Ro carefully pulled on jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt. “How is she doing?”
“Honestly, I think she’s got a long way to go before she’ll be able to be around a guy without looking like she’s going to crawl out of her skin. Except for Cam. He doesn’t seem to make her as nervous as everyone else.”
“Has she … said anything to you?”
Erica shook her head. “Not really. But I’d love to kill the guys who hurt her.”
“You already helped. One of the two guys I came to the farm with … he was one of them.”
“Are you serious? What the hell were you doing with them?”
“Long story …”
“Well, that’s the price you’re going to pay to stay in our cabin again. Because you must have had a hell of a good reason to be with a piece of shit like that.”
“Does it help to know that all of the others are dead, too?”
“Marginally. Now spill.”
So Ro spilled.
The next three days were awkward, to say the least. Graham was firmly back to avoiding her, but the inner compound of the ranch wasn’t so big that he was completely successful at it. Each time she saw him, her heart clenched before she could harden it. He made his choice. And hers. But she still wanted to know why he’d done it. Why he hadn’t even consulted her—or waited thirty seconds—before shutting out the possibility of a future together. She hadn’t yet gathered the courage to demand answers from him.
And then there was Zach. He was attentive as could be, but he was pulling far more than his fair share of fire watch and command post shifts. Ro wasn’t one hundred percent certain, but she assumed it was because he felt guilty about leaving his team short-handed and wanted to contribute as much as he could before they left. It could have been Graham’s revenge, but she didn’t think he’d be that petty. Graham’s actions were more of someone who had systematically cut them out of his life. At least he’d cut Ro out. Zach hadn’t mentioned any encounters with Graham, but Ro assumed they had to have spoken. She hadn’t found the right moment to ask. The rest of the time, Zach picked her up at the door of her cabin and walked her to the mess hall to eat. It was almost like they were dating, middle-school-style. Considering the man had had his dick in her ass, it was a little strange. They’d kiss, they’d cuddle, and they’d share heated looks, but that was it. The one time they’d attacked each other and started to get naked in the bathhouse, Ty had barreled in. His “nice tits” remark had Ro scrambling to throw her shirt back on, and the mood had been ruined. Which was just as well, because Ty had started stripping, intent on taking a shower.
Ro had been disappointed, but a little niggling part of her was concerned about being with Zach without Graham. She told herself that it would be fine. Hell, every sexual encounter she’d had before Graham and Zach, except for the Evelyn-Charles incident—which she didn’t count—had been one-on-one. A few two-on-one experiences and now she was worried about not having them both? Spoiled, Ro? She had to believe that if they’d continued on with their ménage, she would have been with each of them separately, probably sooner rather than later, so now shouldn’t be any different. But it was.
When Ro wasn’t contemplating that, she was trying to avoid thinking about the possibility of being pregnant. She told herself that it wasn’t likely. Weren’t there only like three days in any given month you could possibly get pregnant? Didn’t lots of women try for years to get pregnant without luck? What were the odds? They couldn’t be that good. And then she thought about that show, 16 and Pregnant. She bet those girls had thought the same damn thing. So, what if she was? The baby could be either Graham’s or Zach’s. It wasn’t like a paternity test was a possibility. She never thought she would ever be in a position where she didn’t know who her baby daddy was. Might as well move into the redneck trailer park in the woods. Oh wait, they’d firebombed it.
And now, Ro was heading back to the clinic to meet Beau and get his all clear on leaving tomorrow morning. Only one more day at the ranch, and Allison had declared that a farewell dinner was required. She’d already started cooking up the feast. Ro pushed open the door, wondering if Beau would suggest another pregnancy test. Mind drifting, she stumbled when she saw Graham seated on the middle cot, Beau changing his bandages. Her gaze was drawn to the red and angry-looking wound that interrupted Graham’s heavily muscled frame. She could see what Zach meant, another inch and Graham could have died. Ro shivered at the thought. A throat clearing made Ro tear her gaze away from his side.
“I … I’ll come back. Didn’t realize you were busy.”
Beau looked at Graham, eyebrow raised. Ro couldn’t interpret their silent conversation.