His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series)

by Laylah Roberts

  The guard needed help now. Relief flooded her as she saw she still had reception. She quickly sent a text off to Brax. She couldn’t call the sheriff and risk having Philips overhear her.

  Security guard injured. Need help at site. Call sheriff.

  Making sure her phone was still set to vibrate, she stood and stepped over the guard. She couldn’t do anything more to help him, but she also didn’t want to leave him behind. He was too heavy for her to drag off and she might do more damage than good by trying.

  Maybe she should see what Mason was doing. Hiding here and wondering was worse than not knowing. He could step around the trailer at any moment and see her. Yeah, she should keep an eye on him. That way she could take off and hide if she saw him heading towards her.

  Her phone vibrated in her hand, but she ignored the incoming call. Hugging the wall, feeling a bit like a silly heroine in a cheap movie, she took a deep breath as she reached the end of the trailer.

  Wishing she could just turn around and hide, she stuck her head around the corner.

  Mason reached into the back of his truck and pulled out a large can.

  What was he doing? He appeared to be pouring something from the can, splashing it around.

  Oh hell. He wouldn’t, would he?

  Would he really set the place on fire?

  Immediately, she turned away and rested back against the trailer wall, trying to catch her breath. She had to do something. Now

  She wished to hell she’d brought her Taser. But it was lying in her handbag in her car. Stupid. She’d have to confront him on her own, unarmed.

  Her gaze moved over to the security guard. She knew he carried a gun. Walking over, she ignored her sore leg as she kneeled down and grabbed the gun from its holder.

  Without thinking, she had no time to argue with herself, she moved back to her previous spot.

  Just in time to see Mason place the can in the back of the truck.

  “Stop right there,” she called out. “I’m armed and I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

  If her voice hadn’t been shaking it would definitely have had more impact.

  Mason swung around. “Who’s there?” he growled.

  Realizing that he couldn’t see her, Holly took a couple of steps forward so he could see she wasn’t bluffing.

  He smiled slowly. “Well, what do we have here? The bitch who tasered me.”

  Damn, she’d hoped he wouldn’t recognise her.

  He took a step forward. “Put the gun down before you hurt yourself, sweetheart. Soon as I’ve finished here, I’ll come take care of you.”

  Then he turned his back on her, telling her exactly how much of a threat he found her.

  “Stay still,” she snarled, gratified to find her voice had firmed. But he didn’t turn back.

  “Stop. Now. Or I will shoot.” She slid the safety off and aimed the gun at the ground, well away from the area he’d just drowned in gasoline. Derrick had insisted on teaching her to shoot. She hated guns but she knew how to use one. Concentrating hard, she fired off a shot.

  Mason turned, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

  “What the fuck!” he screeched, taking a step forward. Oh God, he was coming towards her!

  Headlights suddenly caught both of their attention. Holly forced her gaze to stay on Mason even as she longed to turn and look at whoever had pulled up.

  A door slammed.

  “Stay where you are, Mason. Don’t even move one inch.”

  Brax.

  Thank God.

  “Holly. Put the gun down, sweetheart and walk towards me.” His voice was ice. Cold and indifferent. She shivered. As safe as he made her feel, she wasn’t entirely sure that getting close to him was a good idea right now.

  “Holly,” he growled.

  “Can’t get your woman to behave, Jamieson?” Mason said mockingly. “Need me to show you how to do it?”

  “Holly. Now.”

  She placed the safety on and lowered the gun, but didn’t put it down. Instead, she backed away slowly, trying to keep her gaze on Mason the whole time.

  She could feel Brax’s fury pounding at her, demanding her submission. But she wouldn’t back down. She’d done what she thought necessary and she wouldn’t apologize.

  “He poured gasoline everywhere,” she warned Brax as she got closer.

  “Get in the truck,” Brax ordered, not even acknowledging what she said.

  “You might have caught me, but I’m not telling a thing,” Mason snarled. “You’re going to be ruined, Jamieson.”

  Brax didn’t reply.

  “The security guard is hurt, I’ll go sit with him,” Holly said.

  “Holly, get your butt into my truck or as soon as I’m able I’m going to turn you over my knee. No matter who else is around.” His voice shook with his anger but his arms were steady as he kept his gun trained on Mason.

  She shook her head. Men. She could understand that he wanted to make sure she was safe, but he was being pig-headed. Mason hadn’t made a move since Brax had gotten here.

  Sirens sounded and she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t like how coldly furious Brax was, in this condition she didn’t think he was thinking properly.

  “Get down on your knees, hands behind your head.”

  For a moment, she gaped at Brax, but then she realized he wasn’t speaking to her. Mason snarled.

  “Five more minutes,” the other man said. “That’s all I needed and this place would have been a giant bonfire.”

  But he dropped to his knees. Obviously Mason had no problem believing that Brax would shoot him.

  “Holly, I swear to God, if you don’t get in my truck I am going to spank your—” Before he could finish that thought, the sheriff pulled up, lights flashing.

  “Guns down. Hands where I can see them.”

  Brax lowered his gun. “He’s poured gasoline everywhere,” he warned the sheriff.

  One of the deputies moved towards Philips, frisking him before placing handcuffs on him. Holly let out a deep sigh.

  Brax handed his gun over to another deputy and Holly did the same.

  “Is there an ambulance coming?” Holly asked the deputy. “The security guard is injured.” She gestured over to him and the deputy rushed over to the guard to check on him. Heaving a sigh of relief now that the cavalry was here, Holly turned to look fully at Brax for the first time since he got here.

  And really wished she hadn’t.

  *****

  Brax was livid.

  Even now, knowing Holly was safe; he was still finding it hard to keep a rein on his temper. He paced, clenching and unclenching his hands as he waited for Sheriff Palmer to finish questioning her. He’d wanted to go in with her, but had been overruled.

  It had taken every ounce of control he had to let her out of his sight, but he’d managed it. What had she been thinking? What had she been doing there? How dare she put herself in danger this way? What if Mason had had a gun?

  God, he was going to make himself sick. Or give himself an ulcer. Finally the door opened and out she walked, looking exhausted and as though she’d lost weight, her eyes too large in her pale face.

  But she was safe.

  Brax strode over to her and clasped her shoulders, staring down at her intently. But other than the fatigue and a tightness around her mouth, he could discern no signs of distress.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “John said I can go now. They’ve got enough to keep Mason.”

  John? He looked over at the sheriff who stood behind her. The other man stared back at him calmly, his green eyes serious.

  “Do you need a ride, Holly?” John asked.

  Holly turned with a smile and Brax had to bite back his growl. Damn, he’d never been this possessive of a woman before.

  “She has a ride, Palmer” he answered shortly.

  Holly turned to look back at him, her gaze filled with reproof. What? He thought he’d been polite under the circumstanc
es. After all, he hadn’t picked her up, thrown her over his shoulder and stormed out.

  Which is what he’d been dreaming of doing for the last hour and a half.

  “Thank you, John,” Holly said sweetly. “You’ve been very patient with me. I’ll be fine. Although my car is still out by the building site. I parked it over the next rise.”

  “We’ll get it tomorrow,” Brax told her. No way were they going out there right now. No way was he letting out of his sight tonight.

  The sheriff’s gaze narrowed in on where Brax had a firm hold on Holly’s shoulders.

  “Well, I’ll let you go get some sleep then,” Palmer told her easily. “I’ll call you if we have any more questions. But I want to make it very clear how dangerous it is to play amateur detective. You could have been seriously hurt tonight, Holly. Next time, I want you to leave it to the professionals, understand?”

  Holly nodded then stepped out of Brax’s hold to take John’s hand, shaking it firmly. Brax didn’t like the way Palmer kept hold of her hand for a beat or two after he should have let go, nor the way his gaze followed them as they left. Brax placed his arm around her shoulders.

  “What exactly went on in there?” he asked as he opened his passenger door and lifted her in. He didn’t like how heavily she leaned on him.

  She needed food and sleep.

  As he climbed into the driver’s side, he looked across at her.

  A frown crossed her forehead. “What happened where?”

  “With the sheriff. Why was he eating you up with his eyes?”

  “He was?” The surprise in her voice soothed him, before he saw her surprise turn into something thoughtful. “You must have been mistaken.”

  Brax snorted. “I know the signs of a hungry man and he was looking at you like you were his next meal. What did he say in there?”

  “He just asked me some questions about Mason and what happened tonight.” She fell silent and he thought she was asleep. But as he pulled up outside the hotel she stirred, reaching for her door handle. “Thanks for the ride and for coming tonight. I’d appreciate it if you would pick me up on the way to work tomorrow so I can get my car.”

  “No.”

  She stilled, turning to look at him in shock. “No?”

  “No.”

  “Okay then, I’ll find another way out there.” She gave him a hurt look and he immediately felt awful.

  Sighing, he shook his head. “I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t pick you up. Although I think you should sleep in tomorrow. I meant no, you aren’t dismissing me that easily. I want to know what went on tonight. I want to know what you were doing out at the site in the middle of the night holding a gun on Mason Philips. Don’t you know how dangerous that was?”

  What did he think she was, an idiot? Of course she knew how dangerous it had been. She’d been absolutely terrified out of her mind, only a fool wouldn’t be.

  “Of course I do,” she told him with a snarl, taking secret delight in the surprised look on his face. “Do you think I’m stupid? I was fucking terrified. I thought I was going to die. But I had to do something, he was about to set the place on fire and that security guard was injured. I had no choice but to confront him.”

  “There is always a choice.”

  “So I should have let him just light the place on fire?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes,” he answered, no hint of doubt in his voice. “Because your life is worth far more than any building. You should have hidden yourself and waited for me to get there. Better yet, you shouldn’t have damn well been there in the first place. Just what were you doing?”

  Holly swallowed heavily. She’d already been told off by the sheriff, although he’d done it gently. She knew Brax wouldn’t go easy on her. She wished she could tell him to go away.

  Wanting someone who didn’t feel the same was hell. Wanting someone who did want you but wasn’t willing to bend in order to be with you was even worse.

  She felt unworthy, upset and angry. Really angry.

  “You have no right to lecture me,” she told him coldly. “Thank you for coming tonight and for waiting for me while I was with the sheriff. I will tell you everything because I’m sure you’ll ask around until you find out, but after this I am done listening to you yell at me. I am not your child or your kid sister or someone you are responsible for, so quit it with the overprotectiveness.”

  He opened his mouth but she held up her hand. “Do you want to hear this or what?”

  Reluctantly, it seemed, he nodded and she told him everything from her dinner with Mr Duggan to the nights she’d spent spying on Mason Philips. By the time she finished, Brax was holding onto the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white and there was a tick in his cheek.

  “I’m tired,” she said. “I’m going in to sleep. You’re right; I think I will sleep in. I’ll get someone to drop me off at my car.”

  “You’re not getting away that easily, sweetheart,” he growled. “I’m coming in.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we have some business to take care of.”

  “Can’t it wait until morning?” she asked tiredly.

  “No, this most certainly cannot. What did you promise me, Holly?” Before she could answer, he continued. “You promised me you would stay away from the Philips brothers.” His voice was a low croon, but she knew there was nothing gentle in him right now. He was furious.

  But she was in no mood to soothe him.

  “So you want to spank me? Is that what you’re threatening? Listen to me, Brax Jamieson; you cannot have everything your way. Before, I thought we might have something, because I thought you truly cared about me. But you made it perfectly clear that I’m not good enough for you, that I’m not enough for you to compromise on anything for me. Okay, fine, that’s your prerogative.

  “But don’t expect me to just lie down and let you take whatever you want from me without giving anything back. Yes, I did break my promise, but you do not get to criticize me over it. You do not get to scold me, yell at me and you certainly do not get to spank me. Not now. Not ever. Got it?”

  “I care about you, Holly. I feel sick from imagining everything that could have happened to you. You could have been hurt tonight and that is unacceptable. You should have come to me immediately.”

  He grabbed her chin, turning her face towards him.

  “And I never, ever said you weren’t good enough for me. Christ, it’s me who isn’t good enough for you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes and she knew she was about to lose it. No way was she going to cry in front of him.

  “Don’t bullshit me, Brax. You weren’t even willing to try, to bend just a little to see if we even had something together.”

  “What? So you decided to get my attention? I rejected you so you placed yourself in harm’s way to get me to ride to your rescue, is that it, Holly? Were you hoping I’d be so overcome at the idea of you in harm’s way that I’d fall at your feet and declare my undying love?”

  Holly gaped at him as she felt the last of her heart shatter. How could he think of her that way?

  Without saying a word, she climbed down and shut the door. She didn’t know what to say, what to think.

  She was numb.

  Chapter Eight

  Holly shuffled slowly into the diner, feeling like an old woman. She was exhausted. When she’d climbed into bed last night, she had fully expected to drop right off. Instead her mind wouldn’t quieten down, going over and over what had happened until she’d been trembling, her breath coming in hard and fast gasps.

  A panic attack.

  After her accident, she’d had a few attacks, so she knew what she was dealing with. Once the panic faded, she’d been unable to sleep. So she had spent the rest of the hours until dawn packing, arranging her tickets back to Houston and attempting to watch some television.

  This morning she was paying for her lack of sleep. Plus, her leg was aching, probably due to falling over the security guard
last night. Tiredly, she sipped coffee as she gazed out the diner window, watching people walk by. Her flight left at midday. It was barely eight. Still, she needed to eat then find someone to drop her off at her car.

  Without running into Brax.

  She couldn’t see him again. It would be too painful after what he’d accused her of last night. She could not believe he thought she would be so manipulative. She had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. Hurt, anger then acceptance.

  It would be best if she just left.

  “Morning, Stella. I’ll have my usual.”

  She stilled. She knew that voice. Was it possible? Could it be that easy?

  Glancing up, she realized it was. There was the dark, brown jacket she’d seen the other night. It was the other man from the alley.

  But could she be sure? There were probably a lot of jackets like that around.

  Speak again. Speak again.

  “Did you hear what happened, Phil?” asked the woman behind the counter.

  Phil? So that’s why she’d recognized his voice the other night. Phil Jones owned one of the other construction companies who had bid for the contract to build the resort.

  “No, what’s happened?” His voice was bored, not angry the way it had been the other night, but she knew it was him.

  But why was he trying to ruin Brax?

  Was it a case of sour grapes? She pondered over the matter.

  “Mason Philips got arrested trying to set fire to that resort they’re building out by Parson’s ranch.”

  “He what?” Jones yelled, making Holly jump. He sounded furious. Probably worried Mason would give him up.

  Another waitress placed her order of scrambled eggs and toast before her. She picked at the food.

  What would Jones gain from doing this? He’d been the second lowest bid. If Brax lost the contract he stood to gain it.

  Hell. She had to talk to Brax. No. She squelched her immediate reaction. She should talk to the sheriff. She dropped some money on the counter and left.

  *****

  Brax looked out across the land he’d grown up on, not really seeing it. His mind was miles away, caught up with a gorgeous brunette with blue eyes. Eyes that had gazed up at him with a mix of pain and anger the last time he’d seen her.