Page 140 of Resisting Isaac

He moves toward the door. “Seems words got around pretty quickly.”

“They need to change the saying fromgood news travels fasttoif you screw up, there will be an immediate public service announcement.”

My brother huffs out an amused-sounding breath. “Maybe give Elena some time to cool off. At the very least, you’regoing to be raising a child together. Might want to use the next few months to figure out how to do that.”

Before I can tell him the truth, that I don’t just want to co-parent with her, the walkie on his hip goes off and Antonio’s voice blares into the room.

“Boss, we got trouble,” he blurts out. “Smoke indicates a fire has broken out near the bull pasture and is heading for your place. Hands are heading out that way now and I’m close behind.”

We’re moving before the end of his statement is completely out. I stand so fast, I think my kitchen chair hits the ground behind me, but I don’t turn back to check.

Wyatt barks questions and commands into the walkie as we sprint toward the smoke that’s billowing in the air along with storm clouds, both dark and ominous like a goddamn nightmare on the horizon.

From the corner of my eye, movement beside the guest cabin catches my attention. I grab the back of Wyatt’s shirt to stop him, and we both turn to see who is driving down a road we typically take either the four-wheelers or side-by-sides down due to the rough terrain.

A black SUV crawls up the dirt path like a predator. My gut tightens before the door even opens.

When it does, Elena steps out.

Her hair is damp, sticking to her cheeks. She doesn’t look over at us as she darts into the guest cabin like a criminal trying not to be seen.

I follow, heat rising in my chest. Wyatt says something but I don’t hear him.

Stepping onto the porch, I see that the front door is open and Elena is inside, shoving her belongings into her bag like she’s in a race to escape.

“Elena—”

“I’m going home, Isaac.” Her eyes are wide, and her voice is brittle. “I don’t have a choice. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

Her hands are shaking.

“You disappear for hours and now you’re bailing?” I step inside the doorway. “Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”

“My family needs me. I don’t have time to explain right now.”

The SUV idles outside. I glance past her and catch a glimpse of what looks like Diego behind the wheel. His smirk turns my stomach.

“Is it your dad? Did something happen to him? I can fly you home faster than he can drive you.”

She shakes her head. “There’s a storm coming, Isaac. I have to go.”

I reach for her but she only moves closer to the SUV. “Please don’t leave like this, Elena. Tell me what’s going on.”

Her lips part, her eyes glass over. It looks like she’s a split-second from saying something—when Diego steps out of the SUV, his shadow looming over her.

“Looks like your livestock got out of hand, cowboy,” he says, jerking his chin toward our family’s private stables.

My head whips in that direction in time to see more smoke curling into the sky like a warning just as the clouds unleash their fury.

Diego says something I can’t hear to Elena then ushers her to the passenger side.

I remember Liam Wilder’s words, reminding me that even if it doesn’t feel like the right time, I better say what I need to while I can.

“I fell in love in the rain,” I call out, my voice catching.

Elena’s head lifts and her eyes meet mine.

I give her the closest thing to a smile I can manage underthe circumstances. “Didn’t mean to. Didn’t even see it coming. All I know is that every time I hold you in my arms, everything else disappears. We were supposed to be pretending, for the camera, for the contract, for your family . . . but I never was.”