Heart like a Truck -Duskwood

Chapter 3: Keeping Safe

She found herself in the barn without even realizing it. Casey of course tried to kick her out so she could relax but after the worst moment this morning she needed to keep busy, otherwise her hunting knives were being used. She was still frustrated after the ride here and she knew why, her mind wouldn't let go of this morning's event.

"Jake, I need you to stick around" her voice laced with regret for not having the conversation last night.

"Cecilia, I cannot let them find you here. I have to keep you safe." His voice was full of regret, this was a conversation they had everytime.

Her eyes started to tear up, she wasn't one to cry but here she found herself on the verge. They had moved to the kitchen and drinking coffee after breakfast and cleaning up. She didn't know how to make him stay but she couldn't take him leaving her yet. She had been looking at her coffee when she felt his hand in her arm. As she looked up, she saw he was struggling with this conversation.

"I can keep myself and everyone one this damn ranch safe. INCLUDING YOU JAKE!" She never was one to yell but this was a conversation that was needing to be said. She couldn't keep watching him run away when things right here were great.

"You can't keep me safe, not from them" his voice was gentle even though she just yelled at him.

"I can though, and the fact that you even doubt me in this breaks my heart." She slammed her coffee cup down. Her stomach was in knots as she glared at him. She needed him to understand she didnt need to be kept safe from harm.

She watched his eyes but he didn't say anything but sighed. She couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the house before she started to break things.

She was brought back to the barn by the calf hitting the empty can. She knew this baby needs food so she put her frustration aside and got the milk ready. She sat on the stool and held the bottle. She felt the tension melt away and smiling.

She heard the barn door open and Caseys voice. "She should be in here still." She knew who he was talking too and she wasn't ready to continue this.

"Cece, I told you I would do that," she heard the pity in Casey voice incthe words but refused to look at him. Making sure they baby didn't down the food too fast.

"I need to do this today, Casey. Just leave me alone please." It was evident she was on the verge of tears again by just her voice. She heard him sigh and leave, she knew Jake was still there watching her. She let the calf finish the bottle and stood up. "Just say it Jake."

He wasn't sure what she wanted him to say but after talking with Casey now he knew she needed him around. He watched her close the gate and walked up to her. His hands on her waist and staring into her hazel eyes. "You're right, I don't need to keep you safe. However, I want too so I don't ever lose you."

"You can only lose me by never coming back. I'm too damn much in love with you Jake Andrews to let you walk away from me for good." She started feeling the tears fall down her face and he wiped them away.

"Losing you could also be them capturing me. I made you a promise back in Duskwood, before we even met. I will never let that happen. I can't evade you Cecilia." He gripped her face, making her look into his ocean blue eyes.

"Then let's make you a goddamn cowboy, so they don't suspect you here." Her voice filled with a playful tone, as her hand not holding the bottle wrapped around his arm.

"My love, I'm far from a cowboy," he states with a chuckle. This was the honest truth. He was a city man all the way through. Everything from the way he dressed to the jobs he did to make it from place to place to end back here with her. Sure he wasn't afraid of manual labor but he could barely keep up with her on this ranch, no way could he do what the guys here do.

"Are you challenging me?" She smirked and he knew she had a plan already to keep him here. He just smiled back and shook his head. She finally let go and he watched her walk away from him.

He noticed she had put her hair into a braid since she left the house after this morning's events and had a trucker hat on instead of her normal black cowboy hat. He hadn't seen her leave with it like normal and wondered where she had it.

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Concern had hit his soul, he was so busy he hadn't realized he hadn't seen Cece or Jake since he left them in the barn. He still wasn't sure what had happened that morning to put her on that edge but it was never a good sign.

He turned the corner from outside of the barn filled with hay and had seen two black SUVs driving up the road.

This isn't good, the thought ran through his mind.

Cecilia had told him to always grab her for something like this as he looked over the pasture he saw her truck by the area with the mustang. Hopping on his ATV he started it up and drove over to where he saw her and Jake.

She heard the ATV and got out of the ring with the horse, so she didn't get kicked. While she was breaking it, it was going to be a long way before she fully trusted to be in there not fully watching. She saw Casey and knew it wasn't good.

"Toss him your keys, Jake." There was only reason why Casey would have that look. She knew exactly what she needed to do. He sensed her urgency and grabbed his keys and tossed them to Casey to grab.

"Clothes are in my cabin and a pair of old boots!" Casey yelled over the ATV sound.

Bolting into the truck, I still wasn't sure what was happening but I had to trust them. She sped through the dirt roads they had created overtime pulling up to Casey's cabin.

Meeting her around the front of the truck, the stoned mask she normally held was turning towards being scared.

"Cecilia, what's going on?" Jake's voice laced with concern for himself and her at this moment.

"Just follow mine and Casey lead please?" The pleading tone, obviously there, as she grabbed his hand pulling him into the cabin and to where Casey sleeps. "Undress Jake," she turned around to the closet. She grabbed an outfit and tossed to Jake before looking for the boots and pulling them out. She continued looking for any hat but this man only worn his cowboy hat. She signed and took off her's to give to Jake.

Turning around she caught Jake already mostly dressed and her breathing had stopped as she looked at him. She had to stop herself from jumping him into Casey's bed. She felt the heat forming in her core but had to bring herself back. She managed to grab clothes from the closet that fit Jake almost perfectly and wondered why Casey had kept these.

She looked at him and wanted nothing more than to push him in the bed and straddle him in this moment. She had just told him to get dressed and she wanted to undress him. Never in her life would she have thought she looked so damn good dressed like this and yet she found herself drooling over him.

The worn out jeans covered in stains of years of working the ranch and the red plaid that is faded from the sun. She couldn't help but stare at the sight in front of her. However she noticed he hadn't tucked the shirt in. "Darling, shirt tucked in" she sighed as she had to start thinking again. He did as he was told and slid the boots on under the legs of the jeans and adjusted her hat to fit him. She was going to jump him later somewhere on this damn ranch for certain. The door swung open to the front, causing her to jump from those thoughts of later.

"There are two black SUVS with men looking for you Cecilia," Casey's words rang out loud and she felt her mouth go dry.

Focused on Cecilia's commands for him, he hadn't taken a look around. He noticed the look in her eyes though but as the look changed from lust to concern he stepped forward. Leaving barely any space between them his hands went to her waist.

Casey's words repeated through his mind. He shouldn't have come last night and stayed today without monitoring them. He didn't have a good feeling but was going to accept the outcome of his mistakes.

She walked over to the sink and grabbed a glass of water and downed it. She should have gone for something stronger but Casey was watching her like a hawk. She took a deep breath and found her confidence.

"Then let's go find what they want." As she turned and saw the bottle of Jack Daniels.