Live for Me (Hallow Ranch)

by Brittany Ann

“Abbie, you’re staying here.” I whirled at Dave’s declaration. “What? No! You came here to get me—” “—yeah, and Beau ran after you on horseback. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I agree with him. Your stalker is in Denver and you’re here, three hours away.”

“Abbie…your house was broken into and ransacked.” “What?” I breathed. My best friend looked pained as he pushed out the next words. “Your art room has been destroyed.” The next thing I knew, my knees were giving out, and I was heading for the pavement. A strong arm banded around my waist as a gut-wrenching cry escaped my mouth. I doubled over as Beau hauled me back against his body. “No! No! Dave, tell me you’re lying!”

I felt his mouth against my ear next. “Steady, Abbie.” I shook my head as Dave put his partner on speaker. “They—oh, God, Dave…” Harris trailed off. “What?” I shouted, desperate for answers, silently praying for mercy. “What is it?” “Abbie, sweetheart, they destroyed your art pieces. All of them.”

“I don’t have any cameras, Beau,” Abbie said, her voice thick as her brows came together in confusion. “You’ve had cameras since yesterday morning,” I returned, looking to the couple and holding my hand out. “Beau Marks.” The man took my hand. “Marcus Jackson,” he introduced, giving my hand a shake. “This is my wife, Alisha.” I tipped my hat to her as Abbie asked, “How did you—what do you mean I have cameras?” “Red Snake Investigations installed them,” I told her. She looked up, studying me as if I’d grown two heads. “I didn’t hire them.” “I did.”

Harris was a few inches shorter than Dave and had a round face. He also looked like he’d seen a ghost. “I, uh, y—you’re Beau? The Beau?” I raised an eyebrow, and Denver muttered something underneath his breath. “Yes,”

I looked at Abbie. She was staring into her house, trembling. I moved then, getting in front of her and hooking my finger under her chin. “Look at me,” I murmured roughly. Those brown eyes met mine, shining with tears. “You want me and the boys to go in first? You can stay out here with Dave and Harris.” She blinked, swallowing. “I have to see it,” she rasped. I tilted my head slowly. “I can see it for you, Abbie. You don’t have to go in there if you don’t want to.” “We can take a look, assess the damage, and go from there,” Denver said, his voice soft. Abbie looked over at him, and the next words out of her mouth rocked me to my core, down to the bottom of my broken soul. “Why are you here if you hate me?” she whispered. I stiffened.

“Neither of you belong here. Neither of you give a damn about me or what happens to me. I don’t understand why the both of you are here. Leave.”

There was a message etched into the wood. Come back to me, Abbie.

“Her staying here was never an option in the first place,” I stated firmly. My eyes bounced back and forth between them. “She is coming back to Hallow Ranch. If you boys have a fucking problem with that, tell me now, and I’ll find somewhere else to take her.” Denver’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” “Abbie knows she isn’t welcome, and she can fucking feel it,” I bit off through clenched teeth. “She hurt you, Beau,” Mason said bluntly, his tone forcing me to look at him. “She nearly destroyed you.” “Her life is more important than my fucking feelings,” I clipped. “We know that. However, the fact remains. You’re part of our family. She’s not,” Denver said, folding his arms over his chest. He looked into my eyes, his face set. “You claiming her again? Is that what this is?”

I wanted Abbie Spears. Always had and always would. But that didn’t mean I could have her. Watching her walk away from me earlier—that nearly killed me. I was going to let her go. I had my mind made up. She would leave me a second time, and I was ready to hire Red Snake. They could handle it, protect her in the ways she didn’t want me to. She would’ve been safe. But seeing her walk away for a second time caused something to snap inside me. As Dave pulled out of Hallow Ranch, my heart took over. Suddenly, I was back in the saddle, snapping the reins, chasing after her —like I should’ve done all those years ago. I should’ve never let her walk away from me; from the life we promised each other. I should’ve fought for her, demanded answers….

Dave came into the living room, devastation coating him. He looked at me behind his glasses. “Beau, you need to see this.” I moved, my footfalls echoing through the living room as the cowboys behind me fell silent. “What is it?” I demanded lowly. Dave looked gutted, his cheeks shining with leftover tears. “She won’t leave her art room.” I bit down, grinding my teeth as looked down the hall, my eyes focusing on the small doorway at the end on the left. When I was here the other night, it was only shut door in her house. I didn’t bother going in there to grab anything, knowing what sat inside. Her soul.

Come back, or I’ll destroy everything you love.

As I came around to her front, I spotted the small, wrapped canvas clutched to her chest. “Abbie,” I murmured after a few long, silent minutes, not taking her eyes off her face. She wasn’t looking at me. Her focus was on the group of huge canvases—her finished projects—leaning against the far wall, all splattered with that damned red paint. “Those are her commissions.”

“We have to go,” I tried again, ignoring the pain and fury coursing through my veins as the threat written on the window burned into my brain. She blinked, swallowing. “Okay.” “That means you have to get up, alright?” Those warm brown eyes snapped over to me, allowing me to see the utter devastation swimming in them. “I have nothing left,” she whispered. Her words struck me, hitting me directly in my broken, hopeless heart. My face relaxed, shock and sadness washing over me like a summer rain. “That’s not true,” I whispered back. God, I wanted to touch her. I wanted to reach out and cup her wet face, to spend the rest of eternity wiping her tears. But that wasn’t an option. My eyes dropped down to the wrapped art piece against her chest. “You can take that back to Hallow Ranch,” I said. She looked at me again, her eyes wide. I gestured around the room. “All of this can go.” She began to shake her head, but my next sentence stopped her. “He’ll never touch your art again, Abbie.”