Ladd Haven Read Free Page B

wasn’t going to let her down—ever.
    Troy’s heart wrenched as he envisioned
Casey lying in Jimmy’s arms. He could see her pale white skin, her
delicate curves, her tender smile—could recall the scent of her
with painful accuracy—and she had revealed it all to Jimmy. Busting
into his bedroom, he slammed a fist on the dresser.
“Dammit!”
    Visions of Jimmy Sweeney sitting across
from his woman roused a hatred that unnerved Troy. He’d wanted to
lash out and punch the kid in the face. Flatten him. It was
probably his fault Casey didn’t return any of his calls. Originally
Troy had blamed Casey’s lack of response on her mother but
now...
    Thoughts of Jimmy and Casey together
swirled in a sickening mix of disbelief and jealously the likes of
which he’d never felt before. It had probably been Jimmy who
convinced her not to talk to him. Troy knew the guy had been
waiting to get his hands on her. Probably snuck in the second he
left town to grab his opportunity.
    But Casey was Troy’s woman and only
his. She told him so. Promised it would always be that way. She
couldn’t love Jimmy. She couldn’t get over him that quick—it was
impossible.
    Had been impossible for him. Every day
on the job became harder and harder, his mind split between
thoughts of Casey and the horse he was working. He couldn’t focus
and the animal knew it, fought him every step of the way. The head
rancher thought he was a loser. Thought his talk of training and
experience was nothing but bull. It wasn’t. Mr. Foster had backed
him up with a phone call. But in the end it didn’t matter. Troy
couldn’t focus, couldn’t perform his duties. He couldn’t do
anything without Casey.
    Raking a hand through his hair, he
pulled his bangs tight. Sending his gaze fitfully about his room,
his bed untouched, his suitcase unpacked, he wondered what next?
Should he leave town? Should he give up and move on, accept that
Casey had done the same? Settling on her vision, remembering blue
eyes that cradled him with more love than he had ever known, a
heart that encouraged him with a voice more certain about his
future than even his own, Troy knew he couldn’t leave. He couldn’t
give up. As sure as he was standin’ here, his gut clenched tighter
than a dog on a bone, he couldn’t leave. Not until he was sure. Not
until Casey told him to get out of town pointblank would he
leave.
    He’d stay. He’d stay and wait her out.
Maybe she’d realize what a mistake she was making by choosing
Jimmy. Maybe after she had time to think about it, she’d change her
mind and come back to him. His heart sank into his boots. She had
to. No other girl but Casey would do.
    Travis Parker appeared in the doorway
to his bathroom. “Whoa, brother. What’s got you so riled
up?”
    “ None of your damn
business,” Troy fumed, hardly able to manage the rage and suffering
streaming through his veins without the presence of his
self-righteous brother. Travis always acted like he knew better
than Troy. Like he was superior. Well, he wasn’t. Even dressed in
his uppity jeans and designer T-shirt or with his first year of
college behind him, his twin brother was no better than
Troy.
    Travis smiled, his eyes dripping with
self-importance. “Sure doesn’t look like nothing to me.”
    “ Well, it is.”
    Travis leaned against the doorframe,
his gaze matching the smug smirk on his lips as he crossed arms
over his chest. “Get turned down?”
    Troy wanted to rip that smile right off
his mouth. Instead, he yanked the hat from his head and tossed it
to his bed. Pulling the wallet from his back pocket, he chucked it
to the bureau. It slid into a picture of his parents, sending the
frame crashing to the ground.
    Travis chuckled as though he knew
exactly what was going on. “Shouldn’t have left her in the first
place.”
    Troy whipped a finger toward his
brother. “Back off, Travis. This ain’t none of your business and I
ain’t in the mood to mess with you.” Troy yanked