More than likely, he would be forced to listen to how the ranch could make its practices more earth friendly. Yes. This was his punishment.
“I need to talk to you both. It’s about Hope. I’m afraid she’s in trouble.” Henry’s brows creased over his glasses.
“Talk to me.” Noah stood up, his heart hitching a little. He’d known there was something up with Hope, but it had been easy to forget about her trouble in the midst of his own misery. Now all of his instincts were screaming again that something was going wrong.
Henry crossed his arms over his chest and a hard look came into his eyes. “Someone walked up to our shop today and started asking questions about Hope. I didn’t like him. He was lying about something.”
“What did he want to know?” God, how much trouble was Hope in? Ever since Noah was a kid, Bliss had attracted people on the run and down on their luck. Which one was Hope?
Henry adjusted his glasses. “He claimed to be interested in her, but I’m suspicious. He had a reaction when he found out she was involved with the two of you, and it wasn’t the one he tried to portray. He was angry. Volcanically angry.”
“Does he know her?” Noah searched his brain trying to remember everyone he’d seen at the fairgrounds today.
“He claimed not to, but again, I would say yes.”
“Fed?” Was the law after Hope? He clenched his fist to make sure it didn’t shake. No matter what she’d done, he was going to protect her. He wouldn’t let anyone take her.
Henry shook his head. “Not a chance. He doesn’t move well. He isn’t trained, at least not formally. He’s manipulative. Highly intelligent but perhaps sociopathic.”
Noah stared at Henry for a moment. “You got all that off a short conversation with him.”
Henry frowned, looking a little fierce. “I wasn’t always a pacifist, Noah. I had a life before Bliss like everyone else. I would like to remain exactly the man my wife loves, but if you don’t handle this guy, I will. He’s dangerous. I would bet a lot on it, and Nell is on his radar. I don’t like that. I won’t handle it well if he tries to use her to get to Hope again. I’ll be forced to do something I rather wouldn’t.”
Noah was the tiniest bit afraid of Henry Flanders in that moment. What the hell had Henry done before he came to Bliss? One thing was sure. Noah believed him.
“Did you call the sheriff?” Noah asked.
Henry sighed. “I thought it best to talk to you two and Hope first. I don’t want to put Cam in a situation where he has to compromise his badge. I wanted to feel out the situation a little. If Hope’s in some sort of trouble with the law, then you boys need to get your ducks in a row before you go to Cam. If she needs something, like a new identity or some records changed somewhere, I might know a couple of men who could help with that.”
Henry Flanders knew hackers? What the hell had the world come to? The idea of Hope needing to hide her identity and flee terrified Noah. What would he do? If Hope needed to run, how could he let her go? The answer was easy. He couldn’t. He would go with her, but James couldn’t. His brother couldn’t leave the Circle G behind.
And, damn it, Noah didn’t want to leave it either. He’d just gotten home.
“Knock, knock, James. Are you here, baby?” A soft feminine voice echoed through the hall.
Not Hope. And she was calling James baby? He threw Trev a look, silently requesting information. He hated the fact, but Trev knew what was going on in James’s life and Noah didn’t.
Trev shrugged. “No idea. He’s had more than a couple of girlfriends.”
Trev used air quotes around the word “girlfriends.”
A willowy brunette with glossy, long hair sauntered into the kitchen. “You can try to hide, but I found you!”
She was dressed in a long trench coat and what appeared to be five-inch heels. She had a bottle of champagne in her hands. Her hair was perfectly mussed in a way that had probably taken her hours to achieve. She was stunning.
Noah wasn’t impressed. He knew this type. He’d been married to her for five damn years. “No, you didn’t. You found me.”
“Who the hell are you?” the brunette asked, her face losing its previous sweet expression.
Trev leaned back against the counter having refilled his coffee mug. He had an amused look on his face as he watched the scene in front of him. “Serena, this is James’s brother, Noah.”
Serena frowned, looking him up and down. “Really? He doesn’t look like James.” She shrugged as if he didn’t matter. “Where is my boyfriend?”
Dear god, he didn’t need this. He had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn’t wearing much under that trench coat. She didn’t know James at all. He wasn’t a lawyer or a businessman who sat in an office all day. If he had been, then sneaking in for a little impromptu afternoon delight might make sense, but James was a rancher. This Serena girl could walk in all dressed up and ready for sex only to find the object of her desire knee-deep in cow shit or lost on the east range.
Or, in this case, balls deep in Hope McLean. What the hell had James been doing? Noah was going to have to have a little sit-down family meeting because this was not going to work.
“The way I heard it, she’s gone out with James exactly twice.” Trev’s eyes found Noah’s as though reassuring him. “And not at all in the last couple of weeks.”
“He’s been busy. And we worked fast. We clicked. Maybe you don’t know what that means. Now someone tell me where James is.” Serena set the champagne on the counter.
Henry was right back to being his normal, laid-back self. He sighed. “See, I told Jamie this kind of activity would come back to haunt him. Sex is sacred. It should be taken seriously.”
Noah was pretty damn sure his brother was learning that lesson even as they spoke.
Well, there was no way he was putting Hope in the same room as this Serena person. He had to get her out of here and fast.
It was far past time to protect his woman and his brother. First, he would protect James by getting rid of his good-time girl, and then they would all sit down and deal with Hope.
And she was going to talk. Noah would make sure of it.
Chapter Twelve
James looked up at Hope and promised himself he would get her naked again soon. She was dressed, all buttoned up and proper looking, but he knew the truth. He’d seen the real Hope, the sexy, amazing, beautiful Hope who had just ruined him for all other women.
It had been absolutely perfect.
So why was his heart aching? Why was he wondering where Noah was and how he was doing? He was being a complete idiot. Noah was going to get what he deserved. He was going to have to deal with the fact that Hope would choose him. Noah was going to have to watch as he and Hope started a life together. Noah was going to have to be the one on the outside.
What the hell was he doing?
“Are you coming?” Hope asked, smoothing down her hair. “Shouldn’t you put on your pants?”
He didn’t see a need for pants when she was around. They just got in the way of his dick. He’d fucked her so hard he shouldn’t be able to use the damn thing for a while, but it looked like Hope was the ultimate cure for erectile problems. His well-used cock was stirring at the thought of flipping that skirt up again. Noah had been right about one thing. She didn’t need panties. He would make sure all of her panties mysteriously disappeared.
God, he didn’t want to leave this room. Leaving this room meant deciding things he wasn’t ready to decide.
Noah was in love with Hope. He’d just forced Noah to watch as he made love to the woman Noah was crazy about, and he hadn’t offered to share. He was feeling a little dirty. Not because of what he’d done with Hope but because he knew damn well she wanted Noah, too, and he’d kept them apart. He hadn’t done what he’d wanted to do. He hadn’t held her breasts up and offered his brother a taste. He hadn’t asked his brother to hold her down while he tongue fucked her. He hadn’t placed her between him and Noah so she knew damn
well she was protected on all sides.
It was counter to everything he believed, but he just wasn’t ready to let Noah back in. The wound was too deep, and Noah walking back in the way he had was like ripping the scab off. James was bleeding again, and he wasn’t sure how to stop.
“I’m coming.” He grabbed his jeans. “How does your bottom feel?”
She flushed. After all the nasty stuff he’d done to her, she could still look so innocent. “It’s fine.”
“You liked your massage.” After he’d wrung several more orgasms out of her, he’d laid her down on the massage table and taken care of her the way he should. He’d deeply enjoyed rubbing every inch of her skin and listening to her purr.
“I liked everything, James. You know I did, but now I’m hungry, and it’s almost dinnertime. Did you plan to feed me?”
Dinner. Damn. He actually hadn’t thought of that. After the way she’d sweetly submitted, he owed her a nice dinner and some serious cuddling. He owed her his care. He scrambled. “We’ll go into town. We can go to Trio and have a couple of beers.”
There was no way to miss the change that came over her. Her whole body stiffened, the joy leaving her eyes. What had he said?
“Or wine. I could get us a bottle of wine. I don’t know much about it, but Alexei probably does. He spent all that time in Europe and those people supposedly know their stuff.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t think Alexei was a very cosmopolitan European. He spent most of his time with the mob. He probably knows his vodka better than wine.”
“Then he can make you one of those fruity martinis like the apple ones.” He would buy her drinks all night if it got her to relax. Maybe she would start talking if he got her a little tipsy. A little liquor might loosen her up and give him a hint of the stress she was under. He would get her all relaxed and make love to her again, and then he would gently bring up the subject of what was giving her nightmares.
She shook her head. “No. I can’t go out tonight. I…I need to go check on Noah. He looked very upset when he left.”
She started out the door. James stared, his mouth hanging open. Was she serious? He’d just spent hours making love to her, and she was going to check on Noah?
He reached for his shirt, hauling it over his head. “Hope. You stay right here.”
She stopped at the doorway. “I’m just going next door. I need to rest. It’s been a long day.”
Yeah, it had been a long damn week. He’d lost his best friends, had to deal with the fact that his brother was back, and he’d finally acknowledged that he was in love. Fuck. He was in love with Hope. It had to be love since he’d never had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach simply because a woman was leaving the room.
Usually it was a bit of a relief. He’d had female friends. He loved the women of the town, but not a one of them, not a single lover in his background, made him feel the way Hope did.
“We’re going to talk about it, Hope. You can walk away right now, but we’re going to talk about whatever it is that’s bothering you. Tonight.” He was past done. He could feel walls going up between them. She had been completely open with him in bed, but now she was shutting down again, and he wasn’t going to let that happen. No way. “And don’t think you can bring Noah into this. I’m not going to let you use my brother to manipulate me.”
Hope’s eyes flared, a little spark coming into them. “Me? You think I’m using Noah to manipulate you?”
A flare of guilt gnawed at his gut, but he powered through it. “Why else would you get out of bed with me to go see him? We just settled this, Hope. You made your choice.”
“Choice?” Hope asked. “I had a choice?”
James wasn’t going to back down. “Yes. Me or Noah. Me, who you’ve known for over a year, or a man who just walked into your life and has a bad reputation for walking right back out.”
Those warm brown eyes pinned him. “Is that right? Well, it seems to me this amazing choice you’re giving me is between a man who ignored me for a year and a man who wanted me the minute he saw me. And he didn’t know I even lived in Bliss. Noah didn’t run away from me.”
“Yeah, well you just haven’t given him enough time.” Bitterness welled. She was going to choose Noah. She was going to choose Noah because he was smarter, more educated, more urbane. He’d gone to college and lived in New York City. He hadn’t spent his whole life dirty and sweaty.
Hope softened. “James, can we all just sit down and talk?”
Yeah, Noah could talk a blue streak, and all James could do was sit there and be the idiot cowboy. “Ain’t no reason to talk, baby. You want Noah, have at it.”
Hope’s fists clenched at her sides. “I didn’t say that. I said I wanted to talk to him. James, he’s your brother.”
“He’s no blood of mine.” Noah wanted to walk off with the girl. It was what he’d always done. “My family is buried on the north hill, and it’s going to stay that way. This ranch is the only thing that matters.”
He’d always known it deep down. It was the truth of his life. He’d had a vision of clarity years ago as he’d stood in the driveway and watched Noah drive off toward a future they should have shared. God, had he not forgiven his brother for that, either? Had he not forgiven him for going off to college?
And why should he? If the shoe had been on the other foot, he wouldn’t have left. James would have stayed and worked the ranch with Noah.
“James, that’s not true.” Hope had softened, stepping a bit closer.
James backed away. “What do you know about it, Hope? Do you have any sisters? You ever had one of them betray you over a lover?”
Her hand fluttered up as though she wanted to touch him, but she drew it back. “That’s not what happened. James, he was young and stupid. He made a terrible mistake but it doesn’t mean he didn’t love you.”
That just proved she didn’t know a damn thing. “You weren’t here. And I don’t care how young and stupid he was. He has to stand up for his actions. He can’t expect to just let the fact that he was a dumb kid excuse his behavior. I was a year older, and I did the right thing. I didn’t run away from my obligations. That kind of thing can’t be made right.”
Hope went stark white, the color and sympathy leaving her face in an instant. “I guess you’re right. You can never fix some mistakes.”
She turned and walked out.
James picked up his boots and followed her. “Hope, don’t you walk away from me.”
She didn’t turn, but he saw her head shake. “I’m leaving, James. I’ll call Lucy to come get me.”
God, they were back to that again? “You will not.”
She reached the front door and finally looked at him. Tears were streaking down her face. What the hell was that about? “I will. I’m not going to let you use me to punish Noah. And you’re right. I don’t really know him. I’m an idiot. I just never learn. I will this time, James. You just go on and find your perfect woman who never did anything wrong and doesn’t have a past. The rest of us aren’t good enough for you.”
And he deserved that, why? “Hope, I was talking about Noah, baby. I wasn’t talking about you. Hell, you are perfect. Come on. Come back to bed and we can talk. Just you and me. Just tell me what’s going on, and I’ll take care of it. I’ll take care of you. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you.”
He would wrap her in his care. He would make damn sure nothing ever made her sad again.
Except losing Noah. If he did this, would she always miss Noah? Would she come to hate him for forcing her to choose?
She shook her head, tears falling. “No. If you really knew me, you wouldn’t want me anymore. I can see that now. It’s better to walk away.”
She opened the door and walked out.
James followed. How had everything gone so damn wrong? What could Hope have done? “If you think I’m going to let you go, you’re wrong, Hope.”
Hope stopped on the porch, her
shoulders squared. “I think you’re going to have to. It looks like you have company.”
James followed her line of sight. Noah was walking out of the house followed by Trev, Henry Flanders, and a woman. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Serena walked with them, a bottle of champagne in her hand and a smile on her face. He was screwed.
“Not serious, huh?” Hope asked.
“No. It is not serious. I saw her twice. I have been utterly open and honest with you. I slept with her, yes, but I didn’t promise her anything.” He was starting to panic. What the hell was he going to do if Hope really walked out? He’d spent so much time running from her, but now the thought of not knowing where she was made him nauseous. Hope was his. She had to be because he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
“You didn’t make any promises to me, either, James.” Her face was flat without a lick of emotion past the tears.
Fine. He could do that. Finally something he had control over. He reached for her hand, covering it with his own. She was cold. “You want a promise. I’ll make you a promise. We’re going to get married, Hope. Do you want to go to Vegas tonight? Or we can file for a license and have a big party.”
Hope dragged her hand out of his, a look of horror dawning on her face. “I can’t marry you. Oh, god, James, you don’t even know me.”
His head was reeling. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“James!” Serena tottered on her ridiculously high heels as she pushed past Noah on the lawn. “James, I came all the way out here to bring you a surprise.”
Hope sighed. “It’s not a surprise, Serena. Your coat’s open. Everyone can see your boobs.”
It was said without a hint of venom. Hope seemed to just be pointing out a fact of life, but Serena’s face went up in flames, and she turned her attention to Hope as she retied her coat.
“I didn’t look, baby.” James didn’t even want to. Serena was a lovely woman, and he had nothing at all against her, but Hope was it for him. He wouldn’t look at the Serenas of the world ever again.