AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He wiped the sticky liquid from his face with a swipe of his hand and heaved a sigh as he heard her quick footsteps patter down the cement toward the door. Hadn’t he thought she was skittish?
He’d been watching her long enough to realize that she wasn’t going to trust him. She was like a wild animal, restless and fearful. Henry wouldn’t have been surprised if he found out she’d been abused or hurt previously in her young life.
Touching his cheek with his fingertips, he released a groan. This was what he got for being nice to someone. He should have just listened to his gut and walked out of the barn when he’d had the chance. Now he was covered in lemonade with nothing to show for it. He’d be the laughingstock of the family when everyone found out what had happened.
Heck, Wade would probably lecture him and remind him that he shouldn’t trust her just because she reminded him of an elf from that fantasy movie that came out a few years back. He got to his feet, dipping long enough to grab the two cups he’d brought into the barn.
In the morning, he’d probably have to spray the whole place down with a hose to keep the bugs and critters from snooping around. He should have just gotten water. But no, he’d wanted to give her a treat.
Why did he have to open his big mouth and scare her off? He knew just when it had happened, too. It was when he’d joked about dosing the drink.
Another groan escaped his throat. He was an idiot.
Henry shuffled from the barn back into the evening where there were now significantly fewer guests. Of course, the mystery woman was nowhere to be found. If she had wanted to sleep in the barn, he’d stolen her opportunity simply by seeking her out. There was no telling where she’d end up now—probably behind someone’s house or in a field somewhere.
He stared out into the inky darkness where the pastures were and shivered. There were all kinds of predators out there when it got late. Coyotes were just one kind that would love to sink their teeth into the soft flesh of that pretty stranger.
Henry could kick himself for the mistakes he’d made tonight. He’d likely never see that woman again, and whatever happened to her would be on his conscience.
The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. The stranger never returned, and Henry slipped away toward the end to head to bed since he had to get up early. It was his turn to feed the horses now that Mason was no longer working their family’s ranch. He’d taken on Carter’s chores, too, but mostly because he’d actually advocated for Carter to be left alone. No use pushing him farther away by nagging him to come back.
Henry probably should have taken a page out of that playbook when he’d decided to push this woman to stick around.
Well, it was too late now. He couldn’t exactly turn back time. Henry would just have to live with the mistake and move forward.
* * *
So much for getting any sleep. Henry spent most of the night staring at his ceiling, seeing the stranger’s face no matter what corner of the darkened room he shifted his focus to. He couldn’t help but wonder if she’d found some shelter or if she’d ended up under a tree somewhere.
Every time he heard the howl of a coyote, he got even more antsy. All she’d wanted was a warm place to sleep.
Henry continued to beat himself up over these thoughts until the faint light from the sunrise entered his room through the blinds covering the window. He sat up slowly, glancing at the blinds as if he might be able to see through them and find out more about that woman.
He needed to stop wasting his time and get to work. It didn’t matter how much he obsessed over her. If she didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t be.
After taking a shower and getting dressed, Henry made his way out to the barn. It was cooler that morning as the fall season started to set in. The days were getting shorter, and dew usually clung to the grass. The smell of summer was nearing its end as well.
That poor woman wouldn’t do well sleeping out in the elements for much longer. Winters in Colorado weren’t fun, even with the best gas fireplaces running twenty-four-seven. Guilt snaked its way through his stomach. He should have chased after her. Then maybe he would have been able to see what direction she ran off to and he’d have a starting point for tracking her down.
He gritted his teeth as he thought about all the things he could have done differently. When he arrived at the barn, he moved straight toward the back where the hose was kept. The sticky spot on the floor was a testament to his experience the last night. As he stepped over the spot, a shuffling sound filled the air.
Henry froze. It couldn’t be. Criminals never returned to the scene of the crime. She wouldn’t have come back, would she? He inched closer to the stall where he’d found her the other night and peered over the door. The stall was empty.
For a brief moment he thought about brushing it off as some kind of wishful thinking, but then he heard it again. There was a distinct shuffling sound, and it came a little way down the aisle. Henry slowed his steps, putting all his weight on the balls of his feet.
There was a stall door slightly ajar a few feet from where he was. Keeping his eyes trained on it, he held his breath and waited to hear the sound again.
All at once, the door flung open and the woman, still dressed in her overalls, came barreling out of the stall. She stumbled, unable to catch her balance, holding her shoes in one arm. Henry’s arm shot out, catching her around the waist before she faceplanted.
“Whoa!”
She squirmed as she sucked in sharply. Her eyes flew wide, and the color drained from her face. Their gazes connected, but only for a moment as she spun around in his grasp and clawed at his arm. A whimper escaped her lips, but that was the only sound she uttered.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m actually glad I found you.”
She didn’t seem to hear him as she continued to paw at his arm. Not a shriek, not a scream, not a single sound spilled from her lips as she attempted to free herself from him.
Henry carefully managed to get her to face him, grasping her upper arms gently so he could meet her eyes. “Hey,” he repeated softly, “will you look at me?”
