by Holly Rayner
“I have to call Sean,” she muttered aloud. “I have to warn him about what Jake’s been up to.”
She searched her entire bag, but couldn’t find her charger.
I must have left it at the hotel, she realized.
She’d been in such a rush to hit the road, after the show, and she’d packed hastily. She could almost imagine it, still plugged in by the bed.
She cursed under her breath again.
Returning to the cab of her truck, she hopped in and then pulled out an atlas from the glovebox. She flipped to the section of the state she was in and examined various routes as she considered her options.
There was no telling what Jake would do with the information he now had. The sooner Sean knew, the better. Eyeing the various routes, she saw that if she took an upcoming turnoff onto Interstate 15, she could take an alternative route home that would bring her right past Sean’s ranch.
Since her phone was dead, it felt like the best option for warning him.
The sooner I tell Sean, the better, she thought.
With that, she put her truck into drive and pulled back out onto the road. She stepped on the gas and soon reached the turnoff. Once she was on it, she knew it was a straight shot to Ranchos Caballos Blancos.
I should be there by seven, she thought as she drove. Hopefully, Sean will be home.
Chapter 14
Delaney
Just under two hours later, Delaney steered up the winding driveway to Ranchos Caballos Blancos. It was more rutted than the last time she’d driven up it, thanks to the rain of the week before. Her tires crunched on the gravel as she rolled to a stop.
She eyed the barn and the house. The barn seemed empty, but she headed over to it to check, just in case. The sliding barn doors were heavy but moved smoothly on the well-oiled hinges. The barn was shadowy and cool compared to the lingering heat outside.
“Sean?” she called into the shadows. “You here?”
She was greeted with silence. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she saw that the barn’s interior was vacant. The swing that she and Sean had sat on, after the reunion, was still hanging down from one of the beams; Sean hadn’t put it away.
The sight of it, and the memory that it brought up inside of her, made her more intent on locating Sean.
He trusted me with his secret, she thought. And now it’s out—because of me.
Jake always was so jealous. I should have talked to Sean right when Jake started having suspicions. Now, it might be too late.
She jogged across the stretch of lawn that separated the barn from the sprawling log cabin that Sean called home.
Behind the house, she could see that a spectacular sunset was just wrapping up. Streaks of pink and peach swept across the treetops at the far end of the field, and above that, there was a layer of pale purple that faded into blue. She was too worried about Sean to enjoy it.
The windows of the house looked dark, and Delaney didn’t hear the dogs barking as she climbed up the steps to the front entrance.
Maybe they’re out in the fields with Sean, she thought.
Though she rang the bell three times and waited several minutes, Sean didn’t answer the door. She walked back down the front steps.
There was a garage off to the side of the house. She hurried over to it and peered through the garage door windows. She saw a shiny new pickup truck inside. It was the nicest make and model of her favorite brand of truck, but again, she couldn’t really focus on appreciating it. Her mind was on Sean and the news that Jake had shared.
If his truck is in the garage, that probably means he’s not out on errands or anything, she thought. He’s probably still working.
There was a footpath that led around the side of the garage, and she followed it. It led to the back of the garage. She saw a row of brand-new tractors. There was a gap in the lineup, and she wondered if it was from a tractor that was still out in the fields—maybe one that Sean was on at that moment.
She paused to listen for the sound of a tractor’s motor, but all she heard was the hum of insects in the grass and birds singing goodnight to the sun.
Then, she picked up on the sound of a motor. It sounded like a small machine, though, not a tractor. As she listened, the sound grew louder. Then, the motor softened into the sound of a vehicle of some sort idling. It was coming from the front of the garage. She heard footsteps out on the gravel driveway. Was it Sean?
She hurried back around the garage and saw a man walking toward the barn. He had an armful of rolled-up wire fencing clutched at his side, and he wore work gloves, a cowboy hat, and dirtied jeans.
“Excuse me,” Delaney said as she moved toward him.
He turned and looked at her.
She went on. “I’m Delaney, I’m a friend of Sean’s. Have you seen him around?”
“Haven’t seen him since lunch hour,” the man said.
He didn’t look too pleased to be stopped. He looked worn out, like he was ready to put the fencing into the barn and then wrap up his workday. She was sure he was one of Sean’s employees.
“Do you have any idea where he might be?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, ma’am,” he said. “This ranch is over one hundred acres. He could be anywhere. He’ll work late, if there’s a task he’s fixin’ on finishing. Me, I gotta get home to my wife and kids.”
“Oh, okay,” she said. Her shoulders slumped at the thought of the hundred acres of land. It would be impossible to find him. “Sorry for holding you up.”
He tipped his hat at her.
“Good evening,” he said. “And good luck finding him.” He turned back to the barn.
Delaney headed back to where the tractors were. From that vantage point, she could see the gentle, grass-covered slopes that led out to a tree line to the west. She also saw that the fields extended out to the north. A herd of cattle milled about in one of the fields in that direction, but they were so far away that they looked like little specks of darkness in the fading light.
She watched and listened and saw a group of birds rise up from the treetops to the west, as though they’d been disturbed by something.
Maybe they were scared off by the tractor, she thought.
She listened intently again and heard the faintest sound of a tractor running, over by where she’d seen the birds take flight.
I’ll go that way, she decided.
She walked out toward the tree line, and as she walked, she listened for the tractor. The sky continued to darken, and after about twenty minutes of walking, the sound of the tractor died out.
“Sean?” she called out. “Sean, are you out here?”
The trees in the distance got bigger the more she walked. A few stars popped out of the velvety purple and blue sky above.
“Sean?” she hollered.
I’m never going to find him out here, she thought with frustration, as she neared the edge of the woods. I should turn back before it gets too dark.
She turned around and headed toward the house and barn that looked so small in the distance.
Just then, she heard her name.
“Delaney!” It was faint and came from a great distance away.
She turned to her right and saw Sean cresting the top of one of the rolling hills. His silhouette was crisp against the pinkish-purple sky just behind him. He was wearing a cowboy hat, and she saw his two dogs run up to the top of the hill on either side of him.
He raised a hand to wave, and she returned the gesture.
She began cutting through the tall grass, moving toward him. Her heart beat faster at the sight of him. She walked quickly, eager to reach him.
When they finally met, she saw how covered in dirt he was.
He wore a tan cowboy hat tilted low on his brow. His faded, plaid shirt was unbuttoned halfway and smeared with grease and mud. There were streaks of black grease and pale brown dust on his tanned arms. His cowboy boots were old and worn; clearly, they were his working boots.
&n
bsp; He looked hot, sweaty, and handsome as heck.
Delaney felt her worries evaporate for a minute as she walked up to him. Her breathing was quick and shallow as intense attraction to the man before her flowed through her veins, heating her to the core.
“Delaney, what are you doing here?” Sean asked. “Is everything okay?”
“I had to see you,” she said. She felt so relieved to have found him. “I thought I heard your tractor out here,” she said.
He stepped in closer to her.
“It broke down… a shear pin snapped. I tried to fix it, but we’re running out of daylight. I’ll have to get it in the morning.”
Delaney could hardly think straight. His hands were warm and firm as he placed them on her hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her face to his. As their lips met, she completely lost track of her reason for seeking him out.
It felt so good to be held by him. She knew his muddied frame was probably leaving grease and dirt streaks all over her T-shirt and jeans, and she didn’t care in the least. All she cared about was the heat of his body, the roughness of his fingers as they brushed the exposed skin above the waistline of her jeans, and the warmth of his mouth on hers.
She kissed him hungrily, with a need that shocked her. She’d thought about him so often since she’d last seen him; her desire felt like a bottomless well.
She let her fingers move up the nape of his neck, and weave through the blond curls at the base of his head. The brim of his cowboy hat touched the top of her head. He held her so tightly to him that she felt her feet leave the ground.
She wanted to forget everything that had happened that day—most importantly, the phone call from Jake—and simply lie down in the grass right there and then, next to Sean. She wanted to feel him move against her and lose herself in the sensations of his kiss and the touch of his fingers against her skin.
Despite this desire, thoughts of her conversation with Jake crept into her mind.
She pulled away from Sean. Her mouth felt raw from the intense kiss and sore in the best way possible. She couldn’t enjoy the sensation.
“Sean, I have to talk to you,” she said.
A crease formed on his brow. The dogs, who were dancing around them in playful leaps and bounds, started barking. The black and white one, Lila, jumped up and placed a paw on his side. She licked his arm.
“Hush, hush,” he told them. “Go play.”
He pointed off to the grass beside them. The dogs did as they were told and began wrestling playfully with each other in a patch of grass and wildflowers.
Sean turned back to Delaney.
“They get a little impatient when I work through the dinner hour. What’s going on? You look worried, Delaney… talk to me.”
She looked up at him.
“It’s Jake Millhouse,” she said. “I don’t know if you remember him… I used to go out with him, at the end of high school and for a couple of years in college.”
“I remember him,” Sean said with a nod. He looked even more concerned, now. “What about him?” he asked carefully. He eyed her warily.
Delaney sensed that Sean was worried that she still had feelings for Jake.
It’s only natural for him to worry about that, she thought. Why else would I bring up an ex, so soon after we entered into a relationship?
She hated the thought that Sean would doubt her in that way. But at the same time, that might be a milder threat to his well-being than what she was actually going to say.
She hesitated, trying to gather her thoughts.
Then, she said, “Sean, Jake was here on the night of the reunion.”
“I remember,” said Sean. “He came into the barn while you and I were standing together.”
“Right,” Delaney said. “And I don’t think he liked that—seeing the two of us together like that. You and I had just met, and apparently, he sensed we had chemistry. I think that really got under his skin.”
“Did he try to hurt you?” Sean asked.
His voice sounded strong and defiant. Delaney had no doubt that Sean would go to great lengths to protect her.
“No, Sean. It’s you that he’s after. He looked into your past and figured out that you’re Derek Bradshaw. He has connections at the Sheriff’s office and the DMV. He said that if he catches wind of you and I getting together again, he’s going to tell the police about your true identity.”
Sean cursed. He looked off into the distance as he took this in. Delaney noticed the thick layer of stubble on his jawline. He looked so much rougher than he had on the night that they’d met for dinner in the city. It was so different, seeing him out here in his rough, working attire. She found that she liked this version of Sean even better than the polished version.
Sean cursed again, and Delaney was drawn back to the present.
“I’m so sorry, Sean,” she said. “He contacted me about his suspicions soon after the reunion, and I just told him to bug off. I thought he’d listen. I had no idea he’d take things this far. This is my fault.”
She looked down at the tips of her cowboy boots.
She felt Sean’s fingertips brush the base of her chin. He guided it upward, until she was looking right into his deep blue eyes.
“Delaney, sweetheart, this is not your fault,” he said. He shook his head. He looked so sad. His voice sounded heavy. “This is my fault. I’m the one who has a past that needs hiding. I’m the one who was a criminal.”
“Was, Sean. That’s what’s important. You’ve changed.”
“In my heart, I know that,” he said. “And I’m honored that you understand it, too. But the world out there…” he motioned to the horizon line beyond his house. “They don’t understand that. I committed crimes, and people have a hard time getting past that.”
“We’ll help them get past it,” Delaney said. She jutted her chin out stubbornly. “You’re a good person, Sean—kinder and more compassionate than most people I know. You shouldn’t have to hide from your past.”
“I wish that was true,” he said. “But that’s all I’ve been doing for the past eight years—hiding. Trying to avoid and evade. It’s not working…”
“What do you mean it’s not working?” Delaney asked.
She didn’t like Sean’s heavy tone. She didn’t like the look of pain in his eyes.
He didn’t answer her. For a moment, he looked out into the distance again, as if he was thinking.
Then, he looked back at her.
“Delaney, I can’t do this to you. I can’t drag you into my mess. You’ve got a career to think about.”
Delaney shook her head. “My work has nothing to do with us,” she said resolutely.
He stepped back, just barely. It was only an inch, but Delaney felt as hurt by his movement as if he’d backed up a foot from her.
Why is he creating distance between us? she wondered.
The look of pain in his eyes intensified.
“Yes, it does,” he said. “If Jake knows my real identity, he could turn me in at any point—regardless of whether we’re seen together again or not. It would be all over the news, and if you’re associated with me, you could be dragged into it, too. Your reputation as a vet could be tarnished. I can’t do that to you.”
Delaney didn’t like the way Sean was talking.
“Who cares what people think?” she said. “Let them spread rumors about me—about us. Let them say I’m dating a criminal. It doesn’t matter to me.”
But even as the words left her lips, she knew it wasn’t true. Her reputation as a vet did matter to her—a lot. She’d put her blood, sweat, and tears into building her business up from scratch for more than a decade.
What if all that work was undermined by nasty rumors about her love life? Would clients lose respect for her, if news got out that she was dating a known criminal?
Maybe Sean was right. She knew that Sean had changed, and he knew it—but would the world understand?
It’s like Jake said:
once a criminal, always a criminal, she thought. Labels like that tend to stick.
She thought of her long list of loyal clients. Would they stop calling? Would they continue to trust her with combinations to locked stables, their loved animals, their private information? Or would they move on and hire some other large animal vet?
All of this swirled through her mind as Sean gazed down at her with a sorrowful look in his eyes.
“The very last thing I want to do is cause trouble for you, Delaney,” he said.
“Then… what should we do?”
Chapter 15
Sean
“Where do we go from here?” Delaney asked, looking up at Sean with wide eyes.
Sean thought he saw fear there, in the way her golden-flecked brown eyes searched his. There was a crease of worry on her usually smooth brow.
I did this to her, he thought. I’m causing her distress.
He wanted to bring nothing but goodness into Delaney’s life.
Now this.
It was bound to happen sooner or later, he thought. If it wasn’t Jake looking into my identity, it’d be someone else.
He recalled the way it had felt to sit across from Delaney at her local diner. He’d seen the way the staff had looked at him with such open curiosity. He even thought he’d seen one waitress snap a picture of him.
The more he’d thought about it, as the days unfolded after his date with Delaney, the more worried he’d become. If being out with Delaney drew that much attention, he was in for some public scrutiny. He’d been so careful about keeping a low profile these last five years. He had so few relationships with others, and the ones he did have—such as with seed suppliers, cattle vendors, ranch owners, and his employees—he kept at a careful distance. He didn’t let people get close to him.
But Delaney wasn’t used to that lifestyle. She had friends. She had family. She had a community of people that loved and cared about her.
