by Mia Carson
“Micah, I can’t,” he said quietly. “Please go talk to someone. You’re grieving and looking to place blame, that’s all.”
“Why would you say that?” he raged and paced down the hall before whipping back around. “Why would you defend the Chadwick name?”
Reider cursed, wishing his family was home, and reached out to Micah, but he flinched away. “I’m not, but you can’t really think they’d go so far as to murder your parents.”
Micah’s face went scarily blank for a long minute before his lip lifted in a snarl. “Whatever, forget I said anything. I’ll get the money another way.”
He stormed down the hall to his room and slammed the door behind him. Reider heard the lock click and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew Micah was having a hard time adjusting to life without his parents, but accusing the Chadwicks of murder? Even if he wasn’t with Johanna, that was crossing the line. The families might hate each other, but neither had gone so far as to kill anyone, nor even attempt it.
They might now if they knew what you and Johanna were doing, he thought, picturing Johanna’s brothers leering at him as they came after him. He wasn’t scared of them, nor what they might to do him. He was worried about them taking it out on Jo.
On top of worrying about them finding out, he had to keep an eye on Micah with his crazy ideas about his parents being murdered. He considered warning Jo about it, but the last thing he wanted was to add any more weight to her shoulders. As much as she said she loved their time together, he knew every time they met there was another chance of them being caught, and the strain showed on her face until he managed to soothe it away.
When he locked his bedroom door, he pulled out his cell to see a message from Jo asking what she should wear Friday night. Reider grinned and told her to dress nice for the occasion, knowing how good she looked in a dress. He wanted to take her to a fancy dinner and a night out on the town, but someone would see, and ruining this crazy heated passion growing between them was not what he wanted to do, so he was going to bring the night out to her in a place no one would look for them. She messaged back saying she would see him in class Friday and then for the whole weekend.
They had two whole days together. His parents weren’t going out of town, but he had made plans to be at one of the other ranches this weekend, bribing Benny to cover for him. He trusted the guy, thought of him as an uncle, and knew they were safe. Unless Micah decided to be a pain and follow. Reider would have to make sure that did not happen. If his cousin caught on to who Reider was dating, it would spell the end of Reider and Jo’s time together, and the devastation he worried about causing would happen before he could stop it.
He texted Benny and asked if the man would mind switching vehicles for the weekend, lending Reider the beat up old truck instead of his recognizable, bright orange Wrangler. Nothing was going to ruin this weekend.
Chapter 8
Another dress flew across Johanna’s bed with a frustrated mutter coming from her closet as she pushed aside the rest of her clothes and searched for the perfect thing to wear. She glared at her clothes and hated that she hadn’t been shopping in ages. Tonight, she wanted something she’d never worn before, something Reider might not have seen her in, but there was nothing in her closet that felt right.
“Jo? What are you doing?” Izzy asked with a laugh as she stepped into the bedroom.
Johanna heard her steps and poked her head out of her closet. “Cleaning out some stuff.”
“Right, cleaning out only dresses,” Izzy said, picking up one by the strap. “Are you going on a date tonight?”
“No, hanging out with Melody,” she said quickly and ducked back into the closet.
“Seriously? Come on, I might be your baby sister, but I’m not blind. I see how you’ve been acting lately, and all those meetings at the coffee house? Who is he?”
Johanna hoped she would leave if she gave no answer, but Izzy sighed and hopped onto her bed, making herself comfortable amongst the pile of clothing. Tapping her nails loudly on the door frame, Johanna nibbled her tongue before she sighed and gave in. “Yes, I’m seeing someone, but no one can know, alright? I mean it.”
Izzy nodded and fiddled with one of the dresses on the bed. “You know, I don’t think Reider saw you in this one. It’s probably safe to wear.”
“No, I wore that last ti—What did you say?” Johanna gasped.
“I said I don’t think Reider has seen this one. You should wear it.”
The room spun, and Johanna staggered forward until Izzy reached out and helped steady her. “How… how did you know?” she gasped, eyeing her sister closely.
“I spotted you hopping out of his Wrangler,” she said with a shrug. “He kissed your hand, and you smiled in a way I haven’t seen in a long time.” She straightened with Johanna and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you both!”
Johanna, at a loss, hugged her sister back. “Izzy, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
“I’m not stupid,” she said and stepped back. “I wasn’t going to say anything at all, but with everyone out of town, and you said you were busy all weekend, I had a feeling you two had planned something special.”
Johanna nodded once, reeling that her sister knew the truth. She trusted her sister, but if Izzy had seen them, someone else might have as well. The thought terrified her until she took a deep breath, let it out, and realized that there was no reason for her to care who did. She was going to spend the weekend with Reider, which meant she was going to fully enjoy whatever time they had together. She wanted more than a simple kiss and he did, too; she knew by the way his hands had caressed her the few times they had touched.
She picked up the dress her sister suggested, a short, black number with draping straps going around the shoulders and a low back. The date needed to go perfectly because tonight Johanna wanted to do something she never had before, had never felt the urge to do with another guy. She ducked back into her closet, and Izzy followed. When Johanna pulled out matching, black and red lace panties and bra set, Izzy whistled.
“So it’s going to be that kind of weekend,” she mused and grinned until Johanna shifted nervously on her feet. “Wait, have you never… You’re still a virgin?”
“What made you think I wasn’t?” Johanna asked.
Izzy shook her head. “Don’t know. Thought with the few guys you did date, you might’ve done it with one of them.”
“Nope, but Reider… There’s something about him, and neither one of us can figure it out,” she told her sister quietly, and a weight lifted off her. Keeping the secret, not having anyone to confide in was hard, but now that Izzy knew, at least Johanna had one person with whom she could share her worries. “I want this to work out so much it’s driving me crazy.”
“You think Frank and Fredrick will find out?”
“I think we’re playing with fire, and if this goes wrong, it’s going to cause a rift we’d never be able to come back from,” she said, remembering how Reider described it. All her worries flooded her mind again, and she groaned, eyeing her sister. “Am I crazy for doing this?”
Izzy sighed and hugged Johanna. “No, you’re not. You’re brave, both of you, and this is a good thing. I feel it—not to mention that it’s horribly romantic.”
Johanna laughed as her sister backed away, her eyes shining. “You think so?”
“Yeah. Now get your ass dressed and text me later. I’m assuming from the lace in your hands you’re not coming home tonight.” She winked and waved over her shoulder as she left the closet. “Finish getting ready before you’re late!”
Hoping this weekend would go perfectly, her hands shook with nerves as she pulled on the sexy undergarments and dress. Johanna finished getting ready, leaving her curls hanging loose over her shoulders. She applied a little makeup, put some simple silver studs in her ears and a silver chain necklace around her neck.
When she glanced at herself in the mirror, she sucked in a deep breath and let it out, smiling as she
pictured Reider. “You can do this.” She picked up her clutch and the small overnight bag she had packed just in case and darted out the front door.
***
Reider tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for Johanna’s red Coupe to pull up. He glanced at his watch before checking his cell again, worried that something had gone wrong. Maybe her brothers had found out and were holding her at the house. For all he knew, they could be on their way to kick his ass for trying to date their sister. He was ready to call her when a text came in from her, saying she was parked outside the coffee house. Breathing a sigh of relief, he told her which vehicle he was in and asked if she were alright following. She asked where they were going, but he chuckled quietly to himself and told her it was a surprise. He set his cell down and pulled away from the curb.
A little while later, they left the town behind and pulled up the gravel drive leading to the barn, which was all lit up inside. He had been there earlier to ready the place, and as he directed her to park her Coupe under the overhang around back, he worked at controlling his nerves.
He was doing fine until she opened her door and one long, bare leg appeared, followed by the other, and she stood up, tugging on the black sheath wrapped snugly around her curves. Her curls hung loose across her shoulders, and her smile caused his heart to pound. The rest of his body perked up as well. Running a hand down his face, he cursed quietly under his breath before striding over.
“So the date is here?” she asked. At first, he thought she didn’t like the idea, but her eyes lit up. “I approve.”
“I figured we’d avoid all chance of us being caught together so we can actually enjoy the night.” He walked around the front of the car and grabbed a heavy, canvas tarp to drag over the red Coupe. Once it was covered, he offered her his arm and a sly smile. “Shall we?”
Johanna slipped her hand through the crook of his arm, and Reider led her out of the overhang and towards the field. The sun wouldn’t set for another two hours, so they had plenty of time to enjoy the dinner he had prepared by the creek under the old cottonwood tree. The walk there was enjoyable and filled with easy talk of their classes and what Johanna wanted to do if she wasn’t tied to her family. Mostly, she wanted a chance to choose her life and not be dictated to. She told him about Izzy and her art, and when she asked what Reider was hoping to do with his life, his feet paused. He stepped back from her towards the open field and held out his arms wide.
“This. I want all of this to be my world, my office,” he said proudly, glancing around. “I’m not a businessman. That’s my dad. I’m the rancher, the cattle driver, the guy who works the land.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that,” Johanna said and reached for one of his hands. She ran her fingers over the callouses and smirked. “You wouldn’t have rough hands like these without actually doing some hard work with them.”
“Yeah, well,” he said quietly and had to clear his throat before he said the next words. The way she touched his hand sent fire scorching through his veins. “Dad will never allow it, so I’m stuck, for a while, anyway.” He closed his hand around hers and brought it to his lips, kissing the back. “Ready for dinner?”
She nodded, and they continued their walk towards the creek. When he came to a stop at the edge of the plaid blanket laid out on the ground, the bottle of wine chilling in a bucket, and the covered plates of food, Johanna leaned against his shoulder, laughing in delight.
“Burgers, fries, and wine,” she said. “Couldn’t have planned it any better myself.”
“I’ll admit, it’s about all I can cook,” he admitted and helped her to sit, her dress riding high up her thighs, and he completely lost his train of thought. “I… uh, I forgot to ask… what you liked to eat.” He managed to finish the sentence and sat down beside her, his gaze returning to the bare skin he wanted to touch to see if it were as smooth as it looked.
Johanna picked up the bottle of wine and read the name on the label. “God, I miss the cheap stuff,” she said and poured two very full glasses.
“Never thought I’d hear you say that,” he mused. “It was all that was here.”
“My parents drink the driest reds from the most expensive vineyards, and they’re god-awful. I never get to enjoy a good glass of sweet wine.” She raised the glass to her lips and sipped it, sighing as she swallowed.
Reider’s jeans tightened around the bulge growing from his observation of her, and he shifted so she wouldn’t see. The breeze blew across her body, and the sweet smell of honeysuckle filled his nose as they dug into the food. He worried she would be uncomfortable in a dress and hadn’t even thought to tell her to bring jeans, but she stretched her legs out in front of her, kicked off her heels, and made herself at home beside him. He grinned, happy she was so relaxed and easy-going with him by her side as the evening wore on and the sun began its downward descent.
“So,” he said when there was a quiet lull in the conversation.
“Yes?” she asked, rolling onto her side and propping her head up with her hand. “What’s up?”
He fiddled with the edge of the blanket, lying on his side, too, and stared at the empty bottle of wine, unable to meet her gaze. His nerves on fire, he licked his lips and said, “I wasn’t sure what your plans were for the whole weekend, with your family gone, but I wanted to know if you would stay here with me for the next two nights—”
The last word was barely out of his mouth before Johanna rolled him onto his back and kissed him hotly. Her hands cupped his face as his arms slid easily around her, holding her close to him as the long grass blew in the evening breeze and the crickets sang. Reider’s hands fisted in the fabric of her dress, wanting to tear it off, but the date wasn’t over yet and he wanted to do this right. Johanna wasn’t a weekend fling nor a roll in the hay. No, he wanted this to last a very long time, and he was going to make every stolen moment with her count. The kiss deepened, and he rolled them over gently, loving it when she laughed against his lips. It turned quickly into a moan when his hand slid up her smooth leg, inching closer to the bottom of her dress. But it wasn’t time for that, not yet.
“Come on,” he said and kissed her sweetly before climbing to his feet and pulling her up with him.
“Where are we going now?” she asked, picking up her shoes in one hand. After he had piled everything back into the basket, she scooped up the blanket.
“It’s getting dark,” he informed her, nodding towards the setting sun and the fire blazing across the sky in bursts of orange and crimson. “By the time we reach the barn, it’ll be perfect.”
He motioned for them to walk, and she continued with a stream of questions, but he only laughed until they reached the barn when the sun was barely peeking over the horizon. He took the blanket from her and, holding her hand, led her around to the other side of the barn towards the back where he had set up one of the old projectors facing the barn wall and spread out the blanket.
“Movie for you, my lady?” he asked with a flourish.
A mound of pillows was stacked in front of several hay bales for them to lean back on, and another blanket was there in case the air grew chilly. Reider glanced at Johanna and frowned when he saw a shine to her eyes as she chewed on her nails.
“Jo?”
She wiped her eyes and laughed nervously. “Sorry, this is embarrassing.”
“What?” he asked and moved towards her. “Jo, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she muttered. “This is perfect. You, the dinner, the movie. It’s all so perfect and I’m… I’m worried that I’ll wake up in the morning and find it’s all a damn dream that we can’t have.”
Reider held her face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. “It’s not a dream. This is real, and I don’t give a damn about anyone else right now except you. For now, we’ll enjoy the time we can have together, and soon, we’ll come up with a way to make this work long-term.”
“Long-term?” she asked quietly.
�
�Yeah. Not to sound horribly cheesy here, but I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve never felt this way about anyone before—ever—and if you think I’m going to let you slip away so easily, I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen. I don’t care if your brothers come after us, or your parents or mine,” he said fiercely and wrapped her in his arms. “I want you, and I’m not letting you go for any of them. Ever.”
She nodded and hugged him close until he lifted her off her feet to hold her to him. He meant every damn word he’d said, and as she kissed him, he knew she understood that. She clung to him tightly, and they stayed in the embrace as the sun set and the night closed in. When he set her on her feet, he kissed her lips softly and leaned his head back to stare up at the stars. She did the same and sighed, leaning against his chest.
“This is all I want,” she whispered. “The stars and the plains, nothing else.”
“One day, we’ll make it happen,” he promised. “Ready for a show?”
She sat down on the blanket as he walked to the projector behind her and set it up to run. “What movie are we watching? It’s nothing scary, right?”
“What? You don’t trust me to keep you safe?” he chuckled.
“We’re out in the middle of nowhere. I’d prefer not to have nightmares,” she replied with a nervous giggle.
“Don’t worry, nothing like that,” he said and started the movie. When the opening credits rolled, Johanna whipped around to stare at him. “What?”
“How did you know this was my favorite movie?” she asked as he hurried to sit down beside her and she snuggled close. He placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. There was nothing more natural in the world than Johanna by his side. “Seriously, how did you know?”
He shrugged. “You had your laptop the other day at the coffee house, and I saw your desktop background. No one has a movie poster as their background unless they really like the movie.”
“Sneaky, aren't we?” she teased.
“I try, though I’ll admit, I have no idea what this movie is about.”
