Runaway Heart

by Amity Lassiter

  "Easy bud, we'll get everything. And there's barrel racing, too, remember?" Dane reminded him.

  The boy's eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite sport and Ren could tell he was resisting the urge to surge ahead to find the barns.

  "I do barrel racing with Chessy." Gage informed the girls, his chest puffing proudly. "But uncle Dane said I can't go again until my cast is off." He made a scowling face at the bright green fiberglass cast on his arm.

  "Just another week now," Ren reminded him. They had circled the doctor's appointment on the calendar a few nights before when Gage had been particularly frustrated that he couldn't ride his bike.

  Ren started when she felt Dane's palm find the small of her back, tightening their group up as they navigated through a busy part of the midway heading toward the arena. Once they cleared the crowd, he didn't move it. At his defiant action, she skeptically arched a brow at him. He shrugged innocently and continued to guide their group across the fairgrounds.

  The huge arena where the races were being held was lit by several floodlights and a crowd of people and horses milled around while loud, bass-thumping music played. The grandstands were packed but somehow, Gage managed to pick Ella and Caine out of the crew and dropped Kerri's hand to wave frantically and run ahead of them.

  Ren halfway expected Dane's hand to move away from her back when he saw his parents, but it didn't happen - instead he slid it down, patting her bottom affectionately as she started up the stairs ahead of him. A deep flush crept up her neck, a blend of embarrassment and pleasure. Even when her father had been alive and life hadn't been all that difficult, the right kind of boy had never paid her any attention and it felt good to have that now.

  Ella had wedged herself in tight to Caine to make space on the bench seats beside them but there was still barely enough space for Kerri, Ren and Dane, even with Gage on Ella's lap. Climbing the bleachers ahead of them, Kerri slid in next to Ella and shrugged innocently as she gestured to the tiny space next to her.

  Dane was close behind her, speaking in her ear. "You could…"

  "I'm not sitting on your lap." She practically hissed at him, but she could tell from the smirking grin on Kerri's face that she'd heard every damn word.

  Shooting daggers at Dane, she slid in so close to her sister, their hips touched. Kerri couldn't stop giggling, and it was infectious. She should have known there was no sense in hiding what was going on between her and Dane from Kerri. Gage wasn't perceptive enough to figure it out but Kerri had a lot of time on her hands to observe and draw her own conclusions, despite Ren's protests.

  Taking what was the equivalent of half of a seat, Dane happily jammed in beside Ren on the end of the bench. With the width of his shoulders posing a problem, he slid his arm in behind her and with absolutely no hesitation, his fingers into the back pocket of her jeans. When she shot him a look, he shrugged.

  "More space this way."

  Ren held him in her unimpressed gaze for a moment longer and then turned her attention to the arena where they'd turned the music down and were preparing to announce the racers. The first few were a mix of male and female riders, and when Kerri asked, having only seen female barrel racers on TV, Dane explained that it seemed to only be that way at the top levels, and that the adrenaline rush of a fifteen second run knew no gender roles. He gave them a play-by-play as one rider after another came through, attempting to execute the turns around the barrels with the most efficiency and speed. The jubilant mood in the stands was infectious and it wasn't long before Ren and Kerri were whooping along with everyone else while riders urged their horses down the straightaway at top speeds to 'bring them home' and stop the timer.

  The loudspeaker crackled. "In the ring now, our last rider - number sixteen, Noah Baylor and Blackjack."

  Surprised, Ren found herself rushed to her feet as the crowd cheered. Clearly, the pair were a favorite. Noah entered the ring, circling his horse as the announcer advised him to start whenever he was ready. He turned his horse to face the grandstand and tipped his cowboy hat, drawing an unequivocally feminine squeal from the crowd before setting Blackjack onto the pattern. It was a thing of beauty, the way his horse ate up the ground between barrels, circling tight and clean around each one.

  There wasn't a single behind still sitting in its seat when he turned Blackjack for the finish line. They all watched and cheered as his time flashed on a large digital screen across the arena and his name appeared at the top of the list of competitors. Gage was nearly vibrating with excitement. "Woo woo! Uncle Noah!" He pumped his fist and jumped up and down with enthusiasm until Caine swept him up and shucked him over his shoulder like Ren had seen Dane do with a bag of feed a hundred times already.

  Suddenly, the stands were emptying and they were being swept down the stairs.

  "Time for cotton candy!" Caine growled playfully. The boy squealed and Dane shot his father a look.

  "You're not sending him home full of sugar and bouncing off the walls for Ren and I are you?"

  The Baylor patriarch put on his best innocent expression and shook his head in response.

  "The first grand kid is the one we make all the mistakes with. Make some more so we can do it the right way." Caine nudged Dane, giving him a conspiratorial wink.

  At the bottom of the steps, the group made their way through the crowd to congratulate Noah on his win, then decided to split ways, on Ella's insistence that she wanted to go on a couple of rides with Gage and Kerri. It warmed Ren's heart, the way Caine and Ella had accepted Kerri as if she were their own kin. She attempted to give Kerri some cash for ride tickets and food but Ella waved them off.

  "You kids go have fun. Everybody gets a night off." Ella gave Dane a smile that was just a little too knowing as far as Ren was concerned, and with that, they were off.

  —NINETEEN—

  Dane resisted the urge to tuck Ren under his arm protectively as they left the grandstands and the rest of the family behind. He knew his mother was up to something when she'd commandeered the kids and sent him away with Ren, but he wasn't sure precisely what was going on in her head. His mother had always had an uncanny way of sussing out what the heart desired and altering the fates to play in the best favor of everyone involved. Judging by her enthusiasm when he'd been by her place for dinner last week, he guessed she was dipping her fingers into this one.

  He couldn't say he was irritated about it. Whether Ren realized it or not, she belonged with him, with the Baylor family, and if his mother had a hand in helping that to happen, he was grateful for the assistance. It was obvious Ren appreciated and was damn good at her job, but he was beginning to feel like she was poised with one foot out the door. He could hardly blame her, considering everything she'd told him, but he wanted her to feel like she was a part of the family, that she belonged with him and that he would do whatever he had to do to defend her from the demons of her past.

  He guided her back out toward the midway. As often happened when they were in public, he ran into many familiar faces but he kept their conversations brief, focusing his attention on Ren. She took in the games, the vendors, and the rides as if she hadn't seen them in a very long time, if at all. At times, she was so engrossed in the lights and glitz he had to navigate them around foot traffic to avoid a collision.

  After a time, she spoke. "I honestly haven't been to the fair since before my dad passed." The melancholy smile that tipped the corners of her lips told him she was walking back through memories she had long ago buried. "He used to love to bring me. Kerri was just little, about Gage's age, probably, the last time she was at a fair."

  "He sounds like he was a good man."

  "He was. I miss him all the time. He was definitely my best friend. I felt all alone for a long time after he died."

  It was against his better judgment but he took her up into his arms, pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. He knew she might mind, but he didn't care if a picture of it was splashed all over the front page of the Three Rivers Chronicl
e. When a woman, especially one he felt so strongly about, needed comfort, he wasn't going to stand by like an asshole.

  She didn't resist like he expected her to but relaxed into his arms for a moment. It felt right.

  "Do you wanna play a game?" She tipped her head back to catch his eyes, seeming to have gained the strength and comfort he'd hoped to pass on with his touch.

  A slow smile drew across his lips. "Which one?"

  She pointed at a nearby booth where he could see balloons pinned to a wall behind the man operating the game. The goal was to burst the balloon covering the odd colored star for the biggest prize—a combination of sharp shooting and luck.

  "Dad never let me do the shooting ones. So let's make some new fair memories."

  Dane knew that the time he would say no to Ren was rare, and the sparkle in her eye when she pointed out the game told him this was not even going to come close to the list.

  "Alright."

  They headed toward the booth and Dane laid down the money for each of them to pick up an air rifle. He watched Ren as she gripped hers. "You know what you're doing?"

  She shrugged, held it up and peeked through the sight. "Point, pull the trigger, pop the balloon, kick your ass." She flashed a smile at him that warmed his heart.

  "If I let you win."

  He watched her analyzing the process, lifting the gun to her shoulder and pretending to pull the trigger a couple of times. It was cute as hell and it didn't take her long to figure it out; further evidence to the independent woman she was. They stood side by side, aiming at a target for practice shots Dane didn't really need. He was proficient with a rifle and usually bagged a deer every year to add some variety to the freezer. He'd grown up with a gun in his hands and had been using one to run off threats to the livestock as long as he could remember. Ren hit half of her targets and swore she wasn't trying to hit the ones she missed.

  *

  "Need a lesson, angel?" Ren stiffened as a pair of unfamiliar hands slid along her arms and she felt a body settle behind her. She dropped her air rifle and tried to jerk away but he had her enveloped firmly in his grip.

  "Damnit, what is it about you Sullivan boys and your lack of respect?" Dane's gun clattered to the counter and he grabbed hold of the man's collar. Just a hair shorter than Dane and lacking his muscle, the other man held up his hands as if he were innocent but Dane was already pushing him backwards into the side of the booth. "You don't lay your hands on a woman unless she asks for it."

  Ren jumped free of the altercation and got a look at the man who had accosted her. He looked like the grown up version of the teen who had been asking about Kerri's breasts and she could only guess this might be the older brother. He was struggling while Dane held him pinned against the wall. It was different to see him behave in a way that was anything but patient and gentle but she couldn't say she didn't appreciate that he stepped in. She rubbed her hands down over her arms as if to get the feel of the other man off.

  "Hey look, she just looked like she needed help. And she hasn't got a sign on her saying she belongs to anybody."

  Dane drew back a fist like he was going to hit the man but then dropped it, lifted him away from the wall and then shoved him back against it before releasing him.

  "She belongs to herself, and if she didn't ask for any help, she didn't need it." He turned to stalk off, presumably before he made good on his threat to hit the man. Ren looked over her shoulder as Dane ushered her away and the Sullivan man's face was ashen.

  "You know if you don't put a mark on her, somebody else will snatch that tasty morsel right out from under your nose, Baylor," he called after them.

  Ren felt sick to her stomach to be boiled down to little more than a piece of meat, as if she weren't even there. She shivered and moved to Dane's side, sliding her arm around his waist. Maybe she didn't want to go public with all of this yet but she wanted to send a clear message to the man who had touched her against her will. Dane closed his arm around her shoulders, drawing her in tightly and pressed a kiss to her temple before they began to move through the fairgrounds, neither of them giving the man a second look.

  Casting a mischievous glance her way, Dane pulled them into the line at the ferris wheel. Quickly the cars filled with couples and small groups. When it came their turn, Ren didn't give it a second thought as he took her hand and they crossed the gang plank to get onto the ride. She snuggled in next to him, eager to rid her mind of the feel of the stranger's hands on her. The wheel lifted them higher in the air, bit by bit, as the remaining cars were filled.

  The fairgrounds spread out below them, loud and smelling of diesel and popcorn. The colored lights of the different rides looked like twinkling jewels—it was beautiful and brought a rush of memories back to Ren. Dane slid an arm over her shoulders and she melted into his side easily, letting out a soft sigh. They were quiet for a long while, soaking in the atmosphere of the fair below them. Finally, Dane spoke.

  "I'm sorry about Jimmy Sullivan. Those boys truly have no manners."

  Ren was comforted by the steady rise and fall of Dane's chest and the rumble of his words under her fingers curled into the front of his shirt. She had all but forgotten about the man's unwelcome embrace in the bliss that was Dane's. Dismissing it, she shrugged.

  "I swear I'll never let another person touch you without permission again. Not even me," he continued.

  She tipped her head and caught the fierce protectiveness in his eyes. Though she had made the decision long ago not to allow herself to be a victim anymore, Dane clearly recognized she'd spent most of her adolescence with hands on her that she had not authorized, and she appreciated his intent. She reached up to touch his jaw lightly and smiled at him.

  "You know you're always welcome."

  It was true, she'd never seen the side of Dane at the ranch that she'd seen tonight when he'd taken hold of the Sullivan boy. She'd been just about sure he would hit Jimmy but as he always did, he'd shown restraint, and she had no fears he would ever turn on her. The man had the patience of Job and she'd seen him time and time again gently correct a colt until it made the right decision, never losing his cool. He was human, she was sure, but when it counted most, he kept his head.

  His protective gaze dissolved into something different; that storm she had seen in his eyes when she'd first arrived at the Baylor ranch was present again.

  "Ren, I..." He stopped, choosing his words carefully. "I saw red when I saw Jimmy touching you. I want to be the only one whose touch you welcome. I want to be the one you come to when you need anything. Nobody has ever made me feel the things you make me feel."

  She hung on his every word, her fingers still cupping his stubbled jaw as they crested the highest precipice of the ferris wheel's trajectory. "What does it feel like?"

  He reached across them, slid his hand over her neck, under her hair and took her mouth just as they started the downward journey at the ride's full speed. The sudden drop in altitude made her stomach flutter and he claimed the kiss with every emotion laid bare. The intensity of his kiss combined with gravity made her breathless in the best way possible. Every cell felt like it wanted to implode and burn at the same time and her heart felt like it would burst clear out of her chest.

  *

  The ride made a full rotation before Dane pulled away from Ren. She had shuffled across the seat, as close as she could get to him. He wanted her even closer but common decency didn't allow it. Heart thundering wildly, he used the arm across her shoulders to draw her tighter to him and swallowed. He was as close as he'd ever come to loving someone and he was pretty sure he'd crossed right over that threshold into the foreign territory without even realizing it. It scared the shit out of him.

  —TWENTY—

  The view of the sunrise from the front porch double rocker of the Baylor family home was about the prettiest thing Ren had ever seen. She curled in closer to Dane's chest, taking a sip of her coffee. He tucked the soft white blanket they were wrapped in tighter aroun
d her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. She was still in her pajamas but he was dressed for the day, stealing the last few moments from what had been a magical night. Gage and Kerri had stayed over at Ella and Caine's and they had taken full advantage of it as if they were a pair of newlyweds on their honeymoon. Ren made a mental note to pick up the trail of clothing from the kitchen to Dane's bedroom before the kids got home.

  "Much as I hate to do it, I gotta get to the barn." Dane spoke but didn't make any movement toward departure.

  "Mmm."

  They sat in silence for a couple moments longer.

  "Your mama knows about us, doesn't she?" Ren had had a suspicion but it was primarily because Ella sent them back to the ranch without the kids; she was reasonably sure Ella was aware of what was going on with Dane.

  When he didn't reply right away, Ren looked up at him and caught a guilty expression on his handsome features.

  "She knew. Hell, according to her, half of Three Rivers knows, they're just too polite to say it," he teased.

  "What does Ella say? Does she think I'm a terrible person?" Ren had stopped caring what her own mother thought of her, but Dane's mother was different. Ella had befriended her, made her feel at home, and the thought that she might feel betrayed or think less of Ren because of her relationship with Dane—well, it bothered her.

  "She says she wants you to bring her a basket of tomatoes from your garden when they get ripe."

  Ren frowned.

  "Seriously? Your mother finds out you're sleeping with the help and all she says is she wants a basket of tomatoes from my garden?"

  Dane's jaw tightened at the same time his grip on Ren loosened.

  "You know that's not what this is."

  Ren sat up, squared him in her sights.

  "No, I know that's not what this is, but technically, that is exactly what this is, and that is what other people will think that it is. You are sleeping with the help."