Читать книгу The Rebel Returns: The Return of the Rebel / Her Irresistible Protector / Why Resist a Rebel? - Leah Ashton - Страница 15

CHAPTER NINE

JAX KNOCKED ON the apartment door.

When there was no sound, he thought of trying the doorknob. But considering he might have mixed up Cleo’s unit number, he wasn’t going to risk it.

He rapped his knuckles again. Louder this time.

An adjacent door swung open and a young woman with straight brown hair, no makeup and stains on her blue shirt stuck her head out. She eyed him up suspiciously.

Maybe she’d know Cleo’s whereabouts. He stepped toward her when she held up a cell phone. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll call the police.”

“Hey, I don’t want any trouble. I’m just here to see Cleo. This is her apartment, isn’t it?”

“Don’t play innocent with me. Cleo told me you’d be showing up and causing trouble. She’s not interested in you. Time to move on, buddy.”

Cleo told her neighbor about him? And what exactly had she been saying? It sure sounded bad.

Turning away from her kiss had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done. And if given another chance, he didn’t know if he was strong enough to resist her.

Just then the door to Cleo’s apartment opened. “Jax, how’d you get here?”

For the first time since he found her missing, he breathed easy. His initial instinct was to pull her into his arms, but one glimpse of the wounded look in her eyes had him frozen in place. It was for the best, even if it didn’t feel like it at the moment.

Giving in to his desires was what kept getting them into trouble. First they kissed and she took off only to run into ape man. And then there was last night’s kiss, where she got upset and left without a word. This time he wasn’t giving her another reason to walk away.

“Do you want me to get the police?” The young woman looked far too eager to place the call.

Jax rolled his eyes. “Please tell her that I’m not here to hurt you.”

Cleo smiled as though she was enjoying this. He didn’t find it the least bit amusing. He hadn’t thought about anything besides her safety on the ride here. A tension headache spanned his forehead. He didn’t know what he’d have done if she hadn’t been here.

“It’s okay, Robyn.” Cleo smiled at her neighbor. “Jax is an old friend of mine. He’s been looking after me since my accident.”

The woman’s whole demeanor changed and a smile pulled at her lips. “No wonder you didn’t come home last night. I wouldn’t have, either.”

Cleo sighed. “Robyn, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Then you must be blind, girl. Otherwise how could you pass him up?” Robyn flashed Jax a bright smile before backing into her apartment and closing the door.

Color flooded Cleo’s cheeks, giving them a rosy glow. “I’m sorry about her. Robyn means well but is a bit misguided at times.”

He nodded, understanding why Cleo wasn’t eager to hook up with him the way her neighbor thought she should be. And that reason was named Charlie. Jax’s jaw tightened. He at least wanted to get a look at this guy.

Cleo adjusted her crutches. “How did you get here?”

“I didn’t have much choice. I took a taxi.”

“Oh. Sorry. I was only borrowing the SUV. I would have brought it back.”

From the looks of her in a rumpled T-shirt and mussed-up hair, he’d just awoken her from a nap. “I take it you weren’t in any hurry to come back.” He pressed his hands to his waist and frowned at Cleo. “Mind telling me what’s so urgent that you had to go and run off without saying anything to me?”

“Charlie needed me. And...and you were sleeping. I didn’t want to bother you since I figured you’d try to stop me.”

“You’re right. I would have.” Jax’s body tensed. “This Charlie, is he that important to you?”

She nodded. Just then there was a meow and Jax looked down to find a tabby cat rubbing against Cleo’s ankles before stepping outside.

“Charlie, come back.”

That was Charlie? Her cat? The knot in his gut eased. Then in spite of himself, he laughed. He’d been jealous over a cat.

“Don’t just stand there laughing,” she said. “Grab him.”

Charlie appeared to be enjoying himself, exploring the great outdoors. When Jax set off in pursuit, the cat picked up speed.

“Here kitty, kitty.”

“His name is Charlie.”

Of course it was. He felt like such an idiot for getting bent out of shape over a cat. Not that he had any right to be jealous of anyone. On second thought, it would have been better if Charlie had turned out to be her boyfriend. He could put her safety in another man’s hands and walk away. At least he wanted to believe he could have turned his back and forgotten her.

The cat stopped to investigate a potted plant and Jax made his move, wrapping his hands around the cat’s rib cage.

“Be careful,” Cleo called out. “Support his back feet.”

Jax adjusted his hold and the cat seemed to relax. That was good because he didn’t know one thing about felines. His family didn’t have cats or dogs. Not even goldfish. His father thought that they were a waste of money. That was what he’d loved about the Sinclair’s ranch. They had lots of animals, from cats to steers. He’d always dreamed of living on a spread like theirs. So when the senior Sinclair took him under his wing and showed him how to work on a ranch, he was thrilled. He’d done something he enjoyed while making some pocket money.

“What are you smiling about?” Cleo eyed him. “Did Charlie find your ticklish spot?”

“Not hardly.” He wasn’t ticklish.

Cleo sighed. “Well, bring him inside and be gentle. He just had surgery.”

Jax stared down at the furball. It didn’t look as if anything was wrong with him. But Jax would take Cleo’s word for it and as carefully as possible placed the cat on the couch.

“Enough about the cat. What I want to know is why you took off. Don’t you realize that the thug who hurt you is still out there?”

“I was careful.”

“I talked to the police on my way here.” He waited to see if the reminder of their situation would gain her attention.

She didn’t raise her head to look at him. Instead she fussed over the cat. “What did they say? Has he been arrested?”

“No. And he was spotted in this area last night, but he eluded the police in the darkness.”

She glanced up. The light in her eyes dimmed. “Oh. I didn’t think—”

“Exactly. Now let’s get you out of here.”

He strode over and reached for the door.

“Wait. I’m not ready. I want to grab a few things. And you’ll need to load the litter box in the car while I put Charlie in his carrier.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not hauling some howling cat around in the car.”

Cleo frowned at him. “Charlie doesn’t howl. He’s not a dog.”

“Howl. Meow. It’s all the same.” He wasn’t a cat person.

“And don’t forget to scoop the litter before loading it.”

“No way. I’m not hauling around a litter box and a cat.”

* * *

A few minutes later, Cleo settled on the passenger seat of the SUV. “Did you remember to grab extra kitty litter?”

“Yes.” Jax’s grumpy tone made her smile. “I don’t know how something so small can require so much stuff.”

He’d grow to like Charlie. She was sure of it because beneath all of that gruff, Jax had a big heart, even if he refused to acknowledge it.

“It’s okay, Charlie. He’s not normally this grouchy. He just woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

“I did not,” Jax grumbled from the hatch as he stowed away her crutches.

In no time at all, they were on the road. She noticed how Jax kept checking the mirrors. She supposed she hadn’t made the wisest choice this morning. Her gaze moved back to Charlie—but he needed her.

She glanced at Jax as he focused on traffic. “How long are you planning to keep us hidden away?”

Jax’s fingers tightened on the wheel. “As long as it takes to make sure you’re safe.”

“I’m not your responsibility. I moved to Las Vegas to get away from my family and their overbearing expectations and overprotectiveness. Now you’re trying to do the same thing.”

“Well, if you don’t like staying with me, I can get you an airline ticket. I’m sure your mother would enjoy the visit—”

“No!”

Jax glanced her way. She pressed her lips together, feeling stupid for reacting so strongly. If she wasn’t careful Jax would start asking questions—questions she didn’t want to answer. Once he knew what she’d done—the irreparable damage she was responsible for—it’d only confirm his decision that she was not worthy of his attention. She couldn’t bear to have him look at her the way her mother had done.

“I can’t go back there. Hope Springs is in my past.”

“And does that include your family?”

She shrugged. A mix of feelings churned in her stomach, making her nauseous.

“What’s going on, Cleo? Your family used to mean everything to you. Now you’ll do anything to send them money, but you balk at the mention of visiting them.”

His voice was soft and soothing, inviting her confidence. Still, she worried about what he’d think of her once he knew.

“Cleo, I’m concerned about you. Something serious is going on. And if you won’t give me the answers then I’ll have to go to Kurt for the truth—”

“No!” Her fingers twisted together. “Don’t do that. I—I’ll tell you.”

He had her between a rock and a hard place and she hated it. Dredging up these painful memories would be torture. And for the first time to speak them out loud would just make what happened so fresh in her mind.

While living in Las Vegas, she’d been able to pretend that things were okay. To colleagues, she’d act as though she had a loving family missing her back in Wyoming. She was able to bluff her way through most days, but not today.

Maybe it would do her some good. Getting it off her chest might help. For so long now she’d been choking down the anger and hurt. She drew in a deep breath to steady her nerves.

“Things haven’t been the same since my father died.”

Jax cleared his throat. “Your brother mentioned that there’d been some drama at your father’s funeral, but he didn’t go into details and I didn’t push. I figured he’d tell me if he wanted me to know.”

“It was all about me.” The weight of guilt settled on her chest. “The funeral was...was my fault...”

“What?” Jax pulled off the side of the deserted roadway and put the vehicle in Park. “Cleo, you aren’t making any sense.”

His face started to blur behind a wall of unshed tears. She blinked repeatedly. “It’s my fault that my father died.”

“How? Weren’t you living here in Las Vegas at the time?”

“I’d just moved here.” She inhaled a steadying breath. “I was on the phone with him and we were arguing. I didn’t know at the time that he was in the pickup, transporting a mare he’d bought in hopes of luring me home. I might not like working around the ranch, but I still have a big soft spot for horses and he knew it.”

Jax didn’t say anything. He just reached out and squeezed her hand, allowing her to proceed at her own pace. This was something she’d never shared with anyone...ever.

Somehow it seemed fitting that she turned to Jax. He wasn’t as close to the situation as her family and yet he wasn’t so distant, either.

Cleo inhaled a steadying breath. “He kept telling me to come home. He was always going on about how much my mother missed me, but I didn’t want to hear it. I was so stubborn. So determined that everything had to be my way. I was finally away from that suppressive atmosphere and making decisions for myself. I didn’t want to go back and marry one of the locals. It might be the right life for some people...but not me.”

The backs of her eyes smarted as a tear spilled onto her cheek. She dashed it away. This wasn’t the time to fall apart. She needed to get through this. After all, Jax deserved to know what sort of woman he was putting his neck on the line to protect.

“No one can blame you—”

“But they do. And they should. If only I hadn’t fought with him...he wouldn’t have died.”

“You don’t know that.” He placed a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. “And you can’t live your life according to someone else’s wishes. At some point you have to stand your ground.”

She shook her head. “Sometimes the price is just too steep.”

He gave her hand a squeeze. She drew strength from his touch.

“I—I told him—” her throat grew thick as she pushed through “—that there wasn’t anything that he could say or do to get me to come home.”

Another tear splashed onto her cheek. She sniffled and ran the back of her hand over her cheeks. Why had she been so stubborn? So determined that she was right?

She pulled her hand from Jax’s, no longer feeling worthy of his understanding. And he’d have no choice but to agree once she told him the price of her independence.

Her voice cracked with emotion. “Those were the last words I spoke to him.”

She stared straight ahead at the desert, not wanting to see the look of disgust in Jax’s eyes. She wouldn’t be able to finish if she looked at him.

“The line... It went dead. I thought he’d hung up on me. I thought... Oh, it doesn’t matter.” She sniffled, trying to maintain a bit of composure. “I found out later...that he’d blown through a stop sign. He...he was broadsided.”

Jax leaned forward, squeezing her shoulder. “It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.”

“But it didn’t.” She turned to Jax. “If I hadn’t been arguing with him, he wouldn’t have been distracted. He always obeyed stop signs. This is all on me.”

“How do you know that he wasn’t tired? Or he hadn’t been distracted by something falling off the dashboard or the seat. Maybe he reached over to pick it up.”

She shook her head, taking a second to collect herself. “I know what happened because there was an investigation. The police determined he was talking to me at the time of the accident.”

“I’m sorry, Cleo. But this isn’t your fault.”

“My mother would disagree. She totally flipped out on me. She ordered me out of the funeral home. She said as far as she was concerned, she...she had no daughter.”

“She didn’t mean it—”

By now the tears were running unleashed. “Yes, she did. I was banished from Hope Springs. I tried to call a couple of times after that, but she hung up.”

“She was in shock and mourning the loss of your father. I’m sure she didn’t mean it.”

“Even my brothers have changed. They speak to me, but it’s not the same. Nothing is the same. Everyone blames me and they’re right. This is my punishment.”

Jax placed a finger beneath her chin and turned her head until she was facing him. “None of them had any right to lay this at your feet. You didn’t know he was on the phone while driving. Not to speak ill of the dead, but the decision to talk on the phone while driving is all on him. And second, he didn’t have a right to demand you come home.”

Had she heard Jax correctly? Wait. This wasn’t the way she thought this conversation would go.

“You don’t blame me?”

“Of course not. And if your mother had been thinking clearly, she wouldn’t have blamed you, either. It was an accident. And no one person was to blame. It was a culmination of events.”

She wanted to believe him—wanted to shed the weight of guilt that had kept her isolated in Las Vegas through the lonely holidays, missing how her brothers would gather around the tree on Christmas Eve passing out gifts. And later how they’d argue over who got to carve the turkey.

Cleo blinked repeatedly. She might not have wanted to be a rancher, but that didn’t mean she wanted to walk away from her family. She just wanted them to respect that she was grown-up now and fully capable of making her own choices on where she lived and how she lived her life. In her worst nightmare, she never dreamed she’d be labeled a black sheep and banished from her home.

“Remember when you were a kid, you always had your head in the clouds.” Jax looked her in the eye. “You dreamed about those fancy fashion shows and how you wanted to travel to Milan and Paris. I never saw anyone who liked clothes as much as you.”

She lifted her head to look him in the eye. “You remember that?”

“Those days that you’d sit and talk about places you’d learned about in one of your magazines taught me something important. You made me realize I could dream bigger than Hope Springs.”

“I thought you were bored stiff listening to me.”

“Not at all. You were like a breath of fresh air after hearing my father rant on and on about all of the injustices in this world.” Jax leaned toward her. “You don’t know how much I enjoyed our talks down by the creek.”

“You mean when you were supposed to be fishing. And I was supposed to be quiet so as not to scare off the fish.” They shared a smile.

“But you were so much more interesting.” He leaned closer. “I had a hard time keeping my attention on my fishing pole. I’m lucky a big fish didn’t swim off with it because you were all I could think about.”

He’d noticed her? How had she missed the signs?

His fingers stroked her cheek. “But you were far too young and most definitely off-limits back then.”

“And now?” Where had that question come from?

“And now I can do this...”

His hand slipped down to cup her neck. Could he feel the way he made her pulse jump? Did he know in that moment she couldn’t think of anything but him?

With mere inches between them, she wondered if he’d put her out of her misery and kiss her. Her gaze moved from his tempting lips to his eyes. They were dark with a definite glint of interest in them.

Her heart pounded so loud that it was the only sound she could hear. Logic fled her. Instead she mentally willed him closer. Her eyelids slid shut as her anticipation grew.

And then he was there. His lips tentatively pressed to hers.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was like an out-of-body experience where her body did what it desired and she sat back luxuriating in the most exquisite sensations. She didn’t think it was possible but with each kiss, they got better. She wasn’t sure how he could improve on perfection, but somehow he did.

She leaned into his kiss, meeting his hunger with her own. Her head spun and she didn’t want this moment to end. She reached out to him, wanting to pull him closer, but the darn seat belts did their jobs and restrained them, as did the cat carrier in her lap.

Charlie meowed his protest at being jostled around. They pulled apart. But Jax’s gaze held hers and she wanted to know what he was thinking—what he was feeling. But a louder protest from the cat carrier drew her attention.

She squeezed her fingers past the metal bars, trying to soothe Charlie. “It’s okay, boy. I didn’t mean to bounce you around.”

Jax shifted the SUV into gear. “You know if it wasn’t for you and your dreams, I never would have dared to imagine another life for myself. I’d have most likely given up on school and ended up just as disillusioned about life as my father. It’s hard to tell where I’d be now.”

She smiled through her tears. “You probably wouldn’t be sitting on the side of the road with a crying woman who’s holding a cat on her lap.”

“Probably not. But right now, I can’t think of anyplace I’d rather be.”

Jax eased back onto the roadway and they headed north to their five-star getaway. Her stomach quivered as she wondered where they went from here. Was this all some sort of sympathy? Or was there a deeper meaning to that kiss?