chose Missy. His fight with Dan could wait—for now. Before he delved into the dark tree line, Red grabbed a can of beer from a nearby cooler. Cold and heavy in his hand, it'd act as an ice-pack until Missy got a proper one.
His dad had been a proficient hunter and tracker when Red was a kid. Now the guy sat in a cushy retirement home, and his skills hadn't exactly been passed on to the next generation. However, despite a few fumbles, Red managed to eventually find his target. Seated on a stony bank along the creek's edge, Missy had taken off her shoes, her hand still pressed to her cheek, and set her feet in the water.
Red slowed as he drew nearer, deliberately making his footfalls heavy so that he wouldn't startle her. Despite his efforts, Missy still flinched when she glanced back, and he held up his hands to steady her when she tried to stand, like soothing a frightened animal.
"It's okay. It's just me," he said softly, and she eased back onto the rock. Unsure of whether he ought to sit or stand, Red opted for the safer middle ground and crouched beside her, holding out the cold beer can. "Here. It'll stop the swelling."
Her green eyes darted between his face and the can before she gingerly accepted it. The winch she gave when she pressed the smooth metal to her cheek made his jaw clench, and thoughts of slamming Dan's face into a tree came back full-force.
"I should have known you'd find me," she sighed as he placed a hand on her back. She was shivering, though he knew it wasn't from the chilly spring air. No, it was probably adrenaline. Her eyes glistened in the moonlight, slivers of white light breaking through the canopy, but there was an anger in those green orbs too. Rage. A growing fire that refused to be extinguished. "You seem to have a bit of a white knight complex, Red."
"I don't think so," he argued, finally easing down next to her. Unlike Missy, he kept his feet dry out of the creek. "I'm just not about to sit around and watch a guy bully his girl. It's bullshit."
She stared ahead of her, her gaze unfocused, then nodded. "Yeah. It's a big pile of steaming bullshit."
They exchanged a look quickly, and Red shifted closer when he noticed her hesitant smile. Suddenly, his whole arm was around her narrow shoulders, and he pulled her against him.
"He wanted to—"
"I don't want to know what the fight was about," Red murmured, "because it doesn't matter. You don't deserve this… He had no right."
Especially not here, in front of everyone. It was an opportunity to assert the ultimate authority: Dan could beat his girlfriend in front of a hundred other people, and no one would say a thing about it. That asshole thought he was untouchable.
"No, he doesn't," she whispered. "Nobody does."
Without thinking, he pressed his lips to the side of her head, right by her temple, and left a soft, lingering kiss. She stilled against him, and for a few seconds, the undeniable urge to run for the hills took over. What the hell had he done? Here she was, hiding in the woods because her boyfriend had just hit her, and Red was, what, swooping in to take advantage? No. No, he couldn't—even if they'd grown a little closer since he found her at Dan's place all those weeks ago. They'd exchanged looks from across the bar reserved only for one another. Sometimes she grabbed his hand and squeezed when she walked by him, never long enough for anyone else to notice.
Things were shifting between them, and it wasn't until now, with her cuddled up to him in the silence of the woods, that he realized the full extent of it all. He was falling for her. Red was falling hard for his Missy Mae. If he'd been a decent guy, he would have ran. It wasn't fair to her to be dragged through more crap from some new guy—but if he could help it, he wouldn't drag her through anything. He'd lift her onto his shoulders and show her off to the world. Let everyone marvel at her beauty, at her
His dad had been a proficient hunter and tracker when Red was a kid. Now the guy sat in a cushy retirement home, and his skills hadn't exactly been passed on to the next generation. However, despite a few fumbles, Red managed to eventually find his target. Seated on a stony bank along the creek's edge, Missy had taken off her shoes, her hand still pressed to her cheek, and set her feet in the water.
Red slowed as he drew nearer, deliberately making his footfalls heavy so that he wouldn't startle her. Despite his efforts, Missy still flinched when she glanced back, and he held up his hands to steady her when she tried to stand, like soothing a frightened animal.
"It's okay. It's just me," he said softly, and she eased back onto the rock. Unsure of whether he ought to sit or stand, Red opted for the safer middle ground and crouched beside her, holding out the cold beer can. "Here. It'll stop the swelling."
Her green eyes darted between his face and the can before she gingerly accepted it. The winch she gave when she pressed the smooth metal to her cheek made his jaw clench, and thoughts of slamming Dan's face into a tree came back full-force.
"I should have known you'd find me," she sighed as he placed a hand on her back. She was shivering, though he knew it wasn't from the chilly spring air. No, it was probably adrenaline. Her eyes glistened in the moonlight, slivers of white light breaking through the canopy, but there was an anger in those green orbs too. Rage. A growing fire that refused to be extinguished. "You seem to have a bit of a white knight complex, Red."
"I don't think so," he argued, finally easing down next to her. Unlike Missy, he kept his feet dry out of the creek. "I'm just not about to sit around and watch a guy bully his girl. It's bullshit."
She stared ahead of her, her gaze unfocused, then nodded. "Yeah. It's a big pile of steaming bullshit."
They exchanged a look quickly, and Red shifted closer when he noticed her hesitant smile. Suddenly, his whole arm was around her narrow shoulders, and he pulled her against him.
"He wanted to—"
"I don't want to know what the fight was about," Red murmured, "because it doesn't matter. You don't deserve this… He had no right."
Especially not here, in front of everyone. It was an opportunity to assert the ultimate authority: Dan could beat his girlfriend in front of a hundred other people, and no one would say a thing about it. That asshole thought he was untouchable.
"No, he doesn't," she whispered. "Nobody does."
Without thinking, he pressed his lips to the side of her head, right by her temple, and left a soft, lingering kiss. She stilled against him, and for a few seconds, the undeniable urge to run for the hills took over. What the hell had he done? Here she was, hiding in the woods because her boyfriend had just hit her, and Red was, what, swooping in to take advantage? No. No, he couldn't—even if they'd grown a little closer since he found her at Dan's place all those weeks ago. They'd exchanged looks from across the bar reserved only for one another. Sometimes she grabbed his hand and squeezed when she walked by him, never long enough for anyone else to notice.
Things were shifting between them, and it wasn't until now, with her cuddled up to him in the silence of the woods, that he realized the full extent of it all. He was falling for her. Red was falling hard for his Missy Mae. If he'd been a decent guy, he would have ran. It wasn't fair to her to be dragged through more crap from some new guy—but if he could help it, he wouldn't drag her through anything. He'd lift her onto his shoulders and show her off to the world. Let everyone marvel at her beauty, at her
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