Chapter 32

A sudden rush of fear surged through Shayna, turning her blood to ice water. Her hands, once relaxed in her lap, clenched into tight fists as her breath quickened, and a cold sweat broke out across her forehead. What was the law doing here? she wondered frantically, her mind immediately leaping to the worst-case scenario. Had Erik somehow tracked her down through his network of police friends? Her stomach twisted into knots as panic gripped her, making it hard to breathe.

Every mile she had fled, every effort to escape his menacing grasp, felt as though it was unraveling in an instant. Her chance at peace and happiness, the fragile hope she had begun to nurture, would be crushed under the weight of his relentless pursuit. The walls of safety she had slowly started to rebuild around herself felt like they were crumbling, and the specter of Erik's control loomed large, threatening to engulf her once more.

Dayton noticed the color drain from Shayna’s face, her previously composed demeanor now shattered by an unspoken terror. “Shayna, are you okay?” he asked.

Shayna shook her head, trying to muster some semblance of calm, but the dread gnawing at her insides wouldn’t let her. “Why is the sheriff here?” she whispered, her voice trembling as she struggled to keep her fear at bay.

Dayton’s reassuring grip on her arm was the only thing keeping her grounded as they approached the house. The sheriff, a tall man with a smiling face and a cream-colored Stetson, turned towards them, his expression one of casual familiarity.

“Well, hello, Dayton. Is all this sunshine agreeing with you?” the sheriff called out, his voice carrying a warm, friendly tone that seemed at odds with the knot of anxiety tightening in Shayna's chest.

Shayna stood immobilized as she stared at the lawman. On the other hand, Dayton seemed glad to see him. Taking her by the arm, he led her toward the house and the waiting sheriff.

“I could use several more days like this,” Dayton replied, his voice steady and calm. He glanced back at Shayna, giving her a reassuring smile before turning his attention to the sheriff. “What brings you out here today, Sheriff?”

The sheriff, whose name badge read "Sheriff Brady," motioned with his head toward Shayna’s van, which was parked conspicuously in front of the house. “Just wanted to say hey to everybody. I ran into Big Bill down on the highway. He said he’d been instructed to bring this van up here to the ranch.”

Shayna’s pulse quickened at the mention of her van, her mind racing with all the possible ways Erik could have tracked her down. The fear that had gripped her heart tightened, making it difficult to breathe.

Dayton nodded, his expression unreadable. “That’s right. It belongs to Miss Rogers here. She’s staying on the ranch with us for a few days.”

Shayna’s head snapped up at the mention of her name, her eyes darting between Dayton and the sheriff. She had been so lost in her own thoughts and fears that she hadn’t even registered that the sheriff might not be there for the reasons she had feared.

Sheriff Brady tipped his Stetson in her direction, a warm smile softening the lines of his face. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he said, his voice kind and reassuring. “Don’t worry, just a routine check. Wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Shayna managed a weak smile, though her mind was still reeling. The sheriff’s presence, though likely benign, had triggered a cascade of memories and fears that she had worked so hard to bury.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” she replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I appreciate you bringing the van back.”

Sheriff Brady nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer, as if he sensed the turmoil beneath her calm exterior. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call,” he said, his tone earnest. “We’re here to help.”

Shayna could scarcely breathe. “Are you here to give me a driving ticket?” she asked, her voice barely steady as she tried to mask the tremor of fear that had gripped her heart.

Dayton immediately burst out laughing, a rich, warm sound that echoed through the yard. As soon as he did, the sheriff smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Totally confused by their behavior, Shayna glanced frantically from one man to the other, her heart still pounding with the remnants of her earlier fear. “No, ma’am,” the sheriff said, shaking his head. “I figure your sliding off in the ditch was due to Mother Nature and not your driving. I just like to check in on my cousin every few days and make sure he’s not getting into trouble.”

Surprised, Shayna looked from one man to the other, her brow furrowing in confusion. “You two are cousins?”

“On my dad’s side,” Dayton told her, a grin spreading across his face. “So there are two Radisson men in this county.”

“Yeah, and Dayton is the ugly one,” the sheriff quipped, his grin broadening into a playful smirk.

Shayna was beginning to see the resemblance between them now—the same broad shoulders, the same easy smile. The realization made her relax a little, the tension easing from her shoulders as the initial panic ebbed away. She was also trembling with relief, her earlier fear dissipating as she realized that Erik hadn’t sent the sheriff looking for a Shayna Rogers from New York.

“Yeah, but it’s obvious that I got the brains,” Dayton shot back, his eyes sparkling with humor.

The sheriff, who looked to be around the same age as Dayton, laughed and clapped his cousin on the back. “Are you going to be here for the wedding, Miss Rogers?”

Shayna nodded at him hesitantly, her mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events. “I think so.”

“Then you’re in for a big treat,” the sheriff said with a chuckle. “Aunt Martha is the best cook this side of the county.”

Laughing, he climbed into the patrol car, the vehicle’s engine rumbling to life as he prepared to leave. “You two behave. That’s an order,” he called out with a teasing grin.

With a good-natured groan, Dayton waved him out of the driveway, his smile lingering as the sheriff drove away, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

“That boy is—” Dayton’s words came to an abrupt halt as he turned around to see Shayna limping hurriedly toward the house. “Shayna?”

She didn’t answer or acknowledge that she’d heard him. Cursing under his breath, he trotted after her. Just as she was about to step up onto the porch, he caught her by the arm.

“What’s the matter? Are you in that big of a hurry to get away from me?”

Shayna darted a glance at him, then as quickly looked away, “I’m—just cold.”

She looked more than cold to Dayton. Her face was as white as the snow on the ground and she was trembling so badly her teeth were chattering. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost! What’s frightened you?”

Frustrated with herself and with him, she tried to shake the hold he had on her arm, but her efforts only made him tighten his grip.

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” she said, trying her best to sound convincing.

“I see. That’s why you’re quaking like a leaf. That’s why you were running to the house. Are you trying to completely ruin your ankle?”

Not waiting around to be badgered with more questions, she ran into the house.

Something about the tone of his voice struck a nerve inside Shayna, making resentment flare in her eyes as she glared up at him, “If you really must know, your cousin scared me. So there! Can you quit questioning me now? Because I don’t like it!”

Dayton's brows shot up, then pulled into a disbelieving line above his eyes. He couldn’t fathom why Brady, a man who was practically a brother to him, would scare Shayna. The idea seemed absurd to him, almost laughable, but he could see the fire in her eyes and knew she was dead serious. “Brady scared you? That’s crazy!”

Gritting her teeth, Shayna jerked her arm free of his grasp, her movements sharp and jerky with the force of her emotion. “Then I guess I’m crazy!” she snapped, her voice rising with the frustration she’d kept bottled up for so long.

Dayton took a step back, stunned by her outburst. This wasn’t the Shayna he remembered, the woman who had always been so composed, so self-assured. The raw anger in her eyes was a stark contrast to the calm, collected exterior she usually maintained. “Shayna, what’s going on? Why are you so upset?” he asked.

Shayna turned away, wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to hold herself together. She took a deep, shuddering breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. “You wouldn’t understand,” she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. “You’ve never had to deal with someone like Erik.”

Dayton's confusion deepened. “What does Erik have to do with this?” he asked, stepping closer again, his voice gentle but insistent. He placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer comfort, but she shrugged it off, her body rigid with tension.

“Everything!” she exclaimed, spinning back to face him, her eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and pain. “You don’t know what it’s like to be constantly looking over your shoulder, to never feel safe … ”

With that, she turned and hobbled away as fast as she could.

Martha was at the kitchen sink, but Shayna hurried on past Dayton’s mother and down the hall to her bedroom.

Once inside with the door shut, she tore off her coat and sank onto the edge of the bed. Her hands were shaking and her cheeks, which had been ice-cold a few moments ago were now flaming with heat.

Pressing her palms to her face, she groaned out loud. What was the matter with her? She’d gotten upset over nothing. Now Dayton was going to think she was crazy or worse!

But the fear that Erik might have tracked her down and sent the sheriff after her had been so great she’d been frozen with it. By the time she’d learned differently, aftershock had taken over.

“Shayna!”

Dayton’s roar was followed by a knock on the bedroom door. Before Shayna could yell at him to go away, he strode into the room as if he owned it. His presence filled the space, his face a mask of determination and anger. The air seemed to crackle with unresolved tension.

Shayna jumped up from the bed, her heart pounding in her chest. “What do you want?” she demanded, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury.

“I wasn’t through with you,” Dayton said angrily, his eyes flashing with a fierce intensity that made Shayna’s blood run cold. There was something in his tone, something commanding and unyielding, that sent a wave of rage coursing through her veins.

“Well, I was certainly through with you,” she retorted, then swiping her tousled hair away from her face, she turned and walked over to the armchair where she’d left files.

The authoritative tone of his words infuriated Shayna. Erik had treated her as if he owned her. He considered her to be his object to be questioned, insulted, or discarded whenever he chose. She’d be damned to hell before she’d allow another man to treat her that way.

“Don’t you dare talk to me like that,” she snapped, her eyes blazing as she stood her ground. “I’m not one of your ranch hands that you can boss around, Dayton Radisson. I’m not some possession you can control!”

“I’m not trying to control you, Shayna,” he said, his voice more subdued but still tinged with frustration. “I just want to understand why you’re so hell-bent on pushing me away.”

Shayna clenched her fists at her sides, her body trembling with the effort to keep her emotions in check. “Maybe because every time I start to trust someone, they turn around and stab me in the back,” she spat, her voice cracking with the weight of her pain and betrayal. “Maybe because I’m tired of being lied to, used, and discarded like I’m nothing!”

“I never meant to hurt you, Shayna,” he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I made mistakes, I know that. But I never wanted to make you feel like this.”

Shayna shook her head, her eyes filling with tears that she refused to let fall. “You say that now, but actions speak louder than words, Dayton,” she said bitterly. “You let me walk away without a word, without even trying to stop me. You didn’t care enough to fight for me then, so why should I believe you care now?”

“I thought I was giving you what you wanted,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I thought letting you go was what you needed.”

Shayna let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “You really don’t get it, do you?” she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and sadness. “I didn’t need you to let me go, Dayton. I needed you to fight for me, to show me that I mattered to you.”

Dayton’s heart ached at the raw emotion in her voice, the vulnerability that she had tried so hard to hide. “You do matter to me, Shayna,” he said softly.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again, Dayton,” she whispered.