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“What the hell,” I mutter anxiously, peering out the window to look for the driver or my aunt, or even my father, but there’s no one in sight. The longer they keep me waiting out here in this car, the more anxious I get.
I hear laughter from somewhere and glance through the windshield to see that the driver is nearby after all, flirting with one of the housemaids by the rose bushes around the side of the house. Even from this distance, I can see the way she leans into his touch. My heart pangs in my chest.
That’s what I want and am about to lose a chance at.
For what seems like the millionth time, I consider running away. Every time I’ve thought about it before now, I’ve always come up empty. My father has always had people watching me and has always been careful with what resources he let me have access to. I never had the tools I needed to make an escape.
I can hear blood rushing past my ears as I lean forward to peek into the driver’s seat. The keys are still in the ignition.
Carefully and without a second thought, I slip into the driver’s seat, crawling over the center console in spite of my big white dress. I push back the veil from my eyes and look out of the windshield. The gate to the house’s driveway is wide open. For a moment, I hesitate.
Is this a test? To see if I’ll leave? It’s almost too good to be true.
I reach forward to twist the key in the ignition, expecting it not to start, but it does. I cast a glance around to see if I’ve been noticed, but the coast is clear, even as I put the car into drive and ease off the brake. I expect someone to stop me as I tear past the gate, but if someone tried to, they’re just eating my dust now.
My body shakes with fear as I peel off onto the road, watching as my father’s mansion disappears from view. As I drive further, I drive past the animal shelter I volunteer at. Or, I guess, used to volunteer. I had to stop two weeks ago. I’ve already said goodbye a hundred times, but I whisper one more as it too disappears from my sight. Maybe I’ll get to come back after going to college and vet school, or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
After a few minutes, I slow the car to a stop as I arrive at a four way stop sign. The main road gets crossed by a dustier and smaller one. I bite my bottom lip as I contemplate which road to take.
I know my dad well enough to know that he’ll probably find me eventually, but I know I still need to make it hard for him.
With a little prayer to whoever’s listening, I turn onto the smaller road. I have no idea where it leads, but wherever it is can’t be worse than the fate I’ve left behind.
Chapter Two
Roland
There’s an intruder.
I drop the rake in my hands and swipe at my sweaty brows as I listen to the sound of barking.
Those damned kids.
I am not in the mood for this. Not today. After losing one of my calves to a wild animal last night, my mood has been stewing at an all-time low. This wouldn’t have happened if those nosy teenagers hadn’t made a hole in the fence when they broke into the ranch a few days ago.
I grab my shotgun from the side of the door as I leave the barn. Truthfully, I have no intentions of actually hurting anyone—the shotgun’s more useful for aggressive wildlife that I can’t chase away—but the kids need a good scare every once in a while, just to keep them from getting too curious and coming back.
Brutus, the younger of the two Dobermans I rescued when I bought the ranch two years ago, rushes to my side as I make my way out of the barn. They’re not great with some of my livestock, but they make excellent security dogs and keep me from feeling too lonely out here in the middle of nowhere.
“We’re going to teach them a lesson today, aren’t we boy?” I say as I look around for his brother. I still can’t see him, but it’s definitely him barking somewhere.
Brutus runs ahead of me before I can stop him, which makes me pick up my pace. Brutus can be very vicious to strangers, more so than his brother Django, and as much as I want to scare the kids off, I can’t have them losing an arm or a leg to my dog.
As I approach, I expect to hear both of the dogs barking, but they suddenly go silent, sending panic rushing through my veins. The thought of something happening to them makes my heart go cold. I pick up the pace, ready to fight whatever’s hurt them when I am stopped by the sound of an unfamiliar voice.
“Oh, hi there cuties!” the voice gushes. “There’s two of you? Are you brothers?”
I turn the corner to see a young woman kneeling on the hard ground, petting my dogs like she’s known them all their lives. To my shock, they both lean into her touch, tales wagging and tongues lolling out of their mouths. Even Django, who hates it when I rub his neck, is leaning into her hands, eyes squinted closed with pleasure at her touch.
“Oh, aren’t you both just so handsome, so sweet,” the young woman coos. She’s crouched down in the dirt, wearing an expensive looking white dress that would be suitable only for a wedding. She even has a veil still clipped into her fancy hairstyle. She doesn’t seem to care that my dogs are getting muddy pawprints on her skirts or trying to lick off her makeup and hairspray.
“Who are you?” I finally ask, my voice much more angry-sounding than I wanted. It startles her into falling back with a little cry, flat on her ass in the dust. She swears as she tries to stand, but the poofy volume of her gown makes it almost impossible for her to find her footing. Whoever this bride is, she’s certainly not one of the kids that keeps breaking into my ranch.
“Shit,” she swears as she falls back again, the veil falling over her face. She pushes it away, but it doesn’t cooperate, so she starts tugging at it angrily. Finally, she pulls it free from her head in a shower of hair pins as starched brown curls start making their escape from her hair style. She throws it on the ground with a few choice curse words, and I can’t do anything but watch as Django sniffs at the veil to see if it’s a toy.
When the woman turns to look at me, I suck in a breath sharply. Even with the mud smudges on her cheeks, something about her holds me captive. From her dark curls to the wide, forest-green eyes that blink up at me warily … I’ve never seen anyone like her.
“Um, hi,” she says, her lips parting with a small gasp as she runs her eyes over me. Heat starts coursing through my body, and I’m not sure if it’s embarrassment or arousal. “Wow, you’re huge.”
