Passion in Bloom (Hometown Heartstrings #2)

Chapter 12

Roarke

I didn’t get in many fights. There was never any reason to. When I found out about Veronica’s deception and all the events that led up to our inevitable divorce, I didn’t fight that man she had an affair with. I saw no point in fighting for something that wasn’t mine to care about anymore. She’d shown her true colors. She’ given me a clear sign that she wasn’t concerned about our relationship, so I checked out too.

Heather and I weren’t in anything of a relationship, but I was triggered—instantly—to defend her name and confront the jerk who had no business hanging around here in Burton just to bother her.

And that had to be it. The smug asshole couldn’t be planning to stay here for good.

Since I’d already asked for a day off from work, just for the hell of it since I had vacation time to burn through, I made the most of my time by running to the store and stocking up on what I could. Nevaeh had burned through most of my groceries. She could. I bought things I was willing to share with her, but it rubbed me the wrong way that she broke in, helped herself to whatever she wanted, left stuff out to spoil instead of putting it back in the fridge, and didn’t clean a damn thing. I was no Mr. Perfect, but that was just rude. Irresponsible.

After I loaded up a cart, I stood in line to check out. Jerry, the town’s conman, happened to be standing in front of me, talking on his phone.

“Well, yeah. I do have a couple of places. And I know of an apartment that’ll be open soon.” He listened to whoever was on the other end, then huffed. “No. It’s a fact. David said he wouldn’t want to be staying around here for long.”

David? I perked up at the mention of that fucker’s name. He had to be renting something close.

Once he hung up, I got his attention. “What was that all about?”

He rolled his eyes. “Nothing.”

“Are you trying to hook David Kenning up with a place to stay?”

He looked me up and down, smirking. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” Then with a wicked smile, he taunted me further, saying, “Why? Are you spoiling for another fight already?”

I shook my head, not interested in talking to him about that. All I cared about was how poorly David was listening to me. I wanted him gone. I wanted Heather to be comfortable and not harassed. If the asshole was looking for a place to rent in town, then he must have gotten it into his head to plan on staying as long as it took to make her bend to his will.

I didn’t need him to be digging his heels in and really sticking around to bother her. With the holidays coming up, I hoped he’d be going soon enough, traveling for celebrating with family or whatnot. That didn’t seem likely now.

After I paid for my things, I dropped my stuff off at my cabin. Then I drove to Todd’s house. I wasn’t sure if his property was a rental or something he owned. It may or may not have been included within the ranch’s property lines. Since Todd had worked for the Grand River for almost sixty years, I was sure they gave him plenty of benefits and perks, maybe including this house on the other side of the land.

He was always off on alternating Tuesdays during these slower months of the fall and winter, and I was in luck to see him at home.

He tipped his chin in greeting as he rocked on a chair set to the corner of his front porch. “Well, lookie who it is. The champion fighter.” He made a couple of fists, pretending to box.

I shrugged.

“What’d he say?”

“It was the principle of it,” I replied, climbing the steps.

He nodded. “Yeah. I hear you. If I was a few years younger, I woulda done the same thing. Assholes like him need to be put in their place.”

“About that,” I said. “I don’t like the idea of David staying around here for long. It sounds like he’s going to rent an apartment in town.”

He scowled. “All to get his girl back?”

“Heather insists that she’s not his girl.”

“All right.”

I sighed, shoving my hands into my pockets. “What can we do?”

“Do?”

“Yeah. What can we do about the security at the cabins?”

He exhaled a long breath. “We already put them trail cams up on the road.”

“And I’ve been checking in on them.”

“Good. But what are you after?” He folded his hands together. “New locks and windows and shit?”

“That wouldn’t hurt...”

“No, but it’s a bizness expense I can’t see the big bosses okaying. Hell, kid. The owners are talking about tearing out the cabins. They’d rather knock them down than fix anything up on them.”

I feared he’d say that. It didn’t make a whole lot of sense to put money into buildings that were so outdated and old. Why invest in something when it would make more economical sense to take it down?

“Something’s sure wrong with them damn water pipes.” He shook his head, bitter about it all.

“Yeah. Ever since you started them digging and looking at the main pipes—”

“I know. I know.” He waved at me, grimacing. “Something ain’t right with them. And that’d be a bigger cost than adding security for her out there. It’s just the two of you out there renting now.”

“It is a priority though,” I argued.

“Oh, of course, it is. I wanna make sure she’s safe. But how given how long she’d be renting there. Hell, how long are you gonna rent your cabin?”

“What do you mean?” I wasn’t sure why he had to shift this topic to me.

“You been out there since you moved here and worked on the ranch. But you ain’t actually planning to stay there for good, are ya?”

I shrugged. That cabin suited me fine. “I like it there. It’s quiet.”

“Yeah, but wouldn’t a house outside of town be a better fit for you?” He raised his brows. “Something with another bedroom for your niece moving in?”

I shook my head quickly. “No. She’s not— Back up. She’s not moving in with me.” If I let her move in officially, my sanity would never be steady. I’d have to hide valuables and money. I’d never be able to know she wouldn’t crash the place. Or bring boyfriends and whoever over. I hated that I couldn’t trust her to be a responsible adult, but her behavior was her choice.

Besides, wouldn’t I only be enabling her if I let her move her for good? Wouldn’t that make it easier for her to assume she’d never need to get a job and make a living to take care of herself if I provided like that for her?

“Well, I still gotta wonder if a house outside of town would make more sense for you in the long run.”

I shrugged, not committing to that. I was planning on staying in my cabin until it made sense to live somewhere else. After my ill-fated marriage with Veronica and living in that ridiculously decorated and too-modern house I hated with her, with way too much space that it felt like we lived in a museum, not a home, I wanted simple. I wanted to be comfortable without much flair or nonsensical need for vibes and themes and all that artsy crap.

“I doubt Heather would stay long in her cabin,” he added.

I sighed and crossed my arms, leaning my back against a column on his porch. “Why’s that? Because she seems flighty in general?”

“Flighty?” He scoffed, giving me another one of those old man waves of dismissal. “She wasn’t ever flighty, whatever the hell that means. If it means she’s prone to taking off, that sounds more like your niece.”

I wondered if I was finally getting my chance to hear a little more backstory about Heather. I wanted to hear her story from her lips, not someone else’s, but I’d take what I could.

“That girl wanted to get outta town when she was younger because of her good-for-nuthin’ parents. And ain’t nobody gonna blame her for that. But hell, she seems like a regular ol’ adult now.” He shrugged. “I don’t understand you young people anymore, but I don’t think she’s gonna stay in that cabin for long cuz she only wanted month-to-month rent.”

That was different from my six-month intervals. I suspected they started half-year rental agreements to better reflect ranch hands coming and going in the past, revolving around the busy seasons.

“That ain’t to say she’s gonna up and go again,” Todd said. “Now, I’m just speculatin’ but if she took off and had a rough time with some sort of slick bastard in the city, maybe she ain’t gonna be rushing out of town so quickly again.”

I nodded, seeing what he was getting at. But in the bottom of my stomach, I sensed a gnawing pit of dread.

I don’t want her to go anywhere.

I liked her close by.

I wanted to know she was nearby in case she needed help she wouldn’t ask for. In case she was lonely and in the mood to connect with my physically even when she couldn’t open up in any other way. And in case she was seeking this budding companionship that grew between us, cautiously and slowly, as if it was a delicate plant to nurture until a bloom could happen.

Because I cared, far, far more than I should’ve.