Page 23 of The Runaway and the Rugged (Dusty Meadows #1)

Emelia nodded as she backed away from the counter of food.

“Surprisingly good,” she responded, her eyes flicking to mine briefly before going back to Greta.

“Knew you would, nothin’ like the first sleep after leavin’ an asshole fiancé,” Greta said with a hint of understanding in her tone.

She offered a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

With Grace eating and Greta takin’ the spot beside her, it didn’t take long until Emelia looked like she was ready to bolt out the door.

She seemed on the verge of tears, holdin’ it in the best she could, and no one else seemed to have noticed beside me.

And when she thought no one was watching, or so she believed, she quietly disappeared out of the kitchen, and without hesitation, I followed closely behind.

“Sneakin’ out?” I called out just when she was about to run down the steps of the porch. Her entire body went still, a low sigh falling between us as she slowly turned to face me.

“No, of course not,” she brushed me off, fighting to stay composed. “I just… I have a lot I need to work out and I can’t do that when I’m here.”

I observed her closely and intensely, wondering why the hell I couldn’t for the life of me let this woman walk away without at least offering something. Before I could second-guess myself, I blew out a breath and spoke.

“Stay,” I threw out into the open, and almost instantly, her deeply confused gaze connected with mine.

“What?”

“Stay,” I repeated. “You ain’t got nowhere to go, and we got a place you can stay, Outlaw.”

“I can’t just stay here, Garth. What—what would I even do? I told you I don’t have a job, which means no money. How would I even be able to afford staying here?”

Why was I trying so hard to get her to stay? One night was one thing, but indefinitely, or until she was able to get onto her feet again? That was a whole other story entirely.

“Help us around the ranch? It’s definitely not what you’re used to, but it’s good, honest work and I’ll let you stay in the cabin in return.”

“Do I look like I know the first thing about working on a ranch?”

“No, but we can teach you.”

I can teach you.

“You’re crazy.” She watched me incredulously with a wide-eyed expression. “You’d honestly let a stranger stay here, for… however long?”

“No, not a stranger, you,” I clarified. “I’d let you stay.”

A beat passed of nothing, just a whole lot of intense staring that made it even more impossible to read where her head was at.

“Why?” she asked, her tone slipping into confusion. “I just… I don’t understand why?”

Why? I was still trying to wrap my head around it myself but the only answer I could give her was the easy one, the most logical one that took no effort to explain.

“Because you need a start. You need somethin’ new, and if that means I have to offer it, then I’ll gladly do so.” I turned my head toward the door, feeling a heavy presence of someone watching us.

My daughter being fuckin’ nosey.

“My parents didn’t name this place Hideaway Haven just by chance, Outlaw. It can be that special place for you, if you’re willing to let it.”

She looked at me, and I mean really looked at me as if contemplating. Her bright, clear eyes were more vivid with emotion as she tugged incessantly onto her bottom lip.

“And your family? You think they’d be okay with someone staying here?”

If I wouldn’t have asked first, there’s no doubt that someone would have.

“We got people stayin’ here all the time, besides, they would have offered if I didn’t.”

Her mouth quirked.

“Even your grumpy brother I have yet to meet?”

A low snort escaped.

“You thought I was the grumpy one, remember?” I reminded her.

“Yeah, well, I was wrong. Turns out you’re the too generous one.”

Her arms went around her middle as her stare dipped down to her toes. What I would give to know what she was thinking right now.

“Just doin’ what I think is right.” My stomach is filled with what felt a lot like hope. Like a twister of flutters that I couldn’t seem to tame, no matter how hard I tried to.

I didn’t like it. Not one bit, but it was there, like the Texas heat that seemed to linger on even after a sunset, and not going away anytime soon. Unwelcome as it was confusing, I swiftly shook it off the best I could until I was able to think clearly again.

“Something tells me you do that a lot.” She lifted her eyes with a small smile beaming right at me.

Fuck, she was pretty.

“Not as often as I should,” I told her truthfully. “So, what do you say? Will you stay?”

Her smile fell, but not completely. A strained, almost self-conscious look formed along with another wave of hesitation.

“It’s okay to say yes.” I attempted to put her at ease with a rare, warm smile. “I won’t hold it against you or anything.”

Her mouth twitched before settling back into a serious expression.

“The last thing I wanted was for you to feel obligated to ask me,” she admitted, but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. I was driven solely by my need to ask her to stay, to make sure she would be safe and taken care of as much as it pained me to admit it.

“Not the kind of man who feels obligated to do anything. I’m asking because I want to, Outlaw.”

She fixed her eyes on mine intently and unwaveringly.

The shuffling behind the door shifted into rowdy whispers, but I was determined to not let it deter me.

As much as I wanted to bang on the door and tell my meddlesome family to go away, I held back.

My eyes and attention remained fully focused on the woman standing before me.

And I waited.

And waited, until finally her resolve appeared to crumble, replaced with what looked to be acceptance. Apprehensive acceptance, but acceptance nonetheless. Then with a slow, deep inhale, her arms had fallen from around her middle.

“Okay,” she muttered softly, to the point I almost didn’t hear it. “Okay, I’ll stay,” she reconfirmed.