Second Burn Cowboy (Second Chance Series Book 6) (21 page)

Swallowing his anger, Deckland took the chair closest to the corner of the desk.

“Now, explain why you’ve thought it necessary to come into my place of business.” Tom leaned on his elbows, pressing his palms together and forming his fingers into the shape of a steeple. He watched Deckland over the manicured tips, his dark eyes seemed to ooze oversized ego.

“Some nerve you have to ask that question when you came to my home and threatened Elsa, and me.” Dec
kland felt a serious flaw in his patience today. He didn’t want to waste time talking to the son-of-a-bitch, but restraint kept him steady and he knew what he needed to do—for Elsa. Sitting back into the cushioned seat that barely fit his large frame, Deckland nailed the other man with a scowl.

Tom
laid his palms flat on the desk. “Is that what she told you?”

“Yes, and I
believe every word she said.” Deckland’s voice was low and husky. The man in front of him was tall, but Deckland was taller and brawnier. He wondered if he should ask the jerk if he’d like to put his hands on someone closer to his size.

“I
did come to your residence. I simply wanted to ask that she come back home.” He shrugged and cleared his throat. “Shouldn’t a man who loves his wife have the right to try?”

Deck
land wanted to smack the confidence right off the pretty boy’s face. But, violence never solved anything. “You and Elsa are divorced. She had asked you to leave her alone. And you haven’t respected her request, which makes you a stalker.”

The man’s eyes
hardened. “So, she decided to send you here to what? Scare me?” He laughed and it burrowed under Deckland’s skin.

He smirked
, wondering what Elsa could ever see in the man who sat across from him, so full of himself that he stunk. “She doesn’t know I’m here. But, you need to listen—and listen closely—to what I’m going to tell you because this is the one and only warning I’ll give. If you step foot back in Texas, I assure you that I’ll know and we cowboys will show you how we handle a pussy who beats a woman. Are we clear?”

“Are you threatening me?” He pushed his chair back and stood up
, his chin taut.

Deckland stood too, facing the coward. “Do I look like the kind of guy who
’d threaten someone? I’m only telling you the facts. You should thank me for taking the time out of my busy schedule to fly here to give you a warning, because if I didn’t care for Elsa I’d have let you make the biggest mistake of your life by threatening her again. I get that you think you own the law with a couple of prissy lawyers on your side, but I’m here to burst your gargantuan fantasy bubble. Your reach doesn’t quite extend into my country.”

The other man shook
with anger. “You can’t tell me that I can’t step foot in Texas. How dare you!” He seethed through every pore, making his evil nature come alive.

Deckland smiled. “I smell your fear.
I would be too if I was being investigated by the government for tax fraud.” Seeing the man’s eyes widen, Deckland sighed. “Was that supposed to be a secret? Just do yourself a favor and leave Elsa alone.” He turned on boot heel and started for the door. His hand was on the knob when Tom stopped him.

“You thin
k she’s a prize? I picked her out of a trash barrel, washed her off, and made her something—made her who she is today. Do you think she belongs on a ranch in hillbilly country? She should be groveling at my feet.”

Deckland had e
nough. He turned and his anger coiled to the surface like a wound spring. “You fucking bastard! You did nothing for her except cheat her, beat her and make her fear her life. You call yourself a man? You’re a piece of shit that deserves to be carted off to prison where you’ll decay for all of your transgressions. We both know that you were lucky to have a woman like Elsa. Hell, I’m lucky to have her. And now, without her, you have nothing. You’re rotting in your own piss.”

Before he did something he’d regret, he jerked open the door and stormed out.

****

E
lsa had been back on Brooke Creek Ranch for two weeks and she’d never been happier. Instead of moving back into the guest bedroom, Deckland had invited her into his bedroom and that was where she’d spent every night.

He was a giving lover, and a sweet m
an. She’d never known anyone so kind, and she had fallen madly in love with him. Her tongue craved to spill her emotions like a waterfall, but a sliver of uncertainty remained. Did he feel the same?

T
hey were in his truck, and they pulled up in front of a business district where a storefront was for rent. It was once a restaurant but had gone bankrupt, so it had all of the basics she’d need to start her business back up.

She’d asked Deckland to accompany her because she trusted
his instincts.

With the
loaner key from the realtor, Elsa opened the door and stepped into the space scattered with dreadful tables, broken chairs and a hideous yellow color on the walls.

“Well, if their tast
e in decor is any indication how their food tasted, no wonder they folded,” Deckland said form the doorway.

Elsa laughed. “That’s not very nice, although these tables have a lot to be desired.
Formica is never a good choice.” She wrinkled her nose. “But this area is spacious and it has lots of prospects. Don’t you think?” She twirled in a circle then came to stop in front of Deckland.

“Yes, I think it has
prospects,” he answered with a grin.

“And then I’ll be out of your hair,” she winked.

“What makes you think I want that?”

She shrugged. “We knew this day would come. I have the
money to reopen my store. I can’t stay in your kitchen and work long-term. I need counter space, professional appliances—”

“I understand that.” His gaze clouded
and he shifted his boots.

“What is it, Deckland? I know you have something
that you’re holding back.”

He
crossed the floor and took her hands into his, holding her gaze. “Somewhere along the way I’ve fallen madly in love with you. And, although I’m happy for you for the opportunity to open another bakery and I think this would be a great place for your shop, I don’t want for you to move ahead without me.”

Her chest
tightened as her pulse quickened. She stared at him through the moisture. “And you must know that I love you. I’ve been hoping that you would feel the same.”

His eyes were also
suspiciously wet. “This wasn’t what I had in mind, but I can’t think of a better time to do this.” He dropped to one knee and pulled a small velvet box from his jacket pocket. Holding it out, he lifted the lid. “I’ve been waiting for the right time. Sweetheart, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, my lifelong partner, my best friend for life?”

Tears
wetted her cheeks and she swiped them away. “Oh. My. The ring is lovely.”

He took the ring from the
cushioned nest and the diamond twinkled in the overhead fluorescent light. “This was my mother’s. I’ve kept it all of these years waiting for the right finger to place it on. I believe in all my heart that I couldn’t find a better woman, a more special person, to wear it. So, if you say yes and make me the happiest man, I’ll place it on your hand and make a promise that I’ll always be faithful. I’ll never roam. These callused hands will only create tender touches and never hurt you. We’ll create a family based on love.”

“Yes, Deckland. A million times over…YES!”

He stood up and took her hand into his, sliding the ring on her fourth finger. “It’s a perfect fit.”

“Y
es, it is.” She held it up, admiring the six sparkling diamonds set in a silver band. “I’ve never seen a lovelier ring.” And she hadn’t.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ELSA ENTWINED HER
fingers with Deckland’s larger ones as they drove toward her childhood home. “Thank you for coming with me, Deck.”

He looked at her across the seat of the car. “I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else.”

“I need to see her. I need to speak to my mom and find resolution for the anger I still feel toward her.”

“That makes sense. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Elsa stared out the window at the familiar scenery. She remembered how she’d hated living in this neighborhood—in a lot of neighborhoods just like this one. How she’d wake up every day in the bad part of town, wishing she could be somewhere else—a place where she had someone who cared. She’d wanted love enough that she’d fallen for Tom’s lies and ended up in far worse shape than living with her mother, who at least wasn’t abusive in physical terms.

They turned into the park entrance
, and her stomach rolled. They’d settled here when she was twelve and she’d played with all of the neighbor boys and girls. They were her only companions since her mother was always gone.

Thankfully, a
neighbor lady felt sorry for Elsa and fed her on most days.

At thirteen,
she’d met a boy and they started seeing each other. He’d kissed her in front of the corner market after he’d bought her an ice cream cone. She smiled as she recollected his slicked back hair and braces. Several years later, he’d robbed a corner store.

It
seemed like forever ago since she’d walked the street looking for her mom, stopping in every bar, asking for her.

“Right here.” Elsa pointed to the fourth trailer on the right and they
parked in front of the dingy-looking place. Old tires littered the overgrown yard. A clothesline stood out front with a dirt-splattered slip and underwear hanging from pins.

Home sweet home had a new meaning for her.

Deckland turned off the engine and they got out. “You doing okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, but make sure you lock the car. This area is nothing like what you’re used to.”

The front metal steps were raggedy, and as Elsa stepped upon the first step, her foot slipped through onto the cement below. Deckland helped her remove her foot. Thankfully, she’d worn jeans and wouldn’t need a Tetanus shot, at least not this far into the visit.

Knocking on the door
, she didn’t get an answer.

“She does know you’re coming, right?”

Elsa nodded. “She said she’d be here.” Opening the door, she peered in and called out. “Mom? You here?”

Nothing.

Stepping into the dim lit room, Elsa glanced around the cluttered space. “Hello?” She inhaled and was accosted with a strong smell of animal urine. It made nausea rise in her throat. At least growing up, she’d kept their home clean, but from the mess she saw now, her mom didn’t believe in cleaning.

“Who is it?” the croaky voice made Elsa jump.

“Mom, it’s me, Elsa, and Deckland.” Narrowing her eyes, Elsa saw the silhouette sitting in the corner chair. “I’m going to open the curtains.”

“Do what you like,” her mother huffed.

Drawing the curtains, light rained in, but it could have been a bad decision. Elsa looked at her mother, frail and wrinkled, sitting small in the big chair. She’d aged far more than her fifty-some years. Her red-rimmed eyes spoke volumes regarding the life she’d lived.

“Mother, how are you?” Where most daughters would race in to hug a loved one they hadn’t seen in years, Elsa stayed back, guarded and uncertain.

“I’m breathing. I guess that’s all I can ask for,” her mother grumbled.

“This is Deckland. My fiance.” Pride burst through her that she could introduce him.

Deckland stepped closer and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“I’m Dorothy.” She stuck her gnarled hand in his. “You’re a looker.” One corner of her mouth lifted as if she couldn’t manage an entire smile. “Elsa, why’d you keep him away so long?”

Elsa threaded her fingers through her hair. “I guess it has been a long time since I’ve visited, but honestly, you and I didn’t have the greatest relationship there at the last.” She was far too mature to play with words.

Dorothy squinted, a frown marring her thin lips. “I did the best I could. You had a roof over your head, food in your belly and clothes on your back. Some would say that’s what matters.”

Elsa bit her tongue. She didn’t want to argue. “We can agree to disagree. But I wanted to break the cycle of silence and forgive and forget so that I can move forward.”

“
I hope you’re not marrying this one for money.” Dorothy clasped her hands in her lap.

“No,
Mother, I’m not.”

“Good. Do you smoke
, fellow?” Dorothy clamped her beady grey eyes on Deckland.

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s a shame.” She moaned. “I haven’t had a cig in six months.”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Elsa said.

With a shrug of a scrawny shoulder, she snorted. “I already have cancer. What more is there?”

Elsa narrowed her gaze. “When did you find out?”

“A few months ago.” There was no sign of concern or fear on her aged face.