“Okay, baby girl,” he soothed as he sat back down so he faced her. “I’m not going anywhere. Why don’t you tell me about the nightmare?”
She swallowed heavily, her mouth dry, her body trembling with nerves and lingering fear. “I didn’t mean why am I still in your bed. Although, I suppose I do mean that in a way. Why am I still on the ranch? Why haven’t you kicked me off? He told you, didn’t he? He had to have told you what I did.”
Realization filled his face and he scooted closer.
“No! Don’t touch me.” She could hear the note of hysteria in her voice and had to work hard not to break into tears. Her heart was pounding so hard she felt ill.
“All right, sweetheart. I promise I won’t touch you until you give me permission. But you’re going to have to calm down for me, okay?” His voice was soft
and low but she could see the concern in his eyes. “You’re going to make yourself ill if you keep on like this and I won’t have that, understand? If you can’t calm down on your own then I’m going to have to take over. I promise you that whatever you’re thinking right now, it isn’t true.”
“Allan didn’t tell you about what I did?” she whispered.
“Why don’t you tell me.”
She realized it wasn’t an actual answer to her question and she wasn’t sure if she could tell him. If she could stand to see the concern on his face morph into anger. Her shaking increased.
“Okay, enough,” he said in a gruff voice. “I’m going to call Doc.”
“No, I can do this. I’m just…I’m scared.”
His eyes widened. “Of me? You think I’ll hurt you?”
“N-not physically. But I’m scared you won’t want me anymore.” God, that was so hard for her to say, but if he was going to kick her out of his life in a few minutes what did she have to lose?
“Nothing you do or say will make me not want you anymore. Not unless you decide you don’t want me.”
“You can’t say that,” she whispered.
“I can,” he said firmly. “I told you that once you’re mine, you’re mine forever. I don’t take this shit lightly. But I can tell you don’t believe me yet, so why don’t you tell me what you have to say and then I can get busy comforting you.”
Did he really not know? “I-I stole f-from you, Clint.”
“No, you didn’t,” he replied promptly.
She frowned. That wasn’t quite the response she’d been expecting. “Yes, I did.”
“No, you didn’t. Because you’re mine, which means everything I own is yours.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what I did.”
“Baby girl, you’re worrying about nothing. I know about the hoarding. Ellie and Bear found the food in your cabin.”
She sobbed in a breath. Ellie and Bear knew? Who else knew?
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Only me, Ellie, Bear, and Zeke know,” he soothed. “Nobody is going to say anything.”
“A-allan.” Her breath was coming rapidly, she couldn’t say anything else.
He frowned. “I’ve sent Allan to stay with his son. I’m not sure what was going on with him. I’ve known him for most of my life and I’ve never seen him act that way. Not that there are any excuses for his behavior.”
“He-he’s gone? You sent him away?” He wouldn’t do that. Not for her. “Why?”
“Because his treatment of you was unacceptable. He yelled at you, terrified you, pushed you.” His scowl was fierce, his eyes filled with fury.
“I’m not sure he meant to make me fall.” But he had bruised her arm the other night. Unthinkingly she reached up to touch the bruise.
Clint’s gaze missed nothing. “Did he give you that bruise? Why didn’t you tell me? What else has happened?”