by Lia Riley
Chapter Nineteen
THE AMBULANCE SIREN disappeared into the night. Sawyer turned to Edie. He was taller than Archer and didn’t sport the dimples, but they obviously were closely related, those hooded green eyes a family trait. But whereas Archer’s face held mischief and humor, Sawyer was unruffled, letting little show. A perfect sheriff. “Things are going well between you and my brother?”
She smoothed a hand over her hair. “What makes you say that?”
“Your dress is on inside out,” he muttered.
“Oh no!” She blushed as he broke into a kind smile, one that changed his whole face, made him more human, less like a serious man of the law.
“My little brother has been acting like he’s got a bee in his bonnet for months, it’s good to finally know the cause.”
“And how do you know that I’m the bee?”
“I see how he looks at you. It’s like he’s never seen anyone else.”
“Well,” she said, ducking her head, embarrassed and undeniably pleased. “You should get on to the hospital. My purse is back up in his room. I’ll follow along.”
“I’ll give you a ride.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.”
He simply stared at her. It was the same as when Archer wouldn’t let her pay for the motel.
“I guess Kane men are uniformly stubborn.”
Sawyer’s laugh came out in a surprising boom. “We can be, yes.”
“Okay, hang on. I’ll only be a second.” She ran back to Archer’s bachelor pad above the barn. For so long he’d been settling for this clean but sterile space, just a bed, kitchenette, couch, bookshelf, and television. It didn’t feel like a home, more like a place to pass through. Except for the bed. The mattress was half off the frame and the sheets looked as if a tornado had touched down.
She quickly righted her dress and ran down the stairs. “One last thing,” she said as they walked to his truck. “Archer hasn’t eaten all day and his kitchenette cupboards were beyond bare. We have to pass my shop on the way to the hospital. If we can stop at my apartment, I can run in and get him something to eat, leftover pasta or a sandwich. This might be a long night.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Sawyer said, opening her door.
Her phone buzzed as they drove down the driveway. Quincy’s name flashed on the screen. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”
“Fine by me,” Sawyer responded easily, eyes on the road.
“Hello?” she said. “Where are you? London or Paris? Let me guess—”
“The more pressing question is where are you?” Quincy’s posh voice was concerned.
“On the way to the hospital.”
Quincy cursed. Strange. He never swore. “Did he find you then?”
“Did who find me?” Edie asked. “I’m with Sawyer Kane, we’re on our way to the hospital. Archer’s grandmother broke her hip.”
“Reggie’s in Brightwater.”
Her blood ran cold. “What?”
“You’re with the sheriff?”
“Yes.”
“Good, that’s good,” Quincy sounded relieved. “Stay with him.”
“How do you know he’s here?”
“I got back to town early, went by your shop, and saw it had been closed all day.”
“I went to see Archer. He was involved in a car crash last night.”
Quincy heaved a heavy sigh. “This does seem like a day for calamities.”
“He’s okay, but yes, it scared me.” It was nice for her cousin to be so concerned.
“As I was saying, I stopped by the bakery to check on you. Found your apartment ransacked.”
“What?” Her voice rose.
“Yes, I’m here now.”
“Why do you think it was—”
“The photo Reggie threatened you with has gone online,” Quincy said gently. “Your computer was open and the image was set to the homepage. As far as I can tell it’s only on a few sites so far. I have my people working to remove it, but these situations are notoriously difficult. It’s like playing Whac-A-Mole. There’s a good chance the damage is permanent.”
“Did you call the police?” She stiffened as Sawyer glanced over. Sharing this situation with her boyfriend’s brother wasn’t something she looked forward to.
“No, I called you first. When I saw the condition of the space and that you were missing, I’m afraid I rather assumed the worst.”
“I’ll tell Sawyer now.”
“Tell me what?” he said quietly as she hung up the phone.
“It’s kind of a long story,” she said.
“I’m a good listener,” he responded.
ARCHER TOSSED ASIDE the magazine he wasn’t reading and stared across the emergency waiting room. A framed poster of a beach scene hung on the wall in a cheap pastel frame. Who decided that’s the sort of picture to have in a hospital? Maybe the idea was that the tropical image could relax people. Instead, it felt like shitty mockery, the idea that somewhere life was all mai tais and warm water instead of the cold creeping fear about a loved one’s condition.
He pounded back the last of his disposable cup of watered-down coffee as Edie rushed through the sliding doors, staring around wildly as she made her way to the triage desk. He threw up a hand and she veered in his direction, her mouth turning into a sympathetic smile.
“You’re here,” he said, standing to pull her into a bear hug. “Where’s Sawyer? Parking?”
She kissed his cheek. “First, how is your grandma?”
“Grumpy as ever. In addition to the broken hip, the paramedics said she looked to have pneumonia too.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Archer clenched his jaw, before burying his face into Edie’s hair, inhaling her rich, comforting scent. His pulse slowly returned to normal for the first time in hours. “As much as Grandma is a pain in my ass, that tough old bird loves me, my brothers, and that ranch something fierce.”
“I know,” Edie crooned, rubbing his back with small circles. “Of course she does.”
“I doubted it for a long time.” His insecurity came from a weak place, one he wasn’t going to visit any longer.
“When can you see her?”
Archer shook his head. “I’m not sure. No one has been out since she went into surgery.”
She gripped his hand and pulled him back to sitting. The plastic chair was hard and uncomfortable, but everything seemed better with Edie here, more positive, like maybe things might work out for the best.
“You starving? I was going to bring you something to eat, but I can go see what’s in the cafeteria at this hour. Might be scary but better than nothing.”
“That’s okay,” he said with a shrug. “My stomach is in knots.”
Edie gave him a long look. “She’s really special to you, isn’t she?”
“I feel like shit that I never recognized it. We all grumble about the way she rides our asses, but yeah, she’s special. Maybe not your typical sweet grandma knitting socks and baking cakes, but I’ve never had a mom or dad, at least for as long as I can remember. She’s been my parent. And all that ass-riding, it was a push for me to step up and take more responsibility. When I didn’t believe in myself, she knew I could do it.” He broke into a wry smile. “Of course, she never said any of this straight out. But that’s just not her way.”
He was honored that she chose him to continue the legacy and would do his level best not to disappoint.
“It’s not hard to see your potential,” Edie said. “You have it coming out your ears. Seriously, you are amazing, and the only person who doesn’t seem to see it is you.”
“Thank you.” Edie had a caring heart and he wanted to treasure it. As much as he understood Grandma’s love for him, he still craved a different love. The affection he never got growing up, that of a gentle word and a soft touch.
He slung an arm around the back of Edie’s chair and rested his head against hers. Her scent steadied him. Maybe that’s why he’d chased women the
way he had. Always searching for a human connection, a moment to be held, loved even for a few passing minutes of pleasure. Shit, he must be exhausted. Chasing this train of thought wasn’t his usual MO, but when faced with a person’s mortality, deeper thoughts seemed to bubble up.
Edie fidgeted in her seat, doing her nervous tapping eyebrow thing.
“What is it?” he asked, frowning down at her face. Something else seemed wrong. She was pale, each freckle standing out in sharp relief.
“It’s nothing,” she answered quickly.
“Damn it, I thought tonight we agreed to quit the run around. Here you are, not a few hours later making that closed-door face.”
“You have so much on your plate right now.” She sighed, holding his hand tighter. “I don’t want you to worry.”
“I’m going to worry why you aren’t being straight.” He angled his body toward her and nudged her shoe with his boot. “Come on, let me in.”
She took a deep breath. “Yes, you’re right. Honesty, right?”
“Please,” he said. “In all things.”
“Sawyer isn’t parking his truck in the hospital lot. He let me take it after he stopped at the sheriff’s office. He can’t come . . . because . . . it appears Reggie broke into my apartment.”
Archer sat straighter. Hot anger and a grim happiness took root deep in his stomach. “You’re telling me that shitty-ass excuse for a human is in my town?”
Edie took a moment before responding. “Quincy came by to check on me as the shop was closed all day, and my little home was destroyed.” Her voice cracked. “There weren’t many trinkets I’d had sent from New York, but the few I asked for were important to me. We’re not sure it was him, or if he’s acting alone, or what exactly he hopes to achieve. The motive is unclear. I know he wants money, a lot of money, but why does he need it? He makes a seven-figure salary.”
Archer’s trigger finger twitched. He was ready to go hunting. Wouldn’t be hard to rustle out a yuppie weasel in a town this size.
“No! Don’t think of going vigilante,” she said quickly, sensing his intentions. “Stay here. Your grandma needs you.”
“But—”
“I need you too. Your brother has the law on his side. This is his job.”
His mind was a blur of red rage. “If you think I’ll sit on my ass while someone is out there trying to cause you—”
“Mr. Kane?” A doctor stepped through the ER door with a serious expression.
“That’s me,” he said, rising to his feet. He was pulled in so many different directions that he might rip into pieces.
“Your grandma is in recovery and asked you to come sit with her. In addition to the hip, she is suffering from pneumonia. Not unusual for someone at her age, but serious.”
“We’ll go right now.” Edie took his hand.
The doctor shook her head. “I’m sorry, it’s immediate family only.”
Archer readjusted his hat and rolled his shoulders. “My grandma needs me and I need my girlfriend. That’s final. Go on and speak with your supervisor but that’s how this is going to go.” With that asshat on the loose, no way would Edie be out of his sight. Not for two seconds.
The doctor looked between them, frowning before consulting the chart. “I think we can make an allowance in this case.”
When they got to Grandma’s room, she was resting as machines clicked and whirled. She looked smaller in the hospital bed, more fragile than ever.
There was a faint buzz and he glanced sideways. Edie subtly checked her phone.
“What is it?” he murmured.
“The photo.” She held up the picture posted on a porn site. “Quincy sent it. It’s on five sites and counting.”
“Reggie’s lies won’t go anywhere.”
“Even if they do, the fact you are with me makes this a million times easier to bear.”
Grandma stirred on the bed, her eyes fluttering.
Archer settled a hand on Grandma’s toothpick arm. “She isn’t going to like being laid up or off Hidden Rock. She’s never even taken a proper vacation away.”
“Can I ask a random question?” Edie murmured, pulling up a chair. “Something I’ve been curious about.”
“Shoot.”
“Why is the ranch called Hidden Rock?” she asked.
Grandma stirred, her eyelids fluttering again and her mouth working soundlessly. No clear communication yet, but a good sign her vitals were okay.
“Hidden Rock?” Archer shifted his weight. “Huh. I don’t actually know. Funny, I grew up on the ranch and never once asked how it got that name. I’ve heard time and time again about the legend of Five Diamonds Farm, and how it was won off a Kane in a poker game a hundred years ago, but I’ve never wondered about our own name.”
Grandma’s eyes snapped open, sharply focused. “You don’t know the legend?” she wheezed.
“Hey, welcome back. You’re awake,” he said, eyeing the call button. Should he page the nurse or—
“How can you run the ranch if you don’t know its history?”
“Shhh.” He crooned, rubbing her arm. “Settle yourself, won’t do any good getting yourself worked into a twist. Just rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead,” she rasped. “The whole story is written plain as the nose on your face in Brightwater: Small Town, Big Dreams.”
Archer wrinkled his brow.
“Don’t tell me you never read the town history.”
“I . . .”—he scratched the back of his neck—“didn’t know there was a town history.”
A small alarm sounded and a nurse rushed in. “Mrs. Kane, is everything all right?”
“No, it’s not all right. My grandson is going to take over my ranch and doesn’t even know its history.”
The nurse glanced at Archer as Grandma’s blood pressure spiked on the machine.
“Is the book at home?” Archer asked quickly, ignoring the nurse who fussed with the IVs and oxygen.
“In the living room, on the same bookshelf it’s been since you were born.”
“I’ll read it as soon as I get home.”
“You will, and you’ll both hear it now.”
“Grandma, you need to rest.”
Edie shook her head at Archer. “If this helps her, it’s a good idea.”
“Thank you,” Grandma said frostily. “Good to see one of my grandsons has fallen for a woman with a lick of common sense, even if she is a brazen hussy.”
Archer resisted the urge to face palm.
“Excuse me?” Edie said, horror crossing her features. She must think Grandma knew about the picture.
“She saw you and me in the truck, the day you arrived in town,” Archer mumbled.
“But why does that make me a brazen hussy?” Edie said, looking puzzled.
“What else would you call a woman who engages in fellatio on Main Street?”
The nurse dropped the chart in a loud clatter.
“Aw, hell, Grandma—”
“Don’t you swear around me, boy.”
“But I never—I didn’t—I don’t understand—” Edie stammered.
“Nothing happened,” Archer cut her off gently.
The nurse leaned against the wall, riveted, as if she were watching a daytime talk show.
Archer chewed the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to offer the woman popcorn. “If everything is okay with my grandma, do you think you can give us a few moments in private?”
“That’s fine. Mrs. Kane, the doctor will be in to check on you shortly.” The nurse spoke a little too loud, her voice a little too cheerful.
Archer was pretty sure that vague crunching sound was his grandma gnashing her teeth.
“Mrs. Kane, I’m not sure what you thought you saw,” Edie said.
“I got this,” Archer said, setting a hand on her leg. “Grandma, this is a woman I deeply care about.”
Edie startled and he glanced over. “It’s true. I do. And Grandma, I care about you too. I know we
aren’t a big huggy kissy sort of family but sometimes these things need to be said. Like when you’re in the hospital or when you run your mouth about my reputation.” He held up a finger. “That all needs to stop now. I’m going to ask once, this once, and be nice about it. This woman is my everything and I won’t sit by and hear a single negative thing said about her in my presence, and that goes for when I’m not there too. You will give her, and me, that respect from here on out. She deserves nothing less. Do you understand?”
Grandma eyed him for a moment. “Yes.” She nodded. “I was right to go with my gut. You are the man to run Hidden Rock. I’m still not sure about you.” Grandma scowled at Edie. “I’m not sure what to think about you and your fancy coffee. That’s not my way. That’s not what I know. But if my grandson sees fit to defend you, then this stops now.”
Archer’s shoulders loosened. That was about as good a peace offering as he could hope for.
“And you’re ready to hear the story of Hidden Rock.” Her whisper was fainter.
“It can wait for another time. You should rest.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m so full of painkillers I could jog down the backroads like your little girlfriend,” she said. “Now this story doesn’t have a happy ending, mind.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Archer murmured.
Grandma ignored him. “Once upon a time, back when Brightwater was just the founding families . . . your great-great-great-grandfather, Fielder Kane founded the ranch . . . before his damn fool son lost part of it on a cockamamie hand of poker.” She held up a hand. “I promised Sawyer I wouldn’t speak ill of that old story either, and this is me honoring my word. Anyway, Fielder Kane had nothing but his boots and a hat. Not even a pot to piss in. Legend has it he was hard drinking, hard living, and came West for the adventure and to seek his fortune. But, as Brightwater grew, a merchant arrived in town, and he had a beautiful young daughter, and Fielder knew the first time he saw her that she’d be his. That he’d do whatever possible to win her hand. Her father made it clear that his girl wasn’t going to any wild cowhand. So Fielder put his head down. For five years he worked and gathered a sizeable herd, working men, land, power, and position. And when, at long last, he had more of the above than anyone, he bought a ring and went to town to make his proposal. She accepted, having waited for him too and they were married. Soon she bore three fine sons.
