Page 22 of Wyoming Bodyguard (Sunrise Security #1)

L ily stepped out of the claw-foot tub and wrapped herself in a large, fluffy towel.

Even though she’d rather be in her own home with her own things, at least she could partake in a few indulgences.

As much as she hated that Dax had interrupted her and Madden’s conversation before he could answer her question, she hoped they’d had an open and honest discussion that would help them both.

And she’d made sure to soak in a hot, relaxing bath long enough to give Madden and his brother plenty of time to talk.

Once dried, she strolled into the charming guest room.

A white four-post bed sat in the middle of the room with what she assumed was a handmade quilt on top.

Eyelet cases covered the pillows, and a chunky knit throw was tossed over the thicker blanket.

A cream-colored dresser stood tall in one corner, pulling double duty as a television stand.

A rocking chair finished off the space, making her want to grab the blanket and a book and curl up for the rest of the night.

Crossing over the plush rug covering a large chunk of the hardwood floors, she glanced in the closet for something to wear. Madden’s plan to stay at his dad’s might make sense for her safety, but he clearly hadn’t thought far enough ahead to provide pajamas.

Finding nothing, she checked the dresser draws.

“Bingo,” she said, pulling out a button-down flannel shirt.

She let the soft towel fall to the floor in a puddle and threaded her arms through the shirt’s sleeves.

She buttoned the front and shoved up the sleeves before gathering the discarded clothing she’d left in the bathroom.

Ding.

The email notification on her phone had her digging in the back pockets of her jeans for her phone. As she pulled up the message, she walked back into the bedroom and placed her folded clothes on top of the chair.

Reading the message, she sucked in a sharp breath and sank onto the soft mattress.

A gentle rap on the door sounded before Madden called, “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” she said, her focus still on the phone. A beat of excitement pulsed through her veins, edging out the terror and worry of the last few days.

But a different kind of fear crept in. One based on insecurities and doubts.

“What’s wrong?” Madden asked, frowning.

She shook her head, at a loss for words so she simply handed him her phone.

He crossed to her side and sat. A slow smile spread across his handsome face. “This is what most people would call a sign.”

“Yeah?” Unsure, she scrunched her nose. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Especially now.”

Setting the phone down, Madden gripped her shoulders and made her face him.

“Someone told you they want to get married at your ranch. They want you to put on a beautiful wedding for their friends and family at a place that means so much to you. You just said this was your dream. Something you imagined doing to keep your land. This is amazing.”

The words of the email ran through her mind. “But what about everything that’s happened? It’s as if the ranch is cursed. Hell, we haven’t had a guest in weeks and now the vandalism, drugs and death. I can’t host a wedding there.”

“You’ve been dealt a shit hand. Not just the last couple of days, but the last few years. Things happened you had no control over, and the fallout’s been tough. But you have a chance to do something different, to create a new dream that could be more fulfilling than you’d ever imagined.”

His encouragement gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time.

Hope.

“It’s hard to wrap my mind around changing the ranch’s entire business model, and then there’s getting my dad to agree. And I can’t forget the fact I don’t know anything about throwing a wedding. I mean, really, this idea is crazy.”

The more she played it through, the more she doubted her ability to do this. Just because a bride-to-be’s venue unexpectedly closed, and she was frantically searching for an outdoor space with majestic views to throw something together, didn’t mean Tremont Ranch was the right place.

No, it was too much with too little time. She’d write the woman back and offer a few suggestions in the surrounding area.

“No.” She shook her head, and beads of water flew from the ends of her wet hair. “This can’t be done.”

Madden tucked his thumb and forefinger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes.

“Listen. It can be done. If that’s what you want.

Sometimes life smacks you in the face and forces you into a corner.

But if you open yourself to different possibilities, you’ll see that corner is just a starting point for great things.

Things that could lead you to wonderful places you never imagined.

Hell, lead you to wonderful people you used to avoid. ”

She grinned and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “Touché.”

“I understand you’re overwhelmed right now. Hell, anyone would be. No one would blame you for wanting the dust to settle before making a life changing decision. Just don’t shut your mind to anything right now.”

She nodded along with his words. “Okay. That makes sense. I’ll respond to the message tomorrow. No need to figure everything out in the moment. Now that we’ve talked me through my issue,” she said, pulling in a large breath, “how’d your conversation go with Dax?”

“It was interesting.” He squeezed the back of his neck. “Tough at first but necessary. We should have had that conversation a long time ago.”

“You told him about your dad?”

“Yeah, then we went in and spoke with Pops. We don’t need any secrets between us. Not anymore. Pops and I were trying to protect Dax, but he didn’t need protecting. He needed us to trust the man he was becoming. I only hope the choices we made didn’t force him into a future he’ll hate.”

She bumped against him. “A wise man once told me sometimes when we feel we’re being forced into something, we see where we should have always been.”

“Hmm,” he said, scratching his chin. “Sounds like a smart guy.”

She grinned, loving their easy banter. “He has his moments.”

A comfortable silence stretched between them. The emotions of the day settled on her shoulders, dragging her down. A yawn stretched her mouth, and a quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her how late the hour had gotten.

“You need to sleep,” Madden said.

Staring up at him, her heart galloped as her unanswered question came back.

He’d been her rock, her support, her protector but that didn’t mean his feelings went deeper than surface level.

And as much as she enjoyed the charming guest room, she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d chosen to sleep separate. “You never answered me earlier.”

He flattened his palm against her jawline, hovering his face inches above hers.

“If you think for one second I don’t want to sleep with you, you’re crazy.

I just don’t want our first time to be with my dad and brother so close, and I need to keep my head on straight.

I can’t keep letting things slip through the cracks, and honey, when I’m focused on you the way I want to be, I can’t see anything else. ”

Heat licked up her body, and she swallowed hard. The preview she’d already experienced of what a night with Madden would bring came flooding back, and she agreed. They’d need a house all to themselves. No distractions. No worries. No one to hear the cries of pleasure she didn’t want to control.

“I get that,” she said. “Do you think you can at least lay with me for a while?”

“Now that I can do. Get under the covers while I shut off the light.”

She didn’t hesitate and slipped under the colorful quilt.

The light went out and Madden climbed in beside her, gathering her against him.

She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping to always feel as safe as she did in his arms.

* * *

As soon as Madden was certain Lily was asleep, he unhooked his arm from her waist and grabbed his phone from off the nightstand. He wanted nothing more than to stay snuggled in bed until he needed his next meal, but he had work to do. He pressed his lips to Lily’s forehead then snuck into the hall.

Dax walked out of the bathroom and his brow rose high. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Shut up,” Madden said, rolling his eyes. “I have some work to do and don’t want to wake Lily. Thought I’d head downstairs and make a pot of coffee.”

“Want some company?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

He’d rather sit in a quiet space with his thoughts and make a good plan to share with Reid, but after their chat earlier, refusing Dax didn’t seem wise. In the kitchen, he made a beeline for the ancient coffee machine and said a silent prayer as it chugged to life.

Dax sat at the island and folded his hands on top of the wooden butcher block. “So what’s going on with you two?”

He and Lily hadn’t had this conversation yet. No way he’d talk with his brother about it. “I’m helping her figure out this mess with her dad.”

Dax barked out a quick laugh. “Yeah. That’s all you’re doing.”

Madden shot Dax a hard glare before pulling two mugs from the cabinet. “What we’re doing isn’t any of your business. I thought I’d made that clear earlier.”

“Hey, I’m not trying to start anything.” Dax held up his hands but couldn’t hide his shit-eating grin. “I just thought it was common knowledge you two despised each other. It’s been a little jarring seeing you so chummy. Laughing and being all happy around each other like when we were kids.”

When the machine stopped spitting out brown liquid, Madden filled both mugs and took the seat by his brother. “Turns out there’s a thin line between love and hate.”

“Love?” Dax took a long sip of drink. “Wow. Wasn’t expecting to hear that word.”