Page 39 of Before You Can Blink (Rust Canyon #4)

Jett

April

“Jett.” The urgent whispering of my name was accompanied by a jostling of my shoulder.

I rolled over, mumbling into my pillow, “Too early.”

“There’s someone in the house,” Daisy hissed.

My eyes sprang open, but in the middle of the night, the room was so dark I couldn’t see a damn thing. “What?”

Switching on the bedside lamp, I found a wide-eyed look of terror on Daisy’s face, her gaze trained on the bedroom door.

Her throat bobbed on a thick swallow. “I heard footsteps on the stairs.”

“You sure?”

The house had settled ages ago, but every now and then, there were random creaks and squeaks that couldn’t be explained.

In the springtime, it was often warmer during the day, with a rapid cooldown overnight, so it was entirely possible that the “steps” Daisy thought she heard were the pipes knocking due to the temperature fluctuation.

Eyelids narrowing dangerously, she fixed me with a glare. “Don’t try to make me out like I’m crazy. I heard boots on hardwood, clear as day.”

I dragged a hand over my face before swinging both legs over the edge of the mattress. “All right. I’ll go check it out.”

Grabbing my shotgun from the safe in the closet, I warned, “Stay here.” I highly doubted there was an intruder, but if—and that was a big if—there was, I needed her to stay safe.

Daisy scoffed. “Where else am I gonna go?”

“Do us both a favor, darlin’, and save getting lippy for when I have time to spank that ass of yours.”

Folding both arms over her chest, she shot back, “Any tips for how to light a fire under yours? Because the house is probably ransacked by now.”

My lips thinned, even if she did have a point. “Fine. I’m going.”

I twisted the doorknob slowly, pushing out into the hallway before silently latching the door behind me. With the shotgun held at my side, I turned the corner and groaned. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

Standing opposite me was Tripp, an unconscious Penny draped over his arms.

My twenty-year-old son’s eyes darted to my side, and an audible swallow sounded in the silence. Voice coming out strangled, he asked, “You fixin’ to shoot me, Dad?”

Fingers twitching on the cool metal handle of the shotgun, I was reminded of why I’d come out here, and my temper flared. “You’re damn lucky I didn’t! Scared your mama half to death sneaking in here.”

Averting his gaze, he had the good sense to look ashamed. “Sorry.”

Stepping closer, I wrinkled my nose at the unmistakable stench of vomit layered over whiskey. “Jesus. How much did she have to drink? ”

Tripp grimaced. “More than she can handle.”

“Clearly.” That girl was trouble wrapped in pretty packaging, and she was always dragging Tripp down with her.

Speaking of . . .

I fixed him with a questioning glare. “And you?”

“Not a drop, sir.”

I grunted, mildly relieved to hear I’d taught him well enough not to drink and drive. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t legal yet; country kids had a way of getting their hands on alcohol and getting a little wild on the outskirts of town—I know I had at that age.

“Why’d you bring her here instead of taking her home?”

Sighing, he replied, “Because she asked me to.”

Right. Of course. Couldn’t forget that my son literally couldn’t say no to the woman passed out drunk in his arms. I was just waiting for the day she asked him to jump off the metaphorical bridge with her. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when, and knowing her, that event would be one hell of a doozy.

Barely able to stifle a groan, I scrubbed a hand over my jaw. “All right. Get her cleaned up.”

The kid had his hands full enough—in more ways than one—so I stepped forward to open the door to his bedroom. Tripp shuffled across the threshold sideways so as not to bang Penny’s head off the doorframe before gently settling her on the bed.

“I’ll leave you to it.” I latched the door, waiting until it was fully closed before rolling my eyes.

Trudging back to the master suite, I slipped inside. Immediately, Daisy leapt off the bed, rushing toward me.

Forehead lined with creases, her eyes searched mine. “I heard you shouting. ”

A heavy exhale rattled my chest as I moved around my wife to put the gun back in the safe. “Your son,” I grumbled.

“Tripp?” Daisy’s voice rose in surprise. “What’s he doing here?”

I scoffed. “He’s got Penny with him.”

“Oh! Were they . . .”

My eyes lifted to the ceiling. Lord help me.

“If you’re askin’ if they’re down the hall making those grandbabies you’re so keen on, the answer is no, Daze.”

She let out an annoyed huff. “I know you’re grumpy because it’s the middle of the night, but could you please stop being vague and just tell me what’s going on?”

I climbed back into bed, patting the spot beside me in invitation. Once we were both settled and I had her tucked into my side, I explained, “I’m short on the specifics, but what I do know is that Penny got carried away partying tonight, and now Tripp’s stuck taking care of her.”

“It’s his calling to take care of her, Jett. He loves her.”

There was no use in arguing with my wife. In Daisy’s mind, Tripp and Penny were destined to be together. And yes, while it had taken me longer than everyone else, I could admit I now saw the way the pair of them looked at each other.

“Do you—” Daisy paused. “Do you think they’ll ever figure it out?”

Honestly, if he hadn’t found the courage to make a move by now, odds were he never would. I wasn’t about to deny my wife the hope she so desperately craved when it came to those two, but I couldn’t outright lie to her either.

“Maybe,” I murmured against the top of her head before reaching over to turn off the lights.

It might come as a disappointment to everyone if the Sullivan and Atkins families never merged, but it might be for the best in the end.

If Tripp wasn’t brave enough to confess his feelings, he wasn’t nearly strong enough to bring that girl to heel.

She would end up leading him around by the nose—like she had their entire lives—and that didn’t bode well for the future of this ranch.

Loving Daisy had been my motivation when buying this land and building a business, but I feared my son’s love for his best-friend-he-wished-was-more would be enough to ruin it.