Wishing for the Rancher’s Love (High Country Ranch #5)

Chapter 11

11

“Absolutely not.” Clementine let her refusal ring out as she rolled the fondant around the chopped pieces of candied cherries and apricots along with the walnuts.

Grady blew out a noisy sigh. “Stop being so difficult.” Standing in the middle of the kitchen with his ice skates draped over his shoulder and his knit cap covering his dark hair, he held his hockey stick in one hand and his gloves in the other.

It wasn’t fair that he could go on with life as usual while relegating her to stay behind at the house for the evening. It was completely unfair. But after the stalking incident that morning and then the rose and note about marriage, she could admit she was reluctant to venture out.

Grady and Mr. Worth had both insisted she make her candy in the house kitchen for the evening instead of using the workspace at the back of the store. Although she didn’t want to impose, she hadn’t protested when Grady had helped her carry her supplies over for the chocolate-covered fruit she was making tonight.

Mr. Worth had asked her to play checkers with him once she was done, and she’d already eagerly agreed to the time with him. Even so, she was disappointed she couldn’t go to the hockey game. She rarely missed one.

But the danger of her situation was becoming more of a reality, and she didn’t want to be foolish and cause more trouble. Mr. Worth had indicated that if nothing else happened tonight, she could go to church in the morning with them. At least she had that to look forward to.

In the meantime, she had to be content with staying secluded at home. And she was finding that difficult, especially as she watched Grady preparing to leave for Mill Pond.

She couldn’t complain about Mrs. Worth’s kitchen, one that had been designed to accommodate candy-making and baking projects. The stove was massive, with two ovens—one on either side of the firebox. The walls were lined with countertops that allowed not only for additional workspace but also for plenty of area to cool and store all the goodies.

Mrs. Worth had adored her new kitchen, and Clementine had spent countless hours with her there, so working in the spacious room felt like being home. Even though she missed Mrs. Worth being there with her, she knew the dear woman was looking down from heaven and smiling.

Well, maybe not smiling over how much she and Grady were always fighting. Mrs. Worth had never liked it when they fought and had chastised Grady for it quite often during those last couple of years of her life.

“Leaving town is the best option.” Grady’s voice was testy, as usual.

“What if he doesn’t follow us there?” She had all kinds of problems with the plan Grady had just outlined for taking her to Georgetown for a few days as a way to lure her stalker out of hiding and find out who he was.

“He might not. But . . .”

Something in his tone halted her production. “But?”

“If he finds out we’re running off to get married, there’s a good chance he’ll follow and try to stop us.”

She could only stare at Grady, speechless at his suggestion. Never in all her days had she expected a marriage proposal to come out of Grady’s mouth.

At her lack of response, his expression took on an almost panicked look. “No. No. It’s not like that at all.”

So he wasn’t actually proposing? Of course not. Why would he when he disliked her so much? But now that he’d started down that path, she intended to give him as much grief as she could. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Grady, but just because we kissed last night doesn’t mean I have any desire to marry you.”

“I realize that.” His eyes quickly narrowed.

“But of course”—she infused sugary sweetness into her tone—“if you have your mind set on it, I wouldn’t want to break your heart and ruin your future plans.”

He glared at her but didn’t respond except to roll his eyes.

She bit back a smile. “I know how irresistible you find me—and now all the more so after how much you enjoyed kissing me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m not. I’m just stating a fact.” She looked pointedly at his mouth, hoping to get another rise out of him.

He pressed his lips firmly together, but the tautness only stirred a strange heat inside her—a heat she’d felt last night when those hard lips had demanded she respond to his kiss.

Grady’s jaw ticked, and he dropped his gaze to her mouth and lingered there, as if he was remembering exactly how the kiss had felt too. His eyes darkened, turning into charged storm clouds—clouds threatening to unleash on her.

Her teasing wasn’t irritating him. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying having another charged moment together. He was probably gazing back at her mouth on purpose, taunting her in return.

Even though she didn’t want to be the first to look away, she shifted her attention to her sticky fingers.

No doubt he was gloating because he knew his looking at her mouth affected her more than hers had him.

“Then it’s settled.” He finished crossing to the back door. “We’ll leave for Georgetown first thing in the morning.”

“And pretend to be a happy couple running away to get married? No, thank you.”

“We don’t have to be happy. We just have to pretend to want each other.” His voice turned into a low growl. “And you won’t have to pretend too hard.”

“Grady Worth!” With heat spilling into her cheeks, she flung a walnut at him. “I’m not pretending to want you—not when that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”

He tossed a smirk over his shoulder as he opened the door and stepped outside.

“I’m not going,” she called after him. Spending a few days with him was a terrible idea. They could hardly get along for a couple of minutes, much less hours and hours. They’d end up killing each other.

He bent down and picked something up. When he turned back around, his expression was solemn, and he was holding another silk rose with another note.

Her heart fell, and she released the ball of candy, letting it drop back into the fondant mixture in the bowl.

Grady peered around outside, as if trying to spot the culprit. Then, with a fresh scowl, he stepped back inside and closed the door. He didn’t ask her permission to read the note but instead flipped up the sheet and scanned it.

When he was finished, he held it out to her.

As she took the rose and the slip, she tried to read his eyes and expression. But other than the gravity there, she couldn’t determine anything more.

A part of her wanted to crumple up the note, toss it outside along with the flower, and echo Grady’s shout from the other night to throw both into the toilet. But she suspected more shouting wouldn’t do any good, especially because she’d told the fellow following her earlier today to stop with the notes.

With a quiver rippling through her, she forced herself to look at the print. “I will kill Grady so that you can marry me.”

A gasp slipped from her lips. This man was more serious and dangerous than she’d realized if he was threatening to murder Grady. And he was obviously mentally unstable if he really believed she’d want to marry him after that kind of threat.

Grady remained silent by the door.

Her fingers tightened around the note and the rose, a new fear swelling inside. It was one thing for her to be in danger. It was another matter entirely to put Grady’s life at risk. In fact, the very thought of him going out the door into the darkness sent a shiver down to her bones.

What if the fellow planned to attack Grady on his way to the pond? Or intended to shoot him? Even if not tonight, Grady wouldn’t be safe anywhere he went. He’d always be in danger. Because of her.

The fear rose into her throat, and she had to swallow hard to force it down.

Grady was watching her and for once wasn’t trying to irritate her.

She couldn’t allow anything bad to happen to him, had to do whatever she could to put an end to the threat against him. If that meant she had to leave in the morning and pretend to run away with him to get married, then she’d do it. It would still involve some danger as they lured the fellow after them and tried to expose him. But in doing so, at least they would be taking some control instead of waiting for him to strike Grady.

She dropped the rose and note to the table. “Okay. I’ll go.”

He seemed to release a pent-up breath.

“But only if you stay home tonight.”

He flipped open the door. “It’s nice to know you’re worried about me.”

“I’m not.” She was, but she didn’t want him to realize how afraid she was for his life.

“Then I guess you’re just eager to spend time with me.” He took a step outside.

She started after him, determined to grab and stop him if necessary. “You just got a death threat, Grady.” By the time she reached the door, he was halfway across the yard.

“Admit it,” he called back. “You want me all to yourself this evening.”

“Grady Worth. You’re impossible.” He was so aggravating.

He lifted his hockey stick in a farewell wave, then he began to jog away.

She watched him for a moment longer until he turned the corner and was out of sight. She glanced around, half expecting her stalker to step out of the shadows and start toward her. With a chill racing over her skin, she rapidly closed the door and locked it.

She leaned back against it and pressed a hand to her thudding heart, praying Grady would be safe. As much as she wanted to deny that she cared about him, she wasn’t fooling herself. Even though he was annoying, he was an integral part of her life and had been for years. And she didn’t want to lose him.