Page 8

R hae sat in her office, door closed, blinds drawn. The air felt too thick, pressing against her lungs, suffocating.

She forced herself to take deep breaths, but it didn’t help. Her hands were shaking. She stared down at them, palms flat on the desk, knuckles white. Everything was too quiet, the silence wrapping around her like a shroud.

Dear god. Denver.

Seeing him again…she wasn’t prepared for that.

Seeing the way his lip curved when he looked at their daughter, cooing and gurgling like there wasn’t a storm beating down their door, slayed her.

Denver’s eyes. She could still feel the burn of them. Could feel the shock, the pain, the confusion.

Hell, she hardly knew what happened. How could she explain how she got to the Black Heart Ranch with an infant? She couldn’t expect him to understand.

A shuddering breath escaped her, and she pressed her hands to her face, palms cool against her flushed skin. She’d been ready for a lot of things, but not them being on the same ranch with a thousand words unspoken between them, and a secret she wasn’t sure now if she was prepared to share.

Her gaze drifted to the small playpen that served as a crib for Navy in the corner of the office. The baby was asleep, cherubic cheeks rounded, her pink lips giving the occasional suck in her sleep, one chubby hand splayed.

Rhae watched her for a moment, heart giving a painful squeeze. Everything she’d done, she’d done for Navy. Every choice, every sacrifice. Staying off the grid. All of it was to protect this precious little soul and to give her the best possible life a momma could.

A fat tear slid down her face, unstoppable.

The ranch felt like a safe place. Now everything felt fragile again, a soap bubble hovering in the air, easily shattered by the slightest mountain wind.

She swiped away the tear, but another fell in its place.

A rap on the door made her bolt upright. She dashed her palms over her face and slapped a pleasant look there in its place.

“Come in.” Her voice wavered only slightly. Maybe whoever was walking through her door wouldn’t notice.

Oh, god. What if it’s Denver?

Panic swept her, but a second later a familiar face popped around the doorframe.

Willow slipped through the door. The sympathy in her eyes wavered, softened by the flicker of uncertainty. Her gaze darted to the sleeping baby before settling on Rhae.

“You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Willow cocked her head in a way that made words unnecessary.

She threw up her hands. “Fine. I’ve been better.”

Willow stepped closer, leaning her hip against the desk. “You wanna talk about it?”

“No.” Her response was too quick, too sharp. She couldn’t help it—part of her heart was back there in that barn, cracking wide open with every second that Denver stared at their daughter. “I just need…a minute.”

“Make it a fast one, because it’s bonfire night.”

She shook her head. “I’m sitting this one out.”

The idea of attending the weekly ranch bonfire tonight shook her to the core. What if Denver showed up? He had every right to—it was his family, after all. His, not hers.

A lump lodged in her throat, hot and constricting.

“You have to come. You know how everyone looks forward to passing the baby around.”

It was true. The veterans who sat around the fire, the same ones who played with Navy or put her to sleep, all lit up when they saw her coming with the baby in her arms. The sight of Navy getting passed around, toasty warm in the arms of those rough military men, to the arms of her uncles…

and her Aunt Willow…choked Rhae up even more.

She couldn’t get a single word out.

“Come on, Rhae. You would encourage your patients to face their fears.”

She gaped at Willow. “This is a little different.”

“But is it? It’s a gorgeous night for a bonfire, and Auntie Willow needs some Navy snuggles.”

“But Auntie Willow isn’t going to say anything, right?”

“Nope. Not a word.” Her beautiful eyes widened, accentuating her long, thick lashes. The same ones Navy inherited.

Dammit.

“All right, I’ll go.”

Willow bounced on the toes of her cowgirl boots. “I’ll put the baby in her footie pajamas!”

Rhae moved to lift the sleeping child into her arms. For a beat, she stared down at her peaceful face, thinking how innocence smoothed out everything.

And connecting the shape of Navy’s eyes to her father’s.

This wasn’t the first time Willow followed her back to her quarters.

The rooms were small but adequate for her and Navy.

It consisted of a small sitting room with a TV she rarely got to watch, since she worked long hours and motherhood made her collapse into bed every night.

She barely had a few minutes to scroll on her phone before sleep claimed her.

The bedroom was larger, big enough for a dresser and a queen-sized bed. When she first arrived, she emptied out the closet to create a tiny nursery nook for the crib, and Oaks had been kind enough to add some shelves where she stocked diapers and supplies.

Willow went straight to the dresser. “Top drawer, right?”

“Yes.” She gently laid Navy on the bed, but her eyes popped open anyway. Wide awake as if she already knew what was about to happen. She gave a big, gummy smile, the few teeth she had glinting white. The new one hadn’t yet broken through.

Rhae issued a sound, almost like a sob, but smiled back at her daughter. She stuffed her hands in her pockets, awaiting what was to come from all of this.

“Ohh, she’s so cute.” Willow hovered over Rhae’s shoulder, pink cotton footed pajamas in hand.

“I’m biased, but she is the cutest baby of all time.”

“Those eyes…”

Rhae gulped. “If you don’t mind getting her in her pajamas, I’ll just change clothes.”

“Of course.” Willow reached for the baby, earning a giggle from her.

Rhae grabbed some jeans, a thermal T-shirt and boots, and went into the bathroom to change. As she dressed, she avoided looking at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t want to see that terrible thing on her own face.

Hope.

Hope that Denver would be there. Hope that he wasn’t.

What was she doing anyway? She should stay in her room, turn in early.

In the other room, Navy let out a squeal of delight. With a fortifying breath, Rhae walked out to find her child on Willow’s hip. She had Navy’s little knit cap drawn over her head and her thick blanket thrown over her shoulder.

“We’re all ready.”

“I see that.” Rhae draped a quilted jacket over her arm and reached to take the baby as a way to distract herself from what she was about to walk into.

Navy tipped forward, arms out for her, and Willow transferred her over with a light laugh.

They walked out together, which Rhae was grateful for.

As they crossed the lawn and circled the barn to reach the open spot where the bonfires were held, her heart picked up a beat.

Denver couldn’t have been on the ranch long, but it shook her knowing that they could have crossed paths any moment, just like today.

“He probably won’t even show.”

Willow offered her a sympathetic look. “Last I saw, he was in the office.”

She jerked her head to pierce her friend in her stare. “Did you speak to him?”

“My lips were sealed.”

The bonfire was going full force, its orange flames leaping into the air. Waves of heat blurred the friendly faces of the men who sat around in a mish-mash of lawn chairs and even a couple old stumps.

The chair she usually sat in was left open for her, and she made a beeline for it while giving the group a quick scan for Denver.

He wasn’t here.

She felt her shoulders droop in relief and took her seat with Navy nestled in her lap. She avoided everyone’s gazes by fastidiously swaddling the baby in the blanket. The minute she finished, a set of masculine hands shot outward.

“I’ll take her for a while, Miss Rhae.”

She looked up into Kyle’s eyes and gave him a nod and smile.

He took the baby with care and anchored Navy in the crook of his arm, turning a little so she could stare with wide eyes at the flickering flames.

Talk was the same as always—ranch work, horses, fences that needed repaired. The quiet of the night settled over them, knitting them together tighter.

“All right, quit hoggin’ the baby. Hand her over.” Colt reached out to take Navy out of Kyle’s arms.

She couldn’t help the smile stretching over her face. They all loved Navy before they ever knew the truth.

They didn’t know she was family, just always treated her like it.

Her gaze darted to the corner of the barn and back to the group whenever someone shifted in their seat.

They were all there, the Malones and their wives and girlfriends. Carson and Layne were speaking in low tones, the firelight glimmering in their eyes that were filled with love whenever they looked at each other.

Oaks’s wife Shiloh was tucked against his side on the bench, a cozy plaid blanket draped over both of their legs.

Colt and Gray were deep in conversation about some ranch equipment that had blown a gasket, while the women they loved, Aspen and Honor respectively, chatted about the upcoming wedding between Carson and Layne that would be taking place on the ranch very soon.

The baby made it to Oaks’s muscular arms. Rhae’s heart squeezed.

They all loved her. Maybe it was enough.

Laughter broke out near the fire, and Navy squealed with delight.

The smile froze on Rhae’s face as she saw him.

Denver emerged from the shadows, hands tucked in his pockets, shoulders hunched as if he’d braced himself against a storm. Her heart stopped, and then kicked back into a frantic rhythm, drumming against her ribs with painful insistence.

He was coming toward her.

* * * * *

Denver’s stare found Rhae the instant he turned the corner. Every step he took toward that fire brought a flood of questions…and a flood of emotions.

With the way they left things, he had no idea where he stood with her. No promises were made. If she felt anything for him, she buried it as deep as he did.