by Lexie Ray
“How are you feeling?” Rebecca asked.
Daren glanced down at Sophie, waiting for the little girl to respond before he realized that she was asking him. “I’m fine,” he grumbled.
Rebecca moved closer and gently ran her hand over Sophie’s hair. “Go wash up.”
“But–”
“He’ll still be here when you’re done. He’s staying with us tonight. Now scoot.”
Sophie reluctantly squirmed off the bed, her every movement making it shake wildly. Daren ground his teeth at each jolt. Rebecca cringed. She had been meaning to tighten up those springs for months but had kept putting it off.
Rushing across the trailer, Sophie climbed up the small, inbuilt ladder that went up to her ‘room.’ It was really just an elevated bunk with a curtain divider.
“You okay?” Daren asked.
Rebecca turned to him, her eyebrows jumping with shock. “Yes. Why?”
“You seem like a good momma.” His attempted shrug only ended in him wincing painfully. “Can’t be easy to think about a close call like that.”
“It’s not.” She hesitated as Sophie climbed back down, pajamas tight in her hand, and slipped into the bathroom. When the thin door clicked shut, she gave Daren her full attention. “I’m okay. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to…” He cut himself off and heaved a sigh. “I ain’t so fragile that you can’t yell at me.”
“Why would I do that?”
“She almost got hurt on my watch.”
Rebecca carefully watched him in silence. He kept his gaze low, his own anger clear on his face. She wasn’t the only one haunted by the ‘what ifs,’ and something in that made the knot in her stomach ease. For the first time, it really hit home. She wasn’t in this alone anymore.
Daren flinched when she leaned over and placed one hand on the mattress by his side. He watched her like she was a reared snake as she ducked down. She waited until his initial cringe relaxed and he eased back down against the mattress. His eyes never left her as she bent down and kissed his cheek. For a moment, she let her lips linger against his stubbled skin, reluctant to pull away. When she finally stretched, she had to keep from laughing at how large his eyes were.
“Thank you, Daren.”
He ducked his chin to his chest, his whole face burning with a deep flush.
“Ain’t no reason for that,” he grumbled, and burrowed further under the sheets.
Chapter Ten
It was a horrible business decision to close up her shop just to go to the carnival, but Dwayne had let it slip that Mads might be decked out in a carnie disguise. Was she just supposed to give up an opportunity to see that? The carnival was in full swing by the time Willow arrived. The air was alive with the smells of deep-fried food, cotton candy, and the hundreds of screams coming from people on the rides.
It had been a while since she had gotten a chance to head to something like this. The crowd had a vibrant energy that was impossible to resist. She wove her way through the throngs of people, letting the bright colors and happy carnival-goers soothe her nerves. Turning down another avenue, she noticed that there was a crowd forming around a small stage and headed down toward it.
The stage was set up with cardboard slabs that had been painted to look like castle walls. The kids that had gathered on the grass laughed and clapped as a clown, dressed up first in clown paint and then with a bright pink princess dress over his costume, ran around the stage. The layers of brightly colored cloth couldn’t hide Dwayne’s body shape. The towering man kept the crowd – children and adults alike – completely enraptured. She laughed right along with them as Dwayne expertly juggled a few odd items while pretending he was about to fall with each step.
She had just started to get into the show when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. Scanning the crowd, Willow finally noticed Jai waving to her from the row of seats on the far side.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked as she got closer.
“I thought I was here to annoy Mads, but I think Dwayne just tricked me into seeing his show.”
Jai laughed and patted the chair next to him. “You’re just in time for the best part.”
Dwayne had managed to get all of the kids to join him in singing something Willow couldn’t recognize. Most of them were on their feet now, mimicking his exaggerated dance movements or just randomly jumping on the spot.
“Wow.” Willow smiled as she sat down. “He’s really getting into it.”
Jai chuckled. “More than you think. He brought most of that stuff from home.”
“He just had a bunch of clown stuff lying around at home?”
“I know,” Jai said. “It’s one of those things that you know you shouldn’t be surprised to hear, but you still are.”
They settled back to watch the show and, while looking over the crowd, Willow noticed the girl she had seen in the store. She sat at Jai’s feet and cackled wildly, her voice carrying over all of the others. Having noticed her, it was easier to spot how Jai never fully relaxed, but instead kept scanning the crowd.
“Did you invite me to sit here to be your cover?” she asked with a hint of amusement.
He grinned, but didn’t look at her. “Maybe a little.”
“Should I be looking for anyone in particular?”
“No. Just enjoy Jamie’s cameo.”
“What?”
“Well, you’ve got the princess. We needed a prince.”
Almost on cue, Jamie jumped up onto the stage, decked out like a Roman centurion. Even though his golden armor was slightly worn and a bit too large, Jamie still looked amazing. It was way too detailed to be something that he could have gotten last minute at a costume store.
“Does Dwayne own that armor?” she asked.
Jai smiled. “Yes, he does.”
“Why does he have armor?”
“I was going to ask him that.”
“And?”
He glanced over to her. “I remembered that I probably don’t want to know the answer.”
“Fair enough.”
Jamie removed his helmet with a flourish and a lot of the parents were suddenly far more interested. It was obvious that Jamie had noticed the reaction to his appearance and was not entirely comfortable with it. But, just as he had with the crowd, Dwayne was quick to win him over. The two men ran around the stage, much to the delight of the crowd. It was weird to see heavily trained soldiers dancing around the stage.
“This has totally been worth it,” Willow said.
Jai nodded before he quickly checked his phone. His smile fell, and he grumbled something about a ‘stubborn idiot.’
“Something wrong?”
“Daren got a little banged up yesterday and is not exactly the most agreeable of patients.”
Her brow furrowed. “Is he okay?”
“Oh, yeah,” Jai said, “he’s too stubborn to sustain any real damage. He’s just going to be aching for a while. And, of course, he’s being a brat about the whole thing.”
They went back to the show just in time to see Dwayne pick Jamie up bridal-style and begin to spin them in circles.
Chapter Eleven
The straps of the saddle dug into Rebecca’s calf as she leaned back. Her fingertips grazed across the sand and her glittery headband began to slip, but she managed to keep her place as she steered her stunt horse back through the gates. The crowd cheered as she ducked out of view and the announcer declared the end of the trick rider’s performance. She flipped herself up to grab the saddle and skilfully dislodged her foot so she could drop to the ground.
Having done the show a hundred times, the horse didn’t need any coaxing to head straight into the back toward its food. Rebecca grabbed a bottle of water and downed half of it before she noticed who was setting up to be in the stocks.
“Daren?”
He glanced over his shoulder and mumbled, “Hey.” A timid smile crossed his face as he added, “You’re really good.”
�
��I’m aware,” she dismissed. “I’m also aware that you’re injured. You are not about to get on that horse.”
He looked back to the other men prepping the horse before taking a few steps toward her. “I have a cover to keep.”
“They all know who you are,” she snapped.
His eyes narrowed but his voice didn’t get any sharper. “He doesn’t.”
“No. But he knows that you just got bitch-slapped by a carnival ride.”
“I can do this,” Daren said dismissively.
Rebecca shot out a hand and grabbed Daren’s wrist, preventing him from turning away. He met her eyes for a moment with a heated glare.
“Put someone else before him,” she yelled to the men over Daren’s shoulder before she met Daren’s gaze again. “You and I are going to have a conversation.”
With that, she yanked him away from the rodeo and into one of the abandoned tents that was attached to the side of a trailer. She didn’t let him go until they were tucked safely out of everyone’s sight.
“Rebecca, I can do this.”
She threw her hands out. “Carnival ride. Your head. Collision!”
“It wasn’t even going that fast,” he said.
“Not the point. You’re in no condition to ride a bronc right now.”
He rolled his eyes as his frustration mounted. “It was nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“It doesn’t even rival my top ten holidays. I’ve known my limits since I was eight.”
The anger he had built up fizzled out when he saw her expression.
“Daren, are you saying–”
“My family wasn’t good at using words,” he cut in quickly. “Ain’t no reason to dwell on it. My point is that I know my limits. I can do it.”
Once again, he turned to go and she pulled him back to stand in front of her. Anger had fallen away under the rising surge of her protective instincts. It didn’t matter how well he thought he could take the beating, she wasn’t going to let him get hurt just to prove a point.
“There’s no reason for you to ride today. Have you talked to Jai about this? Or Mads?”
“I don’t need to discuss any of this with either of them,” he snarled, his voice raising. “I can do this.”
She tightened her grip on his arm. “I know you can, but I’m asking you not to.” Letting out a light breath, she edged closer to him and let all the anger drop out of her words. She kept her voice as a whisper, letting him know that this wasn’t a show or an argument, but a request. “Please, Daren.”
He shivered, a reaction he tried to suppress but was unable to. With only inches between them, he couldn’t hide his eyes. She could see the fire and the passion within them. For a split second, their eyes met and her knees almost went weak from the sheer want that she saw there.
Trying to hide his eyes, he nodded. “Okay.”
“Really?”
“You and Sophie are the only reason any of us are here.” He did everything he could to avoid her eyes, trying to keep her from seeing the vulnerability that threatened to cross onto his face. “I’ll do whatever you want, as long as it doesn’t put either of you in danger.”
Rebecca’s body lunged forward without conscious thought. Her fingers gripped the front of Daren’s shirt and pulled him flush against her, the knot in her stomach now replaced by something hot and pleasant. She pushed up onto her toes and greedily tasted his lips. Daren froze, his eyes blown wide and hands grasping at the air. Desire sparked in her chest, exploding in her mind and chasing out everything else beyond need.
Caught up in the surging storm within herself, she swiped the tip of her tongue across the seam of his lips. A soft gasp left him, a hitched breath that parted his lips in its wake. She took full advantage of the moment, pushing her tongue in further. He must have just eaten something sweet. There was no way he could taste that good on his own. It caressed her tastebuds and left her desperate from more. Tilting her head, she sucked on his tongue. An unrestrained moan rattled out from his core, and she pressed closer to him, wanting to feel the vibrations playing against her chest.
Reality came back like a physical blow. The air rushed from her lungs as she staggered backwards. No matter what she might have been feeling – and she wasn’t even sure what that was – there was no way that she could have looked as shocked as he did. He didn’t so much as flinch. Didn’t blink. He just stared at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw.
“I…I…I…” she stammered before she could compose herself enough to form an actual sentence. “I’m so sorry.”
Daren’s only response was to blink.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” she continued.
He finally blinked, but still stared blankly ahead.
“I have no idea why I did that. I…” She shook her head. “I’m just sorry.”
Unable to look at his stunned expression any longer, Rebecca hurried out of the tent and into the glaring sunlight.
***
It had to be the painkillers, Daren reasoned. It could only have been a hallucination. That was the only possible explanation. Because there was no humanly possible way that Rebecca Jones had just kissed him. His stomach was doing that weirdly twisted, fluttery thing that it now did on a regular basis. Unable to feel his limbs, he stared at the far wall of the tent until his eyes grew dry and he was forced to blink.
The movement brought him back to himself. He licked his lips and tasted peppermint, lipstick, and the unique taste that he now associated with Rebecca. Had she actually kissed him?
“Daren?”
He whipped around to find Mads standing in the opening of the tent. His eyebrows rose as he studied him closely.
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah.” His voice came out breathy. He cleared his throat and decided that aggression was the best way to hide his growing blush. “What did you want?”
“You missed the rodeo. I think a certain degree of concern is appropriate.”
“Well, I’m fine.”
Mads nodded. His annoying nod. The one he always had when he wanted you to know that he had seen through your bullshit. Daren hated that damn head movement and balled his fists to quell the urge to hit him.
“You got something to say to me?” Daren squared off his shoulders, but he could feel his face heating up.
Mads’ lips quirked into a smile and he reached into his jeans’ pocket. To Daren’s bafflement, he produced a handkerchief and opened it with a short flick of his wrist. The material probably cost more than Daren’s whole wardrobe and fluttered lightly as Mads held it out to him. Hesitating a moment, Daren crept forward and took it.
“You have a smear of lipstick.” Mads smiled.
Daren was too shocked to notice that the tall – and rather smug – man left him alone.
Chapter Twelve
Mads left the rodeo behind and re-entered the main carnival, his mind rolling over a few thoughts. He knew he needn’t worry that Daren had been inappropriate. On the job or not, Daren was too damaged to even admit that he was attracted to someone, let along ogle them. So, Ms. Jones would have to be the one taking action. He would, of course, have to look into the matter. Secrets were fine for most people, but he had never really cared for them. At least, not when he was left on the outside. And if Ms. Jones was going to do something to hurt Daren, Mads needed to be prepared to soften the blow.
Habit allowed him to think and scan the crowd at the same time, so he noticed Willow long before she knew that she was being observed. With a stuffed toy in hand, she turned to move to the next booth. Her eyes widened for a moment when she spotted him. His slight smile was all the invitation she needed to cut across the flow of the crowd and meet him beside the Ferris wheel.
“Well, this is a disappointment,” she said as she held out a hand to indicate his clothes. “I was expecting something more.”
He glanced down at his thin, green sweater and his dark brown, khaki slacks.
“You could at leas
t mess up your hair,” she added.
A smile crossed his face as he studied her carefully. His attention slowly eroded her smile into a suspicious smirk.
“What?”
“I don’t suppose you’re very good at girl-talk?”
Surprise crossed her face for a moment. “Why?”
“I believe my client might be going through some emotional turmoil at the moment and would appreciate a sympathetic ear.”
“You know we’re grown women, right?” she said. “You can’t set up a playdate.”
“I’m not attempting to do that.”
“Aren’t you?”
He straightened his spine and tilted his head. “Should I be concerned that you think such things about my character?”
“Maybe,” she shrugged, refusing to give him anything to work with.
“Very well. Should I attempt to use emotional manipulation?”
“You really think you could, don’t you?” She took a step closer and lifted her chin in challenge.
“Wouldn’t be that hard,” he said with a smile.
He watched her curiously as her features closed off. She became cold, her gaze hard. It was obvious that he had hit an unknown, raw nerve, but he had no idea where along the line that was or why it had cut so deep.
“Fine,” she said. “Just if it keeps you away from her. So, where is she?”
***
It had taken all that Rebecca had to keep herself together long enough to check on Sophie. Happily laughing along with the performance, Sophie looked content and peaceful. Since she was under the watchful eye of three members of the team, Rebecca couldn’t bring herself to disturb her. Instead, she fled back to her trailer and slammed the door firmly behind her.
Daren’s warmth still lingered upon her lips, his taste ghosted across her tongue, and that restless craving gnawed at her like a hungry beast. And she still couldn’t understand why she had done it. She had never been the instigator with her ex. But that might have been because of how young they were when they had gotten together. Ben had been the more experienced one, so she had just naturally followed his lead. It had been an unspoken dynamic of their relationship.
