His Old-Fashioned Love (Old-Fashioned Series) (12 page)

“Is there an ambulance coming?” Holly asked the deputy. “The security guard is injured.” She gestured over to him and the deputy rushed over to the guard to check on him. Heaving a sigh of relief now that the cavalry was here, Holly turned to look fully at Brax for the first time since he got here.

And really wished she hadn’t.

*****

Brax was l
ivid.

Even now, knowing
Holly was safe; he was still finding it hard to keep a rein on his temper. He paced, clenching and unclenching his hands as he waited for Sheriff Palmer to finish questioning her. He’d wanted to go in with her, but had been overruled.

It had taken every ounce of control he had to let her out of his sight, but he’d managed it. What had she been thinking? What had she been doing there?
How dare she put herself in danger this way? What if Mason had had a gun?

God, he was going to make himself sick. Or give himself an ulcer. Finally the door opened and out she walked, looking exhausted and as though she’d lost weight, her eyes too large in her pale face.

But she was safe.

Brax strode over to her and clasped her shoulders, staring down at her intently. But other than the fatigue and a tightness around her mouth, he could discern no signs of distress.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “John said I can go now. They’ve got enough to keep Mason.”

John? He looked over at the sheriff who stood behind her. The other man stared back at him calmly, his green eyes serious.

“Do you need a ride, Holly?” John asked.

Holly turned with a smile and Brax had to bite back his growl. Damn, he’d never been this possessive of a woman before.

“She has a ride, Palmer” he a
nswered shortly.

Holly turned to look back at him, her gaze filled with reproof. What? He thought he’d been polite under the circumstances. After all, he hadn’t picked her up, thrown her over his shoulder and stormed out.

Which is what he’d been dreaming of doing for the last hour and a half.

“Thank you, John
,” Holly said sweetly. “You’ve been very patient with me. I’ll be fine. Although my car is still out by the building site. I parked it over the next rise.”

“We’ll get it tomorrow,” Brax told her. No wa
y were they going out there right now. No way was he letting out of his sight tonight.

The sheriff’s gaze narrowed in on where Brax had a firm hold on Holly’s shoulders.

“Well, I’ll let you go get some sleep then
,” Palmer told her easily. “I’ll call you if we have any more questions. But I want to make it very clear how dangerous it is to play amateur detective. You could have been seriously hurt tonight, Holly. Next time, I want you to leave it to the professionals, understand?”

Holly nodded then stepped out of Brax’s hold to take John’s hand, shaking it fi
rmly. Brax didn’t like the way Palmer kept hold of her hand for a beat or two after he should have let go, nor the way his gaze followed them as they left. Brax placed his arm around her shoulders.

“What exactly went on in there?” he asked as he opened his passenger door and lifted her in. H
e didn’t like how heavily she leaned on him.

She needed food and sleep.

As he climbed into the driver
’s side, he looked across at her.

A frown crossed her forehead. “What happened where?”

“With the sheriff. Why was he eating you up with his eyes?”

“He was?” The surprise in her voice soothed him, before he saw
her surprise turn into something thoughtful. “You must have been mistaken.”

Brax snorted. “I know the signs of a hungry man and he was looking at you like you were his next meal. What did he say in there?”

“He just asked me some questions about Mason and what happened tonight.” She fell silent and he thought she was asleep. But as he pulled up outside the hotel she stirred, reaching for her door handle. “Thanks for the ride and for coming tonight. I’d appreciate it if you would pick me up on the way to work tomorrow so I can get my car.”

“No.”

She stilled, turning to look at him in shock. “No?”

“No.”

“Okay then, I’ll find another way out there.” She gave him a hurt look and he immediately felt awful.

Sighing, he sh
ook his head. “I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t pick you up. Although I think you should sleep in tomorrow. I meant no, you aren’t dismissing me that easily. I want to know what went on tonight. I want to know what you were doing out at the site in the middle of the night holding a gun on Mason Philips. Don’t you know how dangerous that was?”

What did he think she was, an idiot? Of course she knew how dangerous it had been. She’d been absolutely terrified out of her mind, only a fool wouldn’t be.

“Of course I do
,” she told him with a snarl, taking secret delight in the surprised look on his face. “Do you think I’m stupid? I was fucking terrified. I thought I was going to die. But I had to do something, he was about to set the place on fire and that security guard was injured. I had no choice but to confront him.”

“There is always a choice.”

“So I should have let him just light the place on fire?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes,” he answered, no hint of doubt in his voice. “Because your life is worth far more than any building. You should have hidden yourself and waited for me to get there. Better yet, you shouldn’t have damn well been there in the first place. Just what were you doing?”

Holly swallowed heavily. She’d already been told off by the sheriff, although he’d done it gently. She knew Brax wouldn’t go easy on her. She wished she could tell him to go away.

Wanting someone who didn’t feel the same was hell. Wanting someone who did want you but wasn’t willing to bend in order to be with you was
even worse.

She felt unworthy, upset and angry. Really angry.

“You have no right to lecture me,” she told him coldly. “Thank you for coming tonight and for waiting for me while I was with the sheriff. I will tell you everything because I’m sure you’ll ask around until you find out, but after this I am done listening to you yell at me. I am not your child or your kid sister or someone you are responsible for, so quit it with the overprotectiveness.”

He opened his mouth but she held up her hand. “Do you want to hear this or what?”

Reluctantly, it seemed, he nodded and she told him everything from her dinner with Mr Duggan to the nights she’d spent spying on Mason Philips. By the time she finished, Brax was holding onto the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were white and there was a tick in his cheek.

“I’m tired,
” she said. “I’m going in to sleep. You’re right; I think I will sleep in. I’ll get someone to drop me off at my car.”

“You’re not getting away that easily, sweetheart,” he growled. “I’m coming in.”

“Why?”

“Because we have some business to take care of.”

“Can’t it wait until morning?” she asked tiredly.

“No, this most certainly cannot. What did yo
u promise me, Holly?” Before she could answer, he continued. “You promised me you would stay away from the Philips brothers.” His voice was a low croon, but she knew there was nothing gentle in him right now. He was furious.

But she was in no mood to soothe him
.

“So
you want to spank me? Is that what you’re threatening? Listen to me, Brax Jamieson; you cannot have everything your way. Before, I thought we might have something, because I thought you truly cared about me. But you made it perfectly clear that I’m not good enough for you, that I’m not enough for you to compromise on anything for me. Okay, fine, that’s your prerogative.

“But don’t expect me to just lie down and let you take whatever you want from me without giving anything back.
Yes, I did break my promise, but you do not get to criticize me over it. You do not get to scold me, yell at me and you certainly do not get to spank me. Not now. Not ever. Got it?”

“
I care about you, Holly. I feel sick from imagining everything that could have happened to you. You could have been hurt tonight and that is unacceptable. You should have come to me immediately.”

He grabbed her chin, turning her face towards him.

“And I never, ever said you weren’t good enough for me. Christ, it’s me who isn’t good enough for you.”

Tears welled in her eyes and she knew she was about to lose it. No way was she going to cry in front of him.

“Don’t bullshit me, Brax. You weren’t even willing to try, to bend just a little to see if we even had something together.”

“What? So you decided to get my attention? I rejected you so you placed yourself in harm’s way to get me to ride to your rescue, is that it, Holly? Were you hoping I’d
be so overcome at the idea of you in harm’s way that I’d fall at your feet and declare my undying love?”

Holly gaped at him as she felt the last of her heart shatter. How could he think of her that way?

Without saying a word, she climbed down and shut the door. She didn’t know what to say, what to think.

She was numb.

Holly shuffled slowly into the diner, feeling like an old woman. She was exhausted. When she’d climbed into bed last night, she had fully expected to drop right off. Instead her mind wouldn’t quieten down, going over and over what had happened until she’d been trembling, her breath coming in hard and fast gasps.

A panic attack.

After her accident, she’d had a few attacks, so she knew what she was dealing with. Once the panic faded, she’d been unable to sleep. So she had spent the rest of the hours until dawn packing, arranging her tickets back to Houston and attempting to watch some television.

This morning she was paying for her lack of sleep. Plus
, her leg was aching, probably due to falling over the security guard last night. Tiredly, she sipped coffee as she gazed out the diner window, watching people walk by. Her flight left at midday. It was barely eight. Still, she needed to eat then find someone to drop her off at her car.

Without runn
ing into Brax.

She couldn’t see him again
. It would be too painful after what he’d accused her of last night. She could not believe he thought she would be so manipulative. She had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. Hurt, anger then acceptance.

It w
ould be best if she just left.

“Morning, Stella. I’ll have my
usual.”

She stilled. She knew that voice. Was it possible? Could it be that easy?

Glancing up, she realized it was. There was the dark, brown jacket she’d seen the other night. It was the other man from the alley.

But
could she be sure? There were probably a lot of jackets like that around.

Speak again. Speak again.

“Did you hear what happened, Phil?” asked the woman behind the counter.

Phil?
So that’s why she’d recognized his voice the other night. Phil Jones owned one of the other construction companies who had bid for the contract to build the resort.

“No, what’s happened?” His voice was
bored, not angry the way it had been the other night, but she knew it was him.

But w
hy was he trying to ruin Brax?

Was it a case of sour grapes? She pondered over
the matter.

“Mason Philips got arrested trying to set fire to that resort they’re building out by Parson’s ranch.”

“He what?” Jones yelled, making Holly jump. He sounded furious. Probably worried Mason would give him up.

Another waitress placed her order of scrambled eggs and toast before her. She picked at the food.

What would Jones gain from doing this? He’d been the second lowest bid. If Brax lost the contract he stood to gain it.

He
ll. She had to talk to Brax.
No.
She squelched her immediate reaction. She should talk to the sheriff. She dropped some money on the counter and left.

*****

Brax looked out across the land he’d grown up on, not really seeing it. His mind was miles away, caught up with a gorgeous brunette with blue eyes. Eyes that had gazed up at him with a mix of pain and anger the last time he’d seen her.

He
ath strode up to lean on the railing beside him, resting his forearms on the top.

“Remember when we were kids and we thought we were invincible
?” Brax asked. “We thought that the whole world was out there waiting for us to conquer it and that nothing bad could ever touch us.”

Heath let out a surprised laugh. “Yeah, I remember.”

“Then Mom and Dad died and you had to take over the ranch, look after Frankie, hell, even look after us. How did you do that? I never thought about it at the time, but you just took over seamlessly, holding us all together, never making mistakes.”

Health shook his head with a rueful smile
. “You really think I made no mistakes? Seems like all I did was muck things up those first few years. I was so worried about screwing everything up. Of losing the ranch, of doing something wrong and scarring one of you for life.”

Brax turned to look at him. “But you seemed to have it so together
. You always have it so together. All I ever seem to do is fuck things up.”

His bro
ther’s brows came together. He didn’t approve of swearing, but didn’t reproach Brax.

“Everyone makes mistakes,
Brax. You’re not living if you don’t. It’s how you handle those mistakes that shapes your life, that makes you into the person you are. I still make mistakes. All the time. But I learn from them and I try my best not to make them again. Doesn’t always work, but I try.”

Brax ran his hand over his face. “I don’t know if I can fix this. I don’t even know where to start.”

“Want to tell me about it?” Heath asked easily.

His brother had always been there for him, a shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to. Brax realized h
e’d missed this.

“I’m sorry.”

“What for?” Heath asked in surprise.

“For being so stu
bborn and bull-headed. For pulling away from my family because I thought I had to prove that I could make it on my own.”

“Ahh.” Heath’s face filled wi
th comprehension. “I’ve been waiting for you to realize that leaning on us doesn’t make you weak. I’m glad I listened to Ava. I wanted to slap you around the head about eight months ago, she told me to wait a bit longer.”

Brax snorted. “
I guess I wanted to prove to you all that I could make something of myself without any help.”

Heath shook his head. “You know
that you never have to prove anything to us. We’ve always believed in you.”

Brax nodded. “
Did you know I had this five year plan? I was going to work hard at the business then, when I was financially stable with my house all fixed up, I was going to find a nice, submissive girl to settle down with and have kids. She’d stay home and take care of the house and children and worship the ground I walked on. I’d be head of the household. I’d take care of them all. They’d never want for anything.”

Heath grinned. “You always did like to control everything around you. So how is that plan working?”

“It’s all turned to shit. Apparently the girl of my dreams lives miles away, has a successful career, is definitely sweet and submissive but also has a temper when she’s riled and goes around blindly getting herself into trouble instead of letting me protect her.”

A loud laugh escaped his brother’s mouth. He patted Brax on the back. “Ain’t life just full of surprises? She sounds like one hell of a girl.”

Brax sighed. “She is. And I drove her away. I told her that we weren’t meant to be together. I made her feel like she wasn’t good enough for me when it’s the exact opposite and now I don’t know what to do.”

“You love her?”

“More than anything. I know full well what I’ve lost. No, what I threw away.” He’d made such a terrible mistake. He’d been awful to her and now he didn’t know how to fix it. “These last few weeks have been hell. I can barely sleep or eat. I worry about her. The idea of her with someone else, the thought of her hurt or in danger, I can’t stand it. It’s eating me from the inside out.”

“Why don’t you tell me the whole story,” Heath suggested.

Brax confessed it all. His feelings for Holly, his fear as he’d tried to reach her that night she’d followed Mason Philips; terrified he’d be too late. When he was finished, he looked over to find Heath smiling.

“
You’re even more of a control freak than the rest of us, aren’t you?”

Brax stilled and looked at him. “What are you talking about?”

“You were trying to control who you fell in love with and when. You dreamed up this ideal woman and you stubbornly weren’t going to let that go, even after falling for Holly. Then Holly puts herself in danger and you can’t handle it, you want to control everything around her to ensure she’s safe. But you can’t. She’s not yours to care for. Then she frightens you so badly that you lash out without thought, trying to push her away. Brax, the reason you were so frightened is because you love her.”

Brax
ran his hand through his hair, trying to process what Heath was telling him. Did he love her? He loved her?

Wow. He loved her.

“If Ava put herself in danger that way, I’d go insane. And she wouldn’t be sitting comfortably for a long time.”

“I had no real right to spank her that first tim
e. We weren’t in a relationship. She didn’t know what I expected from her.”

“You need to explain all that to her. Make sure she understands.”

“If she doesn’t want that?” he voiced his biggest concern. “If she doesn’t want me?”

Heath clasped his shoulder. “There are a few things I
’ve learned, the hard way, during my marriage. A relationship doesn’t work without communication. If you don’t talk to your partner, neither of you will be able to move forward. And that both of you need to learn how to compromise. You’ve got to decide what is most important—your plan or your happiness.”

“She is. Holly’s what is important.”

“Then for God’s sake, Brax. Go after the woman.”

As soon as he pulled away from the ranch,
Brax called Sloan and asked for help with his current jobs.

Sloan agreed immediately. At least none of them had to worry about any
more problems at the building site. John Palmer had used what Holly had told him to pressure Mason, who’d confessed everything.

Turns out that
Jones and Mason were good friends. Phil Jones had been smarting over losing out on the contract. With his company heading into financial difficulty, he’d been desperate. So he’d concocted the plan that would allow Mason his revenge on Brax and either run Brax off or have Derrick pull the plug on him.

Turned out he’d also bribed one of Brax’s men to tamper with
a safety harnesses. The same man had also given Mason a key to the gates. Brax had fired the man as he was being arrested.

As soon as he’d
got off the phone with Sloan, Brax arranged for a flight to Houston and went home to pack his bag. He was going after his girl and he’d get her.

N
o matter what he had to do.