Page 25 of The Runaway and the Rugged (Dusty Meadows #1)

GARTH

“ Y ou did what now?” Greta asked with her arms crossed over her middle and a wild-eyed expression that read “What the hell are you thinking?”

“He asked Emelia to stay!” Grace announced before I could get a word in, instantly drawing all bewildered eyes to me.

Dammit, Grace.

“I didn’t ask her to stay,” I grumbled, damn near ready to walk out the door and face this another time, or better yet, never again. “I just offered to let her stay in the Firefly cabin if she helps out around the ranch.”

“Now why in the hell would you do that?” Greta countered back, a mixture of disbelief and annoyance echoing in her tone as she kept her focused gaze heavy on me.

“Because he has a crush on her, obviously,” Grace added, prompting my irritated glare to swivel to my daughter.

“All right, enough with that crap, Grace. And for the love of God, don’t be sayin’ any of that to her, she’s vulnerable and needs a fresh start.

I offered and she accepted. That’s all there is to it,” I explained, and of course the only reaction I received was Grace coming to stand beside me, where she patted me on the arm.

“It’s okay, Dad. Your secret is safe with me.” And with that, she skipped out of the room, leaving both Greta and my mom to bombard me with questions.

Inwardly, I groaned.

“Please tell me she’s just bein’ a hopeful little girl and you don’t have a thing for Emelia…” Greta sighed, as I straightened the collar of my shirt that seemed to fit me tighter.

“I just met the woman yesterday, Greta,” I said. “Of course I don’t have a thing for her. I simply just wanted to help her out.”

It was partly the truth.

“By offering her to stay on the ranch? No offense, but does she look like the type of woman capable of living the ranch lifestyle?” she asked incredulously. “And like you said, you just met the woman, so why her?”

“Oh, Greta, you know why!” my mom announced over running water and the sound of her scrubbing dishes. “She’s obviously a very pretty girl and Garth here feels protective over her. There’s no need to be so hostile about it.”

Jesus Christ.

Where the hell was Griff? I’d been surrounded by women for too fuckin’ long now and needed a male’s presence.

“I’m not being hostile, Mom! I’m a sister who is worried that her brother could very easily fall for the woman who just hours ago called off her own wedding.”

Another deep breath, and I leaned my back against the wall, pinning myself in place.

“Your brother is a grown man who only asked her what either of us would have eventually asked.”

Greta’s shoulders had fallen, along with her resilient facade.

“I just— Don’t get me wrong, I like her, I really do. I think she was undeniably right to call off her wedding, I’m just worried about what her staying here will ultimately lead to. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she explained, and when she said that, I knew she was referring to me.

She didn’t want me to get hurt, not again.

I laughed. She knew more than anyone that I didn’t let anyone in. In the past ten, eleven, twelve years, I remained closed off to the idea of finding a woman, and right now it wasn't any different. My priorities were still the same; nothing changed or will ever change.

“No one’s going to get hurt, all right? We’re just helpin’ her out until she gets on her feet,” I clarified, hoping this would be the end of the discussion. “Nothin’ more, nothin’ less.”

My mom eventually nodded in agreement with a knowing smile while Greta sighed in acknowledgement.

“Good.” I pushed off the wall I was leaning against. “Now that’s all cleared up, I’ve got work to do.”

I waited for Emelia’s friend Clarke to leave before I decided to go check on her, and of course Grace had to tag along too.

Her eagerness to visit our guest made my skin all itchy and when we finally pulled up to the front of the cabin, she instantly jumped out with a wide-set grin and ran to the front door.

“Jesus, hold on a second…” I grumbled, but my words went unnoticed as she abruptly jumped toward the door and began to pound on it.

“It’s me! Grace!” she continued to knock as I gradually made my way out of the ATV with one groan at a time.

Moments later, the door slowly swung open, revealing a fresh-faced Emelia who was peering down at my daughter with a confused grin.

“Hey, what brings you here?” She asked Grace, her eyes growing more narrowed at the excitement pouring off her. “Your dad knows that you’re here, right? The last thing I need is for him to…” Emelia’s eyes captured mine just before she could finish what she was saying.

Taking the hat off my head, I lowered it to my side while walking over to the steps of the porch with a laugh threatening to escape from the back of my throat.

“The last thing you need is for me to do what, Outlaw?” I teased, taking the spot beside Grace who was busy giggling while Emelia looked all flustered.

Eyes wide, she widened the door until stepping out onto the porch with bare feet and a red face.

“Oh, I—I didn’t realize you were here.” Her voice rattled with nervousness, but she never shied away from my gaze.

“We wanted to check on you,” Grace clarified, and that’s when I noticed the darker shade of reddish pink beneath Emelia’s eyes. She’d been crying and if I knew any better, she was crying up until Grace knocked on the door.

“I’m okay.” She forced a smile. “Clarke just left not too long ago, so I’m trying to figure out what to do right now.”

Still wearing the pajamas I brought her, I assumed she wasn’t able to get her suitcase, which meant she had no clothes, no necessities. She had nothing.

“Assumin’ you have no shoes?” I nodded in the direction of her feet as her toes curled in response.

“No, just the heels.”

Damn torture device is what they are.

“All right,” I sighed, knowing I couldn’t let her go a second longer without having basic essentials. “Let me get the truck.”

Both looked at me.

“Where we goin’, Dad?” Grace asked.

“Need to take Emelia here into town to get her what she needs.”

I could sense Emelia’s hesitation to tell me no, but she knew her only chance of getting anywhere would be from someone on the ranch.

And that someone was me.

Well, at this moment it was only me, and part of me wanted to selfishly keep it that way.

“Oh, I don’t want to make you feel like you have to take me,” she rambled. “I’m sure I could find some other way of getting into town, a cab, maybe?”

A cab?

Where the hell does she think she is? Certainly not some fuckin’ big city that she’s used to.

Amused, I couldn’t help but laugh, a deep rumble that reverberated in my chest.

“Cabs?” Grace questioned, peering up at me with a playful smile.

“Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we ain’t got cabs in Dusty Meadows. You need a ride? You ask a local,” I explained as her face twisted into humiliation. “Ask me or Greta,” I clarified, not bothering to include Griff or Beau.

“Until I can afford a vehicle,” she said matter-of-factly, like she knew she would make it happen. “I’ll find a way to pay you back for everything, I promise.”

Her confidence was damn admirable, even if her expression betrayed a hint of uncertainty that laid beneath.

“Don’t worry about it, let's just go and get you what you need, all right? We’ll worry about everything else later.”

Emelia cast another uncertain look my way.

“I have no money, Garth,” she admitted beneath her breath. “I maybe have around twenty dollars to my name.”

I was worried Grace would open her mouth and say somethin’ she shouldn’t, but to my surprise, when I peeked down at her, I saw a flash of sympathy cross her face. I always knew my girl had a good, honest heart, it was just nice to see it shine through every now and then.

“Don’t worry about the money, think of helpin’ around the ranch as a way of paying me back.”

She sighed, her strawberry hair falling forward from behind her ear.

“How do you know I’ll be of any help anyway?” she asked. “If me getting lost on your ranch is any indication of how I’ll do working on it, then I definitely don’t deserve to stay.”

I wasn’t an idiot. I knew she wasn’t going to be competing for the ranch hand title, or do half the shit we did in a full workday, but something was better than nothing.

I could have said she could stay here for nothin’ in return.

I really would have, but something told me she needed some hard work in her life.

Something that would give her a purpose and meaning, if only for a few days a week.

“I wasn’t any good at it either when I first started, but with all our help, especially Bear’s, you’ll be a pro sooner than you think!

” Grace chipped in, her enthusiasm contagious, but the mention of Beau helping Emelia in any shape or form didn’t sit right with me.

If I were there, possibly, but alone? Not sure I’d like that.

Which was a ridiculous thought in itself, but it was a feeling I couldn’t shake.

“I’m not sure who Bear is, but I’ll try my best to be as helpful as I can.” Emelia chuckled with a small smile directed at Grace.

“She’s referrin’ to Beau; her nickname for him is Bear,” I cleared things up, ready to change to the topic.

Emelia nodded.

“You’ll like him, he’s the coolest person ever,” she gushed, sparking my hand to ruffle the hair on the top of her head.

“Second coolest person,” I corrected, with a shot of fire running through my veins.

Her favorite pastime was teasing me about Beau, knowing exactly how much that fucker got under my skin. I saw him as a younger brother, just an overly cocky, annoying one who my daughter happened to adore.

Bastard.

Grace burst out into a fit of laughter, attempting to escape me before darting behind a stunned Emelia for cover.

On instinct, my eyes went to find Grace, but landed on Emelia, and the curves that were hardly concealed under my clothes.

I didn’t mean for them to roam, tried my damnedest to stop them, but they fuckin’ did anyway.

Slowly and methodically before slinking their way up to her face, and by the red taking up space on her cheeks, it was more than obvious she knew what I was doing.

Great.

And to make the timing even more perfect, Grace peeked her head around the side of Emelia and wiggled her tongue out at me.

“Come get me now, Dad,” she teased with a lifted brow and a knowing look. She was using Emelia as a damn shield and was more than delusional if she thought I wouldn’t come get her ass. But instead of taking the bait, I shot Grace a steely look.

“Stay here,” I grunted at the troublemaker. “I’m gettin’ the truck and some shoes for Emelia to wear.”

“You don’t—” Emelia went to say, but I swiftly cut her off.

“I do, now stop arguing and wait here with Grace, I’ll be right back,” I demanded before throwing a pointed finger at Grace. “And, you, be good.”

With that, I stomped down the porch steps in the direction of the ATV, hoping to God it wasn’t a mistake leaving my daughter alone with Emelia.