Renegade's Pride

He felt her gaze on him as he’d tried not to hurry to the checkout. That Celeste wanted to know more about Maggie worried him for reasons he couldn’t put his finger on. Just curiosity, he told himself.

But a part of him wondered if Celeste was regretting the choice she’d made. That thought made him laugh. Wayne had given Celeste everything she’d ever wanted. Everything Flint had sorely lacked. And when he was being honest with himself, it still hurt like hell.

* * *

“DARBY?” LILLIE HESITATED. She wanted to tell him the truth about Trask, but she realized she couldn’t involve him. For all she knew, Trask was gone again. End of story. The back door was propped open to let in the night breeze. It chilled her as she looked at her brother. “It’s just been a long day, since it began so early and at the sheriff’s office.” She smiled to take the edge off her words. She really hadn’t minded getting their father out.

“You want me to take a look out back in case that bear came back?” Darby asked, finishing his cola and getting to his feet.

“No. I’m sure it’s long gone.” The last thing she wanted was for Darby to go out and possibly run into Trask. She honestly didn’t know what would happen. All of her brothers knew that Trask had broken her heart. At the very least Darby would want to kick the crap out of him. She’d often wanted to do the same thing herself.

“Be careful driving home. Deer will be on the road. Don’t want to have to bail you out of jail in the morning for speeding or what Flint might see as reckless driving.”

“After drinking one cola?”

“Convince Flint that’s all it was,” she joked. Darby had been sober for three years and attended the local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings faithfully.

“An alkie owning and running a bar? What is wrong with this picture?” Cyrus had wanted to know.

“I still love bars,” Darby had said. “I just won’t be drinking.”

“There is something totally messed up in that,” his brother Hawk had said. Cyrus and Hawk loved ranching. They didn’t understand why Darby would choose standing behind a bar over chasing cattle from the back of a horse.

Darby had merely shrugged.

“You’re sure about this?” Lillie had asked him later.

“Positive. Watching other people drink too much, talk too much, argue and fight too much because of booze makes me glad I made the choice I did. Anyway, these are my people. I have a pretty good handle on who should drive home and whose keys I should take and get them a ride.”

She’d been skeptical, but Darby had stayed sober and seemed happy. Except when he talked about leaving.

“I’ll lock up, sis. Sleep well.”

She started toward the back of the building and the stairs that would take her up to her home over the bar.

“I love you,” Darby said behind her.

She stopped to look back, but he had already turned out the lights. “I love you too,” she said, not sure if he’d already left, since he didn’t answer.

As she reached the stairs, she made a quick detour and stepped outside. A crescent moon hung in the midnight blue sky along with trillions of twinkling stars. Out here there were no streetlights to wash out the view. She loved being able to see the stars.

Tonight, the mountains were etched deep purple against the night sky. The white snowcapped tips gleamed silver. Nearer, silhouetted pine trees swayed in the breeze as if in a slow dance.

“You are such a romantic,” Trask had once told her. “Are you sure you want to open a bar? You should be writing poetry.”

She’d laughed. “How do you know I don’t?”

His eyes had locked with hers. “You are such a mystery to me. I want to spend the rest of my life unlocking all your secrets.”

Lillie shook off the memory as she searched the pines and the hillside beyond for any sign of him. She caught the sweet scent of spring grass and pine. She heard an owl hoot off in the distance. She felt her heart beat slow in disappointment. Maybe he really was gone again.

She told herself it was for the best.

Going back inside, she locked the door and headed up the stairs. She thought of Darby and what he’d said before he’d left. They weren’t the kind of family that said they loved each other. It was a given.

So what was up with that? Was he having trouble staying sober? Would he tell her if he was? Also doubtful.

Or maybe, she thought, slowing as she reached her apartment door, maybe there was something else going on with him. She wished he would find someone to love. But her brother rarely dated. Cyrus and Hawk both said Darby was too particular. Like either of them dated much. Maybe they were all doomed to be alone.

She got ready for bed, worrying about her family, determined Trask wasn’t going to occupy her thoughts anymore this day. Climbing into bed, she closed her eyes. For only a moment did she wonder where Trask was sleeping tonight or if he was on the road miles from there, which was more than likely the case.

Lillie woke to darkness an instant before a large warm hand clamped down over her mouth.

CHAPTER SIX (#u843652d6-2263-5fce-a29a-dbc9b4e7698b)

“DON’T SCREAM,” a familiar deep, sexy male voice whispered in her ear.

She grabbed Trask’s hand, flinging it away from her face as she sat up and turned on a light. “Have you lost your mind scaring me like that?” she demanded when she caught her breath. “How dare you come into my house like a prowler. Had I got to my gun, I would have shot you.”

“Which is why I didn’t give you a chance. Not that I really believe you would shoot me,” he said with a tentative smile.

“I figured you left town again.”

He shook his head. “Not until I take care of some old business.”

“Old business? Like going to prison for Gordon Quinn’s murder?”

“You know I didn’t kill him.”

“Do I, Trask? I thought I knew you, but I’m not so sure I ever did.” She saw the hurt in his eyes and felt her own heart ache at the sight.

“I know you’re angry. That night when I told you I’d come for you, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t drag you into the mess I’d made of my life. I didn’t want to leave you behind, but I knew it was the best thing for you. You’d just bought this place with your brother, you never wanted to leave Montana, let alone go on the run with me.”

She said nothing, thinking of her heartbreak when she’d realized he’d taken off without her. She didn’t want to think how long she’d waited in the dark for him. Or how long she’d waited over the years for him to come back. She’d been ready to give up everything to be with him. He’d left her behind without a word all these years.

“Nice, you had the decency to come by to tell me that instead of letting me wait for you.”

“I knew that if I saw you, I would change my mind and ruin your life.” He noticed her sleeping attire and shot her a grin filled with devilment. “I see you still sleep in one of my old T-shirts.”

She’d been feeling nostalgic earlier and had seen it in the bottom of her drawer. Now she regretted putting it on, especially since the fabric was so laundry-worn-soft that you could almost see through it.

Lillie pulled the covers up to her neck. “Why are you hanging around here? Do you have a death wish? Flint is still looking for you.”

“I had to come back. I realized that I would risk everything for you. You’re all I thought about. Lillie, I never got over you.”

“Well, I got over you.” It was a lie and she figured he knew it, since he’d just found her alone in a queen-size bed wearing his old T-shirt.

“You loved me once. I’ll do whatever it takes for you to love me again.”