“I’m nervous, Bear.” She wore an expression filled with uncertainty when he glanced at her. “I have avoided private gatherings, especially big ones, in case someone recognizes me from the papers.” She looked at her hands in her lap. “Like the woman from the festival.”
“Don’t let Jennifer’s comment bother you.” He reached over and put his hand on hers as he glanced to the road and back to her. “I’ll stay with you every second tonight, and if you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
She didn’t say anything as he looked back to the road. When she spoke, her voice was low. “I’m sure everything will be okay. I want you to know that I appreciate you more than you can imagine.”
“I care for you, Rae.” His voice felt thick as he spoke. “I’m not going to allow anyone to make you feel anything but welcome.”
She squeezed his hand in return, but he felt the tension through their physical connection.
Bear took the dirt road to the Circle A, Tex and Linda Arnold’s ranch, crossed over a cattle guard, pulled up to the main house, and parked next to several other vehicles.
“This place is huge.” Rae looked around at the multiple buildings that surrounded Tex’s home.
“He has a good-sized cattle operation, one of the biggest in the county,” Bear said. “His ranch is about the same size as my brother, Carter’s. Colt’s ranch is nearly as big.”
“It looks like Tex invited half of King Creek.” Rae met Bear’s gaze. “There are a lot of cars here.”
Bear gave her a gentle smile. “Are you ready?”
She gave a firm nod. “As I’ll ever be.”
He got out, shut the door, and strode to the passenger side. He helped Rae out of the truck before getting the box of cookies.
The sound of laughter and chatter came from behind the ranch house. Rae gripped his hand tightly as they walked around Tex and Linda’s large home to the expansive lawn in the back.
Friends and neighbors stood or lounged around the lawn and swimming pool. A group of kids played tag football. Several adults and teens swam or played volleyball in the pool.
Rae tensed, likely surprised and overwhelmed by the number of people she saw when they reached the backyard. “There are more people here than I’d guessed,” she said, confirming his thoughts.
He gently nudged her. “Come on, hon. I’ll introduce you to Tex and his wife.”
Rae gripped his hand and took a deep breath before letting it out. “Let’s go.”
He guided her to where Tex stood next to Brady, both men holding a can of beer.
“’Bout time you got here, Doc.” Tex grinned and shook his hand.
“I’d like to introduce you to Rae Fox, who moved here not too long ago from Lake Havasu City.” Bear inclined his head in Rae’s direction. “Rae, this is Tex Arnold.”
“A real pleasure.” Tex gripped Rae’s hand.
She smiled. “Your place is amazing.” Tex released her hand and she looked to Brady. “Looks like you got all that cherry pie off your face.”
He grinned and touched the brim of his Stetson. “Came close to Colt and Davie, but Colt took it.”
“I hadn’t heard that,” Tex said. “Didn’t you win last year?”
“Yep.” Brady nodded. “Just couldn’t cut it today.”
“Where’s that beautiful wife of yours?” Bear asked Tex. “I don’t see Linda.”
“There she is.” Tex looked in the direction of the brunette opening the patio door, carrying a dish with a domed lid. “Looks like she might need help.” Tex hurried up to Linda and took the dish from her.
She rubbed her hands on her jeans as she leaned close to Tex. She drew back and turned to see Bear and Rae.
“Hi, Bear.” Linda smiled and came toward them. She hugged Bear then held her hand out to Rae. “You must be Rae. Welcome to the Circle A.”
“Thank you.” Rae took her hand for a moment before releasing it. “I love your home.”
“Thanks for inviting us,” Bear said to Tex and Linda. “Where would you like us to put this? We brought a few dozen cookies.”
“Right over there.” Linda pointed to a table covered in desserts. “If you can find a spot.”
“Will do.” Bear took Rae’s hand again. “I see some family that I need to introduce to Rae.”
Tex gave a nod and Linda smiled. Bear could feel Rae’s apprehension through their linked hands as they walked to the dessert table. He released her long enough to set the box on the table and lift the lid.
When he finished, he escorted her toward several of his family members, and hoped Rae wasn’t feeling too overwhelmed.
Justin and Miranda stood closest and Bear took Rae toward them.
“Hey, bro.” Justin rested his hand on Bear’s shoulder before smiling at Rae.
Bear introduced Rae to Justin and his fiancée, Miranda, and explained that Rae moved to the town fairly recently.
“Welcome to King Creek,” Justin gripped Rae’s hand then released it. “How do you like the town?”
“It’s great.” Rae smiled. “I had a ball at the festival today. You can’t find anything that feels quite like it in a bigger town, or in a city.”
“I came to the area from Texas, not too long ago. I loved it from the moment I arrived.” Miranda pushed hair behind her ear. “What do you do?”
Rae hesitated. “I was in real estate in Lake Havasu City. When I moved here, I decided to take a low-key job at Mickey’s.”
“What do you think of working for the big guy?” Justin asked.
“Mickey is a good man.” Rae looked like she genuinely meant it. “And he’s a great boss.”
“Does Patty give you a hard time?” Justin asked. “If she does, don’t let it bother you—her bark is worse than her bite.”
Rae shrugged. “We’ve come to an understanding.”
“How did you two meet?” Miranda asked Bear and Rae.
Bear explained about Rae bringing in Arthur after he’d been hit by a car.
“Then he showed up at Mickey’s that night,” Rae said. “We just clicked.”
Bear rested his hand on Rae’s shoulder and smiled. “Something like that.”
“How did you and Justin get together?” Rae asked Miranda.
“I’m a horse therapist.” Miranda looked at Justin and back to Rae. “Justin’s daughter, Kaycee, was thrown from a horse and developed a fear of riding. I helped her through it.”
“Miranda works magic,” Justin said, and Miranda smiled.
Bear nodded in the direction his and Justin’s oldest brother stood. “I’m going to introduce Rae to Carter and Kit.”
“It’s great meeting you,” Miranda said. “I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
Rae smiled. “I’m sure we will.”
Justin touched the brim of his hat and nodded to Rae.
Bear guided Rae toward Carter. “You’ve met Colt, Brady, and Justin. Carter is the oldest of the McLeod bunch.”
Rae glanced up at him. “Your brothers and you are all so tall. I feel really short next to you and them. Miranda is tall, too.”
Bear released his hand and rested his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
They reached Carter, who was talking with Brady.
Brady stepped back as Bear introduced Carter to Rae. After Carter greeted Rae, Bear asked, “Is Kit around?”
Carter inclined his head toward a group of their family standing near the pool. “She’s with Mom and Grandma. Looks like Jill, Leeann, and Haylee are there, too.”
Bear caught a glimpse of his pretty sister-in-law, who had hair the color of butterscotch. “I see her.” He nodded to Carter and Brady before drawing Rae away. “And you can also meet more of our family,” Bear added.
Rae fell into step beside them, but she looked nervous. Bear took her hand again and squeezed. She looked up at him, took a deep breath, and smiled. He loved that smile like crazy. It did things to his gut that he’d never felt before.
/> When they reached the group, Bear introduced Rae to his mom, Julie and Grandma Francis; sisters Jill, Leann, and Haylee; and sister-in-law, Kit. The women greeted Rae as if she were a dear friend, rather than an outsider. Bear couldn’t help but feel proud of the women in his family, and proud of the wonderful woman Rae was.
Bear’s sister-in-law Miranda joined them, and the seven women drew Rae into conversation, laughing and chatting as they asked how she liked King Creek and about her life in Lake Havasu City. Rae was understandably evasive about some questions but did talk about her sister and her former occupation.
Rae, in turn, asked his family questions about their lives. He could tell her nervousness had faded some, but she still had a hard time letting go of her reservations. Not that he could blame her, after all she’d been through.
Bear stayed with Rae, even though he was the only male of the group. He didn’t want to abandon Rae when she had only met the women in his family.
When Rae started to look a little tired, he realized it had been a long day and she might be hungry.
“Okay, ladies.” He cut into the chatter with a smile. “I’m going to introduce Rae to Dad and Grandpa now, and then get us some food. It’s been a while since we’ve had anything to eat.”
After they departed, Rae met his gaze. “I am loving your family. They are all so nice.”
“I happen to agree.” Bear inclined his head toward the two men they were headed to. “Last two introductions and then we’ll grab something to eat. Sound good to you?”
Rae nodded. “Perfect.”
Bear’s Grandpa Daniel liked to tease, and he made Rae laugh. Bear’s dad, Joe, was good-natured and friendly to Rae, too. She seemed relaxed with the men, even more so than she had been with the women. He imagined it was because there were only two men at this moment, as opposed to the group of six women.
Bear told his dad and grandpa he was going to get Rae something to eat. As he drew her away, Rae seemed tired.
“I guess meeting that many people in one day must be exhausting,” he said as they walked to the end of the line at the food tables.
She gave him a smile. “A little. I like all of your family. Your brothers are great and everyone else is, too. There are just so many of them that it is a little overwhelming.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “I grew up in a huge family, but sometimes it can be a bit much for me, too. I need my quiet time.”
“I’m not surprised.” She smiled. “You’re probably the quietest of the bunch.”
“I am.” He nodded. “But I wouldn’t give them up for anything.”
“If they were my family, I wouldn’t want to give them up, either.” She looked ahead to the food table. “The hamburgers and fudge we ate seem like a long time ago.” She craned her neck to see the other table. “And those desserts—I want to try one of each. My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach.”
He chuckled. “Why not go ahead and do your best?”
She grinned up at him. “I might do just that.”
Rae did a good job of finishing off a pulled-pork sandwich and sides, plus a piece of chocolate cake and a couple of cookies. He did his fair share of lightening the tables of some of their loads, too.
After they ate, they made their goodbyes and headed out to his truck. It was getting dark, and soon it would be nearing the time the fireworks would be set off. Rae rested her head against his arm as they walked to his truck. “Thanks for bringing me,” she said.
“Are you up for watching the fireworks?” he asked. “Or are you ready to go home?”
She smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t miss the fireworks for anything. But then home is a really good idea.”
They drove to a spot in King Creek, where they could watch and get a good look at the fireworks show that was one of the best in the county. He parked in the lot next to other vehicles, and like other people gathered there, he pulled out a couple of lawn chairs for them to sit in. While they watched the display, Rae looked delighted.
“I’ve never seen better fireworks,” she said when it was over, and they were settled back in his truck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He smiled at her. “It’s been a long day, and I bet you’re tired.”
She covered a yawn and nodded. “I am going to crawl in bed and sleep til noon.”
Bear rested his hand on her thigh and smiled. He tried not to imagine how beautiful she would look in his bed right now, naked.
He swallowed. “Thanks for spending the day with me.”
She smiled and put her hand over his. “I had a great time. I’m really glad you asked me to join you.”
He gave her thigh a light squeeze before slipping his hand into her hair and kissing her. The kiss was long, slow, and sweet.”
Bear drew back and looked into her eyes. “If you weren’t tired, I’d take you home and make love to you all night.”
“I’m not that tired.” Her breath seemed to quicken. “As a matter of fact, I’m not tired at all now.”
His chest grew warm. “Then how about we go and make some fireworks of our own?”
She gave him a sexy smile. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 15
Several weeks after her fantastic 4th of July with Bear, and many more wonderful times with him, Rae found herself inside the courtroom, wondering if the past months in King Creek had been her last as a free woman.
Next to her sat her attorney, Luther Deming, who studied his notes. Across the aisle from him sat the prosecutor, a hard-looking woman with a confident demeanor, who honestly scared the hell out of Rae.
Bear had intended to be here today, but she had flat out insisted he couldn’t come and demanded he respect her wishes. She refused for his last memory of her to be seeing her in handcuffs, being taken away to prison.
He had argued, but in the end, he had respected her desires and said he would wait for her phone call. He’d clearly been upset, but watching her walk away in chains, if it came to that, was unacceptable
Carrie and Marlee, however, sat behind her. Both her sister and her cousin could not in any way be dissuaded to stay home. They were her family and had been with her every step of this horrible ordeal. Bear was important to her, but this was different.
Rae tried to swallow down her fear. This could become the worst day of her life. Losing her freedom would be far worse than everything that had happened to this date.
And it would mean she’d lose Bear someone she’d come to love.
Love. What an awful time to admit to herself that she was in love with the wonderful man, who had changed her life.
Tears stung at the backs of her eyes. Her hands shook and she rubbed her palms on her thighs, over the tailored suit skirt.
She couldn’t allow herself to give in to the despair that hovered on the edge of her mind. Over and over she told herself that she would be found innocent and she would not go to prison.
Luther leaned close to her. “Hang in there, Rae. You have nothing to worry about. It is going to be tough going through this, but in the end, I am positive you will be found innocent.” He gave her a fatherly look. “It’ll be okay.”
She tried to nod but she felt frozen, her entire body stiff now.
The command to rise for the judge’s entrance caused a jolt to go through her. This was real. It was happening now.
Luther touched her elbow and guided her to stand. Somehow, she got to her feet without collapsing back into her chair.
Everything blurred, and Rae thought she might pass out. But once the judge was seated, she sank back into her chair and waited for the next moment and the next, the minutes and hours spent that would determine her fate.
The trial lasted almost three full days, but the jury came back with the verdict in an hour.
Which terrified Rae. Either the twelve jurors had all agreed she was guilty, or all agreed she was innocent within no time at all.
Rae felt as if she’d been to hell and back as she stood next to her attor
ney to learn her fate.
Her ears buzzed as the verdict was announced and she was afraid she hadn’t heard right.
Not guilty.
She’d been found innocent of all charges.
The judge stated she was free to go and slammed down his gavel.
Rae heard Carrie sob with relief and the loud exhale Marlee made, as if every moment spent in the courtroom had left her unable to breathe until now.
Luther helped Rae to her feet as the courtroom broke into loud conversations. “You did good, Rae. Congratulations.”
She turned and hugged him, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Thanks, Luther. Thanks for saving my life.”
He patted her on the shoulder, and she stepped back, brushing tears from her eyes with the backs of her hands.
In the next moments, she was hugging Carrie and Marlee, their tears mingling with their conversations. They intended to go to Carrie’s house and have a celebratory dinner accompanied by wine, and lots of it. Rae planned to call Bear with the news, so that he wouldn’t worry any more, and she could share her relief with him.
In the hallway outside the courtroom, Larry’s family and friends glared daggers at her and she knew they would never believe she was innocent.
She swallowed down the pain and anger that rose inside her. She didn’t deserve this, but she’d have to live with it for the rest of her life.
Rae, Carrie, and Marlee made their way outside. Rae was immediately assaulted by reporters. Locals bearing signs with Murderer emblazoned across them screamed at her. The horror of the last year and now this assault, threatened to cause her to lose control. She wanted to shout for everyone to leave her alone, to stop throwing accusations her way despite the verdict in her favor.
She had been found innocent by a jury of her peers—yet in people’s minds, they would still wonder if she was guilty, or would believe she absolutely was guilty, and that she had somehow gotten away with murder.
Could she stay in King Creek? Was it far enough from Lake Havasu City that she would be away from all the hatred and evil that was the only thing left for her here?
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