Page 18 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)
Mom shrugged. “No reason I can think of.” Then her eyes narrowed. “Do you think Cynthia has a secret boyfriend?”
Honey held up her hands to slow things down. “It’s possible, but please say nothing about it to her. Not yet, anyway.”
Her father shook his head. “I don’t like keeping secrets from my sister, but if you think it’s best, I won’t say anything. It’s bad enough knowing my daughter is in danger. I’m glad the Texas Rangers are searching for whoever is behind these odd anonymous letters, but that’s not enough.”
“What you mean, Dad?”
“I don’t think it’s safe for you two to go back to your apartment,” he said to Honey. “You and Will should stay here on the ranch. There’s strength in numbers.”
“That does makes sense,” her mother said, “and we have room. There are two guest rooms upstairs for you and Will to choose from. And we have farm dogs that will raise the alarm if any stranger shows up in the middle of the night.”
Just as in her teen dating days, her mother’s statements held both a clear boundary and a warning.
The boundary, in this case, was that they were to take separate bedrooms. Of course.
And the unspoken warning was that the dogs would also let the household know if she and Will were to take a late-night rendezvous out to the barn.
“I agree,” Will said, startling Honey with his quick reply.
She gaped at him. “You do?”
Will nodded. “We’re not the only ones in danger now, Honey. Now that The Destroyer has contacted your parents that means he knows you’re their daughter. So, if he can’t get to you…”
Honey swallowed. Hard.
“He might come after Mom and Dad.” Maybe she hadn’t wanted to face that fact earlier, but the sight of that awful letter on their kitchen table, the heart of their home, made her angry.
“You’re right,” Honey said at last. “We’re all in this together.”
* * *
Togetherness was on her mind an hour later, when she and Will bid good night to her parents and climbed the stairs leading to the second floor and the two guest bedrooms. She walked to the nearest door and opened it, then turned on the light.
Will stopped just outside the doorway, watching her. “Do your parents assume we’re going to share a bedroom?”
Honey turned around, surprised that thought hadn’t occurred to her. She had heard two guest rooms , but he had focused on for you and Will to choose from .
“Now that you mention it,” she mused, “I suppose they do. Especially since I’d told Theo that we were living together to explain why you were showering in my apartment.” Honey gazed into the unfathomable depths of his gray eyes. “But there are two bedrooms up here, Will. What do you want?”
“That’s a dangerous question, Honey.” He took a step closer to her, then lifted his hand to trace his fingertips over the curve of her cheek. “But out of respect for your parents, and that your dad wanted to wring my neck at one point this evening, I think it's best if I sleep in the other room.”
She tried to ignore the unexpected pang of disappointment deep inside of her. But perhaps it was for the best. They needed to keep their minds clear and focused on finding The Destroyer before The Destroyer found them.
“Well, I’m glad you’ll finally get a nice, soft bed all to yourself,” she said, eyes teasing. “You deserve some comfort after sleeping on my living room floor these past few days.”
“Believe me,” he said, his voice husky, “I’d sleep anywhere to make sure you’re safe.”
With that, he bent and kissed her gently on the lips, letting the warm flesh of his mouth linger on hers until that crazy sensation she’d experienced earlier returned full force. The tingling warmth that stretched from her chest to her fingertips… and beyond.
“Good night,” he said, his voice low and rumbly. “Sleep tight.”
With more than a bit of reluctance, she watched him turn around and head down the hallway to the second bedroom. After that kiss, she wondered if she would sleep at all.
With effort, she pried her gaze off his retreating form and entered the guest room that she would sleep in alone.
Her thoughts returned to what he’d said before that kiss that, for a moment, had distracted her from the seriousness of the situation they were in.
Safe, he’d said.
That word reverberated in her mind. Will had insisted on coming to Calamity with her to keep her safe. He’d stayed at her apartment to keep her safe. Even that kiss in her apartment bathroom yesterday had been fueled by Will’s fear that she’d been in immediate danger—that she wasn’t safe.
But tonight’s kiss? That seemed to be more of comfort. And—if it had affected him as it did her—attraction.
To direct her mind to the matter at hand, she took out the spare set of nightclothes her mother kept in the dresser and laid them on the bed.
While doing so, her mind drifted back to their conversation about the plane crash that had killed his parents. That by flying together on the experimental plane that fateful day, his parents had risked more than their lives. They’d risked their family and Will’s happiness.
She knew that accident played a part in why Will was such a good Texas Ranger. Why he was so driven to protect others after the grief and pain he’d suffered himself.
Maybe he’d be on his way back to Austin the moment The Destroyer was arrested. Because then he’d know Honey was safe and that he’d done his job well.
Now more awake than ever, Honey abandoned getting dressed for bed and headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. Without bothering to switch on the light, she headed toward the refrigerator. Now more than ever, a warm drink might do her good.
“It’s on the stove,” said a voice in the darkness.
Honey started, then whirled around to find her mother sitting at the kitchen table, cloaked in shadows.
“Mom!” She clapped a hand to her chest to calm her racing heart. “Why are you sitting in the dark? And an even better question is, why are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“I’m sorry, Honey, I didn’t mean to scare you. Something told me you might be down soon for your midnight hot chocolate. Call it a mother’s intuition.” She smiled. “And I wanted to keep you company.”
Honey poured herself a cup of hot chocolate and joined her mother at the kitchen table, where the powerful yard lights cast a soft glow through the surrounding windows. “Mom, why are you wearing a seed store jacket over your nightgown?”
“I had to run outside a little while ago and just kept the jacket on because it’s warm.”
“Run outside? Why?”
“Your dad accidentally locked the dogs in the feed shed again. They’ve been napping in there since before you and Will arrived.
Of course, he didn’t remember it until after he’d already changed out of his clothes and got into bed.
” Her mother leaned back in her chair, wrapping her hands around her hot chocolate.
“I took a quick stroll out there to let them out.”
Each word her mother spoke made the story worse.
“Mom, we just talked about the possible danger you and Dad might be in.”
“Oh, Honey, I had my bear spray with me. And you know it’s not that far out to the feed shed. Now, stop scolding me and just enjoy your hot chocolate.”
Her mother took a sip from her own cup and peered knowingly at her over the rising steam.
“Then we can talk about the danger that leads to a broken heart.”