Page 42 of The Runaway and the Rugged (Dusty Meadows #1)
EMELIA
T he past couple weeks had been amazing.
From officially moving in all my things—which wasn’t very much—into Garth’s house, still helping around the ranch, and working weekends at The Lonely Barrel, things seemed to be falling into place for me.
I even started to help Greta with scheduling trail rides and booking some of the cabins.
Our relationship grew stronger the more time we spent together, even if Garth was starting to get annoyed with how often she was coming around now, slowly stealing away some of the time that Garth spent with me.
Apparently, he never learned to share when he was younger.
Then there was Grace, the girl who had stolen my heart long before her father had.
She loved spending her evenings talking about everything and anything.
She merely just enjoyed having someone to listen to her.
Of course she had Garth who could listen just as well as I could, but it was evident she yearned for a woman, someone who would understand her.
A mother figure.
And without crossing any lines, I tried to be just that for her even if I had no idea what I was doing. I let her lead and whenever something felt right, I just went with it. No matter how unequipped or unsure I was, my instincts never failed me.
And I doubted Grace would let me get away unscathed if I ever were to screw up. She was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn’t hard to see that she was all the Calhoun siblings blended into one.
“It’s okay, Winnie, I got it.” I smiled, lifting the bowl of mixed fruit from the table with a smile too big for anyone not to notice.
I was unbelievably happy.
Almost too happy that I felt like at any moment it would all come crashing down. But I swept my worries aside the best I could and carried on.
“You sure? You already carried damn near everything outside already.” She frowned, but all I could do was shrug.
I didn’t mind helping. Matter-of-fact, I preferred it rather than standing in one spot, not knowing what to do.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I nodded. “Besides, I’ll let Garth do the hard work of bringing everything in.”
Although he wasn’t here yet to defend himself, I knew without a doubt he’d do just about anything I asked him. If I told him to wash all the dishes with one hand he’d do it. Not because he was whipped, but because he knew the fierce award that awaited him for listening.
“And he’ll do it too, no questions asked.” She chuckled as the sound dwindled into a sigh. “Been a long time since I’ve seen him this happy.”
My heart stuttered, and not because I hadn’t noticed the change in him but because it was coming from his mom. The one who raised him and knew him best.
“You make him happy, Emelia. You made my boy smile again and restored his faith that goodness still does exist in people, and for that I’ll always be thankful for you.”
It was the best, most meaningful compliment I’d ever received in my life. The impact set off a flood of tears that cascaded down the apples of my cheeks.
I couldn’t stop them even if I wanted to.
“And he makes me happy, more than you’ll ever know. You raised an incredible man.”
It was clear she was fighting herself from crying but with the subtle swipe of her sleeve across her eyes, I knew she had cracked.
“He’s had his struggles, much like we all have, but it was time for him to let go and finally be happy. And I don’t think he could have picked a better woman.”
Walking outside, the picnic table was covered with bowls, plates, drink glasses, you name it.
Anything you could have imagined was sitting on the table, waiting to be eaten.
I suggested having a family dinner night, a special evening where we could all get together and I could express my gratitude for welcoming me into their family.
Garth of course had told me there was no need, that they already knew how thankful I was, but I still felt like I needed to do something.
Garth had a late trail ride to guide, while Greta and Griffin were helping with chores.
I was expecting all of them to show up within the next fifteen minutes or so, if they still remembered the plans, when suddenly the sharp screeching of tires pierced the sky, leaving me to wonder who it could be.
Garth? Maybe Griffin?
Tucked back behind the house, away from the road, I couldn’t see who it was.
Shaking off the strange feeling lingering within me, I went back to setting the table, making it presentable.
My eyes every now and then scanned over in the direction of where Grace was, swinging in an old tire swing that hung from a large tree just off in the distance.
Everything was serene, things were still, but the atmosphere shifted the moment I heard my name.
“Emelia!” a familiar, angered voice shouted, and my body froze in place. I didn’t know if I was hearing correctly, or if I was simply dreaming, but when the eerily, well-known voice called out my name once more, I realized that my worst nightmare was unfolding right before my eyes.
Panic ensued, and instincts had kicked in. I ran toward Grace with an urgency that made her look at me like I was out of my mind, but then my name was thundered out again and this time, Grace had heard it too.
“Who is that, Emelia?” she asked, but I was too focused on getting her inside, away from whatever was about to happen.
Reaching for her hand, I tugged her off the swing and forced her to dash across the lawn as if her life depended on it. I had no idea what Nathaniel wanted or how he had found me, but all I knew was that I wouldn’t risk anything happening to Grace.
“What’s going on?” She sounded panicked now, her voice wobbly with fear, and I pulled her onto the back deck and nudged her into the house.
“Go inside, lock the door, and call your dad,” I demanded firmly, though terror gripped me tightly.
“But what about—” Her frantic eyes went over my shoulder, but I pushed her into the house and with a quick kiss to her forehead, I slammed the door shut.
“Emelia? Sweetheart? Where in the fuck are you?” Nathaniel growled in a twisted version of a song that made me believe that he had been drinking.
My heart slammed into my breastbone.
Turning toward the voice, I watched as he stumbled up to the picnic table and stopped to look at it. Jesus, he looked like hell. Grown-out hair, a mustache that didn’t look half as good as Garth’s, and a wrinkled suit, something that would have been unimaginable when we were together.
His gaze was fixated on the table, almost strangely, when suddenly he gripped the edge of it and on a roar tipped it over until everything came crashing down onto the ground.
“See what you’re doing to me, Emelia!” He shouted. “Making me go insane trying to find you!”
I was frozen to the spot. Unsure how to approach this, but I knew just standing here silent wouldn’t solve anything. There was nothing left between us, no words to say, no way to fix it, I just wanted him to go.
“How did you find me?” My voice quivered, but I kept a sharpness in my tone.
Emelia,” he croaked the moment his eyes connected with mine. “Baby.” He took a step forward, causing my feet to shift back.
“How did you find me?” I repeated with force.
“There’s nowhere you’d go that I wouldn’t find you, pumpkin. You should know that.”
The nickname made me cringe.
“Go home, Nathaniel,” I mustered the courage to call out to him as his entire body locked up and his head swiveled in my direction.
My reaction made him flinch.
“Leave, go home, and don’t come back.” I used a more forceful tone, with my head held high. I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me, and that was clearly his intention. His chest flared as his cold, blank eyes darkened with menace.
“Go home?” he sneered as if I had physically hurt him. “Not without you. I’m taking you back with me.”
I shook my head fiercely.
“No.”
He released a deep, flaring breath as if to compose himself.
“You’ve had your fun. Living here on this run-down ranch, pretending to be someone you’re not. Now, it’s time to come home, Emelia. It’s over, the game is up.”
The game is up?
He was clearly out of his mind if he thought I was going back home with him. I left for a reason, for lots of reasons, but he obviously wasn’t accepting the fact that I didn’t want to be with him anymore.
How could I have made it any more clearer when I didn’t show up to our wedding ceremony?
“I’m not going anywhere. This is my home now and I’m not leaving.”
“You are leaving!” he roared, when seconds later the back door slid open and Winnie stepped out.
“Who in the hell are you and what are you doin’ here harassing’ Emelia?” Winnie demanded, settling in close beside me, letting me know that I wasn’t alone.
Nathaniel gave her a murderous glare.
“Her fiancé, that’s fucking who,” he growled low, but Winnie didn’t so much as flinch.
“Seems to me like you didn’t get the memo when she didn’t show up to the wedding?”
Oh hell.
I was impressed, embarrassed, shocked all at the same time from her quick-witted response.
“She was scared!” he shouted, rocking my ears from the volume. “She was nervous. It was the nerves, that’s all,” he said like he was trying to convince himself rather than her.
“Nathaniel,” his name came out hushed, “I knew for a while that I wasn’t happy with you, and I’m sorry for choosing to do something about it on our wedding day, but I had no other choice. I knew you wouldn’t let me leave if I told you in person that what we had was over…”
His unsettling gaze fired over to mine, a torrent of emotion washing over him as his face twisted and eventually settled into a hostile sneer.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. This place has been fucking with your head, Emelia. I know you love me.” He shot forward, sending a red-hot alarm through me. Winnie reached for my arm and we both dashed toward the back door, when I felt another strong, firm hand clasp around my wrist.