Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

Sloan’s throat tightened and her eyes stung as she shut the door on Rhett Coleville and shut out the hope of getting to know that incredible man better as well.

It was far too tempting to lean into his strong chest, use his expertise, let him protect her and lift her out of the mud.

She’d slipped into this mud herself and would figure out how to get out on her own. She always did.

She’d learned young not to cry. When her mom died, her dad had let her cry for half a minute, then he’d told her that ‘Jensens can do every hard thing’ and he’d put her to work on a construction site.

Her dad had taught her hard work, but she had no love in her heart for him.

When she was thirteen, she’d longed to be on the volleyball team. She’d only played in P.E. class, but the teacher had claimed she was ‘really incredible’. She stayed after school and went to the volleyball tryouts. It was only the first day, but the coach told her at the end of the tryout that she would make a spot on the team for her.

She was thrilled and rushed home, hoping her dad wouldn’t find out. Of course the housekeeper Stella told him. Sloan had no allies. Her dad paid their paychecks and probably had dirt on them as well.

The only thing her dad said to her that night was she had to learn a lesson for not coming directly home from school.

When she tried to walk into the volleyball tryouts the next day, the coach barred the locker room door. Her eyes that had been so approving were cold. Sloan would never forget her words.

We cannot allow a young lady who would sell herself to adult men to be on our team. We have to protect the other girls.

Sloan had been mortified, she’d tried to protest but the coach wouldn’t listen. The girls that had overheard spread the rumors throughout the school.

After that, she had been treated more like a pariah than ever. She didn’t know how her dad had fabricated the lie, but he had. All he’d said that night was, “Don’t push me, Sloan. That was a mild repercussion for disobeying.”

All she wanted as an adult was to stay away from him. He was an awful man who thought everything had to go his way, especially his daughter’s life.

Not happening. He would be furious if he learned she was here. They hadn’t spoken in six months, so hopefully he’d never learn about it.

Her thoughts immediately swung back to Rhett. She’d teased and bantered with him like she’d never done with a man before. Something in his blue eyes tugged her in, as if he knew her well and was still drawn to her. She thought of how enticing and tough he’d looked fighting her cousins and how mind-altering it felt to be held close to him, to smell that unique wood shavings, pine, and vanilla scent.

Sloan tugged her suitcases into the room, pushed them flat, and unzipped them. Pulling out the dirty clothes that she’d thankfully had a garment bag for in her suitcase, she added the coat, skirt, and shirt to a laundry bag in the closet, placed the order with the front desk, and set that in the hallway. Then she took her shoes to the sink and started scrubbing the mud off.

When she felt a drop on her arm, she looked up sharply into the mirror.

A tear?

It was a tear. Her eyes were red and stung with more tears, her nose was drippy, and her throat was tight.

No. Anything but the weakness of tears.

Dang Rhett Coleville.

She kept scrubbing. More tears kept falling. Most of the mud came off, but the pink color was stained, the finish of the shoes ruined by her scrubbing.

“Argh!” She was angry and sad and so alone. She’d always been alone, until college and Kathy. Why did it hurt deeply to be alone tonight?

Washing her hands and setting the shoes aside, she stripped out of her clothes and started the shower. The hot water pounding on her head and upper back felt good, but nothing felt as good as Rhett’s touch had.

She’d claimed that no man could make her cry. Earlier today, she might have believed that. She hadn’t cried when she went off to college and knew her dad was no longer in charge of her life. He’d cut her off financially and she’d been relieved. She’d had to wait tables at night and apply for every random scholarship she could find to make it through, but she’d done it. She was proud of herself and only relied on herself, Kathy, and her Father above. No man.

But Rhett …

Why did he have to be the most alluring man she’d ever met, and completely off limits to her? His mentor Josh had been so livid. She’d only cause contention if she asked Rhett to help her.

Help her? She didn’t ask anyone to help her. What was she thinking?

Maybe under different circumstances, she and Rhett would have had a chance to actually date and get to know one another. If only he wasn’t so … protective, manly, burly, chivalrous … everything she shouldn’t want but somehow on Rhett it was enticing. He was also patient, fun to talk and tease with, eye candy, hard-working, successful, from a great family …

It didn’t matter. Nothing Rhett had to offer could make her let down her guard.

She would never put herself in a man’s power again.

She was free, and she would somehow fix all the messes with the property. Prove she didn’t need Rhett or anyone else.

When everything settled, she felt like his equal, and his friend Josh didn’t hate her any longer … then could she let him buy her dinner?

No. Independent and free. That meant no cowboy heroes like Rhett Coleville.

A man like him was the exact opposite of what she was looking for. She needed a submissive, quiet guy.

Why, then, did she feel so drawn to Rhett?

Shutting the shower off, she dried off and slid into some comfortable pajamas.

Her phone rang.

Please not my dad , she begged. He’d keep calling back until she eventually answered, and he’d be livid if he found out she’d come up here when he’d forbidden her to last time they spoke.

She yanked out her phone, looked at the name, and closed her eyes for a moment. Thank you, she breathed in a prayer.

“Kathy! I need you, friend.”

“That’s why I’m calling. How did the day go?”

Sloan let out a rattling breath, and the entire saga spilled out. Kathy oohed and ahhed, screamed and exclaimed. She said a prayer of gratitude in her head for her friend. Sloan might not need any man, but she could drool over Rhett with Kathy.

She could only lean on her best friend and the Savior.