Page 68 of Hard Rain Coming
“A year ago, I was in Alaska living my life. Ignoring the past the only way I could, which was to lock it away and forget.” She let out a shuddering breath. “Seeing you again changed everything.”
“It took a bit,” he replied with a half-smile. “You blew into Montana like a cold Canadian wind.”
“You weren’t exactly welcoming.”
“I guess we were both a little gun-shy.”
“We didn’t trust each other. And we had good reason not to.”
He had nothing for that because she wasn’t wrong.
“What now?” he asked, watching her closely. Shadows covered half her face, and he couldn’t see her eyes properly.
“I need to get this right. I need to be sure, or all this was for nothing.”
“What does that mean?” He frowned and took a step closer.
“I need to figure this out, Dallas.” She licked her lips nervously. “I need some space.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Viv. I’m not letting you push me away this time.” He swore, shoulders hunched forward as if he was about to do battle.
“Don’t be like that.”
“I’m pissed.”
“I know,” she said softly. “But if you come to my room or I go to your room, we both know how we’ll be spending the night, and it won’t be talking or sleeping.”
Something inside him cracked wide open, and he reached for her. “Would that be so wrong?”
She leaned into his touch and kissed his palm, then looked up at him, heartbreak in the shadows that played across her face. “I need to remember how I got here. What mistakes I made. There are things I need to work on. Things I need to fix. And when I’m with you, I can’t see straight. I can’t focus. You take up so much room. Does that make sense?”
He was frustrated, but this wasn’t about him. He might not like it, but he had to respect that. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do. I meant what I said. You’re not in this alone.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, pulling away, though her fingers lingered in his hand. For a few seconds, the only thing he heard was the sound of his own heartbeat, the rush of blood in his ears, and a lone owl hooting in the distance. “I’ll see you in the morning.” With one last glance his way, Vivian turned and disappeared inside the house, leaving Dallas alone in the dark. He wasn’t ready to head in just yet. If he was a smoker, now would be a good time to light one up. As it was, he’d given up that nasty habit years ago and would have preferred a bottle of JD.
“Shit,” he muttered, eyeing up the house, but not willing to snoop through Miss Callie’s bar stock to see what she had. He had nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. Restless, he walked around back, where he found a spot to sit by the big old oak that guarded the premises.
It was early enough back home to make a call, so he grabbed his cell and hit up his sister. Jade answered on the second ring.
“Where in hell are you?”
“Should I hang up now?” Dallas rolled his eyes and settled back in the chair.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me,” she scoffed.
He opened his mouth, but she stopped him before he began.
“I know you better than you know yourself,” she said silkily.
“Is that so?” He needed this. The familiar back-and-forth with his sister.
“I went by your place today.”
“I heard.”
“Your ranch hand Griff is a dick.”
“He says you’re a pain in the ass with a loud voice and a mean right hook. He’s not wrong, though I didn’t ask about the right-hook thing. I figured that’s between you and him.” His sister swore a blue streak, and he grinned, thankful for the distraction. “You done squawking?”