for what looked like abuse. These happened before I
met her."
"So, whatever man, or woman, she was with had her under
their control. Made her do these things for money."
"I'm pretty sure it was a man." The thought of
Layna cheating on him was almost as agonizing as thinking of her being abused
all those years. "Two of the neighbors in the building had seen her with a
man. They testified for me."
"You got your life back." She tried a smile.
He shook his head. "My physical life, but not my
quality of life."
"What do you mean?"
"She stole from me." His faith in people, his
ability to trust, and possibly even his ability to love again. Love and trust
were too closely bound.
"What did she take?"
Dallas wasn't going to go anywhere near his emotional issues
while Kira was in his arms. "While I was in jail, she went through the
apartment and took all my championship belt buckles."
"Oh no."
"It was really all I had of value. I didn't realize
they were gone until a week later. By then, she'd pawned them all over Reno. It
took me a month to find all of them. Well, all except one." He could still
see the shiny face of that buckle. "My favorite. Grand champion."
"I know how impressive that is, now that Gigi's hanging
out with a rodeo man. Can't you get it replaced?"
He shook his head. "Nope. They made only one. I won it
a year to the date after my parents died, and I dedicated it to them that
night."
"Dallas, that's so sad." Her eyes glittered again.
"Don't worry. It's just a buckle."
"It's more than that." She rubbed his cheek.
"It's your life as you knew it."
"That's shot to shit, Kira. Ain't never gonna be the
same again. I gotta learn to live with what I have left."
She tipped her head. "It'll take a while to heal. Have
you thought about pro—"
"Professional help?" He swung his leg high over
her head and got off the bed. "Now you're sounding like Gigi." He
padded into the bathroom.
"I guess we're done talking?" she called from the
bedroom.
"Look at the clock." He turned on the shower,
waiting for it to get hot.
Squealing, Kira ran in, tucked her hair up in the
hotel-provided shower cap, and jumped into the icy stream of water. "Five
minutes, cowboy. And if you're not ready, I'm leaving without you!"
He laughed and jumped in with her, damn near freezing his
nuts off.
Chapter Six
At eight fifteen, Dallas held open the casino's front door
and let Kira walk ahead of him out onto the sidewalk. The dry desert heat hit
him. He inhaled, enjoying real air after all the canned air conditioning inside
the building.
They were the last to arrive. Boone and Gigi stood off to
the side, held tightly in each other's arms, talking.
Jayden stood talking to a couple of rodeo buddies, Rance and
Mitch. Three of Boone's friends, Ace, Toby, and Bryan hung out by the black
stretch Hummer, looking ready to get going. Ace worked on Boone's parents’
farm, and Toby and Bryan owned small ranches adjacent to Boone's land.
Stormie slid out of the back door of the white Hummer.
"She's here! Let's go!"
Everyone turned to look at Kira and Dallas.
At their stares, he almost dropped his hand from her back,
but he stood firm. He knew he'd get shit from Jayden and Boone, maybe even from
Gigi and Stormie, but he wanted to show them that Kira was his woman. For right
now, anyway.
He whispered in her ear, "See you soon, sexy."
She turned her face toward him and he stole a kiss.
"Oh man." Jayden crossed his arms over his chest.
"Stop with the mushy stuff and let's get partying."
Dallas tugged Kira tighter. "It's Valentine's Day
tomorrow. Mushy is good."
Kira laughed and slid out of his grasp. "See you soon,
big guy."
The women climbed into their Hummer and headed north. The
men piled in theirs and headed south. They ate steak dinners in a reserved
party room at one of the casinos on the strip, then headed to two other casinos
for drinks in the bars.
At one bar, Boone sent Dallas the picture of all six of them
at the Roundup Bar
met her."
"So, whatever man, or woman, she was with had her under
their control. Made her do these things for money."
"I'm pretty sure it was a man." The thought of
Layna cheating on him was almost as agonizing as thinking of her being abused
all those years. "Two of the neighbors in the building had seen her with a
man. They testified for me."
"You got your life back." She tried a smile.
He shook his head. "My physical life, but not my
quality of life."
"What do you mean?"
"She stole from me." His faith in people, his
ability to trust, and possibly even his ability to love again. Love and trust
were too closely bound.
"What did she take?"
Dallas wasn't going to go anywhere near his emotional issues
while Kira was in his arms. "While I was in jail, she went through the
apartment and took all my championship belt buckles."
"Oh no."
"It was really all I had of value. I didn't realize
they were gone until a week later. By then, she'd pawned them all over Reno. It
took me a month to find all of them. Well, all except one." He could still
see the shiny face of that buckle. "My favorite. Grand champion."
"I know how impressive that is, now that Gigi's hanging
out with a rodeo man. Can't you get it replaced?"
He shook his head. "Nope. They made only one. I won it
a year to the date after my parents died, and I dedicated it to them that
night."
"Dallas, that's so sad." Her eyes glittered again.
"Don't worry. It's just a buckle."
"It's more than that." She rubbed his cheek.
"It's your life as you knew it."
"That's shot to shit, Kira. Ain't never gonna be the
same again. I gotta learn to live with what I have left."
She tipped her head. "It'll take a while to heal. Have
you thought about pro—"
"Professional help?" He swung his leg high over
her head and got off the bed. "Now you're sounding like Gigi." He
padded into the bathroom.
"I guess we're done talking?" she called from the
bedroom.
"Look at the clock." He turned on the shower,
waiting for it to get hot.
Squealing, Kira ran in, tucked her hair up in the
hotel-provided shower cap, and jumped into the icy stream of water. "Five
minutes, cowboy. And if you're not ready, I'm leaving without you!"
He laughed and jumped in with her, damn near freezing his
nuts off.
Chapter Six
At eight fifteen, Dallas held open the casino's front door
and let Kira walk ahead of him out onto the sidewalk. The dry desert heat hit
him. He inhaled, enjoying real air after all the canned air conditioning inside
the building.
They were the last to arrive. Boone and Gigi stood off to
the side, held tightly in each other's arms, talking.
Jayden stood talking to a couple of rodeo buddies, Rance and
Mitch. Three of Boone's friends, Ace, Toby, and Bryan hung out by the black
stretch Hummer, looking ready to get going. Ace worked on Boone's parents’
farm, and Toby and Bryan owned small ranches adjacent to Boone's land.
Stormie slid out of the back door of the white Hummer.
"She's here! Let's go!"
Everyone turned to look at Kira and Dallas.
At their stares, he almost dropped his hand from her back,
but he stood firm. He knew he'd get shit from Jayden and Boone, maybe even from
Gigi and Stormie, but he wanted to show them that Kira was his woman. For right
now, anyway.
He whispered in her ear, "See you soon, sexy."
She turned her face toward him and he stole a kiss.
"Oh man." Jayden crossed his arms over his chest.
"Stop with the mushy stuff and let's get partying."
Dallas tugged Kira tighter. "It's Valentine's Day
tomorrow. Mushy is good."
Kira laughed and slid out of his grasp. "See you soon,
big guy."
The women climbed into their Hummer and headed north. The
men piled in theirs and headed south. They ate steak dinners in a reserved
party room at one of the casinos on the strip, then headed to two other casinos
for drinks in the bars.
At one bar, Boone sent Dallas the picture of all six of them
at the Roundup Bar
Similar Books
