ThE BUCKHORN LEGACY

Feeling stiff and awkward, she rolled one shoulder in a casual shrug. “I’m sorry.” Her words trembled, nearly incoherent, and she cleared her throat. She wanted to beg him not to hate her, but that wouldn’t be fair. “I know it was wrong. I had to say something to get away and I couldn’t think of anything else.”

His gaze locked on her, Sawyer rose from his chair. He looked angry, but Emma had the feeling his anger wasn’t directed at her. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from backing away at his approach. When she caught Casey’s frown, she halted and forced herself to remain still.

With a large gentle hand on her chin, Sawyer tipped her face this way and that to examine her bruised cheek, then he carefully looked at the rest of her face. He was an imposing man, and she’d always been in awe of him. Now, with him in front of her and Casey close at her side, she almost felt faint.

“What happened to your face, Emma?” Sawyer’s tone left no room for evasions. He expected an answer. He expected the truth.

He couldn’t have it.

Emma touched the bruise, and winced. “I…I fell, that’s all.”

Casey snorted.

She cast him a quick worried look, but couldn’t meet his piercing gaze for more than a few seconds. They didn’t deserve to be lied to, but neither did they deserve to be drawn into her problems. If they knew, they’d never let her get away. She’d done enough to them. From here on out, she would handle things. Alone. She had to.

Sawyer again tipped up her chin, this time to regain her attention. “We can help if you’ll let us.”

Did every one of them take nobility in stride? Emma wiped her eyes on her crumpled tissue, wondering how to explain without telling too much. Shame bit into her, and she sighed. “Dr. Hudson, I’m so sorry—”

Casey caught her elbow and whirled her around to face him, his anger barely leashed. “Quit apologizing, damn it. It’s not necessary.”

Emma pulled back. “I’ve barged in here—”

“Your father barged in, not you.” Casey’s light-brown eyes burned nearly gold, and his jaw was set. “You’re not responsible for what he does, Emma.”

“But…this time I am,” she explained gently. She was very aware of his parents’ attention. “I told him I was pregnant, and I told him…I told him that you were the father.”

She turned to Sawyer and Honey in a rush, stumbling over her words. “Casey hasn’t ever touched me, I swear. He wouldn’t. He’s so much better than that. But I knew if I named any other guy…” She stalled, not sure what else to say. From the time she became a teenager, she’d been with so many boys. And yet, she’d named the only one who hadn’t wanted her.

Hands on his hips, Casey dropped his head forward, staring at the floor. He made a rough sound, part growl, part sarcasm. “None of the other guys would have defended you, would have taken you in.”

Relief that she hadn’t had to explain, after all, made Emma’s knees weak. “I used your integrity against you, and I am sorry.” Twisting her hands together, she faced Sawyer. “Everyone in Buckhorn knows that you and your brothers are good people. I thought that you might help me, so I used Casey’s name to get here. It wasn’t right and I can understand if you hate me, but it was the only thing I could think of.”

“Emma,” Honey murmured, her tone filled with sympathy, “no one hates you.”

Impatient, Sawyer shook his head. “Why did you need to get here, Emma? That’s what I want to know.”

And Honey added, “But of course you’re more than welcome to stay—”

“Oh, no.” Appalled by the conclusions she’d led them to, Emma shook her head. “No, you’re not stuck with me or anything like that.” She’d made a real muddle of things, she realized. “I have no intention of imposing on you, I swear.”

They met her promises with blank stares.

She started trembling again. She’d never felt more unsophisticated or more trashy than she did right at that moment, standing among them. The comparison between herself and them made her stomach pitch. She wanted to take off running and never look back.

Soon, she promised herself. Very soon. “I have some money that I’ve saved up, and I know how to work. I’m going to go to Ohio first thing in the morning.”

“What’s in Ohio?” Casey asked, and he didn’t look so even-tempered now. He looked ready to explode.

A new life, she wanted to tell him, but instead she lied. Again. “I have a…a cousin there. She offered me a place to stay and a job.”

Her expression worried, Honey glanced at Sawyer, then Casey, before tilting her head at Emma. “What kind of job?”

What kind of job? Emma blinked, taken aback by the question. She hadn’t expected this. She’d thought they’d be glad to see her gone. Oh, she’d known that they would offer to let her stay the night, that they’d be kind. She wouldn’t have come to them otherwise. But she figured once she told them she had a place to go they’d send her on her way with no questions asked.

Think, she told herself, and finally mumbled, “I’m not sure, actually. But she said it’d be perfect for me and I assume it’ll be something…reasonable.”

The way they all looked at her, they knew she was lying. Emma started backing away toward the phone. “I…I’m going to call a cab now.” She dared a quick peek at Casey, then wished she hadn’t. In all the time she’d known him, she’d never once seen him so enraged. “When…when I get settled, I’ll write to you, okay?”

Casey again crossed his arms over his chest. “That won’t be necessary.”

Her heart sank and she wanted to crumble in on herself. “I understand.” Why would he want to hear from her anyway? She’d offered herself to him plenty of times—and every single time he’d turned her away. And still she’d barged into his life.

“You don’t understand a damn thing.” Casey began striding toward her. “Emma, you’re not going anywhere.”

His tone frightened her. She felt locked in his gaze, unable to look away, unable to think. “Of course I am.”

“No.” Sawyer strode toward her too, his movements easy, nonthreatening, which didn’t help Emma’s panic one bit. “Casey is right. It’s damn near the middle of the night and you look exhausted. You need to get some sleep. In the morning we’ll all talk and figure out what’s to be done.”

“No…” She shook her head, dazed by their reactions.

“Yes.” Sawyer took her arm, his expression gentle, his intent implacable. “For now, I want you to eat a sandwich and drink some hot chocolate, then you can take a warm shower and get some sleep.”

In a quandary, Emma found herself reseated on the sofa. They weren’t throwing her out? After what she’d done, what she’d just admitted to them?

Her own father, despite everything or maybe because of it, had used the opportunity of her supposed pregnancy to rid himself of her. And her mother… No, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, think about that right now.

Honey smiled at her. “Please don’t worry so much, Emma. Everything is okay now.”

“Nothing is okay.” Why couldn’t they understand that?

Honey’s gentle smile never slipped. “I felt the same way when I first came here, but they’re sincere, I swear. We’re all sincere. We just don’t want you rushing off until we know you’ll be all right.”

Confusion weighed heavy on her brain. She didn’t know how to deal with this.

Casey sat down beside her and shoved a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into her hand. Emma stared at it, knowing she wouldn’t be able to swallow a single bite without throwing up. She had to do… something. She had to get out of here before their acceptance and understanding weakened her resolve.

She would not become someone else’s burden.

Her mind made up, she put the sandwich aside. “I’d really like to just take a shower if that’s okay. I know I look a mess.”

Using his fingertips, Casey wiped away a lingering tear she hadn’t been aware of. He hesitated, but finally nodded. “All right. You can sleep in my room tonight.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Casey grinned at her, then pinched her chin. “I’ll, of course, sleep on the couch.”

Mortification washed over her for her asinine assumption. At her blush, Casey’s grin widened. She couldn’t believe the way he teased her in front of his parents.

“You could have used Morgan’s old room, except that Honey’s been painting it and everything is a mess in there.”