Chasing The Wild (Crimson Ridge Book 1)

“Layla?”

The voice that makes my heart flutter drifts through the entrance to the stall where I’m working.

Since the run-in with Chy earlier, I’ve stayed here in the barn and carried on doing as many little jobs as I can find. My mind has been on a constant loop of worry after her insinuations and thinly veiled threats earlier.

Now, the man himself is standing there looking at me, eyes soft, with one hand tucked in the pocket of his jeans, Winnie’s reins in the other. He’s finally come back from wherever he’s been hiding out, being busy all day on the ranch.

God, I just want to rush into his arms.

“It’s late. You haven’t eaten.” It’s a statement. The way this man knows that, reading me with a single glance, sends my emotions haywire.

I duck my head, not wanting him to see that I’m entirely not ok right now.

“I’m fine.” A massive lie. But what else am I supposed to say?

“Is this about last night?” He starts working on Winnie’s tack, but keeps his voice to a low murmur.

“No.” Yes. Maybe. It’s about everything and nothing and mostly about the fact that I can’t bear that I’m unable to be with him.

“I’m sorry—” He starts, but I cut him off. This is only going to make everything a million times shittier if I feel like he didn’t want things to go the way they did between us last night.

“Please. Don’t apologize.” I suck in a shaky inhale. “But tell me the truth, did you get those guys arrested at the bar?”

Colt stops what he’s doing, visibly stiffening. “They deserved it, and much more. You know that.”

“But was it because of you… or because of me?” Fuck, I don’t know what I’m asking him. That bitch has gotten to me. She’s been in my head all day after her attempts at fucking with my mind earlier on. And all I’ve had is my own thoughts to swirl around in by myself.

“What brought this on?”

“Nothing… just, Chy was out here earlier. She said something about them and a connection with your grandfather… and look, it’s best to ignore me, I’m just over-tired, I think.” I try to shrug off whatever it was I was attempting to say. Because I don’t even know right now.

“Layla.” He comes right up close, and a part of me wants to step back, to put distance between us, but the more desperate, in love with him, part of me allows him to be near. “That girl is trying to start shit. She’s a piece of work, and you know it.” His voice is gruff and hard, but not because of me. I know that from the tenderness in his gaze as he holds my eyes.

There’s a tic in his jaw as he looks me over.

“Are you ok?” He whispers, and for a moment, his palm lifts to cup my cheek.

So much longing flows through me, that I give in. I lean into his touch and close my eyes for a moment. The heat from his palm seeps into me and his masculine scent curls a delicious path through my bloodstream and I’m so close to throwing myself into his arms.

But I can’t. We can’t.

My eyelashes flutter open, and I turn my head into his touch for just a second longer, allowing my lips to meet his warm caress.

“I’d better go.”

And I step back, dragging myself away once more. I’m going to be gone any day now, and I really need to remember that this man is not mine. We can’t do this, so being strong and walking away is about all I can do right now.

It’s late. The glowing digital clock on the stove says midnight.

I’d been lying in bed tossing around and unable to sleep, and eventually decided to make my way to the kitchen and grab myself a glass of water.

Except, as I flip the faucet off and turn around, there’s someone on the other side of the island who I really, really do not want to see right now.

Chy cocks her head to one side and then leans her elbows forward onto the countertop. Her pregnant stomach is barely covered by the tank she’s got on.

“Can’t sleep, Layla?”

“Needed a glass of water.” I shrug and hold up the glass in question.

There’s a glint in her eyes as she thinks for a moment, then says words that send my blood running cold. “You know, you really should be more careful about cuddling up to your boss out in the open where anyone can see. How do you think Kayce would feel knowing you and his dad are out in that barn getting extra cozy?”

This time my expression must be a dead giveaway because she looks triumphant. Like she’s finally secured the winning goal that she’s been taking shots at all day in the hope of scoring.

“What do you want, Chy?” I grit my teeth.

“I want Kayce.”

“Good. You’ve got him. He’s already yours.” I go to push past her and escape back to my room, but she steps in my path.

“No, you see, it’s not as simple as that. I need to make sure that Kayce doesn’t think his sweet little ex-girlfriend looks like a good idea to go back to.” She flicks her eyes up and down my body, giving me a sneer. “So it’s quite fitting really, that you’re just a slut who’s been fucking his father. Imagine how those rumors will multiply around Crimson Ridge if whispers were to start flying that Colton Wilder purposely lied to his own son and fucked his girlfriend behind his back. Because I can promise you, I’ll have everyone believing that you and Kayce were still together, still madly in love, when dear old Dad started sticking his dick in his precious Layla. It’ll be Colt’s word against the gossip chain around town, and I’ll tell you now, this ranch will be out of business quick as a flash if they hear how he’s screwed over his own son… the upcoming rodeo darling, Kayce Wilder.”

My mouth is hanging open. This girl is a fucking calculating piece of work. She’s not only ready to take down Colt, his business, his ranch and soul’s home, but she’s ready to destroy Kayce’s career while she’s at it.

Chy looks me over. “Turns out the apple didn’t land far from the tree, did it? Colton Wilder is a little too much like his grandaddy after all.”

My fists clench. This girl is vile.

“What exactly are you after?”

“Be gone in the morning.”

My heart thuds extra hard. I don’t know what I was expecting, maybe money, but it certainly wasn’t that.

“How could I possibly trust that you would keep your word?”

“With you out of the picture, Layla? Oh, I’d have no problem keeping your not-so-little secret. Anything I might, or might not have seen, would be forgotten real fast.”

As much as I want to rip chunks of hair off this girl’s head, I love Colt too fiercely. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect that man.

“That’s it? That’s all you want from me?”

She nods and gives me a tight smile. “Yup.” She pops the P and steps aside. “Happy packing, Layla.”

Dawn crawls a lazy path of pinks and purples across the horizon as I quietly shut the front door behind me. The scents of spring and chilled air hit my nose as I hoist my bag in one hand and carefully make my way down the steps leading away from the front porch.

Last night broke me. I couldn’t bear the thought of Colt’s life here, or the ranch, being threatened. It doesn’t make sense for me to stay any longer, not when it might blow up everything Colt has worked so hard his entire life for.

Not when I’m due to leave within the week, anyway.

It doesn’t change the fact that I’m a mess of emotions. I’m going to have to borrow Kayce’s truck to get down to Crimson Ridge and leave it at the mechanics in order to collect my car when they open. I figure Colt can sort out giving him a ride down the mountain to fetch it—I left a note to that effect on the kitchen island apologizing for taking the vehicle without any warning.

I made up an excuse about an emergency with Evaline as to the reason for my sudden departure before anyone in the house was awake.

Although my heart is racing, knowing fully well that Colt usually gets up around this time. So every second longer I take getting my ass into this truck and off this mountain, increases the risk of having to face him and say a proper goodbye.

As much as I desperately want that, I also don’t know if my heart can take it.

I’ve dumped my bag in the back seat and opened the driver’s door, tossing my purse on the passenger side when I feel him.

My fingers curl into the metal frame.

“You got somewhere to be?” Colt’s voice is thick with sleep, or maybe with lack of sleep. If his nights have been anything like mine lately, it’ll be the latter.

I keep hold of the door, lifting my eyes to meet his where he leans a hip against the front of the truck. Dressed in his jeans and flannel shirt rolled to his elbows, even though it’s cold out, and looking every inch the love of my life.

“I can’t stay.” My eyes hold his. Fuck. My bottom lip is wobbling already.

His brow furrows. Confusion passes over his features, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Chy saw us.” I swallow and it’s about all I can manage to get out. “She promised not to say anything to Kayce, as long as I leave.”

That brings a hard line to his jaw. The creases around his eyes deepen, and his shoulders visibly stiffen inside his shirt.

“We knew I was always going to be leaving. It’s easier this way.” My attention travels up to the house. Even though I know there’s not much chance either of them will be up at this time of the morning, I’m especially paranoid after Chy’s threats last night.

Colt watches me, looking like he’s chewing over words to say. Then he simply nods.

My chest feels like someone has ransacked it. Stuffing my heart inside a torture device.

Is this going to be it? Is that all this moment will ever be for us?

I don’t think I can face anymore pain, of saying goodbye when I can’t say the kind of goodbye we both deserve. When in fact, I don’t want to say goodbye at all. I want to stay right here and live out my days with this wonderful, captivating, rugged man.

So I dip my chin to try and hide the quiver of my bottom lip and stinging tears pricking behind my eyes, and slide into the driver’s seat.

But before I can shut the door behind me, Colt grabs the frame. He fills the space, standing still, not touching or reaching for me, but he’s right there all the same. His knuckles are white where he holds onto the metal as if he could crush it with one hand.

My eyes snap up to his, finding an expression on his face that is entirely wild and filled with a collision of emotion behind those hazel eyes I’ll never stop seeing when I close my own.

“Layla…” He clears his throat, pauses, then when Colt speaks, his voice is quiet and rough. “Find that sweet spot, angel. Take your aim and hit that target. You can be anything you want. I have no doubt you’ll succeed. That good heart of yours is tougher than you think. If you can survive an old bastard like me, you can reach the stars and have them falling at your feet, too.”

With those words, the ones that break my foolish heart, my cowboy turns, and is gone.