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“Easton.” Clint sounded more tired than reproachful.
Had it been an issue? Easton’s obvious infatuation with Jacey? Cade could help Clint out there.
That was a first. For the past year, all he’d wanted was to give Clint trouble.
“Jacey,” Clint said evenly. “Quaid has been insistent that it is your choice where you stay. I have also been guilted into asking, for Mama’s sake, do you want to stay up here with Cade or come back to the ranch with your ‘family that loves you’?”
Her eyes widened. “I thought my family consisted of an evil mother and an abused brother. They love me? Is my mother at the ranch?” She hurried around Easton and right to Cade. “Cade, you told me she wasn’t close. Pennsylvania, correct?”
He reached for her without thinking of the implications. Putting a hand on the beautiful curve of her waist, he tilted her chin up with his other hand, focusing his gaze on her. Instantly everything was right in his world.
He heard a grunt of annoyance from Easton but ignored it.
“Jacey. Your mother is not here. She’s running from the law. Your brother is safe, and so are you.” He studied her, willing her to believe him, to trust him, to choose him. He selfishly wanted and needed her to stay, but he would do what was right for her above his desires.
“Thank you.” Her chin quivered. Was she emotional or did his touch affect her like hers did him? “Are you comfortable with me staying here? I … need you.”
Cade’s chest expanded, and dreams he hadn’t let himself dream surfaced. This beautiful, educated, intriguing woman needed him. Him. Cade Miller. Reclusive cowboy.
“You are welcome to stay. I want you to stay,” he said, not telling her how much he needed her too. “I will keep you safe, fed, and sheltered until you want to run away.”
Her lips twitched, and he liked that she could tell when he was teasing. “Nothing could yank me from your side, cowboy.”
A muttered curse came from Easton. Clint silenced his brother with a warning look.
“I like that,” Cade admitted, wishing they didn’t have an audience. Especially a Coleville one. Would Clint pursue her just to slight Cade because of their history? Once she had her memory back, would she realize she was interested in the handsome, charming Easton or one of the other impressive Coleville brothers? Thankfully, Houston had one more year of residency until he could relocate to Coleville, Rhett was busy building fancy vacation homes down in Kalispell for the foreseeable future, and Miles was with the Navy SEALs.
“All right.” Clint interrupted their moment. “If you’re staying, we’ve got a whole slew of stuff Mama sent for you. We’ll set up cameras and perimeter sensors outside, and sensors at the entrance to the canyon.”
Cade almost protested on principle. Clint couldn’t boss him around, and the likelihood of her mother finding her here was next to none. But he wanted Jacey to feel safe, to be safe, so he only nodded.
Jacey was staying with him. That was what mattered. The rest of the details would work out.
Chapter
Seven
Jacey felt safe with her cowboy close by. It was funny to call him ‘cowboy’ as it was a tease, but she also felt rebellious. This vicious mother of hers wouldn’t appreciate her ‘slumming’ with a cowboy. She could hear her voice. She shoved the impression away. Cade wasn’t ‘slumming.’ He was elevating, invigorating, inspiring.
“Let’s go get the load,” the sheriff said to the flirtatious brother. Easton? Definitely younger than Cade or Clint. He was charismatic and clearly interested in her, but she couldn’t see beyond Cade and the joy and safety she felt with him near. She couldn’t explain it, but Cade was the man she chose and needed to be with.
“We can help,” Cade offered.
“Quaid wants to talk to her,” Clint said, stopping both of them.
“My brother?” She put a hand to her heart. It raced. Her brother. Abused. Forlorn. She yearned to help him and protect him but didn’t want to relinquish Cade and this heavenly spot of earth. Was that incredibly selfish? Should she go with the Coleville brothers? Should she be insisting she find her sad, hurting, but brave brother?
The sheriff pulled out a cell phone. He walked to her and held it out. “That’s a phone you two can use until you fish Cade’s out of the lake.”
Her cheeks heated. Was the stern sheriff bantering with her? She sensed an uneasy tension between him and Cade.
“I suspect we cannot revive the phone,” she said, easing away from the one the sheriff held out. Phones could be tracked, but Cade trusted these men and she wanted to talk to her elusive brother. Should she accept the phone?
“True.” He inclined his head to her. “Quaid’s number and my number are programmed in there. If you need anybody else, call me first to clear the name.”
Cade tensed. “She won’t need anybody but me.”
Jacey startled. Cade was … claiming her? Similar to a cowboy of old? Thrilling.
