“Andy’s always cleaned up after his old man. Don’t know why. If you want peace, Diana, you ain’t going to get it by taking cases going up against Todd. So what did you tell this client?”
“That I won’t be used that way.” Pain pierced her heart, and she looked down at the wheelbarrow to hide it. How nice it would be to be accepted for who she was, not for her family or Faye. She thought about what it would be like to have someone watching her back like Andy did Todd’s, and she wondered if he knew how lucky he was.
Jed reached for her hand, his so big and calloused, surrounding her as he pulled her behind him.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
He yanked open the passenger door of her SUV. “Get in. Where’s your keys?”
Diana didn’t argue and could feel his eyes burning into her as she slid into the passenger seat of her SUV for the first time since she had bought it, dug the keys from her purse tucked in between the seats, and handed them to Jed. He shut her door and walked around, sliding in and starting her car competently. He eased her SUV down the driveway and turned down the highway. He said nothing as she admired the way he drove and wondered where they were going.
“I don’t have much gas and was planning on heading to Marysville to fill up,” she said as she leaned over slightly, glancing at the gage.
“That’s one problem I plan on rectifying right now.”
Diana blinked and didn’t miss how Jed’s eyes appeared dangerous when he glanced at her before looking back at the road.
“Oh” was all she could say, and she settled back, realizing some things about Jed. He didn’t talk much, and he wasn’t Andy.
When Jed pulled into the gas station, there was someone else filling up. The same man who had told her earlier that they were out of gas hurried out of the station. The expression on his ruddy, lined face let her know that he was ready to send her packing again.
“Stay here,” Jed said as he climbed out and tilted the brim of his cowboy hat up. The larger man appeared to stumble and then stared at Diana through the windshield before turning back to Jed. Jed twisted off the gas cap, stuck in the nozzle, and started filling the SUV with gas. “Howdy, Rex. Heard you had a gas shortage earlier.”
“Jed, you know Andy. I’m not crossing him. He told me not to serve her. You weren’t around when she used to live here. Those Claremonts are trouble.”
Jed left the gas nozzle in and moved closer to Rex, and all Diana could see was a wide expanse of back as he towered over the middle-aged man.
Rex, obviously a smart man, took a step back and stammered, “Come on, Jed. Open your eyes. Or has this woman got you fooled, just like her mama strung Todd Friessen along for years?”
“Enough,” Jed said. “What the hell is the matter with you? You should be ashamed, Rex. From what I heard, she was a little girl tossed into the street. Whatever her mama was, don’t put that on Diana. She never did anything, from what I’ve heard, to deserve how she was treated, then or now. So think long and hard on that. And just remember something, and make sure word gets out to all the shopkeepers: They pull this crap again on this lady, and what they’ll get is a war with me. Remember my name’s Friessen, too, and unlike my cousin, when I throw a punch, you won’t get any warning.”
“Are you threatening me, Jed? You may be a Friessen, but you’re not Andy or Todd. They’re the Friessens I’m worried about. They own the law around here, the town. I could be wiped out tomorrow, my loans suddenly called in. My mortgage… I could lose everything.” The man had a point, and maybe that was what had Diana slipping out and standing beside Jed.
He spared her only a passing glance, and in that glance, she didn’t miss his annoyance.
“Jed…”
He cut her off with just a look before she could say another word. Maybe he could sense her sympathy to Rex. Even though he’d been downright cruel, denying her gas, she knew it had been ordered by Andy, and this man, like most in the town, was afraid to cross him.
“Rex, that’s where you’re wrong. Andy is just a man, and so is my uncle. Right is right, and wrong is still wrong. So you can call the sheriff or whoever you want, but you will not run me out of town. You may be scared of Andy and Todd, but you’d better think twice about pissing me off. You know I won’t ask a second time.”Jed never moved a muscle, but his voice was laced with enough warning that Diana was sure he’d follow through on everything. Jed returned to filling Diana’s vehicle. “We’ll be inside to pay for the gas in a moment.”
The man’s face colored, and then he shook his head. There’s no charge, Jed.…”
Jed cut him off. “Rex, let me tell you something. The gas is going to be paid for, and you’re going to give Diana a receipt. Because one thing that isn’t going to happen is a visit from the sheriff to cause Diana more grief with an accusation that she didn’t pay.”
Diana raced back to the SUV and grabbed her wallet just as Jed screwed the gas cap back, and he followed Diana to where she paid for the gas.
Again, he didn’t let her drive. As he pulled out of the gas station and turned the opposite way from home, she asked, “Jed, where are we going?”
“To put an end to this crap,” he answered.
Chapter 18
It was even hotter now than it had been earlier. The dry heat had a way of making the smells of the town more pungent. Dark clouds were beginning to gather in the distance, and the scent of rain lingered, promising to cool the air and temporarily cut down on the dust. Jed obviously hated air conditioning, as he drove with the window open, resting his arm out as many a driver in these parts did.
Diana knew where he was taking her as he steered down a paved driveway through the open gates to a huge estate. Diana had only seen this house from the back, where it met the forest, the place she had played and escaped to as a child. She gripped the door handle and pressed her foot against the floor when Jed braked hard, stopping at the base of the most magnificent stone stairs. This time, he didn’t say anything as he leaped out of the SUV and up the stone steps two at a time. He didn’t knock but burst in through the large front door.
Diana started to follow when a strong hand grabbed her arm and dragged her behind her SUV. Anger flashed through her as she thought about how she had fought for everything she had, only for someone to grab her and attack her, so she stomped back with the heel of her shoe against a hard shin and swung around on instinct, pulling her fist back as she caught an image of tall and wide shoulders. Then she was jerked hard against him, and her voice was muffled against an expensive dark blue shirt.
“Settle down there, you little hellcat.” Andy chuckled with amusement. “If you’re this fired up out of bed, I can just imagine how hot you’d be between the sheets.”
She was annoyed at his comment and stunned at seeing him. Neither did anything to water down her fury. Breathing hard, she shoved his chest until he let her go.
“Damn you, Andy. I thought someone was attacking me.”
“And you come out swinging like that?” He rubbed his shin. “What if I had been someone attacking you and I had a knife or a gun? You could have been seriously hurt.”
“Like hell. I’ve worked way too hard to get where I am to have some lowlife try to take anything from me. I’ll never let anyone attack me. I would fight to the death.”
Her hair had loosened from the ponytail, and he reached out and tucked a stray lock behind her ear. “I’m beginning to see you would, too.”
Diana jerked away before he could touch her again. “Why’d you grab me like that?”
“Oh, I was just heading back to the house when I saw your fancy vehicle pull in, and I saw my cousin hop out and barge into my house. Only seen him fired up like that once or twice. Then I see you standing there and can’t help wondering what a Claremont has gone and stirred up now.”
“How dare you? At least your cousin has integrity and won’t stand by while a bunch of schoolyard bullies try to make things difficult for a woman, or threaten th
e townspeople by stripping them of their livelihoods if they dare serve her. You should be ashamed of yourself. And I can tell you I’ve never stirred anything up. Now just move on and leave me alone.” Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Diana glanced up. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll wait in the car.” Diana tried to move past him, but he blocked her way.
“I have a few things to say to you. Let’s go into the stable so we can have a little chat.”
“No. I’m not going in the stable with you. I’m getting back in my car.” She had no intention of being alone anywhere with Andy, especially with the sexually charged remarks he kept firing at her. She didn’t trust him any more than she’d trust a viper not to strike.
“Fine, I won’t drag you to the barn.” He’d backed her against the SUV, and he looked down at her, eyeing her breasts, which were almost brushing his shirt. The way he watched and ran his gaze intimately over her breasts and downward, she could almost picture what he thought of doing to her. The air snapped between them. She knew he was physically aware of her the same way she was of him, and he wasn’t fighting the sizzling sparks that were flying between them. “I’ll pay you to leave my cousin’s, to leave town. You just name your price.”
Diana narrowed her eyes and jabbed her finger in his chest. “That is just plain stupid, Andy, and I can’t be bought.” He grabbed her hand when she tried to jab him again and held tight when she tried to yank her hand away.
“I can afford to buy you, to get rid of you. Can you really afford not to consider my offer?” He was still holding her hand and smiled wickedly when she tried again to pull away.
“Yes, I can.” She smiled and didn’t try to pull away this time, as she realized he liked her struggling against him a little too much.
She must have surprised him, as he stared at her and frowned. How many women had ever turned him down? None, she’d have sworn. She bet most of them would have knocked her aside to accept the offers he had just made.
“I’m not that same pathetic little girl that you threw out in the dead of night, scrambling in the dirt to gather what meager possessions we had, things I’m sure were worthless to you. Just like Louisa.” She studied his face, seeing confusion and something else, something that betrayed the tough guy who ran this county. “I’m not going anywhere, Andy.”
“You’ve got more grit than a woman has a right to, Diana.” He studied her face. “You look just like your mama, but in other ways you don’t. You have that same fiery hair.” He tugged at a strand and traced his finger down her cheek. “You have the same creamy skin and lips so full and rosy. Your eyes are the same brilliant blue.” He was closer, and she could feel his hardness pressed against her stomach, his warm breath against her ear. He let go of her hand only to slide both hands closed on her waist. Her skin tingled where he touched her. Her own hands lifted and flattened against his chest, and a shiver of response rippled from him. His gaze lowered to her lips, and he pulled her closer until her slender body nestled against him, her breasts pressing against his chest. He lifted her and bent his head, touching her lips, leaving Diana breathless. He walked her backward, pressing her against the back of her SUV. Faintly, she could hear the rumble of thunder and feel the change of temperature, but she was burning up as he pressed his erection into her, cupping her buttocks and lifting her to fit against him. A low growl sounded deep in his chest, and she sank deeper into that kiss as his tongue teased her, touched her. Something sharp jabbed into her back and thankfully broke the spell as she stiffened and shoved his chest, pushing him back until he set her down.
She somehow squeezed past him, shaking with cold as the rain started falling. “Don’t you ever touch me like that again.” She was breathing hard, and she almost didn’t recognize her own voice, which sounded husky and breathless. Her hands were trembling when she jerked open the passenger door and crawled in, locking the door behind her and pressing her forehead into the palm of her hands.
“You stupid idiot. What the hell were you thinking?” she asked herself. That man had ground her into the dirt and was responsible for Louisa’s death. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he was responsible just the same, and here she was, kissing him and letting him grope her. The man was a predator, and what did she do but let him see her weakness to him? He could so easily have her melting into a puddle before him for an instant of pleasure, and now he knew, despite her humiliation, that she wanted him, even though she fought it with everything she had. Her damn traitorous body thought otherwise.
The driver’s door jerked, and Jed banged on the window. Diana clicked the lock, and he slid in. The rain was pelting down in buckets now.
“Let’s get out of here” was all he said, but he glanced suspiciously at her face, watching her in a way that made her wonder if he knew what she had almost done. She couldn’t help feeling a sense of guilt, as if she’d done something she shouldn’t have. She glanced out her window in the side mirror, and there stood Andy, watching her from the shelter of the porch. His gaze was hard, giving her a warning that though she’d escaped this time, they were far from done. Diana wanted to groan because, no doubt, he wouldn’t rest now until he had her. He would continue with his full-out attempts to seduce her, and what had just happened only proved she had no ability to resist.
An ache filled her at the thought of being casually used for sex and then tossed away with little thought to her feelings. It was clear he saw her as her mother still: Faye, the town slut, who bedded down with anyone, spreading her legs as long as he had all the working parts. While she’d prayed as a child to be loved by him, to one day be his wife, that fairy tale dream had only one ending, and that was heartbreak. He would turn her dreams into a living nightmare, using her weakness and undeniable attraction to him as a means to hurt her and reduce her to nothing more than another Claremont whore for a Friessen to use, then toss away when he was done.
As much as she needed to seek closure and some form of justice for Louisa, she’d rather leave here now than relive the contempt she’d seen in his eyes. What he’d said to her that night as a little girl played over in her mind, when he had tossed her out in the dirt, saying, You’re nothing but trash, and it was branded into her subconscious, surfacing out of the blue every so often to tease her.
As she glanced over at Jed Friessen, she swore she wouldn’t live through that again.
Chapter 19
Several hours later, the rain had passed, leaving puddles and mud everywhere when Jed pulled in. She didn’t understand whatever had possessed him, but he insisted on stopping at the grocery store and the hardware store, and finally on dragging her into Merle’s, where he demanded they have a sandwich together. Of course, Diana repeatedly told Jed it’d be best for her to stay put while he went in, but he didn’t listen and all but dragged her, holding her hand as each of the shop owners gaped and stuttered when he purchased first a box of nails, then a single loaf of bread, even though Diana knew there were three loaves in the freezer at home. And each time, he made a point of saying that Diana was with him, staying on his ranch, and she was a good lawyer, looking for business—if anyone had an issue with her, then they had it with him, too.
She’d choked down her roast beef sandwich, very aware that everyone was whispering, gawking at what Jed had dragged in. She’d wanted to cry, and Jed must have known, because he reached across the table and took her small hand in his large calloused one until he had her full attention, and he said, “Diana, you’re stronger than this, so don’t give these people the satisfaction of knowing that they’re getting to you. Hold your head up high and believe what you know is true: You did nothing wrong. These are their issues, the sins of your mother, the sins of Todd, and they’re not your crosses to bear. So don’t you think it’s time to give them back?”
As she watched him now, kicking through a puddle and splashing mud up the back of his jeans, she had to press her hand over her heart, which was beating too fast and too hard, as if she were an awkward, star-struck kid. G
ray clouds filled the sky, and as Jed swung open the gate, she was stunned at how he was silhouetted by the brilliant opal night. He murmured to his horses, who nickered back softly. There was a splash of water and squeak of the tap as Jed watered and then fed his horses.
Diana watched for a few minutes, until exhaustion overtook her and she decided to shower and turn in early.
It was still dark when a hard knock rattled her cabin door. She blinked, glancing at the bedside clock: 5:40 A.M. She leaped from the warm bed in nothing more than a long t-shirt that draped just above her knees, and she yanked open the door. Jed filled the doorway, tall and broad shouldered. It was dark, and he wore a heavy dark coat and his usual tattered cowboy hat, as well as the same blue jeans he seemed to wear every day.
“Diana, were you out with the horses last night?” There was a hard undertone to his deep voice, which told her that something had happened.
“No. I showered and went to bed as soon as we got back,” she replied, shivering as she clutched the door. He stepped past her and into her room.
“Someone was here last night, then, and opened all the gates. The horses are gone.” He said it with fury, and he paced across the room. “Get dressed. I need your help.”
“Okay.” He must have realized then her state of dress, or undress, as he glanced at her bare legs and her tangled hair. His hard jaw gave nothing away except a slight twitch. He bared his teeth and turned to leave, but he stopped in the doorway.
“Dress warm. It’s damn cold out there.”
Diana wasted no time as she shut the door and pulled on her jeans, wool socks, and a sweater before pulling on a slicker she’d bought but not yet worn. She jumped down onto the hard ground in her hiking boots and hurried toward the barn, which she could barely see, as it was still too dark and the sun wasn’t likely to appear on the horizon for another half hour. Jed had the lights on outside the barn, and he was studying something on the ground when she approached.
Outcast (The Friessen Legacy Series, Book 2), A Western Romance Page 9
