Page 12 of The Runaway and the Rugged (Dusty Meadows #1)

“Goddammit,” Garth grumbled under his breath as he pulled out a walkie-talkie from the waist of his pants.

A look of pure annoyance spread across his face.

“Garth, I swear to God if you don’t answer…” The familiar exasperated voice of Greta growled on the other end of the walkie-talkie, but Garth swiftly interjected, forcefully pressing the side button with dramatic flourish.

“I’m here, no need to get your damn panties in a twist,” he growled before briefly glancing at me.

“Where in the hell are you? Have you found her yet? And please, for the love of God, don’t talk about your sister's panties.”

My mouth lifted with a small smile.

“I’m on my way back, relax,” he rumbled, and suddenly my stomach made a turn for the worse.

“Oh god, is she with you? Please tell me you found her.” The barrage of questions sent me into panic mode, muscles tensing, eyes dilating. Garth was too busy grunting and staring off into the distance to notice my reaction.

The last thing I wanted was for Nathaniel to know where I was.

I watched in horror as Garth lifted the walkie-talkie to his mouth with his thumb hovering over the button. It was as if time had stretched and I was waiting for the inevitable.

Stop him, Emelia!

Before I could even speak, my body reacted on pure instinct. I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to as I launched forward, all ten pounds of my heavy dress, and slapped my palm directly over his mouth.

Garth immediately froze, while I died on the spot.

“Don’t,” I mouthed through my mortification as his piercing gaze tore straight through me.

Confusion, shock, every emotion was swirling around in those chestnut eyes as he stared at me unblinkingly.

I was touching him. Oh god, I was touching another man on the day I was supposed to get married. And it wasn’t just that, I was pressed up against him in the most intimate way while my hand covered his mouth. What the hell was I doing and why didn’t I just speak up like a normal person would?

“Please,” I pleaded, noticing the warmth and fuzziness of his mustache tickling my skin.

From the corner of my eye, I watched the walkie-talkie gradually lower from my line of vision, then disappearing altogether.

“Hello? Earth to Garth.” Greta’s voice resonated in the air between us. Her muffled words were edged with irritation as she continued to call out to her brother, soon becoming less and less noticeable as he shoved it back onto his hip.

She was definitely going to kill him.

Each moment that passed became more intense than the last. My breathing was busy trying to keep up with the pace of my heart, while my heart seemingly wanted to beat its way out of my chest.

What I didn’t understand was why this gruff, rugged man was letting me silence him with my hand. Something tells me only a very stupid person would touch him without permission, and right now, that someone was me. So, why wasn’t he reacting? Removing my hand? Something?

Was it shock that made him immobile?

Whatever the reason, I was intrigued. Stupidly and foolishly so. And maybe that was his reasoning also. Finding a lost bride on his ranch, who happens to shut him up with a palm to the mouth.

It had to be fascination mixed in with a dash of confusion.

Right?

I was too caught up in the whys of it all, not realizing I was still covering his mouth.

Clearing my throat, I quickly removed my hand, letting it fall to my side.

“I’m sorry.” My voice quivered as I stepped back, creating a large enough space between us. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

God, I could barely look him in the eye.

“I just don’t want him to know where I am.”

I sought out Ella, needing a distraction from the absolute mess I’d gotten myself in. Her head was pointed downward, sniffing at the ground with her cute little nose flaring.

“I wasn’t going to rat you out,” he finally responded, his tone normal and unexpected.

“I didn’t know. It just seemed like you were going to…” I didn’t get to finish as he began to cut in.

“I was gonna tell her to meet at my house. Nothin’ more.”

“Your house?” I questioned, fidgeting with the fabric of my dress, wishing I could get out of it.

“Only place I can think of where your ex won’t find you.”

Your ex.

I shouldn’t like the sound of that as much as I did.

“Right.” I nodded, afraid to meet his stare that I could feel so heavily on my face. “Okay.” I swallowed, knowing we couldn’t stand here forever.

If I could, I would, but I knew that wasn’t an option.

“Before you get on the back of that horse, I need to hear again that this is what you want,” Garth said, no bullshit, no mincing of his words.

My throat felt unbelievably tight. A pain gnawing at the muscle, as if Nathaniel was here, pushing me to do the thing I desperately didn’t want to do.

Choose him.

But I wasn’t. I couldn’t. For so long, I always chose him. Never myself, and this time, I wouldn’t let him win. I wouldn’t let my guilt fall into the same trap again.

Never again.

Then with a deep, almighty sigh, I sealed my fate. “This is what I need.”