Page 25 of Will (The Cowboys of Calamity, Texas #3)

Chapter Sixteen

“Why did you call the sheriff’s office?” Ronnie asked, frowning at Amber. “There’s no reason to get them involved. I was here of my own free will.”

“If that’s true,” Will said. “Then why was there a lock on the outside of the door to that basement room you were staying in?”

“Nobody’s perfect,” Ronnie said, moving to Amber’s side. “Sure, Amber has made some mistakes, but haven’t we all in our lives? Plus, she’s paid for them, literally. You should see how much cool stuff she bought for that room I’ve been staying in. It’s a gamer’s paradise.”

“You mean like the Dolby sound system,” Honey said, “which made that scream from the movie you were watching sound so real?”

Ronnie grinned. “It’s so cool, isn’t it?”

The five of them had gathered in the living room after Ronnie had refused to leave the house and Steed had threatened to carry him out one limb at a time. That’s when Honey had intervened and suggested they all take a break from the drama so they could figure out what to do next.

Surprisingly, Amber seemed to be the calmest of all, or maybe she was just resigned to her fate after she’d called the sheriff’s office and confessed to everything. Honey couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, even though she’d engaged in some dangerous and destructive behavior.

“Do you mind a few questions before the deputies arrive?”

“No,” Amber said, her voice resigned. “I’ve been expecting this day to come for a while. It’s actually somewhat of a relief that it’s finally arrived.”

Honey exchanged glances with Will, who seemed less inclined to be sympathetic.

“Here’s what I want to know,” Steed said, staring down at Amber. “Why did you kidnap Ronnie?”

But Ronnie answered the question first. “It wasn’t kidnapping, it was a date. It just lasted a little longer than we expected.”

Honey debated whether Ronnie was suffering from a form of Stockholm Syndrome or had just preferred spending his time with Amber at her house instead of his own now that Steed was around.

“Let’s go back to the beginning,” Amber said, pointing a manicured nail at Will. “It started with that first date with you. I’d insisted on going hiking because it’s easier to just take a separate trail if the date’s not working out.”

Will turned to Honey. “Hey, that was my plan.”

“He canceled on me.” Amber directed her attention to Honey to elicit female solidarity and her voice tightened. “I tried not to take it personally because things come up and we even rescheduled the date, but then he flat-out stood me up! No call. No apology. No explanation.”

Will shifted his feet on the plush carpet. “I’m really sorry about that.”

His sincerity was palpable, and Honey prayed they could resolve their unfortunate differences.

It was weird standing here watching these two as a potential couple hashing out their first date mix-up. The thought crossed her mind that if either of those dates had come to pass, she might never have had this mind-blowing week with Will, evading and later trying to track down The Destroyer.

And sharing a closeness that led to mind-blowing kisses and tender touches.

She pressed her lips together as if to stave off those thoughts. After all, the attachment she and Will had developed during their time together could have been merely a result of enduring a highly stressful situation with another person.

“I was working a hostage situation,” Will explained, his voice soft and calm, “that lasted for forty-eight hours. I tried to send an apology through the dating app, but you had already blocked me.”

“I was furious,” Amber said. “I’ve always had a problem with my temper.”

“No kidding,” Honey said.

Amber glowered at her and turned her attention back to Will. “I wanted to lash out at you for standing me up. I sent that letter to the Texas Rangers.”

“That was uncool,” he said.

She rubbed a hand over her face. “It was a big mistake, especially for someone in my profession. If word got out, I would have lost my career, my reputation, and any chance of working in public communications again.”

Honey was confused. “You’re saying it was just lashing out in anger for that one event?”

Amber shrugged and sent her a churlish look.

“But why did you hire that private investigator, Cyrus Kendall, to track down Will, if you weren’t planning a revenge tour?” Honey asked.

“Believe it or not,” Amber said. “I wanted to apologize and beg for his forgiveness.”

“I don’t believe it.” Honey folded her arms over her chest.”

“That’s your right,” Amber said. “I was hoping we could just put the whole thing behind us.”

“I can forgive,” Honey said. “But I can’t forget.”

“Honestly, I do feel bad. Cyrus is my uncle, and he offered to help me out, but then he told me about the fight at the Crossroads Bar and how some beautiful blonde whisked Will away.” Amber’s chin quivered.

Was she going to cry?

“The next thing I knew, you two were parading around Calamity as a couple. You were even living together!”

Honey could see that Amber had some emotional issues she’d hidden well, and they wouldn’t be resolved by jail. Amber needed more than punishment. She needed help.

A glance over at Will told her he’d come to the same conclusion.

“Tell them about the T-shirt,” Ronnie said. “Because I bought that at Comic-Con and I’d really like it back.”

Amber reached up one hand and rubbed her forehead. “That was another lashing out moment, I’m sorry to say.”

Yikes. Honey schooled her face not to look judgmental. Amber really did seem to be struggling.

“When I saw you and Will at the reception together, I just felt like you were out partying instead worrying about Ronnie. I thought you needed a little reminder to get your priorities straight.”

“So you know what’s best for us?” Honey had sympathy for Amber, but she didn’t want to get played.

Will looked puzzled. “You were the one who tossed Ronnie’s T-shirt onto Honey’s car?”

Amber nodded. “Yes, that was also me and now that I’m talking about it out loud, I see a pattern.”

“Like sending the same threat to my parents’ house, only you used my name instead of Will’s.”

“Yeah,” Amber said. “Sorry about the copy-and-paste letter. Working in communications, I reuse material. There’s no sense reinventing the wheel every time a memo goes out, right?”

Did she even realize how odd she was sounding right now? While Amber needed help, Honey wasn’t about to let down her guard.

“I mailed that letter on Friday,” Amber said. “Right after I heard about you driving from the bar with Will in your back seat.”

“Hey,” Ronnie piped up. “You’re leaving out the part about me. How we met through the dating app and how you were disappointed that I was only twenty.”

“You should have lied on your profile and said you were twenty-five.” Amber flicked him a cold stare.”

“And then we had too much to drink that night, and I used my awesome journalism skills to learn the wild story about you threatening a Texas Ranger.” Ronnie bobbed his head.

“Oh!” Honey slapped a palm over her mouth. “That’s why Ronnie went missing!”

Will nodded. “He would tell you what he’d learned about me. Amber had to stop him.”

“Yeah, that’s about right. I locked the basement door to keep him from blabbing.” Amber face paled.

“Big mistake,” Honey said. “Ronnie is inquisitive!”

“Tell me about it. I told him to go home after we hung out for twenty-four hours and he started getting on my nerves. The only problem was, he wouldn’t leave.”

“Hey, I was gonna get the scoop,” Ronnie said.

“That door to the basement hasn’t been locked since and whenever I tried to kick him out, he threatened to go to the sheriff and report me.”

“I was mad at Mom for falling in love with Steed.” Ronnie glowered. “Having him hanging around, and Mom mooning over him all the time, was going to change everything.”

Honey hoped it would. Steed was on the young side to be a father figure to Ronnie, but maybe he could serve as a strong male role model and inspire her cousin to grow up.

A siren sounded in the distance, and Amber rose to her feet. “I think that’s for me.” She looked around at the group gathered in her living room. “Sorry, everyone. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

* * *

Four days later, on a starry Saturday evening, Will and Honey took a walk out in the country.

“So, you’re leaving for Austin tomorrow,” she said, holding his hand.

“I can’t wait until you’re there, too. They should be making that job offer soon, right? Negotiate for a better deal,” he told her. “You’re worth it.”

Honey let go of his hand and stopped in her tracks. Will turned around and looked at her. “Is something wrong?”

“I didn’t get that job,” she admitted.

He paused as if to let the news sink in. “What? How is that possible? I read your profile piece and was blown away!”

He pulled her into his arms and offered a comforting kiss. He was so distraught for her that Honey felt bad for having told him the bad news. But that didn’t stop her from looping her arms around his neck and enjoying the sweet kiss they shared.

“Forget about them. Come to Austin anyway. Pack tonight, and we’ll leave tomorrow. Together.”

She marveled at his thoughtfulness. “And you like to call me impulsive.”

She kissed him again as a sort of apology for sharing only the first half of her news.

“I love your plan, but there’s something else you should know.”

He took a reluctant step back and gazed at her with so much love in his eyes that Honey thought she might cry.

“You want to marry me?” he teased. “Okay, I accept. But I expect a ring and a date before we… you know.”

“It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”

Honey felt herself blush as she thought of the blissful night they’d spent together at her apartment.

By that point in the evening, Amber had already been taken into custody.

Ronnie had been escorted safely—and firmly—home by Steed, and for the first time since they’d met, she and Will had been free to explore their burgeoning relationship.

The difference, on that night, was that Will had not slept on the living room floor. Come to think of it, they hadn’t slept at all.

Honey had never imagined she’d fall in love in Calamity. But it turned out that the day Steed punched Will in the face had been the luckiest day of their lives. That fistfight had started them on a crazy journey together—and she never wanted it to end.

“Now that I’m going to be your husband,” Will said with mischievous gleam in his gray eyes. “I think it’s time you reveal the story behind your middle initial.”

“Do you?” She reached up and gently touched the faded bruise on his jaw where Steed’s first punch had landed.

Now for the second half of her news.

“First, I want to tell you that today the B stands for boss lady.” She smiled in her excitement to share this part. “Because after reading my profile piece about you, the hiring committee offered me a better job… as vice president of the editorial division.”

“Woo-hoo!” Will picked her up in his arms and spun her around. “I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.”

Honey’s toes dangled above the ground, and she relished the closeness of the moment. Most of all, she cherished this man who’d brought so much excitement and joy into her life.

Will set her down on the ground… slowly, as if he, too, hated to end the moment. “I still want to hear that story about your middle name,” he insisted.

“Okay, well, it’s fairly short.”

“I’m listening.”

She took a deep breath and savored this moment of pure joy and that she’d been blessed with a new job and a new love. And something told her that life would get even sweeter with Will by her side.

“You’re stalling.” Slowly and carefully, as if he also wanted to extend the moment, he wrapped his arms about her waist and pulled her close. “Spill it, Honey.”

She laughed and relaxed into his arms. “Okay, here it goes. My dad wanted my middle name to be Bunny, so he could call me his little Honey Bunny.”

“Oh, no,” Will said, laughing.

“Oh, yes!” She found his laughter contagious.

“And according to Mom, Dad’s mind could not be changed.

Even though she told him the name Honey Bunny might be cute for a three-year-old, but it would not be cute for a thirteen-year-old or a twenty-three-year-old or a thirty-year-old. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t listen.”

All this time, Honey had bristled over the silly argument her parents had fostered over the years. But now, seeing the situation through Will’s eyes, she had come to view it as an amusing tale that showed where she’d inherited her creativity and stubbornness.

“Now, my mom loved the name Blair. She wanted to call me Honey Blair Hallgren. Her mother insisted on Blaine, which was her grandmother’s maiden name.

My father even conceded to Grandma’s wishes until he found out that Blaine was also the first name of Mom’s first boyfriend—the man she’d almost married. ”

He chuckled. “I love this Hallgren family feud.”

“Oh, it turned into a feud, all right. That’s when the fighting really started and continues to this day whenever the subject is brought up again.

You see, they’d written Honey B. Hallgren on my birth certificate.

Their plan was to change my name legally to include a full middle name once either of my parents gave in.

But as you’ve seen for yourself, that never happened. ”

“I kinda like Honey B.,” he said. “Or rather, Honey B-e-e. You’re sweeter than anyone I know, but you can also use your stinger if anyone disturbs your hive.”

“That’s rather poetic,” she said and smiled at the thought of this big, tough guy as a Renaissance man. “Frankly, I prefer the letter B for my middle name. If for no other reason than it prevented me from becoming Honey Bunny. Plus, I get to decide what the B stands for in my name anytime I want.”

“I’ve got a few possibilities in mind that I see you in your future,” he said. “Betrothal. Bride. Bahamas. Babies.”

“I like the way you think, cowboy.”