pelted her, a thick, frigid swirl that sucked the air from her lungs.
Without a single backwards glance, she hurried straight for the dim outline of her back door. She sensed more than saw Wyatt trudge in the direction of the gate. As she reached the door, she heard the rattle of the gate opening, then her name.
Unable to help herself, she turned.
Wyatt stood at the gate, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his hat pulled low to protect his face.
He spoke, whatever he said swept away by the wind. Then, he slipped through the gate and out of her life.
Just like before.
Inside the house, Paige leaned against the closed door, her world shattered.
Had Wyatt really just told her he loved her?
* * *
A loud rapping penetrated Wyatt’s sleep-muddled brain. He sat up and hollered, “Yeah,” before studying the unfamiliar bedroom.
Not a hotel room. He wasn’t on the road.
“You awake yet?” Dinah called through the closed door.
Memories returned. He’d spent the night at Thunder Ranch, following Dinah through the blizzard after she rescued him from the side of the road where he’d been stranded. Lucky for him she’d been out on patrol.
“Just got up.” He sprang from the bed, grabbed his jeans and quickly donned them.
“Coffee’s on, if you’re interested.”
“Be right there.” He found his shirt from the previous day on the floor.
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee led him to the spacious kitchen. Ace and Dinah sat at the table, papers spread out between them. A half-empty box of donuts sat open.
“Help yourself,” Dinah offered. “We don’t stand on ceremony here.”
“Thanks.” Wyatt poured a mug of coffee, drank several long, hot swallows and filled his mug again. “For the coffee and the use of your guest room.”
“Rough night?” Ace asked, looking up from the papers.
“Guess I should have known better than to try and drive in the middle of the worst blizzard in twenty years.”
“Where were you heading in such a hurry?”
Dinah shot her brother a glance that told him in no uncertain terms to mind his own business.
“It’s okay.” Wyatt sat at the table next to her, then addressed Ace. “Back to Wyoming.”
“You just got here.”
“Things haven’t gone as well as I’d hoped they would.”
“Did you have a fight with Paige?”
“Ace,” Dinah warned.
“Just making conversation.”
“I did.” Wyatt went from gulping to sipping his coffee. “With my dad, too, and my brother.”
“Ah,” Ace said in a tone that implied he understood.
Only Wyatt didn’t think there was any way his friend did. Heck, Wyatt hardly understood the complicated Malone dynamics himself.
“I probably should have waited until today to leave.” He craned his neck and peered out the window. Clear skies and bright morning sun gave the freshly fallen snow an iridescent glow.
“The roads are still blocked,” Dinah informed him. “They probably won’t be cleared till later today or even tomorrow.”
“Must have been some fights for you to take on that blizzard,” Ace observed.
Groaning, Dinah let her face fall into her hands. “Sorry, Wyatt. Apparently there’s no controlling him.”
“What?” Ace looked around, the epitome of innocence.
Wyatt ignored them both. He wasn’t in the frame of mind—or heart—to talk about any of his recent arguments. The hurt on Paige’s face had haunted him all night. Would continue to haunt him.
For someone whose goal had been to mend broken bridges, he couldn’t have screwed up any worse if he tried.
“It’s a good thing Dinah found you when she did and towed you out of that snow bank.” Ace reached into the box for another donut.
Wyatt shook his head when Ace tilted the box at him. “Didn’t mean to interfere with your plans for last night.”
Dinah snatched a cinnamon cruller. “No worries.”
She and Wyatt had barely made it the mile-and-a-half to Thunder Ranch. It was her suggestion they go there after she’d
Without a single backwards glance, she hurried straight for the dim outline of her back door. She sensed more than saw Wyatt trudge in the direction of the gate. As she reached the door, she heard the rattle of the gate opening, then her name.
Unable to help herself, she turned.
Wyatt stood at the gate, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder, his hat pulled low to protect his face.
He spoke, whatever he said swept away by the wind. Then, he slipped through the gate and out of her life.
Just like before.
Inside the house, Paige leaned against the closed door, her world shattered.
Had Wyatt really just told her he loved her?
* * *
A loud rapping penetrated Wyatt’s sleep-muddled brain. He sat up and hollered, “Yeah,” before studying the unfamiliar bedroom.
Not a hotel room. He wasn’t on the road.
“You awake yet?” Dinah called through the closed door.
Memories returned. He’d spent the night at Thunder Ranch, following Dinah through the blizzard after she rescued him from the side of the road where he’d been stranded. Lucky for him she’d been out on patrol.
“Just got up.” He sprang from the bed, grabbed his jeans and quickly donned them.
“Coffee’s on, if you’re interested.”
“Be right there.” He found his shirt from the previous day on the floor.
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee led him to the spacious kitchen. Ace and Dinah sat at the table, papers spread out between them. A half-empty box of donuts sat open.
“Help yourself,” Dinah offered. “We don’t stand on ceremony here.”
“Thanks.” Wyatt poured a mug of coffee, drank several long, hot swallows and filled his mug again. “For the coffee and the use of your guest room.”
“Rough night?” Ace asked, looking up from the papers.
“Guess I should have known better than to try and drive in the middle of the worst blizzard in twenty years.”
“Where were you heading in such a hurry?”
Dinah shot her brother a glance that told him in no uncertain terms to mind his own business.
“It’s okay.” Wyatt sat at the table next to her, then addressed Ace. “Back to Wyoming.”
“You just got here.”
“Things haven’t gone as well as I’d hoped they would.”
“Did you have a fight with Paige?”
“Ace,” Dinah warned.
“Just making conversation.”
“I did.” Wyatt went from gulping to sipping his coffee. “With my dad, too, and my brother.”
“Ah,” Ace said in a tone that implied he understood.
Only Wyatt didn’t think there was any way his friend did. Heck, Wyatt hardly understood the complicated Malone dynamics himself.
“I probably should have waited until today to leave.” He craned his neck and peered out the window. Clear skies and bright morning sun gave the freshly fallen snow an iridescent glow.
“The roads are still blocked,” Dinah informed him. “They probably won’t be cleared till later today or even tomorrow.”
“Must have been some fights for you to take on that blizzard,” Ace observed.
Groaning, Dinah let her face fall into her hands. “Sorry, Wyatt. Apparently there’s no controlling him.”
“What?” Ace looked around, the epitome of innocence.
Wyatt ignored them both. He wasn’t in the frame of mind—or heart—to talk about any of his recent arguments. The hurt on Paige’s face had haunted him all night. Would continue to haunt him.
For someone whose goal had been to mend broken bridges, he couldn’t have screwed up any worse if he tried.
“It’s a good thing Dinah found you when she did and towed you out of that snow bank.” Ace reached into the box for another donut.
Wyatt shook his head when Ace tilted the box at him. “Didn’t mean to interfere with your plans for last night.”
Dinah snatched a cinnamon cruller. “No worries.”
She and Wyatt had barely made it the mile-and-a-half to Thunder Ranch. It was her suggestion they go there after she’d
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