. “I just need to check my phone first.”
When he didn’t hear the stairs creak a minute later, he joined her.
“What is it?” he asked.
She was staring at the cell, scrolling with her thumb.
“No more threatening messages from Kellan but I have eight calls from a number that I don’t recognize and I’m trying to figure out who it is, in case it’s related to my interview tomorrow morning,” she stated.
One glance at the phone was all it took for him to be able to tell her. “That’s my uncle’s number.”
She tossed the phone like she couldn’t get it out of her hand fast enough. It landed on the sofa and bounced.
“I have nothing to say to him.” She took a step back. “He never once spoke to me the whole time I was on the ranch. He barely said two words to me on my…” She flashed eyes at him and seemed to think better of continuing.
An alarm split the air.
“My truck.” Corbin exploded out of the room but stopped the minute he stepped onto the front porch. He pulled his key fob from his front pocket and disarmed the alarm. The truck silenced immediately. There were no wild animals that he could see, and he wasn’t parked underneath a tree. There was nothing visible that would cause his alarm to go off. The most probable scenario was that a person was out there attempting to…what…damage his truck?
Did this person believe Corbin would come running out, leaving Liv exposed?
Anger shot through him as he surveyed the yard, the nearby trees, and the lane. There was no sign of movement. Not so much as a rustle in the trees. Was this a setup to get him outside? Or another prank?
“Pack a bag,” he said to Liv as he took a step backward into the house. He closed and locked the door before moving to the window.
“Why?” Liv was already there, surveying the area.
“I want to take you to the ranch,” he said, “and before you refuse, hear me out.”
“Go ahead.” She folded her arms. With her chin up in defiance, she searched for any signs of a person outside.
“There’s security at the ranch and I’ll be able to keep you safe there, for one,” he stated but he could already tell this was a losing battle.
“I can’t set foot on Firebrand property, Corbin. That would only make my life worse which, if you hadn’t noticed, isn’t all that great right now,” she admitted. “But that’s not the reason. I can’t leave here. They’ll tear the place apart if I’m not here to defend it.”
“We’re leaving in the morning anyway. What’s the harm in taking off a few hours early?” he asked.
“No, we’re not.” She shook her head. “The counseling center left a message. I’m not welcome there.” She turned her face toward him. “And just who do you think is responsible for that?”
“I’m guessing my uncle, because I know Kellan doesn’t have that kind of influence,” he stated.
“Turns out they got a new donor who wants to go in a different direction,” she said. “How did he even know?”
“Uncle Keifer has a whole lot of conne
ctions all over Texas,” Corbin said. As he watched out the window, a truck pulled in and parked alongside Corbin’s.
Brax stepped out of the driver’s side and Corbin moved to the porch, scanning the area for any threat.
“Hustle up,” Corbin waved at his brother.
Brax seemed to pick up on the stress of the situation. He picked up the pace. With one look, he got it. His chin went up and he glanced from side to side as he hopped onto the porch.
Corbin checked one more time before closing the door behind them both.
“What else happened?” Brax asked.
“My truck alarm just went off for no good reason.” Again, it might have been a lure, but he wasn’t taking the bait.
“When? Right now?” Brax moved to the window.
It seemed to dawn on all three of them at the same time.
“I scared them away,” Brax stated.
“It’s possible,” Corbin said.
“What are you still doing here?” Brax asked.
“I was just asking Liv to come to the ranch with me, but she made a good point. Leave here and someone could destroy the place,” Corbin supplied. He hated the way she stood there, arms crossed over her chest, looking like she’d run out of rope to hang onto.
“Then, I’m staying,” Brax said, leaving no room for doubt. “My wife is on the road and I’m not due to join her until the middle of the week. I’d be in the way at the ranch anyway.”
Most of that was probably true.
“What about the job interview tomorrow?” Brax asked.
Corbin shook his head.
“It doesn’t exist anymore,” Liv said quietly. He’d misread her a few minutes ago. It wasn’t defeat in her voice. She always got quiet when she was studying all angles of a situation. She was deep in thought, analyzing.
“How did that happen?” Brax asked.
“Our uncle became a donor,” Corbin answered.
“I thought he wanted her out of town and away from Lone Star Pass.” Brax’s eyebrow drew together.
“I’m pretty sure he just wants me destroyed at this point,” she said.
“You heard that he’s the mystery man behind—”
Brax compressed his lips and shook his head. “That son-of-a—”
“Yes, he is,” Corbin agreed.
Liv turned to face them. “If I have no job options, it looks like I’m digging my heels in and sticking around Lone Star Pass.”
“You don’t have to decide anything tonight,” Corbin stated, despite the fact his heart just galloped at hearing the news. She might change her mind when she had a chance to reevaluate and rest. And he couldn’t afford hope.
Liv was grown up enough to admit she’d made mistakes. Big ones. Was this the punishment?
Looking from Corbin to Brax and back, she couldn’t allow herself to think that way. Having them step up to have her back warmed her heart more than she could ever repay.
“Thank you both,” she said. A surprising tear sprang to her eye. She blinked before it could make friends. “I’m not sure what I would do without you and your family.”
“It’s what we do for each other,” Corbin said without hesitation and Brax agreed. While this kind of treatment might be normal for the two of them, she’d never experienced having a big family around. Her mother had been a single parent, one who’d loved Liv to the moon and back. Her sudden death two years ago had nearly broken Liv. She’d had a happy childhood despite her mother’s long hours. If anyone thought teaching school was a nine to five job they were severely misinformed. Thinking about her mother meant one thing. She was spiraling. It was time to get some rest and reset the day tomorrow. She didn’t have to get up early for an interview any longer but she did want a clear head so she could come up with names.
Signing those divorce papers jumped up on her priority list as well. She just needed to dig through them because complicated didn’t begin to describe the language and the sheer amount of pages was daunting. The thing was bigger than War and Peace.
And then what? Maybe she could move on after breaking free from this area.
After all that had happened and was happening, why did the thought of leaving this town behind knock the wind out of her? She glanced at Corbin.
Because this was the only true home she’d ever known.
“I’m going to take that shower now,” she said to the men who stood at the window in quiet conversation.
“I’ll bring up food once you get settled,” Corbin stated.
“Goodnight,” Brax said and there was so much compassion in his voice. The two had been friendly growing up. She’d seen him around the ranch and at school. He’d always been nice to her but then she was almost always standing next to his brother.
“Night,” she parroted before heading up. A long, hot bath sounded good about then, but she doubted she’d be able to keep her eyes open long enough. Nope, tonight, a shower would do the trick.
There was such a sense of comfort having Corbin and his brother downstairs. She had a layer of protection between her and whoever was intent on making her life miserable. The thought one of the people who’d thrown a can inside the house or set off the truck alarm could have killed Ed sat heavy in her heart. Again, she had to work to set those feelings aside or threaten being sucked under and into the riptide. The best way she could help with the investigation was to keep a clear head.
Once inside the shower, she stood there a solid minute in the warm water. She wished she knew how Corbin’s uncle’s interview went at the sheriff’s office. Was he being held in the jail?
Technically, he’d gone in to speak with Sheriff Lawler voluntarily. Did that mean Keif was a witness or a suspect?
A few minutes later, she was showered, dressed in pajamas, and sitting up in bed. She decided to turn her phone off for the night, figuring she’d heard enough bad news for one day. Besides, the only person she wanted to speak to for the rest of the evening was the man coming up the stairs.
The wood flooring in the hallway creaked and groaned underneath Corbin’s feet before his tall, masculine frame filled the doorway.
“The windows and fans worked,” he said, stepping inside with a tray in his hands. “I can hardly smell the smoke in here anymore.”
He walked over and then sat on the side of the bed. The mattress dipped underneath his weight. He reached over her with the tray and set it on her right side. Her stomach free fell with him this close, so close she could breathe in his spicy, masculine scent.
“Or we might be getting used to it,” she admitted, needing to speak before she got lost in the haze that was Corbin.
“Probably both are true,” he stated with a smile before motioning toward the tray. “Mom’s meatballs.”
“Legendary,” she agreed. She hadn’t tasted those in a solid two years. Her mouth watered, despite her somber mood.
“We never really talked about her,” Corbin said and, somehow, she didn’t think they were still talking about his mother.
The minute she looked up at him, she knew exactly who he was talking about. She shook her head because she fully understood who he meant. And, no, they hadn’t.
“I don’t talk about her with anyone,” she said by way of explanation, realizing how much it hurt just to bring her up in conversation. There’d been no one to talk to in the two years since Dani had made it clear leaning on Corbin wasn’t an option. A deep well of sadness threatened to empty Liv from the inside out at remembering how awful her mother’s accident had been. How much she’d wanted to lean on Corbin. And how impossible and unfair that would have been to him in his new life—a life that would be centered around Dani and not Liv. Hot tears burned the backs of her eyes and she struggled to keep them at bay.
“It’s okay to cry,” Corbin soothed.
“I’m not a crier, Corbin,” she quickly defended, figuring he didn’t know the half of why she was about to lose it. Knowing it was probably better if he didn’t. “You know me.”
“Yo
u’re the strongest person I know, Liv.” He reached out and clasped their hands. Contact sent warmth rushing through her and unleashed a few of those tears.
“I don’t want to cry,” she warned.
“I’m not asking you to,” he said, and his voice was filled with compassion—compassion she hadn’t experienced in two years until now. Compassion that threatened to lower her defenses as she realized she’d been bottling everything up. No wonder she’d felt so alone. She’d cut herself off from the few people who were important to her, namely Corbin’s side of the family.
In losing her mother, she’d lost what little family she had. Losing Corbin at the same time had caused her to lose everything all at once. Had she buried her feelings so deep they’d never surface again? Had she shut off the valve in order to survive?
Using his thumb, he drew circles in the palm of her hand, causing all kinds of warmth to flood her senses.
“Corbin, don’t.” Her protest sounded weak, even to her.
“I’m here, Liv. I should have been here for you a long time ago. I’m late to the game and I’ll never be able to apologize enough for my mistakes or make any of it up to you.” His words, his voice, were balm to a wounded soul.
And yet, letting him inside her heart now would lead to what? More pain when he moved on with his life after this ordeal was over?
“I just can’t go there right now,” she warned, knowing full well she would never be able to recover if she let him in again.
“Right now, or ever?” His question threatened to bust up more of her resolve—resolve that was weakening by the second.
“Ever.” She shot a look at him. “That’s what I should say.”
