When Roses Collide

Chapter Twenty-Three

Oh why did he have to use that tone of voice? It was like kryptonite to Harley's conscious and she closed her eyes briefly against the wave of guilt which rolled over her. What was she going to tell him? If she told Bo the full truth of what was happening in this Peyton Palace of a town, he would start jamming gears and burn rubber in her direction.  Although she loved each and every one of those guys unconditionally, they took overprotection to a whole other hemisphere.

As much as she would love to have them home, this was something she needed to do for herself. Harley wasn't even sure of the reason why it was so important. Ever since the day she found the deed to this property, it was as if it was calling to her. Something deep inside would not let it go and so she spent months convincing everyone that a move to Wolf Springs was the right decision. When they still drug their feet and refused to budge, she had resorted to drawing the lines in the sand and gave them an ultimatum. They could either come with her...or stay behind.

Once the gauntlet had been thrown, she felt as if she needed to prove to them and herself that she could do this. Yes, she wanted her family home, but she wanted to try and work out her own dilemmas before they arrived. With things the way they were now...she shivered...there would be some serious consequences of having six cantankerous cowboys stampede into town like a herd of bloodthirsty brahma bulls, mowing down anyone and everything that happened to be in their paths.

Harley's inner evil demon did a happy dance of delight at the thought of the mayhem it would cause, especially towards the repugnant Rafferty. Her naughty demon got particularly pleased as an image of the malodorous man getting his butt trampled in the dirt floated through her subconscious. But...she needed to reel in the tiny terror and think sensibly. Telling Bo about Rafferty right now would only make things worse and prove to him that he had been right all along.

Chuckey's day of reckoning was coming, she was sure of it. But, not at the cost of her boys or the price of making Wolf Springs their new home. She was here to stay and winning that Rancher's Rodeo would secure their place among the locals which had to be top priority if she wanted the Gypsy Rose to stand a snowballs chance in El Paso of ever succeeding here.

She would figure out a way to deal with Rafferty. If there was one thing she knew about bullies, it was they all shared the same kindred mentality when it came to choosing a victim. He probably figured it was easy to pick on and threaten one lone woman by herself which gave him a superior sense of power. But, once she proved to him she was not an easy mark, his inner coward would take control and have him tucking his tail to scamper back under whatever rock had burped him up.

At least she hoped that would be the case. There was no point in getting the guys stirred up and worried more, but neither was Bo going to drop the inquisition he had her under unless she gave him something to ease his mind. Like all men, he wanted to fix stuff and so she would need to give him something to fixate on and appease his inner Dudley Do-Right.

Harley gave a heavy melodramatic sigh, adding to the dramatic suspense. "I have been busy Bo, but there have been some complications I didn't expect." She added a little whine to her voice and rolled her eyes at her lackluster acting skills.

Shooting a quick prayer skyward, she was grateful Bo wasn't looking her dead in the eye at the moment. Not that she was exactly lying. True, Rafferty was a ginormous complication, but telling Bo was completely out of the question and besides, he would find out soon enough if Rafferty didn't turn tail and run as she expected he would without her jumping the gun. He wanted issues to sink his teeth into and she will give him some...even though they were a lighthearted Disney version.

"I have been trying to get the phone and cable company out here, but, apparently, I have to offer up a first born on the eve of a blood moon for that to happen. I am beginning to think we are stuck in the land technology forgot. It's a freaking miracle I even have a cell phone connection. Two steps in the wrong direction and poof...it's gone. How are you at carving stone tablets?" Bo's chuckling eased her mind and Harley felt the first tugs of a true smile cross her lips since she had gotten home this afternoon.