She heard the scraping of chairs across the worn tiled floor. Steeling herself wasn’t going to help much. Not when she felt so vulnerable.
“We don’t want her to leave.”
She gaped at Rick. “You don’t?”
“Of course not.” He scanned the audience, then took her by the arm and pulled her toward the front door.
She was outside and standing on the sidewalk, her heart hardly daring to beat for fear of making him change his mind. Gunner pushed through the door, then made a low noise that sounded a lot like a growl, and waved Earline and Mayla back inside.
“How about a little privacy, ladies?”
Need, simple and raw, drove into her like a Mac truck wheeling through a driving rain. She wobbled on her feet, then found her center and lifted her head.
I’m not going to touch them. If I do, I’ll never leave even if they tell me that they lied to the others and don’t really want me to stay.
Rick paced off, then spun around and came back at her. “Damn it, Mallory, if you weren’t so fucking bullheaded, this wouldn’t have gone so far off the track.”
“Look at the pot calling the kettle black.”
He glared at Earline. “Get. Back. Inside.”
“Boy, don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do.” Earline narrowed her eyes even more than she had before.
“Big E, let’s give them some space.” Mayla took the older woman’s arm. “Just remember what I said, Mallory. It’s once in a lifetime.” She tugged Earline along with her.
“Both of you need to end this right now.” Gunner pointed down the street. “Here comes the bus.”
An older bus, one that looked like it had driven to hell and back, pulled to the corner a few yards down from the restaurant. The bus driver, a young man with long hair that fell in front of his face, opened the folding doors, then leaned out of the bus.
“Hey, anyone needing the bus?”
“I said to end this now.” Gunner confronted his brother. “Tell her or I swear I won’t be responsible for what I do.”
She bit her lower lip and silently prayed that Rick would say something, anything. If he didn’t, she would. Mayla was right. Whatever was between them was too good to throw away. No matter how bullheaded Rick got.
“Damn, you two. Speak up.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I was wrong.”
They’d spoken at the same time. That had to be a good sign.
Gunner grinned, then slapped his brother on the back. “It’s about fucking time.” He turned to her then. “Mallory, do you still want to leave?”
“Do you want me to leave?” She had to have some reassurance that they wanted her. Even if they didn’t say those three little words that she longed to hear, she had to hear them tell her to stay.
“Hell, no.”
Hearing Gunner say that was like hearing the song of a beautiful songbird. Still, she needed to know that Rick fell the same way.
“Like I said. I’m sorry.” Gone was the hard steel in his eyes. In its place was an urgency that matched her own. “I want you to stay. More than anything, I want you to stay.”
The bus driver still waited on the steps. “Are you coming, lady, or not?”
She loved them. What else mattered? It wasn’t the time or the place to tell them, but she wasn’t going to leave. The time would come.
She shook her head at the driver. “Not.”
Chapter Seven
Coming back to the ranch felt like coming home. Strangely, they hadn’t spoken much on the way back, but the tension that had layered over them in the first ride was gone.
Mallory was happier than she’d ever been. Just hearing them tell her to stay was enough. She wouldn’t push them for more.
Rick stopped the truck in front of the house, slid out of the truck, and headed up the front steps. She’d hoped he’d help her out and her disappointment must’ve shown.
Gunner cozied her against his body, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Don’t let him get to you. Admitting he was wrong is major for him. I can’t remember the last time he told anyone he was wrong.”
Rick didn’t look back. Instead, he entered the house, letting the screen door bang behind him. “Are you sure he really wants me here? He said so, but the way he’s acting doesn’t leave me much to cling to.”
“We both want you here. I know it’s only been a short time, but we want you to stay. Provided you can handle what we do for a living.”
“I can.” She twisted so that she could face him, then lay her palm against his chest. “I still don’t like it, but I know that the things your neighbor told me were lies.” She’d ask them later if their friend had checked on Lawson Industries yet. All she wanted at that moment was to be with them.