How West Was Won (Haven, Texas 7)

She sighed. Sound filled with frustration. “He’ll follow,” she said reluctantly.

He didn’t say anything more. He just picked her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest as he

carried her over to the truck. Feeling how light she was just pissed him off more.

He set her gently down as he opened the passenger side of his truck. Before she could slide inside, he picked her back up and sat her down. Grabbing her belt, he reached across her and did it up.

“Seriously? You’re doing up my seatbelt just to ride a mile across ranch land? Nobody belts up to drive that far.”

“You do,” he snapped back at her. He tried not to read too much into why he felt so protective over her. He decided it was because she reminded him of a child. It didn’t matter that she didn’t smell like a child, that she didn’t feel like a child in his arms. She might be light, but she wasn’t bony. She had curves and she smelled like peaches.

Fuck. She would smell like his favorite fruit.

He moved around the hood of the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. He started up the truck and shifted it into drive.

“Aren’t you going to do up your own seatbelt?” she asked sweetly.

“Nope.”

It was all he was going to say. He didn’t have time for chitchat. He was already taking time out of his busy day to see her safely to Mia.

“I can see you’re one of those ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kinda guys, am I right?”

He glanced over at her in surprise as he made his way slowly towards the ranch house. He looked in the rearview mirror to see her horse following along obediently.

“Have you used up your quota of words for the day or something?” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking disgruntled.

“One of my brothers will give you a ride home and to take your horse back. Don’t ride it over again until that cast is off and the doctor gives the okay for you to ride again,” he ordered as they pulled up outside the house.

She didn’t say anything, just gave him a look.

He turned to her and reaching across, took hold of her chin, turning her face towards him. “Got me, girl?”

Her gaze narrowed. It was plain to see she was ticked off at him.

“I am not a girl. My name is Flick. And you aren’t in charge of me.”

“You ain’t leaving this truck until I have your word,” he growled at her.

“God!” She raised her hands into the air with frustration. “Why do you even care?”

It was a good question. One he didn’t really have an answer to. “I’m a male resident of Haven. It’s my job.”

She just stared at him for a long moment then finally sighed and nodded. “I said I wouldn’t and I meant it.”

He was glad she’d bought his reason since it was a total lie. He didn’t much give a shit about the rules of Haven. He had his family’s backs and they were the only people he cared about. But it was as good an excuse as any for the way he was acting, so he’d go with it.

“Wait here while I get your crutches,” he told her gruffly. He quickly got out of the truck then strode over to her horse, who stood obediently at the back of the truck. He grabbed the crutches, adjusting them so they were longer. He made his way back to the passenger side of the truck, to see she’d already opened the door and had swung her legs out. Irritation bit at him, but he pushed it back. He’d already wasted enough of his day on Felicity O’Malley. He was determined not to waste any more.

3

“Jesus fucking Christ, can’t a man get a bit of peace? Are you stalking me now?”

West looked up from where he was sitting beside the pond. He’d just cracked a beer from the six-pack he’d brought with him. He liked it out here. He could sit in the peace and quiet and get away from his brothers and their craziness. A rare opportunity to just be by himself with his memories. This is where he went when he wanted to think about Lana.

“You’re drinking.” She swung down from her horse, looking pensive.

It had been a week since he’d last spoken to her, and he was glad to see the cast was off her foot. At least she hadn’t called his bluff about him talking to her brother. That had been a stupid move. He should have ignored her.