He leaned his body over hers, using his legs to spread her wider. The sick fuck was going to rape her right here in the middle of the day, in the middle of the office with all those people right outside the door. Hadn’t anyone heard her screams or the scuffle? She felt ready to hurl and almost ready to give in. He was just too damn strong. Then he sniffed her hair. She smelled his disgusting breath. She felt his hard erection against her ass cheeks and his thick, strong thighs. She wasn’t going to go out like this. Not without a fight and not without her dignity. That was when she made her move. In an instant she raised her head up fast and hard and stunned him a moment, hitting him in the jaw. It was enough time to roll to her back and kick him in the groin. She moved so quickly that her shin awkwardly hit his crotch instead of her knee. With anger and strength she swung her forearm forward and hit him directly in his nose. Blood splattered as he stepped back, stunned and momentarily unguarded.
Jumping off the desk, she took another shot at him. This time, she punched him in his gut. Her anger, the adrenaline, and the fear filtered through her body as she struck him again. A right fist directly to the nose that was already broken and then another one to his jaw. He remained holding his nose as she pulled open the office door to find numerous faces staring back at her. She grabbed Mr. Weiner and shoved him out of the room.
“She attacked me!” he yelled as Stacy shook with fear and anger.
“No! He attacked me and I defended myself.”
By the looks on the faces around her, she had a feeling that she was on her own. Everyone turned away as if by not looking, they couldn’t be witnesses to their boss’s attack. They weren’t going to come to her aide. She was on her own. She had chosen the wrong path in their eyes, and now she was blacklisted.
“Call security! I want her out of here!” he yelled as Teressa ran to Mr. Weiner to comfort him. Stacy immediately realized that no one was going to believe her side of the story. She was finished, and her career was over.
Chapter 1
“I can’t believe that you’re leaving New York,” Stacy’s best friend Anna stated as she released her from an embrace. It would be a long time before she would see Anna again. This had been a difficult decision.
Stacy wiped her eyes as she held Anna’s hands. “You know as well as I do that I have no choice. I can’t stay here. It will just make matters worse.”
“But the police have been helping. They’ll catch the guy responsible for the threats one of these times,” Anna replied. Stacy felt the tears leak from her eyes. She didn’t want to leave Anna so soon after Anna’s mother passing, but Stacy knew that this was the best option. Stacy needed to get away, and she didn’t want Anna in the middle of this potentially dangerous situation. She needed to clear her head and start a new life. She couldn’t work in a business environment that allowed backstabbing, manipulating, deceitful business deals. She was finished with that. Her other friend Millie felt it would be wiser to get out of town. Maybe Millie would be right about Barry Weiner. Maybe by leaving New York, he wouldn’t see Stacy as a threat to his business and career. Maybe he wouldn’t be so obsessed with her anymore. The fact that he was stalking her and leaving repulsive gifts at her apartment irked her. It seemed that by her turning him down and not succumbing to his command for sex at Mercer, she gained his complete interest. This was no longer a case of sexual harassment in the workplace. Barry was taking it to the next level. He was stalking her, and he seemed obsessed.
“You sure that you know what you’re doing, Stacy? Texas? I’ve never even heard of this place, Pearl, and you don’t even know Millie’s aunt. Why would you leave everything you’ve worked so hard for and care for a woman you don’t even know?” Anna asked, sounding concerned and pessimistic. But Stacy couldn’t falter. She had to do this. When Millie mentioned an aunt out in Texas that owned a small farm was ill and needed help, Stacy thought maybe it would be a good place to clear her mind and put her past behind her. Then Millie mentioned a large house, work needing to be done, and living rent free, and it was the clincher on the deal. Plus, Millie would have considered going herself but had been dating a Wall Street guy for the past four months and wasn’t about to leave him. Not after getting away from her abusive ex-boyfriend who was in jail for drug dealing. That had been the worst six months of Millie’s life. Moving to another state was her only choice.
Stacy thought the town nearby Millie’s aunt’s place sounded charming. The pictures of the place looked stunning and so inviting. Her instincts were leading her.
“It will be okay. And someday soon you can come visit or maybe come live with me,” Stacy told Anna, giving her one more hug.
Anna looked sad as she shook her head and kept her eyes looking toward the ground.
“I can’t leave him. You know I’m all that my father has left.”
Stacy clenched her teeth and hid her upset. Anna’s old man was nothing but an abusive asshole. Promise or not, Anna would need to get away from him before her life was ruined forever.
“You’ll call me whenever you can, right?” Anna asked.
“Of course I will. I wouldn’t survive without that weekly phone call.”
Anna smiled.
“Oh, well, I’ve gotta go, honey. I love you, Anna.”
“I love you, too. Good luck,” Anna replied and hugged Stacy one more time before she walked away. Stacy took a deep breath and got into the cab. She shipped most of her belongings out to Millie’s aunt’s house, but she left a lot behind. As soon as she headed down the highway, she thought about Texas and wondered if she was doing the right thing.
* * * *
Marie Lemorte sat on the porch waiting for Stacy Porter to arrive. Ever since Millie, her niece, called and told her about the trouble Stacy was in and her need to relocate, Marie had been concerned. The young woman had been a great friend to Millie over the years and had helped Millie out when her boyfriend attempted to assault her. As far as Marie was concerned, Stacy was more than welcome in her home and more than just a friend of her niece’s. Stacy was family.
Taking another sip of tea, she checked her watch again. She was worried that Stacy’s boss might interfere with Stacy’s travels, but Millie said that Stacy had taken precautions. The plane landed on time, and Ron, Marie’s neighbor, was picking Stacy up at the airport. Everything would be just fine. Ron was a good friend, a great neighbor, and a widower just like Marie. As Marie glanced around the property, she felt optimistic about this year’s horse riding camp and the extra help from Stacy. The young woman sounded like a spitfire by Millie’s description, including how she broke her boss’s nose when he attempted to attack her. Just the thought made Marie feel angry and concerned. She hoped that trouble wouldn’t follow the young woman, but she was confident that at least the Cantrells were nearby. The sheriff, deputy, and their men provided protection and safety to the entire community in the town of Pearl as well as the surrounding properties. Considering that Marie lived outside of the town limits, the Cantrell men were certain to keep her informed of any dangers as well as include her and the neighbors on events taking place in Pearl. It was a unique community. One that protected and watched over their own but also blossomed with young couples and new families. It was an entirely different place to live. There wasn’t any discrimination or crime or at least not anything other than some bored teenagers trying to prove themselves to their peers. In fact, a lot of the relationships were out of the norm. Marie took a sudden unsteady breath. She hoped that Mille explained to Stacy about the ménage relationships and the fact that many women had multiple husbands. Sighing, she looked toward the direction of the main road, hoping Stacy would get here soon.
* * * *
Ron Walker kept glancing at Stacy. He had a smile on his face and talked about Marie and the town of Pearl located just about ten minutes from Marie’s farm.
Stacy absorbed the scenery as Ron talked about the surrounding neighbors and the local businesses. “Marie runs a small horseback riding camp during the summer. It starts
up in two weeks,” Ron explained.
“That sounds really nice. But how can she handle that with her health and all?” she asked, and Ron’s eyes widened as if she had caught him off guard, and quickly he cleared his throat and pointed out the window toward the farmland. If it weren’t the first time she had ever seen a cowboy or a horse up close, Stacy would have pursued questioning Ron.
Stacy absorbed the sight of the very large cowboy as he sat atop a great big, black stallion. At least that was what she thought it was. Being a city girl, she wasn’t familiar with names of horses or breeds, but the cowboy snagged her attention. Her heart actually picked up pace as her eyes absorbed the sight of him. The truck slowed down, and before she knew what was happening, the cowboy was mere feet away from the pickup truck. She felt herself blush immediately at getting caught staring, but damn, was this guy straight out of a novel. Despite the long-sleeve, blue button-down shirt, she could tell that he was built. His tan neck had muscles, and even his face was muscular and kissed by the sun. The light bits of hair on his cheeks and chin indicated that he had a shadow of a beard. His Stetson was titled down low, and she couldn’t fully see his face, and she wondered what color his eyes would be. Perhaps they were deep blue like the sky above or even a sea of green like the grassy landscape to the left of them. As if on cue, he tilted his head back, allowing the sunshine to illuminate his face, and she inhaled, nearly choking on her own breath. His eyes locked with hers from across the driver’s side window. Thank God her hands remained clasped on her lap, because she wouldn’t have known what to do with them.