“I know that…”
“I may not have fucked a woman before you, darlin’, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a man. It doesn’t mean I’m not capable of looking after you the way you need to be looked after.” He planted his hands on his hips, letting out a rough breath. “I sure as fuck don’t need to stand behind my woman when things get ugly.”
My mouth dropped open. “Eli…”
“There was no reason for you to try to justify to that asshole what we were doing.” His eyes locked on mine. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do.”
I tried to step forward again, but he stopped me with a look. Then, shaking his head, he turned and walked away.
“Elijah, please.”
He stopped a short distance from me but didn’t look back. “I need to cool down.”
How the hell had I messed this up so badly? “I don’t think of you like that. God, Elijah…you’re the strongest man I’ve ever met.”
He stayed rooted to the spot for several long seconds, then strode away.
I wanted to go after him, make him understand, but I wouldn’t be able to, not yet anyway. A truck was heading our way, dust flying out behind it. Our possible new client. This guy could help save the ranch if he liked what he saw, if he wanted to make a deal.
I just hoped I could get through it without falling apart.
…
“I’m looking forward to doing business with you both.”
Mr. Lawrence shook my hand, then Eli’s, clapping him on the shoulder.
I smiled at the older man. “You won’t be disappointed.”
This was good news, the best; he wanted our horses, but I was struggling to find any excitement with Eli still not looking at me.
We walked Mr. Lawrence to his truck. Eli stood close, towering over me. I could feel the heat of his skin radiating from him. I wanted to lean into him desperately, but with the sharp line of his spine, the stiff way he held his shoulders, I knew he was still angry.
I waved to Mr. Lawrence as his truck headed out.
Nerves kicked up in my belly as I dropped my hand and turned to Elijah, but he was already walking away. The nerves turned to nausea. Was he going to take off on his horse again? Did he need another night away from me? God, that stung…so damn much.
Had I ruined everything?
I’d hurt him, and I had no idea how to fix it.
I forced myself to go inside, not sure what else to do, what I could say to him to make this better. If he’d even be willing to listen to me if I tried.
The phone in the kitchen was ringing when I walked in, but it stopped before I reached it. Crap.
Grabbing a glass, I filled it with water and downed the entire thing. My mouth was dry, like I’d been talking nonstop for the last hour, and more than likely I had. But the new buyer liked our horses, and the money we’d make would allow us to keep the ranch afloat. I stared out the window, watching the dry grass sway with the breeze. Eli’s reaction to my defending him was eating at me, mainly because there was some truth to what he said. Not the part about him being a lesser man, and I’d never doubted his intelligence. But the part about Kyle not being worth it? He was right. I’d tried to justify our relationship to that creep. Denying Eli’s past, when I’d never cared if it was true or not, trying to convince Kyle, someone who meant nothing to me, that what we were doing wasn’t wrong? It was as good as admitting to Eli that I felt the opposite.
Shit.
I rubbed my aching eyes and paced the kitchen. I’d let the gossips and busybodies get to me. I hadn’t even realized I’d bought into their crap until those words had tumbled out of my mouth. Not everyone in Deep River was like that. But it was the people with nothing better to do than pass judgment and look down on others who tended to have the loudest voices.
The phone rang again, and I snatched it up. Cassie’s shrill voice blasted my ear. I had no idea what she was saying, but I knew exactly why she was calling. Kyle hadn’t wasted any time. It’d only been a few hours.
“…what do you think you’re doing with that man?” she finished.
I was already angry over what Kyle said, over my own reaction to his words—that I’d managed to hurt Eli. I didn’t need this. Definitely not right then. “I love you, you know I do, Cass. But how is it any of your damn business?”
That shut her up, but only for a few seconds. “We love you, too. We’ve known you since you were a little girl. That’s how it’s our business.”
I shoved my fingers in my hair, pushing it away from my face. “Then you know I’m not stupid or reckless. You’re making assumptions, about me and about Elijah…and you know what, I don’t need to explain my actions to you or any damn person in this town. He’s a good man, he makes me feel special…that’s all you should be worried about. I’m happy, Cassie. That should be enough for you.”