Page 52 of Disarming The Rancher

“Go away,” she said, still steady.

He expected and deserved that.

“Or, how about I come in and apologize? Either that or I can stand here in the hallway and shout it out,” he said.

The door fired open, but she blocked the entrance with her frame.

“Say you’re sorry and get it over with,” she demanded, all steadiness gone now. There was nothing but fire in those emerald eyes, fire and betrayal.

“I am. Sorry, that is. And I realize how much of a jerk I was earlier. I don’t want to drive a wedge in our friendship over my family situation.” Situation wasn’t nearly strong enough a word for what he was going through but he wasn’t one for dramatics.

“You were a jerk, Brax.” She shot him a hurtful look that nearly brought him to his knees. “But, right now, I have bigger problems than losing a friend.”

The word, friend, didn’t seem quite right to describe his feelings toward her. But this didn’t seem like the time to hunt for a better noun.

“I’d like to help,” he said. “And I hate what happened to your grandmother’s place. I know how much that home and the belongings inside mean to you.”

He wasn’t trying to manipulate his way into her room by saying the right words. This was truth as he saw it, plain and simple. But those seemed to resonate.

She spun around until her back was flat against the door, and then she sank down until she sat on her bottom. Her gaze unfocused like she was searching inside herself for a memory.

“I miss her so much,” she said, looking like she was struggling to keep it together. Seeing the fiery redhead at her breaking point was a face punch.

“I know,” he reassured.

“The thought of losing what little I have left of her is kicking my behind, Brax.” She didn’t look over at him.

There was nothing he could say to make her feel better on that front. All he could do was be there for her. He’d had his world turned upside-down too.

At least he had his brothers. She needed a friend.

He sat down beside her.

“I know,” he repeated.

“It’s not a fan. I don’t care what Hardy believes,” she said.

He noticed her suitcase out on the bed, looking like she was packing up.

“I was told Sheriff Lawler was bringing in a bomb sniffer. He doesn’t believe it’s a fan either if that makes you feel any better.” Brax overhead a couple of bandmates talking on his way in to find Raleigh.

“Did you know my business manager is being hauled in for questioning? They caught him at the border, as in heading to Mexico.” She folded her arms and stared at the ceiling. “How do we pick up the pieces now?”

“When I was little and the world felt like it was crumbling, my mother used to remind me that there’s a season for everything. I live it every day here at the cattle ranch, and yet I still forget,” he said, remembering how wonderful a mother he’d had in Lucia Firebrand. She’d always put her children’s needs first and he was no exception. “She’d tell me winter means spring is near.”

“I remember her telling me the same thing when I came home for Nana’s funeral.” She leaned forward, hugging her knees into her chest. “It actually helped a lot.”

“There were plenty of times her saying has come to mind over the years,” he admitted, thinking about the countless times his mother had comforted him or intervened on his behalf with his father—a father Brax wanted to strangle at present, which was exactly the reason to avoid to man. Not that Brax needed a reason. The two rarely saw each other while working the ranch, save for calving season. Even so, there were plenty of hands around for Brodie Firebrand to make scarce. In the past week, Brax could count the number of times his father had grunted a hello at him…one. He’d be offended but his father treated everyone the same. Brax wasn’t sure why his mother put up with the man all these years but she had to have her reasons. But this wasn’t why he was sitting here next to Raleigh.

“Since the whole bombing incident, life has been surreal. You know?” She glanced over at him and his heart ached for her.

“I can only imagine what that must feel like,” he said, wishing there was something more he could do. He’d never felt so helpless in his life and it wasn’t a feeling he cared to repeat anytime soon.

“It’s just starting to sink in that someone is seriously trying to hurt me and the guys,” she said. “I know I didn’t do anything personally to make someone angry enough to blow us up.”

“What about Wade? We already know he was cooking the books,” he said. “It’s possible he believes he was about to get caught.”

“And that meant he wanted to erase me and the band so he could…what…keep all the money for himself?” She shook her head. “You think you know someone and then something like this happens.”