Page 64 of Fatal Deception
Rosalie’s expression softened into a hurt frown, not that her sister would ever admit it was hurt.
“That’s worse,” Rosalie said flatly. “I never thought a secret could be worse, but telling one side isworse.”
“It is, and I’m sorry—”
“Don’t apologize for him, Audra. You’ve done that enough.”
She had. She really had. She didn’t like to admit that taking on all the blame made her feel…safer. Safer than trusting and believing in anyone again. Safe to know you handledeverything.
Safe, maybe, but not happy, not fulfilled. Hadn’t Copeland said that? Surviving not living. Not…actually all that strong. Just safe in the most basic of ways.
But she hadn’t feltsafesince Copeland had swept in, broken down all her usual walls and boundaries.
Because, like he’d said yesterday, her boundaries sucked.
Audra let out a careful breath. “I’m going to change the subject for a minute. Because you guys are here, and Copeland isn’t, and… I just…” She looked from her sister to her cousin, her best friends in the world. Rosalie’s words abouttalking it outinstead of figuring it out on her own rattling around in her brain. “I think I’m in love with him. I don’t know how it happened.”
Franny made a squealing sound and grabbed her hand, but Rosalie just regarded her with a detached cool gaze.
Audra swallowed at the lump in her throat. Tried to settle the terrified trip of her heart. “I’ve been trying really hard not to be,” she whispered. “But he just…won’t shake.”
Rosalie inhaled, exhaled, slowly. Her gaze went to the door that Copeland and Duncan had exited out of this morning.
“Yeah, I guess I know the feeling,” Rosalie muttered.
Audra’s heart fluttered. Rosalie had been a little reticent about starting something with Duncan, and Audra had certainlygiven her a push in that direction, but that was different. That was…them.
“I don’t think…all that is in our future, but—”
Rosalie turned on her in a quick sharp turn. “Why wouldn’t it be in your future, Audra?”
Audra blinked, surprised at Rosalie’s tone. “I don’t know. Copeland and I are just…too different, probably.” Admitting she’d fallen for him was one thing, thinking that meant a future was something entirely different.
“Yeah, and Duncan and I are two peas in a pod.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, maybe I have my reservations about Copeland, but…if you care about him, and he cares about you, and he won’t be shaken by the expert shaker, why are you already ruling out a future?”
“Aren’t you the one who always told me I should stop believing in fairy tales?”
“And then I lived one, more or less. You were right, Audra, and you should be right for more than just me.”
Audra wanted to believe that, but the bone-deep fear she couldn’t was still lurking there. Still, arguing about it wouldn’t get them anywhere. “Maybe,” she said, managing to scratch out the word. “But, first… First, we have to figure this threat out. Whatever it is.”
“It all centers around your father,” Franny said gently. “And who knew him better than you, Audra?”
Which…actually gave Audra an idea.
COPELAND FOUNDDUNCANto be an easy enough chore partner. They didn’t have to talk to get the work done, and it kept Audra safe and inside. He had a feeling Duncan had things he wanted to say, but he took his sweet time about saying them.
So Copeland maintained the easy silence, focusing on the work, and trying not to laugh at how…coming out and dealing with horses and cows and fences and the bitter cold had becomenormal.
And very nearly enjoyable.
They worked until it got close to lunchtime, but before Copeland could suggest going in for food, or checking in on Audra because the fact she hadn’t come poking her nose into the chores despite his orders was downrightstrange, and had to be chalked up to Rosalie and Franny maybe tying her to a chair, Duncan spoke.
“It’s too big of a place to keep secure. I know that from experience.”
There’d been trouble at his parents’ ranch next door last year, and since Copeland had worked part of the case, he knew Duncan had tried to install a lot of security measures, but still, things had slipped through the cracks.
“I agree,” Copeland said, surveying the vast stretches of land around them. “There was a time I tried to convince her to leave, stay in town with Hart, orsomething, but now… I think staying is the right choice. As long as she’s never alone. She’s right that the threat isn’t to her. I really do believe that. Someone wanted to scare her off. They didn’t know her, and thought she’d scare easily.”