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When she looked over at him, he was studying her.
“I asked if you wanted more water,” he said.
Her glass was empty. “Yes, please. If you don’t mind.”
“It’ll hopefully help with the headache,” he said, then stood and picked up the glass from the coffee table.
Darren moved into the kitchen. As he walked, she forced her gaze away from his strong, muscled back. He’d grown into his tall frame from the last time she’d seen him.
“Do you still work on the ranch?” she asked, needing to talk to work off some of her nerves at being back.
“The one my parents owned is mine now,” he said as he refilled the glass. “Been that way since not long after you took off.” The way he said those last few words sent daggers to the center of her chest. Without her cell, purse or keys, she was stranded here until the sheriff arrived. Making small talk didn’t seem like the right plan. She should have known he wouldn’t want to have anything to do with her outside of making sure she was safe. Conversation was probably asking too much.
Darren walked over and set the glass down on the table. His cell buzzed, indicating a text was coming through. He checked the screen. “The sheriff has been diverted on a call. He says it might be a while before he can get here.”
“How far are we from Hayes Cattle?” she asked.
His face twisted. “Hour and a half, give or take. Why?”
“I’ve taken up enough of your time and generosity,” she said, figuring he would want a break from all this so he could pick up his babies. “It might be for the best if I call to see if one of the hands can swing by and pick me up now that I think about it. If any of my things are found, we can always come back.”
Going home reminded her of something she needed to do...butwhat?
“To be honest, you were found on my property and that makes this case my business,” he countered after a thoughtful pause. “Unless you have a good reason, I’d appreciate you staying put. My children live in this home with me, and I need to know exactly what happened and how this case goes.”
Reese caught his gaze and looked him dead in the eye. “You’re sure that’s what you want? Me in your house?”
The question caught him off guard based on the face he made. “You’re here. I’m not asking you to leave.”
“What if the sheriff takes a long time?” she continued. “Being in the same room with me after all these years can’t possibly be high on your list of ways you’d like to spend a day.”
“I didn’t expect you to show up, but here you are and there are other rooms if I’m bothered,” he said. “Time has passed and we’ve both moved on. This isn’t high school anymore, Reese. We’re grown adults who have pushed beyond a childish breakup.” The manner in which he said those words made her feel otherwise. There was a tension in his jaw that only occurred when his coach had yelled at him during practice, or his father had dressed him down for being late to finish chores even when he had homework and tests to study for.
“If you’re sure my being here doesn’t bother you,” she said, figuring he’d made good points about this being his home and where he was bringing up his children. He deserved to hear firsthand what the sheriff had to say. Plus, he’d been nothing but helpful so far, even if he had to force himself to be cordial.
“I’d tell you if I was,” he said.
Would he, though? A small piece of her thought he might be as curious about her as she was about him. Then again, it had been a long day and she could be misreading his actions.
DARRENWASDOINGhis best. Finding Reese on his property after all these years was one thing. Who would bring her here and why? As morbid as this sounded, even to him, why would someone hold her here instead of immediately killing her? More than one person had to be involved unless she’d come up on poachers who couldn’t afford to let her go, but didn’t have it in them to kill her. They might have been trying to figure out what to do with her, which may have included doing thingstoher. Anger made his blood run hot at the thought she could have been raped. There’d been more than one person present in the old equipment shed—a building that was going to be torn down the minute he received clearance from the sheriff. More of that anger boiled when he thought about his daughters being the ones inside there when they were older.
The building was dangerous. It had to go. He’d tear it down with his bare hands if it meant no one would ever be bound inside those walls again.
Darren issued a sharp sigh as he caught Reese suppressing a yawn.
“The sheriff won’t be here for a while,” he said. “You’re welcome to change out of those clothes into something more comfortable and grab a nap.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “It doesn’t sound as though you remember any of your clothing being removed at any point during your abduction.” He used the last word for lack of a better term.
“A shower sounds like heaven,” she said, shaking her head. “I would like very much to wash this dirt off me.”
“I’m sure I have something around here that you could change into,” he said, forcing an image of her naked and in the shower out of his thoughts. “Even if it’s just a T-shirt and a long robe.”
“Okay,” she said.
It occurred to him that her clothing might be considered evidence. “I have a paper grocery-store bag to put your things in. The sheriff might need them for evidence.”
“Right,” she said on a heavy sigh. “That’s a good point actually.” She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed them like she was suddenly cold. “I can’t imagine what kind of monsters would do something like this to another human being. I’m not sure what happened, but...” Her voice trailed off.
“You might have gotten in the way of poachers,” he said, trying to find a way to offer some reassurance. “You weren’t physically assaulted, which is a good sign.” Hearing those words come out of his own mouth made a knot tighten in his gut. The fact any woman had to worry about being attacked once she left her home tipped his blood to boiling. Having daughters made him even more aware of the dangers women faced, and the feeling he wouldn’t always be there to protect them sickened him to no end.
