Goodbye Girl (Hidden Lane Ranch) (13 page)

I ran to the
back of the house to Clint’s room once inside. I didn’t want to at first; I
wanted to tell him how sorry I was and that maybe they were all better off
without me. I didn’t deserve a man like him or to even be a part of this
family.

I arrived at
Clint’s bedroom and knocked on the door. “It’s me, Rachel,” I whispered loudly.
The door opened and Eliza pulled me inside. She wrapped her arms around me and
held me so tight I thought I would explode.

“We were so
worried about you!” She let me go and looked me over. Mary came over and gave
me a big hug.

“Oh dear, it’s
so good to see you! Are you ok? Where is he? Where are the boys?” She was
talking a mile a minute, maybe it was the nerves. She released me and noticed
the bruise on my face where Seth hit me. “He hit you again?” I nodded and she
looked me over. “Anything else?” She asked quietly. I shook my head and bit my
lip. She took my hand and led me to the bathroom. “Let’s clean you up.”

“I’m sorry,” I
whispered as I followed behind her. She turned to look at me, a confused
expression on her face. “What for, dear?”

I waved my
hand around. “All of this. Causing you guys worry today by sneaking off to
town. You guys having to hide out here while Clint and Wyatt deal with my
asshole ex-boyfriend.” I sank to the floor hugging myself. “He’s a monster. There’s
no telling what he’ll do.”

Mary and Eliza
joined me on the floor and both put their arms around me. Mary stroked my back.
“Don’t you worry, girl. It’s not your fault, none of it is. We’ll all be ok. I
have faith.”

We all stood
up and went to the door when we heard Clint yelling. He was in the house and it
sounded like he was coming towards us. Please let him and Wyatt be ok. A small
part of me even wished Seth was dead. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to erase
his slimy smile from my mind.

“You can open
the door!” He called to us. “The Sheriff is here and has the asshole in cuffs. Wyatt’s
ok too.”

Mary unlocked
the door and threw it open. She embraced Clint while I stood off to the side
and watched.
 
Eliza followed and
both were crying and checking Clint over. He didn’t even appear to have a
scratch on him. I breathed a sigh of relief. I would have died if something had
happened to him - to any of them really. I’d brought this mess into their
lives; they didn’t deserve any of it.

I finally
caught his eye and began to walk over to me. My eyes filled with tears. Was he
going to yell at me for leaving this morning? Or tell me to leave after putting
his family in danger?

“Rachel,” he
started, swallowing hard. Were those tears I saw in his eyes? He took me in his
massive arms and held me tight against him. I lost it then; sobs racking my
body.

“I’m so
sorry,” I managed to get out through my tears.

He bent down
and kissed my forehead. “Whatever for, babe?” He asked softly, not letting up
on the tight hug he had me in.

My sobs got
harder as I tried to talk and apologize for the events of the day. He pulled
back and lifted my chin with his finger. “Hey, it’s ok.” He hugged me again. “I
thought I lost you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know
what I would have done if…” He trailed off and I thought I felt a shudder go
through him.

I tried to
pull away but he held me tighter. He sniffled and I wondered if he was crying
too. “I’m so thankful you’re ok. I’m going to make sure he goes away for a long
time and never bothers us again, Rachel.”

I nodded into
his chest. I believed him; I trusted Clint with everything I had.

“Hey man, the
Sheriff needs us to go down to the station,” Wyatt said from the doorway. Clint
finally released me from his arms but threaded his fingers through mine. I was
relieved for his touch. After what happened today, I never wanted to be far
from him again.

He looked down
at me. “Are you ok to do this?”

I nodded with
determination. I’d left Seth months ago because I was a strong woman who wasn’t
going to put up with him; I was still that strong woman, and I wasn’t going to
let him break me. Clint was right; we had to make sure he never bothered us
again.

I walked outside
slowly, relieved to see the Sheriff was already gone with him. I wasn’t quite
ready to face him yet. Mary locked up the house and we all piled into Clint’s
truck. I sat in the middle of the bench seat in his truck, Wyatt on the other
side of me.

We drove in
silence, everyone processing what had just happened. When we arrived at the
station, we all gave our statements. We also brought the bag of money I’d taken
from Seth before leaving Buffalo and turned it over. I was relieved to get it
out of my possession. My statement took longer than the others, but Clint
stayed with me the whole time. This was the first he heard all the details of
my abduction and a few times he held my hand so tight it made me wince.

When I was
done, we all stood outside, waiting for the word it was ok to go. There would
be other statements and trials and stuff to deal with, but for now, it was
over. Seth was locked up and I didn’t have to be afraid of him anymore.

“Well there’s
the little slut now.”

I spun around
and there was Seth. He was being transferred from an interrogation room to a
cell. Clint started for him but I pulled him back. “Don’t, Clint. Just ignore
him.” He relaxed but I could see the muscle in his jaw still twitching.

“Aww…Telling
the cowboy what to do.” He narrowed his eyes at Clint as he walked past. “I bet
you can’t make her scream like I could.”

Before I knew
what was happening, Clint had punched him in the face. A couple of deputies had
to hold him back and they quickly got Seth out of there. The Sheriff came out
of his office. “Just go you guys. We’ll pretend this didn’t happen, but next
time, control yourself,” he warned Clint.

Clint put an
arm around my shoulders and guided me out of the building. We all got back into
the truck and the ride home was just as quiet as the ride there. We got inside
and Mary got some ice for Clint’s hand and checked Wyatt over to make sure he
didn’t need any of her TLC.

It was late
now and the sun was setting. Eliza yawned and stretched. “I’m going to bed, but
before we do, should we still have my party? I’m ok with canceling it.”

I shook my
head. “No, we have to have it. I’m ok and I think it would be good to have some
fun.”

Everyone else
nodded their agreement. Eliza grinned and came over to hug me. “I’m glad you’re
ok.” She let go and hugged the rest of her family before heading off to bed.

“I’m going
too,” Mary said as she came over to hug me. “Love you, dear. You’re part of
this family, don’t you forget it,” she whispered in my ear. She hugged Clint. “I’m
proud of you today, son.” She gave Wyatt a hug. “You too. Your dad would’ve
been so proud.” She smiled at us all before going down the hall to her room.

“Wyatt, I want
to thank you,” I said, walking over to sit by him on the couch. “I know you
helped look for me and you took Seth to the ground. You’re very brave.” Clint
came to sit on the other side of me and put a hand on my leg.

Wyatt gave me
that lazy smile that had ladies falling at his feet. “You’re welcome, Rachel. Like
Ma said, you’re part of this family. And family takes care of each other.” He
slapped my thigh. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m exhausted.” He stood up. “I’m
heading to bed too.”

I stood up and
hugged him tight. “Thanks again,” I mumbled.

He rubbed my
back before pulling away, smiling. “Good night.”

I sat back
down by Clint with a sigh. I leaned against him. He put his arms around me and
held me tight. We didn’t speak for awhile. “Let’s go to bed,” he said, breaking
the silence.

“Good idea,” I
replied and stood up. He stood up behind me and picked me up into his arms. “What
the?” I asked.

“Shhh,” he
said quietly. “Just let me.”

I was quiet
and rested my head on his chest while he carried me back to his bedroom. He set
me gently on the bed and helped me get undressed.

“Let me get
you a t-shirt,” he said as he started to turn towards his dresser.

I grabbed his
arm. “No.” He turned to look at me, his eyes dark. “Clint, I need you. I need
you to make love to me.”

He looked down
at my naked body and bit his lip. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “I
need to be close to you.” I reached for his belt buckle while he stripped off
his t-shirt. He got undressed and joined me on the bed.

He lay down
next to me but partially on top of me. He touched my face with his hand. “I
love you, Rachel.”

“I love you,
Clint,” I whispered before pulling him down to me for a kiss.

We spent most
of the night making love. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced in my life. He
was so tender and loving and when he was inside me, it was like he touched my
soul.

As the sun was
coming up, we lay wrapped up in each other, the sheets a tangled mess around
us. “Marry me, Rachel.”

My heart
started pounding in my chest. Had I heard him right?

“Marry me,” he
said again, turning his head to kiss my temple.

I leaned up on
an elbow and looked down at him. For a second I thought about saying no. For a
second I thought, no, it’s too soon. For a second I thought he was still on an
adrenaline high from all that had happened. Then, I saw the look in his eyes
and I knew. I knew he was serious and I knew I had no choice but to say yes.

I nodded, so
overcome with emotion I didn’t trust my voice.

“Yes?” he
asked, his eyes widening.

“Yes,” I
managed to croak out. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Clint!”

He flipped me
onto my back and kissed me. Funny how what you can think is the worst day of
your life turns out to be one of the best.

Rachel and I
stayed in bed most of the morning. After the events of the day before, we all
needed a day off. I finally rolled out of bed and showered. A rancher’s work
was never done, but I planned on doing the bare minimum. I had more important
things to do.

She was still
sleeping when I was dressed, so I kissed her forehead and told her I’d be back
soon. She just mumbled and nodded.

When I came
out into the kitchen, Ma was cleaning up from lunch and Eliza was reading a
magazine at the counter. “There’s a plate for you in the fridge,” she nodded
her head towards the refrigerator behind her.

I walked up
behind her and kissed her cheek. “Thanks.” I took the plate out and heated it
in the microwave before sitting down at the counter.

“How’s
Rachel?” Ma asked.

I shrugged. “She
seems ok. This whole thing probably hasn’t sunk in yet.” I took a few more
bites before setting my fork down. “I asked her to marry me last night.”

Eliza dropped
her magazine on the counter with a thud. “Shut up!”

Ma’s eyes
widened. “And?”

I grinned at
her. “She said yes!” Maybe I should have waited for Rachel to tell them the big
news, but I was too excited. Besides, I wanted them to know why I was heading
into town; I had to get my fiancé a ring. I also needed Eliza to come with me. I
sort of had an idea of what I wanted to get her, but I needed her advice.

Eliza squealed
and clapped her hands. “Yay! A wedding!”

“Oh sweetie,
I’m so happy for you guys.” Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Thanks, you
guys. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that yesterday when emotions were so high,
but it felt right. I’d been thinking about it for a while and I realized
yesterday life is short, so why wait? I was going to make it a big deal - you
know, dinner, romance, the whole nine yards, but as we lay in bed, I knew it
was time. Of course, then I didn’t have the ring, so I’m going to head into
town and buy one.” I pointed to Eliza. “Will you please come with me?”

She hopped off
the stool. “Say no more. Just let me get my purse.” She bounded off to her
room.

Ma nodded. “I’ll
be right here when she wakes up. Take your time.”

I took a drink
of the milk Ma had given me and stood up. “Yeah, I don’t want to be gone too
long. I think she’ll be ok, but just in case.”

“Don’t worry.”
She smiled at me.

“Thanks Ma,” I
grabbed my keys and gave her a kiss before heading out the door. “Tell Eliza
I’m waiting outside.”

I walked out
to my truck whistling. I couldn’t wait to surprise Rachel with a ring. After
all she’d been through, I was going to make sure she had nothing but happiness
for the rest of her life.

***

Eliza and I
went to the local jewelry store to find Rachel a ring. Eliza talked the whole
way there; I don’t think she stopped to take a breath. She went on and on about
the wedding and where we would have it and when we should have it. I hadn’t
even thought about any of that; I just wanted to make her my wife.

“I think a
small wedding on the ranch would be nice,” she said with a grin. Eliza always
did love a good party.

“Eliza, chill
out,” I laughed. “I only asked her a little bit ago. I don’t even have a ring;
much less any plans.”

She pouted and
crossed her arms. “It’s exciting. I can’t help it.”

I reached over
and lightly punched her shoulder. “I know you are. And you’re right, a small
wedding on the ranch would be perfect. I bet Rachel would love that idea.”

She beamed and
nodded, proud of her idea. “I’ll help her plan it all. It will be romantic and
amazing.” She looked down at her hands in her lap before looking back up at me.
“Seriously, I’m happy for you guys. I know you love her and she loves you. She’s
been like a sister to me and it will be awesome to officially make her part of
the family.”

My eyes filled
with tears; seriously, I’d shed more tears in the past few days than I had
since Dad died. “Thanks for that, little sister. It means a lot to me. She
thinks of you like a sister too.”

Eliza leaned
forward in her seat and smiled. “Are you crying big brother?”

I shook my
head and tried to hide my emotion from her. I kept my eyes on the road. “No,
never.”

She laughed
and clapped her hands together. “Yes you are! I thought after Hope left you
were going to end up the consummate bachelor. I know she hurt you and I was
afraid you’d never find someone to give your heart to. It’s nice to see you so
in love again and happy.”

I saw the
jewelry store in the distance, relieved we were almost there. I wasn’t used to
talking about my feelings at all and this was getting to be a bit much. “Ok,
that’s enough serious talk. I’ve had enough seriousness to last me a long
time.” I drove into the parking lot and parked my truck. “Let’s go pick out my
woman a ring so I can get home to her.”

***

Picking out
rings with Eliza ended up being more work than if I went alone. She wanted to
see every single ring the jeweler had even though I picked out the perfect ring
after being there only ten minutes.

“Let’s go,
Eliza,” I said tersely to her, the princess cut one carat diamond I’d already
picked out for Rachel paid for and in my pocket.

She sighed and
took the ring off, giving it reluctantly back to the sales girl. “Fine,” she
said. “I don’t know why you got her something so plain.”

“She’s not
like you, little sis. She has simpler tastes,” I laughed. “I pity the man that
marries you.”

She rolled her
eyes and punched my arm. “At this rate I’m never getting married. There are no
good men in this town.”

I shrugged. “You
seem to spend a lot of time with Jackson lately.”

She wrinkled
up her face. “Ick. We’re just friends. I’ve known him since we were little. He’s
fun to hang out with is all.”

“Right,” I
nod, not convinced. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, Eliza.”

She waved her
hand at me before she opened the door to the truck. “Whatever,” she said, her
face red. I was teasing her, but maybe there was something more to the two of
them only being friends. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to see the look on Rachel’s
face when she sees that ring. I admit, it’s not what I would pick out for me,
but you’re right; for her, it’s perfect.”

I started the
truck with a grin. “Alright, here we go!” I couldn’t wait to give her the ring
either. I hoped she liked it.